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Written by: WC Handy
Recorded: 30 July 1968
Engineer: Ken Scott
Released: 9 November 2018
The Beatles (White Album) 50th anniversary box set
Paul McCartney: vocals, piano
John Lennon: acoustic guitar
Ringo Starr: drums
A brief snippet of The Beatles performing the 1914 song ‘St Louis Blues’ was recorded during the White Album sessions in July 1968, and released half a century later.
Paul McCartney led the rendition during the second session for ‘Hey Jude’ at London’s Trident Studios on 30 July 1968. Although the track lasts 52 seconds, the actual performance amounts to less than 30 seconds.
Although George Harrison played guitar during the early part of the ‘Hey Jude’ session, by the time of ‘St Louis Blues’ he had relocated to the studio’s control room, where he chatted to the rest of the band via talkback. Other songs played during the session included Ray Charles’ ‘Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying’.
‘St Louis Blues’ made a return on day five of the Get Back/Let It Be sessions, on 8 January 1969. That version was even briefer: Harrison suggested the song as a possibility, followed by John Lennon playing the melody on an electric guitar.
‘St Louis Blues’ was written by WC Handy, and published in September 1914. It was one of the first blues songs to achieve mainstream success, and quickly became a staple part of jazz repertoires. It was recorded by musicians including Louis Armstrong, Glenn Miller, Bessie Smith, Bing Crosby, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Cab Calloway, Dizzy Gillespie, Chet Atkins, Dave Brubeck, and Django Reinhardt.
The song has twice been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Bessie Smith’s 1925 version was included in 1993, followed by Louis Armstrong’s in 2008.
Well no I hate to see
The evening sun go
I hate to see the evening sun go down
Yeah I hate to see
The evening sun go,
My baby and me
I hate to see the
By Beatlebug, 47 minutes ago
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Elon Musk- A Big Dreamer with Exceptional Qualities!
Elon Reeve Musk is a Canadian-born business tycoon who is widely admired for visible entrepreneurship. He was a Big dreamer who made his dreams coming true. He is the founder of SpaceX, Tesla Inc. and also the chairman of SolarCity. Elon Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria South Africa.
He started studying computer programming at the age of 12. When he was 17 years old he went to visit the Royal University. Two years later, he comes back to the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a degree in physics from the College of Arts and Sciences and a bachelor's degree from the Wharton School.
Also Read: 1. Steve Jobs – An Enigmatic Person Who Changed the Tech World!
2. Reliance Jio is killing Us with Sinister Design: Airtel, Vodafone and Idea
He even admitted in an interview that he was afraid of the dark, After overcame this, he realizes that darkness is nothing, it is only the absence of light. He was a very brilliant child from childhood.
At the age of 10, his interest was in computing. At the tender age of 12, he made a BASIC Video game code and sold it which is known as Blastar. PayPal is one of the world's largest Internet payment companies which was established in December 1998. There are many founders of this company, one of them is Elon Musk.
PayPal has changed the way people buy things over the Internet and is now the leading payment system in the world. Perhaps this is something that we now take for granted and quickly replaced the traditional paper process of postage checks in the mail. Later he sold his share in PayPal to eBay for 1.5 billion dollars, at the age of 30 years old.
After that, Elon moved to the alternative energy sector and started SolarCity, which provides solar power to commercial and private consumers. His ongoing dream is to put an end to world dependence on fossil fuels.
Then it is not surprising that he moved to another sector, for launching Tesla. Tesla is a company of electric vehicles. "It is about sustainable energy consumption," his plan was to present an expensive and beautiful sports car to attract high-end customers. Tesla needed to break the myth and change the perception that electric cars were boring, but could be hot and desirable. Tesla was quite a rough start, it faced lots of difficulties.
But at the end, he got the success that he wanted. SpaceX is a private US aerospace manufacturing company. It was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk who had said that one of his goals is to improve the cost and reliability of the access to space.
The main task of SpaceX was to develop a quick-release launch system. Musk said in an interview in 2011 that he hopes to send people to the surface of Mars.
Also Read: 1. 12 Super Hot Ideas that Changed the World!
2. Mukesh Ambani- Carrying Forward the Dream of Dhirubhai Ambani
However, the dream of Musk to change the future is strong, and he even invested all his personal capital in the business. This huge risk showed faith in his dream and paid off when Tesla was awarded the "Motor of the Year" in Motor Trend.
That was a great achievement of his career. But his dreams are not limited to the ground, his company SpaceX was the first commercial company that sent Spaceships to the International Space Station. It is a person with determination, a sense of adventure and, a big dreamer.
Inspirational Good To Know Business
Top 5 Trusted Websites to Make Quick Money Online
Sexy Perfumes - Here are The Best 13 Feminine Scents!
Youtube Website- Top Video-Sharing Platform to Everyone!
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Names of God Bible (NOG)
Names of God Bible
Offerings for the Dedication of the Altar
7 When Moses finished setting up the tent, he anointed it and dedicated it and all the furnishings. He also anointed and dedicated the altar and all the utensils. 2 Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of the households—those tribal leaders who helped in the census—came to give their offerings. 3 They brought these gifts to Yahweh: six freight wagons and twelve oxen, one wagon from every two leaders and one ox from each leader. They brought them in front of the tent.
4 Yahweh said to Moses, 5 “Accept these gifts from them to use in the work done for the tent of meeting. Give them to the Levites to use wherever they need these gifts for their work.” 6 Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7 He gave two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonites for the work they had to do. 8 He gave four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarites for the work they had to do under the direction of Ithamar, son of the priest Aaron. 9 But Moses gave none of these gifts to the Kohathites, because they took care of the holy things. They had to carry the holy things on their own shoulders.
10 The leaders also brought offerings for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed. They presented their gifts in front of the altar. 11 Yahweh said to Moses, “Each day a different leader will bring his gift for the dedication of the altar.”
12 The one who brought his gifts on the first day was Nahshon, son of Amminadab, from the tribe of Judah. 13 He brought a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds, using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. 14 He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; 15 a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; 16 a male goat as an offering for sin; 17 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Nahshon, son of Amminadab.
18 On the second day Nethanel, son of Zuar, the leader from the tribe of Issachar, brought his gifts. 19 He brought a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. 20 He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; 21 a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; 22 a male goat as an offering for sin; 23 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Nethanel, son of Zuar.
24 On the third day the leader of the descendants of Zebulun, Eliab, son of Helon, 25 brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. 26 He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; 27 a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; 28 a male goat as an offering for sin; 29 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Eliab, son of Helon.
30 On the fourth day the leader of the descendants of Reuben, Elizur, son of Shedeur, 31 brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. 32 He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; 33 a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; 34 a male goat as an offering for sin; 35 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Elizur, son of Shedeur.
36 On the fifth day the leader of the descendants of Simeon, Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai, 37 brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. 38 He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; 39 a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; 40 a male goat as an offering for sin; 41 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai.
42 On the sixth day the leader of the descendants of Gad, Eliasaph, son of Deuel, 43 brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. 44 He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; 45 a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; 46 a male goat as an offering for sin; 47 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Eliasaph, son of Deuel.
48 On the seventh day the leader of the descendants of Ephraim, Elishama, son of Ammihud, 49 brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. 50 He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; 51 a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; 52 a male goat as an offering for sin; 53 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Elishama, son of Ammihud.
54 On the eighth day the leader of the descendants of Manasseh, Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, 55 brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. 56 He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; 57 a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; 58 a male goat as an offering for sin; 59 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur.
60 On the ninth day the leader of the descendants of Benjamin, Abidan, son of Gideoni, 61 brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. 62 He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; 63 a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; 64 a male goat as an offering for sin; 65 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Abidan, son of Gideoni.
66 On the tenth day the leader of the descendants of Dan, Ahiezer, son of Amishaddai, 67 brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. 68 He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; 69 a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; 70 a male goat as an offering for sin; 71 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Ahiezer, son of Amishaddai.
72 On the eleventh day the leader of the descendants of Asher, Pagiel, son of Ochran, 73 brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. 74 He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; 75 a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; 76 a male goat as an offering for sin; 77 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Pagiel, son of Ochran.
78 On the twelfth day the leader of the descendants of Naphtali, Ahira, son of Enan, 79 brought his gifts: a silver plate that weighed 3¼ pounds and a silver bowl that weighed 1¾ pounds using the standard weight of the holy place. Each dish was filled with flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering. 80 He also brought a gold dish that weighed 4 ounces, filled with incense; 81 a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb as a burnt offering; 82 a male goat as an offering for sin; 83 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs as a fellowship offering. These were the gifts from Ahira, son of Enan.
84 These were the gifts from the leaders of Israel for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed: 12 silver plates, 12 silver bowls, and 12 gold dishes. 85 Each silver plate weighed 3¼ pounds, and each bowl weighed 1¾ pounds. Together all the silver dishes weighed 60 pounds, using the standard weight of the holy place. 86 The 12 gold dishes filled with incense weighed 4 ounces each, using the standard weight of the holy place. Together all the gold dishes weighed about 3 pounds. 87 The total number of animals for the burnt offerings was 12 young bulls, 12 rams, 12 one-year-old male lambs, along with their grain offerings. Twelve male goats were used as offerings for sin. 88 The total number of animals for fellowship offerings was 24 bulls, 60 rams, 60 male goats, and 60 one-year-old male lambs. These were the gifts for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.
89 Whenever Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Yahweh, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the throne of mercy on the ark containing the words of God’s promise, from between the two angels.[a] This is how Yahweh spoke with Moses.
Numbers 7:89 Or “cherubim.”
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
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New deal for Aston Villa youngster
Aston Villa's promising striker Nathan Delfouneso has signed a new contract which will keep him with the midlands club until the summer of 2012.
Don't miss a thing with Villa this season - sign up here for our free AVFC newsletter
The 18-year-old, who scored twice for Villa in the UEFA Cup last season, has put pen to paper on a two year extension to his current deal.
And Villa boss Martin O'Neill believes Delfouneso, named amongst the substitutes for today's home Barclays Premier League clash with Bolton, has a massive future in the game.
O'Neill said: "I couldn't be more pleased. Nathan is a great talent and has real natural ability.
"He is ready. He is pushing on very strongly now even though you consider he is still very young.
"He has everything going for him. If he keeps learning, he's got a really good chance.
"I wouldn't want to put a great deal of pressure on him but, in terms of natural talent and strength and ability to go past players, I think he's got it all. The rest is up to him."
O'Neill added: "He is a great, great talent and I am absolutely delighted to have him here.
"He has been around the first team. I hope when he gets his opportunity - in the not too distant future - he can grab it.
"I have seen a few players in the past with great, great talent disappear at 21, 22 but I don't think that's in his nature.
"He really wants it and I think he has that determination about him. The football club will see the benefits in the next few years."
Aston and Nechells
Martin O'Neill
Nathan Delfouneso
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Strong opposition mounted against ‘inappropriate’ residential development
Wexham development opposed by locals to be debated by Buckinghamshire Council
By Rory Butler rorythomasb Local Democracy Reporter
THE CONTROVERSIAL demolition of some stables to make way for a new residential development is due for debate next week.
A new development consisting of five homes in place of existing livery and storage on land south of Rowley Lane, in Wexham, will be discussed during a South Buckinghamshire Area Planning Committee, on Tuesday, October 27.
The proposal, put forward by Daniel Family Homes, has been met with strong opposition from Wexham Parish Council and 17 neighbours.
READ MORE: Council grilled over delayed 11+ and ‘appropriate’ school places in 2021
The applicant is seeking conditional permission to tear down the existing structures and in their place erect five new properties, including a pair of semi-detached homes (plots 1 to 4).
Each property will have a garden and shed, and two parking spaces.
The application also involves widening the existing access road to allow for two-way traffic flows.
All new properties are described as “low level”, single-storey buildings with flat roofs.
Natural England has raised concerns about the impact on Burnham Beeches Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and mitigation measures by way of financial contribution will be necessary to preserve its integrity.
READ MORE: ‘Harmful’ extension granted to village property – despite impact on neighbours
The site is surrounded by open fields. Nearby horse paddocks and bridleways will be “unaffected” by the build, according to council documents.
A previous application for four residential properties was refused in 2016, as was an application for just two in the same year.
However, a successful appeal granted two detached properties to be built on site.
Under this new proposal, the two semis will now be built instead of the two detached.
“It is acknowledged these buildings would now operate as four dwellings as opposed to two… the two buildings that would house units 1 to 4 would have exactly the same amount of physical impact on the openness of the Green Belt as that of the previously approved scheme,” states the report.
Letters of objection to the scheme cite loss of privacy, “potential noise and smell”, ‘inappropriate and poor design’, security risks to existing properties, hedgerow damage, and impact on wildlife.
We’ve launched a new Facebook group for local news junkies, politics fans and everyone who wants to keep up to date with the latest issues affecting Wexham. Please join the conversation over at Buckinghamshire Politics
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June/July/Aug 2009
What Would Jesus Buy?
How evangelicals stopped worrying and learned to love capitalism
Witnessing Suburbia: Conservatives and Christian Youth Culture BY Eileen Luhr. University of California Press. Paperback, 280 pages. $19.
To Serve God and Wal-Mart: The Making of Christian Free Enterprise BY Bethany Moreton. Harvard University Press. Hardcover, 392 pages. $27.
Books claiming to decipher evangelical Christianity for the secular reader are nothing new, but the Bush years ushered in the genre’s golden age. Following the 2000 election, scores of pundits sought to explain the rise of the Christian right, and some of their efforts were worthwhile. For The Great Derangement, Matt Taibbi went undercover at a fundamentalist retreat that culminated with a mass exorcism where he was encouraged to vomit up demons, and he walked away understanding how easy it could be to “bury your ‘sinful’ self far under the skin of your outer Christian.” D. Michael Lindsay conducted interviews with evangelicals in business and politics for Faith in the Halls of Power and (perhaps to a fault) allowed them to speak for themselves.
Yet many recent guides to evangelicalism are vastly oversimplified, if not aggressively disingenuous. The worst are the Red America manuals that issue forth from career contrarians like David Brooks, who concocts a thesis about homely red-state virtues and works backward—making a few trips across state lines to churches, auto-body shops, and Red Lobsters—in search of anecdotes to support it. And in the era of family values and untrammeled free enterprise, a host of professional opinion mongers affected to don evangelical-tinted glasses through which they reassessed and cast doubt on progressive ideas that had entered the mainstream in prior decades. Never mind that “evangelical” is a slippery category, prone to many opportunistic manipulations. Do we count the Charismatics? PCA Presbyterians? Tongues-speaking Episcopalians? There are many camps along the spectrum of American Protestantism—camps often hostile to one another—and as a child I was dragged through a number of them.
In the post-Bush era, some of the most reductionist punditry on the evangelical scene has receded, leaving room for serious inquiry into how the past eight years came about. To that end, Eileen Luhr’s Witnessing Suburbia is a diligent and informative, if somewhat muddled, exploration of the ways mainstream evangelicals’ attitudes toward popular culture have evolved in the past forty years. Coming out of the ’60s, church elders were wringing their hands over the heathens, hippies, and rock stars putting their children’s spiritual lives at risk. Consequently, the ’70s saw the birth of a parents’ movement that sought to segregate Christian youth from the dangers of the counterculture and to “restore ‘traditional’ authority.”
By now, the Jimmy Swaggart–style objections to rock are legendary, the stuff of comedy skits. The music’s “pounding fury” was said to match the rate of the human heart, and its backward-masked subliminal content to endorse Satan and drug use, so that even the most devout teens would have trouble withstanding its “two-pronged, physical and psychological attack.” As record burnings made offending albums ever more desirable to the secular rock audience, however, some of the music’s fiercest opponents backed away from “threats of hellfire” and kick-started the family-values movement, urging Christian conservatives to protest as concerned parents rather than as people of faith.
At times, Luhr defines evangelicals to exclude strict fundamentalists, focusing on a more mainstream—“suburbanized”—subset of Protestants, while elsewhere, when it suits her thesis, she draws the category more broadly. She repeatedly highlights supporting examples while downplaying the force of countervailing evidence and employing an inconsistent time line. For instance, she suggests that evangelicals spent at least a decade shunning anything that resembled popular music after the close of the Jesus Movement, even as she acknowledges that “Christian rock exploded as a genre during the 1970s and 1980s.” As a result, Witnessing Suburbia’s organizing argument is frustrating and often hard to follow. Still, the overall trajectory Luhr identifies—of church leaders self-consciously borrowing from popular music and culture and using teenagers as ambassadors to the secular masses—is indisputable.
Obviously, the rise of Christian rock was controversial in fundamentalist quarters. Even artists as tame as Amy Grant drew fire, as I recall, although Luhr largely ignores the ’80s Christian pop goddess, focusing instead on more divisive Christian metal, rock, and punk acts like Stryper, Barren Cross, Lust Control, and Payable on Death and the emergence of zines devoted to the genre. Still, the more pragmatic evangelical parents realized that the youth ministry had to adapt to the new culture taking shape in its midst.
Although the bands appropriated outsider rhetoric, many were savvily capitalizing on the larger consumer culture, signing with secular labels to increase their clout in the mainstream. Eventually this “MTV approach to evangelism” led to rock ’n’ roll revivals like the Harvest Crusade, which in 1997 lured a crowd of nearly fifty thousand to Anaheim Stadium in California. By the start of the Bush era, white evangelicals’ youth culture had become a formidable and influential industry. Indeed, Christians’ gains in the marketplace were just as “significant and as ambitious” as their family-values agenda. By 2004, the “coalescence of exurban consumerism and religious belief” had found its most perfect expression in the opening of a megachurch on the grounds of a former Wal-Mart Superstore in Saint Petersburg, Florida. The teen Christian underground no longer needed a zine culture to get its message across.
Wal-Mart is also the spiritual center of Bethany Moreton’s probing and nuanced study of the latter-day evangelical romance with free-market capitalism, To Serve God and Wal-Mart. Like Luhr, Moreton is preoccupied with evangelicals’ acceptance and appropriation of consumer culture. Unlike Luhr, she sees the relationship as organic, even inevitable.
During the worst years of the Great Depression, it was what would become Wal-Mart Country—the Ozarks and environs—that led the revolt against the corporate reorganization of American society, while progressive opinion-makers tended to see this antichain movement as an impediment to economic recovery. Most chains were owned by Northeasterners, some of them Jews or Catholics, and Moreton shows that much populist-inflected antichain rhetoric was subtly designed to highlight these traits; meanwhile, southern preachers of separatist commerce attacked “foreigners”—basically meaning anyone not local—implicitly setting them in opposition to “Christian, ‘old-stock’ American whites.’”
Indeed, Moreton points out that Wal-Mart’s “procorporate populism” succeeded despite antichain sentiment because it “addressed the underlying logic of the old anticorporate populism”—both by stressing that its initial growth was locally financed and by crafting a friendly, small-town image that drew from idealized Ozarks culture. Founder Sam Walton opened his early stores in rural white towns, but before choosing locations he checked bank deposits and county sales-tax receipts and flew over proposed sites to find “heavy public supports” like military bases, universities, and hospitals, which vastly increased the potential for sales. The result was a series of “theme parks of landlocked small-town life,” where RVs were welcome.
Wal-Mart’s folksy illusion relied in part on making store workers feel like family; in particular, on making female workers feel valued as wives and mothers. Moreton does an excellent job of digging beneath Wal-Mart’s carefully imagineered vision of the rural good life. She not only recounts labor abuses such as the company’s notorious failure to promote and reward women but also stresses how the company appealed to white Americans’ feelings of entitlement. Many of their forebears, including Walton’s, had profited from government jobs and land grants, as well as from subsidies and protections in the form of Social Security, the minimum wage, health care, and education—many of which were effectively unavailable to African Americans. Wal-Mart was at the forefront of a burgeoning service economy that “capitalized on [the] broad social agreement that women weren’t really workers, their skills not really skills.” Its workers and the customers they served—often “friends, neighbors, and loved ones—were the same: white Ozarkers nostalgic for a wholesome, more homogeneous, and largely imaginary yesteryear, for a past in which the best opportunities were reserved for people like them.
Because many of the workers were religious, their approach to work originated in “a different cultural tradition, that of Christian service.” So closely did the store come to resemble the church that shoppers eventually came to invert the traditional relationship between Christianity and commerce, measuring the church “against the standard of the store” and finding the church “wanting in true religion.” Thus did capitalism and consumption become sanctified, and as Wal-Mart began to turn to Christian colleges—steeped in this same service mentality—for managerial talent, the connection with the church became increasingly explicit. Even more culturally significant was Wal-Mart’s creation of Students in Free Enterprise (sife), which “sought to impart faith in free-market economics to schoolchildren.” To sife, economics was not a discipline but a practical trade, and indoctrination started early, with a Kinder-Nomics class for preschoolers.
Yet as Moreton observes, for all this fervent propagandizing for the free-market faith, American evangelicals have always been resistant to categorization and prone to mutation. Calamities such as Hurricane Katrina and the botched government response to it have produced a renewed emphasis in many evangelical circles on the fight to reduce poverty and on political advocacy for the disenfranchised—trends that will likely gain traction as the global recession unfolds. As Moreton writes, “The invisible hand of the market and the hand of God are not so easily mistaken for each other when the former proves so fallible.”
Maud Newton is a writer and blogger whose novel in progress examines the impetus behind fundamentalism and will be excerpted in the spring issue of Narrative.
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The Survivor : Bill Clinton in the White House
by John F. Harris
The definitive account of one of the most accomplished, controversial, and polarizing figures in American history
Bill Clinton is the most arresting leader of his generation. He transformed American politics, and his eight years as president spawned arguments that continue to resonate. For all that has been written about this singular personality-including Clinton's own massive autobiography-there has been no comprehensive, nonpartisan overview of the Clinton presidency.
Few writers are as qualified and equipped to tackle this vast subject as the award-winning veteran Washington Post correspondent John F. Harris, who covered Clinton for six of his eight years in office-as long as any reporter for a major newspaper. In The Survivor, Harris frames the historical debate about President William Jefferson Clinton, by revealing the inner workings of the Clinton White House and providing the first objective analysis of Clinton's leadership and its consequences.
Harris shows Clinton entering the Oval Office in 1993 primed to make history. But with the Cold War recently concluded and the country coming off a nearly uninterrupted generation of Republican presidents, the new president's entry into this maelstrom of events was tumultuous. His troubles were exacerbated by the habits, personal contacts, and the management style, he had developed in his years as governor of Arkansas. Clinton's enthusiasm and temper were legendary, and he and Hillary Rodham Clinton-whose ambitions and ordeals also fill these pages-arrived filled with mistrust about many of the characters who greeted them in the "permanent Washington" that often holds the reins in the nation's capital.
Showing surprising doggedness and a deep-set desire to govern from the middle, Clinton repeatedly rose to the challenges; eventually winning over (or running over) political adversaries on both sides of the aisle-sometimes facing as much skepticism from fellow Democrats as from his Republican foes. But as Harris shows in his accounts of political debacles such as the attempted overhaul of health care, Clinton's frustrations in the war against terrorism, and the numerous personal controversies that time and again threatened to consume his presidency, Bill Clinton could never manage to outrun his tendency to favor conciliation over clarity, or his own destructive appetites.
The Survivor is the best kind of history, a book filled with major revelations-the tense dynamic of the Clinton inner circle and Clinton's professional symbiosis with Al Gore to the imprint of Clinton's immense personality on domestic and foreign affairs-as well as the minor details that leaven all great political narratives. This long-awaited synthesis of the dominant themes, events, and personalities of the Clinton years will stand as the authoritative and lasting work on the Clinton Presidency.
Limited Availability. Ships in 2-4 weeks.
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More About The Survivor by John F. Harris
Publisher: Random House Trade
Publish Date: October 2006
Dimensions: 8.46 x 4.63 x 1.2 inches
Presidents & Heads of State
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Mexico president heads to Washington for meeting with Trump
by: CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN, Associated Press
Posted: Jul 7, 2020 / 10:19 AM GMT-0600 / Updated: Jul 7, 2020 / 10:19 AM GMT-0600
In this Dec. 10. 2019 file photo, Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks during an event to sign an update to the North American Free Trade Agreement, at the National Palace in Mexico City. Mexico celebrated on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, the implementation of the new free trade agreement with Canada and the United States that it hopes will lead to more investment in its struggling economy. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)
MEXICO CITY (AP) — For his first foreign trip as president, Mexico’s Andrés Manuel López Obrador travels to Washington Tuesday to meet with President Donald Trump, a leader who has repeatedly used Mexico as a piñata to rally his base.
The visit, coming just four months before U.S. elections, has many Mexicans cringing. Trump has insulted them, threatened crippling tariffs to strongarm Mexico into playing an uncomfortable role in U.S. immigration policy and insisted they will pay for a border wall meant to keep migrants out of the U.S.
But López Obrador has had a surprisingly warm relationship with Trump. He likes to point out that more recently Trump helped Mexico reach a deal with other oil-producing nations to cut production and aided Mexico in obtaining more ventilators to face the coronavirus pandemic. Both presidents talk about a blossoming friendship that seems to stem from their pursuit of unapologetically nationalist agendas.
López Obrador hints at the real reason for the trip when he reels off U.S. economic statistics — the size of the U.S. pandemic stimulus package, the number of jobs the U.S. got back in June. Mexico’s economy was in recession before the pandemic, has shed about 1 million jobs since and is forecast to contract this year by as much as 10%.
“This helps us by being neighbors,” López Obrador said Tuesday, before departing. “This is about the economy, it’s about jobs, it’s about well-being.”
There is no doubt Trump will try to use the visit to his advantage. The encounter will draw attention to a trade accord replacing one Trump said was a bad deal and will allow the president to bash former Vice President Joe Biden for voting in favor of the old North American Free Trade Agreement. Trump could stir his base with sharp words for Mexico or simply play up López Obrador’s desire to express his gratitude.
In 2016, Trump, then a candidate for the presidency, visited López Obrador’s predecessor, an invitation for which President Enrique Peña Nieto was harshly criticized, inlcuding by López Obrador. Trump left that visit and flew to Arizona where he railed against immigrants.
López Obrador, a pragmatist and nationalist above all, knows there is no more important ally than the behemoth to the north, especially as Mexico’s economy plunges deeper into recession. If Trump wins a second term, López Obrador could be calculating he’ll have a friend for the remaining four years of his administration. If the Democrats take office, he trusts they will respect the importance of the bilateral relationship and not hold a grudge.
“Maybe he’s making the right bet and we don’t know it,” said Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, associate professor at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. She expects Trump to use the visit to rally his base, perhaps even reviving the claim that Mexico will pay for the border wall, a topic López Obrador repeatedly dodged Tuesday.
“He’s conscious of what can happen,” she said. “It happened to Peña Nieto. It can easily happen to him.”
López Obrador insists that he has no desire to be drawn into U.S. domestic politics. He says he’s going to mark the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which took effect July 1.
“There is no way (López Obrador) can spin this visit in his favor,” said Tony Payan, director of the Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Payan said the trade accord doesn’t merit wading into U.S. political waters. “The (trade) agreement is done, finished and in force,” he said. “There is no need to thank anyone. There is no need to express any kind of gratitude. There is no need for a pilgrimage.”
That’s a decision Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apparently reached in deciding not to attend the meeting.
On Monday, López Obrador added another reason.
“If we have a good relationship with the United States government, we are going to avoid mistreatment” of Mexicans living in the U.S., López Obrador said. López Obrador has repeatedly raised the importance of the remittances sent home by migrants and praised them as heroes.
Payan said immigration is always on the bilateral agenda, but he sees little chance for Mexico winning any concessions from Trump, whose administration continues to curtail legal and illegal immigration.
“I think Trump is more interested in restricting access to the American labor market today more than ever,” Payan said.
Mexico’s worrisome level of violence — 2019 saw the highest number of murders on record — could be an opening. López Obrador could ask for more U.S. assistance in intelligence or tracking drug traffickers’ financial transactions. He says he will not undermine Mexico’s sovereignty and has been a harsh critic of the Merida Initiative that brought U.S. financial and material support to Mexico as his predecessors battled the cartels.
For Trump, the visit is an opportunity to criticize his opponent for supporting NAFTA more than two decades ago, possibling helping garner votes in the Midwest states where workers blamed the old trade deal for prompting U.S. companies to shift manufacturing to Mexico, where labor costs were lower.
Trump said replacing the “disastrous NAFTA trade deal” was one of the biggest promises he made to his supporters in 2016. Trade was perhaps the single biggest reason he ran for president in the first place, Trump says.
He is fond of saying that after NAFTA was created, the U.S. lost one in four manufacturing jobs while asserting that the new deal will create nearly 100,000 new, high-paying American auto jobs, boost exports for U.S. farmers and ranchers and increase trade with Mexico and Canada.
Trump is correct that the United States has lost nearly 4 million factory jobs since that pact took effect in January 1994. But most economists attribute the losses more to the recessions of 2001 and 2007-2009, automation and low-cost competition from China.
Biden has said he didn’t regret voting for NAFTA during his time in the Senate. “Fair trade is important,” Biden has said. “Not free trade. Fair trade. And I think that back in the time during the Clinton administration, it made sense at the moment.”
From López Obrador’s perspective, a good relationship with whoever occupies the White House is Mexico’s best policy.
“We’re going to offer our opinion, but we’re not planning for confrontation,” López Obrador said Tuesday. “We’re going to look to convince, we’re going to seek understanding.”
AP writer Deb Riechmann in Washington contributed to this report.
More Trade Stories
McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) -- SpaceX on Wednesday successfully conducted three tests of its Starship rocket engines on the same day -- the first time SpaceX has done multiple tests on a single day in South Texas.
The static fire tests of its SN9 rockets were conducted within hours. The last test occurred at 3:35 p.m. CST on Wednesday, just one hour and 45 minutes after the second test. The first two tests were spaced out about two hours apart earlier in the day.
U.S. will require all arriving passengers to get COVID-19 test
by MIKE STOBBE and DAVID KOENIG, Associated Press / Jan 13, 2021
NEW YORK (AP) — Anyone flying to the U.S. will soon need to show proof of a negative test for COVID-19, health officials announced Tuesday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requirement expands on a similar one announced late last month for passengers coming from the United Kingdom. The new order takes effect in two weeks.
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BurgieLaw
Part 2 | The NSC Bill: Interview With Syahredzan Johan
by Fatien Eleena
The NSC Bill (National Security Council Bill): Is It A Threat Or A Safeguard For A Better Malaysia?
EL: Section 38 of the NSC gives you full protection from any law which can be interpreted as receiving immunity [1] and no action can be taken as long as it is done in good faith. What is meant by “good faith” in this context?
SJ: Personally, I feel that people didn’t read this the way that was intended because if you look this, this is actually replicated in other laws. For example, Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia (SUHAKAM) Act, Legal Profession Act (LPA) and etc. Basically if a member of the NSC, SUHAKAM or the Bar Council does something in good faith, then he or she cannot be sued in his personal capacity. I do agree that by reading this, it can also be interpreted to mean immunity from being challenged in regards to any decisions in the security area. The fear is that, an interpretation might be made with regards to this particular section ̶ in which it operates like an ouster clause.For instance, in the ISA, there is an ouster clause which says that the courts cannot question the decision of the Home Minister (Ministry of Home Affairs) about ISA detentions. The fear is that this would be read similar to an ouster clause which may mean that the courts will say that whatever that the NSC members do, whatever security forces do within the security area, pursuant to this act, cannot be questioned in court.
If that happens, it is really something that will give them immunity. Perhaps, it might actually bring us to the path of dictatorship. I think there is a certain degree of hyperbole as well to say that Malaysia is going to turn into a dictatorship. I would rather prefer to say that it would definitely change the character or the framework of the constitution. It would allow for a situation where Malaysia is not controlled by the government of Malaysia but by certain individuals under the guise of national security. It is difficult to prove whatever the government does is in the good faith or bad faith because it is an evidential issue.
EL: Section 26-28 of the NSC discusses the power of any enforcement officer who can search without any warrants. Do you think that there are check and balance mechanisms?
SJ: Under the Criminal Procedure Code, there are provisions for this. The main question is, why do we need to replicate this in this particular act? For example, if you are suspected of committing a seizable offence, then you can be arrested without any warrant.[2] The issue is whether there are enough safeguards. The problem is when you look at this and then looks at it how the other things work; it might mean that they have all this power that actually allows them, for example, to use reasonable and necessary force. If you read that with other provisions, and it is read in the manner such as that we fear the most, it may mean that they can make decisions with impunity; without any sufficient safeguards, that they are doing this in proper manner. The other fear is because the bill deals with security threats, none of us would ever want to challenge something like this. The public interest when it involves national security, may override other interests. We have seen that happen a lot in real life. The courts might say, there is a public interest in this matter but it is outweighed by the fact that this is a security threat.
From my point of view, it opens doors to actions without accountability, situations where the fundamental liberties are affected; it opens doors to a takeover of the state government. These concerns can be found directly within the four walls of the bill itself.
EL: From your point of view, why do we need the NSC?
SJ: To be honest, I don’t know. A lot of people used the Paris attack as an example. It has actually been debated in Parliament – if something like the Paris attacks actually happens in Malaysia, the government claims that we might not be able to deal with it which is not true. Back in 2013, the intrusion by followers of Jamalul Tiram (the Sultan Sulu) in Lahad Datu in eastern Sabah occurred; after that episode the whole part of Sabah was put under the security command that known as Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM). Within that security area, security was tightened. Enforcement officers stopped and searched people and they imposed curfews. They did all that without having a specific legislation such as the NSC. It clearly shows that they have the power to do it, and they can deal with a security threat akin to Paris and you don’t need this particular legislation.
Another example would be, when we do encounter a situation where there is an actual emergency like the communist insurgency or any foreign forces that come to invade us. These situations fall under Article 150[3] where it gives power to the Yang DiPertuan Agong to declare an emergency if the Yang DiPertuan Agong is satisfied that the emergency is exists and the security, economy, life and the public order of the country is threatened. Hence, it is not necessary to implement the NSC based on our capability to deal with such emergencies like the Jamalul Tiram situation.
The question has been raised repeatedly by the Bar Council and in Parliament. It’s still being raised by civil society and the answer given by the government has not been satisfactory. No one saw this going to happen. There was no indication that they were going to table it.
EL: You mentioned Article 150 and the power of the Yang DiPertuan Agong. The NSC bill actually disregards the power of the Yang DiPertuan Agong and gives full power to the Prime Minister to declare an emergency. Can you elaborate on this?
SJ: There is a reason why the framers of our constitution gave that power to the Yang Dipertuan Agong instead of just giving it to the Prime Minister. There is an in-built system of check and balance. Once they declare an emergency, they can make any laws without tabling at Parliament. They can make an emergency ordinance. These laws can be contrary to certain provisions under Part 2 of the Constitution. In order to declare an emergency, there are requirements must be met under Article 150 (1). In order to do that, the government needs to satisfy the Yang DiPertuan Agong that there is an emergency. Although Yang DiPertuan Agong has to act upon the advice of the Cabinet, He can inquire about the emergency. He might feel that he may want to consult with his fellow rulers on these matters although there is no requirement in the constitution.
These are the in-built checks and balance because the framers of the constitution knew that if you give the power to the Prime Minister, then there is a possibility of him abusing it because he himself is a politician — it might be advantageous to him to misuse this power.
With this, it would appear that the emergency powers that should be reserved only for emergencies, are now given to the Prime Minister without them having to going through the Yang DiPertuan Agong . It actually bypasses the Yang DiPertuan Agong and gives the Prime Minister the emergency powers when they may not satisfy the constitutional requirement.
EL: What kind of safeguards do you think the bill requires?
SJ: First of all, we can’t give this exhaustive power to declare a security area to the Prime Minister. That is the first problem. You need to ensure that the power is given to someone who is more neutral. That’s why the constitution gives it to the Yang DiPertuan Agong. The other safeguard is of course, the powers given to all enforcement officers to arrest a person. To make an arrest, the power should be addressed to a higher ranking officer and there should be a need for authorization to make an arrest.
After all, for all the reasons stated above, I do believe that there is nothing in this bill that I can agree with to be completely honest. It is a handy law to have. They might not necessarily use it all the time. However, it is a good law to have just in case. However, as citizens, we should question the need for this bill and not be easily satisfied with the explanation given by the government.
[1] Section38 of NSC Bill 2015
[2] Section 23 of Criminal Procedure Code
[3] See Federal Constitution
Read Part 1 of this exclusive interview here!
Categories: Our Lawyers
Tags: interview, NSC Bill, Syahredzan Johan
Fatien Eleena
Can MC claim outstanding charges from developer before the establishment of MC?
3 Two Square Sdn Bhd v Perbadanan Pengurusan 3 Two Square (Court of Appeal) Facts: The Plaintiff is a management corporation, established on 8.4.2009 and the Defendant is . . .
LATEST SOP for Stratified Properties during MCO (13.1.2021 – 26.1.2021)
The NEW SOPs prepared by KPKT is out and it can be a large extent quell fears of the JMB / MC when carrying out their duties. They . . .
Can a MC stop Short Term Rental in a stratified development area? Innab Salil & Ors v Verve Suites Mont Kiara (Federal Court) [2020]10 CLJ 285
We reported the decision of the Court of Appeal and the High Court previously. Facts: Brief Facts are as follows: Plaintiff is a Management Corporation. The 1st Defendant . . .
LexScout
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Made in Malaysia.
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US$675 m. needed for new coronavirus preparedness and response global plan
#Wuhan, #China, #CoronavirusOutbreak
Geneva, Feb 5 (Canadian-Media): To fight further spread of the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in China and globally, and protect states with weaker health systems, the international community has launched a US$675 million preparedness and response plan covering the months of February through to April 2020, WHO news release reported today.
Coronavirus. Image credit: Twitter handle
“My biggest worry is that there are countries today who do not have the systems in place to detect people who have contracted with the virus, even if it were to emerge,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Urgent support is needed to bolster weak health systems to detect, diagnose and care for people with the virus, to prevent further human to human transmission and protect health workers.”
The Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) for the new coronavirus lays out activities and resources needed by international health organizations globally, including WHO, to implement priority public health measures in support of countries to prepare and respond to nCoV-2019 for a period February-April 2020. The objectives of the plan are to limit human-to-human transmission of the virus, particularly in countries most vulnerable if they were to face an outbreak; identify, isolate and care for patients early; communicate critical risk and event information; minimize social and economic impact; reduce virus spread from animal sources; and address crucial unknowns.
The plan focuses on:
Rapidly establishing international coordination and operational support;
Scaling up country readiness and response operations;
Accelerating priority research and innovation.
“The effectiveness of outbreak response depends on the preparedness measures put in place before outbreaks strike,” said Dr Mike Ryan, head of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme. “That is why we are seeking resources to safeguard the most vulnerable countries to protect people from the new coronavirus before it arrives on the doorstep.”
As noted in the SPRP, WHO assesses that the outbreak poses a very high risk in China, and high risk regionally and globally. The risk assessment was based on factors including the likelihood of further spread, the potential impact on human health, and the varying levels of effectiveness in national preparedness and response measures. Accelerated action, as called for in the plan, can address these risks and areas requiring support.
As of 10 a.m. Central European Time on 5 February, 25 countries have reported confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, including China, where 24,363 people had contracted the virus, or over 99% of all cases. In all other countries, 191 cases have contracted the virus.
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British American Tobacco retracts case against government
Published by Lucinda Dordley on May 6, 2020
British American Tobacco (BATSA) South Africa has said it will no longer pursue legal action against the South African Government to permit the sale of cigarettes.
BATSA is the country’s largest player in the cigarette market, and in the beginning of May, it described the government’s decision to ban the sale of tobacco products under Level 4 restrictions as ‘bizarre and irregular’.
“We have taken the decision not to pursue legal action at this stage but, instead, to pursue further discussions with government on the formulation and application of the regulations under the Covid-19 lockdown,” BATSA said in a statement.
According to BATSA, it had received a response to a letter it had sent to the National Command Centre at the end of April. The cigarette manufacturer believes that if it works together with government, the two can find a better solution that works for all South Africans and ‘removes the threat of criminal sanction from 11-million tobacco consumers in the country’.
The ban on the sale of cigarettes, e-cigarettes and other tobacco products was first put in place on March 26, on the day that South African entered a nationwide lockdown. This prohibition will continue under Level 4.
“Whilst BATSA supports the government in its mission to prevent the further spread of the virus, we believe it is vital that there is a renewed and stronger effort under Level Four to permanently close down the illegal supply lines of tobacco that have been established over the past number of weeks. Reopening the legal, taxed and regulated tobacco market must be part of the solution,” BATSA said.
According to Fin24, the Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association will be heard in court next week in an attempt to compel the state to reintroduce the sale of tobacco products.
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Reality star treated at rehab clinic
Jack Vigden has addiction problems.
by Jonathon Moran
31st Dec 2020 6:04 AM
Former child star Jack Vidgen has been treated at a top Sydney rehabilitation facility.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal the singer and reality star was admitted to South Pacific Private clinic in Curl Curl in August for a six-week treatment for substance abuse.
The 23-year-old would not comment when contacted with management representatives indicating Vidgen was working through his issues.
Jack Vidgen on Instagram.
It is believed a high profile female television star was treated at the facility at the same time as Vidgen with the pair becoming close friends and seen regularly taking walks together on the beach near the facility.
Vidgen is understood to have recorded a song about the experience in rehab.
The news comes just a few days out from Vidgen's expected inclusion in the cast of the 2021 season of I'm A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!
The reality show was shot earlier this year with Vidgen understood to have entered the Australian 'jungle' camp weeks after his stint in rehabilitation.
Jack Vidgen at 13-years-old at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.
Australian singer Jack Vidgen. Picture: Instagram
Vidgen is of course the baby-faced former winner of Australia's Got Talent 2011, during which he received a standing ovation for his audition performing Whitney Houston classic I Have Nothing.
Dubbed Australia's answer to Justin Bieber, the performance clip has to date attracted more than 67 million views on YouTube and garnered at the time the attention of Perez Hilton in the United States.
He subsequently signed to Sony Music Australia and released two albums through the label, the first titled Yes I Am, with the hit single of the same name.
Vidgen grew up in humble surroundings in Sydney's northern beaches and has famously spoken of being homeless as a child.
Jack Vidgen in Sydney. Picture: Monique Harmer
On splitting with Sony after his second album release in 2012, Vidgen moved to Los Angeles to make his mark there only to be diagnosed with an eye tumour.
Returning to Australia after undergoing medical treatment, Vidgen came home to Sydney where he worked as an assistant in an aged-care home. By night, he was a regular on the Oxford Street party scene.
At the time, he had taken the heartbreaking decision to all but give up on performing publicly.
In 2015 though, he said he would return to singing but only on his terms.
"It was an amazing life but it wasn't normal," Vidgen said. "I quit for a while and just wanted a normal life."
He was also at the time philosophical with his views on fame.
"Fame to me isn't normal really," he said. "It is something that can come and go very easily and a lot of people don't realise. I don't think I realised. That was a big thing in deciding to stop being in the industry and trying to be in magazines and the press at the time, I realised it wasn't real."
In June last year, Vidgen gave mainstream music another big crack by auditioning for The Voice and making it on to Guy Sebastian's team as a semi-finalist but narrowly missing out on a series win despite being the fan favourite.
This year, pre-COVID, Vidgen returned to the United States to appear on America's Got Talent: The Champions but was cut in the first round with commentary labelling his defeat a robbery as he was a clear standout.
"I think you have an extraordinary voice, but that was way too safe," judge Simon Cowell said at the time. "I think you are way, way better than that."
Vidgen also competed on Australia Decides in an attempt to represent the country at Eurovision this year, missing out to Montaigne, who also in the end missed out as coronavirus meant the main event was cancelled.
Originally published as Reality star treated at Sydney rehab clinic
Jack Vidgen. Picture: Monique Harmer
Bieber ‘studying to be church minister’
jack vigden
addiction editors picks jack vigden
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Cheap & Flexible flights to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) in 2021/2022
Cheap flights to Tullahoma, Tennessee
Departing from Atlanta
Price found 16 Jan 2021, 15:54
Map of Tullahoma, Tennessee
Home > Destinations > North America > United States > Tullahoma, Tennessee
Find cheaper flights and flexible date options to Tullahoma, Tennessee, United States, Tullahoma Regional Airport, THA in 2021/2022 with CheapFlightsFinder from the USA and airports all over the world. The GEO coordinates for Tullahoma Regional Airport are 35.3801, -86.2479, located in the country of United States. On this page you can find the best deals, flexible times to fly to Tullahoma, Tennessee and the cheapest dates to travel to Tullahoma Regional Airport (THA) in the year 2021/2022 from the best meta search engines in the world. We search Skyscanner, KAYAK, momondo, Dohop, KIWI, Jetradar, Google Flights and many more to make sure you get the best price possible. Also, see the best things to do in Tullahoma, Tennessee, the weather in Tullahoma, Tennessee, a map of Tullahoma, Tennessee, some travel videos of Tullahoma, Tennessee and flight times and distances to Tullahoma Regional Airport (THA) from the most popular US airports.
Top things to do in Tullahoma, Tennessee
Machine Falls
Short Springs Natural Area
Scenic fixture with waterfalls & trails
Beechcraft Heritage Museum
Expansive gallery with aviation exhibits
Short Springs Road
Hands-On Science Center
Science museum and children's museum
Normandy Lake
Lake and beach
Rutledge Falls
Normandy Dam
Dement Bridge
Little Duck River
Weather in Tullahoma, Tennessee
FLIGHT DISTANCE AND FLYING TIME TO Tullahoma, Tennessee
Flights from Atlanta - Georgia, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 159 miles (256 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 51 minutes.
Flights from Los Angeles - California, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 1,822 miles (2,933 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 4 hours 32 minutes.
Flights from Chicago - Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 465 miles (748 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 1 hours 31 minutes.
Flights from Dallas - Dallas, Texas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 640 miles (1,030 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 1 hours 55 minutes.
Flights from Denver - Colorado, Airport - Denver International Airport (DEN) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 1,053 miles (1,694 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 2 hours 50 minutes.
Flights from New York - John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 769 miles (1,237 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 2 hours 12 minutes.
Flights from San Francisco - California, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 2,000 miles (3,219 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 4 hours 56 minutes.
Flights from Seattle - Airport - Seattle Tacoma International, Washington (SEA) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 2,023 miles (3,256 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 4 hours 59 minutes.
Flights from Las Vegas - Nevada, McCarran International Airport (LAS) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 1,616 miles (2,601 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 4 hours 5 minutes.
Flights from Orlando - Florida, Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 561 miles (902 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 1 hours 44 minutes.
Flights from Charlotte - North Carolina, Douglas International Airport (CLT) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 299 miles (482 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 1 hours 9 minutes.
Flights from Phoenix - Arizona, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 1,471 miles (2,367 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 3 hours 46 minutes.
Flights from Houston - Texas, Airport - George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 647 miles (1,040 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 1 hours 56 minutes.
Flights from Miami - Florida, Miami International Airport (MIA) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 751 miles (1,208 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 2 hours 10 minutes.
Flights from Boston - Massachusetts, Edward L. Logan International Airport (BOS) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 949 miles (1,528 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 2 hours 36 minutes.
Flights from Minneapolis - Minnesota, Airport - St. Paul International (MSP) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 752 miles (1,210 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 2 hours 10 minutes.
Flights from Fort Lauderdale - Florida, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 738 miles (1,187 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 2 hours 8 minutes.
Flights from Detroit - Michigan, Airport - Wayne County International (DTW) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 497 miles (800 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 1 hours 36 minutes.
Flights from Philadelphia - Pennsylvania, Airport - Philadelphia International (PHL) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 677 miles (1,089 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 2 hours.
Flights from Baltimore - Maryland, Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 588 miles (946 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 1 hours 48 minutes.
Flights from Salt Lake City - Utah, Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 1,443 miles (2,322 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 3 hours 42 minutes.
Flights from San Diego - California, San Diego International Airport (SAN) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 1,773 miles (2,854 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 4 hours 26 minutes.
Flights from Tampa - Florida, Tampa International Airport (TPA) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 556 miles (895 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 1 hours 44 minutes.
Flights from Portland - International Airport, Oregon (PDX) to Tullahoma, Tennessee (THA) - The flight distance between these airports is 2,016 miles (3,244 kilometres). The direct flight time is roughly 4 hours 58 minutes.
Travel videos about Tullahoma, Tennessee
Flight Routes to Tullahoma, Tennessee
From Atlanta Cheapest flight price found from Atlanta (ATL), United States to Tullahoma, United States (THA): $5,384
Depart: 21 Jan 2021 · Return: 24 Jan 2021
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Protein threading paves the way for nanomachines
By Hayley Bennett2008-12-11T14:00:00+00:00
By mimicking nature, researchers could create molecular scale motors
A team of Dutch and Italian researchers has discovered how proteins are threaded through pores in cell membranes. They say the research throws light on the mechanisms by which viruses infect cells and will speed the creation of molecular machines.
Researchers led by Alan Rowan at the Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands mimicked natural systems by threading synthetic polymer chains through ring-shaped molecules called macrocycles - molecules akin to nano-sized membrane pores.
By studying the kinetics of the threading process, they showed that for longer polymers the most favourable route requires an initial recognition step. ’We found that there has to be some sort of weak interaction between the ring and the polymer,’ says Rowan. ’So one part of the polymer is stuck to the outside of the hole and then there’s a loop where the end of the chain comes back into the hole.’
Source: © Science
The polymer can thread directly through the pore (left) or pre-associate first (right)
Thanks to favourable supramolecular interactions between the polymer and the pore, the threading process is energetically ’downhill’, so it is automatically driven in the right direction. At a fundamental level this explains how, in nature, membrane pores and macrocycles effectively suck in polymers and spit them out the other side, explains Rowan. ’The reason this is interesting is because a ring moving over a polymer is the exact same as through a hole, so the whole concept of transfection - viruses infecting cells - is that they’re pushing proteins through holes. The mechanisms in principle are exactly the same,’ he says.
The researchers say their work also creates a starting point for molecular-scale motors and machines based on such looping mechanisms. It is still early days, cautions Amar Flood, a molecular machines expert at Indiana University, Bloomington. But he thinks Rowan’s work will allow researchers to start building unidirectional motion into their molecules, dispensing with the need for an external driving force. ’They’ve done a great job of understanding the fundamentals and you have to do that if you want to make headway in mimicking what biology does - and in going beyond what biology does,’ he says.
Hayley Birch
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et alScience322DOI: 10.1126/science.1164647)
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Children's Hospital Colorado Named 2017 Most Wired
Children's Hospital Colorado | agosto 02, 2017
Technology makes it easier for patients and providers to interact, thus improving communication, safety and patient-provider relationships. At Children’s Colorado, these technologies help our patients become more actively involved in their care while maintaining their health.
According to the 19th Annual Health Care’s Most Wired® survey, Most Wired hospitals are using smart phones, telehealth and remote monitoring to create more ways for patients to access health care services and capture health information. This year’s results show:
76% offer secure messaging with clinicians on mobile devices.
When patients need ongoing monitoring at home, 74% use secure e-mails for patients and families to keep in touch with the care team.
68% simplify prescription renewals by letting patients make requests on mobile devices.
62% add data reported by patients to the electronic health record to get a better picture of what is going on with the patient.
Nearly half of the hospitals are using telehealth to provide behavioral health services to more patients.
40% offer virtual physician visits.
More than 40% provide real-time care management services to patients at home for diabetes and congestive heart failure.
A Message from Dana Moore
“We are honored to be recognized for the fifth year as a Most Wired hospital. This award continues to be a benchmark for how we leverage technology throughout Children's Colorado to ensure we are providing the best care possible while remaining strategic with emerging technologies,” said Dana Moore, senior vice president and chief information officer at Children's Colorado. “This award is also a great reflection on our staff, nurses, providers and partners who deliver unparalleled support to our patients and families through these technological investments.”
“The Most Wired hospitals are using every available technology option to create more ways to reach their patients in order to provide access to care,” said American Hospital Association president and chief executive officer Rick Pollack. “They are transforming care delivery and investing in new delivery models in order to improve quality, provide access and control costs.” Innovation in patient care embraces emerging technologies and underscores the need for secure patient information exchange. As one of the Most Wired hospitals, Children's Colorado is transforming care delivery with knowledge gained from data and analytics. They also continue to invest in analytics to support new delivery models and effective decision-making and training clinicians on how to use analytics to improve quality, provide access and control costs.
Most Wired Survey
HealthCare’s Most Wired® survey, conducted between Jan. 15 and March 15, 2017, is published annually by Hospitals & Health Networks (H&HN). The 2017 Most Wired® survey and benchmarking study is a leading industry barometer measuring information technology (IT) use and adoption among hospitals nationwide. The survey of 698 participants, representing an estimated 2,158 hospitals — more than 39% of all hospitals in the U.S. — examines how organizations are leveraging IT to improve performance for value-based health care in the areas of infrastructure, business and administrative management; quality and safety; and clinical integration.
Detailed results of the survey and study can be found in the July issue of H&HN. For a full list of winners, visit www.hhnmag.com.
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Rosh Hashanah FAQ
Back to High Holidays
When is Rosh Hashanah?
Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on the first day of the Jewish month of Tishrei. The Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar, and the month of Tishrei always begins in either September or October, depending on the year. In modern observance, Rosh Hashanah lasts for two days. Each Jewish day begins at sundown and continues until sundown of the next day. This tradition developed out of the creation account in the Torah, where it says, “the evening and the morning were the first day” (Gen. 1:5).
What does Rosh Hashanah celebrate?
The Bible does not refer to the holiday as Rosh Hashanah, but rather as “a memorial of blowing of trumpets,” zikron teruah (Lev. 23:24) and later as the “day of blowing of trumpets,” yom teruah (Num. 29:1). The Scripture does not explicitly explain the reason for the holiday, but states it is a day of “rest,” set aside for various sacrifices (Lev. 23:23-25; Num. 29:1-6). The blowing of trumpets functions as a means of calling the nation to repentance. Later Jewish tradition added various other names to the holiday: Yom HaZikaron (Day of Remembrance); Yom HaDin (Day of Judgment); Yom HaKeseh (Day of Concealment for sins) and Rosh Hashanah (Head of the Year).
Today, Rosh Hashanah, as the Jewish New Year, marks the beginning of the civil calendar. It also begins a ten-day period of repentance and self-examination, known as the “days of awe,” yamim nora’im in Hebrew. According to Jewish tradition, God keeps the Book of Life open during the “Days of Awe” and finalizes His judgment on the final day, Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).
Blowing the shofar (ram’s horn) remains one of the main features of Rosh Hashanah. The blowing of the shofar calls the nation to repentance. In Psalm 81:1-4, blowing the shofar symbolizes overwhelming joy during worship. It also represents hope for the arrival of the Messiah (Zech. 9:14).
Why do we still celebrate Old Testament Holidays such as Rosh Hashanah?
Believers in Messiah Jesus have freedom to celebrate these holidays or not to do so. Celebration of these festivals is a great way to draw attention to Messiah, as each of the appointed festivals in Leviticus 23 points to Jesus, and remembering His first coming and looking forward to His return!
How is Rosh Hashanah the New Year?
Exodus 12 states that the Jewish year begins with the month of Passover, which is known in the Jewish calendar as Nisan (Ex. 12:2) and falls in the spring. Tishrei, the month of Rosh Hashanah, is actually the seventh month in the Jewish calendar. If Rosh Hashanah is the first day of the seventh month, then why is Rosh Hashanah considered the Jewish New Year?
In Jewish tradition, there are several new years. The month of Nisan represents the beginning of the religious year and the start for calculating the reign of kings, but Tishrei, according to Jewish tradition, signifies the beginning of the creation of the world. The Jewish civil calendar thus moves ahead on every Rosh Hashanah.
What are the traditions of Rosh Hashanah?
Rosh Hashanah has many fascinating traditions. Although it is a joyous holiday, celebrating the dawn of a new year, it also commences a season of reflection and repentance. Since the holiday is predominantly a religious celebration, many of the significant observances take place within a traditional synagogue service. The special Rosh Hashanah prayers focus upon judgment, repentance, God’s kingship, and remembrance. Probably the most stirring moment of synagogue service is the sounding of the shofar, ram’s horn. The sounding of the shofar reminds the community of God’s kingship over Israel. It also calls the nation to repentance and a period of introspection during the ten Days of Awe leading up to Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).
Special passages of Scripture are read during Rosh Hashanah, most notably the story of the binding of Isaac in Genesis 22. Some Jewish traditions say that the binding of Isaac took place on Rosh Hashanah, and God’s provision of a ram as a replacement for Isaac connects the story to Rosh Hashanah, on which the nation hears the sound of the ram’s horn. The sounding of the shofar also helps remind the nation of God’s provision of a substitute for His people.
Sometime in the afternoon of Rosh Hashanah or during the ten Days of Awe, many Jewish people participate in a poignant ceremony called Tashlich, which means “casting off.” It involves gathering along bodies of running water to say prayers and cast small bits of bread into the water, symbolizing the casting of sins into the depths of the sea, as the prophet Micah states, “He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19).
Rosh Hashanah also has many holiday foods associated with the celebration. Throughout the year, the Jewish community eats special braided bread, known as challah, on Friday night to celebrate Shabbat. During Rosh Hashanah, we eat a round challah, whose shape represents the never-ending cycle of years – as one year ends, another year begins. The challah also represents a crown, because on Rosh Hashanah we recognize God as King.
Other symbolic foods include apples dipped in honey, symbolizing a sweet new year, and pomegranates, which symbolize the numerous good deeds we hope to do in the coming year, just as the pomegranate has numerous seeds.
Does Rosh Hashanah have any prophetic significance?
The Rosh Hashanah service focuses upon the blowing of the shofar, which is sounded 100 times in modern services. It is possible that Paul alludes to this Jewish tradition when he speaks of the last trumpet at the rapture:
“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51-52).
In his letter to the Thessalonians, he also writes,
“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Messiah will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:15-17).
Since Rosh Hashanah is the “Day of the Sounding of the Shofar” it looks forward to the moment when we hear the great sound of the shofar during the last days. At this time, God will transform the bodies of believers who have died, giving them new, immortal bodies. The sounding of the shofar thus encourages us to remember that our present bodies are only temporary, but we look forward to our eternal bodies, in which we will see the Lord face to face and be with Him forever.
Carrot Tzimmes
https://www.chosenpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/carrot-tzimmes.jpg 1267 1900 cpm https://www.chosenpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CPM-Logo-small-495x256.png cpm2020-03-26 20:14:452020-03-26 20:14:45Carrot Tzimmes
https://www.chosenpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/macaroons.jpg 1267 1900 cpm https://www.chosenpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CPM-Logo-small-495x256.png cpm2020-03-26 19:13:082020-03-26 20:14:24Macaroons
Chopped Liver Recipe
https://www.chosenpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ChoppedLiver.jpg 852 1280 cpm https://www.chosenpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CPM-Logo-small-495x256.png cpm2020-03-19 08:38:422020-03-19 10:50:33Chopped Liver Recipe
Forgiveness for Sins and the Rabbis
https://www.chosenpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/rabbi.jpg 1224 2000 Nikki Vacca https://www.chosenpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CPM-Logo-small-495x256.png Nikki Vacca2018-08-27 16:37:192020-08-30 00:26:03Forgiveness for Sins and the Rabbis
The Shofar
https://www.chosenpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/man-with-shofar.jpg 1346 2200 Nikki Vacca https://www.chosenpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CPM-Logo-small-495x256.png Nikki Vacca2018-08-27 15:54:022020-08-21 10:43:11The Shofar
Sukkot Yom Kippur FAQ
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PSG biomedical innovation centre opened; medical device industry can touch $50b by 2025
The medical device market in India has potential to reach $50 billion by 2025, according to PSG Institute of Medical Science and Research Dean Dr S Ramalingam. It was valued at $6.36 billion in 2013 and was growing annually at 15 per cent, he said at the inaugural function of the PSG Centre for Biomedical Innovation.
“The US is known to be a global leader in medical devices. Import constitutes almost 70 per cent of the Indian medical devices market. There is no competitive manufacturing base of medical devices here,” he said.
Managing Trustee L Gopalakrishnan was the chief guest at the function. He inaugurated the centre and said, “This centre brings together expertise and rigour in research, bioethics, regulatory sciences and medical domain knowledge and experience to help budding bio entrepreneurs with a scientifically valid, regulatory complying and swifter pathway to a product.”
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Empire enrollment climbs
Judith Messina
Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield says its enrollment jumped 9.8% between Dec. 31, 2000, and Jan. 31, 2002, largely because of an increase in the number of managed care members. More than half of the increase occurred in January, as Empire took on major new national accounts.
Empire added nearly 372,000 managed care members last year for a total of nearly 3.7 million. The company also reported 2001 net income of $131.1 million on revenue of $4.6 billion, down from $190.4 million in 2000. Its surplus reached $829.2 million, up from $674.7 million the previous year.
Sponsored Content: Telehealth: Evolving a Short-term Response to Long-term Capabilities
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Local medical marijuana retailer says more details on government’s plan for pot are needed
The sale of medical marijuana is not being addressed yet, says Tamara Duggan of Tamarack Dispensaries in Kimberley
Carolyn Grant
It has become clearer how the province of British Columbia intends to handle distribution of recreational marijuana once its legalized next July.
The province has announced it would set the legal minimum age at 19, in line with alcohol and tobacco.
“We know the largest consumers of cannabis are young people in that 19- to 30-year-old age range,” said Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth. “If you set [the age] to high, at say 25, you’re not going to be able to get rid of that black market.”
Also like alcohol, wholesale distribution of recreational pot will be handled by the BC Liquor Distribution Branch.
The drug will also be sold by both public and private retailers, although Farnworth said the government hadn’t yet decided whether or not they would place marijuana on the same shelf as booze.
Local business person Tamara Duggan, who owns Tamarack Dispensaries in Marysville says she is somewhat dismayed by what has been announced so far, but will wait and see as more detail rolls out.
“I don’t necessarily believe going through the liquor distribution system is the most appropriate way to handle this,” she said. “But I’m not surprised, given the NDP government’s penchant for relationships with unions.”
She’s not surprised, she says, that the government is going that way.
“I am reassured they say private and public stores will be allowed, but I do have reservations about how it will all work.”
Duggan points out that there hasn’t been a lot of information around the dispensing of medical marijuana, which is her business.
“I am not in the adult recreational market. I am a medical marijuana dispenser. None of the legislation is looking at medical, so certain aspects are not being addressed. Whether the new rules will affect me directly, I’d say probably not. They are not looking at the medical side.”
She says she is definitely in favour of keeping the age at 19.
That’s the age of majority. There’s no reason to offer it to anyone younger.”
Duggan says it is unlikely she would go into the recreational market should it be allowed.
“My vision and mandate personally, has been on the medical side.”
In any event, there are many more details to come.
“I think the plan right now is very sketchy when it comes to specifics. There will be a whole lot more regulations and legislation and policy coming down.”
She is cautiously optimistic, she says, that her business will remain viable.
“We will proceed as normal. I’m not losing sleep over it, but I’m not making any changes either. As it affects me, I’ll roll with it. I’m not opposed to what they are doing, but I just know the government has their work cut out for them.”
The federal bill to legalize and regulate marijuana, introduced in early 2017, received final approval in the House of Commons last week.
It now moves to the Senate, where it is likely to face heavy opposition from Conservatives who argue legalization should be delayed because the process is being rushed.
Tamarack Dispensaries have been in business in Kimberley since 2015 and received a business licence from the City of Kimberley at that time, the first one issued in B.C.
Federal court dismisses Taseko’s judicial reviews
B.C. mayor’s leaked letter shows Trudeau the way
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Common IP Terms
You’re Not Their Patent Lawyer Anymore
By Antigone Peyton
Release the New Patent Legislation Motions!
We are already seeing motions hit the courts that are based on new patent laws, which were signed by the President on September 16, 2011. Recently, the Federal Circuit stayed the briefing schedule in a pending patent case, and asked the parties to advise it of the effect of these new laws on that case. In the Conair case, which involves a qui tam suit (these suits have also been affected by the new legislation), the court elected not to act directly and allowed the district court the opportunity to consider the new legislation’s effect on the case first.
The Federal Circuit rarely deals with professional ethics and lawyer disqualification issues. So you should read the court’s In re Shared Memory Graphics order. No. 2011-m978 (Fed. Cir. Sept. 22, 2011) (Judges Newman, Dyk, and Schall). It reaches a surprising result.
Hint: disqualified law firm wins.
Switching Teams
Shared Memory Graphics (SMG) filed a patent infringement suit against Nintendo and other companies relating to the “Hollywood Chip,” a memory chip used in a number of popular consumer products. But this is not the first time this chip has seen the inside of a courtroom. Nintendo and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) were co-defendants in another lawsuit related to this chip, and they exchanged information concerning litigation tactics and other confidential information under a joint defense agreement.
During the first lawsuit, a lawyer that worked at AMD (he was the Director of Patents & Licensing) coordinated with Nintendo and the other defendants to assess the patent and the Hollywood Chip’s potential infringement of it. That lawyer left AMD before the second lawsuit and joined a law firm that failed to screen him for potential conflict issues before he arrived. A short time after he shifted to private practice, his firm filed a suit on behalf of SMG against Nintendo and some other companies that were not involved in the first lawsuit.
After discovering this, Nintendo moved to disqualify SMG’s counsel from continued representation in this case. Nintendo argued that AMD’s former in-house counsel received confidential information from Nintendo during the first litigation and his new firm should not be allowed to continue its representation of SMG in this case. His former colleagues at AMD agreed that he received confidential information in the first case. But there was no “firewall” erected at his new firm to wall him off from Nintendo’s confidential information. The district court agreed with Nintendo, and disqualified the entire firm.
SMG asked the Federal Circuit to step in. It argued that Nintendo had given up its right to object to the firm’s representation of SMG because the joint defense agreement that its counsel signed (in the first case) states that it waives any basis to seek disqualification of the “respective counsel of such party in any future litigation.” Here’s the full provision:
Nothing contained in this Agreement has the effect of transforming outside or inside counsel for either party into counsel for the other party, or of creating any fiduciary or other express or implied duties between a party or its respective counsel and the other party or its respective counsel, other than the obligation to comply with the express terms of this Agreement, or of interfering with each lawyer’s obligation to ethically and properly represent his or her own client. The parties expressly acknowledge and agree that nothing in this Agreement, nor compliance with the terms of this Agreement by either party, shall be used as a basis to seek to disqualify the respective counsel of such party in any future litigation.
Two out of three Federal Circuit judges who considered the issue decided that Nintendo had signed an iron-clad contract, which waived its right to object to SMG’s law firm’s involvement in the second case against Nintendo. In fact, it used the words “clearly and indisputably” to talk about Nintendo’s waiver of any right to pursue disqualification of counsel involved in the first case and the new firm he is associated with.
Strong Disagreement from the Other Side of the Bench
This result wasn’t so clear and indisputable to Judge Newman. She decided that the court did not correctly apply California state laws and ethics rules or the appropriate standard of review, and that it confused contractual provisions with ethical obligations. In her view, the majority “has inappropriately intruded into the district court’s authority and responsibility, to the detriment of the integrity of legal practice.” (See page 6 of Judge Newman’s dissenting opinion.)
While the waiver provision of the joint defense agreement attempts to avoid disputes, Judge Newman concluded that it does not authorize future adverse representations that would never be permissible under California’s professional ethics rules for lawyers. She also noted that the abuse of discretion standard, which should be applied in this case to review the disqualification rulings, cannot be met given the undisputed facts.
I am, frankly, surprised by the result the majority reached in this case. It seems that certain language in contractual provisions can essentially alter the application of canons of conduct that govern attorneys’ ability to represent certain clients after receiving confidential information of an adverse party in a matter. Do you agree with this outcome?
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New way to finance energy-efficient home improvements available to Solana Beach residents
There are more than 150,000 energy and water efficient products that are eligible for HERO financing, including solar power systems. Photos courtesy of Sullivan Solar Power.
Solana Beach property owners have a new way to finance energy-efficient improvements for their homes.
Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE, loans allow homeowners to make renewable energy upgrades to their properties with low-cost, tax deductible financing paid through their property tax bill.
The Solana Beach City Council in October opted to participate in the Home Energy Retrofit Opportunity, or HERO, program. The program launched in the coastal community, as well as the San Diego communities of Carlsbad, Lemon Grove, Oceanside, San Marcos and Vista, on Feb. 10.
Renovate America, the San Diego-based financial firm funding the program, launched HERO in 18 California communities in 2011. Today, the company works with more than 100 cities throughout the state to administer and manage the program.
“We want to create an avenue that gives all homeowners access to products that are available on the market that can save people money, as well as lower the energy that’s used and the water that’s used,” said JP McNeill, founder and CEO of Renovate America. “It’s a good thing. It makes people feel good and it makes us feel good.”
There are more than 150,000 energy and water efficient products that are eligible for HERO financing. Upgrades may include energy-efficient appliances, cooling and heating systems, water heaters, windows, photovoltaic systems and many other products.
Improvements are financed with bonds issued through a Joint Powers Authority. Solana Beach is an associate member of the Riverside HERO program through Western Riverside Council of Governments.
“Never before have you been able to finance your solar system through your property taxes,” said David Savarese, director of project development at Sullivan Solar Power, a registered HERO contractor. “HERO allows homeowners to go solar for zero money out of pocket.”
HERO first launched its residential program in December 2011 in Riverside County.
Norco resident Curtis Showalter used HERO to finance his solar power system, which was installed by Sullivan Solar Power in July.
“It was a simple process,” Showalter said. “You didn’t have to jump through hoops.”
The installation of the 42-panel system on his home means Showalter no longer has a monthly energy bill.
“It’s a full 100 percent generation system. I don’t have any electrical use from Edison at all at this point in time,” said Showalter, a husband and father of two. “And it’s a fixed rate for 20 years. So for the next 20 years, I will pay the same rate I’m paying now. Even though Edison’s prices are going up, my rates stay the same.”
The HERO program is voluntary for property owners. Solana Beach is not obligated to repay the bonds or pay any delinquent assessments levied on participating properties.
“Ideally, we want the program to be made available to every resident in the state of California,” McNeill said. “But we’ve got to get every city and county to opt into the program. Ultimately, our objective is to lower energy usage and water usage, save people money, create jobs and lower our carbon emissions.”
For more information about the HERO program, visit www.heroprogram.com.
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Bars in Rochester’s East End entertainment district may be operating at half capacity because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, but that’s not stopping the regular summer crowds from showing up there.
By closing time last weekend, as many as 1,000 people had converged in the area of East Avenue and Alexander Street, Rochester Police Capt. David M. Smith said at a Friday morning press conference.
That isn't unusual for a Friday or Saturday night during the summer, but it's “obviously well over capacity” in the COVID-19 era, he said. And as police tried to clear the intersection early Sunday morning, bottles were thrown at officers, leading to the arrest of a 24-year-old city woman.
So this weekend, and for the foreseeable future, the Rochester Police Department will be doubling patrols in the district from five to 10 officers to 10 to 20 officers, who will work to encourage large groups to disperse, especially around closing time.
Smith said a large number of people who visited the district last weekend weren’t even bar patrons. “They’d come down to find a spot, hang out, enjoy the evening. Unfortunately, with crowds of this size, obviously, there’s no ability to social distance, no one was wearing masks, no one’s really taking any precautions.”
He said officers on foot also will patrol the district's perimeter and its parking lots, “trying to curtail some of the parking lot parties that we have down here.”
In addition, the New York State Police will be doing DWI checks in the vicinity.
Rochester officers also will be checking in at bars to make sure the food being served at those establishments is in compliance with the state’s COVID-19 mandates.
More:Sorry, bars: 'Cuomo Chips' won't satisfy New York's food order.
And regarding food, people should consider it in timing their night out, Smith said.
“Basically, if you think about it, a meal takes about an hour,” he said. “By 1 a.m., if you’re not in a bar and seated, there’s no point in even coming down here. Because you’re not going to be able to get in a bar, you’re not going to be able to get served. And unfortunately, that’s a lot of what we see is folks coming down late, waiting in line or just hanging out.”
The increased patrols also are in response to last weekend's violence. Besides the bottle-throwing, shots were fired by two unknown suspects, injuring two city men.
Smith said he'd like to think those incidents were anomalies. “Because we do routinely handle large crowds down here. Last summer we had crowds of about the same size and were able to handle them without the violent incidents.”
Even in the absence of such situations, getting as many as 1,000 people to agree to go home will involve a methodical a process.
The goal is always to get voluntary compliance, Smith said, "to make announcements, to be patient. It will take us 45 minutes to 60 minutes to clear a crowd down to Union Street from East and Alexander."
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@Gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood. Your subscription makes work like this possible.
More:Monroe County bars among those cited by state for COVID-19 guideline violations
More:New COVID-19 data provides more detail on which Monroe County ZIP codes were hardest hit
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Iranian model was forced to flee her country where she faced being LASHED for semi-naked photos, only to end up homeless on streets of Paris - and is now in an asylum centre
Iranian model, 29, forced to flee her home country for fear of imprisonment
Negzzia violated her country's strict religious law by posing semi-naked
Flew to Paris to seek asylum and pursue her career but found herself homeless
She says she is proud to have broken rules that 'don't have respect for women'
By Sophie Tanno For Mailonline
Published: 11:05 EST, 4 July 2019 | Updated: 11:57 EST, 4 July 2019
An Iranian model who faces prison in her home country for posing for semi-nude photos has found herself homeless in Paris.
Negzzia, 29, has been on the run from the Revolutionary Guards since 2017 after photos of her posing in lingerie were deemed 'indecent' and 'immodest'.
The model feared being lashed for breaking Iran's strict Islamic law after a photographer she once worked for handed partially nude photos of her in to police, and she was forced to flee Iran for Turkey.
Negzzia doesn't live with regrets, saying she is 'proud' to have 'broken all the rules that don't have any respect for women'.
Negzzia, 29, (pictured) fears being lashed and sent to prison in Iran for posing for semi-nude photos, in violation of the country's strict Islamic law
She has been on the run from the Revolutionary Guards since 2017 after photos of her posing in lingerie were deemed 'indecent' and 'immodest'
Negzzia doesn't live with regrets, saying she is 'proud' to have 'broken all the rules that don't have any respect for women'
She made the decision to apply for asylum in Paris on November 13, 2018, with hopes of finding safety while pursuing her dream job in the fashion industry.
As soon as she arrived in France, Negzzia started to fill in the necessary paperwork to settle there for good.
On November 13, 2018, her asylum application was registered with the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless People (OFPRA).
But Negzzia found herself struggling to make ends meet when what little resources she had began to dwindle.
On November 13, 2018, her asylum application was finally registered with French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless People (OFPRA) but Negzzia found herself struggling to make ends meet when what little resources she had began to dwindle
Negzzia waits to learn her fate as the French government reviews her case. French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said in a tweet the department will give her case the attention it needed
She struggled to find work in the city with no connections or income and found herself sleeping rough in the streets and on park benches.
'One day, I sold my bag with my dresses for 10 euros, to be able to eat,' she told Le Parisien.
The 29-year-old's story has attracted international media attention and she has since been able to sleep with a roof over her head at a temporary housing centre for asylum seekers.
The 29-year-old's story attracted international media attention and she has since been able to sleep with a roof over her head at a temporary housing centre for asylum seekers
'One day, I sold my bag with my dresses for 10 euros, to be able to eat,' she told Le Parisien
The French government is now reviewing her case.
French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said the department is in contact with her and pledged to give her case the proper attention.
Negzzia says she is a woman who has liberated herself from Iran's strict religious laws.
'I am proudly a woman who stepped out of my comfort zone and broke all the rules that don't have any respect for women,' she says on Instagram.
Negzzia says she is a woman who has liberated herself from Iran's strict religious laws. 'I am proudly a woman who stepped out of my comfort zone and broke all the rules that don't have any respect for women,' she writes on Instagram
Iranian model forced to flee her home country finds herself homeless in Paris
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Texas Theatre Rolled Out an Expansion During a Radioactive Landfill Fire of a Year
Danny Gallagher
| Arts & Culture News |
Danny Gallagher | December 14, 2020 | 4:00am
While most of the film industry is crumbling, the historical Texas Theatre found a way to plan a $1.9 million expansion project.
The film industry has faced an endless stream of unprecedented challenges because of the coronavirus: Movie theaters have had to reduce public showings and private rentals, temporarily closing down to keep people from spreading COVID-19. Film studios have had to push back their biggest blockbusters or settle for releasing them on streaming platforms.
Even with similar setbacks, the historic Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff has managed to go forward with some bold plans for expansion. The downtime has given its owners and operators time to actually make it happen, they say.
"When COVID hit earlier this year, I was like, ‘How do we maximize our future here since we're basically down?’" says Barak Epstein, the theater's founder and co-owner of its partner company Aviation Cinemas. "So when the world shut down, we put it into high gear again."
The Texas Theatre announced on Wednesday its plans to turn its long vacant balcony into a 160-seat auditorium with a second screen and a VIP mezzanine. The project has been in the works for the last five years and in planning stages since the end of March, when the theater closed to the public.
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"A lot of places are just hibernating out of necessity, and we're doing a little bit of that as well, but we were like, 'How do we make the most of this when we come out of this with increased capacity and we have all these things we wanted?'" Epstein says. "Let's maximize this downtime."
The downtime forced the theater to come up with new ways to offer screenings in a safe environment with avenues like its online screening option and Sunset Drive-In Theater, located in the parking lot behind the building along Sunset Avenue, with as much staff as possible. Epstein says that the operational changes, along with loans and tax credits, also allowed them a way to save money to fund the $1.9 million expansion project.
An artist's rendering of the Texas Theatre's plans to add a second screening room for 160 people in its balcony.
Rendering by Corgan
"Basically, we're trying to save money by not operating," Epstein says. "We started our drive-in and things like that but we had to make a scenario to our banks that this was a long-term play. This wasn't 'Let's solve everything in 2020.' It's, 'How do we create long term sustainability here?'"
The Texas Theatre is also a historical landmark on city, state and federal levels thanks to its beginnings in the 1930s as Dallas's largest suburban theater and as the site of Lee Harvey Oswald's arrest in 1963 following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Starting new construction on a building that's under historical protections isn't as simple as hiring a contractor and demolishing a few walls.
"We have the trifecta of historical designations," Epstein says with a laugh. "We have to talk to all three for different reasons. We're using the state's historical tax credit program, which helps get financing done to do our work."
The new space is scheduled to be completed sometime in the spring next year and will turn the theater's balcony into a useable space for the first time in 40 years. Hopefully, the theater will be able to safely open then to audiences aching to finally see a movie that's not screened on their TVs, mobile phones or tablets.
"We're going to be able to do more of everything people like: more movies, more live events, comedy events, rental opportunities, more of everything, basically," Epstein says. "In a lot of ways, we're going back to the theater's original usage in the '30s and '40s."
Danny Gallagher has been a regular contributor to the Dallas Observer since 2014. He has also written features, essays and stories for MTV, the Chicago Tribune, Maxim, Cracked, Mental_Floss, The Week, CNET and The Onion AV Club.
Facebook: Danny Gallagher
Twitter: @thisisdannyg
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Kimberly D. Hagan, Litigation/Personal Injury Paralegal/Office Manager
Kim is a Paralegal/Legal Assistant handling and managing a portion of our litigation cases and particularly cases with serious personal injury or that affect our clients' entire lives. In the eleven years she has been with the firm, she has prepared and assisted with major trials, including multiple difficult and challenging cases that have resulted in multi-million dollar verdicts, and cases that other firms had given up on. In that time, she has demonstrated the ability to hear the needs of our clients, and to sense those problems that sometimes are unspoken. She has been exceptional at helping our clients through all manner of issues. Kim is skilled at preparing and assisting in trial, drafting pleadings and discovery, obtaining and analyzing medical records for, and working with, the many medical experts we use throughout the country. She has assisted in appeals to several state Supreme Courts and transfers to the U.S. Supreme Court, and is accessible and able to help with day-to-day concerns. Kim has the duty of managing the general office, which includes ensuring the office is running smoothly, coordinating and monitoring activities, addressing errors and complaints, and making sure the attorney knows where he is supposed to be and pays the bills on time.
· Associates in Applied Science for Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement (2010);
· Associates in Legal Studies for the Paralegal (2017)
kimb@damicklaw.com
Shannon M. Goforth, Paralegal, Media Marketing Coordinator
With a depth of experience in litigation, personal injury, FTCA, FELA, and medical negligence, Shannon is a well-rounded and formidable Paralegal/Legal Assistant. She has a particular talent for comprehending a large variety of legal issues and concerns, as well as understanding the complexities of the judicial system and the strain a lengthy trial can have on many aspects of a client's life. Shannon has over 7 years of experience with this firm, and has over 20 years of hands-on experience in the legal field, including a 10 year period managing the legal offices of a significant government department. In that regard, Shannon is eminently knowledgeable in civil and criminal law, government process, discovery, and the court processes, and insists on the highest ethical standards. Her years of prior administrative, as well as managerial experience, are an asset to the firm. She currently manages and coordinates cases involving injury to veterans at VA Medical Centers, railroad related injuries, serious injuries caused by medical neglect, and significant truck or vehicle accidents. She is known for her compassion, and treats every client with respect and understanding.
· Paralegal Studies Program at Southwestern Illinois College.
sgoforth@damicklaw.com
The Staff of the Law Offices of
David N. Damick
pleased to be an attorney that other attorneys turn to for advice and
assistance with their difficult cases. David is dedicated to the representation of those who have been harmed, personally or financially, and he has committed on a national level to refuse to represent
insurers or those who seek to avoid responsibility or fair play in the courts.
After a 17 year service as a journeyman industrial electrician with the IBEW Local 1, David served as an attorney for one of the most successful plaintiff-dedicated law firms in the Midwest. At the request of a prominent judge and attorney, he went to work as a trial specialist for a general practice law firm. In 1996, he founded the Law Offices of David N. Damick, based upon cases referred by other lawyers who realized the difficulty of taking serious or complex injury cases to trial. Since that time, David has been the lead trial attorney in cases involving birth injuries, he has fought for our Veterans through the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), and has been relentless in pursuing cases involving medical negligence and medical malpractice, as well as nursing home abuse, wrongful death, injuries due to defective products or machines, truck and car accidents, and in general cases that require critical analysis and thoughtful attention to the firm’s clients. David has extensive knowledge in railroad cases, Federal Employer's Liability Ace (FELA) cases, and holds physicians, insurance companies, and businesses to the highest legal and ethical standards. With over 20 years of experience, David is regularly sought after to serve as an arbitrator to assist in the resolution of disputes outside of the courtroom. David's mission is to help parties obtain resolutions to their disputes and to avoid litigation through arbitration, in many cases, saving both time and money. David is also frequently called upon to assist other attorneys with appeals in Missouri, Illinois and in several Federal Courts, and has argued multiple times in state Supreme Courts. David believes that settlement is a good goal, but also believes that the only way to achieve fair settlements is to prepare every case to win at trial. He has handled cases in Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Indiana, Nebraska, Arkansas, Kansas, North Carolina, and federal courts, is admitted to the United States Supreme Court, Federal Court of Claims in Washington D.C., and the Vaccine Injury Court, and has consulted nationally.
David also recognizes that his practice is only as good as the caring people who work in the firm, and he has been privileged to have the support of the best people around.
Licensed in Missouri, Illinois, and practicing pro hac across the United States, David is the principal attorney and owner of the Law Offices of David N. Damick.
Having a 28 year record of successful trial work and settlements, David is
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Dan Rattiner’s Stories
Bad Mad Men: Women Are Calling Them Out. Rules & Regs Now Needed
By Dan Rattiner Posted on November 16, 2017
Cartoon by Mickey Paraskevas
Back in the 1930s, the celebrated cartoonist James Thurber did a series of drawings that ran in The New Yorker titled, as I recall, “The Battle of Men Versus Women.”
My favorite was a series of two drawings. One was called “Men’s Headquarters.” And the other was “Women’s Headquarters.”
Men’s Headquarters was a messy room with empty beer bottles on the tables, crumpled-up papers on the floor and cigarette butts in ashtrays. About a dozen men were in the room, and they all looked rumpled, too. Some were standing, leaning on desks, others were collapsed in chairs, asleep, still others paced around. They’d been up all night, drinking and smoking. They were still going but now very distracted and tired. Apparently, nothing was going well. On the wall behind them was a large framed photograph of a woman glaring out at the scene. Under it was the single word WANTED.
Dan Rattiner speaks with Liana Werner-Gray, Certified Health and Nutrition Coach in New York City – Episode 11
Who’s Here in the Hamptons
https://podcasts.schnepsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Dan-Liana-Grey-W-Final.mp3
Women’s Headquarters, on the other hand, was organized and neat. Five handsomely dressed women sat at a dais, facing the reader, their hands folded, knowing smiles on their faces. Flowers in vases were on the tables. Behind them on the wall, the name of the organization was written in bold type. It said something like “Committee for the Advancement of Women.” And there was a photograph of a woman in a frame underneath it, about the same size as the one in the Men’s Headquarters. A caption under it read OUR LEADER.
I don’t know if anybody today would think Thurber’s cartoons were funny. Probably not. We live in a different era. And women, who got the short end of things for many, many years, are now telling it like it is.
Not long ago, a TV show called Mad Men had a long and successful run on AMC. It appeared from 2007 until 2015, and it won many Emmy awards. It was about a typical 1960s advertising agency on Madison Avenue. White men ran the agencies. They had dark suits and narrow ties. They chased the secretaries around their desks. The secretaries sometimes worked in the “typing pool.” The men called them into their offices and, martinis and cigarettes in hand, berated these women, told them what jobs they wanted done and made comments about how they looked. Back at the typing pool, the women gossiped about the men, then, if one walked by, stopped talking and started typing. This was the way we were then. And many viewers enjoyed looking back at it and noting how different everything was then.
I spent nine months working at one of those agencies. In the early 1960s, Dan’s Papers was only published in the summertime. In the winter I went to college, but then, after graduation, I worked in New York City. One winter I worked briefly in the city room of The New York Times as a “runner” delivering messages from outboxes to inboxes. Another winter I worked at Foote, Cone & Belding, the famous ad agency that occupied three floors way high up in what today is the Met Life Building in midtown Manhattan. This could have been the prototype for Mad Men. I was 23, had the title of Copywriter Trainee, worked on the top floor of the three, the “creative” floor (as opposed to the plush executive floor down a flight, and the mailroom, accounting and art and printing services on the bottom floor). I was paid $110 a week and I was on a “team.” One account our team worked on was a breakfast cereal. Another account was SOS soap pads. A third account was Contac cold capsules.
One day, the whole creative department, including secretaries and typists, held a meeting in the typing pool, where Judd Irish, the creative director, told us we were going
to be competing in a contest. He wanted each of us to submit an idea that could be a TV campaign for Contac cold capsules. We’d meet again in a week, same time, same place. I might note that all the big shots in creative were men. Although there was one exception, which I will write about further on.
A week later, we met again. The winner was one of the secretaries. She thought up “Give Your Cold to Contac.” This afterwards became the wildly successful campaign that for a time brought Contac cold capsules to the top of the heap. She was asked to explain how she thought of this. She stood.
“I am getting married next week,” she said. (Everybody cheered.) “And I thought a woman might say to the viewers ‘My dad is giving the bride away, but I’m giving my cold to Contac.’”
Judd Irish waved around the check for $25 she had won. (More cheers.) She never got a raise, never got a penny more as far as I knew.
I mentioned that one of the big shots was a woman. Her group of offices was on the far side of our floor, and I never went over there. I did meet her in the elevator once. Her name was Shirley Polykoff, and she had been wildly successful with “Does She or Doesn’t She?” the campaign for Clairol, where the question was Does She or Doesn’t She Color Her Hair. She had become a major stakeholder at Foote, Cone & Belding.
Everyone in the elevator moved out of her way as she and her entourage came on. Nobody said anything all the way down.
I learned yesterday that the creator of Mad Men has been accused of sexual harassment by one of the writers of Mad Men. The creator is, or was, Matthew Weiner, and the writer was an award-winning screenwriter named Kater Gordon. The accusation was that in 2009, after the Emmys were handed out for this show, Weiner said to Gordon that she owed it to him to let him see her naked. She declined. But she never forgot it, she says. He has denied the allegations, but he is probably ruined.
Regardless of whether Weiner did this or not, I think it’s wonderful that, in more and more instances, sexual predators are being called out by their victims. Punishment happens overnight. No courtroom, no muss, no fuss. It’s out there. I am referring to men with power who harass, assault, rape, drug, beat-up and otherwise terrify women who work for them, and then it gets covered up.
It does not mean that an unwanted wink or smile necessarily falls into a criminal category because it made a person feel uncomfortable. There are limits to this. Sexual harassment, assault, beatings and rape, yes. Winks, whistles and comments that were accepted (albeit wrongly) 20 years ago but not now, well, in some cases it’s iffy. There need to be clear rules.
As a man told me the other day, “If the bar gets low enough, every man over the age of 50 is going to jail.”
The night after I learned about the Mad Men creator accusations, my wife and I went to a fancy restaurant. Standing next to the maître-de by the front entrance was a young woman holding menus, waiting to be told where to seat us. She was about 20, dressed for a prom and stunningly beautiful. My wife smiled at her.
“You are an absolutely beautiful young woman,” she said.
“Thank you,” said the young woman, smiling.
I looked at her. And I said, “I’m not allowed to say that, but what my wife said is absolutely true.”
Tell you what, though. There’s a man I know who insults women, is caught telling another guy, “Grab their pu–y. You can do anything,” who’s walked through a room full of beauty contest contestants changing their clothes, and who’s supposedly done nasty things in bedrooms in Moscow hotels—and he’s away in the Far East right now, and maybe it’s time for a whole bunch of women to step forward.
Overnight. Boom.
Dan’s 2021 New Year Predictions
‘Who’s Here in the Hamptons’ Podcast: Joe Delia, Musician
Did You See the Christmas Star?
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Banorte Signs Up to Principles for Responsible Banking at UN Headquarters
Banorte the only Mexican bank in the core group that led the development of the Principles for Responsible Banking
Submitted by Grupo Financiero Banorte
Click here to watch video.
Today Banorte became a Founding Signatory of the Principles for Responsible Banking of the United Nations (UN), undertaking to align its business strategically with the Sustainable Development Goals and with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
In the ceremony held at UN headquarters in New York, as part of a group of 130 banks from all over the world, with more than 47 trillion dollars in assets, Banorte assumed the commitment to contribute to sustainable development.
These Principles are designed for banks to align all their decisions with social, environmental, and ethical goals, and to incorporate these factors into their strategies and operations.
Banorte, a subsidiary of the second-largest financial group in Mexico, is the only Mexican bank that, for more than 18 months, helped lead the development of the Principles, as part of a core group of 30 founding banks.
At the official inauguration of the Principles, which marked the beginning of the most extensive partnership to date between the banking industry and the UN, Carlos Hank González, President of the Board of Directors of Grupo Financiero Banorte, and Marcos Ramírez Miguel, its Managing Director, both took part.
Carlos Hank González signed the Principles himself in the presence of UN Secretary General António Guterres.
On the other hand, Carlos Hank González was selected to represent the Latin American banks in the panel "Driving change and realizing impact on the world", in which only one representative of each continental region participated. "The banks have to assume a greater social and environmental commitment. At Banorte we're very proud to be the only Mexican bank to take part in the development of the Principles for Responsible Banking, laying the foundations for a new kind of banking: more in line with the needs of our clients, employees and the communities we work with," said Carlos Hank González.
At the ceremony, UN Secretary General António Guterres declared: “The UN Principles for Responsible Banking are a guide for the global banking industry to respond to, drive and benefit from a sustainable development economy. The Principles create the accountability that can realize responsibility, and the ambition that can drive action.”
"These Principles require us to take into account the social, environmental and ethical impact of all our decisions as a bank. For example, each time we at Grupo Financiero Banorte provide financing, we work to ensure it will not have a negative impact on the environment or society," said Marcos Ramírez Miguel, the bank's Managing Director.
The Principles for Responsible Banking are backed up by a solid framework for implementation, through which Banorte will set goals for maximizing positive impacts and mitigating any negative effects.
By applying these Principles, Banorte will be able to identify and make the most of new business opportunities created by the new sustainable development economy, while also enabling the bank to effectively manage operational risks.
Watch our Chairman, Carlos Hank González’s video
More information about the Principles
Watch the live broadcast of the inauguration and signing on Sunday, September 22, at 2:00 p.m. EST / 19:00 p.m. BST
Francisco Rodríguez Daniel
Executive Director of Corporate Communications
(55)1670-2922 / francisco.rodriguez.daniel@banorte.com
Grupo Financiero Banorte
At Grupo Financiero Banorte sustainability means “balanceâ€, continuous challenge that we have decided to embrace at the same time that we increase the institution’s profitability and growth. Our commitment is to reach the appropriate balance between the economic, social and environmental aspects of the group, strengthening by such way our long term vision.
More from Grupo Financiero Banorte
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Considerations when operating as a company on incorporation.
If you run your business as a company you may save a considerable amount of tax. However there may be disadvantages and a sole trade or partnership structure may be better. If your business is in the Thirsk area we, at Cummins Young, can show you the potential tax savings currently available to you from operating as a company.
The issue of whether to run your business as a company or a sole trader or partnership is an important one. In this factsheet, we summarise the potential tax savings available from operating as a company.
Is trading as a limited company the best option?
In our view it is generally beneficial, in tax terms, to trade as a limited company as there are annual tax savings.
Is it better to take a dividend rather than an increase in salary?
In our view there is generally a benefit for a director-shareholder to take a dividend rather than further salary.
The examples below give an indication of the 2020/21 tax savings that may be achievable for spouses or civil partners who are currently in partnership.
Tax and NI payable: £ £
As partners 8,108 22,608
As company 7,275 19,811
Potential saving 833 2,797
The extent of the savings is dependent on the precise circumstances of the couple's tax position and may be more or less than the above figures. The examples are computed on the basis that the couple:
share profits equally
have no other sources of income
both take a salary of £8,788 from the company with the balance (after corporation tax) paid out as a dividend.
When might a company be considered?
A company can be used as a vehicle for:
a profitable trade
buy-to-let properties.
Summary of relevant tax and national insurance (NI) rates 2020/21
Rate of corporation tax
Profits are taxed at 19%.
Taxation of dividends
The cash dividend received is the gross amount potentially subject to tax.
The rates of tax on dividend income are 7.5% for basic rate taxpayers, 32.5% for higher rate taxpayers and 38.1% for additional rate taxpayers.
A Dividend Tax Allowance taxes the first £2,000 of dividends received in a tax year at 0%.
The rate of employees' national insurance contributions (NICs) is 12%. In addition, a 2% charge applies to all earnings over the NIC upper earnings limit (£50,000 for 2020/21). The rate of NICs for the self-employed is 9%, and 2% on profits above £50,000 for 2020/21.
All NI contributions can be avoided by incorporating, taking a small salary up to the threshold at which NI is payable and then taking the balance of post-tax profits as dividends.
Pension provision
As an employee/ director of the company, it should be possible for the company to make pension contributions (subject to limits) to a registered fund irrespective of the salary level, provided it is justifiable under the 'wholly and exclusively' rule. Pension contributions are deemed to be a private expense for sole traders or partners.
In addition we consider other relevant factors including potential disadvantages. It is all too easy to focus exclusively on the potential annual tax savings available by operating as a company. However, other tax issues may be significant and should not be underestimated.
Incorporating your existing business will involve transferring at least some of your assets (most significantly goodwill) from your sole trade or partnership into your new company. The transfer of goodwill may create a significant capital gain although there is a mechanism for deferring the gain until any later sale of the company if the business is transferred in exchange for shares in the company.
Relief for goodwill
Generally where goodwill is sold to the company for cash or debt on or after 3 December 2014, individuals are prevented from claiming Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR), and capital gains tax (CGT) arises on the gain. The exceptions to this rule are that a claim to BADR is allowed:
for partners in a firm who do not hold or acquire any stake in the successor company
where the individual claiming relief holds less than 5% of the shares and the voting power of the acquiring company
where an individual holds 5% or more of the shares or voting power if the transfer of the business to the company is part of arrangements for the company to be sold to a new, independent owner.
Depending on where the property is situated there will be Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) or Land Transaction Tax (LTT) charges to consider when assets are transferred to a company. Goodwill and debtors do not give rise to a charge, but land and buildings may do so.
The precise effects of ceasing business in an unincorporated form, including ‘overlap relief' need to be considered.
Once again the position needs to be carefully considered.
Other advantages
There may be other non-tax advantages of incorporation and these are summarised below.
Limited liability
A company normally provides limited liability. If a shareholder's shares are fully paid he cannot normally be required to invest any more in the company. However, banks often require personal guarantees from the directors for borrowings. The advantage of limited liability will generally apply in respect of liabilities to other creditors.
Legal continuity
A company will enjoy legal continuity as it is a legal entity in its own right, separate from its owners (the shareholders). It can own property, sue and be sued.
Effective ownership of the business may be more readily transferred, in comparison to a business which is not trading as a limited company.
Normally a bank is able to take extra security by means of a ‘floating charge' over the assets of the company and this will increase the extent to which monies may be borrowed against the assets of the business.
The existence of corporate status is sometimes deemed to add to the credibility or commercial respectability of the business.
The company could establish an approved pension scheme which may provide greater benefits than self-employed schemes.
Staff incentives
Employees may, with adequate safeguards, be offered an opportunity to acquire an interest in the business, reflecting their position in the company.
No analysis of the position would be complete without highlighting potential disadvantages.
The annual compliance requirements for a company in terms of administration and accounting tend to result in costs being higher for a company than for a sole trader or partnership. Annual accounts need to be prepared in a format dictated by the Companies Act and, in certain circumstances, the accounts need to be audited by a registered auditor.
Details of the directors and shareholders are filed on the public register held by the Registrar of Companies.
The annual accounts have to be made available on public record - although these can be modified to minimise the information disclosed.
PAYE/benefits
If you do not have any employees at present, you do not have to be concerned with Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and returns of benefits forms (P11Ds). As a company, you will need to complete PAYE records for salary payments and submit details of salary payments on a timely basis under PAYE Real Time Information (RTI). You will also need to keep records of expenses reimbursed to you by the company. Forms P11D may have to be completed.
If you will require regular payments from your company, we will need to set up a system for you to correctly pay dividends.
Transactions with the business owner
A business owner may introduce funds to and withdraw funds from an unincorporated business without tax implications. When a company is involved there may be tax implications on these transactions.
Director's responsibilities
A company director may be at risk of criminal or civil penalty proceedings e.g. for the late filing of accounts or for breaking the insolvency rules.
There may be a number of good reasons for considering use of a company as part of a tax planning strategy. However as you can see, there are many factors to consider. We would welcome the opportunity to talk to you about incorporation and your own specific circumstances in the Thirsk area. Please do not hesitate to contact us at Cummins Young.
Business motoring - tax aspects Capital allowances Cash basis for the self-employed Companies - tax saving opportunities Corporation tax - quarterly instalment payments Corporation tax self assessment Fixed rate expenses Homeworking costs for the self-employed Incorporation IR35 personal service companies Research and development The Construction Industry Scheme
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Inside Development
News analysis: Aid trends
For South Korea, aid to Uganda marks a trend
By Ivy Mungcal // 06 August 2012
Photo by: newflower / CC BY-NC-ND
South Korea has just donated $2 million to a World Food Program project in Uganda. It is one the latest signs the donor is scaling up its presence in the country and in Africa as a whole.
The donation from the Korea International Cooperation Agency will support a WFP project designed to improve the nutrition and boost the incomes of some 12,000 people in Uganda’s Karamoja region. This project will be implemented over the next 18 months through the Karamoja Integrated Development Program.
South Korea has been significantly increasing its official development assistance for Uganda over the past few years. In 2010, it committed $28.5 million in project support and technical assistance to the Ugandan government and local nongovernmental organizations, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The aid was disbursed in grants for programs in the following sectors: agriculture and rural development, education, health, environment, energy, urban development, governance, and information and communication technology.
The 2010 budget was significantly higher than South Korea’s allocation for Uganda in 2009, which totaled $1.54 million in grants for health, and agriculture and rural development initiatives. Uganda received $680,000 from South Korea in 2008, $1.96 million in 2007 and $163,000 in 2006.
This rise in South Korean aid to Uganda reflects a similar rise in the donor’s spending for the whole of Africa, which is fast becoming a continent of focus for South Korea, as KOICA officials have told Devex. KOICA provided a total of $67.7 million in bilateral and multilateral aid to the region in 2010, according to the agency’s annual report. This was 14.9 percent of the total aid managed by KOICA for that year.
South Korea, in general, is becoming more actively engaged in the international development community. In addition to a steady increase in aid spending, it hosted key conferences in the past two years: a Group of 20 meeting which focused on development, and the Fourth High Level Conference on Aid Effectiveness in Busan.
Find projects and jobs in Uganda. Read more development aid news online, and subscribe to The Development Newswire to receive top international development headlines from the world’s leading donors, news sources and opinion leaders — emailed to you FREE every business day.
Ivy Mungcal
As former senior staff writer, Ivy Mungcal contributed to several Devex publications. Her focus is on breaking news, and in particular on global aid reform and trends in the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Americas. Before joining Devex in 2009, Ivy produced specialized content for U.S. and U.K.-based business websites.
Major Gift Officer
Partnerships Officer
Procurement Team Lead
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A global economy that works for the good of all: responsible trade and financial policy coordination
Furness, Mark / Jodie Keane
Bonn: German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) (The Current Column of 25 August 2014)
Bonn, London, 25 August 2014. On 1 September 2014, the European Think Tanks Group (ETTG) will publish a major report addressed to the new leadership of the European Union entitled "Our Collective Interest: Why Europe’s problems need global solutions and global problems need European action". It calls for a new understanding of the EU’s global role, and in particular, a new approach to international development. The key message is that the EU’s ambitions for its own citizens – for prosperity, peace and environmental sustainability – cannot be divorced from its global responsibilities and opportunities. The European Think Tanks Group identifes five global challenges where we believe the EU has a comparative advantage to act and make a positive contribution to the world’s future. These are: trade and international finance; environmental sustainability; peace and security; democracy and human rights; and, poverty and inequality.
The full report on 1 September will put forward recommendations for the EU’s engagement in each of these areas and propose organisational and structural changes to enhance the EU’s performance. We believe that this will involve creating a truly integrated, but flexible approach across institutions, and stronger political leadership to enable complex linkages between today’s global challenges and agendas.
After a long period of economic prosperity in advanced and developing countries, the 2008 financial market meltdown and subsequent global and Euro crises came as a shock. The limitations of orthodox market governance approaches were starkly revealed, the global economy remains fragile, and few policy reforms to address the imbalances and loopholes that led to the crisis have been undertaken. The EU could drive a more holistic reform process, while articulating its vision of a sustainable 21st century growth trajectory.
Despite the Euro crisis, the EU single market is still the world’s largest trader and investor. This is not expected to last past 2020, so the EU needs to use its leverage in the global economy while it still can. There are several levers that European policymakers can pull. Two stand out, both for their potential impact on the framework conditions for global economic exchange, and for the fact that if they are to be pulled successfully, collective action at the EU-level is needed: first, responsible trade; and, second, global financial policy coordination, particularly with regard to tax havens.
National regulators have not been able to match the speed of the transformation of global trade and financial flows, particularly as a large part of the process has been conducted using offshore financial centres out of reach of national tax authorities. Furthermore, as around one third of global trade is now conducted within multi-national enterprises (MNEs), there are big questions about how to track and tax these intra-firm transactions.
The EU–US TTIP, if agreed, could do much to reinvigorate and strengthen trade and investment relations between two of the world’s largest trading blocs. However, should this new ambitious partnership be agreed, greater attention needs to be paid to the effects that TTIP has on the global trade system, emerging economies and on developing countries.
A further priority is addressing illicit financial flows out of and into developing countries, including measures to improve the exchange of information and transparency. Estimates show that developing countries lost close to $6 trillion in illicit financial flows over the last decade, much of it linked to tax avoidance. Several of the world’s most notorious tax havens are under the sovereignty of EU member states, such as those located in British overseas territories, while the tax policies of some member states, including Austria, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Ireland and the United Kingdom, do not go far enough in questioning the origin of funds invested by non-residents. The EU should be a role model in promoting the automatic exchange of tax information.
Domestic and global reform processes must go hand in hand. Europe needs to lead by example and assume a new, more positively influential role within a multi-polar global economy. In order to do this, it needs to get its own house in order and articulate a new vision of growth and development. Such prescriptions may seem pie-in-the-sky. But as the new Commission takes office, we need to ask ourselves what the alternatives are. We can muddle along, hoping that everything will be fine but fearing that it will not; we can give up on internationalism and retreat into our shells, a move that would foster inefficient isolationism and dangerous nationalism; or we can try again at the global level to strike a series of deals that make a difference.
Jodie Keane is Research Fellow at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) in London.
Mark Furness is researcher at the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE).
Furness, Mark
Berger, Axel
Olekseyuk, Zoryana
Stender, Frederik
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The Shepherd's Crown
By Terry Pratchett
Read by Stephen Briggs
Terry Pratchett HarperCollins 9780062429971
The Tiffany Aching Series: Book 5
Terry Pratchett's final Discworld novel, and the fifth to feature the witch Tiffany Aching. A SHIVERING OF WORLDS Deep in the Chalk, something is stirring. The owls and the foxes can sense it, and Tiffany Aching feels it in her boots. An old enemy is gathering strength. This is a time of endings and beginnings, old friends and new, a blurring of edges and a shifting of power. Now Tiffany stands between the light and the dark, the good and the bad. As the fairy horde prepares for invasion, Tiffany must summon all the witches to stand with her. To protect the land. Her land. There will be a reckoning. . . . THE FINAL DISCWORLD® NOVEL
Winner of the 2016 Locus Award for Young Adult
A 2015 Amazon Best Books of the Year Selection for Science Fiction & Fantasy
Terry Pratchett's final Discworld novel, and the fifth to feature the witch Tiffany Aching.
A SHIVERING OF WORLDS
Deep in the Chalk, something is stirring. The owls and the foxes can sense it, and Tiffany Aching feels it in her boots. An old enemy is gathering strength.
This is a time of endings and beginnings, old friends and new, a blurring of edges and a shifting of power. Now Tiffany stands between the light and the dark, the good and the bad.
As the fairy horde prepares for invasion, Tiffany must summon all the witches to stand with her. To protect the land. Her land.
There will be a reckoning. . . .
THE FINAL DISCWORLD® NOVEL
“Terry was one of our greatest fantasists and beyond a doubt the funniest.” —George R. R. Martin, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Pratchett’s final work is a tour de force of compassion, great wit, and gleeful storytelling. He will be missed.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“With the warmth, humor, and assurance of an old friend, Stephen Briggs…delivers this fifth Tiffany Aching Adventure with all his heart…This is a special book—Pratchett’s last. One can hear Briggs summoning up the voices of the Pictsies, Hags, and Wizards one more time as he heads for a worthy conclusion to a saga that only Pratchett could conjure.” —AudioFile
“Pratchett leaves his fans with one last glorious tale of Discworld…Though this title was written during Pratchett’s final days, there is nothing rushed here; indeed, this final book stands among the very best of his work…Readers [will] mourn the loss of such an irreplaceable writing talent. Verdict: Readers young and old will savor this tale that emphasizes the values of hard work and standing firm in the face of evil. An exceptionally crafted finale from one of the greats.” —School Library Journal
“His storytelling is pure magic, and fans will grieve anew that this is the last of it. Stock up.” —Booklist
Author Bio: Sir Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) was an English novelist known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series. His first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971, and after publishing his first Discworld novel, The Color of Magic, in 1983, he wrote two books a year on average. He was the United Kingdom’s bestselling author of the 1990s and has sold more than 55 million books worldwide. In 2001 he won the Carnegie Medal for his children’s novel The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents. Pratchett was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to literature in 1998 and was knighted in 2009.
Format: Digital Download Format: CD
Available Formats : Digital Download, CD
Category: Fiction/Fantasy
Publisher: HarperCollins Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780062430557 ISBN: 9781504645607
Audience: Young Adult (12–17)
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Early Childhood Education Degrees
Nursing Degrees
Video Game Design Degrees
MicroMasters
11 Nursing Schools With High Acceptance Rates
Finding nursing schools with high acceptance rates is no easy task. As the healthcare industry continues to experience growth, more students are searching for degrees at all levels of the field, including nursing degrees. This makes some schools, and the field in general, extremely competitive.
Don’t worry though! There are still many nursing schools with high acceptance rates. Check out the list below to find the perfect school for you.
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects the percentage of change in employment for registered nurses to increase 16% from the years 2014 to 2024.i
As opposed to some of the nursing programs with low acceptance rates, there are still nursing schools out there with high acceptance rates. Many of these schools are actively seeking nursing students and usually offer a number of degree levels in their nursing program.
Below is a list of some of these nursing schools with highest acceptance rates, a short description about each one, and some of the nursing degrees offered. Be sure to check with a number of different schools to find the perfect program for you.
Nursing Program Acceptance Rate: 100%
Clemson University is committed to world-class teaching, research, public service, student development, and continuing education. By combining the scientific and technological aspects of a major college with the highly engaged academic and social environment of a small college, Clemson is redefining the term “top-tier research university”.
Some of the nursing degrees offered at Clemson University are:
Nursing Bachelor of Science (BS)
Nursing Master of Science (MS)
Nursing – Adult / Gerontology Nurse Practitioner (MS)
Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner (MS)
2. Regis University
Established in 1877, Regis University encourages students to become leaders that make a positive impact in society through a vision-centered education and commitment to community service.
In Fact
U.S. News and World Report has ranked Regis as a Top University in the West for 18 consecutive years.
Some of the nursing programs include:
Nursing RN (Registered Nurse) to BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing)
Nursing – Leadership in Health Care Systems: Management Focus
Nursing – Leadership in Health Care Systems: Education Focus
3. University of Texas-El Paso
Striving to redefine excellence in education for more than a century, the University of Texas El-Paso has developed into a powerful public research university. The school has grown exponentially over the years because of its affordability, accessibility, and commitment to academic excellence.
As one of the nursing schools with high acceptance rates, UTEP offers bachelors, masters, doctorates, and graduate certificate programs in nursing. Some of these degrees include:
Nursing Systems Management Masters
Post-Masters Nurse Practitioner Certificate
4. Lubbock Christian University
Nursing Program Acceptance Rate: 96%
Lubbock Christian University offers students expert faculty and instructors who are excited to help you learn. LCU prepares you for Christian service to your family, church, and community by fostering academic achievement, spiritual fulfillment, personal responsibility, and leadership development.
Some of the nursing programs at Lubbock Christian University are:
Pre-Nursing Program
Partnership Program with the Covenant School of Nursing
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN)
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
5. Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Founded in 1867, Clarion University of Pennsylvania is a public state university with an annual enrollment of 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students. By combining a tradition of academic excellence with online technology, Clarion offers a range of high-quality degree and certificate programs.
Some of the nursing degrees offered at Clarion include:
Associate of Science in Nursing (AS)
BSN in Nursing (RN to BSN)
MSN in Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
As one of the nursing schools with high acceptance rates, Oklahoma Wesleyan University offers students a challenging, evolving, and caring Christian atmosphere. Whether you are starting or finishing, OKWU can help you achieve your goals by integrating faith, learning, and living.
The nursing degrees offered at Oklahoma Wesleyan University are:
Nursing – BSN
7. University of Toledo
The mission of the University of Toledo is to improve the human condition; to advance knowledge through excellence in learning, discovery, and engagement; and to serve as a diverse, student-centered public metropolitan research university.
In order to bring that mission to its more than 12,000 students enrolled in distance learning courses, most UT online courses are taught by the same tenured faculty that teach the on-campus courses.
Some of the nursing degrees at the University of Toledo include:
Nursing – RN to BSN
MSN in Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
MSN in Family Nurse Practitioner
MSN in Nurse Educator
8. Lamar University
Lamar University is part of the Texas State University System and has been educating students since 1923. As a comprehensive public institution educating a diverse student population, Lamar University prepares students for leadership and lifelong learning.
Some of the nursing degrees at Lamar University are:
Nursing – RN to MSN
MSN – Nursing Education
MSN – Nursing Administration
9. Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University places students at the center of its world-class programs to assist you in the pursuit of career enhancement. As an urban research university, YSU emphasizes a creative and integrated approach to education.
One of the ways that Youngstown State keeps students at the center of its programs is by being one of the nursing schools with high acceptance rates. Some of the nursing programs at Youngstown State are:
MSN – Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist
MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner
MSN – Nurse Anesthetist
10. West Virginia University
Like the resourceful people who first settled West Virginia’s hills, West Virginia University finds creative solutions and blazes trails to new discoveries. Through WVU Healthcare’s online patient portal, more than 50,000 patients can access their records and view lab results.
Some of the nursing degrees at West Virginia University are:
BSN to DNP
11. University of Missouri
As the first public university west of the Mississippi River and the first state university in the Louisiana Purchase territory, the University of Missouri was founded in 1839. Considered one of the nation’s top-tier institutions, UM has a reputation of excellence in teaching and research.
The University of Missouri offers a number of nursing degrees, such as:
MSN in Leadership in Nursing and Healthcare Systems
Why Do Many Nursing Programs Not Have High Acceptance Rates?
The American Journal of Medical Quality projects a shortage of nurses will spread across the United States through 2030. Even still, many nursing schools still have low acceptance rates.
In fact, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, nursing schools turned away 68,938 qualified applicants from bachelors and graduate programs in 2014.
If there’s an approaching shortage of nurses, why do schools still have a low acceptance rate? It’s because these schools don’t have enough:
Classroom Space
Clinical Preceptors
However, that doesn’t mean that all nursing programs have a low acceptance rate or that it’s impossible for you to get into a nursing school. It simply means that you have to do more research to find the nursing schools with high acceptance rates.
Find the Perfect Nursing School for You
Finding the perfect nursing school for you can be challenging, as there are so many options available, including direct entry msn programs. Though many programs have low acceptance rates, there are many nursing schools with high acceptance rates that are actively seeking students.
Check out any of the sponsored listings on this page, including those mentioned in the list, to learn more about each school. Click on any of the links to read program descriptions, browse courses, and even reach out to your favorites directly to request more information and learn how to apply today.
[i] bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm#tab-6
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Compensation may impact where the Sponsored Schools appear on our websites, including whether they appear as a match through our education matching services tool, the order in which they appear in a listing, and/or their ranking. Our websites do not provide, nor are they intended to provide, a comprehensive list of all schools (a) in the United States (b) located in a specific geographic area or (c) that offer a particular program of study. By providing information or agreeing to be contacted by a Sponsored School, you are in no way obligated to apply to or enroll with the school.
This is an offer for educational opportunities, not an offer for nor a guarantee of employment. Students should consult with a representative from the school they select to learn more about career opportunities in that field. Program outcomes vary according to each institution’s specific program curriculum. Financial aid may be available to those who qualify. The information on this page is for informational and research purposes only and is not an assurance of financial aid.
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You Are Here: Professor Mokwa raises millions of Euros in funding for the Central Laboratory for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Professor Mokwa raises millions of Euros in funding for the Central Laboratory for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Meeting dates of the faculty board
Good results for RWTH Aachen in the international U-Multirank
Former graduand becomes Rector of Tecnológico de Costa Rica (TEC)
We congratulate António Guterres on the Charlemagne Prize!
Dr.-Ing. Michael Schluse and "A Fantastic Experiment to Explore Space"
RWTH Innovation Award 2018
Advice for the new lecture "Machine Learning for Speech and Audio Processing"
Fulbright Diversity Initiative at Trinity University, San Antonio, TX from August 17th, to September 16th, 2019
You Are Here:Professor Mokwa raises millions of Euros in funding for the Central Laboratory for Micro- and Nanotechnology
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has decided to massively promote micro- and nanoelectronics in Germany. In a first call for tenders "Forschungsfabrik Mikroelektronik Deutschland", approximately 350 million € were provided to support investments at Fraunhofer- and Leibniz Institutes. At the end of 2017, the BMBF launched a supplementary call for proposals for the investment program "Forschungslabore Mikroelektronik Deutschland" to strengthen the universities in this area. It has a volume of 50 million €.
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Wilfried Mokwa hs coordinated and submitted a project proposal for the "Zentrallabor für Mikro- und Nanotechnologie" of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of RWTH Aachen University, which involved a total of nine additional professors from RWTH Aachen. The proposal was approved by BMBF at the end of December with a volume of 9.3 million €.
With the proposal "ForLab 2D-ForME", the Aachener Mikroelektronik is to be set up for the future through targeted investments and brought to an internationally leading stand. The focus of the project is on 2D materials and their applications in microelectronics as well as micro- and nanosensor technology. Due to their properties, 2D materials have a high potential for novel innovative microelectronic components with a wide range of applications. Since mid-2017, the activities of the Aachen research groups from the fields of electrical engineering and physics have been concentrated on this topic in the Aachen Graphene & 2D Materials Center (www.graphene.ac). The Center will benefit particularly from this project.
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Whitmer introduces herself to Flint, challenges Detroit Dems’ reported doubts
Home » Features » Whitmer introduces herself to Flint, challenges Detroit Dems’ reported doubts
Posted on Feb 7, 2018
Declaring “Michigan deserves better” than a GOP-led regime she said has created a state which “hardly resembles the Michigan I think of when I talk about my Michigan pride,” Democratic candidate for governor Gretchen Whitmer introduced herself to about 25 Flint students, retirees, educators, activists and assorted Democrats Tuesday afternoon in the East Village home of Flint entrepreneur Andy Watchorn.
Democratic candidate for governor Gretchen Whitmer addressing Flint residents Tuesday. She was introduced by event host Andy Everman (left) Andy Watchorn in background. (Photo by Paul Rozycki)
A lifelong Michigander, Whitmer, 46, said she remembers a time in the state when, “You could have a great job; you could afford to buy the car you were making, Your kids could have a great public education.” But what she called “25 years of the DeVos agenda” — referencing the influential dynastic GOP founders of Amway and their offspring and relatives, including current U.S. Education Secretary Betsy Devos — “has absolutely undermined the stability of our public school system, devastating and decimating” the ranks of educators and making it harder for students to afford higher education or pursue a path to the skilled trades.
Consumer protection v. indictments
Speaking to Flint’s specific concerns, in the past, she said, “Everyone knew that in a Great Lakes state if you turned on your tap you could have confidence that you were going to get clean, fresh water for your family.”
Asked to describe her case against Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette, her likely GOP opponent, she said, “He didn’t care [about Flint] until the cameras started showing up,” as he pursued criminal indictments, adding “not one of those pursuits is fixing a single drop of water for families of Flint.” Instead, she said, the AG should have concentrated on consumer protection, “descending on the city with a team of consumer protection lawyers,” and stayed here “until the water situation was clean and healthy.”
“Emergency manager law undermines local control”
Whitmer bemoaned how the state’s emergency manager law has “undermined local control,” specifically in Flint.
“As governor, I will not use the EM law, particularly in communities of color,” she said. “Two, I’ll push to make sure that no governor after me has this act in their back pocket. Three, I’ll work to assure long-term resources are dedicated for the health and wellbeing of the children of Flint Four, we’ve got to make sure that infrastructure in the homes needs to be replaced — the state needs to be a partner in that.”
Asked about bringing in jobs, she said bolstering support for education and “throwing a shovel in the ground” every week–starting in Flint– for infrastructure projects would add good jobs for the state.
Whitmer, a Lansing native, served 14 years in the Michigan legislature — first in the House of Representatives, and then in the State Senate, where she was elected as minority leader in 2010 — the first woman elected to that position. It’s a job now held by Flint’s Jim Ananich.
“An unprecedented coalition” in answer to Duggan’s doubts
Asked by Andy Watchorn her response to a recent report in Bridge Magazine that a group of Detroit Democrats led by Mayor Mike Duggan were looking for other people to run for governor, “because you’re out state and you’re not going to be able to mobilize Detroit,” Whitmer responded quickly.
“For anyone to say that there’s not enthusiasm, they’re not paying attention — Mayor Duggan is going to be on board in short order,” she said. She noted a new poll reported in the Detroit News shows her up by seven percentage points against Schuette. In particular, poll results showed her up 42 percent to 29 percent among women, with 28 percent undecided.
Noting that she has been a full-time candidate for governor for 13 months, she said she has “built an unprecedented coalition” including a $3 million treasury collected “from zero” in 2017, with endorsements from the Michigan Education Association, Emily’s List, the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council, the Michigan State Utility Workers Council, among others. Responding to Watchorn’s request for “reassurance that you’ve got the tactical skill to win,” she said the campaign is opening eight regional offices in March and moving its headquarters to Detroit.
“This is earlier and bigger than anyone’s ever done before,” she said. “This is not just about one mayor, but about the people of the state–we need leaders focused on fixing problems rather than demonizing everyone who doesn’t see the world the same way.”
“We change our country by changing leadership”
Resident Mary Williams, a community outreach coordinator, asked Whitmer how she would address the many divides in the country to restore hope and bring the nation back together. “We change our country by changing our leadership,” she responded, noting that her opponent, Schuette, often sides with Trump. She also said she would change things by the appointments she would make and her budget priorities.
She noted she had battled with Governor Snyder on many issues, but knew that he supported Medicaid expansion through the Affordable Care Act. Starting there, she said she was able to work through the Democratic caucus to get the votes legislatively to make it happen. She said the emphasis has to be on action, not “demonizing those who have a different view of the world.”
Lashaya Darisaw, a community activist and Democratic candidate for 49th district state representative, quizzed Whitmer about potential followup with Flint children impacted by the water crisis, in particular how some of those children “will now be on a direct path to the ‘school to prison pipeline’ due to the negligence of our elected officials and appointments from the state.” Darisaw said afterwards she did not get an answer — and that “This is quite disappointing because she stated that someone had already spoken with her about this. However she seemed to be very open to dialogue about it. I look forward to creating that dialogue and working with her in the future on the topic.”
Before she was ushered out to her next appearance, Whitmer concluded, “I was the top Democrat in a lot of state fights. I’m not afraid to fight. We’ve got some tough issues we gotta tackle — they’re urgent, and they’re serious.” She then repeated her opening line, “Michigan deserves better.”
EVM editor Jan Worth-Nelson can be reached at janworth1118@gmail.com.
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Senator Warren's Table
I’ve supported a two-state solution for 30 years. I believe that it would have been better if many of the “settlements,” i.e. communities of Jews, had not been built in the territories. The country would have been better off had the resources and the people been devoted to settling more Jews in the Galilee and the Negev, and to developing additional infrastructure for all of the residents of those regions.
I have supported candidates for Prime Minister from parties that would have slowed down or stopped altogether the building of settlements beyond blocs that would be included in Israel in any final settlement. I would accept the removal of some “hilltop” settlements out in the middle of nowhere and consisting of a few trailers if it would deliver true peace, the acceptance of the right of Jews to our nation in the Middle East, an end of claims, and no “right of return” of descendants of refugees, people who never lived in Israel.
Israel needs strong supporters in, and strong support from, both parties. Both parties will control Congress at one time or another. Both parties will have a member in the White House at one time or another. I want the Democrats to have a pro-Israel candidate.
Elizabeth Warren is not that candidate. When asked if she would withhold aid if Israel engaged in settlement activity she finds adverse to a solution, she declared that “everything is on the table.”
Why, if I find the settlements problematic, would I not vote for someone who uses funds as leverage for curbing some settlement activity?
Because it shows that Senator Warren is no friend of Israel, has no respect for Israel, has little if any understanding of the reasons for a lack of a peace agreement, and most likely will have an adversarial relationship with whoever is the Prime Minister of Israel.
Israel is a democracy. Its government reflects the will of its people, albeit, like any other democracy, in a rough and sometimes convoluted manner. Israelis live in a rough neighborhood. They have experienced wars, terrorism, and a country that threatens their annihilation while developing nuclear weapons.
Israelis have elected governments that have adopted Israel’s policies regarding settlements. Israelis, having endured terror during the Oslo Process and the Second Intifada, will undoubtedly elect a government that adopts policies Senator Warren finds objectionable and not conducive to advancing peace. We now know how a President Warren might respond when she and the Israeli people disagree.
President Warren would consider withholding vital funds necessary to Israel’s defense because she has a policy disagreement with the Israeli people. She would substitute her judgment for the Israeli people’s when it comes to their and their children’s safety, and might use funds to enforce that judgment.
That’s no friend. That’s not showing respect. That’s ill-informed. That’s adversarial.
The settlements are an irritant. They make separation of the two peoples more difficult. But they are not the reason there has been no settlement of the conflict. They are one more excuse for the Palestinians not engaging in serious negotiations and not being willing to compromise. But they are not an “obstacle to peace.”
There were no settlements when the Peel Commission recommended a two-state solution in 1937. There were no settlements when the United Nations adopted a two-state solution in 1947. There were no settlements when Israel offered to return the territories won in a defensive war in 1967, and when the Arab League responded with the “Three No’s” at Khartoum: No negotiations, no recognition, no peace.
There were considerably fewer Israelis living in settlements when Israel and Egypt agreed to the Camp David Accords in 1979. There would have been few settlements remaining had the Palestinians accepted the Barack/Clinton Camp David proposal of 2000, or the Taba proposal of 2001, or the Olmert proposal of 2008.
Under pressure from the Obama Administration, Israel suspended settlement building for 10 months in 2010-11 in order to encourage Palestinian President Abbas to come to the negotiating table. The response: Abbas waited until the last month to show up; nothing was accomplished.
Clearly, settlements are not the reason there is no resolution. The Palestinians had many opportunities to say “yes” to a resolution sans settlements.
Then there is this question: If there is a democratic, peaceful, pluralistic Palestinian nation living beside Israel, why can’t Jews live freely in it just as 1.8 million Palestinians live as free citizens in Israel? (Unfortunately, there is scant evidence to support the notion that a Palestinian nation would be democratic, peaceful, or pluralistic, and there is virtually no evidence that Jews would be allowed to live as full and equal citizens of such a country.)
You don’t have to be a fan of Prime Minister Netanyahu to acknowledge that he has a point when he contends that those who want the settlements uprooted as a condition of a settlement are advocating ethnic cleansing. Is agreeing as part of a resolution of the conflict to clear an ethnic or national group from a territory any less of an exercise in ethnic cleansing than when done in war?
True, it would not mean death and injury, but it would mean removal and destruction. In fact, it seems like it would be a better organized, perhaps slightly less messy, version of the current 120-hour truce that Presidents Erdogan, Trump, and Putin cooked up to allow the Kurds to “evacuate,” i.e. be ethnically cleansed from, territory they had settled.
Finally, any student of the history of the conflict and of the efforts at a settlement knows that Israelis, who are exceedingly cautious because they have no margin of error and because they have been chastened, if not traumatized, by terror and war, will make concessions when they feel that the U.S. has their back, not when the American President pressures and threatens, particularly when it comes to arms vital to maintain their defense. Moreover, we know that the Palestinians will not make concessions when they are coddled and excused and when they feel that they can rely on the U.S. and the world to pressure and ostracize Israel.
Clearly, settlements are not the reason for the failure of the Palestinians and Israelis to resolve their dispute. And we know that pressuring Israel is not the way to get concessions from either side. For Senator Warren to think the settlements are the problem, and to think pressuring Israel by threatening to withhold funds for vital military needs, shows ignorance, or disrespect, and/or an adversarial attitude toward the Israeli people and their democratic choices.
Unfortunately, the Senator has demonstrated that she is not the informed, thoughtful pro-Israel Democratic candidate many are looking for, nor is she likely to be able to move the parties toward a resolution of the conflict.
(Originally published in The Times of Israel)
��interesting and well written. What happens if she gets the nod?
This is great. It could apply equally to Pete Buttigieg. I have forwarded it to his campaign.
Thoughtful, Alan. Interesting moment if Bibi is not going to be PM much longer.
I would remove the hilltop settlements especially the illegal ones. They should go immediately.
Warren is a Trump asset.
Wow! Alan. Well said. Great summary.
Couldn't agree with you more
Well said! Thanks for sharing!
However, the dilemma for the Democratic Party is that Warren may be the banner carrier.
Were that the case, our choices are little and none.
Do we vote out a crazy man who has up to this point made decisions favorable to Israel or vote for a more rational candidate who from the get go may be antagonistic to Israel?
Its a proverbial "Rock and a Hard Place".
Thank you Alan. Your lessons on the history are always important to me, and thank you for shining a bright light on what Candidate Warren would not be.
Well said, we’re definitely worried that there does not seem to be even 1 democratic candidate that is educated or thoughtfully informed on Israel.
I think we have to gear ourselves up for a major turnaround in U.S. relations. How scary is that when our parents raised us to support the Democrats at any cost?
Let’s pray for a year of peace.
Great piece but I think you missed a bigger point with Elizabeth Warren.
Her selection of Max Berger, one of the founders of If Not Now who once tweeted, "I'd totally be friends with Hamas," exposed her position on Israel awhile ago. She has embraced If Not Now while both Biden and Booker have rebuked them.
Excellent ..once again..
. I have come to see “settlements” as a function of the dialogue. Each rocket from Gaza created a new settlement. There is some hope in that—in dialogue of any form—for they can with intervention, progress to other forms of dialogue. Advocating for fewer settlements is not a problem as long as the rockets are stopped too. Complaints about previous deals often are based on giving without receiving, an insult to all previous dialogue. That one sided “compromise” does no credit to a lasting peace. To link to “ethnic cleansing” is to distract from the dialogue that has so much potential.
DrMike October 25, 2019 at 6:24 AM
Alan-- well done and well written. However, one thing all of us in the pro-Israel camp have to consider when objecting to Warren's statement: no country has a claim on US support beyond what the US will see as its own interests. So the point is not that 'how dare Warren talk about cutting aid if Israel doesn't do what we want' but rather 'Israel deserves American support *regardless* of progress on the peace process, as long as the Palestinians continue their rejection of the Jewish state." It's a position we can safely stand on, because the Palestinians aren't retreating from their maximalist position anytime in the foreseeable future!
Excellent column. I essentially agree with you about Warren. Still, as an American citizen who strongly supports Israel I have to weigh my two responsibilities--(1) supporting candidates with whom I agree on the full range of domestic and international policies and ability to win in 2020 (defeating Trump) vs (2) my support for Israel.
I would have to say that this is a close call in Warren's case. Maybe not so close in the case of other Democratic presidential candidates (with the exception of Bernie Sanders), judging from candidates' statements provided by the Democratic Majority for Israel, a group within the Democratic Party.
Only Joe Biden's statement mentioned West Bank settlements, although without linking them to US financial support for Israel. As widely known, Bernie Sanders is the least supportive of Israel.
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After a 12-year manhunt – which involved a pain-staking sift through thousands of leads, countless hours of interrogation and no small amount of brutal torture – it turns out the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks was the old beardy guy living quietly in a small house who no-one suspected.
If, like me, you’ve grown up watching Scooby Doo, you’d have known this was precisely the culprit and spent the entire film pointing at the screen shouting, “Him! It’s him!”
In fact, this is just one of many uncanny parallels Zero Dark Thirty (2013) has with the children’s TV cartoon. As the film’s hero, ball-busting CIA agent Maya (Jessica Chastain) combines the willowy, flame-haired looks of Daphne with the intimidating intelligence of the chunky knitwear-loving Velma.
The ‘mystery van’ in this instance turns out to be a jeep, which eventually leads the CIA to Bin Laden’s hideout, the sort of scary darkened house that Scooby and the gang timidly skulked around on a regular basis. Indeed, such is the overwhelming sense of déjà vu, that when the soldiers finally confront Osama I fully expected him to lament how he’d have gotten away with it were it not for those pesky Special Forces death squads.
Jessica Chastain: Daphne's hair and Velma's brains
Still, for all that, there are some notable differences. Unless I’m mistaken, Fred, Shaggy and the rest of the gang never actually resorted to torture to solve the mystery. (Of course, I here exclude any episodes featuring Scrappy Doo, each one of which represented a particularly base form of psychological torment. Had the US military only had the sense to play Scrappy episodes on a loop at Guantanamo, they’d have had the whole thing wrapped up in a fortnight.)
On the film’s release, there was much media discussion about the film’s depiction of what is euphemistically known in the intelligence world as ‘enhanced interrogation’. Famously, the movies trumpets a proud ‘Torture works!’ message, whereas the guy the fictional torture victim is based on in fact told them nothing more useful than: ‘This is very painful. Please stop stamping on my testicles and pretend-drowning me.’
Equally unconvincing is the black wig that Maya uses to disguise her flame-haired tresses and sneak inside a CIA ‘black site’. For a moment, I thought Morticia Addams had joined the war effort.
In fact, Kathryn Bigelow seems to have a special affinity for dodgy weaves in general. At the Agency’s own Langley headquarters, senior spooks Mark Strong and James Gandolfini both seem happy to sport the most unconvincing hairpieces seen in public since Sean Connery donned a steel brillo pad in The Hunt For Red October.
But of course, all this casual water-boarding and tonsorial tomfoolery would be as nothing if it weren’t for our primary interest – the helicopter explosion. For that we have to go back to the raid on Bin Laden’s compound.
Mark Strong disguised as a man with a full head of hair
The Navy Seal team are sent in to terminate Bin Laden with some good old fashioned extreme prejudice. As the mission involves surreptitiously sneaking into Pakistan they’re given a couple of prototype ‘stealth’ helicopters which officially don’t exist (but demonstrably do given their use here).
As they’re about to start the raid, one of the helicopters develops an unspecified technical fault and crash lands. However, the soldiers are not to be diverted from their task and the attack continues as planned.
After killing ‘the Big O’ the special ops team now have to make a speedy escape. But before making their evacuation, they need to cover their tracks and plant explosives on the wrecked aircraft – presumably to stop its secret technology falling into foreign hands (although given the chopper’s lamentable safety record it‘s hard to think they‘d want it).
However, further quibbling about aviation safety is abruptly ended when the explosives are detonated and the helicopter is consumed in lovely yellow flame.
You don’t win an Oscar without knowing how to blow up a helicopter, and director Kathryn Bigelow ensures a suitably fitting conflagration for the downed chopper.
First known destruction of a helicopter which “officially doesn’t exist”. And, after the explosion, one that actually doesn’t exist either.
Yes, the crew of the helicopter survive the crash landing and escape in the other chopper.
I have to give some credit to Mark Boal for writing a script that is, at times, an impenetrable litany of acronyms, short-hand, and military slang.
A regularly gripe of mine is the great mouthfuls of lumpen exposition that screenwriters feel compelled to put into the mouths of characters simply because they don’t believe the audience has the intelligence to follow the story.
It was thus refreshing to see Zero Dark Thirty making no such concessions to the viewer. It simply trusts you to either understand what’s happening or work out the answer for yourself.
The film is easier to admire than love. With an aspiration to document the hunt for Bin Laden rather than moralise, and with Jessica Chastain’s character an impenetrable void at the centre of the film, there’s actually very little to enjoy. There’s equally little to learn if you bother read the news.
As is well known, the film was originally conceived before Bin Laden was discovered and killed and had to be hastily rewritten. I can’t help but wonder how the politics of the film would have been interpreted had Bin Laden never been found and the film made as it was first conceived. I can’t help but suspect it would have given the depicted events an existential power. Instead, they’re just grinding towards the inevitable conclusion.
Despite the combined efforts of the CIA’s brightest minds, the latest in high-tech spy satellites, and cutting edge communication intercepts, I loved how the manhunt ultimately boiled down to a Delta Force soldier creeping around the spooky compound whispering, “Osama..? Osama..?”
I can only assume it was his years of elite military training which stopped him from adding: “…come out, come out, wherever you are.”
Apparently James Cameron was at one time mentioned as a possible director for the film, but instead chose to make two sequels to Avatar. Well, he probably needs a few extra quid.
Review by: Jafo
Labels: Jessica Chastain, Kathryn Bigelow, Review by: Jafo
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American College of Surgeons Media Press Releases 2020 Press Releases Surgeons help create new process for disinfecting and reusing N95 masks
Journal of the American College of Surgeons study authors report a framework to address supply limitations and enhance safety of health care workers by returning their disinfected N95 masks to them for reuse
CHICAGO (April 28, 2020): Amid shortages of personal protective equipment due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a St. Louis health care system has implemented a process to disinfect disposable N95 respirator masks that allows health care workers to reuse their own mask for up to 20 cycles. The novel disinfection process, developed in collaboration with Washington University School of Medicine, uses vaporized hydrogen peroxide and is described in an “article in press” on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website in advance of print.
Test results from a pilot program at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and two other hospitals that are also part of BJC HealthCare, showed that the disinfection process kills germs from N95 masks while ensuring that the only person who touches the mask is the original mask wearer, study authors reported.
“Our primary outcome is safety for the health care worker,” said project leader and study coauthor Andrew Pierce, MHSA, director of supply plus at Barnes-Jewish. “We want to make it safer for team members who are at risk while taking care of patients with a known or possible COVID-19 diagnosis.”
Their program uses a disinfecting procedure first tested by Duke University researchers in 2016.1 However, the Barnes-Jewish process has a unique modification—an identification system that enables the hospital to return the sanitized mask to the same individual each time, said senior author Shaina Eckhouse, MD, FACS, assistant professor of surgery at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis. Dr. Eckhouse is part of the multidisciplinary team of university and hospital staff who developed the disinfection program.
This approach, according to the authors, increased employee acceptance of reusing what is normally a single-use N95 mask and helped ensure proper fit of the returned mask.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended strategies for conserving personal protective equipment, including decontamination and reuse of N95 masks.2 Almost half of U.S. health care facilities reported being nearly or completely out of N95 respirator masks, according to a March 27 survey conducted by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.3
In late March, before the program began, Barnes-Jewish had a low inventory of N95 masks—about a week’s worth—and no expectations for replenishment because of international shortages in hospital supply chains, according to Mr. Pierce.
The disinfection process that has since been put into place begins at the end of a shift. A health care provider removes his or her N95 mask in that unit’s soiled utility room and places it in a sterilization pouch (Crosstex) made of breathable polyethylene fiber (Tyvek by DuPont) on one side. On the other side of the sealed pouch, the worker writes his or her name or employee ID number, hospital, department, and unit location and puts the pouch in the soiled collection bin.
A designated worker wearing proper protection collects the bins twice a day and takes them to a specially designed and sealed disinfection room—built in four days, according to Dr. Eckhouse. There the pouches are arranged, breathable side up, by clinical unit on wire racks. A hydrogen peroxide vapor generator (Bioquell Z-2), which Washington University already owned to decontaminate equipment, fills the room with the chemical.
After 4.5 hours of disinfection, a worker moves the racks of masks to another area that has a fan to offgas the hydrogen peroxide, where the masks stay until sensors record a zero reading. The pouches are returned to their respective units in a decontaminated bin, finishing a process that takes about seven hours, Mr. Pierce said.
Workers can wear their mask up to three weeks because past studies show that disinfection more than 20 times could alter the fit of the mask, he noted.
Since the program began April 1 in the Barnes-Jewish emergency department, it expanded in just two weeks to additional clinical departments and other hospitals in the system, which Mr. Pierce called “an immense achievement.”
“A welcome improvement”
Currently, Mr. Pierce said they are disinfecting 240 N95 masks a day and have the capability of disinfecting 1,500 masks daily.
Without the disinfection program, he said the health care system would need to discard a substantial amount of its respirator masks. Because of the disinfection, the hospitals now have enough masks to last for weeks.
“This program is a welcome improvement for extended usage of N95s during the shortage that we are facing,” Mr. Pierce said.
Dr. Eckhouse said other hospitals facing mask shortages can reproduce the disinfection program if they bring together experts in environmental health and safety, medicine, and facility management. “Having the infrastructure already in place would improve the ease of deploying an N95 disinfection process,” she stated.
Shaina Eckhouse, MD, FACS, assistant professor of surgery at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, explains that their disinfection program for N-95 masks has extended their supply.
Andrew Pierce, MHSA, director of supply plus at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, explains how quickly their new disinfecting process for N-95 masks took hold and became operational.
Other study coauthors are Julie Grossman, MD; Jessica Mody, MHA; Jason Gagne, TS; Carol Sykora, CIC, FAPIC; Sena Sayood, MD; Susan Cook, PhD; Nirah Shomer, DVM, PhD; and Stephen Y. Liang, MD, MPHS.
Citation: Institution of a Novel Process for N95 Respirator Disinfection with Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide in the Setting of the COVID-19 Pandemic at a Large Academic Medical Center. Journal of the American College of Surgeons. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2020.04.029.
Schwartz A, Stiegell M, Greeson N, et al. Decontamination and reuse of N95 respirators with hydrogen peroxide vapor to address worldwide personal protective equipment shortages during the SARSCoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. Appl Biosafety. Published online March 27, 2020. Accessed April 23, 2020. Available at: https://absa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/APB_919932.pdf.
Decontamination and reuse of filtering facepiece respirators. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Updated April 22, 2020. Accessed April 23, 2020. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/decontamination-reuse-respirators.html.
Protecting healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a survey of infection preventionists. Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology; March 27, 2020. Accessed April 23, 2020. Available at: https://apic.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Protecting-Healthcare-Workers-Survey_Report_3_26_20_Final.pdf.
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Tempus Fugit: The Readings for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dr. John Bergsma - November 16, 2012
“Tempus fugit,” the Romans used to say. “Time flies.” It’s hard to believe that we are already at the second-to-last Sunday of the liturgical year.
[My brother Tim used to say, “Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana.” But that has nothing to do with anything.]
Where has the year gone? How can it be so close to the end already? Yet these feelings are very appropriate for Mass we will celebrate this Sunday, whose readings encourage us to count time carefully, to be aware of its passage, to meditate on our mortality and the passing of all things, and to think soberly of the end and the final judgment.
The Church gives us the entire month of November to contemplate the Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell. We still have about two weeks left, and we should resist letting Advent and Christmas “creep forward” in our thoughts and spirituality, causing us to miss the graces that are meant for us in November.
1. The Readings look forward to the final judgment. The First is Daniel 12:1-3:
In those days, I Daniel,
heard this word of the Lord:
“At that time there shall arise
Michael, the great prince,
guardian of your people;
it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress
since nations began until that time.
At that time your people shall escape,
everyone who is found written in the book.
“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake;
some shall live forever,
others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.
“But the wise shall shine brightly
like the splendor of the firmament,
and those who lead the many to justice
shall be like the stars forever.”
This is perhaps the clearest description of the resurrection of the dead and everlasting life in the Old Testament. This prophetic oracle of Daniel was originally intended to offer hope to the people of Israel who were suffering great persecution from foreign powers, and it has continued to offer hope to Jews and Christians through many times of persecution down through the centuries.
In today’s culture, many may take offense at the idea that there will be punishment for wickedness in the life to come. As Daniel says, “others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace,” a reference to what we would now call Hell. So we need to remember that hell is a self-chosen state. Heaven is a kingdom of love, of truth, and of humility. But love is self-giving, not selfish. And truth can hurt, because it exposes our wrongdoing. And not everyone has the humility to admit the truth. Sadly, there will be those at the end of time who will choose not to exercise the humility to admit the truth and enter a kingdom of self-giving. Heaven would be a painful place for them, so they will choose to exclude themselves from the presence of God and the presence of the saints. Moreover, they could not be admitted in any event, because their attitude would, as it were, “ruin it for everyone else.”
The entire section of the Catechism on Hell (§§1033-1037) would be edifying reading this week. Here we quote just the opening paragraph:
§1033 We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves: “He who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”612 Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the little ones who are his brethren.613 To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called “hell.”
2. The Reponsorial Psalm is Psalm 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11:
R. (1) You are my inheritance, O Lord!
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord!
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
The Psalms present an enigma for interpretation, because on the one hand most scholars are convinced that in ancient Israel there was no clear notions of resurrection or life-after-death, and some passages of the psalms express pessimism, to say the least, about the possibility of a future life (Ps 6:5; 88:10-11; 115:17). On the other hand, the literal sense of numerous songs speak of everlasting life in God’s presence and resurrection from the grave (16:10; 23:3-4,6; 30:3; 49:15; 86:13). In light of Christ’s resurrection, the Apostles were convinced that the literal sense of the psalms were guided by the Spirit of God, and that David and the other psalmists were lead to insights about the life to come that may not have been shared by their contemporaries. In the present case, Psalm 16 is a notable “resurrection” psalm that is applied by both St. Peter and St. Paul to the resurrection of Jesus in their respective inaugural sermons in the Book of Acts (Acts 2:27, 13:35).
What may have been for David and the other psalmists flashes of prophetic insight, is now clearly revealed to us in the preaching, ministry, and resurrection of Jesus. The one who said of himself, “ I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” (Jn 14:6) has clearly “shown [us] the path of life,” and it is this: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me,” (Lk 9:23), for “provided we suffer with him … we may also be glorified with him” (Rom 8:17).
3. The Second Reading is Hebrews 10:11-14, 18
Every priest stands daily at his ministry,
offering frequently those same sacrifices
that can never take away sins.
But this one offered one sacrifice for sins,
and took his seat forever at the right hand of God;
now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool.
For by one offering
he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.
Where there is forgiveness of these,
there is no longer offering for sin.
Hebrews continues here in its description of Jesus as priest-king after the pattern of Melchizedek. Although the word “king” does not occur in this passage, one may note in this passage that after offering “one sacrifice for sins,” Jesus Christ “took his seat forever at the right hand of God.” Now “taking his seat … at the right hand of God,” is a kingly act. It is a royal enthronement. In fact, in ancient Jerusalem, the Temple where God “resided” and the palace of the Davidic king both faced east, and the palace was to the south of the Temple. Thus the Son of David, when he sat on his throne, was, as it were, “at the right hand of God.”
In this passage, we see that Christ’s priestly sacrifice precedes and merits his kingly enthronement. This is also a spiritual pattern for us: in a sense, in this life we make our priestly sacrifice, in the next we receive our kingly enthronement.
The line in the passage about offering “one sacrifice for sins” is often employed as an apologetic text by non-Catholics against Catholics, with reference to the daily “sacrifice of the Mass.” Since Jesus sacrifice on the cross was a “once-for-all event,” why does the Church continually “repeat” it.
The basic answer is that the Mass is not a historical repetition of Christ’s sacrifice, but a participation in it and a re-presentation of it (a “making-it-present-again”). At Mass, time and space are pealed back and we step right up to the foot of the cross, the once-for-all sacrifice that fills all time and never ends. The Catechism says:
1545 The redemptive sacrifice of Christ is unique, accomplished once for all; yet it is made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Church. The same is true of the one priesthood of Christ; it is made present through the ministerial priesthood without diminishing the uniqueness of Christ’s priesthood: “Only Christ is the true priest, the others being only his ministers.”
1366 The Eucharist is thus a sacrifice because it re-presents (makes present) the sacrifice of the cross, because it is its memorial and because it applies its fruit:
[Christ], our Lord and God, was once and for all to offer himself to God the Father by his death on the altar of the cross, to accomplish there an everlasting redemption. But because his priesthood was not to end with his death, at the Last Supper “on the night when he was betrayed,” [he wanted] to leave to his beloved spouse the Church a visible sacrifice (as the nature of man demands) by which the bloody sacrifice which he was to accomplish once for all on the cross would be re-presented, its memory perpetuated until the end of the world, and its salutary power be applied to the forgiveness of the sins we daily commit.
Anyone, of course, is free to disagree with the Catholic Church on this doctrine, but it’s just not the case that the Church teaches that Jesus dies again every time Mass is celebrated.
4. The Gospel is Mark 13:24-32:
“In those days after that tribulation
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
“And then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’
with great power and glory,
and then he will send out the angels
and gather his elect from the four winds,
from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.
“Learn a lesson from the fig tree.
When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves,
you know that summer is near.
In the same way, when you see these things happening,
know that he is near, at the gates.
this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will not pass away.
“But of that day or hour, no one knows,
neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Jesus words seem obviously to refer to the end of time and his final return, yet we seem to have a problem when Jesus says “this generation shall not pass away until all these things have taken place.” So why are we still here? Was Jesus mistaken?
In fact, there was a fulfillment of Jesus’ words within a generation. In AD 70 the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, and the historian Josephus records all sorts of ominous celestial phenomena, like those described in our Gospel, that accompanied the last days prior to Jerusalem’s destruction.
Furthermore, if we look in the Old Testament for the background of this apocalyptic language of the destruction of the old heavens and earth and the creation of the a new heavens and earth, we find that it is closely tied to Temple destruction and reconstruction. This is especially the case in the Book of Isaiah. If one searches Isaiah for language of new creation, one finds that descriptions of “the new heavens and the new earth” are closely linked to the renewal of the Temple-city Jerusalem. I’ll insert here, for those interested, a short excursus I’ve written on the subject:
The Expectation of the New Creation in Isaiah
In the fundamental “chronology” of the eschaton on Isaiah, the “new exodus” logical precedes and leads to the “new creation,” which is closely associated with, and may be identical to, the renewed Zion that forms the destination of the new exodus, even though in some passages (e.g 11:6-9) the description of the new creation actually precedes that of the new exodus (11:10-16). The key “new creation” passages in Isaiah include 11:6-9; 30:23-26; 51:3-6; 65:17-25; 66:22-23. It is theologically crucial to recognize the close connection between the new creation and the temple-city on Mount Zion, Jerusalem. Note, for example, that the description of the “peaceable kingdom” in 11:6-9 is situated on “my holy mountain,” a designation of the Temple Mount and more broadly, Jerusalem. Moreover, in 51:3, it is Zion that experiences the new creation: “For the LORD will comfort Zion … and will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD.” Again, 65:17 states, “I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered,” but the next verse specifies, “Behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and he people a joy.” The subsequent description does not, in fact, concern the whole cosmos, but just the city of Jerusalem, until 61:25, which reprises the “peaceable kingdom” description of 11:6-9, concluding, “They will not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain.”
The final important reference to the new creation (Isa 66:22) mentions the “new heavens and the new earth” sandwiched between passages describing the eschatological pilgrimage of the nations and the remnant of Israel to “my holy mountain Jerusalem,” and a a climactic promise that “from new moon to new moon … all flesh shall come to worship before me.”
Why the close connection between the concept of a new creation and the Temple site (the sanctuary, city and mountain)? As discussed in our treatment of the Tabernacle- and Temple-building passages in Exodus and 1 Kings, the Temple, and indeed the whole city of Jerusalem, were viewed as a kind of sacrament of the holy Garden of God and the mountain on which it rested. Thus the stream that came from the Temple Mount and watered the city was named “Gihon” after one of the rivers of Eden, and the gold, precious stones, images of cherubim, and floral and faunal motifs decorating the interior of the Tempe were meant to recall the sacred garden. Eden itself was thought of as a “navel of the universe” or a mystical microcosm of creation. These concepts also came to be applied to the Temple, and were revived when the Second Temple was built. Thus Josephus comments: “If anyone do but consider the fabric of the tabernacle, and take a view of the garments of the high priest, and of those vessels which we make use of in our sacred ministration, he will find … they were every one made in way of imitation and representation of the universe” (Antiquities 3:180).
Thus, the Temple was a small representation of the universe (microcosm), whereas the universe itself was one great sanctuary (macrotemple, cf. Isa 66:1).
The implication of all this is that the “new creation” imagery employed in the Book of Isaiah may refer either to a literal renewal of the physical cosmos, or else the construction of a new Temple that sacramentally renews the world.
The New Testament authors understood the expectation of a new creation to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ in a variety of ways. For example, St. Matthew begins his Gospel, “The Book of the Genealogy of Jesus Christ …”, intentionally reprising Gen. 5:1: “This is the Book of the Genealogy of Adam…”, thus suggesting his Gospel is a New Genesis, Jesus Christ is a New Adam, and with the coming of the prophet from Nazareth, the world has begun a epoch as radically new as the initial creation itself. More obviously, St. John begins his Gospel, “In the Beginning was the Word,” reprising Gen. 1:1, and also presenting his Gospel as a “new Genesis,” Jesus Christ as a New Adam, and the new covenant economy as a new creation. John will later identify Jesus’ body as the new Temple: “He spoke of the Temple of his body” (Jn 2:21). The resurrection, then, amounts to the creation of a new Temple and, in a mystical sense, a “new heavens and new earth.” The resurrected Lord is himself the first fruits of the new creation (cf. 1 Cor 15:20,23) and incorporation into him enables one to participate in the new creation: “Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come” (1 Cor 5:17; cf. Gal. 6:15).
The Book of Revelation ends with a reappearance of the new creation-new Temple imagery of Isaiah: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth … And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven …” (Rev. 21:1-2). The vision of the new heavens, new earth, and new Jerusalem in Rev. 21-22 must be understood as initially and sacramentally fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is the new creation and the new Temple in his person, and communicates that newness to his members, the Church; but it also indicates an expectation of a more literal fulfillment, a renewal of the physical cosmos also anticipated by St. Paul (Rom 8:18-25).
In one sense, this language in Mark 13 of the destruction of the world, followed by God sending out his “messengers” (the literal meaning of “angels”) to gather his elect from the four corners of the world, was fulfilled in part by the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple (the “old world”), its replacement by the New Jerusalem (the “Temple of Christ’s body” which is the Church), and the mission of the apostles and their successors (the “messengers” of the LORD) to all the nations in the period of the early Church.
Yet the Church holds that the apocalyptic events that took place at Jerusalem in 70 AD, and the sudden expansion of the Church that took place afterward through the sending of the Lord’s “messengers,” are types and signs of a yet more dramatic fulfillment of Christ’s words when he returns at the end of time.
There have been no lack of “end times preachers” in the history of the Church, and I’m sure there are some on TV right now, interpreting current events as signs of the imminent end of history. However, Our Lord’s words that “no man knows the day or the hour” should caution us against placing any weight on a particular prediction of the end of time. Moreover, I’m not sure that attempting, perhaps, to frighten people into repentance by predictions of an imminent second coming of Christ are really effective. Shouldn’t the imminent end of our own lives—which for each of us cannot be much more than seventy years in the future, and for most of us much less—be enough motivation for us to seek reconciliation with God? The Church gives us these last weeks of the liturgical year precisely for such self-reflection, which may lead to a healthy use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Originally posted: The Sacred Page.
Tags: Biblical Theology, Catholic, Christian spirituality, Christianity, church, faith, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, John Bergsma, Liturgy, Mass, Scripture, Sunday Reading Reflection, the sacred page, theology
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Their Home Sweet (First) Home Was Nothing Like They Imagined
Buying a first home is a major milestone and one of the biggest investments many homeowners make, but a highly competitive housing market in many parts of the country has changed the path to first-time homeownership. Here, one couple shares their story — from saving a down payment and losing out on a few “dream” homes to closing on a house they never dreamed of owning.
Adam and Paula Bartlett had a long wish list when they started searching for their first home. They wanted a three-bedroom on a quiet, tree-lined street in an up-and-coming neighborhood on the east side of Los Angeles.
What they ended up buying (and loving) was a two-bedroom that needed work, on a busy street in a neighborhood that was never on their radar.
Adam, 33, and Paula Bartlett, 32
Location: Alhambra, California
Price range: $525,00 - $550,000
Starter Home Coverage
Includes personal service from a Farmers® agent
“We started looking in May 2019,” says Adam Bartlett, a freelance photographer who, along with his wife, Paula, an occupational therapist, closed on a 1922 wooden bungalow in September 2019. “The L.A. housing market is particularly competitive; we chatted with tons of people at open houses, and so many other first-time buyers were totally disheartened by the buyers offering all cash. They were getting outbid, sometimes by as much as $50,000 over the asking price.”
The first house they submitted an offer on received 33 other offers; the second had 22 offers, all $100,000 over the list price. They put in two more offers that were rejected before they found the listing that would be their future home.
Saving for a down payment was easy. Getting the loan approved was an
eye-opener.
Long before they started looking for their first home, Adam and Paula created a financial plan and calculated that it would take about five years to save a 20 percent down payment (about $110,000 for a home in their price range). Over those years, they socked away savings and money gifted to them by Adam’s grandmother. Adam also did some investing which, over time, gave the couple about 70 percent of their down payment, he says.
"[The bank] pretty much told us we’d be pre-approved for a million-dollar house. We thought that seemed way too much for us."
– Adam Bartlett
Paula’s steady paycheck at a children’s hospital helped them get pre-approved for a home loan. “I joked that when [the loan officers] looked at our taxes, they’d see my freelance returns and go, ‘Oh, that’s cute’,” he says. But he found ways to show his income on paper: as a freelance (independent contractor) photographer with 1099 income, Adam included his photography-related purchases as deductions rather than expenses. “I ended up paying a little more in taxes but, on paper, it shows that I’m earning a bit more money.” And every bit counts when banks are scrutinizing a loan application, he says.
After loan officers combed through their financials, they were both surprised when they were told the amount of the loan they’d qualified for. “[The bank] pretty much told us we’d be pre-approved for a million-dollar house. We thought that seemed way too much for us — how much they thought we could actually afford, or want to afford, after looking at our returns and [finances].”
How they found the perfect starter home: with a great real estate agent and an open mind.
Initially, the couple worked with an agent they met at an open house. But Adam says they didn’t feel like they were getting the personalized attention they’d hoped for because the agent seemed to have so many other clients.
The turning point in their search came when they enlisted the help of a friend who was a local real estate agent and was more familar with neighborhoods in areas where they wanted to live. She sent the couple a listing that would never have come up in their online searches because it didn’t fit any of their criteria — a two-bedroom in the San Gabriel Valley, east of Los Angeles, and above their price range by about $100,000. Their agent told them it had been on the market for a while, which meant there were no other offers and they had room to negotiate on the price.
It was also a probate sale — the homeowner had passed away without bequeathing the house to an heir. An estate attorney was charged with liquidating the assets and distributing the money to family members. “We were told that probates can take longer because the terms of sale require approval,” says Adam. “We had a 45-day escrow, and we still closed a week early.”
Because the home needed repairs, their real estate agent also negotiated a 15 percent down payment with the lender. This move gave the couple more than $10,000 in cash from the funds they’d saved for the down payment to spend on fixing broken siding, fencing and minor plumbing upgrades, as well as removing an asbestos popcorn ceiling before moving in.
COVID-19 changed everything, but a budget is keeping them in the black.
Within six months of closing on their home and moving in, the COVID-19 pandemic forced shelter-in-place orders, business closures and unemployment rates unimaginable in the sunny days of taking on their first mortgage. But Adam says they’re fortunate — between Paula’s full-time job at the hospital and his ongoing photography projects, they’re financially secure and sticking to the rough budget of monthly expenses they drafted during the loan process. “Plus it has given me more time to work on the house and tackle some projects that I didn’t think I’d have time to do, like painting.”
They calculated a budget based on mortgage payments, property taxes, utilities and their regular living expenses using an online calculator. “It gave us a pretty good idea of what everything was going to cost,” he says. What they didn’t account for were a few unforeseen expenses, like the $2,000 spent repairing a pipe that burst. “I definitely didn’t realize how much plumbers cost,” he says. “That’s where online construction estimates can be way off. I found that if the estimated cost was $1,000, it ended up more like $2,000.”
Adam admits he misses their wish-list idea of having an extra bedroom for guests or an office, and he worried about the noise of living on a busy street when they bought the house. But they discovered the house had dual-paned windows, which helps buffer the noise, and he realizes it’s a starter home — the first, but not only, home they’ll own. And there’s really no time to second-guess or dwell on doubts. He’s too busy watching DIY fixer-upper videos online (one upside to the shelter-in-place orders) and tackling a long list of home projects. “I just finished building an extension to our kitchen cabinets, and after that I’m moving on to the exterior.”
The Most Important Thing We Learned Buying Our First Home
A great real estate agent can be worth the commission fee (generally between 4 percent and 7 percent of the house purchase price, depending on your state), from finding unexpected listings to sage (and escrow-closing) advice on financing. “Our agent explained so much we just didn’t know as first-time buyers — from home inspections to all the different aspects of the loan process,” says Adam.
Carousel content with slides
Today’s First-Time Homebuyers
Homebuyers in the U.S., by the numbers, according to the National Association of Realtors 2019 survey
Median Age of First-Time Homebuyers
1981: 29 years old
Household Composition of First-Time Homebuyers (2019)
Married: 53 %
Single female: 17%
Unmarried couple: 17%
Single male: 9%
Median Data for First-time Homebuyer Homes (2019)
Home price: $215,000
Home size: 1,620 square feet
Number of full bathrooms: 2
Percentage of Homes Bought by First-Timers (2019): 33%
Number of homes sold (2019): 54,082,000
Number of homes purchased by first-time buyers (2019): 17,847,060
What type of home did first-time buyers purchase?
Detached single-family home: 81%
Townhouse/row house: 8%
Duplex/apartment condo in 2-4 unit building: 3%
Apartment/condo in building with 5+ units: 2%
How long do first-time buyers plan to live in the home?
>1 year: 1%
2-3 years: 5%
4-5 years: 18%
8-10 years: 23%
11-15 years: 6%
16+ years: 38%
10 years: Median
Most difficult part of buying a first home
58% Finding the right property
37% Understanding the process and steps of buying/financing a home
27% Paperwork
Finding your home: An average of 10 weeks, according to the National Association of Realtors. This is the most stressful part of the process for first-time buyers, according to the NAR 2019 survey — more than securing financing or the feeling of signing-your-life-away at the close of escrow. “I think it’s stressful because most of us start out with this bucket list of wants, but the reality is often so different,” says Los Angeles realtor Alicia Lawhon. “It’s also a steep learning curve of info the first time around. Just remember, your first home will probably not be your last and once you are on the property ladder, the next time should be easier because you will have more knowledge.”
Loan approval: Pre-approval – which happens before you start shopping — can take mere days, once the lender has the necessary documentation of assets, liabilities and income, including tax returns, W-2s, loan statements, pay stubs, bank statements, according to the independent Home Buying Institute. Final approval comes after the offer is accepted and the home is appraised. A “good” credit score (670 to 739) can help homebuyers expedite qualifying for a conventional mortgage; an “excellent” credit score (740 to 799) can help homebuyers qualify for lower interest rates. If your financial past is more complicated (think: freelance/independent contractor income, employment history, credit history), it could take weeks, and a loan officer willing to approach different banks.
Escrow: Typically 30 to 60 days. This gives the title company enough time to check that the title attached to the property is free of any liens or claims. This is also the time buyers arrange for inspections and put down a deposit, and for mortgage lenders to arrange an appraisal and final loan approval. Some escrows can take longer for a myriad of reasons, among them: the title isn’t clear, the house is in foreclosure, it’s a trust sale, the sellers haven’t found a house they like, the buyer changes lenders.
Closing: The closing process itself may take a few hours and involves signing three primary documents: a deed of trust or mortgage, a promissory note and a closing disclosure. Closing day typically happens four to six weeks after signing the sales and purchase contract, although it may take longer. Closing costs can include an application fee, closing fee, home inspection fee, HOA fees if applicable, insurance and any interest that will accrue on your mortgage between closing and first payment.
How much are closing costs?
Closing costs typically range from 2 to 5 percent of the home purchase price, or $4,300 to $10,750 on a median home price of $215,000.
Is One Inspection Enough?
Homebuyers typically have 10 to 30 days to complete inspections (the timeframe varies state to state), and a general inspection often does not include a look inside the chimney or sewer pipes, or provide a clear assessment of the foundation, according to Dave Robles, a real estate agent based in Glendale, a suburb of Los Angeles. “Think of the first inspection as very general. I typically recommend a separate sewer line inspection, chimney inspection and foundation inspection, especially if the house is on a hillside.”
Because home inspection requirements vary by state and region, if there are other challenges or questions about the home, Robles recommends getting additional inspections. Do you live in a flood zone? Wildfire-prone region? Does the property use well water? “A more in-depth, specific inspection can save thousands in repairs down the line.”
Photos by Adam Bartlett
Maria Neuman
A Home Addition Can Mean Extra Income, More Room for Family — Or Even a Dream Home
PLAN AND PREP 11 Minute Read
It's One of the Smartest Ways to Add Square Footage (and Value) to Your Home
Homeowner's Guide to Spring Home Maintenance
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The causes and course of the Tigray conflict, according to Abiy Ahmed
Full transcript of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s 30 November address to parliament.
Though the questions you have raised are directly related to the current situation, I find it necessary to go a bit deeper into the challenges of the reform during the last two and half years; to explain it, comparing it with the current status of the reform. Most of your questions are related to the position of the government and its execution capacity; a capacity to save the country from disintegration and its citizens from death.
This demand for survival is also very important, for the challenges which will encounter in the future. So, even though not in full detail, I will try to show you the basics and the general picture of the process and what it [the reform] looks like, from the very beginning.
Firstly, when we look into the beating, repression, agony, and the people’s thirst for equal development and democracy in the last 27 years, I don’t want to take time and explain everything—for it is an issue which the honorable members of parliament know very well. And the Ethiopian people themselves also know the life they endured—though there is a problem of forgetfulness in some cases: they are able to remember it and I won’t take my time here to go into great detail.
But nonetheless it is necessary to show what it looked like, and the process one or two months into the reform. If you remember, about two and half years ago, one or two months before the reform started there were a lot of conflicts; displacements; mass graves where many people were buried in one place; so much disappointment and dismay in the country.
All this made the country a place of sorrow, and its people mournful. The displacements we faced shortly after the change numbered in the millions and above; many were buried in mass graves. It is similar to the current trending we are witnessing. This indicates both were done by the same people who graduated from the same college. This is the background which needs to be remembered. There was a lot of sorrow and anguish in those days.
And the tactic was to panic people and incarcerate them in large numbers. There was an attempt to suppress the situation by detaining people en masse. For instance, when Irreechaa was celebrated – an institution which was found to keep the security of Ethiopia – they produced a lot of OLF flags, which were given to some select people who, after joining the Irreechaa goers [carrying the OLF flag], were used as an excuse to kill or detain any one they wanted, by accusing them of waving the flag of a terrorist. In other places it detained or harassed a lot of people, accusing them of carrying the old flag. It suppressed, displaced people and unleashed terror. But this was an effort which was not able to stop the people’s yearning for change and from seeking to change the way they are governed.
Hence, some time before the change happened, there were discussions and negotiations to carry out a coup. When Prime Minister Hailemariam heard about that coup discussion, he said: “I am here to serve and there is no need to conduct a coup; I am ready to leave office any time, if you say ‘Hailemariam is not important’ anymore’”. And therefore he had plainly discussed the matter with those people who were discussing the issue [coup]. The rest of us were asking how it could be called a government coup rather than a coup against individuals; we asked how on earth a government could conduct a coup against itself? This is because, in Ethiopia, what has been understood as a government is simply the defense force and the security apparatus. Therefore, how can a government undertake a coup against itself in the country it governs? So, it is just a coup against a person, and such a coup doesn’t require thinking, planning or much discussion.
“They started to do active surveillance”
There were other ideas which were raised, that might have been possible to implement easily. But there were some individuals who were not supportive of the idea. So the coup attempt was cancelled and the prime minister, Hailemariam, resigned. Then they started to think about a person who could hold his place, in order to ensure the place holder would become a tool who serves their interests and wishes, after Hailemariam resigned.
Then they started to do active surveillance on potential individuals whom they thought could become a placeholder. The security agents started to follow our steps and movements clearly. For example, as I left my house, a car parked at my doorstep and waited for me. Then it followed me to my office. Everywhere I went there was a clear follow up on me, and other comrades too.
We raised this issue at the meeting at the time saying, “They shouldn’t worry too much and waste their time and fuel on us, while there are so many issues concerning the country”. However, it didn’t stop there; there was more tightening of security. For instance, in Oromia offices—the offices of the president and the OPDO office where I used to work—all the buildings surrounding them were mounted by snipers. It was clearly visible and the message was clear: “We can kill you any time, lest you stop what you are doing.” The message was clear. There were cars, patrols on our doorstep and every building in our surroundings were tightened with security.
At that time a few of us discussed and produced a video clip, assuming that we might be killed or detained (for an assassination could happen any time) – so that the people should keep up the struggle. A detail of our video message urged and encouraged the Ethiopian people to continue their struggle in case we might be killed or detained. We gave that video to other people to immediately release it to the public in the event that we be killed or detained. We also prepared some information in a written form as well. Because it was clear that a danger could befall [us] any time.
When we raised this issue and discussed it [the surveillance] with the EPRDF officials, they took further steps and issued an arrest warrant against us. It happened when we were left with five or ten days to our election and an arrest warrant was issued against us. All this was to stop individuals who were not wanted by these people [TPLF] and to assign somebody who resembled a government but would not be a government actually. That was their interest.
However, we were following a well-coordinated strategy in our struggle and other people who were leading the struggle from behind the scenes were also closely following the situation and hence most of the attempts were unsuccessful. The prime minister and the deputy prime minister had firm interest for the change to come, and they wanted the struggle to continue and keep its momentum. Not only this, there were also middlemen who went between here and there. We would send information which they wanted to hear through those individuals and obtained information from them, about what they [TPLF] were doing and hence preparing ourselves in the meantime.
Then we entered the election to choose a leader of the EPRDF. It was a long week of meetings full of stress never seen in the history of EPRDF. The meeting went on for weeks, to brainwash, reshape individuals through gimgema (self-confession). The meeting was held and dismissed several times and we spent many days without reaching any tangible conclusion. And the day the election was held we were debating on the criteria of the election the whole day and went on until midnight.
“They faced their first and unexpected defeat”
It was really stressful, as you know already, and it was no less than the current war. It was well organized, and the junta element did a wide range of activities through its indirect attacks. For instance, the junta’s external wing from abroad declared around 10:30 pm that the election was concluded in their favor (victory). Then they started to celebrate in every bar. Before this happened, they had been saying that someone who is going to be elected is a person of their preference and vowed if something different happens, then it would be on their dead body. They were clearly vowing in every liquor shop. It was not a secret. After they did all this they faced their first and unexpected defeat in the political arena. The then EPRDF council members who sought this change had played a leading role for this to happen.
All that hassle of the EPRDF Council in April, which faced such difficulty just to elect one leader, evaporated in our meeting of the EPRDF held in Hawassa four months later. It took less than ten minutes for all members of the EPRDF council who were eligible to vote to cast their ballot and elect a leader with a full 100 percent vote, except the vote of one person. All this had changed within four months. The remaining one vote was mine. Three of us were nominated and I cast my ballot for my friends, ignoring myself. Except for this the rest voted 100 percent for one person. What this means is that the commotion and the hassle which happened three months earlier was unnecessary and was an agenda without any basis. Had what they said before been true it would have been difficult to vote in such a way three months later, choosing a leader with 100 percent vote and then free to reshuffle the party. I need this honorable house to understand this as one part of the background.
The second part was what happened after the change had come and the reform team came to power. The reform team had been facing pressure under continuous surveillance and exposed to a threat of assassination and detention. Ethiopians are also a people who were repressed and segregated as a people. It was a time when there was a large spirit of alienating and hating one another and therefore trying a regime change in the accustomed way in such an atmosphere could have caused a huge calamity in the history of Ethiopia. If we had tried that way, we would destroy each other.
The force [TPLF] which we don’t want was a force which fully armed itself while the others were the one who were disadvantaged, not well organized and were not armed. This would cause a huge human calamity. There is no doubt about this. Therefore, we wanted to change the narrative to avoid this from happening, for the hassling and confrontation with the force which was highly armed while we only harbor extreme hate towards it would lead us to a serious disaster.
Then we changed the narrative and said: let us say to these people [TPLF] that we won’t do damage to you because you did it to us, and hence, we won’t eliminate you. One can erase the damage sustained either through forgiveness or through the prevalence of justice rather than through revenge. We will forget the damage and embrace and go forward with forgiveness, medemer, fraternity and love. We said that let us forget the past and let it go.
If we mention the past damage there was one who amputated his leg, his nail uprooted, lost his father and there were also those who ended up in the ocean while fleeing the country due to their grievance with the government. If all those victims in all areas take revenge it would cause the destruction of one another and therefore we said it is better if we suppress the grievance and work on reconciliation, peace and love to prevail for our destructive political culture hasn’t helped us. Starting from zero every time a regime change happened made Ethiopia lag behind.
“The next job is building a nation state”
Therefore, we explained this to our people and to this group several times: that we have to let it go. After we have said this, the next job is building a nation state which is by all, for all, and from all. When we say ‘by all; it means a nation where every person contributes his bit. When we say ‘for all’ it means there should be no situation which makes one a beneficiary and the other not, which regards one as an owner and the other a stranger, one as a neighbor and the other important—but rather it should be a state of affairs in which all take part equally. When we say ‘for all’ it means a situation where all are served equally. When we raised such a query—to build such a nation state—we were told that this is a sermon and you are a preacher and it is impossible to rule a country by preaching. To a rule country is by telling people something directly and to make them fight each other, from behind, like we are doing. Otherwise it is impossible to rule a country by speaking about love and medemer.
And then follows the claim that the government is weak. Of course, the government is weak. Government is not an individual’s personal capacity and experience; it is rather the strength of the institutions. So, blaming the government as weak after you already built a weak institution does not hold water. Any government who has no institution is weak, whether individuals are able or not. The effort to change things accordingly didn’t receive much acceptance.
In relation to this the honorable house, politicians, media personalities all raised such questions: as why measures were not taken quickly; why it has been delayed; why we paid a price for not taking measures on time, and was it not possible to take measures earlier? This issue is emanating from lack of understanding of the difference between having interest and taking action. It is possible to wish, plan and seek it, but it also needs capacity to execute that, which is institutional capacity.
Ethiopia’s main political problem, be it the ruling party, political parties and other political forces, is lack of the capacity to do deep analysis of the power balance before we take action. What makes a government or a party emerge as a winner in any of its activities is doing enough analysis of the balance of power based on knowledge which is supported by real data inputs. It requires knowing what the forces within look like and what the external forces look like and analyzing what could happen if conflict arises between these forces and what success and failure would follow also. It badly needs such analysis.
For there is no doing such analysis of power balance at this moment: a person just raises up and says he can be a government within three months. To become a government, it requires clearly understanding your enemy, understanding yourself, identifying the execution capacity of the enemy, identifying one’s own capacity—and it requires knowing how you are able to weaken or win the enemy. Just gathering together and saying ‘we are a party and we will win and become a government within six months’ is a mere wish. This is why many parties have been created in Ethiopia in the last 40 years but they haven’t been able to win. Unless the analysis of power balance is done seriously then victory becomes only what we wish for, but not what we achieve.
In addition to this it requires situational analysis such as: what is the existing situation, what does the entity which is called the government looks like, what does the opposition look like, what are the neighboring countries looking like? And situational analysis is done in order to know what situation might happen if we do operation in such conditions. A person who well understands all these things does not raise such questions as why the measure is delayed.
“I was not able to talk over the phone”
And if you ask: I personally, let alone my country (the responsibility you gave me), was even in a position where I was not able to defend myself and my family. For example, the day you appointed me to become prime minister and serve the country per the constitution, the security head told me that I was not able to enter the place along with my former three security guards. I was a person who didn’t have the capacity to decide on his security guards, whom you requested to protect the country. I was told that it is impossible to enter into the palace with my former security guards and instead I was told that I will have other security guards assigned by them and my former security guards were prevented from entering the pace with me. This happened the day I was appointed as prime minister.
The keys of the office where I work were in the hands of these security persons. It was them who opened the door and let me out and let me get in and locked the door on me from behind. I didn’t know if there were surveillance cameras and videos in the office. I was not able to install counter surveillance in my office as it is accustomed in other countries, clean my office and do my job, because they entered the office every morning before me, they did what they did there and came and told me to go to my office any time they prefer. I was not able to talk over the phone or call Mr. Demeke and discuss with him, and my office was out of my control. Not just my security: my office was also in these people’s hands. In addition to my office the master key of my house was also in the hands of these forces. They were the one who let me in and locked the door from behind and they were the ones who unlocked the door and let me out in the morning.
It was when I was in such condition that you started raising such questions: the government didn’t take measures and didn’t protect the country. Let alone ensuring your security, I was not even in a position to ensure my own and my children’s security. It was not only this: I wanted to visit the palace compound because I wanted to check for any possible escape route through which I could run and escape, since I am a soldier. I already knew that my house and my office were not in my control. And when I requested to visit the compound to get familiar with it, they told me this was not accustomed. It was not accustomed for the prime minister to visit the compound. The movement is only from house to office and vice versa: ‘We let you in on Friday and you will stay in the house until Monday morning until we come and let you come out.’
Staying in the house means just staying in the house and to be on the veranda was even not allowed. I resisted and told them that I am not such a prime minister and I face difficulty unless I properly see my surroundings. I insisted they let me visit the compound, which is out of the compound out of my house. The compound has no recognized sub city and kebele but it has a good number of villages within it. There was a plastic makeshift house in every corner of the fence. There were also shanty and mud houses in the compound. There were adults, children and women in the compound. It was not known if this compound is a village or a palace, it was not clear. If you go through the whole circle of the compound you find it full of people. The issue about the role of those people and what they are doing was not clear. There was a toilet, shanty house and plastic makeshift house everywhere which was built along the fence and it looked like street life. And people live in them. Then I clearly understood that it was not only the office but I was not even able to run through the compound and escape because I was heavily surrounded by people.
Even if I tried to move one step out of the compound there is a house called an ammunition house on this side where hundreds of people live. There is parliament on this side where there were security guards. There is a palace garage on this side where many people live and as you go down a bit further there is the office of the security where there were special soldiers which were organized outside of the law and proclamation. They were soldiers who were armed with special weapons. Therefore, if I escape from the house or the office, it would be impossible to escape through the compound and if I managed to escape from the compound the surrounding was as I told you. In short, I came to understand that I was a prime minister who lives in a modernized prison house.
“I was not like a Prime Minister”
To liberate myself from this prison house and discharge the responsibility which I was given, especially to achieve the reforms which this honorable house expects, the first thing I had to do was to discuss with my family. My family was in exile before that. After we observed the existing situation, we said that this house is a prison house and it is impossible to become a prime minister by sitting here and only appearing on the television. We agreed that it requires activity and it has its own risk and then reached a consensus with the family to go back to where they came from. Then I send them back to where they came from.
It was under this assumption—that there could be a possibility of being killed, detained or made to disappear—and some jobs were done under such conditions, during the initial of the month. I was not like a prime minister but a person who was able to appear on television. It was to this type of government led by this type of prime minister that questions were raised about bringing change. Then the discussion we had with friends, especially with the deputy prime minister, was one in which we discussed that the people need this, and this is the condition we are in and it looks like this. We could write and think up ideas but if we took what we had written and invited the executive committee or cabinet to discuss it, as a force to support our ideas, it was instead a force which hindered it. Then we raised such questions: in what way can we work and realize the change which people are expecting? Then we agreed that we have to follow a sandwich approach by ignoring the Executive Committee for a while.
We discussed that we have to sort out ideas at the top and let our people understand from the grassroots level, so that we can sandwich the middle management by using this approach and save the reform from being derailed, by making the people understand the existing condition. And we also agreed on the means of listening to the grievances of the people. We then agreed to reach out to our people, listen to them and sell our ideas to them as well. We said: let the people be our guardians and the vanguard of the reform, and keep it from being derailed, and let us also go out boldly and share our ideas with the people.
After saying this we decided to make our first trip to the Somali region. The reason why we decided to go to the Somali region was that the current danger you witness now was first prepared in the Somali region. There were more than 30,000 well-equipped and organized special forces. And the first dream to disintegrate Ethiopia started there. In addition to this there were huge displacements months before the reform started, in which there were also killings. So, we decided to go to the Somali region on our first trip to heal the situation there. Then the security head told me I cannot go there. He told me I cannot go to the Somali region and when I asked him why he told me: “Al-Shabaab will kill you”. I was told that Al-Shabaab is going to kill me and therefore I cannot go to the Somali region.
First, I know and have experience in how information can be fabricated. Second, the job of the security office is to provide information to the relevant body to make decisions based on the information and [the security office] have responsibility to make decisions. But this officer started from a decision, he started by saying, “you cannot go”. [He] decided already and the justification of “Al-Shabaab is going to kill you” came later on – when I asked why. And my answer was two-fold. First, I asked him to give me information which is reasonable to make a decision. And second: you did the main thing. The main thing is knowing there is a force which wants to kill. So, I told him he did a good job already by knowing the information that can protect me from being killed so I can do my job. Had you not been aware of it I could have faced danger, but you did- so that you can do your job and protect me, I told him.
Telling him this I went to the Somali region. As you remember, we had a good time in the Somali region. We have discussed it with the people and returned back. My second trip after I came from the Somali region was to Mekelle. The people of Tigray are also a people who have been affected as have all people of Ethiopia. But we have to approach the people and discuss with them, for there might be some confusion. So, we went to the Tigray region thinking that it would be good if we approach the people and discuss the situation with them in their language. Of course, when I planned to go to Tigray region, I was not told that there was some force which prepared to kill me. After I went there and discussed with [the people], it [the discussion] caused a major shock to this junta force. Something which was unexpected happened, as in Somali.
“I was told that you cannot go to Ambo”
The Tigray people also highly welcomed the discussion and the youth were also seeking for change and they became supporters. Then, they came to realize the idea of the sandwich approach after the Mekelle trip. When they realized that, they discussed saying that we have to stop this and if it continues like this, they [reform team] will alienate us from the people, a dangerous thing will happen and it will slip out of our control.
My next trip was to Ambo. When it comes to Ambo the thing became serious and I was told that you cannot go to Ambo, because Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) will kill you. A month, or even less than a month, before I became the prime minister I went to Ambo and it is a place where I have discussed with people that we will surely win; we are struggling to win and this is what we need to do. So, it was within a month that they told me I cannot no go, for there is a force which will kill me. Then I came to realize that it is not OLF or Al-Shabaab who is going to kill me rather it is a force within who is going to kill me. Then we went to Ambo by deploying another additional layer of security. As you remember it, we had a good time in Ambo.
When we returned from Ambo and planned our next trip to Bahir Dar and Gondar, I was told again that ‘the Qimant and the Wolkait committees have a plan to kill you and we have already got the plan’. If you remember there were problems with Qimant at that time. So, they told me that they [Qimant and Wolkait committees] have a plan to kill me and hence I cannot go there. Then we told the Amhara officials in the region to do their job and we went there. After we arrived, we made some fatal mistakes. That was, we discussed with the committees called the Qimant and the Wolkait committee. We have discussed with them. It was by then that the relation between us and the security agency became more tense than what had been expected. Then, not talking with and telephoning each other began. They came with a firm stand saying that a person who discussed with the Qimant and Wolkait committees cannot discuss with us anymore.
Then after we have held discussions in the north, east, west and central parts of the country, and in the areas of Addis Ababa, we came to understand the feeling of the people. Then we agreed that we have to make fast decisions and show something of which people expect from the reform. As you remember there was breaking news every day about the release of prisoners, happenings and decisions. When those decisions were made, we faced challenges in two or three areas. The first one was, the political prisoners who were released at the time were rearrested again with allegation that they have carried the old flag in a meeting which they have held in Addis Ababa. It was not even a week before they were released from prison. Then they were detained again within a short time. Then we protested that it was not right to detain them and requested them to release them. We have told them that we cannot detain people accusing them of carrying a flag and we cannot bring the change we are aiming for in such a way. And the issue has caused a serious debate. We debated and finally they were released.
Next, when a demand for the release of Mr. Andargachew Tsige came, then a serious clash and conflict was created. They came with a firm decision saying that Andargachew Tsige was a person who plotted to destroy the country, so and so on and he is a person who received a death sentence for the crime he had committed and he should not be released. Until that time, no one knew who was the prime minister. The prime minister gave the order and the security officials said, it is impossible. They raised issues related to the constitution and a proclamation. Then we made the attorney general do his assignment to prevent a loophole from being created in this regard in terms of the law. Then after we did that, Andargachew Tsige was allowed to be released.
“We should remove them”
After this minor disputes became more serious and we entered into a serious altercation which was a kind of ‘either you or us”. When we entered into such an altercation, we realized that we cannot continue like this. The security officials were a powerful government on their own merit and they have their own soldiers, media and a lot of business they run. Then we have made a decision that it would be impossible to continue working with them and we should remove them. Then we made a decision and started to research, i.e. whether we have to take such measures only against the defense force or the security agency.
We researched what danger it would cause if we took measures on both. There were some African countries who removed the chief of staff and the security leader at the same time and exposed themselves to a huge disaster. It is a problem which history reveals and to avoid such issues after we have prepared the possible research and discussed it, we reached the final decision that we have to remove the government within the government and the institution should become only an institution.
Here, what I don’t want to go into without clearly mentioning is, the then chief of staff, General Samora, was the one who opposed the coup from being made but after the change happened, he also rendered huge support and showed a positive gesture of cooperation. This was clear and it was a truth which was impossible to deny. However, even though he was cooperative, our interest to reform those institutions was difficult. Then we thanked him and gave him an award for his service and made him go into retirement in honor. So, we removed the chief of staff and the security head at the same time, while also assuming that it’s better to do the same to others in the process. The two didn’t respond to the action equally. General Samora was much better in showing interest to cooperate when compared relatively [with the security head].
The measure was badly needed. After we have taken this measure the existing tension started to manifest itself clearly. Then the security head [Getachew Assefa] took many of the latest materials, weapons and other instruments with him and went to Mekelle, just the day after his removal. What I want this honorable house to understand is that we didn’t even know what he took and went away. We didn’t know how much he took, because the agency which was called the security agency was rather a family Plc and not an institution. All was quiet and silent. It was not known what was in and what was out, who bought it or begged for it. There was no information. Since the day I was told Al-Shabaab would kill me until the security head was removed, I didn’t read a single confidential letter sent to me from the agency, rather I would throw it into a miller machine, because I know what type of information was sent to me. The institution was an institution which was not able to make a report mentioning what the security head went away with. It [the institution] knew nothing.
As you all remember an assassination attempt was made on 3 July 2018 in a well-coordinated manner. When the assassination attempt was made in the presence of police, defense force and the security agency itself, it was an attempt to fulfil their goal. And it was after that attempt that we started to search the institutions and found that there were weapons and grenades which were taken from the security agency. There was no information until that time. Even the type and the number of the materials was not clearly known. We knew that there were assassin weapons bought from Israel and can work both during the day and the night and they were silent weapons supported by lasers. This issue was followed by at least a three-month hot debate with the government of the Tigray region state to make them send back this individual who looted those weapons and went away with them to Tigray.
As I have told you earlier, he has his own soldiers, his own media which is called Abay media which was his private media founded by him using government resources. He also has his own soldiers in the palace in important areas. If I want to go abroad and come back, the airline and the airport was not secure, because it was guarded by these forces. A person cannot be able to think and defend others while he has no his own freedom.
“The security institutions almost did not exist”
This honorable house needs to understand this and should not take it lightly. I raise all these issues to help the next leaders to take lessons from it, for the institution should be built accordingly and also to make it public to the Ethiopian people, for they have the right to know what has been done. So, based on this we said that this thing is not good and we need to do security service reform. Then we tried to do reforms which included INSA, NISS, defense institutions, police and financial intelligence institutions.
When we tried to do that the institutions which are called the security institutions almost did not exist. They were an organization of individuals and families. They were an organization run by those who have no knowledge, experience and skill and people who were gathered there on the bases of family line and friendship. So, it requires to destroy it literally and rebuild again. But because it has its own problems to do the same thing with the defense force we wanted to look into it using knowledge and data, in order to know what it looks like. When we got deep into it, the information we found showed that it could be impossible to change it now, but it would even be difficult to change it in the coming five or ten years.
For example, among the generals who are called full four-star Generals in the ministry of defense, 60 percent of them were from Tigray region while the remaining 40 percent were from the rest of the country all together. These are full star generals. As we go down one step and look at what are called Major Generals and Lt. Generals, the number of the Major Generals was lower and 50 percent of the Lt. Generals were from Tigray. As we went down one step and looked into the major generals, 45 percent of them were from the Tigray region. 40 percent of brigadier generals were from the same area. 58 percent of colonels were from one area. 66 percent of Lt. colonels were from one area. 53 percent of majors were from one area.
What does this mean? Even if tried to change the general, there is another general, colonel and major next to him. It takes a minimum of ten years for one major to become a general. So, this means that I will not be able to create an army which maintains its balance even within the coming ten years. In general, the average of up to 55 percent of the army officials from top to the major levels were from the Tigray region. It may be acceptable when it comes to the general, for it requires a pass-through long-time experience for an individual to become Major, Lt. Colonel and a Colonel, the last 20 and some years were enough in military careers.
There is no justification to produce a major or a colonel within 20 years if the other thing is considered as the result of struggle or experience. But what was done was to make the trend perpetual on purpose, and to make the potential leaders to hail from one area only. This doesn’t help Tigray and it doesn’t help Ethiopia as well. It is mandatory to promote a Tigrayan in the National Defense Force per their number in the population, and he should protect his country; there is no question about this. If Tigray or Oromia, Amhara or Benishangul holds the highest promotion, more than it deserves, it will cause the same problem we witness now. It is not useful.
Those who I have mentioned now are those who wear the insignia or are in uniform, and it did not include those working in the office. When we try to look into those who work in the office, in the head quarter of the defense force, those positions which are known as main division or deputy division of army, who head and give orders and instruction from here [headquarter] – 80 percent of them were from the Tigray region. The previous one is 55 percent on average and it was good, relatively. Even though there was an Oromo or Amhara who wore the insignia they were not in the main positions. 80 percent of the staff who ran the administrative work were only from Tigray region.
“All the four positions were occupied by [persons] from Tigray”
What this means is that it [the staff] which knows what armaments needs to be bought, knows those who receive training, knows each and everything was controlled by [people] from one area. As we go down one step from the defense force there are army commands below the defense. When we see all the commands Ethiopia has, 100 percent of the commander and deputy commanders of the command leaders were from Tigray region. In the eastern and western areas there were some Oromo or Amhara who were included in the positions of logistic and human resource, but in the northern command leader, deputy, logistic and administration all the four positions were occupied by [persons] from Tigray. I will explain later why this was done in the Northern Command.
As we go down one step from the command and try to look into army divisions which are classified into two, mechanized and infantry, 100 percent of the leaders of the mechanized division were from Tigray while 80 percent of the leaders of the foot soldiers were from the same region as well. Therefore, the remaining percentage you have seen were just symbols, because they cannot lead command or army divisions. They are just there to fill the number. As we go down one step, 85 percent of the mechanized brigade were from the Tigray region and the infantry brigade were from the Tigray region.
Now look, there is no other person from brigade to defense [ministry]. We have tried to see if there is some change in the training institutions; but perhaps 85 percent of the defense training institutions were headed by the sons of Tigray. Therefore, it would cause a problem if they recruited new ones and let them join. The Tigray people and the people of Ethiopia as well should know this imbalance and it should not be repeated. All should take the share of what he deserves. Of course, professionalism is expected, for it is not a house of parliament which needs to include representation from each ethnicity. But it is better to train the best one from any ethnicity and create a defense force which resembles all Ethiopian. This is what is stipulated in the constitution and it is not what we do from our own will.
We just ignored those in government offices and tried to look into how the army had been built; its policies, strategies, rules and training modules. When we looked into it, the red book, the document on which the army was built, is boldly contrary to the FDRE constitution—100 percent. The books say, ‘you [army] are the vanguard of the party and defend revolutionary democracy when it is threatened’. Therefore, what had been called ‘elections’ and other dramas were all lies. The document says, ‘if there is no revolutionary democracy there is no Ethiopia you own’.
The foundation of Ethiopia is the ideology of the party, an Ethiopia which it calls its own and the other. The fate of Ethiopia is it [army] own and the other Ethiopia which he doesn’t want is decided as far as that ideology and that party exist. Therefore, is it not meaningless if the quota of other ethnicities is higher or lower in the army for it is built on the basis of such ideology? So we had a clear idea that the way this institution was built and its loyalty to the party would bode danger for Ethiopia’s future to continue as a country.
But having the idea and executing the idea are two different things. For instance, when the Wolayta were massacred in Sidama the commander who was there at the time was the one who severed the communication line of the Northern Command [on 3 November] and let the army be massacred. We have the information but we don’t have the evidence. Wolaiat blamed Sidama saying the Sidamas killed Wolaita. But there he Sidama and Wolayta never killed each other; they were the ones who lived together. It is the force which I have mentioned before, who has the money and the mission and lets people kill each other and then intervene as a peacemaker.
“Conflict became a trend in Ethiopia”
After we made an effort to remove the person [security head], then the conflict became a trend in Ethiopia. When we look into the problems that have existed in the security agency—how the defense institution was built and its ramifications—in the last two and half years there were 113 major conflicts (without including the current one) which claimed people’s lives, destroyed property and caught the government’s attention. This means that there was a situation of war every week. The job of the government was to mourn and bury the deceased and even sometimes another death happened before the government had recovered from the first one and was made not to get time to be able to do a job which enabled change. Terror has been created everywhere in an organized way by using the forces within.
When all this happened, when 113 conflicts happened, there was conflict and killing of one another in all regions, but such a thing did not happen in Tigray. They were also never ashamed to say ‘we are the only peaceful region’. They even don’t feel a bit of shame. Even some foreigners also say ‘peace is only available there [in Tigray]’. Yes there is peace there, because there is nobody who disturbs peace there, for it’s been them who disturb the peace here. They always itch our wounds and others wounds and make people fight each other. The activity was not being done easily. There was finance, training, deployment and there is media also.
The media was on standby and when something happened it echoed immediately saying, ‘Oromo killed Amhara, this and that happened in Benishangul’. They [media] are quick to disseminate the information. They do this in two ways: using their media and social media. The other beguiled ones follow that way and fight each other more and cause much problem. It did a lot of things to stop the conflicts from cooling down quickly and even worked to divert the conflict into ethnic and religious conflict. If you ask if they are successful: people have died but they are not successful. Properties were destroyed, innocent people who toil and sweated to sustain their life were killed—if that is considered a success.
When someone flees to Kenya from here, he took that decision based on his own choice—if he believes that the food is good and the country is good and the people are welcoming. He moves to Kenya with these things in mind. Accordingly, one can go to Kenya, Uganda, America and other countries of his choice based on his own criteria.
When one Gojjame wants go and live in Ambo, he has not just gone to Ambo from Gojjam but he has gone there with this belief that they, the people of Ambo, are my people; they will give food when I get hungry, they will give me water when I thirst and they will care for me when I get ill. People don’t go somewhere if they don’t think the people there are not his friend. But they did a lot of work to make people who live together, who have had a family together and prevail through hardships together separate and see each other with animosity.
To support this with some data, 37 conflicts happened in Oromia in the last two and half years—in Shashamane, Guliso, Bale (which was related with religion), in Hararghe, Guji, Wollega, Chinaksen and other places. There were Amharas, Oromos and other ethnic groups who were affected in these 37 conflicts but there were a lot of Oromos whose houses were destroyed, who lost fathers, mothers and wives. This force says it cares about the Oromo while it makes Oromia a center of conflict, causes disagreement between the Oromo and other ethnic groups, and causes disagreements between Muslims and Christians. If you look into the data of the 37 conflicts you will see a lot of Oromo mothers left without a husband and children. Oromo were made to fight with their neighbors who live with them, trusting them, which is contrary to Oromo’s culture and value. This a disaster: it is a loss for Oromo, it is a loss for Amhara and it is a loss for Ethiopia as well. The only one who benefited from it was this force.
“There was no single problem that happened in Tigray”
There were 23 conflicts in the Amhara region: in Qimant, Ataye, Oromia special zone and again in Mota because of religion. By the way: almost all regions were made to fight with each other and sometimes even with neighboring countries. A lot of people died in Amhara too. For instance, if we take Qimant: as you all know, in the Qimant in the area of Gondar there is much experience of having families with many ethnicities and living with a lot of them in harmony. It is an area of the city where a lot of Eritreans, Tigrayans, Oromos, Qimant and many ethnicities have families together and live together in harmony.
Every family is intertwined in a way which means it could be very difficult to identify them as Qimant or Amhara. The wives of a significant number of officials in the Amhara region are from Qimant. Their children are born from the Qimant mother and the Amhara father. They are one family who have one language, culture, region and a way of life in common. They don’t know this conflict, but this conflict was being sponsored to disturb peace in the Amhara region and a lot of activity was done to make people kill each other on the basis of their ethnicity. Several innocent citizens were affected by this.
There were 15 conflicts in Benishangul: in Metekel, in the area of Asosa in which both Oromo and Amhara were displaced, in Dangur. Everything is as you have heard it: you hear the news that such a farmer was killed while he is in his farmland. Hearing such kind of news has become common in Ethiopia in the last two years.
There were 14 conflicts in Addis Ababa; what amazed me the most of those conflicts is that which was related with the assassination of artist Hachalu. There were 10 prominent individuals listed in the category of Hachalu’s assassination which includes officials in Prosperity Party, officials from the opposition parties and other prominent individuals. The plan was to kill prominent individuals and intensify terror. The plan was to kill some from Oromia region first, then killing leaders from the Amhara region and to portray the conflict as the conflict between Oromo and Amhara. A lot of work was done in this regard. We have lost Hachalu and a lot of activities were done to foil others. What surprised me about Hachalu is that it is the same people who chastised us through gimgema when Hachalu appeared on Oromia TV [in 2017], who now broadcasted it on their television saying that ‘Hachalu, an Oromo freedom fighter, has been killed’. You know what happened after that.
There were several conflicts in Gambella: not only in Gambella—there was also conflict in the refugee camps in the region. In the south you know about Gedeo, in Guraferda, Konso, Mizan Tepi and other areas. Above all, what is surprising about the Gedeo is that Guji and Gedeo are people who can be taken as one family by any standard. They made them fight each other and caused displacement on both sides. A lot of people were affected in the south. Other ethnicities who went there to live, assuming the people as their own people and as their relatives, were also affected, in Jigjiga and Afar, which was related to that Isa clan. There were three conflicts in Afar, three in Dire Dawa, two in Harar and two in Sidama.
When all these happened there was no single problem that happened in Tigray. The Kunamas in Shiraro and the Tigrayans never clashed with each other. But Wolayta and Sidama clashed with each other in Hawassa. The Irob people didn’t clash with the Tigrayans. Of course, they should not clash with each other. But in other areas, not only within the region, conflicts were caused among different regions. For example, the Amhara region borders with Benishangul and it clashed with it; it borders with Oromia and clashed with it; it borders with Afar and it clashed with it, and the Amhara region also borders with Tigray but it didn’t clash with Tigray. Afar borders with Oromia and it clashed with it; it borders with the Somali and it clashed with it, it borders with the Amhara region and it clashed with it and it also borders with the Tigray region but it didn’t clash with it.
“How can a human being make an agreement with Satan?”
Let me discuss what we have seen in Afar. It is helpful for your information. There was a conflict that happened between Afar and Somali region and we summoned the leaders of the two regions and sat for gimgema here. While we were in gimgema, the honorable Mr. Awal, president of the Afar region, raised one thing which surprised us, saying that the Afar and the Somalis fight each other from early on and it is not something new. And he was asked: ‘but do you think that the current conflict is the conflict between Afar and the Somali?’ And he told me it needs to be investigated. I asked him: ‘how?’ Then he said women are being killed in this conflict, but the Afar and the Somali never kill women in their history of conflict.
We clash with each other but we don’t kill women, he said. He added that this is a new norm. The second thing is, the Afar and the Somali fight each other only during the day and they don’t fight during the night, he said. But there is a fight during the night in this current conflict, he said. The third is that the Somali and Afar fight each other clearly while talking to each other, not fighting by veiling their faces or hiding themselves, but the current fighters are doing that, he said. The current ones have veiled their face, he added.
Then we ordered the defense force, Federal Police, the Afar special force, and the Somali special forces to live in the area and to send our special force – the republican guard – to the area of conflict, giving order to shoot anyone they find there be it defense force, federal police or the special forces and when they were at the place the was not any fighting at all or any sound. We cannot deploy the defense force everywhere and the conflicts which happen in the areas where there is no defense force leaves a major scar behind.
The most saddening thing in all this is what we have encountered with Sudan. The people of Sudan are a people who did a lot for this country. They are also people who are doing important things in the current situation. But some people went there and told them that ‘we are what is called the defense force, we don’t fight you and this is the right time when you get back your territory’. It is the one among us who initiated [Sudan] to invade the territory. However, the government of Sudan replied saying that it will work to regain its territories by law not by war and it already told us this information. They had not got enough from what they were doing here, in causing fighting amongst each other, and so they also took it again there [to Sudan]. They also did the same thing in Somalia, saying ‘this government doesn’t support Mogadishu’ and did a lot of things in South Sudan as well. It is not something which stayed only inside the country.
You also remember when the armed commandos came to the palace [in September 2018], around 200 armed forces came. And didn’t have any information until they came and invaded the palace. Since they were not satisfied by causing conflict among the people, clandestine assassination attempts and pitting one region against the other, then they came here [to the palace]. That one was also foiled.
Money laundering and smuggling of weapons were also undertaken widely. All the intimidations, all the inter-communal and religious killing were not the end – they entered into the Prosperity party as well. As conflict and death had become so common, those very people who had struggled and brought this change by risking death started to say that we cannot tame these guys – so we have to make an agreement with them and continue working with each other. Unless we heed what they are telling us, this thing [change] will not be successful. How can a human being make an agreement with Satan? You cannot agree with [Satan] even if you make an agreement with it, unless you determine and work against it. The forces within [Prosperity Party] were also severely paralyzed. The opposition started to think a lot of things, the public also lost its hope blaming the government, as you know.
“They put the people in a siege mentality”
Then they start telling people that the previous [government] is good, it is better to go back to the previous one and a strong government is needed, which is a repressive regime (in its language). They start campaigns saying those things clearly. They made the people of Tigray disagree with their friends by instilling fear into their mind saying that ‘you are encircled, the Amhara, Eritrea and federal are going to fight you.’ And they put the people in a siege mentality. They made people think that they are going to be invaded. They made all the people of Ethiopia feel stuck in an unpredictable situation. They have made a situation where there is no guarantee of people’s movement, for families to stay in peace and a country overwhelmed in fear. They made sure the government was occupied by these agendas which were created each week, and they did a lot to ensure the change would not move forward.
When this happened, it was mandatory to do security service reform and defense reform, because unless we did this the conflicts everywhere would continue unabated. We didn’t come with a soldier, rather we came with what we had. That is why we faced problems and then assumed that reform was necessary. We start dividing it into two and three: higher officials, middle officials and lower officials. The higher official from General to Major as I have told you earlier, we have reduced the existing 55 percent average to 26 percent. 26 percent of higher officials [in the army] were from Tigray before this war started. We have a firm believe that the Tigrayans should get their share they deserve in the defense force. We have no question about that, except to say there should be a balance. We didn’t have a stand that there should be any promotion of Tigrayans in the defense force.
After we cut that to 26 percent, we also downgraded the 100 percent positions in all commands to 25 percent. What the southern nations and nationalities, in particular, need to understand is that until the reform started the ceiling of the position in the military for the south of Major General. All 50 nations and nationalities in the south all together were able to occupy the position of Lt. general after the reform. We divided the positions between South, Oromo, Amhara, and Tigray, giving each 25 percent and making it equal except some who take additional positions on merit (for this is necessary and there are individuals who have the capacity for that). And they have shown us their capacity now.
The mechanized army division is a division which requires skill. It was 100 percent Tigrayan before and we reduced the number to 50 percent now. We were not able to go above 50 percent in this regard for it is not something to do it easily. We reduced the 80 percent in the infantry to 40 percent, the 85 percent in the mechanized division to 44 percent and we reduced the staff and training department up to 25 percent and completed the higher positions. We have tried to assign the command leaders thus: one from Oromo, one from Amhara, one from the south and one from Tigray.
There is no single individual among all the people whom we have demoted or made to retire before his retirement age. Abebaw Tadesse and Bacha Debele were told to leave before their retirement, when they became Lt. General and nearing a full general position. But we didn’t repeat that mistake. But I believe that we should not repeat yesterday’s mistake and we should reduce from the army only those people who reach the age of retirement.
When it comes to the middle officials there is a problem here also in the areas of Majors and Lt. Colonels, as I have said earlier. The problem is that a general is a political nomination. One colonel can be nominated as a general within six month or one year. But a major cannot become a Lt. Colonel within a year unless he accomplishes something extraordinary. It has its own time and it is a career. It is not possible to nominate or demote for nor reason. If we reduce for no reason, as Ethiopia’s defense was dismantled in the past, we would be repeating the same things today if we did that. We must dismantle while building.
“We prepared a confidential reform”
The second problem we encountered was that those who we made to retire left the building behind and went there [Tigray] and started to build another defense force, dividing it into divisions and brigades. So, if we also let the middle ranks go it was inevitable that they would go there and do the same thing. And if let the middle one go, the number of defense forces overall would decrease (for the number of those in the middle ranks is very high). We left that untouched because if we did it the defense force could be weakened, while they would become strong.
The third layer is the lowest. The training which was given to lower officials by the government in the last two years had not been given to the defense force in the last 10 or 20 years. The defense force knows this very well. The training was given to change the strategy and to make it an Ethiopiawinet army which only rely on the constitution and the people of Ethiopia, and not to become the army of the Prosperity Party. It would be very dangerous if it became the army of the Prosperity Party. We gave the army some training and tried our best to prepare the lower forces. They raised the issue of salary and uniforms because they were wearing torn clothes. This effort was not something which could be completed within two years but requires more time. Because of that we were not able to move forward to the extent we want.
The other problem was that any of our discussions or meetings would reach the junta within an hour and the junta would discuss it, and because we have divided power it is not like the old days where one group discusses during the night and approves it in the morning. Therefore, we prepared a confidential reform which enabled us to maintain the sovereignty and unity of Ethiopia.
The first was creating the republican guard. In the current context the republican guard has completed its mission and it is not necessary after this and it can become part of the army. We have discussed that we have to prepare a special force which can do surgical operations and hence we have tried to prepare special forces who are trained in different countries and have unique skills so that they can be a force who can at least deter in case we face problems.
The second was the air force. The Air Force was almost dead and it needed to be revived. It requires technology for many reasons and needs to prepare. In particular, we did a lot of work to equip ourselves with drones, but we didn’t allow them [TPLF] to know where they [drones] are, their time and their number. This reform was confidential. They have seen the special force show at the military parade but they didn’t know its number and what capability it has. They knew reform was in the air force to some extent but they don’t know it fully. If you remember, we let the airport be visited just a few days before the war started. Even some you commented personally on Facebook why the Air Force was made open for visit. We did that intentionally just to show them [TPLF] that the Air Force is still the one which they knew from before and there is nothing new–because we don’t want the enemy to know what we had prepared for. So, when they saw the Air Force, they felt happy, hoping that there were no preparations and started to provoke [us].
There were many rumors concerning the drones but you can officially go and visit it. It is a force which has been worked on for years, and developed. But concerning the drones—I didn’t hide them from the junta force. I told them clearly before a few months saying that we are not fighting a militia fight but we fight modernized fighting and I pleaded with them not to think of war telling them we have equipped ourselves with such weapons. I didn’t hide it from them. But they didn’t believe me because it was not seen through their network. For if it is not seen through the access they have, they don’t accept it.
“The defense force didn’t kill one person”
Now this group has fled from Mekelle and is regrouping around Hagere Selam. What I want them to hear me is that, yesterday night around 10, 11 or 12 pm we were looking at the skirmishes between Abi Adi and Hagere Selam, sitting in our situation room. The see lives the movement of the enemy. We didn’t attack them during the night. This is because they are with their wives and children with them. They are also with our soldiers who they controlled. There was also a major scramble among the civilians in the area. So, we saw them yesterday and didn’t want to attack them. They hear it and they know it. But this will not continue.
The second question which was raised concerning the civilian, what amazed me most among the capability of our Air Force and the NDF in general is that, especially, what I need this honorable house to understand is that when one MiG moves to the enemy’s territory it is given a target and a time. After it went there the captain shoulders all the responsibility. The captain attacks and returns back. But the drone is not like this. The drone stays in the situation and when it identifies the target and the target is hit, after this the command leaders at all levels sign each target and approve it to go. The honorable house can see it if it wants.
There is a signature per the number of the missile or the ammunition we have fired. We take responsibility for every target. It is not a blind act of the militia. We have hit our target 99 percent and there has been no collateral damage; 99 percent. We don’t fire when we find something suspicious; for instance we didn’t fire during the night because we considered that children might die. Because they are our [children]. The enemy didn’t assume very well the capacity that was created in the special force and Air Force. They consider the drone as if it only used to fire. However, we were using drone 99 percent to observe their movements. We see them both during the day and the night.
Concerning the civilian damage, we have made extreme caution which has never been done in any party of the world. During the fight in Humera, Adi Goshu, Dansha, Shiraro, Ade Agerai, Aduwala, Adi Nebri, Agadaro, Shire, Selkleka, Aksum, Adwa, Adigrat, Edaga Hamus, Zalambassa, and Mekelle the defense force didn’t kill one person [civilian] in one of the towns and cities. No country’s army is able to show a capability better than this. We have a brave and disciplined army. There has been no campaign which launched against us saying that you are going to destroy Mekelle and do that or do this. Mekelle is ours and it is a city built by our own resources. Who would destroy it then? No single person sustained injury in our operation in Makelele. We did a special surgical operation.
There are some who ask why only the Air Force and special force, why you didn’t use mechanized force? This is because people don’t have a problem asking but implementing. The reason why we were not able to use the mechanized force is that it requires money. You know how much one tank costs. It is difficult to implement using all that resource in our current situation. But the missiles which this junta looted from the defense force and is now using, the national defense force has double or triple that number and you can go and visit it today if you want. We have double and triple capacity. But they don’t know this, because it is as I have told you earlier that it was built along with the special force.
But we didn’t fire a single rocket to the Tigray region. We have double the number. But a rocket is something which runs several kilometers without being observed and lands on the ground and it is unknown whom it could damage. Our pilots went to the place and if they found civilians they returned back along with their bomb, because they can decide. We clearly identify the target with the drone and we don’t do it [hit civilians]. But using rockets is dangerous. Even though we have a large number, we didn’t use it; for it is our country. We are not the junta. We act with responsibility.
“A soldier is a brave-hearted person”
The problem concerning the mechanized divisions is money. The second problem, and I want all Ethiopians and this honorable house to understand this, is that most of us fight on Facebook. In the last one and half years we have made a huge effort to recruit a large number into the army to enlarge the number of the defense force. Let alone the rest of the region it was even very difficult to find 1,000 people from the Oromia and Amhara – the largest regions. People don’t want to join the army, but they commented saying, “why didn’t take measures?”. Such comments are only for Facebook, not for the practical thing. There was no interest in joining the army. If any healthy person became a soldier, it would help him become a full person. In many countries those reaching the age of 18 provide national service for six months or one year and then go back to work. But there is no such thing in our country. How on earth does it become difficult to get even 5,000 recruits in a country of more than 100 million people? Ethiopians should think about this; it is dangerous.
A soldier is a brave-hearted person who says I would rather die than disowning my country even if he is denied water and food for five or seven days. How come some hate this? A soldier is a person who sacrifices his life for free even if his salary is less than a day laborer and he has no capacity to have his own house and family. Ethiopians have less preparation for this and they should know this and redress it. There is nothing which can be built freely. If you are willing and participate, you will defend the country like now, when an enemy comes in the future. It is only this way that we can defend the country.
The other one is the diaspora; you know the diaspora love their country and when something happens, they are irritated and demonstrate. However, the diaspora has been highly supporting this junta force financially. We have been repeatedly pleading with them not to change their money illegally, just to get a difference of one or two birr. This force was receiving more forex than the government. The diaspora is providing this force with the bullet or destructive weapon which it uses to kill his brother. The diaspora should be conscious. I know there is some surplus when the exchange is made illegally. But that surplus can suck or spill your brother’s blood. It is better to use the legal means, as the illegal way empowers the criminals and affects the civilians. There the diaspora should redress accordingly, even in the future as well. Even though much reform has been made in the security service reform, unless we do reform in other sectors, we cannot bring the peace and prosperity we aspire for Ethiopia.
First, political reform. Leaving aside the military, there is a poisonous thought that Ethiopia will disintegrate if the EPRDF is dissolved. It is very dangerous to think and act that the survival of Ethiopia, a country which was founded thousands of years ago is dependent on the existence of the EPRDF, a party which was founded yesterday. The thinking of the party [EPRDF] was that the country [Ethiopia] will not exist unless we exist.
There are people who say the TPLF left the party when we started the party reform, and when the Prosperity Party was created, which is wrong. When we were about to go to the council in Hawassa before the Prosperity Party was created, the TPLF Central Committee had discussed not going to Hawassa and not taking part in the council meeting. It has been long since they resigned covertly. We have information about it. However, they came to the meeting saying that ‘let’s be there and disturb them before we leave [the party, EPRDF]’. We were receiving information and we knew their thoughts. They [central committee] voted to take part in the meeting in Hawassa with the intention to cause disturbance [in the party] before they leave it.
After they came to the Hawassa the meeting was turned into debate and pestering. For example, one of the agenda was accepting the Algiers Agreement, to let Eritrea take the land which was decided to be given to her and to finalise the issue peacefully. This decision was made with a general vote by all members of the EPRDF Council members in the presence of the old guys who are now said to have left [the party].
The security head was one of the people who was explaining the issue to get a decision, saying, ‘we had had enough of it’. As you know this issue was also presented to the parliament. But this force prevented the decision being implemented for the last two and half years.
There are three groups. The first group is those who simply hurl insults while starting our meeting, sacrilege, and make the meeting an arena of pestering. These groups are those who are assigned [purposefully].
The second group is the one who opposes but pretends to be a supporter [of us].
The third acts as an arbitrator; they are the ones who call for calm on both sides. This is what is well planned, well discussed and implemented by assigning people. This force who took part in the meeting and approved the agenda along with us by raising his hand during the day then issued a press release in the evening opposing us after it left the meeting. It supports us while it is with us and opposes us later through press releases. Those who hurl insults never appear in the media.
“The creation of the Prosperity Party was a big success”
This was a tactic which resembles the phrase, ‘an old wine in a new bottle’. Such practice has been there before also. They divided [into groups] and played such games. But we knew it already and it didn’t affect us that much. But efforts had been made to make the stage not as the stage for work, rather to become the stage of debate and pestering. It was accustomed to opposing the party’s decision, leaking information, hiding criminals. When we say Ethiopia should be an institution from all, for all and by all, extensive resistance and opposition against inclusive politics was done – eg which opposed the sitting of the Afar, Somali etc. with us and having their equal say.
The creation of the Prosperity Party was such a major creation which saved Ethiopia’s politics from the ruling party. The creation of the Prosperity Party cut off their gambling in the political arena. The creation of the Prosperity Party was a big success. Of course, they have tried saying,’ Prosperity Party is a unitary, this and that’. But the Prosperity Party is not unitary. Prosperity Party is a party which creates a genuine federal system. Prosperity Party is a force which seeks all nations and nationalities’ languages, and where each culture is equally respected and lives in peace calling Ethiopia their ‘mama’. It never seeks where one becomes superior and the other inferior and never wants the development of one language and the demise of the other. It [Prosperity Party] hasn’t struggled for this to happen. This is why it is making the effort to build an institution where all nations and nationalities take part in equally.
These people were posing difficulties to us saying, ‘Why is a terrorist allowed to return to the country, why is a terrorist media allowed to operate in the country?’ But now they have formed a federalist forum with those who they labeled a terrorist before. They don’t feel any shame. The debate and resistance was very high when we discussed allowing them to return home. But later on, they became friends and tried to form a forum together saying ‘federalist forces.
The TPLF took those steps after the party reform by following the experience of the Kuomintang. As the Chinese Communist Party was moving forward, liberating China, the Kuomintang retreated with two million people including the civil servants and officials and created a country called Taiwan because it had an economy, human capital and power. But Kuomintang had one advantage: Taiwan had a port. Now, they [TPLF] went away like the Kuomintang even taking the member of the parliament with them. Then I told them saying, ‘please, the idea of secession is not good for you, your benefitted is only guaranteed in Ethiopia, don’t think about it for the experience of others only end up in loss and it will not work for you as well’. And they responded saying, ‘we also don’t think about that’. But they were politically working to implement the old and expired thought of the Kuomintang.
If we see from the economic point of view the economy has become inactive, there is macroeconomic imbalance, unemployment, our big and small projects were halted due to mismanagement. We have mismanaged projects. There was a problem paying the salary, loan debt and forex crunch. Unless we undertook this reform, the defense force would disperse if it is not paid a salary. The economy also needs reform like that of politics. A lot of reforms have been done in the economic sector.
But the last most challenging thing was changing the birr notes. As we had been doing a lot of things, before the birr was changed, the economic sector reform had come to appear successful and the world had also come to believe that the economic change being undertaken in Ethiopia was promising. In our projects, both the big and small one, we have shown that it is not only laying the corner stones but it is possible to complete them and also not only possible to plan but to execute the plan as well. Although I don’t want to go deep into it like the defense force, all the public development enterprises and all the bank sectors in Ethiopia were all controlled like the defense force, just for extraction. It was not for the purpose of work but to extract resources. The format which has been in defense and security were also in the economic sector in the same way. It is in Telecom, EELPA [Ethiopian Electric Power], sugar corporation and everywhere. I don’t want to go deep into it. But the economic reform was very critical.
“We improved the laws which violated human rights”
The third area where critical reform is needed is the laws, legal reform. Concerning the law, there are repressive laws, laws which narrow the political space in Ethiopia and many others laws which many people oppose. We divided these into two and three and undertook the reform. The first part was to improve the repressive laws and the laws which narrowed the political space. For example, if you take the NGO proclamation, the law makes it a challenge to organize and we did the reform on the proclamation to make it a bit relaxed. There are NGOs who have the inclination of doing other things than their primary job and will follow such things and redress it. But this [the NGO’s proclamation] was one of the repressive proclamations. It suppressed both the developer and the destroyers together.
The second was the election board’s reform proclamation. The election board was stifled by the proclamation so that it would not become an institution which stands on its own and works as an independent, democratic institution to undertake its jobs with trust and do what it wants per the constitution by organizing itself. So, the job you have seen was done to make a strong institution.
The third was election law, which encompasses bylaws, the political party registration proclamation, and which shows who can register and in what discipline we run our activities. It is what solves the previous changes that have existed between political parties and provides rule of conduct.
Another was the human right commission proclamation. As you all know the human right commissions were being headed by our cadres. After we reorganized the institution on the solid foundation after the reform, it has become an institution which can present reports without being afraid of the government and present reports to the without any challenge. Though it needs to become stronger, an effort has been made to create an institution which is liberal and free from pressure comparatively.
Then there is the anti-terrorism law. There were several people and groups which had been suffering in the name of terrorism. We have improved it now. But the worst thing of all is the prison administration proclamation. Uprooting nails, putting prisoners in a dungeon, beating, detaining in unknowing prison centers etc. After people were arrested and brought to justice, we improved the laws which violated human rights and redressed the processes which oppose this. We provided it with a proclamation and budget where prisoners would not be starved and not be punished for watching television, reading books.
Another is the media proclamation. As you have raised it earlier, there more than 270 media and bloggers were blocked before the change (reform). Conventional media were jammed. If jamming was not successful people were prevented from placing satellite dishes on the roof of their house, you knew it. When that was avoided and the media was allowed to relax, there are those who abused that and it needs to redress that through time and experience. But a lot of jobs have been done to improve such repressive laws. Most of the work was done during the weekend after the cabinets rested from their regular job from Monday through Friday where the cabinet gathered and made improvements on those laws. The meeting on Saturday came after the change and there were no cabinet meetings on Saturday before that. It came from the idea that there is a lot overdue, so let us work by taking extra time.
“We decided on the Eritrea issue together”
Besides these repressive laws there were others like the investment proclamation, trade law, capital market proclamation. All this can ease the economy and improve Ethiopia’s level in the list of countries which are conducive for business and it helps to attract several investors.
Then there is that big volume of different laws which stayed for more than 60 year—these were improved. These are the laws which were serving during the emperor and came to halt after that. If we take the criminal code, for instance, it is a document which stayed for 60 years. It is a big volume; it was what had been serving during the emperor era and it halted after that. But now, it is improved in a way that befits the present world. The trade law, criminal code, and big volumes which have not been changed for many years were revised now.
After legal reform, political reform which related with political parties, economy and law enforcement institutions in general, the other fifth critical area was diplomacy. There were two problems in diplomacy. The first one is Ethiopia is a landlocked country; [Ethiopia] has no port. The second one is Ethiopia is in a region surrounded by many who have been working for centuries and some of them are still active. We have this thought that unless we have good relations with our neighbors, we will face a problem and now we have witnessed it practically. Had we not made peace with Eritrea it would have been very difficult to assume what could happen now. The Eritrean people have shown us in practice—rather than the Eritrean government—that the peace we have made was not just a peace between two individuals or countries.
When we went to Somalia, they told us, ‘we don’t trust you, for it is you who divided us into regions and made us fight each other; it is your government who did this one us, we hate you so much’. They told us this honestly.
When we went to South Sudan, they told us : ‘the reason we are fighting now is because of you, it is the result of what you have done. You appointed a person called Seyoum Mesfin to IGAD and he divided us and let us fight each other and we are not able to make peace, and Ethiopia is a country which has been despised by all of its neighbors.’
The honorable house should know this. The division and fuelling of conflict internally have also been implanted outside of the country. They had arbor a deep hate towards us for there was the practice of sowing division among them bases of political and clan lines. In order to heal this, it needs to strengthen our relations with the neighboring countries, we have to keep the balance and need to give priority to our citizens. And we started the job accordingly.
One example in this regard was the issue of Eritrea. We decided on the Eritrea issue together [with the TPLF]. The Prosperity Party didn’t decide that, it was the EPRDF who decided it. It was the junta who decided it saying, ‘We have to accept the Algiers agreement’. There are the minutes of that decision and I had also presented the idea to the parliament. There was no stone left unturned to prevent the peace from happening and hindered the agreements we have made from being implemented. And after some time the rapprochement had been given the title of a peace deal between two individuals.
“The sum total of the rest of the command is not equal to the Northern Command”
The junta has dishonored our defense force and sent it to Eritrea being naked. But the people of Eritrea gave them a cloth to wear. The people of Eritrea gave it water, food and armed it as well. Ethiopians should know this and honor it. The people of Eritrea are not only our brothers, they have also shown us practically that they are friends who are by our side on a tough day. The people who we have found in prison and different places after we finished the operation, their body has withered within ten days. But those who retreated to Eritrea recovered within two or three days, got tough and they came back, fought and won the war. It is our own who starved and thirsted us. Those who retreated to Eritrea naked came back and fought with Eritrean clothes. That is why they said, ‘Eritrea is fighting us’.
It is obvious that we don’t fight being naked. In this operation, I would like give my deep honor and gratitude on behalf of this honorable house to the People of Eritrea and its government, the people of Sudan and its government ,the people of Djibouti and its government, the people of Somalia and its government, the people of Kenya and its government and the people of South Sudan and its government. There has been no one who didn’t help us. Sudan stands by our side as usual and provided us with huge support. Eritrea, Djibouti, Kenya, Sudan [South] all of our neighbors were there for us and we will also keep working together in the future on the basis of mutual respect and we need them.
If you understand the background so far, the complexity of the reform and the challenges we came across, the attack on the Northern Command was not an accident as you have also said it. They [TPLF] hurled insult, but no reply, they did intrigues, undertook economic sabotage and smuggled weapons, but no reply again, they caused killings and fighting everywhere, but no reply, when they held the illegal election, we didn’t fight them we kept silent even though they expected that. They played many political intrigues, but no reply. Finally, we were tired of all this; then they started war.
By the way, we compare the Northern Command and the rest of the commands, the sum total of the rest of the command is not equal to the Northern Command in terms of equipment and everything. Ethiopia’s defense force depot is in Tigray region. There is no single ammunition here. All the missiles and rockets Ethiopia has are in the Tigray region. Those who are playing with missiles are all from the same area.
A lot of effort has been made to bring those rockets. We called [them] and told them, ‘let us move this rocket because we are facing danger in another area and Eritrea is not a threat to us now. The one who discussed this with us reported this to them in the evening and they made children and women to lay on the street and said, ‘it should not leave here’. When asked why they replied: ‘Eritrea will attack us.’ They knew that Eritrea was not going to attack them, but the main issue was not letting the equipment leave, because they have already prepared for this.
If we trampled and killed people and managed to bring it [the weapon], let alone others, even you [memberS of the parliament] would not accept us. How can the defense leave the place by killing the children? But we have kept trying by entreating and begging them. But when we finally came to realize that we cannot move the missile we asked them to give us the key because the missile is operated by the starter and they brought it to the defense and showed it. However, it is by those very people that the missile is being launched everywhere now. By the way, the reason why the equipment, rations, mechanized divisions were stored there for years was part of the plan: to make the region the powerhouse of the country, whether this change has come or not.
“Our soldiers who were killed were naked”
There is no any secret or doubt about this. Ethiopia’s tank, cannon and everything was there. Even Ethiopia’s largest gas depots are there [in Tigray]. Therefore, they prevented any mobility of the army. To buy and replace all those things we don’t have money for, as I told you earlier,. a wide range of work has been done using the special force, air force and rockets. You said: ‘We delayed [didn’t take measure on time],” but we even need more time than this. As I have told you, it is impossible to make an appointment to the defense force overnight. It is not possible to make an appointment to a major like a minister of deputy minister. It is a career.
After they prevented us from moving our equipment, we gave up and made other preparations. We had faced a conflict in another place and we sent the report about the conflict and asked them to allow the movement of some army and equipment so that we can defend ourselves from the danger facing us, but they responded saying, ‘never’. They said, ‘both the arm and the equipment will not move’. While telling others on the other side to attack they prevent us from moving the equipment.
After doing all these things, they attacked the Northern Command on 3 November 2020 around 11:30 pm. The other junta cut the communication line from here while the junta there cut electricity and telecom. The army lives in each place in a group of 40, 50 and 60 being dispersed. They cut the communication, lest the army communicate with each other. Then they surrounded them with a militia. They sent elders and priests to those who resisted surrender. They committed an atrocity which has never been seen in the history of Ethiopia. They controlled most of them [the army], and killed several. Our soldiers who were killed were naked and both their legs and hands remained tied until our soldiers controlled the area and buried their body.
By the way, a dead body has no ethnicity. When alive they can claim ethnicity. Ethnicity means a language, culture. But the dead have no language or culture. As someone dies, he loses his identity and becomes a corpse. Considering a dead body as Amhara, Oromo or Gurage is inhumane. If killing is bad, not burying the body is even worse, especially the army which did a lot of things for you. Arrogance and chauvinism are so bad. It not only causes a fall but also it prevents someone from not thinking about the past. So, they are filled with arrogance and chauvinism and think that they can do whatever they like if they hold a gun. Before doing this, they were clearly saying on their media that if the government of Ethiopia will not implement what we say, we will disturb let alone Ethiopia but the whole of East Africa. This was not a secret they also told this to the diplomats. And they [diplomats] also fear them and say if you touch them the region will fall into chaos.
But what is so saddening is that there is a saying which goes: “an old monkey faces a problem when it tries to jump again like it did perfectly in its youth’’. These people [TPLF] have no knowledge of military science. They have a decayed idea, which is decayed in terms of politics, economy and military.
Let me support it with two historical comparisons. In the American Civil War, the main issue which caused the American Civil War was the conflict between the southern and the northern states. The reason for the conflict was the abolition of slavery. When Abraham Lincoln was elected president, he promised to abolish slavery. The states in the south who were known for otton and sesame cultivation came up with the argument that the system should continue, and they opposed the abolition. Then a General called Jefferson Davis, who trained in an American war academy, declared himself as chief of staff of the southern army and held a campaign of seceding the south from the north defying the rule of Abraham Lincoln.
“Our first job was to prevent Gondar and Woldiya from being controlled”
Abraham Lincoln was patient and beseeched them for years like we do. Then finally one day, General Jefferson Davis entered the mechanized army division which was located in South Carolina and attacked at the fall of the night which is similar to our case. He attacked, confiscated and looted the equipment. Abraham Lincoln was not ready. The other one [Jefferson Davis] was filled with the arrogance that he is a soldier and knows better about military science than him. Then what Abraham Lincoln did first was that he ordered the militias and told them to close all the borders through which the south crossed into other countries. When they [TPLF] attacked the Northern Command like Jefferson Davis we quickly took measures in closing the border.
The second thing which related to the American Civil War—and what I want to tell the Americans taking this opportunity to understand us—is that we now face the same challenge you had faced once. You had also fought such a war, even for three and half years. You fought and united the south with the north. You did that because [the move] was unconstitutional. What we encountered was also the same thing, except the difference in time. We were attacked, but we finished it not in three and half years but in three weeks. So, it is better if you understand it this way.
The second thing which is related to America is when Japan conducted a surprise attack on the America naval force at Pearl Harbor during WWII. Then the American parliament passed a decision to defend itself and they used against Japan not only artillery but also nuclear bombs – and Japan was turned into ashes as you know.
By the way, because of the arrogance of General Jefferson Davis during the American civil war, it took the south more than 20 years to rebuild itself, because there was destruction. After World War II was over, the one who led that war on the side of Japan was called General Makarto. Except for the camps of the American army, Japan had become a place where there was no infrastructure and it was totally devastated. The problem does not end there: here are still innocent lives who don’t know anything about that war born with disease, generation after generation to this day.
It was with such outdated and expired thinking that this greedy junta declared war on the Northern Command. Not only declaring a war, one man from there told us that they did a preemptive attack and controlled the Northern Command. The regional leaders came out and told us that the Northern Command is fighting along with them. The Northern Command is not only in war with Eritrea for 20 years but it also has been protecting the people from additional attacks. If the Northern Command is on their side there is nothing to worry about. There is no need to cry now, because the human force and the equipment is there. They claim on their media that the [the Northern Command] is on their side and on the other side they say they are being attacked.
There are contradictions here. Massacring innocent people; what Amharic word can better explain what happened in Mai Kadra? What word can explain it? If those civilians were armed, perhaps some sort of name can be given to it. Gathering innocent daily laborers who know nothing and survive on per diem and their sweat and slaughtering them in large numbers is nothing but a political bankruptcy and lacks moral sense. It is not humane. It is a bad act. Such things are bad both for our citizens and our armies. Not only this they also detained people from other ethnicities in the Shire refugee camp. What they did to students in university is as you have heard it. They did such things on everyone.
The aim was to attack the Northern Command first and to control Gondar and Woldiya in the morning. After they controlled Gondar and Woldia, they would cause explosions in Addis Ababa, Adama, and Hawassa through their agents and then the country would enter into chaos so that they could do what they wished after that. Some people from here were also preparing themselves with such thinking that they would become a government when the regime is changed. Our first job was to prevent Gondar and Woldiya from being controlled. That was why the State of Emergency was declared in the morning: to bring all armed forces under a central command and the Oromia special forces to be sent to the places vacated by the military (for the military which has been in Oromia was leaving) and to defend against the enemy coming from there [Oromia]. Therefore, the Oromia Special Force was given this mission and took serious measures. Had that not been done the central part of the country could have been engulfed in chaos.
“I went along with three generals to know how many soldiers retreated to Eritrea.”
The Afar and Amhara regions militias and special forces defended in extreme bravery, especially on the border areas, until we moved our defense force to the areas. So, they [the Afar and Amhara militias and special forces] deterred the enemy’s interest to expand its territory.
The Benishangul Gumus special force and the Federal Police forces were given a mission to undertake the activities in the Benishangul areas in cooperation. The federal police also conducted house searches day and night in the houses of those who wanted to cause trouble to us by causing explosions in the city, and did a wide range of activity in this regard. All these deserve the huge honor.
Above all, concerning the defense force, the honorable house, in several countries if people see their defense force in uniform waiting for a taxi, they give them priority. If they go to the airport, they take priority. The reason why the uniform earned respect is because it sacrifices its life [for the country] when the hard time comes. We don’t pay them a salary, you know that, but at least we need to give respect to the uniform, give priority and be citizens who believe that the military is the price that is paid for one’s country and we have to do like that. Unless we do that, Ethiopia’s enemies sprout like mushrooms. We [we] deal with one then another come. If we want this country to continue, we need to honor the defense force. All citizens should do this. We should serve and honor as well. It is when we do this that we are able to overcome the challenges that could face us in the future.
Concerning the war, I would like to go a bit deep into it and explain to this honorable house and the people of Ethiopia. The first job was to prevent them from expanding into Gondar and Gojjam, defending the attack. There was a force which we ordered to retreat to Eritrea but there was no telephone and radio communication. What we did was that we used only the telephones of a few soldiers and made it function in a special way and told them to retreat and sent someone from the Eritrea’s borders and told them to leave and retreat. But we didn’t know how many of them left, because they all did not get the order fully.
First, they [TPLF] refused to accept the commander. What I want this honorable house to know concerning the commander of the northern command is General Diriba Mekonnen who had been serving as the commander of the north command and took part in a meeting with them [TPLF]15 days before the war had started. After the meeting he had lunch with them and then fell ill immediately. He loses his consciousness. He was admitted to the army hospital. Then people who were with him [that day] came up with the information that they [TPLF] might have [poisoned] him. We just told them not to talk about such things and say let’s be checked medically first and we suppress [hide] it [the information].
General Diriba is not in a position to recover, able to work until now. It was when he fell ill that we were going to assign another person and it was not in our interest to assign a new person. But there was a plan to disable him [general Diriba] and refuse to accept the person who was assigned to take his place after that. We assigned another person until he [Diriba]had recovered and they refused to accept the person we had assigned. They also stifled General Adem, deputy commander [of the northern command] and made the army not to communicate and the rest is obvious.
The first job was to deter them from expanding. We did this on Wednesday and there was no nothing that we knew about on Tuesday. There was a problem of getting information throughout the night. On Wednesday they finished it [their plan] and started an attack in the direction of the Amhara region, and then we started to defend by pushing our force there. Then after one or two days we organized ourselves and tried to close the border as I have told you earlier. After we tried to close the border we then started attacking its central power so it could not settle down and lead the activity. I went along with three generals to know how many soldiers retreated to Eritrea. The reason why I went there along with the three generals was to see the army and in what condition they are and reorganize them.
“The other thing was to finish the war within a short time”
When we arrived there the situation was so heartbreaking. The northern command was an army which General Abebaw Tadesse had organized and led for many years; when the army saw him, it [the army] wept. And then General Abebaw said, “take any measure you like on me, I don’t want to return back with you. I want to enter [into Tigray] on foot leading the army”. General Getachew Gudina has been less than three months since he came back from Tigray, it [the northern command] is his command and it was his children who were attacked. He also wept along with the arm and said, “I don’t want to return [with you]”. Their army has such amazing bravery, especially there were some of them who held them captive and went there [Eritrea] along with their equipment. There were those who went there naked. There were those who withered [for lack of food and water]. What they [army]were begging for was to not let them stay there for long but to go and apprehend and bring this junta force to justice. After we saw and identified what they missed and what they needed, we reorganized and made assignments. The enemy had no suspicion from that side, because it thought that it had already destroyed it. We assigned leaders. We were organizing [the army] from that side while we were also weakening the center from here.
Concerning the rockets, as I have told you earlier 100 percent of the rockets Ethiopia has were there [in Tigray]. The people are all from the same region. A lot of effort had been made to move it from there. But when this happened, we have discussed that this rocket is dangerous and it is a threat to us and we have to disable the rocket first so that they would not be able to use it. Then we found two pieces of information as we tried to check it. The first information is the rocket which is found in Mekelle and can go as far as 300 km. The rocket is found in the city while the machine which is used to launch it is found outside of the city. The other which has less capacity than that [the one in Mekelle] is found in Adwa in the MeTEC camp. All the military officials in my presence discussed and debated it. There was a debate whether we should destroy it or not.
What I would like this honorable house to understand is that hitting the missile which is stored in Mekelle, perhaps it could destroy Mekelle. We were not sure what it could cause. There are those who say it would not destroy [the city] and there were others who fear that it could destroy. There as a risk in it. It was said that if the launcher is destroyed the other part could not function anymore. And the launcher was found outside of the city and our citizens would not get hurt if we destroyed it [the launcher]. So decided to hit that one [launcher] and leave the one [rocket] in the city, because it is dangerous if we hit and our people get massacred. The one in Adwa is in MeTEC camp, located in the city and we also feared that it could destroy Adwa if we hit that as well—and so we stopped doing it so as not to take the risk. The enemy tried to move them from place to place and made unsuccessful efforts as you knew it.
The step we followed after we dealt with the rocket that way is that we gave a chance for the forces who were involved without understanding the situation to surrender themselves to the government. It is to avoid urban battle and save our citizens from being hurt and we did this successfully. The other thing was to finish the war within a short time and disable the execution capacity of an enemy. It took the junta force 15 years to enter Mekelle from Shiraro. But we enter [Mekelle] within 15 days. We both entered on foot. The brave defense force entered on its foot starting from the borders of Gondar through Humera, Shire and Adwa; it was not by car (for some you are saying it had been delayed). By the way, the road is even tiresome with cobra [V8 car] let alone by foot. They did it because they are soldiers and if it is you, you would be even tired using the car [v8]. But the army did it on foot while feeling thirsty.
I will clearly explain to you the organization and structure we used to do this, to make clear the confusion created [by TPLF] that this and that has attacked us. The clever General Belay, and the brave hearted General Mesele, led the first defensive war from the border of Gondar and later the offensive to control Humera along with other comrades. The clever General Belay and the brave hearted general Mesele are both sons of Ethiopia. They had no advisor and any unique force. They move on foot up to Humera. The gallant General Abebaw, who was given a mission to organized, arm and lead the Ethiopian army from the Western front, retreated to Tokombia through Humera and towards the captured fort in Shiraro first – and I don’t if you know other places, there are a lot of forts such as Gamahalo, Badime, Bihara – and to control Shiraro.
General Belay and General Mesele, after they captured Humera and controlled Adi Goshu, they were made to cross Tekeze and meet with the forces of General Abebaw in Shiroro. It was the forces of Abebaw who controlled Shiraro while Belay and Mesele controlled Humera. It was these forces who combined and controlled Shire and Aksum.
“The plan was based on knowing each hill and mountain”
In the fighting in Rama and its areas, it was General Bacha who organized it. The first mission of General Bacha was to close the road that leads to Enchicho and Adwa and control our forts there, and to cut off Adwa when the other force approaches Shire. Before he controlled the areas of Zalambessa the mission given to General Bacha was to organize the force found in Tsorona and Rama and wait on standby until told to go and move forward. The puma, General Getachew, was given a mission to reorganize the force which retreated from the Zalambessa front and recapture Zlamabassa and Adigrat with determination and bravery.
The reason why the battle for Adwa and Adigrat was so quick was that there were forces everywhere who took fortification and were waiting on standby as the forces of General Belay and Abebaw arrived in Shire. On the eastern front, especially by coordinating heavy artillery, it was General Alemeshet, a guru of military science who started the job along with the thunder General Solomon and the indefatigable general Hailu. This organization was not permanent, though it was like this that we started first when some places were controlled, but there were some changes which happened later on. There were situations where others moved onto another front when they merged together so quickly.
The plan was based on knowing each hill and mountain and its altitude point and escaping routes. General Abebaw knows that area by name because of the war we fought with Eritrea. He knows the places by list. And General Getachew also knows every place in the areas of Zalambassa during the war and after. Therefore, they have the knowledge of the terrains and plains of the areas then the enemy and even much better than the enemy in some places. So, we use that knowledge to conduct the war by identifying the strategic places, difficult places and mountainous areas.
General Birhanu Jula, who eats victory for breakfast, led two command centers along with so amazing gallant generals who worked day and night in the situation room and was leading the whole process under the command post. One among these is General Yohannes, who loves his country. General Yohannes, who never compromise on his country; General Asrat, the sniffer who follows the footstep of the enemy; campaign coordinator General Tesfaye, who read the map as if on the ground; General Abdurahman who facilitates logistic; General Hachalu, who coordinates the human resource in an amazing way; General Hassen who analyses the capacity of the enemy and others. They were leading the war day and night from two command centers, under one command post.
There are two forces here which I do want to go on without mentioning. The first one is the shaker, General Yilma, head of the Air Force. Along with gallant fighters he did an amazing job to make sure the war was completed per the time limit we have set and planned. The eagle General Shuma and General Birhanu Bekele organized a special force—by the way I didn’t tell you about the bravery of the special force. Ethiopian artists, writers and filmmakers: a bravery which you cannot find anywhere in the world has been made. Use and work on it. I can say it was the bravery of a war with another country. Now it is a war among us. But the special force controlled Mekelle without a single person being killed and words cannot explain the bravery it had shown in Mekelle.
This special force destroyed a fort in Humera and dismantled a brigade by sacrificing only one person from its side. It is very difficult to tell the bravery of these people unless it is possible to do so through a movie. The special force on the eastern front didn’t even fight the enemy face to face, rather it cut across and fired a bullet on the very individuals who were commanding the enemy’s army from behind. There is one gallant soldier who had run out of his bullets in the fight and then fought neck to neck physically with the enemy and snatched the gun from the enemy. That was how it became possible to walk 15 days on the same road which takes [TPLF] them 15 years.
“The people of Mekelle stretched their arms and welcomed us”
Though there are a lot of people who need to be mentioned in this: General Girma Kibebew, the commander of the 7th battalion of the army, preferred to die than surrender his gun to the enemy, and retreated and entered Eritrea along his forces. He entered [Eritrea] with full equipment and burned some of that which he didn’t manage to take with him. When we went to Eritrea, we didn’t expect to see all those tanks and canons. It was an organized and equipped army who retreated. General Mulalem Meshesha, the commander of the fifth battalion, was a brave man who fought in the area of Humera and saved the equipment there from being looted until additional forces arrived there. The commander of the 8th battalion on the side of Badime, General Nasir Abbadiga fought ,and retreated with his full force and battalion. It was him who later on fought and controlled Shiraro. Had Ethiopia not created such amazing people and brave persons, who never hesitate to sacrifice their lives, the situation would have been much worse, without any doubt.
I would like this honorable house to clearly understand the role, bravery and the Tigray’s people love for their country. First there was a Tigrayan who was labeled and shot for resisting when the army was attacked. He told them not to attack the army when they started. Therefore, a lot of people [Tigrayans] tried their best to save their life [army’s life], and there is also a Tigrayan who retreated to Eritrea along with other troops saying, “I don’t want to sit idle and see when my country is attacked”. It is good to see the positive side of it, not only the negative part. There are persons who fought along with the army, resisting the attack and sustained injuries and loss of life. The issue was about Ethiopiawinet and a greedy junta and was not between Ethiopia and Tigray.
Later on, when we reached Shire the public brought about 200 guns and handed them to us [army] saying, “This is yours, they gave us to kill you with it, but we don’t do that”. As we arrived in Aksum, they [public] handed over to us about 40 wounded army personnel who they kept in hiding until we reached there. They also said they released prisoners.
There was a meeting in Mekelle yesterday and the people said: “You have been delayed, but we are happy that you are coming for us now,” and they demanded for the telephone and electricity to be reinstated so that they can go back to their normal lives quickly. They demanded also the quick establishment of the interim government, lest hooligans cause disturbance and looting and the enemy which has dispersed everywhere now cause troubles. Therefore, the people of Mekelle stretched their arms and welcomed us that way.
And the army also loved its country and didn’t cause a single bit of damage. But this force didn’t only fight on the ground. Firstly, as I mentioned earlier, because of the majors, captains and the likes who went there leaving the defense force, our army was left without a leader. It [the force] had prepared itself earlier, controlled weapons, and positioned itself to defend itself. Moreover, in terms of diplomacy, it deployed its people with money to lobby in every country; and there are people who lobbied using the media. The war was opened in all spheres; media and diplomacy. War was opened in all spheres and most of our friends and started telling us to sit for discussion. As this honorable house knows, we badly needed discussion and we dislike war so much: we entreated them; we have beseeched them until they massacred us. Then after that we didn’t allow them to control Gondar and Woldiya, and to do what they like in Addis Ababa.
There was nothing we didn’t do. We tried to talk about the political issues. We said: don’t attack the northern command which has been protecting you for more than 20 years. By the way, no country can do that, it would rather die than sit for negotiation while its defense force is attacked. But they told us to sit for discussion. They told us this because we are poor. The message I have for our friends is: we know diplomacy. Ethiopia is a country which founded the UN and AU. Therefore, no one can tell her about diplomacy and multilateralism. We are a people who are known for peace and negotiation. We are the ones who served as peacekeepers in South Korea and several other African countries. And this will continue.
“With whom can we discuss?”
But what I would like to tell our friends is: if you want to be our friends you need to understand us as well. Even if we are poor, we have a long experience of government for several centuries and we are a country with a government even before some of you were founded as a country. We were founded as a country before you stood as a country. We are not people who are confused between the county and the government. We want you to know this. Let alone today, even when an enemy with better equipment came 100 years ago and tried to colonize us, we refused saying that we prefer to die than be colonized and we remain as the only country which is not colonized. If you forget this it is necessary to remind you.
The third one is pride, prize and honor of the honorable chairman of the house is only the sovereignty of Ethiopia. Never expect an Ethiopian to compromise Ethiopia and be deceived by a gift – that is wrong. Understand that we are peace-lovers, who toil to maintain peace, and understand our condition and let work together with the spirit of cooperation. And there is no Ethiopian who trades his honor for anything – even if in the face of poverty. And do not blame this issue on us. tt is not our mistake. We inherit it through our fathers, through their blood. We could not tolerate such things. Therefore, intimidating us with coins won’t work in Ethiopia. What is good is working with Ethiopia on the basis of mutual respect. Those of you who are afraid, it is totally impossible to defeat Ethiopia in the presence of an Ethiopian. [He] can do whatever he likes after we all are exterminated. But no one can do anything as long as Ethiopians are there, both today and in the future as well. It is not right to think this way. It is necessary to listen to us when we are trying to uphold the rule of law which was forced on us.
This is to our candid friends: here is some hidden agenda inside this. The hidden agenda which I don’t want to name it, but all our neighbors have a group called Demeke’s group and Abiy’s group. They say, “Demeke and Abiy please have a discussion together, Demeke move your armies a little back, Abiy soldiers are all over the area.” Our region is where some go here and there saying that Demeke and Abiy are not able to agree and therefore they have to discuss together in Kigali or in Johannesburg. It is impossible to repeat that in Ethiopia. Ethiopia has one government and that government respects the law, exercises itself according to the law, abides by the law, is held accountable by law if it commits mistakes, honors its citizens and builds a democracy which resembles Ethiopia as much as possible.
We don’t suffer liken ourselves to others. And we don’t play like the games of other countries, which speak of the forces of this and that. Those people who have such devilish ideas, just forget it, it will not work in Ethiopia. I don’t believe that there is no government in the world who doesn’t understand what this force [TPLF] has been doing in Ethiopia. Leave the other thing, there is no single person who didn’t hear what happened in Mai Kadra. While hearing what happened in Mai Kadra, the disappearance of the deputy commander of the northern command and thousands of others, dead bodies left lying on the ground being naked. While all this happened, they told us to sit down and discuss. With who? With whom can we discuss?
Of course, what I need this honorable house to understand is, the Ethiopian government has been negotiating while fighting the war as well. The accusation that the government refuses to negotiate is a lie. We have been negotiating. There have been negotiations in the last two three weeks while we have been fighting. To make it clear to the governments in the world. It [negotiation] was with Dr. Mulu, the legitimate government of Tigray. The negotiation was with his committees on how to maintain the rule of law in the Tigray region. One was to maintain the rule of law and apprehend the criminals. The second was fought inside the city, lest our people get hurt. The third was to quickly rebuild and re-establish the areas which came under our control. This was what Dr. Mulu and his team negotiated with the government and gave us a mission, and it is based on this negotiation that we have set out our plan. It is wrong to say that there was no negotiation, because we didn’t negotiate with the criminals. We have discussed and negotiated with the legitimate one and have worked together. And this will also continue in the future.
Somalia or Sudan don’t go for war. War is not good. We don’t need war, we need peace. Saying we want peace means expressing what you need – but it is obvious things happened to change, when the other side slapped us in the face. It needs to understand. There is a lot of pressure and other things. It was one type of war in itself alone. After all, we would like to tell them – please, understand us, we need peace and it is necessary to know that we don’t compromise anything which comes against our honor.
“The next job is to find the criminals and bring them to justice”
There are questions raised in terms of bringing the criminals to justice, those who have committed treason, those who committed terrorism, and war criminals. There were many people who led and did a lot of things. It needs to look into this in line with the operation. First, our primary goal was to liberate our people who were suppressed, bury those who killed and regain the tanks which were taken from us. There are thousands of both wounded and others who have returned, though there are still several more. We buried those who died, re-controlled our camps and controlled the government resource. For instance, after we had controlled Mekelle, the defense force requested if it could start searching in Mekelle after it had controlled Mekelle. We replied that it was impossible.
The training and skills of the defense force is to fight and it has no experience of conducting searches in the city and it could actually cause damage. We told them to hold their position, stay there, and then the trained federal police will enter [Mekelle] and undertake its job. The defense force didn’t enter into a single individual’s house. Anything related to crimes and searches is done by the experts, the police. When we came near Mekelle, around Kuwa, Negashi and Wukro, farmers were in their field harvesting their crops, relaxed as if nothing had happened, if you believe it or not. Because they know it is their army. Nothing happened and they knew there was just propaganda.
We gave a 72 hour ultimatum twice. There were people asking why these were given and why they were extended. The reason why it was extended has many purposes. I don’t want to explain all of it, but the first one is that as we were nearing Mekelle, the force which came with such speed and morale thought the junta was in Mekelle and unless we cooled down and worked on its emotions something regrettable could have happened later on. It would be better to cool down and be calm, than to enter the city with the interest to seek for the junta; it is instead better to design a special plan and work in a way to avoid damage.
The second reason is that the junta causes destruction everywhere, as we have witnessed, and it could cause damage around Mekelle. The third is there are a lot of people who don’t want to fight and there are many special forces who surrendered themselves to us. It was necessary to give them a chance for them as well.
There are several other reasons. We knew that we could enter and control [Mekelle] but we extended the ultimatum so we could be calm, think, plan and execute. We have said we will finish it within a short time and we did it within a short time. If it went faster than this it would cause damage, and it would do the same if we extended more than this. So, it is completed according to the schedule. Of course, the defense force presented its plan to finish within two weeks. But it was seen and analyzed by the government and extended to three weeks. Because we don’t want the collateral damage to happen.
Now, the next job is to find the criminals and bring them to justice. The criminals gathered and went to some place. They also say they are going to struggle. Who will they struggle against? It should be against themselves that they struggle. They should struggle against the thought of killing, looting; against their thoughts which suppress the people. This is the reason why the Tigray youth struggle along with these people. The Tigrayans can organize themselves politically and can defeat the Prosperity Party. Not with guns, but by politics, peace and elections. That is why we say it should be not by bullet but ballot. Defeating one another should not be with guns but by ballot box.
“30,000 [displaced people] is just like a breakfast for us.”
But these people who were advocating war for the last 40 years, and exterminating the youth, are still alive and have escaped to Hagere Selam. They don’t die. Saying we have to fight is just saying: ‘protect me’. It means I don’t want to die but you have to die for me. So, who is a person who foolishly sacrifices his life, year after year, and lets them live? Had they been brave they could have died fighting in Mekelle rather than running away leaving the people of Mekelle behind. They tell others to fight while they are on the run. This is something very dangerous. They should take lessons and surrender peacefully. If they don’t want to surrender in peace, the fighting will continue, but it is obvious that the fighting consumes life. We are following them and they cannot go further. It is better to surrender.
They always avoid death. As they left the palace, they said that we don’t care about being in the palace but we can rule from behind while residing in Addis Ababa. When they left Addis Ababa, they said that they could rule from Mekelle. When they left Mekelle they started to say they could rule from Hagere Selam. That is impossible. Therefore, it is better if they pause for a while and think over it, rather than causing destruction to the public.
Our next job is to build Tigray. The people of Tigray are living under severe conditions and their lives are dependent on ration. What this honorable house needs to understand is that the people live on rations and even those rations have been reduced. We must move quickly and free our people from this problem: support, rebuild and make sure those who fled can return.
Concerning the refugees, reports indicate that about 30,000 people have fled so far. As this honorable house knows, millions of people were displaced and they were restored in the process of the reform. 30,000 is just like a breakfast for us. We have experience. We have the experience from Somali, Gedeo; people were displaced everywhere and we restored and rebuilt their lives. We can rebuild within a week. To the UN, government of Sudan and other refugee agencies, our doors are open, we can cooperate with them and restore the refugees’ livelihoods.
They are our citizens as long as they have not committed a crime. But there is one problem, there are no women and children: it is all youth said to be refugees. Time will give an answer to the issue who are these youth? If they are the one who slaughtered people in Mai Kadra and fled from there, evidence will be gathered and they will be held accountable by the law if the evidence proves that they had committed the crime. If they are innocent citizens, they can return tomorrow morning. And there is a committee we have formed for this purpose; we are ready and our door is open if the world also wants to give support for this. We don’t want our citizens to reside abroad. But don’t take 30,000 as such a big deal. Millions of people were displaced and we have the experience of restoring and rebuilding their lives. This is because there are people who fan the flames.
The political discussion in the Tigray region is that we don’t want a single person to rule Tigray and we don’t want that to happen – we just want Arena, Tigray Democratic Party, Prosperity Party and other legal parties . Tigrayans are a respected people and they can rule themselves. What is good is being liberated from repression. We will conduct elections within the shortest time possible and the people will be ruled by their children, selecting any person of his choice.
“Our future job is building, restoring and maintaining peace.”
Regarding the junta: the next operation will continue. What is concluded is that time when it used to act as a government and a state; the operation against the individuals will continue as long as criminals are there. But it is even better to give advice to the junta. All this has happened in the first place for refusing to hand over one or two criminal persons. For those who are a soldier and betrayed us, the army has its own rules and they will be judged accordingly. But in terms of politics, the people we need are not more than 30 or 40 people. They are the key ones. So, these 30 or 40 people should not let the youth die by refusing to surrender. They are not going to be killed but judged by the law.
We have to do a lot of the work to save the region from being destroyed because of these 30 or 40 people. Our future job is building, restoring and maintaining peace. The other thing is to make sure the next election democratic. What this honorable house still needs to know is: democracy is a panacea for Ethiopia.
The election should be credible, democratic and should be held in accordance with the time table set by the electoral board. Therefore, we all have to prepare ourselves to abide by it. The house should become a place where different voices are heard, that is our guarantee. This works for Tigray and Ethiopia as well.
Concerning foreign relations, giving a priority to our neighbors has benefitted us a lot and it will continue in the future through cooperation. Ethiopians should also prepare themselves to rebuild Tigray through cooperation. After we assess the damage deeply, we will do what can be done by the government and our people should also cooperate and rebuild the region. Finally, my message for those internally and externally: for those on the outside: our door is wide open for those who want to work with Ethiopia in the spirit of negotiation and cooperation. However, if there are forces who think they can defeat Ethiopia through intrigues and games, I advise them to sit down and take a lesson from history. It is impossible. It is only possible to work with us through peace, discussion and diplomacy. This is what I have for those external powers.
My message for the internal ones is: concerning the junta I have no personal hate against Kebede or Tessema. And you don’t have to hate any person on your part. Our hate is towards its [junta] thought and action. We need to be careful not to become another junta ourselves after chasing away the other junta.
It is the junta who divided us as Oromo, Amhara, Tigre and made us fight each other on the bases of ethnicity. If we hate someone because of their ethnicity, this means we are also juntas. Therefore, Tigrayans who live in Tigray and outside of Tigray, we must believe and accept they are Ethiopian and care for them if they have no relation with the junta. Unless we do this bad deeds will remain and will continue, except for a change of place [by those who commit the bad deeds]. All Ethiopians should take extreme caution for this not to happen. Everyone must take necessary care for the Tigrayans, be it in the police, defense force, civilians or any other place. Some were made to leave their jobs last time.
“We have to stop the songs of victory”
There are two things that they and this honorable house also needs to understand. The first is: a serious massacre took place there [in Tigray], and so we must defend them here from any angry soldiers who heard about what happened there—to prevent damage against them [Tigrayans] here. We must protect them.
The second thing is there is no doubt there were many who were paid [to commit crimes here]; those who had bombs and explosive materials in their homes and were ready to cause explosions. So, we must not wait for them to explode. We should defend [ourselves] and take lessons from Mai Kadra. Therefore, there were some actions which have been taken based on those two reasons that will be sorted out and redressed.
The other thing is winning the war has its challenge, just as losing has its challenges. We won the war with the highest bravery and capacity. But it is very dangerous if this led us to arrogance and chauvinism. We have to stop the songs of victory. As I believe it is the truth which won, it is the tears and prayers of Ethiopian mothers which won. The rest of us should humble ourselves. Humbleness is to not hate; to not sing about victory and entering into the main battle. The main battle is yet to be dealt with. Countries who don’t escape the poverty trap of repeat war at least one time in 10 years. Unless we escape the poverty trap and move to prosperity, there is no doubt we will fight with junta Y after we deal with junta X. To prevent this from happening, we have to quickly move to prosperity to get rid ourselves of the history of war.
We have to go for development. For this to happen, Ethiopians should repeat towards development the determination and cooperation they have shown now. A country which has not freed itself from the beginning will not have full freedom. Its boss and commanders are many. Let us work hard to free ourselves from the beginning and we can do that. We are able to change this country. We have the capacity and the clarity, if we continue with the work that we have started in industry, agriculture and cities. Development will not come overnight: it is a process. It is only Ethiopians who will realize development, others are only partners. Development will not come immediately, it will come through the effort and activity of our citizens. Therefore, to move towards prosperity we have to avoid another war, conflict, division along ethnic lines and avoiding snatching victory from one another. We have to move on from such news and it is expected for all of us to focus on our development, peace and elections through cooperation. I call upon the people of Ethiopia to do this in cooperation.
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የህጻናት የቀን ማቆያ ማዕከል፤ በሶማሌ ክልል ኤሌክትሪክ አገልግሎት
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Alton Brown: 'If I Can Get You Off the Sofa to Cook Something, I Win'
The “Good Eats” host on re-editing old episodes, the upcoming reboot, and his must-have wedding food.
By Adam Campbell-Schmitt
Two decades ago, Alton Brown unleashed Good Eats upon the Food Network. At a time when chefs just, you know, cooking stuff was the norm for most culinary television, Brown brought science, comedy, and a little mayhem to the table. Since then, Brown has become a mainstay on the cable channel, commentating on Iron Chef America and hosting his own game show, Cutthroat Kitchen, and the "Mr. Wizard" of edible entertainment.
Ahead of Good Eats' twentieth anniversary and a forthcoming Return of the Eats reboot, Alton Brown is first revisiting the series that made him a household name to casual viewers and food nerds alike, updating 13 classic episodes that, for one reason or another, needed fresh eyes. I spoke with Brown on the phone (yes, just a few days before his wedding) about the new/old series, smart appliances, and those dreaded “unitaskers.”
Why he went back to update past shows for Good Eats: Reloaded
“I really wanted to go back to the very early days and do some renovations, so to speak. Of the thirteen shows that I chose, once I was done, I replaced about 65 percent, on average, with new material. So much is different now. Heck, the first episode that’s going to kick this off is actually the pilot Good Eats episode which we shot in 1997, so that’s twenty-one years old. I do everything differently now. Technology has changed, ingredients have changed—there are ingredients in these reloads that Americans hadn’t heard of twenty years ago, they weren’t on the market. So in each one of these, I’m going back and fixing mistakes, updating recipes, and in a couple of cases completely changing out recipes because I didn’t like the first ones.”
How he chose which Good Eats episodes to revisit
“There are several different ways: One, we have the internet now with social media, and forums, and feedback from people, unlike in 1999 when we were getting comments via faxes and people were mailing off for recipes. I know that there were recipes people had a hard time with. Even if they worked for me, if they don’t work for people at home, I did something wrong. So there are a few cases where I’ve gone back in and figured out ‘ah, this is the problem.’ Another reason is that sometimes in the collective food science community, we’ve learned a better way.
In some cases, it’s a recipe that I just never freaking liked. Sometimes when you’re designing recipes for a show like this you’re doing it prove a science point. I never did recipes just to have recipes, I always called them ‘applications’ or proofs. They’re there to show how to use the science. And there are a couple that, quite frankly, they were fine, but in the long run I realized I never liked.”
The Good Eats recipe he actually hated
“Our fondue show. I hated that fondue. I started over so that I could have it gone, and now I really love it.”
What’s changed since Good Eats was on the air
“When I decided to stop making Good Eats after a fourteen-year run, it wasn’t because we had bad ratings, it wasn’t because I was tired. It was because I felt that a real sea-change was happening in the way that we consume media—the internet, social media, and the advent of the iPhone. I wanted to step back as a producer and filmmaker and see where that was going to go. I was concerned that we were losing the attention span to watch something like Good Eats. It was a dense, fairly complex show. You have to pay attention to it, certainly, to get any of the humor, it’s an investment of real time. Now we’ve gotten so used to watching these snackable little videos of things that we’re never going to cook. If I have any fear it’s that people aren’t going to pay attention as much as I want them to.
The thing that’s changed about me as a host is that I talk much faster on television than I did before.”
On single-use kitchen gadgets, or "unitaskers"
“I think everything can be hacked. Every single tool that’s come into my kitchen I’ve figured out how to hack to my will. There are companies that make these big claw things to pick up turkeys—they’re horrible for picking up turkeys, but they’re perfect for flipping fish on a grill. Who am I to say what’s a unitasker if someone else can come up with another way to use it?"
On the kitchen tools you can throw away right now
“Anything you haven’t used in the past six months.”
On so-called “smart” appliances
“They’re getting us closer to that food replicator on Star Trek, and that’s great. You can get food out of [them] that’s pretty wondrous. I happen to be a cook, though. To me, the activity of cooking, of understanding what’s going on, of using my brain, using my hands, using my skill, and using my senses are more important to me than the food itself. The self-reliance of knowing how to do these things is incredibly powerful.
Every one of these [smart] tools I can show where their limitations are—I can show you things a pressure cooker can do that an Instant Pot can’t dream of. Just saying ‘sous vide’ in a mirror three times does not make a great meal. If you buy advanced tools without learning how to use the simple tools, then you’re just as bad as those people who were into molecular gastronomy and using sodium alginate before they learned how to cook a carrot.
These are just tools, and it’s more about the brain using the tool. I am not interested in having Alexa drive my microwave.”
The one must-have food at his upcoming wedding
“We are caviar fanatics. We’re gonna have lots of it, good stuff. My fiancé and I are both pretty crazy about fish eggs, that’s the one thing we’re really splurging on.”
How Return of the Eats will be different from Good Eats
“Here’s what’s really changing: The technology is very different. The cameras that we have, the lenses that we have, the post-production systems that we have, the toolbox is very different. Yes, I still have to point a glass thing at something and make sure it’s in focus, but that’s about all that hasn’t changed.
I always said that with Good Eats, I made it for myself. So from that perspective, I took more of an artist’s approach. I’m still doing that, I’m making it for me, but technology is making more things possible.”
What he hopes to achieve with his Good Eats series
“More people are curious about food now than they ever have been, and I know that simply because of the wide array of people that come up to me to talk about it. We used to have a sign above our old studio door that I’m about to put up again that said ‘Laughing brains are more absorbent.’ We are first and foremost about entertainment, that’s why we’re here and why I do this. If, however, I can get you off the sofa to cook something, I win. And if I can get you to cook something for someone else, I win even more.”
Good Eats: Reloaded premieres Monday, October 15 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Food Network.
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Fortis Inc. and UNS Energy Corporation Transaction Review Completed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States
ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR - Fortis Inc. ("Fortis") (TSX:FTS) and UNS Energy Corporation ("UNS Energy") (NYSE:UNS) have been advised that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ("CFIUS") has completed its review of the proposed acquisition of UNS Energy by Fortis. CFIUS has determined that there are no unresolved national security concerns with respect to the transaction and that action under Section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended, is concluded with respect to this transaction. The CFIUS review concluded on May 20, 2014.
Completion of the proposed merger ("Merger"), in which UNS Energy would become an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Fortis, is subject to the following remaining processes: the approval of the Arizona Corporation Commission ("ACC"); the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended; and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.
As previously reported, on May 16, 2014, UNS Energy, Fortis, ACC Staff, the Residential Utility Consumer Office and other parties to the Merger proceedings entered into a settlement ("Settlement") in which the parties agree that the Merger is in the public interest, and recommend approval by the ACC, subject to certain conditions. The Settlement is subject to the review and approval of the ACC, which could approve, reject or require modifications to the Settlement as a condition of approval. ACC approval of the Merger must be obtained before the Merger can be completed.
Fortis and UNS Energy expect the Merger to close by the end of 2014.
About UNS Energy
UNS Energy is a vertically integrated utility services holding company, headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, engaged through three subsidiaries in the regulated electric generation and energy delivery business, primarily in the State of Arizona, serving approximately 657,000 electricity and gas customers.
Fortis is the largest investor-owned distribution utility in Canada, with total assets of approximately $18.6 billion and fiscal 2013 revenue exceeding $4 billion. Its regulated utilities account for approximately 90% of total assets and serve approximately 2.5 million customers across Canada and in New York State and the Caribbean. Fortis owns non-regulated hydroelectric generation assets in Canada, Belize and Upstate New York. The Corporation's non-utility investment is comprised of hotels and commercial real estate in Canada.
For more information, visit www.fortisinc.com or www.sedar.com.
Fortis includes forward-looking information in this material within the meaning of applicable securities laws in Canada ("forward-looking information"). The purpose of the forward-looking information is to provide management's expectations regarding the Corporation's future growth, results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities, and it may not be appropriate for other purposes. All forward-looking information is given pursuant to the safe harbour provisions of applicable Canadian securities legislation. The words "anticipates", "believes", "budgets", "could", "estimates", "expects", "forecasts", "intends", "may", "might", "plans", "projects", "schedule", "should", "will", "would" and similar expressions are often intended to identify forward-looking information, although not all forward-looking information contains these identifying words. The forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on assumptions developed using information currently available to the Corporation's management. Although Fortis believes that the forward-looking statements are based on information and assumptions which are current, reasonable and complete, these statements are necessarily subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties. For additional information on risk factors that have the potential to affect the Corporation, reference should be made to the Corporation's continuous disclosure materials filed from time to time with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and to the heading "Business Risk Management" in the Corporation's annual and quarterly Management Discussion and Analysis. Except as required by law, the Corporation undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking information as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date hereof.
Mr. Barry Perry
Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer
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Action Suspense
Digital Date
July 1, 2020 (Hulu)
August 22, 2006 (Buy on Amazon)
Wolfgang Petersen
Mark Protosevich
Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss, Emmy Rossum, Josh Lucas, Mike Vogel, Andre Braugher, Mia Maestro, Freddy Rodriguez, Kevin Dillon, Jacinda Barrett, Jimmy Bennett
Rated PG-13 for intense prolonged sequences of disaster and peril
When a rogue wave capsizes a luxury cruise ship in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, a small group of survivors find themselves unlikely allies in a battle for their lives. Preferring to test the odds alone, career gambler John Dylan (Josh Lucas) ignores captain's orders (Andre Braugher) to wait below for possible rescue and sets out to find his own way to safety. What begins as a solo mission soon draws others as... Full synopsis »
The summer season is upon us, but it sure doesn't feel like it. "Mission: Impossible III," which actually kicked ass in more ways than one, opened to a less-than-stellar box office. One week later: "Poseidon" opens amidst scouring reviews, a "what was the point of this remake?" feel about it, and a $20 million opening weekend gross, which, for a May blockbuster that cost anywhere between $140 and $200 million to make, is absolutely inexcusable. Full movie review »
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Oregon State Police Investigating Construction Flagger that was Struck - Clackamas County - 01/13/21
On Wednesday, January 13, 2021, at approximately 10:45 A.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a vehicle incident on Hwy 26 near milepost 32.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Portland General Electric (PGE) employees were repairing damaged power lines on the north side of Hwy 26. A PGE truck, operated by Joshua Rinard (41) of Sandy, was being repositioned when it backed into, Brenda Stader (50) of Portland, who was working as a flagger to assist with traffic control.
PGE was utilizing flaggers contracted through Northwest Traffic Control.
Stader sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.
OSP was assisted by the Sandy Fire Department and ODOT
The Oregon State Police to Utilize Oregon National Guard at State Capitol - 01/13/21
Oregon State Police Superintendent Terri Davie requested and was granted the activation of members of the Oregon National Guard to assist with potential upcoming civil unrest/protests by Governor Kate Brown.
“The Oregon State Police will continue to take a neutral role in ensuring Oregonians exercise their First Amendment rights,” said Oregon State Police Superintendent Davie. “For the past seven months, your Troopers have responded throughout Oregon to various protests, unlawful assemblies and riots. Our goals have always been to protect people, protect people’s rights and to protect property. The recent events at our Nation's Capitol building and at our own statehouse illustrate the need for law enforcement to be prepared and appropriately staffed for any large gatherings,” Davie added.
The Oregon Army National Guard will be deployed as necessary and their deployment locations will not be made public. OSP and the ONG routinely work and train together in response to Oregon’s challenges, including civil unrest, human remain recovery in the recent wildfire response and safeguarding our communities in times of crisis.
“With the Oregon National Guard supplementing OSP ranks, we will be ready to ensure peaceful events and handle emergency situations,” said Oregon State Police Captain Timothy Fox.
Oregon State Police will continue to work with our local, state and federal partners in planning for potential events at the Oregon State Capitol or any other jurisdiction in Oregon. OSP will continue to leverage their strong partnerships with local and federal law enforcement, in efforts to provide safety to legislators and employees conducting the people’s business in the Capitol.
The Oregon State Police does not discuss the specifics of potential threats or tactical plans made unless it is determined there is a public safety need.
Fatal Crash on Hwy 26 - Clatsop County - 01/12/21
On Monday, January 11, 2021 at approximately 3:40 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle crash on Hwy 26 near milepost 7.
Preliminary investigation revealed a Ford Explorer, operated by Lonnie Meade (65) of Seaside, was eastbound and stopped to turn left into a driveway when it was struck from behind by a Peterbuilt semi truck operated by Alejandro Flores (43) of Tigard.
Meade sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.
Flores was not injured.
Hwy 26 was closed for 4 hours.
OSP was assisted by the Seaside Fire Department, Hamlet Fire Department and ODOT.
Lincoln_County_Child_Approximation.JPG
UPDATE - Death Investigation - Lincoln County (Photo) - 01/11/21
As part of the ongoing investigation into the discovery of a female child’s remains at the Van Duzer Rest Area in Lincoln County, the Oregon State Police (OSP) continues to solicit the public’s assistance in identifying the child and the circumstances around her death. To date, we have received over 150 tips from citizens in the United States and Canada. We are deeply appreciative of the public’s input so far, and continue to accept information which may lead to the identification of the child.
The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office has estimated the child's age to be 6.5 to 10 years old. She is approximately 3’10” to 4’6” tall, and has long hair that is dark brown or black. Her race or ethnic origin has yet to be determined, but DNA analysis is not complete. A sketch completed by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office at our request has also been released.
OSP, in partnership with the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), and numerous state and local agencies across the United States, are using a variety of means to include or exclude known missing persons who match the general description and/or sketch previously released. This may include, but is not limited to, dental records, age, descriptors, and confirmed sightings via verifiable sources, and/or recent contacts with family or friends that demonstrate they were alive after the remains of the unidentified female were discovered in Lincoln County.
OSP will not comment on the individual methods used to exclude each child.
In an effort to refocus the public’s attention and reduce duplicative tips, OSP is now prepared to publicly exclude the following reported missing children from our investigation:
Dulce Alavez, age 6, from Bridgeton, NJ
Addyson Gibson, age 12, from Portland, OR
Noelle Johnson, age 7, from Portland, OR
Niayah Bylenga (AKA Niayah Crawford), age 7, from Pendleton, OR or Ritzville, WA
Tarie Price, age 8, from Gretna, NE
Breasia Terrell, age 10, from Davenport, IA
OSP reminds the public that while these children have been excluded from our investigation, they are all still reported missing and we ask the public to continue to be vigilant for these children and all other missing persons reported across the nation.
The Oregon State Police is releasing the attached approximation sketch of the child that was found in Lincoln County on December 10, 2020.
Sketch was provided with assistance of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.
If you have any information that might help investigators in identifying this child, please call 800-442-0776 or *OSP (*677).
*******************************************************************************************************************************************
Oregon State Police Detectives are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the remains of an individual discovered in rural Lincoln County.
On December 10, 2020, Investigators were summoned to the H.B. Van Duzer Forest State Scenic Corridor for a death investigation. At this location, investigators found the remains of a female child.
The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office estimate the deceased’s age to be 6.5 to 10 years old. She is approximately 3’10” to 4’6” tall, and had long hair that is dark brown or black. Her race or ethnic origin has yet to be determined, but DNA analysis is not complete.
Due to the condition of the remains she had likely been deceased at least 30 days before she was discovered.
No information regarding the cause or manner of death is available for release at this time.
On Thursday, December 10, 2020 Oregon State Police Major Crimes Detectives responded to the H.B. Van Duzer Forest State Scenic Corridor for a death investigation.
The area is a heavily wooded state park in Lincoln County, Oregon.
Due to the terrain OSP Detectives were assisted by Lincoln County SAR members.
At this time the deceased has yet to be positively identified. No further information regarding this individual is available for release until identity is established and next of kin can be notified.
An investigation into the circumstances of this incident is active and ongoing. No further details are available for release at this time.
Attached Media Files: Lincoln_County_Child_Approximation.JPG
Fatal Crash on Hwy 213 - Clackamas County - 01/09/21
On Saturday, January 9, 2021 at approximately 8:15 A.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a vehicle crash on Hwy 213 near S. Union Hall Rd.
Preliminary investigation revealed a Toyota Tacoma, operated by Elina Inget (66) of Eagle Point, was northbound when it lost control on the icy road and collided with a southbound Freightliner box truck operated by Colby Ransier (33) of Silverton.
Inget sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.
Ransier was transported to a local hospital for injuries.
Hwy 213 southbound was closed for approximately four hours.
OSP was assisted by Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, Molalla Fire Department and ODOT.
Fatal Crash on Hwy 101 - Curry County - 01/08/21
On Thursday, January 7, 2021 at approximately 5:30 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a vehicle that struck a pedestrian on Hwy 101 near milepost 358.
Preliminary investigation revealed a Dodge car, operated by Kristen Batey (44) of Brookings, was northbound when it struck Makenzie Long (28) of Brookings who was in the the northbound lane of Hwy 101.
Long was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced deceased.
OSP was assisted by Harbor Fire Department, Cal-Ore Ambulance, Brookings Police Department, Curry County Sheriff's Office and ODOT.
David Bowles
UPDATE - OSP seeking public assistance in locating a person of interest-Morrow County (Photo) - 01/08/21
On Thursday, January 7, 2021 at approximately 7:54 P.M., David Bowles voluntarily turned himself into the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office for outstanding felony warrants for manslaughter and felon in possession of a firearm.
Bowles has been wanted in connection to a homicide investigation that occurred December 15, 2020.
Oregon State Police took Bowles into custody for the outstanding felony warrants and transported him to the Umatilla County Jail.
Bowles was lodged at Umatilla County Jail for the two felony warrants out of Morrow County Circuit Court
The Oregon State Police has been asked by the Morrow County Sheriff’s Officer to take over a shooting investigation that occurred on December 15, 2020 in Heppner, Oregon- Morrow County.
The Morrow County Communications Center received reports of shots fired shortly before 9:30 P.M. on Tuesday, December 15, 2020. When Morrow County Sheriff’s Office Deputies arrive on scene, they found a 42-year-old female with a gunshot wound. She was transported to area hospital before being life flighted to OHSU in critical condition.
OSP is currently looking for David Bowles as a person of interest in this case. His location is unknown. He was last seen driving a brown Chevy Impala with an Oregon License Plate URG552. David is a 5’6 about 180 lbs. white male age 43 with graying hair and blue eyes. Please consider him armed and dangerous. If you know of his location, do not confront him call 911 or OSP Dispatch 800-442-2068 reference OSP case # SP200348879.
Attached Media Files: David Bowles , David Bowles
Oregon State Police to secure the Oregon State Capitol- Marion County - 01/06/21
Oregon State Police have heard rumors that armed groups were considering taking over and/or occupy the State Capitols.
Oregon State Police fully support peoples first amendment rights of freedom of speech and to gather peacefully. OSP will not tolerate criminal activities and you will be arrested if you engage in any of these acts.
The security of the capitol is our priority, if you are considering any unlawful activities at the Oregon State Capitol or surrounding areas, please reconsider. The safety of our community members, Capitol occupants, and police officers is paramount.
If you are aware of anyone that intends to engage in these criminal acts, please report them to your local law enforcement or to the Oregon State Police immediately.
Update- Events at Oregon State Capitol on January 6, 2021 - 01/06/21
On January 6, 2021 at approximately 6:00 P.M., Troopers contacted, Cody Melby (39), attempting to access several doors at the Oregon State Capitol. He was contacted and arrested for Trespassing while in possession of a firearm.
Cody Melby was lodged at the Marion County Jail.
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On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, Oregon State Police, Salem Police Department, and Marion County Sheriff's Office personnel were monitoring a protest that was occurring at the Oregon State Capitol.
At approximately 2:00 P.M., a group of counter protesters arrived at the Capitol and a fight broke out between the opposing sides. Law Enforcement members quickly separated the two groups and worked to keep the two groups separate for the remainder of the day.
David Willis (43) of Lincoln City, was arrested and charged with harassment and disorderly conduct. The investigation is continuing and more charges are possible after consultation with the Marion County District Attorney.
Fatal Crash on Interstate 5 - Marion County - 01/06/21
On Wednesday, January 6, 2021 at approximately 4:13 A.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to the report of a motor vehicle crash on Interstate 5 at the northbound Market St. Interchange.
Preliminary investigation revealed that a female pedestrian was in the off-ramp lane of traffic when she was struck by a Honda Civic, operated by Nicholas Kreitzer (46) of Salem, that was exiting the freeway.
Kreitzer stopped and cooperated with the investigation.
The female pedestrian was pronounced deceased.
Name will be released when available.
OSP was assisted by the Marion County Sheriff's Office, Salem Fire Department, and ODOT.
Canister_3.png
Oregon State Police Request Assistance in Identifying Person from December 21, 2020 Rally at Capitol - 01/05/21
The Oregon State Police is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying the person involved in the unlawful use of a weapon at the Oregon State Capitol.
On December 21, 2020, at approximately 10:22 A.M., an unidentified person threw a device, similar to a tear gas canister, into a crowd of police officers and citizens at the Capitol building. The device emitted smoke and a gas irritant.
Investigators located video footage of the individual and captured the attached still photos of the suspect immediately after the canister was thrown.
The person appears to be a white male, with brown hair and a short stocky/heavy build.
If anyone recognizes this individual or has information related to this event, please call the Oregon State Police Northern Command Center at 1-800-442-0776 or *OSP.
Attached Media Files: Canister_3.png , Canister_2.png , Canister_1.png
Fogarty.jpg
Oregon State Police Request Public's Assistance with Thefts from State Parks - Lincoln County (Photo) - 01/04/21
On December 30, 2020 the Oregon State Police received reports of thefts at Fogarty Creek State Park , Otter Crest Scenic Viewpoint, Boiler Bay Scenic Viewpoint, and the Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area .
Oregon State Park Rangers had discovered the thefts of interpretive sign displays (photographs attached). The approximately 2’ x 3” signs and their metal bases were removed from the parks.
The thefts are believed to have occurred between December 24, 2020 and December 30, 2020.
The Oregon State Police is investigating the thefts and requests anyone with information to contact the Oregon State Police Northern Command Center 1-800-442-0776 and leave information for Detective Brian Eskridge.
Attached Media Files: Fogarty.jpg , Devils_Punchbowl_New_Carissa_2018_(2).JPG , Cape_Foulweather_New_Carissa_2018.JPG , Boiler_Bay.jpg , 20201230_154158.jpg
Fatal Crash on Hwy 26 - Wasco County - 01/03/21
On Sunday, January 3, 2021 at approximately 11:50 A.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a three vehicle crash on Hwy 26 near milepost 77.
Preliminary investigation revealed that a Dodge Ram 1500, operated by Ryan Ranson (33) of Lake Stevens, WA., was eastbound when it sideswiped a westbound Toyota Highlander, operated by Michael Becker (45) of Beaverton, and then collided with a westbound Ford F-350 pickup operated by Michael Nehring (33) of La Center, WA.
Ranson sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.
Becker and his three passengers were not injured.
Nehring and his four passengers were not injured.
Hwy 26 was closed for approximately five and a half hours for the investigation.
OSP was assisted by ODOT, Warm Springs Fire and Rescue, and the Warm Springs Police Department.
Fatal Crash on Interstate 84 - Umatilla County - 01/01/21
On Thursday, December 31, 2020 at approximately 10:27 A.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to single vehicle crash on Interstate 84 near milepost 238.
Preliminary investigation revealed that a Freightliner CMV, operated by Chauncey Rife (41) of Midvale, Utah, was eastbound when it left the roadway.
Investigators believe Rife possibly had a medical event before the crash.
Rife was pronounced deceased.
OSP was assisted by the the Umatilla Tribal Fire Department and ODOT.
Fatal Crash on Hwy 18 - Lincoln County - 01/01/21
On Thursday December 31, 2020 at approximately 2:41 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle collision on Hwy 18 near milepost 10.
Preliminary investigation revealed a Honda Pilot, operated by Julien Doudna (35) of Mill City, was crossing Hwy 18 from the North Van Duzer rest area to the South Van Duzer rest area and collided with a Toyota Land cruiser, operated by Scott Brady (49) of Salem, which was eastbound on Hwy 18.
Honda Pilot passenger Brandy Doudna (44) of Mill City sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.
Julien Doudna along with three juveniles were transported to Salem Hospital. Another juvenile passenger was transported by Lifeflight to Legacy Emmanuel Hospital in Portland.
Brady and two passengers were not transported. A juvenile passenger was transported to North Lincoln Hospital.
Oregon State Police was assisted by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, ODOT Incident Response, North Lincoln Fire and Rescue, Pacific West Ambulance, and medical units from West Valley Fire and Rescue.
Oregon State Police Encourages People to Protest Lawfully, Peacefully, and Respectfully - Marion County - 12/30/20
The Oregon State Police is aware of several protests that are planned in the Salem area on Friday, January 1, 2021.
The protests are planned to happen at the Oregon State Capitol, Bush Pasture Park, and Mahonia Hall. These protests could also affect streets in the areas of these locations.
OSP encourages people to exercise their first amendment right, but please do so lawfully, peacefully, and respectfully.
OSP and Salem Police Department will have personnel assigned to monitor these protests. If criminal behavior is observed and the situation allows you will be cited or arrested. If an arrest or citation is not able to be immediately made, police will be investigating criminal behavior. If you feel you are the victim of a crime please ensure that you report that to the police.
OSP has set the following operational goals:
Ensure a safe, non-violent environment for rally participants.
Ensure a safe, non-violent environment for citizens of Salem and for those passing through the area.
Minimize traffic flow issues and disruptions.
Deter or prevent criminal acts and take enforcement action as necessary.
Protection of property from damage and unauthorized access.
Salem Police Department's Community Message is attached.
Attached Media Files: Salem_Police_Community_Message_-_January_1_Protests.pdf
Ryan Lyles
UPDATE - OSP responds to activities at the Oregon State Capitol- Marion County (Photo) - 12/28/20
On Sunday, December 27, 2020 at approximately 4:15 P.M., Jeremy Roberts turned himself in to the Oregon State Police.
He was lodged at the Marion County Jail on the following charges:
Probation Violation Warrant
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On Monday, December 21, 2020 at approximately 8:30 A.M., a group of people attempted to enter and protest inside the Oregon State Capitol. The Oregon State Capitol is closed due to COVID precautions. The Oregon State Capitol had set up televisions outside of the building for people to monitor the proceedings inside. Oregon State Police Troopers had checked and secured the doors to the Capitol. A door on the Northwest corner of the building was opened by a person exiting the building. Several protesters entered the vestibule area. There they were contacted by Troopers and asked to leave. As Troopers attempted to keep them from entering the main area of the Capitol, the altercation became physical (pushing). A protester sprayed some kind of chemical irritant (mace /OC / bear spray) into the vestibule. Troopers used inert Pepper Balls to keep the crowd back (essentially a paint ball filled with an inert powder) and Salem Police were able to keep the crowd contained in the vestibule.
OSP Troopers and Salem Police gave everyone in the vestibule several warnings to leave or they would be arrested for trespassing. At approximately 10:30 A.M., a protester again sprayed a chemical irritant at police. Police arrested Ryan Lyles (41) for felon in possession of body armor and unlawful use of mace. Protesters also deployed a device, which emitted smoke during the engagement.
Two people remained in the vestibule and were arrested, Ronald Vanvlack (75) and Jerry Dyerson (53) and charged with Criminal Trespass and Disorderly Conduct.
At approximately 1:30 P.M., the crowd again attempted to gain entry through a door on the west side of the Capitol. The window to the door was broken, but the building was not accessed. Police arrested Jeremiah Pruitt (35) for Criminal Mischief and Disorderly Conduct.
Jeremy Roberts (40) was also identified as a person that attempted to gain access through the west door and an attack on two reporters. Troopers are attempting to locate him at this time and he is not currently in custody.
All arrested were lodged at the Marion County Jail and charges will be referred to the Marion County District Attorney’s Office for consideration.
The 3rd Special Session of the 80th legislative assembly was able to continue and conduct legislative business throughout the day.
On December 21, 2020 at 1:30 P.M. a subject attempted to gain entry on the west side of the Oregon State Capitol building by breaking a widow of one of the doors. He was taken into custody.
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On December 21, 2020, while dealing with individuals that had gained entry into the Oregon State Capitol, OSP Troopers where sprayed with some kind of chemical agent on 2 different occasions.
At 8:30 A.M., when protesters entered that capitol building, at least one of the protesters used chemical agents on the police. That person is still outstanding. OSP used inert pepper ball, while dealing with these protestors.
At 10:30 A.M., when there were enough resources available between OSP & Salem Police Department, they started to push the crowd out of the building, when another individual used bear spray against police officers. That person, who has been identified as Ryan Lyles (41) (see photo), has been taken into custody. He is being lodged at Marion County Jail on multiple charges including trespassing and assaulting a police officer.
OSP has not deployed any CS gas.
The Oregon State Police encourage people to exercise their first amendment rights, but it must be lawfully. Please, discontinue the acts of vandalism or destruction of property. If you commit a crime you will be subject to arrest.
Due to the overwhelming number of media requests, we will not be responding to individual requests at this time.
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On December 21, 2020 around 8:30 A.M. during the third special session protesters where able to gain access to the Oregon State Capitol. The Oregon State Capitol is closed due to Covid-19 restrictions. Oregon State Police and Salem Police were able to get everyone out of the building. Two individuals refused to leave the building and where taken into custody
Attached Media Files: Ryan Lyles , Ryan_Lyles.jpg , Ronald_Vanvlack.jpg , Jerry_Dyerson.jpg , Jeremy_Roberts.jfif , Jeremiah_Pruitt.jpg
Fatal Crash on Hwy 395B - Umatilla County - 12/27/20
On Friday, December 25, 2020 at approximately 3:06 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a single vehicle crash on Hwy 395B near MP 53.
Preliminary investigation revealed a Ford Ranger pickup, operated by James Stroud (83) of Ukiah, was northbound when it traveled off the roadway and rolled.
Stroud and his passenger, Linda Stroud (79) of Ukiah, both sustained fatal injuries and were pronounced deceased.
OSP was assisted by the Ukiah Quick Response Medics, Umatilla County Sheriff's Office and ODOT.
Fatal Crash on Hwy 97 - Deschutes County - 12/24/20
On Thursday, December 24, 2020 at approximately 9:00 A.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle collision on Hwy 97 near milepost 119.
Preliminary investigation revealed a Subaru Legacy, operated by Kyle Willet (19) of Terrebonne, was southbound when it crossed into the northbound lanes and collided with a Chevy 3500 pickup operated by Thomas Kasch (79) of Culver.
Willet sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.
Kasch was transported via air ambulance to a Bend area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
OSP was assisted by the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, ODOT, and Redmond Fire and Rescue.
OSP is removing explosive hazard in Scappoose, Oregon- Columbia County - 12/20/20
Update- On December 18, 2020, an OSP from the St. Helens worksite stopped a vehicle operated by Richard Gundy-Hampton in the 33000 block of Sequoia St. in Scappoose, Oregon. The stop occurred next to the residence where Gundy-Hampton lived. Gundy-Hampton was a subject of interest in a domestic violence incident that occurred in Clackamas County.
During the contact with Gundy-Hampton, Troopers discovered evidence of methamphetamine possession, weapons possession and that he had been potentially manufacturing a destructive/explosive device. Detectives from OSP Criminal Investigative Division responded to the scene and obtained a search warrant for the residence and vehicle.
Soon after beginning their search, Investigators located suspicious items in the garage indicating that Gundy-Hampton had been manufacturing highly explosive materials inside the garage of the residence. The search of the scene stopped and explosive experts from Oregon State Police, the FBI, Portland Police Bureau and Gresham Police Department responded to the scene to assist. Explosive experts and investigators continued their investigation Saturday and Sunday, identifying 6 items containing explosives, which were disposed of on scene. Numerous other items were also transported from the scene by the OSP Explosives Unit for later disposal off site. The safe disposal of the items discovered in the residence required approximately 10 neighboring residents to be evacuated from their homes during the day Saturday and Sunday. In addition to the explosives, Investigators seized a large number of firearms, illegal firearms parts and illegal drugs from the scene.
Gundy-Hampton was lodged December 18, 2020, at the Columbia County Jail. Gundy-Hampton is currently being held at the Columbia County Jail on $5,000,000 bail.
As of this release all the residents displaced by the investigative activities and explosives disposal have been allowed to return to their homes. The investigation into this incident is ongoing.
Update- OSP, Portland Police Bureau and the FBI's exsplosive techician teams are back on seen at the residence in Scappoose, Oregon today, December 20, 2020. The teams are continuing the investigation and might need to do more controlled disposals. The neighboring homes have been evacuated.
Update- OSP explosive technicians along with teams from the Portland Police Bureau and the FBI have successfully disposed of 4 devices during the execution of the search warrant at the residence. Neighbors are being notified that they may return to their homes. This investigation of this incident is on going and no further information will be released at this time.
On December 18, 2020, OSP served a search warrant at a residence in the 33000 block of Sequoia St., Scappoose, Oregon. During the execution of the search warrant, Investigators encountered a substance that could present an explosive hazard. Investigators secured the scene and left to return in daylight hours with explosive experts.
This morning December 19, 2020, explosive experts returned to the home residence to start the mitigation of the hazard. The houses immediately neighboring the residence have been evacuated until the hazard has been removed. They will be contacted by OSP, when they are able to return to their homes.
Attached Media Files: Gundy-Hampton
James Nichol
OSP apprehends man wanted for attempted murder out of South Carolina (Photo) - 12/18/20
OSP Detective, assigned to the FBI Joint Task Force was contacted by Horry County Police Department, South Carolina to assist in locating and apprehending a man wanted for attempted murder of his mother and stealing her car. The suspect identified as James Shawn Nichol, (48) is from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Horry County PD in conjunction with the U.S. Marshals Service believed the subject may be traveling through Oregon.
On December 17, 2020, at approximately 5:50 P.M., Sgt. Aydelotte and Sr. Troopers Hagendorn and Macy located the suspect in the stolen car at the Baker Valley Rest Area located on the westbound side of I-84 near milepost 295. The initiated a high risk stop and the suspect was taken into custody without incident. The suspect is lodged in Baker County jail on attempted murder warrant. The stolen vehicle was towed from the scene to be held for the owner.
Horry County Police Department, who contact OSP for help, was extremely impressed with how quickly OSP worked to get the mission done.
This is a great example of interagency partnerships and how Law Enforcement across the states work together to get criminals off the streets.
Attached Media Files: James Nichol
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Kim Kardashian West's 'favourite part' of her Dubai trip
Pic: Instagram
Published Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Kim Kardashian West has been sharing photos from her trip to Dubai earlier this month on Instagram, and said that her visit to a children's home was the highlight of her trip.
The 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' beauty was a guest at the Rashid Paediatric Therapy Centre earlier this month and was blown away by the work of the "amazing teachers and caregivers" in giving the youngsters hope.
Alongside a picture with some of the kids posted on her Instagram, she wrote: "My favorite of the trip was visiting Rashid Paediatric Therapy Centre. These beautiful children showed me a performance of a lifetime! My hat goes off to the amazing teachers and caregivers who dedicate their time for the future of these children! (sic)
The 36-year-old star is back home in Los Angeles now, but has been been sharing pictures and videos of her trip on her social media account over the past few days.
Her coverage began with a photograph of her and Scott Disick on their way to Dubai.
The busty brunette was feeling "nervous" ahead of her visit to the city in the United Arab Emirates with Scott, 33, for her first official engagement since she was robbed at gunpoint in Paris last October but was doing "great" during her stay.
A source said at the time: "Her Dubai trip has been great. It's a work trip, but she has been sightseeing a bit as well.
"She was nervous before she left, but says it was the right decision. She misses her kids, but had a great weekend. She was excited to spend time with her fans."
And the television personality - who has North, three, and Saint, 13 months, with her husband Kanye West - was very "stressed" in the lead up to the trip but enjoyed herself when she got there.
An insider added: "She was stressed in the days leading up to leaving, but once she was there, she had an awesome time."
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Law magazines
John Thomas Scopes Trial: 1925 (The "Monkey Trial")
John Thomas Scopes Trial: 1925
(The "Monkey Trial")
Name of Defendant: John Thomas Scopes
Crime Charged: Teaching evolution
Chief Defense Lawyers: Clarence Darrow, Arthur Garfield Hays, and Dudley Field Malone.
Chief Prosecutors: William Jennings Bryan and A.T. Stewart
Judge: John T. Raulston
Place: Dayton, Tennessee
Dates of Trial: July 10-21, 1925
Verdict: Guilty; however, neither side won the case because the decision was reversed on a technicality involving the judge's error in imposing a fine that legally could only be set by the jury
Sentence: $100 fine
SIGNIFICANCE: The John Thomas Scopes trial checked the influence of Fundamentalism in public education and stripped William Jennings Bryan of his dignity as a key figure in American political history. It also marked the displacement of religious faith and rural values by scientific skepticism and cosmopolitanism as the dominant strains in American thought.
Rarely has the American psyche been so at odds with itself as in the early 1920s. In the cities, Americans were dancing to the opening bars of the Jazz Age, debating Sigmund Freud's theories and swigging bootleg liquor in defiance of Prohibition. In the rural heartland, particularly in the South, believers in oldfashioned values were caught up in a wave of religious revivalism. Preachers damned modern scientific rationalism in all its guises and upheld a strict and literal interpretation of the Bible as the only source of truth. A showdown between modernists and traditionalists to decide which would dominate American culture seemed inevitable. Both sides itched for a decisive battle.
Fundamentalists were particularly galled by the gains modernism had made in public schools, where the teaching of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection had supplanted the Biblical story of creation. To them, it seemed their tax dollars were being spent to turn their own children against—even to scoff at—the religion of their parents. Led by William Jennings Bryan, the thricedefeated presidential candidate of populism, the Fundamentalists tried to drive the Darwinian "heresy" out of the schools by legislative fiat.
In Tennessee a bill sponsored by John Washington Butler was enacted in February 1925, declaring it unlawful for a teacher in any school supported by state funds "to teach any theory that denies the story of the divine creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals." Fearful that if the Tennessee law went unchallenged other states would soon pass similar bills, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) immediately announced it would defend any teacher charged with violating the Butler Act.
A few weeks later, in the little town of Dayton, a transplanted New Yorker with Darwinian views got into a debate at the local drugstore soda fountain with two Fundamentalist lawyers. However much they fought over evolution and whether mankind and monkeys were close relatives, they quickly agreed that a trial to test the law would do wonders for Dayton's commerce. The 24-year-old science teacher of the local high school, John Thomas Scopes, was recruited that very afternoon to be the legal guinea pig. Just as quickly, the ACLU confirmed it was prepared to defend Scopes.
Using a state-approved textbook, Scopes taught a lesson on evolutionary theory on April 24 to his Rhea County High School science class. Arrested on May 7, Scopes was quickly indicted by the grand jury, setting the stage for what newspaper headline writers were already calling the "Monkey Trial."
The Circus Comes to Dayton
The legal teams fielded by both sides guaranteed the press attention they and Dayton's business leaders craved. The ACLU dispatched its chief attorney, Arthur Garfield Hays, and his partner, Dudley Field Malone, along with Clarence Darrow. Darrow, who had made his reputation by defending controversial clients, became the chief lawyer for the defense. A militant agnostic, he had long been on a personal crusade against resurgent Fundamentalism, and he saw the Scopes trial as the perfect opportunity to kick the wobbly intellectual props out from under that ideology.
Personifying the Fundamentalist world view, the star of the prosecution team was none other than William Jennings Bryan himself. No one was more holier-than-thou or more effective on the stump in defending old-fashioned rural America's Fundamentalist values than "The Great Commoner," as he liked to be called.
Pro-and anti-evolutionists alike billed the trial as a winner-take-all debate between incompatible ideologies, a forensic armageddon between religion and science, faith and reason, traditional and modern values, the forces of light and the forces of darkness. Scientists and intellectuals were horrified at the prospect of a state barring scientific knowledge from the classroom. Civil libertarians saw the case as a crucial test of academic freedom, which had to be defended regardless of the prevailing religious beliefs of the local population. Fundamentalists proclaimed the case a last-ditch battle to save the souls of their children from atheism.
Big-city editors recognized it as a circus and sent their most waspish reporters and columnists to poke fun at the hayseeds. Dozens of new telegraph lines had to be strung into Dayton to handle their cable traffic. In addition to the lawyers and reporters, the town was overrun with itinerant preachers, commercial hucksters, eccentrics of every stripe, and numerous chimpanzees accompanied by their trainers. Monkey dolls, umbrellas with monkey handles, and dozens of other souvenirs with a monkey motif were put on sale.
Despite the circus-like atmosphere, the trial was no laughing matter for Bryan. Arriving a few days early, he preached to a large audience, "The contest between evolution and Christianity is a duel to the death.… If evolution wins in Dayton, Christianity goes."
Evolution on Trial
The trial began Friday, July 10, 1925, with Judge John T. Raulston presiding. More than 900 spectators packed the sweltering courtroom. Because of an error in the original indictment, most of the first morning was spent selecting another grand jury and drawing up a new indictment. With that task done, a trial jury of 10 farmers, a schoolteacher and a clerk was quickly impaneled, and the court adjourned for the weekend.
On the first business day of the trial, the defense tried and failed to quash the indictment on grounds that the law violated both the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which states that no one may be deprived of rights without due process of law, and the freedom of religion clause of the First Amendment. Describing the Butler Act to be "as brazen and as bold an attempt to destroy learning as was ever made in the Middle Ages," Darrow predicted there would be a natural progression from the forbidding of the teaching of evolution in public schools to the banning of books and censoring of newspapers.
The opening statement for the prosecution was made the next day by A.T. Stewart, the attorney general of Tennessee, who charged Scopes with contradicting the Biblical story of Creation, thus violating the Butler Act. Responding for the defense, Dudley Malone insisted that for Scopes to be convicted the state had to prove two things: that he had denied the Biblical story of creation and that he had taught instead that man descended from a lower order of animals. Proving both would considerably complicate the prosecution's task. (While Scopes had admitted teaching evolution, there was no evidence he had denied the Bible's version of man's origins.) Malone conceded there was there were some apparent contradictions between the Darwinian and Biblical accounts of creation, but he noted that many people managed to reconcile the two theories. Only the Fundamentalists maintained that science and religion were totally incompatible on the subject.
The prosecution's case was presented briskly. The superintendent of the Rhea County school system testified that Scopes had admitted teaching evolution in a biology class. Stewart then offered a King James Version of the Bible as evidence of what the Butler Act described as the Biblical account of Creation. The judge accepted this as evidence over the objection of Arthur Garfield Hays, who pointed out that there were several different versions of the Bible.
Scopes' students testified that he had taught that mammals had evolved from one-cell organisms and that humans share the classification "mammal" with monkeys, cats, etc. The owner of the local drugstore where Scopes had purchased the textbook he used to teach evolution acknowledged that the state had authorized sale of the textbook. Darrow and the druggist read aloud portions on Darwin. To counter, Steward read the first two chapters of the Old Testament's Genesis into the record. With that, the prosecution rested.
The next day, Thursday, July 16, the defense started calling its witnesses, beginning with a zoologist from Johns Hopkins University. The prosecution objected, arguing the evidence was inadmissible and irrelevant since the jury did not need to understand evolutionary theory to decide whether Scopes had violated the law in teaching it.
Bryan seized this opportunity to give his major speech of the trial. Clutching the offending textbook in one hand and a palm fan in the other, he belittled the theory of evolution and ridiculed a diagram in the textbook. Bryan charged that Darwinism produced agnostics and atheists, thus weakening moral standards. As evidence of this, he claimed it had inspired the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, whose writings, in turn, had motivated the Chicago "thrillkillers," Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb. Darrow, who had been the defense attorney in that case, angrily objected, stating that Bryan was misrepresenting Nietzsche's views to prejudice the jury; Judge Raulston overruled him. Bryan closed on a defiant note, assuring his audience that the Bible would survive attacks by scientists trying to reconcile it with evolution. Although some of his quips provoked appreciative laughter from spectators, observers noted that the speech lacked the eloquence and punch of Bryan's best stump performances.
Dudley Malone, presenting the defense's last argument for the admissibility of scientific evidence, charged the Fundamentalists with suppressing new ideas out of fear and claiming they had a monopoly on the truth. Malone proclaimed: "The truth always wins.… The truth does not need the forces of Government. The truth does not need Mr. Bryan. The truth is imperishable," Malone declared. "We feel we stand with progress.… We feel we stand with fundamental freedom in America. We are not afraid. Where is the fear? We defy it!" Although Malone's speech received more applause than Bryan's, it failed to persuade the judge.
The phrase "descended from a lower order of animals" was clear enough to define evolution under the law, Judge Raulston decided, ruling out the admissibility of scientific testimony.
Enraged by this decision, Arthur Hays requested the judge at least permit the expert statements to be entered into the court record, not to be heard by the jury but to be available to an appeals court. Avoiding cross-examination of its expert witnesses, the defense lawyers submitted their written statements, summaries of which went into the record.
Darrow Deflates Bryan
The trial, which had been moved to the courthouse lawn to accommodate the crowds, seemed to be winding down when defense attorney Hays dropped a bombshell: He called William Jennings Bryan to the stand as an expert on the Bible. This was an unheard-of legal tactic, but, with jaunty overconfidence, Bryan sprang up to accept the dare and the doubtful judge agreed. Darrow, whose skill at trapping witnesses with their own words was legendary, dropped his previously gentle manner when Bryan took the stand. First, he got Bryan to state every word in the Bible was literally true. He then asked how the Old Testament figure Cain got a wife if he, Adam, Eve, and Abel were the only four people on earth at the time, as the Bible said. Next, Clarence Darrow pointed out that the Book of Genesis states that the serpent who tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden was condemned by God to slither on its belly, Darrow then asked Bryan if before that, had the snake walked on its tail? The more Darrow bored in, the more entangled Bryan became in contradictions, and the more foolish he and his cause appeared.
Sweating and shaking, Bryan shocked his own supporters by admitting he didn't think the earth was made in six 24-hour days, as a literal reading of the Bible suggested. This was significant, since literalism was the cornerstone of Fundamentalist doctrine. The personal antagonism between Darrow and Bryan charged the courtroom with electricity. Bryan accused Darrow of insulting the Bible. Darrow responded, "I am examining you on your fool ideas that no Christian on earth believes."
Finally, after an hour and a half, Judge Raulston adjourned the proceedings in a transparent attempt to save Bryan further embarrassment. The next morning Bryan's testimony was described as irrelevant and removed from the record by the judge. The defense immediately rested, denying Bryan any opportunity to erase the previous day's humiliation.
Closing for the defense, Clarence Darrow stole the prosecution's lines by asking the jury to find Scopes guilty so that the case could be appealed. After nine minutes, the jury came back with a guilty verdict. In violation of Tennessee law, which required that the fine be set by the jury, Raulston advised the jury to let him fix the fine, an error that led the court of appeals to reject the original verdict. While the appeals court upheld the constitutionality of the Butler Act, it did not order a retrial for John Thomas Scopes, who by that time had given up teaching.
In a narrow sense, Scopes and the evolutionists lost the battle. But it was soon apparent that they had won the war. No attempt was made to enforce the Butler Act again, although it was not repealed until 1967. Within a few years, efforts to enforce similar laws in other states were also abandoned. The Supreme Court put the issue to rest in 1968, when it held a similar statute in Arkansas unconstitutional because it violated the separation of church and state required by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
But the Scopes trial is remembered not so much for its legal as its social and cultural significance. It marked a watershed in intellectual history; before Scopes, religious faith was the common, if not universal, premise of American thought; after Scopes, scientific skepticism prevailed. Friends and enemies alike viewed William Jennings Bryan's death just a few weeks after the trial ended as tolling the end of an era. A 1955 play and subsequent film based on the events in Dayton, Tennessee, Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Lee, ensured that the trial would remain among the most remembered courtroom battles in U.S. history.
—Edward W. Knappman
Allen, Leslie H., ed. Bryan And Darrow At Dayton: The Record And Documents Of The "Bible Evolution Trial." New York: Arthur Lee, 1925.
Coletta, Paolo E. WVilliam Jennings Bryan. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1969.
Darrow, Clarence. The Story Of My Life. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1932.
De Camp, L. Sprague. The Great Monkey Trial. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Co., 1968.
Ginger, Raymond. Six Days Or Forever: Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes. Boston: Beacon Press, 1958.
Hays, Arthur Garfield. Let Freedom Ring. New York: Boni & Liveright, 1928.
Koenig, Louis W. Bryan: A Political Biography of William Jennings Bryan. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1971.
Levine, Lawrence. Defender of The Faith: WVilliam Jennings Bryan: The Last Decade 1915-1925. New York: Oxford University Press, 1965.
Scopes, John. Center of The Storm. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1967.
Stone, Irving. Clarence Darrow For The Defense. Garden City N.Y.: Doubleday & Co., 1941.
Tierney, Kevin. Darrow: A Biography. New York: T.Y. Crowell, 1979.
Tompkins, Jerry. D-days at Dayton. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1965.
Weinberg, Arthur, ed. Attorney For The Damned. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1957.
Great American Trials
"John Thomas Scopes Trial: 1925 (The "Monkey Trial") ." Great American Trials. . Encyclopedia.com. 13 Jan. 2021 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"John Thomas Scopes Trial: 1925 (The "Monkey Trial") ." Great American Trials. . Encyclopedia.com. (January 13, 2021). https://www.encyclopedia.com/law/law-magazines/john-thomas-scopes-trial-1925-monkey-trial
"John Thomas Scopes Trial: 1925 (The "Monkey Trial") ." Great American Trials. . Retrieved January 13, 2021 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/law/law-magazines/john-thomas-scopes-trial-1925-monkey-trial
William Jennings Bryan , Bryan, William Jennings Born March 19, 1860 (Salem, Illinois) Lawyer and politician "[It is] better to trust in the Rock of Ages [Christianity] than… Scopes Trial , The dramatic Scopes “Monkey Trial” in 1925 involved the prosecution of high school science teacher John T. Scopes (1900–1970) for violating Tennessee… Trial , Trial A judicial examination and determination of facts and legal issues arising between parties to a civil or criminal action. In the United States,… Trial By Jury , The right to jury trial is provided in three clauses of the Constitution of the United States. Jury trial in federal criminal cases is required by Ar… Speedy Trial , The right to a speedy trial finds expression in the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions, state and federal statutory law, and state and federal ca… Charles Manson , Charles Manson Trial: 1970-71 Defendants: Charles Manson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, Leslie Van Houten Crimes Charged: First-degree murder an…
The Scopes Trial Highlights the Battle over Evolution
Scopes “Monkey” Trial
Tennessee v. Scopes 289 SW 363 (1925)
The Scopes Trial, 1925
John Fries Trials: 1799
Roland Molineux Trials: 1899
John Thomas Bigge
John the Silent, St.
John the Grammarian, of Caesarea
John the Evangelist
John the Deacon of Rome (Hymmonides)
John the Deacon of Naples
John the Baptist, St., Iconography of
John the Baptist, St.
John the Almsgiver, St.
John Talafierro Thompson
John T. Parsons
John Sydney Edkins
John Stratford
John Stewart Kennedy
John Stearns
John Snow's Map
John Singleton Mosby
John Simonis of Selandia
John Silber
John Shaw Neilson
John Seiler Brubacher
John Sean O'Feeney Ford
John Tucker Must Die
John Turberville Needham
John Tuzo Wilson
John Tyler Community College
John Tyler Community College: Distance Learning Programs
John Tyler Community College: Narrative Description
John Tyler Community College: Tabular Data
John V, Pope
John Venn
John VI (king of Portugal)
John VI, Pope
John VII (Byzantine emperor)
John VII Grammaticus, Patriarch of Constantinople
John VII, Pope
John VIII, Antipope
John VIII, Pope
John Vincent Atanasoff
John Vincentius, St.
John W. Danforth Company
John W. Mauchley
John W. Young
John Wallis
John Warcup Cornforth
John Watkins Brett
John Wayne and Lorena Bobbitt Trials: 1993 & 1994
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De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things)
by Titus Lucretius Carus
Lucretius begins by invoking the name of Venus as a creative force, appealing to Memmius (to whom the work is addressed), and then praising his master Epicurus. (Scholars have noted the seeming inconsistency in Lucretius' invoking Venus at the beginning of a work that disclaims the gods' involvement with human life. The solution most commonly offered is that such a invocation was standard in the literature of the time, and that by keeping to the standard Lucretius hoped to win the trust and continued attention of readers.) Lucretius states that religion teaches fear, while science teaches fact. He recounts the story of Agamemnon, who was willing to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia for the good will of the gods. This is not piety, Lucretius says, but rather wickedness demanded by religion.
Download De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things) Study Guide
Next, Lucretius sets about describing atoms as the building blocks of every object and living thing in the world. Nothing comes from nothing, and no object can ever be reduced to nothing. Although atoms cannot be seen, their presence can be felt in the wind, evaporation and humidity, and sensory experience. The entire world is composed of atoms and space, or void. Void is what allows motion because atoms can move through space without interference. Lucretius asserts that atoms are indivisible, solid, and indestructible, as each one moves from thing to thing.
In anticipation of protests, Lucretius disclaims the theories of the philosophers Heraclitus, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, and the Stoic objectors. Next, Lucretius explains that the universe is infinite. He illustrates this point by asking what would happen if a man went to the edge of the earth and threw a spear. The spear would, of course, go somewhere. Consequently, he reasons, atoms and void are infinite.
Lucretius explains that the differing properties of things are accounted for by the different properties of atoms. For example, substances with a bitter or harsh taste have sharper atoms than substances that have pleasant tastes. The same is true for aromas. A disagreeable scent irritates the nose as its atoms pass through, while pleasant scents are composed of smooth atoms. There are a fixed number of atomic shapes even though there are infinite atoms. Atoms are also colorless. He stresses that atoms are indestructible, but their compulsion to move on to other things creates instability in the world. He describes atomic motion as swerving. If atoms simply moved straight down, he explains, they would never collide and hence would never create anything at all.
All things must die, despite the fact that the atoms that make up a person came from another source and will become something else when the person dies. Earth provides everything humans need to live, but not forever. Lucretius concludes with the idea that there are other worlds like this one, subject to the same laws of atoms.
Book Three
The atomic theories are applied to humankind as Lucretius considers the nature of the soul (which he equates with the mind). He argues that even the soul is subject to death because it is composed of atoms, which are only present temporarily. Lucretius sets out four elements of the soul's atomic composition—air, breath, warmth, and an unnamed fourth element. He claims that the soul resides in a person' s chest and is really a body part, except that the soul cannot exist without the body and vice-versa. Lucretius likens the body to ajar holding the soul; if the jar is dropped and shatters, the soul leaks out. Lucretius ends the book by reproaching those who fear death. After all, there is nothing after death, so why live in fear of nothingness? Death brings about the end of desire and is not to be mourned. Lucretius adds that all the great men who have gone before have died, so it is approaching arrogance to feel uncomfortable about following their paths. Living one's entire life in fear of death serves only to ruin what chance of happiness and peace there may be.
Book Four
Sense perception and visions are accounted for in Book Four. Lucretius explains that objects constantly give off atoms that can be perceived by the senses. These are called "films" or "peels." He adds that the senses are completely reliable, although interpretations of what is sensed are not always accurate. As an example, he writes that there are no such things as Centaurs, yet people have seen them because they perceive a film of a man and a film of a horse stuck together and interpret this as a single creature. Because people can be fooled by films that produce, what seems to be, images of Centaurs and other non-existent creatures, they feel compelled to create mythologies about them. This is how woodland gods, spectres, and dreams come into being in the mind.
As Lucretius approaches the end of this book, he begins a fiery section about love and lust. He describes romantic love as an emotional state to be avoided, as it is destructive and causes men and women to make poor decisions and lead themselves into ruin. Oddly, he includes a discussion of infertility and explains why it happens and how it can be corrected. He concludes with a brief description of true love. "Habit is the recipe for love," he says, suggesting that true love is not found in sudden passion but, instead, develops over time.
In Book Five, the longest of the six books, Lucretius offers an account of how the world began and how civilization developed. He again emphasizes the futility of fearing gods or death, and he praises the virtues of friendship and peace.
First, Lucretius establishes that his telling of the creation of the world is not blasphemous because the gods are remote and unconcerned with human dealings. Besides, the gods have nothing to do with the creation of the world; nature is solely responsible. Explaining the wonders of celestial bodies, he returns to the assertion that everything is mortal and is subject to decay. The sun and moon are about the same size as they appear to the eyes and celestial bodies move because of gusts of heavenly winds. He describes the destructive nature of the elements and how they often battle each other.
Next, Lucretius describes life for early people as difficult and dangerous, but free of war between tribes. Early in human history, there were freakish beings that failed to continue in existence because they were unable to survive into adulthood, find food, or procreate. He explains that whenever a new idea came about, it was shared so that the other people could benefit by it. Humankind comes to discover fire, create language and music, develop medicine, establish law, and, upon discovering metal, makes progress in farming. Warfare is also raised to new heights with the creation of metal weapons.
Book Six
Lucretius opens Book Six with an extended speech about Epicurus, which many scholars view as a eulogy. In the final book of his epic, Lucretius intends to cast away any doubt in his reader's mind that there exist deities that meddle in human affairs. Natural occurrences such as high winds, volcanic eruptions, lightning, and earthquakes have nothing to do with divine activity. Only nature has the power to make these things happen, and to assume that the gods create them is ridiculous. Further, worshipping the gods does not prevent catastrophe. By discussing each type of natural disaster (and phenomena such as magnetism and rainbows), Lucretius hopes to reveal the folly of superstition so prevalent in his society.
Lucretius tells of the Athenian plague of 430 B.C., during which there was no comfort for the afflicted or for the survivors. Lucretius supposes that the Athenians failed to realize that there are limits to both pleasure and pain, otherwise they would know that nature does not give death without also giving life. This story brings the epic to a fitting close, as Lucretius began with the figure of Venus as a creative and life-giving force. Throughout the poem, Lucretius emphasizes the fleeting quality of life, and he supports his argument by constructing his poem in such a way that it begins with life and ends with death.
What does Lucretius mention about pleasure and its relationship to happiness? Please list the books which involve pleasure and happiness.
How would you define Lucretius's views on pleasure in his work De Rerum Natura?
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Elton John Tour Dates
Undeniably one of the most acclaimed and adored artists of all time, Elton’s spectacular stage shows are sought after by audiences worldwide. Since his career began in 1969 he has played more than 3,500 concerts in over 80 countries.
Elton is one of the top-selling solo artists of all time having sold more than 300 million records worldwide, with 58 Billboard Top 40 singles. Elton holds the record for one of the biggest-selling singles of all time, Candle in the Wind 1997, which sold in excess of 33 million copies. He has also written the music for stage and screen successes Billy Elliot: The Musical, Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, and The Lion King.
As one of the most lauded and celebrated performers, his spectacular stage shows are sought-after by audiences worldwide.
Official website eltonjohn.com
Listen to Elton John
Oct 30 Sat
Manchester, The AO Arena
London, The O2
Leeds, first direct arena
Nov 07 Sun
Birmingham, Resorts World Arena
Nov 27 Sat
M&S Bank Arena Liverpool
Dublin, 3Arena
Dec 04 Sat
SSE Arena, Belfast
Aberdeen, P&J Live
Glasgow, The SSE Hydro
Fans who like Elton John also like:
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Review: The Unteachables
By Chris - January 07, 2021
I read pretty much all genres, all age levels — but I am discerning. Like the child I once was, who would have picked up this book in a heartbeat, I read what I consider quality writing and illustrations.
So I know what I like — and I truly enjoyed Gordon Korman's The Unteachables. It is a delightful and worthy read, even for those close(r) to (early) retirement.
Zachary Kermit can see early retirement from his desk at Greenwich Middle School. While his classroom changes every year, his goal does not. Early retirement has been his goal for decades, as he was moved from classroom to classroom, subject to subject, after a crushing disappointment in his early years of teaching.
And what a teacher he was! Fierce, engaging, supportive, and driven. Nothing like the silent, coffee-swilling shell of an educator sitting at the front of the class in Room 117. School Superintendent Dr. Thaddeus, worried about budgets, sees Mr. Kermit's family's longevity and cringes: the school district could be in for 50+ years of payments to a man he loathes.
Solution: SCS-8, also known as The Unteachables, a motley crew of underachieving students who don't have a place in any other classroom. The school has given up on them, and they on themselves. They are the answer to Dr. Thaddeus' prayers. One last mess-up, and the superintendent can fire Mr. Kermit.
But as with everything involving The Unteachables, nothing is easy.
The charm of this book is in the characters, each of whom is vivid and engaging on the page. Everyone has a role in the story, and a chapter in the book, and readers grow to understand them and cheer for them.
Characters include, but are not limited to: a boy who can drive a truck but sees the world in jumbled letters. The daughter of an actor on the cusp of stardom staying with her father and stepmother — and their new baby — for a few weeks, until filming is done. A redheaded fireball and a giant, quiet fear-inducing sequoia of a girl. A jock who skated along on his athleticism until an injury knocked him off the field. An artist who sleeps through class. And Mr. Kermit, who cannot get past the disastrous turn his life took decades ago that cost him his self-respect, his love, and his career.
Even the peripheral characters — Gram, Chauncey, Principal Vargas — are fully formed and have pivotal roles in the story.
The dialogue is sharp and interesting, and readers can picture everyone as they move around the classroom, the school, and even the town of Greenwich.
I found myself reading way past my bedtime, just one more chapter, and enjoying every page (even if I squirmed with discomfort for educators and students alike). I am anxious to share the book with the rest of my family. And friends. And strangers. I may have to purchase copies for local Little Free Libraries.
This book is perfect for all ages, for all reading levels. I strongly recommend this book for all readers who want a book with suspense, humor, and a lot of fun.
Then you'll start looking for other books by Korman, as I have. Haunt your library, peruse bookstores, just find this book, read it, and share it — and see what else this author has in store for you.
Gordon Korman juvenile fiction The Unteachables Zachary Kermit
My 12 Favorite — and Two Least Favorite — Books of...
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“Project Longbow” – Manchester City’s alleged scheme to make costs vanish in the face of FFP – Mediapart
French outlet Mediapart claim that Premier League side Manchester City formulated a project titled “Project Longbow” as a scheme to make costs disappear in the face of Financial Fair Play restrictions.
Get French Football News takes no responsibility for the authenticity of the content.
Football Leaks obtained by Mediapart claim that Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano once wrote that they need “to fight” against Financial Fair Play but “in the least visible way possible, otherwise the finger will pointed at us as an enemy of football.”
Simon Cliff, General Secretary at Manchester City had a plan – named Project Longbow because such a weapon was used “by the English to beat the French at Crecy and Agincourt” – in an apparent attempt to be funny, the French that City had to beat in this instance was UEFA President Michel Platini.
Mediapart claim that Project Longbow’s objective was to remove costs from Manchester City’s balance sheet. A 2012 PowerPoint presentation details “costs to be shifted either fully or partially away from the Clubs.” How did they allegedly achieve this? By using parallel companies – such as Fordham, which allows Manchester City to outsource the cost of image rights – i.e. what is paid to its players to use their image in advertising and marketing.
Fordham was allegedly responsible for remunerating players and E-Sports gamers nearly €30m a year, but their accounts suggest they don’t make a penny, according to Mediapart, a veritable magic trick.
Jorge Chumillas, Manchester City’s Director of Finance, is said to have wrote that Fordham “is an integral part of our project Longbow”.
Fordham is run by a father-son double-act, David and Jonathan Rowland. David is a prominent Conservative party donor and was due to become the political group’s Treasurer in 2010, before he was forced to back down after the Daily Mail revealed his former status as a tax exile. Mediapart understand that he is close with the prince of Abu Dhabi.
The scheme is alleged to have proceeded as follows: on the 13th May 2013, Manchester City sold the image rights of its best players to a company called “Manchester City Football Club (Image Rights) Ltd” – on the same day, the company was sold to Havilland bank for £24.5m.
2 months later, in July 2013, the company is renamed Fordham Sports Image Rights Ltd, belonging to an English company that is attached to another company installed in the British Virgin Islands, which belongs to the Rowland Family Trust. Mediapart argue that such precautions were taken because Fordham was merely a front to hide money that was injected by Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), Sheikh Mansour’s holding company, transferred money to Rowland to buy the image rights and pay the players.
Simon Pearce, now a non-executive director at Manchester City is alleged to have cooled fears from Rowland junior about the scheme: “You will have the money before distributing it… For your operational costs, we will send an advance sum of about £11m.”
In order for Abu Dhabi United Group to release the funds to Fordham, Pearce needed the go ahead from President Khaldoon al Mubarak, but that was merely a formality. Pearce is alleged to have written jokingly to a colleague: “I have become the de facto director general of the Abu Dhabi United Group.”
A year later, and accountancy firm PwC, under the instruction of UEFA, investigated Manchester City’s accounts and had concerns relating to the Fordham arrangement claiming “it is difficult to understand how Fordham could get anything out of this”. This was because officially, Fordham paid players without receiving anything themselves.
Mediapart state that City claimed to have no knowledge, as Fordham was an independent company and they did not know their business plan. City claimed to have accepted the deal because “it came at a good price” – even though it is Manchester City themselves who are alleged to have fixed the whole deal.
The Havilland bank denied any involvement in a response to a comment from Mediapart.
Mediapart claim that Manchester City have since ceased the practice of selling the image rights of its players to other companies, but Fordham still exists, and in June 2017 it posted total losses of £75m.
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Headquartered in the Boston area with operations in Hong Kong and China, we're a group of experts in engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing who share a passion for problem-solving.
We manufacture trusted relationships.
We can't bring China closer. But we can manage the raw materials more effectively. We've been doing it for over 20 years. And we know we can do it for you.
Stephen Bates
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Stephen founded Global Interconnect Inc in 1995. Prior to this, Stephen spent five years in the Interconnect Industry holding positions in Finance, Sales and Operations with Volex, a $450MM publicly traded UK based company. Stephen started his career in Commercial Lending with UMB (Kansas City) and Bank of Boston. He holds a BS degree from Babson College. Mr. Bates has held board positions with Crotched Mountain (Greenfield NH) and Champ House (Hyannis MA) and resides in Hingham MA with his wife and daughter. Their oldest son resides and works in Boston and their daughter is currently completing her senior year at St. Lawrence University. Sadly and unexpectedly their son Charlie passed away in April 2011 from SUDEP. Charlie and his medical challenges were the inspiration for starting Global Interconnect.
Todd Squire
Todd holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Bucknell University (Go Bison!). Prior to joining GII in 2004, Todd spent seven years with Booz Allen as a Management and Enterprise Systems Consultant for a variety of commercial and federal clients including the Federal Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Defense and Marriot International. Todd proudly serves on the Board of the Latham Centers as a way to give back to an incredible organization doing incredible work.
He interacts daily with Program Managers to provide input on overall supply chain strategies and solutions, members of the Quality department to review organizational trends and performance metrics, Procurement team to discuss supplier partnerships, safety stock initiatives and cost containment strategies, Logistics team to assess the effectiveness of GII’s various carriers and continual review of GII’s import/export operations, Engineering team from a resource, workload leveling and workflow standpoint, and last but certainly not least, daily interaction and collaboration with our China and Hong Kong based Teams to ensure GII is operating as a cohesive unit and executing short, mid and long term initiatives.
Robert E. Gray
Each day, Bob spends his time discussing new applications and process problems. He also focuses on how GII can integrate new solutions and special processes into a customer's finished device. Bob has years of experience at GII, providing manufacturing, quality, design, and leadership for the company's Engineering management initiatives. Prior to his time at Global Interconnect, Bob obtained many certifications, such as a High Reliability Soldering Instructor, a certified Quality Engineer, and a certified Quality Auditor to name a few. He has continued to take courses to further his education in areas such as contact theory, high reliability soldering, ACAD, and statistical process control. Throughout his career, he has worked in everything from high frequency components, to design engineering of high volume stamped contacts, to providing product support for Gyro manufacturing.
James Rosebush
James Rosebush has a long track record of growing companies globally including Cisco Systems, Sapient Corporation, Smart Technologies, JP Morgan, MacDonald’s Corporation, MITRE Corporation, Bankers Trust, and many others, including start-ups and those in the medical technologies industry. He is a best-selling author and public speaker and has a passion for helping others become successful making effective sales pitches and speeches themselves. His background also includes six years in the Reagan White House as a senior aide to the President.
Dr. Steven Brooks
Dr. Brooks is the Chief Medical Officer of Global Interconnect, joining in 2017. Steve is a multi-faceted health care consultant, publisher, and clinical trialist. He was previously an Interventional Cardiologist who worked six years as a Medical Officer for the FDA in the Office of Device Evaluation (ODE). He has held industry and board positions with medical technology companies, as a consultant and embedded employee in a wide array of medical device companies, assisting in device commercialization. He has served in multiple capacities, including as a Medical Officer, in Regulatory Affairs and Health Economics. He continues to teach and mentor at Johns Hopkins University and University of Maryland. Steve has added his expertise in device usage, human factors, and physician workflow to assist GII engineers in their product design to develop optimized components. Dr. Brooks works seamlessly with GII engineers on design execution, product testing, as well as consult with GII customers on the regulatory process. Many new component designs or redesigns may have inherent regulatory implications with the US Food and Drug Administration. Steve is able to assist company’s regulatory personnel or perform these necessary services within GII for an easier transition and buildout.
Jonathan Goodwin
Day to day, Jonathan assists in customer communication and conversion of ideas to validated products. He facilitates engineering collaboration and communication with customers and internally, including our China based staff. Jonathan removes road blocks to assist in the best design solutions to meet customers goals as well as support methodical root cause analysis and resolve non-compliance in part performance. During his time at Global Interconnect, Jonathan has managed a team of engineers for the development and design of electro-mechanical systems, connectors and cable assemblies.
Troy Mauk
Director of Global Procurement
Troy L. Mauk has spent more than three decades honing a comprehensive skills and experience set in the electronics industry. In his early years in the Midwest, he worked in electronic distribution and as materials manager for warehouse locations in Chicago, St. Louis and Wichita. Subsequently, he advanced to cable assembly manufacturing as product manager for customer cable assembly lines and military connector assemblies for 12 years. As an opportunity in the medical field arose, he moved to assembly manufacturing for medical devices as a buyer/planner for critical care ventilators in Palm Springs. Mauk moved to the east coast for an emerging opportunity first as purchasing manager for Global Interconnect and then as its first director of global procurement. In his director position Mauk plans, manages and has responsibility for Global’s entire supply chain both domestically and internationally, advising in international logistics and planning and implementing international procurements.
Sarah Nugent
Director of Quality
Sarah has spent over 20 years in the biologics and medical device industry with focus on quality systems and ensuring product safety. Having a diverse background in employment history from research and development, validation engineering, Regulatory Affairs, contract manufacturing and quality systems, she finds quality systems and quality assurance to be the most rewarding as it crosses over several disciplines. Maneuvering through the heavily regulated medical device industry and balancing customer requirements is a challenge that she commits to embrace every day. Having worked for some very small companies to one of the largest medical device companies in the world, Sarah brings her vast experiences to the organization at Global Interconnect by managing and driving everything quality.
Cheryl Shaw
Director of Program Management
Prior to her time at Global Interconnect, Cheryl held roles in sales and marketing. She has taken those skills and experiences and has since applied them to her work at Global Interconnect. Cheryl spent the first nine years of her time at GII as a Program Manager, and now operates as Director of Program Management. Each day, Cheryl is tasked with managing multiple inventory programs for top tier medical and industrial accounts at Global Interconnect. As Director of Program Management, Cheryl is responsible for providing customer support in all areas, purchase order management of accounts, collaborating on engineering change orders as well as management of customer inventory.
Kyle Kruse
SVP, Product Solutions
Kyle Kruse is a graduate of Franklin Pierce University with a degree in Communications. He began his professional career by creating an exclusive partnership between Comcast and the Cape Cod Baseball League which required private investments and would broadcast the games on local television networks. Kyle’s passion for sales and marketing led him to an account executive role with the WB Mason Company from 2010-2013; one of the world’s largest contract office furniture and supply company that generates almost $2 billion dollars of revenue annually. Kyle produced seven figure sales annually and helped drive unique marketing campaigns that best aligned with the local market and economy. In 2014, Kyle made a the decision to leave a secure career and pursue his passion in helping smaller organizations achieve their growth goals by improving and scaling their sales and marketing processes. During this time, one of his greatest accomplishments came with a local media group in Boston that would help them land a private contract with TrueCar. In 2015, Kyle joined Global Interconnect Inc. (GII) as their business development executive and is now Senior Vice President of Product Solutions. Kyle and his team is focused on aligning GII’s products and services with medical device manufacturers throughout the world to add value and cost solutions for their custom connectors and cable assemblies.
VP, Product Solutions
After attending Mount IDA College, Scott pursued a career in health, fitness, and technology. It was in those initial years of his career that he developed a passion for working with individuals to create and execute long-term scalable business growth strategies. Since coming to Global Interconnect, Scott has taken on the role of VP of Product Solutions, where he has transferred those personable skills from his prior work to now working with top tier Medical and Industrial OEMs. Each day at Global Interconnect, Scott is responsible for tasks that fall under new customer acquisition and business development. In addition, Scott works with our internal teams to build upon existing customer relationships. A Bourne native himself, Scott loves being able to work on Cape Cod each day and after hours isn’t too far – he and his wife live in Kingston, MA where they spend their summers on the beach and their winters in the mountains.
Jacqueline Christensen
For the last 25 years Jacquie has been in the industry of finance, accounting, and administration; 14 of those years have been at Global Interconnect. Each day, Jacquie is tasked with a variety of administrative duties and assignments that come directly from the CEO, COO, and company Program Managers. Jacquie handles all day to day finance and accounting functions. As such, she is highly skilled in accounts payable/receivable, credits, reconciliations, and expense tracking. She is also responsible for the creation of weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports. Most recently Jacquie has become the GII Director of Community Impact, getting the company involved in local community fundraisers and cause drives.
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EXCLUSIVE: New Japanese ambassador vows closer communication in first interview with Chinese media
New Japanese envoy vows closer exchange in first Chinese interview
By Xing Xiaojing and Xu Keyue Published: Dec 17, 2020 09:28 PM
Japanese Ambassador to China, Hideo Tarumi. Photo: Courtesy of Japanese Embassy in China
Editor's Note:At the end of 2020, new Japanese Ambassador to China, Hideo Tarumi, took office. On Thursday, the Global Times interviewed him, which is his first interview with a Chinese media outlet, where he reviewed the exchanges and interactions between the two countries in 2020 and looked into the future of China-Japan relations. "Japan's future depends on its China policy," which represents the view of most Japanese, he said during the interview.
GT: Can you introduce the key points of your work in China?
Tarumi: Before coming to China as Japanese ambassador, I met with many Japanese leaders in the political, economic and cultural sectors. During the meetings, I usually heard a saying that "Japan's future depends on its China policy." I think this represents the view of most Japanese.
China-Japan relations are one of the most important bilateral relationships for Japan. Although there are various concerns and positions that differ between the two countries, there is no doubt that they are neighbors that cannot move away from each other. Therefore, we can only build a stable relationship through diplomatic means. This is not, of course, to renounce justifiable claims. And what we need to do is to build a stable, candid relationship, in particular that can be communicated between the national high-level at any time. Otherwise, we cannot ensure a free flow of information. In addition, while upholding the just propositions, we should also explore as many areas of cooperation as possible and actively maintain them. In this sense, I believe it is of great significance to build a stable and constructive relationship between the two countries at a high level that can be communicated at any time.
China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) bumps elbows with Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (right) at the start of their meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
GT: Japan welcomed new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, and US president-elect Joe Biden is scheduled to take office next year. What China and US policies will Japan take? What role can Japan play in the context of the game between China and the US?
Tarumi: Japan and the US are allies, and China-Japan relations are one of the most important bilateral relationships for Japan. China and the US and China are the world's largest and second largest economies, respectively. At a time when the world is suffering from an unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, it is extremely important for China and the US to build a stable relationship, which is not only in line with Japan's national interests but also beneficial to the peace and stability of the international community.
After the new US president takes office, Japan will continue to follow the development of China-US relations and look forward to constructive coordination between the two countries.
While continuing to maintain a strong trust relationship with its ally the US, Japan will strengthen the communication with China so as to jointly shoulder its obligation to build a free and just world order on international norms.
GT: China, Japan, South Korea and other countries recently signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and China said it is "actively considering joining" the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). How do you think this interaction will affect the economic exchanges between China and Japan? In what other areas can the two countries deepen cooperation?
(The CPTPP, also known as TPP11, is the successor to the Trans-Pacific Partnership that the US government withdrew from in 2017.)
Tarumi: The significance of TPP11 lies in the promotion of high standards and balanced 21st century rules to the world. Therefore, it welcomes the attention of all economies, including China.
TPP11 has high standards in terms of market access and rules. It remains to be seen whether economies that have previously expressed interest, including China, are ready to meet their higher requirements.
The current issue is the implementation of the RCEP agreement. I hope that the agreement will have the effect, which is not only improving the environment of market access for its members including China, but also helping to improve rules such as intellectual property and e-commerce, promote regional trade and investment, and increase supply chain efficiency.
In addition, at the Japan-China foreign ministers' meeting held last month, the two sides agreed to further cooperate on agricultural trade, personnel exchanges, tourism, environmental protection and energy conservation and other areas of common interest and with the same direction.
Moreover, as major countries with shared responsibilities, we will continue to work on such important global issues such as climate change and trade.
The Tokyo Tower is lit in red as a way to show Japan's support for China's coronavirus battle in Tokyo, Japan, February 18, 2020. Japan's Matsuyama Ballet Troupe also staged show the same night to express their support. (Photo: China News Service/Lv Shaowei)
GT: In the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, the people-to-people friendship between China and Japan was impressive. However, a public opinion survey conducted by the Beijing-Tokyo Forum this year shows that there is a contrast between the feelings of the Chinese and Japanese people. In response to this phenomenon, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that it is "worth pondering," and you also had said that it is "necessary to think seriously." In your opinion, what efforts can China and Japan make to reverse this situation?
Tarumi: Diplomacy involves state-to-state relations. Although it is controlled by their own governments, ultimately, the feelings and trust between the cross-country citizens are exactly the issues that need to be properly addressed by the foreign ministry.
According to the results of the public opinion survey, the number of Chinese who have a "good" impression of Japan has increased, while that of Japanese who have a "bad" impression of China has also increased.
In the past when the Chinese had a very bad impression of Japan, China often asked the Japanese government to take measures. The Japanese government has also made efforts, such as improving the system of attracting Chinese tourists, and earnestly carrying out various cultural and sports exchanges, and youth exchange activities. The citizens' sentiments have a fragile aspect, and many factors can be the trigger for a sudden outburst. In the future, we will, as always, make unremitting efforts to improve the Chinese people's sentiments towards Japan.
In terms of Japanese sentiment towards China, the reasons for the current situation and how to reverse it are worth pondering by Chinese officials. Of course, we are willing to work with China to think about it and make suggestions if necessary. We will do our utmost to assist China on this issue. It is our diplomats' responsibility to improve communication among the countries' foreign ministries.
In the opinion poll, about 70 percent of people on both sides said "Japan-China relations are very important."
For this reason, I believe that more people from both countries should overcome their cognitive shortcomings and emotional barriers, view each other objectively with modesty and frankness, and engage in exchanges in various fields and at various levels.
GT: Chinese public are paying close attention to Japan's plans to set a new consulate in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province. What is the progress? How will the new consulate facilitate Japan's work in China?
Tarumi: As for the establishment of a consular office in Wuhan, we made an application to the Chinese government in 2012. We will continue to coordinate with China in the future to make an early opening of the consulate.
Japanese consular operations in Central China's Hubei and Hunan provinces are now handled by the Japanese embassy in Beijing. The two provinces are far from Beijing, and many local Japanese expatriates hope to have a consulate nearby which would be more convenient.
The opening of the office will further facilitate the work of protecting Japanese nationals and assisting Japanese enterprises in China.
GT: What is your expectation for the development of the China-Japan relations in 2021 and beyond?
Tarumi: Only a half year after the Tokyo Olympic Games and Paralympics Games in 2021, the Beijing Winter Olympic Games and Beijing Paralympics Games will also be held. In particular, 2022 will mark the 50th anniversary of the normalization of Japan-China diplomatic relations, which will be a milestone year in the history of the bilateral relations.
Japanese Prime Minister Suga and Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top leaders of the two countries agreed to work together for the successful hosting of the Olympic and Paralympics games.
For the success of the Tokyo Olympic Games and the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, I would like to serve as a bridge as ambassador to China.
The two countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the normalization of Japan-China diplomatic relations in 2022. At the same time, I hope to take this opportunity to look ahead to the 100th anniversary and further expand the exchanges between the young people of the two countries who bear heavy responsibility for the development of the bilateral relations in the next 50 years. Our embassy will work hard to provide a variety of information and opportunities to deepen the mutual relationship exchanges among the young people. As the online communication has proved effective in the epidemic era, we hope to use the new tools to continue to explore and propose new modes of communication.
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Home > Getting the construction industry back on its feet
Getting the construction industry back on its feet
Wednesday 3rd November 2010
The coalition Government has pinned its colours to the mast of private sector growth and the years of plenty are over. High levels of public sector spending on infrastructure projects which we saw under New Labour have now succumbed to a period of austerity. This is forcing a re-think amongst contractors large and small as to how to re-shape and re-size their businesses.
A prime example of the cuts lies in the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. Tens of billions of pounds were committed to this initiative and a great number of construction professionals and contractors resourced their businesses accordingly.
The BSF programme has been put on hold and it is unclear when it will be reinstated, albeit in a leaner shape. What is clear is that those businesses which hired large teams of specialist workers to design and construct the hundreds of new and refurbished schools up and down the country will need to react quickly. If those resources are under-utilised then it is likely to have a negative impact on profitability.
Ordinarily a contractor would seek to replace a downturn in one type of work by redeploying a skilled workforce on an alternative but similar area of work, where many of the same specialist skills and experiences can be translated with relative ease. The difficulty with this in the current economic situation is that public procurement across all areas is being reduced savagely.
During the recession of 2008 to 2009 private sector development and procurement all but vanished as funding dried up. But at least there was still public sector procurement to fall back on, and this acted as a crutch for many contractors and design professionals.
The sharp and painful reality of a slump in both private and public sector procurement is now biting. It is hard for resources to be deployed in other areas of business when there just is not much business at all.
The reality is that construction businesses need to move quickly, if they have not done so already, to ensure that they have the right level of resource to operate in these austere times. Businesses which carry excessive numbers of staff will inevitably lose their competitive edge.
Either they will price for work at too high a rate in order to cover their costs or else if they try to compete on price they may simply fail to generate sufficient profit. Reducing the workforce is not straightforward, and can be hugely damaging to morale within the business.
It needs to be carried out in a well managed systematic manner and in accordance with all relevant employment laws. Proper legal advice should be taken in order to minimise the disruptive effects on the business of any redundancy programme and to avoid the financial penalties of unfair dismissal claims.
Of course there are other ways in which construction businesses can seek to withstand the current economic challenges. Many contractors have already recognised that as new build procurement declines, so this can increase the amount of maintenance and refurbishment work which replaces it.
Occupiers or users of ageing properties and infrastructure who cannot afford to replace it must therefore maintain what exists. Some contractors have already very successfully re-assigned parts of their business towards this type of business offering.
It is anticipated that over the next five years the amount of planned and reactive maintenance and refurbishment will increase dramatically, especially in the public sector where investment in new capital projects will be stifled.
It remains vital for businesses to ensure that they protect or even enhance profits from existing contract work. This is, of course, what every business would say that it was trying to do in any event. However in the construction industry it is easier said than done.
Unlike other areas of commerce, where transactions can last only minutes, hours or days, most commercial construction projects last months or years. Consequently the potential for things to go wrong or for irrecoverable overspend is considerable. This usually has a disastrous impact on the profit margins on a project as well as on the relationship with a customer.
The most successful businesses appear to be those who are able to manage the almost inevitable range of things that go wrong during the course of a project in such a way that they get back on track, minimise additional expense and retain the valuable client relationship.
Even if a dispute arises between a contractor and its employer this can and should be project managed just like any other business project. In other words there should be a clearly specified commercial objective, a programme for its delivery, and a cost plan. Invariably this leads to a faster, better solution.
Much of our work at Gordons over the last two years has involved working closely with contractors and employers to help them to manage problems which have threatened to overwhelm the business in terms of cost, effect on profitability and drain on management time.
Our management tool called Initial Strategic Review (ISR) has helped numerous businesses to analyse problems at a very early stage, identify the best commercially achievable solution and then to implement a strategic path and programme to realise this before it is allowed to impact negatively on the business.
For the construction industry this appears to be a useful project management approach, enabling early identification of risk to profitability. By treating the threats to the business in a strategic way and managing them in a structured way just like any other business project, this appears to be something which can make a major difference to the profitability and stability of a business.
As we move slowly out of the recession there is evidence businesses make further funds available to pursue litigation against debtors. We saw this in the downturn in the early 1990s and again in 2001 when there was an economic dip. In the depths of the downturn many companies cannot even afford to pursue claims even if they have merit.
But as cash flow becomes less under pressure then it becomes viable to pursue them. Hence we typically see an increase in the litigious behaviour of contractors as we move out of recession. Behind this is the fact that most commercial construction contracts have either a six or twelve year period in which to bring any claims to court. Contractors can afford to sit and wait to pursue claims many months or sometimes years later.
We are already seeing a repeat of this pattern in 2010 and it looks set to continue throughout 2011 as businesses scramble to shore up their finances and recover as much cash as possible. Whilst the notion of an upturn in litigation within an industry which has never been shy of disputes might not immediately be an appealing thought, there may be a positive angle.
In each of the preceding downturns the increase in litigation has fairly shortly been followed by a return to normality and a steady increase in the growth of businesses who survived the recession. There is every reason to hope that history will repeat itself again.
If you wish to discuss the issues raised in this article, or any issues around construction procurement, please contact Richard Piper, head of construction at Gordons on 0113 227 0100 or email richard.piper@gordonsllp.com.
© 2020 Gordons LLP
1 New Augustus Street, Bradford BD1 5LL
Registered in England & Wales: OC319292
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Billion Dollar Questions About Next Year's Budget
January 08, 2003 | by Glenn Pasanen
One year into his mayoralty, Michael Bloomberg has resolved his first major budget crisis. But his success so far raises as many questions as it answers about how he will handle the next budget crisis. The next one is in late January, when he releases his preliminary budget for the next fiscal year. On the one hand, Mayor Bloomberg has proved to be bold and pragmatic. The 18.5 percent increase in the city's property tax rate and approximately a billion dollars in other budget savings has reduced a previously projected $6.4 billion deficit for next year by more than half. On the other hand, the details of his November budget modification, now examined by several fiscal monitors, raise billion dollar questions about next year.
There are questions about revenue – about the mayor's tax revenue estimates for next year, and the source of new tax revenues. The Independent Budget Office projects tax revenues for 2004 that are about $1.2 billion higher than the mayor's November estimate, suggesting a smaller deficit problem for next year than the mayor projects. And several monitors are dubious about the political prospects of the mayor's plan to raise about $1.1 billion in new personal income tax revenues next year by expanding that tax to commuters who work in the city.
On the expenditure side, the mayor's dramatic service cuts proposed for next year raise big questions about his priorities in two broad areas: uniformed and human services. In the police department, for instance, postponement of a new police class of 1,900 member and attrition will lower the number of police officers to the 1993 level. And in contrast to the mayor's brave rhetoric recently about the need to maintain services for economic as well as social reasons, proposed cuts in education, libraries, cultural affairs, health, and social services are considerable.
Another big question is one the mayor has sidestepped for a year: How broadly will budget burdens be shared, on both the revenue and expenditure sides? In terms of new taxes, Bloomberg promised that the huge increase in property taxes would be off-set by a reduction in personal income taxes. That argument has been widely attacked both as inaccurate and politically naĂŻve. The best information available at the moment suggests that the mayor's preliminary plans for next year disproportionately burden lower- and middle-income New Yorkers through higher taxes and lower services.
Revenue Questions
At this point there is over a billion-dollar difference between the most optimistic and most pessimistic projections of next year´s deficit, primarily because of different tax revenue projections. For example, in its fiscal outlook report, "Despite Property Tax Increase, Large 2004 Budget Gap Remains," the Independent Budget Office now projects next year's deficit at $2.3 billion, about $800 million less than the mayor's projection. Yet the State Financial Control Board, in its December report, projects next year´s deficit at $3.5 billion, about $400 million more than the mayor.
Such a disparity in tax revenue projections is unusual at this stage of the budget process.
The other billion-dollar question is about the single biggest element in the mayor's budget-gap plan for 2004, raising $1.1 billion in additional personal income tax revenues by broadening its tax base through taxing commuters at the same rates as residents. This proposal is odd in at least three ways. First, no one thinks it has any chance of gaining support from the state legislature nor the governor. Second, as a revenue producer, it is a nonrecurring, one-shot -- or, more specifically, the first of a series of declining one-shots, since the proposal lowers rates over time. By 2006, according to the Independent Budget Office, the city would actually lose $232 million. Lastly, the budget office points out in its December report that the proposal "would shift the combined burden of the two taxes from higher income households towards those with lower incomes….[M]ost households with incomes over $200,000 would see net savings…."
Expenditure Questions
One year into his mayoralty, Bloomberg has yet to express a budget vision. Budget decisions have been bold and pragmatic, but they also look ad hoc. There have been many contradictions. Education has ostensibly been a top priority, yet the new Department of Education took a $200 million cut in November, a cut which recurs in subsequent years. Libraries and cultural affairs took major cuts, while senior, youth, and homeless services took relatively minor cuts. Next year may determine what the mayor's priorities really are.
The November modification has some clues. The uniformed services, often protected and expanded during the Giuliani terms, are now projected to be significantly reduced. According to the December 2002 report of the Office of the State Deputy Comptroller for NYC, uniformed staffing levels will be reduced by 4,443 employees during Fiscal Years 2003 and 2004. Police officers would number 34,774 by the end of 2004, nearly 6,000 fewer than the peak force in October 2000. Given the fact that crime numbers continue to fall almost across the board, the mayor's timing here could be very effective. (Some may quibble that a full commitment to police productivity savings requires more initiatives in overtime savings and more civilianization in the department -- not less as the State Deputy Comptroller reports is now projecting.)
If projected uniformed savings are ambitious and justified, the projected savings in a variety of human services are another story. Savings here will come after huge cuts in several agencies during the Giuliani years. The State Deputy Comptroller's report adds historical perspective: Between Fiscal Years 1991 and 2002, staff in parks, health and welfare agencies were reduced by 16,350 employees, or 43 percent. Put another way, these agencies, which represented 17 percent of the City workforce in 1991, were only 10 percent of the workforce by 2002. Yet parks staffing will be reduced by another 213 -- more than 12 percent -- in Fiscal Year 2003, to 1,509. And health and welfare agencies will lose nearly 1,800 employees -- or nine percent -- more by the end of 2003. The impacts of the cuts in these agencies need to be measured quickly, to ensure these moves do not compound the human-service failures of the Giuliani administration.
Beyond these projected workforce reductions is the not so subtle threat implicit in the mayor's plan to get $600 million in unspecified "productivity" savings from the same workforce. The implied alternative is the reduction -- through further attrition and layoffs -- of an additional 12,000 employees. Since the mayor has more than once suggested that further cuts in services are not smart economically, there is another contradiction here, especially if such cuts emerge without sufficient debate at the last moments of the budget process in May and June.
The Vision Question
Bloomberg bought time with his November modification. The monitors are comfortable that the budget problems that developed for this fiscal year are solved. In fact, the Independent Budget Office points out that the property tax increase generated an estimated $500 million surplus for this year, that will help prepay some of next year's expenses. But the outlook for Fiscal Year 2004 remains full of uncertainties about billion dollar decisions, particularly about what priorities are driving the decision-making.
Because the mayor has been slow and contradictory in defining priorities, and because he has been disingenuous in defining who carries the current and future burdens of his budget decisions, the most important question may be whether a comprehensive vision emerges in the January preliminary budget for next year. Given the high stakes surrounding the big budget deficit, it is a good time for a powerful vision. It is also a good time to identify those who will need to sacrifice -- in higher taxes and/or lower services -- in order to realize any bold vision.
Glenn Pasanen, former associate director of City Project, teaches political science at Lehman College of the City University.
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All cases in Magistrates’ Court are heard by a Magistrate sitting alone, except in the Family Court, where the Magistrate sits with two lay members chosen from a special panel.
The Magistrates’ Court is where Small Claims Court is held. Small Claims Procedures Cases are settled here when the disputed amount is less than $25,000.
Appeals from Magistrates’ Court judgments are heard by the Supreme Court.
The Magistrates' Court Weekly Schedule shows the name of the case, the assigned Magistrate and the courtroom. The schedule is published for guidance only, and is subject to correction and change without notice.
The Magistrates’ Court consists of:
Drug Treatment Court
Plea Court
The Magistrates’ Court sits as a Traffic Court twice weekly (Tuesdays and Thursdays). If you have a parking ticket, you can take it to the Cashier’s Office for payment prior to the court date. If you do not have the physical ticket, you can either visit the Traffic Section on the Third Floor of the Dame Lois Browne-Evans Building during working hours, or the Court Liaison Unit (CLU) on the Ground Floor of the same building.
For more information or enquiries regarding Traffic Court, call 295-5151 extension 1119.
Request a Record of your Traffic Offences.
Drug Treatment Court (DTC)
The Drug Treatment Court (DTC) oversees the rehabilitation of drug users.
There is also a Mental Health Court (MHC) that is currently in the pilot phase. The goal is to increase the likelihood of individuals accessing, engaging and sustaining their treatment programs.
This court is responsible for the collection of child support and spousal maintenance under court orders. An application to the Family Court may concern paternity, maintenance, access, custody or care and control.
If you want to make an original application to the Family Court, you must first have an interview with a Family Court official. You will then be given a hearing date which may take up to one to three months to list the case. A private process server is used at your expense. The summons will state your topic of concern and the court hearing date and time.
For applications or more detailed information on Family Court matters, please contact the Family Support Help Desk at 295-5151 Ext. 1723.
Domestic Violence Orders (Protection Orders)
Domestic Violence Orders (DVO’s)/ Protection Orders are served personally on the individual concerned and are given priority. It is important that all applications of this nature are completed in its entirety to ensure that it can be served by the Bailiff.
For more information on Domestic Violence/Protection Orders, please contact the Family Support Officer at 295-5151 ext. 1239 or the Enforcement Officer at 295-5151 ext. 1282. If you are not represented by a lawyer, you can consult with The Women’s Resource Center (295-3882) for assistance.
Appointment as Justice of the Peace (JP)
The Governor may appoint individuals to be Justices of the Peace in and for Bermuda. This happens occasionally at the Governor’s discretion and a notice is published in the Gazette. The Justices of the Peace have no jurisdiction to try cases, although they can issue certain warrants, and perform other ancillary functions.
For more information on how to become a Justice of the Peace, please refer to Magistrates’ Act 1948.
The Senior Magistrate is also the Senior Coroner. It is the duty of Coroners to investigate sudden or unnatural deaths, as well as deaths occurring in a prison or a hospital, and to hold an inquest where necessary.
For more information on Coroners Reports, call 295-5151 Ext. 1230.
Landlord and Tenant Matters
When a court has ordered a tenant or other person to vacate a property, and they fail to leave by the date ordered, you can apply to the Court to evict them. You must apply through the Civil Section for an Eviction. In the Supreme Court, you must apply by ex parte summons for permission to issue a Writ of Possession. An Eviction Warrant or Writ of Possession will be enforced by a Bailiff.
For more information on the process of evicting a tenant, please contact the Civil Section of the Magistrates’ Court at 295-5151 Extensions 1225, 1592 or 4596.
Requirements for Sureties
In order for you to be eligible to sign as a Surety you must:
not have a criminal conviction or have outstanding fines;
be at least 25 years old;
provide valid identification;
produce documentation to the value of the ordered bail i.e. car insurance, a current bank statement and/or deeds.
The intended surety’s name must match the documentation provided.
For more information on the requirements for Sureties, call 295-5151 Extensions 1729, 1197 or 1199.
All Bailiff Services are scheduled in the order in which the cases are received, with the exception of expedited Domestic Violence Orders which take top priority. Otherwise, no request for priority of an execution will be considered.
The Bailiffs are responsible for serving court process, for which they charge a fee. They also enforce the judgments of all the courts, and in doing so may seize the goods and property of a judgment debtor and sell it by public auction.
Bailiff Fees for Services range from $20.00 to $30.00 not inclusive of Court Fees. View the Schedule of Fees for more information on Bailiff Fees.
Serving Summonses and Legal Documents
The Magistrates’ Court serves summonses or legal documents on the parties to the litigation and their witnesses can be done by post, but in most cases it requires personal service.
Enforcing Money Judgments
Money judgments from cases in the Magistrates’ Court can be enforced by execution against the debtor’s property or, in an appropriate case, by committal to prison.
In order to enforce money judgments, Bailiffs may:
seize the debtor’s property, including land and buildings;
sell that property by public auction to pay the judgment debt plus the cost of execution;
arrest judgment debtors and bring them before a Court;
execute warrants committing judgment debtors to prison for non-payment.
The Cashiers’ Office collects payment for the Court for Family Support matters, Civil Court judgments, Parking, Traffic, Criminal Fines as well as Liquor Licences and miscellaneous payments (including legal aid fees, paper copies, and criminal record requests).
Payment can be made in most circumstances by cash, cheque or Credit (Visa and MasterCard) and Debit Card. However, cash is required in full for payments on Committal Warrants and Summary Jurisdiction Apprehension (SJA) Warrants. Credit and Debit Cards are currently not accepted for Family Support Payments.
Payments cannot be made online for Civil, Parking, Traffic, and Criminal matters at this time. However, you can make an electronic payment for Family Support case, provided you know the case number and are a Butterfield Bank online customer.
The Cashiers’ Office is open from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday. The office is located on the second floor of the Dame Lois Browne-Evans Building, 58 Court Street, Hamilton HM 12.
For more information on the Cashier’s Office, please contact the Accounts Officer at 295-5151 ext. 1119.
To find out how to apply for a liquor or betting licence, you need to visit Bermudalaws.com
Applying for an Occasional Liquor Licence
liquorlicence2014.pdf
Court Location
The Magistrates’ Court is located in the Dame Lois Browne-Evans Building, 58 Court Street, City of Hamilton HM 12. The Civil, Criminal and Traffic cases are held on the Second Floor and the Family Court cases are held on the Third Floor.
See all court room locations
Applying for an Annual Liquor Licence
Applying for a Betting Licence
Magistrates' Court Weekly Schedule
Sentencing Guidelines for Sexual Offences (PDF)
The Bermuda Judiciary Annual Report (PDF)
Bermuda Laws
Small Claims Procedure (PDF)
Rent increase information for tenants and landlords
Minister Roban Reminds Landlords and Tenants About Rent Considerations Due to COVID-19
Bermuda's Courts Prepare to Celebrate 400 Years of Service
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Wants Versus Needs: The Struggle to Realize New York’s Energy Vision
Will the complexity of a distributed energy future hamper short-term progress?
Katherine Tweed May 27, 2015
Katherine Tweed
In 2009, National Grid chose ABB for a SCADA/EMS system that would allow for more modern and integrated visibility into its electric transmission and distribution networks in Massachusetts and New York. Earlier this year, the system went into service. An outage management system that was expected to be operational in New York in 2013 is now slated for early 2016.
That sort of timeline might not fly in New York's utility future.
New York’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) proposal calls for distribution utilities, like National Grid, to transform from the role they play today into functioning as distributed service platform providers (DSPP) that will manage all of the assets at the grid edge. That will require entirely new backend systems at many utilities, not to mention a wholesale rethinking of the business structure, in order to succeed.
During a discussion around this topic on Thursday night in New York City, Jon Poor, director of strategy at National Grid, expressed a clear understanding of the vision behind the project, including the need for advanced analytics and cloud computing. Vision, however, might not be enough to be a successful DSPP.
“It really lends itself to service-oriented architecture and some big data, and it’s going to take some heavy lifting to get there,” Poor said of becoming a DSPP during a Clean Energy Connections panel, “Architecting Energy’s Future: Grid-Edge Technologies Underpinning an Intelligent, Distributed Utility System.”
Heavy lifting, indeed. Not only will technology have to be overhauled in the coming decade, but utility business processes will also have to change substantially. “The concern about the complexity keeps me up at night,” Audrey Zibelman, chair of the New York Public Service Commission, said earlier this year.
In the short term, there will need to be definition as to which services distributed energy resources can deliver as the more robust platforms are built out. The utilities are required to file their distributed system implementation plans by December 15.
“I would like a clear expression of needs and not just a vision,” said H.G. Chissell, SVP of strategic accounts at demand response startup Viridity Energy. “We need to separate wants from needs.”
He pointed to projects such as Consolidated Edison’s Brooklyn/Queens Demand Management Program, which will defer the cost of a $1 billion substation using demand-side management, as a good example of a specific issue a utility is looking to solve using many third-party resources.
To move the process along, New York is taking submissions by July 1 for REV demonstration projects that will “test innovative business models that create new revenue streams outside of the traditional rate base and motivate the utility to partner with and support third-party clean energy providers.”
It's not just third-party providers that utilities should be thinking about, argued Chissell. “Con Edison, NYISO and others need to see the owners of these buildings as the real partners,” he said, referring to large real estate portfolios. “There’s a huge education opportunity right now.”
The issue so far is a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem. There are some models for how to move forward; the New York Public Service Commission is looking at the performance-based regulation scheme that is used in the U.K., for instance. But New York is also trying to open a market that is not dictated by regulators at all. “The pace of change and innovation will be driven by consumers and markets, instead of utilities and regulators,” said Zibelman.
But that’s the future. For now, some New York utilities are waiting for regulatory clarity before moving forward. “A lot of that work needs to be done before you talk about devices on the grid or on a customer’s home,” said Poor. “For all the talk about hardware, what do you need behind the scenes? It’s at that inflection point right now. We’re making smart decisions, but they’re measured decisions.”
The mindset of utilities that want to craft a vision, wait for regulators, then pilot small, is exactly what will need to change. On the regulatory side at least, it looks as though they are moving at lightning speed so far. Both tracks of the REV proceeding are underway, and a white paper that examines the costs and benefits of distributed energy and energy efficiency as they relate to utility expenditures is due soon.
There are also changes that can come as the REV proceeding is worked through. Poor, while discussing challenges, alluded to an opportunity just waiting to be plucked by rethinking how energy can be delivered. “For our electric companies, there’s still a significant momentum around replacing aging infrastructure and meeting reliability needs,” he said of National Grid.
Chissell pointed to small changes, such as Con Edison going beyond its three-year demand response program and doubling that, which could have a big impact in the short term to opening up more demand-side resources and helping with utility reliability and planning. In Hawaii, HECO has started working with Enphase to leverage its microinverters to collect data at the grid edge to help identify where more rooftop solar PV can be installed.
For the utilities that can move fastest to be transparent about their immediate pain points and are committed to overhauling everything from their business processes to distribution engineering plans, the market will come calling, at least in New York.
“If I can solve Con Edison’s needs,” said Chissell, “then I understand there’s something in it for me.”
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Polk County Developments
Intram expanding presence in Four Corners, plans shopping center and apartments
By J. Kyle Foster
An aerial view of the property where Intram Investments wants to build a new shopping center and is exploring developing a multifamily community. (Polk County/GrowthSpotter)
Orlando-based development company Intram Investments wants to build a new shopping center in Polk County’s growing Four Corners market.
Plans for a convenience store, car wash, two drive-through restaurants and about 20,000 square feet of retail space are in the works but could look very different once construction begins, Intram executive vice president Randy Hodge told GrowthSpotter.
“It could end up moving in a couple of different directions over the next couple of months,” depending on the retail market and leases that haven’t been finalized yet, Hodge said.
“Everybody’s been just dealing with trying to get their stores open and dealing with rents. I don’t know if we know that answer for retail going forward.”
An aerial view of the property on the northeast corner of U.S. Highway 27 and Sand Mine Road in Davenport. (Polk County)
The proposed shopping center will be located on U.S. Highway 27 and Sand Mine Road in Davenport. Intram bought 12.93 acres last fall for $3 million, according to county property records.
In addition to retail on the west side of the property, Intram may build multi-family homes on the east side of the property, Intram special projects manager Kelly Froelich told the Polk County Development Review Committee on May 21.
“We like that area,” Hodge said. “The road network is going to be improved and there is more residential going in. The county has a number of plans to extend the road network and connect to 192. There are a lot of plans. Whether any of that has slowed down as a result of where we’ve been over the last couple of months, that’s the story. It’s kind of an unknown now what this means to the retail market.”
More housing and business park coming to Posner Village
The mixed-use district at the busy I-4 interchange will be getting vacation townhomes and an age-restricted apartment complex as it approaches buildout.
Intram also is developing Posner Village in Polk County, about 5 miles south of this new project.
Intram opened Phase 1 of Posner Village retail center last year and is marketing Phase 2, which is slated for 93,000 square feet of retail uses.
“It’s an area where we’ve done business in that Highway 27 corridor for a number of years,” Hodge said.
A site plan for the Sand Mine Road project by engineer Kimley-Horn Associates shows a convenience story with a Starbucks in an outparcel, a Twistee Treat and a one-story retail strip with 8,494 square feet of space.
“It’s all preliminary – those are conceptual,” Hodge said. “We haven’t finalized our leasing for the project at this juncture.”
Construction wouldn’t begin sooner than 90 days, he said.
There is residential growth to support more retail in the area along U.S. 27 and Interstate 4 on the outskirts of Orlando and Kissimmee, Hodge said. Among them is Pulte Homes’ project known as Windsor Island Resort, where more than 600 units are planned in two phases to the east of Sand Mine Road.
Questions remain surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and how it will affect the retail market, Hodge said.
“Everybody has been predicting the demise of brick and mortar retail for some time and this maybe is going to be the thing that does cause it,” he said. “There are just going to be less retailers out there coming out the other side of this when the economy returns.”
As for future deals, Hodge said, “We’re just trying to navigate the environment over the next couple of months. That will determine whether there are real estate deals to be had.”
Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact us at newsroom@growthspotter.com or 407-420-6261. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Latest Polk County Developments
Taylor Morrison planning over 800 townhomes in Solivita and St. Cloud
Multifamily developers score $120M in financing for Four Corners apartment construction
D.R. Horton holding company Forestar buys land across lake from Legoland
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The following is an excerpt from The MacArthur New Testament Commentary on 1 Peter 3.
For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, (3:18–19)
In which also refers to what occurred with His living spirit while His dead physical body lay in the tomb (concerning His burial, see Matt. 27:57–60; John 19:38–42). He went (poreuomai) denotes going from one place to another (see also v. 22, where the word is used concerning the ascension). When the text says Christ made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, it is indicating that He purposefully went to an actual place to make a triumphant announcement to captive beings before He arose on the third day.
The verb rendered made proclamation (kerusso) means that Christ “preached” or “heralded” His triumph. In the ancient world, heralds would come to town as representatives of the rulers to make public announcements or precede generals and kings in the processions celebrating military triumphs, announcing victories won in battle. This verb is not saying that Jesus went to preach the gospel, otherwise Peter would likely have used a form of the verb euangelizo (“to evangelize”). Christ went to proclaim His victory to the enemy by announcing His triumph over sin (cf. Rom. 5:18–19; 6:5–6), death (cf. Rom. 6:9–10; 1 Cor. 15:54–55), hell, demons, and Satan (cf. Gen. 3:15; Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:8).
Christ directed His proclamation to the spirits, not human beings, otherwise he would have used psuchai (“souls”) instead of pneumasin, a word the New Testament never uses to refer to people except when qualified by a genitive (e.g., Heb. 12:23; “the spirits of the righteous”).
Ever since the fall of Satan and his demons, there has been an ongoing cosmic conflict between the angelic forces of good and evil (cf. Job 1–2; Dan. 10:13; Zech. 3:1; Eph. 6:16; Rev. 12:3–4; 16:12–14). After the devil’s apparent victory in inducing Adam and Eve (and consequently all their descendants) to fall into sin (Gen. 3:1–7; Rom. 5:12–14), God promised to the Evil One himself eventual destruction by Messiah, who would triumph with a crushing victory over him, despite suffering a minor wound from him (Gen. 3:15). Satan therefore sought to prevent this by the genocide of the Jews (cf. Est. 3:1–4:3) and the destruction of the Messianic line itself during the time of Joash (2 Chron. 22:10–12; cf. 23:3, 12–21). When all that failed, he attempted to kill the infant Messiah (Matt. 2:16–18). Thwarted at that, he tried to tempt Christ Himself to abandon His mission (Matt. 4:1–11; Luke 4:1–13). Later, Satan incited the Jewish leaders and their followers to mob action that resulted in the Lord’s crucifixion (Mark 15:6–15). The diabolical Jewish leaders even saw to it that Jesus’ tomb was guarded lest He exit the grave (Matt. 27:63–66). The demons may have been celebrating their seeming victory in the wake of Christ’s death and burial—but only to soon be profoundly and permanently disappointed when the living Christ Himself arrived. The angelic spirits Christ was to address were now in prison (phulake; an actual place of imprisonment, not merely a condition).
At the present time believers must struggle against the powers of the unbound demon forces as those forces influence them through the corrupt world system over which Satan has rule. The apostle Paul told the Ephesian church, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12), which clearly says that the demonic hierarchy is actively and freely conducting its evil work in the world. It was not to such unbound spirits, but to the bound demons that Christ went to announce His triumph.
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GUE/NGL MEPs urge Member States to prioritise refugees’ safety in their decisions today and tomorrow
Over the weekend, three GUE/NGL MEPs visited the Zaatari camp in Jordan that currently hosts 80,000 Syrian refugees and spoke with officials from the EU Delegation, UNHCR, IOM, UNRWA, and the Jordanian Minister for Planning and International Development.
Syrian refugees in Jordan currently face serious food shortages, a decrease in humanitarian aid and, above all, an absence of any livelihood opportunities. There have been increases in the number of children working or begging in the street; the rate of school drop-out; the number of girls being pushed into early marriages; families moving in together in order to pay less rent; and household debt.
Lack of access to employment and possible additional obstructive administrative procedures will make conditions unbearable for Syrians in Jordan. For example, the Jordanian government has announced that they want to register all Syrians. In order to do so, Syrians are being asked to take an HIV test at their own cost, provide a rental certificate and bring their documents to 100 police stations who will collect them. The government has announced that all refugees who have not completed this procedure will see their assistance cut by the end of October 2015. If implemented, such a measure will leave many refugees without any assistance.
The situation of Palestinian refugees from Syria is of serious concern due to their statelessness and denial of access to any public services and assistance with the exception of UNRWA. GUE/NGL MEPs were particularly alarmed by the deportation of 117 known cases by the Jordanian authorities to Syria.
MEP Martina Anderson commented on their findings: “People face hopeless choices. They can either choose to stay in Jordan, and then starve because there are no jobs and no food, or they can choose dying while crossing the Mediterranean, or dying in a war zone at home. Yet so far, Europe’s approach has been to keep them out, rather than keep them safe”.
“Not welcoming the most vulnerable refugee women, men and children in a direct and immediate way is a real crime. If they escape to Europe it is because they have no more hope of returning to Syria and have lost hope for any possible future in Jordan. Citizens should tell their governments this is enough and require them to open safe and legal asylum channels and stop hiding behind the EU. The hypocrisy of member states and the EU is unbearable”, added MEP Josu Juaristi.
“It is obvious that we need to step up our efforts to help Jordan provide a future for the big number of Syrian refugees in the country, by helping to make the education and health system, as well as the labour market, more inclusive. But we also know that Jordan, like Lebanon, is a small country that cannot take many more refugees in a sustainable way. If we want to avoid further destabilisation of the region and reduce the death toll of the war in Syria, we must proactively welcome many more people from Syria and also engage in the resettlement of some hundred thousand people, at least until Syria has become a safe and decent place to live in again,” concluded MEP Cornelia Ernst.
* Key facts about refugees in Jordan, September 2015:
Among 1.4 million Syrians in Jordan, 630,000 are currently registered as refugees;
The total population of Jordan is 6.5 million;
15% of refugees are in camps (80,000 refugees in Zaatari refugee camp and 20,000 in Azraq);
In Zaatari refugee camp, 57% of refugees are children; 50.3% are females and 49,7% males;
The Jordanian government granted only 4,000 work permits to Syrian refugees (estimates say that between 85,000 and 200,000 Syrian refugees are working in irregular employment);
52% of Palestinians from Syria have Jordanian nationality;
Those without Jordanian nationality are not authorised to enter the country; some have entered irregularly while some others are detained in a centre near the border;
Main challenges for refugees living in Jordan: access to education, health, social services and work permits;
Main challenges for Jordan as a country related to the refugee crisis: water (Jordan is now the second poorest country in the world in terms of water supply), energy, waste management;
Only 34% of the Jordanian government's plan to respond to the refugee crisis has funded for 2015;
The UN World Food Programme’s budget has been cut by 50%;
The EU has provided 4 billion euros so far related to the Syrian refugee crisis and 500 million euros to Jordan;
The number of spontaneous returns to Syria are increasing and outnumber the number of arrivals in Jordan – 120 per day since August (previously only 60-80 per day).
The border with Syria has been closed since March 2015, except one crossing point in the far-east where 25-40 people are allowed in per day and go through multiple security checks (an estimated 3,000 others wait at this border crossing in the desert hoping to be allowed in; 70% of them are women and children).
A preliminary report from the GUE/NGL delegation to Syria is available below and the full report will be available soon.
For more information about the delegation contact Amandine Bach: [email protected]
Nikki Sullings +32 22 83 27 60 / +32 483 03 55 75
European United Left / Nordic Green Left
European Parliamentary Group
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Pittsburgh 911 Dispatch Center Investigated for HIPAA Violation
Home » Healthcare Data Privacy » Pittsburgh 911 Dispatch Center Investigated for HIPAA Violation
Posted By HIPAA Journal on Mar 26, 2013
A 911 dispatch center in Monroeville, Pittsburgh is being investigated for a potential violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) after failing to safeguard protected health information.
The Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services received a complaint in August 2012 relating to the dispatch center after a former police chief was sent protected health information via E-mail, which violates HIPAA regulations.
While the electronic communications violate HIPAA, the complaint also highlighted another potential HIPAA-compliance issue. Generic user names and passwords were created to ‘protect’ a database of 911 callers’ medical information, potentially exposing confidential information to anyone with the login details. Users with those credentials would be able to log into the database and access all of the information held in the database.
The complaint was made by Assistant Police Chief Steven Pascarella after the discovery that communications were still being sent via E-mail to a former police chief. Even though George Polnar retired in 2010 and took up a position as manager of security at UPMC East, he was still allegedly being sent details of ambulance dispatches.
After the complaint was received, officials at the Monroeville’s 911 dispatch center commenced an investigation using a private investigator. Lynette McKinney, manager of the 911 dispatch center, issued a statement to alert potential victims to the security breach. “Anyone who has called the police, called the fire department, used our [emergency services]” or was transferred to or from a Monroeville hospital could be affected by the breach”, she said. At this point it is not clear when the leaks started, but it is likely the information was accessed late in 2011 and the breach continued until shortly after the complaint was received in August 2012.
The problems are more severe than the sending of an E-mail with protected data according to McKinney. She stated that “The magnitude of this investigation is well beyond the leaking of one resident’s private information to a former chief of police.” Protected information was accessible via the 911 database and a number of individuals potentially had access to the data, with both municipal and non-municipal personnel incorrectly provided with access.
The data recorded by the dispatch center varied from caller to caller, although personal identifying information was included such as name, address and driver’s license numbers were also recorded. In some cases, details of the callers’ medical history were added to the database. The allegations were denied by the then chief, Doug Cole, who claimed that the information in the dispatch data was not covered under HIPAA.
Following the complaint, the Office for Civil Rights has advised McKinney that an investigation must be conducted and information provided to the OPCR on the privacy practices at the dispatch center as well as the steps taken to mitigate any damage caused. The OCR believes that there could potentially have been HIPAA violations relating to privacy, security and breach notifications. Should this turn out to be the case, a financial penalty of up to $1.5 million may have to be covered by Monroeville’s 911 dispatch center.
Since the complaint was made, policies and procedures have been changed and login access restricted to the police department and the dispatch center, with access to the database by the Fire department and EMS now blocked. Pascarella said that dispatch information was viewable by anyone with the login details, via internal or external computers.
While each authorized user was provided with a unique login and password, when the system was set up a generic login was supplied to each of the five fire stations. Anyone in the Fire department could therefore have accessed the PHI of 911 callers, although it is not clear how many individuals accessed the data during this period.
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CinemaCon SIGGRAPH SMPTE AFCI Global Directory
June 07, 2018 9:05am PT by Carolyn Giardina
'How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World' Trailer Reveals Toothless' Love Interest
Director Dean DeBlois delivers "another rite of passage" in the trilogy's final film.
DreamWorks Animation has dropped the first trailer for the final film in its How to Train Your Dragon trilogy.
In the first look at How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, DWA provides a glimpse of what looks like a thrilling and emotional final act in the series.
The Viking village of Berk is populated by both humans and dragons, and Hiccup — now the Viking leader — is tested again, as he must defend them from a new threat. Meanwhile, his loyal dragon, Toothless, gets a love interest, a Light Fury, a white version of Toothless.
The brief clips of Toothless getting to know the Light Fury are very reminescent of the iconic, wordless scene in the first film, during which Hiccup and Toothless get to know and trust each other.
"We definitely wanted to reference the 'Forbidden Friendship' scene from the first film," writer-director Dean DeBlois told The Hollywood Reporter, "partly because it is [again] a communion between two characters and also because it goes back to the first installment of the trilogy, and I love giving it a sense of unity."
"I'm a fan of sequences that can be driven by music and the absence of dialogue," he continued. "It seemed the perfect setup for a 'first date' with the Light Fury. It's also the kind of sequence we love in animation because it relies on pantomime."
"The story is another rite of passage," said DeBlois, who wrote and directed all three films in the trilogy (the first was co-directed with Chris Sanders). "Hiccup is being tested as a rookie chief. He needs to make wise decisions."
The DWA films are based on Cressida Cowell's book series, with many returning artists and animators who worked on the previous two films. John Powell is again composing the score. Bonnie Arnold returns as producer, this time producing with Brad Lewis. The first two films in the series were both nominated for Oscars.
Also noteworthy, veteran cinematographer Roger Deakins, who won an Oscar earlier this year for Blade Runner 2049, returned as cinematography consultant.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is slated to open March 1, 2019.
Carolyn Giardina
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The Effect of Marriage on Child Poverty
Report Poverty and Inequality
April 15, 2002 16 min read Download Report
Authors: Robert Rector, Patrick Fagan and Kirk Johnson
The 1960s War on poverty was intended to eliminate child poverty nationwide through a variety of income transfers and human development programs. However, during the first three decades of the War on poverty, there was little net decline in the child poverty rate. In 1965 (the year when the first War on poverty programs were initiated), the child poverty rate was 20.7 percent.[1] Thirty years later, in 1996 (the last year before the implementation of welfare reform), the child poverty rate was only slightly lower at 19.8 percent.[2]
The lack of progress in reducing child poverty since 1965 can be explained in part by the erosion of marriage and the growth of poverty-prone single-parent families. Two sets of facts make this point clear:
The poverty rate for all children in married-couple families is 8.2 percent. By contrast, the poverty rate for all children in single-parent families is four times higher at 35.2 percent.[3]
The number of single-parent families has grown considerably since the onset of the War on Poverty. In 1960, less than 12 percent of children lived in single-parent families. By 2000, that figure had more than doubled, rising to 27.6 percent.
This CDA Report answers the question: What share of the current level of child poverty in the United States can be attributed to the growth of single parenthood since the 1960s? Or, phrased in a slightly different way: What would the child poverty rate be today if single-parent families had remained at the levels that existed before the beginning of the War on poverty?
To answer the question, the authors attempted to simulate the effects of higher marriage rates using data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census for the year 2000. To accomplish this, a portion of single parents were matched with potential spouses of the opposite sex who were identical in age, race, and level of education. Once the couples had been paired, we hypothetically joined or "married" these couples into one household. We then determined whether the newly joined household would be poor based on the couple's combined income.
The Effect of the Decline of Marriage.
As this Report shows, this analysis found that the decline of marriage since the 1960s has been a substantial factor behind the current high levels of child poverty. Specifically, if marriage were restored to 1960s levels:
The number of children living in single-parent homes would be cut by nearly 60 percent. The number of children living in married couple families would increase by almost 11.5 million, and the number residing in single-parent homes would be reduced by a corresponding amount. These 11.5 million children represent 16.2 percent of all children.
Among the 11.5 million added children residing in married-couple homes in this scenario, the poverty rate would fall by 80.4 percent. Some 34.2 percent of these children are now poor and live in single-parent homes. If their parents were married to spouses with matching demographic characteristics, only 6.7 percent of these children would remain poor.
Overall, restoring marriage to 1960 levels would remove more than 3 million children from poverty nationwide. The U.S. child poverty rate would fall by nearly a third, from 15.7 percent to 11.2 percent.
The decline in marriage since the inception of the War on poverty in the 1960s has clearly contributed to child poverty. Overall, our analysis shows that child poverty would be nearly a third lower today if the traditional two-parent family had not deteriorated over the past three decades.
Before the War on poverty began in the mid-1960s, traditional husband-wife families comprised the vast majority of families with children. Indeed, over 88 percent of all children resided in a married-couple family, according to data from the 1960 decennial Census of Population and Housing.[4] By 2000, this demographic statistic had changed significantly: Around 72 percent of all children lived in married-couple families. In four decades, American family structure changed, and more than a tenth of all children shifted from two-parent to single-parent families.
Research shows that children born or raised in single-parent families[5] are more at risk for a wide range of social maladies, including poverty, welfare dependency, academic failure (or sub-par academic achievement), and crime.[6] marriage might be seen as a kind of social inoculant that helps protect children from these social ills, although it does not absolutely guarantee protection.
The most publicized of these social maladies is poverty. Moving from a single-parent to a married family is a straightforward way to rise above the poverty threshold. Only one additional family member is added, but the total family income might double or more, depending on the level of work participation exhibited by the husband and wife. This is the premise on which this research is based. Specifically, if single parents with children were "married" to similar single persons of the opposite gender, what would happen to the poverty rate of children nationwide?
The database used for this analysis is the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly survey representative of all households nationwide. Well over 60,000 households are surveyed each year for the CPS. The March 2001 supplement, also known as the annual demographic file, includes extensive questions on family demographic characteristics and previous year income that make it useful for social analyses, such as this one.[7]
To determine the economic effects on poverty levels if marriage were restored to 1960 levels, we paired 7.6 million single parents with similar non-married persons within the CPS to form 7.6 million new simulated "marriages." In creating these simulated marriages, we attempted to mimic socially realistic marriage patterns. Single mothers were paired with non-married men who were identical in race, age, and level of education.[8] Similarly, single fathers were paired with non-married women who were identical in race, age, and level of education. This way, the single parent would be "married" to someone within his or her own social demographics. For example, a young single mother with a low level of education was matched to a similar young male who also had low educational attainment. (For additional detail on the matching/marrying procedure, see the Technical Appendix.)
When a simulated married family is created, a new total family income variable is also created by combining the original incomes of the two "partners." Any cash welfare assistance is subtracted from the total money income of the newly created family, since most individuals lose their cash welfare/Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) assistance benefits when they marry
The analysis next takes into account the very large differences in earnings between married and non-married men. Analysis of the CPS data reveals that married men, on average, earn 40 percent more than non-married men who are similar in race, age, and education. The higher earnings of married men are attributable to two factors: a selection effect and earnings inducement.[9] Selection effect refers to the fact that women tend to marry men who are similar in race, age, and education; but within these boundaries, there is a greater tendency for women to marry men with higher earnings potential. Earnings inducement refers to the obvious fact that married men who have families to support tend to have greater commitment to the labor force and careers than do similar non-married men; consequently, the earnings of married men are generally higher.
To compensate for both the selection effect and the earnings inducement, we have modestly increased the wages of husbands in the simulated married households. To make this adjustment, we first calculated the difference in earnings in the CPS between married and non-married men, holding constant race, age, and education. We then raised the earnings of husbands in the simulated married families by half of this difference in married and non-married wages. As a result of the adjustment, the average increase in earnings of men in simulated marriages was 20 percent. It is important to note that even after this adjustment, the earnings of husbands in simulated marriages remained below those of actual married men who are identical in race, age, and education. Our methods of adjusting male wages due to marriage closely follow those of Dr. Robert Lerman of the Urban Institute in his influential article on marriage and poverty.[10] However, our wage adjustment is more modest than the one used by Dr. Lerman.
Measuring Poverty.
After simulating a higher level of marriage in society, we calculated the effect of increased marriage on child poverty. The Census Bureau measures poverty by comparing a family's income to specific poverty income thresholds. If a family's total income is less than the official poverty threshold for a family of that size, the family is considered poor. In 2000, the poverty income threshold for a family of four was $17,463.[11]
The apparent poverty rate varies greatly depending on which resources are counted as part of a family's income. The most common census poverty figures are based on a family's "money income." Money income includes income from wages and salaries, interest, dividends, unemployment and workers compensation, Social Security, cash welfare, such as TANF benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), veterans' and survivors' benefits, disability payments, pensions, rents/royalties, educational assistance, alimony, and child support. Critically, money income excludes many forms of welfare, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), food stamps, public housing, and Medicaid benefits
Our analysis first determined the impact of altering marriage levels on child poverty using the money income measure of income. We then redid the analysis using a broader definition of income that includes the EITC and the value of food stamps.
Effects of Restoring marriage to 1960 Levels (by Cash Money Income Measure)
As Chart 1 shows, the proportion of children in single-parent families rose substantially from 1960 to 2000. In 1960, only 11.7 percent of children were in single-parent or other "broken" home settings, a percentage that ballooned to 27.6 percent by the year 2000.
As Table 1 and Table 2 show, if marriage were restored to 1960 levels, the percentage of children residing in married-couple families would rise from 72.4 percent to 88.3 percent. A total of 11.49 million children would reside in married-couple families rather than single-parent homes. (See Table 3 and Table 4.) Among black children, the share residing in married homes would rise from 51 percent to 71 percent; nearly 3 million additional black children would reside in married-couple homes.[12]
Table 5 shows that restoring marriage to 1960 levels would have a considerable impact on child poverty. Using the money income definition of income, the child poverty rate is now at 15.7 percent. However, if marriage were restored to 1960 levels, the total child poverty rate would be cut by nearly a third to 11.2 percent. Restoration of marriage to 1960 levels among blacks would have a similar effect; their child poverty rate would fall by nearly a third from the current level of 27.5 percent to 20.5 percent.
Effects on Children Moved into marriage
As noted, restoration of marriage to 1960 levels would move 11.49 million children from single-parent homes into married-couple homes. The reduction of poverty within this group of children is striking. As residents in single-parent homes, the current poverty rate of these children is 34.2 percent. Our analysis matched single parents with demographically similar spouses to create simulated married-couple homes. Table 6 shows that, when the 11.49 million children are placed in these simulated married-couple homes, their poverty rate falls to 6.7 percent. Thus, marriage cuts poverty among the affected children by a full 80 percent (from 34.2 percent to 6.7 percent).
Among the 11.49 million children moved into married families, about 3 million are black children. The poverty rate among these children is 45.4 percent before marriage and 9.0 percent after marriage; thus, marriage reduces poverty among the affected black children by 80 percent.
Effects of marriage on poverty Using an Expanded Definition of Income
As the final step in our analysis, we calculated the effects of marriage on poverty using an expanded definition of income. The Earned Income Tax Credit and food stamps were counted as part of a family's financial resources when determining whether the family was poor.[13] Naturally, poverty rates both before and after the marriage simulation were lower according to this method of measurement.
Using the expanded definition of income, the current child poverty rate is 12.9 percent. If marriage were restored to 1960 levels, the rate falls to 9.1 percent. A total of 2.7 million children would be removed from poverty. Among black children, the poverty rate falls from 22.6 percent to 16.3 percent, a drop of 28 percent. (See Table 7 and Table 8.)
These results are consistent with other microsimulation models of marriage and poverty. In an influential 1995 article entitled "The Impact of the Changing U.S. family Structure on Child poverty and Income Inequality," Dr. Robert Lerman of the Urban Institute estimated that restoring marriage to 1971 levels would have reduced child poverty in 1989 by approximately 23 percent.[14] Our analysis for this Report differs from that done by Dr. Lerman in two respects. First, due to the difference in years of comparison (2000 to 1960 rather than 1989 to 1971), our analysis moved more children from single-parent to simulated married homes. Second, Dr. Lerman's analysis employed a larger adjustment in male wages due to marriage than we did.
More recently, Adam Thomas and Isabel Sawhill of the Brookings Institution simulated marriage rates similarly by restoring marriage to 1970 levels.[15] Using money income to gauge poverty, the Thomas and Sawhill simulation would drop the child poverty rate from 18.3 percent to 14.8 percent, a 19.1 percent change. As noted above, the Heritage analysis drops the child poverty rate from 15.7 percent to 11.2 percent, or nearly a 30 percent change. The difference with our analysis can be explained in part by the fact the Brookings analysis raised marriage to 1970 levels, whereas this Heritage analysis raises marriage to the higher 1960 levels; thus, we moved more children from single-parent to married families. In addition, the Brookings analysis made no adjustment at all for the effects of marriage on male wages, through either a selection effect or earnings inducement. As a consequence, Thomas and Sawhill underestimate the impact of marriage on poverty.
While statistics on child poverty tend to garner the most press coverage, this social indicator does not change in a vacuum. The decline in the marriage rate since the inception of War on poverty in the 1960s has contributed significantly to the high levels of child poverty over the past few decades. By the estimates in this Report, when poor single mothers are married to single men of similar age, race, and education, their marriage lifts the family out of poverty in about 80 percent of cases. Overall, child poverty would be nearly a third lower today if the traditional two-parent family had not deteriorated between 1960 and 2000.
Robert Rector is Senior Research Fellow, Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D., is a Senior Policy Analyst in the Center for Data Analysis, and Patrick F. Fagan is William H. G. Fitzgerald Research Fellow in family and Cultural Issues, at The Heritage Foundation.
Child poverty is calculated for all children living with relatives. Children living in foster care situations, in group homes, in other institutional-like settings, and without relatives are excluded from this analysis.[1]
As noted in the methodology section, the authors "married" single parents to similar single individuals in the March 2001 Current Population Survey (CPS) file. The matching/marrying simulation was accomplished in three stages.
First, any single individual who indicated that he or she was an opposite sex "unmarried partner" of the head of a given CPS household was coded as a cohabitor and "married" to the head of the household.
Second, we stratified the remaining single parents and single men/women without children in the home according to the following criteria:
Sex (two categories: male/female);
Age range (eight categories ranging from 18-24 to 55-59);
Race (three categories: white, black, and other); and
Educational attainment (three categories: high school dropout, high school graduate, and at least some college).
Using all the possible combinations of these four criteria, we created 144 social/demographic partitions for single parents with children and a matching set of 144 partitions for individuals without children.
Third, we randomly selected a number of remaining single parents to be married or matched. Since our analysis sought to restore marriage to 1960 levels, only about 60 percent of single parents were selected for simulated marriage. The selected single parents were matched against single persons of the opposite gender in a corresponding age, race, and education partition. For example, single black female parents between the ages of 25 and 29 were matched with single black males in that age cohort and without children. When there were multiple eligible single persons within a partition, the individuals to be married were also selected at random. Since there typically were far more single individuals without children than there were single parents, many single individuals were not matched and married to anyone.[2]
Marital Effects on Earnings.
After individuals were placed in simulated marriages, male wages were adjusted. The procedures used closely followed those employed by Urban Institute economist Robert Lerman in previous research on this topic. Lerman applied human capital modeling techniques to the issue of marriage and child poverty. He notes that married men, especially those with the responsibility of supporting children at home, earn more than single men, even after controlling for race, education, and work experience.[3] In his simulations of child poverty and inequality, he adjusts the earnings of single men who are hypothetically "married" to take into consideration the effect of marriage in increasing earnings.[4]
In order to simulate the effect of marriage on earnings, Lerman uses a Tobit censored regression model, named for Nobel laureate James Tobin, who first considered the approach.[5] A Tobit regression censors any observations below some prescribed threshold. Since this analysis is interested in positive earnings only, the Tobit model censors earnings less than zero by coding them at zero.[6]
Following Lerman, a set of six models was constructed for the purpose of simulating the earnings behavior of married husbands compared with single men. These six models estimated the following:
Single white male earnings;
Single black male earnings;
Single other race male earnings;
Married white male earnings;
Married black male earnings; and
Married other race male earnings.
The independent variables used in each of the Tobit models included years of education, number of children at home, work experience,[7] and work experience squared.[8] The gap between the expected married male wage and the expected single male wage was then calculated. In order to produce a conservative estimate of the effect of marriage on male wage, we then cut the calculated wage gap factors in half. (Lerman did not make this reduction.) Next, the earnings of the newly married husbands in the simulation were increased by this reduced amount, yielding an average earnings increase of 20 percent.
Finally, the incomes of both partners in the simulated marriage were then combined into a single family income, and the new family income was compared to the official poverty income thresholds for a family of that size.
1. Our paper deals with "related children" in families; these are children who are related to the head of the family. For a small number of "related children," neither parent is in the home; instead, the child is living with a relative such as a grandmother or aunt. Grandmothers, aunts, and other relatives who are single heads of households with related children in the home will undergo simulated marriages in our analysis in the same manner single parents do (assuming that they fall within the relevant age ranges). Thus, while the text refers to "single parents" being placed in simulated marriages in some cases, these individuals will be "single relatives" rather than parents. Since our analysis hypothesizes a restoration of the culture of marriage to 1960 levels, it is appropriate that marriage levels be raised not just among single parents, but among single relatives as well.
2. Since this analysis is interested solely in the effect of marriage on child poverty, information from these remaining single adult individuals is not needed.
3. Lerman, "The Impact of the Changing U.S. Family Structure on Child Poverty and Income Inequality," p. S125.
4. There is a marriage effect for women as well, but according to Lerman, it is a comparatively minor one and is therefore not undertaken here.
5. James Tobin, "Estimation of Relationships for Limited Dependent Variables," Econometrica, Vol. 26 (1958), pp. 24-36. For a short overview of the Tobit procedure, see William H. Greene, Econometric Analysis, Third Ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1997), pp. 962-974.
6. "Earnings" here includes not only wages and salaries from jobs, but also self-employment income or income from any kind of owner-operated farm business. If an individual takes a net loss in all of his or her businesses, the CPS will code that as a loss. Since it is counterintuitive to estimate a loss of earnings in this analysis, the Tobit censored regression censors at the value of zero.
7. Work experience is defined as number of years out of school and in the general workforce.
8. An exponential function is applied because worker earnings tend to flatten out over time.
1. U.S. Bureau of the Census, "Historical Poverty Tables--Current Population Survey," Table 3 at http://www.census.gov/hhes/poverty/histpov/hstpov3.html (January 30, 2002).
2. Since welfare reform, the child poverty rate has declined, falling to 15.7 percent in 2000.
3. These rates are for all children under 18 and are generated directly from the Current Population Survey. The poverty rate for children in single-parent families here is slightly different from the rate reported in Table 6 of this Report because the populations are not the same. Table 6 includes only the children affected by the marriage simulation, while the figure above includes all children living in a household headed by a single male or female.
4. U.S. Bureau of the Census, "Living Arrangements of Children Under 18 Years Old: 1960 to Present," at http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/hh-fam/tabCH-1.txt. However, the percentages for 1960 exclude those children living with non-relatives. The analysis in this Report is for persons under 18 living with relatives who are living in families or related subfamilies, a slightly different definition than that used by the Census Bureau for the 2000 table. In this CDA analysis, the number of children living in families or related subfamilies in 2000 is 70,950,000.
5. Single-parent families include those single mothers who do not marry and mothers subsequently divorced after the birth of their child.
6. For more on the problems associated with children in single-parent families, see Patrick F. Fagan, "Encouraging Marriage and Discouraging Divorce," Heritage Foundation Backgrounder No. 1421, March 26, 2001, at http://www.heritage.org/Research/Family/BG1421.cfm Patrick F. Fagan and Robert Rector, "The Effects of Divorce on America," Heritage Foundation Backgrounder No. 1373, June 5, 2000, at http://www.heritage.org/Research/Family/BG1373.cfm; Patrick F. Fagan and Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D., "Marriage: The Safest Place for Women and Children," Heritage Foundation Backgrounder No. 1535, April 10, 2002; and Patrick Fagan, Robert Rector, Kirk Johnson, and America Peterson, The Positive Effects of Marriage: A Book of Charts (Washington, D.C.: The Heritage Foundation, 2002).
7. See http://www.bls.census.gov/cps.
8. In matching potential spouses by race, three categories were used: white, black, and other.
9. See Linda J. Waite and Maggie Gallagher, The Case for Marriage: Why Married People Are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off Financially (New York: Doubleday, 2000), pp. 97-109.
10. Robert I. Lerman, Ph.D., "The Impact of the Changing U.S. Family Structure on Child Poverty and Income Inequality," Economica (London), Vol. 63 (1995), pp. S119-S139.
11. The 2000 Census Bureau poverty threshold data may be found at http://www.census.gov/hhes/poverty/threshld/thresh00.html.
12. In all the tables and accompanying text in this Report, the term "black" refers to "non-whites." "Non-whites" is a category that covers blacks and a smaller group of "others." In 1960, the Census Bureau divided the population into "whites" and "non-whites"; no separate data on blacks were available. In hypothetically restoring marriage to 1960 levels, we have been forced to mimic this 1960 racial categorization. The use of the categories "whites" and "non-whites" rather than "whites" and "blacks" has no effect on the overall analysis of the impact of marriage on child poverty and marginal effect on the figures given on racial subgroups.
13. Many researchers view this augmented definition of income as superior to traditional money income because it includes cash (EITC) and near cash (fungible food stamp) transfers from the government to families. See, for example, Gregory Acs, Norma Coe, Keith Watson, and Robert Lerman, "Does Work Pay: An Analysis of the Work Incentives Under TANF," Urban Institute Occasional Paper No. 9, July 1998.
14. Lerman, "The Impact of the Changing U.S. Family Structure on Child Poverty and Income Inequality," Table 10, p. S136.
15. Adam Thomas and Isabel Sawhill, "For Richer or for Poorer: Marriage as an Antipoverty Strategy," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, forthcoming, available at http://www.brook.edu/dybdocroot/wrb/wip/200202.pdf.
Robert Rector
Patrick Fagan
Former William H.G. Fitzgerald fellow
Kirk Johnson
Former Visiting Fellow
A New American Poverty
Four Liberal Poverty Proposals That Would Harm the Poor
How Policymakers Can Help Low-Income Americans Access Care During Pandemic
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Why Didn't This 'Black Life Matter' To The Media?
On July 12, 2012, Dominic Durden, a 30-year-old Riverside County, California sheriff’s dispatcher was on his way to work, when Juan Zacarias Lopez Tzun, 24, made an illegal left-hand turn in his pickup on Pigeon Pass Road, striking Durden’s motorcycle.
Durden’s injuries were massive and he died at the scene.
Tzun, an illegal alien, was charged with vehicular manslaughter and for driving without a license. Despite the fact that Tzun killed an innocent young man, he was booked into the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside, on only $7,500 bail.
On April 3, 2013, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Raphael A. Arreola sentenced Tzun to 90 days in jail and to 180 days in a work-release program. Tzun had already spent 56 days in jail, and only served an additional 30 days, before being released on May 2, after which, he was eventually deported.
Not surprisingly, the crash that killed Durden was not Tzun’s first run-in with the law...what follows is Tzun’s criminal history in California:
• On May 13, 2012, he was arrested, and charged with suspicion of driving under the influence and not having a license.
• In November 2010, he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and was sentenced to three years’ probation, 10 days in jail, and a $1,660 fine. Under the terms of his probation, he was required to obtain a driver’s license...he never did.
• In 2009, he was charged with grand theft auto.
Despite these charges, Tzun was never reported to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials for possible deportation, and was allowed to roam freely, continuing to place the citizens of Riverside County, in grave danger.
In fact, The Riverside Press-Enterprise reported that the California Highway Patrol refused to investigate Tzun’s immigration status, following his first DUI arrest.
Furthermore, the paper also reported:
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department does not inform ICE of impending releases after receiving an immigration detainer, Sgt. Mike Manning said.
In addition to serving as a sheriff’s 911 dispatcher, Durden was a volunteer firefighter, and an accomplished pilot. “Dom,” as his mother, Sabine calls him, loved animals and was the “ultimate prankster, ...who would do anything to make you laugh.”
It was Dom's lifelong dream to become a police officer, and he spent much of his 30 years on Earth helping others and bringing a smile to the faces of his friends and family, Sabine always says with a smile on her face, along with a tear in her eye.
Sabine Durden's heartfelt and inspiring words can also be found on the website she created to honor her son’s memory, known as DOMHUGS.
Sabine has established a scholarship in Dominic’s name to assist students enrolled in Emergency Medical Techinician programs at Moreno Valley College.
Unlike the illegal aliens, this country's leftist media has dubbed “DREAMERS,” Dominic Durden was not only a “dreamer,” he also put those dreams into action. He achieved a 4.0 GPA, became a pilot, firefighter, a sheriff's dispatcher, and always donated his time to his community...all by the age of 30.
His death was a loss, not only to those who were fortunate to have known him personally, but to every American.
“Dom” was a young man whom all of us would be proud to call brother, son, or pal.
However, the press wanted nothing to do with this young man's death, once they discovered he was killed by an illegal alien, and 'sanctuary policies' that make every American, black, white, and brown.
Apparently, Dom's life and maybe, especially the way it ended, failed to fit the MSM's tiresome narrative...Who are the real racists?
Gang Member Charged In 'Sanctuary City' Murder
Jamaican Immigrant Charged With Murder Of U.S. Army Corporal
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Saudi Arabia: 5 Years On, Activist Still Behind Bars
Waleed Abu al-Khair Serving 15 Years for Defending Rights
(Beirut) – Saudi authorities should immediately release the prominent human rights lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair, who was sentenced in 2014 to 15 years in prison solely for his peaceful human rights advocacy, Human Rights Watch said today.
Waleed Abu al-Khair, prominent lawyer and human rights activist, speaks to Human Rights Watch over Skype from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on September 19, 2013. © 2013 Human Rights Watch
The Specialized Criminal Court (SCC), Saudi Arabia’s terrorism tribunal, convicted Abu al-Khair in July 2014 primarily for his comments to media outlets and tweets criticizing Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, especially the country’s harsh sentences against peaceful critics. In addition to his 15-year sentence, the court also issued a 15-year travel ban and imposed a fine of 200,000 Saudi Riyals (US$53,000).
“Stifling peaceful dissent with outrageous sentences has shown the Saudi government’s lack of commitment to serious political and civil reform,” said Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “A serious reform campaign, no matter how Saudi-funded public relations propagandists spin it, doesn’t entail locking up human rights defenders for 15 years for courageously speaking up.”
Abu al-Khair’s trial before the Specialized Criminal Court opened in October 2013. Following his fifth trial session on April 15, 2014, the interior minister issued a detention order, and Abu al-Khair has remained in detention since then. He is in al-Dhahban prison, north of Jeddah.
In its July 2014 decision, the court found Abu al-Khair guilty on six charges: “seeking to remove legitimate authority;” “harming public order in the state and its officials;” “inflaming public opinion and disparaging and insulting judicial authority;” “publicly slandering the judiciary, distorting the kingdom’s reputation, making international organizations hostile to the kingdom, and issuing unverified statements that harm the kingdom’s reputation and incite against it and alienate it;” “founding an unlicensed organization;” and violating Saudi Arabia’s anti-cybercrime law.
Abu al-Khair is a lawyer who has represented several others facing human rights violations as a legal advocate, and also founded Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia, a human rights organization that published information about human rights issues in the kingdom. The Justice Ministry, however, refused to license him as a lawyer and the government rejected the registration application for his organization.
In recognition of his human rights work, Abu al-Khair received several prestigious awards, including the Law Society of Upper Canada’s 2016 Human Rights Award, the Olof Palme Prize in 2012, and the Ludovic Trarieux International Human Rights Prize in 2015.
Other peaceful Saudi dissidents serving harsh sentences solely for their human rights work and who should be immediately released include: Loujain al-Hathloul, Nouf Abdelaziz, Mayaa al-Zahrani, Hatoon al-Fassi, Samar Badawi, Nassema al-Sadah, Abdulaziz al-Shubaily, Mohammed al-Qahtani, Abdullah al-Hamid, Fadhil al-Manasif, Abdulkareem al-Khodr, Fowzan al-Harbi, Raif Badawi, Saleh al-Ashwan, Abdulrahman al-Hamid, Zuhair Kutbi, Alaa Brinji, Nadhir al-Majed, Issa al-Nukheifi, Essam Koshak, Mohammad al-Otaibi, Abdullah al-Attawi, and Fahad al-Fahad.
“Saudi leaders should praise Walid Abu al-Khair for his commitment to defending fellow citizens’ rights,” Page said. “Every day Abu al-Khair remains behind bars, is a reminder that Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman’s ‘reform’ plan is meaningless.”
April 9, 2019 News Release
UK: Court Hears Challenge to Saudi Arms Sales
March 27, 2019 Letter
Four years of war in Yemen: 25 Yemeni and global NGOs call on Germany to extend its moratorium on arms sales to Saudi Arabia
March 25, 2019 Commentary
Why Germany Shouldn’t Yield on Arms Sales to the Saudis
March 21, 2019 News Release
Saudi Arabia: Abusive Charges Against Women Activists
“Our Happy Family Is Gone”
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20/07/2016 4:32 PM AEST | Updated 21/07/2016 1:44 PM AEST
This Is Your Brain On Pokémon GO
Combining Google Maps and virtual reality, Pokémon GO uses real locations to encourage players to catch Pokémon with their phones. Using geolocation, a player’s smartphone vibrates when a Pokémon is in their vicinity... therein lies the key to its addictiveness.
Donna Lu Writer and editor
Millennials no longer have to trade Pokémon cards in the playground...
If the viral response to Google's 2014 April Fools' video was anything to go by, the unprecedented success of Pokémon GO could have been expected. The game has been downloaded millions of times since its release on July 6, spurring meet-ups, making Nintendo's share price soar and even prompting safety warnings. Players are obsessed: SimilarWeb reported on July 8 that users are spending an average of 43 minutes per day on the app -- far surpassing time spent on social apps like Instagram and Snapchat.
Combining Google Maps and virtual reality, Pokémon GO uses real locations to encourage players to catch Pokémon with their phones. The further a player walks (or drives), the more Pokémon can be found. Using geolocation, a player's smartphone vibrates when a Pokémon is in their vicinity... therein lies the key to its addictiveness.
Reward and addiction
Video games activate a specific network in the brain known as the brain reward system, which is responsible for desire, pleasure and positive reinforcement. A rewarding activity results in a release of dopamine from the brain's ventral tegmental area (VTA). The pleasurable feelings that result give positive reinforcement, encouraging us to repeat the behaviour. Dopamine neurons in the VTA are also activated by certain drugs, which can lead to addiction.
The reward of catching a Pokémon activates the VTA, and acts as an incentive to continue hunting. Dr David Painter, a researcher at The University of Queensland, says the game's business model leverages the psychology of positive reinforcement.
"Pokémon GO is based on microtransactions," Painter said.
While the game is free to download, users can purchase items to aid in the quest to catch 'em all. Lure Modules, for example, can be set up to attract Pokémon to a particular Pokéstop, and certain restaurants have been using them to boost clientele. This model, Painter said, "conditions the spending of money with the reward of receiving more Pokémon", which can add up to be costly to the player (and lucrative for Niantic, the game's developer).
Nostalgic for the '90s
The popularity of Pokémon GO is also no doubt fuelled by nostalgia, as Quentin Hardy has suggested in the New York Times. The game is "proof that millennials, for years the young generation, are getting old," he wrote. Millennials form the majority of app users, and are likely to recall playing with Pokémon cards or on Game Boy in the '90s.
Research into the neuroscience of nostalgia has found that reminiscing about positive past experiences rewards the brain. In one study, participants recalled memories while their brains were scanned. Participants who were asked to recall happy memories showed more activation in brain circuits that were also stimulated by monetary reward. The researchers suggested that, by reminding us of better times, nostalgia can function to improve mood.
Another study suggests that when a person feels lonely, nostalgia acts as a source of social connectedness and increases his or her perceived ability to emotionally support others. This finding is reinforced by some anecdotal reports about the benefits of Pokémon GO to players' mental health.
Virtual reality: the future of gaming
Previous research into the neuroscience of video games has found that certain games can improve cognitive function. Painter, whose PhD at the Queensland Brain Institute specialised in selective attention, says that action video games, for example, improve visual processing and attention. "Action video game players are faster able to detect a change at a particular location on the screen, and better able to reorient their attention."
Specially designed video games could be used to improve attention in people with attention-deficit disorder, says Painter. The advent of virtual reality will revolutionise both gaming and education, he believes. "Pokémon Go is an example of augmented reality, where your computer is adding some information to make your everyday experience a little more fun," he said.
Disclaimer: Donna Lu is a science writer at the Queensland Brain Institute.
MORE: brain entertainment neuroscience Pokemon Pokemon GO
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H-1B Season Is Here
Immigration Labor & Employment
U.S. businesses often use the H-1B visa classification to employ non-U.S. workers in positions requiring a college degree or the equivalent. In most cases, H-1B classification conveys work authorization for a period of up to six years. The law sets a limit of 65,000 new H-1Bs per fiscal year, with an additional 20,000 set aside for workers with a master’s degree or higher. These limits are known as the “H-1B caps.” In 2013, the H-1B cap was exceeded for both categories in the first week applications were accepted. Many employers were disappointed when their applications were rejected in the ensuing lottery conducted to select the applications that would be accepted for processing under the caps.
Because of the improving economy and the backlog of demand from last year, an even larger shortfall is expected this year. Because of the existence of the caps, and because applications for new H-1B positions can be made no more than six months prior to the October 1 start of each new federal fiscal year, April 1 is the filing goal each year. The weeks leading up to that date have become known as “H-1B season,” as employers and their counsel work to prepare H-1B cases for filing. Applications approved this year will be effective October 1, 2014.
Many foreign national students enter into a period of employment called Optional Practical Training (OPT) after graduation from a U.S. university. When that OPT period expires, the former student must either change to a work-authorized status or cease the employment. Often H-1B classification is the only available solution to continue employment. For those employers wishing to continue the employment of one of these new graduates or to hire any other foreign national who will need new H-1B work authorization to accept employment, the time has come to begin preparing the H-1B petitions. Workers already in H-1B status who will simply be changing employers are not subject to the caps and can apply any time during the year.
Petitions filed after the first week of April will likely not be accepted for filing, and, barring new legislation to permit it, petitions will not be accepted again until April 1, 2015. It is time now to begin preparing applications for an October 1, 2014 H-1B effective date.
To begin your H-1B petition or to obtain assistance in evaluating your need to apply, contact Toni Blackwood.
Toni H. Blackwood
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IDB Launches Infrastructure Data Observatories
The energy, transport, and water and sanitation observatories will increase the availability of reliable data in Latin America and the Caribbean The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will launch three data observatories to plan infrastructure investments and speed up development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The observatories, jointly developed with other international partners, will provide access to reliable and up-to-date data in the water and sanitation, energy, and transportation sectors.
IDB supports Paraguay road infrastructure and competitiveness improvement program
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a $215 million loan to help boost Paraguay’s competitiveness through the provision of road infrastructure suited to all weather conditions and safe, resilient, and reliable transportation services on National Route PY12 (stage I) and access roads.
IDB Launches Pivot Movement to Strengthen Caribbean Innovation
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has launched the Pivot Movement to harness the most innovative ideas for Caribbean development and create a plan for the future of the region. The Movement includes a crowdsourcing contest and an event. Pivot Search is the crowdsourcing platform to receive new development ideas. It runs from September 2 to September 18, with a $5000 cash prize for each of the three winners.
World Water Week 2020: the IDB leads the Focus on Latin America and the Caribbean
The IDB leads the Focus on Latin America and the Caribbean at the most important global meeting of the water and sanitation sector, with a call to mitigate the effects of change climate The World Water Week, sponsored by the Stockholm International Water Institute, the most important global meeting of the year for the water and sanitation sector, began with a call to take concrete and decisive actions to mitigate the effects of climate change and its consequences on the availability of water resources for the present and the future.
IDB, CAF, FONPLATA launch alliance for regional integration
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), CAF –development bank of Latin America–, and FONPLATA announced the launching of their Alliance for the Integration and Development of Latin America and the Caribbean (ILAT) to provide technical and financial support to integration projects and generate knowledge and applied technology.
Infrastructure transformation will generate big windfall for Latin America and Caribbean
Infrastructure will be key to spur post-pandemic recovery New study shows how smart infrastructure investments benefit poor households the most Flagship report analyzes policy options for infrastructure that bring about climate-friendly reforms and address social expectations A new report by the Inter-American Development Bank charts a course for a massive infrastructure transformation in Latin America and the Caribbean through gains in efficie
IDB expands coverage for COVID-19 and public health risks in contingent loans
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is expanding the risks covered under the Contingent Credit Facility for Natural Disaster Emergencies (CCF) to include public health risks and COVID-19.
Honduras to improve its transport and freight logistics system with IDB support
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Fortis Reports Strong Second Quarter Earnings of $257 million
ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR - Fortis Inc. ("Fortis" or the "Corporation") (TSX:FTS)(NYSE:FTS), a leader in the North American regulated electric and gas utility industry, released its second quarter results today.
"Two clear goals for us in 2017 were realizing the economic benefit of the acquisition of ITC, which remains nicely accretive, and securing a reasonable outcome in our first large rate case in Arizona since the announcement of the UNS Energy acquisition in 2013. Achievement of these two goals was a factor in delivering strong second quarter results," said Barry Perry, President and Chief Executive Officer, Fortis.
Reported Net Earnings
The Corporation reported second quarter net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders of $257 million, or $0.62 per common share, compared to $107 million, or $0.38 per common share, for the same period of 2016. On a year-to-date basis, reported net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders were $551 million, or $1.34 per common share, compared to $269 million, or $0.95 per common share, for the same period of 2016.
Earnings per common share for the quarter benefitted from the impact of the rate case settlement and higher weather driven electricity sales at UNS Energy, and accretion associated with the acquisition of ITC.
Also contributing to the strong second quarter results was lower Corporate and Other expenses, primarily due to acquisition-related transaction costs associated with ITC recognized in the second quarter of 2016, higher earnings from Aitken Creek related to the unrealized gain on the mark-to-market of derivatives quarter over quarter, and favourable foreign exchange associated with US dollar-denominated earnings.
Adjusted Net Earnings1
On an adjusted basis, net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders for the second quarter were $253 million, or $0.61 per common share, an increase of $0.16 per common share over the same period of 2016. On a year-to-date basis, adjusted net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders were $540 million, or $1.31 per common share, an increase of $0.18 per common share over the same period of 2016. Adjusted net earnings no longer excludes mark-to-market adjustments related to derivative instruments, which occur in the normal course of business, as comparative information is now presented in reported net earnings.
UNS Energy contributed an additional $0.10 to adjusted net earnings per common share quarter over quarter, driven primarily by the impact of its rate case settlement and higher electricity sales due to weather.
ITC continues to be nicely accretive and in-line with expectations, with segmented net earnings of $93 million for the quarter. After considering the increase in the weighted average number of common shares outstanding and finance charges related to the acquisition, ITC had a $0.04 accretive impact on adjusted net earnings per common share. Accretion was tempered by the outperformance of the other utilities.
Capital expenditure plan on track and supported by strong cash flow
Capital expenditures for the first half of 2017 were $1.4 billion and the Corporation's consolidated capital expenditure plan of $3.1 billion for 2017 is on track.
Cash flow from operating activities totalled $1.2 billion for the first half of 2017, an increase of 28% over the same period of 2016. The increase reflects higher earnings, driven by UNS Energy and ITC, partially offset by timing differences in working capital.
1Non-US GAAP Measures
Fortis uses financial measures that do not have a standardized meaning under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America ("US GAAP") and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other entities. Fortis calculated the non-US GAAP measures by adjusting certain US GAAP measures for specific items that impact comparability but which the Corporation does not consider part of normal, ongoing operations. Refer to the Financial Highlights section of the Corporation's Management Discussion and Analysis for further discussion of these items.
Execution of growth strategy
The Corporation's capital program continues to address the energy infrastructure needs of customers. The Corporation's five-year consolidated capital expenditures through 2021 are expected to be approximately $13 billion, including more than $3.5 billion of capital expenditures at ITC.
Construction of the Tilbury liquefied natural gas ("LNG") facility expansion in British Columbia, the Corporation's largest ongoing capital project, is nearing completion. The total cost of the project is estimated at approximately $400 million, before allowance for funds used during construction and development costs. The facility is expected to be in service in the third quarter of 2017.
The Corporation continues to invest in four Multi-Value Projects ("MVPs") at ITC, which are regional electric transmission projects that have been identified by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator to address system capacity needs and reliability in various states. Approximately $228 million (US$176 million) was invested in the MVPs from the date of acquisition of ITC and an additional $135 million (US$102 million) is expected to be spent in the remainder of 2017. Three of the MVPs are expected to be completed by the end of 2018, with the fourth scheduled for completion in 2023.
In addition to the Corporation's base consolidated capital expenditure forecast, management is pursuing additional investment opportunities within existing service territories. Specifically, two significant electric transmission opportunities are being pursued. The Wataynikaneyap Power project in Northwestern Ontario, which involves construction of new transmission lines to connect remote First Nation communities to the electricity grid, and the Lake Erie Connector project at ITC, which would connect the Province of Ontario to the PJM electricity market. During the quarter noteworthy milestones were achieved with respect to the Lake Erie Connector project. In May ITC completed the major permit process in Pennsylvania upon receipt of two required permits from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and in June approval was received from Canada's Governor in Council and the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity was issued by the National Energy Board.
Furthermore, the Corporation continues to pursue additional LNG infrastructure investment opportunities in British Columbia, including the potential pipeline expansion to the proposed Woodfibre LNG export facility and further expansion of the Tilbury LNG facility. Fortis and its utilities are focused on achieving key milestones in 2017 to further advance these opportunities.
In May 2017 Fortis entered into an agreement with Teck Resources Limited ("Teck") to acquire a two-thirds ownership interest in the Waneta Dam and related transmission assets in British Columbia, for $1.2 billion. Closing of the transaction is subject to customary conditions, including receipt of certain approvals and consents. In addition, BC Hydro, which owns the remaining one-third ownership interest, has a right of first offer with respect to the sale by Teck. Providing BC Hydro does not exercise its right to purchase Teck's two-thirds interest in the dam, the transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017.
"At Fortis our portfolio of utilities is well diversified and provides numerous growth opportunities. We continue to make progress on our $13 billion five-year base capital plan with more than $3 billion to be spent throughout 2017," continued Mr. Perry. "This plan coupled with incremental opportunities for investment in our service territories, including our intention to purchase a stake in the Waneta Dam hydroelectric facility, provides high quality low risk growth for the Corporation."
The Corporation's results for 2017 will continue to benefit from the acquisition of ITC and the impact of the rate case settlement at UNS Energy. Over the long term, Fortis is well positioned to enhance value for shareholders through the execution of its capital plan, the balance and strength of its diversified portfolio of utility businesses, as well as growth opportunities within its service territories.
Over the five-year period through 2021, the Corporation's capital program is expected to be approximately $13 billion, increasing rate base to almost $30 billion in 2021. Fortis expects this long-term sustainable growth in rate base to support continuing growth in earnings and dividends.
Fortis has targeted average annual dividend growth of approximately 6% through 2021. This dividend guidance takes into account many factors, including the expectation of reasonable outcomes for regulatory proceedings at the Corporation's utilities, the successful execution of the five-year capital expenditure program, and management's continued confidence in the strength of the Corporation's diversified portfolio of utilities and record of operational excellence.
"As we look past 2017, we are seeing upside to our five-year base capital plan at our utility businesses. The opportunities we are identifying will enhance our ability to serve customers safely and reliably, grow our rate base, and support our 6% average annual dividend growth target while maintaining a conservative payout ratio," concluded Mr. Perry.
Teleconference to Discuss Second Quarter 2017 Results
A teleconference and webcast will be held on July 28 at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern). Barry Perry, President and Chief Executive Officer and Karl Smith, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, will discuss the Corporation's second quarter 2017 results.
Analysts, members of the media and other interested parties in North America are invited to participate by calling 1.877.223.4471. International participants may participate by calling 647.788.4922. Please dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. No pass code is required.
A live and archived audio webcast of the teleconference will be available on the Corporation's website, www.fortisinc.com.
A replay of the conference will be available two hours after the conclusion of the call until August 28, 2017. Please call 1.800.585.8367 or 416.621.4642 and enter pass code 37869181.
Interim Management Discussion and Analysis
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2017
Dated July 27, 2017
Forward-Looking Information 1 Summary of Consolidated Cash Flows 16
Corporate Overview 3 Contractual Obligations 18
Significant Items 3 Capital Structure 18
Financial Highlights 4 Credit Ratings 19
Segmented Results of Operations 7 Capital Expenditure Program 19
Regulated Electric & Gas Utilities - United States 7 Additional Investment Opportunities 20
ITC 7 Cash Flow Requirements 21
UNS Energy 8 Credit Facilities 22
Central Hudson 9 Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements 22
Regulated Gas Utility - Canadian 9 Business Risk Management 23
FortisBC Energy 9 Changes in Accounting Policies 23
Regulated Electric Utilities - Canadian 10 Future Accounting Pronouncements 23
FortisAlberta 10 Financial Instruments 25
FortisBC Electric 10 Critical Accounting Estimates 26
Eastern Canadian Electric Utilities 11 Related-Party and Inter-Company Transactions 27
Regulated Electric Utilities - Caribbean 11 Summary of Quarterly Results 27
Non-Regulated - Energy Infrastructure 12 Outlook 29
Corporate and Other 12 Outstanding Share Data 29
Regulatory Highlights 13 Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements (Unaudited) F-1
Consolidated Financial Position 15
Liquidity and Capital Resources 16
FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
The following Fortis Inc. ("Fortis" or the "Corporation") Management Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") has been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations. The MD&A should be read in conjunction with the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements and notes thereto for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and the MD&A and audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2016 included in the Corporation's 2016 Annual Report. Financial information contained in the MD&A has been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("US GAAP") and is presented in Canadian dollars unless otherwise specified.
Fortis includes "forward-looking information" in the MD&A within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, collectively referred to as "forward-looking information". Forward-looking information included in the MD&A reflect expectations of Fortis management regarding future growth, results of operations, performance and business prospects and opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as "anticipates", "believes", "budgets", "could", "estimates", "expects", "forecasts", "intends", "may", "might", "plans", "projects", "schedule", "should", "target", "will", "would" and the negative of these terms and other similar terminology or expressions have been used to identify the forward-looking information, which include, without limitation: the expected timing of filing of regulatory applications and receipt and outcome of regulatory decisions; the nature, timing and expected costs of certain capital projects including, without limitation, expansions of the Tilbury liquefied natural gas ("LNG") facility and Multi-Value Projects, and additional opportunities including the pipeline expansion to the Woodfibre LNG site, the Lake Erie Connector Project and the Wataynikaneyap Project; the Corporation's forecast gross consolidated and segmented capital expenditures for 2017 and from 2017 to 2021; statements related to the acquisition of an interest in the Waneta Dam and related transmission assets, including the expected timing and benefits thereof, total expected consideration and adjustments, the expected financing of the acquisition and conditions precedent to the closing, including receipt of certain approvals and consents; the expectation that the Corporation's 2017 results will continue to benefit from the acquisition of ITC and the impact of Tucson Electric Power Company's general rate case;
the Corporation's forecast rate base over the five-year period through 2021; the expectation that the Corporation's significant capital expenditure program will support continuing growth in earnings and dividends; target average annual dividend growth through 2021; the expectation that subsidiary operating expenses and interest costs will be paid out of subsidiary operating cash flows; the expectation that cash required to complete subsidiary capital expenditure programs will be sourced from a combination of borrowings under credit facilities, long-term debt offerings and equity injections from Fortis; the expectation that maintaining the targeted capital structure of the Corporation's regulated operating subsidiaries will not have an impact on its ability to pay dividends in the foreseeable future; the expectation that cash required of Fortis to support subsidiary capital expenditure programs and finance acquisitions will be derived from a combination of borrowings under the Corporation's committed corporate credit facility and proceeds from the issuance of common shares, preference shares and long-term debt and advances from minority investors; expected consolidated fixed-term debt maturities and repayments over the next five years; the expectation that the Corporation and its subsidiaries will remain compliant with debt covenants throughout 2017; the intent of management to refinance certain borrowings under Corporation's and subsidiaries' long-term committed credit facilities with long-term permanent financing; the expectation that long-term debt will not be settled prior to maturity; the expectation that the adoption of future accounting pronouncements will not have a material impact on the Corporation's consolidated financial statements; and the expectation that any liability from current legal proceedings and claims will not have a material adverse effect on the Corporation's consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Certain material factors or assumptions have been applied in drawing the conclusions contained in the forward-looking information, including, without limitation: the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals and requested rate orders, no material adverse regulatory decisions being received, and the expectation of regulatory stability; no material capital project and financing cost overrun related to any of the Corporation's capital projects; the realization of additional opportunities; the Board of Directors exercising its discretion to declare dividends, taking into account the business performance and financial conditions of the Corporation; no significant variability in interest rates; no significant operational disruptions or environmental liability due to a catastrophic event or environmental upset caused by severe weather, other acts of nature or other major events; the continued ability to maintain the electricity and gas systems to ensure their continued performance; no severe and prolonged downturn in economic conditions; no significant decline in capital spending; sufficient liquidity and capital resources; the continuation of regulator-approved mechanisms to flow through the cost of natural gas and energy supply costs in customer rates; the ability to hedge exposures to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, natural gas prices and electricity prices; no significant changes in tax laws; no significant counterparty defaults; the continued competitiveness of natural gas pricing when compared with electricity and other alternative sources of energy; the continued availability of natural gas, fuel, coal and electricity supply; continuation and regulatory approval of power supply and capacity purchase contracts; the ability to fund defined benefit pension plans, earn the assumed long-term rates of return on the related assets and recover net pension costs in customer rates; no significant changes in government energy plans, environmental laws and regulations that may materially negatively affect the Corporation and its subsidiaries; maintenance of adequate insurance coverage; the ability to obtain and maintain licences and permits; retention of existing service areas; the continued tax deferred treatment of earnings from the Corporation's Caribbean operations; continued maintenance of information technology infrastructure and no material breach of cybersecurity; continued favourable relations with First Nations; favourable labour relations; that the Corporation can reasonably assess the merit of and potential liability attributable to ongoing legal proceedings; and sufficient human resources to deliver service and execute the capital program.
Forward-looking information involves significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Fortis cautions readers that a number of factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking information. These factors should be considered carefully and undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information. Risk factors which could cause results or events to differ from current expectations are detailed under the heading "Business Risk Management" in this MD&A and in continuous disclosure materials filed from time to time with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Key risk factors for 2017 include, but are not limited to: uncertainty regarding the outcome of regulatory proceedings at the Corporation's utilities; uncertainty of the impact a continuation of a low interest rate environment may have on the allowed rate of return on common shareholders' equity at the Corporation's regulated utilities; the impact of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates; uncertainty related to proposed tax reform in the United States; risk associated with the impacts of less favourable economic conditions on the Corporation's results of operations; risk that the expected benefits of the acquisition of ITC may fail to materialize, or may not occur within the time periods anticipated; risk associated with the Corporation's ability to comply with Section 404(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the related rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board; risk associated with the completion of the Corporation's 2017 capital expenditures plan, including completion of major capital projects in the timelines anticipated and at the expected amounts; and uncertainty in the timing and access to capital markets to arrange sufficient and cost-effective financing to finance, among other things, capital expenditures and the repayment of maturing debt.
All forward-looking information in the MD&A is qualified in its entirety by the above cautionary statements and, except as required by law, Fortis disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Fortis is a leader in the North American regulated electric and gas utility business, with total assets of approximately $48 billion and fiscal 2016 revenue of $6.8 billion. More than 8,000 employees of the Corporation serve utility customers in five Canadian provinces, nine U.S. states and three Caribbean countries.
Year-to-date June 30, 2017, the Corporation's electricity systems met a combined peak demand of 31,671 megawatts ("MW") and its gas distribution systems met a peak day demand of 1,567 terajoules. For additional information on the Corporation's regulated operations and business segments, refer to Note 1 to the Corporation's unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and to the "Corporate Overview" section of the 2016 Annual MD&A.
SIGNIFICANT ITEMS
Pending Acquisition of an Interest in Waneta Dam: In May 2017 Fortis entered into an agreement with Teck Resources Limited ("Teck") to acquire a two-thirds ownership interest in the Waneta Dam and related transmission assets in British Columbia for a purchase price of $1.2 billion (the "Waneta Acquisition"), subject to certain adjustments. The Waneta Acquisition will be funded by a combination of cash on hand, debt and equity. The Waneta Dam is a renewable energy facility that is currently operated and maintained by FortisBC Inc. Under the purchase agreement, Teck Metals Ltd. will be granted a 20-year lease, with an option to extend for a further 10 years, to use the two-thirds interest in the Waneta Dam to produce power for its industrial operations in Trail, British Columbia. BC Hydro, the owner of the remaining one-third ownership interest in the Waneta Dam, has a right of first offer. Closing of the Waneta Acquisition will also be subject to certain customary conditions, including receipt of certain approvals and consents from Canadian and U.S. governmental authorities. Provided BC Hydro does not exercise its right to purchase Teck's two-thirds interest in the Waneta Dam, the transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Fortis has adopted a strategy of long-term profitable growth with the primary measure of financial performance being earnings per common share. Key financial highlights for the second quarter and year-to-date periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 are provided in the following table.
Consolidated Financial Highlights
Periods Ended June 30 Quarter Year-to-Date
($ millions, except for common share data) 2017 2016 Variance 2017 2016 Variance
Revenue 2,015 1,485 530 4,289 3,257 1,032
Energy Supply Costs 524 488 36 1,278 1,195 83
Operating Expenses 571 454 117 1,153 928 225
Depreciation and Amortization 298 232 66 595 466 129
Other Income, Net 24 9 15 55 25 30
Finance Charges 232 150 82 461 293 168
Income Tax Expense 102 28 74 208 70 138
Net Earnings 312 142 170 649 330 319
Net Earnings Attributable to:
Non-Controlling Interests 38 17 21 65 24 41
Preference Equity Shareholders 17 18 (1 ) 33 37 (4 )
Common Equity Shareholders 257 107 150 551 269 282
Earnings per Common Share
Basic ($) 0.62 0.38 0.24 1.34 0.95 0.39
Diluted ($) 0.62 0.38 0.24 1.34 0.95 0.39
Weighted Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding (# millions) 416.8 283.7 133.1 411.5 283.0 128.5
Cash Flow from Operating Activities 649 448 201 1,190 931 259
The increase in revenue for the quarter was driven by the acquisition of ITC in October 2016, the impact of the rate case settlement and higher electricity sales at UNS Energy, the flow through in customer rates of higher overall energy supply costs, and favourable foreign exchange associated with the translation of US dollar-denominated revenue. Also contributing to the increase in revenue was the reversal of transmission refund accruals of $7 million ($4 million after tax), in the second quarter of 2017, due to the United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") ending its investigation into the late-filed transmission service agreements at UNS Energy.
The increase in revenue year to date was driven by the same factors discussed above for the quarter, as well as $18 million ($11 million after tax) in FERC ordered transmission refunds, recognized in the first quarter of 2016, associated with late-filed transmission service agreements at UNS Energy.
Energy Supply Costs
The increase in energy supply costs for the quarter and year to date was mainly due to higher overall commodity costs. Unfavourable foreign exchange associated with the translation of US dollar-denominated energy supply costs also contributed to the increase for the quarter.
The increase in operating expenses for the quarter and year to date was primarily due to the acquisition of ITC and general inflationary and employee-related cost increases. The increase was partially offset by acquisition-related transaction costs of $19 million ($15 million after tax) and $35 million ($29 million after tax) for the second quarter and year-to-date 2016, respectively, associated with the acquisition of ITC. Unfavourable foreign exchange associated with the translation of US dollar-denominated operating expenses also contributed to the increase for the quarter.
The increase in depreciation and amortization for the quarter and year to date was primarily due to the acquisition of ITC and continued investment in energy infrastructure at the Corporation's other regulated utilities.
The increase in other income, net of expenses, for the quarter and year to date was primarily due to the acquisition of ITC. The favourable settlement of matters at UNS Energy pertaining to FERC ordered transmission refunds of $11 million ($7 million after tax), in the first quarter of 2017, also contributed to the year-to-date increase.
The increase in finance charges for the quarter and year to date was primarily due to the acquisition of ITC, including interest expense on debt issued to complete the financing of the acquisition. The increase was partially offset by acquisition-related transaction costs of $10 million ($7 million after tax) and $14 million ($10 million after tax) for the second quarter and year-to-date 2016, respectively, associated with the acquisition of ITC.
The increase in income tax expense for the quarter and year to date was driven by the acquisition of ITC and higher earnings before taxes. ITC's higher federal and state jurisdictional tax rates increased the total effective tax rate of Fortis.
Net Earnings Attributable to Common Equity Shareholders and Basic Earnings per Common Share
The increase in net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders for the quarter was driven by earnings of $93 million at ITC, which was acquired in October 2016. The increase for the quarter was also due to: (i) strong performance at UNS Energy, largely due to the impact of the rate case settlement and higher electricity sales; (ii) lower Corporate and Other expenses, primarily due to $22 million in acquisition-related transaction costs associated with ITC recognized in the second quarter of 2016; (iii) higher earnings from Aitken Creek related to the unrealized gain on the mark-to-market of derivatives quarter over quarter; and (iv) favourable foreign exchange associated with the translation of US dollar-denominated earnings. The increase was partially offset by higher finance charges associated with the acquisition of ITC.
The increase in net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders year to date was driven by earnings of $184 million at ITC. The year-to-date increase was also due to: (i) strong performance at UNS Energy, as discussed above for the quarter; (ii) the overall favourable impact of $22 million associated with FERC ordered refunds on late-filed transmission service agreements at UNS Energy; (iii) lower Corporate and Other expenses, primarily due to $39 million in acquisition-related transaction costs associated with ITC recognized year-to-date 2016; and (iv) higher earnings from Aitken Creek related to the unrealized gain on the mark-to-market of derivatives period over period and contribution from the first quarter of 2017. The increase was partially offset by: (i) higher finance charges associated with the acquisitions of ITC and Aitken Creek; (ii) lower contribution from FortisAlberta, mainly due to lower customer rates and higher operating expenses; and (iii) lower contribution from the Caribbean, mainly due to higher finance charges and lower equity income from Belize Electricity Limited ("Belize Electricity").
Earnings per common share for the quarter and year to date were $0.24 and $0.39 higher, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2016. The impact of the above-noted items on net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders were partially offset by an increase in the weighted average number of common shares outstanding associated with the financing of the acquisition of ITC and the Corporation's dividend reinvestment and share plans.
Adjusted Net Earnings Attributable to Common Equity Shareholders and Adjusted Basic Earnings per Common Share
Fortis supplements the use of US GAAP financial measures with non-US GAAP financial measures, including adjusted net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders and adjusted basic earnings per common share. The Corporation refers to these measures as non-US GAAP financial measures since they are not required by, or presented in accordance with, US GAAP. The most directly comparable US GAAP measures to adjusted net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders and adjusted basic earnings per common share are net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders and basic earnings per common share, respectively.
The Corporation calculates adjusted net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders as net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders plus or minus items that management believes are not reflective of the underlying operations of the business. For the quarter and year-to-date periods ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, the Corporation adjusted net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders for: (i) acquisition-related transactions costs; and (ii) cumulative adjustments for regulatory decisions pertaining to prior periods considered to be outside the normal course of business for the periods presented. The Corporation no longer excludes mark-to-market adjustments related to derivative instruments at Aitken Creek, which occur in the normal course of Aitken Creek's business, in its calculation of adjusted net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders as comparative information is now presented in reported net earnings.
The adjusting items described above do not have a standardized meaning as prescribed under US GAAP and are not considered US GAAP measures. Therefore, these adjusting items may not be comparable with similar adjustments presented by other companies.
The Corporation calculates adjusted basic earnings per common share by dividing adjusted net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding.
The following table provides a reconciliation of the non-US GAAP financial measures and each of the adjusting items are discussed in the segmented results of operations for the respective reporting segments.
Non-US GAAP Reconciliation
Net Earnings Attributable to Common Equity Shareholders 257 107 150 551 269 282
Adjusting Items:
UNS Energy -
Settlement of FERC ordered transmission refunds (4 ) - (4 ) (11 ) - (11 )
FERC ordered transmission refunds - - - - 11 (11 )
Corporate and Other -
Acquisition-related transaction costs - 22 (22 ) - 39 (39 )
Adjusted Net Earnings Attributable to Common Equity Shareholders 253 129 124 540 319 221
Adjusted Basic Earnings Per CommonShare ($) 0.61 0.45 0.16 1.31 1.13 0.18
SEGMENTED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Segmented Net Earnings Attributable to Common Equity Shareholders
($ millions) 2017 2016 Variance 2017 2016 Variance
Regulated Electric & Gas Utilities- United States
ITC 93 - 93 184 - 184
UNS Energy 89 56 33 130 68 62
Central Hudson 10 12 (2 ) 33 36 (3 )
Regulated Gas Utility - Canadian
FortisBC Energy 6 8 (2 ) 103 100 3
Regulated Electric Utilities - Canadian
FortisAlberta 31 30 1 56 61 (5 )
FortisBC Electric 16 15 1 31 30 1
Eastern Canadian 18 16 2 36 34 2
Regulated Electric Utilities - Caribbean 9 11 (2 ) 17 21 (4 )
Non-Regulated - Energy Infrastructure 25 19 6 48 30 18
Corporate and Other (40 ) (60 ) 20 (87 ) (111 ) 24
The following is a discussion of the financial results of the Corporation's reporting segments. A discussion of the material regulatory decisions and applications pertaining to the Corporation's regulated utilities is provided in the "Regulatory Highlights" section of this MD&A.
REGULATED ELECTRIC & GAS UTILITIES - UNITED STATES
Financial Highlights (1)
Periods Ended June 30, 2017 Quarter Year-to-Date
Average US:CAD Exchange Rate (2) 1.34 1.33
Revenue ($ millions) 408 803
Earnings ($ millions) 93 184
(1) Revenue represents 100% of ITC, while earnings represent the Corporation's 80.1% controlling ownership interest in ITC and reflects consolidated purchase price accounting adjustments.
(2) The reporting currency of ITC is the US dollar.
Revenue and Earnings
ITC was acquired by Fortis in October 2016 and, therefore, there are no revenue and earnings reported for the comparative periods.
There were no transactions or events, outside the normal course of operations, that materially impacted revenue or earnings for the quarter and year to date.
UNS ENERGY (1)
Financial Highlights Quarter Year-to-Date
Periods Ended June 30 2017 2016 Variance 2017 2016 Variance
Average US:CAD Exchange Rate (2) 1.34 1.29 0.05 1.33 1.33 -
Electricity Sales (gigawatt hours ("GWh")) 3,618 3,608 10 7,002 6,652 350
Gas Volumes (petajoules ("PJ")) 3 3 - 8 8 -
Revenue ($ millions) 552 490 62 1,010 930 80
Earnings ($ millions) 89 56 33 130 68 62
(1) Includes Tucson Electric Power Company ("TEP"), UNS Electric, Inc. and UNS Gas, Inc.
(2) The reporting currency of UNS Energy is the US dollar.
Electricity Sales & Gas Volumes
The increase in electricity sales for the quarter was primarily due to higher residential and commercial retail electricity sales due to warmer temperatures that increased air conditioning load. The increase was partially offset by lower short-term wholesale sales due to unplanned generation outages and lower long-term wholesale sales due to the expiration of a large contract as compared to the same period in 2016. The majority of short-term wholesale sales is flowed through to customers and has no impact on earnings.
The increase in electricity sales year to date was primarily due to the same factors discussed above for the quarter and higher short-term wholesale sales in the first quarter of 2017 as a result of more favourable commodity prices.
Gas volumes were comparable with the same periods in 2016.
The increase in revenue for the quarter was primarily due to the impact of the rate settlement effective February 27, 2017, higher retail electricity sales, as discussed above, and approximately $22 million of favourable foreign exchange associated with the translation of US dollar-denominated revenue. Also contributing to the increase was the reversal of $7 million (US$5 million), or $4 million (US$3 million) after-tax, in transmission refund accruals due to FERC ending its investigation into TEP's late-filed transmission agreements in the second quarter of 2017. The increase was partially offset by lower revenue related to a decrease in cost recovery rates, which has no impact on earnings.
The increase in revenue year to date was due to the same factors discussed above for the quarter, as well as approximately $18 million (US$13 million), or $11 million (US$8 million) after tax, in FERC ordered transmission refunds in the first quarter of 2016 and higher short-term wholesale sales. Also contributing to the increase year to date was approximately $5 million of favourable foreign exchange associated with the translation of US dollar-denominated revenue.
The increase in earnings for the quarter was primarily due to the impact of the rate case settlement, higher retail electricity sales, and the reversal of $4 million (US$3 million) in transmission refund accruals, all discussed above. Also contributing to the increase was more favourably priced long-term wholesale contracts and approximately $2 million of favourable foreign exchange associated with the translation of US dollar-denominated earnings, partially offset by higher deferred income taxes.
The increase in earnings year to date was due to the same factors discussed above for the quarter, as well as approximately $11 million (US$8 million) in FERC ordered transmission refunds in the first quarter of 2016 and approximately $7 million (US$5 million) related to the favourable settlement of matters pertaining to FERC ordered transmission refunds in the first quarter of 2017. Also contributing to the increase was approximately $1 million of favourable foreign exchange associated with the translation of US dollar-denominated earnings.
Electricity Sales (GWh) 1,134 1,149 (15 ) 2,378 2,404 (26 )
Gas Volumes (PJ) 4 4 - 13 13 -
Revenue ($ millions) 206 185 21 464 434 30
Earnings ($ millions) 10 12 (2 ) 33 36 (3 )
(1) The reporting currency of Central Hudson is the US dollar.
The decrease in electricity sales for the quarter and year to date was primarily due to lower average consumption in the second quarter of 2017 as a result of cooler temperatures. Also contributing to the year-to-date decrease was lower average consumption in the first quarter of 2017, as a result of warmer temperatures. Gas volumes were comparable with the same periods in 2016.
Changes in electricity sales and gas volumes at Central Hudson are subject to regulatory revenue decoupling mechanisms and, as a result, do not have a material impact on annual revenue and earnings.
The increase in revenue for the quarter and year to date was due to higher delivery revenue from increases in base electricity rates effective July 1, 2016 and the recovery from customers of higher commodity costs. Also contributing to the increase for the quarter was favourable foreign exchange of approximately $8 million associated with the translation of US dollar-denominated revenue.
The decrease in earnings for the quarter and year to date was primarily due to the timing of unbilled revenue, which is not subject to the operation of the decoupling mechanism. Also contributing to the decrease was higher operating costs, partially offset by increases in delivery revenue. Higher-than-expected storm restoration costs incurred in the first quarter of 2017 also contributed to the decrease year to date.
FORTISBC ENERGY
Gas Volumes (PJ) 42 34 8 125 102 23
Earnings ($ millions) 6 8 (2 ) 103 100 3
Gas Volumes
The increase in gas volumes for the quarter and year to date was primarily due to growth in the number of customers and higher average consumption by residential and commercial customers as a result of colder temperatures. Also contributing to the increase was higher volumes for transportation customers due to additional customers switching to natural gas compared to alternative fuel sources.
The increase in revenue for the quarter and year to date was primarily due to higher gas volumes and a higher commodity cost of natural gas charged to customers, partially offset by an increase in flow-through adjustments owing to customers.
The decrease in earnings for the quarter was primarily due to the timing of quarterly revenue and operating expenses compared to the same period in 2016 and higher operating expenses, partially offset by higher allowance for funds used during construction ("AFUDC").
The increase in earnings year to date was primarily due to higher AFUDC and the timing of quarterly revenue and operating expenses as compared to the same period in 2016, partially offset by higher operating expenses.
FortisBC Energy earns approximately the same margin regardless of whether a customer contracts for the purchase and delivery of natural gas or only for the delivery of natural gas. As a result of the operation of regulatory deferral mechanisms, changes in consumption levels and the cost of natural gas do not materially affect earnings.
Energy Deliveries (GWh) 3,983 3,799 184 8,534 8,355 179
Revenue ($ millions) 148 144 4 295 286 9
Earnings ($ millions) 31 30 1 56 61 (5 )
Energy Deliveries
The increase in energy deliveries for the quarter and year to date was primarily due to higher average consumption by oil and gas customers in the second quarter of 2017 and growth in the number of residential and commercial customers. The increase year to date was partially offset by lower oil and gas activity in the first quarter of 2017.
The increase in revenue for the quarter and year to date was primarily due to an increase in capital tracker revenue. Higher revenue related to the flow through of costs to customers and higher energy deliveries, due to customer growth and higher average consumption, also contributed to the increase, partially offset by a decrease in customer rates effective January 1, 2017 based on a combined inflation and productivity factor of negative 1.9%.
The increase in earnings for the quarter was primarily due to an increase in capital tracker revenue and customer growth, partially offset by higher operating costs, mainly due to timing, and lower customer rates, as discussed above.
The decrease in earnings year to date was mainly due to higher operating expenses and timing differences related to certain operating expenses. Lower customer rates, partially offset by an increase in capital tracker revenue and customer growth, also contributed to the decrease year to date.
FORTISBC ELECTRIC (1)
Electricity Sales (GWh) 712 684 28 1,657 1,535 122
Revenue ($ millions) 85 83 2 198 187 11
Earnings ($ millions) 16 15 1 31 30 1
(1) Includes the regulated operations of FortisBC Inc. and operating, maintenance and management services related to the Waneta, Brilliant and Arrow Lakes hydroelectric generating plants.
Electricity Sales
The increase in electricity sales for the quarter and year to date was primarily due to higher average consumption as a result of favourable weather conditions.
The increase in revenue for the quarter and year to date was primarily due to higher electricity sales and an increase in base electricity rates effective January 1, 2017, partially offset by higher flow-through adjustments owing to customers.
The increase in earnings for the quarter and year to date was due to lower operating expenses.
Variances from regulated forecasts used to set rates for electricity revenue and power purchase costs are flowed back to customers in future rates through approved regulatory deferral mechanisms and, therefore, these variances do not have an impact on earnings.
EASTERN CANADIAN ELECTRIC UTILITIES (1)
Electricity Sales (GWh) 1,934 1,921 13 4,671 4,627 44
(1) Comprised of Newfoundland Power Inc. ("Newfoundland Power"), Maritime Electric Company, Limited and FortisOntario Inc. ("FortisOntario").
The increase in electricity sales for the quarter and year to date was due to higher average consumption and growth in the number of customers.
The increase in revenue for the quarter and year to date was primarily due to higher electricity sales and an increase in customer electricity rates.
The increase in earnings for the quarter and year to date was due to lower-than-anticipated finance costs, an increase in customer electricity rates, and higher electricity sales. The recognition of the cumulative impact of a decrease in the allowed return on equity ("ROE") at Newfoundland Power, effective January 1, 2016, in the second quarter of 2016 also had a favourable impact on earnings quarter over quarter.
REGULATED ELECTRIC UTILITIES - CARIBBEAN (1)
Electricity Sales (GWh) 220 215 5 411 405 6
Revenue ($ millions) 80 71 9 150 146 4
Earnings ($ millions) 9 11 (2 ) 17 21 (4 )
(1) Comprised of Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd. ("Caribbean Utilities"), in which Fortis holds an approximate 60% controlling interest, and two wholly owned utilities, FortisTCI Limited and Turks and Caicos Utilities Limited (collectively "Fortis Turks and Caicos"). Also includes the Corporation's 33% equity investment in Belize Electricity.
(2) The reporting currency of Caribbean Utilities and Fortis Turks and Caicos is the US dollar. The reporting currency of Belize Electricity is the Belizean dollar, which is pegged to the US dollar at BZ$2.00=US$1.00.
Electricity sales for the quarter and year to date were comparable with the same periods in 2016.
The increase in revenue for the quarter and year to date was mainly due to the flow through in customer electricity rates of higher fuel costs. Also contributing to the increase for the quarter is approximately $3 million of favourable foreign exchange associated with the translation of US dollar-denominated revenue.
The decrease in earnings for the quarter and year to date was due to higher finance costs, primarily due to lower capitalized interest, partially offset by lower operating costs. Also contributing to the decrease year to date was lower equity income from Belize Electricity.
NON-REGULATED - ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE (1)
Energy Sales (GWh) 519 516 3 601 605 (4 )
Revenue ($ millions) 59 67 (8 ) 115 95 20
Earnings ($ millions) 25 19 6 48 30 18
(1) Primarily comprised of long-term contracted generation assets in British Columbia and Belize, with a combined generating capacity of 391 MW, and the Aitken Creek natural gas storage facility in British Columbia, with a total working gas capacity of 77 billion cubic feet.
Energy Sales
Energy sales for the quarter and year to date were comparable with the same periods in 2016.
The decrease in revenue for the quarter was primarily due to Aitken Creek. The increase in revenue year to date was driven by the acquisition of Aitken Creek in April 2016.
The increase in earnings for the quarter and year to date was primarily due to higher earnings from Aitken Creek associated with the unrealized gains on the mark-to-market of derivatives period over period. Earnings from Aitken Creek in the first quarter of 2017 also contributed to the year-to-date increase.
CORPORATE AND OTHER (1)
Revenue 1 3 (2 ) 1 5 (4 )
Operating Expenses 10 28 (18 ) 22 53 (31 )
Depreciation and Amortization 1 1 - 1 2 (1 )
Other Income, Net 2 1 1 2 4 (2 )
Finance Charges 47 34 13 97 62 35
Income Tax Recovery (32 ) (17 ) (15 ) (63 ) (34 ) (29 )
(23 ) (42 ) 19 (54 ) (74 ) 20
Preference Share Dividends 17 18 (1 ) 33 37 (4 )
(1) Includes Fortis net Corporate expenses and non-regulated holding company expenses.
The decrease in Corporate and Other for the quarter and year to date was primarily due to lower operating expenses, a higher income tax recovery and lower preference share dividends, partially offset by an increase in finance charges.
The decrease in operating expenses for the quarter and year to date was primarily due to acquisition-related transaction costs, including investment banking, legal, consulting and other fees, associated with the acquisition of ITC totalling approximately $19 million ($15 million after tax) and $35 million ($29 million after tax) for the second quarter and year-to-date 2016, respectively. The decrease was partially offset by higher compensation-related expenditures, general inflationary increases and ancillary expenses to support the acquisition of ITC and the Corporation's listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
The increase in finance charges for the quarter and year to date was mainly due to the acquisition of ITC in October 2016, partially offset by fees associated with the Corporation's acquisition credit facilities totalling approximately $10 million ($7 million after tax) and $14 million ($10 million after tax) for the second quarter and year-to-date 2016, respectively. Finance charges associated with the acquisition of Aitken Creek in April 2016 also contributed to the year-to-date increase.
The higher income tax recovery for the quarter and year to date was mainly due to the increase in finance charges, partially offset by lower acquisition-related transaction costs.
The decrease in preference share dividends for the quarter and year to date was due to the redemption of First Preference Shares, Series E in September 2016.
REGULATORY HIGHLIGHTS
The nature of regulation associated with each of the Corporation's regulated electric and gas utilities is generally consistent with that disclosed in the 2016 Annual MD&A. The following summarizes the significant ongoing regulatory proceedings and significant decisions and applications for the Corporation's regulated utilities in the first half of 2017.
ROE Complaints
Since 2013 two third-party complaints were filed with FERC requesting that FERC find the Midcontinent Independent System Operator ("MISO") regional base ROE for all MISO transmission owners, including some of ITC's operating subsidiaries, for the periods November 2013 through February 2015 (the "Initial Refund Period" or "Initial Complaint") and February 2015 through May 2016 (the "Second Refund Period" or "Second Complaint") to no longer be just and reasonable. In September 2016 FERC issued an order affirming the presiding Administrative Law Judge's ("ALJ") initial decision for the Initial Refund Period and setting the base ROE for the Initial Refund Period at 10.32%, with a maximum ROE of 11.35%. Additionally, the rates established by the September 2016 order will be used prospectively from the date of the order until a new approved rate is established for the Second Refund Period. FERC's September 2016 order regarding the Initial Complaint is currently under appeal by the MISO transmission owners. In June 2016 the presiding ALJ issued an initial decision for the Second Refund Period, which recommended a base ROE of 9.70%, with a maximum ROE of 10.68%, which is a recommendation to FERC.
The total estimated refund for the Initial Complaint was $158 million (US$118 million), including interest, as at December 31, 2016. The true-up of the net refund was substantially finalized in the second quarter of 2017 and paid during the first half of 2017. The total amount of the refund, including interest and the associated true-up, for the Initial Complaint was not materially different from the amount recorded as at December 31, 2016.
An order has not yet been issued by FERC in connection with the Second Complaint; however, it is expected that FERC will establish a new base ROE and range of reasonableness to calculate the refund liability for the Second Refund Period and future ROEs for ITC's operating subsidiaries. As at June 30, 2017, the estimated range of refunds for the Second Refund Period was between US$104 million to US$142 million and ITC has recognized an aggregated estimated regulatory liability of $184 million (US$142 million).
The estimated regulatory liabilities were accrued by ITC before its acquisition by Fortis. There is uncertainty regarding the final outcome of the Initial and Second Complaints and the timing of the completion of these matters. This is due, in part, to a recent court decision requiring FERC to further justify the methodology used to establish new ROEs. It is possible that the outcome of these matters could differ materially from the estimated range of refunds.
General Rate Application
In February 2017 the Arizona Corporation Commission issued a rate order for new rates that took effect February 27, 2017 ("2017 Rate Order"). Provisions of the 2017 Rate Order include: (i) an increase in non-fuel base revenue of $108 million (US$81.5 million), including $20 million (US$15 million) of operating costs related to the 50.5% undivided interest in Unit 1 of Springerville Generating Station purchased by TEP in September 2016; (ii) a 7.04% return on original cost rate base, including a cost of equity of 9.75% and an embedded cost of long-term debt of 4.32%; (iii) a common equity component of capital structure of approximately 50%; and (iv) the adoption of proposed depreciation rates which reflect a reduction in the depreciable life for Unit 1 of San Juan Generating Station. Certain aspects of the general rate application, including net metering and rate design for new distributed generation customers, have been deferred to a second phase of TEP's rate case proceeding, which is currently expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2018. TEP cannot predict the outcome of this proceeding.
FERC Order
In May 2017 FERC informed TEP that no further enforcement actions were necessary regarding TEP's transmission refunds and closed the related investigation. As a result, TEP reversed the remaining $7 million (US$5 million) provision related to potential time-value refunds.
In July 2017 Central Hudson will file a rate case with the New York Public Service Commission ("PSC") requesting an increase in electric and nature gas rates. Included in the rate case will be a request to increase the allowed ROE to 9.5% from 9.0% and the equity component of the capital structure to 50% from 48%. An order from the PSC is expected in June 2018 with the new rates to become effective no later than July 1, 2018.
Capital Tracker Applications
In January 2017 the Alberta Utilities Commission ("AUC") issued its decision on FortisAlberta's 2015 True-Up Application approving the 2015 capital tracker revenue as filed, pending the approval of the Company's Compliance Filing, filed in February 2017. The AUC approved the Compliance Filing in May 2017. In June 2017 the Company filed its 2016 True-Up Application for 2016 capital tracker revenue and a decision is expected in the first quarter of 2018. There was no material adjustment to capital tracker revenue resulting from this application.
Generic Cost of Capital
In July 2017 the AUC established a process to determine an ROE and capital structure for 2018, 2019 and 2020. The process will commence in October 2017, with an oral hearing in March 2018. A decision is expected in the third quarter of 2018.
Next Generation Performance-Based Rate-Setting Proceeding
In December 2016 the AUC issued its decision outlining the manner in which distribution rates will be determined during the second performance-based rate-setting ("PBR") term, being the five-year period from 2018 through 2022. FortisAlberta filed a rebasing application in April 2017 to establish the going-in revenue requirement for the second PBR term, which will be used to determine the going-in rates upon which the PBR formula will be applied to establish distribution rates for 2018. A decision on this application is expected in the first quarter of 2018.
Significant Regulatory Proceedings
The following table summarizes significant ongoing regulatory proceedings, including filing dates and expected timing of decisions for the Corporation's utilities.
Regulated Utility Application/Proceeding Filing Date Expected Decision
ITC Second MISO Base ROE Complaint Not applicable To be determined
Central Hudson General Rate Application July 2017 July 2018
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL POSITION
The following table outlines the significant changes in the consolidated balance sheets between June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016.
Significant Changes in the Consolidated Balance Sheets between June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016
Balance Sheet Account Increase/
($ millions) Explanation
Capital assets, net 82 The increase was mainly due to capital expenditures, primarily at ITC, UNS Energy, Central Hudson and FortisAlberta. The increase was partially offset by the reclassification of a reserve from regulatory liabilities, the impact of foreign exchange associated with the translation of US dollar-denominated capital assets and depreciation.
Goodwill (373) The decrease was due to the impact of foreign exchange associated with the translation of US dollar-denominated goodwill.
Short-term borrowings (587) The decrease was mainly due to repayment of the Corporation's equity bridge credit facility, which was used to finance a portion of the acquisition of ITC, and the repayment of short-term borrowings at FortisBC Energy.
Accounts payable and other current liabilities (167) The decrease was primarily due to the timing of the declaration of the Corporation's common share dividends and lower amounts owing for energy supply costs at FortisBC Energy, Newfoundland Power and Central Hudson associated with the seasonality of operations, partially offset by an increase in capital accruals at ITC and FortisAlberta.
Regulatory liabilities - current and long-term (289) The decrease was primarily due to a reduction in regulatory liabilities at ITC associated with the payment of the Initial Refund Period ROE complaint, the reclassification of a reserve to capital assets and the impact of foreign exchange on the translation of US dollar-denominated regulatory liabilities.
Long-term debt (including current portion) 44 The increase was mainly due to the issuance of term loan credit agreements and first mortgage bonds by ITC and debt issued at other of the regulated utilities. The increase was partially offset by regularly scheduled debt repayments and the impact of foreign exchange associated with the translation of US dollar-denominated debt.
Deferred income tax liabilities 105 The increase was mainly due to timing differences associated with capital expenditures at the regulated utilities, partially offset by taxable losses at the Corporation and the impact of foreign exchange on the translation of US dollar-denominated deferred income tax liabilities.
Shareholders' equity (before non-controlling interests) 717 The increase was primarily due to: (i) the issuance of $500 million of common shares; (ii) net earnings attributable to common shareholders for the six months ended June 30, 2017, less dividends declared on common shares; and (iii) the issuance of common shares under the Corporation's dividend reinvestment, employee share purchase and stock option plans. The increase was partially offset by a decrease in accumulated other comprehensive income associated with the translation of the Corporation's US dollar-denominated investments in subsidiaries net of hedging activities and tax.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
SUMMARY OF CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOWS
The table below outlines the Corporation's sources and uses of cash for the second quarter and year-to-date periods ended June 30, 2017 compared to the same periods in 2016, followed by a discussion of the nature of the variances in cash flows.
Cash, Beginning of Period 298 232 66 269 242 27
Cash Provided by (Used in):
Operating Activities 649 448 201 1,190 931 259
Investing Activities (741 ) (762 ) 21 (1,460 ) (1,175 ) (285 )
Financing Activities 27 380 (353 ) 235 314 (79 )
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents (2 ) (2 ) - (3 ) (16 ) 13
Cash, End of Period 231 296 (65 ) 231 296 (65 )
Operating Activities: Cash flow provided by operating activities was $201 million higher quarter over quarter and $259 million higher year to date compared to the same period in 2016. The increase was primarily due to higher cash earnings, driven by ITC and UNS Energy. The year-to-date increase was partially offset by timing differences in working capital, mainly due to the payment of the Initial Refund Period ROE complaint at ITC in the first quarter of 2017.
Investing Activities: Cash used in investing activities was $21 million lower quarter over quarter. The decrease was primarily due to the acquisition of Aitken Creek in the second quarter of 2016 for a net cash purchase price of $318 million, largely offset by an increase in capital expenditures. The increase in capital expenditures was driven by capital spending at ITC along with higher capital spending at most of the Corporation's regulated utilities.
Cash used in investing activities was $285 million higher year to date compared to the same period in 2016. The increase was primarily due to an increase in capital expenditures, partially offset by the acquisition of Aitken Creek, as discussed above for the quarter.
Financing Activities: Cash provided by financing activities was $353 million lower quarter over quarter. The decrease was primarily due to higher net repayments under committed credit facilities, partially offset by lower net repayments of short-term borrowings at FortisBC Energy.
Cash provided by financing activities was $79 million lower year to date compared to the same period in 2016. The decrease was primarily due to higher net repayments under both committed credit facilities and short-term borrowings. The decrease was partially offset by higher proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt, largely at ITC.
In the first quarter of 2017 approximately 12.2 million common shares of Fortis were issued to an institutional investor for proceeds of $500 million. The proceeds were used to repay short-term borrowings.
Proceeds from long-term debt, net of issue costs, repayments of long-term debt and capital lease and finance obligations, and net (repayments) borrowings under committed credit facilities for the quarter and year to date compared to the same periods last year are summarized in the following tables.
Proceeds from Long-Term Debt, Net of Issue Costs
ITC (1) 267 - 267 601 - 601
Central Hudson (2) - 29 (29 ) - 29 (29 )
FortisBC Energy (3) - 298 (298 ) - 298 (298 )
Eastern Canadian (4) 75 - 75 75 - 75
Caribbean Electric (5)(6) 26 29 (3 ) 80 29 51
Total 368 356 12 756 356 400
(1) In March 2017 ITC entered into 1-year and 2-year unsecured term loan credit agreements at floating interest rates of a one-month LIBOR plus a spread of 0.90% and 0.65%, respectively. As at June 30, 2017, borrowings under the term loan credit agreements were US$200 million ($268 million) and US$50 million ($67 million), respectively, representing the maximum amounts available under the agreements. The net proceeds from these borrowings were used to repay credit facility borrowings and for general corporate purposes. In April 2017 ITC issued 30-year US$200 million ($268 million) 4.16% secured first mortgage bonds. The net proceeds from the issuance were used to repay credit facility borrowings and for general corporate purposes.
(2) In June 2016 Central Hudson issued 4-year US$24 million ($29 million) 2.16% unsecured notes. The net proceeds were used to finance capital expenditures and for general corporate purposes.
(3) In April 2016 FortisBC Energy issued $300 million of unsecured debentures in a dual tranche of 10-year $150 million unsecured debentures at 2.58% and 30-year $150 million unsecured debentures at 3.67%. The net proceeds were used to repay short-term borrowings and to finance capital expenditures.
(4) In June 2017 Newfoundland Power issued 40-year $75 million 3.82% first mortgage sinking fund bonds. The net proceeds from the issuance were used to repay credit facility borrowings and for general corporate purposes.
(5) In March and May 2017, Caribbean Utilities issued US$60 million ($80 million) of unsecured notes in a dual tranche of 15-year US$40 million ($54 million) at 3.90% and 30-year US$20 million ($26 million) at 4.64%, respectively. The net proceeds from the issuances were used to finance capital expenditures and repay short-term borrowings.
(6) In May 2016 Fortis Turks and Caicos issued 15-year US$23 million ($29 million) 5.14% unsecured notes. The net proceeds were used to finance capital expenditures.
Repayments of Long-Term Debt and Capital Lease and Finance Obligations
UNS Energy (6 ) (6 ) - (19 ) (19 ) -
Central Hudson (1 ) (10 ) 9 (1 ) (10 ) 9
FortisBC Energy (1 ) (7 ) 6 (3 ) (9 ) 6
FortisBC Electric - - - (1 ) (25 ) 24
Eastern Canadian - (30 ) 30 - (30 ) 30
Caribbean Electric (11 ) (16 ) 5 (11 ) (16 ) 5
Total (19 ) (69 ) 50 (35 ) (109 ) 74
Net (Repayments) Borrowings Under Committed Credit Facilities
ITC (219 ) - (219 ) (242 ) - (242 )
UNS Energy 26 22 4 40 68 (28 )
FortisAlberta 60 45 15 95 62 33
Eastern Canadian (80 ) 24 (104 ) (52 ) 46 (98 )
Corporate (1) (28 ) 330 (358 ) (17 ) 337 (354 )
Total (241 ) 421 (662 ) (176 ) 513 (689 )
(1) Borrowings under the Corporation's committed credit facility in the second quarter of 2016 were primarily used to finance the acquisition of Aitken Creek.
Borrowings under credit facilities by the utilities are primarily in support of their respective capital expenditure programs and/or for working capital requirements. Repayments are primarily financed through the issuance of long-term debt, cash from operations and/or equity injections from Fortis. From time to time, proceeds from preference share, common share and long-term debt offerings are used to repay borrowings under the Corporation's committed credit facility.
Common share dividends paid in the second quarter of 2017 were $104 million, net of $63 million of dividends reinvested, compared to $70 million, net of $36 million of dividends reinvested, paid in the second quarter of 2016. Common share dividends paid year-to-date 2017 were $202 million, net of $125 million of dividends reinvested, compared to $147 million, net of $65 million of dividends reinvested, paid year-to-date 2016. The dividend paid per common share for each of the first and second quarters of 2017 was $0.40 compared to $0.375 for each of the first and second quarters of 2016. The weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the second quarter and year-to-date 2017 was 416.8 million and 411.5 million, respectively, compared to 283.7 million and 283.0 million for the same periods in 2016.
There were no material changes in the nature and amount of the Corporation's contractual obligations during the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 from those disclosed in the 2016 Annual MD&A.
The Corporation's principal businesses of regulated electric and gas utilities require ongoing access to capital to enable the utilities to fund maintenance and expansion of infrastructure. Fortis raises debt at the subsidiary level to ensure regulatory transparency, tax efficiency and financing flexibility. Fortis generally finances a significant portion of acquisitions at the corporate level with proceeds from common share, preference share and long-term debt offerings, and advances from minority investors. To help ensure access to capital, the Corporation targets a consolidated long-term capital structure that will enable it to maintain investment-grade credit ratings. Each of the Corporation's regulated utilities maintains its own capital structure in line with the deemed capital structure reflected in their customer rates.
The consolidated capital structure of Fortis is presented in the following table.
Capital Structure As at
($ millions) (%) ($ millions) (%)
Total debt and capital lease and financeobligations (net of cash) (1) 21,959 58.9 22,490 60.6
Preference shares 1,623 4.4 1,623 4.4
Common shareholders' equity 13,691 36.7 12,974 35.0
Total 37,273 100.0 37,087 100.0
(1) Includes long-term debt and capital lease and finance obligations, including current portion, and short-term borrowings, net of cash
Including amounts related to non-controlling interests, the Corporation's capital structure as at June 30, 2017 was 56.1% total debt and capital lease and finance obligations (net of cash), 4.2% preference shares, 35.0% common shareholders' equity and 4.7% non-controlling interests (December 31, 2016 - 57.8% total debt and capital lease and finance obligations (net of cash), 4.2% preference shares, 33.3% common shareholders' equity and 4.7% non-controlling interests). The change in the Corporation's capital structure was mainly due to an increase in common equity at the Corporation due to the issuance of $500 million of common shares in March 2017, used to repay short-term borrowings.
The Corporation's credit ratings are as follows.
Rating Agency Credit Rating Type of Rating Outlook
Standard & Poor's A- Corporate Stable
BBB+ Unsecured debt Stable
DBRS BBB (high) Corporate Stable
BBB (high) Unsecured debt Stable
Moody's Investor Service Baa3 Issuer Stable
Baa3 Unsecured debt Stable
The above-noted credit ratings reflect the Corporation's low business-risk profile and diversity of its operations, the stand-alone nature and financial separation of each of the regulated subsidiaries of Fortis, and the level of debt at the holding company. In May 2017 S&P and DBRS affirmed the Corporation's long-term corporate and unsecured debt credit ratings as presented above.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE PROGRAM
A breakdown of the $1,428 million in gross consolidated capital expenditures by segment year-to-date 2017 is provided in the following table.
Gross Consolidated Capital Expenditures (1)
Year-to-Date June 30, 2017
($ millions)
ITC UNS
Electric Total
Utilities Non-
Total 512 248 103 197 195 46 63 57 1,421 7 1,428
(1) Represents cash payments to construct capital and intangible assets, as reflected on the condensed consolidated interim statement of cash flows. Excludes the non-cash equity component of AFUDC.
(2) Includes Energy Infrastructure and Corporate and Other segments
Planned capital expenditures are based on detailed forecasts of energy demand, weather, cost of labour and materials, as well as other factors, including economic conditions, which could change and cause actual expenditures to differ from those forecast.
Gross consolidated capital expenditures for 2017 are forecast to be approximately $3.1 billion. There have been no material changes in the overall expected level, nature and timing of the Corporation's significant capital projects from those that were disclosed in the 2016 Annual MD&A, with the exception of those noted below for UNS Energy and FortisBC Energy.
Capital expenditures at UNS Energy are expected to be higher than the original forecast, primarily due to capital spending related to investment in natural gas-fired facilities and distribution modernization projects. At FortisBC Energy capital expenditures are expected to be higher than the original forecast, primarily due to advancing the capital spend for the Lower Mainland System Upgrade to 2017 from 2018.
At ITC approximately $228 million (US$176 million) was invested in the Multi-Value Projects ("MVPs") from the date of acquisition and an additional $135 million (US$102 million) is expected to be spent in the second half of 2017. The MVPs consist of four regional electric transmission projects that have been identified by MISO to address system capacity needs and reliability in various states.
The Tilbury liquefied natural gas ("LNG") facility expansion ("Tilbury LNG Facility Expansion") by FortisBC Energy in British Columbia is nearing completion. Approximately $439 million, including AFUDC and development costs, has been invested to the end of the second quarter of 2017. The total cost of the project scope that is currently under construction is estimated at approximately $470 million, including approximately $70 million of AFUDC and development costs, which could be impacted depending on the date the project is considered in service for rate-making purposes. The facility includes a second LNG tank and a new liquefier, both expected to be in service in the third quarter of 2017. Key activities during the first half of 2017 included commissioning of the LNG storage tank and the continued installation of the liquefaction process area piping insulation, electrical and instrumentation cable and terminations.
Beginning with the first Order in Council ("OIC") in 2013, the Government of British Columbia has continued to support the Tilbury LNG Facility Expansion. The most recent OIC issued in March 2017 further facilitates the expansion of the facility by increasing the capital cost limit to $425 million from $400 million, before AFUDC and development costs. This latest OIC also provides greater discretion around when certain projects approved pursuant to previous OICs, including the Tilbury LNG Facility Expansion, could be added to rate base.
Over the five-year period 2017 through 2021, gross consolidated capital expenditures are expected to be approximately $13 billion. The breakdown of the capital spending has not changed materially from that disclosed in the 2016 Annual MD&A.
ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
In addition to the Corporation's base consolidated capital expenditure forecast, management is pursuing additional investment opportunities within existing service territories. These additional investment opportunities, as discussed below, are not included in the Corporation's base capital expenditure forecast.
The Corporation continues to pursue additional LNG infrastructure investment opportunities in British Columbia, including a pipeline expansion to the proposed Woodfibre LNG site and a further expansion of Tilbury.
FortisBC Energy's potential pipeline expansion is conditional on Woodfibre LNG proceeding with its LNG export facility. FortisBC Energy received an OIC from the Government of British Columbia effectively exempting this project from further regulatory approval by the British Columbia Utilities Commission. Woodfibre LNG has obtained an export license from the National Energy Board ("NEB"), which was recently extended from 25 to 40 years, and received environmental assessment approvals from the Squamish First Nation, the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office, and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. FortisBC Energy also received environmental assessment approval from the Squamish First Nation and provincial environmental assessment approval in 2016. The potential pipeline expansion was initially estimated at a total project cost, before any customer contribution, of up to $600 million; however, this estimate will be updated for final scoping, detailed construction estimates and scheduling. In November 2016 Woodfibre LNG announced the approval from its parent company, Pacific Oil & Gas Limited, which is part of the Singapore-based RGE group of companies, of the funds necessary to complete the project. This project may move forward pending additional approvals and a final investment decision by Woodfibre LNG but is not expected to be in service any earlier than 2020.
The Corporation's Tilbury LNG facility is uniquely positioned to meet customer demand for clean-burning natural gas. The site is scalable and can accommodate additional storage and liquefaction equipment, and is relatively close to international shipping lanes. Fortis continues to have discussions with a number of potential export customers.
In January 2017 ITC received approval of a Presidential Permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for the Lake Erie Connector transmission line, which is a required approval for international border-crossing projects. Also in January, ITC received a report from Canada's NEB recommending the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity ("CPCN") with prescribed conditions for the transmission line. In May 2017 ITC completed the major permit process in Pennsylvania upon receipt of two required permits from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. In June 2017 ITC received approval from Canada's Governor in Council and the CPCN was issued by the NEB. The Lake Erie Connector project is a proposed 1,000 MW, bi-directional, high-voltage direct current underwater transmission line that would provide the first direct link between the markets of the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator and PJM Interconnection, LLC. The project would enable transmission customers to more efficiently access energy, capacity and renewable energy credit opportunities in both markets. The project continues to advance through regulatory, operational, and economic milestones. Remaining key milestones include: receiving approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of a joint application, of which approval by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection was received in May 2017; completing project cost refinements; and securing favourable transmission service agreements with prospective counterparties. Pending achievement of key milestones, the expected in-service date for the project is late 2020.
The Wataynikaneyap Power Project continues to advance in Ontario. Wataynikaneyap Power consists of a partnership between 22 First Nations and FortisOntario, with a mandate to develop new transmission lines to connect remote First Nations communities to the electricity grid in Ontario. In 2016 the Government of Ontario designated Wataynikaneyap Power as the licensed transmission company to complete this project. FortisOntario reached an agreement with Renewable Energy Systems Canada in December 2016 to acquire its ownership interest in the Wataynikaneyap Partnership. The transaction was approved by the Ontario Energy Board ("OEB") and closed in March 2017. As a result, FortisOntario's ownership interest in the Wataynikaneyap Partnership has increased to 49%, with the remaining 51% ownership interest held by the 22 First Nations communities. The total estimated capital cost for the project, subject to final cost estimation, is approximately $1.35 billion and is expected to contribute to significant savings for the First Nations communities and result in a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. In March 2017 the project reached a significant milestone with the approval by the OEB of a deferral account to recognize development costs incurred between November 2010 and the commencement of construction. In addition to environmental assessments underway, other regulatory approvals are currently being sought and the next regulatory milestone will be the preparation and filing of the leave to construct with the OEB, which is expected in the fourth quarter of 2017. Construction will commence pending the receipt of permits, approvals and a cost-sharing agreement between the federal and provincial government.
The Corporation also has other significant opportunities that have not yet been included in the Corporation's capital expenditure forecast including, but not limited to: transmission investment opportunities at ITC; investment opportunities for CH Energy in New York Transco, LLC to address electric transmission constraints in New York State; renewable energy investments, energy storage projects and transmission investments at UNS Energy; and further gas infrastructure opportunities at FortisBC Energy.
CASH FLOW REQUIREMENTS
At the subsidiary level, it is expected that operating expenses and interest costs will generally be paid out of subsidiary operating cash flows, with varying levels of residual cash flows available for subsidiary capital expenditures and/or dividend payments to Fortis. Borrowings under credit facilities may be required from time to time to support seasonal working capital requirements. Cash required to complete subsidiary capital expenditure programs is also expected to be financed from a combination of borrowings under credit facilities, long-term debt offerings and equity injections from Fortis.
The Corporation's ability to service its debt obligations and pay dividends on its common and preference shares is dependent on the financial results of the operating subsidiaries and the related cash payments from these subsidiaries. Certain regulated subsidiaries may be subject to restrictions that may limit their ability to distribute cash to Fortis. These include restrictions by certain regulators limiting the amount of annual dividends and restrictions by certain lenders limiting the amount of debt to total capitalization at the subsidiaries. In addition, there are practical limitations on using the net assets of each of the Corporation's regulated operating subsidiaries to pay dividends based on management's intent to maintain the regulator-approved capital structures for each of its regulated operating subsidiaries. The Corporation does not expect that maintaining the targeted capital structures of its regulated operating subsidiaries will have an impact on its ability to pay dividends in the foreseeable future.
Cash required of Fortis to support subsidiary capital expenditure programs and finance acquisitions is expected to be derived from a combination of borrowings under the Corporation's committed corporate credit facility and proceeds from the issuance of common shares, preference shares and long-term debt, and advances from minority investors. Depending on the timing of cash payments from the subsidiaries, borrowings under the Corporation's committed corporate credit facility may be required from time to time to support the servicing of debt and payment of dividends.
In November 2016 Fortis filed a short-form base shelf prospectus, under which the Corporation may issue common or preference shares, subscription receipts or debt securities in an aggregate principal amount of up to $5 billion during the 25-month life of the base shelf prospectus. In July 2017 Fortis exchanged its US$2.0 billion ($2.6 billion) unregistered senior unsecured notes for US$2.0 billion ($2.6 billion) registered senior unsecured notes under the base shelf prospectus. In March 2017 Fortis issued $500 million common equity and in December 2016 issued $500 million unsecured notes at 2.85%, both under the base shelf prospectus. A principal amount of approximately $1.5 billion remains under the base shelf prospectus.
As at June 30, 2017, management expects consolidated fixed-term debt maturities and repayments to average approximately $730 million annually over the next five years. The combination of available credit facilities and manageable annual debt maturities and repayments provides the Corporation and its subsidiaries with flexibility in the timing of access to capital markets.
Fortis and its subsidiaries were in compliance with debt covenants as at June 30, 2017 and are expected to remain compliant throughout 2017.
CREDIT FACILITIES
As at June 30, 2017, the Corporation and its subsidiaries had consolidated credit facilities of approximately $5.4 billion, of which approximately $4.0 billion was unused, including $940 million unused under the Corporation's committed revolving corporate credit facility. The credit facilities are syndicated mostly with large banks in Canada and the United States, with no one bank holding more than 20% of these facilities. Approximately $5.0 billion of the total credit facilities are committed facilities with maturities ranging from 2017 through 2022.
The following summary outlines the credit facilities of the Corporation and its subsidiaries.
Credit Facilities As at
($ millions) Regulated
Utilities Corporate
and Other June 30, 2017 December 31,
Total credit facilities (1) 4,041 1,385 5,426 5,976
Credit facilities utilized:
Short-term borrowings (1) (564 ) (4 ) (568 ) (1,155 )
Long-term debt (including current portion) (2) (420 ) (359 ) (779 ) (973 )
Letters of credit outstanding (67 ) (57 ) (124 ) (119 )
Credit facilities unused (1) 2,990 965 3,955 3,729
(1) Total credit facilities and short-term borrowings as at June 30, 2017 include $207 million outstanding under ITC's commercial paper program (December 31, 2016 - $195 million). Outstanding commercial paper does not reduce available capacity under the Corporation's consolidated credit facilities.
(2) As at June 30, 2017, credit facility borrowings classified as long-term debt included $104 million in current installments of long-term debt on the consolidated balance sheet (December 31, 2016 - $61 million).
As at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, certain borrowings under the Corporation's and subsidiaries' long-term committed credit facilities were classified as long-term debt. It is management's intention to refinance these borrowings with long-term permanent financing during future periods. There were no material changes in credit facilities from that disclosed in the Corporation's 2016 Annual MD&A, except that, in March 2017, the Corporation repaid short-term borrowings using net proceeds from the issuance of common shares.
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
With the exception of letters of credit outstanding of $124 million as at June 30, 2017 (December 31, 2016 - $119 million), the Corporation had no off-balance sheet arrangements that are reasonably likely to materially affect liquidity or the availability of, or requirements for, capital resources.
BUSINESS RISK MANAGEMENT
Year-to-date 2017, the business risks of the Corporation were generally consistent with those disclosed in the Corporation's 2016 Annual MD&A, including certain risks, as disclosed below, and an update to those risks, where applicable.
Regulatory Risk: For further information, refer to the "Regulatory Highlights" section of this MD&A.
Capital Resources and Liquidity Risk - Credit Ratings: In April 2017 S&P upgraded TEP's unsecured debt rating to 'A-' from 'BBB+' with a stable outlook. For a discussion on the Corporation's credit ratings refer to the "Liquidity and Capital Resources" section of this MD&A.
Defined Benefit Pension and Other Post-Employment Benefit Plan Assets: As at June 30, 2017, the fair value of the Corporation's consolidated defined benefit pension and other post-employment benefit plan assets was $3,032 million compared to $2,898 million as at December 31, 2016.
CHANGES IN ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The condensed consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared following the same accounting policies and methods as those used to prepare the Corporation's 2016 annual audited consolidated financial statements, except as described below.
Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment
Effective January 1, 2017, the Corporation adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2017-04, Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. The amendments in this update simplify the subsequent measurement of goodwill by eliminating step two in the current two-step goodwill impairment test. An entity will apply a one-step quantitative test and record the amount of goodwill impairment as the excess of a reporting unit's carrying amount over its fair value, not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. The new guidance does not amend the optional qualitative assessment of goodwill impairment. The above-noted ASU was applied prospectively and did not impact the Corporation's unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017.
FUTURE ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
The Corporation considers the applicability and impact of all ASUs issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB"). The following updates have been issued by FASB, but have not yet been adopted by Fortis. Any ASUs not included below were assessed and determined to be either not applicable to the Corporation or are not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.
Revenue from Contracts with Customers
ASU No. 2014-09 was issued in May 2014 and the amendments in this update create Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, and supersede the revenue recognition requirements in ASC Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, including most industry-specific revenue recognition guidance throughout the codification. This standard clarifies the principles for recognizing revenue and can be applied consistently across various transactions, industries and capital markets. In 2016 a number of additional ASUs were issued that clarify implementation guidance in ASC Topic 606. This standard, and all related ASUs, is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The Corporation has elected not to early adopt.
The new guidance permits two methods of adoption: (i) the full retrospective method, under which comparative periods would be restated, and the cumulative impact of applying the standard would be recognized as at January 1, 2017, the earliest period presented; and (ii) the modified retrospective method, under which comparative periods would not be restated and the cumulative impact of applying the standard would be recognized at the date of initial adoption, January 1, 2018. The Corporation expects to use the modified retrospective approach; however, it continues to monitor interpretative issues that remain outstanding. Any significant developments in interpretative issues could change the Corporation's expected method of adoption.
More than 80% of the Corporation's revenue is generated from energy sales to retail and wholesale customers based on published tariff rates, as approved by the respective regulators, and is considered to be in the scope of ASU No. 2014-09. Fortis has assessed retail and wholesale tariff revenue and expects that the adoption of this standard will not change the Corporation's accounting policy for recognizing retail and wholesale tariff revenue and, therefore, will not have an impact on earnings.
Fortis continues to assess whether this standard will have an impact on its remaining revenue streams. The Corporation has not disclosed the expected impact of the adoption of this standard on its consolidated financial statements as it is not expected to be material. However, certain specific interpretative issues remain outstanding and the conclusions reached, if different than currently anticipated, could have a material impact on the Corporation's consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. Fortis continues to closely monitor developments related to the new standard.
The adoption of this standard will impact the Corporation's revenue disclosures as revenue from contracts with customers is required to be reported separately from alternative revenue, which is outside the scope of ASC Topic 606. Fortis is in the process of drafting these required disclosures.
As part of its effort to adopt the new revenue recognition standard, Fortis is monitoring its adoption process under its existing internal controls over financial reporting ("ICFR"), including accounting processes and the gathering and evaluation of information used in assessing the required disclosures. As the implementation process continues, Fortis will assess any necessary changes to ICFR.
Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities
ASU No. 2016-01, Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities, was issued in January 2016 and the amendments in this update address certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of financial instruments. Most notably, the amendments require the following: (i) equity investments in unconsolidated entities (other than those accounted for using the equity method of accounting) to be measured at fair value through earnings; however, entities will be able to elect to record equity investments without readily determinable fair values at cost, less impairment, and plus or minus subsequent adjustments for observable price changes; and (ii) financial assets and financial liabilities to be presented separately in the notes to the consolidated financial statements, grouped by measurement category and form of financial asset. This update is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Fortis is assessing the impact that the adoption of this update will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
ASU No. 2016-02 was issued in February 2016 and the amendments in this update create ASC Topic 842, Leases, and supersede lease requirements in ASC Topic 840, Leases. The main provision of ASC Topic 842 is the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet by lessees for those leases that were previously classified as operating leases. For operating leases, a lessee is required to do the following: (i) recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments, on the balance sheet; (ii) recognize a single lease cost, calculated so that the cost of the lease is allocated over the lease term on a generally straight-line basis; and (iii) classify all cash payments within operating activities in the statement of cash flows. These amendments also require qualitative disclosures along with specific quantitative disclosures. This update is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and is to be applied using a modified retrospective approach with practical expedient options. Early adoption is permitted. Fortis is assessing the impact that the adoption of this update will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments
ASU No. 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, was issued in June 2016 and the amendments in this update require entities to use an expected credit loss methodology and to consider a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. This update is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and is to be applied on a modified retrospective basis. Early adoption is permitted for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018. Fortis is assessing the impact that the adoption of this update will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost
ASU No. 2017-07, Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost, was issued in March 2017 and the amendments in this update require that an employer disaggregate the current service costs component of net benefit cost and present it in the same statement of earnings line item(s) as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered. The other components of net benefit cost are required to be presented separately from the service cost component and outside of operating income. Additionally, the amendments allow only the service cost component to be eligible for capitalization when applicable. This update is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted. The amendments in this update should be applied retrospectively for the presentation of the net periodic benefit costs and prospectively, on and after the effective date, for the capitalization in assets of only the service cost component of net periodic benefit costs. Fortis is assessing the impact that the adoption of this update will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
The carrying values of the Corporation's consolidated financial instruments approximate their fair values, reflecting the short-term maturity, normal trade credit terms and/or nature of these instruments, except as follows.
Financial Instruments As at
Carrying Estimated Carrying Estimated
($ millions) Value Fair Value Value Fair Value
Long-term debt, including current portion 21,257 23,137 21,219 22,523
Waneta Partnership promissory note 61 62 59 61
The fair value of long-term debt is calculated using quoted market prices when available. When quoted market prices are not available, as is the case with the Waneta Partnership promissory note and certain long-term debt, the fair value is determined by either: (i) discounting the future cash flows of the specific debt instrument at an estimated yield to maturity equivalent to benchmark government bonds or treasury bills with similar terms to maturity, plus a credit risk premium equal to that of issuers of similar credit quality; or (ii) obtaining from third parties indicative prices for the same or similarly rated issues of debt of the same remaining maturities. Since the Corporation does not intend to settle the long-term debt or promissory note prior to maturity, the excess of the estimated fair value above the carrying value does not represent an actual liability.
Derivative Instruments
The Corporation generally limits the use of derivative instruments to those that qualify as accounting, economic or cash flow hedges, or those that are approved for regulatory recovery. The Corporation records all derivative instruments at fair value, with certain exceptions including those derivatives that qualify for the normal purchase and normal sale exception. The fair value of derivative instruments is the estimate of the amounts that the Corporation would receive or have to pay to terminate the outstanding contracts as at the balance sheet dates. The Corporation's derivatives primarily include energy contracts that are subject to regulatory deferral, as permitted by the regulators, as well as certain limited energy contracts that are not subject to regulatory deferral and cash flow hedges.
For further details of the Corporation's derivative instruments as at June 30, 2017 refer to Note 14 to the Corporation's unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements. There were no material changes in the nature and amount of the Corporations' derivative instruments from those disclosed in the 2016 Annual MD&A, except as follows.
In 2017 ITC entered into additional forward-starting interest rate swaps, all effective December 2017, with a combined notional amount of $247 million and 10-year original terms. The agreements include a mandatory early termination provision and will be terminated no later than the effective date. The interest rate swaps manage the interest rate risk associated with the forecasted future issuance of fixed-rate debt.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
The preparation of the Corporation's condensed consolidated interim financial statements in accordance with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Estimates and judgments are based on historical experience, current conditions and various other assumptions believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Additionally, certain estimates and judgments are necessary since the regulatory environments in which the Corporation's regulated utilities operate often require amounts to be recognized at estimated values until these amounts are finalized pursuant to regulatory decisions or other regulatory proceedings. Due to changes in facts and circumstances, and the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results may differ significantly from current estimates. Estimates and judgments are reviewed periodically and, as adjustments become necessary, are recognized in earnings in the period in which they become known. In the event that a regulatory decision is received after the balance sheet date but before the consolidated financial statements are issued, the facts and circumstances are reviewed to determine whether or not it is a recognized subsequent event.
Interim financial statements may also employ a greater use of estimates than the annual financial statements. There were no material changes in the nature of the Corporation's critical accounting estimates from those disclosed in the 2016 Annual MD&A.
Contingencies: The Corporation and its subsidiaries are subject to various legal proceedings and claims associated with the ordinary course of business operations. Management believes that the amount of liability, if any, from these actions would not have a material adverse effect on the Corporation's consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. For complete details of legal proceedings affecting the Corporation, refer to Note 17 to the Corporation's unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements. There were no material changes in the Corporation's contingencies from those disclosed in the 2016 Annual MD&A, except as described below.
Fortis and ITC
Following announcement of the acquisition of ITC in February 2016, complaints which named Fortis and other defendants were filed in the Oakland County Circuit Court in the State of Michigan ("Superior Court") and the United States District Court in and for the Eastern District of Michigan. The complaints generally allege, among other things, that the directors of ITC breached their fiduciary duties in connection with the merger agreement and that ITC, Fortis, FortisUS Inc. and Element Acquisition Sub Inc. aided and abetted those purported breaches. The complaints seek class action certification and a variety of relief including, among other things, unspecified damages, and costs, including attorneys' fees and expenses. In July 2016 the federal actions were voluntarily dismissed by the federal plaintiffs. The federal plaintiffs reserved the right to make certain other claims, and ITC and the individual members of the ITC board of directors reserved the right to oppose any such claim. In June 2016 the Superior Court granted a motion for summary disposition dismissing the aiding and abetting claims asserted against Fortis, FortisUS Inc. and Element Acquisition Sub Inc.
In January 2017 the defendants filed an additional motion for summary disposition, which was to be heard by the court in March 2017. A hearing on class certification occurred in February 2017.
In March 2017 an agreement in principle was reached to settle the case, subject to formal documentation and court approval. The court has stayed the matter, except for all settlement-related proceedings. In May 2017 the court preliminarily approved the settlement and set a final settlement approval hearing for September 2017.
RELATED-PARTY AND INTER-COMPANY TRANSACTIONS
Related-party transactions are in the normal course of operations and are measured at the exchange amount, which is the amount of consideration established and agreed to by the related parties. There were no material related-party transactions for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016.
Inter-company balances and inter-company transactions, including any related inter-company profit, are eliminated on consolidation, except for certain inter-company transactions between non-regulated and regulated entities in accordance with accounting standards for rate-regulated entities. The significant inter-company transactions are summarized in the following table.
($ millions) 2017 2016 2017 2016
Sale of capacity from Waneta Expansion to FortisBC Electric 3 3 19 18
Sale of energy from Belize Electric Company Limited to Belize Electricity 7 6 14 14
Lease of gas storage capacity and gas sales from Aitken Creek to FortisBC Energy 5 5 13 5
As at June 30, 2017, accounts receivable on the Corporation's condensed consolidated interim balance sheet included approximately $11 million due from Belize Electricity (December 31, 2016 - $16 million), in which Fortis holds a 33% equity investment.
SUMMARY OF QUARTERLY RESULTS
The following table sets forth certain quarterly information for the Corporation. The quarterly information has been obtained from the Corporation's unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements. These financial results are not necessarily indicative of results for any future period and should not be relied upon to predict future performance.
Summary of Quarterly Results Net Earnings
Attributable to
Common Equity
Revenue Shareholders Earnings per Common Share
Quarter Ended ($ millions) ($ millions) Basic ($) Diluted ($)
June 30, 2017 2,015 257 0.62 0.62
March 31, 2017 2,274 294 0.72 0.72
December 31, 2016 2,053 189 0.49 0.49
September 30, 2016 1,528 127 0.45 0.45
The summary of the past eight quarters reflects the Corporation's continued organic growth, growth from acquisitions net of the associated acquisition-related transaction costs, and the impact of the sale of non-regulated assets, as well as the seasonality associated with its businesses. Interim results will fluctuate due to the seasonal nature of electricity and gas demand, as well as the timing and recognition of regulatory decisions. Revenue is also affected by the cost of fuel, purchased power and natural gas, which are flowed through to customers without markup. Given the diversified nature of the Corporation's subsidiaries, seasonality may vary. Most of the annual earnings of the gas utilities are realized in the first and fourth quarters due to space-heating requirements. Earnings for the electric utilities in the United States are generally highest in the second and third quarters due to the use of air conditioning and other cooling equipment.
June 2017/June 2016: Net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders were $257 million, or $0.62 per common share, for the second quarter of 2017 compared to earnings of $107 million, or $0.38 per common share, for the second quarter of 2016. A discussion of the quarter over quarter variance in financial results is provided in the "Financial Highlights" section of this MD&A.
March 2017/March 2016: Net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders were $294 million, or $0.72 per common share, for the first quarter of 2017 compared to earnings of $162 million, or $0.57 per common share, for the first quarter of 2016. The increase was driven by earnings of $91 million at ITC, acquired in October 2016. The increase was also due to: (i) strong performance at UNS Energy, due to the favourable settlement of matters pertaining to FERC ordered transmission refunds of $7 million, after-tax, in January 2017 compared to $11 million, after-tax, in FERC ordered transmission refunds in the first quarter of 2016, and higher retail rates as approved pursuant to its 2017 general rate case; (ii) acquisition-related transactions costs associated with ITC recognized in Corporate and Other expenses in the first quarter of 2017; (iii) contribution from Aitken Creek, including an after-tax $6 million unrealized gain on the mark-to-market of derivatives; and (iv) the timing of quarterly revenue and operating expenses as compared to the same period in 2016 and higher AFUDC at FortisBC Energy. The increase was partially offset by: (i) lower contribution from FortisAlberta, mainly due to lower customer rates and higher operating expenses; (ii) higher finance charges at Corporate and Other associated with the acquisitions of ITC and Aitken Creek; and (iii) unfavourable foreign exchange associated with US dollar-denominated earnings.
December 2016/December 2015: Net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders were $189 million, or $0.49 per common share, for the fourth quarter of 2016 compared to earnings of $135 million, or $0.48 per common share, for the fourth quarter of 2015. The increase in earnings was driven by contribution of $59 million from ITC, which was reduced by $22 million in expenses associated with the accelerated vesting of the Company's stock-based compensation awards as a result of the acquisition. Strong performance at most of the Corporation's regulated utilities and contribution of $6 million from Aitken Creek, net of an after-tax $3 million unrealized loss on the mark-to-market of derivatives, also contributed to higher earnings. The increase was partially offset by higher Corporate and Other expenses. Corporate and Other expenses reflected after-tax acquisition-related transaction costs of $32 million in the fourth quarter of 2016, compared to $7 million in the fourth quarter of 2015, with the remaining increase primarily due to finance charges associated with the acquisition of ITC.
September 2016/September 2015: Net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders were $127 million, or $0.45 per common share, for the third quarter of 2016 compared to earnings of $151 million, or $0.54 per common share, for the third quarter of 2015. The decrease in earnings was primarily due to: $7 million (US$5 million) in FERC ordered transmission refunds at UNS Energy, $19 million in acquisition-related transaction costs, and a $1 million unrealized loss on the mark-to-market of derivatives in the third quarter of 2016; a $5 million positive tax adjustment on the sale of hotel assets, a $5 million gain on the sale of non-regulated generation assets, and a foreign exchange gain of $5 million in the third quarter of 2015; partially offset by the $9 million loss on the settlement of expropriation matters in Belize in the third quarter of 2015. Also contributing to the decrease in earnings were: (i) lower earnings at FortisAlberta due to higher operating expenses, a negative capital tracker revenue adjustment as a result of the outcome of the 2016 Generic Cost of Capital Proceeding in Alberta, and lower average energy consumption; (ii) the sale of hotel assets in 2015; and (iii) an increase in Corporate and Other expenses. Partially offsetting the above decreases in earnings were: (i) strong performance at most of the Corporation's regulated utilities driven by UNS Energy, largely due to the settlement of Springerville Unit 1 matters, and Central Hudson, due to an increase in delivery revenue; (ii) the timing of quarterly earnings at FortisBC Electric compared to the third quarter of 2015; and (iii) contribution of $2 million from Aitken Creek, which was acquired in early April 2016.
OUTSTANDING SHARE DATA
As at July 27, 2017, the Corporation had issued and outstanding 417.9 million common shares; 5.0 million First Preference Shares, Series F; 9.2 million First Preference Shares, Series G; 7.0 million First Preference Shares, Series H; 3.0 million First Preference Shares, Series I; 8.0 million First Preference Shares, Series J; 10.0 million First Preference Shares, Series K; and 24.0 million First Preference Shares, Series M. Only the common shares of the Corporation have voting rights. The Corporation's First Preference Shares do not have voting rights unless and until Fortis fails to pay eight quarterly dividends, whether or not consecutive and whether such dividends have been declared.
The number of common shares of Fortis that would be issued if all outstanding stock options were converted as at July 27, 2017 is approximately 4.0 million.
Additional information can be accessed at www.fortisinc.com, www.sedar.com, or www.sec.gov. The information contained on, or accessible through, any of these websites is not incorporated by reference into this document.
Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016
Condensed Consolidated Interim Balance Sheets (Unaudited)
As at
(in millions of Canadian dollars)
June 30, December 31,
Cash and cash equivalents $ 231 $ 269
Accounts receivable and other current assets 1,106 1,127
Prepaid expenses 65 85
Inventories 355 372
Regulatory assets (Note 5) 306 313
Regulatory assets (Note 5) 2,617 2,620
Capital assets, net 29,419 29,337
Short-term borrowings (Note 15) $ 568 $ 1,155
Accounts payable and other current liabilities 1,803 1,970
Regulatory liabilities (Note 5) 455 492
Current installments of long-term debt (Note 6) 1,186 251
Current installments of capital lease and finance obligations 68 76
Other liabilities 1,182 1,279
Regulatory liabilities (Note 5) 1,439 1,691
Deferred income taxes 3,368 3,263
Long-term debt (Note 6) 19,926 20,817
Capital lease and finance obligations 442 460
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 17)
Common shares (1) (Note 7) 11,435 10,762
Preference shares 1,623 1,623
Additional paid-in capital 9 12
Accumulated other comprehensive income 407 745
Retained earnings 1,840 1,455
Shareholders' equity 15,314 14,597
Non-controlling interests 1,830 1,853
Total equity 17,144 16,450
(1) No par value. Unlimited authorized shares; 417.9 million and 401.5 million issued and outstanding as at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively
See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements
Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Earnings (Unaudited)
For the periods ended June 30
(in millions of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts)
Quarter Ended Year-to-Date
Revenue $ 2,015 $ 1,485 $ 4,289 $ 3,257
Energy supply costs 524 488 1,278 1,195
Operating 571 454 1,153 928
Depreciation and amortization 298 232 595 466
Total expenses 1,393 1,174 3,026 2,589
Operating income 622 311 1,263 668
Other income, net (Note 10) 24 9 55 25
Finance charges (Note 11) 232 150 461 293
Earnings before income taxes 414 170 857 400
Income tax expense 102 28 208 70
Net earnings $ 312 $ 142 $ 649 $ 330
Non-controlling interests $ 38 $ 17 $ 65 $ 24
Preference equity shareholders 17 18 33 37
Common equity shareholders 257 107 551 269
Earnings per common share (Note 12)
Basic $ 0.62 $ 0.38 $ 1.34 $ 0.95
Diluted $ 0.62 $ 0.38 $ 1.34 $ 0.95
Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited)
Other comprehensive (loss) income
Unrealized foreign currency translation losses, net of hedging activities and tax (244 ) (18 ) (336 ) (287 )
Net change in available-for-sale investment, net of tax - (1 ) - 2
Net change in fair value of cash flow hedges, net of tax (2 ) - (2 ) -
(246 ) (19 ) (338 ) (285 )
Comprehensive income $ 66 $ 123 $ 311 $ 45
Comprehensive income attributable to:
Common equity shareholders 11 88 213 (16 )
$ 66 $ 123 $ 311 $ 45
Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
Operating activities
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation - capital assets 267 207 533 416
Amortization - intangible assets 24 17 48 35
Amortization - other 7 8 14 15
Deferred income tax expense 102 28 174 30
Accrued employee future benefits 9 9 10 22
Equity component of allowance for funds used during construction (Note 10) (19 ) (6 ) (36 ) (13 )
Other (33 ) 33 (11 ) 54
Change in long-term regulatory assets and liabilities (2 ) (34 ) (9 ) (32 )
Change in working capital (Note 13) (18 ) 44 (182 ) 74
Cash from operating activities 649 448 1,190 931
Investing activities
Capital expenditures - capital assets (654 ) (408 ) (1,323 ) (817 )
Capital expenditures - intangible assets (65 ) (25 ) (105 ) (42 )
Contributions in aid of construction 24 7 37 18
Proceeds on sale of assets 2 - 3 10
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired (Note 16) - (318 ) - (318 )
Other (48 ) (18 ) (72 ) (26 )
Cash used in investing activities (741 ) (762 ) (1,460 ) (1,175 )
Financing activities
Proceeds from long-term debt, net of issue costs 368 356 756 356
Repayments of long-term debt and capital lease and finance obligations (19 ) (69 ) (35 ) (109 )
Net (repayments) borrowings under committed credit facilities (241 ) 421 (176 ) 513
Change in short-term borrowings, net 26 (243 ) (587 ) (275 )
Advances from non-controlling interests 2 1 3 1
Issue of common shares to an institutional investor (Note 7) - - 500 -
Issue of common shares, net of costs and dividends reinvested 30 8 44 27
Common shares, net of dividends reinvested (104 ) (70 ) (202 ) (147 )
Preference shares (17 ) (18 ) (33 ) (37 )
Subsidiary dividends paid to non-controlling interests (22 ) (6 ) (39 ) (15 )
Other 4 - 4 -
Cash from financing activities 27 380 235 314
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (2 ) (2 ) (3 ) (16 )
Change in cash and cash equivalents (67 ) 64 (38 ) 54
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 298 232 269 242
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 231 $ 296 $ 231 $ 296
Supplementary Information to Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Cash Flows (Note 13)
Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Changes in Equity (Unaudited)
Shares Preference
Shares Additional
Paid-In
Capital Accumulated
Income (Loss) Retained
Earnings Non-Controlling
Interests Total Equity
(Note 7)
As at January 1, 2017 $ 10,762 $ 1,623 $ 12 $ 745 $ 1,455 $ 1,853 $ 16,450
Net earnings - - - - 584 65 649
Other comprehensive loss - - - (338 ) - - (338 )
Common share issues 673 - (4 ) - - - 669
Stock-based compensation - - 1 - - - 1
Advances from non-controlling interests - - - - - 3 3
Foreign currency translation impacts - - - - - (52 ) (52 )
Subsidiary dividends paid to non-controlling interests - - - - - (39 ) (39 )
Dividends declared on common shares ($0.40 per share) - - - - (166 ) - (166 )
Dividends declared on preference shares - - - - (33 ) - (33 )
As at June 30, 2017 $ 11,435 $ 1,623 $ 9 $ 407 $ 1,840 $ 1,830 $ 17,144
As at January 1, 2016 $ 5,867 $ 1,820 $ 14 $ 791 $ 1,388 $ 473 $ 10,353
Common share issues 95 - (3 ) - - - 92
Foreign currency translation impacts - - - - - (8 ) (8 )
Dividends declared on common shares ($0.375 per share) - - - - (106 ) - (106 )
Adoption of new accounting policy - - - - 16 - 16
As at June 30, 2016 $ 5,962 $ 1,820 $ 12 $ 506 $ 1,567 $ 475 $ 10,342
1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS
NATURE OF OPERATIONS
Fortis Inc. ("Fortis" or the "Corporation") is principally an international electric and gas utility holding company. Fortis segments its utility operations by franchise area and, depending on regulatory requirements, by the nature of the assets. Fortis also holds investments in non-regulated energy infrastructure, which is treated as a separate segment. The Corporation's reporting segments allow senior management to evaluate the operational performance and assess the overall contribution of each segment to the long-term objectives of Fortis. Each entity within the reporting segments operates with substantial autonomy, assumes profit and loss responsibility and is accountable for its own resource allocation.
The Corporation's reportable segments and basis of segmentation is consistent with the Corporation's 2016 annual audited consolidated financial statements.
The Corporation's interests in regulated electric and gas utilities are as follows:
Regulated Electric Transmission Utility - United States: Comprised of ITC Holdings Corp. and the electric transmission operations of its regulated operating subsidiaries, which include International Transmission Company, Michigan Electric Transmission Company, LLC, ITC Midwest LLC, and ITC Great Plains, LLC, (collectively "ITC"). ITC was acquired by Fortis in October 2016, with Fortis owning 80.1% of ITC and an affiliate of GIC Private Limited ("GIC") owning a 19.9% minority interest (Note 16).
Regulated Electric & Gas Utilities - United States: Comprised of UNS Energy, which primarily includes Tucson Electric Power Company, UNS Electric, Inc. and UNS Gas, Inc., and Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation ("Central Hudson").
Regulated Gas Utility - Canadian: Represents FortisBC Energy Inc. ("FortisBC Energy").
Regulated Electric Utilities - Canadian: Comprised of FortisAlberta Inc. ("FortisAlberta"), FortisBC Inc. ("FortisBC Electric"), and Eastern Canadian Electric Utilities. Eastern Canadian Electric Utilities is comprised of Newfoundland Power Inc., Maritime Electric Company, Limited and FortisOntario Inc.
Regulated Electric Utilities - Caribbean: Comprised of Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd. ("Caribbean Utilities"), in which Fortis holds an approximate 60% controlling interest, two wholly owned utilities in the Turks and Caicos Islands, FortisTCI Limited and Turks and Caicos Utilities Limited (collectively "Fortis Turks and Caicos"), and also includes the Corporation's 33% equity investment in Belize Electricity Limited ("Belize Electricity").
NON-REGULATED - ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE
Non-Regulated - Energy Infrastructure is primarily comprised of long-term contracted generation assets in British Columbia and Belize, and the Aitken Creek natural gas storage facility ("Aitken Creek") in British Columbia. Aitken Creek was acquired by Fortis in April 2016 (Note 16).
CORPORATE AND OTHER
The Corporate and Other segment captures expense and revenue items not specifically related to any reportable segment and those business operations that are below the required threshold for reporting as separate segments.
The Corporate and Other segment includes net corporate expenses of Fortis and non-regulated holding company expenses.
2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
These condensed consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("US GAAP") for interim financial statements. As a result, these condensed consolidated interim financial statements do not include all of the information and disclosures required in the annual consolidated financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the Corporation's 2016 annual audited consolidated financial statements. In management's opinion, the condensed consolidated interim financial statements include all adjustments that are of a normal recurring nature and necessary to present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Corporation.
Interim results will fluctuate due to the seasonal nature of electricity and gas demand, as well as the timing and recognition of regulatory decisions. Revenue is also affected by the cost of fuel, purchased power and natural gas, which are flowed through to customers without markup. Given the diversified nature of the Corporation's subsidiaries, seasonality may vary. Most of the annual earnings of the gas utilities are realized in the first and fourth quarters due to space-heating requirements. Earnings for the electric utilities in the United States are generally highest in the second and third quarters due to the use of air conditioning and other cooling equipment.
The preparation of the condensed consolidated interim financial statements in accordance with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Estimates and judgments are based on historical experience, current conditions and various other assumptions believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.
Additionally, certain estimates and judgments are necessary since the regulatory environments in which the Corporation's regulated utilities operate often require amounts to be recognized at estimated values until these amounts are finalized pursuant to regulatory decisions or other regulatory proceedings. Due to changes in facts and circumstances, and the inherent uncertainty involved in making estimates, actual results may differ significantly from current estimates. Estimates and judgments are reviewed periodically and, as adjustments become necessary they are recognized in earnings in the period in which they become known. In the event that a regulatory decision is received after the balance sheet date but before the consolidated financial statements are issued, the facts and circumstances are reviewed to determine whether or not it is a recognized subsequent event.
All amounts are presented in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.
These condensed consolidated interim financial statements are comprised of the accounts of Fortis and its wholly owned subsidiaries and controlling ownership interests. All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated on consolidation, except as disclosed in Note 4.
These condensed consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared following the same accounting policies and methods as those used to prepare the Corporation's 2016 annual audited consolidated financial statements, except as described below.
New Accounting Policies
3. FUTURE ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
4. SEGMENTED INFORMATION
Information by reportable segment is as follows:
REGULATED NON-REGULATED
Quarter Ended June 30, 2017
Hudson FortisBC
Energy Fortis
Alberta FortisBC
Electric Eastern
Canadian Caribbean
Infrastructure Corporate
and Other Intersegment
Revenue 408 552 206 227 148 85 251 80 1,957 59 1 (2 ) 2,015
Energy supply costs - 175 64 72 - 21 158 35 525 - - (1 ) 524
Operating expenses 115 150 100 72 48 21 33 13 552 10 10 (1 ) 571
Depreciation and amortization 56 67 17 50 46 15 24 14 289 8 1 - 298
Operating income (loss) 237 160 25 33 54 28 36 18 591 41 (10 ) - 622
Other income (expenses), net 11 3 2 5 1 - 1 - 23 - 2 (1 ) 24
Finance charges 67 26 11 29 24 9 14 5 185 1 47 (1 ) 232
Income tax expense (recovery) 67 48 6 3 - 3 5 - 132 2 (32 ) - 102
Net earnings (loss) 114 89 10 6 31 16 18 13 297 38 (23 ) - 312
Non-controlling interests 21 - - - - - - 4 25 13 - - 38
Preference share dividends - - - - - - - - - - 17 - 17
Net earnings (loss) attributable to common equity shareholders 93 89 10 6 31 16 18 9 272 25 (40 ) - 257
Goodwill 7,960 1,793 585 913 227 235 67 184 11,964 27 - - 11,991
Identifiable assets 9,925 6,903 2,504 5,262 4,014 1,920 2,332 1,148 34,008 1,554 93 (65 ) 35,590
Total assets 17,885 8,696 3,089 6,175 4,241 2,155 2,399 1,332 45,972 1,581 93 (65 ) 47,581
Gross capital expenditures 244 121 53 103 102 25 36 32 716 3 - - 719
Revenue - 490 185 201 144 83 245 71 1,419 67 3 (4 ) 1,485
Energy supply costs - 176 52 41 - 21 154 29 473 16 - (1 ) 488
Operating expenses - 146 89 69 48 21 34 12 419 9 28 (2 ) 454
Depreciation and amortization - 65 15 50 44 14 23 13 224 7 1 - 232
Operating income (loss) - 103 29 41 52 27 34 17 303 35 (26 ) (1 ) 311
Other income (expenses), net - 2 1 4 - - 1 1 9 (1 ) 1 - 9
Finance charges - 25 10 33 22 9 14 3 116 1 34 (1 ) 150
Income tax expense (recovery) - 24 8 4 - 3 5 - 44 1 (17 ) - 28
Net earnings (loss) - 56 12 8 30 15 16 15 152 32 (42 ) - 142
Non-controlling interests - - - - - - - 4 4 13 - - 17
Net earnings (loss) attributable to common equity shareholders - 56 12 8 30 15 16 11 148 19 (60 ) - 107
Goodwill - 1,784 582 913 227 235 67 183 3,991 27 - - 4,018
Identifiable assets - 6,562 2,430 5,063 3,717 1,874 2,247 1,066 22,959 1,473 234 (61 ) 24,605
Total assets - 8,346 3,012 5,976 3,944 2,109 2,314 1,249 26,950 1,500 234 (61 ) 28,623
Gross capital expenditures - 98 60 79 87 19 35 42 420 5 8 - 433
Revenue 803 1,010 464 676 295 198 583 150 4,179 115 1 (6 ) 4,289
Energy supply costs - 346 149 254 - 67 394 68 1,278 1 - (1 ) 1,278
Operating expenses 227 297 210 144 100 44 68 23 1,113 23 22 (5 ) 1,153
Depreciation and amortization 110 133 34 100 95 31 47 28 578 16 1 - 595
Operating income (loss) 466 234 71 178 100 56 74 31 1,210 75 (22 ) - 1,263
Other income (expenses), net 21 15 4 9 2 - 1 2 54 - 2 (1 ) 55
Finance charges 130 52 21 58 46 18 28 10 363 2 97 (1 ) 461
Income tax expense (recovery) 132 67 21 26 - 7 11 - 264 7 (63 ) - 208
Net earnings (loss) 225 130 33 103 56 31 36 23 637 66 (54 ) - 649
Net earnings (loss) attributable to common equity shareholders 184 130 33 103 56 31 36 17 590 48 (87 ) - 551
Gross capital expenditures 512 248 103 197 195 46 63 57 1,421 7 - - 1,428
Revenue - 930 434 607 286 187 574 146 3,164 95 5 (7 ) 3,257
Energy supply costs - 356 133 175 - 61 388 66 1,179 17 - (1 ) 1,195
Operating expenses - 299 193 140 96 43 69 24 864 16 53 (5 ) 928
Depreciation and amortization - 132 31 100 89 28 45 26 451 13 2 - 466
Operating income (loss) - 143 77 192 101 55 72 30 670 49 (50 ) (1 ) 668
Other income (expenses), net - 4 2 7 2 - 1 4 20 1 4 - 25
Finance charges - 51 20 64 42 19 28 6 230 2 62 (1 ) 293
Income tax expense (recovery) - 28 23 35 - 6 11 - 103 1 (34 ) - 70
Net earnings (loss) - 68 36 100 61 30 34 28 357 47 (74 ) - 330
Net earnings (loss) attributable to common equity shareholders - 68 36 100 61 30 34 21 350 30 (111 ) - 269
Gross capital expenditures - 218 118 166 166 38 63 64 833 16 10 - 859
June 30 June 30
Sale of capacity from Waneta Expansion to FortisBC Electric (Note 18) 3 3 19 18
Lease of gas storage capacity and gas sales from Aitken Creek to FortisBC Energy (Note 18) 5 5 13 5
5. REGULATORY ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
A summary of the Corporation's regulatory assets and liabilities is provided below. For a detailed description of the nature of the Corporation's regulatory assets and liabilities, refer to Note 8 to the Corporation's 2016 annual audited consolidated financial statements.
($ millions) 2017 2016
Regulatory assets
Employee future benefits 545 576
Deferred energy management costs 194 178
Rate stabilization accounts 158 183
Deferred lease costs 100 97
Deferred operating overhead costs 85 78
Manufactured gas plant site remediation deferral 80 107
Navajo retirement costs (1) 50 -
Natural gas for transportation incentives 34 40
Other regulatory assets 410 414
Total regulatory assets 2,923 2,933
Less: current portion (306 ) (313 )
Long-term regulatory assets 2,617 2,620
Regulatory liabilities
Non-asset retirement obligation removal cost provision 1,098 1,194
Return on equity refund liability 184 346
Energy efficiency liability 65 49
Electric and gas moderator account 60 71
Renewable energy surcharge 59 53
Employee future benefits 48 42
Other regulatory liabilities 175 198
Total regulatory liabilities 1,894 2,183
Long-term regulatory liabilities 1,439 1,691
(1) Navajo retirement costs
UNS Energy holds an undivided interest in the jointly owned Navajo Generating Station ("Navajo"), located on a site leased from the Navajo Nation with an initial lease term through December 2019. In June 2017 the Navajo Nation approved a land-lease extension that allows TEP and the co-owners of Navajo to continue operations through December 2019 and begin decommissioning activities thereafter. TEP is currently recovering Navajo retirement costs through to 2030. As a result of the planned early retirement of Navajo, the net book value and other related retirement costs of $50 million (US$38 million) were reclassified from capital assets to regulatory assets as at June 30, 2017.
6. LONG-TERM DEBT
Long-term debt 20,478 20,246
Long-term classification of credit facility borrowings (Note 15) 779 973
Total long-term debt (Note 14) 21,257 21,219
Less: Deferred financing costs and debt discounts (145 ) (151 )
Less: Current installments of long-term debt (1,186 ) (251 )
In March 2017 ITC entered into 1-year and 2-year unsecured term loan credit agreements at floating interest rates of a one-month LIBOR plus a spread of 0.90% and 0.65%, respectively. As at June 30, 2017, borrowings under the term loan credit agreements were US$200 million ($268 million) and US$50 million ($67 million), respectively, representing the maximum amounts available under the agreements. The net proceeds from these borrowings were used to repay credit facility borrowings and for general corporate purposes.
In April 2017 ITC issued 30-year US$200 million ($268 million) 4.16% secured first mortgage bonds. The net proceeds from the issuance were used to repay credit facility borrowings and for general corporate purposes.
In March and May 2017, Caribbean Utilities issued US$60 million ($80 million) of unsecured notes in a dual tranche of 15-year US$40 million ($54 million) at 3.90% and 30-year US$20 million ($26 million) at 4.64%, respectively. The net proceeds from the issuances were used to finance capital expenditures and repay short-term borrowings.
In June 2017 Newfoundland Power issued 40-year $75 million 3.82% first mortgage sinking fund bonds. The net proceeds from the issuance were used to repay credit facility borrowings and for general corporate purposes.
7. COMMON SHARES
Common shares issued during the period were as follows.
Number Number
of Shares Amount of Shares Amount
(in thousands) ($ millions) (in thousands) ($ millions)
Balance, beginning of period 415,571 11,340 401,486 10,762
Private Offering - - 12,195 500
Dividend Reinvestment Plan 1,451 63 2,955 126
Stock Option Plans 719 26 955 34
Employee Share Purchase Plan 137 6 277 12
Consumer Share Purchase Plan 7 - 15 1
Conversion of Convertible Debentures - - 2 -
Balance, end of period 417,885 11,435 417,885 11,435
Private Offering
In March 2017 Fortis issued approximately 12.2 million common shares to an institutional investor, representing share consideration of $500 million at a price of $41.00 per share. The net proceeds were used to repay short-term borrowings (Note 15).
8. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, stock-based compensation expense of approximately $12 million and $24 million, respectively was recognized ($6 million and $15 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, respectively).
In February 2017 the Corporation granted 774,924 options to purchase common shares under its 2012 Stock Option Plan ("2012 Plan") at the five-day volume weighted average trading price immediately preceding the date of grant of $42.36. The options granted under the 2012 Plan are exercisable for a period not to exceed 10 years from the date of grant, expire no later than three years after the termination, death or retirement of the optionee and vest evenly over a four-year period on each anniversary of the date of grant. Directors are not eligible to receive grants of options under the 2012 Plan.
The accounting fair value of each option granted was $3.22 per option. The accounting fair value was estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes fair value option-pricing model and the following assumptions:
Dividend yield (%) 3.8
Expected volatility (%) 16.1
Risk-free interest rate (%) 1.2
Weighted average expected life (years) 5.6
Directors' Deferred Share Unit Plan
In January 2017, 8,351 Deferred Share Units ("DSUs") were granted to the Corporation's Board of Directors, representing the first quarter equity component of the Directors' annual compensation and, where opted, their first quarter component of annual retainers in lieu of cash. Each DSU represents a unit with an underlying value equivalent to the value of one common share of the Corporation and is entitled to accrue notional common share dividends equivalent to those declared by the Corporation's Board of Directors. The DSUs are fully vested at the date of grant.
In April 2017, 7,846 DSUs were granted to the Corporation's Board of Directors, representing the second quarter equity component of the Directors' annual compensation and, where opted, their second quarter component of annual retainers in lieu of cash.
Performance Share Unit Plans
In the first half of 2017, the Corporation granted 728,552 Performance Share Units ("PSUs"), under the 2015 PSU Plan, to senior management of the Corporation and its subsidiaries, with the exception of ITC where PSUs were granted to all employees consistent with past practice. The Corporation's PSU Plans represent a component of long-term compensation. Each PSU represents a unit with an underlying value equivalent to the value of one common share of the Corporation and is subject to a three-year vesting and performance period, at which time a cash payment may be made. Each PSU is entitled to accrue notional common share dividends equivalent to those declared by the Corporation's Board of Directors. As at June 30, 2017, the estimated payout percentages for the grants under the 2015 PSU Plan ranged from 97% to 109%.
In the second quarter of 2017, the Corporation paid out 281,794 PSUs at $41.46 per PSU, for a total of approximately $13 million. The payout was made in respect of the PSUs granted in 2014, under the 2013 PSU Plan. The payout percentage ranged from 106% to 113% and was based on the Corporation's and subsidiaries' performance over the three-year period, as determined by the respective Human Resources Committees.
Restricted Share Unit Plans
In the first half of 2017, the Corporation granted 330,686 Restricted Share Units ("RSUs") to senior management of the Corporation and its subsidiaries, with the exception of ITC where RSUs were granted to all employees consistent with past practice. The Corporation's RSU Plan represents a component of long-term compensation. Each RSU represents a unit with an underlying value equivalent to the value of one common share of the Corporation and is subject to a three-year vesting period, at which time a cash payment may be made. Each RSU is entitled to accrue notional common share dividends equivalent to those declared by the Corporation's Board of Directors.
9. EMPLOYEE FUTURE BENEFITS
The Corporation and its subsidiaries each maintain one or a combination of defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution pension plans, including group Registered Retirement Savings Plans and group 401(k) plans, for employees. The Corporation and certain subsidiaries also offer other post-employment benefit ("OPEB") plans for qualifying employees. The net benefit cost of providing the defined benefit pension and OPEB plans is detailed in the following tables.
Quarter Ended June 30
Pension Plans OPEB Plans
Components of net benefit cost:
Service costs 20 16 7 3
Interest costs 29 28 7 5
Expected return on plan assets (38 ) (35 ) (4 ) (3 )
Amortization of actuarial losses 12 11 1 1
Amortization of past service credits/plan amendments - 1 (3 ) (3 )
Regulatory adjustments - 1 1 3
Net benefit cost 23 22 9 6
Year-to-Date June 30
Service costs 39 32 14 7
Interest costs 58 55 13 11
Net benefit cost 44 43 17 12
For the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, the Corporation expensed $9 million and $20 million, respectively ($7 million and $15 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, respectively) related to defined contribution pension plans.
10. OTHER INCOME, NET
Equity component of allowance for funds used during construction ("AFUDC") 19 6 36 13
Interest income 3 2 7 4
Equity income - Belize Electricity - 1 1 3
Other 2 - 11 5
11. FINANCE CHARGES
Long-term debt and capital lease and finance obligations 238 144 471 289
Short-term borrowings 3 2 8 4
Acquisition credit facilities - 10 - 14
Debt component of AFUDC (9 ) (6 ) (18 ) (14 )
12. EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE
The Corporation calculates earnings per common share ("EPS") on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted EPS is calculated using the treasury stock method for options and the "if-converted" method for convertible securities.
EPS was as follows.
Net Earnings Weighted Net Earnings Weighted
to Common Average to Common Average
Shareholders Shares Shareholders Shares
($ millions) (# millions) EPS ($ millions) (# millions) EPS
Basic EPS 257 416.8 $ 0.62 107 283.7 $ 0.38
Effect of potential dilutive securities:
Stock Options - 0.6 - 0.6
Preference Shares - - 3 5.6
257 417.4 110 289.9
Deduct anti-dilutive impacts:
Preference Shares - - (3 ) (5.6 )
Diluted EPS 257 417.4 $ 0.62 107 284.3 $ 0.38
13. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Change in working capital:
Accounts receivable and other current assets 19 21 6 84
Prepaid expenses 10 10 11 (7 )
Inventories (40 ) (6 ) 11 45
Regulatory assets - current portion 10 (7 ) (13 ) -
Accounts payable and other current liabilities (15 ) 5 (21 ) (64 )
Regulatory liabilities - current portion (2 ) 21 (176 ) 16
(18 ) 44 (182 ) 74
Accrued capital expenditures 309 131 309 131
Common share dividends reinvested 63 36 125 65
Transfer of deposit on business acquisition (Note 16) - 38 - 38
Contributions in aid of construction 15 8 15 8
Exercise of stock options into common shares 3 1 4 3
14. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS AND FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
Fair value is the price at which a market participant could sell an asset or transfer a liability to an unrelated party. A fair value measurement is required to reflect the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability based on the best available information. These assumptions include the risks inherent in a particular valuation technique, such as a pricing model, and the risks inherent in the inputs to the model. A fair value hierarchy exists that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value.
The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are defined as follows:
Level 1: Fair value determined using unadjusted quoted prices in active markets;
Level 2: Fair value determined using pricing inputs that are observable; and
Level 3: Fair value determined using unobservable inputs only when relevant observable inputs are not available.
The fair values of the Corporation's financial instruments, including derivatives, reflect point-in-time estimates based on current and relevant market information about the instruments as at the balance sheet dates. The estimates cannot be determined with precision as they involve uncertainties and matters of judgment and, therefore, may not be relevant in predicting the Corporation's future consolidated earnings or cash flows.
The following table presents, by level within the fair value hierarchy, the Corporation's assets and liabilities accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis. These assets and liabilities are classified based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement and there were no transfers between the levels in the periods presented. For derivative instruments, the Corporation has elected gross presentation for its derivative contracts under master netting agreements and collateral positions.
Fair value June 30, December 31,
($ millions) hierarchy 2017 2016
Energy contracts subject to regulatory deferral (1) (2) (3) Levels 1/2/3 7 19
Energy contracts not subject to regulatory deferral (1) (2) (4) Levels 2/3 10 3
Interest rate swaps - cash flow hedges (5) Level 2 9 11
Other investments (6) Level 1 85 69
Total gross assets 111 102
Less: Counterparty netting not offset on the balance sheet (7) (6 ) (9 )
Total net assets 105 93
Energy contracts subject to regulatory deferral (1) (2) (8) Levels 2/3 34 26
Energy contracts not subject to regulatory deferral (1) Level 2 - 9
Interest rate swaps - cash flow hedges (5) Level 2 6 3
Total gross liabilities 40 38
Total net liabilities 34 29
(1) The fair value of the Corporation's energy contracts is recognized in accounts receivable and other current assets, long-term other assets, accounts payable and other current liabilities and long-term other liabilities. Unrealized gains and losses arising from changes in fair value of these contracts are deferred as a regulatory asset or liability for recovery from, or refund to, customers in future rates as permitted by the regulators, with the exception of wholesale trading contracts and certain gas swap contracts.
(2) Changes in one or more of the unobservable inputs could have a significant impact on the fair value measurement depending on the magnitude and direction of the change for each input. The impacts of changes in fair value are subject to regulatory recovery, with the exception of wholesale trading contracts and certain gas swap contracts.
(3) As at June 30, 2017, includes - $5 million - level 2 and $2 million - level 3 (December 31, 2016 - $1 million -level 1, $13 million - level 2 and $5 million - level 3)
(4) As at June 30, 2017, includes - $4 million - level 2 and $6 million - level 3 (December 31, 2016 - $3 million - level 3)
(5) The fair value of the Corporation's interest rate swaps is recognized in accounts receivable and other current assets, accounts payable and other current liabilities and long-term other liabilities.
(6) Included in long-term other assets on the consolidated balance sheet.
(7) Certain energy contracts are subject to legally enforceable master netting arrangements to mitigate credit risk and are netted by counterparty where the intent and legal right to offset exists.
(8) As at June 30, 2017, includes $22 million - level 2 and $12 million - level 3 (December 31, 2016 - $21 million - level 2 and $5 million - level 3).
The Corporation generally limits the use of derivative instruments to those that qualify as accounting, economic or cash flow hedges, or those that are approved for regulatory recovery. The Corporation records all derivative instruments at fair value, with certain exceptions including those derivatives that qualify for the normal purchase and normal sale exception. The fair value of derivative instruments is the estimate of the amounts that the Corporation would receive or have to pay to terminate the outstanding contracts as at the balance sheet dates.
Energy Contracts Subject to Regulatory Deferral
UNS Energy holds electricity power purchase contracts and gas swap contracts to reduce its exposure to energy price risk associated with purchased power and gas requirements. UNS Energy primarily applies the market approach for fair value measurements using independent third-party information, where possible. When published prices are not available, adjustments are applied based on historical price curve relationships, transmission costs and line losses. UNS Energy also considers the impact of counterparty credit risk using current and historical default and recovery rates, as well as its own credit risk using credit default swap data.
Central Hudson holds swap contracts for electricity and natural gas to minimize price volatility by fixing the effective purchase price for the defined commodities. The fair value of the swap contracts was calculated using forward pricing provided by independent third parties.
FortisBC Energy holds gas supply contracts and fixed price financial swaps to fix the effective purchase price of natural gas, as the majority of the natural gas supply contracts have floating, rather than fixed, prices. The fair value of the natural gas derivatives was calculated using the present value of cash flows based on published market prices and forward curves for natural gas.
As at June 30, 2017, these energy contract derivatives were not designated as hedges; however, any unrealized gains or losses associated with changes in the fair value of the derivatives are deferred as a regulatory asset or liability for recovery from, or refund to, customers in future rates, as permitted by the regulators. These unrealized losses and gains would otherwise be recognized in earnings. As at June 30, 2017, unrealized losses of $28 million (December 31, 2016 - $19 million) were recognized in regulatory assets and unrealized gains of $1 million (December 31, 2016 - $12 million) were recognized in regulatory liabilities (Note 5).
Energy Contracts Not Subject to Regulatory Deferral
UNS Energy holds wholesale trading contracts that qualify as derivative instruments. The unrealized gains and losses on these derivative instruments are recognized in earnings, as they do not qualify for regulatory deferral. Ten percent of any realized gains on these contracts are shared with customers through UNS Energy's rate stabilization accounts.
Aitken Creek holds gas swap contracts to manage its exposure to changes in natural gas prices, to capture natural gas price spreads, and to manage the financial risk posed by physical transactions. The fair value of the gas swap contracts was calculated using forward pricing from published market sources. The unrealized gains and losses on these derivative instruments are recognized in earnings.
Interest Rate Swaps - Cash Flow Hedges
As at June 30, 2017, ITC held forward-starting interest rate swaps, effective December 2017 and January 2018, with notional amounts totalling $325 million and 10-year original terms. The agreements include a mandatory early termination provision and will be terminated no later than the effective dates. The interest rate swaps manage the interest rate risk associated with the forecasted future issuance of fixed-rate debt related to the refinancing of maturing $500 million long-term debt due in January 2018.
UNS Energy holds an interest rate swap, expiring in 2020, to mitigate its exposure to volatility in variable interest rates on capital lease obligations.
The unrealized gains and losses on cash flow hedges are recognized in other comprehensive income and reclassified to earnings as a component of interest expense over the life of the hedged debt. The loss expected to be reclassified to earnings within the next twelve months is estimated to be approximately $4 million. Cash flows associated with the settlement of all derivative instruments are included in operating activities on the Corporation's consolidated statement of cash flows.
Volume of Derivative Activity
As at June 30, 2017, the following notional volumes related to electricity and natural gas derivatives that are expected to be settled are outlined below.
Volume(1) Maturity
(year) Contracts
(#) 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 There-after
Energy contracts subject to regulatory deferral:
Electricity swap contracts (GWh) 2019 7 561 742 438 - - -
Electricity power purchase contracts (GWh) 2018 32 903 154 - - - -
Gas swap contracts (PJ) 2020 115 22 32 14 2 - -
Gas supply contract premiums (PJ) 2024 75 56 55 31 28 22 43
Energy contracts not subject to regulatory deferral:
Wholesale trading contracts (GWh) 2018 18 1,999 1,787 - - - -
Gas swap contracts (PJ) 2018 62 6 6 - - - -
(1) GWh means gigawatt hours and PJ means petajoules.
Financial Instruments Not Carried At Fair Value
The following table discloses the estimated fair value measurements of the Corporation's financial instruments not carried at fair value. The fair values were measured using Level 2 pricing inputs, except as noted. The carrying values of the Corporation's consolidated financial instruments approximate their fair values, reflecting the short-term maturity, normal trade credit terms and/or nature of these instruments, except as follows.
($ millions) Carrying
Value Estimated
Fair Value Carrying
Long-term debt, including current portion (Note 6) (1) 21,257 23,137 21,219 22,523
Waneta Partnership promissory note (2) 61 62 59 61
(1) Includes $4,074 million (December 31, 2016 - $1,673 million) unsecured debentures and notes, and credit facility borrowings valued using Level 1 inputs. All other long-term debt is valued using Level 2 inputs.
(2) Included in long-term other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet
The Corporation is primarily exposed to credit risk, liquidity risk and market risk as a result of holding financial instruments in the normal course of business.
Credit risk Risk that a counterparty to a financial instrument might fail to meet its obligations under the terms of the financial instrument.
Liquidity risk Risk that an entity will encounter difficulty in raising funds to meet commitments associated with financial instruments.
Market risk Risk that the fair value or future cash flows of a financial instrument will fluctuate due to changes in market prices. The Corporation is exposed to foreign exchange risk, interest rate risk and commodity price risk.
For cash equivalents, trade and other accounts receivable, and long-term other receivables, the Corporation's credit risk is generally limited to the carrying value on the consolidated balance sheet. The Corporation generally has a large and diversified customer base, which minimizes the concentration of credit risk. The Corporation and its subsidiaries have various policies to minimize credit risk, which include requiring customer deposits, prepayments and/or credit checks for certain customers and performing disconnections and/or using third-party collection agencies for overdue accounts.
ITC has a concentration of credit risk as a result of approximately 70% of its revenue being derived from three primary customers. Credit risk is limited as such customers have investment-grade credit ratings. ITC also reduces its exposure to credit risk by requiring a letter of credit or cash deposit equal to the credit exposure, which is determined by a credit-scoring model and other factors.
FortisAlberta has a concentration of credit risk as a result of its distribution service billings being to a relatively small group of retailers. As at June 30, 2017, FortisAlberta's gross credit risk exposure was approximately $129 million, representing the projected value of retailer billings over a 37-day period. The Company has reduced its exposure to $1 million by obtaining from the retailers either a cash deposit, bond, letter of credit, an investment-grade credit rating from a major rating agency, or a financial guarantee from an entity with an investment-grade credit rating.
UNS Energy, Central Hudson, FortisBC Energy and Aitken Creek may be exposed to credit risk in the event of non-performance by counterparties to derivative instruments. The Companies use netting arrangements to reduce credit risk and net settle payments with counterparties where net settlement provisions exist. They also limit credit risk by mostly dealing with counterparties that have investment-grade credit ratings. At UNS Energy, contractual arrangements also contain certain provisions requiring counterparties to derivative instruments to post collateral under certain circumstances.
The Corporation's consolidated financial position could be adversely affected if it, or one of its subsidiaries, fails to arrange sufficient and cost-effective financing to fund, among other things, capital expenditures, acquisitions and the repayment of maturing debt. The ability to arrange sufficient and cost-effective financing is subject to numerous factors, including the consolidated results of operations and financial position of the Corporation and its subsidiaries, conditions in capital and bank credit markets, ratings assigned by rating agencies and general economic conditions.
To help mitigate liquidity risk, the Corporation and its regulated utilities have secured committed credit facilities to support short-term financing of capital expenditures, seasonal working capital requirements, and for general corporate purposes. In addition to its credit facilities, ITC uses commercial paper to finance its short-term cash requirements, and may use credit facility borrowings, from time to time, to repay borrowings under its commercial paper program.
The Corporation's committed corporate credit facility is used for interim financing of acquisitions and for general corporate purposes. Depending on the timing of cash payments from subsidiaries, borrowings under the Corporation's committed corporate credit facility may be required from time to time to support the servicing of debt and payment of dividends. As at June 30, 2017, over the next five years, average annual consolidated fixed-term debt maturities and repayments are expected to be approximately $730 million. The combination of available credit facilities and reasonable annual debt maturities and repayments provides the Corporation and its subsidiaries with flexibility in the timing of access to capital markets.
Regulated Corporate June 30, December 31,
($ millions) Utilities and Other 2017 2016
Short-term borrowings (1) (2) (564 ) (4 ) (568 ) (1,155 )
Long-term debt (Note 6) (3) (420 ) (359 ) (779 ) (973 )
(2) The weighted average interest rate on short-term borrowings was approximately 1.5% as at June 30, 2017 (December 31, 2016 - 1.7%).
(3) As at June 30, 2017, credit facility borrowings classified as long-term debt included $104 million in current installments of long-term debt on the consolidated balance sheet (December 31, 2016 - $61 million). The weighted average interest rate on credit facility borrowings classified as long-term debt was approximately 2.3% as at June 30, 2017 (December 31, 2016 - 1.8%).
As at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, certain borrowings under the Corporation's and subsidiaries' long-term committed credit facilities were classified as long-term debt. It is management's intention to refinance these borrowings with long-term permanent financing during future periods. There were no material changes in credit facilities from that disclosed in the Corporation's 2016 annual audited consolidated financial statements except as follows.
In March 2017 the Corporation repaid short-term borrowings using net proceeds from the issuance of common shares (Note 7).
Foreign Exchange Risk
The reporting currency of ITC, UNS Energy, Central Hudson, Caribbean Utilities, Fortis Turks and Caicos and Belize Electric Company Limited is the US dollar. The Corporation's earnings from, and net investments in, foreign subsidiaries are exposed to fluctuations in the US dollar-to-Canadian dollar exchange rate. The Corporation has decreased the above-noted exposure through the use of US dollar-denominated borrowings at the corporate level. The foreign exchange gain or loss on the translation of US dollar-denominated interest expense partially offsets the foreign exchange gain or loss on the translation of the Corporation's foreign subsidiaries' earnings.
As at June 30, 2017, the Corporation's corporately issued US$3,440 million (December 31, 2016 - US$3,511 million) long-term debt had been designated as an effective hedge of a portion of the Corporation's foreign net investments. As at June 30, 2017, the Corporation had approximately US$7,522 million (December 31, 2016 - US$7,250 million) in foreign net investments that were unhedged. Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations associated with the translation of the Corporation's corporately issued US dollar-denominated borrowings designated as effective hedges are recorded on the consolidated balance sheet in accumulated other comprehensive income and serve to help offset unrealized foreign currency exchange gains and losses on the net investments in foreign subsidiaries, which gains and losses are also recorded on the consolidated balance sheet in accumulated other comprehensive income.
As a result of the acquisition of ITC, consolidated earnings and cash flows of Fortis are impacted to a greater extent by fluctuations in the US dollar-to-Canadian dollar exchange rate. On an annual basis, it is estimated that a 5 cent increase or decrease in the US dollar relative to the Canadian dollar exchange rate of US$1.00=CAD$1.30 as at June 30, 2017 would increase or decrease earnings per common share of Fortis by approximately 7 cents. Management will continue to hedge future exchange rate fluctuations related to the Corporation's foreign net investments and US dollar-denominated earnings streams, where appropriate, through future US dollar-denominated borrowings, and will continue to monitor the Corporation's exposure to foreign currency fluctuations on a regular basis.
The Corporation and most of its subsidiaries are exposed to interest rate risk associated with borrowings under variable-rate credit facilities, variable-rate long-term debt and the refinancing of long-term debt. The Corporation and its subsidiaries may enter into interest rate swap agreements to help reduce this risk (Note 14).
Commodity Price Risk
UNS Energy is exposed to commodity price risk associated with changes in the market price of gas, purchased power and coal. Central Hudson is exposed to commodity price risk associated with changes in the market price of electricity and gas. FortisBC Energy and Aitken Creek are exposed to commodity price risk associated with changes in the market price of gas. The risks have been reduced by entering into derivative contracts that effectively fix the price of natural gas, power and electricity purchases. These derivative instruments are recorded on the consolidated balance sheet at fair value and any change in the fair value is deferred as a regulatory asset or liability, as permitted by the regulators, for recovery from, or refund to, customers in future rates, except at Aitken Creek and wholesale trading contracts at UNS Energy where the changes in fair value are recorded in earnings (Note 14).
16. BUSINESS ACQUISITIONS
Pending Acquisition of an Interest in Waneta Dam
In May 2017 Fortis entered into an agreement with Teck Resources Limited ("Teck") to acquire a two-thirds ownership interest in the Waneta Dam and related transmission assets in British Columbia for a purchase price of $1.2 billion (the "Waneta Acquisition"), subject to certain adjustments. The Waneta Acquisition will be funded by a combination of cash on hand, debt and equity. The Waneta Dam is a renewable energy facility that is currently operated and maintained by FortisBC Inc. Under the purchase agreement, Teck Metals Ltd. will be granted a 20-year lease, with an option to extend for a further 10 years, to use the two-thirds interest in the Waneta Dam to produce power for its industrial operations in Trail, British Columbia. BC Hydro, the owner of the remaining one-third ownership interest in the Waneta Dam, has a right of first offer. Closing of the Waneta Acquisition will also be subject to certain customary conditions, including receipt of certain approvals and consents from Canadian and U.S. governmental authorities. Provided BC Hydro does not exercise its right to purchase Teck's two-thirds interest in the Waneta Dam, the transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017.
On October 14, 2016, Fortis and GIC acquired all of the outstanding common shares of ITC for an aggregate purchase price of approximately US$11.8 billion ($15.7 billion) on closing, including approximately US$4.8 billion ($6.3 billion) of ITC consolidated indebtedness. ITC is now a subsidiary of Fortis, with an affiliate of GIC owning a 19.9% minority interest in ITC.
Under the terms of the transaction, ITC shareholders received US$22.57 in cash and 0.7520 of a Fortis common share per ITC share, representing total consideration of approximately US$7.0 billion ($9.4 billion). The net cash consideration totalled approximately US$3.5 billion ($4.7 billion) and was financed using: (i) net proceeds from the issuance of US$2.0 billion unsecured notes in October 2016; (ii) net proceeds from GIC's US$1.228 billion minority investment, which includes a shareholder note of US$199 million; and (iii) drawings of approximately US$404 million ($535 million) under the Corporation's non-revolving term senior unsecured equity bridge credit facility. On October 14, 2016, approximately 114.4 million common shares of Fortis were issued to shareholders of ITC, representing share consideration of approximately US$3.5 billion ($4.7 billion), based on the closing price for Fortis common shares of $40.96 and the closing foreign exchange rate of US$1.00=CAD$1.32 on October 13, 2016. The financing of the acquisition was structured to allow Fortis to maintain investment-grade credit ratings.
The following table summarizes the preliminary allocation of the purchase consideration to the assets and liabilities acquired as at October 14, 2016 based on their fair values, using an exchange rate of US$1.00=CAD$1.32. The purchase price allocation remains preliminary pending final assessment of fair value estimates, income taxes, consideration transferred, and identification of assets and liabilities.
($ millions) Total
Share consideration 4,684
Cash consideration 4,658
Total consideration 9,342
Purchase consideration for 80.1% of ITC common shares 7,721
19.9% minority shareholder investment and shareholder note 1,621
Fair value assigned to net assets:
Current assets 319
Long-term regulatory assets 319
Capital assets, net 8,345
Intangible assets, net 392
Other long-term assets 71
Current liabilities (625 )
Assumed short-term borrowings (311 )
Assumed long-term debt (including current portion) (5,989 )
Long-term regulatory liabilities (327 )
Deferred income taxes (926 )
Other long-term liabilities (166 )
Cash and cash equivalents 134
Fair value of net assets acquired 1,236
Goodwill 8,106
The acquisition has been accounted for using the acquisition method, whereby financial results of the business acquired have been consolidated in the financial statements of Fortis commencing on October 14, 2016.
Acquisition-related transaction costs totalled approximately $118 million ($90 million after tax) in 2016. Acquisition-related transaction costs included: (i) investment banking, legal, consulting and other fees totalling approximately $79 million ($62 million after tax) in 2016, which were included in operating expenses; and (ii) fees associated with the Corporation's acquisition credit facilities and deal-contingent interest rate swap contracts totalling approximately $39 million ($28 million after tax) in 2016, which were included in finance charges. From the date of acquisition, ITC also recognized US$21 million ($27 million) in after-tax expenses associated with the accelerated vesting of the Company's stock-based compensation awards as a result of the acquisition, of which the Corporation's share was US$17 million ($22 million).
Supplemental Pro Forma Data
The unaudited pro forma financial information below gives effect to the acquisition of ITC as if the transaction had occurred at the beginning of 2016. This pro forma data is presented for information purposes only, and does not necessarily represent the results that would have occurred had the acquisition taken place at the beginning of 2016, nor is it necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected in future periods.
($ millions) 2016
Pro forma revenue 7,995
Pro forma net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders (1) 919
(1) Pro forma net earnings attributable to common equity shareholders exclude all after-tax acquisition-related transaction costs incurred by ITC and the Corporation. A pro forma adjustment has been made to net earnings for the 12 months ended December 31, 2016 to reflect the Corporation's after-tax financing costs associated with the acquisition.
AITKEN CREEK
On April 1, 2016, Fortis acquired Aitken Creek Gas Storage ULC from Chevron Canada Properties Ltd. for approximately $349 million (US$266 million), plus the cost of working gas inventory. The net cash purchase price was initially financed through US dollar-denominated borrowings under the Corporation's committed revolving credit facility. In December 2015 the Corporation paid a deposit of $38 million (US$29 million) as part of the purchase consideration for the transaction (Note 13).
The allocation of purchase consideration to the assets and liabilities acquired as at April 1, 2016, based on their fair values, resulted in the recognition of approximately $27 million in goodwill, which is associated with deferred income tax liabilities. The acquisition has been accounted for using the acquisition method, whereby financial results of the business acquired have been consolidated in the financial statements of Fortis commencing on April 1, 2016. The purchase price allocation was finalized during the first quarter of 2017.
17. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
There were no material changes in the nature and amount of the Corporation's commitments from those disclosed in the Corporation's 2016 annual audited consolidated financial statements.
The Corporation and its subsidiaries are subject to various legal proceedings and claims associated with the ordinary course of business operations. The following describes the nature of the Corporation's contingencies.
Prior to and after its acquisition by Fortis, various asbestos lawsuits have been brought against Central Hudson. While a total of 3,365 asbestos cases have been raised, 1,175 remained pending as at June 30, 2017. Of the cases no longer pending against Central Hudson, 2,034 have been dismissed or discontinued without payment by the Company, and Central Hudson has settled the remaining 156 cases. The Company is presently unable to assess the validity of the outstanding asbestos lawsuits; however, based on information known to Central Hudson at this time, including the Company's experience in the settlement and/or dismissal of asbestos cases, Central Hudson believes that the costs that may be incurred in connection with the remaining lawsuits will not have a material effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows and, accordingly, no amount has been accrued in the consolidated financial statements.
In April 2013 FHI and Fortis were named as defendants in an action in the B.C. Supreme Court by the Coldwater Indian Band ("Band"). The claim is in regard to interests in a pipeline right of way on reserve lands. The pipeline on the right of way was transferred by FHI (then Terasen Inc.) to Kinder Morgan Inc. in April 2007. The Band seeks orders cancelling the right of way and claims damages for wrongful interference with the Band's use and enjoyment of reserve lands. In May 2016 the Federal Court entered a decision dismissing the Coldwater Band's application for judicial review of the ministerial consent. The Band has appealed that decision. The outcome cannot be reasonably determined and estimated at this time and, accordingly, no amount has been accrued in the consolidated financial statements.
18. COMPARATIVE FIGURES
Certain comparative figures have been reclassified to comply with current period presentation. To correct the treatment of related-party transactions to be in accordance with accounting standards for rate-regulated entities, Fortis no longer eliminates related-party transactions between non-regulated and regulated entities. As a result, the sale of energy from the Waneta Expansion to FortisBC Electric and the lease of natural gas storage from Aitken Creek to FortisBC Energy are no longer eliminated, increasing both revenue and energy supply costs for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 by $8 million and $23 million, respectively (Note 4).
Ms. Janet Craig
Vice President, Investor Relations
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Isaias: Storm reclassified as post-tropical cyclone as it heads into Canada
Isaias: What you need to know
By: Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Updated: August 5, 2020 - 4:33 AM
Hurricane Isaias made landfall shortly after 11 p.m. EDT Monday in North Carolina and weakened to a tropical storm overnight.
Update 5 a.m. EDT Aug. 5: Live updates have concluded for this post.
Update 11:01 p.m. EDT Aug. 4: Isaias is no longer considered a tropical system as it moved into southeastern Canada on Tuesday night. In its 11 p.m. EDT advisory, the National Hurricane Center classified Isaias as a post-tropical cyclone. Tropical storm conditions are expected for a few more hours along parts of the New England coast, the hurricane center said.
The center of the storm was located 45 miles east-southeast of Montreal, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. The storm is still moving rapidly, heading north-northeast at 38 mph.
Heavy winds caused downed wires and power outages in Massachusetts and other parts of New England, WFXT reported.
New speed bumps on Nichols Street. pic.twitter.com/JuH7RfYrZU
— Chief Brooks (@ChiefBrooksNPD) August 5, 2020
Many downed wires in the city. Remember do not touch downed Wires. Two trees fell on this Manomet Street property hitting the home. pic.twitter.com/MHohiAUxKB
— Brockton Fire (@Brockton_Fire) August 4, 2020
Post-Tropical Cyclone #Isaias Advisory 32: Isaias Becomes a Post-Tropical Cyclone as it Moves Into Southeastern Canada. Tropical Storm Conditions Expected For a Few More Hours Along Portions of the New England Coast. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 5, 2020
Update 8:15 p.m. EDT Aug. 4: Tropical Storm Isaias continued to weaken as it plowed into upper New England on Tuesday evening. According to the National Hurricane Center’s 8 p.m. EDT advisory, the center of the storm was located about 5 miles north-northwest of Rutland, Vermont. The storm was picking up speed and moving to the north-northeast at 40 mph, the hurricane center said.
In Massachusetts, more than 220,000 people were without power, according to WFXT.
The next advisory by the National Hurricane Center is scheduled for 11 p.m. EDT.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 31A: Center of Isaias Now Moving Through the New England States. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 5:10 p.m. EDT Aug. 4: Storm damage and power outages have been reported throughout the Hampton Roads area of Virginia as Tropical Storm Isaias moved through the area. Dominion Energy said that more than 184,000 customers are still without power in southeastern Virginia, WAVY reported.
Contractors and power crews spent the day repairing power lines that were toppled over by the storm, WTVR reported.
As Isaias raced through New York and toward New England, the New York metropolitan area experienced high winds and stormy weather.
At 5 p.m. EDT, the National Hurricane Center said the center of the storm was located 20 miles west of Albany, New York. The storm retained its punch, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph as it headed toward Vermont.
Earlier, a tornado touched down in Strathmere, New Jersey, WCBS reported. Another possible tornado was sighted in Ocean City, the television station reported.
Update 3:50 p.m. EDT Aug. 4: Sheriff John Holley of Bertie County, N.C., said Tuesday that two children and an adult reported missing after a tornado destroyed a mobile home park overnight have been located, WSOC-TV reported.
The three were identified as two children and their mother, WSOC-TV reported. Holley said officials determined that the children were not in the area and that their mother was at work when the storm hit.
The tornado that touched down early Tuesday destroyed about a dozen mobile homes, leaving only two standing, according to WSOC-TV.
Two people died in the tornado and 20 other people were injured, WSOC-TV and WTVD reported.
Update 3:20 p.m. EDT Aug. 4: Millions of people along the East Coast were without power Tuesday afternoon as Tropical Storm Isaias continued to make its way north.
Nearly 2.7 million Americans in eight states from Virginia to Connecticut are dealing with outages, CNN reported. More than 1.2 million of those outages were reported in New Jersey alone, according to CNN. The news network reported more than 383,000 outages across Pennsylvania.
Update 2 p.m. EDT Aug. 4: Tropical Storm Isaias picked up speed Tuesday afternoon as it moved up the East Coast, forecasters with the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center said in a 2 p.m. advisory.
The storm, which was about 65 miles west of New York City as of 2 p.m., is moving to the north-northeast at 40 mph, according to officials. It’s expected to drop heavy rainfall as it moves into southern Canada on Tuesday night.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 30A: Isaias Racing North-Northeastward Across Eastern Pennsylvania Into Southeastern New York. Strong Gusty Winds. Heavy Rainfall. And the Threat of Tornadoes Will Spread Northward Into Southern New England. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 1:55 p.m. EDT Aug. 4: Officials in Bertie County, N.C., said Tuesday that two people have died after a tornado swept through the county overnight, WSOC-TV reported.
Previously, officials had said one person died in the tornado.
At least two dead, two children missing after tornado slams mobile home park https://t.co/Icdl0DjemZ
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) August 4, 2020
Update 12:45 p.m. EDT Aug. 4: Officials in Bertie County, N.C., confirmed Tuesday morning that one person died and nearly two dozen others were injured in a tornado that touched down overnight, WSOC-TV reported.
Bertie County Commissioner Ronald Wesson told WTVD that two children were unaccounted for after the tornado swept through the area.
Cooper: One dead, 20 injured after tornado slams mobile home park https://t.co/Icdl0DjemZ
Update 11 a.m. EDT Aug. 4: The center of Tropical Storm Isaias was moving quickly across eastern Maryland on Tuesday morning, forecasters with the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center said in an 11 a.m. advisory.
Officials said the storm was about 70 miles southwest of Philadelphia by 11 a.m. and moving north-northeast at 35 mph. Tropical storm warnings issued south of Duck, North Carolina, have been cancelled, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 30: Center of Isaias Moving Rapidly Across Eastern Maryland. Strong Winds. Heavy Rainfall. And Tornadoes Will Continue To Spread North-Northeastward Along the Mid-Atlantic Coast Today. https://t.co/VqHn0uj6EM
Forecasters expect Isaias to move near or along the coast of the mid-Atlantic states Tuesday before heading into southern Canada tonight.
Update 8:11 a.m. EDT Aug. 4: Tropical Storm Isaias is moving across southeastern Virginia, the National Hurricane Center reported Tuesday morning.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 29A: Center of Isaias Moving Across Southeastern Virginia. Strong Winds. Heavy Rainfall. And the Threat of Tornadoes Will Spread Northward Along the Mid-Atlantic Coast This Morning. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
In its 8 a.m. EDT advisory, the agency said strong winds, heavy rainfall and the threat of tornadoes will spread northward along the mid-Atlantic coast this morning. The storm, which has maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, is located about 15 miles south-southeast of Tappahannock, Virginia. It is moving north-northeast at 33 mph, forecasters said.
Meanwhile, at least one person was killed and others were missing when a tornado struck a Bertie County, North Carolina, mobile home park, according to the Virginian-Pilot.
At least one dead, others missing, after tornado strikes mobile home park in Bertie County https://t.co/Ahawc14rfk
— The Virginian-Pilot (@virginianpilot) August 4, 2020
Update 5:03 a.m. EDT Aug. 4: The center of Tropical Storm Isaias is nearing southeast Virginia, the National Hurricane Center reported early Tuesday.
Here are the 5 AM Tuesday, August 4 Key Messages for Tropical Storm #Isaias. For the full advisory, visit https://t.co/yrMJ9S4AT1, and go to https://t.co/URHWwowvzR for your local weather forecast. pic.twitter.com/4VU1Yp8LoK
In its 5 a.m. EDT advisory, the agency said strong winds, heavy rainfall and the threat of tornadoes will spread northward along the mid-Atlantic coast this morning.
The storm, which has maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, is located about 15 miles southeast of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, and 85 miles west-southwest of Norfolk, Virginia. It is moving north-northeast at 28 mph.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 29: Center of Isaias Nearing Southeast Virginia. Strong Winds. Heavy Rainfall. And the Threat of Tornadoes Will Spread Northward Along the Mid-Atlantic Coast This Morning. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 4:34 a.m. EDT Aug. 4: Isaias has weakened to a tropical storm over eastern North Carolina, the National Hurricane Center reported early Tuesday. Southeastern Virginia is beginning to experience strong winds, heavy rainfall and the threat of tornadoes, the agency said.
#Isaias Weakens to a Tropical Storm over Eastern North Carolina. Strong Winds, Heavy Rainfall, and the Threat of Tornadoes Beginning to Move into Southeastern Virginia. https://t.co/pv5TdtHskJ pic.twitter.com/TYYbJp5GVU
Update 2:02 a.m. EDT Aug. 4: The center of Hurricane Isaias is moving quickly north-northeastward over eastern North Carolina, and strong winds and heavy rainfall are expected to spread northward along the mid-Atlantic coast this morning, the National Hurricane Center reported early Tuesday.
In its 2 a.m. EDT advisory, the agency said the Category 1 storm, which had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, was located about 60 miles southwest of Greenville, North Carolina. It was moving north-northeast at 23 mph.
Hurricane #Isaias Advisory 28A: Center of Isaias Moving Quickly North-Northeastward Over Eastern North Carolina. Strong Winds and Heavy Rainfall to Spread Northward Along The Mid-Atlantic Coast This Morning. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 11:28 p.m. EDT Aug. 3: Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, about 11:10 p.m. EDT, the National Hurricane Center reported late Monday. The Category 1 storm had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph.
Hurricane #Isaias has made landfall in southern North Carolina near Ocean Isle Beach around 1110 PM EDT with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. Latest information at https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB pic.twitter.com/xi2C2VDfym
Update 11:19 p.m. EDT Aug. 3: Hurricane Isaias continued to gain forward speed Monday night as it barreled toward the coasts of the Carolinas, according to the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center.
By 11 p.m., the Category 1 hurricane was located about 40 miles east-northeast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, moving north-northeast at 22 mph with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph.
A gradual increase in forward speed is expected to continue overnight, followed by a further increase Tuesday, the NHC confirmed. Little change in strength is forecast before the storm makes landfall.
The center of Isaias is now expected to make landfall in southern North Carolina within the next two hours, before tracking across eastern North Carolina in the overnight hours. The storm’s center is then forecast to move near or along the coast of the mid-Atlantic states on Tuesday, before crossing the northeastern United States on Tuesday night.
Latest Advisory on Hurricane Isaias, official landfall likely to occur in the next hour or so. https://t.co/kEzHcOvGSh
— National Weather Service (@NWS) August 4, 2020
Update 10:13 p.m. EDT Aug. 3: Hurricane Isaias gained both strength and steam late Monday, according to the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center.
As of 9 p.m., the Category 1 hurricane’s maximum sustained winds had increased to 85 mph, and its forward speed increased to 18 mph as it continued its north-northeastern track toward the Carolinas.
Isaias’ maximum sustained winds must increase to at least 96 mph for the storm to be upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane.
Update 8:18 p.m. EDT Aug. 3: The National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center upgraded Tropical Storm Isaias to a Category 1 hurricane just before 8 p.m. Monday.
With maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, the storm is expected to make landfall along northeastern South Carolina or southern North Carolina, bringing strong winds and storm surge to the region before moving inland across eastern North Carolina early Tuesday morning.
Hurricane Isaias, which is presently moving to the north-northeast at 16 mph, is currently located about 60 miles east of Charleston, South Carolina, and about 60 miles south of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the storm’s center, while tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles.
Isaias has regained hurricane strength with winds of 70 mph as it heads toward the Carolinas, forecasters say. They're warning of a possible storm surge and flash flooding. https://t.co/gLXqX23Ya7
Update 5:20 p.m. EDT Aug. 3: Forecasters with the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center said early Monday evening that Tropical Storm Isaias is getting “better organized” and is expected to bring dangerous winds and storm surge to northeastern South Carolina or southern North Carolina as it strengthens slightly and makes landfall as a hurricane.
Strong winds and heavy rainfall are expected to stretch from the eastern Carolinas to the mid-Atlantic coast Monday night and Tuesday.
These are the latest key messages for #Isaias.
Follow @NHC_Atlantic and your local forecast office for the latest. Find your local office at https://t.co/GWrG0hTRHN
The full text of these key messages can be found here: https://t.co/Eko4IuSkfd pic.twitter.com/hElVgkhvIg
The storm, which was about 60 miles south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, at 5 p.m., has maintained maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and continues to churn north-northeast at 16 mph.
Although the National Weather Service discontinued its Tropical Storm Warning south of the Savannah River, it extended the warning northward to Stonington, Maine.
The center of Isaias is expected to approach the coasts of northeastern South Carolina and southern North Carolina within the hurricane warning area this evening, before moving inland
across eastern North Carolina early Tuesday morning. The storm is then expected to move along the coast of the mid-Atlantic states Tuesday with only gradual weakening and continue across the northeastern United States Tuesday night.
Update 2:05 p.m. EDT Aug. 3: Forecasters with the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center said Monday afternoon that Tropical Storm Isaias remained on track to strengthen into a hurricane later in the day, when it’s expected to make landfall.
The storm, which was about 115 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina, at 2 p.m., is expected to move inland over the eastern North Carolina coast on Monday night before moving north along the coast.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 26A: Isaias Still Expected to Make Landfall Tonight as a Hurricane. Strong Winds and Heavy Rainfall Likely From the Eastern Carolinas to the Mid-Atlantic Coast Tonight and Tuesday. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 11 a.m. EDT Aug. 3: Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to pass “well east of the Georgia coast” through Monday afternoon, forecasters with the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center said in an 11 a.m. advisory.
The storm is expected to reach hurricane strength Monday night just before reaching the coast of either South Carolina or North Carolina, according to the National Hurricane Center. As of 11 a.m., officials said the storm was about 90 miles east-southeast of Brunswick, Georgia.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 26: Isaias Forecast to Make Landfall Tonight as a Hurricane. Expected to Bring Strong Winds and Heavy Rainfall From the Eastern Carolinas to the Mid-Atlantic Coast Tonight and Tuesday. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 8:05 a.m. EDT Aug. 3: Tropical Storm Isaias is passing well offshore Florida’s northeastern coast and is still forecast to become a hurricane later today, the National Hurricane Center said Monday morning.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 25A: Isaias Passing Well Offshore the Northeast Florida Coast. Forecast to Become a Hurricane Later Today. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
In its 8 a.m. EDT advisory, the agency said the storm, which had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, was about 100 miles east-southeast of Jacksonville, Florida, and 250 miles south-southwest of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was moving north at 13 mph.
Storm surge warnings are in effect for Edisto Beach, South Carolina, to Cape Fear, North Carolina. Meanwhile, a hurricane warning is in effect for South Santee River, South Carolina, to Surf City, North Carolina. Tropical storm warnings also remain in effect for Flagler/Volusia County, Florida, to South Santee River, South Carolina; north of Surf City, North Carolina, to west of Watch Hill, Rhode Island; Chesapeake Bay south of North Beach; Tidal Potomac River south of Cobb Island, Maryland; Delaware Bay; Long Island and Long Island Sound; and Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds, North Carolina.
Storm surge inundation of 3-5 ft above ground level is expected due to #Isaias between South Santee River, SC and Cape Fear, NC. 2-4 ft is expected for other parts of the NC and SC coasts, where Storm Surge Warnings and Watches are in effect. https://t.co/qYh7U2zvxq pic.twitter.com/D0zgXk5zD3
There is a moderate risk of flash flooding across portions of the eastern Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic states from #Isaias during the next several days, based on rainfall forecasts from @NWSWPC. https://t.co/DTakqmPfzp pic.twitter.com/D2LrkbEwuB
Update 5:03 a.m. EDT Aug. 3: Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to become a hurricane again today, the National Hurricane Center said early Monday.
Here are the 5 am EDT Monday, August 3 Key Messages for Tropical Storm #Isaias. For the full advisory on #Isaias, visit https://t.co/msBl4Q94BF pic.twitter.com/pzlDkJe59k
In its 5 a.m. EDT advisory, the agency said the storm, which had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, was about 115 miles east-southeast of Jacksonville, Florida, and 280 miles south-southwest of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was moving north at 9 mph.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 25: Isaias Forecast to Become a Hurricane Today. Hurricane Warning Issued For a Portion of the Coast of South And North Carolina. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 5:28 p.m. EDT Aug. 2: Tropical Storm Isaias gained a little steam just before 5 p.m. Sunday but remains just off the central Florida coast, according to NOAA’s National Hurricane Center.
The storm is about 65 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, moving north-northwest at 9 mph with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph.
Wind gusts picking up as #Isaias gets a little closer...one of the stronger wind gusts I've seen: 50mph at #BarefootBay. #WFTV pic.twitter.com/bRSBrAmj7H
— George Waldenberger (@GWaldenWFTV) August 2, 2020
While this motion is expected to continue through the night, a turn toward the north-northeast – coupled with an increase in forward speed – is expected Monday and Tuesday.
Per the current storm track, the center of Isaias is expected to pass just to the east of the Florida east coast through tonight before moving offshore of the Georgia and southern South Carolina coasts on Monday, before moving inland over eastern North Carolina Monday night.
Update 2:00 p.m. EDT Aug. 2: Tropical Storm Isaias is just off the coast of Florida as it continues its slow move northwest, weather officials said.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 22A: Isaias Moving Slowly North-Northwestward Just Offshore The East-Central Florida Coast. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
The storm is about 45 miles from Vero Beach, Florida. It has slightly gained speed, moving at 9 mph with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph.
The center of the storm is expected to hit Florida’s east coast late Sunday. It will move off the coast of Georgia and through the mid-Atlantic states on Monday and Tuesday.
Update 11:05 a.m. EDT Aug. 2: A tropical storm warning has been extended along the east coast to North Carolina, the National Hurricane Center said.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 22: Heavy Rainfall and Strong Gusty Winds Continue Over The Northwestern Bahamas. Tropical Storm Warning and Watch Extended Northward Along The U. S. East Coast. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
A tropical storm warning was issued from South Santee River, South Carolina, to Surf City, North Carolina. The tropical storm warning for Lake Okeechobee and Jupiter Inlet, Florida has ended.
A tropical storm watch was also issued for North Carolina coast from north of Surf City to Duck.
The storm is still moving at 8 mph with 65 mph maximum sustained winds and is about 55 miles from Fort Pierce, Florida.
Update 8:05 a.m. EDT Aug. 2: Heavy rain continues to fall over the northwestern Bahamas as Tropical Storm Isaias bears down on the Florida coast.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 21A: Heavy Rainfall and Gusty Winds Continue Over the Northwestern Bahamas. Tropical Storm Conditions Close to the East Coast of Florida. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
The storm has continued to decrease intensity. Isaias has 65 mph maximum sustained winds and is moving northwest at 8 mph.
Officials have ended the hurricane warning for the northwestern Bahamas. Storm surge warnings have been issued for Jupiter Inlet to Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida and from Edisto Beach, South Carolina, to Cape Fear, North Carolina. A tropical storm warning was issued for Lake Okeechobee and from Hallandale Beach, Florida to South Santee River, South Carolina. A tropical storm watch was also issued for north of South Santee River, South Carolina, to Surf City, North Carolina.
Update 10:59 p.m. EDT Aug. 1: Tropical Storm Isaias continued to inch closer to the Florida coast late Saturday night as it remained under the threshold of reintensifying into a hurricane again.
According to the 11 p.m. EDT advisory by the National Hurricane Center, Isaias had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. The eye of the system was located 80 miles southeast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and continues to move to the northwest at 9 mph.
A hurricane warning remains in effect in Florida from Boca Raton to the Volusia-Flagler county line, and also in the northeastern Bahamas, Bimini, and the Berry Islands. A tropical storm warning is in effect from the Volusia-Flagler county line north to Ponte Vedra Beach, with a tropical storm watch extending from Ponte Vedra Beach northward to South Santee River, South Carolina.
Isaias is expected to regain hurricane strength later Saturday or early Sunday, the hurricane center said.
There will be intermediate advisories issued at 2 a.m and 8 a.m. EDT Sunday by the National Hurricane Center, with a full advisory scheduled for 5 a.m. EDT.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 20: Isaias Continues to Slowly Approach the Southeast Florida Coast. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 7:56 p.m. EDT Aug. 1: Isaias remained a tropical storm but was expected to regain hurricane status overnight, the National Hurricane Center said.
According to the hurricane center’s 8 p.m. EDT intermediate advisory, the center of Tropical Storm Isaias had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and was located about 100 miles southeast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The storm’s forward speed has slowed down, moving northwest at 9 mph.
A hurricane warning is in effect in Florida from Boca Raton to the Volusia-Flagler county line, and also in the northeastern Bahamas, Bimini, and the Berry Islands. A tropical storm warning is in effect from the Volusia-Flagler county line north to Ponte Vedra Beach, with a tropical storm watch extending from Ponte Vedra Beach northward to South Santee River, South Carolina.
The next advisory by the National Hurricane Center will be issued at 11 p.m. EDT.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 19A: Isaias Expected to Re-Strengthen to a Hurricane Overnight While it Approaches the Southeast Coast of Florida. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 5:01 p.m. EDT Aug. 1: Isaias was downgraded to a tropical storm Saturday afternoon as it continued to move toward Florida’s east coast but is expected to regain hurricane status overnight, according to the National Hurricane Center.
In it’s 5 p.m. EDT advisory, the hurricane center said maximum sustained winds at the center of the storm were at 70 mph.
Isaias was located about 115 miles southeast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and was moving northwest at 17 mph. A hurricane warning is in effect in Florida from Boca Raton to the Volusia-Flagler county line, and also in the northeastern Bahamas. A tropical storm warning is in effect from the Volusia-Flagler county line north to Ponte Vedra Beach, with a tropical storm watch extending from Ponte Vedra Beach northward to South Santee River, South Carolina.
The National Hurricane Center will issue an intermediate advisory at 8 p.m. EDT.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 19: Isaias Weakens to a Tropical Storm. Expected to Re-Strengthen to a Hurricane Overnight While It Approaches the Southeast Coast of Florida. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 2 p.m. EDT Aug. 1: Hurricane Isaias continues to weaken as it approaches the coast of Florida, weather officials said.
Hurricane #Isaias Advisory 18A: Isaias Emerging Over the Straits of Florida. Expected to Approach the Southeast Coast of Florida Tonight. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Isaias has decreased to 75 mph maximum sustained winds and is continuing to move at 12 mph. The storm is about 140 miles from Fort Lauderdale
The storm is expected to gain strength as it moves over warm water before it reaches the state likely Sunday morning.
Update 11 a.m. EDT Aug. 1: Hurricane Isaias has slightly weakened as it made landfall on the northern part of Andros Island, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Hurricane #Isaias Advisory 18: Isaias Making Landfall On Northern Andros Island. Expected to Approach the Southeast Coast of Florida Later Today And Sunday. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Isaias maximum sustained winds have decreased to 80 mph. The storm system is still moving at 12 mph.
Hurricane conditions are expected to reach the coast of Florida Saturday evening.
A tropical storm watch from the Volusia/Flagler county line to Ponte Vedre Beach is now a warning. A tropical storm watch was issued for north of Ponte Vedre Beach to Altamaha Sound, Georgia.
Update 8 a.m. EDT Aug. 1: Hurricane Isaias is expected to hit Florida’s southern coast Saturday as the eye of the storm passes eastern Andros Island, the National Hurricane Center said.
Hurricane #Isaias Advisory 17A: Ragged Eye of Isaias Near Eastern Andros Island. Expected to Approach the Southeast Coast of Florida Later Today And Sunday. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
The storm has maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and is moving northwest at 12 mph.
Hurricane #Isaias is near Andros Island in the Bahamas. The hurricane is expected to approach the southeast Florida coast late today and on Sunday. Go to https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB for the latest info on #Isaias and https://t.co/SiZo8ohZMN for your local weather forecast. pic.twitter.com/vLj0Hwfnfc
The hurricane watch for the central Bahamas has ended. Other watches and warnings for portions of the Atlantic coast of Florida were still in effect.
Update 11 p.m. EDT July 31: Forecasters with the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center extended a hurricane warning along Florida’s east coast as Hurricane Isaias continued to move toward the U.S. late Friday.
A hurricane watch that had been issued from Volusia/Brevard County line in Florida to the Flagler/Volusia County line has been upgraded to a hurricane warning, officials said.
At 11 p.m., forecasters said Isaias was about 135 miles south-southeast of Nassau in the Bahamas and crawling toward the northwest at 15 mph.
Hurricane #Isaias Advisory 16: Strong Winds and Heavy Rains Continue Over the Central Bahamas. Isaias Expected to Approach the Southeast Coast of Florida Tomorrow. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 8:10 p.m. EDT July 31: Hurricane Isaias continued to crawl toward the east coast of Florida on Friday evening.
The storm, which has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, was about 175 miles south-southeast of Nassau in the Bahamas, forecasters with the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center said in an 8 p.m. advisory.
Hurricane #Isaias Advisory 15A: Tropical Storm Conditions and Heavy Rain Continue to Spread Across the Central Bahamas. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) July 31, 2020
Update 7:30 p.m. EDT July 31: Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared a State of Emergency on Friday due to the potential threat posed by Hurricane Isais.
“Hurricane Isaias is a serious storm, and current predictions indicate that it may impact parts of Virginia as early as this weekend,” Northam said Friday in a statement.
“This state of emergency will ensure localities and communities have the assistance they need to protect the safety of Virginians, particularly as we continue to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. I encourage Virginians to take all necessary precautions, monitor local weather forecasts, and stay alert.”
I've declared a State of Emergency in advance of Hurricane Isaias, which could impact parts of coastal Virginia starting late this weekend or early next week.
Please take precautions now, follow your local weather forecast, and stay alert.
Learn more: https://t.co/mF5YlfHYLu
— Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) July 31, 2020
Update 6:30 p.m. EDT July 31: Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency Friday afternoon for the counties in the path of Hurricane Isaias.
I've signed Executive Order 20-181, declaring a state of emergency for counties in the path of Hurricane #Isaias. For those living on the East Coast, prepare now. Have 7 days of food, water, medicine & other supplies in case you lose power. Follow @FLSERT for updates.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) July 31, 2020
Forecasters with the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center said that Isaias will likely move near the east coast of Florida on Saturday and Sunday. The storm, which was a Category 1 hurricane on Friday afternoon, is expected to strengthen and remain at hurricane-strength for several days.
Update 6:15 p.m. EDT July 31: Gov. Roy Cooper declared a State of Emergency in North Carolina on Friday afternoon as Hurricane Isaias continued to swirl over the Bahamas, WSOC-TV reported.
“With the right protection and sheltering, we can keep people safe from the storm while at the same time trying to avoid making the pandemic worse,” Cooper said. “A hurricane during a pandemic is double trouble. But the state has been carefully preparing for this scenario.”
We will hope for the best but prepare for the worst with Hurricane Isaias. As this storm draws near, please stay tuned to your local forecast and any updates from local emergency managers. We'll continue to update as needed from Raleigh.
— Governor Roy Cooper (@NC_Governor) July 31, 2020
Update 5:05 p.m. EDT July 31: The National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for parts of Florida’s east coast on Friday as Hurricane Isaias continued to spin over the Bahamas.
Hurricane warnings have been issued from Boca Raton to the Volusia/Brevard County line. Further south, officials issued a hurricane watch from from the Volusia/Brevard County Line to the Flagler/Volusia County Line and from south of Boca Raton to Hallendale Beach.
Forecasters said the storm, which has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, was about 195 miles south-southeast of Nassau in the Bahamas at 5 p.m. Friday.
Hurricane #Isaias Advisory 15: Hurricane Warning Issued For Portions of the Florida East Coast. Tropical Storm Conditions and Heavy Rains Continue to Spread Across the Central Bahamas. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 2 p.m. EDT July 31: Hurricane Isaias is becoming more organized as it continues to pour heavy rains on the Bahamas, hurricane hunters said in the latest update.
Hurricane #Isaias Advisory 14A: Hurricane Hunters Find Isaias Getting Better Organized. Tropical Storm Conditions and Heavy Rains Spreading Into The Central Bahamas. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
There were no warning or watch changes as the storm has maintained maximum 75 mph sustained winds and is moving northwest at 16 mph.
Update 11 a.m. EDT July 31: A hurricane watch has been issued for portions of Florida’s east coast as Hurricane Isaias continues churning over the Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest update.
Hurricane #Isaias Advisory 14: Hurricane Watch Issued For Portions of the Florida East Coast. Squally Weather Over the Southeastern Bahamas and the Turks And Caicos Islands Spreading Into the Central Bahamas. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
The hurricane watch was issued for north of Deerfield Beach north to the Volusia/Brevard county line. A tropical storm warning was issued for other parts of the state including for Lake Okeechobee and from Ocean Reef to Sebastian Inlet.
The storm has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and is moving northwest at abour 16 mph. It is expected to continue to strengthen Friday and will remain a hurricane for a few days.
Update 8 a.m. EDT July 31: Hurricane Isaias has brought strong winds to the Turks and Caicos islands and the southeastern Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center said Friday morning.
In its 8 a.m. EDT advisory, the agency said the Category 1 storm, which had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, was about 30 miles northwest of Great Inagua and 340 miles southeast of Nassau. It was moving northwest at 17 mph.
Hurricane warnings remained in effect for the northwestern, southeastern and central Bahamas. Meanwhile, the southern and northern coastlines of the Dominican Republic and Turks and Caicos were under a tropical storm warning.
Hurricane #Isaias Advisory 13A: Strong Winds and Heavy Squalls Lashing the Southeastern Bahamas And the Turks and Caicos Islands. Hurricane Conditions Expected Today Over Portions of The Bahamas. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 5:09 a.m. EDT July 31: Isaias is expected to bring hurricane conditions over parts of the Bahamas today, the National Hurricane Center said early Friday.
Here are the Key Messages for July 31 at 5 am EDT for #Hurricane #Isaias. The full advisory is at https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB pic.twitter.com/363SReR3tw
In its 5 a.m. EDT advisory, the agency said the Category 1 storm, which had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, was about 15 miles south-southwest of Great Inagua and 385 miles southeast of Nassau. It was moving northwest at 17 mph.
Hurricane warnings remained in effect for the northwestern, southeastern and central Bahamas. Meanwhile, the southern and northern coastlines of the Dominican Republic, portions of Haiti’s coast, and Turks and Caicos were under a tropical storm warning.
Hurricane #Isaias Advisory 13: Hurricane Conditions Expected Today Over Portions of the Bahamas. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 2:01 a.m. EDT July 31: Hurricane Isaias continued to move toward Great Inagua, the National Hurricane Center said early Friday.
In its 2 a.m. EDT advisory, the agency said the Category 1 storm, which had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, was about 45 miles southeast of Great Inagua. It was moving northwest at 18 mph.
Hurricane #Isaias Advisory 12A: Isaias Moving Closer to Great Inagua Island. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 11:58 p.m. EDT July 30: Isaias has strengthened into a hurricane as it closes in on the southern Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center said.
#Isaias is now a hurricane based on data from the Air Force Hurricane Hunters. The intensity forecast shows a stronger storm than before, but the track forecast is unchanged. Go to https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB for details. pic.twitter.com/tXraiehHMX
Just before midnight, the National Hurricane Center said the storm now packed maximum sustained winds of 80 mph as it swirled nearer to the southern Bahamas. The 2020 Atlantic season’s second-named hurricane was moving northwest at 18 mph. The eye of the storm was located about 80 miles southeast of Great Inagua Island in the Bahamas.
A tropical storm watch remained in effect on Florida’s east coast from Ocean Reef to Sebastian Inlet, but also was extended westward to Lake Okeechobee, according to the National Hurricane Center. Additional watches or warnings may be issued for other parts of the Florida peninsula later Friday, the hurricane center said.
An intermediate advisory will be issued at 2 a.m. EDT.
Hurricane #Isaias Advisory 12: Hurricane Warning Issued For the Central and Southeastern Bahamas. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 11:09 p.m EDT July 30: Tropical Storm Isaias moved closer to the southeastern Bahamas late Thursday, and hurricane warnings were extended in the Bahamas. A tropical storm watch remained in effect on Florida’s east coast from Ocean Reef to Sebastian Inlet, but also was extended westward to Lake Okeechobee, according to the National Hurricane Center.
According to the hurricane center’s 11 p.m. EDT advisory, Isaiah continued to maintain maximum sustained winds of 60 mph at its center. The storm was located about 95 miles east-southeast of Great Inagua Island in the Bahamas and is moving northwest at 18 mph.
According to the National Hurricane Center, the center of Isaias is forecast to move near or over the southeastern Bahamas overnight and will be in the central Bahamas by Friday night. The storm is projected to be near South Florida on Saturday.
Officials at the hurricane center said Isaias is forecast to become the 2020 Atlantic season’s second hurricane by Friday night.
The National Hurricane Center will issue an intermediate advisory at 2 a.m. EDT Friday.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 11: Isaias Nearing the Southeastern Bahamas. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Tropical Storm #Isaias nearing the southeastern Bahamas. Here are the 11 pm EDT Key Messages. For more information, visit https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB pic.twitter.com/sMWltZD4ZN
Update 7:52 p.m. EDT July 30: Tropical Storm Isaias was moving through the Dominican Republic as interests in Florida and the Bahamas kept an eye on the Atlantic basin’s ninth-named storm of 2020.
At 8 p.m. EDT, the National Hurricane Center said the center of Isaias was located about 70 miles west-northwest of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, and about 155 miles east-southeast of Great Inagua Island in the southern Bahamas. The storm maintained its strength of 60 mph and was moving northwest at 20 mph.
The government of the Bahamas issued a hurricane warning for the northwest Bahamas.
A tropical storm watch remains in effect on Florida’s east coast from Ocean Reef to Sebastian Inlet.
The hurricane center that the storm’s forecasted track will put it near the southeastern Bahamas by late Thursday, and near or over the northwestern Bahamas by Saturday. Isaias could be near South Florida on Saturday, the hurricane center said.
The National Hurricane Center said Isaias could become the Atlantic season’s second hurricane by Friday or Friday night.
The hurricane center will issue a complete advisory at 11 p.m. EDT.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 10A: Isaias Near the North Coast of the Dominican Republic. Hurricane Warnings Issued For the Northwestern Bahamas. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 5:10 p.m. EDT July 30: Tropical Storm Isaias continued to bring heavy rains to the Dominican Republic, and a tropical storm watch has been issued for the east coast of Florida.
In its 5 p.m. EDT advisory, the National Hurricane Center said the Atlantic season’s ninth-named storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and was moving northwest at 20 mph. A tropical storm watch was issued on Florida’s east coast from Ocean Reef to Sebastian Inlet.
At 5 p.m. the storm was located about 155 miles west-northwest of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and 250 miles southeast of the southeastern Bahamas.
The government of the Bahamas issued a tropical storm warning for the northwest Bahamas, and that could be upgraded to a hurricane warning later Thursday.
The hurricane center will issue an intermediate advisory at 8 p.m. EDT.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 10: Isaias Continues to Bring Heavy Rainfall and Tropical-Storm-Force Winds to Portions of the Dominican Republic. Forecast to Become a Hurricane Friday Or Friday Night. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 2:10 p.m. EDT July 30: Forecasters with the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center canceled tropical storm warnings for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on Thursday afternoon as Tropical Storm Isaias continued to spin in the Caribbean Sea.
Isaias was moving northwest at 20 mph on Thursday afternoon, according to forecasters. The storm is expected to move over Hispaniola on Thursday evening.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 9A: Isaias Bringing Heavy Rainfall and Tropical-Storm-Force Winds To Portions of the Dominican Republic. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 11:35 a.m. EDT July 30: Tropical Storm Isaias is continuing to produce “life-threatening flash flooding and gusty winds over Puerto Rico” on Thursday morning, forecasters with the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center said in an 11 a.m. advisory.
Maximum sustained winds for the storm were measured at 60 mph as Isaias spun about 50 miles southwest of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, forecasters said.
A tropical storm warning issued by the government of Antigua for the British Virgin Islands has been canceled, officials said.
Tropical Storm #Isaias continues to produce life-threatening flash flooding and gusty winds across Puerto Rico. Heavy rains and gusty winds are spreading across the Dominican Republic. Here are the 11 AM 7/30 Key Messages. More info: https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/sSXaNcttfP
Update 7:59 a.m. EDT July 30: Tropical Storm Isaias has caused “life-threatening flash flooding and high winds over Puerto Rico,” the National Hurricane Center said Thursday morning.
In its 8 a.m. EDT advisory, the agency said the storm, which had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, was about 125 miles west of Ponce, Puerto Rico, and 105 miles east-southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It was moving northwest at 20 mph.
Tropical storm warnings remained in effect for Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra; the U.S. Virgin Islands; the British Virgin Islands; the southern and northern coastlines of the Dominican Republic, portions of Haiti’s northern coast; Turks and Caicos; and the southeast and central Bahamas.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 8A: Isaias Causing Life-Threatening Flash Flooding and High Winds Over Puerto Rico. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Update 4:49 a.m. EDT July 30: Tropical Storm Isaias has brought heavy rain and high winds to Puerto Rico, the National Hurricane Center said early Thursday.
In its 5 a.m. EDT advisory, the agency said the storm, which had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, was about 100 miles west-southwest of Ponce, Puerto Rico, and 160 miles southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It was moving northwest at 21 mph.
Tropical storm warnings are in effect for Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra; the U.S. Virgin Islands; the British Virgin Islands; the southern and northern coastlines of the Dominican Republic, portions of Haiti’s northern coast; Turks and Caicos; and the southeast and central Bahamas.
Tropical Storm #Isaias producing strong winds and heavy rains in Puerto Rico. Here are the 5 AM AST Key Messages. Go to https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB for details. pic.twitter.com/EXekwBP9OC
Update 1:41 a.m. EDT July 30: Strong rain bands from Tropical Storm Isaias are approaching Puerto Rico, the National Hurricane Center said early Thursday.
In its 2 a.m. EDT advisory, the agency said the storm, which had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, was about 100 miles south-southwest of Ponce, Puerto Rico, and 215 miles southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It was moving northwest at 18 mph.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 7A: Strong Rain Bands From Isaias Approaching Puerto Rico. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
Original report: The National Hurricane Center officially named Isaias as a tropical storm in its 11 p.m.. EDT advisory.
Isaias – pronounced “ees-ah-EE-ahs” – is the ninth storm to form in the Atlantic basin this year. It becomes the earliest storm to begin with an “I” since tropical systems took on names in 1953, CNN reported. The previous record was Aug. 7, 2005, when Irene formed in the Atlantic Ocean. There were 27 named storms in the Atlantic basin in 2005, with 15 growing into hurricanes.
Residents in Florida and Cuba are advised to monitor the progress of the storm, which could impact both areas by the weekend, according to the National Hurricna Center.
Tropical Storm #Isaias Advisory 7: Disturbance Becomes Tropical Storm Isaias (Pronounced Ees-Ah-Ee-Ahs). https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
At 11 p.m., the center of the storm was located about 155 miles south of Ponce, Puerto Rico and 265 miles southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Maximum sustained winds were recorded at 50 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, St. Martin and St. Barthelemy, Saba and St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, the entire northern and southern coastlines of the Dominican Republic, the northern coast of Haiti from Le Mole St. Nicholas eastward to the northern border with the Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas.
The National Hurricane Center will issue an intermediate advisory at 2 a.m. EDT, with a full advisory at 5 a.m.
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Massachusetts Mom Who Withheld Cancer Drugs From Son Convicted of Attempted Murder
April 12: Kristen LaBrie looks at family and friends after she was found guilty on all four counts, including attempted murder, in the death of her son, at Lawrence Superior Court in Lawrence, Massachusetts. (AP)
LAWRENCE, Mass. -- A Massachusetts woman who withheld at-home chemotherapy medications from her autistic, cancer-stricken son was convicted of attempted murder Tuesday by jurors who dismissed her claim that she thought the side effects of the treatment could kill him.
Kristen LaBrie also was found guilty of child endangerment and assault and battery for failing to give her son, Jeremy Fraser, at least five months of cancer medications after the boy was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2006. He died in 2009 at age 9.
LaBrie, 38, told the jury she stopped giving him the medications because she couldn't bear to see how sick the side effects made him.
Prosecutors portrayed her as a single mother seething with resentment because she had to care for Jeremy alone.
LaBrie, who appeared teary-eyed but resigned as the verdict was read, consoled her sobbing sister in the front row.
"Tell everybody I'm OK. It's going to be OK. I love you, too," LaBrie said.
As she was led away in handcuffs, she mouthed "I love you" to her family.
Jeremy's oncologist, Dr. Alison Friedmann of Massachusetts General Hospital, had testified that she told LaBrie her son's cancer had a cure rate of 85 percent to 90 percent under a two-year, five-phase treatment plan that included some hospital stays, regular visits to the hospital clinic to receive chemotherapy treatments and at-home administration of several cancer medications.
Friedmann said the boy's cancer went into remission after months of treatment. But in early 2008, Friedmann said she discovered that the cancer had returned in the form of leukemia and that LaBrie had not filled at least five months of prescriptions she was supposed to give him.
LaBrie, testifying in her own defense, told the jury that she followed the instructions from her son's doctors for the first four phases of treatment but stopped giving her son the medications during the final phase because she "didn't want to make him any sicker."
LaBrie said she told her son's doctor two or three times that she was afraid that "he just had had it."
"He was just not capable of getting through any more chemotherapy," LaBrie said. "I really felt that it could out-villainize the disease -- the medicine could -- because he was very, very fragile."
LaBrie's lawyer, Kevin James, told the jury LaBrie was depressed and overwhelmed by caring for her son, who was severely autistic, nonverbal and developmentally delayed. James said she made a "tragic mistake" in stopping her son's at-home medication, but said her actions were not criminal.
LaBrie and the boy's father, Eric Fraser, had a contentious relationship. LaBrie said she received very little help from him, even after their son was diagnosed with cancer.
After doctors discovered LaBrie had withheld the medications, Jeremy went to live with his father for the last year of his life. Eric Fraser was killed in a motorcycle accident seven months after his son died.
Fraser's family members wept in the back row of the courtroom as the verdict was read, and left the court without commenting.
LaBrie will be sentenced Friday morning. She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years on the attempted murder charge, 10 years on a charge of assault and battery on a disabled person, five years on assault and battery on a child causing substantial injury and 2 1/2 years on reckless endangerment of a child.
Her attorney, Kevin James, asked to delay sentencing until next week so he could write a sentencing memo and gather letters on LaBrie's behalf from her friends and family. Judge Richard Welch said he would review the letters and sentencing memo, but would not agree to schedule the hearing next week.
"Those are very serious crimes," Welch said.
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Interactive games on a television via internet protocol
Particular embodiments of the disclosed subject matter provide methods and systems to support interactive games on a television via internet protocol. An example embodiment includes receiving a game selection from a remote user through a set-top box via a network, activating the selected game on a games server, and communicating game rendering information to the set-top box via the network thereby enabling remotely playing the selected game via a television monitor and a remote control device.
Haeuser, Tony (Aurora, IL, US)
Mccarthy, Mary (San Antonio, TX, US)
Pettit, Scott (San Antonio, TX, US)
Lee, Chris Alan (Denver, CO, US)
Noll, Roland (San Antonio, TX, US)
SBC Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
348/E7.071
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20090069096 PROGRAM, INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM, GAME SYSTEM, AND INPUT INSTRUCTION DEVICE March, 2009 Nishimoto
20090227313 Determining Relative Skills of Players September, 2009 Minka et al.
20070167231 Method and system for renewing screen using mechanics information July, 2007 Kim
20070142114 Fantasy Celebrity Game June, 2007 Blaszczak et al.
20090253494 EXCHANGING ASSETS BETWEEN ON-LINE VIRTUAL WORLDS October, 2009 Fitch et al.
LANEAU, RONALD
AT&T Legal Department - G&G (Bedminster, NJ, US)
1. An apparatus comprising: a games server connectable with a set-top box via a network, the games server to receive a game selection from a remote user via the set-top box, to activate the selected game on the games server, and to communicate game rendering information to the set-top box thereby enabling remotely playing the selected game via a television monitor and a remote control device.
2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the games server being further operable to open a session with a game application corresponding to the selected game.
3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the games server being connectable with the set top box via a secure data link.
4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the selected game is spooled via the games server through an interactive channel on a television monitor.
5. A system comprising: a video on demand (VoD) server connectable with a network to convert at least a portion of a game to a VoD format; and a games server connectable with a set-top box and the video on demand (VoD) server via the network, the games server to receive a game selection from a remote user via the set-top box, to activate the selected game on the games server, to request the video on demand (VoD) server to convert at least a portion of a game to a VoD format, and to communicate game information to the set-top box thereby enabling remotely playing the selected game via a television monitor and a remote control device.
6. The system as claimed in claim 5 wherein at least a portion of the selected game is converted to an MP3 format
7. The system as claimed in claim 5 wherein network communication is on a unicast data stream.
8. An apparatus comprising: a games server connectable with a set-top box via a network, the games server to receive a game selection from a remote user via the set-top box, and to download the selected game to the set-top box via the network.
9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein at least a portion of the selected game is stored in a memory of the set top box.
10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein network communication is on a unicast data stream.
11. An apparatus comprising: a games server connectable with a set-top box via a network, the games server to receive a game selection and a level selection from a remote user via the set-top box, and to download the selected level of the selected game to the set-top box via the network.
12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein at least a portion of the selected game is partitioned into a plurality of separately downloadable levels.
13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the selected game can be downloaded one level at a time and stored in a memory of the set-top box.
14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein network communication is on a unicast data stream.
15. A system comprising: a platform device connectable with a network; and a games server connectable with a set-top box via the network and connectable with the platform device via the network, the games server to receive a game selection from a first remote user via the set-top box, to receive a game selection from a second remote user via the platform device, to activate the selected game on the games server, and to communicate game rendering information to the set-top box and the platform device thereby enabling multi-player remote playing of the selected game.
16. The system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the platform device is a wireless device.
17. The system as claimed in claim 15 being further operable to maintain a buddy list of multiple players.
18. The system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the first remote user and the second remote user each play in the same game environment.
19. An apparatus comprising: a games server connectable with a set-top box via a network, the games server to receive a game selection from a remote user via the set-top box, to activate the selected game on the games server, and to communicate game rendering information to the set-top box thereby enabling remotely playing the selected game via a television monitor and a remote control device, the games server further including a consumer billing infrastructure for billing a user for playing a selected game.
20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein the consumer billing infrastructure being further operable to bill the user on a subscription basis or a usage basis.
21. An apparatus comprising: a set-top box connectable with a games server via a network, the set-top box to receive a game selection provided by a remote user of the set-top box, to communicate the game selection to the games server, and to receive game rendering information from the games server thereby enabling remotely playing the selected game via a television monitor and a remote control device.
22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 21 wherein the games server being connectable with the set top box via a secure data link.
23. An apparatus comprising: a set-top box connectable with a games server via a network, the set-top box to receive a game selection and a level selection provided by a remote user of the set-top box, to communicate the game selection and the level selection to the games server, and to receive a download of the selected level of the selected game from the games server thereby enabling remotely playing the selected level of the selected game via a television monitor and a remote control device.
25. A method comprising: receiving a game selection from a remote user through a set-top box via a network; activating the selected game on a games server; and communicating game rendering information to the set-top box via the network thereby enabling remotely playing the selected game via a television monitor and a remote control device.
26. The method as claimed in claim 25 wherein the games server opens a session with a game application corresponding to the selected game.
27. The method as claimed in claim 25 wherein the games server being connectable with the set top box via a secure data link.
28. A method comprising: receiving a game selection from a remote user through a set-top box via a network; activating the selected game on a games server; requesting a video on demand (VoD) server to convert at least a portion of a game to a VoD format; and communicating game rendering information to the set-top box via the network thereby enabling remotely playing the selected game via a television monitor and a remote control device.
29. The method as claimed in claim 28 wherein at least a portion of the selected game is converted to an MP3 format
30. A method comprising: receiving a game selection from a remote user through a set-top box via a network; downloading the selected game to the set-top box via the network; and activating the selected game on the set-top box.
31. The method as claimed in claim 30 wherein at least a portion of the selected game is stored in a memory of the set top box.
32. A method comprising: receiving a game selection and a level selection from a remote user through a set-top box via a network; and downloading the selected level of the selected game to the set-top box via the network.
33. The method as claimed in claim 32 wherein at least a portion of the selected game is partitioned into a plurality of separately downloadable levels.
34. A method comprising: receiving a game selection from a first remote user via a first platform device via a network; receiving the game selection from a second remote user via a second platform device via the network; activating the selected game on a games server; and communicating game rendering information to the first platform device and the second platform device via the network thereby enabling multi-player remote playing of the selected game.
35. The method as claimed in claim 34 wherein the second platform device is a wireless device.
36. An article of manufacture comprising at least one machine readable storage medium having one or more computer programs stored thereon and operable on one or more computing systems to: receive a game selection from a remote user through a set-top box via a network, to activate the selected game on a games server, and to communicate game rendering information to the set-top box via the network thereby enabling remotely playing the selected game via a television monitor and a remote control device.
37. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 36 wherein the games server being connectable with the set top box via a secure data link.
38. An article of manufacture comprising at least one machine readable storage medium having one or more computer programs stored thereon and operable on one or more computing systems to: receive a game selection and a level selection from a remote user through a set-top box via a network, and to download the selected level of the selected game to the set-top box via the network.
The disclosed subject matter relates to the field of online games and television, and more particularly to systems and methods supporting interactive games on a television via internet protocol.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. The following notice applies to the software and data as described below and in the drawings that form a part of this document: Copyright 2006, SBC Knowledge Ventures L.P. All Rights Reserved.
Conventional systems provide the capability for online game players to play interactive games between networked computer users. Conventional game consoles provide the capability to play video games on a standard television set. However, conventional systems do not fully support interactive games played on a television via internet protocol. One problem with conventional systems has been that games with animation-intensive scenes or fast-twitch user interaction could not be implemented across a network without unsatisfactory delays in game action. In other conventional television (TV) game implementations, TV games can be initially downloaded to a set-top box and subsequently played using a processor in the set-top box. However, these implementations require a set-top box with special components that support gaming. Additionally, conventional systems do not satisfactorily support multi-platform and multi-player interactive games played on a television via internet protocol.
Thus, a system and method supporting interactive games on a television via internet protocol are needed.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system;
FIGS. 2-6 illustrate various example embodiments of an interactive game system in accordance with the disclosed subject matter.
FIG. 7 illustrates an example embodiment of a computing system in accordance with the disclosed subject matter.
FIGS. 8-12 are processing flow diagrams illustrating various methods related to example embodiments of an interactive game system in accordance with the disclosed subject matter.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the disclosed subject matter can be practiced. It is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosed subject matter.
As described further below, according to various example embodiments of the disclosed subject matter described herein, there is provided a system and method supporting interactive games on a television via internet protocol. The system can include a set-top box device comprising a processor and a memory accessible to the processor. The system can also include a computer program embedded within the memory and executable by the processor, the computer program comprising instructions to receive a user interface at the set-top box device via a private network within an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system, where the user interface includes at least one type of game playable via a public network. The set-top box device can be associated with a public network user account at a server within the IPTV system, and the at least one type of game can be associated with a user preference received at the public network user account.
Referring to FIG. 1, an example embodiment of an IPTV system is shown and is generally designated 100. As shown, the system 100 can include a client facing tier 102, an application tier 104, an acquisition tier 106, and an operations and management tier 108. Each tier 102, 104, 106, 108 is coupled to a private network 110, a public network 112, or both the private network 110 and the public network 112. For example, the client-facing tier 102 can be coupled to the private network 110. Further, the application tier 104 can be coupled to the private network 110 and to the public network 112, such as the Internet. The acquisition tier 106 can also be coupled to the private network 110 and to the public network 112. Moreover, the operations and management tier 108 can be coupled to the public network 112.
As shown in FIG. 1, the various tiers 102, 104, 106, 108 communicate with each other via the private network 110 and the public network 112. For instance, the client-facing tier 102 can communicate with the application tier 104 and the acquisition tier 106 via the private network 110. The application tier 104 can also communicate with the acquisition tier 106 via the private network 110. Further, the application tier 104 can communicate with the acquisition tier 106 and the operations and management tier 108 via the public network 112. Moreover, the acquisition tier 106 can communicate with the operations and management tier 108 via the public network 112. In a particular embodiment, elements of the application tier 104 can communicate directly with the client-facing tier 102.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the client-facing tier 102 can communicate with user equipment via a private access network 109, such as an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network. In an illustrative embodiment, conventional network interface devices including modems, home networking routers, and network interface hardware can be used to connect a user to the private access network 109. As shown in FIG. 1, modem/home networking router/network interface devices (denoted herein as network interfaces) 114 and 122 can be coupled to the private access network 109. The client-facing tier 102 can communicate with a first representative set-top box device 116 via the first network interface 114 and with a second representative set-top box device 124 via the second network interface 122. The client-facing tier 102 can similarly communicate with a large number of set-top boxes, such as the representative set-top boxes 116, 124, over a wide geographic area, such as a regional area, a metropolitan area, a viewing area, or any other suitable geographic area that can be supported by networking the client-facing tier 102 to numerous set-top box devices.
In one embodiment, the client-facing tier 102 can be coupled to the network interfaces 114, 122 via fiber optic cables. Alternatively, the network interfaces 114 and 122 can include digital subscriber line (DSL) modems that are coupled to one or more network nodes via twisted pairs, and the client-facing tier 102 can be coupled to the network nodes via fiber-optic cables. Each set-top box device 116, 124 can process data received via the private access network 109, via an IPTV software platform, such as Microsoft® TV IPTV Edition.
Additionally, the first set-top box device 116 can be coupled to a first display device 118, such as a first television monitor, and the second set-top box device 124 can be coupled to a second display device 126, such as a second television monitor. Moreover, the first set-top box device 116 can communicate with a first remote control 120, and the second set-top box device 124 can communicate with a second remote control 128.
In an exemplary, non-limiting embodiment, each set-top box device 116, 124 can receive data or video from the client-facing tier 102 via the private access network 109 and render or display the data or video at the display device 118, 126 to which it is coupled. In an illustrative embodiment, the set-top box devices 116, 124 can include tuners, such as the tuner 184 shown in FIG. 1, that receive and decode television programming information for transmission to the display devices 118, 126. Further, the set-top box devices 116, 124 can include a STB processor 170 and a STB memory device 172 that is accessible to the STB processor 170. In a particular embodiment, the set-top box devices 116, 124 can also communicate commands received from the remote control devices 120, 128 back to the client-facing tier 102 via the private access network 109.
In an illustrative embodiment, the client-facing tier 102 can include a client-facing tier (CFT) switch 130 that manages communication between the client-facing tier 102 and the private access network 109 and between the client-facing tier 102 and the private network 110. As shown, the CFT switch 130 is coupled to one or more data servers 132 that store data transmitted in response to user requests, such as video-on-demand content. The CFT switch 130 can also be coupled to a server 134 that provides support for terminal devices, such as a game application server 168 and other devices with a common connection point to the private network 110. In a particular embodiment, the CFT switch 130 can also be coupled to a video-on-demand (VOD) server 136.
As shown in FIG. 1, the application tier 104 can communicate with both the private network 110 and the public network 112. In this embodiment, the application tier 104 can include a first application tier (APP) switch 138 and a second APP switch 140. In a particular embodiment, the first APP switch 138 can be coupled to the second APP switch 140. The first APP switch 138 can be coupled to an application server 142 and to an OSS/BSS gateway 144. The application server 142 provides applications to the set-top box devices 116, 124 via the private access network 109, so the set-top box devices 116, 124 can provide functions, such as display, messaging, processing of IPTV data and VOD material, etc. In a particular embodiment, the OSS/BSS gateway 144 includes operation systems and support (OSS) data, as well as billing systems and support (BSS) data.
Further, the second APP switch 140 can be coupled to a domain controller 146 that provides web access, for example, to users via the public network 112. The second APP switch 140 can be coupled to a subscriber and system store 148 that includes account information, such as account information that is associated with users who access the system 100 via the private network 110 or the public network 112. In a particular embodiment, the application tier 104 can also include a client gateway 150 that communicates data directly to the client-facing tier 102. In this embodiment, the client gateway 150 can be coupled directly to the CFT switch 130. The client gateway 150 can provide user access to the private network 110 and the tiers coupled thereto.
In a particular embodiment, the set-top box devices 116, 124 can access the system 100 via the private access network 109, using information received from the client gateway 150. The private access network 109 provides security for the private network 110. User devices can access the client gateway 150 via the private access network 109, and the client gateway 150 can allow such devices to access the private network 110 once the devices are authenticated or verified. Similarly, the client gateway 150 can prevent unauthorized devices, such as hacker computers or stolen set-top box devices from accessing the private network 110, by denying access to these devices beyond the private access network 109.
For example, when a set-top box device 116 accesses the system 100 via the private access network 109, the client gateway 150 can verify subscriber information by communicating with the subscriber and system store 148 via the private network 110, the first APP switch 138 and the second APP switch 140. Further, the client gateway 150 can verify billing information and status by communicating with the OSS/BSS gateway 144 via the private network 110 and the first APP switch 138. The OSS/BSS gateway 144 can transmit a query across the first APP switch 138, to the second APP switch 140, and the second APP switch 140 can communicate the query across the public network 112 to the OSS/BSS server 164. After the client gateway 150 confirms subscriber and/or billing information, the client gateway 150 can allow the set-top box device 116 access to IPTV content delivered by a game application server 168 via server 134 and/or VOD content delivered via VOD server 136. If the client gateway 150 cannot verify subscriber information for the set-top box device 116, e.g., because it is connected to a different twisted pair, the client gateway 150 can deny transmissions to and from the set-top box device 116 beyond the private access network 109.
As indicated in FIG. 1, the acquisition tier 106 includes an acquisition tier (AQT) switch 152 that communicates with the private network 110. The AQT switch 152 can also communicate with the operations and management tier 108 via the public network 112. In a particular embodiment, the AQT switch 152 can be coupled to a live acquisition server 154 that receives television content, for example, from a broadcast service 156. Further, the AQT switch 152 can be coupled to a video-on-demand importer server 158 that stores television content received at the acquisition tier 106 and communicates the stored content to the client-facing tier 102 via the private network 110.
FIG. 1 further illustrates that the operations and management tier 108 can include an operations and management tier (OMT) switch 160 that manages communication between the operations and management tier 108 and the public network 112. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the OMT switch 160 is coupled to a TV2 server 162. Additionally, the OMT switch 160 can be coupled to an OSS/BSS server 164 and to a simple network management protocol (SNMP) monitor 166 that monitors network devices. In a particular embodiment, the OMT switch 160 can communicate with the AQT switch 152 via the public network 112.
In a particular embodiment during operation of the IPTV system, the live acquisition server 154 can acquire television content from the broadcast service 156. The live acquisition server 154 can transmit the television content to the AQT switch 152, in turn, and the AQT switch 152 can transmit the television content to the CFT switch 130 via the private network 110. Further, the CFT switch 130 can communicate the television content to the network interfaces 114, 122 via the private access network 109. The set-top box devices 116, 124 can receive the television content from the network interfaces 114, 122, decode the television content, and transmit the content to the display devices 118, 126 according to commands from the remote control devices 120, 128.
Additionally, at the acquisition tier 106, the video-on-demand (VoD) importer server 158 can receive video-on-demand content from one or more VoD sources outside the IPTV system 100. The VoD importer server 158 can transmit the VoD content to the AQT switch 152, and the AQT switch 152, in turn, can communicate the content to the CFT switch 130 via the private network 110. The VoD content can be stored within the plurality of data servers 132.
When a user issues a request for VOD content to a set-top box device 116, 124, the request can be transmitted over the private access network 109 to the VOD server 136, via the CFT switch 130. Upon receiving such a request, the VOD server 136 can retrieve requested VOD content from the plurality of data servers 132 and transmit the content to the set-top box device 116,124 across the private access network 109, via the CFT switch 130.
In an illustrative embodiment, the live acquisition server 154 can transmit the television content to the AQT switch 152, and the AQT switch 152, in turn, can transmit the television content to the OMT switch 160 via the public network 112. In this embodiment, the OMT switch 160 can transmit the television content to the TV2 server 162 for display to users accessing the user interface at the TV2 server 162. For example, a user can access the TV2 server 162 using the computer 168 coupled to the public network 112.
As shown in FIG. 1, the domain controller 146 communicates with the public network 112 via the second APP switch 140. Additionally, the domain controller 146 can communicate via the public network 112 with one or more user computers 168 (e.g. a personal computer or PC). For example, the domain controller 146 can display a web portal via the public network 112 and allow users to access the web portal using a PC 168. In this manner, the user can use the PC 168 to access a web portal maintained by the domain controller 146, via the public network 112. The domain controller 146 can query the subscriber and system store 148 via the private network 110 for account information associated with the user. In a particular embodiment, the account information can associate the user's Internet account with the second set-top box device 124. For instance, in an illustrative embodiment, the account information can relate the user's account to the second set-top box device 124, by associating the user account with an IP address of the second set-top box device 124, with data relating to one or more twisted pairs connected with the second set-top box device 124, with data relating to one or more fiber optic cables connected with the second set-top box device 124, with an alphanumeric identifier of the second set-top box device 124, with any other data that is suitable for associating second set-top box device 124 with a user account, or with any combination of these.
In a particular embodiment, after the domain controller 146 has authenticated and verified the user, the domain controller 146 can allow the user to access his or her public data network user account, such as an Internet account, via the PC 168. The user can enter preferences to the user account via the PC 168. Each preference can indicate a type of content or game that the user prefers to play in conjunction with a web browser at the PC 168 and/or with a television display transmitted to a display device 118, 126 by a set-top box device 116, 124. Further, the user can enter game preferences to the user account via the PC 168.
Upon receiving one or more user preferences from the user via the PC 168, the domain controller 146 can generate a user interface, or data associated with rendering a user interface, that incorporates the preferences received from the user. The user interface or related data can be associated with the user's set-top box device 116, 124 and stored in conjunction with the user's Internet account. This information may be stored at the domain controller 146, at the subscriber and system store 148, or at any one or more components of the IPTV system 100 that are suitable for storing a user interface in conjunction with a set-top box identification and for communicating the user interface or related data to a web browser via the PC 168 and to a set-top box 116, 124 via the private access network 109.
In an exemplary, non-limiting embodiment, a user can request that the user interface associated with the user's set-top box device be displayed in conjunction with a web browser at the PC 168. The user interface, or data associated with the user interface, can be transmitted by the domain server 146 to the PC 168 via the public network 112. The PC 168 can display the user interface via its screen or monitor, or the PC 168 can generate and render the user interface from related data that it has received via its display. The user interface can overlay a portion of the web browser, or at least partially frame the web browser.
In another example embodiment, the user can request that the user interface be displayed in conjunction with television content at a display device 118, 126. The request can be received from the user's set-top box 116, 124 at the CFT switch 130 via the private access network 109. The request can be transmitted by the CFT switch 130 via the private network 112 to the device that stores the user interface, or data associated with the user interface, in conjunction with the user's account, such as the domain controller 146 or the subscriber and system store 148. The user interface or related data can be received at the CFT switch 130 and transmitted to the requesting set-top box device 116, 124 via the private access network 109. In a particular embodiment, the CFT switch 130 can also transmit television programming that it receives from the acquisition tier 106 along with the user interface.
As shown in FIG. 1, a set-top box device, such as the second set-top box device 124, can include a processor 170 and a memory device 172 that is accessible to the processor 170. The set-top box device 124 can also include a computer program 174 that is embedded within the memory device 172. In a particular embodiment, the computer program 174 can include instructions to receive a user interface and/or game that incorporate at least one content/game preference that a user has entered at a user account on a public network via the domain controller 146. In another embodiment, the computer program 174 can include instructions to receive data associated with the user interface and/or game and instructions to generate and render the user interface and/or game at the display device 118, 126. The user interface and/or game can overlay a portion of the television programming, or at least partially frame the television programming, when the user interface and/or game is displayed at the display device 118, 126.
In an illustrative embodiment, the computer program 174 can include instructions to receive selections of web content at the set-top box device 124 via the user interface and to transmit web content to the display device 126. For instance, a user can make selections on the user interface or control movements in an interactive game by using a remote control 128 to communicate with the set-top box device 124. After the set-top box device 124 receives the user's selection/control movement data, the set-top box device 124 can transmit the selection/control movement data to the CFT switch 130 via the private access network 109. The CFT switch 130 can transmit the selection/control movement data to the domain controller 146 via the private network 110, for example, and the domain controller 146 can retrieve the requested web content from the public network 112. The selected web content can be communicated back to the CFT switch 130 and to the set-top box device 124 via the private access network 109. The set-top box device 124 can receive the selected content and transmit it to the display device 126 for display to the user. Additionally, selection/control movement data can be transmitted from the CFT switch 130 to server 134 and forwarded to a game server 168. The game server 168 can process the selection/control movement data and communicate responsive data back to server 134. Server 134 then forwards the responsive data to CFT switch 130, which forwards the responsive data to the associated set-top box device 124 via the private access network 109. The set-top box device 124 can receive and process the responsive data and generate updated images for display to the user on the display device 126.
Referring to FIG. 2, an example embodiment of an interactive game system is shown and is generally designated as system 200. In system 200, a games server 210 is shown coupled to server 134. In this configuration, games can be remotely processed and set-top box 224 can include a game rendering engine 212 that draws game imagery on TV monitor 126. The games server 210 can communicate with set-top box 224 via Internet Protocol. The games provided to the end user at TV monitor 126 can be accessed via several entry points on the television monitor 126 and controlled via remote control device 128. Each entry point can enable the user to switch from a live video stream on an acquisition server 154 in the network to a separate games server 210, which opens a session with a game application. The games may be hosted by the games server 210 or at another source with a secure data link.
As shown in FIG. 2, games may be spooled via games server 210 (e.g. an RDP (remote desktop protocol) server) through an Interactive channel on the TV monitor 126 and controlled via remote control device 128 and set-top box 224. The example embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is not an optimal system for high-action games (i.e. games requiring fast-twitch input); but the example embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is ideal for “parlour” games where a “quick trigger” isn't the game-winning factor. In a typical embodiment, the network communication will be on a unicast data stream.
In general, the system of an example embodiment comprises a television monitor including a remote control device, a set-top box connectable with the television monitor and with a network, and a games server connectable with the set-top box via the network, the games server to receive a game selection from a remote user via the set-top box, to activate the selected game on the games server, and to communicate game rendering information to the set-top box thereby enabling remotely playing the selected game via the television monitor and the remote control device.
As shown in FIG. 3, another example embodiment of an interactive game system is shown and is generally designated as system 300. In system 300, a games server 310 is shown coupled to Video-on-demand (VOD) server 136. In this configuration, games may be converted to a VoD format (e.g. MP3) so that the animation intensive portions of the game can be re-encoded and further compressed. The responses to user inputs through remote control device 128 can be handled in smaller data packets, so that the network bandwidth is optimized for more action-oriented (e.g. user input intensive) games. In a typical embodiment, the network communication will be on a unicast data stream.
In general, the system of an example embodiment comprises a television monitor including a remote control device, a set-top box connectable with the television monitor and with a network, a video on demand (VoD) server connectable with the network to convert at least a portion of a game to a VoD format, and a games server connectable with the set-top box and the video on demand (VoD) server via the network, the games server to receive a game selection from a remote user via the set-top box, to activate the selected game on the games server, to request the video on demand (VoD) server to convert at least a portion of a game to a VoD format, and to communicate game information to the set-top box thereby enabling remotely playing the selected game via the television monitor and the remote control device.
Referring to FIG. 4, another example embodiment of an interactive game system is shown and is generally designated as system 400. In system 400, a games server 410 is shown coupled to server 134. A games database 411 is shown coupled to games server 410. In this configuration, games can be remotely selected, accessed, and downloaded by a user from games database 411 to the memory 172 of set-top box 224 via games server 410. As a result, a downloaded game 412 can be made resident in set-top box 224 memory and executed locally by set-top box 224 processor 170. Downloading the games directly to the set-top box 224 can be done via a unicast data stream as shown in FIG. 4. This embodiment will take all network traffic off of the network (after the initial download), but will require more decoding and processing abilities in the set-top box 224. Using video decoding for the game action sequences and optimizing the rest of the game processing on the set-top box 224 will enable the use of “trigger-friendly” (e.g. user input intensive) games. The example embodiment shown in FIG. 4 may also be used to distribute and/or sell downloaded games directly to the user, when games can be downloaded through the network to a console device (in addition to a set-top box).
In general, the system of an example embodiment comprises a television monitor including a remote control device, a set-top box connectable with the television monitor and with a network to execute a game downloaded via the network, and a games server connectable with the set-top box via the network, the games server to receive a game selection from a remote user via the set-top box, and to download the selected game to the set-top box via the network.
Referring to FIG. 5, another example embodiment of an interactive game system is shown and is generally designated as system 500. In system 500, a games server 510 is shown coupled to server 134. A games database 511 is shown coupled to games server 510. In this configuration and in a manner similar to system 400, games can be remotely selected, accessed, and downloaded by a user from games database 511 to the memory 172 of set-top box 224 via games server 510. However, in system 500, a particular game in game database 511 can be partitioned into a plurality of separately downloadable partitions (e.g. separately downloadable levels). For example, as is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, conventional games are typically offered in a plurality of levels. Game players can play at a first level until the level has been won/completed. Then, the game player can advance to a next level. In system 500, the game selected by the user can be downloaded one level at a time and stored in set-top box 224 memory 172 as downloaded game level 1 (512). The set-top box 224 can then execute the downloaded game level 1 (512) until the user wins or completes the level. At that point, the user can initiate the downloading of the next level of the game from games database 511. The next downloaded game level is stored in set-top box 224 memory 172 as downloaded game level n (514). The set-top box 224 can then execute the new downloaded game level n (514) until the user wins or completes that level. The process can be repeated for each available game level. As a result, a downloaded game can be made resident in set-top box 224 memory one level at a time and executed locally by set-top box 224 processor 170. System 500 enables one to optimize the space on a set-top box 224 and not use all of the memory 172 for a single game. In this manner, games may be downloaded to the set-top box 224 by “level”. As the user achieves game goals and earns the right to move on, the set-top box 224 will make another call to the games server 510 requesting a new downloaded stream of the next game level. The game performance at the previous level may be uploaded to the games server 510 to retain the user's progress through the game levels. Once the new game level is downloaded to the set-top box 224, actual game decoding will now be done at the new game level. Downloading the games level by level directly to the set-top box 224 can be done via a unicast data stream as shown in FIG. 5.
In general, the system of an example embodiment comprises a television monitor including a remote control device, a set-top box connectable with the television monitor and with a network to execute a game downloaded via the network, and a games server connectable with the set-top box via the network, the games server to receive a game selection and a level selection from a remote user via the set-top box, and to download the selected level of the selected game to the set-top box via the network.
Referring to FIG. 6, an example embodiment of a multi-platform multi-player interactive game system is shown and is generally designated as system 601. In system 601, a games server 611 is shown coupled to server 134. A first game user at TV monitor 126 can access and execute a selected game using any of the embodiments described above. Additionally, other users can access games server 611 via public network 112, Application switch 2 (140), private network 110, CFT switch 130, and server 134. For example, a personal computer user can use personal computer 621 to access games server 611. A wireless device user can use a wireless device (e.g. cellphone) 623 to access games server 611 via wireless system 625 and public network 112. The logical connection between the games server 611 and computer 621 and wireless device 623 is shown by the dashed lines between these components in FIG. 6. In this manner, a plurality of users on a plurality of different platforms (e.g. 621 and 623) can access games server 611. Given the access by multiple remote game players as described above, games server 611 can initiate a game with multiple players all playing in the same game environment or playing the same game. Due to the nature of Internet Protocol delivery and the system designs described above, users are able to get the same type of games on multiple devices (e.g. multiple platforms, such as STB 224, computer 621, or wireless device 623). The games servers 611 on the back end of the system 601 enable multi-player game play within and external to the IPTV network. This means that a user can maintain a list of “buddies” to play against where each of the multiple players could: 1) be on their TV 126 within the system 601; 2) be on various devices (e.g multiple platforms) not necessarily on the IPTV network, but that integrate together via the games servers 611 on the back end; or 3) a user, for example, may be on TV 126 playing chess against a remote competitor on their cell phone 623.
In general, the system of an example embodiment comprises a television monitor including a remote control device, a set-top box connectable with the television monitor and with a network, a second platform device connectable with the network, and a games server connectable with the set-top box and the second platform device via the network, the games server to receive a game selection from a first remote user via the set-top box, to receive a game selection from a second remote user via the second platform device, to activate the selected game on the games server, and to communicate game rendering information to the set-top box and the second platform device thereby enabling multi-player remote playing of the selected game via the television monitor and the remote control device and the second platform device.
Using the various example interactive game systems described above, users can obtain several advantages not presently available. In particular, users will have the ability to have contextual or related games appear on-screen at the same time as a live video stream. Additionally, users will have the ability to embed games into a broadcast video stream. For example, a user could play along with a game show (e.g. Jeopardy) while watching the video feed. Additionally, users will have the ability to include contextual games related to sports games so that the user may track an un-related “fantasy” sports team while watching some of their “players” compete with their specific league teams. Additionally, users will have the ability to play/pause and resume games so that the user may tune away briefly from a games channel and return to the game without penalty or loss of game status.
Referring to FIG. 7, an illustrative embodiment of a general computer system is shown and is designated 600. The computer system 600 can include a set of instructions that can be executed to cause the computer system 600 to perform any one or more of the methods or computer based functions disclosed herein. The computer system 600, or any portion thereof, may operate as a standalone device, such as the set-top box devices and servers shown in FIGS. 1-6, or may be connected, e.g., using a public network or a private network within an IPTV system, to other computer systems or peripheral devices.
In a networked deployment, the computer system may operate in the capacity of a server or as a client user computer in a server-client user network environment, or as a peer computer system in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The computer system 600 can also be implemented as or incorporated into various devices, such as a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile device, a palmtop computer, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a communications device, a wireless telephone, a land-line telephone, a control system, a camera, a scanner, a facsimile machine, a printer, a pager, a personal trusted device, a web appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any other machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. In a particular embodiment, the computer system 600 can be implemented using electronic devices that provide voice, video or data communication. Further, while a single computer system 600 is illustrated, the term “system” shall also be taken to include any collection of systems or sub-systems that individually or jointly execute a set, or multiple sets, of instructions to perform one or more computer functions.
As illustrated in FIG. 7, the computer system 600 may include a processor 602, e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or both. Moreover, the computer system 600 can include a main memory 604 and a static memory 606 that can communicate with each other via a bus 608. As shown, the computer system 600 may further include a video display unit 610, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a flat panel display, a solid state display, or a cathode ray tube (CRT). Additionally, the computer system 600 may include an input device 612, such as a keyboard, and a cursor control device 614, such as a mouse. When the computer system 600, or any portion thereof, is embodied in a set-top box device, the cursor control device 614 can be a remote control device. The computer system 600 can also include a disk drive unit 616, a signal generation device 618, such as a speaker or remote control, and a network interface device 620.
In a particular embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 7, the disk drive unit 616 may include a computer-readable medium 622 in which one or more sets of instructions 624, e.g. software, can be embedded. Further, the instructions 624 may embody one or more of the methods or logic as described herein. In a particular embodiment, the instructions 624 may reside completely, or at least partially, within the main memory 604, the static memory 606, and/or within the processor 602 during execution by the computer system 600. The main memory 604 and the processor 602 also may include computer-readable media.
In an alternative embodiment, dedicated hardware implementations, such as application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays and other hardware devices, can be constructed to implement one or more of the methods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatus and systems of various embodiments can broadly include a variety of electronic and computer systems. One or more embodiments described herein may implement functions using two or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with related control and data signals that can be communicated between and through the modules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Accordingly, the present system encompasses software, firmware, and hardware implementations.
In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, the methods described herein may be implemented by software programs executable by a computer system. Further, in an exemplary, non-limited embodiment, implementations can include distributed processing, component/object distributed processing, and parallel processing. Alternatively, virtual computer system processing can be constructed to implement one or more of the methods or functionality as described herein.
The present disclosure contemplates a computer-readable medium that includes instructions 624 or receives and executes instructions 624 responsive to a propagated signal, so that a device connected to a network 626 can communicate voice, video or data over the network 626. Further, the instructions 624 may be transmitted or received over the network 626 via the network interface device 620.
While the computer-readable medium is shown to be a single medium, the term “computer-readable medium” includes a single medium or multiple media, such as a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers that store one or more sets of instructions. The term “computer-readable medium” shall also include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by a processor or that cause a computer system to perform any one or more of the methods or operations disclosed herein.
In a particular non-limiting, exemplary embodiment, the computer-readable medium can include a solid-state memory such as a memory card or other package that houses one or more non-volatile read-only memories. Further, the computer-readable medium can be a random access memory or other volatile re-writable memory. Additionally, the computer-readable medium can include a magneto-optical or optical medium, such as a disk or tapes or other storage device to capture carrier wave signals such as a signal communicated over a transmission medium. A digital file attachment to an e-mail or other self-contained information archive or set of archives may be considered a distribution medium that is equivalent to a tangible storage medium. Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any one or more of a computer-readable medium or a distribution medium and other equivalents and successor media, in which data or instructions may be stored.
In conjunction with the configuration of structure and methods described herein, a system and method supporting interactive games on a television via internet protocol is described. The interactive games are selectable and can be played via an interactive user interface that is linked to a user's preferences. By associating user accounts with set-top box devices at the server level, preferences will be retrieved and recognized without the need for a user to log in to his or her television. Moreover, by attaching set-top box devices to Internet accounts, users can access and play personalized and interactive games.
In accordance with various embodiments, the methods described herein may be implemented as one or more software programs running on a computer processor. Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to, application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays and other hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement the methods described herein. Furthermore, alternative software implementations including, but not limited to, distributed processing or component/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also be constructed to implement the methods described herein.
It should also be noted that software that implements the disclosed methods may optionally be stored on a tangible storage medium, such as: a magnetic medium, such as a disk or tape; a magneto-optical or optical medium, such as a disk; or a solid state medium, such as a memory card or other package that houses one or more read-only (non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or other re-writable (volatile) memories. The software may also utilize a signal containing computer instructions.
Although the present specification describes components and functions that may be implemented in particular embodiments with reference to particular standards and protocols, the invention is not limited to such standards and protocols. For example, standards for Internet and other packet switched network transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, HTTP) represent examples of the state of the art. Such standards are periodically superseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentially the same functions. Accordingly, replacement standards and protocols having the same or similar functions as those disclosed herein are considered equivalents thereof.
FIGS. 8-12 are processing flow diagrams illustrating various methods related to example embodiments of an interactive game system in accordance with the disclosed subject matter. As shown in FIG. 8, an example method includes receiving a game selection from a remote user through a set-top box via a network (processing block 810), activating the selected game on a games server (processing block 812); and communicating game rendering information to the set-top box via the network thereby enabling remotely playing the selected game via a television monitor and a remote control device (processing block 814).
As shown in FIG. 9, an example method includes receiving a game selection from a remote user through a set-top box via a network (processing block 910), activating the selected game on a games server (processing block 912), requesting a video on demand (VoD) server to convert at least a portion of a game to a VoD format (processing block 914), and communicating game rendering information to the set-top box via the network thereby enabling remotely playing the selected game via a television monitor and a remote control device (processing block 916).
As shown in FIG. 10, an example method includes receiving a game selection from a remote user through a set-top box via a network (processing block 1010), downloading the selected game to the set-top box via the network (processing block 1012), and activating the selected game on the set-top box (processing block 1014).
As shown in FIG. 11, an example method includes receiving a game selection and a level selection from a remote user through a set-top box via a network (processing block 1110), and downloading the selected level of the selected game to the set-top box via the network (processing block 1112).
As shown in FIG. 12, an example method includes receiving a game selection from a first remote user via a first platform device via a network (processing block 1210), receiving the game selection from a second remote user via a second platform device via the network (processing block 1212), activating the selected game on a games server (processing block 1214), and communicating game rendering information to the first platform device and the second platform device via the network thereby enabling multi-player remote playing of the selected game (processing block 1216). As described above, games can be delivered to a user television and played by the user in a variety of ways. However, as a service provider, it is important to include an infrastructure for billing the user for the selected and delivered games. As described below, various methods can be used to charge a user for network-delivered games. These methods include the ability to promote games, to gain user interest before the user commits to paying for a fully-functional network-delivered game, to join games communities, and to foster user loyalty in a game service.
Currently, games are available through U.S. broadcast TV services for free or for a subscription for cable-delivered games. Games delivered via Internet Protocol (IP) are currently only available on a personal computer platform (PC), for which service providers charge subscription fees, require a fee-per-play, or are free (e.g. Yahoo! games). None of the currently-available games services on television offer the opportunity to join games communities, to try before you buy, or to foster user loyalty in a game service.
In support of a consumer billing infrastructure as part of the interactive game system on television via internet protocol of the various embodiments as described above, the games platform is integrated with IPTV ordering and billing systems in an example embodiment to ensure the customer is billed in a similar fashion to linear subscriptions or Video-on-Demand (VoD) purchases. IPTV ordering and billing systems can include paid subscription-based games (MRC and ARC) and usage-based games (pay-per-play) that can be accessed as follows in an example embodiment:
Provisioned as a Channel in the television guide
Provided from the Main Menu
Remote Control keypress (e.g., Go Interactive button).
Provided through a “games storefront”
Provided with Multi-Platform games functionality—IPTV, Broadband, Wireless
Provided with the ability to accept input from dual remote controls (for games). Use case would apply to a game optimized for TV that offers same multiplayer functionality.
In various embodiments, the provisioning of the payment options and the promotion of games can be implemented in various ways. In one embodiment, both free and purchasable games (subscription-based and usage-based) can be provisioned as RDP Channels (e.g. a dedicated channel), as a Main Menu selection (either interactive sub-menu or through a “games storefront”), and via the Remote Control (e.g., Go Interactive button). The IPTV system presents viewers who are not subscribed to the games content with a purchase sequence for purchasable games (e.g. subscription-based and pay-per-play), whether accessed from a linear content channel, Main Menu, or Remote Control key press (e.g., Go Interactive button). The purchase sequence top screen includes an offer panel and displays either a static full screen promotion (e.g. poster art) or video promotion when the channel is selected by the customer. In an example embodiment, the purchase sequence will maintain the “look and feel” of a VoD or pay-per-view (PPV) purchase so as not to confuse the customer. Customers are provided with the ability to “trial” subscription packages and pay-per-play games. This can be handled similarly to the preview before a VoD purchase. In one embodiment, the meta-data surrounding the game will include some functionality that is rated at a $0 price point (i.e. free trial functionality). The core of the game (i.e. full functionality) will have a real price point (i.e. a price greater than $0) attached to the full functionality. Customers selecting the free trial option will be presented with screen that includes Game poster art, package description, duration of trial period and a “Try It Free” button. When the “Try it Free” button is selected, customers can receive a play grant and can get redirected to the Games Top Page for the selected package or pay-per-play game. In an example embodiment, flexible trial period parameters, e.g., 1-hour, 24-hours, 3-day pass, 30-day trial can be configured. These settings can be configurable within IPTV. In an example embodiment, these settings will be included in the game meta-data similarly to the “tar-ball” associated with VoD licensing. For subscription games, trial periods can be restricted to one per game package, per account, per (xx # of days, e.g., 120 days). For example: Mary signs up for a 3-day pass for a Kids Game Package. Mary would then be restricted from receiving any additional Free Trial for the Kids Games Package for 120-days from the expiration date of the initial trial period. The trial restriction period e.g., 1-month, 3-months, 6-months, 12-months is configurable within IPTV. For pay-per-play games, an example embodiment can offer one free game play, per account, per (xx # of days, e.g., 120 days). For example: When a customer selects the “Try It Free” button, they can be granted access to the game for “x” number of plays, e.g., 1, 3, or a set period of time, e.g. 1-hour. In another example embodiment, fantasy games can be supported with a seasonal subscription, Join league functionality, or Create and Manage your own league functionality.
Subscription and usage-based games can be billed separately, or may also be bundled with other video assets to up-sell bolt-on packages (VoD, SVoD and PPV). Below are some price packaging examples to illustrate the desired functionality.
Games Subscription Package−Only
Customer orders a Game Subscription Package for $x.xx/month. This is a monthly recurring charge (MRC).
On Demand (SVoD)+Games Subscription Package
Customer orders an On Demand content service for $x.xx and gets a Game subscription package free for the first month and $x.xx thereafter at a bundled pricing discount.
Kids+Games Subscription Package
Customer orders a Kids content service for $x.xx/month and gets a Games subscription package free for the first month and $x.xx thereafter at a bundled pricing discount.
All In One Package
Customer orders a Classics content service+Kids content service+On Demand content service+Games at bundled price of $xx.xx/month
VoD purchase+Game Pass (Trial)
Customer orders a VoD movie and gets a free 3-day Games Pass. After 72-hours, the consumer would be notified and prompted to purchase a Games Subscription.
Various embodiments include the ability for customers to purchase a bundle of units for a one-time charge, e.g., “5 Plays for $5”, and receive a purchase display when each unit is consumed. That is, for example, if the customer is using the third consumption of the “5 Plays for $5”, the customer can be advised that they have two more units available as part of the original purchase. Various embodiments include usage based promotions for gaming such that a buy x units within y period can be supported. This will allow a marketing operation to run promotions such as “buy Quake for a one time fee of $10 and re-start game 5 times within the next 24 hrs”. Various embodiments also support loyalty-based programs for gaming. For example, a loyalty program can accumulate “gaming” points based on time/spend/performance by a user. A loyalty program can enable a user to redeem points for cash/prize/IPTV discounts. This can be expanded across IPTV to drive revenue and user interaction, and reduce chum. Some games may include the ability for the user to advance by purchasing implements to better enable their ability to play. This may include the purchase of a “spell” for a fantasy game, or the purchase of armor for an action-based game. Various embodiments include the ability for the user to make those “accoutrement” purchases through the IPTV platform described above.
The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of the various embodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as a complete description of all of the elements and features of apparatus and systems that utilize the structures or methods described herein. Many other embodiments may be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the disclosure. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived from the disclosure, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Additionally, the illustrations are merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions within the illustrations may be exaggerated, while other proportions may be minimized. Accordingly, the disclosure and the figures are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.
One or more embodiments of the disclosure may be referred to herein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any particular invention or inventive concept. Moreover, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any subsequent arrangement designed to achieve the same or similar purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all subsequent adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the description.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b) and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together or described in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter may be directed to less than all of the features of any of the disclosed embodiments. Thus, the following claims are incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as defining separately claimed subject matter.
The above disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, and not restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments, which fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, to the maximum extent allowed by law, the scope of the present invention is to be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by the foregoing detailed description.
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Video transmission system of a ring network
It is an objective to provide a video transmission system enabling easy acquisition and addition of any video signal. According to the ring network, optical wavelength multiplexing and transmission of video signal to be utilized for this network is carried out, so that it is possible to implement an environment, in which all necessary video signals flow on the network. Consequently, by acquiring any video signal from the video signals flowing on the network, it is possible to acquire new video source, or by adding new video source to the network, it is possible to utilize the added video source by all apparatuses connected to the network.
Morita, Takaaki (Kawasaki-shi, JP)
Nakamura, Kazunori (Kawasaki-shi, JP)
H04B10/20
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SINGH, DALZID E
DAY PITNEY LLP (Stamford, CT, US)
1. A video transmission system of a ring network, comprising: a ring redundant network, which is for carrying out optical wavelength multiplexing of at least one video signal, utilizable in the system, and transmission of the multiplexed signal; an acquisition unit for a multiplexed signal, which acquires the multiplexed signal in said ring redundant network; an output unit for a first signal, which is capable of outputting any first video signal, demultiplexed from the acquired multiplexed signal, to external from said ring redundant network; an input receiving unit for a second signal, which receives an input of any second video signal, external from said ring redundant network, to be included in the multiplexed signal in said ring redundant network; and an output unit for the multiplexed signal, which is capable of multiplexing of said second video signal, which has been inputted, and of outputting the multiplexed signal to said ring redundant network.
2. The video transmission system of a ring network according to claim 1, which comprises a plurality of optical wavelength multiplexing apparatuses, and a plurality of video transmission apparatuses, adjacent to the respective optical wavelength multiplexing apparatuses, wherein the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus comprises the acquisition unit for a multiplexed signal, the output unit for the first signal, the input receiving unit for the second signal, and the output unit for a multiplexed signal, the acquisition unit for a multiplexed signal comprises an acquisition means for a multiplexed signal, which acquires a multiplexed signal, outputted from another optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus, the output unit for the first signal comprises an output means for the first signal, which is capable of outputting said first video signal to the adjacent video transmission apparatus, which is exterior of the ring redundant network, the input receiving unit for the second signal comprises an input receiving means for the second signal, which receives an input of said second video signal from the adjacent video transmission apparatus, which is external from the ring redundant network, and the output unit for the multiplexed signal comprises an output means for the multiplexed signal, which is capable of multiplexing said second video signal, and of outputting the multiplexed signal to another optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus, different from the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus, which has acquired said multiplexed signal.
3. The video transmission system of a ring network according to claim 1, wherein said output unit for the first signal and said output unit for the multiplexed signal carry out said respective outputs, in which the signal is identifiable on the basis of wavelength of the carrier, the system further comprising: a control apparatus, which carries out integrated control of said respective outputs on the basis of wavelength of the signal.
5. The video transmission system of a ring network according to claim 3, wherein the control apparatus carries out said control by means of GMPLS.
7. The video transmission system of a ring network according to claim 2, wherein the video transmission apparatus comprises a buffer unit, which buffers said video signal, inputted from the respective redundant systems, a detection unit for failure, which detects a failure in an active system of said systems, and an output switching unit, which carries out switching of output in order to output said video signal to another external video apparatus by means of said video signal, which has been inputted from the other system and buffered, in cases where said failure is detected.
8. A video transmission method of a ring network, which includes a ring redundant network, which is for carrying out optical wavelength multiplexing of at least one video signal, utilizable in a system, and transmission of the multiplexed signal, the method comprising: an acquiring step for the multiplexed signal, which acquires the multiplexed signal in said ring redundant network; an outputting step for a first signal, which is capable of outputting any first video signal, demultiplexed from the acquired multiplexed signal, to external from said ring redundant network; an input receiving step for a second signal, which receives an input of any second video signal, external from said ring redundant network, to be included in the multiplexed signal in said ring redundant network; and an outputting step for the multiplexed signal, which is capable of multiplexing said second video signal, which has been inputted, and of outputting the multiplexed signal to said ring redundant network.
9. The video transmission method of a ring network according to claim 8, which includes a plurality of optical wavelength multiplexing apparatuses, and a plurality of video transmission apparatuses, adjacent to the respective optical wavelength multiplexing apparatuses, wherein the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus is caused to execute the acquiring step for the multiplexed signal, the outputting step for said first signal, the input receiving step for said second signal, and the outputting step for a multiplexed signal, the acquiring step for a multiplexed signal comprises an acquiring step for the multiplexed signal, which acquires a multiplexed signal, outputted from another optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus, the outputting step for said first signal comprises an outputting step for said first signal, which is capable of outputting said first video signal to the adjacent video transmission apparatus, which is external from the ring redundant network, the input receiving step for said second signal comprises an input receiving step for said second signal, which receives an input of said second video signal from the adjacent video transmission apparatus, which is external from the ring redundant network, and the outputting step for the multiplexed signal comprises an outputting step for the multiplexed signal, which is capable of multiplexing said second video signal, and of outputting the multiplexed signal to another optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus, different from the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus, which has acquired said multiplexed signal.
10. The video transmission system of a ring network according to claim 8, wherein said outputting step for said first signal and said outputting unit for the multiplexed signal carry out said respective outputting steps, in which the signal is identifiable on the basis of wavelength of the carrier, the method further comprising: a controlling step, which carries out integrated control of said respective outputs by a unit of wavelength of the signal.
12. The video transmission method of a ring network according to claim 10, wherein the controlling step carries out said control by means of GMPLS.
14. The video transmission method of a ring network according to claim 9, wherein the video transmission apparatus comprises a buffering step, which buffers said video signal, inputted from the respective redundant systems, a detecting step for failure, which detects a failure in an active system of said systems, and an output switching step, which carries out switching of output in order to output said video signal to another external video apparatus by means of said video signal, which has been inputted from the other system and buffered, in cases where said failure is detected.
This Nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) on U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/901,058 filed on Feb. 13, 2007, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to a video transmission system of a ring network. Specifically, the present invention relates to a video transmission system for implementing a new video transmission method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a video transmission system for transmitting a video signal such as HDTV (High-Definition Television) signal and SDTV (Standard-Definition Television) signal, respective video transmission apparatuses are connected in a point-to-point (P to P) configuration, thereby transmitting video. The reason for this is that high-quality video is required for broadcasting, and in terms of its purpose, it is necessary to prevent interruption and distortion of the video utilized for broadcasting. Therefore, video transmission is carried out by means of special connection line between apparatuses in order to prevent reception of other spurious signals, thereby transmitting high-quality video.
Between video transmission apparatuses connected in a point-to-point configuration, transmission paths are required based on the number of SDTV signals and HDTV signals. For example, in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-16554, a video transmission method, which can transmit a plurality of video signals by a simple transmission path, and is flexibly adjustable to vary the number of signals to be transmitted. In the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-16554, a control signal, including information on the type of signal to be multiplexed, and on number of signals to be multiplexed, is generated in the transmitter side, and the control signal and video signal are multiplexed and are transmitted to the transmission path, so that receiver side can control the type and number of video signals, to be demultiplexed, based on the control signal.
Further, a method, in which by means of optical wavelength multiplexing, a plurality of signals are multiplexed, and are transmitted to a simple transmission path, has been used.
In the conventional technology, a video signal is transmitted by means of a simple transmission path connected in a point-to-point configuration. In the system, for example as shown in FIG. 10, in cases where a video transmission apparatus a utilizes video signal (video source), transmitted via another transmission path x, which is not connected to the apparatus itself, it is necessary that the video signal is once acquired by a video transmission apparatus b, which is connected to another transmission path x, and is re-transmitted to a transmission path y, which is connected to the video transmission apparatus a. Therefore, when acquiring the video source transmitted via the transmission path x, complex processes are required, or the acquisition of video source is impossible depending on configuration of the transmission path.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a video transmission system for easily implementing acquisition or addition of any video signal.
In order to solve the above deficiencies, the present invention provides a video transmission system of ring network, comprising a ring redundant network, which is for carrying out optical wavelength multiplexing of at least one video signal, utilizable in the system, and transmission of the multiplexed signal, an acquisition unit for multiplexed signal, which acquires the multiplexed signal in the ring redundant network, an output unit for first signal, which is capable of outputting any first video signal, demultiplexed from the acquired multiplexed signal, to external from the ring redundant network, an input receiving unit for second signal, which receives an input of any second video signal, to be included in the multiplexed signal in the ring redundant network, external from the ring redundant network, and an output unit for multiplexed signal, which is capable of multiplexing of the second video signal, which has been inputted, and of outputting the multiplexed signal to the ring redundant network.
According to this ring network, optical wavelength multiplexing and transmission of video signal to be utilized for this network is carried out, so that it is possible to implement an environment, in which all necessary video signals flow on the network. Consequently, by acquiring any video signal from the video signals flowing on the network, it is possible to acquire new video source, or by adding a new video source to the network, it is possible to utilize the added video source by all apparatuses connected to the network.
For example, the ring network is configured by a plurality of optical wavelength multiplexing apparatuses, and transmission of the video signals carried out between a plurality of video transmission apparatuses, which are respectively adjacent to the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatuses.
In addition, as another aspect of the present invention, the video transmission system of ring network, comprising the control apparatus, which carries out integrated control of the respective outputs on the basis of wavelength of signal, is provided. The control apparatus carries out the control, for example, by means of GMPLS (Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching). The control apparatus can control to acquire (Drop) any video signal from the network, to which the multiplexed signal is transmitted.
In addition, as another aspect of the present invention, the video transmission system of ring network, wherein the video transmission apparatus comprises a buffer unit, which buffers the video signal, inputted from the respective redundant systems, a detection unit for failure, which detects a failure in an active system of the systems, and an output switching unit, which carries out switching of output in order to output the video signal to another external video apparatus by means of the video signal, which has been inputted from the other system and buffered, in cases where the failure is detected, is provided. According to this configuration, it is possible to carry out switching of network system without instantaneous interruption even when failure occurs.
According to the present invention, transmission of video signal to be utilized for the ring network is carried out, so that it is possible to implement an environment, in which all necessary video signals flow on the network. Consequently, it is possible to acquire any necessary video signal from the network (Drop), or by adding new video signal to the network (Add), it is possible to utilize the new video signal by all apparatuses connected to the network.
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart of the first embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of the first embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of an optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus of the first embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a second embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a second embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of a third embodiment.
FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a third embodiment.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a conventional system.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not to be limited to the above embodiments and able to be embodied in various forms without departing from the scope thereof.
A first embodiment relates to the video transmission system of the ring network comprising the ring redundant network. The video signal to be necessary is transmitted on the ring network, and only necessary video is acquired (Drop) from the network, or new video signal is added (Add) to the network.
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a first embodiment. As show in FIG. 1, a video transmission system of ring network of the first embodiment comprises a ‘ring redundant network’, an ‘acquisition unit for multiplexed signal’ (11A-D), an ‘output unit for first signal’ (12A-D), an ‘input receiving unit for second signal’ (13 A-D), and an ‘output unit for multiplexed signal’ (14 A-D). As shown in FIG. 1, there are a plurality of the ‘acquisition units for multiplexed signal’ (11A-D), the ‘output units for first signal’ (12A-D), the ‘input receiving units for second signal’ (13 A-D), and the ‘output units for multiplexed signal’ (14 A-D) in the ring redundant network.
The ‘ring redundant network’ is for implementing optical wavelength multiplexing of at least one video signal, utilizable in the system, and transmission of the multiplexed signal. The term ‘system’ corresponds to a video transmission system in the present invention. The ring redundant network is physically connected to optical fiber cable, and video signal is multiplexed by optical signal and is transmitted. In this specification, there are cases where the ring network is simply referred to as a ‘network’. Further, in this specification, there are cases where acquisition of signal from the network to external from the network is described as ‘Drop’, and addition of signal from the exterior of the network to the network is described as ‘Add’.
The ring redundant network is for carrying out transmission of the multiplexed signal, generated by optical wavelength multiplexing of at least one video signal. It is preferable that all video signals needed for the system are multiplexed by optical wavelength multiplexing, and are transmitted. Examples of the optical wavelength multiplexing include DWDM (Dense WDM) for multiplexing more than 16 waves, CWDM (Coarse WDM) for multiplexing around 8 waves, and WWDM (Wide WDM) for multiplexing around 4 waves. Note that in this specification, the above apparatuses for optical wavelength multiplexing or wavelength separation are described as the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus (WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) apparatus). It is preferable that the ring network is a redundant network including a plurality of optical transmission paths as shown in FIG. 1. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the identical multiplexed signal may be transmitted in the same direction. Alternatively, although it is not shown in FIG. 1, the identical multiplexed signal may be transmitted in different directions. According to the above configuration, even if the failure occurs on a certain optical transmission path, the multiplexed signal in the other transmission path is utilized, thereby enabling transmission of video signal to video transmission apparatus etc., in which real-time processing is strongly required, without interruption. Note that examples of the video signal include HDTV signal and SDTV signal.
Subsequently, a configuration, in which output (Drop) and addition (Add) with this ring redundant network are carried out, will be described.
The ‘acquisition unit for multiplexed signal’ (11A-D) acquires the multiplexed signal in the ring redundant network. When acquiring the multiplexed signal, conversion of optical signal to electrical signal may be carried out. By converting the optical signal to the electrical signal, as in the after-mentioned embodiment, it is possible that many video signals (video source) are included in one wavelength. This will be concretely described, hereinafter.
The ‘output unit for first signal’ (12A-D) is capable of outputting any first video signal, demultiplexed from the acquired multiplexed signal, to external from the ring redundant network. The terms ‘to external from the ring redundant network’ mean external from transmission path of the multiplexed signal, and specifically, a destination of output is the video transmission apparatus. In the output unit for first signal, output of any first video signal is possible. For example, a fixed setting in order to demultiplex the signal of a specific carrier may be carried out, thereby demultiplexing the signal of the specific carrier according to the setting. Alternatively, as in after-mentioned embodiment, a configuration may be made so as to demultiplex and output a signal of a specific carrier based on an instruction signal from another control apparatus. The first video signal is outputted from the output unit for first signal to the video transmission apparatus, and in the subsequent process, it is transmitted, for example, to the external video apparatus in the broadcasting station. As described above, all video signals (video sources) are preferably included in the multiplexed signal, so that it is possible to appropriately extract necessary video signal from the network, and to output the video signal to external from the network (Drop). Note that in this specification, the video signal outputted (Drop) to external from the network is described as the first video signal.
The ‘input receiving unit for second signal’ (13A-D) receives an input of any second video signal, external from said ring redundant network, to be included in the multiplexed signal in said ring redundant network. Specifically, the second video signal is inputted from the video transmission apparatus. This inputted second video signal is multiplexed by a predetermined an optical wavelength, and is included in the multiplexed signal to be transmitted through the network, thereby enabling the addition of new video source. Note that in this specification, the video signal added (Add) to the network is described as the second video signal.
The ‘output unit for multiplexed signal’ (14A-D) is capable of multiplexing of the second video signal, which has been inputted, and of outputting the multiplexed signal to the ring redundant network. In the output unit for multiplexed signal, electrical signal may be converted to an optical signal. For example, the output unit for multiplexed signal 14A can multiplex the second video signal with the multiplexed signals outputted by the other output units for multiplexed signal 14B and 14C, and can output them to the network. Note that if the second video signal is not inputted, the output unit for multiplexed signal 14A can output the multiplexed signal, acquired by the acquisition unit for multiplexed signal 11A, as a multiplexed signal without variation.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a processing in the system of the first embodiment. At the outset, the multiplexed signal is acquired from the network (S201). Subsequently, it is determined whether the acquired multiplexed signal includes a signal to be demultiplexed (S202). If the signal to be demultiplexed is included, the multiplexed signal is demultiplexed, and any first video signal is outputted to external from the network (S203). If it is determined in the S202 that the signal to be demultiplexed is not included, the S203 is not carried out. After that, it is determined whether output of the second video signal is received (S204). If the second signal to be included in the network exists, the second video signal is added to the multiplexed signal (S205). Meanwhile, if the second video signal does not exist, S205 is not carried out. The multiplexed signal is outputted to the network (S206). The above process is carried out, for example, by a plurality of optical wavelength multiplexing apparatuses, so that it is possible to transmit all of the video sources on the network, thereby enabling drop of any video signal from the network (Drop), and addition to the network (Add).
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, specifically, this system is a video transmission system of ring network, comprising a plurality of optical wavelength multiplexing apparatuses (30A-D), configuring a ring network, and a plurality of video transmission apparatuses (35A-D), which are respectively adjacent to the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatuses. Additionally, the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatuses (30A-D) comprises an acquisition unit for multiplexed signal (31A-D), an output unit for first signal (32A-D), an input receiving unit for second signal (33 A-D), and an output unit for multiplexed signal (34 A-D).
FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram partially showing a pair of the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus and the video transmission apparatus. As shown in FIG. 4, the acquisition units for multiplexed signal 410 and 460 of the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus 400 comprise ‘acquisition means for multiplexed signal’ 411 and 416, which acquire multiplexed signals, outputted from another optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus, the output units for first signal 420 and 470 comprise ‘output means for first signal’ 421 and 471, which are capable of outputting the first video signal to the adjacent video transmission apparatus, which is external from the ring redundant network, and the input receiving units for second signal 430 and 480 comprise ‘input receiving means for second signal’ 431 and 481, which receive an input of the second video signal from the adjacent video transmission apparatus, which is external from the ring redundant network, and the output units for multiplexed signal 440 and 490 comprise ‘output means for multiplexed signal’ 441 and 491, which are capable of multiplexing of the second video signal, and of outputting the multiplexed signal to another optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus, different from the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus, which has acquired the multiplexed signal.
The multiplexed signal acquired by the acquisition units for multiplexed signal 410 is transmitted to the output units for first signal 420. The output unit for first signal 420 carries out demultiplexing and output (Drop), and transmits the multiplexed signal to the input receiving unit for second signal 430. Note that in the output units for first signal 420, the second video signal, inputted in the input receiving unit for second signal 430, may be discarded due to the fact that it has made a circuit of the ring. The input receiving unit for second signal 430 receives input of the second video signal, and transmits the multiplexed signal and the second video signal to the output unit for multiplexed signal 440. The output unit for multiplexed signal 440 outputs the second video signal included in the multiplexed signal to the network.
The video transmission apparatus 450 carries out input/output of signal with the adjacent optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus. For example, the input/output of signal with the adjacent optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus is carried out by means of optical signal or an electric signal. The video transmission apparatus 450 can receive any video signal (video source), transmitted through the ring redundant network, via active or stand-by system. Further, in cases where the video signal is outputted from the video transmission apparatus 450 to the other external video apparatus, it is possible to select any one of the active or stand-by system, and to carry out output. Note that although the video transmission apparatus and the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus have been described separately in the above description, the respective configurations may be implemented by one apparatus, in which the video transmission apparatus and the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus are integrated.
Note that the respective units of the present invention can be configured by hardware, software, or both hardware and software. For example, in the case of using a microprocessor, the respective units are implemented by the hardware configured by a microprocessor, a memory, a bus, an interface, and various types of LSI etc., and by the software operable on the hardware. Strictly speaking, by sequentially carrying out programs on the memory, the data on the memory and the data inputted via the interface are processed, stored, and outputted etc., thereby implementing functions of the respective units. (Hereinafter, the same applies thorough the entire specification).
According to the video transmission system of ring network of the first embodiment, optical wavelength multiplexing and redundant transmission on the network of the video signal to be video source is carried out, thereby acquiring necessary video signal by one or a plurality of video transmission apparatuses. Therefore, in the conventional point-to-point system, the video signal is transmitted to only one video transmission apparatus. Meanwhile, according to the configuration of the first embodiment, the identical video signal can be transmitted to a plurality of video transmission apparatuses. Additionally, all video sources (video signals) preferably flow on the network, so that it is possible to appropriately extract the necessary video signal in the video transmission apparatus.
A second embodiment relates to the video transmission system of ring network as described in the first embodiment, further comprising a control apparatus, which carries out control so that the first video signal is demultiplexed from the multiplexed signal, and is outputted to external from the network, and input of the second video signal is received, and is outputted as multiplexed signal. According to the control by the control unit, for example, date/time dependent switching of the output video signal (in this specification, it is described as ‘switching of schedule’), in which, for example, switching of video signal to be outputted to video transmission apparatus is carried out at a predetermined time, is possible.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the video transmission system of the ring network of the second embodiment. Note that in the second embodiment, the description will be made based on the configuration, comprising the optical wavelength multiplexing and the video transmission apparatus as shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 5, a ‘control apparatus’ 56 is further disclosed.
The output unit for first signal (including the output means for first signal) and the output unit for multiplexed signal (including output means for multiplexed signal) carry out the respective outputs, in which the signal is identifiable on the basis of wavelength of the carrier. As to the signal, multiplexed by optical wavelength multiplexing, wavelength of the respective signals is different, so that it is possible to carry out identification of the respective signals on the basis of wavelength of the carrier.
The ‘control apparatus’ 56 carries out integrated control of the respective outputs on the basis of wavelength of the signal. The term ‘respective outputs’ means output to the video transmission apparatus by the output unit for first signal (Drop), and output of the multiplexed signal to the network by the output unit for multiplexed signal. The control of these outputs is carried out on the basis of wavelength of signal. For example, the control is carried out by means of GMPLS (Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching). In GMPLS, optical wavelength, time slot, and port number of apparatus etc. are defined as a label, and route setting for operation of label switch is carried out by means of shared protocol. In GMPLS, the route setting of optical signal can be carried out based on optical wavelength of the signal. Therefore, by means of GMPLS, according to the wavelength of the optical signal, it is possible to drop video signal of a predetermined wavelength, or to add video signal multiplexed by means of a predetermined wavelength.
According to the control by the control apparatus, it is possible to carry out integrated control of the above-mentioned Drop and Add of any first video signal and of the second video signal. The description will be made with reference to FIG. 6. In the control apparatus, a configuration including port numbers of the respective apparatuses etc. is managed. Here, for the second video signal, inputted (Add) from a predetermined port of the video transmission apparatus A, label X is assigned (carrier is assigned). In this case, the control apparatus outputs a control instruction to assign the label X to the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus A. Subsequently, the multiplexed signal including the signal, to which the label X has been assigned, is transmitted in the ring network. After that, for example, in order to carry out output (Drop) of the signal, to which the label X has been assigned, to the video transmission apparatuses B and C, an instruction signal is outputted to the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatuses B and C at an arbitrary timing so that the signal of the carrier is demultiplexed, and is outputted to the video transmission apparatus. This instruction signal may be transmitted to the respective optical wavelength multiplexing apparatuses via the ring redundant network, or via a network or special line using another optical line.
Thus, the instruction signal is outputted from the control apparatus to the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus, so that in the video transmission apparatus adjacent to the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus, it is possible to add (Add) the second video signal to be video source, or to transmit the first signal, outputted (Drop) from the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus, to other external video transmission apparatus. Therefore, the video transmission apparatus just has to transmit the inputted/outputted video signal to the other external video transmission apparatus without a specified complex process.
Note that as to the above-mentioned label X, the label X may be assigned at a timing of switching of video source, or new label X may be assigned to the video source, which has been inputted as the second video signal, and is currently outputted to the network.
Note that generally, the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus is an apparatus for demultiplexing and multiplexing of a signal in a state of optical signal. In the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus of the second embodiment, the inputted optical signal is once converted to electrical signal, and after a predetermined process, may be converted to optical signal and may be outputted to the network as multiplexed signal. Generally, as a frame format in optical transmission network, there is a format called ‘Wrapper’. For example, since 1 Wrapper in the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus is 10 GB, it has been impossible to carry out Add/Drop of HD signal of 2.4 GB to the optical signal, and to include the video signal in the remaining capacity, about 7 GB. Meanwhile, by converting the optical signal to the electrical signal in the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus, it is possible to include four video signals in 1 Wrapper, thereby enabling transmission of more video signals in the network. Therefore, in the optical wavelength multiplexing apparatus, it is possible to convert the demultiplexed optical signal of 1 Wrapper to the electrical signal, and to carry out Add/Drop based on header information such as the label added to the electrical signal.
FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a second embodiment. In FIG. 7, at the outset, the instruction signal to control the respective outputs is acquired from the control unit (S701). Subsequently, in cases where the multiplexed signal is acquired, it is determined whether a signal to be demultiplexed based on the instruction signal, acquired by S701 (S702 and S703). If there is the signal to be added, any video signal is added to the multiplexed signal by means of the carrier in accordance with the instruction signal (S706). The other processes are the same as those of the first embodiment, so that descriptions have been omitted.
According to the second embodiment, the control apparatus for controlling output of signal is comprised, so that it is possible to carry out control of outputting any first video signal, and to carry out control upon outputting the second video signal as the multiplexed signal, thereby enabling easier switching of video source than that in the first embodiment. For example, it is possible to carry out all switches of video source at a predetermined time.
A third embodiment relates to the video transmission system of ring network, which carries out switching to signal from another transmission path configuring the redundant network, thereby enabling switching without instantaneous interruption in cases where failure occurs in one transmission path in the ring network (including a transmission path and a circuit of the optical multiplexing apparatus relating to the transmission path).
FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of the third embodiment. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the video transmission apparatus. As shown in FIG. 8, the video transmission apparatus 850 comprises, a ‘buffer unit’ 851, a ‘detection unit for failure’ 852, and a ‘output switching unit’ 853.
The ‘buffer unit’ 851 buffers the video signal, inputted from the respective redundant systems. The video signal corresponds to the above-mentioned first video signal (video signal inputted from the network to the video transmission apparatus). Note that a plurality of buffer units may be comprised corresponding to the respective systems. As to buffer size, it is preferable to provide enough buffer size for buffering of transmission delay in the network.
The ‘detection unit for failure’ 852 detects a failure in an active system of the systems. The active system is one of systems, to which the video signal is inputted from the optical multiplexing apparatus, and is operated for output of the video signal to the other external video apparatus by the video transmission apparatus. The detection of occurrence of failure may be carried out, for example, based on lack of video frame by checking its sequential number, or when correctable error threshold has been exceeded. Alternatively, the detection of failure may be carried out based on interruption of signal as a trigger due to the disconnection of optical fiber cable.
The ‘output switching unit’ 853 carries out switching of output in order to output the video signal to another external video apparatus by means of the video signal, which has been inputted from the other system and buffered, in cases where the failure is detected. The video signal corresponds to the first video signal. The ‘other external video apparatus’ corresponds to the video apparatus external from the network. In cases where the failure is detected by the detection unit for failure, the identical video signal, which has been inputted from the other system and buffered, is utilized, thereby enabling switching of the video signal without instantaneous interruption.
Hereinafter, a setting of switching in the third embodiment is described as no instantaneous-interruption mode. Further, as described in the second embodiment, the switching of video source, carried out at a predetermined time under control of the control apparatus, is described as the switching of schedule. Here, in cases where the switching of schedule is carried out in the no instantaneous-interruption mode, there is a possibility that the video transmission apparatus determines that video is interrupted instantaneously, and carries out detection of failure and switching of output. Therefore, in the case of carrying out the switching of schedule from the control apparatus as described in the second embodiment, for example, a signal for switching (e.g., packet for switching) is added to the immediately preceding portion of the video signal to be an object of switching from the optical multiplexing apparatus, and is outputted to the video transmission apparatus, so that the video transmission apparatus can determine that it is not a failure but a switching of video source, thereby suppressing unnecessary no instantaneous-interruption switching.
FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing a process in the video transmission apparatus. In FIG. 9, the redundant network is operated by two systems, the active and stand-by systems. At the outset, the first video signals of the active and stand-by systems are acquired (S901). Subsequently, the acquired video signals are buffered (S902). After that, in cases where failure is detected, switching of system for outputting to the other external video apparatus is carried out (S903 and S904). Note that although it is not indicated, output of the second video signal from the video transmission apparatus to the optical multiplexing apparatus may be carried out in a parallel manner to this.
According to the third embodiment, the buffer unit is comprised in the video transmission apparatus, which receives output of the redundant signal, and if failure is detected, switching to the video signal buffered in the buffer unit is carried out. Therefore, it is possible to utilize the signal, buffered in the buffer unit, as a backup of the delay portion of signal to be switched, thereby enabling switching of the video signal without instantaneous interruption.
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Device for installing an optical fibre in a splice connector
A device for installing an optical fibre in a connector, comprising an optical fibre cleaving mechanism (51), a connector holding means and a fibre insertion mechanism (55) arranged such that an optical fibre may be cleaved by the cleaving mechanism to produce an end of the fibre, and the end of the fibre may be inserted by means of the insertion mechanism into a connector (1) held by the connector holding means (53).
Van Noten, Lodewijk (Leuven, BE)
Vandenbroeck, Jan (Aarschot, BE)
Watte, Jan (Grimbergen, BE)
Versleegers, Jozef (Bree, BE)
Muller, Jan (Bladel, NL)
Tyco Electronics Raychem NV (Kessel-Lo, BE)
G02B6/255; G02B6/00; G02B6/25; G02B6/38
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MOONEY, MICHAEL P
FAEGRE DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH LLP (INDIANAPOLIS, IN, US)
1. A device for installing an optical fibre in a connector, comprising: an optical fibre cleaving mechanism; a connector holding means; and a fibre insertion mechanism; arranged such that an optical fibre may be cleaved by the cleaving mechanism to produce an end of the fibre, and the end of the fibre may be inserted by means of the insertion mechanism into a connector held by the connector holding means.
2. A device according to claim 1, in which the end of the fibre is inserted into the connector in a predetermined orientation with respect to the connector.
3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the cleaving mechanism is arranged to cleave the optical fibre such that an end face of the end of the fibre so produced is oriented at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fibre.
4. A device according to claim 3, in which the insertion of the fibre into the connector by the insertion mechanism is such that the orientation of the non-perpendicular end face of the fibre with respect to the connector is predetermined.
5. A device according to any preceding claim, comprising a main body within which the cleaving mechanism is located.
6. A device according to claim 5, in which the cleaving mechanism may be accessed by an optical fibre to be cleaved, only by insertion of the fibre through an aperture in the main body.
7. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the insertion mechanism manipulates the fibre in order to insert the end of the fibre in the connector.
8. A device according to claim 7, in which the insertion mechanism moves the cleaved end of the fibre with respect to the connector holder in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the fibre, which axis extends from the cleaved end of the fibre, in order to insert the fibre in a connector.
9. A device according to claim 8, in which the axial movement of the fibre by the insertion mechanism comprises movement of the insertion mechanism to a locking position at which the fibre is fully inserted into the connector.
10. A device according to claim 9, in which, when the insertion mechanism is in its locking position, the insertion mechanism resists removal of the fibre out of the connector, and resilient means of the insertion mechanism applies an insertion force to the fibre.
11. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the insertion mechanism comprises a curved support on which the fibre is retained when the end of the fibre is inserted into the connector.
12. A device according to claim 11, in which the curved support comprises an at least partial disc, on the circumference of which the fibre is retained.
13. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the insertion mechanism clamps the fibre during the cleavage of the fibre.
14. A device according to claim 13, in which the clamping of the fibre by the insertion mechanism is maintained subsequent to the cleavage of the fibre, until the fibre has been inserted into the connector.
15. A device according to claim 13 or claim 14, when dependent upon claim 12, in which the clamping and retention of the fibre on the support is achieved by rotating a pivoted fibre lock member of the at least partial disc of the support around at least part of the circumference thereof.
16. A device according to claim 15, in which the rotation of the fibre lock member traps the fibre in a groove in the circumference of the support, the groove decreasing in depth along the circumference in the direction of rotation of the fibre lock member.
17. A device according to claim 7 or any claim dependent thereon, in which the insertion mechanism rotates the end of the fibre between a cleavage orientation and an insertion orientation with respect to the connector holder, in order to insert the fibre into the connector.
18. A device according to claim 17, in which the rotation of the fibre by the insertion mechanism is through substantially 90 degrees.
19. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the connector holding means comprises a cradle for a connector, which is movable with respect to the remainder of the device.
20. A device according to claim 19 when dependent upon claim 5 or any claim dependent thereon, in which the cradle is movable across the main body of the device between two opposite insertion positions, in which optical fibres may be inserted into respective opposite ends of a connector held by the cradle to form an optical fibre splice in the connector.
21. A device according to claim 20 when dependent upon claim 17 or any claim dependent thereon, in which there are two opposite insertion orientations of the insertion mechanism, in which the insertion mechanism is situated on opposite sides of its cleavage orientation, the opposite insertion orientations being for inserting fibres into a connector located respectively in the two opposite insertion positions of the cradle.
22. A device according to claim 3 or any claim dependent thereon, in which the cleaving mechanism is arranged to produce the non-perpendicular end face of the fibre such that the end face lies in a plane substantially perpendicular to a direction of insertion of the fibre into a connector held by the connector holding means.
23. A device according to claim 22 when dependent upon claim 21, in which the non-perpendicular end faces of two fibres spliced in the connector are 180 degrees opposed, around a rotational axis comprising the longitudinal axis of the fibres.
24. A device according to any preceding claim, further comprising one or more wedge members that are movable with respect to the connector holding means to open a connector held by the holding means, to enable the insertion of an optical fibre therein.
25. A device according to claim 24 when dependent upon claim 20 or any claim dependent thereon, comprising one or more wedge members located adjacent to each insertion position of the cradle, arranged to open respective parts only of a connector held by the cradle, to allow the insertion of an optical fibre into respective opposite ends of the connector.
26. A device according to any preceding claim, further comprising at least one handle which, when moved to an actuation position causes the cleaving mechanism to cleave an optical fibre.
27. A device according to any preceding claim, comprising a hand operated tool.
28. The use of a device according to any preceding claim, to install an optical fibre in an optical fibre connector.
29. The use according to claim 28, in which the connector comprises at least two parts between which the optical fibre is inserted by the insertion mechanism of the device.
30. The use according to claim 29 when dependent upon claim 24, in which the parts of the connector are opened by the wedge member(s), thereby enabling the insertion of the optical fibre into the connector.
31. The use according to claim 30, in which the connector, and the wedge members and the connector holding means of the device, are arranged such that the wedge members open only a portion of the connector at a time, to install an optical fibre in that portion of the connector while leaving another portion of the connector unopened.
The present invention relates to a device for installing an optical fibre in an optical fibre connector, and in particular such a device in the form of a hand-held tool.
When splicing optical fibres mechanically, by means of an optical fibre connector, it is generally necessary to prepare the end faces of the fibres to ensure that a satisfactory splice, having low optical losses, is formed. This may, for example, involve producing an angled end face of each fibre, i.e. an end face that is not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fibre. Angling the end face of a fibre has the advantage of minimizing undesirable reflections of light back along the fibre from the end face (which “back reflections” might otherwise disrupt optical communications along the fibre). A splice formed between two fibres having angled end faces which are oppositely oriented with respect to each other such that the end faces are in intimate contact with each other is therefore generally desirable, since such a splice will normally have low optical losses and minimal back reflections associated with it.
International Patent Application WO 98/54608 discloses a tool for the angled cleaving of optical fibres. The tool cleaves an optical fibre by clamping the fibre under tension by means of two clamping blocks, displacing the fibre between the clamping blocks by means of an anvil so that the displaced part of the fibre experiences a localised shear force, and scoring the fibre. Because the scored part of the fire is under both tension and shear, the fibre cleaves at an angle away from the perpendicular to the fibre axis. The cleaving tool may be used to cleave an optical fibre that has a ferrule attached to it prior to the insertion of the fibre into the tool. In addition, for polarisation-maintaining (PM) optical fibres, a ferrule that has been pre-attached to such a fibre may be placed in the cleaving tool in a fixed orientation so that the angle of cleave is in the correct orientation with respect to the polarisation axis of the PM optical fibre.
Despite the above-described advantages of splicing optical fibres with angled end faces, such splices have the drawback that their correct formation is generally a skill and time-consuming operation, requiring the expertise of a skilled technician. Also, because the formation of such splices is dependent upon the skill of the technician, the quality of such splices can be variable.
The present invention seeks to simplify the making of mechanical splices, particularly splices formed between fibres with angled end faces, while ensuring their consistent quality. Especially, the invention seeks to avoid the need for a high level of human skill in forming such splices, and by so doing to improve the consistency of the splices so formed.
Accordingly, the invention provides a device for installing an optical fibre in a connector, comprising:
an optical fibre cleaving mechanism;
a connector holding means; and
a fibre insertion mechanism;
arranged such that an optical fibre may be cleaved by the cleaving mechanism to produce an end of the fibre, and the end of the fibre may be inserted by means of the insertion mechanism into a connector held by the connector holding means.
Because the device includes not only a cleaving mechanism to produce a prepared end of a fibre (e.g. suitable for splicing with another fibre), but also a fibre insertion mechanism for inserting the prepared end of the fibre into a connector held by a holding means of the device, the device avoids the requirement for a high level of skill and judgement for these operations on the part of the operator of the device. Consequently, the device can provide high degrees of consistency and quality in the preparation of large numbers of optical fibre splices. The device preferably is a hand operated tool.
For the avoidance of doubt, the term “insertion” (with regard to a fibre being inserted into a connector) as used in this specification, is intended to include insertion into a connector, or otherwise placing a fibre in or on a connector such that the fibre is installed in the connector (or will be installed in the connector merely by subsequent securing of the fibre in the connector, e.g. by clamping).
A second aspect of the invention provides the use of an installation device according to the first aspect of the invention, to install an optical fibre in an optical fibre connector.
The connector preferably comprises at least two parts between which the optical fibre is inserted by the insertion mechanism of the device. The parts of the connector preferably are opened by wedge members of the installation device, thereby enabling the insertion of the optical fibre into the connector. Advantageously, the connector, and the wedge members and the connector holding means of the device, may be arranged such that the wedge members open only a portion of the connector at a time, to install an optical fibre in that portion of the connector while leaving another portion of the connector unopened. This enables an optical fibre to be installed in the connector without disturbing the installation of a fibre already installed in the connector, for example.
Preferred and optional features of the invention are described below, and in the dependent claims.
In order to aid the understanding of the invention, some preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
FIG. 1 is an illustration showing the main components of an embodiment of a device according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a flow chart summarising the main steps in using the device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional illustration of an embodiment of an optical fibre cleaving mechanism of a device according to the invention;
FIG. 4 is another cross-sectional illustration of a detail of the cleaving mechanism of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration showing the clamping points of an optical fibre being cleaved by a device according to the invention;
FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of the formation of an optical fibre splice by means of a device according to the invention;
FIG. 7 is an illustration of an embodiment of an optical fibre connector for use with a device according to the invention;
FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of so-called “wedge-opening” of a connector by means of a device according to the invention; and
FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of the wedge-opening of FIG. 8, illustrating how a selected half of a connector may be opened by means of wedge members of the device according to the invention, in order to install an optical fibre into that half of the connector without disturbing the other half of the connector.
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a device 50 according to the invention, for installing an optical fibre in an optical fibre connector. The device 50 comprises an optical fibre cleaving mechanism 51 (not shown in FIG. 1, but shown in FIGS. 3 and 4), a connector holding means 53, and a fibre insertion mechanism 55. The components of the device 50 are part of a main body 57 of the device. The device 50 is in the form of a hand-held tool, which in addition to the main body 57 includes handles 59 and 61.
The cleaving mechanism 51 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. The connector holding means 53 has the general form of a cradle for an optical fibre connector 1. A preferred form of connector for use with the device 50 is as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, which are taken from the applicant's co-pending UK Patent Application No. 0325697.1, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The cradle 53 (carrying a connector 1) is arranged to slide from one side to the other across the main body 57 of the device, as indicated by double-headed allow A. When the cradle and connector are positioned on one side of the device an optical fibre may be installed in one side of the connector, and when the cradle and connector are positioned on the other side of the device another optical fibre may be installed in the other side of the connector. In this way, two optical fibres may be installed in a connector to form a splice, or alternatively a single fibre (only) may be installed in a connector, ready for splicing with another fibre at a subsequent time.
The optical fibre insertion mechanism 55 is a mechanism by which an optical fibre may be held and manipulated. The embodiment of the insertion mechanism 55 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a support 63 for an optical fibre, in the general form of a half disc having a groove 65 in which a fibre may be retained. The groove 65 is deeper on one side (marked “a”) of the circumference of the half disc support 63 than it is on the opposite side (marked “b”) of the circumference of the support, and the depth of the groove decreases gradually from point a to point b around the circumference. This enables an optical fibre to be clamped (or “locked”) on the support 63 by means of a rotating fibre lock 67 situated on the circumference of the half disc support 63, which pivots about a radial centre point 69 such that the fibre lock follows the circumference of the support as it rotates between point a and point b, as indicated by double-headed arrow B. When the fibre lock 67 is at point a, a fibre located in groove 65 is not clamped by the fibre lock, but the fibre lock clamps the fibre in the groove when the fibre lock is at point b. The insertion mechanism 55 also includes a further clamp 69 for an optical fibre located in groove 65. When the fibre lock 67 is at point b, the further clamp 69 also clamps the fibre.
The support 63 of the insertion mechanism 55 is movable with respect to the main body 57 of the device, and is therefore able to manipulate an optical fibre clamped to it. In particular, the support 63 is able to rotate as indicated by double-headed arrow C between an upright orientation with respect to the main body 57, as drawn in FIG. 1, and two opposite “flat” orientations with respect to the main body. In a first flat orientation, the support 63 has been rotated to the right as drawn in FIG. 1, such that part of the support 63 is nestled in a recess 71 of the main body. In an opposite, second, flat orientation, part of the support 63 is nestled in another recess 73 of the main body, situated on the opposite side of the support. In addition to such rotational movements of the support 63, the support is also able to move linearly along shafts 75 towards and away from the main body 57. This linear movement of the support enables an optical fibre held by the support to be moved linearly in a plane parallel to a main surface 77 of the main body 57 into an optical fibre connector held by the cradle 53, as described below.
Having briefly described some of the main features of the device of FIG. 1, a preferred optical fibre connector for use with the device will now be described.
FIG. 7 illustrates the components of a preferred optical fibre connector; The connector 1 comprises a connector body comprising two parts 3 and 5 which divide the connector body in two along the length of the connector body. The two parts 3 and 5 may be regarded as half-shells of the connector body. The first part 3 will be designated as a base part 3, and the second part 5 will be designated as a lid part 5. Each of the parts 3 and 5 includes a longitudinal channel which, when the parts are brought together to close the connector body define a longitudinal bore 7 extending through the connector body. The bore 7 is for accommodating optical fibres 9 spliced in the connector in use.
The bore 7 comprises a longitudinally central first region 11, second regions 13 at each end of the first region 11, and third regions 15 at each end of the second region 13 (opposite to the ends adjacent to the first region 11). Each second region 13 has a greater diameter than the first region 11, and each third region 15 has a greater diameter than its adjacent second region 13. The first region 11 of the bore 7 is dimensioned to accommodate bare optical fibre stripped of coatings in a tight clamping fit when the lid part 5 and the base part 3 of the connector body are clamped tightly together. The bare optical fibre preferably has an external diameter of approximately 125 μm. The second and third regions of the bore 7 are each dimensioned to accommodate coated regions of the optical fibre. Two such regions (i.e. the second and third regions) of differing diameters are provided so that the connector can accommodate two different sizes of coated fibres (i.e. fibres of different coating thicknesses). It is generally preferred for the second region to be dimensioned to accommodate coated fibre having a diameter of 250 μm, and for the third region to be dimensioned to accommodate coated fibre having a diameter of 900 μm. (Other dimensions could, however, be used.) Whichever size of optical fibre is used, an end portion of the fibre has its coating stripped back to expose the bare fibre, which is accommodated in the first region, and the coated portion is accommodated in the second or third region.
One of the parts of the connector body, preferably the base part 3, includes a semicircular cross-section channel as its portion of the first region 11 of the bore. The other part of the connector body, preferably the lid part 5, is substantially flat in its first region, other than small recesses which help to guide and retain the fibres in position. The fact that the first region of the bore is not circular in cross-section but includes a flat section helps to clamp the bare fibre tightly in the first region. The second and third regions, however, are substantially circular in cross-section. One or both of the second and third regions may include one or more retaining members 19 arranged to cut into the respective coating of the optical fibre to provide axial pull resistance, especially in order to counter creep which might otherwise occur over time.
The connector may include plugs 21 arranged to close, and preferably to seal, the ends of the bore 7 prior to, and during, installation of the optical fibre splice. The plugs 21 preferably prevent dust or other dirt ingress into the connector, and preferably also prevent water ingress into the connector, which could have a detrimental effect on the integrity of the splice. The plugs are removable from the bore to enable the optical fibres to be inserted.
As shown in FIG. 7, at least one of the parts of the connector body, preferably the lid part 5, is divided into a plurality of sections 23 and 25. The sections 23 and 25 are clamping sections of the connector body. As illustrated, there are five clamping sections, comprising three main clamping sections 23 arranged to clamp directly onto the bare optical fibre in the first region 11 of the bore 7, and two additional clamping sections 25 arranged to clamp directly onto the coated portions of the optical fibres in the second or third regions of the bore 7.
The connector also includes a resilient clamp member 29 in the form of a generally U cross-section resilient metal member that is configured to be retained on the exterior of the connector body. The resilient clamp member 29 is arranged to retain the lid part 5 and the base part 3 together such that they are tightly clamped around the spliced optical fibres in use. The two generally parallel arms of the resilient clamp member are divided into clamping sections which form part of the respective clamping sections 23 and 25 of the connector body. The clamping sections of the resilient clamp member enable the clamping sections 23 and 25 of the connector to clamp the fibres independently of each other. A longitudinally central clamping section of the resilient clamp member 29 includes an aperture arranged to receive a protrusion 35 on the connector body to retain the clamp member in place on the connector body.
Because the connector body and the resilient clamp member include three separate main clamping sections arranged to coincide with the first region 11 of the bore 7, the stripped bare portions of two optical fibres spliced in the connector may be clamped independently of each other. Specifically, a first main clamping section 23a clamps only a first bare optical fibre, a second main clamping section 23b clamps both of the first and second bare optical fibres, and a third main clamping section 23c clamps only the second bare optical fibre. Consequently, a first optical fibre may be installed in the connector in preparation for splicing with a second optical fibre to be installed in the connector at a later time. As described below, the end face of the first optical fibre preferably is cleaved at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fibre, in order to minimise back reflections. As a way of facilitating the splicing of the first fibre to a second fibre (also having a non-perpendicular end face) it is preferable to determine and to retain the orientation of the end face of the first fibre in the connector. The fact that the second fibre can be introduced into the connector body and spliced with the first fibre without requiring the unclamping of the first main clamping section 23a from the first fibre means that the orientation of the first fibre is retained.
FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of the assembled connector showing how the lid and base parts 3 and 5 may be separated slightly to facilitate the insertion of the optical fibres to be spliced. The lid and base parts 3 and 5 together provide a recess 35 on the open side of the resilient clamp member 29. The recess 35 has inclined side walls 36. When wedge members 37 of the device 50 are inserted into the recess 35, inclined side walls 38 of the wedge members 37 co-operate with side walls 36 of the recess to force the lid and base parts apart to a predetermined amount. This facilitates axial insertion of the optical fibre(s) into the bore 7. The wedge members 37 are adapted to be able to open the lid and base parts selectively in individual clamping sections of the connector, as described below.
Having described some of the main components of the device 50 of FIG. 1 and the connector of FIGS. 7 and 8, the remainder of the device and the functioning of the device will now be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 2, the device of FIG. 1, and the other drawing figures.
In order to use the device 50 to install an optical fibre into a connector (to form a splice with a pre-installed fibre or to install a fibre ready for forming a splice with another fibre to be installed subsequently) a button 79 on the main body 57 of the device is first pressed, which causes handle 61 to open (i.e. to rotate away from handle 59), or at least ensures that the handle 61 is open. The button 79 is then released. The connector holding means 53 (i.e. the cradle) is then moved to either the left or the right side of the main surface 77 of the main body, depending upon the side of the connector in which a fibre is to be installed. If a fibre is to be installed in the right hand side of a connector 1 as drawn in FIG. 1, the cradle 53 is moved to the left hand side of the device as drawn, and vice versa.
A connector 1 is inserted into the cradle 53 such that the dividing plane between the two parts 3 and 5 of the connector is generally parallel to the main surface 77 of the main body of the device 50, and such that the U-shaped resilient clamp member 29 has its open side facing away from the insertion mechanism 55 and towards the wedge members 37 of the device. A wedge handle 81 is then turned to an “open” position, which causes the wedge members 37 to be inserted (as indicated by arrow D) between the parts 3 and 5 of the connector (as described above) in the relevant half of the connector to enable an optical fibre to be inserted axially into that half of the connector at a later stage in the installation procedure (described below). As drawn in FIG. 1, the cradle 53 (holding a connector 1) is positioned on the left hand side of the main surface 77, to enable an optical fibre to be installed in the right hand side of the connector 1. The relative positions of the cradle 53, connector 1, wedge members 37 and aperture 83 are shown schematically in FIG. 9. It can be seen most clearly from FIG. 9 (but also from FIG. 1) that the wedge members 37 are situated such that positioning the cradle 53 at its left hand position enables the right hand side of a connector held by the cradle to be opened by the wedge members, and vice versa. In FIG. 9, the aperture 83 (through which an optical fibre 9 is inserted for cleaving) is clearly spaced from the cradle 53, to allow insertion of a fibre into the aperture. This is one preferred arrangement. In FIG. 1, the arrangement is such that part of the cradle overlaps the aperture 83 when in its extreme left (or right) hand position, and insertion of an optical fibre 9 into the aperture 83 is enabled by the provision of a slot 84 in the cradle. This is an alternative preferred arrangement.
Now, if an optical fibre is to be cleaved and the end of the fibre then installed in the connector 1 held in the cradle 53, the button 79 is pressed once more (and held depressed), causing a clamping mechanism of the cleaving mechanism to be opened to allow the insertion of the fibre into the cleaving mechanism via an aperture 83 in the main surface 77 of the main body 57 of the device. (The cleaving mechanism is not shown in FIG. 1, but described below with reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5.) As mentioned above, an end region of the optical fibre will have had its coating stripped to expose a region of bare optical fibre, and the fibre is inserted into the aperture 83 until the end of the fibre coating (at the end of the stripped bare region of fibre) butts against a stop member of the cleaving mechanism. The button 79 is then released, causing the clamping mechanism of the cleaving mechanism to clamp the inserted optical fibre.
The optical fibre clamped by the cleaving mechanism and extending out of the aperture 83 is then placed in the groove 65 of the support 63 of the insertion mechanism, so that the fibre extends around the circumference of the support. The pivoted fibre lock 67 is then rotated around the circumference of the support from position a towards position b, until the fibre is clamped between the fibre lock 67 and the support 63, and also clamped by the further clamp 69 (which is actuated by the rotation of the fibre lock).
With the optical fibre firmly clamped by both the cleaving mechanism and the insertion mechanism, the fibre may now be cleaved in order to produce an angled end face of the fibre (in preparation for forming a splice with another fibre). The cleaving is carried out by squeezing handle 61 towards handle 59 (i.e. by closing the handles of the device) until the handle 61 reaches a locking position (in which the handles are locked closed). Because the optical fibre was inserted into the cleaving mechanism until the end of fibre coating butted against a stop, the distance between the point of cleavage of the bare fibre (i.e. the end face of the fibre produced by the cleavage) and the end of the coating, is a fixed standard length determined by the dimensions of the cleaving mechanism. Consequently, every fibre cleaved by the device will have a substantially identical end region, having a standard angled end face and a standard length of bare optical fibre extending from the end of the stripped-back coating to the end face. This “standardisation” of the fibre preparation facilitates the standardisation of splices between fibres, and helps to ensure the desired consistency of the splices.
When the handle 61 is locked in its closed position and the fibre cleavage has occurred, the cleaving mechanism releases its hold on the part of the optical fibre that is to be installed in the connector. (The end portion of the fibre that has been cleaved from the main part of the fibre, and which is to be discarded, is still, at this point in the procedure, clamped by the cleaving mechanism.) The closing of the handle 61 has also released the support 63 of the insertion mechanism 55 from being locked in its upright orientation (as drawn in FIG. 1), allowing the support 63 to be moved in order to manipulate the optical fibre and to install it in the connector 1 held in the cradle 53.
The manipulation of the optical fibre by means of the insertion mechanism 55 is achieved by firstly lifting the support 63 on the shafts 75 away from the main surface 77 of the main body 57. This lifting movement unlocks the support 63 further such that it is now able to rotate away from its upright orientation, as indicated by the double-headed arrow C. The support 63 is thus rotated away from the cradle 53 and the connector 1 (i.e. to the right as drawn in FIG. 1, or to the left if the cradle and connector were instead located on the right hand side of the device). The support is rotated towards the opposite side of the device to that of the cradle and connector so that the optical fibre held by the support may be inserted axially into the connector 1 along the bore 7 of the connector. As described earlier, the support 63 is rotated so that it is in a “flat” orientation parallel to the main surface 77 of the main body 57 of the device 50. When the support 63 is in this flat orientation, the fibre 9 held by the support consequently also lies in a plane parallel to the main surface 77. In fact, the arrangement of the device is such that the end portion of the fibre 9 extending from the clamp 69 is coaxial with the bore 7 of the connector 1 held in the cradle 53. Thus, in order to insert the fibre into the connector 1, the support 63 is merely pushed back along the shafts 75 towards the connector. The length of fibre 9 that is inserted into the connector is predetermined, because the support is pushed until it reaches a position in which it locks in place. The support is also resiliently mounted on the shafts 75 so that, if there is another optical fibre already installed in the connector 1, the newly inserted fibre is pushed against the end of the pre-installed fibre by a pre-set insertion force, to ensure that there is an intimate contact between the end faces of the two optical fibres and a low optical loss splice is therefore formed.
It will be recalled that the relevant side of the connector 1 is slightly open to facilitate the insertion of the optical fibre. (This opening of the relevant side of the connector was achieved by tuning the wedge handle 81 to the “open” position, causing the relevant wedge members 37 to prise the connector open, as described earlier.) Now that the optical fibre has been inserted into the relevant side of the connector, that side of the connector may be closed in order to secure the fibre in place in the connector. This is achieved by turning the wedge handle 81 to the “closed” position, which causes the wedge members 37 to be withdrawn from the connector. With the fibre secured in the connector, the fibre may be released from the support 63 of the insertion mechanism, by rotating the fibre lock 67 back to point a.
All that remains now is to return the device components to their starting condition and either to remove the connector from the device or to install another fibre in the (other side) of the connector. Thus, button 79 is pressed in order to open clamp 1 of the clamping mechanism of the cleaving mechanism, thereby releasing the waste end of the fibre cleaved from the main part of the fibre. (The pressing of the button 79 has also released the handle 61 from its closed position.) Subsequently releasing the button causes the clamping mechanism of the cleaving mechanism to return to its default closed (clamping) condition. The support 63 is returned to its upright orientation by firstly sliding it along the shafts 75 away from the cradle 53, then rotating the support and shafts upright, and then pushing the support back down on the shafts to lock it in position.
If another optical fibre is to be installed in the connector (in the other side of the connector, to form a splice with the fibre that has just been installed), the cradle 53 (still containing the connector) is moved to the opposite side of the surface 77 of the device, and the above procedure is repeated. If no other fibre is to be installed in the connector (i.e. if a splice has already been formed by the installation that has just occurred, or if only one fibre is to be installed in the connector, in preparation for splicing at a subsequent time) the connector is removed from the cradle 53, the cradle is moved to the centre of the surface 77, and the handle 61 is moved to its locked closed position. The device is thus now ready for another fibre installation procedure with another connector.
As discussed earlier in this specification, each optical fibre end face produced through cleavage by the cleaving mechanism 51 of the device is angled away from the perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fibre. The basis principle of the manner in which the cleaving is carried out preferably is substantially as described in WO 98/54608. A detail of an embodiment of the cleaving mechanism is shown in FIG. 4. This figure shows an optical fibre 9 clamped by two spaced-apart clamps of the cleaving mechanism, labelled “clamp 1” and “clamp 2”. The fibre is placed under tension between the two clamps, by slight increasing the distance between the clamps (e.g. by moving one of the clamps away from the other clamp). An anvil 91 displaces the fibre between the clamps so that the fibre is placed under both tension and shear, and a scoring blade 93 then scores the fibre, causing the fibre to cleave at an angle away from the perpendicular to the fibre axis.
FIG. 3 shows the whole of the cleaving mechanism 51, comprising the components described in the preceding paragraph, and two further clamps, labelled clamp 3 and clamp 4. Clamps 1 and 2 clamp directly onto the stripped bare optical fibre. Clamp 3 clamps onto the coating of the fibre, for coated fibre having a small diameter (e.g. 250 μm). Clamp 4 clamps onto the coating of the fibre, for fibre having a larger diameter (e.g. 900 μm). That is, either clamp 3 clamps onto the coated fibre, or clamp 4 clamps onto the coated fibre, depending upon the size of the fibre used. The positions of these clamps with respect to the 250 μm and 900μm fibres are shown schematically in FIG. 5.
The relative orientations of the clamping mechanism, the installation mechanism and the connector holding means of the device are critically important for those embodiments of the invention (as described above) in which the cleaving mechanism produces an angled fibre end face. In order for a low optical loss splice to be achieved between two fibres having angled end faces, the two fibres need to be coaxial, with their end faces facing each other and 180° opposed (around a rotational axis comprising the longitudinal axis of the fibres). This is illustrated schematically in FIG. 6. In order to achieve this, the cleavage plane needs to be perpendicular to the bore 7 of the connector 1, when the connector is held in the holding means (cradle) 53. The 180° opposition of the two fibres to be spliced is achieved by the installation mechanism. A first of the fibres is rotated by the installation mechanism from the upright cleaving orientation through 90° to an installation orientation. The second of the two fibres is rotated by the installation mechanism from the upright cleaving orientation through 90° in the opposite direction, to its (opposite) installation orientation. Consequently, the angled end faces of the two fibres are 180° opposed to each other, as shown in FIG. 6.
The device according to the invention preferably has several advantageous additional features, including the following. Preferably the device is a hand operated (and preferably hand held) tool. The device may be powered and/or automated (e.g. by electricity) but is preferably operated entirely manually. Although the device may be hand held, it preferably includes attachment means by which it may be attached to a “network element”, i.e. an item of an optical communications network, for example a cable splice closure or a cabinet. The device preferably is maintenance-free, and disposable once it has performed a predetermined number of fibre installations. This is consistent with a purpose of the invention being to provide an installation device that avoids the need for a significant level of skill on the part of the operator of the device. As described earlier, the cleaving mechanism preferably is located within the main body of the device, and accessible by an optical fibre only by insertion of the fibre through an aperture in the device. The cleaving mechanism preferably is not accessible to the operator (other than for insertion of a fibre). Consequently, the cleaving mechanism preferably is not accessible for maintenance or for the replacement of a scoring blade, for example. Instead, it is preferred for the scoring blade of the cleaving mechanism to be “indexed” so that it presents a new part of the blade for scoring a fibre, for each fibre or set of fibres that is/are cleaved. This has the advantage of providing consistency without the need for maintenance of the device.
The device of this invention may readily be adapted for use with the non-wedged splice assemblies described and claimed in our co-pending UK Patent Application 0412003.6 (B447), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. For such use, the wedge members hereinbefore described may be replaced by blunt-ended “pusher” members adapted to exert the necessary squeezing action on appropriate parts of the connector body to push the clamping parts of the connector body away from each other, without any wedging action.
Previous Patent: OPTICAL TRANSMITTING/RECEIVING APPARATUS
Next Patent: ELECTRO-OPTICAL DATA TRANSMISSION ARRANGEMENT, AS WELL AS METHOD FOR ITS CONFIGURATION
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(-) Mexico (14)
(-) Web Stories (28)
IDB ramps up financing for green projects in Latin America and the Caribbean
Participate in Twitter using #IDBmtg Bank approved record $736 million in loans last year for private sector projects in renewable energy and energy efficiency The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is ramping up lending for private sector projects related to renewable energy and energy efficiency to help bridge the gap for long-term financing for green investments in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Paraguay and the IDB: partners in development
Paraguay is a founding member of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Bank’s partner in development Through an ongoing process of cooperation, financing has been provided to the Paraguay to carry out major works, which have spurred the country’s economy. This year, the Bank’s portfolio of projects in execution in Paraguay totals 27 sovereign guarantee operations for $755.27 million, of which $445.9 million are pending disbursement.
A capital challenge in Haiti
Until February 2011, Jean-Claude Seropian, a French hydraulic engineer, worked in Paris as director of operations of Suez Environnement, one of the world’s leading water and waste management companies. That month he moved to Haiti as head of a team of five technical, financial and management experts from Suez and two sister companies, Aguas de Barcelona and United Water. Their mission: to work with the staff of Port-au-Prince’s ailing water utility to arrest the decline of its services.
IDB backs large infrastructure and natural resource projects in Latin America and the Caribbean
$5.4 billion in financing mobilized in the past four years for the region The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has provided $2.6 billion in loans to finance key private sector infrastructure and natural resource projects in Latin America and the Caribbean over the past four years and it has mobilized another $2.8 billion in financing for the region through its syndication program.
Harnessing volcanoes’ energy in Nicaragua
Sitting on top of a chain of volcanoes, Nicaragua is the ideal candidate to exploit geothermal energy sources. Ironically, though, the country depends on oil and coal for its electricity even as it struggles to keep up with energy demand. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) aims to change that through the San Jacinto-Tizate Geothermal Power Project.
Colombia expands its renewable energy production
Porce III Hydroelectric Plant increases country’s installed generating capacity by 5% Colombians will have greater access to clean energy as a result of the recent inauguration of the Porce III Hydroelectric Plant, which will add 660 megawatts to the country's energy matrix. The plant, built with financing from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to Empresas Públicas de Medellín(EPM), will increase Colombia’s installed power generating capacity by 5% and position EPM as the largest power company in the country.
Mesoamerica renews push towards integration
The presidents of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Mexico, Colombia and the Dominican Republic will meet tomorrow, Oct. 26, in Cartagena, Colombia at the XII Summit of the Tuxtla Mechanism for Dialogue and Coordination. The heads of state will be informed of the progress made by the Mesoamerica Project in terms of regional integration and will decide further courses of action.
Natural disaster risks remain high in Latin American and the Caribbean, IDB says
Latin America and the Caribbean face potentially crippling economic and social costs from natural disasters and needs to do more to reduce risks and prepare government finances to respond to eventual catastrophes, according to a new set of indicators by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Central America's integration is in full swing
In late July, the first substation of the Central American Electrical Interconnection System (SIEPAC) is opening in Costa Rica. A week later, the substation in Panama will be ready to operate. Towers, lines and cables are already in place, so the southern section of the nascent Central American electricity market will soon be a reality. PAC53 - Road from La Chorrera to Arraijan, in Panama.
IDB study suggests large natural disasters unlikely to affect long-term growth
Large natural disasters are unlikely to affect long-term economic growth unless they are followed by a radical disruption in the institutional organization of society, a new study by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) suggests. The study, which analyses the impact of large natural disasters, sheds new light on whether these occurrences hurt long run economic growth. Current economic theories do not offer a clear answer.
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Season Tickets for the Vandals
Enter your non-winning Vandals, Bengals or Broncos Scratch tickets for a chance to win (2) two 2018 season tickets to the University of Idaho football home games.
Vandals Season Tickets
Mary Culligan
Bengals Season Tickets 2018
Enter any non-winning Vandals, Bengals or Broncos Scratch ticket for a chance to win (2) 2018 season tickets to University of Idaho football games.
(2) 2018 season tickets to University of Idaho Football games.
Monday, July 30, 2018 at 12:01 a.m. MT until 11:59 p.m. MT on Sunday, August 19, 2018.
The Lottery will post the name of the winner on the website no later than 3:00 PM on Wednesday, August 22, 2018.
To enter, go to vip.idaholottery.com and sign-up or log-in. Click on the "Promotions & 2nd chance tab" then look for the Vandals image. Enter the 14-digit ticket number of any non-winning Vandals, Bengals or Broncos Scratch ticket.
Only Tele-Entry and on-line (Internet) entries will be accepted.
Entries will only be accepted from 07/30/18 until 8/19/18 at 11:59 p.m. MT.
The Lottery will post the name of the winner on the website no later than 3:00 PM MT on August 22, 2018.
The winner must contact the Lottery within seventy two (72) hours of notification.
The winning entries cannot be verified by the Lottery.
The tickets entered were illegally obtained or if a violation of any law or rules has occurred.v
The winner will have seventy-two (72) hours, after the winner's name has been posted on the website, to contact the Idaho Lottery Customer Service. Every effort will be made to contact winners by the phone number provided by the entrant.
The Idaho Lottery will post the winner's name on the website no later than 3:00 PM on August 22, 2018.
In the event a named winner is disqualified or does not step forward to claim their prize within the required time, the named winner will forfeit their claim to the prize and an alternate will be chosen and contacted. The alternate will then have forty eight (48) hours from notification to claim their prize.
Sign and complete the information on the back of the selected, non-winning ticket.
Winners must present the selected tickets to Lottery Officials to process their claim.
Possession of the non-winning tickets is the only method the Lottery has to verify your claim.
Claims must be made in person at the Lottery Offices in Boise.
You must complete and sign a claim form and a claim form addendum. You can get these forms off of the Idaho Lottery website.
When you visit the Lottery Offices in Boise, you will need the selected non-winning ticket, the claim form, claim form addendum and a government-issued photo identification to claim your prize.
You must complete and sign a claim form and a claim form addendum. You can get these forms from the Idaho Lottery website or request them from the Lottery office.
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'Friends' will remain on Netflix in 2019, and the streaming service is reportedly dropping $100 million for the rights
"Friends" will remain on Netflix in 2019.
A note on Netflix's "Friends" show page on Monday said the sitcom would leave the service in January.
Netflix pulled the note, however, and posted on social media that "Friends" would be available throughout 2019.
Netflix and AT&T are finalizing a deal to keep the show on Netflix while allowing AT&T to also include it on its coming streaming service.
The New York Times reported that Netflix will pay $100 million for the rights.
The internet lost its mind Monday when a note on Netflix's show page for "Friends" said the show would be leaving the service on January 1.
Thanks partly to its availability on Netflix, which acquired the streaming rights in 2015, the 1990s sitcom is still a beloved and hugely popular property. Soon after the news blew up the internet, Netflix pulled the note from the page and, later on Monday, posted to social media that the show would be available to stream at least through 2019.
While "Friends" is safe on Netflix for now, new questions have been raised about its future in streaming.
The Warner Bros. series is the subject of negotiations between Netflix and AT&T, which bought Time Warner earlier this year. Before Netflix announced the show would remain on its service, there was speculation that it would be moving to AT&T's streaming service, which is expected to launch in 2019.
Read more: AT&T will jump into the streaming bloodbath by launching a Netflix competitor next year
According to The Wall Street Journal, that's still somewhat the case. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson confirmed at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference on Tuesday that Netflix and AT&T were finalizing a multiyear agreement to keep "Friends" on Netflix but allow AT&T "the flexibility" to put the show on its coming service.
According to The New York Times, which cited anonymous sources, Netflix will pay $100 million for "Friends," which is considerably more than the $30 million it was paying per year previously. But since the show won't be exclusive to Netflix once AT&T launches its service, Netflix is negotiating a lower price in the future. It's possible that "Friends" could leave Netflix after 2019, the sources told the Times. The Times said that the original deal was set to expire at the end of the year, and negotiations have been ongoing for the last few months.
The drama around "Friends" is not the only rights situation Netflix has had to deal with lately.
Disney will end a deal with the streaming giant ahead of launching its own service, Disney Plus, in 2019. Marvel, Star Wars, and other content will be included in the new service. And the Fox-owned "Sons of Anarchy" already left Netflix this month, signaling what could be coming after the Disney-Fox merger is finalized (it still streams on Hulu, which Disney owns a large percentage of).
Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.
More: Netflix at&t Friends
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MEGHAN SWEENEY
Lindsay Lohan at her 23rd birthday party this year at Wet Republic at MGM Hotel and casino in Las Vegas
Lindsay Lohan’s newest movie – well, telemovie, that is – “Labor Pains” premiered Sunday night on ABC Family to mixed reviews.
Everybody who’s in on the Hollywood gossip mill knows that the Irish-American actress turned down Heather Graham’s “stripper with a heart of gold” part in wildly successful comedy “The Hangover” to play a secretary who fakes a pregnancy to avoid being fired in the straight-to-cable flick “Labor Pains.”
Clearly not the wisest career choice, but it's just another in a long line of Lohan's loopy career choices.
So this begs the question: Is troubled former teen queen Lindsay Lohan’s career officially over?
It's hard to bet against her; she's still only 23 and she's got plenty of time to make at least one comeback, if not more.
LiLo, or “Lindsanity” as some have dubbed her, has numerous fan sites to her name, graces the covers tabloids on a weekly basis, scores covers on even high-end magazines like Vogue and is a household name for pretty much anyone with a TV.
Lohan is one of the biggest celebrities of today – yet she seems to be doing the least work.
So then we have to look at what defines “career” in this country.
If we mean her celeb status, LiLo's doing fine. She can get into any club she pleases and the paparazzi are always all over her.
So as long as she keeps up the partying and lesbian love affairs, America will still be interested, and she’ll still be raking in the dough from magazines and club appearances.
But if we mean solid acting ability, Oscars and critically acclaimed movies, that could be a longshot for La Lohan.
LiLo was called a child prodigy after she played twins in 1998’s “The Parent Trap” and hailed as one of the most talented actresses out there after her star turn in 2004’s “Mean Girls.”
People, please.
How challenging is it to look cute for the cameras and put on a mediocre British accent?
And how difficult is it to play a high school heroine in a funny, though over-rated, teen flick?
Sure, Lohan isn’t the worst actress in the world, but we only have samples like “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen” and “I Know Who Killed Me” to look at. Her performance in the latter even earned the actress several Razzie Awards for worst acting in a film.
So the real question is not whether Lindsay Lohan’s career is over – but when did it ever begin?
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CARICOM wants Blood?
14 Mar 2014 - 05:05AM
The views expressed herein are those of the writer and do not represent the opinions or editorial position of I-Witness News. Opinion pieces can be submitted to [email protected]
Dr. Ralph Gonsalves says that CARICOM will not “interfere or intervene” in St. Kitts and Nevis on the Motion of No Confidence issue. The official position of CARICOM, by Dr. Gonsalves’ own words as its present Chairman, is that it will do so only if there’s a breakdown of law and order here. And, according to him, that hasn’t happened. Maybe it’s okay for leaders to personally intervene in political activities in St. Kitts & Nevis to promote and support their friends, but neither personally nor institutionally to intervene in defence of social justice. Maybe they need to see graphic images of human carnage, extensive social and economic damage and loss, as a prerequisite to CARICOM action, with regional security boots on the ground, CNN and BBC reporting, investors and tourists apprehensive, some even aghast, and so on.
Dr. Gonsalves described the situation in St. Kitts & Nevis as merely “an intense competition between two competing political forces”, claiming that the “democratic institutions are working out their problems”, and that “the Governor-General, the Speaker of the House and the Courts are seized of the matter”. He even repeated the unfortunate comment of the Commonwealth Secretary that our democratic institutions are working.
The Governor-General and the Speaker represent two of the three institutions that are preventing the Motion from being heard, and thereby compromising good governance and undermining democracy. And the attitude of these two men has served only to aggravate the social injustice.
Dr. Gonsalves and CARICOM’s other leaders know that law and order do not break down only when there’s rioting, burning, looting, killing and the like. As learned men and women they know that throughout history, acts of civil unrest by ordinary men and women of the world have, for the most part, been either instigated and manipulated by leaders (in or out of power), or have been the ordinary people’s own reaction to unfair, undemocratic governance by those in power.
In other words, they know that civil unrest is often the manifestation, the symptom, and not the cause, of the failure of democratic institutions and the instruments of power in a society.
CARICOM’s leaders are also well aware of the critical importance of Motions of No Confidence in our system of governance, and that the obstruction of a Motion, or even an attitude of apprehension towards it by the incumbents, constitutes a very real threat to democracy. So how can Dr. Gonsalves say that our democratic institutions are working when such a grave problem exists at the very core of our democracy?
And apart from the Motion of No Confidence matter, (i) the serial assaults by the Denzil Douglas cabal on our Constitution, upon the rule of law, and on other essential principles of governance; (ii) the incredible politicization of the public service; and (iii) the systemic corruption that bares it ugly face for all to see, all provide even more compelling evidence to debunk Dr. Gonsalves’ claim.
As does the Feb. 12, 2014, judgment of Justice Ramdhani with regard to the Motion, a judgment which must have put on notice all persons in CARICOM concerned with, or responsible for, good governance.
I wonder if at least the six lawyers who’re Heads of Government in CARICOM one of them is a QC, have read that judgment.
I wonder if they also know that the Parliament of this country has not had a Deputy Speaker since Jan. 25, 2010; or that high-level electoral officials have been found by the Appeal Court to have acted with malfeasance; or that a budget was delivered outside of the constitutional timeline; or that the Government forced a Registrar of the Supreme Court to 62 days leave with just 72 hours’ notice, her leave to begin on the day when the Motion of No Confidence case was set down.
Do CARICOM leaders know that there’s no Integrity in Public Life, or Freedom of Information, law in force in our country?
They would, if they were carrying out their obligation to ensure compliance with the CARICOM Charter of Civil Society, which is the moral and ethical compass for governance in CARICOM, at both state and regional levels.
The Charter’s intent is, among other things, for the people of the region to enter the 21st century on the basis of respect for the Constitution and the rule of law and the highest possible level of governance, and to sustain that level by “mobilizing for change”.
Under Article 25, member states are to submit reports every three years on measures taken and successes achieved by them with regard to their obligation to comply with the Charter.
In addition to, and apart from those reports, Article 25 also allows the Heads to request reports from member states “at any time”. And they have a moral and ethical obligation to request a special report from any country going through what St. Kitts and Nevis has been going through since 2010.
But have we submitted any three-year reports? Indeed, has any other government done so? And have the Heads requested any special report from us? Even one?
If there’s been no reporting from Basseterre, and no request for reports, then the Charter of Civil Society is, at present, not worth the paper on which it is written, and the moral compass for governance in CARICOM is broken. Broken by the leaders of CARICOM, which means that we’re seeing serious decay, maybe collapse, at regional level.
This would constitute a potentially catastrophic threat to the institutions and instruments of good governance and democracy, and, from the least expected quarters, to law and order, which is a far greater threat than that posed by ordinary folks acting out their frustration with unrest on the streets of the Caribbean.
And to make matters worse, instead of saluting the good people of St. Kitts & Nevis for choosing the more difficult route of protesting against the injustice in a patient, peaceful and restrained manner, these leaders provide tacit institutional endorsement of the perpetrators of the injustice.
What we’re witnessing here is a grave dereliction of duty by CARICOM’s leaders, and, by that dereliction, a self-declaration of their unworthiness to lead the region in the 21st century, and in the spirit and meaning of the CARICOM Charter of Civil Society
Shame on them. And shame on the people of the region if we allow this to continue.
Meanwhile, who’s going to guard the guard? Are our Courts, thank God for them, sufficient?
G.A.Dwyer Astaphan
The views expressed herein are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the opinions or editorial position of iWitness News. Opinion pieces can be submitted to [email protected].
2 replies on “CARICOM wants Blood?”
Dwight Asterphan says:
Like the writer above ………
I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY ON THIS MATTER !
Stakeholder says:
This is indeed a denial of democracy for the people of St Kitts & Nevis. If the government there is so sure of their democratic bona fides why not let the vote of no confidence go forward, and if necessary get a general election called to find out what is the will of the people. The silence of the other CARICOM leaders is a sad refection on the nature of the regional leadership. They probably look around the globe and get comfort from the actions of the likes of Maduro in Venezuela and Putin in the Crimea.
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Duke Professor Calls for Boycott of Kanye West Tour Merchandise
Filed in Breaking News on November 8, 2013
William Darity, chair of the Department of African and African American studies and professor of public policy and economics at Duke University has called for a boycott of merchandise being marketed in connection with Kanye West’s Yeezus Tour. Some of the items being sold in connection with the tour have depictions of the Confederate battle flag.
Professor Darity states: “The stars and bars is the iconic symbol of the Confederacy, which was formed to conduct a traitorous secession and to preserve slavery in America. Southern blacks, in particular, see this flag as a sign of both danger and degradation and have fought for many years to have it removed from public places. In ‘appropriating’ this symbol, Kanye West is either naive, ignorant, or engaged in a cynical ploy to expand the market for his products. A boycott should be conducted against the Yeezus brand.”
Professor Darity told JBHE that he had received no reaction from Kanye West or his associates since calling for the boycott. But he noted that several hostile comments about his efforts had been posted on a Facebook page about the boycott.
Dr. Darity is a graduate of Brown University and holds a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Related: Duke University
MHP says:
Kanye is forever starting controversy. This new design idea of his takes the cake, I guess it fits in with the whole “black skin head” project.
mathprof says:
While we wait for that boycott to kick in:
the unemployment rate for Black male workers over 20 years-of-age in the United States increased from 13.5 to 14 percent between August and September 2013
So there is nothing more important in the world going on to be worried about? You are giving him the publicity that he wants. Find a better issue to deal with.
Leave a Reply to mathprof
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TWO-TIME GRAMMY AWARD WINNER LAUREN DAIGLE TO DEBUT “LOOK UP CHILD” ON TODAY WITH HODA & JENNA
NEWS SOURCE: PFA Media
Tomorrow, August 12 th , two-time GRAMMY Award winner and multi-platinum recording artist Lauren Daigle will perform on Today with Hoda & Jenna. She’ll be debuting a special “striped down” version of “Look Up Child,” the title track from her GRAMMY Award winning album. Of the performance Daigle shares, “this song is about how to stay light in heavy times and I hope it brings some light to everyone’s day.” Today with Hoda & Jenna airs on NBC at 10am local time.
Daigle is a two-time GRAMMY Award winner, five-time Billboard Music Award winner, and a three-time American Music Award winner. Her ability to connect with her audience has captured critical acclaim and recognition as the fastest-selling new artist for her genre of the last decade. Daigle’s GRAMMY Award winning and Triple-Platinum certified crossover hit, “You Say,” has become the longest-running No. 1 song on the weekly Hot Christian Songs Chart at 95 weeks. The smash also spent multiple weeks at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary Chart, appearing in the Top 20 on Billboard’s Top 40 chart, and Top 5 on their Hot AC Chart. Her follow up single, “Rescue,” has recently been certified platinum. Daigle’s GRAMMY Award winning album, Look Up Child, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and has been certified platinum.
Connect with Lauren:
Website // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Youtube
For more info on Lauren Daigle, visit the JFH Artists Database.
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More Ways to 'Explore JPL'
Summer Learning With NASA
Teachable Moments| May 6, 2016
A Teachable Moment You Can See! The Transit of Mercury
UPDATE - May 9, 2016: NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, spacecraft captured stunning images of the May 9, 2016 transit of Mercury. Visit the mission's Transit of Mercury page to see a collection of videos of the transit compiled using SDO images. And have students play "Can You Spot Mercury?" in our educational slideshow.
It only happens about 13 times per century and hasn’t happened in nearly a decade, but on Monday, May 9, Mercury will transit the sun. A transit happens when a planet crosses in front of a star. From our perspective on Earth, we only ever see two planets transit the sun: Mercury and Venus. (Transits of Venus are even more rare. The next one won't happen until 2117!) On May 9, as Mercury passes in front of the sun, viewers around Earth (using the proper safety equipment) will be able to see a tiny dark spot moving slowly across the disk of the sun.
CAUTION: Looking directly at the sun can cause permanent vision damage – see below for tips on how to safely view the transit.
In the early 1600s, Johannes Kepler discovered that both Mercury and Venus would transit the sun in 1631. It was fortunate timing: The telescope had been invented just 23 years earlier and the transits wouldn’t happen in the same year again until 13425. Kepler didn’t survive to see the transits, but French astronomer Pierre Gassendi became the first person to see the transit of Mercury (the transit of Venus wasn’t visible from Europe). It was soon understood that transits could be used as an opportunity to measure the apparent diameter – how large a planet appears from Earth – with great accuracy.
In 1677, Edmond Halley observed the transit of Mercury and realized that the parallax shift of the planet – the variation in Mercury’s apparent position against the disk of the sun as seen by observers at distant points on Earth – could be used to accurately measure the distance between the sun and Earth, which wasn’t known at the time.
Today, radar is used to measure the distance between Earth and the sun with greater precision than can be found using transit observations, but the transit of Mercury still provides scientists with opportunities for scientific investigation in two important areas: exospheres and exoplanets.
Exosphere Science
Some objects, like the moon and Mercury, were originally thought to have no atmosphere. But scientists have discovered that these bodies are actually surrounded in an ultra-thin atmosphere of gases called an exosphere. Scientists want to better understand the composition and density of the gases that make up Mercury’s exosphere and transits make that possible.
“When Mercury is in front of the sun, we can study the exosphere close to the planet,” said NASA scientist Rosemary Killen. “Sodium in the exosphere absorbs and re-emits a yellow-orange color from sunlight, and by measuring that absorption, we can learn about the density of gas there.”
This image of Mercury passing in front of the sun was captured on Nov. 8, 2006 by the Solar Optical Telescope, one of three primary instruments on the Hinode spacecraft. Image credit: Hinode JAXA/NASA/PPARC
Exoplanet Discoveries
When Mercury transits the sun, it causes a slight dip in the sun’s brightness as it blocks a tiny portion of the sun's light. Scientists discovered they could use that phenomenon to search for planets orbiting distant stars, called exoplanets, that are otherwise obscured from view by the light of the star. When measuring the brightness of far-off stars, a slight recurring dip in the light curve (a graph of light intensity) could indicate an exoplanet orbiting and transiting its star. NASA’s Kepler mission has found more than 1,000 exoplanets by looking for this telltale drop in brightness.
This diagram shows how scientists use the light curves of distant stars to search for planets outside our solar system. A drop in the light curve, as illustrated here, is a good indication that there's a planet orbiting the observed star. Credit: NASA Ames
The Kepler mission measures the brightness of stars. The data will look like an EKG showing the heart beat. Whenever a planet passes in front of its parent star as viewed from the spacecraft, a tiny pulse or beat is produced. From the repeated beats, we can detect and verify the existence of Earth-size planets and learn about the orbit and size of the planet. Video credit: NASA Ames and Dana Berry
Additionally, scientists have begun exploring the exospheres of exoplanets. By observing the spectra of the light that passes through an exosphere – similar to how we study Mercury’s exosphere – scientists are beginning to understand the evolution of exoplanet atmospheres as well as the influence of stellar wind and magnetic fields.
Mercury will appear as a tiny dot on the sun’s surface and will require a telescope or binoculars with a special solar filter to see. Looking at the sun directly or through a telescope without proper protection can lead to serious and permanent vision damage. Do not look directly at the sun without a solar filter.
The transit of Mercury will begin at 4:12 a.m. PDT, meaning by the time the sun rises on the West Coast, Mercury will have been transiting the sun for nearly two hours. Fortunately, it will take seven and a half hours for Mercury to completely cross the sun’s face, so there will be plenty of time for West Coast viewers to witness this event. See the transit map to learn when and where the transit will be visible.
Don’t have access to a telescope, binoculars or a solar filter? Visit the Night Sky Network website for the location of events near you where amateur astronomers will have viewing opportunities available.
NASA also will stream a live program on NASA TV and the agency’s Facebook page from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. PDT (10:30 to 11:30 a.m. EDT) -- an informal roundtable during which experts representing planetary, heliophysics and astrophysics will discuss the science behind the Mercury transit. Viewers can ask questions via Facebook and Twitter using #AskNASA.
Here are two ways to turn the transit of Mercury into a lesson for students.
Exploring Exoplanets with Kepler - Students use math concepts related to transits to discover real-world data about Mercury, Venus and planets outside our solar system.
Pi in the Sky 3 - Try the "Sun Screen" problem on this illustrated math problem set that has students calculate the percentage drop in sunlight reaching Earth when Mercury transits.
Transit Resources:
NASA TV (live transit coverage)
NASA Transit Website (near real-time images of the transit)
Night Sky Network Events
Video: What’s Up – May 2016
Solar System Transits
NASA Museum Alliance Resources
Exoplanet Resources:
Kepler Mission Website
Exoplanet Exploration Website
Eyes on Exoplanets Interactive
Exoplanet Travel Bureau Posters
Video: What’s in an Exoplanet Name?
Video: The Search for Another Earth
Kepler Education Activities
TAGS: Transit, Transit of Mercury, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Exoplanets, Teach, Classroom Activities, Lessons,
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White Sox plan to extend netting at Guaranteed Rate Field
by: JAY COHEN, Associated Press
Posted: Jun 18, 2019 / 03:57 PM PDT / Updated: Jun 18, 2019 / 10:47 PM PDT
FILE – In this Monday, June 10, 2019, file photo, Emergency personal keep a towel on the face of a person who was struck by a line drive by Chicago White Sox’s Eloy Jimenez during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals in Chicago. The Chicago White Sox plan to extend the protective netting all the way to the foul poles at Guaranteed Rate Field, becoming the first major league team to take such a step in the wake of a couple of high-profile fan injuries. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox plan to extend the protective netting to the foul poles at Guaranteed Rate Field, becoming the first major league team to take that step since a couple of high-profile injuries this spring increased the focus on fan safety at ballparks.
The White Sox and Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, which owns the ballpark, are hoping to complete the project this season. They say they will announce more details at a later date.
Now that one team has jumped in front on the move, there likely will be more to come. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where one major league team feels comfortable with less protection for fans than at another ballpark.
“Obviously that’s a positive step in this sport,” Chicago Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. said before Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss to the White Sox. “I don’t think anybody should go home with bumps or bruises or even worse. So whatever they got to do to take care of that, I’m glad they’re taking procedures.”
Following recommendations from Major League Baseball, by the start of the 2018 season all 30 teams had expanded their protective netting to at least the far ends of the dugouts after several fans were injured by foul balls in 2017.
But a liner by Almora struck a young girl in Houston in May, and a woman was hit by a foul ball off the bat of White Sox slugger Eloy Jiménez in Chicago on June 10. Each of the incidents occurred in the stands beyond the dugout on the third base side, sparking several players to call for expanded netting.
The Chicago Sun-Times was the first to report on the plans for Guaranteed Rate Field.
“It’s a positive,” Cubs ace Jon Lester said. “Obviously when one team does it, then you get kind of the herding effect and the rest of the people usually follow.”
Almora was visibly shaken after the liner against the Astros.
“I am a father and I am a fan of this game,” he said. “I just don’t want to see things like that ever happen again.”
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said June 4 he doesn’t expect teams to make changes to the protective netting during the season, but he thought conversations would continue about whether netting should be extended.
The netting was expanded before the 2018 season because of a couple of scary plays two years ago.
At Yankee Stadium in May 2017, a boy was struck on the head by a portion of Chris Carter’s broken bat. A fan sitting beyond the first base dugout was hit by a 105-mph foul ball off the bat of Aaron Judge in July of that year. And in September, a young girl was injured by another 105-mph foul ball off the bat of Todd Frazier and was hospitalized.
White Sox ace Lucas Giolito praised his team’s decision to take the next step at its ballpark.
“For me, I think that in today’s day and age you have a lot of young fans and guys are hitting the ball harder,” he said. “I see the counter-arguments, like ‘Well, don’t sit there or just pay attention to the game.’ Dude, like no matter how much you’re paying attention to the game, if that thing is coming in 115 mph with tail, no matter if you have a glove this big, it could hit you right in the forehead.
“So for me being around baseball for so long, I think it’s a smart move because it just keeps people safe. I hate seeing young kids get hit and having to go to the hospital. It just leaves a sick feeling in all our stomachs.”
by TIM REYNOLDS, Associated Press / Jan 15, 2021
Another three NBA games were postponed Friday, including one in Minnesota only a couple hours before game time, as the league's struggle with increasing coronavirus numbers continued.
Among the revelations Friday: Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns , whose mother and six other relatives have died from COVID-19, said he has tested positive. The Washington Wizards said that they have six players who are positive as well, and another three players out because contact tracing data suggested they could have been exposed.
Blazers fall to Pacers, lose Nurkic with fractured wrist
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Indiana Pacers past the Portland Trail Blazers 111-87.
Malcolm Brogdon added 25 points and seven assists for the Pacers, who improved to 4-1 on the road this season and snapped an 11-game losing streak in Portland. Indiana led by 25 in the second quarter and maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way.
Astoria’s Jordan Poyer helps Bills in NFL playoffs
by Adam Bjaranson / Jan 14, 2021
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- There are a lot of NFL guys that come from rural areas. But few of them are appreciated more than Buffalo's Jordan Poyers -- especially in Astoria.
Poyer, now in his 8th NFL season, remains one of the most underrated safeties in the game. But his journey to the league came with a ton of dedication that was unmatched.
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You are here: Curriculum » British Values
Preparing Children for Life in Modern Britain
At Kings Avenue Primary School, we take very seriously our responsibility to prepare children fully for life in modern Britain. We ensure that the fundamental British Values are introduced, discussed and lived out every day through the ethos and work of the school. These values have been defined recently by the DfE as:
• Democracy
• Rule of Law
• Individual Liberty
• Mutual Respect
• Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs
All of the curriculum areas, in particular Humanities, RE and RSE, provide a vehicle for furthering and deepening the children’s understanding of these concepts. Daily activities, such as assemblies and extra-curricular clubs, are also used to raise the profile of these values and help the children to understand their significance. Our children embrace these concepts with enthusiasm and demonstrate a strong understanding of their application to their own lives.
Each of the core British values is promoted at Kings Avenue in the following ways:
Democracy is an important value at our school, as we give our children every opportunity to have a say in the development and future of the school. We ensure that Pupil Voice is heard strongly and provide different platforms for the children to express their ideas and opinions.
Our School Council has members who were elected by their peers in their classes, modelling the democratic process. The School Council meets regularly with the Head; they are responsible for collecting suggestions from their classes and disseminating feedback after the meetings.
We also have appointed Prefects from our Year 6 cohort, who were selected through both nominations from staff and children throughout Key Stage 2. They carry out a range of duties, from supporting younger children in the playground to delivering booster lessons in their lunch times. Our Monitoring Schedule also builds in regular opportunities for children to meet with the Leadership Team to discuss their learning and preferences. Through all of these forums, we seek to ensure that the children feel that they have a say in the direction of the school, and understand the importance of expressing their views.
The importance of rules, the rewards for adhering to them and the consequences of breaking them is reinforced at Kings Avenue constantly.
Our Behaviour Policy, which has been shared with and explained to all of our children, focuses on children making positive choices about their own behaviour. Our children are taught that the rules within this are there to ensure that everyone learns to the best of their ability and reaches their full potential. When children have not made good choices about their own behaviour, they are supported to think about which of the rules they did not follow, and the effect that this had on others. Alongside this, we operate a consistent school-wide reward system for positive behaviour. At Kings Avenue we believe in having a strong moral compass. We celebrate our morals of being kind, honest, helpful and fair through compass coins. Compass Coins are used in conjunction with our vertical house group system. House groups create opportunities for peer mentoring, reading buddies and further build on community events. At the end of each term, the house who have deposited the most compass coins into their collection tube receives a special reward. They are also recognised in our weekly ‘Star of the Week’ assemblies. Through these systems, the children develop a strong understanding of the need for laws and the rewards in life for adhering to them.
Alongside these, each class draw up a Class Charter of laws to be followed in the classroom; the children are the driving force in deciding what these rules should be in their classes.
Through our Curriculum, we also build in other opportunities for the children to deepen their understanding of the importance of laws in society. For example, the children learn about different types of governance in the past, e.g. in Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, and compare these models to our society today. Our Curriculum is also enriched through visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service, who talk to the children about the importance of their work and issues which relate to their lives.
We aim for each of our children to maximise their individual talents to become the best people they can be, whilst developing their self-esteem and confidence. As part of this, we actively encourage them to use their individual creativity and exercise their freedom of choice. The approach to our teaching and learning, as well as delivering Philosophy for Children sessions, places emphasis on the right to have our own thoughts and evidence-based views. Through collecting Pupil Voice information, we are constantly adapting the Curriculum to give our children the best possible opportunities we can.
Each class has a weekly RSE class assembly, where one of the key foci is on the importance of individual rights and the responsibilities these bring. Increasingly, the children are taking the lead over the issues to be discussed in these assemblies. Furthermore, we have broadened our range of extra-curricular activities and clubs; the children are able to choose the clubs they will join to suit their own personal interests and ambitions.
We recognise that in the modern world, the children need to be fully equipped to make good choices about the way they use technology, and in particular the internet. The teaching of e-safety is fully integrated into our Computing curriculum, but is also a focus of assemblies and whole-school events. Through this, we aim for our children to enjoy using technology safely in all aspects of their every day lives.
Respect and Tolerance of Different Faiths and Beliefs
We are lucky to have a very diverse cohort; our children come from a wide range of cultural and religious backgrounds, and this is celebrated at every opportunity through the work of the school. A lot of importance is placed on our children learning about, and being inquisitive about and respectful of, the cultures and beliefs of others.
Through our RE and RSE curriculums, our children learn about the traditions and beliefs of a wide range of faiths; during these lessons they are encouraged to share their own experiences and reflect on those of others. The RE curriculum is enriched with visits to places of worship and talks in school from faith leaders. Diversity is also explored as part of our curriculum; as the children learn about different civilisations and places around the world, they explore the beliefs and traditions prevalent in those times or places, bringing their own experiences to this learning wherever possible.
We are committed to drawing on our wider school community to promote diversity and tolerance too. KASA, our parent group, has organised events this year including a celebration for Eid and an International Evening, where adults and children from a range of cultural backgrounds have come together to share their traditions and beliefs. These events were a great success.
Respect, tolerance and understanding are fundamental values to all that we do as a school. We are committed to challenging anyone who expresses views contrary to these principles, to ensure that our school remains a community free of prejudice where everyone feels valued.
British Values - Democracy Year 2 Visit to the National Army Museum Nite Owls visiting Kings Avenue
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Turnout and seat projections for European Parliament
Kantar provides European Parliament with turnout and seat projections as the new Parliament is elected.
Bécuwe
Head of Kantar’s International Election Team, Public Division, Brussels
Public SectorPolicy & Society
As the European Elections result in the new European Parliament, the live publication of Sunday night’s live national estimates and European seat projections provided by Kantar for the European Parliament was a great achievement for the transnational democratic process involving 400 million of citizens eligible to vote in the European Union.
The estimates and final results for all 28 Member States and the resulting seat composition in the European Parliament by the political group were established by Kantar on election night based on available, reliable national data (polling, estimates or actual voting results). In the months prior to the elections, Kantar also provided the European Parliament with seat projections based on published voting intention polls.
Kantar and the Parliament’s Public Opinion Monitoring unit provided precise and accurate seat projections of the 2019 elections compared to the final results.
The European Parliament’s Public Opinion Monitoring Unit, in collaboration with Kantar, published four seat projections, Reports on the Developments in the Political Landscape, based on a cross-section of national polls, for the composition of the 9th European Parliament. The purpose of these reports was to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information on the European political landscape in preparation for the election night on May 26 2019.
Further, the European Election 2019 website, developed by SCYTL, Kantar’s partner for the European elections, is the platform where official projections and results were published and hosting all historical information from European elections since 1979, available in all European languages.
Nicolas Becuwe, who headed up and coordinated the team of 60 analysts on election night compiling the estimate, projected and final results with the Parliament’s Public Opinion Monitoring Unit, said of the collaboration with the European Parliament that “this was a fantastic demonstration of political and polling expertise of Kantar in all European countries. The decision of the Parliament to make this information publicly available, and for us to deliver such accurate projected results is a testament to the team’s expertise and scope.”
Roelof-Jan Molemaker, CEO, Public Division in Brussels said of the election night that “it is fantastic to see the highest turnout for a European Election in 20 years. Our studies, for the European Commission, for example, the Eurobarometer surveys conducted by Kantar, showed greater awareness of the upcoming elections, and a sustained campaign of ‘This Time I’m Voting’ from the European Parliament culminated in this great result, which we were able to accurately forecast by 8 PM on election night.”
The European Parliament’s Spring 2019 Eurobarometer, measuring public attitudes to the EU three months ahead of the European elections, revealed that despite the various internal and external challenges to the EU of the past years, continued support for EU membership goes with a strong belief (68%) that EU countries overall have benefited from being part of the EU - equalling the highest level recorded since 1983.
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syNAGOGUE HISTORY
Kehilat Zion Synagogue is also known as Hechal Ezra Synagogue. It was established in 1995 by Syrian Businessmen of New York and the Sephardic Shecheber Center of Jerusalem. Kehilat Zion currently boasts more than 900 members. The synagogue serves the Jewish Community of Hong Kong and the many businessmen, tourists, and backpackers passing through the area. Rabbi Meoded, the chief Rabbi of the Hong Kong Sephardic Community, is Kehilat Zion’s spiritual leader.
Kehilat Zion Synagogue is located in Tsim Sha Tsui East, a popular business and shopping district on the Kowloon side of the Victoria Harbour, in Hong Kong.
The synagogue is just a short walk from many 5-star hotels and shopping centers.
THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF HONG KONG
The Hong Kong Jewish community has experience rapid growth in the last decade. Today, Hong Kong’s Jewish Community is comprised of about 600 families from various parts of the world. Americans, Englishmen and Israelis constitute two-thirds of the community. At this time, there are four operating synagogues, three of which have Rabbis. There is a Mikvah (Ritual bath) and two Jewish schools: The Carmel school for young children and the Ezekiel Abraham school for Adolescents. There is also a Jewish Cemetery in Happy Valley, which is a historical site in Hong Kong. Presently, Hong Kong’s growth as a prosperous business hub has caused its Jewish Community to attract thousands of businessmen, including many Jewish families from the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
"THE COMMUNITY OF KEHILAT ZION" COME VISIT US
YOUR HOME IN HONG KONG
Kehilat Zion synagogue offers weekday and Shabbat services. The synagogue provides visitors with a beautiful Shabbat and Holiday experience including Glatt Kosher gourmet meals.
The synagogue includes a large library of Jewish books. Rabbi Meoded delivers weekly Torah lectures and philosophical kiruv seminars geared for all levels.
Kehilat Zion Hechal Ezra Synagogue has been a “Home-away-from-home” for the past decade to Jewish visitors from around the world. It has been sustained through the generosity of its members, both local and from afar in New York and Panama.
We are especially thankful for the contributions from Joey Habert and Max Abadi in Memory of his late father, Ezra Abadi.
Amongst Our Guests
-Rosh Yeshivas
-The Chief Rabbis from Israel
-The President of the State of Israel
-Ministers and Members of the Knesset
-Government figures from the Hong Kong government
-Professors from Israel and Hong Kong
-Famous cantors and singers
Kehilat Zion synagogue is also known as Hechal Ezra synagogue. It was established in 1995 by Syrian businessmen of New York and the Sephardic Shecheber Center of Jerusalem. Kehilat Zion currently boasts more than 900 members. The synagogue serves the Jewish community of Hong Kong and many businessmen, tourists, and backpackers passing through the area. Rabbi Meoded, the chief Rabbi of the Hong Kong Sephardic Community, is Kehilat Zion’s spiritual leader.
Kehilat Zion synagogue is located in Tsim Sha Tsui East, a popular business and shopping district on the Kowloon side of the Victoria Harbour, in Hong Kong. The synagogue is just a short walk from many 5-star hotels and shopping centers.
“THE COMMUNITY OF KEHILAT ZION” COME VISIT US YOUR HOME IN HONG KONG
Kehilat Zion synagogue offers weekday and Shabbat services. The synagogue provides visitors with a beautiful Shabbat and Holiday experience including Glatt Kosher gourmet meals. The synagogue includes a large library of Jewish books. Rabbi Meoded delivers weekly Torah lectures and philosophical kiruv seminars geared for all levels.
Kehilat Zion Hechal Ezra synagogue has been a “home-away-from-home” for the past decade to Jewish visitors from around the world. It has been sustained through the generosity of its members, both local and from afar in New York and Panama. We are especially thankful for the contributions from Joey Habert and Max Abadi in memory of his late father, Ezra Abadi.
The Hong Kong Jewish community has experienced rapid growth in the last decade. Today, Hong Kong’s Jewish Community is comprised of about 600 families from various parts of the world. Americans, Englishmen, and Israelis constitute two-thirds of the community. At this time, there are four operating synagogues, three of which have Rabbis. There is a Mikvah (ritual bath) and two Jewish schools: The Carmel school for young children and the Ezekiel Abraham school for Adolescents. There is also a Jewish Cemetery in Happy Valley, which is a historical site in Hong Kong.
Presently, Hong Kong’s growth as a prosperous business hub has caused its Jewish Community to attract thousands of businessmen, including many Jewish families from the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
Jewish merchants have been visiting Hong Kong for centuries. However, a permanent Jewish community was not established until 1857. The presence of Jews began with the Sassoon and the Kadoorie families. Both families were wealthy Sephardic Dynasties whose trade extended across Asia. These families hired mostly Jewish employees to encourage Jewish population growth. Jacob Sassoon built the first synagogue in 1901, for 65 members. The Jewish synagogue quickly grew from 60 members in 1882 to 100 in 1921 and 250 in 1954.
Amongst our guests:
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Home Cup semi the target for Hamilton
Luke Hamilton says Leicester Tigers are targeting a home semi-final in the Anglo-Welsh Cup after booking their place in the last four on Saturday.
Tigers guaranteed top spot in Pool 4 with a 27-20 victory over Northampton Saints at Welford Road on Saturday.
After three wins from three games in the competition so far, Tigers finish their pool campaign at Saracens on Sunday. Click here for Anglo-Welsh Cup pool tables.
Hamilton said: “We’ve got a big game at Sarries away and we’re looking forward to that one as well.
“We want to keep the winning run on and hopefully be four from four to get a home semi-final at Welford Road.”
Hamilton paid tribute to the club’s fans as they set an Anglo-Welsh Cup record with a stadium capacity of 25,849 ticket sales.
“It’s just always nice to play a big derby against Saints, especially in front of a sell-out crowd,” he said. “It was a great noise out there and the team performance I thought was really good.
“There are still things to work on ahead of Sarries, we’re looking forward to training and putting those things right.”
A version of this article appeared in Tigers’ digital newsletter The Roar on Monday. The Roar is delivered to supporters' inbox twice a week, on Monday and Fridays, and includes match reaction, highlights, news and exclusive preview material.
Click here to sign up to The Roar.
Tigers are back at Welford Road on Saturday, February 11 when Gloucester Rugby are the visitors in the Aviva Premiership. The game is included in the Tigers season ticket and half season tickets. Match tickets are on sale 16 319 8888 (option 2) or click here to book online.
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The Hypnotist's Love Story
Penguin Books LTD Digital 16 Août 2012
How far would you go to keep the man of your dreams?
From Liane Moriarty, the author of What Alice Forgot, The Hypnotist's Love Story is a stunning novel about love, life and knowing where to draw the line . . .
Hypnotherapist Ellen is fascinated by what makes people tick. So when she falls in love with Patrick, the fact that he has a stalker doesn't faze her in the slightest. If anything it intrigues her, and the more she hears about Saskia, the more she wants to meet this woman. But what Ellen doesn't know is that they've already met . . .
Saskia has been posing as one of Ellen's clients. Unable to let go of the life she so abruptly lost, she wants to know everything about the woman who took her place. And the further she inches her way into Ellen's world, the more trouble she stirs up.
Ellen's love story is about to take an unexpected turn. But it's not only Saskia who doesn't know where to stop: Ellen also has to ask herself what lines she's prepared to cross to get the happy ending she's always wanted.
Thought-provoking, sympathetic and smart, Liane Moriarty's The Hypnotist's Love Story is a novel for anyone who's ever loved, lost or found it hard to let go.
Praise for What Alice Forgot:
'Gripping, thought-provoking and funny' Marie Claire 'The perfect holiday read' She Magazine 'A call to embrace life' Easy Living Liane Moriarty is the author of three bestselling novels, Three Wishes, The Last Anniversary and What Alice Forgot. Writing as L.M.Moriarty, she is also the author of the Space Brigade books for children (published in the US as the Nicola Berry, Earthling Ambassador series). She lives in Sydney with her husband and son.
Rayons : Littérature générale > Littérature générale
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LawAndOrder-fr > BDD Articles > New York Unité Spéciale
Unité Spéciale
.: Retour au choix des articles :.
Why ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Matters
Publié par Maria Fontoura dans Rolling Stone le 27/09/18.
On Thursday, the 435th episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit will descend upon a TV near you. This marks the iconic show’s 20th season — that’s two full decades of “dun-duns.”
Since its September 1999 spin-off from Dick Wolf’s now-defunct Law & Order, SVU has become not only the franchise’s longest-running series but a cultural institution in its own right. The crackly crime drama has nabbed more than 30 awards, from Emmys to Golden Globes to NAACP Image Awards, as well as the bizarre distinction of “best show to fall asleep to.”
But the show’s soothingly formulaic rhythms can’t be the only reason for its staying power. Looking back, its willingness to tackle taboo topics around sexual assault (on primetime television, no less) is, arguably, pioneering. It helped normalize the discussion of sex crimes — though it glamorizes them as well. And as we grapple with these issues on a broader scale in the #MeToo era, SVU may be more relevant than ever before.
As Season 20 kicks off (the premiere airs tonight), Rolling Stone spoke with SVU’s stars and writers, as well as sexual assault counselors and survivors, about the show’s impact — for better and worse — on the cultural conversation surrounding sex crimes.
Mariska Hargitay, who has played SVU’s strong and sympathetic heroine, Lieutenant Olivia Benson, from the very first episode, sees the show as a longtime force for positive change. “SVU had the vision, from the beginning, to venture into a territory that most people shied away from,” she tells Rolling Stone via email. “When it started 20 years ago, these conversations about rape, domestic abuse, sexual harassment and child abuse just weren’t happening. … The calculus is, of course, not that simple or linear, but I know that the show is embedded in many people’s thinking around these issues.”
Michael Chernuchin, SVU’s current showrunner and executive producer, concurs. “We like to think that SVU’s place in pop culture contributed to the positive change we’re seeing today,” Chernuchin says by email. “The public’s perception of sex crimes is changing. … More victims feel they can speak out, more men are getting help instead of coping alone, and offenders are being held accountable for their actions.”
In the public’s view, Hargitay has become nearly indistinguishable from her character, Lt. Benson (who was herself conceived from rape). But it wasn’t until she landed that role and began receiving letters from survivors that Hargitay developed an understanding of the unrelenting trauma that often accompanies sexual assault. “At first, I was overwhelmed,” she says. “Many survivors were disclosing their abuse [to me] for the first time, and many shared how the show had given them a new strength, the will to fight for their own justice, or simply the community of shared experience.”
This realization prompted her to found the Joyful Heart Foundation in 2004, with the aim to “transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse and support survivors’ healing.” She also produced this year’s HBO documentary I Am Evidence, which showcased the human faces behind the astonishing backlog of 200,000 untested rape kits currently rotting away in American police facilities. (Vice President Joe Biden appeared in a 2016 episode of SVU to draw attention to the problem.)
Behind the scenes, show insiders say they’re careful to present the show’s difficult narratives with sensitivity. Chernuchin notes that his staff consults with former NYPD and SVU detectives, forensics experts, psychiatrists and ex-assistant district attorneys while crafting episodes. Warren Leight, the showrunner from 2011 to 2016, says his writers did extensive research before attempting to dramatize traumatic crimes. When he was brought on in Season 13, the sudden departure of star Christopher Meloni in a contract dispute had left the show at a dramatic crossroads. Leight chose to push SVU in a different direction, ushering in a period known as “SVU 2.0”. “I thought it had gone as far as it could go with odd stories and kinks, so I chose to focus more on the emotional toll on detectives, victims and their family members,” he says. To tell these more nuanced stories, “we talked to a lot of victims and survivors,” Leight says.
Sarah Storm, a New York actor who played the character Bronwyn Freed for five episodes during this time (Seasons 15 and 17), says she took note of staffers’ behind-the-scenes commitment to “spark empathy around issues of sexual violence.” She continues via email: “Working on the show changed the way I looked at what television can do to highlight the prevalence of sexual violence, and to combat it. As an example, before we shot [the episode] ‘Psycho/Therapist,’ I wasn’t aware that rapists sometimes choose to represent themselves in hopes of facing (and presumably further terrorizing) their victims in court.”
The show’s impact on real-life survivors, meanwhile, is mixed, as “every survivor of sexual violence responds differently,” says Christopher Bronson, Executive Director of NYC’s Crime Victims Treatment Center. But, he adds, it can be a useful aid in a viewer’s identifying or processing a sex crime. “For some people, shows like SVU are helpful because it can help them categorize: ‘Wait a second. What happened to me looked like that, and that’s a crime.’” (In fact, a 2015 Washington State University study found that college students who watched shows from the Law & Order franchise were better educated about rape and sexual consent than those who watched CSI or NCIS.)
Writer Virginia Pelley says SVU helped her process long-buried feelings about her own childhood abuse. “I found it cathartic once I realized that I was feeling for the victims and crying for them, but in therapy…I couldn’t cry for myself,” she says via email. Though Pelley doesn’t love the way the show “uses sexual assault as a dramatic vehicle,” she appreciates its take on underreported issues like languishing rape kits. “I’ve seen enough empowering characters and episodes that I forgive SVU when they fuck up, for the most part.”
Those fuck-ups often have to do with the fact that show is, after all, a show. Like most procedurals, SVU is beholden to a narrative formula. In fact, part of the reason it feels so eerily comforting is because it serves as a sort of parallel universe where victims of unspeakable crimes are believed and often find justice. Of course, that’s not how things unfold for most real-life survivors, many of whom never report their attacks at all. Anastasiya Gorodilova, Senior Coordinator of Systems & Training at the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, expresses dismay at SVU’s focus on the criminal legal system as the predominant pathway to closure for survivors. “It glorifies that option without exploring the retraumatizing situations that can arise from reporting to law enforcement,” she explains. “I’ve been troubled by how Benson will strongly encourage a survivor to make a formal report, using language like ‘You don’t want them doing this to anyone else.’ But it’s not the victim’s fault if a perpetrator does it again.”
“We see these very tightly done investigations [on SVU],” says Bronson. “It immediately moves over to the district attorney’s office, and we see the DAs treating the survivor really well. Things move quickly and there’s a resolution.”
For many who report a sex crime, things play out far less seamlessly, as Brooklyn-based Alison Turkos discovered when she reported to the NYPD’s Special Victims Division last year. “My experience has been nothing but horrific,” Turkos says. “The show gives this false idea that [the detectives] immediately care about you. They rush through the doors and the wind is blowing in their hair, like, ‘Something traumatic just happened to this victim. Do you need water? Do you want a can of soda? What can I do for you?’ And that doesn’t happen. I literally had to be escorted by four officers from the bed where I had my forensic kit done to … the back of a police car, like I was a criminal.”
Turkos hopes viewers will watch the show with the covert understanding that it’s a “double-edged sword” that’s “both actively participating in rape culture and bringing it into primetime [as conversation fodder].”
SVU’s take on the standard women-in-danger story line — a primetime staple since Dragnet moved from radio to TV in 1951 — “has inherent drama,” according to Jennifer L. Pozner, media critic and author of Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth About Guilty Pleasure TV. “Watching something that reinforces many people’s deepest fears will get a guaranteed audience.”
Media representation matters. It plays into how we see the world and our place in it. Seeing graphic depictions of crimes against women played out over and over again — even if the victims eventually find justice — can do a number on the psyche, says Pozner. “Many viewers … start to internalize the notion that sexual violence is inevitable,” she explains. “Even though you’re saying on the surface, through Benson, ‘This isn’t your fault,’ [the show is often] saying through every other character… that it actually is the victim’s fault, because why did she go to this place, or why did she trust that guy, or why did she wear that [outfit]?”
But the biggest problem Pozner sees with SVU is what she calls “a bait and switch between text and subtext.” In other words, the victims’-rights spin that stars and execs slap on the franchise does not always comport with its underlying messages. “[They use] nice progressive language so they can feel good about themselves,” Pozner says. “But the subtext comes through in cinematography choices. In the beginning of each episode, before the ‘dun-dun,’ there’s always a shot where you see the assault or you see the aftermath of the assault in a very lurid way.”
“The camera angles focus on close-ups of eyes and mouths in trauma, pain, and fear,” she continues. “The dress that’s ripped so it’s sexy, though it’s also supposed to be scary — this is not the way sexual assaults should be filmed if you want to portray sexual assaults as a problem. This is the way sexual assault is filmed if you want to portray it as titillating.”
Still, Pozner praises Olivia Benson’s character as someone “who mostly…believes victims and who regularly tries to get DAs to take victims seriously.” (Turkos jokes that “Olivia could’ve solved [my case] in 60 minutes, including commercial.”)
Hargitay, who is now directing and producing for SVU as well as acting, notes that the show’s writers today are “more determined than ever, not only to authentically reflect events, but also to represent current cultural attitudes and how they can add layers of complexity” into issues like rape culture, affirmative consent, victim blaming and more.
Bronson of the Crime Victims Treatment Center chalks up society’s increased propensity for talking about these subjects to campaigns like the #MeToo movement, as well as, yes, SVU: “The tone is different than it was even 10 years ago in terms of discussing sexual violence, victimization, or trauma. [SVU] has some hits; they have some misses. But overall, I think it has done a magnificent job of bringing sexual violence into the public discourse.”
Article issu de Rolling Stone et
initialement publié le 27/09/18.
Tous les articles présentés dans cette rubrique sont la propriété de leurs auteurs respectifs.
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Land Registration etc. (Scotland) Act 2012
Acts of the Scottish Parliament
Previous: Provision
Revised Version 31/12/2016
Changes over time for: Section 87
Land Registration etc. (Scotland) Act 2012, Section 87 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 17 January 2021. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.
View outstanding changes
Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:
Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):
s. 48A 48B and cross-heading inserted by 2016 asp 18 s. 43(2)
s. 116(3)(ba)(bb) inserted by 2016 asp 18 s. 43(3)
87Acquisition from representative of disponer without valid titleS
(1)Section 86 also applies where a person (“P”), who is not entered in the proprietorship section of the title sheet as proprietor but who would have power to dispone the land—
(a)were A the proprietor, or
(b)(where A has died) had A been the proprietor,
purports to dispone it.
(2)For the purposes of section 86, possession of the plot of land by P is to be treated as if it were possession of the land by A.
I1S. 87 in force at 8.12.2014 by S.S.I. 2014/127, art. 2
Web page The Whole Cross Heading
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News & AnalysisASAP
Puerto Rico: Pandemic Assistance Packages and their Effect on Christmas Bonus Exemption for Private Employers
By Anabel Rodríguez-Alonso and Alberto Tabales-Maldonado on
On November 16, 2020, the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources (“PR DOL”) issued Circular Letter No. 2020-05, discussing considerations for private sector employers when requesting an exemption from paying the Christmas Bonus to their employees where the employer received COVID-19-related economic assistance.
In Puerto Rico, Act No. 148 of June 30, 1969, as amended, better known as the Puerto Rico Christmas Bonus for the Employees of the Private Sector Act (“Act”) establishes the payment of a bonus to certain private sector employees during this time of the year, as well as details the manner and terms of the payment. The Act includes, however, a provision that permits a private sector employer to request an exemption from paying all or part of the bonus. Specifically, an employer may be eligible to request the exemption if the payment of the bonus exceeds 15% of the employer’s net profit earned from September 30th of the preceding year until September 30th of the year in which the bonus is paid. For the purposes of this Act, the regulation to administer the Act defines “net annual profits” as
. . . the total income less the costs of producing such income and the operating expenses of a business during the period covered by the statement of position and profit and loss, and by the internal financial statements when these are required. In order to determine the net profits, the amount of the carry-over of the net loss from previous years and the accounts receivable that have not been paid when the statements of balance are presented will be excluded. On the other hand, both extraordinary gains and losses will be included. For the purposes of Act No. 148 and this Regulation, net profit is that exclusively derived from the employer's operations in Puerto Rico.
In order to avail itself of this exemption, the employer must submit to the Secretary of Labor and Human Resources no later than November 30th of each year the required Request Form for Exemption accompanied by a general balance sheet and a profit and loss statement for the 12-month period from October 1st of the previous year to September 30th of the current year, duly certified by a certified public accountant, as evidence of said financial status.1
As a result of the economic hardships stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses received economic assistance packages in all shapes and sizes, including but not limited to tax credits, debt cancellations, loans, monetary aid and subsidies, both from the local government as well as from the U.S. federal government. This, as advanced, has created uncertainty as to whether such assistance is to be considered as net profits and have had an impact on the exemption requested. The PR DOL’s Circular Letter No. 2020-05 clarified that debt cancellations and amounts received for any subsidy or federal or state stimulus granted as a result of COVID-19, including reimbursable tax credits and other financial aid, will not be considered as income for the purposes of the Christmas Bonus Act. Likewise, employers may claim as a deduction from net income ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in the operation of the business, even when those were paid with funds received from assistance packages. Nonetheless, if government aid was used to alleviate any loss or extraordinary loss, it must be recorded in the financial statements that are presented to the PR DOL.
1 In those cases in which the fiscal year of the employer that requests the exemption provided in this Section does not end on September 30th of each year, the balance sheet and the profit and loss statement required may be that corresponding to the fiscal year of the business.
Anabel Rodríguez-Alonso
Managing Capital Member
arodriguez@littler.com
Alberto Tabales-Maldonado
atabales@littler.com
Coronavirus (COVID-19)Employee BenefitsWage and Hour
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HK Targets Tax-Friendly Policies For Asset Management
by Mary Swire, Lowtax.net, Hong Kong
"As more wealth is generated in Mainland China, ... Hong Kong is ideally positioned to facilitate the flow of [investment] capital from the Mainland in a controlled manner, acting as the asset management center for outbound capital from the Mainland," Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Professor K C Chan told the Hong Kong Venture Capital and Private Equity Association China Private Equity 2014 Summit on June 13.
With Mainland China no longer being just an investment destination for foreign capital, Chan noted that it has also become an important source of capital. Speaking about the opportunities for Hong Kong in the asset management field, Chan said Hong Kong can act as a "highly efficient and low-risk financial gateway to Mainland China."
"Hong Kong is the major source of foreign direct investment in Mainland China, accounting for 59 percent of total inflow of realized foreign direct investment during 2012," he said. "The liberalization of the use of RMB for direct investment has paved the way for Hong Kong to become the largest offshore RMB funding center for companies to raise capital to finance their Mainland China operations."
Chan confirmed that: "To facilitate further growth of the asset management industry, the Hong Kong Government will continue to provide a clear and competitive tax environment and a competitive legal and regulatory framework."
He pointed out that the Government launched a three-month public consultation in March on the plan to introduce a new open-ended fund company (OFC) structure as an alternative to the existing unit trust structure. As the open-ended investment company is popular in the international fund management industry as a vehicle for setting up investment funds, the OFC legislation is intended to help Hong Kong develop further as a comprehensive asset management center.
The Government, he added, is "also working on the legislative proposal to extend the profits tax exemption for offshore funds to also cover private equity funds. The proposed exemption will cover transactions in private companies which are incorporated or registered outside Hong Kong and do not hold any Hong Kong properties nor carry out any business in Hong Kong. The new measure will provide an incentive for private equity funds to further expand their business in Hong Kong."
Chan said the exchange-traded funds (ETFs) market is another area that is receiving the Government's support. The stamp duty concession in 2010 was extended to cover ETFs that track indices comprising not more than 40 percent of Hong Kong stocks. Chan pointed out that the number of ETFs listed in Hong Kong rose from 69 at end-2010, to 116 at the end of last year.
"To further promote the growth of the market," he stated, "we are planning to waive the stamp duty for the trading of all ETFs as a means to lower the transaction costs. Our goal is to introduce the legislative amendments into the Legislative Council in the next legislative session."
Finally, Chan said, to promote the diversification of fund products available to investors, "we are working closely with the Mainland authorities on the mutual recognition and cross-border offering of funds arrangement between Hong Kong and Mainland China. Consensus has been reached between the SFC and relevant Mainland authorities on the arrangement, pending formal approval from the State Council."
According to the annual Fund Management Activities Survey 2012, published by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), the combined fund management business in Hong Kong reached a record high of HKD12.6 trillion (USD1.6 trillion) in 2012, an annual growth of almost 40 percent. Hong Kong is already the largest base for Chinese securities and fund management houses outside Mainland China.
The private equity industry is also growing rapidly. As at September 2013, total capital under management in Hong Kong's private equity funds reached USD94bn, representing one-fifth of Asia's total. Furthermore, Hong Kong accommodates most of Asia's top venture capital firms, and serves as a platform for regional headquarters to a number of private equity firms that invest heavily in Mainland China, as well as Japan and South Korea, Chan said.
A comprehensive report in our Intelligence Report series giving a country-by-country analysis of offshore investment funds, stock exchanges and trusts, with an analysis of the US QI regime, is available in the Lowtax Library at http://www.lowtaxlibrary.com/asp/subs_reports.asp and a description of the report can be seen at http://www.lowtaxlibrary.com/asp/description_report9.asp
Tags: Tax | Investment | Business | Private Equity | Law | Trusts | Investment Funds | Equity Investment | Corporation Tax | China | Offshore | Legislation | Offshore Trusts | Stamp Duty | Hong Kong | Tax Breaks | Alternative Investment
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US swimming team ready to head to Rio
GEORGE HENRY
ATLANTA - The U.S. swimming team has just one practice left before it leaves for the Rio Olympics.
Women's coach David Marsh likes what he's seen at the 12-day Atlanta training camp.
"It's been a beautiful camp so far," he said. "The captains are leading it well. Very relaxed. There's nothing having to be contrived here to create things."
The team's most prominent co-captain, Michael Phelps, was the big draw Saturday for the near-capacity crowd at the Georgia Tech aquatic center.
Phelps has said he will retire after his fifth Olympics, and fans started lining up at 5 a.m., over six hours before the team walked onto the deck.
Phelps occasionally waved and smiled during the nearly three-hour workout, but mostly kept to himself. Despite doing no interviews with reporters, his influence was felt everywhere.
"We were talking about it at dinner the other day without him," said women's co-captain Allison Schmitt, a three-time Olympian. "People didn't know anything (about swimming before Phelps). It was embarrassment to be a swimmer. No young boy was a swimmer. Now there's probably more guys in the sport than there is girls. He has definitely changed it a lot and he will continue to change it a lot past his retirement."
The most decorated athlete in the history of the games, Phelps will try to add to his 18 golds and 22 overall medals before he retires for the second time. He won the 100-meter butterfly, the 200 fly and the 200 individual medley at the U.S. Olympic trials r this month in Nebraska.
His personal coach, U.S. men's coach Bob Bowman, said Phelps looks as strong as ever.
"He never surprises me anymore," Bowman said. "As soon as you think you've seen it all, he'll give you something else."
Bowman declined to say if the 31-year-old will compete in a relay event.
"I do know," he said. "I'm not going to tell you."
First-time Olympian Chase Kalisz has known Phelps for several years and says it's easy to see why television insisted on starting the finals, which begin next Saturday, so late each night.
Phelps means big ratings for NBC.
"Our sport wouldn't be what is without Michael," Kalisz said. "You look at all the coverage we get because of him and all the opportunities we get because of Michael. You look back 20 years ago, and it wasn't like that. There wasn't this kind of excitement. I think he's ready to go out the way he wants to go out and close that chapter on his own terms. I think it will be good for him."
The team has already adapted to a new sleep schedule, getting in the pool each night at Georgia Tech at 10 p.m. That's what time the semifinals will begin in Rio. Some finals could end after midnight.
Swimmers have grown accustomed to the uncustomary hours over the last few weeks.
"It's kind of a college kid's dream," said Gunnar Bentz, a first-time Olympian. "We get to stay up late and we get to sleep in. It's kind of nice, honestly, but training at 10-11 p.m. is a little weird. You get used to it, but I think will work really well in Rio."
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Governor Cuomo, Joined By Vice President Biden, Kicks Off "Strong Families, Strong New York" Campaign to Pass Paid Family Leave in New York State
Family & Parenting, Local News, Business & Finance, Health & Wellness, Press Releases
By Long Island News & PR Published: February 01 2016
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, joined by Vice President Joseph Biden, today kicked off the “Strong Families, Strong New York” campaign to push for passage of the Governor’s paid family leave proposal in New York State.
Governor has proposed 12 weeks of job-protected leave for caring for a new child or seriously ill relative -- longest benefits period in the nation.
Photo by: Governor Andrew Cuomo, via Flickr.
Albany, NY - January 29, 2016 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, joined by Vice President Joseph Biden, today kicked off the “Strong Families, Strong New York” campaign to push for passage of the Governor’s paid family leave proposal in New York State. The Governor has proposed that New York enact a 12 week paid family leave policy – which would be the longest benefits period in the nation for such a policy – to help working families care for a new child or seriously ill relative. The Governor also launched a new website, for New Yorkers to learn more about the need for paid family leave and the benefits of his proposal. In the coming weeks, members of the Governor’s administration will be visiting communities across the state to raise awareness and rally support for the policy.
At today’s launch event at the McBurney YMCA in New York City, the Governor and Vice President were joined by Christy Turlington Burns, founder of Every Mother Counts, along with dozens of federal, state and city elected officials. More than 500 parents, caregivers, workers, community members and advocates were also in attendance to rally support for the proposal.
“There are times in life when family comes first – like when a child is born, a loved one is sick, or a parent is dying – and I believe everyone deserves the right to be there in those times,” said Governor Cuomo. “The lack of paid family leave is a rampant economic injustice that runs against the grain of the American promise. It’s unacceptable that people are still forced to choose between caring for their families and keeping their jobs, and we’re going to change that in New York. We’re going to pass 12 weeks of paid family leave and stand up for what’s really important in life – and I urge all New Yorkers to join us in this fight.”
Governor Cuomo’s proposal would ensure 12 weeks of job-protected, employee-funded leave to be used for caring for a new child or a sick relative. It would also guarantee employees the right to return to their current job upon their return from leave and bring discrimination actions to the extent that their rights are violated.
Governor and Vice President joined by more than 500 working parents, caregivers, advocates and others to kick-off event. Photo from Governor Andrew Cuomo, via Flickr.
The Need for Paid Family Leave
Paid family leave is currently offered by every developed nation on the planet – except for the United States. Within the U.S., only California, New Jersey and Rhode Island have such a program, and none offer benefits for longer than six weeks. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Labor has reported that a mere 12 percent of private sector workers are offered paid family leave by their employers.
While the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 offers 12 weeks of unpaid leave, because of various exemptions approximately 40 percent of American workers are left out. Additionally, even for those who are covered by the FMLA, taking time off to care for a new child or sick relative often means workers are forced to forego wages, use up savings or vacation time, or even risk losing their jobs in order to care for new children or sick relatives.
This injustice is particularly acute for low-income workers. In New York, nearly 50 percent of low-income working mothers have $500 or less in savings, and more than 33 percent have no savings. Without paid family leave, low-income workers are also more likely to utilize public assistance after the birth of a child or serious illness in the family.
In addition to parents with new children, paid family leave is a crucial benefit to families caring for an ailing loved one – especially elderly relatives. More than 90 percent of elderly people receiving care in the community rely on the support and care of their loved ones, either independently or along with paid help – and two-thirds of older Americans receive care solely from their family members. Seventy-eight percent of people who care for elderly relatives are employed, and 62 percent report working full time. Furthermore, with growing life expectancies nationally and an aging population, the need for elder care is expected to increase in the coming years.
Proven Benefits and Support
Governor Cuomo’s proposal for 12 weeks of paid family leave offers a number of broad and important benefits to working families, businesses, and the state’s economy. This includes economic security and better health outcomes for families, greater workforce longevity and productivity for businesses, and a stronger economy for all.
Paid family leave supports families: Steady income and employment are crucial for families caring for new children or sick loved ones – and especially so for low-income families. Paid family leave offers crucial economic security that enables working families to respond to unique medical needs and costs, keep up with general living expenses and avoid poverty or the need for public assistance. Additionally, paid family leave is proven to help women remain in the workforce after having a child and increase their wages over time. Paid family leave is also a factor in boosting positive health outcomes for young families – with benefits such as increased birth weight, decreased frequencies of premature birth, and a substantial decrease in infant mortality. In cases of ill relatives, paid family leave also helps patients stick to prescribed treatment plans and check-ups, avoid complications, and ultimately return to good health.
Paid family leave supports businesses: Providing paid family leave also has numerous benefits for employers. Research from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that paid family leave helps businesses retain workers and avoid turnover – which ultimately helps reduce recruitment and training costs. Having access to paid family leave can also boost productivity, engagement, and loyalty among a business’ employees.
Paid family leave supports the economy: Increasing access to paid family leave will result in a stronger economy and workforce. When working parents or caregivers are able to remain in the workforce while tending to children or sick loved ones, they are also more likely to continue progressing in their careers and increasing their wages over time. This in turn yields greater support for their families, greater economy activity in their communities, and a more vibrant workforce overall. Additionally, paid family leave helps address the gaps in opportunity faced by low-income, minority and less educated workers.
Paid family leave has widespread public support: In a recent poll conducted by the Roosevelt Institute, the vast majority – 83 percent – of respondents supported paid family leave. That support crossed party lines, with 96 percent of Democrats, 85 percent of Independents and 67 percent of Republicans voicing support. Additionally, in a business survey after California’s paid family leave policy had been in effect for five years, 91 percent of employers reported the effect of the policy was either not noticeable or positive.
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Why I Love... Refused
By Wade MacNeil (Metal Hammer) 23 June 2015
By Wade McNeil / Gallows / Alexisonfire
The punk-obsessed Gallows frontman hails Sweden’s pioneering politicos.
They Are Clever Bastards
“The thing that struck me first was that everything Refused did seemed really intellectual. I was 14 or 15 when I first heard The Shape Of Punk To Come. I’d been listening to punk for a while and I’d started to listen to hardcore a bit, but I was turned off because most of it was very ‘lowest common denominator’. It seemed like it was moving backwards. At first I thought it was a bit more progressive than the punk stuff I’d been into, but I quickly realised that it wasn’t. So when I saw what Refused were doing, it was just from this entirely different place. It wasn’t about posturing or being tough or some sort of bleak worldview. It was the essence of hardcore and that movement, but done intelligently.”
They Dress To Impress
“When I look back to shows I went to in the late 90s and early 2000s, the fashion and the way records sounded at that time have all aged terribly. I’m guilty of that myself! I wish I could listen to Alexisonfire’s first record, but I can’t! My interest in music wasn’t about fashion, but when I saw what Refused were doing I thought, ‘These guys are like The Clash! They’re a step ahead of everyone else…’ The way they presented themselves, dressing smart, that was another step away from that hardcore culture. Black jeans, black sweaters, black shirts – the presentation was an updated take on jazz.”
They Aren’t Afraid To Be Political
“Refused are a political punk rock band and that’s increasingly rare. Gallows played a festival that Refused were at two summers ago, and they were on the main stage and Dennis [Lyxzén] actually said that onstage: ‘We’re a political punk band from Sweden. I know that doesn’t really mean anything anymore.’ There aren’t new bands coming out having a lot of political ideas. It does seem like something from the past and that’s unfortunate. When Dennis sings, ‘I’ve got a bone to pick with capitalism – and a few to break’, that’s an amazing moment. It makes you want to destroy everything and it makes you want to change the world. I think that, for me, is the ultimate thing. That’s what it’s really all about: being super confrontational but with songs you want to sing along with.”
They Redefined Punk Rock
“The Shape Of Punk… is this huge record because it’s larger than life. They were trying to make a record that, like that English expression, does what it says on the tin! That title, too, it’s just about the most smug thing you could really do, but it really was the shape of punk to come. People weren’t ready for it and it took people a while to catch up with it. It’s something you can’t really recreate and bands have been trying for 20 years. It made a cultural shift and sent ripples through punk and hardcore and changed the way things were done. A lot of bands have tried to repeat what they did with that record, but they all fall way short of the mark. No one’s ever really recreated it. If you have any interest in heavy music and you don’t know this record, you’re fucking up!”
Their Reunion Doesn’t Suck
“I think the single they released recently is great and I’m sure the album will be, too. They’re up against themselves and their own legacy. That’s difficult to deal with. It’s something I deal with in Gallows, every show we play! The reality versus what people built it up to be can be very different things. So the new Refused album is not up against any other album made this year. It’s up against The Shape Of Punk To Come.”
Refused’s new album, Freedom, is out on June 29 via Epitaph
See more Metal Hammer features
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Associate Awards
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Home > Resources > Publications > GIS Techniques for M&E of HIV/AIDS and Related Programs
GIS Techniques for M&E of HIV/AIDS and Related Programs
Download Document:
ms-15-106.pdf — PDF document, 9,894 kB (10,131,874 bytes)
Author(s): Spencer J, Stewart J, Wilkes B
This course presents a practical guide for using a geographic information system (GIS) to integrate, visualize, and analyze geographically-referenced data extracted from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and other key data sets to facilitate monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of HIV/AIDS and related health programs. To make the course accessible to learners without commercial GIS software licenses, the course focuses on the use of free and open source software (FOSS).
Upon completion of the course, learners will be able to:
Define a GIS and articulate the value of using a GIS to integrate, visualize, and analyze program data.
Differentiate the primary uses of several free and open source GIS software options.
Explain the fundamentals of geographic data, including the shapefile format.
List the principal geo-referenced sources for HIV/AIDS data and explain how their geographic structure can be leveraged for M&E of HIV/AIDS and related programs.
Recognize the types of M&E questions that can be answered using the highlighted data sets and GIS software packages.
Use the free and open source GIS software package, QGIS, to perform essential GIS tasks needed to respond to typical M&E questions.
Although the course is designed primarily for M&E professionals working for or with HIV/AIDS programs in countries receiving Global Health Initiative/PEPFAR support, analysts and decision makers from other public health programs will benefit from the techniques and data sources explained.
Available in EPUB and Kindle editions and as an online certificate course.
Filed under: HIV, Geographic Information Systems, GIS, Monitoring, Evaluation, HIV/AIDS
TB DIAH will run until September 2023, PMI Measure Malaria until June 2024, and D4I until September 2023.
Evaluate Blog
MEASURE Evaluation is funded by USAID to strengthen capacity in developing countries to gather, interpret, and use data to improve health. We create tools and approaches for rigorous evaluations, providing evidence to address health challenges. And we strengthen health information systems so countries can make better decisions and sustain good health outcomes over time.
MEASURE Evaluation
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Phone: +1 919-445-9350 | Fax: +1 919-445-9353
Email: measure@unc.edu
www.measureevaluation.org
MEASURE Evaluation is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The information provided on this web site is not official U.S. government information and does not necessarily represent the views of USAID, PEPFAR or the U.S. government.
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Legendary Producer Martin Birch Dies at 71
Sadly, another legend has left the building. Legendary producer Martin Birch, one of the greatest producers ever who produced some of the biggest records by many of the British hard rock and metal bands, has died at the age of 71. The news was confirmed by David Coverdale in a post on his social media. No cause of death has been confirmed.
In addition to producing, Birch worked as an engineer on many records as well. Many of the classic records we love wouldn't sound the way they do without him. He started his production career in 1968, and retired from production in 1992.
He has produced and engineered for many bands such as Fleetwood Mac, Deep Purple, Wishbone Ash, Rainbow, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult and Iron Maiden. The last album he produced before he retired was Iron Maiden's Fear Of The Dark.
MARTIN BIRCH PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING CREDITS (SELECT)
RAINBOW Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow / Rising / Long Live Rock 'n Roll
IRON MAIDEN: Killers / Number Of The Beast / Piece Of Mind / Powerslave / Live After Death / Somewhere In Time / Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son / No Prayer For The Dying / Fear Of The Dark
BLACK SABBATH: Heaven & Hell / Mob Rules
WHITESNAKE: Snakebite / Trouble / Lovehunter / Ready an' Willing / Come an' Get It / Saints & Sinners / Slide It In
DEEP PURPLE: Deep Purple In Rock / Machine Head / Burn / Come Taste The Band
BLUE OYSTER CULT: Cultusaurus Erectus / Fire Of Unknown Origin
There's no denying that that is one impressive list of credentials. Our condolences go out to Martin's family and friends. Thank you Martin for giving the sound that you did to so many of our favourite iconic records. May you R.I.P.
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Boston Legacy
Sox blow big lead, come back to beat Yankees in extras, 9-8
The Red Sox continue to find ways to win – even if it isn’t pretty.
What looked like a sure win took a turn for the absolute worst in the seventh inning, when Boston’s 7-2 lead evaporated and the Yankees took an 8-7 lead into the eighth. But late-game heroics by Boston allowed them to tie things up and then win in the 10th inning, 9-8.
Boston was down to its last out in the ninth when Mike Napoli singled to right field. New Red Sox Quintin Berry pinch ran for Napoli – and the decision paid off. On the first pitch from Mariano Rivera to Stephen Drew, Berry was off. Not only was he safe at second base, but the ball skipped to left-center field, and Berry made a successful dash to third base. Drew would come through with the game-tying single moments later, and like they’ve done all year, the Red Sox came back.
THIS IS THE WAY: amRUSH reaction to The Mandalorian season two finale
amRUSH
https://podcasts.schnepsmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Mando-amRUSH-Mixdown-2.mp3
Shane Victorino would single in Jacoby Ellsbury in the 10th inning for the game’s final run.
Boston did most of its damage in the fifth inning, when they stretched a 3-2 lead to 7-2. Victorino homered to lead off the inning, and Mike Napoli and Ryan Lavarnway added to the score with the bases loaded later that inning.
But the Yankees weren’t dead. In the 7th inning they rattled off six runs, knocking Jake Peavy (6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO) out of the game. Matt Thornton and Junichi Tazawa couldn’t get the job done, as Thornton allowed both his inherited runners to score, and Tazawa allowed the rest.
Still, the Sox prevailed in the end.
What they’ll be saying: What more can you say about this Red Sox team? Just when you think they’ve choked a win away and given the opponent momentum that could haunt them the rest of the series – or worse, later in the season – they come back like they’ve done so many times this year and win.
What’s even better is that it came against the Yankees, a team trying to make a last-ditch effort at the Wild Card.
The Red Sox bullpen – Matt Thornton and Junichi Tazawa particularly – failed them Thursday night. But despite the bullpen’s choke job, Boston somehow prevailed, and Koji Uehara did what he does best – close the game out. He remains one of the team’s real MVP’s of the season.
But it hasn’t been about one or two guys for the Sox. It seems like every game somebody is stepping up, and that’s what a team with World Series aspirations needs.
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Acrylic - 24" x 32"
LLANA OF GATHOL
From Works of Wonder:
"Since I did the eleven books over the course of a year, as time went on some things became less important. This time we did not worry about the title of the book, and Llana herself does not even appear in my painting. I realized that after doing nine covers I still ahd not shown one of the unique Barsoomian airships so commonly featured throughout the series. To tell the truth, I felt there was little point in doing so, since Robert Abbett had done such a great job visualizing them on the covers he painted for the books in the 1960's. Nevertheless, this scene involved an airship and also conveyed the feeling of the book very well."
E.R. Burroughs (Del Rey)
Edgar Rice Burroughs returns to Barsoom and his eternal hero, John Carter for four more thrilling adventures in Llana of Gathol. In "The Ancient Dead" John Carter is cast into the catacombs underneath the inpregnable citadel of Horz. There he discovers his granddaughter, Llana of Gathol, stranded there after escaping abduction. Next, Carter, Llana, and friends are captured by the "Black Pirates of Barsoom". As slaves controlled by a diabolical machine, Carter must fight to survive and free his friends. In "Escape on Mars", Carter and friends are shot down by a mysterious ship. Carter is rescued by the Panars, but his friends disappear. He tracks Llana to the inescapable city of Pankar. It will take all his talents to rescue her. Finally, "The Invisible Men of Mars" make their debut as Carter and Llana escape Pankar. John Carter will have yet another princess of Mars on his hands and have to wage war before he can return to his wife back in Helium.
E.R. Burroughs
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Home / Blog / September 2015 / It's not rocket science...Or is it?
It's not rocket science...Or is it?
Posted by Helen Booth-Tobin | Date September 1, 2015
Of course intelligence comes in many forms and no single field holds the market. Still, there is a certain positive association between rocket science and smarts — and as a research-driven organization, we took the opportunity to explore that association a bit, with a couple willing test subjects in our own staff.
Director of engineering and business development Rich Szydlowski (one of CEE’s longest-tenured employees) and research analyst Nicole Kessler (one of our newest) sat down to talk about their own rocket-science backgrounds and their perspectives on the past, present, and future of energy efficiency.
Nicole, you worked at NASA! How has that work influenced your career path?
Nicole: I worked as an environmental, life support, and thermal control systems flight controller for NASA’s International Space Station Program at the Johnson Space Center. In that role I was responsible for the real-time operation of all those systems, which basically meant ensuring that the crew had a livable environment. I worked there for four years and during that time there were some dramatic changes — the Space Shuttle program ended and the Constellation Program was cancelled, while SpaceX became the first private company to deliver cargo to the Space Station. I realized that all of these changes were policy related, and that got me interested in attending graduate school to study science policy. While in graduate school, I started learning more about energy and became interested in how energy impacts all the Earth’s resources — I think about it as if the Earth is one big space station, and how our energy use impacts our ability to preserve a livable environment for everyone.
Rich, how has your Aerospace Engineering background influenced your career?
Rich: I actually worked at the Johnson Space Center about 30 years before Nicole was there, while I was working towards a B.S. in aerospace engineering. During my time there I gained insight into the space program and the role of engineers, and ultimately decided that graduate school would be the best thing for me. After receiving a graduate degree in industrial engineering, I went back to work for a couple years and became increasingly interested in renewable energy. I then followed up with a second graduate degree in mechanical engineering, specializing in energy systems. Since then, I have worked both at Ames Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, focusing on instrumentation packages for both renewable energy systems and buildings. Changes to the national political climate and federal funding led to national lab cuts and I lost my job. After a recalibration year of skiing out in Colorado, I ended up at Pacific Northwest National Lab, where I worked on energy evaluation in commercial buildings. I came to CEE about 20 years ago.
Throughout my career I have followed a path based on my interests and available, energy-related opportunities. All my past experiences are beneficial to my role here at CEE — I have been able to expand our perspective from beyond the Midwest, and build our connections to national labs.
How does your current CEE job connect back to your rocket science roots?
Nicole: My role at NASA required a lot of data analysis. The environmental systems are made up of multiple subsystems that all interact together, and the system as a whole also interacts with other systems, such as the power and computer systems. The analysis required to understand and respond to system issues is similar to what I do in my role as a research analyst for CEE — I have to understand the specific system I am studying and consider variables that could impact results.
Rich: The common thread throughout my career is computer programming and automated data analysis. There is a lot of data in the world and understanding how to use computer programming to look at the big picture, as opposed to looking at individual data points, has been a huge asset both in past work and in my current role at CEE.
What were the biggest energy issues when you started out?
Rich: The way we talk about energy efficiency has changed dramatically in the past 30 years. When I first entered the field in the late 1970s, the discussion revolved around oil shortages and energy independence. There was no discussion of climate — it was simply not an issue at that time. That conversation has obviously shifted since then, and the current emphasis on climate change will greatly impact energy efficiency much more than past discussions around availability ever did.
What is our biggest energy issue today?
Nicole: Our current level of energy consumption is not sustainable. We need to keep finding ways to reduce our energy consumption through equipment and system efficiency, and also through changes to our built infrastructure and our behavior.
What current energy issues would you never have predicted 30 years ago?
Rich: When I began my career, climate change was not on our radar. There was a general understanding of pollution and ozone depletion, but the global climate impact had not been quantified. It has been hard for people to wrap their heads around the issue and its impacts, and I still don’t think we understand the full extent. While climate issues are not a complete surprise having worked in this industry for 30 years, it is not something I would have predicted. The good news is that by thinking about the global impact of climate change in searching for solutions, the end result will be a much more comprehensive.
Can you predict what we might be working on 30 years from now?
Nicole: Adaptation and mitigation will play an important role in how we deal with future issues around climate change. For energy efficiency, the intersection between policy and technology will become even more crucial and these two sectors will need to work together to find successful solutions. A life-changing technology could be available tomorrow, but without policy support it is irrelevant. It is frustrating to have the technology available and lack the political support to put it in to action. NASA's history is full of good examples of how political support can change the course of a program — either to keep technology at a standstill or drive it forward.
Photo credit: NASA HQ PHOTO
About Helen Booth-Tobin
Read Helen Booth-Tobin's Full Bio
View All Posts by Helen Booth-Tobin
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Knicks Fix
5 Thoughts on Knicks-Pistons
Alan Hahn
PISTONS 111, KNICKS 107
1. Another game that saw the Knicks give a great defensive effort in the first half only to seemingly run out of gas before we reached halftime. In OKC, we saw a 42-all game turn in the final three minutes of the second quarter when the Knicks yielded an 11-0 run. Against the Pistons, it was allowing 15 points in the final 3:29 to cut a 21-point lead to 13.
Jeff Hornacek needs to watch film to see if this is simply a conditioning issue that can be addressed by adjusting his substitutions to keep more fresh legs on the court. What suddenly stops working? In OKC the Knicks missed some makeable shots and didn’t get back on defense with the same fervor as the first 21 minutes of the half. Against Detroit, it was again missed shots and a defense that got too loose.
2. You have to give credit to Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy for inserting reserve forward Anthony Tolliver into the lineup late in the half. Tolliver, who was a DNP in the first two games of the season, was on a mission to earn a rotation spot and set out to do what no other Pistons forwards could do: stop Kristaps Porzingis. Tolliver tested the officiating early by getting physical with Porzingis and when he didn’t get any whistles, he kept it up. He started the second half and kept pounding KP.
At one point he literally grabbed his hip and pulled him to the ground. No call. Tolliver also contributed on the offensive end with three three-pointers and wound up a +21 in just 20 minutes. Expect more opponents to greet Porzingis with this type of coverage.
3. Regardless of Tolliver’s effort, Porzingis was still a dominant force. He finished with 33 points on 11 of 20 shooting and was also 8 for 10 from the line. He had 23 at the half and was virtually perfect with his shooting (his only two misses of the first half was a 30-foot heat check and a halfcourt heave at the buzzer). The Tolliver effect in the past might have taken him completely out of the game, but he continued to battle through it and remained locked in when it mattered most.
He had eight points in the fourth and learned a valuable lesson in the life of being the most important player on the court for his team. KP hit a big three-pointer with 5:12 to go tied it at 96 after the Pistons had just built a six-point lead. But he missed his next two shots and went 1 for 2 from the line down the stretch. But then, with 37 seconds left and the Knicks down three, Porzingis had his drive against two defenders blocked by Andre Drummond.
Replays show Drummond grabbed Porzingis’ arm in its shooting motion before he made the block — an obvious foul missed by the officials (should be noted on the NBA’s L2M). I said on MSG after the game, “The refs don’t treat KP like a star yet, but he’s a star player.” They will, however, the more he proves he can play through this kind of defense and still dominate. This is all part of the education and development of a player. But let’s see if the league watches the defense played against KP with a little more scrutiny this season. One thing to remember: how often did Carmelo Anthony get banged around (remember how often the headband would get knocked off his head?) and he didn’t get calls?
4. Tim Hardaway Jr. made a three-pointer with 5:57 left in the game to cut Detroit’s lead to 96-93. It was a big shot at the time, but it could prove to be bigger for Hardaway moving forward. That was his first three of the game after missing his first seven. Before that shot, Hardaway was 4 for 22 from the field in his first two games of the season after shooting the ball very well in the preseason (53%).
He finished the game, however, making his last three shots — all three-pointers — so you have to hope he might be finding his touch again. The Knicks desperately need a second scorer to support Porzingis and Hardaway Jr. is supposed to be that player.
5. The Knicks also need Hardaway Jr. to provide three-point shooting, because it remains an area of their game that is still lacking. The Knicks made just 8 of 30 from downtown in the game (26.7%) and Porzingis and Hardaway had six of the makes. In two games so far, the Knicks are 15 of 54 (27.7%) from beyond the arc, which is the second-lowest rate in the NBA. Their 27 attempts per game is 25th in the league.
Should the Knicks utilize the three-ball more than they do? Doug McDermott is a terrific shooter, but he was just 1 for 4 against Detroit. Courtney Lee was a 40% shooter last season, but he isn’t looking much for that shot, either. The NBA today is all pick-and-roll and three-pointers; scoring is either at the rim or beyond the arc. The Knicks under Jeff Hornacek have not prioritized the three-ball.
Alan Hahn, Knicks Fix Recap, New York Knicks
5 Thoughts on Knicks Opener
THUNDER 105, KNICKS 84 A game that the Knicks led 34-30 early in the second quarter and were tied at 42 with 2:43 left in the half got away quickly to close the first half and through a tough third quarter. Jeff Hornacek saw a spirited defensive effort early on, but the energy that took […]
Knicks Season Analysis By the Numbers
The New York Knicks begin their 2017-18 campaign tonight in OKC. Checkout these fun facts about the team’s upcoming season below! And, following the opener, watch Knicks Extra Live on MSG & MSG GO!
For Better Or Worse, Melo Forever A Knick
There is no debate when it comes to judging the Hall of Fame credentials of Carmelo Anthony. He’ll be in Springfield when his eligibility arrives with his trademark smirk and maybe even a headband diagonally positioned over his gleaming eyes. Even if his tour in Oklahoma City — and wherever else his career takes him […]
Knicks Preview: From ‘Process’ to Progress?
First, there was a pause. A question was posed about the direction of the franchise after yet another offseason of restructuring. A new general manager was in place. Carmelo Anthony was gone. Following two seasons of roster moves that suggested the intention was to make the playoffs, a long-awaited rebuild was in full effect. [Hahn: […]
MSG AM
Who Knicks Could Take With Two First-Round Picks
Alan Hahn,
Wally Szczerbiak
Patrick Ewing Talks Knicks Career, Dream Team & More
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