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https://www.nationalgeographic.com/expeditions/experts/karen-kasmauski.html
Karen Kasmauski
Photographer Karen Kasmauski has produced 25 stories for National Geographic magazine on topics ranging from earthquakes in Japan to oil exploration in Alaska. She finds the personal stories behind the headlines, blending a warm human sensitivity with a photographer’s eye for detail to distill global issues into resonant images. As a senior fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers, she also specializes in looking at how the health of the land affects the communities on it. Karen's book Impact: From the Front Lines of Global Health, published by National Geographic, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and she received an inaugural Getty Images Grant for Good to develop compelling new imagery for the non-profits she supports. Another book, Nurse: A World of Care, tells stories of dedicated medical professionals—“frontline soldiers” in the war against suffering and disease—from the frozen rivers of Alaska to the slums of Nairobi. Karen has photographed in numerous destinations all over the world—from Japan, Vietnam, and India to Africa and the Arctic. Kasmauski also serves on the board of The Park Institute of America.
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The latest news from around the East Bay
East Bay|North Bay|Peninsula|San Francisco|South Bay
University of California Sues Trump Administration Over Decision to Rescind DACA Program
By Sudhin Thanawala, Juliet Williams and Thom Jensen
Published Sep 8, 2017 at 11:40 AM | Updated at 7:33 PM PDT on Sep 8, 2017
//www.nbcbayarea.com/on-air/as-seen-on/UC-System-Sues-Over-DACA_Bay-Area-443343033.html
The University of California sued the Trump administration Friday over its decision to end DACA, saying thousands of its students and some faculty would be affected if they are ordered to leave the country. Thom Jensen reports. (Published Friday, Sept. 8, 2017)
The University of California sued the Trump administration Friday over its decision to end a program protecting young immigrants from deportation, saying thousands of its students and some faculty would be affected if they are ordered to leave the country.
The lawsuit filed on behalf of all students says that UC system has "benefited from the presence of DREAMers, accomplished young men and women who are our neighbors."
University President Janet Napolitano, who was Homeland Security secretary in the Obama administration and helped implement the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, is listed as a plaintiff in the lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco.
Napolitano said it's important for the public university system to stand up for members of its community.
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"They represent the best of who we are _ hard-working, resilient and motivated high achievers," she said. "To arbitrarily and capriciously end the DACA program, which benefits our country as a whole, is not only unlawful, it is contrary to our national values."
The program protects about 800,000 people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas. It currently includes hundreds of thousands of college-age students.
The lawsuit said the university will lose students and employees because of President Donald Trump's decision to end the program in six months if Congress doesn't take action first.
75 Yrs Later: Survivor's Story of Deadly Port Chicago Blast
An email sent to the U.S. Department of Justice seeking comment was not immediately returned.
Fifteen states have sued separately over the president's decision, although California is not among them.
The UC system has about 4,000 students who are in the United States illegally, "a substantial number of whom have DACA, as well as teachers, researchers and health care providers who are DACA recipients," the university system said in a statement announcing the lawsuit.
Tape Shows Trump, Epstein Discussing Women at 1992 Party
Napolitano said the university system could pursue damages for interference with the relationship it has developed with its students and staff and for deprivation or interference with the investment it has made in students to give them an education.
In a conference call with reporters, she said there was no conflict between her previous role as Homeland Security secretary and her decision to file the lawsuit.
"It went through a careful legal analysis. No court has ever held that DACA was illegal and I believe it to be a legal exercise of prosecutorial discretion," Napolitano said. "There's no conflict and no thought of recusal."
Hundreds of Teens Party in Foreclosed Oakley Home
Earlier this week, Trump agreed to give congress a six-month deadline to draw up new legislation to address the children of undocumented immigrants.
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Original Totonno's Goes Up in Flames
By Tom Llamas
Tom Llamas
The pizzeria was one of the oldest and most loved in Brooklyn.
The FDNY is still not sure what sparked a blaze that ripped through the landmark Totonno's pizzeria in Coney Island. It took firefighters nearly two hours to put out the fire.
"I don't know how it started we're all trying to figure that out," said waitress Jami Heirmerle.
Heirmerle and other staffers were called in around 9 a.m. to help clean up the charred mess.
From the looks of the damage the restaurant located on Neptune Avenue between West 15th and 16th street will not re-open anytime soon.
Ramon Centeno works at a nearby auto-glass shop and says he loved the restaurants "nice thin slices." He says he ate there nearly every day for 17 years.
"That's a big tragedy -- one of the best pizzerias ever," said Centeno.
Lifelong customer Paula Ali walked over to the pizzeria this morning to see what happened. She wondered if the fire was an accident or intentionally started.
"It"s a landmark," Al saidi.
The restaurant opened in 1924 by Anthony "Totonno" Pero and remains family owned and operated. The owners say they import the tomatoes and cheese from Italy, cooking the pizzas in coal-fired brick ovens.
The restaurant is a source of income and comfort for many in Coney Island.
"It means a lot. Number one it's my job and it's been around since before I was born since I was little," said Heirmerle. "It's a big loss but we'll fix it up."
Totonno's has two locations in Manhattan and one in Yonkers.
For more information about the pizzeria click on the link below:
http://www.totonnos.com/
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Prominent Virginia Doctor and His Tour Guide Murdered in Belize
A Carilion Clinic photo shows Dr. Gary Swank, medical director of Carilion Clinic's Cardiac Catheterization Lab and an associate professor of internal medicine at the Virginia Tech Carilion
A prominent Virginia physician who was on vacation in Belize over the weekend was shot to death along with his tour guide, who had been targeted by a local gangster, NBC News reported.
Dr. Gary Swank, 53, an interventional cardiologist at the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke and the medical director of the clinic’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab, also taught at Virginia Tech's medical school, according to the hospital. The State Department also confirmed Swank's death.
Swank, the married father of three, and his guide Mario Graniel had gone out in their skiff Sunday at about 11:30 a.m. local time and were later found shot to death, police in San Pedro said.
Graniel was found "in a fetal position behind the steering wheel of the skiff" and had been shot four times, according to a police statement. Swank's "lifeless body" was "floating face down in the lagoon about 30 feet away from the skiff" with four gunshot wounds, police said.
Get More at NBC News
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Avoid managing a myriad of code signing solutions
Malin Ridelius More About This Author >
Code signing is here to stay as all organizations that plan to distribute code or other data over the Internet risk corruption and tampering. In the Internet of Things, where installations can vary from just a few devices to millions of devices, controls are needed to make sure that the connected devices remain secure, that only valid software or firmware updates are received, and that only authorized software can execute on the device.
Electronic signatures, i.e. code signing, provide a solution for identifying and securing the origin and the integrity of code, firmware, distribution packages, etc. It can assure that originals, new versions or updates in production are secure and that they haven’t been modified or tampered with during transmission or on the device. In short, code signing provides a way for devices and people to verify that applications, firmware and software are from a trusted source.
Where are you today? How is code signing implemented in your organization?
1. I have a manual or semi manual process for acquiring code signing certificates from a trusted provider, and I sign files with client-based tools from, for example, Microsoft. The code signing key is stored in a file or used from a USB token on the build machine.
2. I have multiple code signing installations that have been built to best fit the needs of the receptive products/business units. Code signing keys are stored in files. Some business units use hardware security modules (HSM), but many do not. We now have compliance requirements that code signing needs to be done in a secure, auditable way.
3. We do not use code signing at all. Our firmware is only installed in the factory, or by technicians during service. There is no automatic or over-the-air firmware update capabilities.
4. We have a central code signing solution, which is managed by a security team. The solution uses an HSM and is audited for compliance with international government and industry standards.
Regardless of your answers above, we recommend you think a second time about 1) what the implications would be for you, your customers, and your customers’ customers, if malicious code was distributed instead of your own and 2) how you could simplify and efficiently use code signing in your organization, and how that would save precious time and resources.
We have met many companies who are in the same situation. They have been using code signing for a while and their implementations have evolved over time. In many cases, manual processes have moved to semi-manual, and home-grown solutions have been built to support the automated test and build processes. This leads to situations wherein companies are managing a myriad of distributed code signing installations, different tools from different vendors, and different processes and procedures, resulting in limited traceability and mixed levels of security and control. On top of this, the build processes are advancing and becoming completely automated, making it harder to keep up with the different code signing tools. In the end, continuous control and traceability of who signed what with what key has become impossible. If you’re struggling with your code signing, you are not alone.
You need to be compliant with industry best practices which require secure update mechanisms and hardware security modules. Customers are starting to demand more security controls from your side.
As a software supplier, what do you need to do? In general, there are a few steps we recommend for a secure and efficient solution.
You need to continue to protect your code’s integrity and your reputation. It is unfortunately often very easy to imagine what harmful code could achieve even in devices many believe to be “safe” from threats.
You need to make sure you have a solution that streamlines your code signing independently of the number of products, the number of developers, or the number of geographical sites you have. You don’t want your security solution to stand in the way of expansion and growth.
For code signing to be truly effective, you need to have a solution that easily integrates into your development process and that your developers actually use. Without it you risk an end result without control and true alignment with your security policy.
To learn more about code signing and how it can benefit your organization, view our webinar "Trust and Responsibility Throughout your Software Distribution Chain”. We’ll discuss existing code signing processes and how a central code signing solution using HSMs can achieve automation, cost-effectiveness and security for all your code signing needs. I also encourage you to read the Juan Asenjo’s blog “Signed, Sealed, Delivered! Code Signing Makes Software Yours”. In it, you’ll discover how to use HSMs as the root of trust for your code signing operations.
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MICHAEL BURNS: In the Crosshairs of Preventive War.
Written by Sarah K. Wood, University of Birmingham UK on 27 March 2006 . Posted in documentary
"I made this film because I feel a sense of responsibility as an American. Here we are, living in a place of enormous wealth, opportunity, beauty and privilege, where alongside those things, and to preserve those things, our government engages in extremely dangerous behavior. Here, if you choose, you can ignore US foreign policy. Meanwhile, around the world, American foreign, economic and military policy, is not something you can ignore. In fact, it is determining the course of your life, your aspirations and your potential. So, as an American, I have the chance to try and do something about that..."
Michael Burns is the producer/director of two films on American politics, Third Party and Preventive Warriors. He’s a native of Connecticut and a veteran of the US student anti-sweatshop movement. He's given many talks and presentations on his films, US foreign policy, and related issues.
Preventative Warriors is an in depth look at the Bush Administration's blueprint for pre-emptive wars for the present and future. Focussing on a little known strategy document called The National Security Strategy of 2002 released by the White House in September of that year, the film shows how this paper encapsulates the current direction in US foreign policy at it advocates a pro-active military posture bent on confronting threats "before they have emerged." Touching on several themes in curreny affairs, such as WMD, rogue states, terrorism and the war in Iraq, the film uses world-class scholars and think-tank members to drive a discussion on the issues likely to frame the legacy of the 21st Century.
Michael Burns says: I made this film because I feel a sense of responsibility as an American. Here we are, living in a place of enormous wealth, opportunity, beauty and privilege, where along side those things, and to preserve those things, our government engages in extremely dangerous behavior. Here, if you choose, you can ignore US foreign policy. Meanwhile, around the world, American foreign, economic and military policy is not something you can ignore. In fact, it is determining the course of your life, your aspirations and your potential. So, as an American, I have the chance to try and do something about that and try to make a small change in consciousness here that could possibly mean something for those struggling to get through life abroad. I, and of course your readers, along with more and more people around the world, choose not to ignore what is going on."
- from the indymedia.com interview with the Director
www.preventivewarriors.com
In the Crosshairs of Preventive War
March 2006 Update of :
Bush Pre-emptive War National Security Strategy Targets Iran:
An Interview with Preventive Warriors director Michael Burns
Interviewer is Sara K. Wood, University of Birmingham UK
Michael, your film on the National Security Strategy of 2002, the document that served as the official written basis for the pre-emptive war policy of the White House, came out in May of 2004. What’s happened since then?
Several things have happened worth paying attention to. The first is that we have continued to wage a war in Iraq that has turned parts of that country into the terrorist havens George Bush told us were there before the war but weren’t. Since the film came out, over a thousand coalition troops have died, and, according to conservative estimates, tens of thousands of Iraqis have been murdered, putting the country on the brink of civil war (or actually in one according to Iraqi former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi). Along side these awful events, none of the lies that the war was based on have been apologized for, from Bush’s assertion that the war’s purpose is to “uphold the integrity of the United Nations” which he hates and acted against the wishes of, to Jack Straw’s famous line that the “single question” in Iraq is ridding the country of weapons of mass destruction. Really? Why are British soldiers still fighting then? Because as we know that question has long been settled.
Another important thing that’s happened is that defense spending all around the world is way up, including places like Russia and China. This tends to happen when the world’s biggest power says that military solutions conceived by it and it alone will settle major world problems. The message of lawlessness is clear to the rest of the world, and they respond the way you would expect. They’ve learned the lesson from Iraq that guns speak louder than words.
So these are important, albeit profoundly frightening developments that have occurred or were underway and have continued since the documentary came out.
What did you make of the new updated 2006 National Security Strategy (NSS) document, the first since the NSS of 2002?
In the March 16, 2006 unveiling of the new National Security Strategy, President Bush didn’t revise the stated policy of pre-emption, of attacking another country first (an action better described as preventive rather than pre-emptive, as they’re not quite interchangeable). The new NSS says the policy "remains the same,” and is a key component of US strategy in the "early years of a long struggle,” presumably the endless war on terror.
Specifically the new NSS elaborates by saying, "If necessary… under long-standing principles of self defense, we [the US government] do not rule out use of force before attacks occur, even if uncertainty remains as to the time and place of the enemy's attack…. When the consequences of an attack with WMD are potentially so devastating, we cannot afford to stand idly by as grave dangers materialize."
But here we face the same logical breakdown as we did with the 2002 version of the National Security Strategy.
Pre-emption, attacking someone before they have the opportunity to attack you, is nothing new. It’s a long-standing and widely accepted strategy employed by law enforcement against criminals, for example. With a pair of extremely important qualifications. The legitimate use of it depends on two things: the evidence of intent of the other to attack, and the capability of the other to attack. These qualifications mean all the world of difference. They separate legitimate self-defense measures to repel an attack from arbitrary use of force whenever you feel like it. Bush declares his right to use pre-emption divorced from these qualifications, under the guise of self-defense.
Returning to a sane use of the word pre-emption (rather than Bush’s, which is just another way of saying might equals right), I recommend Nicholas Berry’s look at the new 2006 NSS. Considering intent to attack and capability to attack as moral and legal necessities to a pre-emptive strategy, he asks: “What countries might attack the United States or its allies? Those with capabilities – Russia and China – have absolutely no intent. Those that might like to develop an intent – North Korea, Syria, and Iran – have either no or insufficient capabilities. Thus they have not developed any intention to attack.
The militarism enters the picture when Bush can declare both intent and capability while manufacturing evidence for both. He did so with Iraq. He is doing so with Iran. Iran in the NSS is identified as the country likely to present the ‘single greatest future challenge to the United States’ and ‘threatens Israel.’ The NSS warns against states that ‘produce fissile material that can be used to make nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear power program.’ Not mentioned is the fact that IAEA inspectors can [find] no evidence that Iran has a weapons program. [But] for Bush, who needs evidence?”
I think Berry is right on the money. And he closes by noting that unlike Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran’s formal military will not crumble, which I think he’s right about as well.
So, to get back to your question, when it comes to the Strategy as a whole, the 2002 version was geared toward Iraq, and this is geared toward Iran with very few changes or additions of substance. And again, as far as preventive war is concerned, there is no revision and certainly no apology for it.
Iraq was of course the first application of the preventive war strategy. Though the majority of Americans now say the war in Iraq is not worth it, many seem torn about the governmental outcome because you could say that regime change was welcomed in Iraq. What do you say to the people, including Iraqis of course, who are glad to have gotten rid of Saddam Hussein?
Who wouldn’t be glad? If I were Iraqi I would be thrilled that Saddam Hussein is behind bars and 74% of the population is. But let’s look at some other numbers from a 2005 poll of Iraqis undertaken for the UK Ministry of Defense that was leaked to British media:
Between 45 and 65% of Iraqis believe attacks on US and British troops are justified.
82% are strongly opposed to the presence of coalition troops.
Less than one percent of the population believes that coalition troops are responsible for any improvement in security.
67% feel less secure because of the occupation.
So what do these numbers tell us? They tell us that people hated Saddam but hate occupation too and that they refuse to be occupied by armies with no legitimate presence. They tell us that coalition troops are not welcomed and are part of the problem not the solution, if the opinion of the Iraqi people matters at all (after all the supposed aim is to bring them democracy and to respect their opinion, right?). These numbers also tell us that the way US and UK government officials try to frame the argument over and over again- that no matter what, Iraq today is better than under Saddam- is an absurd, false choice formulation that any child can recognize as a desperate attempt to spin a disastrous war. When your argument is that our mass violence is less worse than someone else’s mass violence, and that the recipients should be thankful not resentful for our reduced level of violence, then you’ve lost any conceivable moral authority or ground to stand on. Comparing two crimes’ severity in order to absolve one is a sick exercise in my opinion, and a purely academic one. They’re both crimes.
Picking up on Bush, and to play devil’s advocate for a second, if he’s been such a disaster, how could the war continue to be waged, and if confidence in him was shaky from the start, how could the US have followed him to war in the first place?
It’s important to keep in mind how the US built its case for war in Iraq. Lewis Lapham at Harper’s Magazine just wrote an article in which he counted 237 false or misleading statements, 55 by the President himself, where he linked Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda. Quotes like, in the War on Terror “you can’t distinguish between Ai Qaeda and Saddam.”
So what was the result of this PR offensive that conflated these sworn enemies into a single evil force?
In US opinion polls spanning 2003 to 2004, 76% of those responding said that Saddam Hussein provides assistance to al-Qaeda, with 45% believing that Hussein was personally involved in the attacks of September 11th. Forty-four per cent believed that some or most of the hijackers were Iraqis. And 25% of the US population believed that the US had publicly released evidence linking Iraq to the planning and funding of 9/11. Of course all of these are false. They also make my stomach turn. I can think of nothing more disgraceful than to use what happened on 9/11 for an unrelated political purpose, to use the anger, confusion, and vulnerability as an opportunity to be cashed in on. It’s like spitting on the graves of those office workers, cleaners, clerks, and business people who died in New York and Washington.
With these numbers it should be very clear as to how the war was allowed to start and why it continues. Combine these numbers with a February 2006 Zogby poll that 90% of US troops currently in Iraq think the war is in retaliation for Saddam’s role in 9/11 and you start to see how reality has been supplanted by government spin and propaganda. Most importantly you see that both US military and public support is based on the goal of preventing another 9/11. But sadly, Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 and our actions in Iraq are making terrorist attacks more likely, having invigorated and swelled the ranks of al-Qaeda.
So in order to understand the war and its origins, as far as US public and political permissibility is concerned, you have to understand the verbal effort to tie Iraq to 9/11 and terrorism, concluding with Colin Powell’s absurd presentation to the UN, and the whole “mushroom cloud over New York is next” statements: all of these “first-wave” public relations efforts. This rhetoric about spreading democracy, it’s important to remember, only surfaced after the supposed foundational pillars of rationale for the war collapsed one after the other. This is the second wave.
Iran is not Iraq, and of course has a much more robust infrastructure and greater military capability. Despite this, the rhetoric from the Bush Administration on stopping Iran’s pursuit of nuclear power seems to be getting more hostile everyday. Do you see the possibility of a US first-strike attack on Iran?
Well, there are several things to consider. The first thing to look at, I think, is something that’s been slightly overlooked. One reason often put forth as evidence that the US is just posturing and won’t actually attack Iran is that Iran’s capability of retaliation regionally is much stronger and its role in global petro-politics too prominent. But this type of thinking could be a mistake. Remember that before attacking Iraq, there were no shortage of mainstream commentators from multiple sides of the political spectrum who accurately predicted disaster in the country and just the kind of al-Qaeda recruiting exercise it has become. This suggests that logic should not be given too much credence when you’re talking about the Bush Administration. They’ve proven very willing to take massive risks with American dollars and lives in pursuit of their incredibly ambitious aims. Dismissing the possibility that they will attack Iran, therefore, because it doesn’t make sense and may increase violence in the region and beyond is, I think, unwarranted.
The truth is that no one knows what the US will do in Iran. One of the most astute political analysts and public intellectuals in the country, Phyllis Bennis of the Institute of Policy Studies, put together a list of key points to keep in mind that I think are extremely important regarding Iran.
She writes:
- Escalating rhetoric, continued losses in Iraq, Bush's political problems, and an ideologically-driven pursuit of power make the possibility of a U.S. military attack on Iran - however reckless and however dangerous its consequences - a frighteningly real possibility.
- Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has not violated the Treaty. While there appear to be unresolved issues regarding full transparency, its nuclear program, including enriching uranium, is perfectly legal under NPT requirements for non-nuclear weapons states.
- Iran does not have nuclear weapons; even if it is trying to build a nuclear weapons program, it could not produce weapons for five to ten years or more.
- There is a dangerous, unmonitored and provocative nuclear arsenal in the Middle East; it belongs to Israel, not Iran. U.S. hypocrisy and double standards in nuclear policy, accepting Israel's unacknowledged nuclear arsenal and rewarding India's nuclear weapons status while threatening war against Iran and denying its own obligations under the NPT, has undermined Washington's claimed commitment to non-proliferation.
- U.S. officials claim they are not considering an invasion of Iran but "only" surgical air strikes against known nuclear facilities; they have not explained what their military response will be when Iran retaliates, whether against U.S. troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region, against U.S. oil tankers in near-by shipping lanes, or against Israel.
- Global suspicions remain regarding U.S. claims because of Washington's lies leading to the invasion of Iraq, but international conditions regarding Iran are significantly different; many governments appear more willing to consider Iran a "threat."
I think these observations are highly relevant as tension heats up. Personally, I don’t feel confident to venture a guess either way on whether the US will attack Iran. There are persuasive arguments for and against the likelihood. While unelected political operatives in the White House may have fantasies of leaving office by striking the country they hate the most, the possibility of retaliation and unforeseen consequences may prove too risky to Republicans terrified of further domestic political fallout as we move into the 2008 election cycle. So domestic electoral concerns may play a significant role in what happens. Only time, and the extent of the willingness of citizens and politicians to expose lies and argue for peace, will tell.
When it comes to preventive attacks, often you hear people suggest that to end the suffering of oppressed people in other countries, sometimes our international system fails, and unilateral action is necessary. What do you say to that?
That’s just not how states behave if you look at the world. Just to take a few obvious examples. Look at the number of deaths in The Republic of Congo, 38,000 a month right now according to the BBC. And of course you have Rwanda back in the 90s, 850,000 dead during the presidency of Bill Clinton who ceaselessly repeats these days how much he “loves Africa.” I highly recommend the book Shake Hands with the Devil, Romeo Dalliare’s book on the failure of the world yet again to take action to prevent mass killings in that country. Or take the fact that according to the UN over 29,000 children die everyday of hunger and preventable disease. Or look at Hurricane Katrina in the US last summer. Looking at just these four events, ask yourself, is ending suffering a priority for states that can do anything about it? Or is it more the case that when other interests arise so does the rhetoric about liberating the oppressed?
As the war continues and potential conflicts loom, where do progressive-minded reformers go from here?
I think the shock of terrorism understandably causes populations to give governments leeway where they wouldn’t otherwise- to respond to and address the situation and increase security. This is what’s happened in the US and UK obviously. But now we see that we are less safe, hatred of Western governments is way up, and terrorism is more likely than ever. So those who so quickly proposed militarist solutions to the terrorist problem have proven themselves failures and their tactics counterproductive in the one arena they were given the benefit of the doubt in- increasing security. The part of the world’s population that gave them benefit of the doubt in this respect is now waking up to the reality that others suspected from the beginning: their choices are making things worse, not better.
I see justice-minded activists’ main job as making sure of something. We must make sure that the betrayal and justified disgust directed at the free-market fundamentalists and war-loving zealots presently in office do not translate into further disengagement with the critical struggle for political reform. Our present leaders want compliance, but if they can’t get it, the next best thing is our tacit agreement out of frustration, it’s for us to give up on politics because of our realization of their incompetence and dishonesty. We can’t let this happen. Political office has to be a centerpiece to long-term democratic renewal. If there could be a wake up call louder than the tragic events of our times for the need for more, not less, political participation with the aim of urgent electoral regime change at home, I don’t know what it could be.
Thanks very much Michael and congratulations on the continued success with the film.
More about Preventive Warriors is available at its website www.preventivewarriors.com
Michael Burns' current projects are Majority Rules and Laban: The Meaning of the EDSA Revolution.
To book a speaking engagement or interview contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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She’s red-y! Jenna Dewan Tatum wore the hottest dress to Vanity Fair’s Oscars after-party
SHE is usually on the arm of her husband, Hollywood star Channing Tatum. But Jenna Dewan Tatum stepped out solo to an Oscars after-party in a jawdropping dress.
Nadia Salemme
News Corp Australia NetworkMarch 6, 201812:18pm
Glitz and Glamour from the 90th Oscars
Jenna Dewan Tatum was red-y to party at the Vanity Fair bash. Picture: Getty ImagesSource:AP
TALK about red hot.
Hollywood stars sexed up their Oscars night looks at the after parties, no more so than Channing Tatum’s wife Jenna Dewan Tatum, who sported a strapless red Pamella Roland gown with a dramatic, thigh-high split.
She attended the star-studded bash in Hollywood with her BFF, Emmanuelle Chriqui (aka Sloan from Entourage), and left Channing at home to babysit their daughter, Everly, 4.
“He is so happy to have a night off, yes,” Jenna said, according to Entertainment Tonight.
Chriqui chimed in: “I took his place tonight”.
Jenna Dewan Tatum turned heads at Vanity Fair’s annual party, held at Wallis Annenberg Centre for the Performing Arts. Picture: Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images
Her lippy matched her Pamella Roland frock. Picture: AFPSource:AFP
She left husband Channing Tatum at home to babysit their daughter, Everly. Picture: AFPSource:AFP
Tatum added that it had taken “20 people” to help them get Oscar party ready.
“We just had the most fun, get-ready glam session,” Tatum said, Elle reports.
photo galleryLife of the party: Jennifer Lawrence lets loose at the 2018 Oscars
Pace yourself, J-Law ... Jennifer Lawrence in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty1 of 24
Jennifer Lawrence in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: AFP2 of 24
Jennifer Lawerence in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty3 of 24
Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence speak in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty4 of 24
Jennifer Lawrence and Margot Robbie hug in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty7 of 24
Jennifer Lawrence in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty8 of 24
Jennifer Lawrence greets director Steven Spielberg in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: AFP9 of 24
Jennifer Lawrence in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty10 of 24
Salma Hayek and Jennifer Lawrence in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: AFP11 of 24
Salma Hayek and Jennifer Lawrence in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty12 of 24
Jennifer Lawrence blows a kiss in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: AFP13 of 24
Jodie Foster and Jennifer Lawrence speak onstage during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty14 of 24
Jennifer Lawrence greets Woody Harrelson in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: AFP16 of 24
Jennifer Lawrence and Ashley Judd appear in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: AP17 of 24
Jennifer Lawrence attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: AP18 of 24
Jennifer Lawrence attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: AFP20 of 24
Jennifer Lawrence attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty22 of 24
Pace yourself, J-Law ... Jennifer Lawrence in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty
Jennifer Lawrence in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: AFP
Jennifer Lawerence in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty
Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lawrence speak in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty
Jennifer Lawrence and Margot Robbie hug in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty
Jennifer Lawrence in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty
Jennifer Lawrence greets director Steven Spielberg in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: AFP
Salma Hayek and Jennifer Lawrence in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: AFP
Salma Hayek and Jennifer Lawrence in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty
Jennifer Lawrence blows a kiss in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: AFP
Jodie Foster and Jennifer Lawrence speak onstage during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty
Jennifer Lawrence greets Woody Harrelson in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: AFP
Jennifer Lawrence and Ashley Judd appear in the audience during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: AP
Jennifer Lawrence attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: AP
Jennifer Lawrence attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: AFP
Jennifer Lawrence attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty
“We took over her house and had like 20 people in there. It takes 20 people for all this.”
The pair rubbed shoulders with other A-list guests at the hot-ticket Vanity Fair bash — an annual post-Oscars event in Beverly Hills.
OSCARS CEREMONY: ALL THE WINNERS
The guest list this year also included Drake, Naomi Campbell, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Gal Gadot, Paris Jackson, Timothée Chalamet, Amanda Seyfried and Emma Roberts, along with Oscar winner Frances McDormand.
The Vanity Fair Oscar Party is a hot-ticket event. Picture: Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images
Emmanuelle Chriqui, left, is best known for her role as Sloan in Entourage. Picture: Getty ImagesSource:AP
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Home » World » Hurricane Irma crosses Barbuda, to hit Florida in 3 days
Hurricane Irma crosses Barbuda, to hit Florida in 3 days
The eye of Hurricane Irma on Wednesday crossed Barbuda with potentially catastrophic effects on this island and for the rest of the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean islands, the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) reported.
Irma of Category 5, the maximum on the Saffir-Simpson scale, crossed Barbuda at 2 a.m. with maximum sustained winds of 295 km an hour.
At present, Irma is moving north-northwest at a speed of 24 km per hour and is located 10 km north of Barbuda and 65 km north of Antigua.
Barbuda has 545 homes with 1,645 people living, according to the 2011 census.
According to the probable trajectory pattern traced by the NHC, after crossing the Lesser Antilles, the vortex of the extremely dangerous Irma will pass near or just north of Puerto Rico by noon on Wednesday and Thursday night, Efe reports.
Once it crosses Puerto Rico, Irma will probably pass through the north of the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, northern Cuba and arrive in Florida at the end of the week.
The weather experts anticipate Irma to stay in the category of 4 or 5 in the next 48 hours.
FIFA legends play exhibition game, U-17 World Cup Trophy unveiled
Spyder movie teaser out now : Mahesh Babu and Rakulpreet compliment each other
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Chamari Athapaththu hopeful of her young team
Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu is hoping her young team will do well enough to stay in contention in the ICC Women’s Championship which decides the direct qualifiers for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in 2021.
Pakistan host the West Indies in Dubai and South Africa play at home against Sri Lanka in what could be a crucial series.
Like Pakistan and the Windies, the series in South Africa will also see two teams who are next to each other on the points table, but the hosts are way ahead at seven points while Sri Lanka only has two points.
Athapaththu said “We have gained some valuable practice in the T20I series and hope to put that preparation to good use in the ICC Women’s Championship series against South Africa. They have match-winners like Dane van Niekerk and Sune Luus in their squad but it is time we come up with some good performances to remain in contention in the championship”.
South Africa captain Dane van Niekerk is hoping to gain from home conditions as she aims to beat teams from the sub-continent while.
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Canadian Lynched in Peruvian Amazon After Being Accused Of Killing Indigenous Healer
By Chantal Da Silva On 4/23/18 at 7:01 AM EDT
World Canada Peru Amazon Canadian
Updated | A Canadian man was lynched in the Peruvian Amazon on Saturday after community members accused him of killing an 81-year-old indigenous healer, local officials said.
Police said villagers accused Sebastian Woodroffe, 41, of killing local Shipibo-Konibo healer and rights activist Olivia Arévalo after she was found dead from two gunshot wounds near her home in the village of Victoria Gracia, in Peru's central Amazon region of Ucayali.
A Canadian man was lynched to death in the Peruvian Amazon after being accused of killing shaman and human rights activist Olivia Arévalo Lomas. Reuters
Woodroffe, who leaves behind a son, moved from Victoria, British Columbia, to the Amazon to study natural healing, and was believed to have been one of Arévalo's patients.
Police said they found the Canadian's body buried roughly 0.6 miles away from the healer's home on Saturday. General Jorge Lam told The Guardian police had identified Woodroffe from his fingerprints.
A graphic video, released by local media and shared across social media, claims to show Woodroffe's final moments, with him crying out as he lies in a puddle outside a wooden home.
At least one man can be seen putting a rope around Woodroffe's neck and striking his body several times before dragging him across the ground. Woodroffe's body appears to go limp after a short while as a crowd of people, including children, look on.
A spokesperson for Ucayali's attorney general's office confirmed to Reuters that the man in the video was Woodroffe, adding that an autopsy of his body indicated he died from strangulation.
The spokesperson, Ricardo Palma Jimenez, said prosecutors were exploring several theories concerning Arévalo's murder and that it was too early to name any suspects in the case.
He said lawyers would "not rest until both murders, of the indigenous woman as well as the Canadian man, are solved." So far, no arrests have been made in connection with either death.
Local media reports said Arévalo's family members accused Woodroffe of her murder, with indigenous news service Servindi publishing photos of the Canadian and identifying him as the killer.
Arévalo's murder sparked outrage among Peruvians as well as environmental and human rights groups around the world, with Amazon Watch calling her death "horrific" and honoring her as a defender of "rights of her people deep in the Peruvian Amazon."
A translated statement from Peru's Ministry of Culture released on Saturday offered its condolences to Woodroffe's family and said the ministry had been working with local authorities in the Ucayali region, local community and indigenous leaders to determine what happened.
It said the national police and public ministry would identify those responsible for both Woodroffe's and Lomas's murders as soon as possible.
Woodroffe appeared to have used crowdfunding website IndieGogo about five years ago to raise funds to help him travel from Victoria to Peru's Amazon to "learn plant medicine," which would aid him in addiction counseling.
The Canadian said "a recent family intervention for a relative with an alcohol addiction has opened my eyes to what I should be doing for work," adding that his long-term goal was to "create a platform for this teaching in the form of a healing/detox center based around plant medicine and nature."
This is Olivia Arévalo. May she rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/5F9dEBVLJ8
â AMAZON WATCH (@AmazonWatch) April 20, 2018
A friend of Woodroffe's told Canadian broadcaster CBC that the 41-year-old had traveled to Peru a handful of times to experiment with ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic drug used in traditional healing. Yarrow Willard described Woodroffe as a "gentle" and loving father who sought "deeper meaning."
Global Affairs Canada told Newsweek in a statement: "Canada extends its deepest condolences following the reported assassination of Olivia Arévalo, an indigenous elder and human rights defender of the Shipobo-Konibo people in Peru's Ucayali region.
"We are also aware that a Canadian was killed in a related incident," the office said, adding: "Consular services are being provided to the family of the Canadian."
This article has been updated with a statement from Global Affairs Canada.
Canadian Lynched in Peruvian Amazon After Being Accused Of Killing Indigenous Healer | World
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Catacombs Beneath Jerusalem To House New City Of The Dead And Thousands Of Graves
By Callum Paton On 11/17/17 at 1:09 PM EST
An Israeli man mourns over the grave of a loved one during a ceremony at the Mount Herzel military cemetery in Jerusalem; a new city of the dead has been built beneath Jerusalem to house the dead. MAGEN/AFP/Getty Images
World Jerusalem Graves Old City
A series of catacombs excavated deep under Jerusalem's main cemetery will house a new "city of the dead," addressing a critical lack of burial space in Israel with the addition of 22,000 graves.
The system of beehive-like tunnels stretch more than half a mile beneath the city and have been excavated over the past two years. They will provide Jerusalem with enough space to deal with the city's dead for the next decade, the New York Times reported.
Related: Outrage As Woman Strips Naked at Jerusalem's Western Wall
"We came up with this idea to provide a solution under the cemetery with burial structures, but also hidden from the eye," said Arik Glazer, chief executive of Rolzur Tunneling, the company in charge of the excavations. "There is not enough land and we take advantage of this."
The city of the dead will be connected to the surface via a 55-yard elevator shaft and has been planned to be both "aesthetic" and "respectful."
Probing the ground beneath Jerusalem, where archaeologists are regularly making new and important discoveries, presented an obstacle to Glazer and his team as they sought to preserve the holy city's heritage.
In October excavators working in Jerusalem's Old City discovered an ancient Roman theater dating from the second century. The structure, which was built to hold around 200 people, was likely a smaller acoustic theater known as an odeon, or a bouleuterion, a meeting place for city council members.
Because of the historic and archaeological sensibilities wrapped up in delving beneath Jerusalem, huge sums were spent on the project to ensure it did not disturb ancient ruins or graves. Chevra Kadisha, a Jewish Burial Society, supplied $50 million to complete the catacombs.
When it is completed in 2018 families will be able to enter the tunnels on foot or by way of the elevator with platforms built in the tunnels to allow access.
"It's the first of its kind in the world, at least in the modern world," Glazer said.
The modern form of burial has revived the kind of catacombs that were used in overcrowded urban areas centuries ago.
"Burials like this existed in ancient times, 1,600 to 2,000 years ago, and we have we have revived this tradition because of the lack of burial space," Glazer said.
Catacombs Beneath Jerusalem To House New City Of The Dead And Thousands Of Graves | World
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The Current Cinema
Not Child’s Play
“The Kid with a Bike” and “Detachment.”
By Anthony Lane
Thomas Doret and Cécile de France in a film directed by the Dardenne brothers.
Illustration by Annette Marnat
The new film from the Dardenne brothers is called “The Kid with a Bike.” What pedals it forward, though, is the times when the kid is without a bike—and, by implication, without some of the other essential props of a childhood, like love and parents. To Cyril (Thomas Doret), those are luxuries, to be dreamed of or scrabbled for. Cyril is a biter and a fighter. He’s about eleven years old, with short ginger hair, and, though his eyes and other features are fairly flat and blank, he is anything but inexpressive, venting all his feelings—most of them tempests, beyond his control—in bodily movement. He always seems to be running, not walking, in a desperate pursuit. Think of Tintin, minus the dog, the quiff, and the inbuilt sense of fun.
Cyril is a ward of the state; he lives in an orphanage, in the Belgian town of Seraing. He has no mother, or none that we hear of, but he does have an absent father, who is meant to be looking after Cyril’s bike. In the opening shot, the son calls his father’s number and finds it cut off. He clings to the phone, as if that might forge a connection, then makes a furious break for freedom, sprinting through the grounds of the home, scaling the boundary fence and clinging to that, as his caretakers pull him back. The last and most important cling comes as Cyril, having finally escaped, ducks into a medical center, crashes into a woman in the waiting room, and grabs at her, for want of anything better. Again, people try to drag him off, but the woman, far from panicking, simply says to him, “You can hold me, but not so tight.”
That is a tone—gracious, patient, and unflustered—that we have not heard before. It belongs to a local hairdresser named Samantha (Cécile de France). She finds the bicycle and brings it to the orphanage, explaining that someone had bought it from the father. “He’d never have sold it,” the boy says, still cleaving to his illusions. He seems fiercely folded in on himself, having to be told to thank his benefactor. Yet, as she drives away, he races alongside her car and asks if he can stay with her on weekends. (The children are allowed out, if anyone will have them.) And so, haltingly, almost at random, a soul begins to be saved.
Cyril has many forebears, such as Antoine, in “The 400 Blows,” who is sent to a young offenders’ institute, and the hero of Maurice Pialat’s “L’Enfance Nue,” carted from one foster family to the next. Behind them all is “Oliver Twist”: the tale of a child who belongs to no one, and of his journey from the authorities to a single embrace. As in Dickens, we tread the verge of a fairy tale; note the red shirts and jackets that Cyril wears, to match the color of his anger, and the treacherous green wood on the edge of town into which he ventures when his bike is snatched. There lurks the villain of the piece, a Fagin named Wes (Egon Di Mateo), vulpine and seductive, offering sodas and cigarettes, and inviting Cyril home to play video games. So chronic is our hero’s craving for a paternal figure that even a creep like Wes can, for a while, be a candidate. Cyril is gulled into theft—though, unlike Oliver, he is no angel, and we gauge all too well the speed with which he could go to the devil.
The mood of the film is an equable one, following Samantha’s example by scorning the histrionic in favor of the matter-of-fact. Even the smatterings of violence—a stupid jab with a blade, the swing of a bat—seem to pass like any other gesture, the only difference being in the weight of their consequences. The obvious comparison is with “Bicycle Thieves,” still the most influential of fables, yet the wistful throb of thwarted yearning that upholds De Sica’s movie is outside the remit of the Dardennes. They have aimed, instead, in movies like “Rosetta” (1999) and “The Child” (2005), for a downbeat intensity, and “The Kid with a Bike” tightens that process to its most heartbreaking pitch so far. One development is the repeated use of Beethoven, sparing but extraordinarily precise; at three cruxes in the story, we hear the same short excerpt from the slow movement of the “Emperor” Concerto, deliberately unresolved. Not until the final credits is the piano allowed to enter. I was left prostrate by this, I must admit, and other, comparable flourishes—Kubrick’s elaborate, often synthesized bursts of the Ninth Symphony, say, in “A Clockwork Orange”—suddenly feel clunky and overwrought. Only Bresson, with his careful placing of Mozart’s C-Minor Mass in “A Man Escaped,” is on a level with the Dardennes, and you feel a Bressonian presence at the end of “The Kid with a Bike.” I will say nothing of what happens there, except that, for every viewer who thinks that the film-makers are pushing their luck, another will claim, as I would, that they have earned the right to step across the threshold of transcendence.
Yet even that is not what matters most. The real reason to see “The Kid with a Bike” is that it offers something changelessly rare and difficult: a credible portrait of goodness. What Cécile de France, tall and drawn and self-possessed, presents us with, in the person of Samantha, is not a pushover or a busybody, still less a saint. She is a hard worker, living alone, who does what needs to be done. Why? Cyril himself puts that question, as they sit at dinner. She gives a tiny shrug, and replies, “I don’t know,” just as Cyril would if you asked him why he hung out with Wes. Virtue, in other words, has the same shape as vice. It is not devised by masterminds or advertised on billboards; it simply arises and prods us into action. When Samantha, at Cyril’s request, tracks down his father, they find a cowardly loser, Guy (Jérémie Renier), who dangles half-promises in front of Cyril (the cruellest thing to do), then privately tells Samantha that he washes his hands of the kid. We see her sitting in the front seat of her car, calmly digesting this betrayal. Then she gets out, returns to Guy, and makes him say it to his son. A terrible truth, yes, but a truth nonetheless; and, from here on, Cyril knows that this woman—ordinary and magnificent—represents his only chance at life. No more lies.
Other acts of kindness, or rescue attempts, occur in “Detachment,” which was filmed on Long Island. Adrien Brody plays a substitute teacher named Henry Barthes, who arrives at a high school in crisis: standards have slumped, the principal (Marcia Gay Harden) is being fired, and her faculty members—played by a strong roll call of actors, including Christina Hendricks, Blythe Danner, William Petersen, Lucy Liu, and a super-seedy James Caan—look hollowed out and spent. Some of them are glimpsed at home, looking no happier, the moral being that the sickness of the education system infects every limb of their lives. As for the kids, they either vegetate in sullen discontent, like Meredith (Betty Kaye), the large and artistically gifted girl at the back of Henry’s class, or launch volleys of filth at their betters. The movie’s title strikes me as wishful thinking. It should have been called “Fuck Off, Mr. Chips.”
“Detachment” was directed by Tony Kaye, who made the equally inflammatory “American History X.” The new work is choppy, unbalanced, hysterical, quick to discern hysteria in its characters, and aghast at the state of the nation, not least at what Henry calls the “marketing holocaust” imposed upon American youth. Yet here’s the thing: the movie works, and, though it cries out against so much, you sense that the one thing it does not cry is wolf. If you believe even a fraction of what it reports from the front line, where the primary task facing educators is, as Henry admits, to insure that “nobody kills anybody,” then something is indeed dying in our will to know.
That is why Adrien Brody has found his vocation. At the best of times, even in funny films, he seems to be in secret mourning for an unrevealed grief, and that funereal air, respectful of the rituals yet bereft of hope, serves him well in the crypt of “Detachment.” Henry’s mother, whom we keep seeing in lurid flashes, died when he was young, and his grandfather now lies in a hospital bed. But we don’t really need all this gloomy backup, any more than we need Henry’s unshaven speeches to the camera, or his relationship with Erica (Sami Gayle)—a prostitute, no older than his pupils, whom he befriends and helps, like a Victorian philanthropist—because what happens in class covers the full curriculum of his despair. At the end, he reads out “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and Kaye combines the morbidity of Poe with an apocalyptic vision of the school laid waste—all vacant rooms and dry leaves gusting down the corridors. But wait: most of them are not leaves at all but the torn pages of discarded books. It is the greatest biblio-climax of any film since “Fahrenheit 451,” although Truffaut’s prayer was that reading might yet survive calamity and carry the torch of the civilized. “Detachment” snuffs out that faith; books, it warns us, are the first thing to go. ♦
Anthony Lane has been a film critic for The New Yorker since 1993. He is the author of “Nobody’s Perfect.”
Marcia Gay Harden
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https://www.nhregister.com/connecticut/article/New-Haven-man-gives-his-all-to-food-drives-that-11318675.php
New Haven man gives his all to food drives that add up to cash and can for Connecticut’s hungry
City man gives his all to help Connecticut Food Bank
Published 7:50 pm EST, Wednesday, November 23, 2016
James Trimble helps load the food items he collected this year in addition to more than $3,000 in donations for the Connecticut Food Bank.
NEW HAVEN >> Even as he searched for a new job after being laid off, James Trimble, a community member at Chapel Haven, was an “all-star” collector of money and food donations for the Connecticut Food Bank.
Helping others has been a priority for Trimble since he arrived as a student in 2005 at the award-winning school for young adults with autism and other special needs.
Since that time, Trimble has raised more than $7,000 and collected more than 2,000 pounds of food on his own for Connecticut Food Bank.
“He’s been terrific,” said food bank spokesman Paul Shipman. “He’s come to events, he’s helped at events. He’s really an all-star to us and we’re very grateful.”
Trimble began the volunteer work for Connecticut Food Bank seven years ago, but really stepped it up following Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 and Superstorm Sandy in 2012, when he was inspired while working a storm relief drive at IKEA.
Trimble isn’t exactly sure when he had that “a-ha” moment, but said during the volunteer work, “I met a wide range of fantastic people.”
“It was an incredible experience,” he said. “I decided to start my own drive and (up the effort) more in times of national disaster.”
That first year following Superstorm Sandy, Trimble collected 129 pounds of food and $270; the second year it was 313 pounds of food and $740 and in 2015 it was 729 pounds of food and $2,300. Recently, for 2016, Trimble raised $3,348 and collected 583 pounds of food.
“Imagine a catastrophe — days or weeks at a time without power. The food is important no matter what the rest,” Trimble said.
Mike Storz, president of Chapel Haven, a leading organization in the field of teaching independent living skills, said one of the greatest things an individual can do is give back to the community and Trimble is “an amazing example of the values Chapel Haven instills in our students.”
“I am so proud of the impact he has in our community,” Storz said.
Trimble said he solicited from his friends, family, neighbors and co-workers. Next year he hopes to bring the numbers up by collecting publicly and knocking on doors.
In the midst of this year’s drive, Trimble was also job searching after being laid off from his longtime job in a mail room. Trimble is great at sorting materials, he said.
“I’m still looking for work — I haven’t given up,” he said.
Shipman said community support such as Trimble’s is “vital” to Connecticut Food Bank and the organization will work with people who want to do their own drives.
Shipman said while all donations are appreciated, monetary donations are especially helpful because they increase food-buying power and it can be used in other facets of the operation, including transporting food.
Shipman said that through its “buying power,” Connecticut Food Bank can turn $1 into enough food to purchase two meals for a day.
For more information on Connecticut Food Bank, where donations can be made directly through the website, visit www.ctfoodbank.org.
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https://www.nhregister.com/editorials/article/Editorial-Get-union-politics-out-of-New-Haven-11321443.php
Editorial: Get union politics out of New Haven development process
Published 5:05 pm EDT, Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Randy Salvatore of RMS Companies addresses a joint committee of the Board of Alders in June.
Photo: Mary O’Leary — New Haven Register File Photo
As New Haven officials scramble to salvage a deal with developer Randy Salvatore for a $100 million housing and retail project in the Hill, the question remains: Why did it come to this?
In a city hungry for jobs, why do some city leaders stand in the way?
Credit Mayor Toni Harp’s administration and a change of heart by the Board of Alders leadership for working to save a deal that some alders were on the verge of scuttling.
After Salvatore stormed out of an alders meeting in late June, he voiced an alarming concern: some of the people involved in project approvals “do not have the best interests of the city at heart.”
Salvatore predicted “long-term consequences” for a city that already has a reputation among developers as a tough place to do business.
“City staff was fine, but they don’t make these decisions,” Salvatore said.
Alders — some with their own agendas — make those decisions.
It’s a refrain repeated by Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce leaders in a meeting last week with the Register’s editorial board.
They charged that some alders are taking their orders from Yale’s unions, and therefore stalling development projects. Eleven members of the 30-member Board of Alders have some connection to the largest Yale University unions, Local 34 and Local 35, which are negotiating contracts with the university.
Sources told the Register that the unions are using their supporters on the aldermanic board to get some of what they want in a new contract. Union leaders aren’t commenting.
Yale is the city’s largest employer, and the unions serve a key constituency. Their members — our neighbors — certainly have an important voice that should be heard. But linking union negotiations to development proposals is bad public policy, and it hurts the city.
It’s even hurting other unions.
Some 30 members of Local 446, the laborers union, stood in the hallway outside a City Plan Commission meeting this spring to show their support for a Yale plan to build a new science facility to replace the Gibbs Laboratory on Whitney Avenue in the Science Hill area. The plan means more than 200 construction jobs, officials have said. Yale officials say that the plan will not impact parking in the city, as the number of workers at the facility and the number of parking spaces will remain unchanged. And they say there is parking to accommodate the construction workers, too.
But some alders have used the opportunity to hold up this plan, as well, citing broader parking issues involving Yale employees. Some Yale workers park on city streets in certain neighborhoods, taking spaces near residences during the workday because they don’t want to pay for parking assigned to them. Those concerns are real, and must be addressed — but in the proper way.
City leaders are again stepping into the breach. Harp said Monday that aldermanic leadership plans to put forward a method for dealing with Yale University’s Overall Parking Plan that would allow for a shorter review process for developments such as the Gibbs lab that would have little, if any impact, on parking.
The process shouldn’t be this difficult. While the Salvatore deal may be salvaged, and Yale isn’t going anywhere after 300 years, other developers are no doubt taking notice.
It’s time to get union politics out of the planning and development process.
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https://www.nhregister.com/entertainment/article/Rihanna-Kendrick-Metallica-play-at-Global-11321959.php
Rihanna, Kendrick, Metallica play at Global Citizen fest
By Mesfin Fekadu, AP Music Writer
Published 2:31 pm EDT, Sunday, September 25, 2016
Kendrick Lamar performs at the Global Citizen Festival in New York. on Sept. 24, 2016.
Photo: AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek
NEW YORK >> Rihanna ran through her pop and R&B hits, Eddie Vedder partnered with Chris Martin and Kendrick Lamar was enthusiastic and energetic during his hour-long set at the Global Citizen Festival in New York.
Metallica, Ellie Goulding, Usher and Yandel also performed familiar songs Saturday at the free event on the Great Lawn in Central Park. The multi-hour show aired live on MSNBC.
Major Lazer kicked off the festival, performing hits such as “Lean On” and was backed by lively dancers. At one point they all wore New York Mets jerseys onstage. Demi Lovato, who replaced Selena Gomez, followed with strong singing.
Fans earned free tickets by promoting the importance of education. The event was hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, Salma Hayek Pinault, Chelsea Handler, Priyanka Chopra and Hugh Jackman and his actress-wife Deborra-Lee Furness.
Rihanna closed the show with a number of her smash hits, from “We Found Love” to “Umbrella” to the recent “Needed Me.” Most of the performers thanked the feverish audience for doing acts of kindness to earn the tickets.
“We got global citizens in the house tonight — I myself, I’m from Barbados so I came a long way,” Rihanna said. “There are people all over the globe that need help.”
As fans waited for Rihanna to perform, Martin — who had just performed — came back onstage to stall. He sang Prince’s “Raspberry Beret” while strumming the guitar, and freestyled new lyrics about why Rihanna was late, which earned laughs and applause from the crowd. He joked that the singer was doing her makeup and said he would perform the Prince song again.
Metallica earned one of the night’s loudest ovations and Usher wore a black shirt that read, “Silence is content.”
The Global Citizen Festival is in its fifth year. Last year’s event featured Michelle Obama, Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, Beyonce and Pearl Jam.
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Scores of Central American migrants, representing the thousands participating in a caravan trying to reach the U.S. border, rest in front of the office of the United Nation's human rights body, after undertaking an hours-long march to demand buses, in Mexico City, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Members of the caravan which has stopped in Mexico City demanded buses Thursday to take them to the U.S. border, saying it is too cold and dangerous to continue walking and hitchhiking.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A man rests his feet after scores of Central American migrants, representing the thousands participating in a caravan trying to reach the U.S. border, undertook an hours-long march to the office of the United Nations' humans rights body in Mexico City, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Members of the caravan which has stopped in Mexico City demanded buses Thursday to take them to the U.S. border, saying it is too cold and dangerous to continue walking and hitchhiking.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Scores of Central American migrants, representing the thousands participating in a caravan trying to reach the U.S. border, undertake an hours-long march to the office of the United Nations' humans rights body in Mexico City, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Members of the caravan which has stopped in Mexico City demanded buses Thursday to take them to the U.S. border, saying it is too cold and dangerous to continue walking and hitchhiking.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Scores of Central American migrants, representing the thousands participating in a caravan trying to reach the U.S. border, rest in front of the office of the United Nation's human rights body, after undertaking an hours-long march to demand buses, in Mexico City, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Members of the caravan which has stopped in Mexico City demanded buses to take them to the U.S. border, saying it is too cold and dangerous to continue walking and hitchhiking.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A man rests on the street after scores of Central American migrants, representing the thousands participating in a caravan trying to reach the U.S. border, undertook an hours-long march to the office of the United Nations' humans rights body in Mexico City, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Members of the caravan which has stopped in Mexico City demanded buses to take them to the U.S. border, saying it is too cold and dangerous to continue walking and hitchhiking.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Men line up for donated drinking water, after scores of Central American migrants, representing the thousands participating in a caravan trying to reach the U.S. border, undertook an hours-long march to the office of the United Nations' humans rights body in Mexico City, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Members of the caravan which has stopped in Mexico City demanded buses to take them to the U.S. border, saying it is too cold and dangerous to continue walking and hitchhiking.(AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A man rests on the street after scores of Central American migrants, representing the thousands participating in a caravan trying to reach the U.S. border, undertook an hours-long march to the office of the United Nations' humans rights body in Mexico City, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. Members of the caravan which has stopped in Mexico City demanded buses to take them to the U.S. border, saying it is too cold and dangerous to continue walking and hitchhiking. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
In a Nov. 6, 2018 photo, U.S. Army Military Police from Fort Bliss Texas have shown up at the San Ysidro port of entry to support the Border Patrol after President Trump has said he fears an invasion of Hondurans arriving in coming weeks.(John Gibbins/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP)
In a Nov. 6, 2018 photo, Marine Corps engineers from Camp Pendleton put up razor wire just east of the San Ysidro Port of Entry where trains pass from the US in to Mexico and Mexico to the US to support Border Patrol after President Trump has said he fears an invasion of Hondurans arriving in coming weeks. (John Gibbins/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP)
Central American migrants in Mexico want buses to US border
PUBLISHED 8:35 PM ET Nov. 08, 2018 PUBLISHED November 8, 2018 @8:35 PM
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Central American migrants in a caravan that has stopped in Mexico City demanded buses Thursday to take them to the U.S. border, saying it is too cold and dangerous to continue walking and hitchhiking.
About 200 migrants, representing the roughly 5,000 staying in a stadium in the south of Mexico's capital, marched to the United Nations office in Mexico City to make the demand for transportation.
The office was closed when the migrants arrived, but a dozen were received by U.N. representatives at a nearby location, said Ilberto Sosa Montes, a 45-year-old Honduran who is one of caravan's coordinators.
"We need buses to continue traveling," said Milton Benitez, a caravan coordinator. Benitez noted that it would be colder in northern Mexico and it wasn't safe for the migrants to continue along highways, where drug cartels frequently operate.
"This is a humanitarian crisis and they are ignoring it," Benitez said as the group arrived at the U.N. office.
The plan was that when the migrant delegation returned to the stadium, roughly a three-hour walk from the U.N. office, the migrants would gather in an assembly to decide when they would leave Mexico City and what route they would take to the U.S. border. But the meeting with U.N. officials was continuing into the evening Thursday, representatives of the U.N. and the caravan confirmed.
Mexico City authorities say that of the 4,841 registered migrants receiving shelter in a sports complex, 1,726 are under the age of 18, including 310 children under five.
The Mexican government has said most of the migrants have refused offers to stay in Mexico, and only a small number have agreed to return to their home countries. About 85 percent of the migrants are from Honduras, while others are from the Central American countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
"California is the longest route but is the best border, while Texas is the closest but the worst" border, said Jose Luis Fuentes of the National Lawyers Guild to gathered migrants.
There have already been reports of migrants on the caravan going missing, though that is often because they hitch rides on trucks that turn off on different routes, leaving them lost.
However, the U.N. human rights agency said its office in Mexico had filed a report with prosecutors in the central state of Puebla about two buses that migrants boarded in the last leg of the trip to Mexico City early this week, and whose whereabouts are not known.
Mexico City is itself more than 600 miles from the nearest U.S. border crossing at McAllen, Texas, and a previous caravan in the spring opted for a much longer route to Tijuana in the far northwest, across from San Diego. That caravan steadily dwindled to only about 200 people by the time it reached the border.
Activists and officials explained the options available to migrants in Mexico, which has offered them refuge, asylum or work visas. The government said 2,697 temporary visas had been issued to individuals and families to cover them while they wait for the 45-day application process for a more permanent status.
Thursday's meeting with U.N. representatives comes two days after U.S. midterm elections in which President Donald Trump had converted the migrants into a campaign issue, portraying them as a major threat.
Marlon Ivan Mendez, a farm worker from Copan, Honduras, was waiting in line for donated shoes to replace the worn crocs he has used since leaving his country three weeks ago. He said he left because gangs were charging him rent to live in his own home.
"It is not fair that the good ones pay for the sinners," Mendez said of fears that gang members are coming with the caravan.
Christopher Gascon, the Mexico representative for the International Organization for Migration, estimated there are perhaps another 4,000 in caravans that are working their way through southern Mexico.
But some migrants had been visiting the organization's tent asking about how they can return home.
On Wednesday night, a bus left from Mexico City to return 37 people to their countries of origin.
In the stadium, hundreds of Mexico City employees and even more volunteers helped sort donations and direct migrants toward food, water, diapers and other basics. Migrants searched through piles of clothes and grabbed boxes of milk for children.
Darwin Pereira, a 23-year-old construction worker from Olanchito, Honduras, left his country with his wife and son, 4, for the very simple reason that "there is no work there."
Pereira, who still wears the same cheap plastic sandals he left Honduras with a month ago, thought about what he would do if he met the U.S. president.
"If I meet Donald Trump, I am going to cry. I will cry because there is nothing else to do," he said.
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U.S.|#WhyIDidntReport: Survivors of Sexual Assault Share Their Stories After Trump Tweet
#WhyIDidntReport: Survivors of Sexual Assault Share Their Stories After Trump Tweet
Activists protesting the nomination of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. When President Trump asked why a woman who accused the judge of sexual assault did not come forward sooner, women responded with their stories and #WhyIDidntReport.CreditCreditBrendan Smialowski/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
By Jacey Fortin
When the #MeToo movement erupted on social media last year, people who had been sexually harassed, abused or assaulted — and felt ready to discuss it — went public with their stories.
Now a new hashtag has surfaced as if in answer to the question: Why didn’t you say something sooner?
It began last week when Christine Blasey Ford, 51, came forward as the writer of a letter in which she accused Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, of pinning her on a bed, groping her and covering her mouth to keep her from screaming when they were teenagers. Judge Kavanaugh has denied the allegation.
Some senators suggested that Dr. Blasey — who also goes by her married name, Ford — was “mixed up” or staging a “drive-by attack” on Judge Kavanaugh. On Friday, President Trump questioned her credibility, saying that if the attack “was as bad as she says,” she or her parents would have reported it to the authorities when it happened more than 30 years ago.
Survivors of abuse responded by rallying around a new hashtag, #WhyIDidntReport, to highlight the difficulties, fear, anger and shame that so often surround sexual harassment and assault.
“It may take a survivor a while to process that trauma, and even to identify what has happened,” said Carolyn M. West, a professor of psychology at the University of Washington who has written and spoken extensively about sexual abuse and trauma.
And even after processing what happened, survivors said, it is difficult to tell friends and family members.
Caitlyn Leong, 20, said she felt that people would not believe her because she was in a relationship when she was assaulted. Lerato Chondoma, 37, felt shame because she had been drinking at a party before it happened. And Amy Selwyn, 59, said she had kept silent, in part, because she was worried about her career.
But all three of them said that they were now speaking publicly because they thought it might help other survivors.
Ms. Leong, a university student, tweeted on Saturday about an abusive relationship and said it took months to realize that what she had experienced was sexual abuse, and months after that to tell her friends.
“It can be traumatic to say something and not feel heard, and not feel believed,” Ms. Leong said in an interview.
She said one of the reasons she did not file a complaint was that reporting abuse can be draining. It can harm reputations and take time and effort.
“What I would say to people who are criticizing survivors’ decisions to come forward 30, 40 or 50 years later is that it may have taken them that long to process their trauma,” Ms. Leong said. “It may have taken them that long to get to the point where they feel secure enough in what they’ve accomplished.”
More than three decades had passed before Ms. Selwyn told anyone what happened to her at a hotel in New York when she was 25. A professional mentor took her to dinner, invited her to his room and raped her, she said.
“I felt stupid,” Ms. Selwyn said. “I felt vulnerable. I felt humiliated. And I also felt like if I said anything, my career would be over.”
But last year, Ms. Selwyn found herself talking with a friend about it for the first time. She felt angry and wanted to support other survivors, so she published her story in an article on Medium in May 2017, months before #MeToo.
She said the hashtag campaigns of the past year had been encouraging.
“I think what’s happened is that there is a greater ability to amplify the voices of the non-famous,” she said. “We are building a movement.”
But even when people do go public with their memories, it can be as traumatic as it is liberating.
Ms. Chondoma used the #WhyIDidntReport hashtag in a tweet on Friday. When she saw how many responses her post got, she felt exposed and overwhelmed — even though many wrote to express camaraderie or gratitude.
“I feel anxious in my stomach,” she said on Saturday. “But I felt like it was important to do this.”
She had tweeted about her experience as a university student in South Africa and not reporting a sexual assault because she had been at a party and then gone to a man’s dorm room. “I thought this was just what happened when you partied too hard,” she wrote.
Ms. Chondoma said that 17 years later, her feelings were still painful and raw.
“I felt so ashamed about the way I lived my life at that time, and the fact that I was always judged based on how I looked or how I dressed,” she said.
It is very common for survivors to blame themselves, said Amy Smith, a nurse practitioner at the Long Island Jewish Forest Hills hospital who treats people who have been sexually assaulted.
“It’s really the only crime where people doubt the victim immediately,” she added. “If your car was stolen, they don’t say, ‘Are you sure it was stolen? Why were you driving such an expensive car?’”
Over the last decade, Ms. Smith has treated many survivors who did not want to report assaults, such as women without the resources to leave relationships or teenagers who felt guilty because they had been drinking.
She recalled patients who felt detached during an assault, and others who had fixated on one or two random details while blocking out others. Our brains, she said, can work differently during trauma.
“Psychologically, when frightened or upset, a lot of my patients go into fight, flight or freeze mode,” she said. “The freeze mode is a dissociative type of situation, because our brain is so protective of us.” (Ms. Selwyn wrote she still remembered her assailant’s socks and the pattern of the bedspread, but not what month it was.)
Dr. West said sexual harassment and abuse are more common than we know because many people never report it at all. “If it is hard for privileged women to come forward, we have to acknowledge how much harder it is for women who are marginalized to be believed,” she said.
Survivors said sharing these experiences, even years or decades later, can be as productive as it is painful.
“Social media movements like this are potentially life-changing because you see hundreds of thousands of other people sharing their stories, and you don’t feel like you’re the only person this has happened to,” Ms. Leong said. “You don’t feel like it’s you in this vacuum where awful things happened.”
A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 19 of the New York edition with the headline: After Trump Tweet, Women Share Stories of Assault. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
Protesters Rally Against Kavanaugh, and Back His Accusers: ‘The Wave of Women Is Here’
Domestic Violence Awareness Hasn’t Caught Up With #MeToo. Here’s Why.
Many Voters Tend to Believe Christine Blasey Ford, Even if They Question Her Motive
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Dance|Asking Artists, What Do You Need?
Asking Artists, What Do You Need?
The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council has a new artistic leader, Lili Chopra, who sees the needs of the city and the needs of artists as complementary. Her first River to River Festival starts this week.
Lili Chopra with Diego Segalini: Ms. Chopra is the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s new director of artistic programs. Mr. Segalini is its director of finance and administration.CreditCreditVincent Tullo for The New York Times
By Brian Seibert
Walk around bustling Lower Manhattan this week, and you might come upon prompts to slow down and reflect: “Have you seen the horizon lately?” “Listen to the sound of the Earth turning.”
You can find the phrases on vacant storefronts and transit hubs. Nearby labels identify the author, the artist Yoko Ono. Labels also identify a name you’re less likely to know — the organization presenting Ms. Ono’s work in this public context. It’s called the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, but that doesn’t suggest the breadth of what it does for art in New York.
These days, the council is probably best recognized for the River to River Festival, a summer series of free performances and art exhibitions that returns June 18-29. Ms. Ono’s texts are the inaugural entry in the Reflection Project, a new festival initiative that’s also one of the first ideas proposed by Lili Chopra, the council’s new executive director of artistic programs.
“I see it as urban acupuncture,” said Ms. Chopra, who joined the council last April. “This is what we need in New York right now, but it’s also how artists are working.”
Ms. Chopra sees those two kinds of need — the needs of artists, the needs of the city — as complementary. And that’s a clue to how she approaches her job and why she now works for the council.
Growing up in Paris, Ms. Chopra, 44, was raised with French assumptions about the role of artists in society and the importance of supporting them. Her mother ran a foundation to support playwrights, and Ms. Chopra acquired a sense of vocation early on. “I didn’t want to be an artist myself,” she said. “I wanted to be at the service of artists.”
As a teenager, Ms. Chopra was already interning with theaters and festivals, finding her way into arts management. After studying journalism, she attended an exchange program at New York University, expecting to stay for six months. That was 20 years ago. Working for Dance Theater Workshop, among other organizations, she learned how most artists in New York exist: on the margin, always struggling, in need of assistance from people like her.
One of Yoko Ono’s pieces for the Reflection Project.CreditVincent Tullo for The New York Times
In 2006, she took a job with the French Institute Alliance Française. “I was thinking, it’s not really my thing to promote French culture,” she said, “but I saw the potential.” Through the creation of Crossing the Line, an influential festival of avant-garde performance, she not only brought French artists to town, turning the institute into a cultural force; more ingeniously, she used French institutions and funds and residencies in France to support New York artists.
“It was a festival,” she said, “that started with the question to artists: What do you need, and where, and why? And then build everything around the project, not a cookie-cutter approach.”
After 12 years at the French Institute, she wanted to help New York artists in a more direct way. “How can we do a better job at creating a more sustainable system for independent artists?” she said. “That’s what motivated me to join LMCC.”
“I feel we have lost some ground since I first came to New York,” she continued. “It’s become way harder to create work. Everybody spends more time raising funds. More and more artists are leaving the city. I understand how exceptional the French context is. Anything compared to that is a disaster. But I also know that sustainability is possible. LMCC is uniquely positioned to help.”
To understand what Ms. Chopra means, you have to know a little history. The council was founded in 1973 by Flory Barnett, a local fund-raiser, to bring some culture to the area, and it’s changed with the neighborhood. After it lost its World Trade Center home in the Sept. 11 attacks, it worked on attracting people back to the Financial District with art.
River to River, started by the council and several other organizations in 2002, began as that kind of effort. But after the council took full control in 2011, it shifted emphasis away from revitalization and toward artists and their ability to transform spaces like piers, parks and historical landmarks.
The festival has become prestigious, but for decades the council also has run other, less conspicuous programs. Every year, for example, it distributes more than $1.5 million in grants to artists and community organizations — not just in Lower Manhattan, but all across the borough.
And what do New York artists need as much as money? Space to work in, of course. To that end, the council has long operated several residency programs, proving free studios in temporarily donated spaces.
One residency program focuses on dance. The Extended Life program — created by the council’s widely loved previous president, Sam Miller, who died last year — gives choreographers studio space and funding to take works made for theaters and re-conceive them for the unconventional sites of River to River. This year, the program has added a Lifeline track, providing a stipend and space without expectation of product.
This Lifeline track — even more than the Reflection Project and the festival focus on slowing down — is an expression of Ms. Chopra’s values and how they intersect with the council’s mission. Extending lifelines to New York artists has been her aim all along.
In September, the council will open a renovated arts center on Governors Island: more room for studios, more exhibition space, more permanency and more visibility.
That visibility is necessary “to gain support,” said Diego Segalini, the council’s executive director of finance and administration. “We have to raise millions of dollars year after year.”
Mr. Segalini, who joined the organization in 2007, shares leadership responsibilities with Ms. Chopra. The two work in hand in hand, he said, though he concentrates on the money side — the funding that comes, in rough thirds, from the government (city and state), from foundations and from corporate and individual donors.
“Neither of us is alone at the top of the pyramid,” he said. Which is good, because the whole organization is under many pressures.
Ms. Chopra discussed concerns of equity and access — who, for instance, is on the juries and panels that award grants. She and Danielle King, the director of cultural programs, acknowledged the tensions involved in selecting choreographers for Extended Life: the need to give a few artists difference-making support versus the danger of giving the same few artists larger and larger pieces of the pie.
For all these reasons, it matters who is in charge. “What they do and how they do it is completely dependent on their interests,” said Sarah Michelson, an acclaimed choreographer who, as an Extended Life artist, is presenting her new “june2019/\” on June 24 and 26.
For months, Ms. Michelson has been rehearsing at an undisclosed council-provided location, making a lot of noise. “I appreciate the space I have in the deepest possible way,” Ms. Michelson said, “but what’s important about Lili is that she’s not afraid to ask hard questions about what artists provide New York City and what New York City provides artists.”
“I feel I can be in partnership with her,” she added. “That is so rare.”
Artists need space and money, but not only that. “If you have the right ideas, you’re going to get space, grants, audience,” said the artist Kamau Ware. “It’s a teach-a-person-to-fish situation.”
Mr. Ware, the founder of the Black Gotham Experience, had already started giving walking tours about the early history of black communities in New York City (like those he’ll give for River to River on June 25) when he got his first residency grant from the council. But it was the council’s idea to find him a retail space in the South Street Seaport. “They saw where my idea could go,” he said, “and everything came together for me.”
“It’s not: here’s a building, here’s a check,” he said. “It’s a real relationship.”
Slow down and reflect on that.
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Expands Residencies and Announces Recipients
An Uptown Artistic Director Moves Downtown
A version of this article appears in print on , Section C, Page 5 of the New York edition with the headline: A Partner in Step With Artists and the City. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
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Kisaran Exploration Well weekly progress report 12th August
Kisaran
The Parit Minyak-3 (PM-3), located in the Kisaran PSC in onshore Sumatra, Indonesia spudded on 3 August, and as of Sunday, 11 August a 17 1/2 inch hole has been drilled to 1670 feet (509 metres).
The next operation is to continue drilling to 1795 feet (547m) to set 13 3/8 inch casing.
The PM-3 well is expected to take around 40 days to drill to an expected total depth of 8160 feet (2487m).
New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd has a 22.5 per cent stake in the joint venture through its subsidiary NZOG Asia Pty Ltd. The Kisaran Joint Venture partners are Pacific Oil & Gas (55 per cent and Operator) and Pacific Oil & Gas (Sumatera) Ltd, a subsidiary of Bukit Energy Inc. (22.5 per cent).
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A-Team Takes the Lead in Saturday Socials
by Laura Phipps | Apr 24, 2019 | Oak Hill Academy, OHA Parents, Student News | 0 comments
by Lauren Oberman ’20, 21st Century Journalism class
On Saturday, March 30, the Saturday evening social was sponsored by the “A-Team.” This select group of leadership students focuses on character growth and the Oak Hill community. Kyra Souliere ’19 and Lauren Oberman ’20 served ice cream to the student body who then went around the table topping the ice cream with cookie crumbles, cherries, marshmallows, sprinkles, caramelized pecans and chocolate sauce.
At the same time, Mr. Conn and Mr. Meagher held a dodgeball game in the gym. When the whistle blew, students ran to the gym’s center line to grab the dodgeballs and throw them at their opponents on the other side of the gym. If a player couldn’t “dodge” the ball and was hit, that player was out. If a player caught the ball, the thrower was out. The game turned out to be a huge hit! A-Team member Tobi Salami ’20 exclaimed, “It was really fun. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and no one was just sitting around.”
The A-team will sponsor various activities at socials for the remainder of the school year. The group is led by Mr. Aaron Butt and Mrs. Joy Groves.
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Ruth Bird Hamilton
April 22, 1916 ~ March 22, 2000 (age 83)
Ruth Bird Hamilton, 83, of Hot Springs, died Wednesday, March 22, 2000, at Bath County Community Hospital.
She was born April 22, 1916, at Highland County, a daughter of Clarence C. and Wilda (Rexrode) Bird.
She was a homemaker and a member of Hamilton Chapel Advent Christian Church.
Her husband, Williw Robert Hamilton, preceded her in death on March 30, 1982. She was also preceded in death by four sisters and two brothers.
She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Joyce and James Shaffier, of Hot Springs; two grandsons, Robert Hamilton, of Bacova and Kirk Shaffier, of Hanover; a great-grandson, Michael Hamilton, of Bacova; a sister, Mary Smith, of Hightown; a brother, Charles Bird, of Staunton; nieces and nephews.
A service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday at Obaugh Funeral Home by the Rev. Bradford Moles, with burial in Hamilton Chapel Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Richard Pete, Mack Bird, Robbie Chestnut, Andy, Tommy and Lowell Terry, Johnny Shaffier and Charlie Hamilton. Honorary pallbearers will be friends attending the service.
The family will receive friends one hour prior ro the service at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to the Bath County Meals on Wheels, Hot Springs; Hot Springs Rescue Squad, Hot Springs, Va. 24445; or Millboro Area Rescue Squad, Millboro, Va. 24460.
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Clemson is No. 1 for 3rd time in AP poll, 'Bama 2, Ohio St 3
Clemson's Trayvon Mullen celebrates after the NCAA college football playoff championship game against Alabama, Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, in Santa Clara, Calif. Clemson beat Alabama 44-16. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
By RALPH D. RUSSO, AP College Football Writer
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Clemson finished No. 1 in The Associated Press poll for the third time after routing Alabama in the national championship game.
The Tigers received all 61 first-place votes. The Crimson Tide, which was trying to become just the third team to go wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the country, finished second. Clemson beat Alabama 44-16 in the College Football Playoff national championship Monday night. Clemson also finished No. 1 in 2016 and 1981.
The Tide did extend its streak of top-five appearances to 54 weeks, one short of Miami’s record set from Oct. 8, 2000-Oct. 26, 2003.
Ohio State finished third. Oklahoma, which lost to Alabama in the Orange Bowl semifinal, was fourth. Notre Dame, which lost to Clemson in the Cotton Bowl semifinal, was fifth.
LSU was sixth and Southeastern Conference rivals Florida and Georgia were tied for seventh.
Texas was ninth, its best final ranking since 2009 when the Longhorns finished second after losing to Alabama in the BCS championship game.
No. 19 Army finished ranked for the first time since 1996 and had its best final ranking since 1958 when it was No. 3.
No. 10 Washington State finished as the highest-ranked Pac-12 team for the first time in the history of the conference. There were more Mountain West teams (three) than Pac-12 (two) in the last rankings.
UCF finished 11th after having its 25-game winning streak snapped in the Fiesta Bowl by LSU. No. 12 Kentucky finished with its highest ranking since 1977 when the Wildcats were No. 6. No. 15 Syracuse was last ranked in the final poll in 2014, when the Orange were 14th.
No. 21 Northwestern became the first team to start the season 1-3 and finished ranked since Miami did it in 1995.
SEC — 6 teams (2, 7, 7, 8, 12, 16).
Big Ten — 5 (3, 14, 17, 21, 25).
Big 12 — 3 (4, 9, 20).
Mountain West — 3 (18, 22, 23).
ACC — 2 (1, 15).
American — 2 (11, 24).
Pac-12 — 2 (10, 13).
Independent — 2 (5, 19).
Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at https://podcastone.com/AP-Top-25-College-Football-Podcast
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STEM careers: inspiring the next generation
Engineering is hugely important to the UK economy. Between March 2015 and March 2016, engineering enterprises in the UK generated 23.2% (£1.23 trillion) of the UK total turnover, yet the news is full of headlines about the shortage of skilled engineers in the UK. This year EngineeringUK reported that there is now an annual shortfall of up to 59,000 engineering graduates and technicians to fill core engineering roles. Why is this happening? What can companies do to help? And, in the sea of endless options, which science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) organisation should you work with?
Recent research from EngineeringUK shows there is potential for ‘leakage’ at each stage of the STEM pipeline, as students make decisions about the next stage of their education. This affects both genders, but it is particularly stark for females. EngineeringUK found that 50% of the entrants taking GCSE physics were female, yet this translates to just 16% of engineering and technology first degrees, and 8% of engineering apprenticeships.
Source: Engineering UK: The State of Engineering
There are many reasons why this is happening. When looking into the issue, two reasons stood out to Ocado Engineering. The first was the shortage of STEM teachers: EngineeringUK reported that the number of STEM specialist teachers has stagnated since 2015, but pupil numbers have grown by nearly half a million between 2011 and 2016.
The second challenge is the general understanding and awareness of engineering. There is a need to give young people access to inspirational, engineering-focused engagement activities, which can help to ensure they experience real life applications of engineering and make well-informed subject and career decisions.
What can companies do to help?
Investing in Education projects has been part of Ocado’s wider Corporate Responsibility strategy for many years. Given that most engineering companies (including us) have experienced the shortage of engineers first hand, at the end of 2017 Ocado Engineering and the Ocado Foundation chose to design a programme for the Year of Engineering campaign. This government-based initiative aims to give young people direct and inspiring experiences of the world of engineering. What quickly became clear was the need to partner with an experienced organisation to guide us through the STEM landscape. This is reinforced by EngineeringUK, who cite “too many initiatives” as a key challenge to addressing the skills shortage in engineering. They explain that schools often struggle to identify which STEM engagement initiatives are most appropriate and impactful for their setting.
When Ocado Engineering started discussing outreach strategies with organisations, we realised we wanted to focus on two important factors: outreach local to our sites and project-based work. Ocado already had initiatives with national reach, such as Code for Life, which is a non-profit platform from Ocado Technology that delivers free games and teaching materials to help students learn to code. However, as we wanted to engage directly with students, we chose to limit our outreach to within 10 miles of our engineering sites (you can find where these sites are here). We also decided to focus our attention on project-based work - we wanted students to experience STEM principles in real life and have the chance to speak to, and learn from, STEM mentors over a longer period of time. We hoped this would allow young people to make well-informed subject and career decisions.
Which STEM organisation should you work with?
Earlier this year, Ocado Engineering and the Ocado Foundation decided to work with the Engineering Development Trust (EDT), a STEM charity with almost 35 years experience, delivering over 40,000 STEM experiences each year. Their huge array of outreach activities quickly stood out to us, and we were confident they could help us develop a scalable outreach strategy, which could continue to grow for years to come.
How are the EDT and Ocado working together?
Ocado is very excited to be engaging with the EDT in a variety of projects ranging from six-month projects with A level students, to a one-day activity to help students to understand possible routes into STEM careers.
We are thrilled to announce that today is the launch of the Go4SET hub in Hertfordshire. The mission of this initiative is to engage students from local schools in a real-world engineering project. During the two month programme, students aged 12-14 will design an environmentally-friendly factory, using new, sustainable ways to create the energy it needs to run. The Go4SET scheme offers students a real insight into STEM subjects, environmental challenges, industry and academia, and encourages informed school subject choices at a critical path.
What success have we seen?
Most recently we have seen our six-month project, the Engineering Education Scheme (EES) run with the EDT, come to fruition. The EES allows students to collaborate on a real-world issue with mentors from the industry. The students involved had the chance to experience engineering in the real world, develop their skills in problem solving, communication, documentation, planning, report writing and presenting. In April, the Monk’s Walk students went head to head against other local schools to present their findings and impress the judges with their outcome.
For more information on Ocado Engineering's outreach activities, please click here.
About the Ocado Foundation
The Ocado Foundation was established in April 2015 with the aim of helping Ocado employees and customers make a difference across the UK. We choose projects and charities where our input will be the most valuable and our impact the greatest. Our charitable initiatives cover the environment, education and entrepreneurship, and eating well.
george smith May 22, 2018
Ocado Go4SET Hub - a roaring success
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Southern California’s economic growth…
Southern California’s economic growth hits 7-year low, by this Fed index
FILE GRAPHIC
By Jonathan Lansner | jlansner@scng.com | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: October 18, 2018 at 7:30 am | UPDATED: October 18, 2018 at 5:12 pm
Southern California’s economy is growing at its slowest pace in more than seven years, according to an index from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
To create regional indexes that track a region’s business output, Fed researchers reviewed a dozen economic benchmarks — from jobs and salaries to construction permits to bank profits and gross metropolitan product. The results mirror the economic growth of 66 metropolitan areas.
The latest results, as of June, show the economy of the metro area of Los Angeles and Orange counties growing at a 2.7 percent annual pace — No. 49 out of 66 nationally. That’s the slowest expansion rate since August 2010 — early in the recovery from the Great Recession — and down from 3.7 percent growth a year ago when L.A.-O.C. was 19th best. Since 1990, the two-county region has averaged 2.5 percent annual growth.
In Riverside and San Bernardino counties, business growth by this St. Louis Fed measure was 3.7 percent annualized in June, 33rd nationally and slowest since January 2011. That’s quite a cooling from 5.5 percent a year earlier when the Inland Empire ranked No. 5 in the U.S. Since 1990, this two-county region has averaged 3.6 percent annual growth.
Yes, the local chill is still growth, just less of it. But it’s not what’s showing up in many places elsewhere. Median growth rate among these 66 metro areas is improving, by the St. Louis Fed’s math: increasing 3.6 percent as of June up from 2.9 percent 12 months earlier.
Fastest growing U.S. metros in June? Portland was best at 8.3 percent, then Las Vegas at 7.1 percent and Bridgeport-Stamford, Conn. at 7.07 percent. June’s laggards? New Orleans was worst, down 1.5 percent, then Baltimore, up 0.6 percent, and St. Louis, up 1.4 percent.
The map offers 66 area metro growth rankings …
Jonathan Lansner
Jonathan Lansner has been the Orange County Register's business columnist since 1997 and has been part of the newspaper's coverage of the local business scene since 1986. He is a native New Yorker who is a past national president of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. Jon lives in Trabuco Canyon -- yes, a homeowner -- and when he's not fiddling with his trusty spreadsheet at work you can likely find him rooting for his beloved Anaheim Ducks or umpiring local lacrosse games.
Follow Jonathan Lansner @jonlan
Nominate your business to Top Workplaces 2019 program
Business briefly: Military supplier to pay $11M over whistleblower claims in Santa Ana
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Perry Rhodan: Operation Eastside Download (1998 Strategy Game)
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Iran ‘attempted to impede’ passage of British vessel through Strait of Hormuz
HMS Montrose
The Royal Navy has driven off three Iranian vessels which tried to stop a commercial tanker from travelling through the Strait of Hormuz.
The altercation came a day after Iran spoke out against Britain due to the interception of a supertanker believed to be breaching EU sanctions by carrying a shipment of crude oil to Syria.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt described the clash in the Strait of Hormuz as a “very concerning development”.
He told the BBC: “I am very proud of the Royal Navy and the role they played in keeping British assets, British shipping safe.
“We are are continuing to monitor the situation very, very carefully.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesman earlier told PA: “Contrary to international law, three Iranian vessels attempted to impede the passage of a commercial vessel, British Heritage, through the Strait of Hormuz.
“HMS Montrose was forced to position herself between the Iranian vessels and British Heritage and issue verbal warnings to the Iranian vessels, which then turned away.
“We are concerned by this action and continue to urge the Iranian authorities to deescalate the situation in the region.”
Downing Street said the security situation in the Gulf is being closely monitored.
(PA Graphics)
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We have long-standing maritime presence in the Gulf.
“We are continuously monitoring the security situation there and are committed to maintaining freedom of navigation in accordance with international law.”
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard denied the allegations, saying if it had received orders to seize any ships it would have done so immediately.
In a statement carried by the semi-official Fars news agency, the Revolutionary Guard’s navy insisted there had been no clashes with foreign ships, “especially British boats”.
Foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also dismissed the British account as “worthless”, saying the claims were being made to “create tension”.
On Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was quoted by the official IRNA news agency during a Cabinet meeting as saying last week’s seizure of the supertanker off Gibraltar was “mean and wrong”.
The supertanker was seized last week (MoD/PA)
He warned London: “You are an initiator of insecurity and you will understand its repercussions,” without elaborating.
The seizure and incident in the Strait of Hormuz come at a particularly sensitive time as tensions between the US and Iran grow over the unravelling of a 2015 nuclear deal, which President Donald Trump withdrew from last year.
European parties to the nuclear deal with Iran on Tuesday said they have “deep concern” that Tehran has begun enriching uranium to a higher purity than allowed under the agreement and called for an urgent meeting of all involved in the accord.
In a joint statement by Britain, Germany, France and the European Union, the group expressed “deep concern that Iran is not meeting several of its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action”, or JCPOA, as the 2015 nuclear deal is known.
The US has said it will move ahead with plans to build a coalition of nations to monitor and deter Iranian threats against commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf area and in a waterway around Yemen, according to a top military officer.
A Royal Marine patrol vessel beside the Grace 1 supertanker off Gibraltar (Marcos Moreno/AP)
Marine General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Pentagon has developed a specific plan, and that he believes it will be clear within a couple of weeks which nations are willing to join the effort.
Gen Dunford said he discussed the matter on Tuesday with acting secretary of defence Mark Esper and secretary of state Mike Pompeo, and that plans are coming together.
“We’re getting ready now to move out,” Gen Dunford told a small group of reporters at Fort Myer, Virginia.
“We have a pretty clear concept of what we want to do.”
British Heritage is a BP Century class Suezmax tanker, the largest to be able to travel through the Suez Canal and capable of carrying more than one million barrels of oil, according to the BP Shipping website.
Registered at the port of Douglas, in the Isle of Man, the ship is operated by BP usually with a crew of around 25 people.
A spokesman for BP, which operates the British Heritage tanker, said: “Our top priority is the safety and security of our crews and vessels. While we are not commenting on these events, we thank the Royal Navy for their support.”
It is understood the ship was not carrying cargo.
HMS Montrose has also been in the region since April as part of a three-year deployment supporting counter-terror and anti-smuggling work.
The Royal Navy has had a continuous presence in the region for more than 30 years following the Iran-Iraq war in 1980 in what is known as Operation Kipion.
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Bailey Bowe
Chicago clean energy competition highlights innovation, and challenges
Clean energy startups took home $1 million in prize money and planted the seeds for further investment on Tuesday at the annual Clean Energy Trust Challenge in Chicago.
During keynote speeches and presentations by companies and student teams, a striking parallel emerged between projects aimed at developing countries – for example in Sub-Saharan Africa – and technologies meant to help modernize and reshape energy delivery in the U.S.
The event had a clear focus on decentralized, sustainable and clean energy that can be generated and stored in innovative and efficient ways, whether to provide reliable electricity to developing countries or to reduce emissions and costs in the U.S.
In both cases, new technology and startup companies are playing key roles.
Jim Rogers, former CEO of Duke Energy, essentially made this point during his keynote speech at the challenge.
“We need a real sense of urgency in making this happen” in the developing world, “in the same way we need a sense of urgency in transforming the business model here with utilities, and transforming the grid and deploying new technologies,” Rogers said.
Utilities of the future
Rogers said that, “When I first became a CEO in 1988, virtually every investor-owned utility in the United States was vertically integrated and regulated. The generation, the transmission as well as the distribution.
“When you look back over the last 27 years, what you see is significant erosion of that monopoly. From a generation standpoint, 19 states now have a competitive market – generation is no longer regulated in those states. When you look at transmission, two-thirds of states have a regional transmission organization so the utility no longer operates it. On distribution, which you would think is a natural monopoly, you have storage on the rooftop, home management systems, and you see the erosion of the monopoly.”
Rogers urged utility companies to embrace this change and be more flexible, innovative and responsive to customers, including modernizing their grids and being more welcoming to distributed generation.
“I think the right way to think about utilities, to think about the grid is as a big battery,” Rogers said. “The first thing you do is make your battery more efficient, then start to think about how do you extend beyond the grid, optimizing the use of electricity…We have a bias to protecting the reliability of the grid…we’re slow to embrace ideas.”
Katherine Hamilton of Greentech Media hosted the conversation with Rogers.
“In the ’80s, we had to be really innovative, the utility used to be the owner of innovation on the grid,” she said. “Then everything kind of flat-leveled…now we’re at a point where innovation is coming back. Do you think utilities are poised to do that?”
Rogers said he thinks utilities are up to the task, and cited their past glory.
“In the 1920s, electric utilities were the high-tech industry of the time, they were the Google, the Facebook, they were the ones leading the way.”
One energy expert and consultant in the audience pointed out that while Rogers was at Duke, the company was not always at the forefront of promoting a new energy economy. He mentioned Duke’s Edwardsport, Indiana plant plagued by political scandals and massive cost-overruns.
Rogers described company leaders as “pioneers” in pushing the gasification plant, one of a number of coal gasification plants promoted around the Midwest at a time that traditional coal plants were already being phased out.
However, “natural gas has put coal in the coffin, the Clean Power Plan has put the nails in the coffin,” Rogers said. “The bottom line is, [coal is] just too expensive, it’s just not going to be competitive. I think we’ll leave coal in the ground. Until we figure out how to take the carbon out, it’s just not going to be a player.”
Microgrids for Sub-Saharan Africa
While coal plants may be on the way out in the U.S., new technology could help people in developing countries turn to cleaner and cheaper sources of distributed generation.
NovoMoto, a company started by two University of Wisconsin-Madison students who aim to bring reliable, clean and affordable power to African countries, secured $90,000 in prize money through three different awards.
NovoMoto’s technology involves creating companies that sell reusable batteries charged by solar power, and recruiting local entrepreneurs to run the systems.
Company co-founder Aaron Olson is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo and is hoping family connections will help launch the company there. He and co-founder Mehrdad Arimand describe their technology as a “micro-grid” that can help replace polluting, expensive generators used for power.
They say that under their system, locals could pay $9 for enough power to run three 3-watt LED lights, to charge a cell phone and to operate low-power radios or TVs for a month. Currently, people pay about $22 a month for kerosene and phone-charging via generators, Olson said.
Rogers praised NovoMoto’s presentation and their plans to rely on local leaders to spread the technology.
“Don’t underestimate the creativity of people in those countries, they’ve done so much with so little for so long,” Rogers said.
Other big winners at the Clean Energy Trust Challenge included Nexmatix, a St. Louis-based company that makes pneumatics more efficient, reducing electricity use and costs for manufacturers; and Hazel Technologies, a Chicago-area company that has developed a biodegradable capsule that extends the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, reducing food waste and the energy needed to transport food to market.
Frustrating obstacles remain
In another speech at the Clean Energy Trust Challenge, Adam Lowry, co-founder of the sustainable cleaning products company Method, described the potential of new technology to cut energy use and carbon emissions in manufacturing household products.
But even with cutting edge technology and business practices, he noted, utility policies proved a major impediment to utilizing clean energy at the Method factory opened on the far South Side of Chicago in 2014.
A 600-kilowatt refurbished wind turbine was installed and ready to go in September 2014, Lowry said, but they were not able to “turn it on” for 10 more months because of permitting and legal issues with the utility, ComEd. The costs related to that delay increased the wind turbine’s payback time from seven to 10 years, Lowry said.
“This was entirely on our land, entirely on our dime, in a city that backed us 100 percent,” Lowry said in his speech. “Of course regulations are needed to ensure safe operation of a utility-scale wind turbine, but utilities have the wrong incentives right now.
“There were a lot of engineering checks, a lot of contract negotiations, a lot of amendments to contract negotiations…I would have hoped the people we were working with would have been more excited about this…but that wasn’t the case.”
The Method factory is located in the Pullman neighborhood, the industrial swath of the city home to petcoke storage and other remnants of dirty energy and manufacturing. The plant also generates its own energy with an 80-kilowatt array of “solar trees”; and saves energy thanks to a lush green roof that insulates the building and produces a million pounds of edible leafy greens a year.
“I get really optimistic when I see the type of companies and technologies being developed,” Lowry told Midwest Energy News. “I hope we as a society, government, utilities and private equity partners, create the type of ecosystem where we change the way we distribute power. We need to think about ways to make it easy, providing talent, access to markets and capital.”
Source: https://energynews.us/2016/04/13/midwest/chicago-clean-energy-competition-highlights-innovation-and-challenges/
Newer PostEarth-friendly food storage pod wins Clean Energy Trust's top prize
Older Post4 Big Winners at CET Challenge
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Congressman Hank Johnson Advocates For Release Of Detained Rapper 21 Savage British-born rapper 21 Savage was detained by U.S. immigration officials for allegedly overstaying a visa. NPR's Michel Martin talks with Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson about why he's advocating for the rapper's release.
Congressman Hank Johnson Advocates For Release Of Detained Rapper 21 Savage
Congressman Hank Johnson Advocates For Release Of Detained Rapper 21 Savage 5:00
February 9, 20195:07 PM ET
British-born rapper 21 Savage was detained by U.S. immigration officials for allegedly overstaying a visa. NPR's Michel Martin talks with Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson about why he's advocating for the rapper's release.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Last Sunday, hours before the Super Bowl kickoff in Atlanta, immigration officials detained someone they called, quote, "an unlawfully present United Kingdom national," unquote. They were referring to the rap artist known as 21 Savage.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "A LOT")
21 SAVAGE: (Rapping) How much money you got? A lot. How many problems you got? A lot. How many people done doubted you? A lot. Left you out to rot? A lot. How many pray that you flop? A lot. How many lawyers you got? A lot. How many times you got shot? A lot. How many [expletive] you shot?
MARTIN: That's "A Lot" from his most recent album, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart last month. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said that 21 Savage has overstayed his visa, and they've placed him in deportation proceedings. But fans and major figures in music have reacted with outrage, saying that the rapper, whose birth name is Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was brought here as a child of 7 years old, that he's never hidden from the authorities and has pursued whatever avenues for legal status have been open to him. Congressman Hank Johnson, who represents Georgia's 4th District, is also advocating for the rapper, and he's with us now. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us.
HANK JOHNSON: Thank you for having me, Michel.
MARTIN: So the news of 21 Savage's arrest spread rapidly on Twitter. You wrote a letter to immigration judges, calling him a remarkable young man. And you cited his community efforts. Tell me a little bit more about that if you would.
JOHNSON: Well, I had the opportunity, last year, to participate with him in his third annual book bag giveaway. He has an event that draws thousands of young people getting ready to go back to school. So they get book bags crammed with notebooks and pencils and paper and all of the things you need to start school. And he's very beloved by the people of Atlanta, the people of the community in which he lives. This targeted operation to arrest and detain Shayaa appears to be something that has ulterior purposes behind it, so we want to find out exactly what those are.
MARTIN: Well, just - let me just clarify a couple of points here, that ICE, initially, during the - when he was initially arrested said that he had a felony conviction. His lawyers say that that is not true. Why do you think that he was arrested?
JOHNSON: I will say that - first of all, that Shayaa is a young black male. We are disproportionately impacted by deportation proceedings, so there's a racist ICE agenda out there that is being perpetrated. Whether or not it's because he is black, whether or not it's because he has a cross on his forehead - tattoo or whether or not it could be due to the record that he released a couple of weeks ago that talks about how ICE mistreats children on the southern border - whatever the reason it is, it's bad for Shayaa. And we're going to make sure that we do everything we can to get him the help that he needs to face this persecution that he's undergoing by ICE.
MARTIN: One of the points that you made in your letter is that he supports his siblings, that he's the main breadwinner for his family, for his siblings as well as for his own three children. Do you have any sense of how are they doing with him being detained?
JOHNSON: Well, he was immediately taken to a ICE detention facility three hours away from home down in the notorious Irwin County private for-profit detention facility, the largest detention facility for immigrants in the United States of America. He's been held down there in solitary confinement, basically, 23 hours a day. And so his family is worried about him, and his community is worried about him.
But I understand that he's holding up well, and he is determined to see this thing through. And he thanks all of his supporters and those who have tried to help him. This was a very targeted action taken at a key moment. And it was meant to send a message to immigrants in Atlanta to keep your mouth shut and stay hidden. And so it adds to the climate of terror that ICE has been projecting on the immigrant community in Atlanta ever since Donald Trump came into office.
MARTIN: That's Congressman Hank Johnson of Atlanta. He represents Georgia's 4th Congressional District. Congressman, thanks so much for talking to us.
JOHNSON: Thank you so much.
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In Digital Marketing In Featured In SEO
The Life Cycle of Social Networks
As people reel from their dawning understanding of the roles played by social media giants Facebook and Twitter in the 2016 election, they have begun to pull away from those platforms. Twitter was on the wobbly edge when it lucked into becoming the platform of record for Donald Trump. That helped with fading relevance. But people take for granted that Facebook is too big to fail.
With 2.2 billion monthly subscribers, Facebook seems invulnerable. Even people who hate the platform say, “but where else can you go?” And yet. And yet.
Human memory is perhaps shorter than ever. With attention spans having been driven toward zero by the very same social media hoping to capture their valuable time and eyeballs, people forget that platforms have a life cycle. It has always been thus, and ever will it be. Nothing is immutable.
Remember America Online (AOL)? AOL once had the weight, in both finance and influence, to pull off a merger of equals with the venerable Time-Warner publishing empire, making AOL founder Steve Case a billionaire. Where’s AOL today? It’s still there, but only as a feeble legacy platform. My mother-in-law, who is 92, uses AOL for email.
How about MySpace? MySpace was once king of the world. Now, it’s a mouse, seeking refuge in distributing media content.
Perhaps a few of you have heard of The Well, one of the original social networks. It was based in the San Francisco area and started as a dial-up network, which encouraged local participation (you couldn’t hang online for long with the long-distance rates of the time and not rack up some serious charges). The Well still exists, but has been sold downriver again and again.
What drove these former giants to the edge of obscurity was not technological obsolescence. Mostly, with varying success, they tried to keep up in that department. No, it was the life cycle that got them.
Here’s how it goes: a new social medium is launched and people find it. If it works reasonably well, fresh subscribers are delighted to meet new and interesting people and begin conversations. Not long after that, the pooheads find it. They come in and start harassing people, trolling them, being obnoxious, and exploiting features and weaknesses of the platform to assemble and call on flash mobs to multiply their effect.
Pretty soon, the place becomes unbearable. The good people start to leave, seeking greener pastures. What’s left is a dystopian world that even an advertiser couldn’t love. Then, the network starts to die.
Now, Twitter and Facebook are two different animals. They are not going down the same exact path. But both are experiencing the later phases of a social network.
Facebook was once all about empowerment, Arab Spring, bringing a voice to the downtrodden, and connecting people around the world. A happy image. Now, it’s all about oppression of people by dictators, disinformation, creepily targeted advertising, and exposure of user data to the wrong crew.
And the company, desperate to keep a good thing going, has tried to ameliorate its shortcomings by changing algorithms and policies and hiring more people to police its platform. The key goal is not to jeopardize the vast flow of advertising dollars.
But the damage is already done. First of all, the new tame version of the platform is boring compared to the old Wild West one. I find mostly humble-bragging, self-promotion, and vacation pics in my feed. Second, people are turned off by what Facebook has done to them. There is no other place where someone can theoretically meet up with 2 billion others, but in reality no-one can keep up with more than a few dozen in real relationships anyway. People’s attention is in tatters.
Of course, broadcast mode allows one person to send to many, and a large platform is desirable, but on the other end, many of us are tired of being spammed by people in broadcast mode, people who don’t give a flying loon who we are, who just want to count us among their followers.
There are some alternatives, like LinkedIn, now owned by Microsoft. It’s more for professional contacts, and it’s also mostly about self-promotion, but many people could find a lot of their contacts there.
Facebook and Twitter have tried to make their platforms sticky, hanging onto people's message streams, photos, address books, and anything else they can ingest, but the relationship is strictly voluntary, and when people get turned off to a platform for any reason, they abandon ship in droves.
Source: This article was first published in Medium by Roger Kay
Tags: Digital Marketing, Featured, SEO
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WSEX – A Betting Site to Come and Go
Though WSEX is no longer a popular betting site and upon updating this page noticed they removed their website, due to being at least high 6-figures in debt, unlicensed and most likely insolvent, their history of is great importance when discussing US sport betting sites. You see, back in the late 1990’s when online betting was brand-new every gambling website was making claims about their legality. This is because legal experts had advised that so long as the website was licensed abroad and conducted all transactions from within that jurisdiction they were untouchable by US authorities. The story of WSEX founder Jay Cohen, as well as Antigua’s battle with the US is one of great heroics, a man and a company willing to take on the US government on more than one occasion. Unfortunately, these GREAT AMERICANS soon learned this is no longer our ancestors’ United States; this here is their story.
Jay Cohen’s Background
Jay Cohen was born in 1968 in Long Island, NY. After graduating from UC Berkeley he worked as an options trader in San Francisco for Group One where he met Steve Schillinger. At work sports betting was an active topic among traders, and after much discussion, and taking the ideas from the active gamblers on their trading floors, Cohen and Schillinger decided that there was a fortune to be made by supplying sports gamblers with a legitimate business to make their bets offshore. In early 1997 the online sportsbook idea of Cohen and Schillinger was live on the internet. The sportsbook was called World Sports Exchange (WSEX).
While there were older, more established sportsbooks such as Intertops in existence, WSEX was one of the first sportsbooks to cater almost exclusively to online sports bettors. Bets could be made by phone but players were encouraged to make their bets on the website www.wsex.com. The bets flowed into their website and the money poured in. Their new internet business was an almost instant success.
Cohen hired the U.S. law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and consulting firm KPMG to help them get licensed in Antigua. After a lot of work a gambling license was issued. The legal advice that he received stated that the business of WSEX was legal as long as the players opened an account and placed bets in a licensed jurisdiction. Since WSEX was licensed in Antigua, where sports betting was legal, the advice he received meant that he firmly believed that his business was legal. Cohen would even visit the U.S. on a regular basis with no fear of being arrested. Cohen filed his business operations and income with the U.S. and paid taxes just as any offshore business is legally required to do. Everything seemed to be running smoothly.
Jay Cohen would often find himself in the media spotlight. WSEX was a high flying sportsbook that had a mainstream following. Nearly everyone that bet on sports had heard of World Sports Exchange. In 1998 the Wall Street Journal printed an article about Jay Cohen and his online sports gambling business. Cohen would also go on TV by satellite and debate U.S. government figures. He would argue that his business was perfectly legal based on the advice his lawyers had given him. Since his business was not in the U.S. he felt that he was not subject to U.S. laws that forbid sports bets made by any type of communications device.
Pro Sports Leagues Demand Removal From WSEX
All of the media attention Cohen received did not go unnoticed by the major U.S. sports leagues. Cohen received a letter from Debevoise & Plimpton, the law firm representing all of the major professional sports in the U.S. The letter demanded that WSEX remove all professional sports team names from their website. They also demanded that WSEX remove all links to the sports league’s websites and cease taking bets from players in the United States. WSEX attempted to reach a settlement with the major sports leagues but the negotiations failed to please the professional sports leagues.
Cohen Indicted
In March 1998 Jay Cohen was indicted along with twenty others by the Attorney General of the Southern District of New York for violating the Wire Act of 1961. Of the other twenty indicted individuals thirteen pleaded guilty to misdemeanors and paid a fine. The other seven refused to return to the U.S. to face the charges. Steve Schillinger, the other co-founder of WSEX, was among the seven that never returned to the U.S. to face the charges. Cohen decided to come to the U.S. to FIGHT THE CHARGES (he too could have likely pled guilty and paid a small fine). Based on the legal advice he had been given he felt that he had not committed any crimes in the U.S.
Jay Cohen’s Trial
Jay Cohen offered the defense that he did not violate the Wire Act of 1961 due to Article 1084 (b) which states:
(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the
transmission in interstate or foreign commerce of information for
use in news reporting of sporting events or contests, or for the
transmission of information assisting in the placing of bets or
wagers on a sporting event or contest from a State or foreign
country where betting on that sporting event or contest is legal
into a State or foreign country in which such betting is legal.
Cohen also invoked the principle of lenity. This means that a defendant is given the benefit of the doubt in the U.S. if the law presents grey areas. Since the Wire Act did not mention internet gambling Cohen’s defense team felt there was a grey area. Cohen also invoked the Powell Doctrine. The Powell Doctrine, as presented by Cohen’s defense team, stated that a person must knowingly be committing a crime to be convicted. None of the defenses presented by Cohen worked. In February 2000 Cohen was convicted. In August 2000 Cohen was sentenced to 21 months in prison and a $5000 fine. Cohen lost his first appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear his case.
Jay Cohen Jail Time
After Cohen lost his appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear his case he served his sentence in a Las Vegas federal prison starting in 2002. Cohen was the first person convicted in the U.S. of operating a gambling business where that business was legal. In 2004, Cohen was released after serving just less than 18 months in prison. During his imprisonment World Sports Exchange continued to operate as a leader in U.S. sports gambling. Cohen was ordered upon release to not participate in any U.S. facing gambling business. After satisfying his probation he returned to Antigua. Cohen denied returning to WSEX until 2009 when he admitted on MSNBC that he had in fact returned to management of WSEX.
Editorial Comments: I mentioned in my article on the history of bookmaker.eu that BetMaker.com founders Mike Hale and Scott Barrett were not hiding either. The same was true of Charles Bauer of Infinity, Gary Austin of Tradewinds (justbet.cx), Dalton Wagner of MVP and V-Wager, and dozens of other American citizens that operated sportsbooks abroad and believed fully their business was legal and legitimate. If you read this January 1998 article from the NY Times where US Department of Justice Department (DOJ) spokesman John Russell is quoted as saying “We have no jurisdiction, the offense has not been made on U.S. soil” and a comment from Senator John Kyle, “we need a new tool to prosecute the same old activity” you can clearly see this was a major grey area.
Considering each of these sportsbook owners filed their taxes and followed advice from respectable law firms, Jay Cohen being sentenced to prison was perhaps the greatest injustice at the hands of the United States that decade. This completely shocked the industry and led to many Americans scrambling to sell their businesses, while it left others who were once legitimate businessman as career criminals for whom it was no longer worth the risk to visit their families and friends back in the States. To create a new law is one thing, to put an innocent man in prison over a vague law drafted in 1961 is another. These sorts of things are routine in Myanmar, Afghanistan, Somalia, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan…never in their wildest dreams could any freedom loving American have believed such a great injustice could happen at the hands of the United States.
Antigua vs U.S.
Enraged by the conviction of Jay Cohen, the tiny island nation of Antigua took the U.S. to the World Trade Organization in March 2003. Antigua alleged that the U.S. was violating trade agreements that the U.S. had signed with them. The allegation was that the U.S. was protecting their country’s gambling industry by refusing to allow legal, licensed Antiguan gambling businesses, access to the lucrative U.S. market. This was based on the fact that the U.S. allowed internet horse racing wagers under the Interstate Horse Racing act. On March 24, 2004 the WTO ruled in favor of Antigua. This ruling was kept confidential to give the U.S. time to resolve the conflict with Antigua. Talks between the two countries failed and on November 10, 2004 the WTO released the ruling to the public.
On January 7, 2005 the U.S. appealed the original ruling. The U.S. maintained that federal law prohibited all internet gambling regardless of what jurisdiction the gambling was being offered. On April 7, 2005 the Appellate Body of the WTO ruled to uphold the earlier ruling. The language of the ruling was ambiguous though. It allowed a way for the U.S. to abide by the ruling without allowing Antigua access to the U.S. market. “IF” the U.S. outlawed all online gambling then they could abide by the ruling. The US never did this, yet they falsely claimed victory in the press.
The U.S. was allowed until April 3, 2006 to comply with the WTO ruling or be subject to punitive damages. That date passed and the U.S. had not corrected the laws that were ruled a violation of their trade agreement with Antigua. In June 2006 Antigua took the U.S. back to the WTO stating that the U.S. was still not in compliance with the WTO’s ruling. The U.S. claimed, while not changing any U.S. gambling laws or its position on online gambling, that they were in compliance under the “morals defense”.
In March 2007 the WTO ruled that the U.S. was still not in compliance and in fact had gone the opposite direction by creating legislation called the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). The UIGEA made it illegal for U.S. banks to process illegal online gambling transactions. The U.S. then attempted to withdraw from its trade agreement with Antigua. While this was allowed the U.S. was still required to settle with Antigua since a ruling had already been made on the trade violation. Antigua demanded $3.4 billion in annual trade sanctions but the WTO ruled that Antigua was only entitled to $21 million. This means that Antigua is allowed to suspend U.S. copyrights up to $21 million annually.
Antigua fought the good fight and won in this battle, but the US was able to spend years stalling and then back out of an agreement they signed. Although a victory, it was more loss than win due to the US showing little respect for international laws.
The Demise of WSEX
While the licensor of WSEX was fighting the U.S. at the World Trade Organization WSEX’s business was crumbling. In April 2006 WSEX became the first existing online poker room to offer rake free poker. This was done to try and lure poker players into football betting. While there was a lot of excitement in the online poker community the concept failed due to the inability of WSEX to control bots and cheating.
In late 2008 WSEX started having problems paying winners on time. WSEX blamed a lack of processors for payment problems. As time went on WSEX payments became slower and slower. It became apparent that there were liquidity issues at WSEX. It is estimated that players are currently owed over $700,000. Today WSEX operates unlicensed underground in Antigua after failing to renew their Antiguan gaming license. It does appear the company is still trying to make good. In November 2011, a partial $6,000 payment was made to a player who had requested a $60,000 withdrawal more than a year earlier. And other similar partial payments do get reported from time to time. Jay Cohen, who used to frequent forums under the handle JC, has been a complete ghosts since this started. It is unknown if he is still with WSEX, but leaked rumors popup now and then that he is hiding in Antigua, has gained a substantial amount of weight and is extremely depressed.
While Jay Cohen was once a hero to American gamblers, and a friend actually said to me on MSN messenger after UIGEA, “if WSEX.com ever stiffs US players then we know it’s the end” he’s now well outcast from the gambling community. Many have made comments that he stole millions of dollars from players and used these funds for his own trial and the Antigua battle against the US with the WTO. If there’s truth to this, it’s only likely partial truth. Since UIGEA the cash grabs at the hands of the US DOJ have been massive. These guys shutdown Ultimate Bet, Absolute Poker and Full Tilt Poker, and probably all but did WSEX in. For history sake I’d like to believe the reason WSEX still runs is because they are doing their absolute best to someday pay back players. It’s however a bad situation, mostly that started with the US sending an innocent man to prison over a vague 1961 law. At this point as sad it is to say all players should absolutely steer clear of www.wsex.com.
CEO's and Gambling Sites History
Bookmaker.eu - Ron Sacco
Gary Austin - The Pro Punter
BetDSI Owners and History
History of BetCRIS
Detlef Train - Intertops
Simon Noble - Intertops
Pinnacle Sports History
WSEX - Jay Cohen
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Oracle Board Against Sustainability Proposal
By Chris Kanaracus
Oracle's board of directors has weighed in against a shareholder proposal calling for the creation of a board-level committee on sustainability, according to the proxy statement for the vendor's upcoming annual meeting.
The committee would "review the company's corporate policies, above and beyond matters of legal compliance, in order to assess, and make recommendations to enhance, the company's policy responses to changing conditions and knowledge of the natural environment, including but not limited to, natural resource limitations, energy use, waste disposal, and climate change," according to the proposal.
It was submitted by John Harrington, president and CEO of Harrington Investments, a Napa, California, firm that promotes socially responsible investing. Harrington Investments has made similar requests to other tech companies with some success.
While Oracle has voiced support for green policies, a board-level committee will make sure it will "walk its talk," Harrington's proposal adds.
"What I'm trying to do is get these companies to acknowledge that it is the directors' fiduciary duty to ensure the company's policies are sustainable," Harrington said in an interview Wednesday.
But Oracle's board unanimously opposes Harrington's motion, saying that while it "takes environmental sustainability very seriously," the company's current efforts around the topic are satisfactory.
Oracle already has an environmental steering committee made up of senior executives in various business units, such as supply chain management, IT, real estate and facilities, board members said.
The group "meets regularly to review our progress and status on environmental issues and makes recommendations related to the adoption of corporate sustainability policies and initiatives," they added. Steering committee representatives give updates "to a management Director who, when warranted, reports to the full Board regarding these matters."
Harrington dismissed Oracle's response. "If it's not a legal duty under the bylaws, then it has no legal standing whatsoever. ...There's nothing there to convince me they're doing anything. It's just like voluntary codes of conduct. ... It's meaningless."
Harrington has received no direct response from Oracle, he said. "They didn't even return a phone call. [Oracle CEO] Larry Ellison, in some ways he's sort of like [Apple CEO] Steve Jobs. He's an imperial CEO."
Oracle's annual meeting is scheduled for Oct. 6.
"I'm sure they have the votes against it," Harrington said. "The question is whether I get enough votes to stay on the ballot next year."
Chris Kanaracus covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Chris's e-mail address is Chris_Kanaracus@idg.com
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Village People keep doing ‘YMCA’ reps
By Stephanie Schulte | sschulte@scng.com | The Press-Enterprise
The Village People’s “YMCA” was one of the songs that became synonymous with the disco era, and nearly 40 years later still has people spelling out the four letters with their arms and bodies while singing along.
Donning costumes of a police officer, construction worker, cowboy and more, the funky bunch that spawned a film about their creation, “Can’t Stop the Music,” will perform at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa tonight.
Raymond Simpson – the group’s lead singer and “hot cop” – recently spoke from his New Jersey home about touring and performing the disco hits that made the band a household name.
Q. What’s it like being embedded in pop culture?
A. It’s been a long haul and a lot of fun. No show is the same; the audience really makes a difference in how a show goes.
Q. How did you land in the Village People?
A. At the time the group was getting ready to do a movie and the previous lead singer was leaving the band. I knew the producers and they asked me if I was interested in auditioning and I did.
Q. What is your favorite song to sing?
A. People love “YMCA” more than anything else. People grasped that song and took it on as their own. It wasn’t meant to be a hit song and was the last song to be added to the album.
Q. What is it about the songs that struck a chord with so many people?
A. It’s hard to say. If you could define things it would be in a can and we would be selling it on the corner. The songs aren’t heavy or political. It’s about having a good time.
Q. What type of music did you sing before joining the Village People?
A. I worked with my sister and brother-in-law Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson. Before that my sister played piano at the neighborhood church and we would sing in school choirs.
Q. How does it feel to look out at a sea of people singing and dancing?
A. It feels great because everyone is on the same wavelength and it really is an amazing feeling. We are a dance band and we put a lot of energy out there and get a lot of energy back.
Q. Do you get recognized on the street?
A. From time to time. When I’m not dressed up in the police outfit I can walk around and be myself and not get harassed or hassled.
Q. What’s a career highlight?
A. Getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a highlight. I have a replica at the house and every now and then I take a peek at it.
Contact the writer: sschulte@pe.com, 951-368-9457
Get outside! 3 places to play in Riverside this summer.
Stephanie Schulte
Stephanie Schulte has covered everything from travel, crime, food and entertainment since 2006. Her first assignment was writing a feature story on Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini for Amy Blanc Elementary School in Northern California and she never looked back. Schulte enjoys playing piano (not very good), hiking, hanging with her family and friends and watching Three's Company re-runs.
Follow Stephanie Schulte @Stephreally
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The Battle for Aleppo and the Remaking of the Medieval Middle East
by Nicholas Morton
A history of the 1119 Battle of the Field of Blood, which decisively halted the momentum gained during the First Crusade and decided the fate of the Crusader states
During the First Crusade, Frankish armies swept across the Middle East, capturing major cities and setting up the Crusader States in the Levant. A sustained Western conquest of the region appeared utterly inevitable. Why, then, did the crusades ultimately fail?
To answer this question, historian Nicholas Morton focuses on a period of bitter conflict between the Franks and their Turkish enemies, when both factions were locked in a struggle for supremacy over the city of Aleppo. For the Franks, Aleppo was key to securing dominance over the entire region. For the Turks, this was nothing less than a battle for survival–without Aleppo they would have little hope of ever repelling the European invaders. This conflict came to a head at the Battle of the Field of Blood in 1199, and the face of the Middle East was forever changed.
Genre: Nonfiction / History / Europe / Medieval
On Sale: February 20th 2018
"The text is lit by vivid re-creations of battles as well as concise descriptions of each warring group's military tactics, training and equipment."—Wall Street Journal
"Nicholas Morton masterfully brings this period alive--and delivers some pointed lessons for our own times--in his lively and compact historical survey.... History can be weaponized, as Morton points out, but, in the author's capable hands, it can also be used to illuminate and defuse."—Washington Independent Review of Books
"Through a lean, fast-paced prose line, he distills a large amount of background context into a smooth reading experience. A particular strength of the book is the multifaceted look it gives readers at the polyglot Turkish forces involved and the fractious internal sultanate politics that frequently derailed Turkish progress against the western invasion."—The National
"Recommended for bringing multiple perspectives and a sense of immediacy to this historic period and for better understanding how the battle for the Syrian city of Aleppo existed in the 12th century as well as today."—Library Journal
"A riveting account of a battle that changed the course of the Crusades. Nicholas Morton captures the intensity, importance, and aftermath of the confrontation to produce a sparkling history of one of the key turning-points of the Middle Ages."
—Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads: A New History of the World
"More than just a chronicle of a battle, this book sheds revealing light on the First Crusade and its aftermath, disposing of myths, and laying bare the high stakes that drove men on all sides of the conflict."
—Thomas Madden, author of Istanbul: City of Majesty at the Crossroads of the World
"Morton's analysis is meticulous, his knowledge of the politics and military practices of the medieval world formidable, and his ability to understand these events from multiple perspectives--Turkish, French, Arab, Armenian, among others--wholly remarkable."
—Jay Rubenstein, author of Armies of Heaven: The First Crusade and the Quest for Apocalypse
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2 Injured in Crash at Etting and Wood Roads
Posted on June 13, 2019 by Staff Writer
Major Injuries Involved in Oxnard Accident
Oxnard, CA (June 12, 2019) – Two people were injured in a crash in Oxnard. The accident occurred on the afternoon of June 12 at Etting and Wood roads.
Multiple vehicles collided at the intersection for unknown reasons. The impact of the crash caused one person to be ejected from their vehicle. That person suffered serious injuries. Another suffered minor injuries.
The legal team at Nadrich & Cohen hopes that the accident victims make a speedy and full recovery. We know how difficult it can be to recover physically, emotionally and financially from an auto accident. Let us deal with the insurance companies so that you can focus on treating your injuries and making a full recovery. The law firm of Nadrich & Cohen has handled thousands of accident and personal injury claims since our firm was founded in 1990.
#Oxnard
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The attorneys general of 18 states sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives urging them to support H.R. 1603, also known as the “Reinstein Bill,” which would prohibit the distribution, processing and manufacturing of asbestos in the United States.
PG&E told federal regulators that an overhaul of the 98 year-old Caribou-Palermo line was planned in 2013, yet the overhaul had yet to take place when the line failed and caused the Camp Fire, the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the history of California, in 2018. The Camp Fire killed at least 85 people (two are still missing) and destroyed 18,804 structures.
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Multiple vehicles collided at the intersection for unknown reasons. The impact of the crash caused one person to be ejected from their vehicle. That person suffered serious injuries. Another suffered minor injuries. The legal team at Nadrich & Cohen hopes that the accident victims make a speedy and full recovery. We know how difficult it can be to recover physically, emotionally and financially from an auto accident. Let us deal with the insurance companies so that you can focus on treating your injuries and making a full recovery. The law firm of Nadrich & Cohen has handled thousands of accident and personal injury claims since our firm was founded in 1990. #Oxnard #93033", "thumbnailUrl": "https://www.personalinjurylawcal.com/wp-includes/images/media/default.png", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.personalinjurylawcal.com/wp-includes/images/media/default.png", "width": 48, "height": 64 }, "datePublished": "2019-06-13T16:32 am:", "dateModified": "2019-06-13T16:32:38", "keywords": ["93033"," Oxnard"," June 12 2019"," Car Accident"," Etting Road"," Wood Road"], "articleSection": "Accident-News", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ashley" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Nadrich & Cohen, LLP", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.personalinjurylawcal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Nadrich-Cohen-LLP-Personal-Injury-Lawyers-California-LOGO-finall.png", "width": 529, "height": 120 } }, "about": [], "contentLocation": { "@type": "Place", "geo":{ "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "34.161446", "longitude": "-119.0986726" } }, "wordCount": "143" } }
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Real weekly earnings £13 lower than before the financial crisis
By Ashleigh Webber on 22 Aug 2018 in Ethnicity, Disability, Latest News, Pay & benefits, Recruitment & retention
Real average earnings are £13 per week lower than they were a decade ago and there are still significant “employment gaps” among some disadvantaged groups, according to analysis by the Resolution Foundation.
Despite recent Office for National Statistics figures showing the number of people in employment is at a record high, many disadvantaged groups still faced setbacks when finding work, the think-tank claimed.
People who move between jobs benefit from higher pay
Part-time working hits women’s long-term pay growth
Although people in the poorest third of households accounted for more than half (1.2 million) of the 2.1 million increase in employment between 2008/9 and 2016/17, targeted support was needed in some groups to help increase the employment rate further.
Just 45% of people with a disability or ill-health were in employment last year, it said. Increasing employment opportunities and support for such people – including the introduction of a new “right to return to work” after an illness − would improve living standards for about one million families, it suggested.
While ethnic minorities accounted for almost half the increase in employment since 2008, just 66% of people from BAME backgrounds were in work, the analysis showed.
The think-tank noted that the increase in employment opportunities had helped raise living standards, but many workers were in insecure arrangements with irregular earnings – around 800,000 were thought to be on zero-hour contracts.
Stephen Clarke, senior economic analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said: “Britain has experienced a huge living standards slump but its incredible employment record has provided a much-needed bright spark amid the gloom of the pay squeeze.
“But while employment is at a record high, Britain is still some way off full employment and too much work remains low paid and insecure. With fewer than half of people with a disability or ill-health currently in work, targeted support for these groups holds the key to achieving further employment progress.”
As an example of targeted support, the Resolution Foundation noted that policies such as childcare support and working tax credits had helped increase the number of single parents in work in the past. Sixty-seven per cent of single parents were employed last year, compared with 51% in 2003.
Clarke said steps to provide advance notice of shifts and a right to a regular contract for those on a zero-hour contracts would also help those “who have precious little job security” to stay in work.
Commenting on the slow recovery of average weekly earnings following the financial crisis a decade ago, TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said the government needed to do more to encourage wage growth.
“It’s taking wages longer to recover from this crash than it did after the Great Depression,” she said. “The government is turning a blind eye to Britain’s living standards crisis. Ministers must get wages rising faster now.”
A report published earlier this week by the Child Poverty Action Group suggested that two parents working full time at the national living wage earn on average £49 less than the income needed to cover their family’s basic weekly needs.
Employers spend thousands on extra benefits to attract skilled EU workers
Six in 10 organisations have offered EU workers extra incentives – including medical insurance, bonuses and higher salaries – in...
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HIPAA “De-Identification Process” is Clarified by Department of Health and Human Services
By: Rebecca Merrill
Guidance from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides clarity on the available methods of de-identification of protected health information (PHI) as well as the federal government’s scrutiny of such procedures.
The Privacy Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) established two methods of de-identification: (1) Expert Determination Method and (2) Safe Harbor Method. 45 C.F.R. § 164.514(a). These de-identification methods are applied to PHI to enable the use of health information for non-treatment purposes (e.g., research and policy development), while protecting the individual’s right to privacy by removing identifiers from the PHI prior to utilizing the data for secondary purposes.
Applying the expert determination method, a covered entity may determine that health information is not identifiable if a qualified expert, applying generally acceptable statistical and scientific principles and methods for rendering information not individually identifiable, (i) “determines that the risk is very small that the information could be used, alone or in combination with other reasonably available information, by an anticipated recipient to identify an individual who is a subject of the information; and (ii) documents the methods and results of the analysis that justify such determination.” 45 C.F.R. § 164.514(b).
The HHS guidance sets forth factors that the agency will apply when scrutinizing expert qualifications for the purpose of expert de-identification. These factors will be helpful to health care providers, health plans and business associates in assessing the qualifications of an expert and understanding the de-identification process and risk assessment.
The HHS guidance also details three primary principles that should guide expert risk assessment. The first principle, replicability, involves the prioritization of “health information features into levels of risk according to the chance it will consistently occur in relation to the individual.” For example, low risk replicability would occur when the “results of a patient’s blood glucose level test will vary”; whereas, high risk replicability would exists when the “[d]emographics of a patient (e.g., birth date) are relatively stable.” Id. Second, the principle of data source availability examines “which external data sources contain the patients’ identifiers and the replicable features in health information, as well as who is permitted access to the data source.” Id. In it Guidance, HHS indicates that lab reports with identifying information that are often limited to healthcare environments are low risk, while patient name and demographic information often in public sources (e.g., vital records) are high risk. Third, the principle of distinguishability requires a determination of “the extent to which the subject’s data can be distinguished in the health information.” Id.
Finally, the HHS guidance addresses the Safe Harbor Method, pursuant to which a covered entity can de-identify PHI by adhering to a de-identification framework that mandates removal of at least 18 identifiers from the health information and requires that the covered entity. In addition, the Safe Harbor requires that the covered entity have no actual knowledge of potential for an individual to be identified by the de-identified information alone or in combination with other information. 45 C.F.R. § 164.514(b). The HHS guidance offers clarification on several of these factors, enabling the covered entity to better navigate the de-identification process. In addition, the guidance provides examples of what constitutes “actual knowledge.” Finally, the guidance explains that once data is de-identified in accordance with the Safe Harbor, covered entities are not required to enter into data use agreements when sharing the information with third-parties.
Pierce & Mandell’s health care lawyers can assist in all phases of HIPAA compliance for medical and dental professionals. Contact us.
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French Open player stops with bad ankle
Sports | June 2, 2017
Howard Fendrich
Belgium's David Goffin twists his right ankle in his match against Argentina's Horacio Zeballos during their third round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium, in Paris, France. Friday, June 2, 2017. Goffin's injury forced him to give up. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
PARIS — David Goffin’s French Open ended when he got hurt by tripping on a tarp during a point.
The Grand Slam tournament’s 10th-seeded man stopped playing his third-round match and was taken to the hospital after injuring his right ankle in the first set, when he fell while chasing a ball way behind the baseline at Court Suzanne Lenglen on Friday. Goffin’s right foot got stuck under the cover used to protect the court overnight or in case of heavy rain.
“He had an MRI, and the news is reassuring: There is no tearing of the ligaments and no bone that’s been broken, either,” said Goffin’s coach, Thierry van Cleemput.
“For the time being, we’re optimistic,” he said, adding that Goffin will stay in Paris for a couple of days of treatment before heading home to Belgium.
On Friday, Goffin was serving for the opening set while ahead 5-4 against Horacio Zeballos of Argentina. After wasting three set points, Goffin was facing a break point when the players engaged in a lengthy baseline exchange. On the 14th stroke, Goffin raced to his left to reach a deep shot and, just as he flicked a backhand lob, his momentum carried his sliding right foot into the edge of the tarp.
Goffin reached out with his left hand to try to brace himself against a wall but crumpled to the ground, wincing and clutching at his ankle. Zeballos, meanwhile, was running to track down the ball with his back to the court and did not see what happened. Zeballos’ shot landed out, so Goffin actually won the point.
Zeballos put his hands on his head when he saw that Goffin remained down. Zeballos walked over, bringing a towel for Goffin to rest his head on while laying on his back. Two people helped Goffin make his way toward the locker room for a medical timeout — spectators rose and applauded — and, after a few minutes, it was announced that the match would not continue.
Until this week, the 65th-ranked Zeballos hadn’t won a match at the French Open since 2013. He hadn’t made it past the second round at any Grand Slam tournament in 17 previous appearances.
Van Cleemput said tournament organizers will need to consider whether they can do anything to make the court safer.
“There will be consequences,” he said.
Asked about the tarps at the back of the court, Zeballos said: “Yeah, of course, it’s pretty dangerous.”
The tarp did not comment.
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Women's WATC / Round 4 - News Release
PUR finishes among the Top 20 Best Women Teams in the World
By Alberto C. Medina - PRGA Staff Writer
(September 30, 2012) – Puerto Rico has matched its best result ever at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, finishing in 20th place at the 2012 event held in Antalya, Turkey.
María Torres, Kyle Roig and Patricia García, the same squad that finished 20th two years ago in Buenos Aires, wrapped up play on championship Sunday by shooting +1 on aggregate, which gave the team a total score of +7 for the tournament.
That 20th position is a slight drop from the 17th place Puerto Rico enjoyed after three rounds, but a dramatic improvement over the 34th position that the team held after the first day of play.
Puerto Rico was this close to a better finish; after four birdies on the front nine, Roig was -2 going into the final hole of the tournament. But she double-bogeyed to end up at even par, costing Puerto Rico the chance to finish at +5 and tied for 18th place with México.
Puerto Rico finished above all but México of the eight Latin American nations competing in the event, as well as above countries with proud golfing traditions like Wales and Scotland, sports superpowers like Russia and China, and the host nation, Turkey.
The Republic of Korea, which led since the second round of the tournament, won its second consecutive championship with a total score of -13. Korea held off a late charge from Germany (-10), which finished second after a fantastic final round of -7. Finland and Australia shared third place at -9.
On an individual level, Torres staked her place among the 30 best female amateur golfers in the world by finishing at +1 for the tournament, good for 26th place among the 157 golfers who saw action in Turkey. Roig was also among the top 50 individual players, as her total score of +7 earned her 48th place. Lydia Ko of New Zealand, the highest-ranked female amateur golfer in the world, won the individual title with a score of -14.
The Puerto Rico Golf Association congratulates all three players, as well as captain Marilina Silén and coach Dean Spriddle, for proving that 2010 was no fluke and that Puerto Rico must be counted among the top-20 countries in the world when it comes to female amateur golf.
Next up, we’ll be following Robert Calvesbert, Erick Morales and Jerónimo Esteve, as the Men’s Championship kicks off this Thursday.
Puerto Rico vaults into top-20 at Women’s WATC
(September 29, 2012) – María Torres, Patricia García and Kyle Roig had the second-best round in the world on Saturday, combining for a score of -4 that catapulted Puerto Rico into a tie for 17th place with one round to go at the Women’s World Amateur Golf Championship.
After Torres led the way in the first two days of the tournament, it was García and Roig whose scores of -2 each counted on Saturday, as Puerto Rico’s -4 was second only to the United States (-7) in the third round and helped the Island’s team improve 10 spots on the leaderboard, from 27th after two rounds. Both ladies enjoyed great rounds on the Old Course at Gloria Golf Club; García had four birdies on the front nine, and Roig avoided all bogeys until she doubled the 16th.
Torres, it bears mentioning, wasn’t far behind: she shot -1 on the day and is now at even par for the tournament, which also places her tied for 17th out of over 150 golfers on the individual leaderboard.
Puerto Rico’s best finish ever at the Women’s WATC is 20th, achieved by this same team two years ago in Buenos Aires, so the ladies are poised to make history once again if they can manage to maintain or improve on their position on championship Sunday.
South Korea still leads the field at -11, and looks poised to capture its second consecutive title. New Zealand moved into sole possession of second place (-6) behind the strong play of top-ranked amateur in the world Lydia Ko, who leads all individual players with a score of -10.
The Puerto Rican team will finish up play on the New Course beginning at 9:10 a.m. (2:10 a.m. local time). María, Patricia and Kyle will be paired with México and Denmark, the two nations immediately above and below Puerto Rico in the standings.
Women's WATC Round 2 - News Release
Puerto Rico climbs up the leaderboard with better scores during Rd. 2
September 28, 2012 – Puerto Rico enjoyed an excellent second round Friday at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championships, climbing several spots on the leaderboard and getting into a good position to fight for a top-20 finish this weekend in Antalya, Turkey.
The Puerto Rican team followed up its first-round of +9 with a very welcome +1 on the second day of play, this time on the seemingly more favorable New Course at Gloria Golf Club. María Torres led the way once again with an impressive round of -1 that included two birdies and an eagle on the par-5 fourth hole, while Kyle Roig added her solid +2 to the aggregate score. Patricia García, the team’s third member, shot +3.
Now at +10, Puerto Rico improved from 34th to 27th place in one day and is currently second-best out of the eight Latin American teams competing in the event, behind only México and ahead of countries like Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina. Puerto Rico is also currently ahead of countries like Russia, the host nation, Turkey, and South Africa.
On the individual leaderboard, Torres, currently at +1, is tied for 29th place among the over 150 ladies representing their countries at the event.
South Korea, the defending champion, surged into the lead on Friday with a score of -8 and is currently dominating the competition with that same total score. Three countries are tied for second at -3: Germany, Canada, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
Play continues early Saturday for María, Kyle, and Patricia, who will once again be first off the tee back at the Old Course, starting at 7:30 a.m. (12:30 a.m. local time).
The Women's Championship wraps up on Sunday for the Women’s Championship before the men take center stage later that week.
Puerto Rico on 34th after first round at WATC
(September 27, 2012) - The Puerto Rican National team had a solid start but left room for improvement after the first round of the 2012 Women's World Amateur Team Championship being held in Antalya, Turkey.
María Torres shot +2, while Kyle Roig and Patricia García shot +7, each, for an aggregate score of +9. That puts Puerto Rico in 34th place out of the 53 nations competing for the Espirito Santo Trophy, above countries like Brasil, host nation Turkey, and South Africa; and 4th out of the eight Latin American nations represented at the event.
Sweden a two-time WATC champion, is the current leader at -3 due to a fantastic performance from Daniela Holmqvist, who posted that same score. In second place at -2, Latvia has been the early surprise of the tournament, while Spain, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, and the Czech Republic share third place at -1.
Torres was the standout player for Puerto Rico in the first round, and she is currently 41st on the individual leaderboard. She was the only golfer on the team to score more than one birdie and avoid any double-bogeys on the Old Course at Gloria Golf Club.
Tomorrow, an action for the Puerto Rican ladies will shift to the New Course. Torres, Roig and García will be first off the tee starting at 7:30 a.m. (12:30 a.m. local time), paired with Wales and Malaysia, who are currently in 22nd and 35th place, respectively.
PUR Women Team ready for 2012 WATC
Local teams looking forward to World Championships in Turkey
(Tuesday, September 25th, 2012) - The best amateur golfers in the world will converge in Antalya, Turkey, this week for the start of the 2012 World Amateur Team Championships (WATC), the largest and most prestigious event held by the International Golf Federation.
A record 72 male and 56 female squads from all around the globe will face off for the chance to call their nation the best in the world. Puerto Rico, which hosted the event in 2004 and has been posting steadily improved results in the years since, will once again send strong, talented teams to represent the Island and try to bring home the Eisenhower (men) and Espirito Santo (women) trophies.
Up first will be the ladies competition, which starts up on Thursday the 27th. Puerto Rico will repeat its 2010 WATC team consisting of Kyle Roig, María Torres and Patricia García. That squad achieved the Island’s highest ever finish (20th) two years ago in Buenos Aires, and they’ll be looking to improve and set a new record this time around.
“I think we have a really strong team,” said García. “We’ve learned a lot since two years ago and I think we have some more experience and a lot of good golf in us.”
The Puerto Rican ladies are a young but very talented squad. García is a standout at Texas A&M, while Roig plays at perennial powerhouse UCLA. Torres, a high school senior, will join them on the NCAA circuit next year when she begins attending the University of Florida, and this year alone has compiled an impressive list of tournaments and achievements including top individual honors at the junior and adult Caribbean Amateur Championships, playing in the U.S. Girls’ Amateur Championship, a win at the AJGA’s TaylorMade-Adidas Golf Junior event and a top-20 finish at the Duke of York Young Champions Trophy in Scotland.
García knows it will take an outstanding effort from all three of them to place well this weekend. “The level (of competition) is so high right now. I’ve been mentally preparing for the fact that we’re going to be facing the best of the best in Turkey,” said García, who noted that she’s been practicing for over four hours daily.
A week after the ladies it will be time for the men to tee it up, and the Puerto Rican team is ready to go. The squad features Erick Morales and Robert Calvesbert, both of whom have previous WATC experience, and one ‘rookie’ who couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity.
“Honestly, I can’t even describe how proud I feel,” said Jerónimo Esteve, the third member of the Puerto Rican team. “I never thought that this would happen; it’s above and beyond anything I could have dreamed of and, to be able to compete against the best players in the world... I can’t even describe it.”
Esteve, who actually played professionally after college nearly a decade ago, has recently found a successful second golf career as an amateur. Earlier this year, he joined Morales and Calvesbert on the Hoerman Cup team that placed third at the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships and delivered one of the top performances by a Puerto Rican player.
“That gave me a lot of confidence,” said Esteve about his play in St. Kitts. Like García, Esteve also said that he has been preparing almost non-stop since he was named to the team, and he believes that the Puerto Rican men will put in a strong performance in Turkey.
“Obviously, Robi is a great player, and so is Erick. We have a great camaraderie between us, we get along well, and both of them are incredibly talented,” said Esteve of Calvesbert and Morales, who have, for years now, been mainstays on various Puerto Rican national teams.
The 2012 World Amateur Team Championships will use a 72-hole stroke play format, with the best two individual scores from each team counting toward that country’s aggregate score for the day. Follow all the action in Turkey through our updates at www.prga.org.
Women’s World Amateur Team Championship
PR WATC Players BIOS
Men's WATC / Round 3 - News Release
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Catherine Smith
Through direct, colloquial language and often intense imagery, Catherine Smith invites the reader into a world at once familiar and unsettling.
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Home / Media Releases / 2019 / Secretary of State announcement about new Police Ombudsman
Secretary of State announcement about new Police Ombudsman
Published Date: 03.05.2019
NIO PRESS RELEASE
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Karen Bradley, has today announced her intention to recommend the appointment of Mrs Marie Anderson as the new Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland.
The Secretary of State said:
“My absolute priority is to see the restoration of the Executive at the earliest opportunity.
“In the interim my responsibility is to ensure good governance and stable public services in the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland.
“In the absence of an Executive, it is vital that we ensure stability and continuity for this important public appointment. My intention is to recommend the appointment of Marie Anderson to the role of Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland.”
The appointment of Police Ombudsman is subject to the completion of the formalities of the appointment process.
The Office of the Police Ombudsman was established by the Police (NI) Act 1998 to provide an independent means of handling complaints against the police and a number of other bodies as set out in legislation. The Police Ombudsman is responsible for the investigation of complaints against the police and for the investigation of a range of other matters referred by the Department of Justice, the Policing Board and the Chief Constable. The term of appointment for the Police Ombudsman is seven years and is not renewable. The outgoing Ombudsman, Dr Michael Maguire was appointed in 2012 and his seven-year tenure will be completed in July 2019.
The Office of the Police Ombudsman currently has a staff of over 150. It is a non-departmental public body financed by a grant-in-aid from the Department of Justice. In the 2019/20 financial year, its budget is £9.288 million. Since the devolution of policing and justice in 2010, the First Minister and deputy First Minister have had the statutory responsibility for jointly recommending the appointment of the Police Ombudsman. In October 2018, the Secretary of State for NI introduced legislation in Parliament; the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act 2018 received Royal Assent on 1 November. This legislation provides for the appointment to a number of public offices by the Secretary of State, including that of Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland.
The position was advertised widely by The Executive Office, with candidates applying nationally and internationally.
Mrs Anderson is currently Northern Ireland’s Public Services Ombudsman, where she has been in post since 1 April 2016. She will step down from this position on taking up office as Police Ombudsman. She also holds two other statutory offices – Northern Ireland Local Government Commissioner for Standards and Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Ombudsman. She has previously held a number of other high profile public service positions including the Deputy Northern Ireland Ombudsman and the Assistant Information Commissioner for Northern Ireland. Experience from these roles and others have developed important skills that Mrs Anderson will bring to the Police Ombudsman role.
The annual salary for this post is currently £134,841 (under review).
This appointment process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland and the process has been conducted in accordance with the Commissioner’s Code of Practice.
All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland requires the political activity of appointees to be published. In this case, Mrs Anderson has not declared any political activity.
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President Donald Trump speaks as he hosts a listening session with high school students, teachers and parents in the State Dining Room of the White House on Wednesday. | Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo
Amid student anger, Trump hosts live White House special on gun violence
A week after the Parkland shooting, the president found a way to respond, letting students and families express raw emotions and divergent views on guns.
By ELIANA JOHNSON and CRISTIANO LIMA
President Donald Trump has spent a week grappling with the school shooting that left 17 dead in Parkland, Florida, and Wednesday, he finally found his own way to respond, playing host on live television to dozens of grieving parents and students directly affected by a spate of shootings that have rocked the country.
For about an hour, the president moderated a frank and wide-ranging discussion among families from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Sandy Hook Elementary, Columbine High School and local Washington schools. On policy matters, the participants represented a range of views, with two participants sharply disagreeing over whether to impose greater restrictions on gun purchases and whether school staff should be armed.
Since the shooting, the president has been looking for a way to take action on guns in response to cries from gun-control advocates and emotional students, whose images have been plastered across television screens around the clock, without alienating his pro-gun base, which he courted with promises to support the Second Amendment.
In response to remarks by the families at the listening session, he floated some new ideas, surprising some White House aides, including reopening some of the mental institutions shuttered in the 1970s to house worrisome teens who have not committed any crimes, and arming teachers or other school officials — controversial views that he would have difficulty garnering support for on Capitol Hill.
The conversation also provided a forum for grieving parents to air raw emotions and confront some of the leaders they say have failed them.
“It should have been one school shooting and we should have fixed it. I’m pissed. Because my daughter, I’m not going to see again,” said Andrew Pollack, who was pictured last week looking for his daughter Meadow wearing a Trump 2020 T-shirt. “It’s enough. Let’s get together, work with the president and fix the schools.”
The White House said that Pollack, who was accompanied by his wife and two sons, decided to participate in the listening session after meeting privately with the president.
On Wednesday evening, Trump posted a tweet summing up the event that stood in marked contrast to a series of angry missives he sent over the weekend appearing to blame the FBI and Democrats for the carnage:
“I will always remember the time I spent today with courageous students, teachers and families. So much love in the midst of so much pain. We must not let them down. We must keep our children safe!!”
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During the meeting, Trump sat clutching a page of notes that included questions for the distraught families — “What would you most want me to know about your experience? What can we do to help you feel safe?” — and let attendees have their say before jumping in to offer his views.
The president spotlighted the death of a Stoneman Douglas sports coach who died protecting students from gunfire to illustrate his view that introducing concealed-carry into America's schools would reduce casualties in school shootings.
“If he had a firearm he wouldn’t have had to run, he would’ve shot and that would’ve been the end of it,” the president said.
Trump did not name the victim, but appeared to reference assistant football coach Aaron Feis, who died while shielding students during the shooting spree at the Parkland, Florida, school last week.
The president said his administration would “certainly” discuss the option, which he acknowledged was “controversial,” along with a series of other initiatives. For the measure to be enacted, the president cautioned, school officials would need to be skilled in handling rifles and be trained on deploy them on campus.
As a presidential candidate, Trump pledged to “get rid of gun-free zones on schools” as well as on military bases, a proposal he said he’d enact his first day in office. But he later wavered on the proposal, heavily opposed by gun-control advocates, telling CNN he’d only support removing gun-free zones in schools “in some cases.”
The proposal was met by pushback from some attendees, who argued gun-wielding teachers would not protect students.
“School teachers have more than enough responsibilities right now than to have to have the awesome responsibility of lethal force to take a life,” said Mark Barden, a member of Sandy Hook Promise. Barden’s wife is an education official and his child died at the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.
Trump opened the event vowing to take action, decrying the lack of response to past mass shootings.
“It’s not going to be talk like it has been in the past,” the president said at the White House event alongside Vice President Mike Pence, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and other administration officials. “It’s been going on too long, too many instances, and we’re going to get it done.”
Trump said the administration would be “very strong” on background checks for gun purchases and on mental health, though he declined to provide specific details on policy proposals. The president added their approach was “very strong” on “age of purchase,” a potential reference to the push to limit who can purchase assault weapons like the one used by Nikolas Cruz in Parkland.
The White House event came as Parkland students, joined by survivors of other shootings — including the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando — lobbied at Florida’s state Capitol in Tallahassee in favor of tougher gun laws. On Tuesday, Florida legislators voted down a measure that would have banned assault rifles and large capacity magazines. Images of teary-eyed students standing distraught in the halls of the state Capitol appeared on news broadcasts across the country.
poster="http://v.politico.com/images/1155968404/201802/105/1155968404_5738128343001_5738118944001-vs.jpg?pubId=1155968404"
Trump this week urged the Justice Department to finish reviewing a possible ban on a weapons accessory used in last year’s Las Vegas shooting, though it remains unclear whether — constitutionally speaking — that sort of ban can be handed down through an executive action or whether Congress needs to pass legislation outlawing the accessories.
The White House, which billed the listening statement as an opportunity for the president to “hear from students, parents and educators who have directly experienced these horrific tragedies,” did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether the administration is seriously considering a move to reopen mental institutions or push to implement concealed-carry in schools.
The list of participants included members of Rachel’s Challenge and Sandy Hook Promise, two groups founded by the families of students lost during school shootings in Colorado and Connecticut.
“How is that easy to buy this type of weapon? How do we not stop this after Columbine, after Sandy?” said Stoneman Douglas student Samuel Zeif. “We need to do something. That’s why we’re here.”
Parkland school shooting
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“It’s not false hope; It is hope. Support of this bill is compassionate. Support of this bill is fair,“ said Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), one of the original sponsors of the House legislation. | Bob Christie/AP Photo
House passes right-to-try on second try
By SARAH KARLIN-SMITH
The House of Representatives passed on party lines Wednesday evening a bill designed to let very sick patients request access to experimental medicines without government oversight.
The passage of the bill, known as right-to-try, is a big victory for the small libertarian think tank that crafted the proposal — and for a White House that has vigorously campaigned for the law. And it comes one week after Republicans failed to pass a similar measure through an expedited process that needed two-thirds support from the chamber.
The bill passed by a vote of 267-149 with 35 Democrats in favor and two Republicans against. It now heads to the Senate, which passed a slightly different version of the legislation last summer. With a final law all but assured, health policy advocates who have vigorously opposed the idea are now looking toward the broader anti-regulatory health agenda being pushed by the Goldwater Institute.
Arizona-based Goldwater has a handful of other ideas that could dramatically weaken the authority of the FDA to oversee the safety and effectiveness of medicines and has already made progress getting one of those ideas — giving drug companies more freedom to market their products — on state lawmakers' agenda. Goldwater spearheaded passage of a law in Arizona's legislature last year that allows companies to promote non-FDA-approved uses of their products to doctors without fear of repercussions by state officials. It helped get similar bills introduced in Colorado and Missouri's legislative sessions this year and expects other states to follow suit soon.
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Some are concerned that Goldwater could be emboldened by the right-to-try success.
“I think this is the first step, for sure. Tear down as many regulations as possible, take away all oversight, and let it be the Wild West of medicine,” said Andrew McFadyen, executive director of the rare disease patient group Issac Foundation and a member of New York University’s working group on compassionate use and pre-approval access.
“Republicans know this doesn’t give access to patients. But they opened the door to Koch brothers and Goldwater to rip apart the FDA, and then other government bodies after that,” McFadyen added.
The victory also highlights the success of Goldwater’s strategy of pushing legislation state-by-state — 38 states have approved — and using that momentum to take it to the national level, said Christopher Robertson, an expert on health law and bioethics at the University of Arizona.
It’s “easy for them to bend the ear of local politicians,” Robertson said, and “even if the state legislation is completely ineffectual it does present one symbolic victory after the next.” Moreover, the average state legislator doesn’t need to understand the intricacies of FDA law, making it easier for Goldwater to sway state lawmakers. Besides drug marketing, Robertson said pushing to get more medicines available over the counter, without a doctor’s prescription, is also on the libertarian group's agenda.
Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell’s office declined to provide any guidance on if and when the Senate might consider the House proposal, but the chamber is expected to eventually pass the House bill.
The Senate cleared its version of right-to-try over the summer on unanimous consent. But it stalled in the House due to concerns from patient advocacy groups, bioethicists, drug companies and President Donald Trump’s own FDA commissioner, Scott Gottlieb.
After months of deliberation, the House released an updated version last week with tweaks designed to make it safer for patients and encourage more drug companies to participate — but Democrats continued to oppose the bill, arguing it wouldn’t help more patients to get access to experimental medicines and could cause them harm.
What’s in and what’s out in the $1.3T omnibus spending bill
By SARAH FERRIS and KAITLYN BURTON
With the GOP attempting to pass it under an expedited process requiring a two-thirds vote, Democrats sank the bill last week, knowing full well that it would pass easily when brought back under regular procedures requiring a simple majority for passage.
Trump, who called for swift passage of the bill during the State of the Union in January, called out Democrats for stalling the legislation at a speech Monday in New Hampshire.
“It is hope. It's incredible. They've been talking about this for years and years and years. We're going to get it approved. So important,” Trump said.
But Democrats continued to push back against the law Wednesday. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said right-to-try doesn’t address the true barrier facing patients requesting experimental drugs — resistance from drug companies — and thus offers patients little more than "false hope."
“The fact is when a patient is denied access to an experiential treatment, it is because a company has said no, not the FDA. So let's be clear about what this legislation is. It's an attempt to undermine the authority of the expert public health agencies charged with reviewing drugs to ensure their safety and efficacy,” Pallone said during House debate of the bill.
Pallone’s argument got a boost from four former FDA commissioners who served under Republican and Democratic presidents. Margaret Hamburg, Robert Califf, Mark McClellan and Andrew von Eschenbach issued a statement earlier this week saying “there is no evidence” that either the House or Senate right-to-try bills “would meaningfully improve access for patients, but both would remove the FDA from the process and create a dangerous precedent that would erode protections for vulnerable patients,”
Ultimately, Republicans' messaging won the day.
“It’s not false hope; It is hope. Support of this bill is compassionate. Support of this bill is fair,“ said Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), one of the original sponsors of the House legislation.
Frank Pallone
Trump administration begins enforcing abortion 'gag rule'
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The POLITICO Global Policy Lab is a collaborative journalism project seeking solutions to challenges faced by modern economies in an age of political disruption and technological transformation.
How to exit the eurozone
Italy is right to consider leaving the EU’s common currency area.
By Joseph Stiglitz
Italy has the opportunity to make a choice that will shake up the eurozone | Image via iStock
What’s the best way to leave the euro? That question is now back on the table after a Euroskeptic government took charge in Italy. Yes, key ministers have pledged to keep the country in the EU’s common currency area. But those commitments should not be seen as immutable. They must be considered in the context of Italy’s broader bargaining position: The new government wants to make it clear that it is not just a spoiler. It would prefer to stay within the eurozone, but it wants change.
Italy’s new leaders are right that the eurozone is badly in need of reform. The euro has been flawed since its conception. For countries like Italy, it took away two key adjustment mechanisms: control over interest rates and exchange rates. And instead of putting anything in their place, it introduced tight strictures on debts and deficits — further impediments to economic recovery.
The result for the eurozone has been slower growth, and especially for the weaker countries within it. The euro was supposed to usher in greater prosperity, which in turn would lead to renewed commitment to European integration. It has done just the opposite — increasing divisions within the EU, especially between creditor and debtor countries.
The resulting schisms have also made it harder to solve other problems, most notably the migration crisis, where European rules impose an unfair burden on the frontline countries receiving migrants, such as Greece and Italy. These also just so happen to be the debtor countries, already plagued with economic difficulties. No wonder there is a rebellion.
German resistance
What needs to be done is well known. The problem is Germany’s reluctance to do it.
The eurozone has long recognized the need for a banking union. But Berlin has insisted on postponing the key reform — a common deposit insurance — that would reduce capital flight from weak countries: Capital flight was a key factor in explaining the depth of the downturn in the crisis countries.
Greece gave into being strangled by the European Central Bank. But it didn’t have to.
Germany’s domestic economic policies aggravate the eurozone’s problems. The key economic challenge faced by countries in a currency union is the inability to adjust misaligned exchange rates. In the eurozone, the burden of adjustment is currently imposed on the debtor countries, already suffering from low growth and incomes. If Germany had a more expansionary fiscal and wage policy, some of the pressure would be shifted off of these countries.
The eurozone isn’t ready for the next big shock
Miguel Otero-Iglesias and Raymond Torres
Three fudges and a funeral for eurozone reform
Pierre Briançon
If Germany is unwilling to take the basic steps needed to improve the currency union, it should do the next best thing: Leave the eurozone. As George Soros famously put it, Germany should either lead or leave. With Germany (and possibly other Northern European countries) out of the currency union, the value of the euro would decline, and exports of Italy and other Southern European countries would increase. The major source of misalignment would be gone. At the same time, the increase in Germany’s exchange rate would go a long way to curing one of the most destabilizing aspects of the global economy: Germany’s trade imbalance.
Why leave
The trouble, of course, is that Germany obstinately refuses to take either of the two paths forward. That leaves citizens in countries like Greece and Italy with a choice they shouldn’t have to make: between membership in the eurozone and economic prosperity.
A timid and inexperienced Greek government chose to stay in the currency union. The result was stagnation. By 2015 the country’s GDP had plunged 25 percent from its pre-crisis level. Since then, it has barely budged.
The challenge, of course, will be to find a way to leave the eurozone that minimizes the economic and political costs.
Italy has the opportunity to make a different choice. In the absence of meaningful reforms, the benefits for Italy of leaving the euro are clear, straightforward and considerable.
A lower exchange rate will allow Italy to export more. Consumers will substitute Italian-made goods for imports. Tourists will find the country an even more attractive destination. All of this will stimulate demand and increase government revenues. Growth will increase, and Italy’s high level of unemployment (11.2 percent, with 33.1 percent youth unemployment) will decrease.
There are, of course, many other reasons for Italy’s malaise, and these will be at most only partially addressed by leaving the euro. Governments like those of U.S. President Donald Trump or former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi — dominated by corrupt rent-seekers with no understanding of the true bases of sustainable long-term growth — do not provide the political leadership necessary for strong and sustainable growth.
At the same time, however, the slow and unequal growth that Italy has experienced as a result of the euro almost surely provides fertile ground for such populists.
There would be further political benefits too. A more prosperous Italy would be more likely to cooperate in other key areas in which Europe needs to work together: migration, a European defense force, sanctions against Russia, trade policy.
Trade or migration policies produce benefits for the entire country, but there are also losers — and the fiscal constraints imposed by the eurozone have made it all but impossible to provide those losers with adequate protections. An Italy outside the eurozone would be better positioned to share the benefits of its international polices, while mitigating the pain associated with them.
The challenge, of course, will be to find a way to leave the eurozone that minimizes the economic and political costs. A massive debt restructuring, carefully done, with special attention to the consequences for domestic financial institutions, will be essential. Without such a restructuring, the burden of euro denominated debt would soar, offsetting possibly a large part of the potential gains.
Such restructurings are a normal part of large devaluations. Sometimes it’s done quietly and obscurely — as when the U.S. went off the gold standard. Sometimes it’s done more openly, as in Iceland and Argentina, with debtors crying foul. But such debt restructurings should be viewed as an inherent risk of cross-border investing, one of the reasons that “foreign” bonds often yield a risk premium.
It may be in Italy's interest to leave the eurozone, but doing so is a steep challenge | Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA
From an economic perspective, the easiest thing to do would be for Italian entities (governments, corporations and individuals) to simply redenominate debts from euros into new lira. But because of legal complexities within the EU, and because of Italy’s international obligations, it may be preferable to enact a super-Chapter 11 bankruptcy law, providing expeditious recourse to debt restructuring to any entity for whom the new currency presents severe economic problems. Bankruptcy laws remain an area within the purview of each of the nation states of the EU.
Italy could even choose not to announce that it’s leaving the euro. It could simply issue script (say government bonds) that would have to be accepted as payment for any euro debt obligation. A decrease in the value of these bonds would be tantamount to a devaluation. This would at the same time restore the efficacy of Italy’s monetary policy: Changes in central bank policy would affect the value of the bonds.
Hue and cry
Of course, there would be a hue and cry from other members of the eurozone. Introducing a parallel currency, even informally, would almost certainly violate the eurozone’s rules and certainly be against its spirit. But this way, Italy would leave it to the other members of the eurozone to decide to expel it.
Rome could take the chance that the fractious members of the currency union would never take such strong action, since that would confirm the fraying of the eurozone. Then Italy would have its cake and eat it too. It would remain part of the eurozone but would have accomplished a devaluation.
And if Italy lost the wager, the political onus of its leaving the eurozone would be more clearly on its “partners.” They would be the ones who took the final step.
Greece gave into being strangled by the European Central Bank. But it didn’t have to. Athens was already well into creating the infrastructure (an electronics payment mechanism under the new drachma) that would have eased a transition out of the eurozone.
Greece was eventually suffocated by pressure from the European Central bank | Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Advances in technology over the past three years make creating electronic currency systems all the easier and more effective. Should Italy choose to use one, it wouldn’t even have to face the difficulties of printing new currency.
Italy could also blunt some of the pain of its departure if it were to coordinate its exit with other countries in a similar position.
The motley group of countries that now forms the eurozone is far from what economists call an optimal currency area. There is just too much diversity, too many differences, to make it work without better institutional arrangements of the kind that Germany has vetoed.
A southern eurozone would be far closer to an optimal currency area. And while it would be difficult to arrange a coordinated departure in a short period of time, if Italy successfully manages its way out of the euro, others will almost surely follow.
To be sure, one shouldn’t underestimate the costs of a large devaluation. Any large change in a key price in an economy is a significant perturbation.
The price of foreign exchange is, of course, pivotal in any open economy. It has knock-on effects on the prices of all goods and services. Some — perhaps many — firms will go bankrupt. Some — perhaps many — individuals will see their real incomes decline.
But it’s equally important not to underestimate the costs of Italy’s current malaise. If Italy’s economy had spent the 20 years since the euro’s creation growing at the rate of the eurozone as a whole, its GDP would be 18 percent higher.
If the new Italian government were to successfully navigate such an exit, Italy would be better off. And so would the rest the Europe.
The cost of persistent unemployment, especially among its youth, is enormous. Young people in their 20s and early 30s should be honing their skills in on-the-job training. Instead, they are sitting home idle, many of them developing a resentment toward the elites and the institutions they blame for their predicament. The resulting lack of formation of human capital will also dampen productivity for years to come.
In an ideal world, Italy wouldn’t have to leave the eurozone. Europe could instead reform the currency union and provide better protection for those adversely affected by trade and migration.
But in the absence of a change of direction by the EU as a whole, Italy needs to remember that it has an alternative to economic stagnation and that there are ways of leaving the eurozone in which the benefits would likely exceed the costs.
Joseph Stiglitz is a Nobel-prize winning economist and a professor at Columbia University. He is the author of "The Euro: How a Common Currency Threatens the Future of Europe" (W.W. Norton, 2016).
The POLITICO Global Policy Lab is a collaborative journalism project seeking solutions to pressing policy problems. Join the community.
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The Frenchwoman says her exit clears the way to find a successor.
Europe’s fight to keep the IMF in its hands
The EU aims to see off challengers from Asia and elsewhere, but a stitch-up could undermine its standing.
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Texas Edition
The Texas Truth-O-Meter
Says a new national poll shows "the majority of the American people believe we should have a gold standard" for U.S. currency.
— Ron Paul on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012 in a speech after the Iowa caucuses
Ron Paul says majority of Americans favors gold standard
By Louis Jacobson , W. Gardner Selby on Wednesday, January 4th, 2012 at 6:12 p.m.
U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas speaks to supporters after the Jan. 3, 2011, Iowa Republican caucuses.
After his third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses Jan. 3, 2012, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, told supporters that his campaign has been propelled by the issues he champions, including slashing government spending, abolishing the Federal Reserve System and withdrawing from Afghanistan.
Paul also said that "today there was a national poll that came out and they were talking about how many people supported the gold standard. How long has it been since they've taken a national poll on the gold standard? And guess what? The majority of the American people believe we should have a gold standard and not a paper standard" for U.S. currency.
First, let’s discuss what the gold standard is. Here’s a June 23, 2011, summary from the Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan office that provides information to Congress:
Today, "the U.S. monetary system is based on paper money backed by the full faith and credit of the federal government. The currency is neither valued in, backed by, nor officially convertible into gold or silver. Through much of its history, however, the United States was on a metallic standard of one sort or another."
The pure gold standard ended in 1933, CRS said, "when the federal government halted convertibility of notes into gold and nationalized the private gold stock." Remnants persisted until the early 1970s, but then disappeared. Advocates have continued to push for reinstatement of the gold standard, in part to constrain inflation and shore up the dollar’s value.
Ralph J. Benko, a senior adviser for economics with the group American Principles in Action, which favors a return to the gold standard, wrote in a blog post earlier this year that "the value of the dollar has eroded by some 95 percent from the day my father was born until today. For the most part it has been a slow process of erosion rather than a dramatic event. That said, history records that the gold dollar held its value – over centuries — and under the gold dollar, history records that … the economy grew, on balance, more steadily and robustly than it has since the last remnants of the gold standard were repudiated."
This view is hardly universal among economists. Critics say that switching back to the gold standard would be impractical and unwise and potentially limit a government's ability to deal with recessions and depressions through monetary policy.
We'll leave the policy debate to others. What we're fact-checking is whether there’s as much public support for the idea as Paul claimed.
When we asked Paul’s campaign to point us to the survey showing national interest in restoring the gold standard, spokesman Jesse Benton pointed us to a column by gold standard supporter Benko and Andresen Blom, executive director of American Principles in Action, that appeared in the Jan. 3, 2012, edition of the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call.
The column mentions three surveys conducted on behalf of their organization by the Polling Co. Inc., a Washington, D.C., firm. The polls surveyed likely Republican primary voters and caucus-goers in states whose voters act first in choosing delegates for the presidential race -- Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
"Fifty percent of New Hampshire voters favor the gold standard, with more than half of those favoring it ‘very strongly,’" Benko and Blom wrote. Similar polls in Iowa and South Carolina found support for the gold standard at 57 and 51 percent.
We asked American Principles in Action for the full data on New Hampshire, which they provided. The poll of 500 likely Republican primary voters had a margin of sampling error of 4.4 percent. It asked, among other questions, "Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of returning the U.S. monetary system to the gold standard?"
The poll found that 29 percent had a "very favorable" opinion and 21 percent had a "somewhat favorable" opinion, for a total of 50 percent. Majorities in the Iowa and South Carolina polls also supported the idea.
So Paul is correct on the number -- but way off on the description. This was not a "national poll" that shows that a "majority of the American people believe we should have a gold standard." Instead, it was three polls in three states, with respondents from only one party -- and even among this narrow sample, it only asked those who are active enough politically to be considered likely to participate in the upcoming primary. The survey was also commissioned by a group that supports the gold standard.
And what about national polls? There was one, but it doesn’t perfectly support Paul’s thesis.
Rasmussen Reports took a national poll of 1,000 likely voters Oct. 18 and 19, 2011, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Rasmussen found that 44 percent of likely voters had a favorable impression of returning the U.S. monetary system to the gold standard, or, broken down, 15 percent very favorable and 29 percent somewhat favorable.
That’s closer to the majority mark, but it’s worth noting a few qualifiers. Among pollsters, Rasmussen, which describes itself as nonpartisan, has a reputation of producing polls that skew Republican. In addition, this poll was of likely voters, which uses a smaller pool of respondents than the default method, which is to poll all registered voters.
Most significantly, 44 percent isn’t a majority, though Rasmussen did find that 57 percent of likely voters agreed with the gold standard after they were asked this follow-up question: "Many say that adopting the gold standard would dramatically reduce the power of central bankers and political leaders to steer the economy. If you knew that returning to the gold standard really would reduce the power of central bankers and political leaders to steer the economy, would you favor or oppose returning to the gold standard?" However, framing the question like that is hardly a neutral wording of the question.
Jeff Bell, the policy director of American Principles in Action, told us that the Rasmussen poll does not show there’s a national majority in favor of the gold standard.
Bell told PolitiFact that those in favor amount to "a plurality of the voters as a whole, unless you ask modifying questions, which aren’t completely kosher in national polling."
When we told Benton, Paul’s spokesman, that the polls to which he referred us were of likely Republican primary voters in particular states -- not a national poll -- he said of Paul’s caucus-night comment, "Relax, dude, it was a rally speech to supporters, not a major policy speech or a debate."
Paul says "the majority of the American people believe we should have a gold standard and not a paper standard." But the polls his campaign cited to back up that claim surveyed likely Republican primary voters in three states -- not voters nationwide. The one national poll that addressed this question found 44 percent in favor of a gold standard, and that isn’t a majority. On balance, we rate Paul’s statement False.
Published: Wednesday, January 4th, 2012 at 6:12 p.m.
Researched by: Louis Jacobson, W. Gardner Selby
Edited by: Martha M. Hamilton
Subjects: Economy
Ron Paul, speech at the end of Iowa caucus night, Jan. 3, 2012 (accessed via Lexis-Nexis)
Congressional Research Service, "Brief History of the Gold Standard in the United States," June 23, 2011
Rasmussen Reports, "Public Has Mixed Views of Return to Gold Standard," Oct. 21, 2011
Roll Call, "Blom & Benko: Advocating Gold Standard Could Change Outcome of 2012 Presidential Contest" (op-ed), Jan. 3, 2011
Ralph Benko, "What is a Gold Dollar?" (blog post), Feb. 17, 2011
Ralph Benko, "October Surprise: Can Gold Be The Panama Canal Treaty Of 2012?" (blog post at Forbes.com), Oct. 31, 2011
American Principles in Action, blog post, "Advocating Gold Standard Could Change Outcome of 2012 Presidential Contest,"Jan. 3, 2012
E-mail interview with Lawrence J. White, economics professor at the New York University Stern School of Business, Jan. 4, 2012
E-mail interview with Karlyn Bowman, polling analyst with the American Enterprise Institute, Jan. 4, 2012
Interview, Jeff Bell, policy director with American Principles in Action, Washington, Jan. 4, 2012
E-mail interview with Jesse Benton, spokesman for the Ron Paul presidential campaign, Jan. 4, 2012
We want to hear your suggestions and comments. Email the Truth-O-Meter with feedback and with claims you'd like to see checked. If you send us a comment, we'll assume you don't mind us publishing it unless you tell us otherwise.
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Entertainment The Best Andrew McCarthy Movies
1k votes 248 voters 16.2k views 48 items
List Rules Vote for your favorite movies, regardless of critic reviews or how big the role was.
List of the best Andrew McCarthy movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Andrew McCarthy's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. The order of these top Andrew McCarthy movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Andrew McCarthy movies will be at the top of the list. Andrew McCarthy has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Andrew McCarthy movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Andrew McCarthy films to end the squabble once and for all.
If you think the best Andrew McCarthy role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Andrew McCarthy performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.
This list features films like New Waterford Girl and Quiet Days in Clichy.
"This list answers the questions, "What are the best Andrew McCarthy movies?" and "What are the greatest Andrew McCarthy roles of all time?"
Joel Schumacher and Paul W. S. Anderson are among those who have directed Andrew McCarthy at one point or another during their careers in the film industry. Movie fans who love Andrew McCarthy have also been known to enjoy films starring James Spader and Anthony Michael Hall.
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Pretty in Pink James Spader, Gina Gershon, Molly Ringwald
Pretty in Pink is a 1986 American romantic comedy-drama film about love and social cliques in 1980s American high schools. It is one of John Hughes' films starring Molly Ringwald, and is ...more
St. Elmo's Fire Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Judd Nelson
St. Elmo's Fire is a 1985 American coming-of-age film directed by Joel Schumacher. The film, starring Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, and Mare ...more
Mannequin Kim Cattrall, James Spader, Andrew McCarthy
Mannequin is a 1987 romantic comedy fantasy film starring Andrew McCarthy, Kim Cattrall, Meshach Taylor, James Spader, G. W. Bailey, and Estelle Getty. Directed and written by Michael Gottlieb, ...more
Straight from the Heart Andrew McCarthy, Teri Polo, Greg Evigan
Straight from the Heart is a made-for-TV movie that premiered on Hallmark Channel on February 9, 2003. It is based on the romance novel by Pamela Wallace.
Weekend at Bernie's Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman, Skeet Ulrich
Weekend at Bernie's is a dark comedy film written by Robert Klane and directed by Ted Kotcheff. The film stars Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman as young insurance corporation employees who ...more
Class Rob Lowe, John Cusack, Jacqueline Bissett
Class is a 1983 American romantic comedy-drama film, directed by Lewis John Carlino, starring Jacqueline Bisset, Rob Lowe and Cliff Robertson, and is also the film debut of Andrew McCarthy, John ...more
Heaven Help Us Patrick Dempsey, Donald Sutherland, Mary Stuart Masterson
Heaven Help Us is a 1985 comedy-drama film starring Andrew McCarthy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Kevin Dillon, Donald Sutherland, Wallace Shawn, Stephen Geoffreys, John Heard, and Patrick Dempsey.
Less Than Zero Brad Pitt, Robert Downey Jr., James Spader
Less Than Zero is a 1987 American drama film very loosely based on Bret Easton Ellis' novel of the same name. The film stars Andrew McCarthy as Clay, a college freshman returning home for ...more
Only You Helen Hunt, Kelly Preston, Andrew McCarthy
Only You is a 1992 film starring Andrew McCarthy, Kelly Preston, and Helen Hunt. The film was directed by Betty Thomas, in her film directing debut.
The Christmas Tree Andrew McCarthy, Colin Quinn, Jessica Hecht
The Christmas Tree is a 1996 ABC television film directed by Sally Field.
Weekend at Bernie's II Andrew McCarthy, Barry Bostwick, Gary Dourdan
Weekend at Bernie's II is a comedy film released in 1993 by TriStar Pictures and was the sequel to the 1989 comedy Weekend at Bernie's with Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman and Terry Kiser ...more
Mulholland Falls Jennifer Connelly, Nick Nolte, John Malkovich
Mulholland Falls is a 1996 American neo-noir thriller film directed by Lee Tamahori and written by Pete Dexter. It stars Nick Nolte, Jennifer Connelly, Chazz Palminteri, Michael Madsen, Chris ...more
Fresh Horses Ben Stiller, Viggo Mortensen, Molly Ringwald
Fresh Horses is a 1988 coming of age drama film directed by David Anspaugh, and starring Andrew McCarthy and Molly Ringwald.
The Joy Luck Club Ming-Na Wen, Andrew McCarthy, Vivian Wu
The Joy Luck Club is a 1993 American film about the relationships between Chinese-American women and their Chinese mothers. Directed by Wayne Wang, the film is based on the eponymous 1989 novel ...more
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Gwyneth Paltrow, Heather Graham, Matthew Broderick
Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle is a 1994 American film scripted by screenwriter/director Alan Rudolph and former Washington Star reporter Randy Sue Coburn. Directed by Rudolph, it starred ...more
Year of the Gun Sharon Stone, Valeria Golino, Andrew McCarthy
Year of the Gun is a 1991 American thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer and starred Andrew McCarthy, Sharon Stone and Valeria Golino.
Stag Jerry Stiller, Andrew McCarthy, Taylor Dayne
Stag is a 1997 American thriller film, directed by Gavin Wilding, made for HBO and later released theatrically after drawing large ratings. Stag features an ensemble cast including Ben Gazzara, ...more
New Waterford Girl Andrew McCarthy, Cathy Moriarty, Mark McKinney
New Waterford Girl is a Canadian drama-comedy film, released in 1999. The film was directed by Allan Moyle, and written by Tricia Fish. New Waterford Girl stars Liane Balaban as Agnes-Marie ...more
Anything But Love Andrew McCarthy, Cameron Bancroft, Victor Argo
Anything But Love is a 2004 musical film directed by Robert Cary.
Heaven Must Wait Andrew McCarthy, Fiona Fullerton, Sonny Shroyer
Heaven Must Wait is a 2001 drama film directed by Tom Reeve.
Night of the Running Man Andrew McCarthy, Scott Glenn, Wayne Newton
Night of the Running Man is a 1995 American crime thriller directed by Mark L. Lester and written by Lee Wells, who adapted it from his novel of the same name. It stars Andrew McCarthy and Scott ...more
Kansas Matt Dillon, Kyra Sedgwick, Andrew McCarthy
Kansas is a 1988 film starring Matt Dillon and Andrew McCarthy. It tells the story of a young man returning home to attend a wedding who hooks up with a drifter who turns out to be a violent ...more
Main Street Orlando Bloom, Colin Firth, Ellen Burstyn
Main Street is a 2010 drama film about several residents of Durham, North Carolina, a city in the Southern U.S., whose lives are changed by the arrival of a stranger with a controversial plan to ...more
The Sight Jason Isaacs, Edie Falco, Honor Blackman
The Sight is a 2000 mystery-thriller TV film written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.
The Beniker Gang Andrew McCarthy, Will Patton, Danny Pintauro
The Beniker Gang is a 1985 drama film. The story was written by Judie Angell and directed by Ken Kwapis. The movie stars Andrew McCarthy as Arthur Beniker, Jennifer Dundas as Cassie Beniker, ...more
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ONS: 21 February 2016
Overnight News Summaries
Tags: Africa, Asia, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Communications, earthquake, Ebola, Egypt, Election, elections, EU, Europe, Fiji, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, India, Iran, Iraq, Islamic State, Japan, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Mexico, Middle East, Nigeria, Opposition, Panama, Protest, rebels, Russia, Senegal, South Korea, Spain, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, Uganda, Ukraine, UN, United States, Venezuela, virus, Yemen
AFRICA: Libya’s internationally recognized government condemned a US air strike west of Tripoli believed to have killed a top Islamic State group operative and dozens of others the previous day.
AMERICAS: President Juan Manuel Santos said government forces killed seven members of the country’s second-largest rebel movement even as officials move toward ending the country’s long guerrilla struggle.
ASIA: Indonesian police said they arrested dozens of suspected Islamic extremists on Java Island, most of whom were allegedly carrying out military-style training on a remote mountain.
EUROPE: Russia’s energy minister said consultations on a preliminary deal between leading oil producers to freeze output should be concluded by 01MAR after a group led by Moscow and Riyadh reached a common position this week in Doha.
MIDDLE EAST: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he is ready for cease-fire in Syria on condition that the “terrorists” don’t exploit it.
TECHNOLOGY: A source familiar with the matter said Google chief executive Sundar Pichai will meet with the European Union’s competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager in Brussels in the coming week.
Syria: A double car bombing in the central city of Homs kills at least 46
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said most of those killed appeared to be civilians, adding that the toll could rise further because of the number of seriously wounded.
The attacks happened in a predominantly Alawite district, the minority sect to which President Assad belongs.
The attacks came as world powers try to salvage a deal struck in Munich earlier this month to work toward a cease fire in the country.
Coverage: BBC, AFP, Reuters, WSJ
Central African Republic: The country’s defeated candidate Anicet-Georges Dologuele said he will respect the provisional results released by the National Elections Authority (ANE). (Xinhua)
Libya: The country’s internationally recognized government condemned a US air strike west of Tripoli believed to have killed a top Islamic State group operative and dozens of others the previous day. (AFP)
Libya: The Pentagon said it had “no information” indicating that its air strike on a jihadist training camp had led to the deaths of two kidnapped Serbian embassy employees, noting it had watched the facility for weeks before the raid. (AFP)
Niger: The country began voting in an election in which President Mahamadou Issoufou is running for a second term with a promise to crush Islamist militants and develop the economy in one of the poorest countries in the world. (Reuters)
South Africa: Health authorities confirmed the country’s first case of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in a Colombian man. (Reuters)
Uganda: The United States noted a series of troubling “irregularities” in the country’s presidential and parliamentary elections and said that “the Ugandan people deserve better.” (AFP)
Bolivia: The country goes to the polls in a referendum that will decide if President Evo Morales can stay in power for a fourth term, with the result looking uncertain as support for the once popular leader has ebbed. (Reuters)
Colombia: President Juan Manuel Santos said government forces killed seven members of the country’s second-largest rebel movement even as officials move toward ending the country’s long guerrilla struggle. (AP)
Venezuela: According to the opposition, one of their politicians was arrested by the state intelligence service after a food storage facility was looted by an angry mob. (AFP)
Afghanistan: The National Directorate for Security (NDS) said about six Haqqani militants, including two local leaders of the militant group, were captured in the eastern province of Khost. (Xinhua)
Indonesia: Police said they arrested dozens of suspected Islamic extremists on Java Island, most of whom were allegedly carrying out military-style training on a remote mountain. (AFP)
Japan: Thousands of people surrounded the country’s parliament to protest against government plans to relocate a US military base on Okinawa island. (Reuters)
Malaysia: Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said over 130 Malaysians who are now in Syria and Iraq fighting for the Islamic State (IS) will be barred from returning home. (Xinhua)
Russia: The country’s energy minister said consultations on a preliminary deal between leading oil producers to freeze output should be concluded by 01MAR after a group led by Moscow and Riyadh reached a common position this week in Doha. (Reuters)
Turkey: Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the country will introduce new national security measures in the wake of a suicide car bombing in Ankara that killed 28 people. (AFP)
Ukraine: Kyiv and pro-Russian rebels exchanged nine prisoners captured in the country’s war-torn east in the first such swap this year. (AFP)
Region: Two prominent Lebanese politicians lashed out at Shiite movement Hezbollah and its allies over Saudi Arabia’s decision to halt a 4-billion-dollar military aid programme. (DPA)
Iraq: Provincial security sources said they fought fierce clashes with Islamic State (IS) militants and retook control of an area near the city of Ramadi, while the troops repelled five suicide car bombs in the province. (Xinhua)
Syria: President Bashar al-Assad said he is ready for cease-fire in Syria on condition that the “terrorists” don’t exploit it. (Reuters)
Internet Governance: A source familiar with the matter said Google chief executive Sundar Pichai will meet with the European Union’s competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager in Brussels in the coming week. (AFP)
Cyclone: Tropical Cyclone Winston
Location: 253 NM E of Suva, Fiji
Winds: 144 mph
Movement: WSW at 7 mph
Hurricanes: Nothing to Report
Earthquakes: Nothing to Report
Volcanoes: Nothing to Report
Global Disease Outbreaks:
Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)
Cases as of 21FEB: 28,639 (Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, Italy)
Deaths as of 21FEB: 11,316 (Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, United States)
Sourcing: WHO, WHO-2, BBC
Chikungunya Virus Disease (CHIK)
Suspected Cases as of 21FEB: 6,244 (Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten, Spain, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States, US Virgin Islands, and Venezuela.)
Confirmed Cases: 175
Deaths as of 21FEB: 0 (Colombia, Puerto Rico, Martinique, Grenada, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Dominican Republic)
Sourcing: WHO, WHO-2, CDC, CDC-2
Novel Coronavirus (MERS-CoV, SARS-related)
Cases as of 21FEB: 1638 (Saudi Arabia (KSA), Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the United Kingdom (UK), France, Tunisia, Italy, Oman, Kuwait, Yemen, Malaysia, Greece, Egypt, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Iran, Algeria, Austria, Turkey, The Philippines, Germany, China, South Korea, and the US)
Deaths as of 21FEB: 587 (Saudi Arabia, France, Qatar, United Kingdom, UAE, Oman, South Korea)
Sourcing: WHO, WHO-2
Reported autochthonous Transmission as of 21FEB: Brazil, Colombia, Suriname, El Salvador, Paraguay, Mexico, Venezuela, Panama, Cape Verde, Honduras, French Guiana, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Guyana, Barbados, Ecuador, Bolivia, Haiti, Saint Martin, Guadeloupe, Dominican Republic, United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Guatemala, Curacao, Costa Rica, Maldives
Indication of Viral Circulation as of 21FEB: South Africa, China, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Gabon, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines, Malaysia
Deaths as of 21FEB: 3 (Colombia) (AFP)
TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK (22FEB)
India: As part of a regional tour (to 04MAR), US Assistant Secretary for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance Frank Rose will meet officials of a space institute, the External Affairs and Defense ministries and parliament, attend the U.S.-India space security dialogue and deliver a keynote speech at a conference (to 24FEB)
Middle East Region: Anniversary of formation of United Arab Republic – 1958
Palestinian Territories: Fatah, Hamas leaders to resume dialogue in Qatar
St. Lucia: Independence Day
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Best Practices | Case Studies
Mobility and Access...
Types and Settings
Physical Elements
Mobility is defined as the ability of people of all ages and abilities to move from one place to another.
Dirt, paved, brick, cobble, stone, concrete or asphalt, the street as a public right-of-way (ROW) has served the mobility of humans for hundreds of years. Streets have continuously evolved to accommodate new modes of transportation. Unfortunately, towards the last part of the 20th century, the automobile increasingly took over and, in many ways, overwhelmed pedestrians, bicyclists and other users of the street. Recently though, many towns and cities have tried to reverse this trend, and some success has been achieved to better address the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists, especially as part of the complete street movement.
Building on the principles of the Complete Streets and Livable Streets movement, this topic focuses on ways in which the street can better serve the mobility needs of all users, especially the most vulnerable users (children, elderly and disabled) and transportation modes (pedestrians and bicyclists). Relatively new approaches to travel way design in America, such as multi-way boulevards and corridors with roundabouts, have successfully maintained or increased the roadway capacity for automobiles while allowing streets to provide safer and more welcoming environments to pedestrians, cyclists and transit users. This topic also looks at how technological advances, especially in the fields of vehicle design, vehicle capacity management and operational systems, behoove us to create flexible streets that accommodate and encourage all modes of travel and balance the needs of all users.
Why Design Streets for Mobility
Traditionally, mobility in the streets is perceived to embody personal freedom, social emancipation and economic growth. Pedestrians and carriages were early modes of travel in the street ROW. The bicycle was introduced as a mode of transportation in the second decade of 1800s, and the first bike path in America opened 1894 running along the Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn. As bicycles became safer and cheaper, more women had access to the personal freedom, and the bicycle came to symbolize the New Woman of the late 19th century, especially in Britain and the United States.[1]
The popularity of the bicycle in the early 20th century coincided with the mass production of cars. Construction of a national roadway network, starting with the Lincoln Highway in 1913, the early national highway system in the 1920s and the more comprehensive Interstate Highway System in the 1950s, led to unprecedented growth in private transportation and mobility, and greatly contributed to the nation’s economic output. It made the automobile the preferred mode of transportation for most Americans and signaled the end of the railroads as the predominant method of transportation for people. Today, passenger transportation is dominated by private passenger vehicles (including cars, trucks, vans and motorcycles), which account for 86% of passenger-miles traveled.[2]
A vast amount of land -- more than for either parks or government buildings — is devoted to roads. More than four million miles of paved and unpaved roads make up the U.S. roadways. Excluding expressways (highways and freeways), more than 2.67 million miles of paved roads exist in our cities and towns.[3]
Yet the large amount of land devoted to our roads has not provided the desired mobility benefits. The 2010 Annual Urban Mobility Report found that traffic congestion cost the U.S. almost $115 billion in 2009. This costs the average commuter more than $800 and about 34 hours per year.[4] Unfortunately, the decades-long focus on automobile mobility at the expense of safety and mobility of the non-motorized users of the streets has resulted in unsafe and unfriendly pedestrian and bicycle environments. In the last decade, from 2000 through 2009, more than 47,700 pedestrians were killed in the U.S. In 2009 alone, about 63,000 pedestrians and 51,000 bicyclists were killed or injured in the U.S. In many places, including 15 of the country’s largest metropolitan areas, pedestrian fatalities have actually increased, even as overall traffic deaths fell. The majority of these deaths share a common thread: they occurred along “arterial” roadways that were dangerous by design, streets engineered for speeding traffic often with little or no provision for people on foot, in wheelchairs or on bicycles.[5]
Traditionally, our streets have never taken into account the needs of our most vulnerable users. One of the most important civil rights law to be enacted since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. However, it is only in the past few years that cities and towns have made an honest, concerted effort to make our public ROW universally accessible. More and more jurisdictions are retrofitting our sidewalks and crosswalks with ADA compliant ramps, cross slopes, and cues such as truncated domes. However, true universal accessibility on the street ROW is more than just replacing the curb at the intersection with a ramp. A more holistic approach to creating a universal environment is needed.
Parallel to the universal access movement, is a growing trend to create and enhance bicycle facilities in the U.S. The first bike lanes in the U.S. opened in Davis, CA in 1967 on Third Street and Sycamore Lane, which led to similar bike facilities in large and small cities including Boulder, CO and Portland, OR. The first separated bike lanes, similar to those that now exist on sections of Eighth and Ninth Avenues in Manhattan, were incorporated in 1980 on Avenue of the Americas and Seventh Avenue—though they were quickly removed amid fierce opposition.
Community desire to maximize alternative modes of transportation, including biking and walking, has dramatically increased, as has implementation. In New York alone, from 2006 to 2010, more than 250 miles of traffic lanes dedicated for bicycles have been created, and several laws intended to promote cycling have been passed.
Similar improvements in other big cities and small towns have clearly shown the benefits of creating pedestrian and bicycle facilities, starting with a clear improvement in overall safety of street users and a dramatic decrease in accidents and injuries. More and more agencies are realizing that retrofitting existing roads to accommodate non-automobile users need not be viewed as always a “zero sum game.” Often, better or adequate mobility for pedestrians and bicyclists can be added without diminishing the mobility of motorists.
It has been shown that pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure construction projects also create more jobs than road construction improvement jobs.[6] Other studies have shown that investments in bicycle and pedestrian facilities clearly reduce carbon emissions and improve quality of life.
Similarly, recent approaches to moving traffic, managing travel demand and applying new technology are enabling us to better manage traffic capacity and ensure that the multi-modal mobility balance in our streets can continue to improve, providing social and economic benefits to our community.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportation_in_the_United_States
[3] The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html (last updated June 14, 2011)
[4] "2010 Annual Urban Mobility Report"
[5] An analysis by Transportation for America documented in "2011 Dangerous by Design, Solving the Epidemic of Preventable Pedestrian Deaths, of NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System" shows that 52% of all pedestrian deaths were on principal or minor arterials and 60% of pedestrian deaths were on roads with speeds of 40m/hr or higher.
[6] Heidi Garrett-Peltier, "Estimating the Employment Impacts of Pedestrian, bicycle and road infrastructure, Case Study – Baltimore", shows that road construction jobs create approximately 7 jobs per $1 million spending, pedestrian projects create over 11 jobs for the same level of spending, and bicycle projects create up to 14 jobs.
Design for mobility and access should aim to meet the following overall goals:
Design streets to accommodate ALL users of all ages and abilities including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users and automobile drivers.
Ensure speeds respect the desired role and character of the street including the type and intensity of land use; urban form; the desired activities on the sidewalk such as outdoor dining; and the overall safety and comfort of all modes.
Incorporate flexibility in the design of the street to accommodate increasing multi-modal mobility needs, technological advances and allowances for placemaking.
Maximize multi-objective roles for individual streetscape elements and objects.
Mobility and access should be designed to promote a diversity of street activities including but not limited to:
Stepping
Loading, unloading, etc.
It is important to identify each street’s purpose and use within the larger roadway network to determine the design goals of the street. Streets have been classified in a number of ways. Usually the classification has appeared to prioritize vehicular traffic over other modes. Since the 1930s, traffic engineers have routinely classified every roadway in a hierarchy according to the degree to which it serves either traffic movement or access.[7]
Most conventional road hierarchy is based on functional classification. However, the function of most major corridors has been to move vehicular traffic as fast as possible. Recently, as part of the living and complete streets movement, there has been a growing discussion about how function is defined, how the travel way is allocated, how street type relates to position in the street pattern, and how the hierarchical structure of our streets should be categorized.
Most jurisdictions have based their street system on the following the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) model detailed below. Recent approaches have changed the model to be more sensitive to land use context and the needs of the non-motorized users, especially pedestrians and bicyclists. This new way of thinking about streets does not require abandoning the highway functional classification system. Rather it is an amplification of the uses of high volume and fast moving roadways, especially thoroughfares or arterials. Specifically, the recent approaches allow new categories and the descriptions of these categories include ways for pedestrians and bicyclists to travel along and across those types of streets. Following are the various systems:
1. Traditional AASHTO system: Typically, the role of the roadway in the network is determined by the level of mobility provided to automobile traffic by that roadway. In general, the mobility function decreases as automobile access increases.[8] Thus in urban and rural settings the street types are primarily based on automobile traffic needs and can be broadly laid out in the following manner:
Principal and minor arterial roads (for both urban and rural settings) serve corridors with long trip length and high volumes.
Collectors (for urban setting and major and minor collectors for rural settings) serve subordinate traffic generators.
Local streets (for both urban and rural settings) provide access as well as local circulation.
2. Context Sensitive Solution For Thoroughfare system: Developed as part of a joint effort between the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and the Congress for the New Urbanism and sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, this system provides an ITE-proposed recommended practice to supplement existing AASHTO polices and information. Very broadly, the system has the following types of thoroughfare streets:
Freeway/expressway/parkways
Rural highway
Rural road
Alley/rear lane
3. Customized system of street types (Charlotte, NC model): Responding to the specific needs of their jurisdictions, cities such as Charlotte and DoTs such as NCDoT have created a more context-sensitive street classification. Charlotte’s typology is based on meeting the overarching goals of supporting economic development and quality of life, providing more and safer transportation choices, and better integrating land use and transportation. It included the following five street types:
Parkways primarily move automobiles, and typically their needs are favored over other modes.
Boulevards move large numbers of vehicles as through traffic from one part of the city to other lower levels of streets in the network. Automobiles are the priority, but boulevards provide for pedestrians and bicyclists as well.
Avenues provide access from neighborhoods to commercial areas and are designed to provide a balance of service for all modes of transport, including pedestrians, bicyclists and automobiles.
Main streets are the most pedestrian-friendly streets, and serve as destination streets, providing access to and functioning as centers of civic, social and commercial activity.
Local streets with low speeds and traffic volumes provide access to residential, commercial, industrial and mixed use areas.
4. Other: Similar to the Charlotte model, other jurisdictions such as Denver, CO and Richmond,CA , are developing a street classification that meets the specific needs of their community.
[7] Paul Barter, Earning a Public Space Dividend in the Street, Journeys, 2009
[8] Norman W.Garrick and Tobias Kuhnimhof, Street Design and Community Livability extract from Proceedings of Urban Transportation 2000, Cambridge, UK 26-28 July 2000
A combination of the following elements is essential to the design of balanced mobility. This includes but is not limited to:
Pedestrian paths of travel, such as sidewalks, escalators, paths, etc.
Travel lanes, such as bike lanes, vehicular traffic lanes, public transit (bus, streetcar and light rail) lanes, shared lanes, flexible lanes, etc.
Parking lanes serve various types of on-street parking (regulated, temporary, etc.),and in urban areas, also serve as loading and unloading areas for service vehicles.
Medians, planted or paved, located in the middle of the road or at the side of the road as part of multi-way boulevards.
Landscaped elements, such as trees, shrubs and grasses, located in planting strips, medians, grates, etc.
Sidewalk extensions, such as bulbouts at intersections or in the middle of the block, reduce crosswalk distances and provide additional opportunities for planting, commerce and social gathering.
Crosswalks at the intersection or between intersections.
Signs and markings serving different users of the streets, including stop signs, street name signs, centerline striping, colored curbs, crosswalks and other pavement markings.
Bike facilities, such as bike racks and rental facilities.
Lighting that is usually a raised source of light and, depending on the height of the light, serves at street level, pedestrian or bollard level.
Transit stops along public transit routes served by buses, streetcars and light rail designate a place for passenger loading or unloading.
Shelters at transit stops provide protection from the elements and a place to sit and wait.
Traffic calming devices, such as roundabouts, traffic circles, speed bumps, chicanes, etc.
ADA elements and sensory cue devices, such as truncated domes, talking signals, ramps, resources for service dogs, etc.
Curbs are traditionally the edge of the roadway where a raised pavement such as a sidewalk meets the unraised road or shoulder.
Gutters such as ‘v’ gutters located in the middle of the roadway or more conventionally at the curb, help transport storm water runoff.
Permanent and temporary lane indicators, such as striping, SmartStuds, etc.
Signaling devices, such as traffic signals, stoplights, traffic lamps and stop-and-go lights, usually positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic.
Other streetscape elements, such as bollards, parking meters, etc.
Home › re:Streets ›
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'Gas-Rich' Residents Shiver In The Cold
The authorities have boasted for years about the country's vast natural-gas reserves. But a cut-off in gas supplies to Iran has highlighted Turkmenistan's export commitments -- and reminded the citizenry that despite official promises of free gas for all, many have been left in the cold.
From The Archive: Afghan Girl Makes Mark As Soccer Star
Today, Shamila Kohestani has a better reason to run fast other than trying to escape the wrath of a whip-wielding Taliban member.
Afghan Musicians Struggle To Revive Classical Heritage After Taliban
Decades of war and the Taliban's five-year ban on music took their toll on Afghan classical music. Musicians have been trying to resuscitate the art since the end of Taliban rule. But they face serious economic and artistic challenges -- including the threat of possible attack by Taliban fighters if they perform in provincial areas.
Poland: Solidarity -- The Trade Union That Changed The World
Twenty-five years ago next Wednesday -- 31 August 1980 -- unemployed Polish electrician Lech Walesa struck a major blow to Soviet communism when, after leading a strike at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk, he announced the official birth of the Solidarity independent trade union. Solidarity went on to play a central role in the demise of communism across the Soviet bloc, changing forever the course of history in Europe.
Sex Traffickers Prey On Eastern Europeans
A policeman arrests a prostitute in Russia in 2001 UNESCO, the UN's cultural organization, has proclaimed 23 August as International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. But despite laws against slavery in all of the world's countries, modern-day slavery continues to thrive in illegal underground forms. In the second of a two-part series, RFE/RL correspondent Ron Synovitz examines how the latest wave of sex-slave trafficking preys upon Eastern European women to fuel the global sex trade.
Rwanda: 10 Years Later, Genocide Survivor Reflects On 'Collective Madness' (Part 2)
Rwanda's genocide erupted 10 years ago, with a savagery and thoroughness that shocked the international community. In just 100 days, an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 Tutsis were killed. The killing was particularly efficient in the remote western province of Kibuye, where 22-year-old Immaculee Ilibagiza lived with her Tutsi family. Now a UN employee in New York, Ilibagiza shares with RFE/RL a personal tale about the genocide.
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What Brexit Could Mean For The EU
Any British departure from the European Union would have knock-on effects for the bloc's other member states, beginning with the euro, the EU's budget, and trade.
Russia Revels In Brexit Vote
It's official, the United Kingdom has voted to leave the European Union -- and Moscow is delighted.
EU Notebook: Brexit Vote Deals Brussels A Body Blow
It is a Brussels in absolute shock this morning: an EU capital that is fighting for its very survival. Today -- and for the foreseeable future -- the EU will be engaged in a fire-fighting exercise so hot that the whole house might catch fire.
One Russian's Search For His Great-Grandfather's Soviet Police Killers
For four years, Denis Karagodin has been immersed in a relentless mission to document the fate of his great-grandfather, who was executed by the Soviet secret police during dictator Josef Stalin's Great Terror. All that remains, he says, is to find the killers.
Brexit Or No? U.K. Voters Cast Ballots In EU Referendum
Voting has ended in Britain's referendum on whether or not to stay in the European Union, in the first referendum on the country’s links with Europe in more than four decades.
In Boston, U.K., A Microcosm Of Brexit Vote's Immigration Debate
In Boston, east England, it's as easy to find Polish pierogi as haslet, the local pork meat-loaf specialty. The most Eastern European town in the U.K., it's also the ideal place to explore the Brexit hot-button issue of immigration.
Beatings And Arson Attacks: Is Online Dissidence Becoming Dangerous In Russia?
A growing number of ordinary Russian citizens are being assaulted and intimidated in what they believe is retaliation for online posts critical of authorities. The attacks are taking place against the backdrop of a deepening government crackdown on Internet freedoms.
In Northern Ireland, Border Looms Large In Brexit Vote
A Brexit would place Northern Ireland along the United Kingdom's only external land border with the EU. Many along that currently invisible dividing line worry it would hit cross-border trade -- and there have even been warnings it could endanger the peace deal that ended the province's long years of sectarian violence.
Confessions Of A Ukrainian 'Political Prisoner'
Following his recent release in a prisoner swap, Hennadiy Afanasyev, a photographer from Crimea convicted in Russia of plotting terrorist attacks on the Moscow-occupied peninsula, tells why he decided to recant his testimony implicating fellow Ukrainians.
Explainer: The ‘Holy And Great Council’ Of Orthodox Churches
The first gathering of the "Holy and Great Council" of Orthodox churches in more than a millennium has been in preparation for 55 years, but infighting began even before the event could begin this week on the Greek island of Crete.
Russian Return To ‘Soviet Riviera’ Brings Hope, Concern To Breakaway Abkhazia
Russian vacationers are the lifeblood of Abkhazia, and the breakaway Georgian region is getting an infusion as the number of visitors from its giant patron grows. But a dispute over whether to let foreigners buy property in the lush Black Sea territory reflects concerns over the extent of Russia’s clout.
Paris Terrorist's Video Underscores Live-Streaming Challenges For Social Media
The challenge of preventing terrorists from glorifying attacks and spreading propaganda on the Internet is becoming more difficult as global social-media platforms bring live video-streaming capabilities to hundreds of millions of users.
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Lady Gaga Champions Gay 'Equality' In Moscow
December 13, 2012 12:28 GMT
American singer Lady Gaga arrives at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg for the Russian leg of her "Born This Way Ball" tour.
Lady Gaga, one of pop music's most outlandish acts, took her tour to Russia's capital for a performance that was predictably ribald and indomitable despite what she said were threats of arrest if she broke local laws against "homosexual propaganda."
The American singer is a longtime gay-rights activist who had spoken out to thousands of fans three nights before, in Russia's second city of St. Petersburg.
St. Petersburg is the birthplace of antigay legislation that's left the local lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community feeling embattled and is about to reach the national parliament.
It has also been replicated in neighboring Ukraine, where lawmakers are trying to proscribe the "promotion of homosexuality" because they argue that it's a threat to national security.
At Moscow's Olympic Arena on December 12, Lady Gaga continued her "Born This Way Ball" tour in front of a packed house and left no doubt as to where she stood on discrimination based on sexual orientation.
She prefaced her call for unity and equality in Russia with an expletive that many people might find objectionable, so here's a slightly edited transcript of what she said:
You know, I can't even really believe that you're all here, because when they first called me they were like, "We want you to go to Russia but, you know, we might have some problems because of all the gay propaganda in your show." But I want to thank you. I want to thank you, Moscow. Thank you for spreading the message of equality around the world. Thank you for spreading...the message of "Born This Way." ...Get on your feet. Stand up, Russia. You have one chance...to unite. You have one night to come together for the voice of society, for equality in Moscow, equality in Russia. So stand up for yourself or stand up for your friends. Where's all my gay kids tonight? Tonight, this is my house, Russia. You can be gay in my house. And if you ever need me, Moscow, I will just be a telephone call away.
You can watch the video for yourself here.
Lady Gaga chafes at comparisons to Madonna. But her repeated appeals for gay rights in Russia invite another, since a St. Petersburg court just last month threw out a $10 million lawsuit alleging "homosexual propaganda" against that pop doyenne over messages conveyed at a concert in August.
READ about some of the bizarre courtroom exchanges during the Madonna hearing, thanks to RAPSI
Earlier on the Russian leg of her tour, Lady Gaga said that she and associates had received similar threats, including of heavy fines and even arrest.
Reuters cited one of those threats in connection with the St. Petersburg appearance:
Vitaly Milonov, a member of the ruling United Russia party in the St. Petersburg assembly and the architect of a city law that bans gay "propaganda," accused the singer of breaking the law at the beginning of her show.
"We saw that in addition to music, songs and such, there were direct calls for 12-year-old citizens to support the LGBT...community," Milonov said, adding that he would file a complaint to prosecutors over the singer's actions.
He had unsuccessfully called on authorities to bar people under 18 from attending Lady Gaga's show.
A vocal defender of lesbian and gay rights, Lady Gaga said offstage that her managers had received a call threatening her with arrest or a $50,000 fine if she spoke in support of the LGBT community, according to media reports.
The latest antigay initiative was mocked by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. He let out a laugh when asked about it and suggested that "not all human relationships are subject to legal regulation."
Lady Gaga tweeted her gratitude for that response:
Prime Minister Medvedev please accept my gratitude I am looking forward to performing in RUSSIA & celebrating our cultures coming together
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) December 7, 2012
As with their public sparring over the fate of jailed activists from Pussy Riot, Medvedev's statement is unlikely to tip the scales of Russian justice. After all, legislators in his and Putin's United Russia party are among the most strident supporters of the antigay bill slated for debate in the State Duma in the next few weeks.
-- Andy Heil
Written by RFE/RL editors and correspondents, Transmission serves up news, comment, and the odd silly dictator story. While our primary concern is with foreign policy, Transmission is also a place for the ideas -- some serious, some irreverent -- that bubble up from our bureaus. The name recognizes RFE/RL's role as a surrogate broadcaster to places without free media. You can write us at transmission+rferl.org
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Thousands Across Iran Mourn Death Of Popular Singer
Iranian singer Morteza Pashaei during his yearlong battle with stomach cancer.
Thousands of fans gathered in several Iranian cities to mourn the death of popular singer Morteza Pashaei, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports.
Pashaei, 30, died in a Tehran hospital on November 14 from stomach cancer.
His funeral is planned for November 16 at the Vahdat Hall opera in Tehran.
Fans were holding candlelight vigils and singing his songs in the streets.
Police meddling with such gatherings has resulted in some clashes and even some arrests, Radio Farda reports.
Pashaei was diagnosed with stomach cancer in late September 2013 but remained active on the music scene despite his fight with the illness.
The graphic design student was interested in art since childhood. He started playing guitar at 14.
Popular albums released by Pashaei include "There’s Someone," and "The Name Of Love."
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From Our Bureaus
Saturday 9 March 2019
At Least Three Anti-Feminist Activists Detained In Kyiv During Women's Rally
At least three antifeminist activists have been detained in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, during an International Women's Day rally.
Jailed Kyrgyz Opposition Politician Released On Parole
Kyrgyzstan's former Deputy Prime Minister Bekbolot Talgarbekov has been released from prison on parole.
Balkars In Russia's North Caucasus Mark 75th Anniversary Of Deportation
Balkars in Russia's North Caucasus region of Kabardino-Balkaria are marking the 75th anniversary of their mass deportation to Central Asia by Soviet leader Josef Stalin.
Tajik Activist Says He Was Pressed To Back President’s Son In 2020 Election
A prominent opposition activist who claims to have been abducted and tortured by Tajik officials last month says he was pressed to back President Emomali Rahmon’s eldest son in the presidential election scheduled for 2020.
Controversial Romanian Agency Again Summons Front-Runner For EU Prosecutor
A controversial Romanian investigative agency has summoned the country's former chief anticorruption prosecutor, a front-runner in the race to lead the newly formed EU antifraud office, for a second hearing in less than a month.
Pakistan Says It Has Taken Control Of 182 Religious Schools
Pakistan's government says it has taken control of 182 religious schools and detained more than 100 people as part of its crackdown against Islamist militants.
Three Killed, Presidential Candidate Injured In Kabul Mortar Attack
An Afghan presidential candidate and eight bodyguards of a rival candidate have been injured by a barrage of mortars that exploded in western Kabul, near a ceremony honoring a prominent Shi'ite leader who was killed by the Taliban more than 20 years ago.
At Least 17 Killed In Afghanistan Attack As U.S. Sees 'Progress' In Peace Talks
At least 17 people have been killed in a militant attack on a construction company in eastern Afghanistan, officials say.
Editor Of Belarusian News Site Fined For 'Illegally Obtaining Data'
The editor of the largest independent news site in Belarus was sentenced to pay a hefty fine in a high-profile case that the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called "harassment of free media."
U.S. Calls On Kabul To Form 'Unified' Negotiating Team For Peace Talks
The U.S. special representative for Afghanistan has called on the Afghan government to create a "unified, inclusive, and national negotiating team" to join in peace talks with Taliban negotiators.
Former Kyrgyz PM's Defense Lawyer Says Targeted By Smear Campaign
A defense lawyer in a high-profile corruption case for former Kyrgyz Prime Minister Sapar Isakov says he has been targeted in a smear campaign by security officials.
Nazarbaev Sacks Kazakh Gov't Over Low Living Standards, Economic Failures
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has dismissed the government, citing its failure to raise living standards and diversify the economy away from the energy sector.
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Bingeworthy Book Series
Western & Rural
Fantasy Romance & Urban Fantasy
Escape Publishing
Mills & Boon
➞Back
Read an extract
The Homestead on the River
by Rosie Mackenzie
Imprint: Mira - AU
An unforgettable tale of love, loss and betrayal from an exciting new Australian voice in historical fiction.
In stark contrast to her own childhood during the last days of the Raj in India, the spectacular beauty surrounding their home, Rathgarven in Ireland has proven to be a happy place for Kathleen O'Sullivan and her husband, James, to raise their four children. But Kathleen is no stranger to heartbreak, and when the family is faced with losing everything, she knows they will need to adapt to survive. Even if that means leaving their beloved home and moving to Australia to start afresh.
Lillie O'Sullivan knows that her mother and father haven't been entirely truthful about the reasons for their move to Australia. But as they settle into their new home in rural New South Wales she is willing to give it a chance. That is, until the secrets her parents have kept for so long finally catch up with them.
Secrets that have the power to destroy their family and ruin their future.
From the vibrant colours of India to the meadows of Ireland to the harsh but beautiful Australian land, a family fight for their future.
'A heartwarming novel ... a welcome addition to the genre.' - J.H. Fletcher, bestselling Australian author
Rosie Mackenzie
Rosie Mackenzie was born in Tipperary and moved to Australia when she was seven years old. Over the years she has returned many times to Ireland. After a successful business career in Tasmania she now enjoys spending her time writing, sailing and with her family. She is married to Rob Peterswald and has two daughters and five grandchildren. She and Rob have published five photographic coffee table books on sailing, seafood and wine together. She has adopted the pen name Rosie Mackenzie for her historical fiction to honour her mother. When not in Australia, she and Rob are on their...
Also by Rosie Mackenzie
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An Introduction to South Asian Politics
Edited by Neil DeVotta
Authors/Editor
This introductory textbook provides students with a fundamental understanding of the social, political, and economic institutions of six South Asian countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It adopts a broad theoretical framework and evaluates the opportunities and constraints facing South Asia’s states within the context of democracy.
An introduction to the region.
The history and political development of these South Asian states, including evaluations of their democratic trajectories.
The management of conflict, economic development, and extremist threats.
A comparative analysis of the states.
Projections concerning democracy taking into consideration the opportunities and constraints facing these countries.
This textbook will be an indispensable teaching tool for courses on South Asia. It includes pedagogical features such as political chronologies, political party descriptions, text boxes, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading. Written in an accessible style and by experts on South Asian politics, it offers students of South Asian politics a valuable introduction to an exceedingly diverse region.
"This engaging and nuanced volume provides a comprehensive and balanced survey of the region and countries of South Asia. The well-researched and written ‘state of the art’ chapters make this an indispensable resource for students, researchers, and laypersons." Shalendra D. Sharma, Professor in the Department of Politics, University of San Francisco, USA
"An Introduction to South Asian Politics provides a timely assessment of democratic development in the region. Neil DeVotta has assembled a group of experts who each provide an excellent account of their case. As well as providing comprehensive background coverage the chapters are leavened by perceptive insights based on the authors’ specialist research. Readers will get a solid understanding of how the states of South Asia are changing and how they are integrated at the regional level." Andrew Wyatt, Senior Lecturer, University of Bristol, UK
1. Overview Neil DeVotta 2. India, Jason Kirk 3. Pakistan, Anas Malik 4. Bangladesh, Ali Riaz 5. Sri Lanka, Neil DeVotta 6. Nepal, Prakash Adhikari and Mahendra Lawoti 7. Afghanistan, Vikash Yadav 8. Trends and Prospects Neil DeVotta
About the Authors/Editor
Neil DeVotta is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Wake Forest University. His research interests include South Asian security and politics, ethnicity and nationalism, and democratic transition and consolidation. He is the author of Blowback: Linguistic Nationalism, Institutional Decay, and Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka (2004) and the editor of Understanding Contemporary India, Second Edition (2010).
Asian Studies (General)
South Asian Politics
Introductory Politics
POLITICAL SCIENCE / General
SOCIAL SCIENCE / Ethnic Studies / Asian American Studies
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Business update: GOP tax plan lowers rates, repeals popular breaks
A sweeping House Republican plan to overhaul the nation's tax laws would wipe out a slew of popular tax breaks to help pay for lower overall tax rates, a politically risky move in an election year that drew quick opposition Wednesday.
The�Associated Press
WASHINGTON - A sweeping House Republican plan to overhaul the nation's tax laws would wipe out a slew of popular tax breaks to help pay for lower overall tax rates, a politically risky move in an election year that drew quick opposition Wednesday.
The plan would repeal deductions for state and local taxes, medical expenses and moving expenses. Tax credits for child care, adoption services and energy-efficient upgrades to homes would be gone.
The mortgage interest deduction would be reduced for people buying houses costing more than $500,000. The deduction for charitable giving would be limited to contributions that exceed 2 percent of a taxpayer's income.
In exchange, income tax rates would be cut and the standard deduction, which is used by most taxpayers, would be nearly doubled. The child tax credit would be increased and a complicated series of tax breaks for education expenses would be consolidated and simplified.
The plan would mark the first overhaul of the tax code since 1986. It borrows ideas from President Barack Obama and other Democrats. But here's a reality check: It has almost no chance of becoming law this year. Even House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, distanced himself from the details Wednesday.
Still, it could become an important political document as congressional elections approach in November. Should Republicans embrace the plan, they could use it to highlight their efforts to simplify tax laws and spur economic growth.
"We need to be the party of growth, opportunity, restoring the American dream. And I think this is something Americans have hungered for," said the plan's author, Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. "Look, we have an obligation to debate the big issues of the day."
Democrats quickly revealed their election-year strategy, pointing out cherished tax breaks that would be cut.
"Any proposal that eliminates the deduction for state and local taxes, as the Republican plan would do, is dead on arrival," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Boehner, already wary of some of the unpleasant details, would not promise a vote in the House this year. When asked about the details, Boehner said: "Blah, blah, blah, blah. Listen, there's a conversation that needs to begin. This is the beginning of the conversation."
When asked whether the Republican Party stood behind the plan, Boehner said, "You're getting a little bit ahead of yourself."
The White House was more upbeat. Spokesman Josh Earnest said there are "a couple of aspects of congressman Camp's proposal that are encouraging."
Other business headlines
Tesla takes aim at power companies
Wall Street: Is this a redux of 1996?
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City moves forward on recycling center
By Jean Kozubowski Salina Journal
Feb 5, 2018 at 9:28 PM Feb 5, 2018 at 9:28 PM
Salinans should be able to drop off recyclables at a drive-through center at 125 W. North by May.
At their Monday meeting, Salina city commissioners voted 5-0 to authorize Mayor Karl Ryan to sign a lease on the building. They also voted 5-0 to add 94 cents a month to city water bills after the center opens, for operational costs.
Jim Kowach, the city's director of public works, said his department would contact the county about assisting in paying for the recycling center, so it would be open to county residents as well.
Residents were without a place to take recyclables when Images Recycling Center closed Dec. 14. Images handled about 2 million pounds of recyclables a year, said Ken Reitz, owner. Reitz said he is continuing his pickup service but does not have a place to drop off recyclables.
May 1 opening
The three-year lease on the building at 125 W. North, for $34,212.50 a year, is conditional on some necessary environmental testing, Kowach said. He said the building is next to railroad tracks and grain elevators, and he knows there is a groundwater problem to the north of the site.
The testing could take 45 to 60 days, then it would take another four to six weeks for modifications to be made to the building. Kowach projected an opening date of May 1.
He said the building won't need much modification — just water and sewer, construction of a bathroom, a large fan, a heater, and paving for some parking spaces. The city’s share of the cost of improvements would be about $35,000.
He said it’s an ideal configuration for the purpose and ideally located, downtown.
Residents will pull a vehicle into the building. City employees will unload the recyclables and dump them in a single stream into a truck, where they will be compacted. Then the residents will drive out of the building.
Two packer trucks will be dedicated to the center, Kowach said. When one is full, it will take the compacted recyclables to Hutchinson, probably, although he said officials are considering alternatives involving private haulers.
The center will take residential and commercial recyclables, Kowach said. It will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday for drive-through customers; drop-offs will not be accepted.
Recyclables won’t be stored in the building, and they won't ever touch the ground. That will keep the items, and possibly the ground, from becoming contaminated.
Support expressed
In other business, commissioners voted 5-0 to approve a resolution expressing support for nominating the Norton Apartments, 1111 and 1115 E. Iron, to the National Register of Historic Plans and Register of Historic Kansas Places.
The two multistory brick apartment buildings were constructed by Franck Norton and W.B. Crowther in 1927 and 1928. They were built in a traditional commercial style with symmetrical facades and central entrances.
According to the nomination, the two building are examples of the low-rise, walk-up apartment building. The exterior and interior retain the same layout and many of the original characteristics, said Dean Andrew, the city’s planning and zoning director.
The Historic Sites Board of Review of the State Historic Preservation Office will consider the nomination Saturday. If it is approved, the properties will be eligible for financial incentives if owner Brian Richardson undertakes restoration.
Commissioners approved an agreement with Kansas Wesleyan University to develop areas in Bondy Field in Sunset Park to be able to host track and field events, such as shot put, disc throw and javelin throw.
KWU will build and maintain the facilities, which will cost about $140,000, and the city will continue to operate the park. The park will be open to the public at all times, except when KWU schedules practices and events. Other city schools also will be able to use the areas.
Having the fields will allow KWU to bid on KCAC conference championships.
Discussion delayed
Commissioners postponed discussion of special assessments until a study session can be arranged.
When new housing developments need city amenities such as sewer, roads and other utilities, the developer is responsible for paying for them. With specials, the city issues general obligation bonds that the homeowners pay back over time. Developers like them because the interest rates are usually lower than borrowing from a bank.
The city commission approved a special assessment policy on Dec. 11.
Developer Todd Welsh asked if some of the developers and real-estate agents could meet with City Manager Jason Gage and staff. He would like Gage to consolidate their ideas for commissioners. He said he thought that might be a better way to present their concerns than talking at a meeting or study session.
Other action
Commissioners also voted 5-0 to take the first steps in condemning a property at the southeast quadrant of South Ohio Street and East Water Well Road. The city plans to build a water treatment plant at that location.
City Attorney Greg Bengtson said negotiations with the owners have stalled and initiating eminent domain may be necessary.
Commissioners voted 4-0 to replat a portion of Loyd Addition No. 2 on West Diamond Drive into three building plots, from one. Commissioner Mike Hoppock said he had an interest in the property and recused himself, leaving the room.
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In 2018, you have to be pretty ballsy to call your new album Girls Girls Girls. It is, after all, already firmly cemented in rock lore. Well, if there’s anyone ballsy enough to do it, get away with it and stake their own claim to it, it’s Miesha and the Spanks.
The Calgary guitar-and-drum duo of front woman-guitarist Miesha Louie and drummer Sean Hamilton own it ferociously, emphatically and completely on their new 10-track release — a fast, nasty, sexy slab of riff-fuelled Runaways rock clad in spit-polished black leather and bursting with sass and singalong swagger.
The record marks a new phase and a great leap forward in the career of Miesha, who has over the past decade released three other full-lengths and a number of EPs and singles, touring relentlessly, sharing the stage and holding her own with such notables as Queens of the Stone Age, Bison BC, Death From Above 1979, The Pack A.D. and Hot Hot Heat.
It’s the first album recorded together with Hamilton and the follow-up to her 2013 release Girls, Like Wolves, which was recorded with Canadian indie rock legend Ian Blurton and took her to a whole new level.
The production of Girls Girls Girls does likewise and has its own legend attached: Danny Farrant from U.K. punk pioneers the Buzzcocks, whom she forged a relationship with when his band performed in Calgary for the 2011 Sled Island festival.
It was recorded in the middle of a lengthy 2017 Canadian tour, over a 10-day period in the English seaside resort of Brighton. But far from a relaxing beach vacation, the duo spent 10-12 hours each day in the studio with Farrant, pulling apart and reworking the tunes they’d brought with them from across the pond.
“Working with Danny was great because he has this whole other level of experience in music — from being a member of the Buzzcocks, but also as a writer-producer with his partner Paul Rawson, who also produced the album,” says Miesha. “Bringing my songs to them for feedback, not only to polish the songs but to develop them, was one of the most exciting things about it. They were in our songs with us.”
As for those songs, they run the gamut of thudding, chugging opening cut First Love First Blood to the sizzling, jukebox c’mon of Motorin’, the cool, late night vibe of Lost Boy, the sweet, breezy, dreamy, closer Summer Love and the bounce, bop and doo-wop of soaring first single Atmosphere.
It makes wonderful use of the “chemistry and connection” Louie and Hamilton have forged over the past two years, turning that into a singular, inarguable energy that confidently knows when to go hard and when to show that necessary restraint.
And underscoring the maturation of the sound, is a new lyrical approach for Louie, one that she admits is less inward looking and about affairs of the heart than previous releases.
“Some of them are my stories and some of them are my opinions, watching life in general,” she says. “They’re still my experiences but not necessarily my personal stories any more.”
And back to that title.
When asked whether or not it’s an attempt to reclaim it from the hairband brigade of days of yore, Miesha admits her intentions were slightly less grandiose than that.
“It was just a fleeting idea I had forever ago when the band was two girls,” she says of a past incarnation of the duo, where it was initially used as a hashtag to announce themselves- later becoming more of a celebration of the strong females in her community.
“The more my life became filled with women, cool women in bands, I felt pushed towards it. Where I used to be one of the only girls in the music scene, now all of a sudden my life is filled with girls who have the same interests as me. I liked that it was happening and I wanted to encourage it.”
She smiles. “More girls.”
Miesha and the Spanks - Girls, Like Wolves
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» ANALYSIS: Of mice and men
ANALYSIS: Of mice and men
Russell Bonduriansky
Russell Bonduriansky*
How have humans and mice changed since we diverged about 75 million years ago from a small, furry common ancestor? Apart from the obvious, of course.
As a starting point, it’s worth noting there’s nothing magical about a genome sequence – it’s merely a very long string of letters representing the sequence of nucleotides in an organism’s DNA.
But for evolutionary biologists, this string of letters is a treasure-trove of information about a species’ evolutionary history. The recent development of efficient and affordable tools to sequence and compare genomes of different species – reflected in the rapidly accumulating data-bank of “comparative genomics” – has allowed scientists to tap into this amazing resource on a scale scarcely imaginable just a few years ago.
As usual in science, the basic principles are simple.
Every species can be characterised by the unique sequence of nucleotides in its genome, which is the product of gradual, cumulative changes over millions of years. These changes originate as random mutations, but harmful changes are usually weeded out by natural selection, while beneficial or neutral changes tend to persist.
Since all animals diverged from a common ancestor, it’s possible to compare the genomes of any two animal species and identify the changes in their DNA that have taken place since those species diverged.
The brainy branch
A new study by Yong Zhang and colleagues at the University of Chicago, published in the journal PLoS Biology, examined how the genomes of humans and mice have changed since we diverged.
More specifically, they asked how many of the new genes that evolved within each lineage since the human-mouse split play a role in the development or functioning of different bodily organs (hearts, eyes, brains, reproductive systems, etc) and developmental stages.
The analysis revealed some intriguing contrasts. In the mouse lineage, the new genes disproportionately affect the reproductive system (particularly the ovaries), muscle and blood.
By contrast, in human lineage, the new genes are disproportionately expressed in the brain’s neocortex (and also, curiously, in the salivary gland).
What’s more, a closer look at our lineage revealed a large proportion of new genes were devoted to brain function at multiple stages on the evolutionary path: the old-world primates, the apes, and the branch separating ourselves from our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees.
(Unfortunately, the authors do not report corresponding numbers for the chimp branch. Do the chimps have their own set of new, brain-dedicated genes?)
New genes on the block
Now, few scientists will be knocked off their chairs by the news humans are brainier than mice (and, perhaps, also more likely to enjoy an eclectic diet). We already know primates took the unique evolutionary path of enhanced cognition as a solution to life’s challenges. The human branch of the primate lineage merely exploited this strategy to the extreme.
We also know the mouse lineage took a very different turn, evolving efficient strategies for feeding, hiding and, most of all, producing prodigious numbers of offspring.
It is to be expected that – for those who know how to decipher the code – the signature of our unusual evolutionary path will be evident in our genome.
But the study by Zhang and colleagues also reveals some intriguing and unexpected details of how we got to be human.
A question long debated by evolutionary biologists is how evolution modifies existing genetic machinery. Zhang and colleagues found our brain evolution was associated with the appearance of many new genes, rather than the mere tweaking of existing genes for new functions.
They also found most of these new genes are expressed in the brains of embryos and infants rather than adults, suggesting that our brains are unique in their pattern of growth and development.
This study showcases the power of the very new field of comparative genomics. But it also exemplifies the power and relevance of the not-so-new field of evolutionary biology.
It illustrates very clearly why we need Darwin’s idea of natural selection, and the fertile research program it engendered, to make any sense of our species.
* Russell Bonduriansky is Principal Investigator, UNSW Evolutionary Biology Lab.
This article appeared originally at The Conversation here
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Malaria Makes a Break for It
By Kate Wong on December 12, 2000
Although the basic biology of the malaria parasite was described more than a century ago, scientists today still struggle to understand its insidious details. An estimated 300 to 500 million people suffer from malaria, making it one of the most devastating diseases known. Research reported today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences adds an important new piece to the puzzle, revealing a potential mechanism whereby the parasites, having multiplied in their host's red blood cells, break free in order to invade more red blood cells.
While inside a red blood cell, the malaria parasite produces so-called "merozoites," which go on to infect other cells. Suspecting that protein-degrading enzymes, or proteases, might play a role in rupturing the blood cells and freeing the merozoites, researchers from Washington University studied the effects of a protease-blocking drug dubbed E64 on merozoite escape. Although the red blood cell membrane gave way, the drug appeared to thwart the rupture of a second membrane, which encases clusters of merozoites. The team thus proposes that parasite release is a two-step process in which encased clusters of merozoites exit the blood cells, and subsequently escape from their own membrane by way of a protein-degrading mechanism. Although understanding the exact mechanism will require further study, the findings may eventually offer anti-malarial drug developers a new target.
Kate Wong
Kate Wong is a senior editor for evolution and ecology at Scientific American.
Credit: Nick Higgins
Philippine Fossils Add Surprising New Species to Human Family Tree
Is This the Footprint of One of the Last Neandertals?
Cave That Housed Neandertals and Denisovans Challenges View of Cultural Evolution
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HB1232: Recalled motor vehicles; disclosures by and compensation of dealers.
HB1232ER
HB1232H2
VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY -- CHAPTER An Act to amend and reenact §§ 46.2-1569, 46.2-1571, and 46.2-1572.4 of the Code of Virginia, relating to compensation of dealers for recalled vehicles. [H 1232] Approved
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §§ 46.2-1569, 46.2-1571, and 46.2-1572.4 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 46.2-1569. Other coercion of dealers; transfer, grant, succession to and cancellation of dealer franchises; delivery of vehicles, parts, and accessories.
Notwithstanding the terms of any franchise agreement, it shall be unlawful for any manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or affiliate, or any field representative, officer, agent, or their representatives to do any of the following. It shall further be unlawful for any manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or any field representative, officer, agent, or their representatives to engage in conduct prohibited under this section through an affiliate.
1. To coerce or attempt to coerce any dealer to accept delivery of any motor vehicle or vehicles, parts or accessories therefor, or any other commodities, which have not been ordered by the dealer.
2. To coerce or attempt to coerce any dealer to enter into an agreement with the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch, or representative thereof by threat to take or by taking any action in violation of the chapter, or by any other act unfair or injurious to the dealer. If a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch conditions the grant of a new franchise to a dealer on the dealer's consent (i) to provide a site control agreement as defined in subdivision 10, (ii) to provide a written agreement containing an option to purchase the franchise of the dealer, provided, however, that agreements pursuant to § 46.2-1569.1 shall be permitted, or (iii) to provide a termination agreement to be held by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch for subsequent use, it shall be considered coercion and an act that is unfair and injurious to the dealer; provided, however, that the provisions of § 46.2-1572.3 related to the good faith settlement of disputes shall apply to the agreements described in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) of this subdivision, mutatis mutandis. This subdivision shall not apply to any agreement the enforcement of which is subject to the jurisdiction of a United States Bankruptcy Court.
2a. To coerce or attempt to coerce any dealer to join, contribute to, or affiliate with any advertising association.
2b. To coerce or require any dealer to establish in connection with the sale of a motor vehicle prices at which the dealer shall sell products or services not manufactured or distributed by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch, whether by agreement, program, incentive provision, or otherwise.
2c. To coerce or require any dealer, whether by agreement, program, incentive provision, or otherwise, to construct improvements to its facilities or to install new signs or other franchisor image elements that replace or substantially alter those improvements, signs, or franchisor image elements completed within the preceding 10 years that were required or approved by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch or one of its affiliates. If a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch offers incentives, or other payments under a program offered after the effective date of this subdivision and available to more than one dealer in the Commonwealth that are premised wholly or in part on dealer facility improvements or installation of franchisor signs or other franchisor image elements, a dealer that constructed improvements or installed signs or other franchisor image elements required by or approved by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch and completed within the 10 years preceding the program shall be deemed to be in compliance with the program requirements pertaining to construction of facilities or installation of signs or other franchisor image elements that would replace or substantially alter those previously constructed or installed within that 10-year period. This subdivision shall not apply to a program that provides lump sum payments to assist dealers in making facility improvements or to pay for signs or franchisor image elements when such payments are not dependent on the dealer selling or purchasing specific numbers of new vehicles and shall not apply to a program that is in effect with more than one dealer in the Commonwealth on the effective date of this subdivision, nor to any renewal or modification of such a program.
2d. To coerce or require any dealer, whether by agreement, program, incentive provision, or provision for loss of incentive payments or other benefits, to refrain from selling any used motor vehicle subject to (i) recall, (ii) stop sale directive, (iii) technical service bulletin, or (iv) other manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch notification to perform work on such used motor vehicle, unless the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch has a remedy and parts available to the dealer to remediate the basis for the coercion or requirement of the dealer to refrain from selling each affected used motor vehicle. If there is no remedy or there are no parts available from the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch to remediate each affected used motor vehicle in the inventory of the dealer, the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall (a) compensate the dealer for any affected used motor vehicle in the inventory of the dealer that it cannot sell because of such coercion or requirement at least one percent a month or any part thereof of the cost of such used motor vehicle, including repairs and reconditioning expenses based on the financial records of the dealer, and (b) establish a written procedure to compensate dealers under this subdivision that it shall provide to dealers subject to its coercion or requirement and file with the Commissioner as a franchise document pursuant to § 46.2-1566.
Any claim for compensation by a dealer shall be submitted on a monthly basis for the amount owed pursuant to this subdivision. The manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall process and pay the claim in the same manner as a claim for warranty reimbursements as provided in § 46.2-1571. This subdivision shall not prevent a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch from (1) requiring that a motor vehicle not be subject to an open recall or stop sale directive in order to be qualified, remain qualified, or be sold as a certified pre-owned vehicle or similar designation; (2) paying incentives for selling used vehicles with no unremedied recalls; or (3) paying incentives for performing recall repairs on a vehicle in the dealer's inventory.
Nothing in this subsection shall prevent a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch from instructing that a dealer repair used vehicles of the line-make for which the dealer holds a franchise with an open recall, provided that the instruction does not involve coercion that imposes a penalty or provision of loss of benefits on the dealer.
3. To prevent or refuse to approve the sale or transfer of the ownership of a dealership by the sale of the business, stock transfer, or otherwise, or the transfer, sale, or assignment of a dealer franchise, or a change in the executive management or principal operator of the dealership, unless the franchisor provides written notice to the dealer of its objection and the reasons therefor by certified mail or overnight delivery or other method designed to ensure delivery to the dealer at least 30 days prior to the proposed effective date of the transfer, sale, assignment, or change. No such objection shall be sufficient unless the failure to approve is reasonable. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection D of § 46.2-1573, the only grounds that may be considered reasonable for a failure to approve are that an individual who is the applicant or is in control of an entity that is an applicant (i) lacks good moral character, (ii) lacks reasonable motor vehicle dealership management experience and qualifications, (iii) lacks financial ability to be the dealer, or (iv) fails to meet the standards otherwise established by this title to be a dealer. No such objection shall be effective to prevent the sale, transfer, assignment, or change if the Commissioner has determined, if requested in writing by the dealer within 30 days after receipt of an objection to the proposed sale, transfer, or change, and after a hearing on the matter, that the failure to permit or honor the sale, transfer, assignment, or change is unreasonable under the circumstances. No franchise may be sold, assigned, or transferred unless (a) the franchisor has been given at least 90 days' prior written notice by the dealer as to the identity, financial ability, and qualifications of the proposed transferee on forms generally utilized by the franchisor to conduct its review, as well as the full agreement for the proposed transaction, and (b) the sale or transfer of the franchise and business will not involve, without the franchisor's consent, a relocation of the business.
3a. To impose a condition on the approval of the sale or transfer of the ownership of a dealership by the sale of the business, stock transfer, or otherwise if the condition would violate the provisions of this title if imposed on the existing dealer.
In the event the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor or distributor branch takes action to prevent or refuse to approve the sale or transfer of the ownership of a dealership by the sale of the business, stock transfer, or otherwise, or the transfer, sale or assignment of a dealer franchise, or a change in the executive management or principal operator of the dealership, without a statement of specific grounds for doing so that is consistent with subdivision 3 hereof or imposes a condition in violation of subdivision 3a hereof, that shall constitute a violation of this section. The existing dealer may request review of the action or imposition of the condition in a hearing by the Commissioner. If the Commissioner finds that the action or the imposition of the condition was a violation of this section, the Commissioner may order that the sale or transfer be approved by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch, without imposition of the condition. If the existing dealer does not request a hearing by the Commissioner concerning the action or the condition imposed by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch, and the action or condition was the proximate cause of the failure of the contract for the sale or transfer of ownership of the dealership, the applicant for approval of the sale or transfer or the existing dealer, or both, may commence an action at law for violation of this section. The action may be commenced in the circuit court of the city or county in which the dealer is located, or in any other circuit court with permissible venue, within two years following the action or the imposition of the condition by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch for the damages suffered by the applicant or the dealer as a result of the violation of this section by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch, plus the applicant's or dealer's reasonable attorney fees and costs of litigation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an exercise of the right of first refusal by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch pursuant to § 46.2-1569.1 shall not be considered the imposition of a condition prohibited by this section.
4. To grant an additional franchise for a particular line-make of motor vehicle in a relevant market area in which a dealer or dealers in that line-make are already located unless the franchisor has first advised in writing all other dealers in the line-make in the relevant market area. No such additional franchise may be established at the proposed site unless the Commissioner has determined, if requested by a dealer of the same line-make in the relevant market area within 30 days after receipt of the franchisor's notice of intention to establish the additional franchise, and after a hearing on the matter, that the franchisor can show by a preponderance of the evidence that after the grant of the new franchise, the relevant market area will support all of the dealers in that line-make in the relevant market area. Establishing a franchised dealer in a relevant market area to replace a franchised dealer that has not been in operation for more than two years shall constitute the establishment of a new franchise subject to the terms of this subdivision. The two-year period for replacing a franchised dealer shall begin on the day the franchise was terminated, or, if a termination hearing was held, on the day the franchisor was legally permitted finally to terminate the franchise. The relocation of a franchise in a relevant market area, whether by an existing dealer or by a dealer who is acquiring the franchise, shall constitute the establishment of a new franchise subject to the terms of this subdivision. This subdivision shall not apply to (i) the relocation of an existing dealer within that dealer's relevant market area if the relocation site is to be more than 10 miles distant from any other dealer for the same line-make; (ii) the relocation of an existing dealer within that dealer's relevant market area if the relocation site is to be more distant than the existing site from all other dealers of the same line-make in that relevant market area; or (iii) the relocation of an existing new motor vehicle dealer within two miles of the existing site of the relocating dealer.
5. Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision and notwithstanding the terms of any franchise, to terminate, cancel, or refuse to renew the franchise of any dealer without good cause and unless (i) the dealer and the Commissioner have received written notice of the franchisor's intentions at least 60 days prior to the effective date of such termination, cancellation, or the expiration date of the franchise, setting forth the specific grounds for the action, and (ii) the Commissioner has determined, if requested in writing by the dealer within the 60-day period prior to the effective date of such termination, cancellation, or the expiration date of the franchise and, after a hearing on the matter, that the franchisor has shown by a preponderance of the evidence that there is good cause for the termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal of the franchise. If any manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch takes action that will have the effect of terminating, canceling, or refusing to renew the franchise of any dealer (a) by use of a termination agreement executed by the dealer and obtained more than 90 days before the purported date of use, (b) by exercise of rights under a written option to purchase the franchise of a dealer, or (c) by exercise of rights under a site control agreement as defined in subdivision 10, that action shall be considered a termination, cancellation, or refusal to renew pursuant to the terms of this subdivision and subject to the rights, provisions, and procedures provided herein. In any case where a petition is made to the Commissioner for a determination as to good cause for the termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal of a franchise, the franchise in question shall continue in effect pending the Commissioner's decision or, if that decision is appealed to the circuit court, pending the decision of the circuit court. Where the termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal of a franchise will result from use of a termination agreement executed by the dealer and obtained more than 90 days before the purported date of use, exercise of rights under a written option to purchase the franchise of a dealer, or exercise of rights under a site control agreement as defined in subdivision 10, such use or exercise shall be stayed pending the Commissioner's decision or, if that decision is appealed to the circuit court, pending the decision of the circuit court, and its use or exercise will be allowed only where the franchisor has shown by a preponderance of the evidence that there is good cause for the termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal of the franchise. In any case in which a franchisor neither advises a dealer that it does not intend to renew a franchise nor takes any action to renew a franchise beyond its expiration date, the franchise in question shall continue in effect on the terms last agreed to by the parties. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this subdivision notice of termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal may be provided to a dealer by a franchisor not less than 15 days prior to the effective date of such termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal when the grounds for such action are any of the following:
a. Insolvency of the franchised motor vehicle dealer or filing of any petition by or against the franchised motor vehicle dealer, under any bankruptcy or receivership law, leading to liquidation or which is intended to lead to liquidation of the franchisee's business.
b. Failure of the franchised motor vehicle dealer to conduct its customary sales and service operations during its posted business hours for seven consecutive business days, except where the failure results from acts of God or circumstances beyond the direct control of the franchised motor vehicle dealer.
c. Revocation of any license which the franchised motor vehicle dealer is required to have to operate a dealership.
d. Conviction of the dealer or any principal of the dealer of a felony.
The change or discontinuance of a marketing or distribution system of a particular line-make product by a manufacturer or distributor, while the name identification of the product is continued in substantial form by the same or a different manufacturer or distributor, may be considered to be a franchise termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal. The provisions of this paragraph shall apply to changes and discontinuances made after January 1, 1989, but they shall not be considered by any court in any case in which such a change or discontinuance occurring prior to that date has been challenged as constituting a termination, cancellation or nonrenewal.
5a. To fail to provide continued parts and service support to a dealer which holds a franchise in a discontinued line-make for at least five years from the date of such discontinuance. This requirement shall not apply to a line-make which was discontinued prior to January 1, 1989.
5b. Upon the involuntary or voluntary termination, nonrenewal, or cancellation of the franchise of any dealer, by either the manufacturer, distributor, or factory branch or by the dealer, notwithstanding the terms of any franchise whether entered into before or after the enactment of this section, to fail to pay the dealer for at least the following:
(1) The dealer cost plus any charges by the franchisor for distribution, delivery, and taxes paid by the dealer, less all allowances paid to the dealer by the franchisor, for new and undamaged motor vehicles in the dealer's inventory acquired from the franchisor or from another dealer of the same line -- make in the ordinary course of business within 18 months of termination;
(2) The dealer cost as shown in the price catalog of the franchisor current at the time of repurchase of each new, unused, undamaged, and unsold part or accessory if such part or accessory is in the current parts catalog and is still in the original, resalable merchandising package and in unbroken lots, except that in the case of sheet metal, a comparable substitute for the original package may be used;
(3) The fair market value of each undamaged sign owned by the dealer that bears a trademark, trade name or commercial symbol used or claimed by the franchisor if such sign was purchased from or at the request of the franchisor;
(4) The fair market value of all special tools and automotive service equipment owned by the dealer that were recommended and designated as special tools or equipment by the franchisor, if the tools and equipment are in usable and good condition, normal wear and tear excepted; and
(5) The reasonable cost of transporting, handling, packing, and loading of motor vehicles, parts, signs, tools, and special equipment subject to repurchase hereunder.
The provisions of this subdivision do not apply to a dealer who is unable to convey clear title to the property identified in this subdivision.
For purposes of this subdivision, a voluntary termination shall not include the transfer of the terminating dealer's franchised business in connection with a transfer of that business by means of sale of the equity ownership or assets thereof to another dealer.
5c. If the termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal of the dealer's franchise is the result of the termination, elimination, or cessation of a line-make by the manufacturer, distributor, or factory branch, then, in addition to the payments to the dealer pursuant to subdivision 5b, the manufacturer, distributor, or factory branch shall be liable to the dealer for the following:
(1) An amount at least equivalent to the fair market value of the franchise for the line-make, which shall be the greater of that value determined as of (i) the date the franchisor announces the action that results in termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal, (ii) the date the action that resulted in the termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal first became general knowledge, or (iii) the day 12 months prior to the date on which the notice of termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal is issued. In determining the fair market value of a franchise for a line-make, if the line-make is not the only line-make for which the dealer holds a franchise in the dealership facilities, the dealer shall also be entitled to compensation for the contribution of the line-make to payment of the rent or to covering obligation for the fair rental value of the dealership facilities for the period set forth in subdivision 5c (2). Fair market value of the franchise for the line-make shall only include the goodwill value of the dealer's franchise for that line-make in the dealer's relevant market area.
(2) If the line-make is the only line-make for which the dealer holds a franchise in the dealership facilities, the manufacturer, distributor, or factory branch shall also pay assistance with respect to the dealership facilities leased or owned by the dealer as follows: (i) the manufacturer, distributor, or factory branch shall pay the dealer a sum equivalent to the rent for the unexpired term of the lease or three years' rent, whichever is the lesser, or (ii) if the dealer owns the dealership facilities, the manufacturer, distributor, or factory branch shall pay the dealer a sum equivalent to the reasonable rental value of the dealership facilities for three years.
To be entitled to facilities assistance from the manufacturer, distributor, or factory branch, the dealer shall have the obligation to mitigate damages by listing the dealership facilities for lease or sublease with a licensed real estate agent within 30 days after the effective date of the termination of the franchise and thereafter by reasonably cooperating with such real estate agent in the performance of the agent's duties and responsibilities. If the dealer is able to lease or sublease the dealership facilities on terms that are consistent with local zoning requirements to preserve the right to sell motor vehicles from the dealership facilities and the terms of the dealer's lease, the dealer shall be obligated to pay the manufacturer the net revenue received from such mitigation, but only following receipt of facilities assistance payments pursuant to clause (i) or (ii) of subdivision 5c (2), and only up to the total amount of facilities assistance payments that the dealer has received.
6. To fail to allow a dealer the right at any time to designate a member of his family as a successor to the dealership in the event of the death or incapacity of the dealer. Such designation may be made by the dealer or, in the event of the death or incapacity of the dealer, by the qualified executor or personal representative of the dealer. It shall be unlawful to prevent or refuse to honor the succession to a dealership by a member of the family of a deceased or incapacitated dealer if the franchisor has not provided to the member of the family designated the dealer's successor written notice of its objections to the succession and of such person's right to seek a hearing on the matter before the Commissioner pursuant to this article, and the Commissioner determines, if requested in writing by such member of the family within 30 days of receipt of such notice from the franchisor, and after a hearing on the matter before the Commissioner pursuant to this article, that the failure to permit or honor the succession is unreasonable under the circumstances. No member of the family may succeed to a franchise unless (i) the franchisor has been given written notice as to the identity, financial ability, and qualifications of the member of the family in question, and (ii) the succession to the franchise will not involve, without the franchisor's consent, a relocation of the business.
7. To delay, refuse, or fail to deliver to any dealer, if ordered by the dealer, in reasonable quantities and within a reasonable time, any new vehicles of each series and model sold or distributed by the franchisor as covered by such franchise and which are publicly advertised by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch in the Commonwealth to be available for immediate delivery, provided, however, that the failure to deliver any motor vehicle shall not be considered a violation of this chapter if such failure is due to an act of God, a work stoppage or delay due to a strike or labor difficulty, a shortage of materials, a lack of available manufacturing capacity, a freight embargo, or other cause over which the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall have no control. If ordered by a dealer, a franchisor shall deliver an equitable supply of new vehicles during the model year of each series and model under the dealer's franchise in proportion to the sales objectives or goals established by the franchisor for the dealer compared to the sales objectives or goals established by the other same line-make dealers in the Commonwealth, provided, however, that the failure to deliver any motor vehicle shall not be considered a violation of this chapter if such failure is due to a cause over which the manufacturer, factory branch, distributer, or distributer branch shall have no control. Upon the written request of any dealer holding its sales or sales and service franchise, the manufacturer or distributor shall disclose to the dealer in writing the basis upon which new motor vehicles of the same line-make are allocated, scheduled, and delivered to dealers in the Commonwealth, and the basis upon which the current allocation or distribution is being made or will be made to such dealer. In the event that allocation is at issue in a request for a hearing, the dealer may demand the Commissioner to direct that the manufacturer or distributor provide to the dealer, within 30 days of such demand, all records of sales and all records of distribution of all motor vehicles to the same line-make dealers who compete with the dealer requesting the hearing.
7a. To fail or refuse to offer to its same line-make franchised dealers all models manufactured for the line-make, or require a dealer to pay any extra fee, or remodel, renovate, or recondition the dealer's existing facilities, or purchase unreasonable advertising displays or other materials as a prerequisite to receiving a model or a series of vehicles.
7b. To require or otherwise coerce a dealer to underutilize the dealer's facilities by requiring or otherwise coercing a dealer to exclude or remove from the dealer's facilities operations for selling or servicing of a line-make of vehicles for which the dealer has a franchise agreement to utilize the facilities.
7c. To require a dealer to purchase goods or services from a vendor selected, identified, or designated by a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or one of its affiliates by agreement, program, incentive provision, or otherwise without making available to the dealer the option to obtain the goods or services of substantially similar quality from a vendor chosen by the dealer. For purposes of this subdivision, the term "goods" does not include moveable displays, brochures, and promotional materials containing material subject to intellectual property rights of, or special tools and training as required by the manufacturer, or parts to be used in repairs under warranty obligations of, a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch.
7d. To fail to provide a notice to a dealer when notifying it of the requirement to purchase goods or services from a vendor selected, identified, or designated by a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch of the dealer's rights pursuant to subdivision 7c.
7e. To fail to provide to a dealer, when the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch claims that a vendor chosen by the dealer cannot supply goods and services of substantially similar quality, a disclosure concerning the vendor selected, identified, or designated by the franchisor stating (i) whether the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or one of its affiliates, or any officer, director, or employee of the same, has an ownership interest, actual or beneficial, in the vendor and, if so, the percentage of the ownership interest and (ii) whether the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or one of its affiliates has an agreement or arrangement by which the vendor pays to the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or one of its affiliates, or any officer, director, or employee of the same, any compensation and, if so, the basis and amount of the compensation to be paid as a result of any purchases by the dealer, whether it is to be paid by direct payment by the vendor or by credit from the vendor for the benefit of the recipient.
7f. To fail to provide to a dealer, if the goods and services to be supplied to the dealer by a vendor selected, identified, or designated by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch are signs or other franchisor image elements to be leased to the dealer, the right to purchase the signs or other franchisor image elements of like kind and quality from a vendor selected by the dealer. If the vendor selected by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch is the only available vendor, the dealer must be given the opportunity to purchase the signs or other franchisor image elements at a price substantially similar to the capitalized lease costs thereof. This subdivision shall not be construed to allow a dealer to impair or eliminate the intellectual property rights of the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch, nor to permit a dealer to erect or maintain signs that do not conform to the intellectual property usage guidelines of the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch.
8. To include in any franchise with a motor vehicle dealer terms that are contrary to, prohibited by, or otherwise inconsistent with the requirements of this chapter.
8a. For any franchise agreement, to require a motor vehicle dealer to pay the attorney fees of the manufacturer or distributor related to hearings and appeals brought under this article.
9. To fail to include in any franchise with a motor vehicle dealer the following language: "If any provision herein contravenes the laws or regulations of any state or other jurisdiction wherein this agreement is to be performed, or denies access to the procedures, forums, or remedies provided for by such laws or regulations, such provision shall be deemed to be modified to conform to such laws or regulations, and all other terms and provisions shall remain in full force," or words to that effect.
10. To enter into any agreement with a motor vehicle dealer in which the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, distributor branch, or one of its affiliates is given site control over the premises of a dealer that does not terminate upon the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) the right of the franchisor to manufacture or distribute the line-make of vehicles covered by the dealer's franchise is sold, assigned, or otherwise transferred by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch to another; (ii) the final termination of the dealer's franchise for any reason; or (iii) the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch of its affiliate fails for any reason to exercise its right of first refusal to purchase the assets or ownership of the business of the dealer when given the opportunity to do so by virtue of its franchise agreement, another agreement, or as set forth in § 46.2-1569. For purposes of this subdivision, the term "site control" shall mean the contractual right to control in any way the commercial use and development of the premises upon which a dealer's business operations are located, including the right to approve of additional or different uses for the property beyond those of its franchise, the right to lease or sublease the dealer's property, or the right or option to purchase the dealer's property.
11. To require or coerce a motor vehicle dealer, whether by agreement, program, incentive provision, or otherwise, to submit or to provide a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch access to consumer data maintained by the dealer (i) by any method that violates or would violate the dealer's chosen policies and processes for complying with obligations to protect consumer data under laws of the United States or the Commonwealth or (ii) through franchisor access to the computer database of the dealer if the dealer chooses to submit data specified by the franchisor.
The manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall provide a dealer the right to cancel the dealer's participation in a program under which the dealer provides consumer data or access to data to the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch, provided that a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch may require notice of up to 60 days of the dealer's decision to cancel the dealer's participation.
If a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch offers incentives or other payments under a program offered after July 1, 2015, excluding any continuation, renewal, or modification of any existing program, and available to more than one dealer in the Commonwealth that are premised wholly or in part on dealer participation in manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch programs under which consumer data is provided to or accessed by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch, a dealer that exercises its rights under this subdivision shall be deemed to be in compliance with the program requirements pertaining to providing consumer data, provided that the dealer has otherwise met program requirements to the extent of providing any consumer data that is not nonpublic personal information.
It shall not constitute a violation of this subdivision for a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch to require a motor vehicle dealer to provide data (a) concerning a new motor vehicle sale or used motor vehicle sale under a manufacturer certification program, (b) to validate a customer or dealer incentive, (c) to calculate dealer or market sales or evaluate service performance or customer satisfaction to facilitate analysis of product quality and market feedback, (d) to facilitate warranty service work on a vehicle, (e) concerning information with respect to recall repairs or information about a recalled vehicle, (f) pursuant to a mutual agreement between a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch and a dealer, or (g) where consumer data is reasonably necessary to enable a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch to provide programs, products, or services to a dealer.
A dealer that elects to submit or push data or information to the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch through any method other than that provided by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall timely obtain and furnish the requested data in a widely accepted electronic file format. A manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall not impose a fee, surcharge, or charge of any type on a dealer that chooses to submit data specified by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch rather than provide the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch access to the dealer's computer database.
§ 46.2-1571. Recall, warranty, and sales incentive obligations.
A. Each motor vehicle manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall (i) specify in writing to each of its motor vehicle dealers licensed in the Commonwealth the dealer's obligations for preparation, delivery, recall, and warranty service on its products and (ii) compensate the dealer for recall or warranty parts, service, and diagnostic work required of the dealer by the manufacturer or distributor as follows:
1. Compensation of a dealer for recall or warranty parts, service, and diagnostic work shall not be less than the amounts charged by the dealer for the manufacturer's or distributor's original parts, service, and diagnostic work to retail customers for nonwarranty service, parts, and diagnostic work installed or performed in the dealer's service department unless the amounts are not reasonable. Warranty Recall or warranty parts compensation shall be stated as a percentage of markup, which shall be an agreed reasonable approximation of retail markup and which shall be uniformly applied to all of the manufacturer's or distributor's parts unless otherwise provided for in this section. If the dealer and manufacturer or distributor cannot agree on the recall or warranty parts compensation markup to be paid to the dealer, the markup shall be determined by an average of the dealer's retail markup on all of the manufacturer's or distributor's parts as described in subdivisions 2 and 3.
2. For purposes of determining recall or warranty parts and service compensation paid to a dealer by the manufacturer or distributor, menu-priced parts or services, group discounts, special event discounts, and special event promotions shall not be considered in determining amounts charged by the dealer to retail customers. For purposes of determining labor compensation for recall or warranty body shop repairs paid to a dealer by the manufacturer or distributor, internal and insurance-paid repairs shall not be considered in determining amounts charged by the dealer to retail customers.
3. Increases in dealer recall or warranty parts and service compensation and diagnostic work compensation, pursuant to this section, shall be requested by the dealer in writing, shall be based on 100 consecutive repair orders or all repair orders over a 90-day period, whichever occurs first, and, in the case of parts, shall be stated as a percentage of markup that shall be uniformly applied to all the manufacturer's or distributor's parts.
4. In the case of recall or warranty parts compensation, the provisions of this subsection shall be effective only for model year 1992 and succeeding model years.
5. If a manufacturer or distributor furnishes a part to a dealer at no cost for use by the dealer in performing work for which the manufacturer or distributor is required to compensate the dealer under this section, the manufacturer or distributor shall compensate the dealer for the part in the same manner as recall or warranty parts compensation, less the wholesale costs, for such part as listed in the manufacturer's current price schedules. A manufacturer or distributor may pay the dealer a reasonable handling fee instead of the compensation otherwise required by this subsection for special high-performance complete engine assemblies in limited production motor vehicles that constitute less than five percent of model production furnished to the dealer at no cost, if the manufacturer or distributor excludes such special high-performance complete engine assemblies in determining whether the amounts requested by the dealer for recall or warranty compensation are consistent with the amounts that the dealer charges its other retail service customers for parts used by the dealer to perform similar work.
6. In the case of service work, manufacturer original parts or parts otherwise specified by the manufacturer or distributor, and parts provided by a dealer either pursuant to an adjustment program as defined in § 59.1-207.34 or as otherwise requested by the manufacturer or distributor, the dealer shall be compensated in the same manner as for recall or warranty service or parts.
This section does not apply to compensation for parts such as components, systems, fixtures, appliances, furnishings, accessories, and features that are designed, used, and maintained primarily for nonvehicular, residential purposes. Warranty Recall, warranty, and sales incentive audits of dealer records may be conducted by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch on a reasonable basis, and dealer claims for recall, warranty, or sales incentive compensation shall not be denied except for good cause, such as performance of nonwarranty repairs, lack of material documentation, fraud, or misrepresentation. A dealer's failure to comply with the specific requirements of the manufacturer or distributor for processing the claim shall not constitute grounds for the denial of the claim or reduction of the amount of compensation to the dealer as long as reasonable documentation or other evidence has been presented to substantiate the claim. The manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall not deny a claim or reduce the amount of compensation to the dealer for recall or warranty repairs to resolve a condition discovered by the dealer during the course of a separate repair requested by the customer or to resolve a condition on the basis of advice or recommendation by the dealer. Claims for dealer compensation shall be paid within 30 days of dealer submission or within 30 days of the end of an incentive program or rejected in writing for stated reasons. The manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall reserve the right to reasonable periodic audits to determine the validity of all such paid claims for dealer compensation. Any chargebacks for recall or warranty parts or service compensation and service incentives shall only be for the six-month period immediately following the date of the claim and, in the case of chargebacks for sales compensation only, for the six-month period immediately following the date of claim. However, such limitations shall not be effective if a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch has reasonable cause to believe that a claim submitted by a dealer is intentionally false or fraudulent. For purposes of this section, "reasonable cause" means a bona fide belief based upon evidence that the material issues of fact are such that a person of ordinary caution, prudence, and judgment could believe that a claim was intentionally false or fraudulent. A dealer shall not be charged back or otherwise liable for sales incentives or charges related to a motor vehicle sold by the dealer to a purchaser other than a licensed, franchised motor vehicle dealer and subsequently exported or resold, unless the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch can demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence that the dealer should have known of and did not exercise due diligence in discovering the purchaser's intention to export or resell the motor vehicle.
B. It shall be unlawful for any motor vehicle manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch to:
1. Fail to perform any of its recall or warranty obligations, including tires, with respect to a motor vehicle;
2. Fail to assume all responsibility for any liability resulting from structural or production defects;
3. Fail to include in written notices of factory recalls to vehicle owners and dealers the expected date by which necessary parts and equipment will be available to dealers for the correction of defects;
4. Fail to compensate any of the motor vehicle dealers licensed in the Commonwealth for repairs effected by the dealer of merchandise damaged in manufacture or transit to the dealer where the carrier is designated by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch;
5. Fail to fully compensate its motor vehicle dealers licensed in the Commonwealth for recall or warranty parts, work, and service pursuant to subsection A either by reduction in the amount due to the dealer or by separate charge, surcharge, or other imposition by which the motor vehicle manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch seeks to recover its costs of complying with subsection A, or for legal costs and expenses incurred by such dealers in connection with recall or warranty obligations for which the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch is legally responsible or which the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch imposes upon the dealer;
6. Misrepresent in any way to purchasers of motor vehicles that warranties with respect to the manufacture, performance, or design of the vehicle are made by the dealer, either as warrantor or co-warrantor;
7. Require the dealer to make warranties to customers in any manner related to the manufacture, performance, or design of the vehicle;
8. Shift or attempt to shift to the motor vehicle dealer, directly or indirectly, any liabilities of the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor or distributor branch under the Virginia Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act (§ 59.1-207.9 et seq.), unless such liability results from the act or omission by the dealer; or
9. Deny any dealer the right to return any part or accessory that the dealer has not sold within 12 months where the part or accessory was not obtained through a specific order initiated by the dealer but instead was specified for, sold to and shipped to the dealer pursuant to an automated ordering system, provided that such part or accessory is in the condition required for return to the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch, and the dealer returns the part within 30 days of it becoming eligible under this subdivision. For purposes of this subdivision, an "automated ordering system" shall be a computerized system that automatically specifies parts and accessories for sale and shipment to the dealer without specific order thereof initiated by the dealer. The manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall not charge a restocking or handling fee for any part or accessory being returned under this subdivision. This subdivision shall not apply if the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch has available to the dealer an alternate system for ordering parts and accessories that provides for shipment of ordered parts and accessories to the dealer within the same time frame as the dealer would receive them when ordered through the automated ordering system.
C. Notwithstanding the terms of any franchise, it shall be unlawful for any motor vehicle manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch to fail to indemnify and hold harmless its motor vehicle dealers against any losses or damages arising out of complaints, claims, or suits relating to the manufacture, assembly, or design of motor vehicles, parts, or accessories, or other functions by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch beyond the control of the dealer, including, without limitation, the selection by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch of parts or components for the vehicle or any damages to merchandise occurring in transit to the dealer where the carrier is designated by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch. The dealer shall notify the manufacturer of pending suits in which allegations are made that come within this subsection whenever reasonably practicable to do so. Every motor vehicle dealer franchise issued to, amended, or renewed for motor vehicle dealers in Virginia shall be construed to incorporate provisions consistent with the requirements of this subsection.
D. On any new motor vehicle, any uncorrected damage or any corrected damage exceeding three percent of the manufacturer's or distributor's suggested retail price as defined in 15 U.S.C. §§ 1231 -1233, as measured by retail repair costs, must be disclosed to the dealer in writing prior to delivery. Factory mechanical repair and damage to glass, tires, and bumpers are excluded from the three percent rule when properly replaced by identical manufacturer's or distributor's original equipment or parts. Whenever a new motor vehicle is damaged in transit, when the carrier or means of transportation is determined by the manufacturer or distributor, or whenever a motor vehicle is otherwise damaged prior to delivery to the new motor vehicle dealer, the new motor vehicle dealer shall:
1. Notify the manufacturer or distributor of the damage within three business days from the date of delivery of the new motor vehicle to the new motor vehicle dealership or within the additional time specified in the franchise; and
2. Request from the manufacturer or distributor authorization to replace the components, parts, and accessories damaged or otherwise correct the damage, unless the damage to the vehicle exceeds the three percent rule, in which case the dealer may reject the vehicle within three business days.
E. If the manufacturer or distributor refuses or fails to authorize correction of such damage within 10 days after receipt of notification, or if the dealer rejects the vehicle because damage exceeds the three percent rule, ownership of the new motor vehicle shall revert to the manufacturer or distributor, and the new motor vehicle dealer shall have no obligation, financial or otherwise, with respect to such motor vehicle. Should either the manufacturer, distributor, or the dealer elect to correct the damage or any other damage exceeding the three percent rule, full disclosure shall be made by the dealer in writing to the buyer and an acknowledgement by the buyer is required. If there is less than three percent damage, no disclosure is required, provided the damage has been corrected. Predelivery mechanical work shall not require a disclosure. Failure to disclose any corrected damage within the knowledge of the selling dealer to a new motor vehicle in excess of the three percent rule shall constitute grounds for revocation of the buyer order, provided that, within 30 days of purchase, the motor vehicle is returned to the dealer with an accompanying written notice of the grounds for revocation. In case of revocation pursuant to this section, the dealer shall accept the vehicle and refund any payments made to the dealer in connection with the transaction, less a reasonable allowance for the consumer's use of the vehicle as defined in § 59.1-207.11. Nothing in this section shall be construed to exempt from the provisions of this section damage to a new motor vehicle that occurs following delivery of the vehicle to the dealer.
F. If there is a dispute between the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch and the dealer with respect to any matter referred to in subsection A, B, or C, either party may petition the Commissioner in writing, within 30 days after either party has given written notice of the dispute to the other, for a hearing. The decision of the Commissioner shall be binding on the parties, subject to rights of judicial review and appeal as provided in Chapter 40 (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.) of Title 2.2. However, nothing contained in this section shall give the Commissioner any authority as to the content or interpretation of any manufacturer's or distributor's warranty. A manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch may not collect chargebacks, fully or in part, either through direct payment or by charge to the dealer's account, for recall or warranty parts or service compensation, including service incentives, sales incentives, other sales compensation, surcharges, fees, penalties, or any financial imposition of any type arising from an alleged failure of the dealer to comply with a policy of, directive from, or agreement with the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch until 40 days following final notice of the amount charged to the dealer following all internal processes of the manufacturer, factory, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch. Within 30 days following receipt of such final notice, the dealer may petition the Commissioner, in writing, for a hearing. If a dealer requests such a hearing, the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch may not collect the chargeback, fully or in part, either through direct payment or by charge to the dealer's account, until the completion of the hearing and a final decision of the Commissioner concerning the validity of the chargeback.
§ 46.2-1572.4. Manufacturer or distributor use of performance standards.
A. Any performance standard or program that is used by a manufacturer or distributor for measuring dealership performance and may have a material effect on a dealer, and the application of any such standard or program by a manufacturer or distributor, shall be fair, reasonable and equitable, and if based upon a survey, shall be based upon a statistically valid sample. Upon the request of any dealer, a manufacturer or distributor shall disclose in writing to the dealer a description of how a performance standard or program is designed and all relevant information used in the application of the performance standard or program to that dealer.
B. A manufacturer or distributor shall not use any data, calculations, or statistical determinations of the sales performance of a dealer for any purpose, including (i) loss of incentive payments or other benefits, (ii) claim of breach or threats thereof, or (iii) notice of termination or threats thereof for the period of time the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch has established an agreement, program, incentive program, or provision for loss of incentive payments or other benefits that causes a dealer to refrain from selling any used motor vehicle subject to (a) recall, (b) stop sale directive, (c) technical service bulletin, or (d) other manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch notification to perform work on a dealer's used motor vehicles in its inventory when there is no remedy or there are no parts to remediate each such affected used motor vehicle from the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch and for 90 days after the termination of such agreement, program, incentive program, or provision for loss of incentive payments or other benefits.
The data on which the manufacturer or distributor seeks to rely under this subsection shall only be for a period or periods not excluded under this subsection. For any performance standard or program that is used by a manufacturer or distributor for measuring dealership performance during the period or periods excluded under this subsection, a dealer shall be deemed in compliance with any such program requirements related to sales performance or sales or service customer satisfaction performance of a dealer.
This subsection shall not prevent a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch from (1) requiring that a motor vehicle not be subject to an open recall or stop sale directive in order to be qualified, remain qualified, or be sold as a certified pre-owned vehicle or similar designation; (2) paying incentives for selling used vehicles with no unremedied recalls; (3) paying incentives for performing recall repairs on a vehicle in the dealer's inventory; or (4) instructing that a dealer repair used vehicles of the line-make for which the dealer holds a franchise with an open recall, provided that the instruction does not involve coercion that imposes a penalty or provision of loss of benefits on the dealer.
C. A dealer may apply to the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch for adjustment to data, calculations, or statistical determinations of sales performance or sales and service customer satisfaction performance for any period of time that such dealer has at least five percent of its new motor vehicle inventory subject to a recall or stop sale directive and for 90 days after the end of such period of time. Within 30 days of application for adjustment, the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall use reasonable efforts to review and adjust the data, calculations, or other statistical determinations back to the date that the dealer was prevented from selling the new motor vehicles. A dealer applying for adjustment shall have the burden of showing that the prevention of sale had a material, adverse impact on such dealer's new vehicle sales performance or sales and service customer satisfaction performance, and the adjustments by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall use reasonable efforts to remediate the effect of the impact shown on the data, calculations, or statistical determinations of sales performance or sales and service customer satisfaction performance.
The manufacturer shall take into consideration any adjustments to a dealer's new vehicle sales performance or sales and service customer satisfaction performance made by the manufacturer under this subsection in determining a dealer's compliance with a manufacturer performance standard or program.
HOUSE BILL NO. 1232 FLOOR AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by Delegate Habeeb on February 9, 2016) (Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Habeeb) A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 46.2-1569, 46.2-1571, and 46.2-1572.4 of the Code of Virginia, relating to compensation of dealers for recalled vehicles.
HOUSE BILL NO. 1232 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the House Committee on Transportation on February 4, 2016) (Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Habeeb) A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 46.2-1529.1, 46.2-1569, 46.2-1571, and 46.2-1572.4 of the Code of Virginia, relating to disclosures by and compensation of dealers for recalled vehicles.
1. That §§ 46.2-1529.1, 46.2-1569, 46.2-1571, and 46.2-1572.4 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 46.2-1529.1. Sales of used motor vehicles by dealers; disclosures; penalty.
A. If, in any retail sale by a dealer of a used motor vehicle of under 6,000 pounds gross vehicle weight for use on the public highways, and normally used for personal, family or household use, the dealer offers an express warranty, the dealer shall provide the buyer a written disclosure of this warranty. The written disclosure shall be the Buyer's Guide required by federal law, shall be completely filled out and, in addition, signed and dated by the buyer and incorporated as part of the buyer's order.
B. A dealer may sell a used motor vehicle at retail "AS IS" and exclude all warranties only if the dealer provides the buyer, prior to sale, a separate written disclosure as to the effect of an "AS IS" sale. The written disclosure shall be conspicuous and contained on the front of the buyer's order and printed in not less than bold, 10-point type and signed by the buyer: "I understand that this vehicle is being sold "AS IS' with all faults and is not covered by any dealer warranty. I understand that the dealer is not required to make any repairs after I buy this vehicle. I will have to pay for any repairs this vehicle will need." A fully completed Buyer's Guide, as required by federal law, shall be signed and dated by the buyer and incorporated as part of the buyer's order.
C. A dealer that sells a used motor vehicle at retail that (i) is subject to a recall pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 30111 et seq. and (ii) remains unremedied at the time of sale shall provide to the buyer a written disclosure of the recall. If, at the time of sale, there is a remedy available for such used motor vehicle, the dealer shall disclose to the buyer that (a) there is a remedy for the recall and the buyer must return to have the dealer provide the remedy, if the dealer holds a franchise to sell as new and to service the line-make of such used motor vehicle, or (b) there is a remedy for the recall and the buyer must contact a dealer of the line-make to provide the remedy, if the dealer does not hold a franchise to sell as new and to service the line-make of such used motor vehicle. If, at the time of sale, there is no remedy available for such used motor vehicle, the dealer shall disclose to the buyer that (1) there is no remedy for the recall and the buyer must return to have the dealer provide the remedy when the buyer learns or has notice that the remedy is available, if the dealer holds a franchise to sell as new and to service the line-make of such used motor vehicle, or (2) there is no remedy for the recall and the buyer must contact a dealer of the line-make to provide the remedy when the buyer learns or has notice that the remedy is available, if the dealer does not hold a franchise to sell as new and to service the line-make of such used motor vehicle.
D. Failure to provide the applicable disclosure required by subsection A or, B, or C shall be punishable by a civil penalty of no more than $1,000. Any such civil penalty shall be paid into the general fund of the state treasury. Furthermore, if the applicable disclosure required by subsection A or, B, or C is not provided as required in this section, the buyer may cancel the sale within 30 days. In this case, the buyer shall have the right to return the vehicle to the dealer and obtain a full refund of all payments made toward the purchase of the vehicle, less any damage to the vehicle incurred while ownership was vested in the purchaser, and less a reasonable amount for the use not to exceed one-half the amount allowed per mile by the Internal Revenue Service, as provided by regulation, revenue procedure, or revenue ruling promulgated pursuant to § 162 of the Internal Revenue Code, for use of a personal vehicle for business purposes. Notice of the provisions of this subsection shall be included as part of every disclosure made under subsection A or, B, or C.
D. E. The provisions of this section shall not apply to motorcycles, trailers, or travel trailers.
HOUSE BILL NO. 1232 Offered January 19, 2016 A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 46.2-1529.1, 46.2-1569, 46.2-1571, and 46.2-1572.4 of the Code of Virginia, relating to disclosures by and compensation of dealers for recalled vehicles.
Patron-- Habeeb
Committee Referral Pending
This subsection shall not prevent a manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch from (1) requiring that a motor vehicle not be subject to an open recall or stop sale directive in order to be qualified, remain qualified, or be sold as a certified pre-owned vehicle or similar designation; (2) paying incentives for selling used vehicles with no unremedied recalls; or (3) paying incentives for performing recall repairs on a vehicle in the dealer's inventory.
C. A dealer may apply to the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch for adjustment to data, calculations, or statistical determinations of sales performance or sales and service customer satisfaction performance for any period of time that such dealer has at least five percent of its new motor vehicle inventory subject to a recall or stop sale directive and for 90 days after the end of such period of time. Within 30 days of application for adjustment, the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall use reasonable efforts to review and adjust the data, calculations, or other statistical determinations back to the date that the dealer was prevented from selling the new motor vehicles. A dealer applying for adjustment shall have the burden of showing that the prevention of sale had an adverse impact on such dealer's new vehicle sales performance or sales and service customer satisfaction performance, and the adjustments by the manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch shall remediate the effect of the impact shown on the data, calculations, or statistical determinations of sales performance or sales and service customer satisfaction performance.
The data on which the manufacturer or distributor seeks to rely under this section shall only be for a period or periods not excluded under subsections B and C. For any performance standard or program that is used by a manufacturer or distributor for measuring dealership performance during such period or periods, a dealer shall be deemed in compliance with any such program requirements related to sales performance or sales or service customer satisfaction performance of a dealer.
For a plain English description of this bill, comments, voting, tagging, etc., return to the main page for HB1232.
This is the actual text of the bill—the legislation itself. Generally this is amending existing law, proposing the addition or removal of words from laws that are already on the books, but sometimes it’s proposing an entirely new law.
Words that are highlighted in green are proposed additions to the existing law, and words that are crossed out in red are proposed to be removed from the existing law.
The numbers with the § symbol before them are references to existing laws, and if you click on them they’ll take you to that section of the Code of Virginia.
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Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide
Article Type All PC Game News PC Game Reviews Features
Date Year 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 Month January February March April May June July August September October November December
Sort Date Title
Civ BE Rising Tide Patch Makes Peace Less Ridiculous
By Alec Meer • 4 years ago • 25
Oh, Civilization: Beyond Earth [official site], how sad you make me. You work so very hard to make me love you but... well, maybe you're fundamentally unlovable. The Rising Tide expansion, that was a good try. You became more alien, less like your dad trying to wear a spacesuit, but gosh, you made a pig's ear of Diplomacy, didn't you? Bugs and bonkers design decisions…
Tagged with Firaxis Games, Sid Meier's Civilization V, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide.
Warpals – Civ: Beyond Earth’s Rising Tide Diplomacy Fix
When our Alec told us wot he thinks about the Rising Tide expansion for Civilization: Beyond Earth [official site], he grumbled about a nasty bug in its overhauled diplomacy system - a very playground bug. When you declared war on someone, your allies might not back you up. "Yeah, go on, I've got your back," they'd say, "go on, 'it 'im!" Then you'd 'it 'im.…
Tagged with Firaxis Games, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide.
Feature: Tell us
What Are We All Playing This Weekend?
By Graham Smith • 4 years ago • 118
Alice has been away this past week, and so I'd imagine is presumably playing the game of "If I swim to the other side of this loch and run away, perhaps I'll not have to return to work on Monday." The rest of us however remain on dry land and I've gathered the team to ask them what they'll be playing this weekend. Leave your…
Tagged with feature, Playing This Weekend, Samurai Warriors 4-II, Subterfuge, 80 Days, Armello, Concrete Jungle, League of Legends, Mad Max, Prison Architect, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide.
Feature: Rising fury
Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide review
Rising Tide [official site] is the first, and some might say much-needed, expansion pack for Beyond Earth, the sci-fi Civilization V spin-off which met a somewhat muted reception. It's out tomorrow, but I've spent the last few days with it. It's so much better. It's so much worse.
Tagged with feature, review, wot i think, Sid Meier's Civilization V, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide.
Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide Trailer Intros New Powers
By Joe Donnelly • 4 years ago • 31
Here's the latest Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide [official site ] trailer talking about hybrid affinities, overthrowing dictatorships, and combining harmony and purity in a part faux-propaganda, part technical rundown of what the upcoming expansion has to offer.
Tagged with Firaxis Games, Rising Tide, Sid-Meier, Civilization, Sid Meier's Civilization V, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide.
Over An Hour Of Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide
By Ben Barrett • 4 years ago • 23
In our initial preview of Beyond Earth's Rising Tide expansion [official site], Firaxis were keen to make it clear that the expansion would have a heavier sci-fi focus than the base game. They also spoke about the new diplomacy system, in which you interact with the leaders of opposing factions in hopefully more realistic ways. That's what has been detailed in not only a new…
Tagged with 2K Games, Firaxis Games, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide.
Watch 7 Minutes Of Civilization: Beyond Earth’s Rising Tide
By Graham Smith • 4 years ago • 23
A rising tide lifts all boats, it's said, and there's some hope that the watery Rising Tide expansion will lift all of Civilization: Beyond Earth's [official site] systems and not simply provide a new shimmering surface for the same old ideas. Find out whether that seems likely via a video demonstrating some of the oceanic mechanics below.
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January 27, 2017 10:56PM ET
Donald Trump vs. Madonna: Everything We Know
Pop icon and new president have been feuding for more than 25 years
Brittany Spanos
@ohheybrittany Follow
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Read the complete history of the ongoing feud between Madonna and President Donald Trump.
Win McNamee/Getty, Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty
As an artist and public figure, Madonna has always been forthright about her political opinions. She came out as a massive Hillary Clinton supporter during the 2016 election and has refused to mince words about her disdain for Donald Trump. The pair’s feud hit its peak following the pop star’s stirring, controversial speech at Saturday’s Women’s March in Washington D.C. following the inauguration, but they have been butting heads for nearly three decades now.
In a 1989 cover story for Time Out, Madonna attends a boxing match at Trump Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, but as she enters the building with then-husband Sean Penn, she is met with a flurry of photographers. She blames the lack of privacy and security on Trump himself. “Where am I supposed to go? What am I supposed to do? I can’t believe Donald Trump,” she said at the time. She also played a sideline role in the Mike Tyson and Michael Spinks contest, with her face appearing prominently on a ringside ‘Wanted’ poster. Later in the story, she and Trump get into a bit of scuffle as he suggests she take better seats even though she doesn’t want to leave behind her guest – the journalist accompanying her – all alone.
Donald Trump on Madonna: 'She's Disgusting'
The concept of Trump becoming president was presented to Madonna back in 1990 during a conversation for Interview Magazine when the then–real estate scion was first floating the idea of running. “With Marla? But he can’t be president if he’s had sex. That’s the rule,” she joked. The interviewer mentioned the now-POTUS’ desire to be like JFK and having to “prove that he’s a womanizer.” When the interviewer suggests that Trump has an “aura of power,” Madonna is dismissive. “He’s a wimp,” she responded, before alluding to the country’s tendency to cycle between choosing family men and “a guy with a dick,” as the singer put it, for the office. “Couldn’t we get someone more handsome?” she adds.
Trump, seeming to have forgotten that Madonna publicized her lack of attraction towards him, decided to link the two in the news once more a year later. At the time, Trump was dealing with tabloid gossip that claimed that he had broken up with Marla Maples. People‘s Sue Carswell called his office and spoke to a man named “John Miller” who claimed he was Trump’s publicist. “Miller” told Carswell that “important, beautiful women” like Madonna called his “client” all the time, asking him out. Both an associate of Trump and Maples confirmed to Carswell that John Miller was in fact Trump himself.
March on Washington – and the Aftermath
At the Women’s March, Madonna gave an empowering speech to the hundreds of thousands of attendees. One line, however, drew ire from conservative websites that focused on the violent nature of her words: “Yes, I’m angry. Yes, I am outraged. Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House. But I know that won’t change anything. We cannot fall into despair.” Madonna later clarified that she meant to examine the difference between feeling hope and despair in response to the election, noting that her words were intended as a metaphor and that she never aims to promote violence. Newt Gingrich told the press that she should be arrested, and a radio station in Texas has stopped playing her songs because of her “un-American sentiments.” As he is wont to do, Trump also responded to his critic during an interview with Sean Hannity for Fox News. “She’s disgusting,” he said. “I think she hurt herself very badly. I think she hurt that whole cause. I thought what she said was disgraceful to our country.”
In This Article: Donald Trump, Madonna
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Ballard High Brings Gun Violence to Center Stage
'Bang Bang You’re Dead' and 'Eric LaRue' are coming to local high school theater
Sydney Gladu
| Posted May 10, 2019
“I don’t do high school theater I do theater with high school students,” says Ballard High School drama teacher Shawn Riley. Riley’s philosophy on treating students like young adults played a role in his decision to put on Band Bang You’re Dead and Eric LaRue, two one-act plays focusing on gun violence in high schools, for Ballard High’s spring production (5/ 9‒5/11 and 5/16‒5/18, 7:30 p.m. $15. Ballard High School. 1418 65th St. 206.252.1000).
Riley says he also felt drawn to these plays—which are among the top 10 most produced U.S. high school one act plays each year according to Dramatics Magazine—because this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado and the 21st anniversary of the Thurston High School shooting in Springfield, Oregon. The plays will be performed back-to-back with a brief intermission in between.
Sixteen-year-old student director Lillie (who requested the use of her first name only) says the students have put a lot of thought into the performance and how to create an awareness around gun violence in the community. Lillie says that it is important to treat these plays as a piece of history and recognize how shootings have changed since the late ‘90s.
“When Bang Bang You’re Dead was written [in 1999], shootings were not the same as the one’s I have grown up with,” Lillie says. “It was more about understanding the person and addressing bullying as a catalyst; but now we know that we have to view [shooters] as outliers and tackle the bigger issues like gun control.” The topic is especially timely given there have been eight school shootings in the U.S. since the beginning of 2019.
The theater department teamed up with students from the school’s chapter of We Won’t Be Next, a Seattle-based student advocacy group against gun violence, to make sure the performances are an educational experience and don’t perpetuate gun violence. The performances will begin with a director’s note and after both acts there will be a discussion session, giving audience members an opportunity to discuss the content with the cast. Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Ribbon of Promise, a Springfield, Oregon organization promoting nonviolence in schools.
Riley says he is optimistic about the future after seeing his students’ eagerness to engage in politics and stand up to gun violence in the March For Our Lives rally in March 2018. Demonstrating for a cause that didn’t directly impact them wasn’t something that would have occurred to students when he was in high school, he says. “This is major.”
ArtsWest’s ‘The Last World Octopus Wrestling Champion’: Review
By: Niki Stojnic
Justin Huertas’ latest is a coming of age tale that wraps you up
5th Avenue Theatre’s ‘West Side Story’: Big on Sound, Light on Fury
A new louder-than-life production exacerbates a masterpiece’s one problem
Justin Huertas' Debuts New Musical at ArtsWest
'The Last World Octopus Wrestling Champion' is a story of a high school student who develops new abilities (the title may or may not be a spoiler)
Seattle's Chekhov-Only Theater Company Is Just What the Doctor Ordered
By: Gwendolyn Elliott
In its rigorous approach to Chekhov, The Seagull Project applies the work of the famous Russian playwright and physician as a salve for modern times
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German Ensan, 55, oldest world poker champion in 20 years
https://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Yosemite-featured-on-one-of-new-U-S-quarters-3194705.php
Yosemite featured on one of new U.S. quarters
Published 4:00 am PDT, Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Design of the California quarter image in the U.S. Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarter Program.
Photo: U.S. Mint
The tails side of a new batch of quarters scheduled for release this year will sport the image of towering El Capitan, in Yosemite National Park.
The new design is one of five that will be unveiled by the U.S. Mint today in a ceremony at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., touting the America the Beautiful Quarters Program, which will honor 56 national parks between now and 2021.
The Yosemite coin, which will be released into circulation in July, will be the third coin in the series following Hot Springs National Park, in Arkansas, and Yellowstone National Park, in Wyoming.
The program, "allows Americans an opportunity to carry a small piece of American heritage in their pockets," said Mint Director Ed Moy. "Yosemite National Park and the other four sites represent a selection of America's finest public lands, which all Americans should explore for themselves."
The drawing on the back of the quarter will show the spectacular 3,000-foot face of El Capitan, the tallest granite cliff and one of the most popular rock climbing spots in the world. The inscription will read Yosemite, California, 2010, E Pluribus Unum.
The 1,200-square-mile park, set aside by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864, was chosen by a panel of experts as California's representative. Every state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, will be represented on a coin over the next 11 years, Moy said.
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How Great Companies Think Differently
Great companies think different by Sumit Malhotra 0 views
Big Data & The Role Analytics Can P... by Agile Technologies 0 views
Good To Great by Tarun Yadav 0 views
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Data minig with Big data analysis by Poonam Kshirsagar 0 views
Strategic management for health car... by ibrahimzubairu2003 0 views
Dia Lao
This is an explanation and further exploration of Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s article: How Great Companies Think Differently, as published in the Harvard Business Review. This elaborates on the concept of institutional logic and its six facets, with examples of companies such as GE, Unilever, Heinz, P&G and more.
ADUWARD at ADUWARD
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lmjaxon
Milton friedman, a nobel prize laureate in economics, famously argued that the social responsibility of businesses is to maximize its profits but this simple act of profit maximisation is not sufficient. Profit maximisation should still be conducted whilst conforming to the rules of society and ethical customs.
NEED TO FIX!
1. How Great Companies Think Differently Dia Lao and Nicole Lingham
2. Friedman, M. (1970, September 13). The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits. New York Times Magazine.
3. Social/Institutional Logic Focus on generating money and on their choices of how to do so, they consider people and society as core to their purpose Invest in them in building enduring institutions Accompanied with economic and financial logic it is used as a guiding principle behind the practices of many widely admired and high- performing companies They are also vehicles for accomplishing societal purposes and for providing meaningful livelihoods for those who work in them
4. Six facets to Institutional Logic 1. A common purpose 2. A long- term view 3. Emotional Engagement 4. Building Communities 5. Innovation 6. Self- organisation
5. A Common Purpose A buffer against uncertainty and change by providing corporations with a coherent identity Purpose and values enforced by management at the core of an organization’s identity Clear institutional values when established can help with challenges of globalisation
6. A Long-Term Focus Willing to sacrifice short-term financial opportunities if incompatible with institutional values. E.g. HEINZ Developed guidelines for sustainable tomato production and processing in California Member of the Business Coalition of Sustainable Food Lab, whose key objective is to promote sustainability throughout the supply chain Expanded the market through community development and improving quality of life Heinz Micronutrient Campaign (HMC)-2001-present Waste reduction through packaging innovation and recycling
7. Well-understood values and principles can increase employee engagement, as it can be a source of emotional appeal. Adhering to institutional logic makes the regular articulation of values core to the company’s work. Investing resources and time in communicating values keeps social purpose at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Work is made emotionally compelling. This ensures that employees use the organizational values as a guide for business decisions. Emotional Engagement
8. Emotional Engagement The transmission of institutional values can evoke: positive emotions stimulate motivation propel self-regulation or peer regulation Emotion is one of the forces governing corporate performance and behavior inside organisations. Moods are contagious and can affect such issues as absenteeism, health, and levels of effort and energy.
9. P&G’s Best Job Commercial www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ywO8DR-5NY
10. Partnering with the Public Bring business and societal interests together Formation of public-private partnerships Partnerships can take many forms: International activities, large domestic projects, product or service development to address unmet societal needs or short term volunteer efforts It’s NOT sales or marketing; it’s a high-level conversation to demonstrate commitment to furthering the development of countries it is operating in
11. Hindustan Unilever – transformed village life in India Raised the incomes and living standards of the 45000 female micro-entrepreneurs Reduced the spread of a contagious disease by increasing access to hygiene products Centered on partnerships with the government-supported and microcredit-financed village self-help groups Project Shakti
12. Innovation Become credible when leaders allocate time, talent and resources to national or community projects without seeking immediate returns Encourage people from one country to serve another Institution building helps connect partners across an ecosystem, producing business model innovation Creating opportunities for individuals to use company resources to serve society furthers institution building goals
13. Aligning purpose to societal interests Product offerings include health care, water treatment, lighting, energy and more Market positioning is in a large intersection with societal interests Its core values is on the notion of using imagination and innovation “to solve the world’s biggest problems” $80 million workshop facility and training centre at Jandakot in West Australia to will address one of Australia’s big challenges, its engineering skills shortage Supports many local organisations whose goals it aligns with through its Ecomagination and Healthymagination initiatives (ex. McGrath Foundation, Lupus Association for medical research, and Engineers Australia)
14. Self-Organisation Institutional logic assumes that people can be trusted to care about the fate of the whole enterprise Employees make their own choices Managers in great companies understand that formal structures can be too rigid to accommodate multidirectional pathways for resource and idea flow E.g. EDS – came together outside formal structures to transform their business model
15. Kanter (2011) argues that great companies: Are more than money-generating machines Operate on “institutional logic” Are vehicles for accomplishing societal purposes Create frameworks using social value and human values as decision making criteria Build enduring institutions by aligning a company’s purpose with her six facets of institutional logic Urip (2010): Companies should consider profit, people and planet as values of creation to ensure sustainable growth opportunities. Porter & Kramer (2006) adds that business and society are interdependent. Companies act as vehicles for accomplishing societal purposes ---in a way that’s most appropriate to each firm’s strategy to optimise these investments in people and society. Conclusion
16. References Competing for the future. Hamel, G., Prahalad, C. K., Powderhouse Productions, Harvard Business School Management Productions and Harvard University. Graduate School of Business Administration (Directors). (2006).[Video/DVD] Boston, MA: Produced by Harvard Business School Management Productions in association with Powderhouse Productions. Czinkota, M. R., & Ronkainen, I. A. (2013). International marketing 10th Edition. Cengage Learning. Firms who drive for a better world. (2012). Strategic Direction, 28(5), 26-29. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.bond.edu.au/10.1108/02580541211222988 Friedman, M. (1970, September 13). The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits. New York Times Magazine. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com General Electric Company (2014). GE Australia: Our Company Citizenship. Retrieved January 27, 2014, from http://www.ge.com/au/company/citizenship/index.html Giffords, E. D., & Dina, R. P. (2003). Changing organizational cultures: The challenge in forging successful mergers. Administration in Social Work, 27(1), 69-81. doi:10.1300/J147v27n01_05 Gillier, T., Akin Osman Kazakci, & Piat, G. (2012). The generation of common purpose in innovation partnerships. European Journal of Innovation Management, 15(3), 372-392. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.bond.edu.au/10.1108/14601061211243684
17. Heinz Company (2013). Heinz Micronutrient Campaign. Retrieved January 29, 2014, from http://www.heinz.com/sustainability/heinz-micronutrient-campaign.aspx Kanter, R. M. (2011). How great companies think differently. Harvard Business Review, 89(11), 66-78. Leavy, B. (2012). Getting back to what matters - creating long-term economic and social value. Strategy & Leadership, 40(4), 12-20. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.bond.edu.au/10.1108/10878571211242902 Porter, M. E. K.,Mark R. (2006). Strategy & society: The link between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility. Harvard Business Review, 84(12), 78-92. Procter & Gamble. [hepimordkaTV]. (2013, February 17). Cool Ads - Best of 2012 - (P&G) Procter & Gamble - Best Job - HD. Retrieved January 29, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ywO8DR-5NY Urip, S., & EBL Ebook Library. (2010). CSR strategies: Corporate social responsibility for a competitive edge in emerging markets. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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© Kevin Callahan. All rights reserved.
Cousins Nikola Chavez, 4, and Ryan Callahan, 3, pose for a picture in Albuquerque, NM.
TAGS: New Mexico, United States
Kevin Callahan
Hampton, Virginia, United States of America
© Kevin Callahan.
Date Uploaded: July 20, 2011, 8:29 p.m.
PHOTO LOCATION Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
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New York learns all about those wily coyotes
Hilary Smith
A DEC wildlife biologist shared the habits and habitats of the versatile canine at a presentation at Finger Lakes Community College.
“I may know a lot about coyotes, but I’m not an expert,” Scott Smith told a crowd at Finger Lakes Community College on Oct. 23. “I don’t think there is a real coyote expert in the country.”
Smith, a wildlife biologist who has worked with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for 18 years, was not just being modest. It’s impossible to have a complete understanding of the coyote, he explained, because Canis latrans is one of the most adaptable, rapidly evolving species in the mammalian world. Coyotes’ size and color vary based on what part of the country they live in, and there are few things they won’t eat, few animals they won’t attack if challenged or in dire need of food.
“When it comes to coyotes, I never say never, and I never say always,” said Smith. “This animal is trying to decide what it wants to be. We’re getting to see evolution before our eyes.”The coyote’s range was limited to the middle Plains until the mid-1920s, when it began to spread eastward thanks to the extirpation — or local extinction — of major predators, like wolves and mountain lions, in the Northeast.
“Here, we really didn’t see a population established until the 1970s. Now, they’re everywhere — except on Long Island,” said Smith, though there was even a report of a coyote seen on Jamaica Bay in January, 2004.
As the coyote expanded, its diet expanded, too, beyond the moles, voles, mice and small birds it preferred on the prairie. Now, said Smith, it's easier to list what the coyote doesn't eat than what it does. In the summer, coyotes eat berries, insects and rodents; in the fall, they obtain their protein from abundant grasshoppers. They go for larger prey — white-tailed deer — specifically in late winter, when the ice crust atop the snow is thick enough to support the coyotes but thin enough that deer sink through it.
Coyotes have also been known to go after cats and small dogs, but Smith reminded the audience that coyotes are only one of a long list of predators that threaten outdoor pets. Coyotes generally won’t bother larger dogs, or medium-sized dogs that act submissively and acknowledge the coyote’s dominance. Encounters between dogs and coyotes tend to be most numerous in March and April, as that's when the coyotes are getting ready to have their litters, which range in number from one to about nine pups.
Many suburbanites, unaccustomed to having wild predators in their backyards, are surprised that coyotes can live in such a variety of habitats. Shoppers in Macedon were shocked to watch an injured coyote run into a crowded plaza there last March.
Attendees at Smith's presentation were shocked to learn that while a coyote family in a wilderness area like the central Adirondacks needs from 15 to 20 square miles of territory to survive, a family unit in a more suburban setting requires just two to three square miles. That's because of the abundance of food — squirrels, pets, garbage — in more populated areas.
Those two to three square miles don't need to be contiguous, either; coyotes can string together enough scattered small “greenways” like yards and fields to make up a complete territory, said Martin Lowney, state director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture wildlife services program.
Human-coyote encounters have become inevitable.
About half of the documented coyote attacks on humans have been on children, half on adults. A three-year-old girl was killed by a coyote in California in the early 1980s, and two children in New Jersey were attacked by coyotes this year.
But Smith said that most of the time, coyotes aren't a threat to humans. If you encounter one, the safest thing to do is to act aggressively. “Make noise, make yourself look as large and threatening as possible, throw sticks if you have to,” said Smith. Cowering is seen as prey behavior and could spur the coyote to attack.
Smith said “the DEC has adopted a zero-tolerance guideline for aggressive coyotes that threaten public health and safety.” He encourages people to call the DEC if they observe an increase in coyotes in the streets or in yards at night; if they see coyotes being aggressive toward adults during the day; if coyotes are seen hanging around areas with lots of children, like school yards; or if coyotes are chasing joggers or approaching pets on leashes while their owners are nearby. In the case of an imminent attack or an especially aggressive coyote, Smith says to call 911.
New York has an established coyote hunting season, running from Oct. 1, 2007 to March 30, 2008. Coyote hunting is permitted in all areas of the state except on Long Island.
For the past few years, a coyote-hunting contest in Honeoye has caused a stir. Hunters draw the animals into shooting range by emitting a call similar to that of a coyote in distress, and protesters have called the contest “barbaric.”
Irrespective of the controversy, biologists say that hunting is unlikely to significantly reduce the total number of coyotes in our area. They estimate that 80 percent of the coyote population would need to be removed each year in order to cause a significant decrease in their numbers. That’s partly because coyotes have a natural tendency to have more pups when their numbers drop.
DEC biologists and students of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry have been collaborating on a pair of research studies to learn more about the unpredictable coyote. They are tracking coyotes in Otsego and Steuben counties with radio collars and collecting coyote scat, or droppings, from areas across the state, in order to answer questions about coyote behavior, abundance and diet.
With their answers, the coyote may become a less mysterious, more predictable presence in New York parks, fields and backyards.
Hilary Smith can be reached at (585) 394-0770, Ext. 343, or at hsmith@mpnewspapers.com.
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A Great Mission
by Josephine Cusumano
A lot of good has come from the late Alexandra Scott’s determination to sell lemonade to raise funds to find a cure for childhood cancer. Just after her death in 2004 at the age of 8, her famous lemonade stand turned into a foundation, thanks to her parents Liz and Jay Scott, her family and the encouragement from supporters. Today, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation has raised over $140 million, helping fund research and offering support to childhood cancer families.
Locally, Philadelphia chef Marc Vetri and his business partner Jeff Benjamin, a Cherry Hill resident, were inspired by Alex’s mission and in 2006, hosted The Great Chefs Event—with its 12th annual event taking place on June 20—which now benefits both the foundation and Vetri Community Partnership. The event, in fact, has even spurred on additional iterations, hosted by fellow renowned chefs across the country including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City to further aid Alex’s Lemonade Stand. What’s more, it inspired a new cookbook, Alex’s Table, featuring recipes from world-class chefs, researchers and childhood cancer families alike.
South Jersey Magazine recently spoke with Liz Scott about the event, the foundation’s accomplishments and how our area rallied behind her family.
How the Great Chefs Event started...
[Marc and Jeff] hosted a dinner at Vetri [in Philadelphia] on what would have been [Alex’s] 10th birthday and they donated a generous portion of the sales to Alex’s Lemonade Stand, but [Jeff] said that was just the beginning. Shortly after, he wanted to do this food event and talked about [bringing] Philly chefs together, [putting on] an event and people would pay to come and walk through.
The first year was at The Restaurant School [and] we knew it was something special. … People came in, they met the chefs and talked to them about what they were doing, there was great wine and we made money the first year. … It’s really because of Jeff and Marc’s vision that this is something that people would be really interested in coming to.
On seeing the foundation grow...
When Alex said she wanted to have a lemonade stand to raise money, I thought it was cute and sweet, I just didn’t think it would raise very much money. I told her it would raise $5 or $10, so you can imagine that I’m pretty shocked to see that we’ve raised over $140 million. I think what surprised me the most was the way other people responded and how generous they were—not just coming to her stand, but sending donations and then some people having their own events and their own stands, just giving their time and talent to keep it going. It’s really just beyond anything I ever could have imagined or hoped for.
It’s hard to even answer that because I feel like [when] we moved [to the Greater Philadelphia Area] in 2001 [from Con - necticut], my fear when Alex wanted to set up a lemonade stand here—not knowing anybody because our family and lifetime friends were up there—was that it would be really hard to raise as much money because we didn’t have all those people that we knew. But the opposite happened. People just embraced it and offered to help and after she passed, it was people from the Philly area, people we knew, acquaintances, friends and supporters, who really encouraged us to start a nonprofit and to grow it. I feel like it almost couldn’t have happened anywhere else and, I’m sure it probably could have, but there was something special about being here and the community just coming together and supporting it. Even when we have [Alex’s Lemonade Days] in June, just going around the city and all around the area, and seeing how many people are supporting, is probably why I think that it’s pretty special.
On making the decision to start the foundation…
Before [Alex] died, she had a goal of raising a million dollars and she reached it. After she passed away, in my mind, that was the end of it because she had reached the goal, it was her stand and she was really the spokesperson for it, but the first thing that inspired us to keep it going was the fact that other people were continuing it, without us asking them to. … After talking to different people and weighing the options, we knew that starting our own nonprofit was an option ... [and] the more people we talked to, the more it just felt right. ... I would say the thing that convinced me the most was hearing from other parents ... one mom in particular, who I’m still in touch with. Her son was diagnosed within two weeks of Alex dying with the same cancer, and she emailed me saying how sorry she was, but she was so grateful that Alex had given us the opportunity to change it for other kids. I thought, you know what, she’s right. This is an opportunity, it’s not a chore. It’s not something we’re burdened with, it’s something we’re lucky to be able to do and from that point on, I was definitely willing to give it a try.
On what the foundation has accomplished so far…
The numbers don’t tell the whole story because behind the numbers are people’s lives. I would say the most exciting thing supporters of Alex’s Lemonade Stand and Alex, of course, [has been raising] significant money at a time where it could really have an impact because of technology, the way they’re studying cancer and what they know about cancer now, compared to 20 years ago when Alex was diagnosed. We were able to fill a lot of those gaps that were really stopping points for [making] progress. … [The] information now is so much more than when Alex started her lemonade stand and that’s not because of Alex’s lemonade, that’s because of the way everybody gets their information now. We’ve been able to fill in a lot of gaps that have really made a huge difference, so it was a combination of timing, being right for investing in it and being fortunate that Alex left us a platform to raise significant funds and to raise new money that previously wasn’t being raised for the cause.
On what’s next…
As much progress as we’ve made, it’s not even close to being where it needs to be. We feel like we need to raise significantly more money to accomplish everything we want to accomplish and to have the chance for all children who have cancer be cured. We’re continuing to grow, we always have a wishlist of projects and things we want to do for the cause when we raise money, so our growth is really driven by the needs that are out there.
For more information or to purchase The Great Chefs Event tickets, visit AlexsLemonade.org and VetriCommunity.org.
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Your gateway to universities in Europe
Study in London, United Kingdom
Home to over 100,000 international students from around the world
Tower Bridge II by Davide D'Amico, CC BY-SA 2.0, modified
Study.EU
Listed universities: 22
Largest universities:
London is the capital of the UK and one of the most vibrant metropoles in the world. With over 8.5 million residents, London is a bustling centre of activity in the south of the country. The city is full of a diverse array of cultures and subcultures, and offers a welcoming environment for students from around the world.
London dates back to the pre-Roman era, but is named for its Latin name Londinium. Even then London was a hub of trade and commerce, a reputation which it maintains to this day. Thanks to its long and rich history, London is full of landmarks old and new which make it a fascinating place to explore. From classic British icons like Big Ben and the Tower of London, to markers of its modern prowess like the London Eye and the Gherkin, there is plenty to see and do in London. The nightlife in London is some of the best in the country, and students can often find excellent deals on events in the city. So whether you are after an incredible night out, or a cultural experience you will remember for the rest of your life, London is the city for you.
Universities in London
London is seen as a centre of innovation and forward thinking, and this is due in no small part to the number of universities and higher education establishments in the city. In total, there are more than 40 universities in London, and thousands of study programmes you can enrol in - regardless if you are looking for a Bachelor, Master or Doctorate degree. The University of London itself is made up of many institutions, which often have specialised areas of study. University College London (UCL) is a more general institution, whereas The London School of Economics and Political Science is focused on its own subject areas. Both of these institutions frequently appear in rankings of the top 25 universities in the world. Altogether, the University of London has the largest number of students of any university in the UK. From the creative focus of Goldsmiths, to the research work of King's College London (KCL), you will find students of all disciplines within the city. Outside of the University of London, Imperial stands as one of the most impressive universities in the country. Often ranked among the top 10 universities in the world, it focuses on business and science. Universities in London generally have a strong focus on inclusivity and diversity, with policies in place to ensure that everyone is welcome.
Career opportunities for international graduates
London is not only a great place to study, it also offers a wide range of career opportunities for graduates of all sorts of subjects. Many of those who decide to study in London decide to stay there afterwards. Not that they would need to: A degree from a UK university will always be met with high regard internationally. London’s largest industry is finance: The City competes with New York as the most important financial center of the world, and countless banks, funds and insurance companies have offices there. Good to know for prospective students from outside the EU in need of a visa: The universities in London are usually fully accredited and recognized by the UK Border Agency as “Highly Trusted Sponsors”.
London is a major capital city, and as such students can expect to find accommodation potentially more expensive than elsewhere in the country or Europe. The cost of living is also higher than most other cities in the United Kingdom. However, do not let the cost factor discourage you: The hundreds of thousands of students studying in London come from all walks of life, and many institutions offer financial support if needed.
Getting there and around
As a large global metropole, London can seem quite daunting from those arriving from abroad, but the world-class transport systems in place in the city allows you to get around quickly. London was the first city in the world to build an underground rail system, and the “tube” is still the most important mode of transportation in the city.
Since London is made up of smaller areas, many of which were villages which got absorbed into the city, it is easy to get to know your own area quickly and it will soon feel like home.
London is well-connected: There is a total of 8 airports; the largest, London Heathrow, is the world’s third-busiest air transport hub. There are also numerous train connections to anywhere in the UK. The Eurostar train connects London with Paris and Brussels on the other side of the English Channel.
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Sea Gulls up one spot in D3hoops.com poll
MINNEAPOLIS – The latest D3hoops.com top 25 poll has been released and despite not playing in the past week, the Salisbury University men's basketball team moved up one spot to No. 22.
The Sea Gulls (9-0) garnered 107 points this week, 38 points behind No. 21 Wabash College.
Salisbury is out to the best start in program history, having won its first nine games of the year, and will be back in action this Saturday, December 22 after a 13-day break, traveling to Rowan University.
The Sea Gulls are joined in the top 25 from the Capital Athletic Conference by No. 18 Christopher Newport University, which climbed three spots this week.
To see the D3hoops.com poll in its entirety, click here.
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by Amanda O'Rourke
In what may have been one of the most polarizing presidential elections in U.S. history, voters needed accurate, unbiased information more than ever to help them make the most informed decision possible at the polls.
Three Susquehanna University students—Aminata Diallo, of Bronx, N.Y., Benjamin Foster, of Mobile, Ala., and Liam O'Brien, of Simsbury, Conn.—spent the summer doing just that as interns at Project Vote Smart in Philipsburg, Mont.
Vote Smart's Great Divide Ranch Research Retreat is nestled high in Montana's Rocky Mountains. There, staffers of every age and political leaning lay their partisan differences aside for the crucial task of providing fair, unbiased information to American voters. They research the backgrounds and records of thousands of political candidates and elected officials to discover their voting records, campaign contributions, public statements and biographical data.
Diallo, a political science and international studies major, found herself in the unique position of becoming an integral part of a democratic process that she cannot fully participate in because she has not yet gained full U.S. citizenship.
Diallo immigrated to the United States from Mali, West Africa, when she was just 9 years old.
"At the moment, I'm a permanent resident," Diallo explains. "The immigration process is very complicated and expensive. Though being a permanent resident comes with many benefits, a citizenship status will grant my family and me many more opportunities, such as voting in an election."
A lawful permanent resident is someone who has been granted the right to live in the United States indefinitely. Permanent residents are given what is known as a "greencard," which is a photo ID card that proves their status. Permanent residents continue to remain a citizen of their native country. So every time they travel outside the United States, they must carry the passport of that country as well as their green card and must use their green card to reenter the United States.
The rights of permanent residents are limited as well—they cannot vote and they remain subject to deportation.
After a certain length of time—five years in most cases—permanent residents who have shown good moral character and can speak, read and write English, and pass an exam on U.S. history and government can apply for U.S. citizenship (to naturalize).
While her naturalization is in process, Diallo, a sophomore, spent 10 weeks of her summer at Project Vote Smart, where she researched proposed legislation to help voters better understand the various ballot measures around the country.
The irony is not lost on Diallo. One of her many responsibilities at Project Vote Smart was working the Voter's Research Hotline, a resource voters can utilize if they have questions about a political candidate or issue.
"It was so interesting seeing the extremes and the in-betweens of both political spectrums," she says. "Even though I could not cast a ballot this year, I feel like my work at Vote Smart allowed me to help thousands of voters, whether it was through hotline calls or directly working in the political resource department."
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Erik Jones / No. 20 Sport Clips Toyota Camry Preview Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway
(Apr. 18, 2018)
· JONES AT RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY: Erik Jones will make his third-career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start this weekend at Richmond International Raceway. In his two previous starts at the track, Jones best finish was a sixth-place finish in the fall 2017 race. Jones also has four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts with three top-five finishes and a best finish of second at the Virginia track.
· JGR AT RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has 123 total starts at Richmond International Raceway in Cup Series competition earning 12 wins, 38 top-five finishes, 65 top-10 finishes and seven pole starting positions. The team has led 4,330 laps, completed 48,471 of 49,278 attempted laps (98.4%) and earned an average start of 13.8 and an average finish of 12.8. Kyle Busch leads the team with four wins followed by Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin with three wins each and Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards each scored one win for the team.
· BRISTOL RECAP: With rain and a winter mix plaguing the Bristol, Tennessee area, the Food City 500 was started on Sunday afternoon, but following several red flags for weather, NASCAR postponed the race to conclude on Monday afternoon. Jones and the No. 20 DEWALT Toyota Camry team started the race from the 13th position and ran as high as second before a loose wheel just shy of the halfway mark forced the team to pit road for a green-flag stop. Jones lost three laps and unable to get the laps back throughout the remainder of the race, finished the race in the 26th position.
· THIS WEEK ON THE NO. 20 CAMRY: Retuning to the car this weekend at Richmond International Raceway, Sport Clips will adorn the No. 20 Toyota Camry.
· POINT STANDINGS UPDATE: Following the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Jones remains 12th in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings.
· RACE INFO: The Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway is scheduled for Saturday, April 21, 2018. Coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on FOX, Sirius XM Channel 90 and MRN Radio.
Jones Career NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Richmond International Raceway:
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Challenge Cup Final 2017: Gloucester v Stade Francais Betting Preview
Gloucester and Stade Francais meet in the Challenge Cup final this Friday evening at BT Murrayfield, with both sides looking to cap off their seasons by lifting European silverware in Edinburgh. Take a look at Sports.net’s betting preview ahead of the big game.
Gloucester: Domestically, the Cherry and Whites have had a disappointing Aviva Premiership campaign, finishing in ninth place - twenty points off the top four and play-off contention. They’ve won three of their past six games in all competitions, including the magnificent 16-14 victory away to La Rochelle in the Challenge Cup semi-finals. The three defeats have all come in the league, away to Newcastle Falcons, Bath Rugby and, most recently, at home to joint leaders Exeter Chiefs.
Stade Francais: The Parisian outfit have won five of their past six games in all competitions, comprising three Top 14 matches and their Challenge Cup quarter and semi-finals away to the Ospreys and at home to Bath. Their nail-biting 28-25 victory over the men from the West Country went down to the final play of the game, and those five victories should mean Stade, seventh placed in the Top 14, travel to Edinburgh full of confidence and belief despite losing 27-26 to Montpellier last weekend.
After Lawrie Fisher’s departure as head coach, Gloucester have endured a troublesome season, and will be looking to end 2016-17 on a high by lifting their second Challenge Cup aloft. Previous winners in 2015 after a narrow 19-13 victory over Edinburgh at The Twickenham Stoop, they’re 10/1 to prevail by 11-15 points. Alternatively, the English outfit are priced 13/2 to win by a margin of 6-10 points.
Director of Rugby David Humphreys was critical of his side’s recent performance in their derby loss to local rivals Bath, and they’ll be looking for a much-improved performance against Stade. A Gloucester/Gloucester Half Time/Full Time bet offers odds of 12/5, whilst they’re 2/7 to win both halves in Scotland.
Captained by inspirational, talismanic Number 8 Sergio Parisse, Stade Francais have finished Challenge Cup runners-up on two previous occasions. After defeats to Harlequins in 2011 and Ireland in 2013, they’ll be hoping to finally get over the line in 2017. You can find the French outfit at a tempting 5/1 to win by 6-10 points, or you can find them at 9/2 to win by a narrower margin of 1-5 points.
Half-backs Will Genia and Jules Plisson will both have key roles to play as they look to guide their team to victory. French teams traditionally don’t travel well in Europe, but given the final is on neutral territory, the location of the game shouldn’t make too much of a difference. Because of this, and given their run of form and results coming into the final, Stade Francais should start as slight favourites.
Sports.net’s Top Tip: Half Time/Full Time - Gloucester/Stade Francais – 13/2
Published: Monday, 8 May 2017 11:19:50+00:00
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> Management
> Economics
Related topics: Business Development, Football, Marketing & Sponsorships
NFL Introduces Sporting World’s First Fully Digital Ticketing System
By: Michael Popke
Beginning this fall, Ticketmaster will provide the National Football League with the first open-architecture, fully digital ticketing system in all of sports. The move has the potential to significantly alter the game-day experience, according to Justin Burleigh, Ticketmaster’s chief product officer for North America — primarily in the form of less fraud and more fan-team connection.
“Our industry has fundamentally always been plagued by issues that are at the core of ticketing, which are anonymity and fraud,” Burleigh recently told CBS New York. “We’ve talked for a while over the last year about a case study at Orlando City’s soccer stadium, where they just went completely digital. They went from about 120 cases of fraud per game to zero. They had no fraud for an entire season, and for us, that’s one of the most important metrics of the shift.”
As CBS New York explains:
The anonymity of paper tickets, buying and selling, presents problems for both the team and consumer. … The team has no way of truly knowing who is in what seat in their stadium with paper tickets. Sure, they have the names of season ticket holders or group leaders that buy tickets in bulk, but they don’t know who receives the tickets after the initial purchase. Because of this, teams have been unable to connect with some fans at the games. As for the consumer (the fan), if they’re not the title owner of the ticket, the team can’t build a relationship with them or personalize their experience. Paper tickets also present a risk of fraud, with the seller making multiple copies of the same tickets and selling them to various people.
According to a statement issued by the NFL, the move to digital ticketing will allow teams to “gain access to a range of real-time insights … to help them better serve their customers and deliver a more secure in-venue environment.”
Ticketmaster rolled out its Presence venue software system in 2017, which is installed in more than 50 venues throughout North America. With it, the ability to convert paper to digital tickets provides content owners better control over how and where their tickets are purchased, managed and sold. The system also will be used for concerts and other events held at NFL stadiums.
“Ticketmaster Presence will help create smart venues and give fans easier, safer ways to attend events,” Jared Smith, president of Ticketmaster North America said in a statement. “Delivering the definitive digital ticketing system provides content holders like the NFL powerful new tools to service their fans.”
Whether the system will permeate sports events at the local and regional levels, however (much less regional and local events, including travel sports and youth events), is uncertain. After all, not all fans appear to appreciate this new approach. “Come on, Seahawks! We gotta keep those hold-in-your-hand tickets. It’s traditional. It’s real,” wrote Peter House, a Seattle Seahawks season ticket holder since 1997 ina letter to the team that was forwarded to The Seattle Times. “Ticketless entry just turns one more good thing into those ephemeral pixels on a screen. It will take all the fun out of giving tickets to my friends and family. What will I do now? Send them an email?”
If House doesn’t email his tickets to friends and family — opting instead to receive his season tickets in physical form — he could be assessed an additional $35 fee. The Seahawks’ punitive fee only applies to new season ticket holders this season, butTicketNews.comreports “that could change in the future, as could the penalty amount for those wishing to keep from being tethered to a mobile device [because a policy] has not been determined for any year beyond this one.”
And what about those fans who like to keep their ticket stub as a game souvenir? Ticketmaster is working on that, too, according to Burleigh.
“We’re all fans, we all love going to live events and working for a company where that’s at the core of what we do,” he told CBS New York. “I’m a guy who collects vinyl and has ticket stubs from when I went to shows when I was younger all the way up until recently. We are thinking pretty deeply about how [you can] have a digital experience but get a commemorative ticket or lanyard, those types of things. We’re not ready yet to announce what we’re thinking in that regard, but we are thinking about it.”
Michael Popke
E-mail Michael Popke
About Michael Popke
Content written by Michael Popke
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St Vincent's Private Hospital Toowoomba's $30 million theatre redevelopment The Chronicle
St Vincent's Private Hospital Toowoomba's $30 million theatre redevelopment
St Vincent’s Private Hospital Toowoomba will begin construction on a $30 million theatre redevelopment this year following the commitment of funds from St Vincent’s Health Australia’s Board and local philanthropist, Clive Berghofer.
CEO Kathryn McKeefry said she was delighted to announce the theatre redevelopment and looked forward to welcoming a new era of health service provision at the facility.
“We are humbled to receive a $5 million donation toward the project from Mr Berghofer and in recognition of this extremely generous gift our new development will be named the Clive Berghofer Operating Theatre Suite.
“Mr Berghofer has been a long-time supporter of St Vincent’s Toowoomba. He previously donated funds to our nationally recognised Intensive Care Unit, which also bears his name.
“Well known for his commitment to philanthropy across many different aspects of community life – but particularly health and research – Mr Berghofer’s generosity will benefit the health and well-being of future generations of South East Queenslanders and we acknowledge his charitable work.
“We also recognise the St Vincent’s Health Australia Board’s significant contribution to this project. It’s a remarkable investment in our community and its people and speaks volumes for the organisation’s confidence in Toowoomba's future.
“At the completion of this project, St Vincent’s Toowoomba will have six additional state-of-the-art theatres available to the community of Toowoomba and the Darling Downs,” she said.
Ms McKeefry said that in addition to the six new operating theatres, the $30 million theatre redevelopment would include a new 16 bed Recovery Area and a new Day Surgery Unit.
“This is an exciting milestone, not only for the hospital, but the entire community. It means they will have access to world class operating theatres, all equipped with cutting-edge international technology, on their doorstep.
“St Vincent’s Toowoomba has a reputation for the highest quality clinical care. Its dedicated and passionate staff and doctors are vital to our community. This project means they will be able to go on delivering the highest clinical standards and safety.
“We will be going out to tender for construction of the theatre redevelopment in August and expect preliminary works to commence in September. The major construction is scheduled to start in November this year, with project completion estimated for early 2018,” she said.
Ms McKeefry said during the theatre redevelopment, the hospital’s Cape Chestnut Café and kitchen will be moved.
“The hospital will continue to operate as usual during construction and, while there will be some movement of service locations on the site, we will be communicating these changes to the community during the life of the project.
“We will be working hard to ensure there is minimal impact on patients and families,” she said.
Media contact: Maree Parsons, Communications and Marketing, 0413 020 775
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(The British Library via Flickr)
The Talmud’s Deep Misogyny: No Women Allowed
There’s no way to sugarcoat it: Talmudic rabbis think women are dangerous sex fiends who should avoid Torah study—and as a consequence prescribe humiliating guilty-until-proven-innocent public shaming ceremonies
By Adam Kirsch
Literary critic Adam Kirsch is reading a page of Talmud a day, along with Jews around the world.
Should women study Torah? Today, most Jews would answer that question with a resounding yes—and not only Reform and Conservative Jews. Even Chabad, on the evidence of its website TheJewishWoman.org, sees the rise in women’s Torah study as an unambiguously good thing, evidence of “women’s deep desire to achieve spiritual fulfillment through talmud Torah.” (The same source offers a reassurance that a woman’s desire to study Torah is not necessarily a product of “contentious motives,” such as feminism.) But ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, Jews still exclude women from Torah study, and in this week’s Daf Yomi reading, we saw that the rabbis themselves were divided on the issue. The basic rule is that the mitzvah of Torah study, like many mitzvot, is not binding on women the way it is on men; when women study Torah, they are not fulfilling a commandment but doing so voluntarily.
But this leaves open the question whether this voluntary commitment is a good thing or a dangerous one—and here the rabbis disagree. As we read this week in Sota 20a, “Rabbi Eliezer says: Anyone who teaches his daughter Torah is teaching her promiscuity.” This harsh saying surprises the rabbis of the Gemara, who ask: “Could it enter your mind to say that teaching one’s daughter Torah is actually teaching her promiscuity?” This would suggest that the Torah somehow encourages promiscuous behavior, which is surely not the case. Rather, Rabbi Abbahu explains, it is not so much the content of the Torah as the mental training it provides that is dangerous. Abbahu quotes Proverbs to the effect that “wisdom dwells with cunning”: A woman who becomes wise by studying Torah will also become cunning enough to try to get away with sexual immorality.
The misogyny here is obvious: The Talmud is constantly exhorting men to Torah study, without ever fearing that their wisdom might turn into cunning. There is something about women, the rabbis believe, that makes them especially prone to sexual misbehavior. Rabbi Yehoshua makes this explicit in the mishna when he says, “A woman desires to receive a kav of food and a sexual relationship rather than nine kav of food and abstinence.” (As a measure of volume, a kav is a bit more than a quart.) For women, sexual appetite is stronger than the appetite for food; but this is apparently not true of men, for whom sex is less a compulsion than a religious duty to be performed out of obligation. The idea that women want sex more than men appears in many guises throughout the Talmud, as when the rabbis characterize sex as something that husbands owe their wives, rather than vice versa. Today, this may read like sex-positivity, but clearly that is not how the rabbis understood it.
Yet the mishna also records an opposing view. “Ben Azzai states: A person is obligated to teach his daughter Torah.” But this obligation is not the same as the obligation to teach your sons Torah, which comes from God. Rather, Ben Azzai suggests, you should teach your daughters Torah for a peculiar prudential reason, having to do with the ritual of the sota, which is the main subject of Tractate Sota. When a sota, a woman suspected of adultery, undergoes the biblically prescribed ritual test, she is forced to drink a potion the rabbis describe as “the waters of bitterness.” If she is guilty of infidelity, the Talmud explains, she dies a repulsive death instantly: “She does not manage to finish drinking before her face turns green and her eyes bulge, and her skin becomes full of protruding veins.” The Gemara expands on this horror-movie transformation: The sota also begins to menstruate, since “fear relaxes” her muscles and causes her blood to flow, and then she drops dead.
There is, however, a way for even a guilty sota to avoid this instant death. If she has gained merit in the eyes of God through Torah study, her punishment can be, not canceled, but significantly delayed, for a period of up to three years. And this is the reason why Ben Azzai tells parents to teach their daughters Torah, so that if they end up facing the bitter waters they won’t die on the spot. In the Gemara, however, this idea is challenged, and Ravina offers an alternative explanation. The way women gain merit, he says, is not through studying Torah themselves, but by enabling their husbands and sons to study it, “waiting for their husbands until they come home from the study hall.” In this way, Ravina closes the loophole that Ben Azzai opened up: Not even in the case of becoming a sota is it helpful for a woman to study Torah. The whole discussion leaves the impression that the rabbis are as eager to find reasons why women should not study Torah as they are to find reasons why men should.
In the course of this debate, the rabbis raise the larger question of whether and how the performance of mitzvot offers a tangible benefit. The Talmud often invokes the belief that a person engaged in performing a mitzvah is immune to harm. In Sota 21a, the Gemara analyzes this idea with reference to a verse from Proverbs, “For the mitzvah is a lamp and the Torah is a light.” By comparing mitzvot to a lamp and the Torah itself to the light of the sun, the verse indicates their relative power to banish darkness and evil. A lamp banishes the darkness only while it is actually being carried; even so, a mitzvah protects us only while we are performing it. The sun, by contrast, lights up the whole world “forever”; so too, the knowledge gained by Torah study protects us forever, in this world and the next. Rav Yosef offers a more psychologically complex formulation of this idea. In his view, we need protecting not just against external threats, but against our own evil inclination; and it is this temptation that mitzvot and Torah help us to overcome.
This aggadic discussion came at the end of a week’s reading that was mostly devoted to fine points of halachah, having to do with the exact way in which the sota ritual is performed. The Bible lays out the essentials: A woman is brought before a priest, offers a sacrifice of barley flour with oil and frankincense, and then drinks the “bitter waters.” This potion is made by combining water with dust from the floor of the Temple, and then submerging in it a scroll on which the relevant biblical verses are written, until the ink dissolves.
It seems straightforward enough; but as usual, the Talmud finds many gaps and ambiguities in the biblical instructions. For instance, the Book of Numbers seems to say that the woman drinks the water first and then sacrifices the meal-offering; but later it suggests that the meal-offering comes first, followed by drinking the water. Likewise, the Bible first says that the woman approaches the altar with the meal offering in her hand (that is, in a vessel she is holding), then says that it is the priest who holds the meal in his hand. Such ambiguities must be reconciled—in the latter case, the Talmud rules that the woman and the priest should both have a hand on the sacred vessel when it is waved in front of the altar. And the Talmud offers a description of exactly what happens when a meal-offering is sacrificed: The priest scoops out a handful of grain from the part of the bowl where the oil is most concentrated, then adds frankincense on top. The rest of the grain is given to the priests themselves to eat in any way they choose, though they may not bake it into leavened bread.
There is a kind of paradox involved in the whole sota ritual. It is explicitly designed as a test of a wife’s fidelity—that is, only after she swallows the bitter waters do we know whether the woman is guilty as charged. Indeed, if she is not guilty, the Bible offers her a kind of compensation, guaranteeing that she will become pregnant. But the whole ritual is designed to be a humiliating ordeal, in a way that suggests that the sota is already deserving of punishment even before her guilt is determined.
Two details in the Talmudic description especially stand out. First, the ordinary meal offering at the Temple was made of fine sifted wheat flour, but the sota’s offering is made of unsifted barley flour—which is, the rabbis point out, the kind of food you give an animal. This is appropriate, Rabban Gamliel says, because “just as her actions were the actions of an animal, so too her offering is animal food.” Second, the Talmud inquires what should be done if a woman refuses to drink the bitter waters and replies that in this case her mouth should be forced open with an iron hook. Both of these proceedings are designed to be degrading and violent, and above all public. Many women must have felt it was better to plead guilty to a false accusation than to undergo the humiliation of becoming a sota.
To read Tablet’s complete archive of Daf Yomi Talmud study, click here.
Adam Kirsch is a poet and literary critic, whose books include The People and the Books: 18 Classics of Jewish Literature.
Talmud study
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2014 Centennial: 100 Years in the Making
In 2014, the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) celebrated its centennial anniversary.
Over its 100 years, TAC has worked behind the scenes to support the development of Canada’s transportation system, most recently focusing on roadways and highways. As a way to celebrate TAC’s centennial, we created the Transportation 2014 campaign to remind Canadians that transportation – in all its forms – remains crucial to our nation’s success.
In reaching this milestone, we celebrated the past, present and future of transportation in Canada by inviting our members, partners, key transportation stakeholders, and students to take part in this year-long campaign.
A variety of high-visible events and activities, organized under the banner of the Transportation 2014 campaign, took place throughout the year:
Public Service Announcement – A 30-second public service announcement was developed and aired in both official languages across Canada to raise awareness of the role of transportation in Canada’s economic and social well-being.
Transportation 2014 Showcase – The Transportation 2014 Showcase, a museum-style exhibit, was held in Montreal, coinciding with the 2014 TAC Conference & Exhibition, September 28-30. The Showcase was themed as a trip along the TransCanada Highway, and featured transportation successes and challenges faced by Canada’s provinces, territories and municipalities. Specially-produced videos also offered insights on transportation-related issues and sectors, including Aviation, Trucking, Railways, Bridges and Tunnels, Ports and Seaways, Roads and Highways, Road Safety, and Sustainable Transportation. An online version of the Showcase featuring historical and current images provided by TAC members was developed.
Transportation in Canada: Transforming the Fabric of our Land – This book, guided by a steering committee, and written and edited by a series of subject-matter experts, highlighted major components in the development of Canadian transportation over the past century. It is available as a free download, in PDF format, in both English and French.
The Evolution and Legacy of Transportation Education in Canada – This monograph project, sponsored by TAC’s Education and Human Resources Development Council , was written in honour of both TAC’s centennial anniversary in 2014 and the transportation community.
Cross-Country Lecture Tour - Five lectures, hosted with the support of local partners and educational institutions, were held in Halifax, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal from March through September. Experts discussed and debated topical issues, impacting both the transportation community and the Canadian population.
TAC Centennial Video – In this video, key volunteers from the Transportation Association of Canada's Board and councils provided insights into the association's past, present and future. Uncut versions of all of the volunteer interviews are also available on the topics: What is TAC?; Why be part of TAC?; TAC’s Accomplishments; TAC’s Evolution; and TAC’s Future Challenges.
We thank our 20 partner organizations that provided substantial financial support to the Transportation 2014 campaign.
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617 S 4th St, Laramie WY 82070
Being Catholic Today
What is the Catholic Church?
We are the Church
What Do Catholics Believe?
Seeking something better
Monday | May 20, 2019 | 01:00 AM
By: Msgr. Owen F. Campion
Once upon a time, the Byles family, with Irish origins, lived in England. One son, Thomas, remained in England and was ordained a priest. The other, William, emigrated to New York.
In time, William was engaged to be married, and he wished for his brother to travel from England to officiate at his wedding.
So, plans were made for Father Byles to cross the ocean on the great luxury liner, the Titanic. He was one of three priests aboard the ship when it sank in the mid-Atlantic on April 15, 1912. The priests were among over 1,500 persons who went down with the ship.
One survivor recalled seeing Father Byles as he knelt in the middle of a group of passengers, leading them in the Rosary. Another survivor remembered an Austrian Benedictine monk, Father Josef Benedickt Peruschitz, moving among the many, many passengers who were from Central Europe, offering to hear their confessions in German. Father Juozas Montvila, a Lithuanian priest escaping czarist Russian persecution at home, consoled the doomed.
The loss of the Titanic long ago became a legend. At the time, it was the largest ship afloat, the largest machine ever built by human hands. Also, it was the grandest ship on the high seas. Its cuisine was of the finest gourmet quality. Its accommodations were spacious and luxurious.
These much-publicized creature comforts were available to first class passengers, who paid upwards of $84,000 in today’s money for a one-way ticket. News reports of the ship’s sinking almost exclusively concentrated on the high and mighty who were aboard.
Actually, the great majority of the passengers on the “Titanic” when it sank were not high and mighty. The majority of its people paid very little for passage, and while they travelled in conditions that were clean and tidy, they were served lamb stew and Guinness while the people in first class were offered the very best of prime cuts of beef, along with the finest French wines.
No count was kept insofar as religion was concerned, but very, very many of the immigrants on board were Catholics. According to survivors, several Masses were celebrated on the morning of the last day, and many people attended.
The full story of the Titanic brings two points to mind.
Catholic priests do not enjoy the best image today, but despite the wrongs committed and now exposed, the history of the priesthood contains the names of so many more heroes than villains. Look at the priests aboard the Titanic. Multiply them and their courage and dedication to God’s people, even at risk of their own lives, literally by the millions over centuries.
Secondly, from the beginning, when poor English men and women stepped ashore at what became Jamestown, Virginia, in 1604, America has attracted persons who want something better than struggling to live from one day to the next.
The refugees aboard the Mayflower in 1620 were fleeing persecution. So were the Catholics who came to found Maryland.
This history inspired the United States to make hundreds upon hundreds of provisions to receive “DPs,” Displaced Persons, after World War II. Likewise, this country took bold steps to make way for Hungarians 60 years ago in flight from Russian conquest of their country, and Vietnamese in similar desperation a few decades ago.
Think about the priests and immigrants aboard the Titanic. Think about the glory of our Church, and of its priests. Think about the history of America and how it has been a haven. This is who we are.
This article comes to you from OSV Newsweekly (Our Sunday Visitor) courtesy of your parish or diocese.
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INDYREF2 AND EMPLOYMENT LAW
Thu 9 March 2017
In an age of buzzwords, gimmicks and political turmoil, nothing is more frightening to the Westminster elite than the phrase ‘Indyref2’. Scotland voted strongly to remain in the EU, and if you believe everything you read this could lead to the end of The United Kingdom as we know it.
In times of political turmoil, it can pay to look ahead to possible legal changes. One of the warnings of the Remain side in the EU referendum was that a future Conservative Government, unbound from the EU, might quickly unpick many hard-won employment rights which originated in Brussels. Certainly there are some on the Leave side who have not held back in calling for a bonfire of “red tape”, including employment rights, following Brexit.
Whilst it is tempting to speculate, we must remind ourselves that the notification under Article 50 has (at time of writing) yet to be made, clearly there’s a long and twisty road ahead. Our belief is that the task of delivering Brexit will be so all-consuming and monumental, that there will be no substantive changes to employment law for some time to come.
Looking to the long term, it is safe to say that there will be change – most likely linked to the diverging paths Scotland and the rest of the UK might take as a result of the decision to Brexit. It is notable that Scotland is the biggest cheerleader for strong ties to the rest of the EU after Brexit takes effect. With a strong social democratic tradition, Scotland would probably be the least likely of the home nations to “water down” employment rights in the years following Brexit. It is quite possible that Scottish legislators will continue to enshrine EU employment protections into Scottish law in just the same way as previously happened, if only to ensure a high degree of equivalence between the jurisdictions.
Conversely, south of the border and with lack of effective opposition, Conservative Governments in the future might be tempted to bow to business pressure and cut through what is often characterised as employment rights “red tape”. Complex legal protections around TUPE (which applies to protect employment rights after one company has been acquired by another) and shared parental leave might be the first to go.
For more information on how our employment team can assist you, please contact us on 01733 333 333 or contact our London team on 020 3540 4444.
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AI’s Very Disruptive Time
A leader of Twitter’s AI efforts and a Harvard academic, Ryan Adams sees more industries using machine learning but expects those with the most data and computing power to remain in the lead.
by Nanette Byrnes
Ryan Adams knows his timing has been perfect. A professor of computer science at Harvard since 2011 and a cohost of the machine-learning podcast Talking Machines, Adams was leading a group doing research on intelligent algorithms when his 15-month-old machine-learning startup, Whetlab, was purchased by Twitter last summer.
Whetlab’s technology automates some of the hardest parts of building large-scale machine-learning systems. It was created to take on difficult machine-learning challenges like visual objection recognition and speech processing.
Harvard researchers started using the tool in a wide range of projects, from biomedical robots to chemistry problems, and Netflix used an early open-source version to experiment with deep learning as well.
Now on leave from Harvard, Adams spoke to Business Reports senior editor Nanette Byrnes at Twitter’s offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts, about the exploding interest in machine learning.
Artificial intelligence has moved from being a focus of academic study to a commercial tool. What’s driving that? New algorithms, fast computers, tons of available data?
As much as anything else, I think investment in AI has made a big difference. At this point, there’s been billions of dollars of investment by tech companies, and that makes things go faster.
Like Twitter buying your company. How can machine learning make Twitter better? Can you give an example?
There are immense opportunities for improving the way that Twitter content is organized, helping you find the new things that are going on, helping you discover communities that you can interact with, and just ways that Twitter can be a better experience for its users. One of the challenges you can imagine is combining the interesting information people provide links to and trying to understand that content as it relates to the content that’s on Twitter.
How much of AI techniques like deep learning are still a mystery?
Right now deep learning is very much on the empirical end of things. You know that important stuff is clearly going on. These [deep-learning systems] are doing cool stuff. We understand it very little, but they do work.
It can be difficult to define AI, and even the proper test of artificial intelligence is up for debate.
“Why don’t these companies feel like they’re giving away the farm when they give away their code and their ideas? Because other companies don’t have Google’s computing power, they don’t have Twitter’s computing power, and they don’t have the data.”
Part of the challenge of this is the need to anthropomorphize the concept of intelligence. We use the phrase “artificial” intelligence, as though intelligence isn’t a property of the world. We don’t call airplanes artificial birds, and they don’t have artificial flight. They have actual flight, right?
That’s a very anthropocentric view, that if there was another intelligent thing it would be artificial. And so I think it’s very hard to come up with a definition of intelligence that is not anthropocentric, and I don’t have one.
If you went back and you said to an early thinker about AI, 50 or 60 years ago, “You’re going to have with you at all times a device, and essentially it can answer any question that you’d like to answer across a huge range of topics; it can understand your voice and provide a view on any place in the world, tell you how to get from point A to point B”—if you explained in the abstract what your smartphone is capable of doing via Google and various kinds of mapping tools and Siri—I think that person would say, “That’s AI.” Yet what we expect from the tools that we use just changes massively over time.
So far companies have been remarkably open about sharing AI insights, releasing open-source software, allowing staff to publish papers and speak at conferences, and so on. How long do you think that will last?
Opening up the code is good for contributing back to the community, helps recruit top machine-learning talent, and also lets companies take advantage of improvements the larger community makes to the tools.
Why don’t these companies feel like they’re giving away the farm when they give away their code and their ideas? Because other companies don’t have Google’s computing power, they don’t have Twitter’s computing power, and they don’t have the data, right? So you can have the ideas. You can have the code. But if you don’t have the data and you don’t have the horsepower, what are you going to do with them?
What form do you think AI will take?
AI doesn’t look very much like a robot that’s suddenly very smart to me, I don’t think. I think AI just looks like tools that get better and better all the time.
One thing I do worry about is that I think we’re on the cusp of having the ability (with machine learning and AI) to synthesize media to create something that’s very difficult to distinguish from the real thing. These are very dangerous tools to have in a society that depends increasingly on things like video to represent truth.
TaggedAI, Machine learning
Nanette Byrnes
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A thought for those who work so that we may celebrate
Calcutta metro employees work tirelessly during the festive season, enabling pandal hoppers to get home safely
By The Telegraph
Kavi Subhas Metro Railway Station, Calcutta File picture
Sir — There is a reason why the metro railway in Calcutta is called the lifeline of the city. The road space available in the eastern metropolis is not adequate; this makes traffic congestion almost a regular phenomenon. In such a situation, the metro is the most convenient way for commuting within the city. However, this would not have been possible without the service rendered by the employees of the Calcutta metro. Even during Durga Puja, they work tirelessly through the night so that pandal hoppers can get back home safely.
Badshah Chakraborty,
Senseless violence
Sir — The editorial, “Why migrant workers are seen as dispensable” (Oct 10), was right in blaming politicians for the attacks on north Indians in Gujarat. Some political leaders deliberately incited violence in order to reap electoral dividends.
An infant, barely 14 months old, was allegedly raped in Sabarkantha district by a migrant worker from Bihar. There is no doubt that the perpetrator should receive maximum punishment for committing such a grievous crime. But the hate crimes against migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in Gujarat after the rape case came to light are also condemnable.
The situation in the western state reminds one of the anti-outsider agitation in Maharashtra in the 1960s. In Gujarat, migrant workers have played a stellar role in propelling the economy. Therefore, it is sad that they should now face such hostility. The developments in Gujarat can also hamper the international image of India as an investment destination. It is thus the responsibility of the prime minister, Narendra Modi, who himself hails from Gujarat, to intervene and calm the tempers.
Jayanta Datta,
Sir — The Congress president, Rahul Gandhi, has linked the attacks on Hindi-speaking migrants in Gujarat to unemployment. One feels that the Congress leader is right. At a time when unemployment rates are high, the youth in Gujarat are becoming increasingly wary of outsiders taking away the few jobs that the economy is generating.
According to a report of the International Labour Organization, India will have 18.9 million unemployed persons in 2019. In light of this, the government should not only try to create more jobs but also impart skills to the youth to improve their employability.
Mohd. Faheem,
Sir — Tarring an entire community for one man’s crime is an old ploy of nativist outfits across the world. However, the anti-migrant protests in Gujarat still came as a shock. Incidentally, people from Gujarat were one of the first groups in India to seek opportunities in distant lands. The attacks on migrants will tarnish the reputation of Gujarat.
Moreover, every Indian has the right to work anywhere in the country. The state government must prosecute all those who participated in the violence.
Khokan Das,
Sir — It is unfortunate that migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were attacked in Gujarat. Following the rape of a toddler by a migrant, scores of hate-spewing, anti-migrant social media posts were shared in the western state. This ultimately precipitated the violence.
We must remember that no state belongs to any particular community. All Indians can live and settle anywhere they want to. The spirit of the Constitution must be maintained at all times and by everyone.
Mahesh Kumar,
Indian captain Virat Kohli with teammate Kuldeep Yadav after winning the first Test cricket match between India and West Indies at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot, on October 6, 2018 Source: AFP
Facile victory
Sir — Is India’s victory in the first Test match against the West Indies something to write home about? We all know the current West Indies are a mediocre team with no credible bowling attack. They hardly have any batting depth either. Naturally, the contest was a completely one-sided affair with Indian batsmen and bowlers calling the shots right from day one. There is no denying, however, that the much-needed victory after the humiliation in England has given India a measure of self-confidence.
But the question is — by simply beating a weak side, can India really claim to be a team of distinction? Piling up runs on a flat pitch and on home conditions, and that, too, against the West Indies could not have been difficult.
Such one-sided matches are also not good for the game. The empty stands at the Rajkot stadium bore testimony to the fact that cricket fans these days love well-contested matches and not one-sided affairs, even when the home team has the upper hand.
Aditya Mukherjee,
Sir — India notched up their biggest victory in Test cricket against the West Indies at Rajkot. The Virat Kohli-led side defeated the Caribbeans by an innings and 272 runs. The result, however, did not come as a surprise to those who follow cricket. The islanders in the last few decades have lost much of their cricketing glory which they earned during the seventies and the eighties when they had players like Wes Hall, Gary Sobers, Rohan Kanhai and Clive Lloyd, to name a few. One hopes the visitors will show some improvement in the remaining matches.
However, the result in Rajkot must have come as a welcome breather to the beleaguered Indian coach, Ravi Shastri.
Debasish Chatterjee,
Calcutta metro
Migrant children
A formula for resurgence in Bengal
The Left now faces the prospect of extinction
When the losers are as good as the winners
Urgent action needed to help children living in poverty
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'Stimulus Opponents Aren't Accurately Describing the Stimulus'
Derek Thompson
And who said Washington couldn't think long-term?
With 16.5 percent of the country unemployed or underemployed, Congress seems more preoccupied with our future ability to borrow money than our current ability to keep teachers employed and give jobless families money to pay for food and air conditioning. It's swell to see Congress rediscover the virtue of farsightedness, but it couldn't have come at a worse time, says Brookings fellow Gary Burtless. We chatted today about whether stimulus critics understand the stimulus, and why "jobs bill" is such as elusive idea. An edited transcript follows:
The stimulus debate essentially comes down to the question: Is short-term stimulus and long-term deficit reduction totally incompatible? David Brooks, for example, writes that "debt-fueled government spending doesn't increase confidence. It destroys it." Do you agree?
I think trying to reduce the deficit in the next couple of years is likely to harm employment growth. Period. Full stop. I think the argument that says, "oh well the reason everybody is hesitating to make investments to create jobs is their uncertainty about what the fiscal position of the US is in 2018 or 2028" is nonsense for most ordinary consumers. Tax levels in 2018 is not part of the decision to buy today or defer purchases. For business psychology, I find it preposterous to think that an entrepreneur is delaying or putting off the start of a business because of unknown tax levels. Businesses didn't know what taxes they were going to pay in 1969 or or 1999 when they were adding jobs a tremendous rate. The reason they were hiring was that animal spirits were running high, and they could see plenty of consumers who wanted to buy what they produced.
This notion that ultrarationalist economists have about business consumers in 2018 is removed from actual human psychology. I'm shocked it's gotten credence among economists and public officials. I don't know what in the world they are thinking.
What about the public? They aren't so hot on the stimulus, either.
The fact that the general public doesn't think the stimulus works suggests to me they're answering the question: "What is the current economic outlook?" They're not making a sophisticated judgment. The question they should be asking is whether the current outlook is better or worse than it would have been if the financial rescue package or stimulus in 2009 had not been undertaken.
Stimulus critics are pointing to the record amount of cash hoarding among corporations to show that companies are nervous about making future investments. How do you explain all of this reluctance among companies to spend?
Companies entered the recession with huge cash balances. The cash hoards helped them to withstand the recession. Through the downturn, many corporations acted in very conservative ways. Not only did they hoard, they took all kinds of steps to reduce cash outlays. They reduced employment. They reduced hours more than we thought they would. I think they wanted to protect themselves from the meteor shower to guarantee their access to the levels of credit they were used to.
Let's move to the actual stimulus bill. People are calling this a jobs bill. But it seems to me that the actual meat of the plan -- billions of dollars for cash-poor families and state governments -- isn't really about creating jobs, if that's even possible for the federal government to do. It's about sustaining demand and public sector employment to create the conditions under which job creation is more likely. Is that more accurate?
Basically. Extending unemployment benefits holds up consumer demand for necessities: making timely mortgage payments, buying groceries, paying doctors' bills. If you look across industries, spending on necessities besides housing has held up pretty well. I haven't seen a decline in grocery store employment or in the health sector. The unique thing has been the scale of fiscal relief to state governments. States would have had to raise taxes, or curtail spending, or both, much more.
Why do think the administration has had trouble selling something as simple as "we saved you from tax increases and much higher unemployment"?
Stimulus opponents, including lots of good economists, aren't accurately describing what Congress passed. Stimulus for many reporters, economists, and politicians means the government is out there engaged in government activities it would not have otherwise engaged in. But that's not what the stimulus is. For the first two years, it's overwhelmingly two things: assistance to state governments to help them maintain spending or not raise taxes; and direct increases in net disposable income by reducing taxes or increasing benefits. If you think the federal government doesn't know how to spend money, you should love this stimulus package! The political debate cannot describe what's been done, and it has reached 180 degrees the wrong conclusion.
So let's say you're the czar of the Congress. What kind of stimulus would you like to pass by fiat?
Given the severity of the employment, it would have been better if there was more spending on public capital. We could have made a powerful case that the government should be doing what FDR was doing: build a damn, build a highway, put up buildings ... we're going to need them anyway! Construction has fallen 25% since December 2007. Do we think it's a great idea to let a quarter of that industry stand idle with all of these unmet public sector needs? The government can borrow at a low rate. It's cheap to hire all these unemployed construction workers. We want better trains, subways, water systems. We should do that now that it's cheap to borrow.
Derek Thompson is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he writes about economics, technology, and the media. He is the author of Hit Makers and the host of the podcast Crazy/Genius.
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The Curse of Econ 101
When it comes to basic policy questions such as the minimum wage, introductory economics can be more misleading than it is helpful.
James Kwak
Bettmann / Getty
In a rich, post-industrial society, where most people walk around with supercomputers in their pockets and a person can have virtually anything delivered to his or her doorstep overnight, it seems wrong that people who work should have to live in poverty. Yet in America, there are more than ten million members of the working poor: people in the workforce whose household income is below the poverty line. Looking around, it isn’t hard to understand why. The two most common occupations in the United States are retail salesperson and cashier. Eight million people have one of those two jobs, which typically pay about $9–$10 per hour. It’s hard to make ends meet on such meager wages. A few years ago, McDonald’s was embarrassed by the revelation that its internal help line was recommending that even a full-time restaurant employee apply for various forms of public assistance.
Poverty in the midst of plenty exists because many working people simply don’t make very much money. This is possible because the minimum wage that businesses must pay is low: only $7.25 per hour in the United States in 2016 (although it is higher in some states and cities). At that rate, a person working full-time for a whole year, with no vacations or holidays, earns about $15,000—which is below the poverty line for a family of two, let alone a family of four. A minimum-wage employee is poor enough to qualify for food stamps and, in most states, Medicaid. Adjusted for inflation, the federal minimum is roughly the same as in the 1960s and 1970s, despite significant increases in average living standards over that period. The United States currently has the lowest minimum wage, as a proportion of its average wage, of any advanced economy, contributing to today’s soaring levels of inequality. At first glance, it seems that raising the minimum wage would be a good way to combat poverty.
The argument against increasing the minimum wage often relies on what I call “economism”—the misleading application of basic lessons from Economics 101 to real-world problems, creating the illusion of consensus and reducing a complex topic to a simple, open-and-shut case. According to economism, a pair of supply and demand curves proves that a minimum wage increases unemployment and hurts exactly the low-wage workers it is supposed to help. The argument goes like this: Low-skilled labor is bought and sold in a market, just like any good or service, and its price should be set by supply and demand. A minimum wage, however, upsets this happy equilibrium because it sets a price floor in the market for labor. If it is below the natural wage rate, then nothing changes. But if the minimum (say, $7.25 an hour) is above the natural wage (say, $6 per hour), it distorts the market. More people want jobs at $7.25 than at $6, but companies want to hire fewer employees. The result: more unemployment. The people who are still employed are better off, because they are being paid more for the same work; their gain is exactly balanced by their employers’ loss. But society as a whole is worse off, as transactions that would have benefited both buyers and suppliers of labor will not occur because of the minimum wage. These are jobs that someone would have been willing to do for less than $6 per hour and for which some company would have been willing to pay more than $6 per hour. Now those jobs are gone, as well as the goods and services that they would have produced.
The minimum wage has been a hobgoblin of economism since its origins. Henry Hazlitt wrote in Economics in One Lesson, “For a low wage you substitute unemployment. You do harm all around, with no comparable compensation.” In Capitalism and Freedom, Milton Friedman patronizingly described the minimum wage as “about as clear a case as one can find of a measure the effects of which are precisely the opposite of those intended by the men of good will who support it.” Because employers will not pay people more money than their work is worth, he continued, “insofar as minimum-wage laws have any effect at all, their effect is clearly to increase poverty.” Jude Wanniski similarly concluded in The Way the World Works, “Every increase in the minimum wage induces a decline in real output and a decline in employment.” On the campaign trail in 1980, Ronald Reagan said, “The minimum wage has caused more misery and unemployment than anything since the Great Depression.” Think tanks including Cato, Heritage, and the Manhattan Institute have reliably attacked the minimum wage for decades, all the while emphasizing the key lesson from Economics 101: Higher wages cause employers to cut jobs.
In today’s environment of increasing economic inequality, the minimum wage is a centerpiece of political debate. California, New York City, and Seattle are all raising their minimums to $15, and President Barack Obama called for a federal minimum of $10.10. An army of commentators has responded by reminding us of what we should have learned in Economics 101. In The Wall Street Journal, the economist Richard Vedder explained, “If the price of something rises, people buy less of it—including labor. Thus governmental interferences such as minimum-wage laws lower the quantity of labor demanded.” Writing for Forbes, Tim Worstall offered a mathematical proof: “A reduction in wage costs of some few thousand dollars increases employment. Obviously therefore a rise in wage costs of four or five times that is going to have significant unemployment effects. QED: A $15 minimum wage is going to destroy many jobs.” (Of theoretical arguments in favor of a higher minimum wage, he continued, “I’m afraid I really just don’t believe those arguments.”) Jonah Goldberg of the American Enterprise Institute and National Review chimed in, “A minimum wage is no different from a tax on firms that use low-wage and unskilled labor. And if there’s anything that economists agree upon, it’s that if you tax something you get less of it.”
The real impact of the minimum wage, however, is much less clear than these talking points might indicate. Looking at historical experience, there is no obvious relationship between the minimum wage and unemployment: adjusted for inflation, the federal minimum was highest from 1967 through 1969, when the unemployment rate was below 4 percent—a historically low level. When economists try to tackle this question, they come up with all sorts of results. In 1994, David Card and Alan Krueger evaluated an increase in New Jersey’s minimum wage by comparing fast-food restaurants on both sides of the New Jersey-Pennsylvania border. They concluded, “Contrary to the central prediction of the textbook model ... we find no evidence that the rise in New Jersey’s minimum wage reduced employment at fast-food restaurants in the state.”
Card and Krueger’s findings have been vigorously contested across dozens of empirical studies. Today, people on both sides of the debate can cite papers supporting their position, and reviews of the academic research disagree on what conclusions to draw. David Neumark and William Wascher, economists who have long argued against the minimum wage, reviewed more than one hundred empirical papers in 2006. Although the studies had a wide range of results, they concluded that the “preponderance of the evidence” indicated that a higher minimum wage does increase unemployment. On the other hand, two recent meta-studies (which pool together the results of multiple analyses) have found that increasing the minimum wage does not have a significant impact on employment. In the past several years, a new round of sophisticated analyses comparing changes in employment levels between neighboring counties also found “strong earnings effects and no employment effects of minimum wage increases.” (That is, the number of jobs stays the same and workers make more money.) Not surprisingly, Neumark and Wascher have contested this approach. The profession as a whole is divided on the topic: When the University of Chicago Booth School of Business asked a panel of prominent economists in 2013 whether increasing the minimum wage to $9 would “make it noticeably harder for low-skilled workers to find employment,” the responses were split down the middle.
The idea that a higher minimum wage might not increase unemployment runs directly counter to the lessons of Economics 101. According to the textbook, if labor becomes more expensive, companies buy less of it. But there are several reasons why the real world does not behave so predictably. Although the standard model predicts that employers will replace workers with machines if wages increase, additional labor-saving technologies are not available to every company at a reasonable cost. Small employers in particular have limited flexibility; at their scale, they may not be able to maintain their operations with fewer workers. (Imagine a local copy shop: No matter how fast the copy machine is, there still needs to be one person to deal with customers.) Therefore, some companies can’t lay off employees if the minimum wage is increased. At the other extreme, very large employers may have enough market power that the usual supply-and-demand model doesn’t apply to them. They can reduce the wage level by hiring fewer workers (only those willing to work for low pay), just as a monopolist can boost prices by cutting production (think of an oil cartel, for example). A minimum wage forces them to pay more, which eliminates the incentive to minimize their workforce.
In the above examples, a higher minimum wage will raise labor costs. But many companies can recoup cost increases in the form of higher prices; because most of their customers are not poor, the net effect is to transfer money from higher-income to lower-income families. In addition, companies that pay more often benefit from higher employee productivity, offsetting the growth in labor costs. Justin Wolfers and Jan Zilinsky identified several reasons why higher wages boost productivity: They motivate people to work harder, they attract higher-skilled workers, and they reduce employee turnover, lowering hiring and training costs, among other things. If fewer people quit their jobs, that also reduces the number of people who are out of work at any one time because they’re looking for something better. A higher minimum wage motivates more people to enter the labor force, raising both employment and output. Finally, higher pay increases workers’ buying power. Because poor people spend a relatively large proportion of their income, a higher minimum wage can boost overall economic activity and stimulate economic growth, creating more jobs. All of these factors vastly complicate the two-dimensional diagram taught in Economics 101 and help explain why a higher minimum wage does not necessarily throw people out of work. The supply-and-demand diagram is a good conceptual starting point for thinking about the minimum wage. But on its own, it has limited predictive value in the much more complex real world.
Even if a higher minimum wage does cause some people to lose their jobs, that cost has to be balanced against the benefit of greater earnings for other low-income workers. A study by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that a $10.10 minimum would reduce employment by 500,000 jobs but would increase incomes for most poor families, moving 900,000 people above the poverty line. Similarly, a recent paper by the economist Arindrajit Dube finds that a 10 percent raise in the minimum wage should reduce the number of families living in poverty by around 2 percent to 3 percent. The economists polled in the 2013 Chicago Booth study thought that increasing the minimum wage would be a good idea because its potential impact on employment would be outweighed by the benefits to people who were still able to find jobs. Raising the minimum wage would also reduce inequality by narrowing the pay gap between low-income and higher-income workers.
In short, whether the minimum wage should be increased (or eliminated) is a complicated question. The economic research is difficult to parse, and arguments often turn on sophisticated econometric details. Any change in the minimum wage would have different effects on different groups of people, and should also be compared with other policies that could help the working poor—such as the negative income tax (a cash grant to low-income households, similar to today’s Earned Income Tax Credit) favored by Milton Friedman, or the guaranteed minimum income that Friedrich Hayek assumed would exist.
Nevertheless, when the topic reaches the national stage, it is economism’s facile punch line that gets delivered, along with its all-purpose dismissal: people who want a higher minimum wage just don’t understand economics (although, by that standard, several Nobel Prize winners don’t understand economics). Many leading political figures largely repeat the central theses of economism, claiming that they have only the best interests of the poor at heart. In the 2016 presidential campaign, Senator Marco Rubio opposed increasing the minimum wage because companies would then substitute capital for labor: “I’m worried about the people whose wage is going to go down to zero because you’ve made them more expensive than a machine.” Senator Ted Cruz also chimed in on behalf of the poor, saying, “the minimum wage consistently hurts the most vulnerable.” Senator Rand Paul explained, “when the [minimum wage] is above the market wage it causes unemployment” because it reduces the number of employees whom companies can afford to hire. The former governor Jeb Bush also invoked Economics 101, saying that wages should be left “to the private sector,” meaning companies like Walmart, which “raised wages because of supply and demand.” For Congressman Paul Ryan, raising the minimum wage is “bad economics” and “will hurt the economy because it raises the price of labor.”
This conviction that the minimum wage hurts the poor is an example of economism in action. Economists have many different opinions on the subject, based on different theories and research studies, but when it comes to public debate, one particular result of one particular model is presented as an unassailable economic theorem. (Politicians advocating for a higher minimum wage, by contrast, tend to avoid economic models altogether, instead arguing in terms of fairness or helping the poor.) This happens partly because the competitive market model taught in introductory economics classes is simple, clear, and memorable. But it also happens because there is a large interest group that wants to keep the minimum wage low: businesses that rely heavily on cheap labor.
The restaurant industry has been a major force behind the advertising and public relations campaigns opposing the minimum wage, including many of the op-ed articles repeating the basic lesson of supply and demand. For example, Andy Puzder, the CEO of a restaurant company (and President-elect Trump’s nominee to lead the Labor Department), explained in The Wall Street Journal, “Every retailer has locations that are profitable, but only marginally. Increased labor costs can push these stores over the line and into the loss column. When that happens, companies that want to stay competitive will close them.” As a result, “broad increases in the minimum wage destroy jobs and hurt the working-class Americans that they are supposed to help.” A recent study by researchers at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, however, found that higher minimum wages have not affected either the number of restaurants or the number of people that they employ, contrary to the industry’s dire predictions, while they have modestly increased workers’ pay. Because restaurant closings do not seem to increase, the implication is that paying employees more cuts into excess profits—profits beyond those necessary to stay in business. Or, as the financial commentator Barry Ritholtz put it, “raising the minimum wage works as a wealth transfer, from shareholders and franchisees, to minimum wage workers.” But instead of greedily demanding higher profits, industry executives can invoke Economics 101, which provides a simple explanation of the world that serves their interests.
The fact that this is the debate already demonstrates the historical influence of economism. Once upon a time, the major issue affecting workers’ wages and income inequality was unionization. In the 1950s, about one in every three wage and salary employees was a union member. Unions, of course, were an early and frequent target of economism. Hayek argued that unions are bad both for workers, because “they cannot in the long run increase real wages for all wishing to work above the level that would establish itself in a free market,” and for society as a whole, because “by establishing effective monopolies in the supply of the different kinds of labor, the unions will prevent competition from acting as an effective regulator of the allocation of all resources.” For Friedman, unions “harmed the public at large and workers as a whole by distorting the use of labor” while increasing inequality even within the working class. The changing composition of the U.S. workforce, state right-to-work laws, and aggressive anti-unionization tactics by employers—increasingly tolerated by the National Labor Relations Board, beginning with the Reagan administration—all contributed to a long, slow fall in unionization levels. By 2015, only 12 percent of wage and salary employees were union members—fewer than 7 percent in the private sector. Low- and middle-income workers’ reduced bargaining power is a major reason why their wages have not kept pace with the overall growth of the economy. According to an analysis by the sociologists Bruce Western and Jake Rosenfeld, one-fifth to one-third of the increase in inequality between 1973 and 2007 results from the decline of unions.
With unions only a distant memory for many people, federal minimum-wage legislation has become the best hope for propping up wages for low-income workers. And again, the worldview of economism comes to the aid of employers by abstracting away from the reality of low-wage work to a pristine world ruled by the “law” of supply and demand.
This article has been adapted from James Kwak’s book, Economism: Bad Economics and the Rise of Inequality.
James Kwak is a professor of law at the University of Connecticut School of Law and the vice chair of the Southern Center for Human Rights. He is the author of Economism: Bad Economics and the Rise of Inequality.
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Home News PRH launches new classics range, Pocket Penguins
PRH launches new classics range, Pocket Penguins
Penguin is bringing out a new series of classic titles in a "compact, jewel-like format" called Pocket Penguins.
The series - dubbed "the future of Penguin Classics" - will launch in May 2016, featuring titles such as Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf and The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad, priced between £5.99 and £8.99 each.
The "stripped down" but "beautifully designed" A-format series steers Penguin away from "winning formulas" of the past - notably its use of oil paintings on black jackets - in favour of "timeless tri-band simplicity and bold colours".
Penguin’s art director, Jim Stoddart, who was tasked to produce the "approachable and contemporary" new design, said: "The new range blossoms from black into the technicolour of Penguin’s heyday. While this is a comforting nod to past Penguin, this is very much a series of books for the modern age."
PRH said the "bold next step" for Penguin Classics would cater to the same appetite for small, accessible classics publishing that led to over 2.5m worldwide sales of its Little Black Classics last year, including 903,086 copies for £1m through the UK's Nielsen BookScan. Penguin said the new design will show "the power of leaving authors' names and titles to speak for themselves".
The "carefully curated" series launches with 20 titles from the "Penguin Classics treasure trove", highlighting, according to publishing director Simon Winder, "a mix of the famous and the unjustly overlooked".
The first 20 titles are: The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov; Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf; The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad, The Good Soldier Svejk by Jaroslav Hasek; The Lost Estate by Alain-Fournier; The Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft; The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni; Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka; The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge by Rainer Maria Rilke; The House of Ulloa by Emilia Pardo Bazan; Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev; Out of Africa by Karen Blixen; Walden by Henry David Thoreau; A Parisian Affair by Guy de Maupassant; The Beast Within by Emile Zola; The Cossacks and Hadji Murat by Leo Tolstoy; The Malay Archipelago by Alfred Russel Wallace; The Rainbow by D.H. Lawrence; My Childhood by Maxim Gorky; and O Pioneers! by Willa Cather.
Winder said: "We want to highlight a mix of the famous and the unjustly overlooked – these books are intimate, grand, funny, widescreen, painful, visionary – and we have been put on earth to make you want to read them."
PRH
Jim Stoddart
Simon Winder
Pocket Penguins
PRH presents Barbican-inspired Penguin Classics
Falmouth, Northampton and UAL win PRH Student Design Awards
PRH India buys 'cultural icon' Hind Pocket Books
'Strongest shortlist yet' for Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Awards
PRH to publish colouring books based on classic novels
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Should Facebook Ban Sexist Pages? The Reality of Misogyny Online
It started with an online petition calling for Facebook to ban pages that promote sexual violence. Now bloggers are taking to Twitter to bring attention to harassment. Jessica Bennett reports on the enduring problem of misogyny online—and how female bloggers are fighting back.
Updated 07.13.17 10:50PM ET / Published 11.05.11 10:58AM ET
Armin Weigel, DPA / Corbis
There are a few rules to online writing that every female journalist (or blogger) knows:
1. Get ready to be harassed in comments. Like whoa.
2. These comments will often tell you to “go back to the kitchen.” Or describe how fat/ugly/slutty you look. Especially if the story is about women’s issues.
3. These comments will likely be much more viscous/personal/sexual in nature than those bombing your male colleagues.
No, there isn't a ton of concrete data to prove this, which makes it easy to dismiss such complaints as whiny. But what we do know is that from 2000 to 2008, nearly three quarters of online harassment complainants were female—and the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming. The twisted tale of well-known programmer Kathy Sierra, who was driven offline by threats of rape and violence, is perhaps the most high-profile case of a female blogger being silenced. But there are plenty of recent stories, too. Women have taken male names to avoid being a target for their online musings; still others simply accept the abuse as fact: they think something's wrong if it doesn't happen.
But the latest fury over web misogyny has landed in the social networking realm, in the form of an ongoing Twitter campaign to bring attention to the problem, a UK protest called "Rape is Never Funny," and, perhaps most prominently, an online petition, 188,000 signatures strong, calling on Facebook to ban pages that organizers say promote sexual violence, and even rape. The pages in question? "Kicking Sluts in the Vagina" (which has 3,338 "likes"), "You know she's playing hard to get when your (sic) chasing her down an alleyway" (with 3,443 fans), and “What’s 10 inches and gets girls to have sex with me? My knife" (which has been removed since the petition launched). (UPDATE: Facebook has allegedly removed many of the offending pages. A spokesman for the site did not return an email seeking clarification.)
These pages aren't open to the public—a person has to be logged in to see them. And, judging by the titles, they're not written by the most grammatically proficient users. (It's you're with an re, thanks.) Yet while Facebook's Terms of Service ban content that is “hateful, threatening,” or contains “graphic or gratuitous violence,” these pages, as defined by Facebook's community standards, don't fall under the site’s definition of "hate speech." Were the pages encouraging rape, bullying, or violence toward a particular individual—say, kicking the vagina (don't laugh) of that slut Jane Doe—Facebook says it would be a different story. "Groups or pages that express an opinion on a state, institution, or set of beliefs—even if that opinion is outrageous or offensive to some—do not by themselves violate our policies," a spokesman for the site, Andrew Noyes, tells The Daily Beast. "These online discussions are a reflection of those happening offline, where conversations happen freely."
The difference, of course, is that offline conversations don't happen in front of a built-in audience of 800 million users. Facebook has already come under fire this year for refusing to ban Holocaust denial pages—despite, as many commentators pointed out, regularly removing photos of women breast feeding because, as the site put it, they constituted “obscene content." In the case of anti-Semitism, Facebook told The Daily Beast that the site does ultimately end up removing "the vast majority” of the offensive content, “because it's explicitly hateful or threatening." To which petition organizers want to know: Does Facebook not see that all of these things are all connected? "The point that people are missing about this is that it’s not just the titles of the page--it’s the content," says Shelby Knox, the women's rights director for Change.org, which is hosting the petition. "It's perpetuating a cesspool on Facebook for those who would perpetuate real world violence and rape."
Over the last week, a number of women's organizations have taken Facebook to task on Twitter, posting under the hashtag #notfunnyFacebook, and tweeting specifically at the company's chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg—the company's highest-ranking female. As if on cue, the Women's Media Center, which had participated in the campaign, was hacked on Friday, sending out a flurry of “Go back to the kitchen" and "What do you call a woman with a black eye? A quick learner”-type messages. The two things may have nothing to do with each other, but the timing was impeccable all the same. Online misogyny, it seems, is alive and well. "I talk to women every day who've been silenced, scared, and just want to disappear," says Danielle Citron, a cyber law professor at the University of Maryland. "It's easy to dismiss these things as frat-boy antics, but this isn't a joke."
Indeed, Citron has heard enough stories to compile a whole book of them—she's hard at work on a text about online harassment that will be published by Harvard University Press in 2013. She notes the recent cases that have made headlines: the women smeared by AutoAdmit, the law school discussion board; the case of Harvard sex blogger Lena Chen; and the dramatic story of 11-year-old Jessi Slaughter.
But perhaps none was as harrowing as the tale of Kathy Sierra—whose relentless harassment, which included being sent doctored images of herself with a noose around her neck, prompted the Washington Post to declare that sexual threats were "stifling" a generation of emerging young bloggers. At the time, the paper quoted Joan Walsh, then editor of Salon, who described how, since the letters section of her site had been automated, it made it "hard to ignore" how much more "brutal and vicious" the comments directed at her female writers were. Arianna Huffington lamented that anonymity had allowed "a lot of those dark prejudices towards women to surface."
In what she intended to be her final blog post, Kathy Sierra wrote:
"I have cancelled all speaking engagements.
"I am afraid to leave my yard.
"I will never feel the same. I will never be the same."
Things have changed somewhat since then. Chatrooms—at times the seedy strip clubs of internet engagement—are less popular than they once were. Women have forged new domains: dominating social blogging platforms and networking sites like Facebook, which allow them to control who and what they want to see. And female bloggers have also teamed up: many describe alliances, or informal groups, where they have vowed to defend each other against malicious attacks. Others call their attackers out publicly. “I don’t see the all-out digital assaults happen like I used to (thank goodness),” says Deanna Zandt, a New York media consultant and the author of Share This!, about the power of social networks. But, she adds, “I also don’t think the absence of these crazy attacks means things are getting better.”
In some ways, misogyny on Facebook is just a newer version of the same old problem. Sure, it may be more subtle—less "I'm going to rape and slit your throat" and more "let's kick sluts in the face!" But that doesn't make it any less toxic. "Is it less overtly harmful because it's indirect? Yeah, I guess," says Susan Herring, a professor of information science at Indiana University, who has spent two decades studying gender online. "But that doesn't mean it's any less real."
What's more real than ever, however, is the way victims are fighting back. "The troll problem is always on the back of my mind," says sex blogger turned fulltime writer Lena Chen. "...But these [new campaigns] are great, because the sheer number of particpants makes me feel safer in speaking out. I'm not sure that's a rational perspective—since trolls can still single you out—but I think it's reassuring to victims to know they're not on their own."
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No country for gay men, young girls… Can the Bulldozer really change gear?
Tuesday December 18 2018
Much more needs to change for Tanzania, previously known as a politically stable partner in the region, to shed its Magufuli-era reputation as a bulldozer of human rights. ILLUSTRATION | JOHN NYAGAH | NMG
It’s encouraging to see President Magufuli publicly commit his government to ending some of Tanzania’s most egregious forms of exclusion and discrimination. But the sincerity of that commitment remains to be seen. And much more needs to change for Tanzania, previously known as a politically stable partner in the region, to shed its Magufuli-era reputation as a bulldozer of human rights.
By NEELA GHOSHAL
By ELIN MARTINEZ
It is not often that the World Bank publicly adopts a critical stance that stands up for human rights in one of its client countries, and does so even before other donors with human rights-focused foreign policies.
But in a surprising turn of events, the World Bank has done just that in Tanzania, a country that has in the last three years become increasingly associated with repression and discrimination.
When Regional Commissioner for Dar es Salaam Paul Makonda announced a campaign against gay men in the East African city in late October, the Bank, which is Tanzania’s largest donor, took an unprecedented step: On November 7, it suspended all Bank missions to Tanzania, citing the safety of Bank employees.
The same month, the World Bank decided not to put forward a $300 million education loan to Tanzania, expressing concern over the exclusion of pregnant girls and teenage mothers from Tanzanian schools.
The Tanzanian government responded. According to a World Bank statement, in a meeting on November 17 with senior Bank officials, President John Magufuli “assured the Bank that Tanzania will not pursue any discriminatory actions related to harassment and/or arrest of individuals, based on their sexual orientation.”
The Bank’s vice president for Africa, Hafez Ghanem, told the press with no ambiguity, “The government reassured us that there would be no more discrimination against people of any ethnicity, religion or sex orientation.”
Magufuli agreed in the same meeting “to find a way for pregnant girls to return to school” and to reconsider a troubling Statistics Law that suppresses freedom of expression, and, if fully enforced, would potentially get the World Bank into trouble if it published its own statistics on human development.
Dramatic turnaround?
Can we expect a dramatic turnaround on human rights in Tanzania? Unlikely.
The extreme nature of Mr Makonda’s threats – to round up all gay men, subject them to forced anal examinations, and jail them for life – are what attracted international attention, including from the World Bank. But other forms of discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are persistent and pervasive.
Since 2016, the government has banned HIV prevention activities, targeting men who have sex with men and other key populations, prohibited the distribution of water-based lubricant for HIV prevention, and raided meetings on health and human rights, accusing activists of “promoting homosexuality.”
Magufuli has not renounced any of these discriminatory policies and practices, which deprive LGBT people of the right to the highest attainable standard of health.
Charges still stand against 10 men arrested in Zanzibar in early November for allegedly participating in a same-sex wedding. Their lawyers say they were simply relaxing at the beach.
Although the foreign minister denounced the Dar es Salaam commissioner’s anti-gay “task force,” pledging that Tanzania would uphold its international treaty obligations, his statement failed to acknowledge that Tanzania is already flouting international law by denying essential health services and arbitrarily arresting people based on their presumed sexual orientation.
The World Bank now states that the education loan will only be considered when the government of Tanzania demonstrates its commitment to girls’ education.
Meanwhile, other human-rights abuses continue: The government has banned newspapers, fined TV stations, arrested and prosecuted journalists, bloggers, and opposition politicians, and put into effect a slew of legislation that curtails freedom of expression and the right to privacy.
Neela Ghoshal is a senior LGBT rights researcher and Elin Martinez is a children’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch.
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Home›Best College and University Programs›2020 Best JD Programs in Civil Rights Law in America
2020 Best JD Programs in Civil Rights Law in America
Click here to learn more about the ranking methodology that we used to compile this list.
Congratulations! If you represent a college or university that is included in this list, please collect your seal below.
Attorneys are more than people who argue in a courtroom or advertise their services on billboards. This group of individuals seeks to help people who have legal issues get the justice they deserve. You might choose to pursue a law degree major simply because you love the idea of understanding the complexities of the law. Others might prefer to specialize in more specific topics such as corporate, environmental, or civil rights law (sometimes called human rights law). To practice law in the US, an individual must obtain their juris doctor (JD) from an accredited law school as well as sit for the state bar examination.
The choices available for those who hold a JD are almost endless. You can consider searching for jobs in any of these fields:
Federal government attorney
International law attorney
A graduate with a JD is estimated to earn $118,160 annually, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Availability for these positions is currently slated to increase according to the same data.
Best JD Programs in Civil Rights Law
New York University College of Law (NYU Law)
Located in the heart of New York City, NYU Law allows law students the chance to learn civil rights law in one of the top programs in the country. Students focus on legal theory and practice, legal research and writing, as well as a host of specialized course that ensure a well-rounded legal education. Additionally, students can take part in the various workshops, seminars, and student organizations available that emphasize facets of civil rights litigation. Students can also participate in the school’s Law Students for Human Rights group. NYU Law also hosts civil rights events led by noted legal scholars and attorneys. The civil rights curriculum includes critical race theory, civil rights narratives, political theory, and capstone courses for upper-level students.
For consideration for admissions, applicants must have taken the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) within the past five years; scores of admitted students ranged from 166 to 170 for the Fall 2017 class at NYU Law. In addition to a valid LSAT score, applicants must submit their undergraduate transcripts, two letters of recommendation, a personal statement, résumé, and any other relevant information. NYU Law does not offer a part-time JD program, and all admitted students must take a minimum of 12 credits per semester. To be eligible for graduation, students must successfully complete 83 credits.
Yale University Law School
Located in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale University Law School is home to an impressive civil rights program and individuals interested in this legal specialty have access to the Orville H. Schell, Jr. Center for International Human Rights. The Center immerses law students in local and international human rights initiatives. Also, Yale Law’s Human Rights Law Clinic gives students practical experience in this area of law guided by knowledgeable professor-attorneys. Yale Law also publishes the Yale Human Rights and Development Law Journal, which gives students the opportunity to publish research that serves to expand upon issues relevant to human rights law. Human rights coursework at Yale Law emphasizes advocacy and students who participate in the Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Law Clinic complete projects each term on behalf of human rights organizations and individual victims of human rights abuse.
For consideration for admissions, applicants must have taken the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) within the past five years; scores of admitted students ranged from 156 to 180 for the Fall 2017 class at Yale Law. In addition to a valid LSAT score, applicants must submit their undergraduate transcripts, two letters of recommendation, a personal statement, résumé, and any other relevant information. Applicants will be notified of their admission status via email. To be eligible for graduation, students must successfully complete 83 units, which includes Substantial Paper and Supervised Analytic Writing (SAW) writing requirements.
Renowned for its rigorous curriculum and intensive programs, Columbia Law Schools offers one of the best civil rights-focused law degrees in the nation. The Columbia Law community prepares students for a legal career center on human rights through its Human Rights Institute. Founded in 1998, the Human Rights Institute at Columbia Law includes courses on the topics of immigration law, genocide law, and seminars that explore the rights of minority groups. Also, students can practical experience via legal clinics including the Human Rights Clinic and the Child Advocacy Clinic. Students at Columbia Law can also earn credit for publishing in the school’s Human Rights Law Review.
For consideration for admissions, applicants must have taken the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) within the past five years; scores of admitted students ranged from 169 to 173 for the Fall 2017 class at Columbia Law. In addition to a valid LSAT score, applicants must submit their undergraduate transcripts, two letters of recommendation, a dean’s letter (if applicable) a personal statement, résumé, and any other relevant information. Applicants may be required to complete an in-person interview. However, interview requests will not be considered. To be eligible for graduation, students must successfully complete 83 academic points, which includes applicable ABA writing requirements. To demonstrate their commitment to human rights law, all students must also complete a professional responsibility course and 40 hours of mandatory pro bono service following their first academic year (1L).
University of Virginia Law School (UVA Law)
UVA Law features a thorough human rights program that aims to prepare students for future careers upholding the rights of others. Courses taken during the program include Racial Justice and the Law, Civil Rights Litigation, Advanced Topics in Public Service, and a Human Rights Study Project, to name a few.
For consideration for admissions, applicants must have taken the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) within the past five years; scores of admitted students ranged from 169 to 170 for the Fall 2017 class at UVA Law. In addition to a valid LSAT score, applicants must submit their undergraduate transcripts, two letters of recommendation, a personal statement, résumé, and any other relevant information. Students must maintain a minimum 2.7 GPA during all academic years of enrollment and must successfully earn 86 semester credits to be eligible for graduation. Students are required to complete upper-level writing requirements as defined by the ABA.
Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, University of Michigan Law school has an abundance of opportunities for students interested in pursuing civil rights law. Course offerings include a wide range of topics including women’s rights, use of the law for reduction of global poverty, and the law of armed conflict, and many more. Students work closely with faculty and staff to define their career objectives and take the relevant courses that will adequately prepare them for the legal profession.
For consideration for admissions, applicants must have taken the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) within the past five years; scores of admitted students ranged from 164 to 170 for the Fall 2017 class at University of Michigan Law. In addition to a valid LSAT score, applicants must submit their undergraduate transcripts, one to three letters of recommendation, a personal statement, résumé, and any other relevant information. All aspects of the application are considered, ensuring that students are evaluated beyond their academic accomplishments. Students must maintain a cumulative 2.3 GPA and must successfully earn 83 credits to be eligible for graduation. Students are required to complete upper-level writing requirements as defined by the ABA.
How to Choose the Right Program
You can choose the perfect program based on your future career aspirations and the academic course load each school provides. Some law schools will focus more specifically on domestic civil rights issues while others give you a greater opportunity to study outside of the US by exploring human rights on a global scale field. After these considerations, you can rank schools by convenience, price, and accreditation.
Who accredits a JD with a civil rights concentration program?
Understanding the accreditation schools possess is the key to ensuring that you receive a top-notch education that will prepare you for a future in the legal profession. Every school, including online programs, will have to maintain some type of accreditation with state, regional or national accrediting agencies. The American Bar Association (ABA) is the main accrediting body for the law schools in the United States. All states, with the exception of California, will not permit an individual to take the bar exam if their JD was not issued by an ABA-accredited institution.
Beyond this accreditation, many will opt to maintain voluntary status with Distance Education Accrediting Commission. This accreditation mainly applies to online or correspondence programs and serves to hold the schools accountable for offering a well-rounded curriculum that adequately prepares students for the future. The top schools listed here offer traditional, in-person programs but it should be considered before you make a choice.
How long does it typically take to get a JD?
Most US law schools allow you obtain your juris doctor in three or four years but the top law schools for civil rights law do not offer part-time programs. Some law schools allow students to take more time to complete their degree depending on the timing of the courses offered and your enrollment date.
What does the curriculum include?
The modern JD curriculum should include a brief history of the law, including common law and in-depth study of the United States Constitution. Classes then go on to the present and future with coursework focused on current digital topics in the law and how they are affected by modern trends, professional ethics, and detailed legal research.
Law students will also learn how to communicate more effectively through writing and speaking. Ideally, you should be required to take a variety of courses designed to enhance your communication skills. Well-Rounded legal education should also include various electives that provide in-depth instruction on specific legal topics, including civil rights law.
How can I finance my education?
Obtaining your JD can be an expensive endeavor. You can finance this dream by applying for financial aid and grants through the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA). Grants offered by the federal government do not need to be repaid upon graduation.
Some of these top law schools will also have scholarships available to eligible students on a first-come-first-served basis. These scholarships will not need to be repaid but might be based on your grades, test scores, and other criteria. Similar to a scholarship, some colleges will offer work-study programs that allow you to work off your debt in various positions both on and off campus.
For the remaining amount, you might consider taking out a student loan that can be paid back upon graduation. Look for loans that have a low-interest rate and don’t impose a penalty for prepayment. The federal government tends to offer more advantageous loan programs compared to private lenders.
What are the employment prospects for a JD with a concentration in civil rights graduates?
Understanding the employment prospects for those who receive their juris doctor can vary based on the unique career path you decide to take. To give you an idea of what is expected for this field in the coming years, we will take a look at the most popular careers that many people with this degree choose to pursue. All data is based on the figures available from the United State Department of Labor based on projections made from 2016 to 2026.
Lawyers: Individuals with a JD should see an eight percent increase in the number of jobs available over the coming decade. It is growing roughly the same as the average employment rates in the country. There are currently 65,000 positions with this title.
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Glenne Headly, star of 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,' dead at 62
Matt Sayles
<p>Glenne Headly arrives at the private reception for the "Alan Cumming Snaps" fine art photography collection in West Hollywood, Calif., Thursday, April 5, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)</p>
NEW YORK (AP) — Glenne Headly, an early member of the acclaimed Steppenwolf Theatre Company who went on to star in films and on TV, died Thursday night, according to her agent. She was 62. No cause of death or location was immediately available.
Headly was known from her performances in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," co-starring alongside Michael Caine and Steve Martin; in "Mr. Holland's Opus" with Richard Dreyfuss; and in Warren Beatty's "Dick Tracy."
On TV, she was in the miniseries "Lonesome Dove" and had recurring roles on "ER" and "Monk." She played the daughter of Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in the 2001 live telecast of the play "On Golden Pond."
Last summer, she was seen in HBO's drama miniseries "The Night Of." She had been in production for the upcoming Hulu sitcom "Future Man," from Seth Rogen.
In 1979 Headly was recruited by Chicago's budding Steppenwolf Theatre, joining such fellow up-and-comers as Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney and John Malkovich, who would become her first husband. They divorced in 1988.
Headly is survived by husband Byron McCulloch, a musician and metal worker whom she married in 1993, and their son.
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KATHRYN WALTERS
Kathryn Walters Formerly of Center Township Kathryn Walters, 89, formerly of Center Twp., passed away Sunday, June 16, 2019, in Satellite Beach, Florida, where she was currently residing. Born June 22, 1929, in Ambridge, a daughter of the late John and Catherine (Adomko) Maker. She was a U.S. Navy Veteran. Mrs. Walters was an active member of St. John's Lutheran Church, Ambridge; St. John's Lutheran Church Adult League and Center Civic Women's Club. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Frederick Reed Walters and her siblings, Pete (Ann) Maker, Ann (Paul) Hlista, Frank (Mary) Maker, Mike "Shortie" (Mary) Maker, Mary (William "Chick") Chekenowksy, Andy Maker and John Maker. Surviving are her children, Sharon (Randy) Pearson, Kim (Bob) Druzak, Tami (Rob) Moreau; her grandchildren, Justin (Amy) Druzak, Ryan Druzak, Jocelyn Druzak, Stephen Pearson, Beth Pearson, Ross Moreau, and Carter Moreau; two great-granddaughters, Olivia and Emma; a sister-in-law, Janet Maker and many loving nieces and nephews. Friends will be received Friday, June 21, 2019, from 9 a.m. until the time of service at 10:30 a.m. at TATALOVICH FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATION SERVICES, INC., 2205 McMinn St., Aliquippa, PA 15001, www.tatalovichfuneralhome.com. Interment will follow at 11:30 a.m. at Sylvania Hills Memorial Park, Rochester, where the Beaver County Special Unit will conduct military honors. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice.
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Hundreds pay respects to Mass. Green Beret killed in Iraq
By Michael Morton
FRANKLIN - After an air base reception with a motorcycle guard and a senator, hundreds of mourners stood outside a local funeral home Thursday to pay their final respects to Army Staff Sgt. Robert Ryan Pirelli, a Green Beret who was killed in action in Iraq.
After an air base reception with a motorcycle guard and a senator, hundreds of mourners stood outside a local funeral home Thursday to pay their final respects to Army Staff Sgt. Robert Ryan Pirelli, a Green Beret who was killed in action in Iraq.
The crowd included Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray, and it recognized Pirelli, or ``Rob'' as he was known, as a loved one, a friend, a comrade and a teammate. He was a soldier, and, if all goes according to plan, will also be laid to rest Saturday as a secret service agent, a goal since college.
``Robbie wasn't an ordinary kid,'' said cousin Robert Pirelli, who arranged the honor with the agency's Boston office. ``He wasn't going to do an ordinary job.''
Seeking to burnish his credentials for that position and serve the country, Pirelli joined the Army in 2003. In a family of Marines - his father and four uncles served - the decision initially drew some ribbing.
Until Rob Pirelli worked his way up to the Special Forces, that is.
``We teased him about it, then we kind of excused him when he went into the Green Berets,'' said one of the other uncles, Jimmy Pirelli.
After making it into the elite force, Rob Pirelli was sent to Iraq in March. He was due home in October, but was shot during a gun battle in Diyala Province Aug. 15.
``It was a significant operation,'' said Brian Smith, the Colorado-based chaplain for the home detachment of the Green Beret's unit. Smith, who flew in for yesterday's wake at the Ginley Funeral Home, said 20 insurgents were captured, while many others were killed.
After the battle, Rob Pirelli's body was flown back to Massachusetts, where it arrived Wednesday at Otis Air Force Base. The coffin was met by family members, who came in a police-escorted school bus, and U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.
Members of the Patriot Guard Riders then rode with it back to Franklin, where six Green Berets from Rob Pirelli's unit acted as pallbearers, including one wounded in action and one recently flown in from Iraq after fighting by the deceased soldier's side. The men took turns yesterday guarding the body of their fallen comrade, and declined to comment.
At the funeral home, the crowd snaked out the door and onto the sidewalk. An hour before visiting hours had even begun, 25 people stood in line, family members said. At its height, the wait was at least 100 deep, with an estimated 400 people eventually going through the doors. The public wake continues Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a funeral at St. Mary's Saturday at 1 p.m.
Among those standing in line were family friends and former teammates from Rob Pirelli's days as a hard-working goalie. After playing for the Panthers, he joined Northeastern University's club team.
``He would have been a great coach,'' said John Louis, a college teammate. ``Always there to help.''
Jennifer Knight, a 22-year-old Franklin resident and former Panther hockey player, said her father, a civilian negotiator in Iraq, had worked with Rob Pirelli.
``I can't imagine a soldier showing up on my doorstep,'' she said. ``I would hope that all these people would be around to help us out, too.''
Strangers also came to pay their condolences, including those in the military and Murray, who stood in line like everyone else.
``He's a hero in the truest sense of the word,'' Murray said.
Inside the receiving room, Rob Pirelli's No. 18 Panther jerseys - one home, one away - hung from the walls. The family also displayed photo collages of their loved one, ranging from being held by his father as a newborn to taking a break while in Iraq. Rob Pirelli's nieces and nephews had left homemade cards, while Jared, his godson, had written a goodbye letter. Nearby, the fallen Green Beret clasped a platinum coin from his unit and his signature hat.
``Just a great all-around kid,'' Jimmy Pirelli said.
Michael Morton of the Milford (Mass.) Daily News can be reached at mmorton@cnc.com or 508-634-7582.
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https://www.timesunion.com/entertainment/article/Review-Naked-Berkshire-Theatre-Group-10-5-18-13287339.php
Review: 'Naked' @ Berkshire Theatre Group, 10/5/18
By Steve Barnes
Updated 8:48 pm EDT, Saturday, October 6, 2018
From left, James Barry, Tara Franklin and Rocco Sisto in "Naked" at Berkshire Theatre Group.
Photo: Emma Rothenberg-Ware, Berkshire Theatre Group
Stockbridge, Mass.
When the Berkshire Theatre Group was planning its 2018 season, it could not have known how resonant this fall a play would feel about a woman's sexual history and the way the men involved assume it is their right to express outrage and otherwise opine about it.
But that's the best thing that can be said about "Naked," running through the end of the month in the Berkshire Theatre Group's Unicorn Theatre. The company's production of the 1922 play by Nobel literature laureate Luigi Pirandello, under the direction of longtime BTG artistic associate Eric Hill, is handsomely mounted, with Randall Parsons' set evoking an early-20th-century Italian apartment and J Hagenbuckle's sound design and original music bringing in the outside world. The acting, too, is first-rate and includes veteran Berkshires stage presences David Adkins and Rocco Sisto.
But Pirandello's work, in contrast to the realism of late-19th- and early-20th-century dramatists from Ibsen to Shaw and O'Neill, relied on Italian theater traditions that were more stylized and melodramatic and never really caught on with English-speaking audiences. Even his most famous work, "Six Characters in Search of an Author," is produced only occasionally; "Naked," less so, and deservedly so.
The central problem is that virtually all of the important action of the play, performed here in a 1998 version by prolific contemporary British dramatist Nicholas Wright, happens offstage, most of it before the play takes place. Thus for more than an hour and a half we're left with people talking with windy grandiloquence and exaggerated emotion, complete with sobbing spells and fainting and other histrionics, about things we didn't see.
This is part of Pirandello's point, of course, as he examines what it means to try to assert control over one's life narrative when there are competing version from people involved and from a novelist who seeks to find the larger truths by fictionalizing facts. But it's still primarily an exercise in frustration as we as an audience try to connect with a central character whose core is elusive.
She's Ersilia (Tara Franklin), who as the play opens is being welcomed to the lodgings of Ludovico (Sisto), a novelist who offers to take her in after her release from a hospital following a suicide attempt. Others clamoring for her attention are two men with whom she had affairs (James Barry and Jeffrey Doornbos), the journalist to whom she told her sensational, perhaps not wholly true, story (Adkins), and the apartment building's landlady (Barbara Sims).
All of the action takes place in the living room of the novelist's apartment, lending a claustrophobic air to conversations and confrontations about matters that may be more, or less, or at least different, than how they originally were presented. Through no fault of Franklin's, Ersilia remains an enigma, a device of an author in search of a character. That might be the basis for a philosophical inquiry, but it's not a person around which to build a play.
sbarnes@timesunion.com • 518-454-5489 • blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping • @Tablehopping
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Unicorn Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Group, 83 E. Main St., Stockbridge, Mass.
Running time: 95 minutes, one intermission
Continues: 7 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, through Oct. 28
Info: 413-997-4444 or berkshiretheatregroup.org
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Lane End porter shortlisted for national award
21st May 2019 News, Venue newsJenny Dempster
A 61-year-old conference porter from Lane End has described his surprise at being shortlisted for a prestigious industry award.
David Pearce, who’s lived in Lane End all his life, works as a conference porter at Lane End Conference Centre and has been nominated by the team there for the ‘Unsung Hero’ accolade at the Conference and Hospitality Show (CHS) Awards 2019.
Commenting on his shortlisting, David said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted – but very surprised.
“I started work at Lane End Conference Centre in 1987, and so much has changed since then. New buildings have sprung up, overhead projectors have been replaced by data-projectors and Wi-Fi has become something no one can function without, but very little has changed in my job.
“I just make sure I look after the customers and set up the rooms how our customers like it. They tell me how they need their room to look and I make sure it is done in the same way every time they return.
“In my view, it’s all about the customers – I love meeting them and seeing them return to Lane End time and again.”
Heni Fourie, Sales and Marketing Director at Lane End Conference Centre, said: “We’re thrilled to see David shortlisted at this year’s CHS Awards.
“David manages to build a level of rapport with our facilitators and trainers that is completely unique, something that most sales people strive to achieve, and I believe this ability comes from his genuine interest in people, his unwavering willingness to help and his kind nature.
“On behalf of everyone here at Lane End Conference Centre, we wish David the very best of luck at the event.”
The award nomination marks the second for Lane End Conference Centre in less than a week, with the site – which turns 50 this year – receiving a place on the shortlist at the Conference Awards 2019.
The CHS Awards will be held at The Royal Armouries in Leeds on Thursday 6 June.
For further information, visit: https://www.chsawards.co.uk
Wyboston May Fam Trip
OEC Sheffield is headline sponsor at CHS Awards 2019
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Where to See a Bullfight in Malaga, Ronda, or the Costa del Sol
Europe Spain
By Damian Corrigan
Bullfighting is deeply rooted in global historic traditions. But today, local public opinion leans against the tradition. Though the site includes information for tourists interested in attending the events, TripSavvy trusts its readers to make their own decisions on the ethics of bullfighting as an attraction.
Andalusia is where bullfighting in Spain was born (in Ronda, to be precise). It is here, in Spain's most southerly region and along the Costa del Sol., where you'll find the most bullrings and the biggest bullfights.
The best place to see bullfighting in Andalusia is actually in Seville (it is also the best city to visit in Andalusia, even if you aren't interested in a bullfight), but it's not the easiest to visit from the Costa del Sol by public transport. Nearly as good—and just as awkward to get to from the Costa del Sol—are the bullfights in El Puerto de Santa Maria, between Cadiz and Jerez, which have bullfights for several weekends in August (and sometimes July).
Unless you have an actual ticket (either physical or email confirmation from a reputable supplier), I wouldn't plan a trip to a town around a bullfight. Instead, here are some of the best destinations on or near the Costa del Sol where you can see a bullfight if you happen to be in town at the right time.
Beware: Bullfighting organizations are a little old-fashioned and, as a result, their online presence can be virtually nonexistent. Even the bullring in Marbella, in one of the most tourist-friendly cities on the Costa del Sol, no longer has a website since their previous site went down in 2018.
Alok Rana / Getty Images
While not as renowned for its bullfighting as Seville or Madrid, Málaga is still in the heart of bullfighting country and is a good place to watch with genuine fans. The bullring in Málaga is at Plaza La Malagueta, slightly to the east of the main old town and near the Castillo de Gilbralfaro.
However, the only time you'll really get a chance to see a bullfight here is during the Feria de Málaga (also known as Feria de Agosto), one of Spain's most popular street festivals (perhaps second only to Las Fallas de Valencia).
Málaga outside this time is dominated by its airport and tourists arriving in the city on their way elsewhere in Spain. You're advised to head away from Málaga as soon as possible as crime rates are high while tourist attractions outside of festivals are rare. However, if you do wind up staying in the city during the off-season, hotels in Málaga are relatively cheap.
Katja Kreder / Getty Images
Ronda is the most beautiful of all the pueblos blancos (white villages) in southern Spain. Built atop a high ravine, the historic bridges are quite a sight, and Ronda is where modern bullfighting began.
As a result, the Ronda bullring is held in very high regard among fans of bullfighting. However, with Ronda tucked away in the mountains, its bullring is not that accessible for many tourists. Perhaps to preserve Ronda's status as the genuine home of bullfighting and not a tourist trap, there are very few fights actually scheduled in Ronda daily.
The Corridas Goyescas, which take place in September, are Ronda's most celebrated bullfights. There might be fights at other times, but they will be sporadic. Even if there is no fight on, though, the bullfighting museum has some impressive exhibits including blood-splattered cloaks as worn by some of the pioneers of bullfighting.
Bullfights tend to take place in the evening, so you'll probably want to find a hotel in Ronda if you're in town for a fight. Additionally, Ronda is 31 miles (50 kilometers) inland from the Costa del Sol, and the "Road to Ronda" from San Pedro is a terrifying experience! Here's how to get from Málaga to Ronda.
JORGE GUERRERO /Getty Images
One of Spain's most popular cities, Granada, only has bullfights for one week a year. Bullfights are held in Granada for six days around Corpus Christi, which is earlier than a lot of other fights across the country. As a result, the weather might be milder than the summer heat usually associated with the sport.
Granada is one of the two most popular cities to visit in Andalusia (after Seville). Set in a valley with the famous Alhambra fortress looming overhead, the city has very distinct Moorish, Jewish, and Gypsy quarters as well as the best free tapas culture in the country.
Granada is just an hour north of Málaga, making it an essential visit from the Costa del Sol. However, since the bullfights are held in the evenings during the week of Corpus Christi, you'll need accommodation in Granada if you hope to catch one of these famous events.
De Agostini / C. Sappa / Getty Images
Algeciras is a port town that's not usually high on a tourist's list of places to visit. However, the Bullfighting Festival of Algeciras is usually in late June and makes a perfect addition to your Spain travel itinerary if you're hoping to catch a bullfight this month.
Although the main reason people come to Algeciras is to take one of the ferries to Morocco—which are also accessible from Tarifa or Gibraltar—the Bullfighting Festival brings droves of crowds to this small port city each June.
Be sure to book accommodations well in advance if you plan to visit this time of year as the crowd of visitors often outnumbers the available rooms in Algeciras during the festival.
Other Costa del Sol Towns With Bullrings
Petr Svarc / Getty Images
There are lots of bullrings along the Costa del Sol. However, many are disused or are used for other events such as concerts instead.
Estepona: During Feria, beginning of July
Fuengirola: In October, during the feria in honor of the Virgen del Rosario Coronada
Torremolinos: Sporadic bullfights during the summer
Benalmádena: No longer used for bullfighting
These bullrings don't have much information online. Check them out in person when you are in town.
Nueva Andalucía (Puerto Banús)
Vélez-Malaga
Where to Go From the Costa Del Sol
Take a Trip to Ronda, the Birthplace of Bullfighting
See the Real Spain With Day Trips From the Costa del Sol
The Best Cities in Andalusia... you might be surprised where Malaga appears.
How to Plan the Perfect Trip to Spain
Fantastic Tours of Spain You Can Take From Madrid
How to Plan the Perfect Trip to Malaga
Top 12 Day Trips From Malaga, Spain
Spain's Must-See Sights and Attractions: City by City
Exploring the Andalusia Region of Spain
Everything You Need to Know About Booking Flights to Spain
Spain's Best Destinations in August: Where to Go & What to Do
Join the Sevillanos to See Some of Spain's Most Exciting Bullfights
What to Know About Bullfighting in Madrid
Bullfighting Festivals in Spain: Calendar and Locations
Sun, Sand & Surf: The Top 10 Beaches in Spain
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The Morse Museum of American Art
United States Florida Orlando
All Orlando
Comprehensive Collection of the Works by Louis Comfort Tiffany
By Theresa Johnston
Kurtis Garbutt / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
The Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, FL, contains the most comprehensive collection of the works by Louis Comfort Tiffany including his heralded lamps, signature leaded-glass windows, and mosaic masterpiece. Also included is the chapel he designed for the 1893 world's fair in Chicago.
The Morse's Park Avenue galleries opened on July 4, 1995. They were developed from former bank and office buildings. The redesign linked two buildings with a tower in a simple modified Mediterranean style meant to blend with the surrounding cityscape. Today, after an additional expansion to install the Tiffany Chapel from the 1893 Chicago world's fair, the Museum has more than 11,000 square feet of exhibition space - nearly three times the gallery space in its former location on Welbourne Avenue.
Jeannette Genius McKean founded the Museum formerly known as the Morse Gallery of Art on the Rollins College campus in 1942. The Museum was relocated to Welbourne Avenue in 1977, and its name was changed to The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art.
Since its opening 10 years ago on Park Avenue, the Museum has worked to strengthen both the aesthetic and scholarly quality of the exhibitions it mounts from the collection that the McKeans assembled over a 50-year period.
Free Friday Evenings
Every Friday Evening, starting at the beginning of November until the end of April, the Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park remains open later and is free to visitors in the evening.
Laurelton Hall
Tiffany's Long Island estate, Laurelton Hall, with almost 100 objects from the Tiffany mansion - including leaded-glass windows, blown glass and pottery and historical photos and architectural plans. The museum also has a distinguished collection of American Art Pottery and a representative collection of late 19th and early 20th-century American painting and decorative art.
Tiffany's Daffodil Terrace
The expansion features the fully restored Daffodil Terrace from Tiffany's celebrated Long Island home, Laurelton Hall and approximately 250 art and architectural objects from or relate to the long-lost estate. Highlights include prize winning leaded-glass windows and iconic Tiffany lamps as well as art glass and custom furnishings.
Free Public Events at the Museum
Christmas Eve Open House
Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival - The Museum is open to the public during the Festival.
Easter Weekend Open House - The Museum is open to the public, Friday thru Sunday, Easter Weekend.
Independence Day Open House - The Museum is open on Independence Day in conjunction with the City of Winter Park's Old Fashioned July 4th Celebration in Central Park.
Free Admission on Christmas Eve
On December 24, the Morse invites the public to the museum's galleries to enjoy at no charge, works that include Louis Comfort Tiffany's century-old, leaded-glass windows and his celebrated 1893 chapel.
As is traditional, the "Christmas Eve" window will be the focal point of this annual outdoor exhibit. This window, designed by Thomas Nast Jr., son of the famous political cartoonist, was produced around 1902 by Tiffany Studios, will be on exhibit at the Morse following Christmas in the Park.
Eight leaded-glass windows, selected from the Morse's world-renowned Tiffany collection, will set the stage for the free outdoor concert of seasonal favorites by the 150-voice Bach Festival Choir, one of America's premier oratorio ensembles.
Seven of the windows are memorials with religious themes that were produced by Tiffany Studios for the chapel constructed in 1908 for the Association for the Relief of Respectable Aged Indigent Females in New York. When the residence was threatened with demolition in 1974, Hugh and Jeannette McKean, the couple who assembled the Morse collection – bought its Tiffany chapel windows at the request of the Association board. The Association residence is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
The two-hour program begins at 6:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of December when the signal will be given to turn on the window lights. The rain date will be the following night, at the same time.
The Byzantine-inspired chapel, a mosaic and glass masterpiece designed for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, established Tiffany's reputation internationally and is one of the artist's last surviving interiors. The chapel opened at the Morse in 1999. During the holidays only, the museum also exhibits the 1902 Tiffany window, "Christmas Eve," designed by the famous cartoonist Thomas Nast.
The Winter Park museum holds an open house for the public each Christmas Eve to provide a peaceful respite from the busy holiday season.
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Exploring Cleveland's Lake View Cemetery
The 10 Best Museums in Cleveland
All About the New Smithsonian African American History Museum
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Resources - New Full-Time Faculty
E. Campus Resources
E. University Resources
28. Access and Equal Opportunity (AEO)
29. Brookens Library
30. Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service (COLRS)
31. Counseling Center
32. Cox Children’s Center
33. Diversity Center
34. Faculty Athletics Representative
35. Grants, Contracts, and Research Administration
36. Health Services
37. Lost and Found
38. Office of Disability Services (ODS)
39. Ombuds Office
40. Pre-Law Center
41. The Learning Hub
42. The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC)
43. University Student Financial Services & Cashier Operations
44. WebStore
45. Women’s Center
The Office of the Associate Chancellor for Access and Equal Opportunity serves students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community partners by fostering environments and practices which affirm the value of diversity; engage dialogue and discovery; address complaints of unlawful discrimination and harassment; ensure compliance with applicable policies and law; and support safe, welcoming, and inclusive environments. Services include:
Skill-building and mandatory awareness training on applicable university policies and state and federal laws, including regulations designed to address violence against women and support appropriate response to claims of sexual assault
Support for diversity, access, and equal opportunity
Leadership of AA/EEO and human rights compliance goals and obligations
Oversight for academic searches, employee retention strategies, and employment practices
Support for student access and success
Title IX/gender equity compliance coordinator
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance coordinator
Outreach to diverse communities
LGBTQA Safe Zone member and ally
Support for staff diversity goals and initiatives, and climate and equity concerns
Dialogue, training, identity-affinity workshops and awareness
Complaint response and confidential consultations
Conflict management and advice
You can contact the AEO Office and Associate Chancellor Deanie Brown at 217-206-6222.
Brookens Library supports teaching and learning at UIS through both its collections and services. Librarians serve as liaisons to the academic departments, providing course-related instruction, collection development, and other specialized assistance. Librarians collaborate with teaching faculty in a variety of ways to reach teaching and learning goals, including the information literacy baccalaureate goal. The faculty resources page on the Library’s website provides links to Brookens Library news and information for faculty. Library faculty also create and post research guides for individual academic programs. The library’s electronic newsletter, Faculty Focus, is published during the fall and spring semesters.
The library holds over 750,000 volumes in a collection that includes more than 60,000 journals, 485,000 books, 11,000 audiovisual materials and 21,000 e-books. The library is also a selective depository for federal and state government publications. The library’s Archives and Special Collections department houses UIS records, student theses, and a variety of special collections. Archives and Special Collections is also an Illinois Regional Archives Depository, hosting records from 14 counties in central Illinois. In addition, the library hosts an institutional repository (IR) as a community of the University of Illinois IDEALS Institutional repository. The IR is available for archiving original content from UIS faculty, students, and staff.
Brookens Library is a member of the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois which includes 85 academic libraries in Illinois from whom you can borrow directly. The library also offers an interlibrary loan service that can obtain items from across the U.S. and overseas.
Most library reserves are created and accessed through Blackboard. The library has expertise in navigating the complexities of copyright and obtaining permission to use copyrighted works in your instruction. Please contact the library if you have questions concerning copyright, streaming media, or related scholarly communications issues.
Since the first online course offered at UIS in 1998, and the establishment of the Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service (COLRS), UIS has experienced phenomenal growth in online enrollments. Additionally, UIS is nationally recognized as a leader in online learning and the use of technology instruction. Read about UIS’ Online and Blended Learning awards
UIS faculty members’ responsiveness to adopting high-quality web-based curricula and other instructional technologies has continued to add to the prestigious online program. The Center for Online Learning, Research, and Service contributes significantly to the field of online education through grants and research contracts related to new technologies, teaching methodologies, and pedagogy. Additionally, COLRS supports faculty research in online learning through the Faculty Fellows program. Faculty Fellow applications are accepted each year. The Faculty Fellows Program is very competitive. Faculty are encouraged in their research and publication efforts to have senior faculty assist with development of research agendas, publication suggestions, and other support as needed for faculty who are engaged in the Faculty Fellows Program.
The Counseling Center provides counseling, outreach, and psychological consultation to UIS students. Counseling services are free of charge to UIS students who have paid the Health and Counseling Fee. Exclusively online students will be charged the equivalent of the Health and Counseling Fee for each semester that they receive counseling services. In the event that an online student’s needs would be better met by receiving services locally, the Counseling Center is located in the Human Resources Building, Room 64 (217-206-7122).
The Cox Children’s Center is an auxiliary service offered by the Division of Student Affairs. The Center is licensed through the State of Illinois and holds voluntary accreditation through the National Association for the Education of Young Children. In addition, the center has achieved the ExceleRate Illinois Gold Circle of Quality recognition. Both of these demonstrate their commitment to providing quality care and education in the field of Early Childhood. The Children’s Center phone number is 217-206-6610.
The Diversity Center is dedicated to developing understanding of differences through educational, cultural, and social programming activities, and assisting in the recruitment, transition, and retention of ethnic minority and underrepresented students at UIS. The Diversity Center promotes intercultural dialogue and other initiatives to create a campus climate that welcomes diversity and eliminates divisions, intolerance, and stereotyping.
The Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) is a faculty member appointed by, and who reports to, the Campus Senate and the Chancellor to help ensure (1) the academic integrity of the athletics program, (2) the institutional control of the athletics program, and (3) a quality student-athlete experience. For more information about the Faculty Athletics Representative, please contact Marcel Yoder
35. Research & Sponsored Programs
Information about research policies, administrative procedures, and funding opportunities is available through the Research & Sponsored Programs website
Health Services provides non-emergency medical care to full- and part-time students, whether or not they have health insurance. Each semester, students pay a mandatory Health and Counseling Fee that helps provide medical appointments and health and wellness programming. Exclusively online students who have not paid the Health and Counseling Fee will be charged the equivalent of that fee prior to receiving medical care from Health Services. Physician, physician assistant and nurse office visits are provided without charge. Minimal user fees are charged for some services; patients are informed of these fees before the service is rendered. A list of these fees appears on the Health Services web site.
All students taking classes on the UIS campus must submit proof of required immunizations to Health Services. The clinic is located in the Business Services Building, Room 20. Hours of operations are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (when UIS is open).
The Parking Operations Office located on the first level of the Public Affairs Center, Room 119, directly across from Cashier Operations, maintains the official campus Lost and Found. Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, closed daily 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Lost items are turned in to the Parking Operations Office for safekeeping. If the lost item contains identification, staff make every effort to contact the owner. Lost items are retained by the Parking Operations Office for 60 days. You may be asked to describe the item and/or show proof of identity.
The Brookens Library circulation desk (217-206-6605) also retains items lost by patrons; however after a period of one week, lost items are forwarded to the Parking Operations Office. The Parking Operations office can be contacted at 217-206-8502.
The Office of Disability Services (ODS) provides reasonable academic accommodations to students with approved documented disabilities. All accommodations must be approved through ODS, which is located in the Human Resources Building, Room 80 (217-206-6666).
Ombuds resources and procedures can be found on the Ombuds Office website. Laurel Newman, UIS Ombuds, can be contacted directly at 217-206-7931.
The Pre-Law Center serves as an informational resource for UIS and community college students who are considering law school, a career in law, or a legally related field. Contact Eugene McCarthy to schedule an appointment for assistance with law school preparation and applications.
The Learning Hub offers free academic support services to currently enrolled UIS students. Through a peer tutoring program, The Hub offers one-to-one appointments – both in-person and online – in writing, math, accounting, economics, science, and academic skills. In addition to peer tutoring, The Hub offers supplemental instruction; online, on-ground, and in-class workshops; walk-in writing assistance; and additional support materials hosted online. The Learning Hub is located in Brookens Library 460. More information about available services can be found by calling (217) 206-6503.
Managed by the Department of Campus Recreation and home to UIS Prairie Stars varsity men’s and women’s basketball teams and women’s volleyball team, TRAC is a 72,000 square-foot, two-story facility featuring a 3,000-seat performance arena with three collegiate-length basketball and volleyball courts, an elevated running track, two racquetball courts that convert to squash courts, cardio/weight training areas, and a multi-purpose exercise room. Located on the south edge of the campus, TRAC was primarily funded by student fees, as well as a very generous gift from the Hoogland Family Foundation.
The offices of University Student Financial Services and Cashier Operations (USFSCO) is responsible for the billing and collection of student accounts for all three University of Illinois campuses. USFSCO offices are located just inside the teardrop entrance on the first floor concourse area of the Public Affairs Center, Room 184 and 182. SMTD bus passes can be purchased here. Hours of operation and contact information:
Cashier Window
Open 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. M-F (closed daily 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.)
Phone number: (217) 206-6738, email: usfsco@uis.edu
Student Financial Services (student accounts)
Phone number: (217) 206-6727, email: usfscohelp@uillinois.edu
Faculty members are eligible to purchase software for their personal use through the UI Webstore. More than 350 titles are available at competitive prices.
The UIS Women’s Center works to improve the status of women in higher education by addressing matters of particular concern to women. The Center promotes a campus climate that is safe, healthy, and respectful of all people. The Women’s Center enhances all students’ academic experiences by offering information, support, advocacy, referrals, and programming on a variety of gender-related issues.
The Women’s Center is located in the Student Affairs Building, Room SLB 15 (217-206-7173). Additional information is available on the Women’s Center facebook page.
Links to additional resources are available on the UIS home page’s A-Z index
Links to faculty, staff, and departments can be found in the online directory
<<Previous section: D. Administrative Tasks to Anticipate
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Solving the tech challenges of driverless cars
UKTN
Industry Analysis / Fri 21 Dec 2018
Nick Chrissos, director of innovation, Europe, at Cisco, discusses the UK’s driverless future.
In the past 150 years, the pace of technological change in the transport industry has accelerated beyond belief. From the 1885 invention of the first ever automobile to the potential of driverless cars ushering in the next transport revolution, as humans we are constantly striving to improve the way we travel.
To state the obvious, there is a massive difference between driverless cars being developed and manufactured to deploying them on public highways. There are plenty of barriers to consider: from policy issues to cultural attitudes and, of course, the technical aspects of a move towards this new mobility system.
However, a new report titled ‘Anticipating autonomous: the UK’s driverless future’, commissioned by London’s Smart Mobility Living Lab, shows that the prevailing attitude toward connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) among business leaders is a positive one.
Almost two-thirds (65%) are confident that CAVs will be made available on UK roads in the next five years. Furthermore, the research revealed a growing sense of anticipation towards the societal benefits they will bring within the next decade.
Advantage autonomous
If there was only one reason for implementing driverless cars in the UK, it would be to make roads safer. For consumers, attitudes towards the safety of CAVs are on a positive trajectory. Deloitte’s 2018 Global Automotive Consumer Study found that less than half (49%) believe that self-driving vehicles will be unsafe, down from 73% in 2017.
When it comes to leaders from transport, automotive and technology organisations, attitudes are expectedly more positive: only 17% did not agree that CAVs would make UK roads safer, with two-thirds (67%) agreeing that they will.
Beyond safety, industry experts are excited about the wider role CAVs will play in British society. Almost half (49%) highlighted increased mobility for elderly and disabled people as a key benefit.
With the latest ONS projections showing that there are likely to be an additional 8.6 million people aged 65 years and over in 50 years’ time, the potential of CAVs to increase opportunity and mobility for elderly and disabled people is a major benefit.
Another key advantage promised by CAVs is reducing congestion on UK roads – 41% believe that this will come to fruition – which in turn may bring down commuting times. Over half (51%) believe that CAVs will free up time for commuters through reduced travel time.
Improving peoples’ access to the world around them will have a positive impact on quality of life, whilst opening the door to an untapped demographic for local shops, businesses and service providers. In economic terms, 62% agreed that CAVs would have a positive impact on UK GDP – indicating a belief in the ability of CAVs to bring tangible commercial and societal advantages.
Lifting CAVs from anticipation to deployment
According to this study, we’re still very much in the formative years of CAVs. Collaboration between industries, governments and regulators will be essential in navigating this final period of development and eventual implementation. However, are there other perceived barriers which are stunting the progress of real-world CAV deployments?
Investment in the UK’s digital infrastructure was flagged (39%) as a key step for making self-driving cars commercially available in the next five years, suggesting a significant number of industry decision makers do not believe the current networks are fit-for-purpose.
In-vehicle technology (47%) and roadside technologies (44%) were also noted as requiring advancement enough to support a full rollout. Given the lack of real-world deployments of CAVs in the UK on which to base this theory, it is understandable that a perception exists that the necessary technologies are not ready.
This is a crucial point. Without the necessary infrastructure to support autonomous vehicles, the exciting benefits which many expect will never become a reality.
You can think of CAVs as lifts rather than traditional vehicles. Lifts work as part of a system: you wouldn’t separate the lift from the lift shaft and the runners it moves on, so why not apply the same thinking to CAVs?
Autonomous vehicles will exist as part of a single system, moving along preordained routes and in harmony with all other aspects of the system – including, of course, other vehicles and road users. A fully connected infrastructural environment is fundamental to making this a reality.
Therefore, if the aim of driverless cars is to provide mobility on demand in the most efficient way possible, it makes sense to think of them as operating in a ‘networked’ way.
Testing the tyres
The only way to truly move the needle on perceptions towards a lack of technological advancement holding CAVs back is to conduct more successful trials and testing of these technologies on UK soil, especially in complex urban settings.
Navigating the interplay between in-car technology, roadside technology, broader vehicle infrastructure, data security and regulation requirements is too complex for any one developer or industry to solve on its own.
Comprehensive testing, collaborative R&D and collective regulation development is the only way for CAVs to become a commercial reality. This will require greater collaboration between the technology industry, vehicle manufacturers and the public bodies responsible for these infrastructure upgrades.
More than two-thirds (68%) of respondents to the ‘Anticipating autonomous’ study think CAVs need to be subjected to rigorous real-world testing before they can be used on UK roads.
Taking it one step further, 45% think live testing environments which involve interaction between self-driving and non-self-driving vehicles as well as pedestrians, are important. A further 39% think extensive consumer trials must take place before CAVs will be a commercial reality.
Most respondents (84%) agree that the UK needs its own testing facilities for CAVs, 70% declaring themselves confident that CAVs can be successfully regulated against a standard. Real-world testing and collaboration is just as important for regulators as it is for vehicle manufacturers and technology developers, so these issues must be addressed before extensive deployments can commence.
Tech’s next steps
The future looks bright for autonomous vehicles – 84% of those surveyed believe that they will be made available in the UK within the next decade – a massive vote of confidence.
While real-world testing and regulatory standards are critical to insuring the future viability of CAVs, making sure that the necessary technological infrastructure is in place to support them is chief among our current priorities.
Led by TRL and supported by a consortium including Cisco, TfL, DG Cities, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Cubic, and Loughborough University, the SMLL co-innovation project is leading the search for answers.
Cisco’s role in this innovation project is to lead the building phase, laying the groundwork for the future of mobility itself. With expertise from across the transport and technology industries, SMLL will build a testbed located across the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, to offer a uniquely complex urban setting for developing future transport technologies.
The testbed will become the place to go for advanced real-world CAV and transport testing – where technology and service providers from related and unrelated industries can look at the entire connected transport environment and get their products and services market-ready, faster.
A UK road network used predominantly by CAVs is almost upon us. The journey has begun.
CAVsCiscoconnected and autonomous vehiclesDriverless Cars
Cisco strengthens partnership with the Northern Powerhouse Cisco partners with University of Edinburgh to accelerate innovation
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Lorde’s Return to Music Is Coming Soon
According to NME, Republic Records’ Playbook website has release slated for March 7 for Lorde.
No word on whether this “(Confidential Title)” release is the lead single or the album itself, and it should be noted that we checked the site ourselves and can’t find the evidence anywhere. Perhaps it was removed from stans’ prying eyes; hopefully it wasn’t a fiction wished/PhotoShopped into existence.
Lorde last shared an album #2 update on her 20th birthday, telling her Facebook followers that “Writing Pure Heroine was my way of enshrining our teenage glory, putting it up in lights forever so that part of me never dies, and this record – well, this one is about what comes next.”
“I want nothing more than to spill my guts RIGHT NOW about the whole thing – I want you to see the album cover, pore over the lyrics (the best I’ve written in my life), touch the merch, experience the live show. I can hardly stop myself from typing out the name. I just need to keep working a while longer to make it as good as it can be. You’ll have to hold on. The big day is not tomorrow, or even next month realistically, but soon. I know you understand.”
Lorde’s also booked headlining sets at Coachella in April — which further suggests that March 7 date will bring new music for fans to sing along to.
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Synopsis coming soon.......
From Auckland
Millions of us have dangerously high blood sugar - and we don't know it. There are no symptoms. We appear healthy. Yet raised blood sugar is storing up problems for the future. It furs up our arteries, piles hidden fat into our internal organs and is a precursor not just to Type 2 diabetes but a range of diseases, including heart failure, dementia and cancer. Scientists in the UK have recently shown that rapid weight loss, when done properly, is an extremely effective way to kill dangerous fat, combat blood sugar problems, reverse Type 2 diabetes, perhaps even cure it. In this book, Dr Michael Mosley draws on the work of Professor Roy Taylor - one of the world's foremost diabetes experts - and his own experience as a one-time diabetic, to present a groundbreaking new approach to long-term health - a radical eight-week diet for diabetics who want to reverse their condition and stay medication-free, as well as an easier, flexible regime for anyone just keen to keep their blood sugar levels in check. As Dr Mosley says, it is never too late to act...
Dr. Michael Mosley is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The FastDiet, FastExercise, FastLife, and The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet, and The Clever Gut Diet. Dr. Mosley trained to be a doctor at the Royal Free Hospital in London before joining the BBC, where he spent three decades as a science journalist and executive producer. Now freelance, he is a well-known television personality and has won numerous television awards, including an RTS (Royal Television Award), and was named Medical Journalist of the Year by the British Medical Association.
Simon & Schuster Australia
Lose Weight Fast and Reprogram Your Body for Life
By Tobias
Books » Non-Fiction » Health, Fitness & Family » Parenting & Relationships » Family Relationships
Books » Non-Fiction » Health, Fitness & Family
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Alaska quietly becomes 3rd state to legalize marijuana
JUNEAU, Alaska – Alaska on Tuesday became the third U.S. state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults, but it was a subdued milestone.
Alaska quietly becomes 3rd state to legalize marijuana JUNEAU, Alaska – Alaska on Tuesday became the third U.S. state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults, but it was a subdued milestone. Check out this story on thenorthwestern.com: http://oshko.sh/1ENZec7
Molly Dischner, Associated Press Published 3:14 p.m. CT Feb. 24, 2015
In this Feb. 20, 2015 photo, Peter Lomonaco, co-founder of the Alaska Cannabis Club, and CEO Charlo Greene share a joint at their medical marijuana dispensary in Anchorage, Alaska. On Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015, Alaska will become the third state in the nation to legalize marijuana.(Photo: AP)
Unlike in Colorado and Washington state, there were no street parties and public smoking displays in Alaska's biggest cities. But backers of legal pot said the mild reaction was fitting because they are aiming to promote responsible consumption of marijuana as they work with lawmakers during the next few months in preparing its sale.
"We wish people would just celebrate in a little less public of a fashion," said Bruce Schulte, an advocate for legalization. "We want to see this industry thrive in a responsible, regulated fashion, and part of that is responsible consumption."
Placing Alaska in the same category as Washington state and Colorado with legal marijuana was the goal of the pro-pot coalition that included libertarians, rugged individualists and small-government Republicans who prize the privacy rights enshrined in the Alaska state constitution. Legalization is expected in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.
When the public voted last November to legalize marijuana use by adults in private places, voters left many of the details to lawmakers and regulators to sort out. That has left confusion on many matters.
The initiative bans smoking in public, but it doesn't define what that means, and lawmakers left the question to the alcohol regulatory board. There were missteps even as the board decided pot can't be smoked in places generally accessible to the public, like parks, schools or on the street in Alaska.
Board members met via a teleconference Tuesday, but it started late because organizers gave out the wrong telephone number. The call originated from the board's Anchorage office. However, a locked gate blocked access to the meeting site.
On Tuesday, police in Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, were prepared to hand out $100 fines for people smoking marijuana in public. But officers working the first shift after it became legal at 12:01 a.m. didn't encounter anyone consuming marijuana in public.
"The implementation of Ballot Measure 2 has provided us with a new set of freedoms, but like anything else, there are limits on those freedoms," said Tim Hinterberger, the chairman of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana, pro-pot group, said at a Tuesday morning news conference.
Despite the statewide directive, Alaska still allows different communities across the state to adopt different standards of what smoking in public means to them. In Anchorage, for instance, Police Chief Mark Mew warned people against smoking on their porches if they live next to a park. But far to the north, in North Pole, smoking outdoors on private property will be OK as long as it doesn't create a nuisance, officials there said.
In some respects, the confusion continues a four-decade reality for Alaskans and their relationship with marijuana.
While the 1975 Alaska Supreme Court decision protected personal marijuana possession and a 1998 initiative legalized medicinal marijuana, state lawmakers twice criminalized any possession over the years, creating an odd legal limbo.
As of Tuesday, adult Alaskans can not only keep and use pot, they can transport, grow it and give it away. A second phase, creating a regulated and taxed marijuana market, won't start until 2016 at the earliest. That's about the same timeline for Oregon, where voters approved legalizing marijuana the same day as Alaska did but the law there doesn't go into effect until July 1.
Voters in Washington, D.C., also legalized marijuana in the November election, and it was set to become legal Thursday after congressional attempts to block it failed. Adults in the nation's capital can possess up to 2 ounces, but Congress has forbidden sales of pot there. Public use is prohibited. Washington state and Colorado voters legalized marijuana in 2012 and sales have started there.
The Alaska pro-marijuana group anticipates more states will begin legalizing pot. "I think we've reached a tipping point on people's thinking about marijuana in this country," Hinterberger said.
Meanwhile, Alaska Native leaders worry that legalization will bring new temptations to communities already confronting high rates of drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence and suicide.
"When they start depending on smoking marijuana, I don't know how far they'd go to get the funds they need to support it, to support themselves," said Edward Nick, council member in Manokotak, a remote village of 400 that is predominantly Yup'ik Eskimo.
Both alcohol and drug use are prohibited in Nick's village 350 miles southwest of Anchorage, even inside the privacy of villagers' homes.
But Nick fears that the initiative, in combination with a 1975 state Supreme Court decision that legalized marijuana use inside homes, could open doors to drug abuse.
Initiative backers promised Native leaders that communities could still have local control under certain conditions. Alaska law gives every community the option to regulate alcohol locally. From northern Barrow to Klawock, 1,291 miles away in southeast Alaska, 108 communities impose local limits on alcohol, and 33 of them ban it altogether.
But the initiative did not provide clear opt-out language for tribal councils and other smaller communities, forcing each one to figure out how to proceed.
Read or Share this story: http://oshko.sh/1ENZec7
Start Over Games brings retro gaming to Oshkosh
Streetwise: Viking Electric to expand warehouse in Oshkosh
Aviation Plaza developers asking for $1.7 million in TIF funds
Verve credit union plans to buy Chicago-based bank
Wheel & Sprocket celebrates 20 years, plans for future
Five Below torn down after roof collapse in March | Streetwise
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If the parks district was approved by voters, it would have raised about $2.7 million a year, based on a property tax of 47 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, or about $11.75 per month for a home assessed at $300,000, The Olympian reported.
The state allows the city to levy up to 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.
A majority of Lacey City Council members supported the parks district plan, but the measure drew opposition from the Libertarian Party of Thurston County, which raised concerns about higher property taxes and the potential trickle down effect on already expensive rents in the area.
The party also took aim at the timing of a feasibility study on a future indoor sports facility, which might be funded by the parks district. At one point, Lacey officials said the study would be complete by September. Now, the $38,000 study is not expected to be complete until after the election in late November or December, City Manager Scott Spence has said.
The city downplayed the indoor sports facility, saying it was never a primary consideration for the city, but a secondary one. Previously the city estimated that the 40,000-square-foot indoor sports facility might cost $16 million and have annual maintenance costs of $750,000.
Prior to Tuesday’s election, the city of Lacey mailed information about Proposition 1 to residents. rboone@theolympian.com Rolf Boone
Last vote is recounted in Miami-Dade County
Close races could end in a recount. How does that work?
Mayor of Olympia
Candidates are listed in the order they will appear on the Aug. 6 primary ballot.
Phil Cornell’s name will appear on the ballot and voter’s pamphlet. Cornell announced earlier this month he had dropped out of the race.
MORE ELECTIONS
Olympia School Board of Directors District No. 1
North Thurston Schools Board of Directors District No. 1
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