1458: Prime Time Purge

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg suddenly canceled his visit to Berlin on Thursday, just hours before he was due to arrive in the German capital. The military alliance boss has developed shingles, according to his office.

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I am sitting in a training regarding covid anti-virals. Which my providers have been prescribing

for over a month. Now we find out that to let patients know to paxlovid decrease effectiveness of

birth control pills (like antibiotics do).

over a month later

Now, the strange part is that Radar Online is reporting something completely different about Ashley’s death.

They say Ashley Haynes was found with an electrical cord around her ankle attached to a concrete block.

They’re also reporting that Mark Middleton’s body was found with the “same” electrical cord, and a shotgun blast through the chest.

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My partner Jasmine just got a new job and they had a vax mandate. So because I had been studying up on the rules for religious exemptions, I decided to help her write the answers and we messed around with it to make it more spiritual (rather than religious). We made it as far out in left field as we could think, so much so, that we hoped to come off a little whacky. And while it definitely represented some deeply held religious beliefs, it sounded like it would be too crazy for anyone to touch. And it worked! I attached it, so if anyone wants to get an idea of a successful exemption this worked for us.

I was listening to the latest episode and just finished the piece on Canada’s vaccine travel mandates.

My stepfather passed away early Monday morning. I live in Alberta, he lived in Ontario. Because I have chosen to maintain my bodily autonomy, I am unable to board a plane in Canada and as such I will be forced to miss his funeral, which is being held on Thursday. It is of course possible to drive, but given its 40 hours one way assuming I don’t stop to sleep, it’s just not doable for me.

While I already feel horrible, my mother has so far refused to even accept my phone calls and I have received a text message from my brother (with whom I’ve always been extremely close) calling me a ‘selfish piece of shit’. I’ve also heard via my sister (who has been jabbed but nonetheless respects my decision) that my grandmother has discussed removing me from her will.

Adding to the absurdity is the fact that all of them caught Covid after getting their booster shots early this year! They still cannot seem to grasp that these mandates have no basis in health. I don’t remember the name of the German fellow on the show who said that people can be academically smart and also be stupid, but he could not be more correct in regards to my family, all of whom are well-educated but have fallen super hard for the covid narrative.

Anyways, not to dump my problems on you but it’s surreal to me that in most of the world Covid is a non-issue (or close to it) and yet the Canadian government is still driving division and destroying lives and families.

Thanks again to you and John, genuinely the show has kept me sane these last 2 years.

TYFYC,

Josh in Edmonton

In an interview published by a Ukrainian news outlet, Denisova admitted that her falsehoods had achieved their intended goal.

“When, for example, I spoke in the Italian parliament at the Committee on International Affairs, I heard and saw such fatigue from Ukraine, you know? I talked about terrible things in order to somehow push them to make the decisions that Ukraine and the Ukrainian people need,” she said.

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The Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor represents a crucial north-south axis for the European economy. The corridor stretches from Finland and Sweden in the North, to the island of Malta in the South, taking in Denmark, Northern, Central and Southern Germany, the industrial heartlands of Northern Italy and the southern Italian ports. The most significant projects on the corridor are the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link and Brenner Base tunnel, including their access routes. This north-south corridor will integrate Priority Projects 1, 11, 12 and 20, ERTMS Corridor B and the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Rail Freight Corridor.

Main bottlenecks and missing links

The cross-border alpine connection between Munich and Verona represents a major bottleneck on the corridor and will be alleviated by the construction of the Brenner Base Rail Tunnel, when it becomes operational in 2026. The removal of this bottleneck is crucial for the realisation of the entire corridor, linking Northern and Southern Europe. Together with the Gotthard-Monte Ceneri axis in Switzerland and the Lyon-Turin rail connection, the Brenner corridor will bind together a complex network of high-capacity rail links. Together these networks will help to achieve the environmental objectives set by the EU and ensure the modal shift from road to rail; necessary for the future of the ecologically sensitive alpine region. The Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link crossing is a key component in the main north-south route between Central Europe and the Nordic countries. This cross-border bottleneck will be removed by the construction of the new immersed rail/road tunnel under the 18 km wide, Fehmarn Strait, between Rødby in Denmark and Puttgarden in Germany. Following the completion of the project in 2028, the travel time between Copenhagen and Hamburg will be reduced by approximately one hour, and for rail freight transport, by approximately two hours.

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FBI emails recently made public during the trial against now-acquitted DNC attorney Michael Sussmann show the bureau was still in the process of requesting images of the DNC servers on Oct. 13, 2016. The server images, which are equivalent to a virtual copy of the alleged crime scene, were taken by private cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.

On Oct. 7, six days before CrowdStrike agreed to mail the server images to the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released a statement accusing Russia of hacking U.S. political organizations and disseminating emails allegedly stolen through the hack. The statement was approved and encouraged by Obama, according to then-DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson.

“The president approved the statement. I know he wanted us to make the statement. So that was very definitely a statement by the United States government, not just Jim Clapper and me,” Johnson told the House Intelligence Committee in June 2017, referring to then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

The DHS, ODNI, and the office of Barack Obama did not respond to requests for comment.

The Oct. 7, 2016, statement said that the U.S. intelligence community, which is composed of more than a dozen agencies including the FBI, was “confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations.”

“The recent disclosures of alleged hacked emails on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks and by the Guccifer 2.0 online persona are consistent with the methods and motivations of Russian-directed efforts,” the statement said.

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Here is the latest from Shanghai

(1) Starting on 1 June 2022, Shanghai set up a mandatory "get tested every 72-hour" rule. The results were predictable.

(a) some people tested positive, their phone QR code turned red - hence they could not enter any public establishments, malls, stores, etc.

(b) we have friends, and know families of my daughter's classmates, who have been re-locked-down, inside their buildings or apartment/condo complex communities, due to their proximity to SOMEONE else who "tested positive"

(c) for the first TWO days of "openness", the "testing stations" were overwhelmed with high demand - and long lines (45 to 60 minutes). However, at present, because people fear that there is always a risk of "Covid contact" while standing in line, making you a future RED, fewer people are going to the public testing stations (which are FREE).

(d) Now there is a TWO-tiered testing system. People with money, go to private hospitals (paying 180 RMB, about 25 USD - for a test that is good for 72 hours), on the theory that the "good people" always test negative; i.e., a lower risk of cavorting with the WRONG kind of "Sneetches"; and in wealthier complexes, like mine, the Housing Association has contracted with the City to get a testing center INSIDE our gates, which is limited to our residents.

AND NOW ...

(2) starting on Saturday, 11 June 2022, the city is starting a "rolling" lockdown - various districts within the city will be shut - no one in or out. Everyone will be sampled (throat swab) for 3-5 days. It is the ZERO Covid policy, brought down to the sub-district level.

(3) NO one from Shanghai is allowed to travel into the neighboring provinces - and if allowed to get off of a train, they would need to submit to a 2-week quarantine at the local "Covid hotel."

(And remember, Shanghai has a 90% vaccination rate (2 shots); and about 67% took 3 shots).

ON the other hand

(4) Restaurants and food delivery in Shanghai has started - but who knows for how long.

(5) regular super markets are open and are receiving shipments from the outside - so yogurt is back, imported cheeses and meats stock the shelves. Domestic produce is back too - for weeks there were no Carrots, sweet potatoes, or mangos in the markets. ALL good now.

(6) Taxi fees are up about 50% for rides over 20 minutes.

(7) Basically EVERYONE, everywhere, wears a mask - while riding a bike, driving a scooter, alone in a car, taking their dog for a walk. It is so sad. The madness abounds.

The areas of consensus, Collins said, include amending the Electoral Count Act to restrain the vice president’s role, raising the congressional threshold for objecting to electoral votes, overhauling the transition process and protecting election officials from threats.

The group is trying to close loopholes in the electoral system in a flurry of activity among members and staffers in recent weeks to reach consensus on a cause that lawmakers in both parties see as urgent. It was the first face-to-face meeting of members since April. The negotiations were sparked in part by President Donald Trump’s unsuccessful effort to exploit gaps in the law to stay in power even though he lost the 2020 election.

The senators haven’t reached a final agreement, and success would mean avoiding a number of potential political pitfalls. In addition, any bill would require at least 60 votes to break a filibuster and pass the Senate.

The main issue the Senate group hasn’t resolved, two sources familiar with its work said, is how to address the “safe harbor” deadline — the date by which states must certify their presidential election results to ensure they are counted without interference from Congress. But what if a state misses the deadline? What if it sends an “alternate slate” of electors for a losing candidate?

The Senate negotiations have occurred on a parallel track to the House Jan. 6 committee’s highly anticipated prime-time hearings, which begin Thursday. They began this year after Democrats failed to pass a party-line bill to overhaul voting rights laws across the country. The bipartisan talks focus not on ballot access but rather on counting votes and making sure winners take power.

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“In the coming months, we expect the threat environment to become more dynamic as several high-profile events could be exploited to justify acts of violence against a range of possible targets,” DHS said.

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BlackRock is invested in several programs that are providing financing to build new homes and add to U.S. housing supply.

Most recently, we began investing in new construction, purpose-built for-rent housing developments that add supply to the market and address the increasing demand we see for this property type. Our focus is on building single-family rental housing that can be managed and operated similarly to multifamily properties with dedicated property management, leasing and amenities.

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A modest proposal might employ human urine (once used as a tooth whitener) as a solution: it contains about 2% urea. With centralized urban processing and collection facilities, a mere 16 gallons of human pee would infuse 200 gallons of road diesel with DEF for delivering tomatoes and grapes to Manhattan and Newark. The average person discharges 800–2,000 milliliters of urine daily, or about a gallon every three days. All we need is 37.6 million tons of urea (projected to double by 2027)!

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Archived Version

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 17:09

A new study confirms the link between an amino acid present in diet and depression.

A new study shows, in humans, mice, and flies, that elevated plasma levels and a diet rich in the amino acid proline cause a more severe state of depression.

Amino acids are monomers that are the building blocks of protein. When a person consumes food containing protein, the protein is broken down into amino acids by the digestive system. To carry out bodily functions, the body then combines the amino acids in different ways. There are 20 different amino acids, of which 9 are considered essential amino acids because they cannot be made by the body and must come from food.

Newly released research confirms the link between a certain amino acid called proline and depression. Proline is a nonessential amino acid and is found in grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chicken, gelatin, bone broth, organ meats like liver, and cage-free egg yolks. According to the study, a diet rich in proline is linked to an increased risk of depression.

Researchers from Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI) and Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) in Barcelona, Spain, have discovered the role of an amino acid in depression in humans, mice, and flies. It is proline, an amino acid found in a broad range of foods such as gelatin, grass-fed beef, and wild-caught fish. The findings, published in the scientific journal Cell Metabolism, also link a proline-rich diet to an increased risk of developing depression.

Dr. Jos(C) Manuel Fernndez-Real and Dr. Jordi Mayneris-Perxachs from the IDIBGI and CIBEROBN research groups on Nutrition, Eumetabolism, and Health led the study, as did Dr. Rafael Maldonado from the Pompeu Fabra University Neuropharmacology-Neurophar research group, which is affiliated with the Hospital de la Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM).

Dr. Rafael Maldonado, Neuropharmacology-Neurophar research group Credit: UPF

To reach these conclusions, on the one hand, the type and amount of amino acids in the diet of the participants were analyzed. Participants also completed a questionnaire to measure their depressive mood. ''We were surprised that what was most associated with depression, evaluated through this questionnaire, was the consumption of proline,'' says Dr. Fernndez-Real, of the IDIBGI, and also head of the Endocrinology Section at Hospital Dr. Josep Trueta in Girona and director of the Department of Medical Sciences at the University of Girona. Confirming this, when plasma metabolomics was evaluated, the concentration of proline emerged as one of the metabolites most associated with indicators of depression.

Proline levels, depending on the microbiotaBut not everyone who had a high intake of proline was more depressed. When studying these people's intestinal microbiota, a relationship was also observed between depression and bacteria, as well as between depression and bacterial genes associated with proline metabolism. Thus, it was observed that circulating proline levels depended on the microbiota. ''The microbiota of patients with high proline consumption but low plasma levels of proline was similar to the microbiota associated with low levels of depression and was enriched in bacterial genes involved in the transport and metabolism of proline'', states Dr. Mayneris-Perxachs, a Miguel Servet researcher at the IDIBGI.

To find out if the presence of proline was a cause or a consequence of depressive mood, participants' microbiota was transplanted into mice. The rodents that became more depressed had received the microbiota of participants with high proline, or more depressed subjects. Different genes associated with the transport of proline were also found in the brains of these mice. ''The possibility of transferring the depression phenotype from humans to mice through microbiota transplantation and the demonstration that such transplantation generates alterations in proline transport reveals that this proline may be associated causally with depression'', explains Dr. Maldonado, of UPF.

Another confirmatory experiment was carried out using fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), in which a more depressive mood can be induced. The researchers isolated two types of bacteria from the microbiota associated with proline consumption and added them to the flies' sterilized feed. Flies that ingested food with Lactobacillus, which in mice was associated with less depression, showed they were more willing to overcome difficulties they faced afterward. In contrast, those that ingested Enterobacter, which is associated with depression in humans, were much more depressed.

Finally, the same experiment was performed on genetically modified flies to eliminate the channels that carry proline to the brain. In this case, the proline was unable to reach the brain, and the flies proved to be highly resilient to depression.

Dr. Jos(C) Manuel Fernndez-Real and Dr. Jordi Mayneris-Perxachs, from the research group on Nutrition, Eumetabolism and Health at the IDIBGI and CIBEROBN. Credit: IDIBGI

The importance of proline in future treatments''These results demonstrate the importance of proline and its influence on people's depressive mood, which so far had not been taken into account,'' highlights Dr. Fernndez-Real. The study also opens the way for new studies to find possible diet-based treatments for depression.

This study has also enjoyed the collaboration of researchers from the FISABIO Foundation, the Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (IRBLleida), and the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio) of the University of Valencia and the CSIC.

Reference: ''Microbiota alterations in proline metabolism impact depression'' by Jordi Mayneris-Perxachs, Anna Castells-Nobau, Mar­a Arnoriaga-Rodr­guez, Miquel Martin, Lisset de la Vega-Correa, Cristina Zapata, Aurelijus Burokas, Gerard Blasco, Cl udia Coll, Anira Escrichs, Carles Biarn(C)s, Jos(C) Mar­a Moreno-Navarrete, Josep Puig, Josep Garre-Olmo, Rafel Ramos, Salvador Pedraza, Ram"n Brugada, Joan Carles Vilanova, Joaqu­n Serena, Jordi Gich, Llu­s Rami"-Torrent , Vicente P(C)rez-Brocal, Andr(C)s Moya, Reinald Pamplona, Joaquim Sol, Mariona Jov(C), Wifredo Ricart, Manuel Portero-Otin, Gustavo Deco, Rafael Maldonado and Jos(C) Manuel Fernndez-Real, 3 May 2022, Cell Metabolism. DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2022.04.001

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 17:04

Recently, BlackRock has been the subject of speculation, misperception, and even mistaken identity in media reports and on social media regarding our role in the U.S. housing market.

A number of other large asset managers and private equity firms are very active today in purchasing single-family residences. BlackRock is sometimes confused with them.

As a fiduciary asset manager, we invest and manage capital on behalf of our clients in a vast array of public and private U.S. real estate markets '' but buying individual homes is not one of them.

Below are facts on how we DO participate in the U.S. real estate market. Combined, we are investing approximately $120 billion1 in the U.S. residential real estate market on behalf of our clients.

Providing capital for mortgages to help American families buy new homesBlackRock is a significant investor in mortgage securities, helping make capital available to individuals and families seeking to purchase homes.

Providing capital for new housing constructionBlackRock is invested in several programs that are providing financing to build new homes and add to U.S. housing supply.

Most recently, we began investing in new construction, purpose-built for-rent housing developments that add supply to the market and address the increasing demand we see for this property type. Our focus is on building single-family rental housing that can be managed and operated similarly to multifamily properties with dedicated property management, leasing and amenities.

Other U.S. real estate investmentsAdditionally, BlackRock invests in multifamily properties, apartment complexes, and other residential real estate.

Bottom line: BlackRock is an active investor in the U.S. real estate market, but we are not among the institutional investors buying single-family homes.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:57

06 June 2022

Energoatom and US firm Westinghouse have signed an agreement to increase from five to nine the number of planned new AP1000 reactors for Ukraine, as well as a widened agreement to supply all nuclear fuel for the country's reactor fleet.

The agreement was signed at Khmelnitsky (Image: Westinghouse/Twitter)The two companies also restated their plans for a Westinghouse engineering centre in Ukraine to support the projects for the new units as well as a future decommissioning programme.

Energoatom announced earlier this year that it would stop using Russian nuclear fuel. It was already in the process of diversifying its fuel supplies, but will now be making a full shift to using Westinghouse fuel, supplied from the company's fabrication site in V¤ster¥s in Sweden, with fuel assembly component production in Ukraine, with Energoatom's Atomenergomash "currently completing qualification to manufacture top and bottom nozzles for Westinghouse fuel".

The agreement between the two firms was signed by Energoatom President Petro Kotin and Westinghouse President and CEO Patrick Fragmnan, at the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant, where the first two AP1000 units will be built. The two companies already had an agreement for five AP1000 reactors in the country, but the new agreement expands that number to nine.

"Even during this challenging time, we continue to work actively with Westinghouse, our strategic partner. We will expand the areas and scope of cooperation and are confident that together, we will not only write a new chapter in the history of Ukraine's nuclear energy, but also make an important contribution to the energy independence of Europe," said Kotin.

"Westinghouse is proud to sign these agreements to fully support Ukraine's current operating fleet with our industry-leading fuels and services and to increase the number of committed new AP1000 plants from five to nine. We greatly value our long-standing partnership with Energoatom and look forward to the work ahead to help advance Ukraine's carbon-free future," said Fragman.

Also at the signing of the agreement were Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko and the Swedish ambassador to Ukraine Tobias Thyberg.

Last year, Energoatom signed deals with Westinghouse for nuclear fuel for VVER-440 reactors, with Westinghouse fuel in operation at six of the country's Russian-designed VVER-1000 reactors. Energoatom operates four nuclear plants in Ukraine, with a total of 15 units, although the six-unit Zaporizhyzhia plant, operated by its Ukrainian staff, is currently under Russian military control.

Energoatom reported on Monday that all the nuclear plants were working within their usual safe limits.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:49

By Euronews ' Updated: 08/06/2022 - 20:32

At least one person was killed and nine others injured after a vehicle ploughed into pedestrians in Berlin on Wednesday morning, rescue services said.

Berlin police spokesman Martin Dams said the incident happened near the popular Kurfuerstendamm shopping street in the west of the German capital.

Images from the scene show a small, silver Renault vehicle lodged inside a shop window.

The number of casualties was confirmed to The Associated Press by Berlin fire service spokesman Stefan Salzwedel. At least six people sustained life-threatening injuries and another three were seriously wounded, he said.

"A man is believed to have driven into a group of people," police said on Twitter, adding that the driver had been detained at the scene.

"It is not yet known whether it was an accident or a deliberate act," they added. "We are currently on the scene with about 130 emergency personnel. The vehicle, a small car, was secured on-site."

Police later confirmed to reporters that the driver was a 29-year-old German-Armenian who lives in Berlin.

Berlin's top security official, Iris Spranger, said the woman killed was a teacher on a school trip with students from the central German state of Hesse.

The city's mayor Franziska Giffey wrote on Twitter that she was ''deeply shocked by this incident.''

"I would like to thank the more than 130 emergency services for their quick response and care for those affected," Giffey added.

The incident occurred near the Breitscheidplatz where an extremist killed 13 people in a vehicle attack on a Christmas market in 2016.

In 2019, four people were killed when a car driver suffered an epileptic fit at the wheel and hit a group of pedestrians in central Berlin.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:48

The president of the Spanish pharmaceutical company PharmaMar is one of the over 2,200 people listed by Spanish police as having purchased fake coronavirus vaccination documents.

Jos(C) Mar­a Fernndez Sousa-Faro, the founder and president of PharmaMar, is one of the over 2,200 people identified as having paid a criminal network to fake their coronavirus vaccination status, following a Spanish police operation known as Operation Jenner.

The 76-year-old was shown in the vaccine registry as having taken at least three doses of Wuhan virus vaccine, investigators stated.

Police say several other high profile names are on the list, including Australian tennis player lex de Mi±aur and Spanish musician Omar Montes.

Police say that the network was able to change vaccine statuses in the Spanish National Vaccination Registry and charged clients cash for the service, the newspaper El Mundo reports.

Fake European Coronavirus Vaccine Passport Sales Surging Online https://t.co/SF8Oe7N7kC

'-- Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) December 3, 2021

According to police, the network facilitating the fake vaccination papers was in operation from around September of last year until January of this year. Operation Jenner also led to the dismantling of a broader network that operated across the European Union.

Forgers are said to have charged different amounts of cash for their service depending on how many doses the person wished to be marked as having received. A total of 15 people, including a nurse and a nursing assistant, were arrested earlier this year in connection with the operation.

The nurses are accused of having stolen the personal access codes of other medical professionals and used said access codes to commit fraudulent activities.

Over the course of the Wuhan virus pandemic, there have been multiple networks offering fake vaccination documents, as many countries enacted health passport systems requiring vaccinations, proof of recent recovery, or negative tests to access venues, use transportation, or simply be allowed to work.

In December, Italian police claimed the number of fake coronavirus vaccination documents being sold online had surged and warned medical professionals, including doctors, may have been involved in faking people's vaccination status.

Italian police officer Fabio Ferrari commented at the time on other issues arising from the sale of the fake documents, saying: ''What people don't realise is that they hand over their ID and patient documents to rogue individuals and that this information is then resold.''

SpongeBob SquarePants, Adolf Hitler Granted Vaccine Passports in EU Security Breach https://t.co/X02WYNXksY

'-- Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) October 31, 2021

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:46

People will be ordered to work from home in the event of a major fuel crisis sparked by the war in Ukraine, under secret Government emergency plans.

he Irish Independent has learned confidential details of an emergency planning exercise held 10 days ago between all the major state agencies and the Government.

The high-level planning exercise proposed three fuel supply deficit scenarios, and possible consequences were presented and discussed.

Delegates were given a scenario of a 20pc diesel supply deficit in September and a 35pc drop in supply in December. The third and most extreme scenario proposed for February 2023, is where gas and oil supplies cannot meet the demand for electricity generation or farmers preparing to cut silage.

The Irish Independent can reveal that in the event of a national fuel crisis, emergency contingency measures discussed at the high-level meeting include:

:: All non-essential workers will be ordered to work from home

:: A limit will be placed on all non-essential car travel

:: A strict limit on the amount of fuel motorists can buy at any one time

:: The implementation of an immediate and strict reduction in the speed limit on motorways.

The plan also includes the introduction of an emergency scheme whereby motorists with an odd number at the end of their car registration will only be allowed to drive or refuel on alternate days.

The Indo Daily: Running on empty: Why you could soon be rationing your fuel

Those with odd numbers could refuel on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday and those with an even number on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The confidential meeting, convened by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) on May 26 at the National Emergency Co-ordination Centre, was termed the ''Oil Emergency Exercise''.

The meeting was attended by members of DECC, the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA), Fuels for Ireland (FFI), the Department of Transport and National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG).

Each group was required to run through the three possible scenarios. One Government source described the planning exercise and the options available to mitigate supply problems and protect societal function as ''very, very stark''.

"They gave us a scenario where there was a 20pc reduction of diesel coming into the country. And then one where there was 30-35pc reduction and then one where essentially we don't have enough oil or gas, and the question arises as to whether we divert oil to electricity generation or agriculture to grow food.

"All of this happening is very unlikely but to have it discussed openly when we know the situation in Ukraine was an eye-opener.''

Senior Government sources have told the Irish Independent the likelihood of a fuel crisis at the magnitudes discussed at the meeting is "highly remote".

The first scenario, which was tabled for four months time '' September 1, 2022 '' discussed what measure would be introduced if there was an 18-20pc shortfall in diesel.

The plan states that if a supply deficit of this magnitude occurs, it will lead to "diesel stockouts" where many fuel stations will run dry and supply to critical and emergency services will be threatened.

At this point, NORA would be required to release limited amounts of its 90-day reserve stock to meet essential demand.

In the second scenario, fuel stocks have dipped to dangerously low levels '' 35pc below demand for eight weeks leading up to December 19, 2022.

At this critical point, the plan states the NECG will discuss activating the Oil Emergency Allocation Scheme "to control the supply and distribution of diesel".

The emergency contingency plan, if implemented, would prioritise essential services and critical workers, with other motorists told to limit their driving.

If Ireland has to introduce fuel rationing, consumers would be separated into four categories. Tier one comprises essential workers, such as farmers and food producers. Those classified in tier four are motorists making non-essential journeys.

Only designated critical service stations '' of which there are approximately 100 in the country '' will be stocked with fuel.

The designated stations will only provide fuel to emergency and essential services and workers.

Kevin McPartlan, CEO of Fuels for Ireland, described the planning exercise as "prudent".

"While it remains highly unlikely that we will experience a reduced supply of fuel, it is prudent that we and Government engage in emergency planning.

"As things stand, despite the invasion of Ukraine and the announcement of sanctions prohibiting the importation of Russian fuel into the EU, our stock levels are very healthy, and we see no cause for concern in our supply pipeline.

"We remain more than confident that, save for any massive shock to supply or demand, we will have no issue in continuing to meet Ireland's need for liquid fuels."

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Archived Version

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:46

'); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1609270282082-0'); }); }Should China occupy Taiwan, it would control a majority of the world's microchip manufacturing production. But China needn't invade Taiwan to bring America to its knees '-- simply reducing urea and other existing Chinese exports is already wreaking havoc. Agricultural fertilizer prices have nearly doubled in the past year, and shrinking supplies of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) now threaten America's transportation system. The impact of urea supply shortages on food inflation will be compounded by distribution failures if additional DEF resources are not procured immediately.

'); googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1609268089992-0'); }); }DEF is an emissions control liquid required by the EPA in diesel engines manufactured after 2010 as an "aftertreatment technology" to reduce vehicle emissions. This additive is required for most modern diesel truck fleets. Without it, many trucks cannot exceed five miles per hour in speed, or even be started. Truckers are now reporting increasing DEF shortages around the nation.

EPA mandates for DEF in diesel engines were not matched by increases in DEF production, and China cut back DEF manufacturing last year, leading to the current threat:

Commercial motor vehicles that move commodities across the US utilize approximately 37.6 million tons of DEF and we are experiencing a global shortage. ... China's increased demand for urea in farming caused it to cut production of DEF fluid. ... [For] about every 200 gallons of diesel used you will use about 1 gallon of DEF. The mandate for DEF began in 2010, so the average age of vehicles on the road utilizing the commodity is growing. The older vehicles are less efficient at burning fuel and therefore require more DEF. More and more vehicles that are lawfully required to use DEF continue to hit the market with no more manufacturing taking place in the DEF supply chain. ... In conclusion, as demand and price continue to increase with no real solution to manufacture more DEF long-term, the disruption to an already reeling supply chain situation could be exacerbated by a DEF shortage. All diesel-powered trucks since 2010 require DEF to run. If the trucks DEF tank runs empty, the truck will shut down and not run, meaning millions of commercial transportation trucks could be sidelined at the height of the trucking industry need.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:45

WASHINGTON (AP) '-- A looming Supreme Court decision on abortion, an increase of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and the midterm elections are potential triggers for extremist violence over the next six months, the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday.

The U.S. was in a ''heightened threat environment'' already, and these factors may worsen the situation, DHS said in the latest National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin.

''In the coming months, we expect the threat environment to become more dynamic as several high-profile events could be exploited to justify acts of violence against a range of possible targets,'' DHS said.

It's the latest attempt by Homeland Security to draw attention to the threat posed by domestic violent extremism, a shift from alerts about international terrorism that were a hallmark of the agency following its creation after the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Indeed, the threats from overseas rate only passing mentions in this bulletin. It notes that al-Qaida supporters celebrated the January standoff at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. And it mentions that the Islamic State group called on supporters to carry out attacks in the United States to avenge the killings of the group's leader and spokesman.

DHS also warns that China, Russia, Iran and other nations seek to foment divisions within the U.S. to weaken the country and its standing in the world. In part, they do this by amplifying conspiracy theories and false reports that proliferate in American society.

Domestic violent extremists, however, present the most pressing and potentially violent threat, the agency said, citing, for example, the racist attack in which a white gunman killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket in May.

The bulletin, which is scheduled to expire Nov. 30, said calls for violence by domestic extremists directed at democratic institutions, candidates and election workers will likely increase through the fall. It said that people in online forums have praised the mass shooting at the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and encouraged copycat attacks.

''The alert highlights the fact that society is becoming more violent every single day,'' said Brian Harrell, a former assistant secretary at DHS. ''Would-be criminals and domestic terrorists will always use the path of least resistance, and often times soft targets and crowded places are picked for this violence.''

A senior DHS official, speaking to reporters ahead of the release of the bulletin, said it describes the situation as ''dynamic'' because authorities are seeing a wider variety of people motivated by a broader range of grievances and incidents than in the past.

The upcoming decision from the Supreme Court, which could overturn Roe v. Wade, could lead to violence from either extremist supporters or opponents of abortion rights depending on the outcome, said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss some factors that went into the preparation of the bulletin.

Racial extremists may be motivated by immigration enforcement or whether the government continues to rely on Title 42, the public health order that has been used since the start of the coronavirus pandemic to prevent people from seeking asylum at the southwest border, DHS said.

The agency and the FBI are working with state and local law enforcement to raise awareness of the threat, and DHS has increased grant funding to local governments and religious organizations to improve security, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in a statement released with the bulletin.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:42

Breaking News The National Health Service has confirmed in response to a freedom of information request that ambulance call-outs relating to immediate care required for a debilitating condition affecting the heart nearly doubled in the whole of 2021 and are still on the rise further in 2022. But the most concerning published figures show that they have also doubled among people under the age of 30.

On the 25th April 2022, Duncan Husband sent a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation trust requesting to know the following ''

'Can you please tell me, under the Freedom Of Information Act,The amount of call outs for patients with heart conditions per year, between 1st January 2017 and present day?The amount of call outs for patients with strokes per year, between 1st January 2017 and present day?If possible, can you also give me the total number of the above patients who were under 30.Can you give me the monthly stats for each year please?'

The NHS responded on the 18th May with a spreadsheet containing the requested information.

The following table is the one provided by the NHS for the number of overall ambulance call-outs for heart conditions by month and year ''

The following chart visualised the data in the table above ''

The following table is the one provided by the NHS for the number of ambulance call-outs for heart conditions among people under the age of 30 by month and year ''

The following chart visualised the data in the table above ''

As we can see from the above two charts, ambulance call-ours for high conditions have been higher overall since January 2021, and have been increasing month on month. It was not until April 2021 that we saw a significant increase among people under the age of 30 though, and it again has increased month on month since then.

The following chart shows the overall total call-outs by year for everyone and those aged 0 to 29 ''

The average number of annual call outs between 2017 and 2020 equates to 24,463. Meaning the number of call-outs increased by 48% in 2021. The average number of annual call-outs among under 30's between 2017 and 2020 equates to 3,940. Meaning the number of call-outs increased by 82% in 2021.

The following chart shows the monthly average number of ambulance call-outs for conditions relating to the heart by year ''

There was a significant increase in 2021 among all age groups, and unfortunately, things have got even worse in the first few months of 2022.

The question is, why

We really don't need to look any further than the number of cases of myocarditis caused by Covid-19 vaccination. Myocarditis is a condition that causes inflammation of the heart muscle and reduces the heart's ability to pump blood and can cause rapid or abnormal heart rhythms.

Eventually, myocarditis weakens the heart so that the rest of the body doesn't get enough blood. Clots can then form in the heart, leading to a stroke or heart attack. Other complications of the condition include sudden cardiac death. There is no mild version of myocarditis, it is extremely serious due to the fact that the heart muscle is incapable of regenerating. Therefore, one the damage is done there is no rewinding the clock.

The following chart shows reports of myocarditis to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System by year ''

Heart damage is ubiquitous throughout the vaccinated population, and the damage is being diagnosed in multiple ways. Acute cardiac failure rates are now 475 times the normal baseline rate in VAERS. Tachycardia rates are 7,973 times the baseline rate. Acute myocardial infarction is 412 times the baseline rate. The rates of internal haemorrhage, peripheral artery thrombosis, coronary artery occlusion are all over 300 times the baseline rate.

Fully vaccinated people are suffering like never before.

Covid-19 vaccination was supposed to ease pressure on the NHS, not apply more.

Categories: Breaking News, Did You Know?, The Expose Blog, World News

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:42

(NewsNation) '-- As skyrocketing rents trickle down to mobile home parks, Americans at the low end of the income rung are once again struggling to make ends meet.

Rent hikes are now pricing people out of one of the last remaining, affordable places to live.

Soaring costs are leaving tenants confused and asking the question: Where do they turn now?

''This shouldn't be happening at all. And it's happening a lot,'' Jamie O'May, property manager at Desert Paradise Mobile Home Park in Las Vegas, told NewsNation affiliate KLAS.

America's mobile homes are feeling the effects of a competitive housing market rife with surging home prices and rising rent, leaving residents with few options.

''I'm going to a shelter that's specifically designed for me because I'm a cancer patient,'' Desert Paradise resident Maggie Lunsford Brown told KLAS.

About 20 million Americans, about 6% of the population, live in manufactured homes, according to federal data.

Unlike traditional site-built homes, manufactured homes or mobile homes are built in a factory according to national standards and then transported to the site of use. They can be placed on land that is owned orleased by the homeowner.

Demand for affordable housing, low supply, and an increase in corporate owners and developers have contributed to driving up costs.

''It's getting tougher and tougher,'' said mobile home resident Hayden Conover. ''We have jobs and it's just not enough anymore.''

Conover lives in a mobile home community just outside Dallas. Since January, he's watched his lot rent go from $500 a month to $690.

''Yeah, I mean it's changed everything,'' Conover said. ''I've tried to find new jobs, gotta make more money, cut back on certain things, not go out to eat as much.''

Those like Conover not only pay more in rent but also more for mobile homes themselves.

Census data shows during the pandemic, the average sales price of a manufactured home rose nearly 50%, from $82,900 to $123,200.

Just last month, Iowa lawmakers fought to give mobile home residents longer notice of rent increases or nonrenewals of leases. The governor signed those protections into law. However, it does not limit the frequency or amount of price hikes.

''I think it is a step in the right direction but I don't think it is obviously a final step. But I think we can improve on it and work on it together,'' said Iowa State Sen. Carrie Koelker.

In many cases, mobile homeowners are frustrated. They own the unit they live in, but don't enjoy the perks of home ownership such as locked-in interest rates, tax breaks or appreciating home values.

And if your lot rent increases to a rate you can't afford, moving these mobile homes can cost up to $15,000.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:41

The Biden Administration's announcement on Wednesday of a plan that could set the country on a course to generate forty-five per cent of its electricity from solar panels by mid-century might'--might'--someday be remembered as one of those moments that mattered. That's because it sets a physical target whose progress will be relatively easy to measure'--it's the energy equivalent of announcing that ''before this decade is out'' we will achieve the goal of ''landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth.'' This plan is much more ambitious, though: the Apollo project focussed all the nation's technological might on moving one person; this is more akin to landing all of us somewhere very new. But physical targets are easier to track and understand than, say, the squishy and amorphous chatter about ''net zero'' emissions and so forth. Observers will be able to track with ease our progress and see if future Administrations are keeping up the pace.

By itself, of course, converting one country's electricity system to run nearly half on solar is not going to curtail global warming. But an effort at this scale will move us fast along the learning curve: the cost of solar has regularly fallen about thirty per cent with each doubling of capacity'--so increasing its scale from less than four per cent, which it is at present, to forty-five per cent should make what is already the cheapest energy on Earth far cheaper still.

There are plenty of pitfalls. For one, a target is only as good as the money behind it; Congress needs to step up and start appropriating, and the $3.5-trillion budget plan could be the first down payment on that task. (A task made much more difficult by news that much of corporate America is throwing down hard to stop parts of it.) And the political problems only start there: siting solar farms often kicks up local opposition from people who don't want to look at them. Even in green Vermont, where I live, this is a budding problem.

And there are deep questions about whether we've even got the metals and other materials left to make it happen'--in a recent paper, Megan K. Seibert and William E. Rees argue that proponents have failed to address questions such as how ''gigatons of already severely depleted metals and minerals essential to building so-called RE technologies will be available in perpetuity.'' The London-based Carbon Tracker Initiative, however, has recently made a case that material constraints will steadily become less of an issue; for the moment, the regularly falling cost of solar seems to make their case. And, as Saul Griffith, the author of the forthcoming book ''Electrify,'' says, using renewables requires far less in the way of materials than a fossil-fuel-based energy system.

The toughest question may simply be time: 2050 is not that far away, and yet a lot of damage can be done by then. As the destruction from global warming accelerates, it seems that it will get more difficult to make national and global efforts on the scale required, even as their necessity becomes more obvious. Which is why I thought, with some chagrin, of an earlier, very similar goal put forward by an American President. Jimmy Carter, midway through his Administration, and faced with the second OPEC oil shock, put forward a goal for producing twenty per cent of the country's energy from renewable resources by the year 2000. In fact, as he unveiled solar panels on the White House roof, in 1979, he said these words:

In the year 2000, this solar water heater behind me, which is being dedicated today, will still be here supplying cheap, efficient energy. . . . A generation from now, this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken, or it can be just a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people.

Carter was prophetic, and sadly so. I first saw one of those solar panels, which the Reagan Administration removed from the White House roof, in a Chinese museum. Had Carter been relected, and had we pursued steadily his vision through the nineteen-eighties and nineties, we may have gone down the learning curve decades earlier. We might not have solved climate change by now, but we'd probably be in an infinitely better place. That we didn't is an unspeakable tragedy.

Now, I think, we are no longer engaged in ''one of the greatest and most exciting adventures'' we've ever undertaken. Amid the rubble of Hurricane Ida and in the smoky shadow of the vast Western fires, we're embarked on a desperate gamble.

More Science and TechnologyWhat happens when patients find out how good their doctors really are?Life in Silicon Valley during the dawn of the unicorns?The end of food.The histories hidden in the periodic table.The detectives who never forget a face.What is the legacy of Laika, the first animal launched into orbit?Sign up for our daily newsletter to receive the best stories from The New Yorker.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:40

British-American journalist

James Goldston (born 19 June 1968) is a British-American journalist, media executive, and former President of ABC News.

Early life [ edit ] Goldston grew up in Heston, a suburb in Hounslow, West London.[1] His mother Jill was a professional movie and TV extra.[3] He recalls as a child being taken to a shooting for a James Bond film, in which he made an appearance.[3]

Early career [ edit ] Goldston was the first in his family to go university when he studied philosophy, politics and economics at Jesus College, Oxford.[1]

He then attended the Cardiff School of Journalism where he was trained by academics including British newspaper editor Sir David English, graduating in 1991 with a PgDip Journalism qualification.[2]

He began his career during work experience at the Richmond and Twickenham Times, followed by roles at The Surrey Herald and Legal Business.[3]

Broadcast journalism [ edit ] His first job in broadcast journalism was at the BBC where he began on programmes including The Money Programme, Newsnight and Panorama.[2] Goldston worked as an international correspondent for the BBC, and was responsible for reporting at the time of the end of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, during the start of the war in Kosovo,[2] and on the Clinton Impeachment.[3]

Television production [ edit ] In 1999 he moved to commercial broadcaster ITV and helped launch the flagship current affairs programme Tonight with Trevor McDonald. He became the programme's executive producer in 2002 and remained there until 2004.[3] The show became "Britain's most watched current affairs program."[5]

Goldston secured significant interviews while at Tonight, including:

Living With Michael Jackson in which the singer confessed to sharing a bed with young boys.[3] The report was picked up by his current organisation ABC News in the United States and reached 27 million viewers.[5] Host Martin Bashir went on to testify in Jackson's second trial for child molestation.[3]Shock and Awe, live coverage anchored from Kuwait and Baghdad of the Iraq War.[3]Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Major Fraud, an investigation into Charles Ingram who in 2004 was convicted for cheating the popular UK game show.[3] The Millionaire scandal was in 2020 picked up by ITV to become a major drama serial entitled Quiz.Tonight received three Royal Television Society awards in five years during Goldston's tenure.[3]

ABC News career [ edit ] 20/20 (2004''2005) [ edit ] Goldston departed ITV and moved to the US in 2004 to become a Senior Producer at ABC News in New York,[3] at the time accompanied by his friend and fellow contributor at ITV Bashir, with whom they worked on 20/20.[3] In November 2005 the duo broadcast a report into the BALCO scandal, obtaining a rare interview with the company's founder Victor Conte who had been indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2004.[3] Conte was charged with supplying drugs to 27 high-profile athletes including Barry Bonds and Marion Jones.[6] The investigation led to the charging of Dwain Chambers, Tim Montgomery, and a number of other high-profile American Olympians.[7][8]

Nightline (2005''2011) [ edit ] In 2005, Goldston became first British executive producer of prime time broadcast Nightline under its then host Ted Koppel.[3] The broadcast was "on the verge of cancellation" and courting David Letterman as a potential new host when Goldston took over.[3] He reformed the programme by removing the "single-anchor, single-topic format"[3] and brought in a three-person team of Bashir, Cynthia McFadden, and Terry Moran.[9]

He reportedly faced initial criticism from supporters of Koppel within ABC who felt in replacing previous producer Tom Bettag, Goldston was dismantling the long running format of the programme,[3] however the audience quickly gained traction, moving up 14% among 25- to 54-year-olds in the "demo", while competitor programmes like the Tonight Show With Jay Leno and the Late Show With David Letterman took a hit in the ratings.[3]

Good Morning America (2011''2014) and SVP [ edit ] In 2011, he took over Good Morning America, which at the time had spent years behind its arch rival Today. Within a year in the role, the broadcast overtook the NBC production to claim top spot among audiences.[10] He became senior vice president (SVP) for content and development at ABC News in 2012.[11]

President of ABC News (2014''2021) [ edit ] In April 2014, Goldston became the President of ABC News, reaching the role after just ten years at the network.[12] He replaced Ben Sherwood, who was promoted to a senior role within Disney. He was at that point one of two Britons in charge of the Big Three television networks in the US, alongside Deborah Turness who was until 2017 the President of NBC News.[12] At the time he also formed a British executive duo at ABC, alongside ABC Entertainment president (and BBC alum) Paul Lee.[13]

At the time of his appointment, Goldston was labelled as having "something of a Midas touch" in the press after taking each broadcast he led (Nightline, GMA, and This Week) to the top spot for viewership, and with GMA enjoying "its best performance in 20 years."[14]

In 2015, he travelled to the Vatican to lead on the network's interview with Pope Francis, which was anchored by David Muir.[3]

In 2019, he was one of 170 guests at the state banquet during the 2019 visit to the United Kingdom by President Trump, despite his network being described by Trump as being "fake news."[15]

In 2016, a letter was written to Goldston by journalists who were requesting reforms to improve the treatment of black candidates in hiring decisions.[16] HuffPost sources described that Senior Vice President for Talent and Business at ABC Barbara Fedida intervened to join a meeting on the topic, a meeting which the group went on to describe as "tense".[16] Mara Schiavocampo later accused Fedida of "racial discrimination", but later agreed a financial settlement including "a nondisclosure and nondisparagement agreement."[16] In June 2020 Goldston placed Fedida, who first joined the company in 1989, on "administrative leave" after a HuffPost report which alleged an "extensive history" of "insensitive and racist remarks."[17] In response to her suspension Fedida released a statement through her attorney describing the accusations as "heartbreaking and incredibly misleading."[18] She was fired on 21 July 2020.[19]

On January 28, 2021, Goldston in an internal memo, announced[20] that he was stepping down from his post at ABC News at the end of March.[21] The Los Angeles Times ' Stephan Battaglio reported that the announcement of Goldston's exit came six months after the ouster Barbara Fedida. Goldston himself, had been rumored to have been on his way out since Fedida officially parted ways with ABC in July 2020.

Awards [ edit ] Personal [ edit ] Radio Television Digital News Association (2019) First Amendment Service Award[22]Network [ edit ] Edward R. Murrow Award (2016) for Overall Excellence in Television, and Series '' TV (for Nightline).[23]Edward R. Murrow Award (2015) for Overall Excellence in Television[23]Edward R. Murrow Award (2014) for Overall Excellence in Television[23]Emmy Award (2012) for Outstanding Business and Economic Reporting (ABC News/Center for Public Integrity)[24]Emmy Award (2009) for Outstanding Investigative Journalism in a News Magazine[25]Emmy Award (2007) for Outstanding Investigative Journalism in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast[26]Peabody Award (2006) for Nightline[27]Royal Television Society Awards (2004) for Program of the Year (ITV News)[3]Royal Television Society Awards (2002) for Program of the Year (ITV News)[28]Royal Television Society Awards (1993) for Program of the Year (ITV News)[3]Personal life [ edit ] Goldston resides in Brooklyn Heights, New York with his wife Laura and three children.[4] He met his wife, who is the anchor of BBC World News America, while studying journalism at Cardiff.[2]

He is a supporter of Premier League side Chelsea F.C.[3]

References [ edit ] ^ a b c d "ABC News Chief on Trump Drama, Megyn's NBC Start and Broadcast News in the Smartphone Era". The Hollywood Reporter. 2 November 2017 . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . ^ a b c d e Amor, Leigh (31 March 2016). "Examined Life: James Goldston (PgDip 1991)". Cardiff University . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Topcik, Joel (16 June 2017). " 'Nightline' in the Goldston Era". Broadcasting Cable . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) ^ a b "ABC News President James Goldston '' 2019 First Amendment Awards". RTDNA '' Youtube. 14 March 2019 . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) ^ a b Dana, Rebecca (2 July 2005). "Nightline Finds Neverland". Observer . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) ^ "Bonds steroids timeline". ESPN.com. 1 November 2007 . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . ^ "BALCO founder tells his story to ABC: report". CBC Sports. 30 November 2004 . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) ^ Conlan, Tara (2 July 2005). "Bashir collaborator to edit Nightline". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . ^ Deans, Jason (2 September 2005). "Bashir tipped to take reins on ABC's Nightline". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . {{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) ^ de Moraes, Lisa (16 April 2012). " 'GMA' ends 'Today's' 16-year run as weekly morning infotainment show ratings leader". The Washington Post . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . {{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) ^ Amato, Jennifer (1 March 2012). "ABC News President Ben Sherwood Announces New Roles for Goldston and Cibrowski". ABC News . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) ^ a b McCarthy, Tom (1 April 2014). "ABC News taps James Goldston to be new president". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . ^ "James Goldston Named President of ABC News". The Hollywood Reporter. 10 April 2014 . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . ^ "ABC names James Goldston president of ABC News". Los Angeles Times. 1 April 2014 . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . ^ Nathan, Sara (5 June 2019). "ABC News boss James Goldston joined Trump at royal dinner". Page Six . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . ^ a b c Ali, Yashar (1 June 2020). " 'To Say That She's An Abusive Figure Is An Understatement': At ABC News, Toxicity Thrives". HuffPost . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . ^ Hernbroth, Megan. "ABC News executive in charge of hiring and diversity programs put on administrative leave while the network investigates claims of insensitive and racist remarks". Business Insider . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . ^ "ABC News Executive Barbara Fedida Put on Leave Following Accusations of Insensitive and Racist Comments". www.yahoo.com . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . ^ Reuters Staff (21 July 2020). "Disney's ABC News says senior executive leaving after alleged racist comments". Reuters . Retrieved 7 September 2020 . ^ Battaglio, Stephen (28 January 2021). "James Goldston is out as president of ABC News". Los Angeles Times. ^ Brian Stelter. "ABC News president James Goldston is stepping down". CNN . Retrieved 29 January 2021 . ^ "First Amendment Service Award 2019 '' RTDNF First Amendment Awards". www.firstamendmentawards.org . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . ^ a b c "ABC News Recognized with Murrow Awards for Overall Excellence in Both Television and Radio". ABC News. 21 June 2016 . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) ^ "Center, ABC win Emmy Award for Solyndra investigation". Center for Public Integrity. 2 October 2012 . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . ^ Schawbel, Dan. "Dan Harris: How Meditation Can Make You Happier And More Successful". Forbes . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . ^ "Washington University in St. Louis Magazine". magazine-archives.wustl.edu . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . ^ "Brian Ross and the Investigative Team Nab Top Honors". ABC News. 25 September 2007 . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) ^ "RTS Journalism Award Winners 2001/2002". Press Gazette. 28 February 2003 . Retrieved 13 June 2020 . {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) External links [ edit ] Official profile at ABC NewsJames Goldston at IMDb

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:39

(C) NRA-ILA

I wrote this essay some weeks ago, but I kept waiting to publish it til tragic mass shootings were no longer in the news. But that day looks as if it will never come, so I am publishing it anyway, with grief and mourning for those lost to gun violence, as we must nonetheless have this difficult conversation.The last thing keeping us free in America, as the lights go off all over Europe- and Australia, and Canada - is, yes, we must face this fact, the Second Amendment.

I can't believe I am writing those words. But here we are and I stand by them.

I am a child of the peace movement. A daughter of the Left, of a dashingly-bearded proto-Beatnik poet, my late dad, and of a Summer of Love activist/cultural anthropologist, my lovely mom. We are a lineage of anti-war, longhaired folks who believe in talking things out.

By the time I was growing up in California in the 1960s and 1970s, weapons were supposed to have become passe. When I played at friends' houses in our neighborhood in San Francisco, there were posters on the walls: "War is Not Healthy for Children and Other Living Things." Protesters had iconically placed daisies in the rifle barrels of unhip-looking National Guardsmen.

We were obviously supposed to side with the daisies.

Weapons were archaic, benighted '-- tacky. A general peace was surely to prevail, in the dawning Age of Aquarius.

My young adulthood too unfolded in a context that reviled all guns all the time. The media was seared with images of gun mayhem. Drive-by shootings devastated inner cities. Gun violence was glorified in hip-hop videos, which in turn was rightly denounced by leaders of victimized communities.

As I grew older, the catastrophes related to lawless gun violence in this country did not abate: Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook '-- the horrors were endless. After every burst of violence, the same questions were asked: how can we allow anyone access to any weapons as these cause such devastation?

Because there were mass shootings and criminal gun violence in America, and because Americans, unlike citizens of other nations, owned and had access to firearms, guns themselves were identified, uncritically, in my progressive circles - (or perhaps I should say, in my former progressive circles) as being the scourge. My liberal community generally reacted to gun violence with a simple, literal arithmetic. Surely the sensible reaction to these catastrophic scenes was simply to remove the guns. End of problem.

The catastrophic scenes of gun violence were connected, in my former circles, directly to all gun owners, but without much equivocation or nuance. And since none of us actually knew people who owned firearms, or had ever asked them why they did so, it was easy to believe in broad generalizations and crude, even racist stereotypes: all gun owners or NRA members, for instance, we were sure, were unexploded emotional landmines - any one of them could become a mass murderer in a heartbeat. All gun owners or NRA members were surely, we believed, one cheap beer or one fentanyl hit away from spraying a church or workplace or parade with bullets.

It was hard for us to conceive that anyone might own guns and actually be law-abiding, responsible and peaceful.

My former progressive circles even saw hunting not as a sign of conservatorship of the land nor a symbol of sustainable food sourcing, and a relatively humane one compared with the harvesting of animals in factory farms, but rather they saw hunting as a symbol of the bloodlust of backwoods yokels straight out of Deliverance.

We assumed all gun owners were driven by fear or by rage.

It certainly did not occur to us that anyone might enjoy marksmanship, or like being a collector, and that thus there might be good reasons to own more than one firearm.

We always interpreted the ownership of multiple weapons as a sign of mental instability. Obviously! Who would need more than one gun, we asked one another, even if one conceded that anyone needed a gun at all?

Living in safe (wealthy) neighborhoods, assuming that a stable democracy would last forever, and relying with our costly educations on talking above all, we could not fathom the "need" for guns or for gun rights.

We used to roll our eyes at the claims made by supporters of the Second Amendment. In my former circles, "2A" was often interpreted, even by Constitutional scholars, and certainly by the news outlets which we read, as applying only to government-run militias such as the US Army or the National Guard. I was told more times than I could count that the Second Amendment was never meant to apply to individuals' ownership of guns; and I believed that.

Grammar too was used to make the case against individual gun ownership. Often, commentators in our circles described the phrasing of the Second Amendment as being so twisted and archaic that no one today could never truly confirm the Founders' intentions regarding gun ownership by individuals.

Indeed, I heard these truisms so often, that when I actually sat down and read the Second Amendment carefully '-- as I was writing my 2008 book about the decline of democracies, The End of America '-- I was startled: because the Second Amendment wasn't unclear at all. "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." [See this] Critics on the Left of individual gun rights often described this sentence as being opaque because it has two clauses, and two commas prior to the final clause; so they read the first two sections as relating unclearly to the last assertion.

But if you are familiar with late 18th century rhetoric and sentence construction, the meaning of this sentence is transparent.

The construction of this sentence is typical of late 18th into early 19th century English grammar, in which there can be quite a few dependent clauses, gerunds and commas that come before the verb, and the object of, the sentence.

Thus, the correct way to read the Second Amendment, if you understand 18th century English grammar, is: "A well-regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." Or, translated into modern English construction: "Because a well-regulated militia is necessary to the security of a free State, therefore the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." Here is another example of many dependent clauses, commas and gerunds prior to the verb and object of the sentence: from the second paragraph of Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense (1776): "As a long and violent abuse of power is generally the means of calling the right of it in question, (and in matters too which might never have been thought of, had not the sufferers been aggravated into the inquiry,) and as the King of England hath undertaken in his own right, to support the Parliament in what he calls Theirs, and as the good People of this Country are grievously oppressed by the Combination, they have an undoubted privilege to enquire into the Pretensions of both, and equally to reject the Usurpation of either." [See this]. This would translate into modern English: "The good people of this Country are grievously oppressed by the combination of a long and violent abuse of power and of the King of England's support of Parliament in what he calls his rights and theirs. Thus, the [good people of this country] have an undoubted privilege to enquire into [ask about] the Pretension [claims] of both [King and Parliament], and by the same token to reject the Usurpation [of rights] of either." The logic of the sentence, with its multiple clauses, gerunds and commas before the final verb and object of the sentence, is perfectly clear to anyone who is familiar with 18th century rhetoric.

Here is the famous first sentence of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, with the similar construction '-- common still in 1813, though uncommon today '-- of two commas and two clauses prior to the verb and object of the sentence: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." So: there is no ambiguity whatsoever about the Second Amendment to readers of Paine and Austen. The Second Amendment says with zero ambiguity, in the English grammar of 1787, that Americans have an absolute right ("shall not be infringed") to keep (own) and bear (carry) arms because they as individuals may be summoned to become a 'well-regulated militia'. In the grammar of the 18th century, it's the militia that is 'well-regulated' - orderly, in a clear chain of command, not a chaotic mob '-- and not the guns.

Why do I raise this all of this?

In part because I have evolved my view about firearms, and I understand that doing so is in fact in alignment with the Constitution. And the thing about really supporting the Constitution is that you do not get to pick and choose. I can't choose my favorite Amendment, the easy one, the First Amendment, and then shy away from the glass-clear directive of the Second Amendment, simply as a result of my own cultural discomfort. You have to stand up for it all, if you are to call yourself a supporter of the Constitution.

In part I am addressing this difficult, tender topic because I now know people who "keep and bear arms." And they do not match the stereotypes I had long taken for granted.

Indeed I met my husband, as many know, because I was receiving death threats and I needed protection. He was highly trained in the use of firearms, via eleven years in active duty service with the U.S Army '-- in military intelligence, seven of which he spent assigned to two Special Forces Groups '-- and another ten years working in various Defense and Intelligence roles as a contractor. The fact is, I was relieved to have someone who could physically protect me during a time that felt dangerous to me. I'd be a hypocrite if I pretended that that was not the case.

Reader, I married him.

Indeed I have recently become a firearm owner myself.

Nonetheless my old resistances died hard.

For years, I remained jumpy knowing he had weapons in our home. People from my cultural background are taught to think of firearms as being innately incredibly dangerous; as being always loaded, always half an inch away from causing a fatal accident indoors. I had no idea, until Brian showed me, of how safely one can store a weapon responsibly; or of the many layers of prevention, from storing ammunition separately, to the safety on the firearm itself, that should keep accidents from happening in conscientious homes. I also did not know, until I met responsible gun owners, that most of them do not in fact want mentally ill or unstable people to have access to arsenals at will; most support reasonable restrictions such as safety classes and background checks.

Nonetheless, for years, I had intense anxiety when Brian would keep his Glock in the glove compartment of his vehicle, or when he had his weapon on his person. When we arrived at our country home late at night after being away, if something seemed "off" - a light on, or a screen door open, for example '-- he would check the perimeter of the property to make sure all was safe, armed with a flashlight, and with his gun ready to be drawn. I would lock myself in the car and look away, heart racing. But I was...glad that it would be safe.

And then...there was the day a relative took us shooting, and I was carefully taught to fire a pistol against a deserted hillside in the Pacific Northwest. It terrified me, and I vowed never to do it again.

And then...there was the day, a bit later, that the same relative took me back to the hillside, and carefully taught me to fire a Galil ACE assault rifle. I leaned into it as instructed, and I shot the target, and hit it; and I felt that the weapon was not a chaotic animal that could turn on me or another, creating havoc, but rather that it was an instrument of power that I could control, and use with direction and will.

And then...there was the night Brian had to be away from home, and he showed me how to shoot his 12 gauge Mossberg shotgun that he keep in a safe. I was scared - but then I was not scared. I prepared to go to sleep with it within arm's reach, in a safe place in the bedroom.

I thought of the many nights when I had been a single mother in that house, when any sound outside, especially sounds of footsteps '-- animal footsteps often sounded human - would turn me rigid from fear in my bed, wondering what to do. Back then I'd have been nearly helpless if an intruder, armed or unarmed, had, God forbid, tried to come in and harm us.

But now, after I'd gotten used to the shotgun being in my bedroom, I fell asleep; and then I slept the sweetest sleep I'd ever slept out of all of the nights I'd spent alone, or with small children to protect, in that house.

When I awoke, I thought: could it have been this easy the whole time? And then I thought: I was irresponsible, as a single mother, not to have been trained and not to have been armed.

And then...there was the day this week when I went to a gun shop with Brian, because we were about possibly to lose our national sovereignty; and he wanted to make sure I can protect myself, God forbid, if needed. In the gun shop, a smart, pleasant 27 year old woman named Nadine showed me what she recommended for me '-- a handgun that would fit nicely in a woman's hand, and that would not have too much of a kick. She showed to me the size of the bullets that would stop an intruder. And she showed me a holster, designed by a woman, with soft edges, that fit around one's hips and tucked into the waistband of one's jeans. If your blouse is a bit loose, no one knows you are carrying a weapon.

She demonstrated, hitching the holster around her own hips and tucking the handgun under the waistband of her jeans. Her light cotton summer blouse indeed concealed it.

She looked like any slight young woman who was ready to go out to a concert, or a club. But she was secretly armed, and no one could harm her.

I thought of all the young women I knew who were harmed '-- badly '-- at concerts, at clubs, in alleyways. I thought about what would happen to rapists and abusers if young women '-- if women in general '-- were armed, or were even if many were reputed to be armed. And I thought of my decades of struggling with the issue of female victimization: the existential vulnerability of women who are always in danger from anyone bigger and stronger who wished to injure or exploit them.

And I thought: could it always have been this easy?

Could women resist and deter victimization '-- by simply owning, and knowing how to use, firearms?

Obviously.

How had this issue escaped me so long, as a rape survivor myself, and as a feminist? The rape survivor in me longed, on an animal level, for a weapon. Longed, on an animal level, to deter any future attacker. The rape survivor in me wanted a weapon the way an injured creature wants teeth and claws.

I did not buy the handgun, as I need a class and a permit and four references. That is as it should be. But I did buy a .22 Rossi Rimfire Rifle.

Brian assembled it. When I came downstairs in the morning, he had attached a "bipod" and had positioned it above my computer on my writing desk (with a safety lock and no ammunition nearby, of course). My assortment of dried flowers in a vase, and the stacks of books from my research, surrounded it.

I started laughing at the contrast: the elegant diagonal line of the sleek black weapon, stabilized and ready to be placed into defensive use (of course with the safety on) '-- standing guard over my computer.

It was nonetheless a powerful symbol '-- as powerful as had been the image of the holster tucked low around the hips of the now-not-vulnerable young woman.

I thought not only of rape survivors. I thought too when I saw the rifle on my desk, of writers, of journalists, of critics of the State, of dissidents. I thought of reporters hauled off to prison around the world by the minions of tyrants. I though of our own recently created Ministry of Truth, and of the armed men who might make note of what was emerging from the computers of American writers.

What would happen to tyrants....what would happen to threats of violence and arrests for free speech '-- if writers too were defensively trained and armed? What if words themselves had a defense against violent tyranny, one that was always mounted?

The writers of our nation's birth '-- they were armed. The writers who forged our country's founding documents were armed because they were writers, and because they knew perfectly well that in Britain, King George III simply hanged defenseless writers for sedition.

*

I am also re-examining my reflexes about the Second Amendment because I believe that we are at a moment that our Founders, in their nearly-Prophetic wisdom, knew might come to pass. We are at the kind of moment for which the Second Amendment may have been written in just the clear, unequivocal way that it was.

You know that I see tyranny descending all around the formerly free nations of the world. I say these days that the coup in America has already taken place '-- a stealthy, sneaky coup, mounted without a shot being fired.

President Biden extended Emergency Powers in February 2022 due to COVID. [See this]. A few days ago, he extended emergency powers again '-- I didn't see this massive news covered anywhere '-- but this time, bizarrely, with COVID in retreat, he extended emergency powers due to the challenges posed by the stabilization of Iraq. [See this]

At which we must ask: who writes his material? But under emergency law we remain.

States around the country, such as New York State, where I write, are still under continually-renewed emergency laws. New York's Governor Kathy Hochul extends emergency law month after month [See this].

But there is no medical emergency here in NYS.

These orders strip us of our usual protections provided by legislative actions and they leave us vulnerable to future depredations: the return of "lockdowns", of forcible quarantines such as in Shanghai, of confiscations of our property, of mandated masks and injections, and of indeed far worse. That is the nature of emergency laws in history. They are never given up willingly. They always lead to the imprisonment or terrorization of the now-subject people.

The democratic protections of the formerly free nations of the world '-- Canada, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand '-- have been shut down with the ease of someone switching off a light, and with almost no resistance from citizens. Yes, there have been protests, and there have been petitions, and innumerable complaints online; and a few brave legislators have spoken up, if only to echoing chambers.

But the fact remains that when the unidentifiable police or mercenary forces, as in Canada, are violent, and the protesters have nothing but the moral high ground with which to deter their violence, then even the bravest of resistances is fleeting.

In Australia, citizens are now arrested when they seek to escape forcible quarantine. This happened so easily. Australians yielded 650,000 privately owned guns in 1996-7 [See this]. Australians can now offer little deterrence to this kidnapping by the state.

The unarmed people of Shanghai have nothing which which to deter their mass incarceration. Neither can the unarmed citizens of China as a whole deter the transportation of ethnic minorities into detention camps, or organ harvesting or forced abortions.

You can hate guns. I have hated guns most of my life. I hate violence. I hate gun violence. I hate the slaughter of innocents. I am a peaceful person.

But it is becoming obvious even to us pacifists, vegans, and tree-huggers, that formerly free people who are unarmed are defenseless against the criminal tyrannies exerting massive violence and control upon them.

And it is becoming obvious that similar tyrannical moves against the people of the United States have been thwarted in advance or deterred - and only state by state '-- pretty much only because the people of the United States have the right to own and carry weapons, and because many do so.

This question of who has access to firearms has become all the more serious as the war against the US and the free world is ramping up. The mostly-Bill Gates- and CCP-funded WHO planned at the end of May to try to drain sovereignty from sovereign nations, in the name of "Global Health" and the prospect of "future Pandemics"; in the interest of "Global Health Security". This power grab was delayed. It is not off the table.

Who then will be the armed men at your door? They can easily be global private mercenaries, sent by Tedros Ghebreyesus; mercenaries sent to lock you in your home, or take you to a quarantine camp against your will, under the guise of a "public health emergency."

What will stop this, if not states' refusal to comply, and if not the weapons of citizens?

Bill Gates has been making the case for just this structure of transnational power for a long time.

A mock field hospital for Ebola was set up as at the 2015 TED conference in Vancouver by Bill Gates '-- a non-physician '-- who explained, seven years ago, the need for global "Germ Games" to address the next pandemic: "Playing the part of an Ebola-fighting doctor involved wriggling into oversized rubber boots and yellow bodysuits. Rubber gloves were layered over hands, sealing tightly at sleeve cuffs.Heads and faces were covered with hoods, goggles and breathing masks.

Under it all went a new cooling vest developed by the Gates Foundation. The vest was lined with ice packs to offset stifling heat inside suits.

Luanne Freer, a doctor who worked with Ebola patients in Sierra Leone with nonprofit Partners in Health, recalled sweating so much into her face mask that "it was like waterboarding."' [See this]

Bill Gates is still trying to have his fetish-y, psychotic adolescent fantasies come true, worldwide; but this time not at a TED conference in make-believe Ebola camps, but for real, with real quarantine camps and with his own private One Health army. He won't give up, nor will the WEF and the WHO. We don't know who the unnamed, dark-clad '-- police? Mercenaries? '-- were, who violently beat the Canadian truckers, and we don't know who the unnamed dark-clad '-- police? Mercenaries? '-- were, who violently beat the protesters against 'lockdowns' in France. There are mercenary armies available to private individuals or nonprofit entities around the world, with a phone call. The Second Amendment, along with our sovereignty, alone protects us from them.

This is hard to accept. But risks of criminal gun violence, while always tragic, are risks that sadly can't be done away with altogether, if we are to secure a more fundamental safety for more people and more lives; the right as a nation of 330 million people, to deter massive planned violence, criminal detentions, "lockdowns", theft of assets, and violent crimes at the state, and now at meta-state, levels, against our lives and freedoms and yes, against our children.

Without the brilliantly-conceived and clearly-worded Second Amendment, without the deterrent to state and transnational violence of responsible, lawful, careful and defensive firearms ownership in the United States of America, it is clear that nothing at all will save our citizens from the current fates of the people of China, Australia and Canada; including the children; who are facing '-- unarmed, defenseless as their parents sadly are '-- even worse fates, perhaps, still ahead. About the authorDr. Naomi Wolf is a bestselling author, columnist, and professor; she is a graduate of Yale University and received a doctorate from Oxford. She is cofounder and CEO of DailyClout.io, a successful civic tech company. Her book The End of America and Give Me Liberty: A Handbook For American Revolutionaries, predicted the current crisis in authoritarianism and presented effective tools for citizens to promote civic engagement. Dr Wolf has written for every major news outlet in the US and many globally; she had four opinion columns, including in The Guardian and the Sunday Times of London. She lives with her husband, private detective Brian O'Shea, in the Hudson Valley.

Wolf's new book, published May 31, 2022, is: The Bodies of Others: The New Authoritarians, Covid-19 and the War Against the Human

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:08

President Biden will shield solar project developers from the costs of potential trade penalties and offer new federal support for domestic panel manufacturing, the White House said Monday.

Driving the news: The Biden administration plans to provide a two-year reprieve from panel import tariffs that may stem from an ongoing Commerce Department probe of whether Chinese companies are dodging U.S. penalties.

Biden also plans to invoke the Defense Production Act (DPA) to boost the manufacturing of panels and other clean energy equipment in the U.S., senior administration officials told reporters Monday morning. Reuters first reported the upcoming moves and, citing a source familiar with the matter, said the trade effort is designed to "allay companies' concerns about having to hold billions of dollars in reserves to pay potential tariffs."Why it matters: The U.S. solar industry and analysts say the months-long Commerce investigation has slowed the pace of U.S. projects, calling it a hurdle that adds to supply chain woes and other headwinds.

A recent estimate from the consultancy Rystad Energy said 64% of 2022 U.S. solar additions are "in jeopardy," mostly because of the threat of new tariffs.Commerce Department officials have called predictions of potential tariffs far over 200% overblown, with any levies more likely to be an order of magnitude lower.What's next: A source familiar with the upcoming announcement said Biden would "take steps to provide U.S. solar deployers the short-term stability they need to build clean energy projects."

Biden will invoke the Defense Protection Act for solar panel parts, like photovoltaic modules and module components, heat pumps, electrolyzers, fuel cells and platinum group metals, as well as infrastructure for the power grid, such as transformers, a White House fact sheet states. The Commerce probe will continue, according to a senior administration official. Part of the administration's actions also includes ramping up federal procurement of clean energy, including solar. The intrigue: The Commerce inquiry, initiated by the U.S. manufacturer Auxin Solar, has become a politically delicate problem for the Biden administration.

The policy announcement shows how it has reached the top levels of the White House.Officials are trying to accelerate renewable power deployment to meet the White House goal of 100% of U.S. electricity coming from zero-carbon sources by 2035.What they're saying: "We applaud President Biden's thoughtful approach to addressing the current crisis of the paralyzed solar supply chain," Abigail Ross Hopper, CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said in a statement.

"During the two-year tariff suspension window, the U.S. solar industry can return to rapid deployment while the Defense Production Act helps grow American solar manufacturing," she said.Auxin Solar denounced the administration's steps, saying: "President Biden is significantly interfering in Commerce's quasi-judicial process. By taking this unprecedented '' and potentially illegal '' action, he has opened the door wide for Chinese-funded special interests to defeat the fair application of U.S. trade law," the company said in a statement.Catch up fast: Commerce is investigating imports made via products assembled in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Biden administration has come under pressure from solar developers and many lawmakers to quickly end the probe and avoid major new penalties.However, several Democrats recently pushed back, urging the White House not to "abandon" trade enforcement.Alan Neuhauser contributed reporting.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:07

Historic Actions Include Authorizing Defense Production Act to Lower Energy Costs, Strengthen Power Grid, and Create Good-Paying Jobs

Today's clean energy technologies are a critical part of the arsenal we must harness to lower energy costs for families, reduce risks to our power grid, and tackle the urgent crisis of a changing climate. From day one, President Biden has mobilized investment in these critical technologies. Thanks to his clean energy and climate agenda, last year marked the largest deployment of solar, wind, and batteries in United States history, and our nation is now a magnet for investment in clean energy manufacturing.

Since President Biden took office, the private sector has committed over $100 billion in new private capital to make electric vehicles and batteries in the United States. We have made historic investments in clean hydrogen, nuclear, and other cutting-edge technologies. And companies are investing billions more to grow a new domestic offshore wind industry.

We are also now on track to triple domestic solar manufacturing capacity by 2024. The expansions to domestic solar manufacturing capacity announced since President Biden took office will grow the current base capacity of 7.5 gigawatts by an additional 15 gigawatts. This would total 22.5 gigawatts by the end of his first term '' enough to enable more than 3.3 million homes to switch to clean solar energy each year.

While President Biden continues pushing Congress to pass clean energy investments and tax cuts, he is taking bold action to rapidly build on this progress and create a bridge to this American-made clean energy future. Today, President Biden is taking action to:

Authorize use of the Defense Production Act (DPA) to accelerate domestic production of clean energy technologies, including solar panel parts;Put the full power of federal procurement to work spurring additional domestic solar manufacturing capacity by directing the development of master supply agreements, including ''super preference'' status; andCreate a 24-month bridge as domestic manufacturing rapidly scales up to ensure the reliable supply of components that U.S. solar deployers need to construct clean energy projects and an electric grid for the 21st century, while reinforcing the integrity of our trade laws and processes. Together, these actions will spur domestic manufacturing, construction projects, and good-paying jobs '' all while cutting energy costs for families, strengthening our grid, and tackling climate change and environmental injustice. With a stronger clean energy arsenal, the United States can be an even stronger partner to our allies, especially in the face of Putin's war in Ukraine.

The stakes could not be higher. That is why President Biden also continues to urge Congress to quickly pass tax cuts and additional investments that advance U.S. clean energy manufacturing and deployment. Failing to take these actions would deny consumers access to cost-cutting clean energy options, add risks to our power grid, and stall domestic clean energy construction projects that are critical to tackling the climate crisis. At the same time, President Biden will keep using his executive authority to take bold action to build an American-made clean energy future.

INVOKING THE DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT FOR CLEAN ENERGY

Today, President Biden is authorizing the use of the Defense Production Act (DPA) to accelerate domestic production of clean energy technologies '' unlocking new powers to meet this moment. Specifically, the President is authorizing the Department of Energy to use the DPA to rapidly expand American manufacturing of five critical clean energy technologies:

Solar panel parts like photovoltaic modules and module components;Building insulation;Heat pumps, which heat and cool buildings super efficiently;Equipment for making and using clean electricity-generated fuels, including electrolyzers, fuel cells, and related platinum group metals; andCritical power grid infrastructure like transformers.In deploying the DPA, the Biden-Harris Administration will strongly encourage the use of strong labor standards, including project labor agreements and community benefits agreements that offer wages at or above the prevailing rate and include local hire provisions. The Administration also will strongly encourage projects with environmental justice outcomes that empower the clean energy transition in low-income communities historically overburdened by legacy pollution.

Following this announcement, the White House and the Department of Energy will convene relevant industry, labor, environmental justice, and other key stakeholders as we maximize the impact of the DPA tools made available by President Biden's actions and strengthen domestic clean energy manufacturing.

BOOSTING MADE-IN-AMERICA CLEAN ENERGY WITH FEDERAL PROCUREMENT

President Biden is also putting the full power of federal procurement to work spurring additional domestic solar manufacturing capacity. Today, the President directed the development of two innovative tools to accelerate Made-in-America clean energy:

Master Supply Agreements for domestically manufactured solar systems to increase the speed and efficiency with which domestic clean electricity providers can sell their products to the U.S. Government; andSo-called ''Super Preferences'' to apply domestic content standards for federal procurement of solar systems, including domestically manufactured solar photovoltaic components, consistent with the Buy American Act.These federal procurement measures can stimulate demand for up to a gigawatt of domestically produced solar modules in the near term, and up to 10 gigawatts over the next decade from U.S. government demand alone. To further increase the impact of these actions, the Administration will also partner with state and local governments and municipal utilities in these innovative arrangements '' increasing the potential market impact over the next decade to as much as over 100 gigawatts. These procurement actions will provide a significant demand anchor for a revitalized domestic solar manufacturing industry.

SUPPORT FOR U.S. GRID-STRENGTHENING, CLEAN ENERGY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

Because of private investor confidence in President Biden's leadership and our national commitment to a clean energy future, the United States is now on track to triple its solar manufacturing capacity by 2024. The expansions to domestic solar manufacturing capacity announced since the President took office will grow the current 7.5 gigawatts of capacity by an additional 15 gigawatts of capacity, for a total of 22.5 gigawatts by the end of his first term '' enough to enable more than 3.3 million homes to switch to clean solar energy every year. To rapidly build on this progress and create a bridge to this American-made clean energy future, we need to boost short-term solar panel supply to support construction projects in the United States right now. This is because grid operators around the country are relying on planned solar projects to come online to ensure there is sufficient power to meet demand, and to ensure we can continue to deploy solar at the rates needed to keep us on track to meet the President's climate goals.

Today, President Biden is using his powers to create a 24-month bridge for certain solar imports while reinforcing the integrity of our trade laws and processes. Specifically, the President is:

Temporarily facilitating U.S. solar deployers' ability to source solar modules and cells from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam by providing that those components can be imported free of certain duties for 24 months in order to ensure the U.S. has access to a sufficient supply of solar modules to meet electricity generation needs while domestic manufacturing scales up; andReinforcing his commitment to safeguarding the integrity and independence of all ongoing trade investigations by career officials at the Department of Commerce and recognizing the vital role these processes play in strengthening our economy.ADDITIONAL STEPS TO CUT COSTS, SUPPORT GOOD-PAYING JOBS, AND ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Today's actions build on this Administration's existing initiatives to grow domestic clean energy innovation and manufacturing and to lower energy costs for Americans, including:

Permitting More Clean Energy on Public Lands. As part of the Biden-Harris Permitting Action Plan, a new five-agency collaboration is expediting reviews of clean energy projects on public lands through the Department of the Interior, helping us race ahead toward permitting at least 25 gigawatts by 2025 '' enough to power around five million homes. These actions have already increased clean energy permitting activities by 35 percent, including major solar project approvals and leases. We have also launched five new Renewable Energy Coordination Offices and reduced rents and fees by more than 50 percent for solar and wind projects on public lands.Boosting Community-Based Clean Energy in Cities and Rural Areas. The Biden-Harris Administration is helping 17 local communities remove red tape with the SolarAPP+ online tool to enable same-day approvals for residential solar installation permits, and an additional 400 interested communities are in the pipeline. The National Climate Task Force launched new initiatives on increasing deployment of Distributed Energy Resources, including rooftop solar, with a focus on bringing the benefits of these projects to underserved communities. The United States Department of Agriculture provided the largest-ever investment in rural renewable energy last year. In addition, the Department of Energy and the Department of Health and Human Services are partnering to develop and pilot a digital platform that will connect customers who are eligible for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program with community solar subscriptions, to further reduce customer energy costs. Likewise, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is working with municipalities to enable residents of affordable housing to directly benefit from low-cost community solar power without seeing a rent increase or adjustment to their utility allowance.Supporting a Diverse Solar Workforce with Good-Paying Jobs, including pathways to stable careers with the free and fair choice to join a union. Solar industry jobs consistently rank among the top fastest-growing in the nation, and many require only a high school education or GED. The Economic Development Administration recently awarded funding to support solar employment training in tribal and coal-impacted communities. In addition, the Department of Energy has issued a Request for Information and hosted six workshops to determine common goals and needs from stakeholders, including industry, unions, and training organizations. DOE will continue to explore these issues, including by providing funding, new collaborations with industry, other federal agencies, and state-based job boards to develop equitable worker-centric training and education programs, work-based learning opportunities, and support services such as career counseling, mentorship, and job readiness programs.Developing Clean Energy Domestic Manufacturing for Export and Building Capacity in Allied Nations. The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) Make More in America Initiative, approved by the EXIM board in April, will prioritize investments to expand clean energy manufacturing. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation supports building resilient clean energy manufacturing supply chains in allied nations around the world, reducing global dependence on China.Investing in Clean Energy for Resilience in Puerto Rico: The Biden-Harris Administration joined forces with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to advance dozens of solar energy projects that will enable Puerto Rico to meet its target of 100% renewable electricity, while improving power sector resilience and increasing access to more affordable energy and cleaner air. ###

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:06

The CDC raised its alert level for monkeypox to level 2 on Monday, recommending that travelers wear masks, among other health measures.

While not on the level of COVID-19, monkeypox has spread across the globe out of Africa since March. Monkeypox symptoms begin as relatively flu-like but soon expand to the swelling of lymph nodes and a rash across the body and face. Ultimately, painful lesions form on rash areas, leaving severe scarring.

''Cases of monkeypox have been reported in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia,'' the CDC wrote in its alert.

''Some cases were reported among men who have sex with men. Some cases were also reported in people who live in the same household as an infected person,'' it added.

The disease may have gone undetected in Western countries under the guise of an STI, according to Dr. Amesh Adalja. There are a number of STIs that have similar symptoms to monkeypox.

''What's likely happened is an endemic infectious disease from Africa found its way into a social and sexual network and then was greatly aided by major amplification events, like raves in Belgium, to disseminate around the world,'' Adalja told NBC News.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:01

German conglomerate's agricultural unit thrives as Ukraine war threatens food supplies

Updated June 7, 2022 4:37 pm ETBayer AG's $63 billion bet on Monsanto Co. is finally showing signs of paying off, as food shortages stoked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine drive demand for seeds and pesticides to boost global crop production.

Among Europe's best-performing large stocks this year, the German agricultural-chemicals and pharmaceutical giant is up 40%. That is ahead of rivals including BASF SE, which is also based in Germany, and New York-listed Corteva Inc.

Bayer...

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Bayer AG's $63 billion bet on Monsanto Co. is finally showing signs of paying off, as food shortages stoked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine drive demand for seeds and pesticides to boost global crop production.

Among Europe's best-performing large stocks this year, the German agricultural-chemicals and pharmaceutical giant is up 40%. That is ahead of rivals including BASF SE , which is also based in Germany, and New York-listed Corteva Inc .

Bayer acquired Monsanto in 2018, expecting the combination of its pesticides business with its U.S. rival's seeds and high-tech crops to boost sales as the world's increasing population pressures farmers to become more productive with a shrinking pool of available farmland. Instead, Bayer was hit by a wave of lawsuits claiming Monsanto's Roundup herbicide and its active ingredient glyphosate causes cancer.

Within about a year of the deal's closing, the company had lost some 40% of its market value, ranking it among the worst corporate takeovers in years.

The outperformance of Bayer's stock price so far this year shows, however, that investors are starting to buy into the deal's merits even though the company is still litigating Roundup cases. Last month the company's crop- science unit, Bayer's largest division, reported a 22% sales jump to '‚¬8.45 billion, equivalent to about $9.03 billion, in the first quarter amid higher prices for herbicides, corn seed and other products.

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By comparison, Bayer's pharmaceutical division, its next biggest, saw sales rise 2.6%, while the consumer-health unit, which sells the well-known aspirin brand, increased sales by 17.2%.

The latest period represents the third consecutive quarter Bayer's agricultural-chemicals business has exceeded expectations, said Markus Manns, a portfolio manager at German asset manager Union Investment. ''I am hesitant to assume three quarters is the start of a long-term trend, but it's a good sign,'' Mr. Manns said, whose firm owns Bayer shares.

Ukraine is a top exporter of grains, accounting for 13% of global corn exports and 12% of wheat, but the Russian invasion is preventing it from shipping much of those volumes to world markets. The resulting threat of food shortages underscores the demand for Bayer's genetically modified crop seeds, as well as its weedkiller and pest-control products that are designed to boost yields, analysts said.

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Bayer's herbicide portfolio, led by glyphosate-based products inherited from the Monsanto deal, are the biggest contributors to the crop-science division's recent strength. Production and energy disruptions slowed output of glyphosate from China, pushing prices higher. China produces about 60% of total global output, and Bayer is responsible for the rest.

While claimants against Bayer over Roundup exposure say glyphosate is carcinogenic, the herbicide is widely used by farmers in the U.S. and elsewhere to kill weeds. Bayer has earmarked $16 billion to deal with Roundup litigation and maintains the chemical is safe. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has also said glyphosate doesn't present a health risk.

Bayer is trying to bring the legal fight over Roundup to an end, petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court last year to invalidate a $25 million jury verdict in the case of California resident Edwin Hardeman. He has blamed Roundup for causing his cancer.

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Last month, Bayer's stock fell 6.2% the day after the U.S. Justice Department recommended the court reject that request, which diminishes the chances of the court hearing the case. A favorable court ruling would end thousands of claims against Bayer.

Bayer remains hopeful the Supreme Court will hear the case and reverse the Hardeman decision. If the decision is left standing, ''it would undermine the ability of companies to rely on official actions taken by expert regulatory agencies and to meet today's pressing food security and environmental challenges,'' a Bayer spokesman said in an email.

The Supreme Court could decide as soon as June 9 on whether to hear the case.

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The continued uncertainty is enough for some investors to avoid the stock. ''I just can't take the litigation risk,'' said Kay Eyre, a portfolio manager at Scotland-based investment firm Abrdn.

Bayer's stock has recovered from the selloff in May, demonstrating its appeal to some investors' willingness to bet on its improving operations and comparatively low valuation, analysts said. Bayer trades at close to nine times forecast earnings, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. That compares to 23 times for Indianapolis-based Corteva. Corteva's stock is up 32% year to date.

The promise of Bayer's pharmaceutical division is another differentiating factor, analysts said. Its pipeline of potential new drugs includes an oral blood thinner known as Asundexian that aims to prevent strokes and blood clots without the risk of causing excessive bleeding. The drug is expected to enter later-stage trials in the coming months and if successful could be worth more than $6 billion in annual revenue, Citigroup analyst Peter Verdult estimates.

''After years you finally have an improving narrative across the group,'' Mr. Verdult said.

Write to Ben Dummett at ben.dummett@wsj.com

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:00

James Goldston left ABC News in 2021. Bryan BedderThe Jan. 6 committee has reportedly tapped a former top boss at ABC News as a ''secret adviser'' to craft its upcoming primetime hearing on the Capitol riot for a television audience.

James Goldston, who served as president of ABC News from 2014 until early 2021, has been working as an adviser to the House select committee and quietly producing the hearing. Goldston previously helmed ''Good Morning America'' and ''Nightline.''

The committee tapped Goldston to help convert a cache of documents, depositions, recorded footage and other materials related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot into compelling television for those who have not closely followed the proceedings.

The broadcast is being treated as if it is a ''blockbuster investigative special,'' Axios reported.

The hearing '-- the first of several planned by the committee '-- will purportedly feature a mix of live in-person witnesses testifying about the events as well as pre-recorded content. Goldston is reportedly attempting to capture a ''raw'' feel that will hook journalists with fresh material to cover as well as members of the public watching at home.

The Democrat-led committee is also said to be planning to reveal never-before-seen photos and video from Jan. 6.

James Goldston is reportedly helping to produce the primetime hearing. Getty ImagesA representative for the Jan. 6 committee declined comment.

The committee is slated to hold its first primetime hearing at 8 p.m. ET Thursday. The evening time slot is a departure compared to typical congressional hearings. Most of the other planned hearings will occur during the day.

The Jan. 6 committee is expected to reveal more details about its plans, including a list of witnesses, ahead of the broadcast. At least two networks, ABC and CBS, are reportedly planning live coverage of the primetime hearing.

Former President Donald Trump and other prominent Republicans have long opposed the Jan. 6 committee, arguing it is a politically motivated exercise. Proponents say it is a necessary examination of the events that led to the Capitol riot and a broader effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

The committee's broadcast on the Capitol riot probe will air in primetime. Getty ImagesMultiple reports say Trump and top Republican leaders are planning to ''counter-program'' the primetime hearing with their own televised interviews and commentary.

Goldston abruptly resigned from ABC News in January 2021 after a 17-year run at the network.

''It's a really tough decision. I've loved every day of my 17 years at ABC News, but in recent times I've always assumed that after this extraordinary election cycle, which we've covered at a full sprint for four years, it would be time for a change,'' Goldston said in a memo to staffers obtained by Page Six at the time.

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Apple Pay Later

Courtesy: Apple Inc.

Apple is turning into a fintech company.

The company announced several new features for the iPhone's Wallet app at its developers conference Monday that directly compete with products from other fintech companies such as Affirm and PayPal. The big one: a buy now, pay later service called Apple Pay Later. That announcement sent Affirm shares down more than 5% Monday, and they were down an additional 4% as of Tuesday morning.

Apple will also launch a new payments system later this month that lets you pay someone by tapping your iPhone against theirs. It's a direct competitor to Block's Square. And Wallet in iOS 16 will let you track online orders you buy through Apple Pay.

All of this points to one of the most interesting corners of the Apple ecosystem '-- a growing suite of financial products within the Wallet app. Many of these features aren't designed to make money for Apple directly, but they do make Apple Pay more attractive for people who haven't tried it yet. (Apple takes a tiny percentage of every Apple Pay transaction, so the more people using it, the better it is for Apple.) Like most major new iOS features, it's also another mechanism to keep customers locked into Apple's ecosystem and upgrading to a new iPhone when they're ready.

But Apple's new Wallet features are also coming at a time of great economic uncertainty. Inflation is still going wild. Gas prices continue to hit record highs. And there are plenty of very real fears about an upcoming recession. It could be a tough time for Apple to launch a new product designed to get people to buy more stuff if those trends persist throughout the year.

Apple's new rivals in the buy now, pay later space have struggled in recent months as consumer spending shifts from goods to services. Other fintech and crypto companies such as Robinhood, PayPal and Coinbase have struggled this year as well.

Read more about tech and crypto from CNBC ProApple has a longer-term vision for Wallet. As the company revealed the latest features Monday, executives said the ultimate goal is for the digital Wallet app to replace everything in your physical wallet.

But things are moving slowly in some areas, such as last year's feature that lets you add your driver's license, which is available in just a couple of states in the U.S., and with a few more expected soon. Even then, you can use the ID only at TSA checkpoints at one airport in Phoenix. Carmakers have also been slow to adopt the iOS feature that lets you store a digital version of your car key on your phone.

Still, Apple told me yesterday there's little concern over that slow adoption. The hope is consumer demand pushes third parties to adopt the technology.

On the fintech side, however, Apple is building a foundation to provide a boost to its payments business by layering more functions into Apply Pay and Wallet beyond just using your iPhone, instead of your credit card, to pay for things. And because of Apple's scale with more than a billion devices in use, a lot more people are about to be exposed to these products.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 15:49

Webinar of the Eastern Norway County Network - Cross-border railway solutions of the future, online, 23 October 2020

The coordinator addressed the seminar by outlining the status of the ScanMed corridor in Scandinavia and highlighting the situation for few projects of particular interest for the region e.g. Fehmarnbelt, Oslo-Gothenburg-Copenhagen, Oslo-Stockholm. He furthermore gave a short update on the TEN-T revision process.

BBT SE supervisory board meeting, online, 22 October 2020

The coordinator participated to the supervisory board meeting of the Brenner Base Tunnel SE in his observer role as non-voting member of the board.

Virtual Seminar of the European Coordinators, online, 19 October 2020

The focus of this seminar was on the Resilience and Recovery Facility (RFF) with a presentation from DG MOVE Unit B.2 of where things are in the legislative process and questions & answers from the Coordinators.The key principles, guidance and templates for national plans to be prepared under the RFF were issued by the Commission on 17 September and are available at https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_20_1658. There is also a central place where all key information is gathered for Member States at https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/recovery-and-resilience-task-forc'....

ESPO jury meeting, online, 23 September 2020

Coordinator Cox chaired the jury meeting of the 2020 ESPO award on "Enhancing the port-city relationship by encouraging innovators and local start-ups to be part of the port ecosystem".

Virtual Seminar of the European Coordinators, online, 22 September 2020

The European Coordinators held an exchange of views on rail-related matters. Former European Coordinator for ERTMS Karel Vinck and former Ambassador of Belgium Jan Grauls presented the initiative "European Year of Rail 2021", which foresees a series of events, campaigns and initiatives that will promote rail as a sustainable, innovative and safe mode of transport. Elisabeth Werner, Director for Land Transport at DG MOVE provided an overview of the Commission's rail policy and the upcoming initiatives, including the revision of the Rail Freight Corridors Regulation. The Coordinators discussed relevant related projects on their Corridors and how to best support the European Year of Rail from their side.

BBT SE supervisory board meeting, online, 11 September 2020

The coordinator participated to the supervisory board meeting of the Brenner Base Tunnel SE in his observer role as non-voting member of the board.

Video messages from the European Coordinator of the TEN-T Core Network Corridor Scan-Med, Pat Cox, August 2020

Update on the latest developments along the corridor and some insights into our recent activities. You will see that the coordinators activities have not ceased. For the months to come we will continue our activities digitally.

ScanMed UPDATE PC

Summary of the key findings of the 4th workplan for the ScanMed corridor, which is the result of our combined work over the last two years.

Scan Med Road to Recovery Final PC

Outline of a possible way forward and a road to recovery from the COVID-19 crisis including insights into the next MFF and the Next Generation EU fund.

Scan Med Road to Recovery Final PC

BBT SE supervisory board meeting, online, 20 July 2020

The coordinator participated to the supervisory board meeting of the Brenner Base Tunnel SE in his observer role as non-voting member of the board.

BBT SE supervisory board meeting, online, 3 July 2020

The coordinator participated to the supervisory board meeting of the Brenner Base Tunnel SE in his observer role as non-voting member of the board.

Meeting with Member States on Covid/post Covid-19 transport perspectives along the ScanMed corridor, online, 22 June 2020

Upon invitation of the European coordinator, the Member States along the Scan Med corridor held a meeting to discuss the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the transport sector. At the beginning of the meeting, the coordinator gave a short update on recent developments at EU level such as on the new legislation on streamlining procedures for cross border projects ("permitting"), the re-flow calls under the Connecting Europe Facility and the Covid-19 recovery package proposed by the Commission. The European Coordinator invited the MS to look at the National priorities and seek to use COVID-19 as an opportunity to re-think transport in particular with a view to urban nodes, digitalisation including ERTMS, greening of transport by alternative fuels infrastructure etc. so that the long term goals can be achieved. The Members States then gave detailed presentations on the impact of Covid-19 on on-going or planned projects TEN-T projects, the short-term measures put in place in each MS to face the immediate challenges brought by the pandemic, the long-term measures to overcome economic crisis as well as the possibilities and priorities of the new (financial) instruments.

Virtual Seminar of the European Coordinators, online, 18 June 2020

The European Coordinators held an exchange of views with Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean on priorities in relation to transport infrastructure investments and further development of the TEN-T Corridors. They also discussed the EU's economic recovery and long-term budget plans and their implications for transport.

BBT SE supervisory board meeting, online, 20 May 2020

The coordinator participated to the supervisory board meeting of the Brenner Base Tunnel SE in his observer role as non-voting member of the board.

Virtual Seminar of the European Coordinators, online, 18 May 2020

During their online meeting, the European Coordinators discussed developments in relation to Chinese investments in transport infrastructure in Europe, as well as the role of transport and EU investment instruments in the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis.

Meeting MEP Jakop Dalunde, online, 28 April

The coordinator exchanged with MEP Jacop Dalunde on the priorities for the upcoming revision of the TEN-T guidelines.

Virtual Seminar of the European Coordinators, online, 24 April 2020

As it had become impossible to travel and meet in person the European Coordinators and DG MOVE decided to strengthen their exchange and collaboration by implementing a number of virtual seminars. At this first virtual seminar, the coordinators and DG MOVE discussed a way forward to keep stakeholders engaged along the corridors in the coming months, the report of the European Court of Auditors on the Transport Flagship projects as well as the proposal for the Connecting Europe Facility 2 and the EU recovery plan.

BBT SE supervisory board meeting, online, 7 April 2020

The coordinator participated to the supervisory board meeting of the Brenner Base Tunnel SE in his observer role as non-voting member of the board.

Extended chairs meeting of the Brenner corridor Platform incl. DG MOVE and RFC ScanMed, online, 18 March 2020

The coordinator chaired the meeting of the chair-persons of the Brenner corridor platform working groups (Infrastructure, Interoperability and Operations, Terminals, Accompanying measures, Environment and Communications) that was extended to also welcome participants from DG MOVE railway units as well as from the Rail Freight corridor (RFC) ScanMed. Besides getting an update on the status of work in the individual working groups and defining their future tasks the group got an update on:

the work of the bilateral working groups between RFI and –BB regarding the Brenner Base tunnel, the work of the Brenner task force within the ScanMed RFCdevelopments at European levelVisit of the Brenner corridor with Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean, Munich, Innsbruck, Fortezza, 13 - 14.02.2020

Together with Transport Commissioner Adina Valean and a delegation from the European Commission (DG MOVE) the coordinator visited the Brenner corridor between Munich and Verona. He met with the ministers of Transport from Italy and Austria as well as with the minister of transport of Bavaria and the governors of Tyrol and South-Tyrol. The main aim of the visit was to find common solutions and to agree a way forward in order to tackle the problem of heavy goods traffic along the Brenner corridor. In addition, the coordinator and the Commissioner visited the rolling road in Brennersee and the progress of the works of the Brenner Base tunnel in Fortezza.

TEN-T Coordinators Seminar, Brussels 10 December 2019

Coordinator Cox attended the bi-annual seminar of the TEN-T Coordinators at INEA.The seminar allowed for different exchanges between the Coordinators, the representatives of DG MOVE and INEA on the current state of play of CEF and the projects management/results.The reallocation of reflow funding has been analysed and future priorities have been discussed. A very interesting meeting took place in the afternoon with a delegation of representatives of the ''chefs'' of the large tunnel projects in Europe.

This was an excellent opportunity to exchange views about the long term planning and investments of very large projects.

BBT SE supervisory board meeting, Santa Barbara Day and Meeting with BBT-SE staff, Bolzano/Innsbruck 3-5 December 2019

The coordinator participated to the supervisory board meeting of the Brenner Base Tunnel SE in his observer role as non-voting member of the board and attended the celebrations for Santa Barbara day. He furthermore gave a speech for the staff of BBT-SE highlighting the importance of the project for the EU and praising the contribution and dedication of the staff to this major infrastructure project.

ScanMed Ideas Laboratory on Long Distance Rail Passenger Services, Frankfurt am Main 22 November 2019

The 10th ScanMed corridor ideas laboratory focussed on the issues of long distance rail passenger services on the corridor. The participating experts of ministries, infrastructure managers and railway undertakings discussed presented a variety of success stories and planned projects regarding passenger rail such as:

The recent developments in Sweden where in particular domestic air passenger transport dropped by 8% (1-9/2019) and the trend towards (long distance) rail transport is continued exceeding all long-term forecastsThe German plan to double the rail passenger transport with a coordinated time table concept ''Deutschland-Takt'' which will bring increases in frequency (every 30 minutes on main axis), reduces journey times by optimized connections in the stations and higher speeds on the lines and delivery services for entire Germany (cities and rural areas)The harmonised passenger demand study for the Brenner line between DE, AT and IT conducted within the Brenner Corridor Platform (BCP)Different night train concepts and experiencesThe high speed rail experience and success story in Italy from the view of the incumbent and a private operatorMajor infrastructure projects in Germany that will improve north-south traffic on the corridorFourteenth meeting of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor Forum, Brussels 21 November 2019

In total around 90 participants from all corridor countries attended the meeting. It was kicked off by coordinator Pat Cox who outlined his activities since the last forum. Subsequently consortium leader Mr Sondermann presented the state of play and interim results of the ongoing TEN-T CNC study for the ScanMed corridor. Further Presentations were given on:

The infrastructure needs from the rail market perspective until 2023The state of play of the CEF-funded Actions implemented on the corridorThe open CEF MAP Call 2019 and for Blending FacilityThe new features of the TENtec systemThe current state of Kouvola Rail-Road Terminal The Italian high capacity rail freight projectThe Memorandum of Understanding between Sicilian and Maltese portsThe –resund high-speed metro lineAt the end of the meeting, Pat Cox provided an overview of the meetings that he will attend in the coming months. Special reference was made to the TEN-T Days in Sibenik (15-17 May 2020) and the next Corridor Fora (25.6.2020 and 26.11.2020).

Furthermore, the way towards the 4th workplan was explained. In closing the coordinator thanked the participants and highlighted that, he considers the forum as a family that shapes cooperation and builds trust among the actors in the corridor and leads to increased knowledge, shared views and sustainable projects across the Regions.

Meeting with regional and local representatives of Hamburg and Schleswig Holstein; Visit to Fehmarn and port of Hamburg, 18-20 November 2019

On the first day of the coordinators visit to the region was dedicated to the Fehmarnbelt fixed link project and the corresponding access routes in Germany. The coordinator had the chance to meet with representatives from the local chamber of commerce, the state secretary for Transport Mr Rohlfs, the project advisory board for the Fehmarn Belt project (incl. citizens), local politicians and mayors from the region as well as representatives of Fehmarn A/S and Deutsche Bahn. The purpose of the visit was to explain the importance of the project from the European perspective and to highlight the expected benefits for the region. The coordinator stressed that citizens' concerns are taken seriously and that the outcome of the pending court cases will have to be respected by either side.

On the second day coordinator, Cox got some insights in the planning for the hinterland connection for the Fehmarnbelt fixed link, the regional train project S4 and the plans for Hamburg main station. Furthermore, the coordinator had the chance to get an insight into transport related projects in the port of Hamburg such as the planned new K¶hlbrand-crossing, the Kattwyk-Bridge, on-shore power supply stations and plans, port monitoring solutions, drone use for risk-avoidance, Water pollution control and use of digital tools in the ports daily operations and future planning. Apart from representatives of the Hamburg Port authority, Mr Cox met high political representatives of the city of Hamburg.

On the third day the coordinator exchanged with the Ministry of Economy, Transport and Innovation of the city of Hamburg on the plans for the Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress 2021 (ITS) Hamburg, on automated and connected driving, on sustainability and 'žgreening'' of the transport sector (LNG, Hydrogen, EV) as well as on citizens acceptance within major transport projects.

MoS-MED-SCM: working group meeting for the Western Med Sea, Madrid, 29-30 October 2019

End of October coordinator Cox assisted his colleague Kurt Bodewig, coordinator for MoS, in one of his working group meetings for the Western Mediterranean sea basin. The meeting specifically focussed on maritime transport and its impact on TEN-T, on tools and technologies to boost environmental protection and improved connectivity within and outside EU borders. The coordinator was very pleased to see many of our forum members from Italy and Malta present at the event. It was a good example of cross-corridor cooperation and fertilisation.

Meeting DK Minister and Femern A/S, Copenhagen, 04 October 2019

The coordinator had the chance to meet the new Danish Minister for Transport in Copenhagen. The Minister informed that the current government has a very strong mandate regarding climate change issues and the aim is to decrease CO2 emissions by 70% until 2030 notably in the agriculture, building and transport sector. Furthermore the Minister informed on the progress with the Fehmarnbelt project and the coordinator stressed the importance of having the cross-party support in the Danish Parliament for the project. The coordinator explained the new rules under CEF II regarding cross-border co-funding rates, implementing decisions, role of the coordinators, synergies etc. The Minister briefly introduced some other ongoing projects e.g. Storstr¸m Bridge, the connection in F¼nen and the Jutland corridor.

Conference on logistics: On the Border and visit to Haparanda/Tornio, 02-03 October 2019

Beginning of October, the coordinator had the chance to go a bit off corridor to an area that will become part of the corridor forum soon once the Bothnian corridor will become part of the ScanMed corridor. The coordinator got a comprehensive overview of the specific situation in the region and had the chance to meet many actors involved in transport and beyond. Forestry and mining activities in the region are expected to increase. Many of these raw materials are vital for Europe's transition to a net zero carbon future. The region is also anticipating increased freight flows from China by rail and/or by ship via the increasingly ice free Northeast Passage, itself a consequence of the effects of global warming.This necessitates in better transport solutions for businesses and residents in these sparsely populated northern regions of Finland, Sweden and Norway that facilitate bulk freight transport flows from there to their markets.

Meeting with the new TRAN committee in the EP, Brussels, 24 September 2019

The newly composed TRAN Committee asked for a meeting with the European Coordinators to have a first exchange of views on the TEN-T policy in the current legislature. The coordinator had a first-hand chance to introduce the ScanMed corridor to the new MEPs especially the two major projects BBT, Fehmarn but also some innovative concepts on the corridor.

Meeting SE Ministry and Conference ''Competitive rail freight transport'', Stockholm, 19-20 September 2019

During his mission to Stockholm, the Coordinator met the Swedish State Secretary for Infrastructure to exchange on the priorities in the Swedish national transport plan and the resulting opportunities for the ScanMed corridor. After the meeting with the State Secretary, the coordinator had a full day of presentations from the Swedish transport authority (Trafikverket) which gave a great insight into the topics they are working on and deepened the discussions from the morning. Topics were: climate adaptation, climate mitigation, digitalisation, electrical roads, international rail passenger traffic, HSR, Freight rail, ports development and CEF.

BBT SE supervisory board meeting, Vienna 28 June 2019

The coordinator participated to the supervisory board meeting of the Brenner Base Tunnel SE in his observer role as non-voting member of the board.

Thirteenth meeting of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor Forum, Brussels 20 June 2019

Around 80 participants from all over the ScanMed corridor participated to the meeting. The coordinator in his role as chair of the forum gave an overview of his activities since the last CF meeting followed by the presentation from the consultants on the elements of the corridor study (Market study, project list, PIR, new indicators).The consultants than gave a detailed account on the ideas laboratory on cross-border freight rail northern ScanMed that that took place in March 2019.The forum also agreed on the three new ideas laboratories that are going to be organised. After the presentation, a lively discussion ensued especially on the approach to the market study and on the issue of infrastructure resilience. The coordinator was also invited by the port of Taranto to discuss southern ports issues and connections, which he welcomed very much as usually engagement from southern Italian stakeholders is limited.Participants received presentations on MoS, the CEF Blending Facility and the EIAH, Jaspers, state of play of CEF II and an overview of past, current and future SCANMED projects from INEA. Due to the limited time available, these issues could unfortunately not be discussed in further detail and will be followed up bilaterally. In general, the presentations have been met with great interest and it has become clear that for future forum meetings more time will be needed to ensure sufficient time for discussions and exchange.

Meeting with the German Ministry for Transport, Berlin 29 May 2019

The regular meeting between the German Ministerial level and the TEN-T coordinators having their corridor alignment passing through Germany took place in the Federal Ministry in Berlin. The Orient East Med '' Rhine Alpine '' North Sea Baltic '' Rhine Danube '' ScanMed - Atlantic TEN-T Coordinators and the ERTMS Coordinator met the German Federal State Secretary G.Beermann, the State Secretary G¼ntner and the Parliamentary State Secretary Bilger. This meeting allowed for exchanges of information on corridors essential issues and policies between the highest federal political level and each concerned TEN-T Coordinator.The near future activities related to CEF II and the upcoming process of revision of TEN-T has been presented to the State Secretaries and their management staff.A very open and very constructive exchange of views took place in the context of the implementation progress for each corridor and the future of TEN-T and CEF. German and EU priorities have been discussed including current bottlenecks. Follow-up will be ensured at the TEN-T Corridor levels between the German administration and the Coordinators.

Meeting with Deutsche Bahn head offices in Berlin, Germany, 29 May 2019

The regular meeting between the DB top management (Dr Richard LUTZ and management team) and the TEN-T coordinators having their corridor alignment passing through Germany took place in the DB Tower in Berlin. This regular meeting with the Orient East Med '' Rhin Alpine '' North Sea Baltic '' Rhine Danube '' ScanMed - Atlantic Coordinators and the ERTMS Coordinator allows for an exchange of views on the progress of railway in Germany towards the TEN-T objectives of 2030.The thematic of this year meeting was to inform the Coordinators about DB policy on ''Digital Rail Germany''.The new environmental challenges, the needs for an increased railway capacity and a performing rail system can be tackled by the ''Digitalisation'' as a key driver. Interconnecting into one digital system the TEN-T network, the urban nodes and cities will maximise the interoperability. Modernisation of the railway infrastructure and the important rolling stock is raising important financial issues for the near future. Harmonised Radio frequencies and class B systems end of life are part of the overall scheme. Corridor issues and Corridor work plans have been shortly discussed. The principle of a follow-up meeting has been agreed upon.

Seminar of the European Coordinators and meeting with the EIB and with the European Court of Auditors, Luxembourg 9-10 April 2019,

During their seminar in Luxembourg, the European Coordinators exchanged views with the representatives of the EU Court of Auditors in charge of the audit on ''Transport Infrastructure flagship projects'' along the TEN-T Corridors, including the Brenner Base tunnel and the Fehmarnbelt fixed link. They also met the European Investment Bank to discuss new established financing mechanism and tools by the Bank and their added-value with European funding mechanisms for large transport infrastructure.

Ideas Lab with rail transport infrastructure and rail managers of the ScanMed corridor, northern stretch, Malm¶ 26-27 March 2019

The 9th ScanMed corridor ideas laboratory focussed on the issues of rail freight transport in the northern parts of the corridor in Germany and Scandinavia. After a visit to the Trafikverket operation and control centre in Malm¶ the participating experts of ministries, infrastructure managers and railway undertakings discussed a variety of topics such as the operational interoperability issues at the borders, railway capacity and bottlenecks, ERTMS, management of works as well as the possibilities and challenges for longer and heavier trains. It could be seen that these kind of meetings are important to progress with corridor development, really create added value and foster the corridor view among all participants.

BBT SE supervisory board meeting, Rome 20 March 2019

The coordinator participated to the supervisory board meeting of the Brenner Base Tunnel SE in his observer role as non-voting member of the board.

Joint Final Project Conference of Interreg projects NSB CoRe, Scandria®2Act and TENTacle, Brussels, 05 - 06 March 2019

In March three cross-corridor Interreg project came together to present the results of their work. Together with his colleague coordinators Ms Trautmann, Ms Jensen and Mr Bodewig coordinator Cox attended panel discussions reflecting on 6 years of corridor implementation and the challenges ahead such as climate change, digitalisation, decarbonisation but also on governance aspects. Furthermore, they debated the challenges and benefits of large-scale infrastructure projects and the importance of cross-regional collaboration for implementation of our policies. The coordinators also witnessed the launch of the Scandria Alliance at this event as a tool to foster the corridor dialogue in the future.

Visit to Denmark, Copenhagen 22 January 2019

During his visit to Copenhagen, the coordinator attended a morning Seminar at the Danish ministry for Transport and Housing, met with representatives of Femern A/S and met the Danish Minister Mr Ole Birk Olesen.In the morning seminar, the coordinator addressed nearly 100 representatives from the Danish Transport Ministry, key players from the Parliament, Industry and transport sector. Mr Cox introduced the audience to the role of the coordinator, the corridor governance and the ScanMed corridor in particular. Furthermore, he described the success of the CEF and explained what is to come under CEF II. He assured the Danish side of the full support of the Commission for the Fehmarnbelt project that will continue also in the future.The coordinator then had a meeting with the extended management of Femern A/S the body in charge for constructing the Fehmarnbelt tunnel. The coordinator explained the EU dimension of the project and its importance for the ScanMed corridor.In his meeting with the Minister, Mr Pat Cox highlighted the Fehmarn Belt project's significance for the ScanMed corridor in improving the mobility of EU citizens while at the same time providing the business community with better conditions to support a continued commercial and economic growth. The coordinator expressed the full support of the EU for the project. He furthermore exchanged with the Minister on what is to come under CEF II and encouraged DK to make use of these new opportunities.

Meeting of the CIG, Vienna 14 January 2019

The European coordinator participated to the meeting of the intergovernmental commission for the Brenner Base tunnel. In his statement, Mr Cox briefed the participants on the state of play of negotiations on the next CEF and the possibilities that remain under the current programme. He reminded the importance of an integrated cross-border joint venture in order to benefit to the maximum extent from the possibilities of the next CEF and suggested an inclusion of the southern access routes into this line of thinking.

Visit to the Brenner Base tunnel, Innsbruck/Fortezza 07 December 2018

Together with European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc, coordinator Cox visited the different construction sites of the Brenner Base tunnel to get an update on the progress of the works. He congratulated all the people involved in the project at the occasion of the break through at the Southern portal in Fortezza. In addition, Mr Cox used the occasion to meet with key regional stakeholders.

EESC conference on Clean Mobility, Vienna 15 November 2018

Upon invitation of the European Economic and Social Committee, the coordinator participated to the Clean Mobility conference. He made and opening statement and took part in the panel on ''Intermodality and Corridors''.

ESPO jury meeting and award ceremony, Brussels 07 November 2018

Coordinator Cox chaired the jury meeting of the 2018 ESPO award on ''Making the port a good environment for work''. At the ceremony, he gave a laudatory speech presenting the 4 candidates and highlighted the uniqueness of the different entries.

Meeting Austrian Delegation, Brussels 9 September 2018

The coordinator met a Delegation from Austria to discuss the specificities of Combined Transport on the Brenner corridor and to give an update on the latest developments along the Scan Med corridor.

Brenner Intermodal Forum, Verona 5 July 2018

On invitation of the Interporto Quadrante Europa coordinator Pat Cox attended the 1st Brenner Intermodal Forum discussing future scenarios, investments and opportunities on this transport axis, involving all the stakeholders and operators. After having listened to the interventions of institutions, industry, projects and operators Mr Cox draw the conclusions of the meeting. He praised the progress that has been made in constructing the Brenner Base tunnel but urged that policy choices regarding railway equipment and software have to be made now in a coordinated manner among the concerned member states, regions but also infrastructure managers, railway undertakings and the wider stakeholder community. In this regard he highlighted the importance of the BCP and of the Brenner Action Plan to give concrete recommendations and offer solutions to policy makers. He called for a smart corridor concept for the management and the coordination of railway operations between Munich and Verona that will offer the market a product, which can guarantee a lasting effect on the modal shift. He further briefed the participants on the future EU budget and Connecting Europe Facility.

Meeting of the CIG, Rome 25 June 2018

The European coordinator participated to the meeting of the intergovernmental commission for the Brenner Base tunnel. In his statement Mr Cox briefed the participants on the outcomes of the 2nd Brenner summit and the implications for the Brenner corridor. Furthermore he outlined the ECs proposal for the next CEF period and highlighted that respecting the corridor logic could become more and important feature in the future.

BCP plenary meeting, Innsbruck 13 June 2018

Coordinator Pat Cox chaired the plenary meeting of the Brenner corridor platform uniting all the working group members of the BCP. In his introduction Mr Cox gave a short summary of the outcomes of the 2nd Brenner summit on the previous days and the implications for the BCP working groups. He further conveyed some messages on behalf of the EU and briefed on the proposal for the next CEF. Subsequently the results of the different working groups of the BCP were presented by the respective chair-persons and then discussed by the audience. Participants agreed that that in recent months much needed progress on the Brenner corridor has been made and that it is positive that the work of the BCP has allowed to elevate the specific issues of the Brenner corridor to the highest political level with the two recent Brenner summits between the Ministers of Transport and the Regions and that political leaders are now aware of the corridor concept.

2nd Brenner Summit, Bolzano 12 June 2018

Coordinator Pat Cox chaired the second Brenner summit between the transport Ministers of Austria and high representatives of Germany and Italy as well as representatives of the concerned regions Bavaria, Tyrol, South-Tyrol, Trentino and Verona in Bolzano. In his introduction Mr Cox laid down the context and convening messages on behalf of the EC and gave a brief summary of the results coming out of the working groups of the Brenner corridor platform. Subsequently the results of the task force on the rolling road were presented in more detail. This was followed by a round of statements from Ministers, Presidents and Governors. The discussions took place in a very constructive manner.The meeting was successful with a 9-1 consensus on the Brenner Action Plan Memorandum achieved. The MoU was signed by all but the Tyrolean governor, meaning that the work of the Brenner corridor platform can continue as planned. Participants showed a strong support for the Brenner corridor logic and the Brenner corridor platform.

Fehmarnbelt Days, Malm¶ 28-29 May 2018

Coordinator Pat Cox participated to several events during Fehmarnbelt days in Malm¶ and used the occasion for numerous bilateral contacts with Scan-Med corridor stakeholders.The coordinator participated to the STRING political Forum meeting discussing the upcoming financial period and the implications for the network. Mr Cox gave a statement on the discussions on the next multi annual framework and priorities on the Scan-Med corridor in the coming years.Coordinator Cox then participated to the Transport Ministers summit with the Transport Ministers of Sweden, Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein. The format established an informal dialogue between the transport ministers and the EU on the perspective of the Northern part of the Scan-Med Corridor. How do we cooperate and exchange to create the most efficient transport system between Scandinavia to Central Europe? Mr Cox highlighted the governance system of the TEN-T core-network corridors and explained the difficulties of cross-border projects. He put special emphasis on the need to actively and early engage with the local population if such projects ought to be successful.

TEN-T Days, Ljubljana 26-27 April 2018

Coordinator Pat Cox participated to several events during the TEN-T Days 2018 in Ljubljana and used the occasion for numerous bilateral contacts with Scan-Med corridor stakeholders.At the session on ''Transport Digitalisation'' the coordinator gave a key note speech on digitalisation in the framework of TEN-T highlighting the opportunities of using TEN-T instruments and the gains for transport and society.Mr Cox then chaired the meeting of the Scandinavian core network corridor. In his intervention he looked back on what has been achieved over the last 4 years, introduced the 3rd workplan and gave his recommendations and outlook on the future of the corridor. The meeting was attended by more than 200 participants and saw presentations from distinct speakers such as Mr Ian Borg, Transport Minister of Malta, Mr Erik Bergkvist, President of the region of V¤sterbotten, Mr Francesco de Rosa, Cososrzio 906, Gain_IT initiative, Konrad Bergmeister, CEO BBT-SE and Bjorn Kristiansen, Bane Nor.Coordinator Cox led through the final presentation session of the Hackathon in which teams of young people presented their vision of Ljubljana's mobility future in 2030. Mr Cox was impressed by the diversity of ideas and solutions and the dedication of the participants and lauded them on their engagement.Mr Cox also had a discussion with his fellow Coordinators and Commissioner Oettinger to present their Joint Position Paper on the next MFF and a strengthened role for the Connecting Europe Facility as a follow-up to a meeting held in January 2018.Finally, coordinator Cox moderated a plenary session on Transport Financing post-2020. In his introductory statement he reminded on the success of the current CEF instrument and the importance of transport for growth and jobs in Europe. He deplored very lengthy procurement procedures for transport projects and urged to be more ambitious with regard to alternative fuels deployment, decarbonisation objectives and new mobility solutions. The panel was attended by Mr Pedro Marques, Minister of transport of Portugal; Ms Mihaela Toader, State Secretary Ministry of EU funds Romania, Mr Dominique Riquet, MEP, member of the TRAN committee; Mr Thomas Alberghina, KfW; Mr Carlos Secchi, EU coordinator and Ms Mary Crass, ITF.

2nd Scan-Med ideas laboratory cross-border rail/interoperability on the Brenner CorridorCoordinator Cox chaired the 7th ideas lab meeting of the Scan-Med corridor which focussed on the development of a concept for an efficient management of the Brenner rail corridor and was hosted by Tirol and BBT-SE. This meeting was a direct follow up of the previous ideas lab meeting in October 2017. The meeting was attended by managers of rail infrastructure, railway undertakings and the responsible railway authorities along the Brenner corridor. Mr Cox briefed the participants on the outcomes of the Brenner summit resulting in the Ministers' demand for a short term solution for modal shift and the mandating of the Brenner Corridor Platform and its working groups to work on the implementation of the Brenner Action Plan 2018. The group then discussed recent developments regarding cross-border rail and interoperability and steps towards achieving a common operation on the entire Brenner Corridor that shall be further discussed in the BCP working group interoperability and operations. Coordinator Cox concluded the meeting outlining the work strands for the moths to come and once highlighting the importance of the corridor logic in this work.

BCP chairs meeting, and meeting of the CIG, Innsbruck 22 February 2018

Coordinator Cox chaired the meeting of the chair-persons of the different Brenner corridor platform working groups briefing them on the requirements to the WGs coming out of the Brenner summit in Munich and on the Status quo of Memorandum and Brenner Action Plan. The chairs agree on a way forward in view of the next Brenner summit to take place in May 2018.Coordinator Cox then participated to the meeting of the intergovernmental commission for the Brenner Base tunnel giving a presentation on the progress of the Scan-Med corridor and briefing on the outcomes of the Brenner summit in Munich and the intended follow up.

Visit to Sicily and Calabria, 19-21 February 2018

During the first visit in his role as European coordinator for the Scan-Med corridor to Sicily and Calabria Mr Cox met with various politicians, authorities and project stakeholders.In Sicily coordinator Cox met with representatives of the port authority of the ports of Palermo and Augusta and was presented with background on the ports as well as their development plans and challenges. During a train ride from Augusta to Messina coordinator Cox had a chance to discuss with representatives from RFI as well as from the port of Messina on railway policy in Sicily and the south of Italy as well as on the priorities/challenges of the port of Messina. Upon arrival the coordinator visited the ferry boat terminal and railway station in Messina. During the meetings Mr Cox gave an overview on TEN-T policy and Connecting Europe facility funding. He introduced the Scan-Med corridor and its governance model. Mr Cox encouraged stakeholders to make use of and participate to the corridor fora and ideas laboratories and underlined the importance of a strategic approach to infrastructure planning in the region.Upon arrival by ferry to Calabria Mr Cox was greeted by the regional Minister for Logistics, ports and the port of Gioia Tauro, Mr Francesco Russo and representatives of the port authority of Villa S. Giovanni. Coordinator Cox then got a guided tour through the ferry terminal as was made aware of the specific challenges of the port as mayor hub for freight and passenger transport to and from Sicily. During a working dinner with the President of the Calabria Region, Mr Mario Oliveiro, the regional Minister for Ports Logistics and Port of Gioia Tauro, Mr Francesco Russo and the regional Minister for Infrastructure, Mr Roberto Musmanno, coordinator Cox had the chance to exchange on transport policy in the region and listen to the challenges and plans in terms of infrastructure development. During his last day in Calabria Mr Cox visited the port of Gioia Tauro and met with representatives of the port authority as well as with the regional Minister. Before leaving coordinator Cox had a brief exchange with the airport authorities of Lamezia Terme airport and got an insight into the specificities of air travel in region. Also during his meetings in Calabria the coordinator introduced the Scan-Med corridor and its governance model. Mr Cox encouraged stakeholders to make use of and participate to the corridor fora and ideas laboratories and underlined the importance of a strategic approach to infrastructure planning in the region.

Visit to Sweden and Norway, Malm¶/Oslo 12''14 February 2018

On his way to Oslo coordinator Cox made a brief stop in Malm¶ to participate to a roundtable discussion on cross-border infrastructure and mobility in Sweden and the wider region organised by region Sk¥ne. The coordinator presented the EU perspective on Swedish infrastructure and gave an update on Scan-Med corridor and on developments regarding the Connecting Europe Facility.In Oslo Coordinator Cox first met with Mrs Anette Solli the Mayor of Akershus County and with representatives of the Eastern Norway County Network (ENCN) to discuss regional cooperation in the northernmost part of the Scan-Med corridor. Subsequently Mr Cox met with the Norwegian Transport Minister Mr Ketil Solvik-Olsen to discuss Norwegian governments transport policy, cooperation with the other Scandinavian countries as well as the Artic dimension of (EU) transport policy. Mr Cox also gave an insight into the governance model of the Scan-Med corridor and briefed on developments regarding the Connecting Europe Facility. In a follow-up meeting with officials from the ministry for transport and communications Mr Cox had the chance to learn more about the Norwegian government's policy for electric vehicles.On the second day of his visit to Norway the coordinator was introduced to the Follo line project: a planned 22.5-kilometer high-speed railway between Oslo and Ski of which 19km will be running in the longest railway tunnel in the country. The coordinator visited the Visitor centre as well as the projects building site including a tunnel boring machine. Before departing the coordinator got introduced to the new terminal of Oslo Gardermoen airport which is one of the most recent and innovative airport expansions in Europe and exchange on challenges and opportunities for Norwegian and European aviation with airport officials.

1st Brenner Summit, Munich 5 February 2018

Upon invitation by Commissioner Bulc, Coordinator Cox chaired the 1st Brenner summit meeting between the transport Ministers of Germany, Austria and Italy and representatives of the concerned regions Bavaria, Tyrol, South-Tyrol and Trentino in Munich to explore common solutions for traffic management on the Brenner corridor. It was for the first time that a meeting at this level was convened to discuss the specific issues of the Brenner corridor.At the meeting, the Ministers and representatives of the concerned regions recalled the importance of working together on a shared and not unilateral basis to find constructive approaches for cross border freight transport via the Brenner. Traffic along the corridor needs to be managed in a way that allows for efficient transport while minimising the negative impact of road traffic growth on the environment and on the people living alongside the corridor.Participants committed to working together on a comprehensive package of short, medium and long-term measures focused on the development of rail freight infrastructure such as terminal development and combined transport, the modal split between road and rail and appropriate accompanying measures along the Brenner corridor.The following key conclusions arose from the meeting:' Measures regulating road traffic shall be better coordinated and communicated between the affected member states and regions' Participates mandated the Brenner corridor platform chaired by the Scan-Med Corridor coordinator to immediately activate its workings groups on the issues discussed today and to report back with a workplan and concrete proposals for quick wins in modal shift and focus on possibilities for strengthening ROLA services.' The participants of the meeting agreed on the appropriateness of the measures included in the Brenner Action Plan. The related MoU should be signed in May at the latest.' Participants agreed to hold a follow up meeting planned for May 2018 in Innsbruck and an annual summit at the level of Transport Ministers' The work will take note of the results of the working groups of the Zurich Process

TEN-T Coordinators Seminar with INEA, Brussels 31 January 2018On 31 January 2018 all Coordinators had been invited by INEA for a working session on the outcome of the CEF projects and their adequate reporting at which INEA presented specific reports on CEF funding for each corridor. This was followed by a seminar between Coordinators to exchange views on CEF 2 and on the organisation of the Corridor meetings during the TEN-T Days in Ljubljana.

TEN-T Coordinators Seminar, visit to the EP and investing to connect Europe conference, Strasbourg 13-16 November 2017

Coordinator Cox participated to the Seminar of the European coordinators hosted by the city of Strasbourg. At the seminar the coordinators discussed the 3rd versions of their respective workplans, the implementation of CEF and the outlook on CEF2. Furthermore coordinators Grosch and Vinck presented their rail breakthroughs paper and coordinators Bodewig and Secchi gave an update on their CBS report. The seminar was followed by an open discussion with Commissioner Bulc on the short and medium term objectives of the actions to implement the TEN-T networks.At the Investing to Connect Europe conference Mr Cox moderated a high-level session on ''An EU Budget for Connecting Europe''.During his stay in Strasbourg, coordinator Cox also used the opportunity to meet with several MEPs in the European Parliament as to present the positive achievements and results of the Connecting Europe Facility so far and to call for a reinforced CEF 2.

ESPO award ceremony, Brussels 08 November 2017

Coordinator Cox gave a laudatory speech at the ninth edition the ESPO award on societal integration of ports in his role as non-voting chairman of the ESPO awards jury. Remarking particularly the diversity of project submissions and presenting the five shortlisted candidates for the award.

ScanMed ideas lab cross-border rail/interoperability on the Brenner Corridor, Innsbruck 11-12 October 2017

Coordinator Cox chaired the 6th ideas lab meeting of the Scan Med corridor which focussed on the development of a concept for an efficient management of the Brenner rail corridor and was hosted by Tirol and BBT-SE. The meeting was attended by managers of rail infrastructure, railway undertakings and the responsible railway authorities along the Brenner corridor.In his introductory remarks Mr Cox reminded the participants of the purpose of the ideas laboratories which is multinational, multidisciplinary and integrative thinking across borders; knowledge sharing and peer group learning; improving the characteristics of the corridor and ultimately providing recommendations for future policies. He stressed the importance of the Brenner corridor platform and of the Memorandum of understanding of the Brenner Action Plan. With regard to the Brenner corridor the ambition is to make rail system truly competitive. Thus the question to answer is: What can we do together to build one system co-owned by all, and which might be used as a template for other parts of the corridor? Given the broad scope of the topic it was decided to hold a follow up meeting on the same issue in the months to come.

Friends of Fehmarnbelt '' STRING seminar, Brussels 26 September 2017

Mr Cox had been invited as a speaker to the STRING seminar Friends of the Fehmarnbelt in the European Parliament and participated to the session on ''future financing of largescale infrastructure projects''. His intervention focussed on the question of how financial support for largescale infrastructure projects can be maintained also in the future. Mr Cox gave an update on what has been achieved with the current budget of the Connecting Europe Facility and gave an outlook on the possibilities of the next CEF.

Connecting Europe Conference, Tallinn 22-24 September 2017

Coordinator Cox participated to several events during the Connecting Europe Conference in Tallinn. During the informal transport council session ''Debating the future investment policy for the transport sector beyond 2020 '' an exchange of views'' Mr Cox took the floor and presented the joint declaration of the European coordinators on the future of TEN-T and CEF.Subsequently Mr Cox took part in a panel discussion on ''Investing in Europe'' presenting the joint declaration of the coordinators more in detail and outlining the key recommendations in the paper.For the session ''Debating future investment policy'' coordinator Cox acted as a moderator and steered the debate and Q&A with the audience on future possibilities for CEF,EFSI, investment platforms, blending, budget optimisation and project pipelines.Furthermore Mr Cox had the chance to an introductory meeting with the new Maltese Transport Minister Mr Ian Borg to discuss transport policy in Malta and the countries importance for the Scan Med corridor.

Meeting Infrastructure managers and meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission for the Brenner Base Tunnel, Vienna 12-13 September 2017

Coordinator Cox chaired a meeting of the Infrastructure managers on the Brenner corridor form Munich to Verona to make progress on the Memorandum of Understanding of the Brenner Action Plan. Mr Cox stressed that a common vision for the Munich-Verona corridor ensuring as cheap and efficient operations as possible is needed if rail wants to compete with an increasingly automated and thus more competitive road sector. He furthermore emphasized that the efficiency of accompanying measures is of great importance (harmonised inspections, cross border deployment of personnel, common language etc.)The following day Mr Cox attended the meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission for the Brenner Base Tunnel giving an update on the state of play of the Scan Med corridor and on the current Transport budget. He once more stressed the importance of taking a corridor perspective as the focus is slowly shifting from pure infrastructure build up to fitting out the tunnels for future operations and reminded of the MoU and the Brenner Action Plan in this regard.

Brenner Base Tunnel breakthrough ceremony, Innsbruck 27 July 2017

Coordinator Cox took the opportunity to meet with BBT-SE staff and the mayors of municipalities along the Brenner corridor to thank them for their work and commitment to this project. He then gave a speech at the breakthrough ceremony to celebrate the breakthrough connecting the Lower Inn valley access route with the Brenner Base base tunnel.

Visit to Almedalen week, Visby 03-05 July 2017

Coordinator Cox participated to several events during the Almedalen week on the Island of Gotland. Among others:' High Level Round table: Sweden builds high speed rail '' how does that benefit Europe?' Arctic transport caf(C),' Panel discussion on Brexit '' What does it mean to Ireland, Sweden and the future of the EU?' Bothnian Corridor Seminar - European core network corridors: enablers for all stakeholders?The coordinator also took the opportunity to meet with several ScanMed stakeholders from the Scandinavian section of the corridor.

ScanMed Ideas laboratory on roads/ITS, Rome 08-09 May 2017

The coordinator chaired the fifth ScanMed Ideas laboratory on "Good practices of Road and ITS along the ScanMed Corridor" hosted by ANAS in Rome. The meeting was attended by representatives of road infrastructure managers from all ScanMed MS. The focus of the discussions was among others on:' ITS implementation' Digital infrastructure and autonomous cars' Improvements of road safety' Finance

Visit to Denmark, Copenhagen 31 March 2017Coordinator Cox met the Danish Minister for Transport, Building, and Housing, Mr. Ole Birk Olesen, the mayors of Copenhagen and Malm¶ as well as representatives of Femern A/S to discuss transport projects in the region and their importance for the ScanMed corridor.

Coordinators' seminar and meeting with Commissioner Violeta Bulc, Brussels 29-30 March 2017

The European Coordinators discussed the status, needs and future trends up to 2030 for the realisation of the Core Network Corridors amongst each other and with Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc.

ScanMed Ideas laboratory on urban nodes II, Copenhagen 23-24 March 2017

Coordinator Cox chaired the 4th ScanMed ideas laboratory on "Good practices of Core Urban Nodes along the ScanMed Corridor" hosted by Copenhagen airport and the City of Copenhagen. This meeting was the follow up to the ideas laboratory on urban nodes held in Munich in November 2016.

Italian Tunnelling Conference, Verona 23 February 2017

Coordinator Cox addressed the Italian tunnelling conference in Verona, presenting the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Core Network Corridor from a European perspective.

Visit of the TEN-T ports of Bremen and Bremerhaven, 20-22 February 2017Mr Cox visited the ports of Bremen, the Bremen Freight village, the port of Bremerhaven and several projects within the city on urban mobility solutions. Coordinator Cox also met with representatives and politicians from the region and the different transport authorities.

Visit to Finland and Russia, 30 January '' 01 February 2017

Coordinator Cox met with Finish Transport Minister Anne Berner, Member of Finish Parliament Oli Rehn and former Finish PM Paavo Lipponen to discuss a possible extension of the TEN-T corridors and the next multiannual financial framework.Mr Cox also met with representatives from Vyborg (Russia), Imatra, Kouvoula, Luumaki and Laparenta (Finland) to discuss the EUs TEN-T corridor and core and comprehensive network policy and the specific needs of the regions more in detail.

Visit to Malta, Valetta 12-13 January 2017

Coordinator Cox met with the Maltese Minister of Transport Joe Mizzi, officials from the ministry of Transport and visited the Kappara project.

ScanMed ideas laboratory on Urban Nodes, Munich 17-18 November 2016

Coordinator Cox attended an Ideas Laboratory meeting on urban nodes, hosted by Munich Airport and the Bavarian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. The participants were all urban planners and had no specific experience with the TEN-T policy.

After Mr. Cox introduced the TEN-T and CEF policy the participants from Malta, Hamburg, Hannover, Berlin, Munich, Malm¶ and Turku discussed the following points:

Planning dense and human scale cities.Liveable citiesOptimizing the road network and its use.Encourage walking and cycling.Model areas for sustainable urban developmentNew technologies for clean busesCoordinator Cox also participated in a meeting with Mr Schutz, Head of the Infrastructure department of the Bavarian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

At the meeting Mr Cox gave a short overview of the TEN-T policy and explained the concept of core network corridors. With regard to the ScanMed corridor Mr Cox underlined the importance of the access routes to the Brenner Base Tunnel, in particular in South Tyrol and in Bavaria. Mr Cox also referred to the need for accompanying policy measures to avoid that the new infrastructure will be sub-optimal.

European Economic and Social Committee conference "Shaping the future for the European Core Network Corridors, Milan, 24-25 October 2016

Coordinator Cox, participated in the EESC conference "Shaping the future for the European Core Network Corridors''. The conference was attended by various high level speakers and participants from industry associations, trade unions, public authorities, infrastructure managers and project promoters. Mr Cox referred in his speech to TEN-T as the most ambitious infrastructure planning ever combined with the largest EU co-funding ever. He explained that multi-level corridor governance must be based on a bottom-up approach. Local ownership makes infrastructure projects acceptable.

The CEO of Ferrovie dello Stato, Mr Mazzoncini, announced that until 2026 Italy will invest 56 billion EUR in rail infrastructure. Interoperability problems need to be tackled as soon as possible to avoid that road transport, including passenger transport, takes over completely.

Representatives from the project promoters (Gotthard tunnel, resund forum, Brenner Base Tunnel, Fehmarn Belt Fixed link, Lyon-Turin, Naples-Bari and the third Giovi tunnel) presented their projects.

Fehmarnbelt Days 2016, 21 and 22 September 2016, Hamburg

Mr Cox participated in a panel discussion on How to unlock potentials for growth and development in the Fehmarn Belt region. Mr. Cox explained the functioning of the TEN-T policy, the CNCs and role of the EU coordinators. He emphasised that a well-developed and connected European transport system is essential also for regional growth and development.

Coordinator Cox also participated in a seminar on cooperation between the two major projects of the ScanMed Corridor, the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link and the Brenner Base Tunnel. Mr. Cox delivered his opening remarks on the overall EU politics on infrastructure and participated in a signing ceremony of the cooperation agreement between BBT SE, Femern A/S, BCP and STRING. The agreement will allow the two projects to share experiences and learn from each other both in terms of technical and scientific innovations, communication initiatives.

Coordinator Cox also participated in a discussion with politicians and other stakeholders of the Fehmarn Belt region. Discussion points included the need for a smooth process for the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link and concerns for the current border controls between Germany and Denmark and Denmark and Sweden.

Mr. Cox was invited to speak at the conference of the CEF financed project GREAT (Green Region with Alternative Fuels for Transport). In his speech Mr. Cox brought up the European emission targets and joined in a panel debate on potential solutions to decarbonisation.

ESPO conference, 2 and 3 July 2016, Dublin

Coordinator Cox attended a meeting with Nordic core ports, initiated by the sea port's associations of Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway. The aim of the meeting was to build a network of Nordic ports and to discuss how they can play a more important role on the ScanMed corridor. Mr Cox reported on his mission to Kiruna and Lule¥. He explained the TEN-T framework with the revision process of the core network starting in 2023 and the possibilities to change the alignment of the corridors as of 2020.

Mr Cox gave a keynote speech at the conference, containing an overview of the TEN-T policy, core network corridors and the role of the Coordinators. He also touched on the important software of transport infrastructure policy: innovation, ITS, urban nodes and smart logistics.

Visit to Northern Sweden, 30 May to 2 June 2016, Lulea-Kiruna

Coordinator Cox visited Northern Sweden to discuss regional issues with representatives from Norway, Sweden and Finland, regional and local stakeholders and representatives of industry. Main subject of the interventions of Mr Cox was the extension of the ScanMed corridor further north connecting to the Arctic sea. Coordinator Cox explained that the extension of the corridors, within the framework of the core network, has to be discussed in the context of the new CEF as from 2020.

During the days in northern Sweden the Coordinator participated in several meetings with representatives from ministries and national agencies. Among the participants was Mr. Erik Bromander, State Secretary Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation and Juhani Tervala, Director, Finnish Transport Agency. Mr. Cox also had the opportunity to listen to several presentations from regional stakeholders and academia on the need for a well-connected infrastructure with a high degree of innovation in northern Scandinavia.

Mr. Cox also participated in a high level meeting and study visit to LKAB mine in Kiruna. Competitiveness in the Arctic, new infrastructure, ETS and the role of iron ore for European industry were among the discussed topics. After the study visit Coordinator Cox was welcomed to city hall by Kristina Zakrisson, Mayor of Kiruna.

A meeting was also held with the Chairman of the Swedish Shippers´ Council Mr. Per Bondemark. Meetings and discussions were also held between Coordinator Cox and the Ports of Narvik and Lule¥

Meeting with TEN-T Coordinators with Minister Dobrindt, 12 May 2016, Berlin

Coordinator Cox participated in a meeting together with all the coordinators dealing with the corridors crossing Germany. German minister Alexander Dobrindt attended the meeting to present the German Federal Investment Plan 2030.

Following the presentation from the minister Coordinator Cox expressed his satisfaction over the fact that the southern access route to the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link and the northern access route to the Brenner Base Tunnel have been earmarked as absolute priority in the Federal Infrastructure Plan.

Both access routes facilitate the two major cross-border projects Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link and Brenner Base Tunnel and have a clear EU added value. They are of great importance to growth and economic development for all the regions in these areas.

Mr Cox also mentioned the impact of the plan approval process on the planning and timely completion of major infrastructure projects in the context of the recent developments concerning the Fehmarn Belt Fixed link.

Participation in ScanMed ideas laboratory on Rail Road terminals and study visit from Ostholstein to BBT, 19 to 21 April 2016, Verona-Innsbruck

Coordinator Cox invited Rail Road terminals to participate in a ideas laboratory on development and management issues for rail-road terminals. More than half of the relevant terminal sites participated in the event hosted by Consorzio ZAI, manager of the Interporto Verona. Among the discussion topics were consequences of train length and electrification requirements, terminal capacity, funding opportunities, sustainability, security and the digital agenda.

On the basis of a visit made in October 2015 to the region of Ostholstein Coordinator Cox invited stakeholders from public authorities, tourist industry, supporters, and opponents to the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link to a visit to the Brenner Base Tunnel project. The aim of the visit was to learn from the experiences of another large scale project which is already under construction since 2009.

The visit was an opportunity for Coordinator Cox to have a discussion with the delegation on the requirements for creating support for a big infrastructure project. Among the conclusions of Coordinator Cox were that there is too much distance between the Danish project promoter and the local population on the German side.

Participation in STRING conference, 8 April 2016, Stockholm

Coordinator Cox was key note speaker at the conference Connectivity in Scandinavian and Northern European Infrastructure. Mr Cox delivered the key note speech in the presence of Swedish State Secretary for Transport, Mr Erik Bromander, and the Director-General of the Swedish Transport Agency, Ms Lena Erixon.

Mr. Cox was also invited to attend a lunch meeting with politicians and speakers including Mr. Wolfgang Schmidt, State Secretary of the City of Hamburg, Ms. Anke Spoorendonk '' Minister of Justice and European Affairs, Schleswig-Holstein and Ms. Karin Svensson Smith, Chair of the Transport Committee in the Swedish Parliament. Mr Cox explained the role of the Coordinator and the European vision for the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link. While fully respecting the autonomous approval process in Germany the coordinator called upon the authorities to make available as many administrative resources as possible to allow for a speedy progress.

Coordinator Cox also participated in a bilateral meeting with Femern A/S. Main topics for discussion was the plan approval process in Germany and the decision by the Danish politicians to move forward with the contracting process for the construction of the tunnel.

Meetings with mayors of the Brenner Corridor, Brixen, Fortezza, Bolzano, 15 to 17 March 2016, Steinach

Coordinator Cox attended the meeting of the Brenner Corridor Platform (BCP) were he had the opportunity to reinforce the role of the BCP, to prepare the revision of the Brenner Action Plan (BAP) and to create local support for the BBT and the access routes.

Coordinator Cox also participated in the meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee Austria-Italy (CIG). The Coordinator expressed his deep satisfaction for the progress that has been made with the help of the CIG. Mr. Cox underlined the need for progress on the northern and southern access routes.

Coordinator Cox was invited to a bilateral meeting with Governor Kompatscher of South-Tyrol. The main point of discussion was the extension of the current A22 motorway concession.

Coordinator Cox also participated in the yearly meeting with the mayors along the Brenner Corridor. Mr. Cox explained that the BBT project reached one of the highest scores and received the biggest amount of CEF co-financing in the latest CEF call. All mayors underlined the need for the timely delivery of the access routes, in particular Lot 1 between Fortezza and Ponte Gardena.

After the meeting with the mayors Mr Cox officially opened the BBT Information centre in Steinach, together with Governor Platter of Tyrol. Mr. Cox participated in a number of press interviews in connection the opening ceremony.

Brenner Corridor Platform '' chairs meetings, Munich, 15 February 2016

Mr. Leo Huberts from the European Commission participated on behalf of Coordinator Cox at the Brenner Corridor Platform (BCP) chairs meeting in Munich.

Coordinator Pat Cox has together with the BCP showed a commitment to the future operation and actions of the Brenner Corridor Platform and its members. The process of revising the so called Brenner Action Plan in order to present a final draft at the plenary meeting on 16 March 2016, was discussed.

A Report was given from the BCP working groups on Infrastructure, Terminals, Environment, Communication, Accompanying measures and Interoperability

Brenner corridor platform '' chairs meetings, Innsbruck, 4 December 2015

Mr. Leo Huberts from the European Commission participated on behalf of Coordinator Cox at the Brenner Corridor Platform (BCP) chairs meeting in Innsbruck. Leo Huberts reports that Mr. Pat Cox met the Italian Minister Delrio in Rome and repeated the importance of the Italian participation in the BCP.

A Report was given from the BCP working groups on Infrastructure, Terminals, Environment, Communication, Accompanying measures and Interoperability

Infrastructure: New proposals for studies were discussed for example on Passenger service concepts, Study for the northern access route and a study on the RoRo.Terminals: In 2011 a report was elaborated in which all the characteristics of the terminals were collected. This report has been updated in the last months.Environment: The working group reported on its aim to finish its monitoring report until March 2016.Some data about air quality and noise was presented which showed that since 2008 air pollution along the motorways is decreasing. Nonetheless it is still exceeding the EU limits. Possible new measures, mostly concerning noise reduction, were discussed.Accompanying measures: It was concluded that the development and even update of transport policy measures is dependent on participation from ministerial level in Austria and Italy. Stronger involvement of the European Commission in the Zurich process (both on political and expert level) is required.Meeting with Minister Delrio and Friend of TEN-T, Rome, 24-25 November 2015

Mr Pat Cox together with Coordinators Brinkhorst and Secchi participated in a meeting with the new management of the Italian ministry. The new structure of the Ministry was introduced and explained, in particular the role of the new "Unit Tecnica di Missione". This department used to be in charge of the strategic projects at national level but will now have an advisory function on project development and assessment and on monitoring tendering and project implementation.

The coordinators also participated in a meeting with Minister Delrio. Among the key topics discussed were the state of play of the corridors, airports and port reform, EFSI and the new structures of the Ministry.

In addition to the meeting with the Minister the coordinators also met with MP's and senators of the Italian Parliament under the head line Friends of the TEN-T. Speakers underlined the importance of local contacts as a bridge between the large infrastructure projects and the communities. MP's, senators and coordinators can play an important role in this process. Main points of the meeting included the need for a trilateral proposal IT-AT-DE to consider the access routes as cross-border access routes (40% co-funding), state of progress access routes, Brenner Corridor Platform and infrastructure project financing.

TEN-T Seminar of European Coordinators, Brussels, 15-16 October 2015

Coordinator Cox, together with the other coordinators participated in a dinner meeting with representatives of DB Netz AG and Deutsche Bahn. The coordinators were presented with some facts and figures of DB AG and then discussed issues such as project prioritization, cooperation between Rail Freight Corridors and Core Network Corridors, ERTMS Deployment on the German network and the Bundesverkehrwegeplan for Germany.

DB Netz shared that the 6 Corridors crossing Germany will impose an investment of roughly 50 billion EUR for its rail network. DB Netz is very supportive to ERTMS as a backbone to automation; it fully supports the deployment plan as proposed by Coordinator Vinck.

Concerning Rail Freight Corridors (RFC) the Coordinators encouraged a close cooperation between the RFCs and CNCs; for the short-term a common approach towards Rail Road terminals is needed.

DB Netz also showed interest to use the Corridors to help develop positive framework conditions on issues that will not easily or swiftly be addressed by legislation; for example permitting and administrative obstacles, technical and operational requirements and accompanying measures. This view was welcomed by the Coordinators.

Meetings with Chamber of Commerce, Local and Regional authorities and The Tourist Sector, L¼beck/Fehmarn, Schleswig-Holstein, 12-14 October 2015

On the 13-14th of October Coordinator Cox visited the region of East-Holstein for the first time in his role as coordinator. During two days Mr Cox met with the main regional and local representatives, industry, port authorities and citizens. The visit allowed for the Coordinator to explain his role, the European vision and future expectations for the Fixed Link. He learned through the discussions that the German plan approval process for the Fixed Link will not be finalized before 2017. He responded that he will fully respect this autonomous process, but calls upon the authorities to have as many administrative resources as possible to allow for a speedy progress.

The European Coordinator learned about the importance of the tourist sector in East-Holstein. He also understood the impact of Deutsche Bahn for terminating their train services during the construction period of the Fixed Link.

Coordinator Cox also took part in a Meeting with the Chamber of Commerce, IHK L¼beck and the port authorities of L¼beck. The main topics of this meeting were the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link: its opportunities and challenges, and the Port of L¼beck. The plans for an integrated 2030-port vision was presented by the port of L¼beck and discussed.

The European Coordinator participated in an in-depth meeting with Mr R¼der (Kreispr¤sident East-Holstein), Mr Sager (Landrat East-Holstein) and Mr D¶ring (Europa-Union). The Coordinator explained the reason for his visit and underlined the priority that the Fixed Link has from a European point of view.

Urban Node Berlin-Brandenburg Conference, Berlin, 21-22 September 2015

On 21 and 22 November 2015, Coordinator Cox participated in the second high-level conference on urban node issues. Around 100 European and local participants discussed the progress of the coordination of urban transport related issues in the node of Berlin-Brandenburg.

The conference started on Monday 21 September with a high-level plenary session and continued on 22nd September with dedicated workshops on passenger and freight related issues.

At the end of the first morning session, a cooperation agreement between public and private entities in the node of Berlin-Brandenburg was handed over to the European Coordinators and Members of the European Parliament, setting out the way forward for enhanced cooperation.

The conference was a success both in terms of networking, passing on messages about the TEN-T policy and deepening the topic of urban nodes in the concrete case of Berlin-Brandenburg at the beginning of the reflections about the future issue paper on urban nodes. One lesson was that urban nodes need to be considered in a wider sphere than the city itself, as connections with the surrounding region are of crucial importance for both sides.

Brenner corridor meetings: mayors, governors, BBT SE, CIG, BCP, Trento, Bolzano 15-16 September 2015

On the 15th of September, Coordinator Cox attended a meeting with the Italian mayors of the Brenner corridor organised by the province of Trento. The Coordinator made clear that the BBT is the top priority for the Commission while also calling for concrete action on the Southern Access route of the tunnel.

The Coordinator also attended the technical committee of the Action Community Brennerbahn. Coordinator Cox presented some key messages on the BBT project including the need for a cost-effective and timely completion of the project that has received the biggest financial EU support under CEF call 2015: '‚¬1.2 billion. At the request of the Coordinator the visit of assembly hall for the tunnel boring machine in Mules was combined with a meeting with the staff of BBT SE. Mr Cox took the opportunity to thank the staff for the excellent work they are performing.

On the 16th of September Mr Cox met with the Governor Kompatscher from South-Tyrol, Governor Rossi from Trento and the president of the Parliament of Tyrol Mr. Van Staa. The CEO's of BBT SE, Mr Bergmeister and Mr Zurlo also attended the meeting. The Coordinator repeated the key messages of the meeting with the mayors the day before.

Coordinator Cox also participated in the CIG meeting hosted by the Prefect of the Province of Bolzano, Mrs Margiacchi. At the meeting an update on the BBT project was given by BBT SE. Mr Cox summarised again the results of the 2014 CEF call and made clear that the BBT is the top priority for the Commission.

After the CIG Coordinator Cox attended a meeting with the mayors of North and South Tyrol were the key messages were repeated.

The mission was concluded with a meeting of the Brenner Corridor Platform. In his opening statement Coordinator Cox raised the importance of a successful future of the Brenner Corridor Platform, with the intermediate goal to revise and update the Brenner Action Plan until June 2016.

TEN-T Coordinator's visit to BMVI, Berlin, 11-12 February 2015

On the 11-12th of February Coordinator Cox together with the other TEN-T Coordinators participated in meetings with the federal Ministry in Berlin and Minister Dobrindt.

During the meeting with Mr Dobrindt, the coordinators of the six corridors running through Germany presented the main issues with regard to the German sections and projects on their corridor. Coordinator Cox presented an update on the Scandinavian-Mediterranean corridor after which an exchange of views with the minister took place. Presentations were also made by the coordinators for ERTMS and for Motorways of the Sea.

Minister Dobrindt commented on the importance of increased investment in infrastructure; the minister referred to the investment package of 10 billion Euro (of which some 200 million for ERTMS projects) for the period 2016-2018 presented by the finance ministry in December last year;

At the end of the meeting minister Dobrindt expressed the will for a continuous strong cooperation between the federal ministry and the coordinators and DG MOVE services.

Meetings with EESC, BMVIT and CIG and Coordinators seminar with EIB, Brussels/Vienna/Luxembourg, 13-16th of January 2015

On the 13th of January the Coordinator met with Mr Stefan Back, representing the employers group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). Mr Back informed on the EESC "EU transport policy and project participation guidelines" that will be finalised in 2015. Mr Cox explained that the work of the Corridor Forums will continue in 2015 and 2016 and that communication will be an important part of the activities.

On the 14th of January Pat Cox participated in a meeting with Minister St¶ger Federal Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT). The Coordinator provided the Minister with a short overview of the new TEN-T policy, including corridor approach, work plan, CEF and the Juncker plan. He also explained his expectations as regards progress of the Brenner Base Tunnel and access routes. Minister St¶ger appreciated the Coordinators view on the BBT project and the need for accompanying measures.

After the meeting with the Minister the Coordinator participated in the CIG meeting on the BBT. Coordinator Cox noted with satisfaction that continuation of the activities in the coming years is ensured by the BBT SE decision to launch the tendering procedures of three main construction lots. It was proposed that the Coordinator should have the role in the BBT SE Supervisory Board, similar to the role of Coordinator Brinkhorst in LTF (member without voting right).

On 15 January, Coordinator Cox participated in a seminar with all the coordinators were they discussed the approval of the corridor work plans, the preparation of the annual activity report and the hearings in the European Parliament.

On 16 January, EIB gave a number of presentations on the funding possibilities under the Juncker plan. Exchanges of views took place with the EIB about the use of CEF funding and the complementarity of action with the EIB initiatives.

Trelleborg Transport Conference, meetings with Femern A/S, Banendanmark, Copenhagen/Malmo port and Copenhagen airport, Trelleborg/Copenhagen, 14-15 October 2014

Coordinator Cox attended a meeting with Femern A/S on the 14 October and was provided with background information about the planning, construction and financing model of the project. Mr Cox thereafter presented the overall functioning of the TEN-T and CEF policy. The Coordinator proposed to organise a joint meeting with Fermern A/S, Denmark, Germany and the Coordinator at the occasion of the International Transport Forum in Leipzig in May 2015.

On the 14 of October Coordinator Cox participated in the Trelleborg Transport Conference in southern Sweden. Mr Cox participated as a speaker making his main statements on the TEN-T policy and the Corridors as enablers for coordinating necessary investments in the EU transport system.

On the 15th of October Mr Cox was interviewed by the Danish newspaper Morgenavisen. In the interview he explained the objectives of the TEN-T and CEF policy and underlined the important position of the Fehmarn belt Fixed Link on the ScanMed corridor.

After the interview the Coordinator participated in a meeting with Banendanmark

Meeting with Dr Grube, CEO Deutsche Bahn AG, 3 September 2014

On 3rd September 2014, the European Coordinators who are leading the Corridors crossing Germany had the opportunity to jointly meet the CEO of Deutsche Bahn to discuss the EU core network policy. Participants:

Deutsche Bahn: Dr Grube, Fried, Miram, Sellnick, LueberrinkEuropean Coordinators: Ana Palacio, Pat Cox, Mathieu Grosch, Carlo Secchi, Karel VinckAll participants confirmed the importance of this joint meeting. Mr Grube invited the Coordinators to a follow-up meeting with the DB Board before the end of this year. The following issues were raised by the Coordinators: Germany should make the use of CEF budget more attractive for rail infrastructure managers; lack of private investment; standardisation of equipment to be imposed on suppliers; external dimension TEN-T; need for accompanying measures; financial support for noise protection measures; the need to move from a conversation on design to a conversation on implementation.Dr Grube stated that in the beginning DB was quite reluctant towards TEN-T. However, this attitude has changed completely. TEN-T offers a chance for leadership to develop a real transport network. DB is an international operator. In this context core network corridors are of the highest priority and instrumental for achieving such international market. Mr Grube also said that he appreciates the open and constructive dialogue.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 15:12

Employer plans have played out like a game of chicken. Now workers are rebelling outright, and executives are trying everything to make the office worth it.

A full lot at the artificial intelligence company C3 AI, which has required workers to be at the office since last June. Credit... Aaron Wojack for The New York Times June 9, 2022 Updated 11:01 a.m. ET

What Barrett Kime's boss said on the recent video call was straightforward. Could members of his team at NBCUniversal show up on the few days a week that they were actually expected to be in the office?

Rebellion ensued. Mr. Kime, a senior creative director, took himself off mute. ''I was talking about how it was insane to ask people to come in more often with Covid raging,'' he recalled.

Other employees then jumped in to share the reasons they didn't want to go back to the office: child care, rising gas prices, Covid-19 rates. To Mr. Kime, it marked a new phase in their return-to-office conversations.

''It's kind of a Wizard of Oz thing,'' Mr. Kime said. In other words, his team realized that there was no all-powerful being forcing their attendance; there was only a man behind a curtain (or Zoom screen). ''As much as we grumbled about going back to work, we all understood that it was going to happen. But the second we started going, we realized how silly it was,'' he added.

Optimism about return-to-office plans, across industries and cities, is slowly abating. When asked in early 2021 about the share of their workers who would be back in the office five days a week in the future, executives said 50 percent; now that percentage is down to 20, according to a recent survey from the consulting firm Gartner. Office occupancy across the country plateaued last month at around 43 percent as Covid cases spiked again, according to data from Kastle, a security firm.

The vast majority of Americans, particularly those in the service sector and low-wage jobs, have been working in person throughout the pandemic. But those who were able to work remotely got attached to the flexibility. In a January survey, the Pew Research Center found that 60 percent of workers whose jobs can be done at home wanted to work remote most or all of the time.

''What is abundantly clear is that there are fewer and fewer companies expecting their employees to be in the office five days a week,'' said Brian Kropp, vice president in Gartner's human resources practice. ''Even some of the major companies that came out and said we want our employees in the office five days a week are starting to backtrack.''

There's Apple, which recently suspended its requirement that employees return to the office at least three days a week. There's McKinsey, which intends at some point to set clearer norms around office attendance, with the goal of ensuring that people get the value of in-person collaboration, but for now is allowing individuals to set agreements with their clients and managers, according to its head of human resources.

Google postponed its return to office planned for January, and by now roughly 10 percent of its employees have received permission to go fully remote or relocate. Intuit had at one point considered some kind of rigid return-to-office plan for its 11,500 U.S. employees but instead allowed managers and teams to set their own expectations of which days to go in.

''Being prescriptive creates all kind of bureaucracy, because then you have to get management layers involved and it just becomes very rule-based,'' said Sasan Goodarzi, the chief executive of Intuit. ''We don't believe you have to be in the office 40 hours a week, and we also don't believe you can be all virtual.''

Image Tom Siebel, the chief executive of C3 AI, before an all-hands meeting last week in Redwood City, Calif. Credit... Aaron Wojack for The New York Times R.T.O. plans have unfolded like a giant game of chicken. Executives told workers to come back to the office, then delayed their plans as Covid cases continued to spike. Business leaders accepted the uncertainty, hoping it was temporary. Until it was clear that it wasn't. Workers got extra time at home, and extra leeway to test the rigidity of their bosses' plans. Now some companies are expecting people back but have lost the leverage to enforce that because of the constant flux in deadlines.

''What we've decided to do is say, 'What is working?''' said Joan Burke, head of human resources at DocuSign, which postponed four return-to-office dates before deciding not to require attendance for now. ''Let's learn from what's working and put in place guardrails if we think things aren't.''

Some executives hope that if they can get their employees to spend some time in the office, the workers will realize that they liked it more than they remembered.

Christina Ross, chief executive of Cube, a software company with 75 employees, used to consider herself a proud office acolyte. Before the pandemic she hired an engineer who lived in Texas and insisted that he move to New York for the job. She couldn't imagine building a long-term relationship with an employee she had never met in person.

Now she calls her company ''remote first.'' She briefly toyed with the idea of requiring a return to Cube's office, but decided instead to make it as enticing an option as possible. She even moved the New York location to make the commute easier for staff living in Brooklyn.

''People voted with their feet in not necessarily coming back,'' Ms. Ross said. ''It can be disappointing to put a lot of effort into building the office environment and then not have people come in.''

Some business leaders have taken a harder line. Elon Musk, for example, told SpaceX and Tesla employees that they would have to spend a minimum of 40 hours in the office or be fired. Many others, like Google and Microsoft, have opted for a softer tack by filling their workplaces with cold brew, snacks, tote bags and beer. But those corporate carrots have their limits, and few are willing to try out the sticks.

''It's almost like a meme now of the 2018 office '-- 'Hey we have bagels and snacks and Ping-Pong tables,''' Ms. Ross said. ''That's not a trade-off for a commute.''

Image ''For people who want to work at home on Zoom, there's companies that are like that,'' Mr. Siebel said. But not his. Credit... Aaron Wojack for The New York Times Many companies are accepting the reality that requiring a return to the office could put them at odds with their peers and mean losing out on talent. In some industries, and in some areas of the country, an office-centric culture is becoming a quirk, not a norm.

Duolingo, the language learning company based in Pittsburgh, required its employees to come back three days a week; the company's head of human resources said it was confident of hitting its hiring goals all the same. Christiana Riley, chief executive of the Americas at Deutsche Bank, said her company's decision to require its 5,000 New York employees to be back in the office either full time or at least two days a week, depending on their role, had significance beyond the business itself in its contribution to the city's recovery. Brown-Forman, the wine and spirits company, called most of its 950 corporate employees in Louisville, Ky., back to headquarters at least three days a week starting last month.

''Although Brown-Forman has not seen an exodus because of our back-to-office policies, we could,'' said Eric Doninger, director of real estate and workplace strategies, explaining that the company has made its peace with the risks. ''Our facilities have a role to play to build the business, to build collaboration and camaraderie.''

Other executives are insisting on a full-throated return, confident about the value of having people at their desks five days a week. Tom Siebel, chief executive of C3 AI, an 800-person artificial intelligence company, required his workers to return to the office full time last June. He said the requirement had only heightened the company's appeal to a certain type of job applicant.

''For people who want to work at home on Zoom, there's companies that are like that,'' he said. ''Go work for Facebook. Go work for Salesforce.''

Mr. Siebel said he had ''the only full parking lot in Silicon Valley'' and sees that as a competitive advantage. ''We don't invent rockets that land themselves by people working on Zoom calls once a week,'' the chief executive added. ''We have to get together in a room and get on whiteboards and fail and fail and fail until you succeed.''

Image Manny Medina, the chief executive of Outreach in Seattle, hopes to get employees into the office for 40 percent of their time. Credit... Grant Hindsley for The New York Times But for executives who haven't doubled down, larger questions loom over the future of their offices. Take Manny Medina, chief executive of Outreach, an artificial intelligence sales company with roughly 600 employees in Seattle, most of whom are encouraged to spend 40 percent of their work time in the office. From a mostly empty office, Mr. Medina said he had grown accustomed to fielding challenges from employees about the value of in-person collaboration.

Recently a junior employee attended the chief executive's virtual office hours and said he didn't understand why he should be required to commute when working from home allowed him to balance productivity with his social life and jujitsu training.

''I said, 'Fair point, and you should think about what your priority is,''' Mr. Medina said. ''If you want to be an M.M.A. fighter, go do that.''

Image The offices of Outreach, which has about 600 workers in Seattle, overlook Puget Sound. Credit... Grant Hindsley for The New York Times Mr. Medina has been fighting for the office for years. He was once asked to debate the chief executive of Zapier in front of thousands of people about the merits of office versus remote work. The majority of audience members voted for his opponent.

''I took the losing end of the conversation,'' Mr. Medina said. ''But it wasn't like I lost in a landslide.''

That argument was in 2017. Five years later, it isn't over. ''There's a fried chicken joint near the office that I only get when I'm in the office,'' Mr. Medina added. ''I can see the ocean from my office. Why wouldn't I do that?''

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 14:12

WASHINGTON '-- As the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 plot prepares to kick off its first public hearing, a bipartisan group of senators huddled Wednesday in the Capitol to negotiate new laws to prevent future candidates from stealing elections.

Two sources familiar with the group's work said it is close to a deal, having settled on a series of new provisions and working through options on one major unresolved issue.

''We've made a lot of major decisions,'' Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a leader of the group, said in an interview before the meeting. ''We've resolved a lot of issues, but we have some more work to do, which I hope we'll finish up this week.''

The areas of consensus, Collins said, include amending the Electoral Count Act to restrain the vice president's role, raising the congressional threshold for objecting to electoral votes, overhauling the transition process and protecting election officials from threats.

The group is trying to close loopholes in the electoral system in a flurry of activity among members and staffers in recent weeks to reach consensus on a cause that lawmakers in both parties see as urgent. It was the first face-to-face meeting of members since April. The negotiations were sparked in part by President Donald Trump's unsuccessful effort to exploit gaps in the law to stay in power even though he lost the 2020 election.

The senators haven't reached a final agreement, and success would mean avoiding a number of potential political pitfalls. In addition, any bill would require at least 60 votes to break a filibuster and pass the Senate.

After the meeting, an upbeat Collins said that it "went very well" and that senators "made a lot of progress tonight" on "every question." Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., walking out with her, agreed.

'God help us'The main issue the Senate group hasn't resolved, two sources familiar with its work said, is how to address the ''safe harbor'' deadline '-- the date by which states must certify their presidential election results to ensure they are counted without interference from Congress. But what if a state misses the deadline? What if it sends an ''alternate slate'' of electors for a losing candidate?

The Senate negotiations have occurred on a parallel track to the House Jan. 6 committee's highly anticipated prime-time hearings, which begin Thursday. They began this year after Democrats failed to pass a party-line bill to overhaul voting rights laws across the country. The bipartisan talks focus not on ballot access but rather on counting votes and making sure winners take power.

''I hope the American people will tune in to these hearings and realize just how close we came to overturning a democratic election. And I do hope that will propel '-- I hope that will break new energy behind some of the election reform efforts,'' Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said in an interview.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said he remains "hopeful."

"I do think these hearings will add some extra energy to the work of the group that's been meeting for months," he said.

Some pro-reform Republicans have privately indicated that the cause is helped by the recent primary victories of Republican lawmakers who voted to certify President Joe Biden's victory, as well as the victories of top state officials in Georgia who defied Trump's efforts to change the result and defeated his preferred candidates to unseat them.

House Democrats on the Jan. 6 committee also hope their work will spur Congress to act.

''We were fortunate that the last election wasn't close, that Biden won commandingly. But if it should come down in the future to a single state and an interpretation of the Electoral Count Act, then God help us,'' said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. ''There's so much ambiguity in that law. It could lead to a real constitutional crisis.''

'Safe harbor' provision concernsSenators in the working group are exploring three options to resolve confusion around safe harbor provisions, said a source who described it as the main sticking point.

The first is to replace the ''safe harbor'' concept with a clear federal duty for the relevant state official to send timely certification to Congress under the 12th Amendment.

The second is to replace safe harbor provisions with new laws making it clear that Congress can identify the state official lawfully tasked with establishing a state's electors.

The third is to preserve the safe harbor concept and tell states that to qualify for the presumption that their submitted electors are conclusive, they must notify Congress before Election Day which official is responsible under state law for sending electors.

Senators are also exploring whether there should be a role for federal courts to step in and resolve disputes or for challenges pertaining to state-submitted electors.

What the group has agreed onCollins said the group will make it clear that the vice president's role is ''just ministerial'' '-- and that he or she doesn't have unilateral power to discount electoral votes.

She said they have agreed to raise the objection threshold for forcing a vote on whether to count electors from certain states '-- from the current rule of requiring just one House member and one senator to a new rule requiring 20 percent of lawmakers in the chambers.

After Trump lost the 2020 election, his allies in the House sought to discount key electoral votes for Biden. Their effort escalated when Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., provided the one vote necessary in the Senate to force a debate. Trump also tried unsuccessfully to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to refuse to count pro-Biden electors on Jan. 6, 2021.

Collins said the group wants to reauthorize the Election Assistance Commission and allow grants under the Help America Vote Act ''to be used for security purposes for poll watchers and poll workers and election officials.''

She said senators also want ''better transition'' rules between an election and the inauguration of the victor.

She didn't elaborate on what that means. Sources familiar with the talks say members are discussing revisions to the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 to ensure that in close or contested elections, key resources are provided to both candidates.

Other Democrats caution that preventing future coups will take more than just new federal laws '-- specifically, a determination to stop autocrats from gaining power.

"I think reforming the Electoral Count Act is a worthy endeavor. But it's not clear to me that you could create a federal statute to prevent a coup," said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii. That, he said, requires a "collective commitment of everybody within the government."

"No one wants to admit that Donald Trump was the problem and he tried to overthrow the government," he said. "There is an autocrat that leads the Republican Party and is likely to get the nomination. And if he fails, he will try to overthrow the government."

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:57

Podcasts have taken over a great deal of my media consumption. They are often more candid than broadcast television or what's left of newspapers. Given the space to explore nuance, the enhanced exploration of perspectives can lead to a better understanding of the turbulent times we are enduring. They can also be poorly produced or made by people that have little regard for the medium or quality of equipment involved and just want to say they have a podcast.

Like good books, it can take time to find podcasts that are interesting to you. Most of the job listings I see relating to podcasts are for the marketing and advertising aspect. In a way, I see the popularity of podcasting as a response to existing sanitized mediums that skirt controversy for safety and tow the establishment line on commentary.

More than half of the shows I listen to are listener-supported (not like "underwritten" NPR, no ads all donation-based). Advertising is the least appealing part of podcasts. Though some comedians do a decent job of advertising reads with the twist of their personality. I'm not sure how Tim Dillon keeps his sponsors but his reads are often outrageous and intentionally offensive, but also hilarious. And Joey Diaz (Uncle Joey's Joint) could read the most basic copy and give it so much character with his voice.

Advertising on television makes the medium almost archaic in these times. When a guest being interviewed gets into a great story or point and then a commercial break occurs, the focus on the point is broken and I need more Swiffer pads? What was I doing? It almost becomes surface material like sifting through headlines and never reading the article.

Sadly, I have found the last couple of years extremely isolating even in the most populous city in the United States. I could write another post about that but I'll skip to the happier part where I have connected with many people through podcasting and been a guest on numerous shows:

Behind the Sch3m3s

Nick the Rat

Hog Story, first and second appearances

Rare Encounter

Apart from appearances as a guest, I regularly contribute media mixes with original music to the No Agenda Show for their "End of Show Mixes" segment that runs where the ending credits would be on a show. No Agenda identifies as a "media deconstruction" show. Jam-packed with news clips from the week, Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak follow trends that transcend all the networks and have been spot on with many bold predictions. John has a great Substack,

At heart, it is in more of the spirit of a comedy show, dealing with a lot of heavy and dark topics with a strong dose of humor and listener submitted jingles. Nothing should be taken too seriously and political candidates are not endorsed. Being financed directly by listeners who they refer to as ''producers,'' John and Adam are able to ask pertinent questions that shows with advertisers would be too fearful or cagey to even approach.

Since I started listening in 2009, I have had the pleasure of meeting both hosts at meetups organized by listeners of the show. John had me conduct his Skype interview with Anthony Scaramucci which involved me going to Scaramucci's office in New York, and setting up the audio equipment for the interview and shaking his hand about 5 times as he came in and out of the conference room.

Adam has not given me any assignments but has been a tremendous help with podcasting questions and general advice. I can not think of one person that has been more of a positive force in podcasting, helping many get started as well as starting the whole medium, sometimes going by "The Podfather." In January, along with my girlfriend Alex, we were fortunate enough to meet up with Adam and his wife Tina, who also have a podcast, when we were both in Dallas for different events.

More recently, Adam and Dave Jones have developed the Podcast Index as part of Podcasting 2.0. They also have a show where they discuss developments, Adam initially shared an index of podcasts with Apple when it all started that they made more private in recent years, prompting Adam to create another index that would allow shows to be listed and available more openly, not behind a paywall or subject to cancellation based on content or investor/advertiser conflict. Working with podcast app developers the Podcasting 2.0 system allows for payments via the Lightning (form of Bitcoin) system.

As Adam likes to say, "value for value." You donate what you feel you got out of the show and based on what you can. Not a fixed fee for all. The podcast apps that allow value also can set a payment amount per time for a show. How much is it worth per minute or hour? As an enthusiastic fan of podcasting, I built a lightning node for my show so I could follow along with the exciting developments.

It is an exciting time to be in podcasting. While I have been a co-host on several shows (LPV Show, What I Miss About New York), last year I got my solo operation off the ground as the Melodious Owls Show.

The current focus of the show is an interview series with fellow composers of End of Show Mixes for the No Agenda Show. Yes, there are that many. I am still discovering new people to talk to and learn from. But at the moment I am going through a list of the heavy hitters. To my surprise, I seem to have the highest number of mixes. Looking through my list of over 120 mixes, I started making these about five years ago and it's become somewhat of an obsession.

On my latest episode of The Melodious Owls Show, I talked to John Fletcher and Carolyn Blaney. We had so many of their mixes to play and discuss it ran over 3 hours but was a fun-filled 3 hours. John and Carolyn aside from making some fantastic mixes also produce the Hog Story podcast that I have been a guest on a couple of times.

After we signed off for the show that evening, I felt energized and motivated to make more, which is unusual for having sat in a chair behind a mic for 3 hours. But then when you are in good company, time flies.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:49

The State Department will announce a Special Representative for Racial Equity and Justice on June 17 in connection with the department's Equity Action Plan, an email obtained by the Daily Caller reveals.

The position of Special Representative was first announced by the State Department in its April Equity Action Plan. The position's holder has not been named, but the Special Representative will have wide-reaching powers, since he or she will be responsible for ''institutionaliz[ing] an enterprise-wide approach to integrating racial and ethnic equity.'' The email names ''advancing equity, addressing systemic racism, and strengthening democracy worldwide'' as ''national security imperatives and core tenets of President Biden's foreign policy.''

Although the Special Representative will be responsible for ''promoting systems of inclusion that mitigate bias, discrimination, and violence'' and ''fostering more inclusive societies,'' previous U.S. government efforts to promote inclusion and equity have failed. The federal government spent nearly $800 million promoting gender equality in Afghanistan, a project that failed due to ''traditional gender norms,'' according to the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction.

Afghan girls study during a lesson at a school in Herat province on October 17, 2017. / (HOSHANG HASHIMI/AFP via Getty Images)

The Special Representative will also be placed in charge of ''countering disinformation and societal violence aimed at'... marginalized racial and ethnic communities,'' the email reveals. Currently, efforts to combat disinformation are housed in the State Department's Global Engagement Center, and are primarily aimed at Russia.

The State Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller's request for comment on whether the Special Representative's purview would be primarily domestic or international.

Biden campaigned on racial equity, promising that his administration would promote direct investment in minority communities through tax credits and venture capital. He has overturned several executive orders promulgated by the Trump administration on racial equity grounds.

Biden signed an executive order on his first day in office requiring the federal government to ''pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, and the email describes the Special Representative position as part of that effort. Since then, he has ordered the federal government to engage in racially conscious hiring practices, and require employees to participate in implicit and unconscious bias training. (RELATED: Treasury Department Hires First-Ever 'Counselor For Racial Equity')

The Biden administration and elected Democrats have moved to make racial equity a key part of large portions of federal policy. New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has argued that policies associated with the Green New Deal can be used to promote ''economic, social and racial justice.'' Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has pushed for the Federal Reserve to include fixing ''systemic racism and inequality'' as part of its mandate.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:46

Mexico's president is reviving calls for a continental superstate that would combine North American employers and South American employees '' and sideline tens of millions of middle-class Americans.

''I will go in July to visit [President Joe Biden] at the White House and I want to discuss with him the issue of the integration of all America,'' President Andr(C)s Manuel L"pez Obrador said at a press conference in Mexico's presidential palace. He continued: ''My position is that, just as how the European community was created '... we have to do that in America.''

However, any unification could only come after the United States and southern countries resolve their disagreements, he said: ''There has to be a change in the policy, an end to confrontation, an end to hate, an end to threats, the blockades, the foreign interference, and choose brotherhood, good neighbor policies.''

The same continent-wide superstate was pushed in 2001 by President G.W. Bush and Mexico's then-president, Vicente Fox. Their unpopular ''Any Willing Worker'' plan would have allowed U.S. employers to easily import low-wage employees from central and south America. It was derailed following the 9/11 attack.

The policy would spike Wall Street and Fortune 500 profits by giving them floods of cheap foreign workers plus many new foreign consumers.

L"pez Obrador's statement cane during a long complaint about U.S. politics, and the supposed power of the anti-Latino Cuban voters in the United States:

I have a very good relationship with President Biden, he is a good man. In this case, I feel that there are a lot of pressures on the part of the Republicans and above all from some leaders of the Republican Party and also in the Democrat Party that has to do with the Cuban community in Florida and in the United States.

'...

Of course, the most inhuman, anti-immigrant, authoritarian [politicians] are the Republicans. But there are also those in the Democratic Party too '... [For example, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J.] he is from the Cuban community '-- and this one has enormous influence.

But if we stay [divided] like this, depending on the decision of one gentleman, of the influence of one gentleman, of the rancors of one gentleman, and we forget our peoples, well then, we are acting in a sectarian way, trafficking the pain of the peoples. Taking advantage of, thriving, taking advantage of politically and economically

L"pez Obrador's push is tied to long-standing dreams by South American elites for their own southern-hemisphere superstate. The idea was pushed by Simon Bolivar (1783-1830) in the early 1800s but failed because of the distance and diversity of South America.

L"pez Obrador continued:

Why not bring to [reality] the dream of Bolivar, including the United States and Canada? It is good for us based on our cultural relations, our friendship, but also because of economic and commercial relations. '... We [

L"pez Obrador and Biden] will talk about that. I also want to talk about Central America because it is not possible that we do not tend to the causes and [the U.S. tries] to resolve everything with coercive measures regarding immigration. And other issues that we could continue to work on together in the economic integration regarding our sovereignties, the ability to complement each other to face inflation.

''Not anymore, we will not remain silent anymore in the face of insults to immigrants and Mexicans. And I will insist on immigration reform,'' he said.

He blamed the GOP '-- and its anti-migration wing '-- for the political barriers to greater unification between the United States and southern and central America:

I am talking now about the attitude of the Republican Party, who surely will drive with their spokesmen that the [this week's] Summit [of the Americas] was a failure. Well, yes, it is possible it will be a failure, but they are the responsible ones for maintaining a policy of closure and not openness.

Like Bolivar, L"pez Obrador suggested his policies should not be curbed by voters in democracies. ''The option is [continentall] transformation and you have to dare to do it. And you don't have to keep thinking about the next election, you have to think about the next generation.''

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:28

Cow and sheep burps are to be taxed by New Zealand in a world-first draft plan to put a price on agricultural emissions in a bid to tackle one of the country's biggest sources of greenhouse gases.

The proposal would make New Zealand, a large agricultural exporter, the first country to have farmers pay for emissions from livestock, the ministry for environment said.

New Zealand, home to 5 million people, has about 10 million cattle and 26 million sheep.

Nearly half its total greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture, mainly methane, but agricultural emissions have previously been exempted from the country's emissions trading scheme, drawing criticism of the government's commitment to stop global warming.

Under the draft plan, put together by government and farm community representatives, farmers will have to pay for their gas emissions from 2025. Short- and long-lived farm gas will be priced separately, although a single measure to calculate their volume will be used.

The costs are likely to be passed down to consumers, potentially raising the price of meat.

Massive regulatory disruption to farming''There is no question that we need to cut the amount of methane we are putting into the atmosphere, and an effective emissions pricing system for agriculture will play a key part in how we achieve that,'' said James Shaw, climate change minister.

The proposal includes incentives for farmers who reduce emissions through feed additives, while on-farm forestry can be used to offset emissions. Revenue from the scheme will be invested in research, development and advisory services for farmers.

''Our recommendations enable sustainable food and fibre production for future generations while playing a fair part in meeting our country's climate commitments,'' said Michael Ahie, chairman of the primary sector partnership, He Waka Eke Noa.

The proposal would potentially be the biggest regulatory disruption to farming since the removal of agricultural subsidies in the 1980s, said Susan Kilsby, agricultural economist at ANZ Bank.

A final decision on the scheme is expected in December.

The UK has also discussed including agricultural emissions in its own emissions trading scheme as part of the first step to imposing carbon border taxes that could protect British producers from cheaper imports.

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Archived Version

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:26

Authored by Ivan Pentchoukov via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

President Barack Obama approved a statement by the U.S. intelligence community in October 2016 accusing Russia of stealing emails from the Democratic National Committee (DNC), despite the U.S. government not having obtained the DNC server images crucial to ascertaining whether Moscow was involved in the theft.

President Barack Obama speaks alongside Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson (R) following the Presidential Daily Briefing in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, October 7, 2016. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)FBI emails recently made public during the trial against now-acquitted DNC attorney Michael Sussmann show the bureau was still in the process of requesting images of the DNC servers on Oct. 13, 2016. The server images, which are equivalent to a virtual copy of the alleged crime scene, were taken by private cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.

On Oct. 7, six days before CrowdStrike agreed to mail the server images to the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released a statement accusing Russia of hacking U.S. political organizations and disseminating emails allegedly stolen through the hack. The statement was approved and encouraged by Obama, according to then-DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson.

''The president approved the statement. I know he wanted us to make the statement. So that was very definitely a statement by the United States government, not just Jim Clapper and me,'' Johnson told the House Intelligence Committee in June 2017, referring to then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

The DHS, ODNI, and the office of Barack Obama did not respond to requests for comment.

The Oct. 7, 2016, statement said that the U.S. intelligence community, which is composed of more than a dozen agencies including the FBI, was ''confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations.''

''The recent disclosures of alleged hacked emails on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks and by the Guccifer 2.0 online persona are consistent with the methods and motivations of Russian-directed efforts,'' the statement said.

The lack of server images at the time the statement was released highlights the question of what the intelligence community used to establish Russia's involvement.

On Aug. 31, 2016, CrowdStrike provided a report on the DNC hack to the FBI. The FBI special agent who reviewed the report called it ''heavily redacted,'' according to the Senate Intelligence Committee's report on the Russia investigation. FBI Assistant Director James Trainor was so frustrated with the redactions that ''he doubted its completeness because he knew that outside counsel had reviewed it.''

The ''outside counsel'' Trainor referred to is all but certainly Michael Sussmann, who served as the DNC's point of contact for all intrusion-related matters. Sussmann was acquitted last month of one charge of lying to the FBI about whether he was representing the DNC when he took a white paper to the FBI that alleged a connection between then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russia. The FBI agents who reviewed the paper found the claims in it unfounded within 24 hours.

On Sept. 30, 2016, one week before the release of the statement accusing Russia of the hack, the FBI was still seeking copies of the CrowdStrike reports without the redactions. That day, FBI Agent Adrian Hawkins listed copies of the unredacted CrowdStrike reports as the number one priority request to the DNC, according to another email made public as a trial exhibit in the Sussman case.

The FBI never received the unredacted reports, according to a government court filing in the case against Roger Stone. According to the filing, lawyers for the DNC told prosecutors that ''no redacted information'' in the CrowdStrike reports ''concerned the attribution of the attack to Russian actors.''

Special counsel Robert Mueller alleged that the hack of the DNC during which emails were stolen took place on or around May 25 to June 1, 2016. That timeframe is significant because CrowdStrike has since told The Epoch Times that the DNC systems were not hacked during that time frame. Crowdstrike had deployed 200 sensors and other counter-intrusion technologies on the committee's network within the first week of its engagement, which began on May 1, 2016.

''There is no indication of any subsequent breaches taking place on the DNC's corporate network or any machines protected by CrowdStrike Falcon,'' the company told The Epoch Times in August 2020.

CrowdStrike President Shawn Henry, who was in charge of the firm's work on the DNC intrusion, has told congressional investigators that his company did not have concrete evidence that emails had been stolen from the DNC.

''We have indicators that data was exfiltrated. We did not have concrete evidence that data was exfiltrated from the DNC, but we have indicators that it was exfiltrated,'' Henry told lawmakers on Dec. 5, 2017.

The alleged hacking of the DNC and the subsequent release of the committee's emails was the nexus of allegations of collusion with Russia that plagued the administration of President Donald Trump.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:24

OPINION | This article contains opinion. AnalyzingAmerica is licensed to publish this content.

59-year-old Mark Middleton, prominently known as an advisor to the Clintons, was discovered hanging from a tree with an extension cord around his neck.

Middleton also had a shotgun wound to the chest. His death was classified as a suicide.

Despite the fact a family lawsuit claims he ''died by suicide,'' there are major questions circulating about his death.

It's rumored that Middleton played a key role in strengthening the friendship between Clinton and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, Middleton was found dead about 30 miles away from his home.

In the 1990s, he served as a special assistant to former President Bill Clinton. Middleton reportedly helped admit Epstein into the White House on at least seven of the 17 occasions Epstein visited during Clinton's tenure.

Middleton had flown in Epstein's private jet, referred to as the ''Lolita Express.''

''The investigation is still open, I can't say anything more,'' Perry County Sheriff Scott Montgomery said.

''He died from a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the chest,'' Montgomery said.

''He found a tree and he pulled a table over there, and he got on that table, and he took an extension cord and put it around a limb, put it around his neck and he shot himself in the chest with a shotgun.''

''It was very evident that the shotgun worked because there was not a lot of blood or anything on the scene. You can tell the shotgun blast was on his chest, you can tell that because there is a hole in the chest and pellets came out the back of his back.''

''It was definitely self-inflicted, in our opinion.''

'-- Advertisement '--

The purpose of the lawsuit filed by the Middleton family is to prevent the local sheriff from releasing photos and videos of the death scene.

I don't hang myself often, but when I do, I shoot myself in the chest first

Family of late Clinton advisor Mark Middleton block release of files relating to his suicide | Daily Mail Online https://t.co/c4or3Jy8TR

'-- Be Berean (@greenpyrs) June 6, 2022

More from Western Journal:

According to Daily Mail, many of the deaths attributed to the Clinton Body Count theory have been due to plane crashes.

Fueling suspicion over Middleton's death was that none of Middleton's family members mentioned a cause of death in their statement confirming the former Clinton aide's demise, the Daily Mail reported.

Middleton's widow Rhea and his father, Larry, instead filed an injunction on May 23, requesting that details from Middleton's death be blocked, raising curiosity over what the details could reveal.

In the motion, the litigants, citing a ''privacy interest,'' sought a declaration that the defendants refrain from disclosing ''photographs, videos, sketches, and other illustrative content'' related to Middleton's death.

Advertisement '' story continues belowThe defendants named in the suit include Montgomery, Perry County Coroner Bill Greene, and other Perry County employees ''who have access to, and could assist in the disclosure of records, in response to a FOIA request.''

''Since Mr. Middleton's death, Mr. Middleton's family, including the Middletons, has been harassed by outlandish, hurtful, unsupported, and offensive online articles regarding Mr. Middleton, his death, and his family,'' the lawsuit stated.

''The same individuals who created the online articles will attempt to obtain details of the File, including the Media Content contained within the File, from Defendants,'' the litigants said.

''This information will then almost certainly be published online. Plaintiffs, and other family members of Mr. Middleton, will suffer irreparable harm if such materials are disclosed,'' the lawsuit stated, requesting that ''any Media Content depicting Mr. Middleton's body or scene of Mr. Middleton's death should not be disclosed under the FOIA.''

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:24

Something very strange is happening in Arkansas.

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Is it a coincidence?

Maybe.

Or is it something else?

I can tell you there are some bizarre ties to the Clintons and that infamous ''body count.''

It starts with a 47-year-old woman by the name of Ashley Haynes.

Ashley died at the end of January. Her body was found on the banks of the Arkansas River.

MORE NEWS: Newsmax Host Greg Kelly Just Called Out Something ''Very Fishy'' About Uvalde Shooting

Kark.com reported that police in Maumelle said they have found the body of a paddleboarder who first went missing Wednesday.

In a release, Capt. David Collins with the Maumelle Police Department said the body of Ashley Haynes was found around noon Sunday in the water on the north side of the Arkansas River.

This was in the area where authorities had been searching for Haynes for three days.

Collins said a search party discovered the body and notified police.

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He noted that there did not appear to be any signs of foul play and that the body would be turned over to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for further investigation.

Haynes was first reported missing Wednesday after not returning home from paddle boarding on the river.

On the surface, it sounds like a tragic paddle boarding accident, right?

But things get really weird.

But before we get into that, let me tell you again about Mark Middleton. He's the former Clinton advisor and lawyer who reportedly killed himself, although his business partner says he didn't kill himself and is calling for an independent investigation.

We'll get back to Mark in a moment.

Now, the strange part is that Radar Online is reporting something completely different about Ashley's death.

They say Ashley Haynes was found with an electrical cord around her ankle attached to a concrete block.

They're also reporting that Mark Middleton's body was found with the ''same'' electrical cord, and a shotgun blast through the chest.

I am going to screenshot the Radar article and post it here in case they change or delete it.

They're also reporting that Ashley was in Mark Middleton's office just before she died. A business associate of Mark's says he saw her.

A stunned business associate who knew Middleton and is calling for an independent investigation into his May 7th death tells RadarOnline.com, that it's beyond coincidence that Haynes, 47, had visited Clinton's now-dead pal's office to discuss a financial matter.

''I saw her in Mark's office!'' the business associate tells RadarOnline.com. ''I was leaving and he (Middleton) was telling me that he had a very important financial meeting '' and that's the woman who came in!''

I am not sure what to make of this.

I went online and hunted for some other story that would corroborate what Radar reported, but I couldn't find anything.

We have the ''official'' report that says Ashley was found dead on the river banks, and no foul play was suspected, and we have the Radar version, which says she was found with an electrical cord around her ankle tied to a concrete block.

But there's more. Look at what else Radar Online said about Ashley:

Haynes, a mother of two from the Little Rock suburb of Maumelle, vanished on Jan. 12 after leaving a note on her kitchen island counter stating ''on the water, love you all.'' She was last seen by a local resident paddle boarding in a wetsuit, according to the police report obtained by RadarOnline.com.

After a massive search, her corpse was discovered four days later by a family friend '' submerged in 10 feet of water!

''Mrs. Haynes had a bag strapped to her leg with a green extension cord,'' states the police report. ''Inside the bag was a large concrete block that measured 16x16x4.''A source close to Haynes, who worked for a charitable group to feed and clothe the homeless, tells Radar the 110-pound former model turned yoga teacher, would have never taken her own life '' let alone paddleboard down the river lugging a 58-pound concrete suicide block!

''It didn't make any sense, she would never kill herself,'' the Haynes source said. ''When I heard she went missing I knew instantly it was foul play. I don't believe she killed herself. How could she water paddle down the river with a concrete block!''

There are two wildly different stories.

I had to look to see if it was the same person. Could two paddle boarders named Ashley Haynes die in the Arkansas River in January?

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I guess this will remain a mystery, and it's par for the course with anything that involves the Clintons.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WayneDupree.com

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:15

Authored by Paul Joseph Watson via Summit News,

The top Ukrainian official who was fired for spreading misinformation has admitted that she lied about Russians committing mass rape in order to convince western countries to send more weapons to Ukraine.

Lyudmila Denisova, the former Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, was removed from her position following a vote of no confidence in the Ukrainian parliament which passed by a margin of 234-to-9.

Parliament member Pavlo Frolov specifically accused Denisova of pushing misinformation that ''only harmed Ukraine'' in relation to ''the numerous details of 'unnatural sexual offenses' and child sexual abuses in the occupied territories, which were unsupported by evidence.''

In an interview published by a Ukrainian news outlet, Denisova admitted that her falsehoods had achieved their intended goal.

''When, for example, I spoke in the Italian parliament at the Committee on International Affairs, I heard and saw such fatigue from Ukraine, you know? I talked about terrible things in order to somehow push them to make the decisions that Ukraine and the Ukrainian people need,'' she said.

Denisova noted that Italy's Five Star Movement was originally ''against the provision of weapons to us, but after [her] speech, one of the party leaders'... said that they will support [us], including by the provision of weapons.''

Despite the fact that her claims about mass rape were false, they were repeatedly amplified by legacy media outlets like CNN and the Washington Post.

''The media was quick to put this woman's BS claims out but couldn't care less about correcting the record,'' writes Chris Menahan.

Indeed, there have been innumerable outright hoaxes and falsehoods throughout the war where so-called 'fact checkers' have been noticeable by their absence.

These include radiation leaks at besieged nuclear plants which turned out not to have occurred, the media's complete misinformation about what happened on Snake Island, the 'Ghost of Kiev Hoax, as well as the 'attack' on a Holocaust memorial that never happened.

* * *

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:10

by Brian ShilhavyEditor, Health Impact News

The European (EEA and non-EEA countries) database of suspected drug reaction reports is EudraVigilance, verified by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and they are now reporting 45,316 fatalities, and 4,416,778 injuries following injections of five experimental COVID-19 shots:

COVID-19 MRNA VACCINE MODERNA (CX-024414)COVID-19 MRNA VACCINE PFIZER-BIONTECHCOVID-19 VACCINE ASTRAZENECA (CHADOX1 NCOV-19)COVID-19 VACCINE JANSSEN (AD26.COV2.S)COVID-19 VACCINE NOVAVAX (NVX-COV2373)From the total of injuries recorded, almost half of them (1,992,940) are serious injuries.

''Seriousness provides information on the suspected undesirable effect; it can be classified as 'serious' if it corresponds to a medical occurrence that results in death, is life-threatening, requires inpatient hospitalisation, results in another medically important condition, or prolongation of existing hospitalisation, results in persistent or significant disability or incapacity, or is a congenital anomaly/birth defect.''

A Health Impact News subscriber in Europe ran the reports for each of the four COVID-19 shots we are including here. It is a lot of work to tabulate each reaction with injuries and fatalities, since there is no place on the EudraVigilance system we have found that tabulates all the results.

Since we have started publishing this, others from Europe have also calculated the numbers and confirmed the totals.*

Here is the summary data through June 4, 2022.

Total reactions for the mRNA vaccine Tozinameran (code BNT162b2, Comirnaty) from BioNTech/ Pfizer: 21,333 deaths and 2,244,030 injuries to 04/06/2022

68,676 Blood and lymphatic system disorders incl. 306 deaths79,659 Cardiac disorders incl. 3,097 deaths706 Congenital, familial and genetic disorders incl. 64 deaths29,669 Ear and labyrinth disorders incl. 16 deaths2,876 Endocrine disorders incl. 11 deaths33,389 Eye disorders incl. 54 deaths163,991 Gastrointestinal disorders incl. 846 deaths559,396 General disorders and administration site conditions incl. 5,863 deaths2,591 Hepatobiliary disorders incl. 122 deaths25,102 Immune system disorders incl. 135 deaths125,879 Infections and infestations incl. 2,209 deaths41,758 Injury, poisoning and procedural complications incl. 457 deaths54,524 Investigations incl. 591 deaths14,429 Metabolism and nutrition disorders incl. 372 deaths257,635 Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders incl. 294 deaths2,538 Neoplasms benign, malignant and unspecified (incl cysts and polyps) incl. 248 deaths353,956 Nervous system disorders incl. 2,293 deaths3,230 Pregnancy, puerperium and perinatal conditions incl. 86 deaths305 Product issues incl. 4 deaths39,802 Psychiatric disorders incl. 244 deaths8,259 Renal and urinary disorders incl. 318 deaths97,264 Reproductive system and breast disorders incl. 8 deaths93,952 Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders incl. 2,265 deaths100,635 Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders incl. 192 deaths5,626 Social circumstances incl. 27 deaths25,303 Surgical and medical procedures incl. 259 deaths52,880 Vascular disorders incl. 952 deathsTotal reactions for the mRNA vaccine SPIKEVAX/mRNA-1273 (CX-024414) from Moderna: 12,010 deaths and 732,849 injuries to 04/06/2022

19,746 Blood and lymphatic system disorders incl. 134 deaths25,258 Cardiac disorders incl. 1,329 deaths226 Congenital, familial and genetic disorders incl. 15 deaths8,665 Ear and labyrinth disorders incl. 8 deaths751 Endocrine disorders incl. 6 deaths9,775 Eye disorders incl. 37 deaths58,075 Gastrointestinal disorders incl. 455 deaths193,917 General disorders and administration site conditions incl. 3,867 deaths984 Hepatobiliary disorders incl. 65 deaths8,258 Immune system disorders incl. 40 deaths32,248 Infections and infestations incl. 1,098 deaths11,045 Injury, poisoning and procedural complications incl. 217 deaths16,073 Investigations incl. 407 deaths5,902 Metabolism and nutrition disorders incl. 283 deaths91,066 Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders incl. 239 deaths883 Neoplasms benign, malignant and unspecified (incl cysts and polyps) incl. 97 deaths120,768 Nervous system disorders incl. 1,162 deaths1,043 Pregnancy, puerperium and perinatal conditions incl. 13 deaths121 Product issues incl. 3 deaths12,038 Psychiatric disorders incl. 194 deaths3,875 Renal and urinary disorders incl. 231 deaths20,096 Reproductive system and breast disorders incl. 9 deaths29,942 Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders incl. 1,275 deaths37,978 Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders incl. 107 deaths2,837 Social circumstances incl. 45 deaths5,958 Surgical and medical procedures incl. 220 deaths15,321 Vascular disorders incl. 454 deathsTotal reactions for the vaccine AZD1222/VAXZEVRIA (CHADOX1 NCOV-19) from Oxford/ AstraZeneca: 9,033 deaths and 1,280,160 injuries to 04/06/2022

14,958 Blood and lymphatic system disorders incl. 318 deaths23,204 Cardiac disorders incl. 956 deaths270 Congenital familial and genetic disorders incl. 10 deaths 14,689 Ear and labyrinth disorders incl. 7 deaths790 Endocrine disorders incl. 6 deaths21,760 Eye disorders incl. 33 deaths115,388 Gastrointestinal disorders incl. 482 deaths341,533 General disorders and administration site conditions incl. 2,103 deaths1,166 Hepatobiliary disorders incl. 80 deaths6,454 Immune system disorders incl. 45 deaths54,696 Infections and infestations incl. 751 deaths14,729 Injury poisoning and procedural complications incl. 219 deaths31,170 Investigations incl. 223 deaths 14,314 Metabolism and nutrition disorders incl. 144 deaths184,603 Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders incl. 191 deaths867 Neoplasms benign malignant and unspecified (incl cysts and polyps) incl. 52 deaths255,081 Nervous system disorders incl. 1,303 deaths700 Pregnancy puerperium and perinatal conditions incl. 21 deaths205 Product issues incl. 1 death 23,046 Psychiatric disorders incl. 79 deaths4,743 Renal and urinary disorders incl. 94 deaths18,161 Reproductive system and breast disorders incl. 3 deaths 45,081 Respiratory thoracic and mediastinal disorders incl. 1,210 deaths56,514 Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders incl. 77 deaths2,290 Social circumstances incl. 10 deaths2,921 Surgical and medical procedures incl. 39 deaths30,827 Vascular disorders incl. 576 deathsTotal reactions for the COVID-19 vaccine JANSSEN (AD26.COV2.S) from Johnson & Johnson: 2,940 deaths and 156,991 injuries to 04/06/2022

1,572 Blood and lymphatic system disorders incl. 66 deaths3,488 Cardiac disorders incl. 250 deaths56 Congenital, familial and genetic disorders incl. 2 deaths1,738 Ear and labyrinth disorders incl. 3 deaths137 Endocrine disorders incl. 2 deaths2,087 Eye disorders incl. 13 deaths11,030 Gastrointestinal disorders incl. 112 deaths42,404 General disorders and administration site conditions incl. 833 deaths195 Hepatobiliary disorders incl. 17 deaths737 Immune system disorders incl. 11 deaths12,434 Infections and infestations incl. 248 deaths1,486 Injury, poisoning and procedural complications incl. 31 deaths7,306 Investigations incl. 156 deaths985 Metabolism and nutrition disorders incl. 78 deaths20,018 Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders incl. 65 deaths128 Neoplasms benign, malignant and unspecified (incl cysts and polyps) incl. 11 deaths27,517 Nervous system disorders incl. 285 deaths114 Pregnancy, puerperium and perinatal conditions incl. 1 death35 Product issues2,308 Psychiatric disorders incl. 33 deaths687 Renal and urinary disorders incl. 44 deaths3,940 Reproductive system and breast disorders incl. 6 deaths5,622 Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders incl. 365 deaths4,824 Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders incl. 15 deaths612 Social circumstances incl. 7 deaths 1,144 Surgical and medical procedures incl. 97 deaths4,387 Vascular disorders incl. 189 deaths Total reactions for the COVID-19 vaccine NUVAXOVID (NVX-COV2373) from Novavax: 0 deaths and 2,748 injuries to 04/06/202265 Blood and lymphatic system disorders154 Cardiac disorders31 Ear and labyrinth disorders1 Endocrine disorders51 Eye disorders201 Gastrointestinal disorders626 General disorders and administration site conditions3 Hepatobiliary disorders13 Immune system disorders152 Infections and infestations21 Injury, poisoning and procedural complications69 Investigations15 Metabolism and nutrition disorders358 Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders1 Neoplasms benign, malignant and unspecified (incl cysts and polyps)495 Nervous system disorders2 Pregnancy, puerperium and perinatal conditions1 Product issues40 Psychiatric disorders14 Renal and urinary disorders46 Reproductive system and breast disorders134 Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders180 Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders3 Social circumstances14 Surgical and medical procedures58 Vascular disorders

*These totals are estimates based on reports submitted to EudraVigilance. Totals may be much higher based on percentage of adverse reactions that are reported. Some of these reports may also be reported to the individual country's adverse reaction databases, such as the U.S. VAERS database and the UK Yellow Card system. The fatalities are grouped by symptoms, and some fatalities may have resulted from multiple symptoms.

Here are some tragic stories from those who believed in the COVID-19 vaccines, but are now dead. These stories are becoming more difficult to find, because most public notices of these deaths refuse to mention the deceased COVID-19 vaccination status.

So many Internet Sleuths are now looking for cases of ''sudden deaths'', especially among young, previously healthy people, and then looking for the social media accounts where often they boasted about their COVID-19 vaccines.

As a result, there is now a new syndrome that has been created to try and cover up these deaths as ''vaccine deaths,'' which are now being referred to as ''Sudden Adult Death Syndrome'' (SADS), where they claim the cause of death is ''unknown.''

Meanwhile, the world slips into economic chaos as the pool of human resources to fill jobs to keep the economy functioning continues to shrink at a rapid pace.

Welcome to the Apocalypse.

Ross A. Arnold, 33, of Williamsport, formerly of McClure, Pa., died unexpectedly May 16, 2022, at his homeRoss Arnold.

by Sungazette.com

Ross A. Arnold, 33, of Williamsport, formerly of McClure, Pa., died unexpectedly May 16, 2022, at his home.

Born April 16, 1989, in Lewistown, he was the son of Andy L. Arnold, of McClure, and the late Teri Lou (Bilger) Arnold. In addition to his mother, he was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, Sheldon ''Jake'' Arnold, paternal great-grandmother, Frances (Piney) Arnold, and maternal grandfather John Bilger.

Ross is survived by: his father, Andy L. Arnold, stepmother, Kara Arnold, and brother, Jacob Arnold; beloved grandmother, Sharon Arnold; uncle, Thomas Arnold and wife Bernadette, uncle Michael Arnold and wife Mary, uncle Daniel ''Stub'' Arnold and wife Raelene, aunt Libby (Arnold) Henry and husband Terry; cousins, Carlos, Ezekiel, and Gerson Arnold, Luke and Lily Arnold, Samuel Arnold, Gabrielle and Arika Henry; maternal grandmother, Bea Bilger; sister, Johnna-Kay Hoar; uncle Jesse Bilger and wife Lori, aunt Tonya Miner, aunt Tolly Sunderland and husband Bob, uncle Jeremy Bilger and wife Amy, and many great-aunts and great-uncles, other cousins and friends.

He was a 2007 graduate of Indian Valley High School and a 2014 graduate of Bloomsburg University with a bachelor's degree in nursing. Ross was a Registered Nurse at Geisinger-Danville, an adjunct instructor at Bloomsburg University, a Certified Professional Hypnotist, and an ordained Minister at Universal Life Church Ministries. He was also proficient in Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL).

Ross was a very fun-loving, caring, and compassionate person, who above all enjoyed helping others. He had many interests and hobbies including playing pool, reading, writing and painting. He loved to try new foods and was a coffee enthusiast. Out of all his amazing accomplishments, Ross was most proud of being a dog and cat dad to his cherished dogs, Nadya and Rocky, and his cat, Pudder. He loved and adored his Gram Sharon more than words could express.

There are several friends who had a meaningful impact on Ross's life: Nikki, Kim, Cathy, Carolyn, Ronnie, Jo, and Ken. Ross was loved by many and will be deeply missed.

Full obituary at Sungazette.com.

On Wednesday, April 27th, the precious and powerful Deborah Pembrook experienced an unexpected pulmonary embolism and passed away suddenlyDeborah Pembrook

by GoFundme.com

On Wednesday, April 27th, the precious and powerful Deborah Pembrook experienced an unexpected pulmonary embolism and passed away suddenly. Her husband was with her and held her while she passed.

This is a gracious ask for help with memorial expenses. Donations are going directly to Deborah's husband to help with costs for a green burial, a celebration of life and the creation of a memorial bench. Depending upon expenses and the amount raised, we also hope to raise funds to support her survivor community with travel expenses. All contributions are deeply appreciated.

'Intelligent and ambitious' trainee solicitor, 26, suffered 'excruciating' headaches before dying from a blood clot after having Astra-Zeneca Covid vaccine, inquest hears

by The Daily Mail

A trainee solicitor tragically died from a rare blood clot weeks after taking the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, an inquest heard today.

Oli Akram Hoque, 26, from Ilford, received a dose of the vaccine on March 19 last year before suffering increasingly 'excruciating' headaches.

His condition deteriorated and resulted in his death at Queen's Hospital in Romford, on April 15, 2021 '' one month before his 27th birthday.

In his written statement to East London Coroners' Court, Oli's grieving dad Bablul Hoque described his son as 'bright, intelligent, and ambitious', recalling his impressive CV which included work at Arsenal FC and the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Mr Hoque said the City University graduate had taken the vaccine in Ilford, where he lived with both parents and 'subsequently complained of headaches'.

Britain's medical regulator recommended under-30s should get an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine in early April when it became clear that younger people were at greater risk of the clots.

Read the full article at The Daily Mail.

Ryan Died from ''the Thing You Have to Get When Traveling Internationally''

Diego Redondo Roig '' 11-Year-Old Died of Cardiac Arrest

by VaccineInjuries.ca

Diego Redondo Roig, 11 years old, had a brain injury after suffering a choking incident when he was one and a half years old.

The little boy was showing signs of progress in rehabilitation, he was going to school and in general he was in good health.

Diego was one of the first children to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Spain.

He died on July 29, 2021 from cardiac arrest while sleeping.

Full article at VaccineInjuries.ca

Woman, 31, who went to gym and walked 10,000 steps a day dies suddenly in sleep

by Mirror UK

A fit and healthy young woman died in her sleep without warning.

Catherine Keane's housemates didn't think much of it when she failed to come down for breakfast at the height of the Covid pandemic last summer.

The 31-year-old and her pals were all working from home in Rathmines in Dublin, and so their schedules were no longer as rigid.

However, by mid-morning they were a little concerned and sent her a text and when there was no response checked her room, reports the Irish Mirror.

They found Catherine had passed away in the night.

It was later determined she'd died from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS).

SADS is a condition where someone dies suddenly and unexpectedly from a cardiac arrest, but the cause of the cardiac arrest can't be found.

Full story at Mirror UK.

Comment on this article at HealthImpactNews.com.

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Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:09

Transgender activism has been making inroads into America's public institutions. The Biden administration has recently promoted neo-pronouns and gender-reassignment surgery for minors, government agencies have celebrated the expansion of identity categories such as ''pansexual'' and ''non-binary,'' and public schools across the country have adopted curricula teaching students about transitioning from one gender to another. Trans activists often present their ideological program through a series of euphemisms and tautologies, such as ''gender diversity,'' ''LGBTQ inclusion,'' ''love is love,'' ''protect trans kids,'' and ''comprehensive sexual education.'' But these slogans obscure more than they reveal. The deeper nature of trans ideology is much more radical, and the public should have a clear-eyed understanding of what trans activists believe, beyond the protective layer of obfuscatory language.

The best way to do this is to listen to activists in their own words. Last year, a consortium of trans organizations in Washington State hosted a presentation series, titled ''Decolonizing Gender,'' that offers an honest, unfiltered look into the world of trans activism and ideology. The event was hosted by the most prominent gender-identity nonprofits in the region'--TRACTION, Lavender Rights Project, Black Trans Task Force, Gender Justice League, and UTOPIA Washington'--all of which run programs for minors and receive taxpayer support. (TRACTION, the primary organizer of the event, did not return a request for comment.)

The panelists represented a wide range of idiosyncratic identities, expressed in a mixture of New Age and intersectional language'--the more obscure and oppressed, the greater the status within the community. The main presenter, trans activist Malcolm Shanks, said he was a descendant of black slaves and Ta­no tribesmen and ''used to identify as gender fluid,'' but has been ''identifying more recently as a little bit more gaseous or plasma-like.'' Randy Ford, a fundraiser for the Lavender Rights Project and black male-to-female ''trans femme,'' said she uses '''she,' 'her,' [and] 'goddess' as pronouns.'' Mahkyra Gaines, a program coordinator for the Gender Justice League, said she uses ''no pronouns'' and identifies as ''non-binary'' and ''kind of like a black hole.'' Ganesha Gold Buffalo, a male-to-female trans prostitute and activist at the Black Trans Task Force, said she identifies as ''Choctaw, Cherokee, and black'' and with the ''sacred lands.''

To begin the event, Shanks led the group in a ''land acknowledgement,'' denouncing white colonizers for seizing indigenous territory, and introduced the main theme of the conversation with a long lecture on ''decolonizing gender.'' The crux of Shank's argument was that white European colonizers committed genocide against indigenous people and replaced the natives' peaceful, non-binary gender system with an oppressive ''colonial gender binary.'' This was the origin of ''transphobic violence'' and set the background conditions for the oppression of ''gender non-conforming people'' to the present day. For Shanks, however, the white European male-female binary has always been a harmful myth. ''There's no such thing as male genes or female hormones or a male body,'' he said. White colonizers invented these concepts and imposed them on non-Western cultures in order to maintain ''a system that creates value for very, very few white men.''

This conceptual framework'--a patchwork of queer theory and postcolonial theory'--provides trans activists with a powerful victim narrative and a general explanation for individual suffering. A common thread through the presentations was the articulation of personal ''pain'' and ''trauma,'' which, they say, are caused by colonialism and can be mitigated or transcended through ''queer'' identity constructs. ''My first introduction to colonialism looked a lot like me waking up at four in the morning, five in the morning, every morning, to sounds of my ancestors screaming from outside my window, coming from the ground, coming from the earth,'' said Ganesha Gold Buffalo, the trans prostitute. ''I followed those screams into the woods as a child . . . and was taught by my ancestors in those woods, in the forms of nature spirits, in the forms of elementals, in the forms of natural deities and old gods. While I was out there, I was taught many things and my mind was decolonized.''

Society, not the individual psyche, is identified as the locus of such disturbances. As such, trans activists see the route to healing not through personal integration, but through the total and unconditional affirmation of their identities by society as a whole. ''For gender, myself, it's been a constant struggle under colonialism, not to accept and affirm myself, but to find acceptance and affirmation and understanding outside of myself,'' said Gold Buffalo. Her desire is to live in a society that has been liberated from transphobia and affirms her identity as a woman with a penis. ''I one-hundred percent want to still be able to look in the mirror and see every part of myself as a woman, see every part of myself as a two-spirit trans woman, a beautiful being: my moustache, all of my facial hair, my untrimmed brows, my fat ass, my belly, my big dick, everything.'' Randy Ford, the fundraiser, echoed this sentiment. ''I want you to call me 'Mommy,' 'Queen,' 'Daddy,' if I want you to,'' she said. For these activists, the subjective demands of gender identity must be affirmed, no matter how mercurial, self-contradictory, or absurd.

The ultimate ambition of ''decolonizing gender'' is to overthrow the intellectual and political regime of white Europeans and reestablish the ''gender-variant universe'' that was once widely accepted in pre-colonial culture. Malcolm Shanks argued that this campaign of ''gender resistance'' must destroy not only the concept of the gender binary but also ''capitalism,'' ''white supremacy,'' ''patriarchy,'' ''imperialism,'' and white European land ownership. In the meantime, as an initial gesture of good faith, the panelists recommended that straight white Americans provide direct cash ''reparations'' to gender-nonconforming people. ''If you have access to generational wealth, if you're white and your parents have a savings account that is very much so connected to slavery and land theft, pay people,'' said Mahkyra Gaines of the Gender Justice League. ''Pay people directly. Give them the money so they can have the financial security in order to rest and to heal and to connect with their communities. . . . Pay that money to us now.''

Though this kind of ideology might appear to be the work of a fringe minority, it is becoming increasingly mainstream in activist and educational institutions. The host organizations for the ''Decolonizing Gender'' presentations have been remarkably successful in securing taxpayer funding and gaining access to children through educational and social service programs. TRACTION conducts education programs for transgender-identifying youth and has received funding from Washington State. Gender Justice League has received funding from King County and runs a housing program for transgender-identifying homeless minors. The Lavender Rights Project and Black Trans Task Force provide legal services for LGBT youth and have received funding from King County. UTOPIA Washington provides services for sex workers, runs an after-school program for children, and has received funding from Washington State, King County, and the City of Seattle.

Though the ideas promoted by these activist organizations might be pseudo-historical, internally contradictory, and rooted in personal pathologies, none of this has stopped them from attaining political and cultural influence. Whatever their faults, gender activists have understood that their path to power requires public subsidy and the transmission of their ideology through educational and other public institutions. On that count, they are achieving their objectives.

Christopher F. Rufo is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal. Sign up for his newsletter here.

Photo: filo/iStock

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Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:01

In this photo illustration, the OnlyFans logo is displayed on a smartphone.

Sheldon Cooper | SOPA Images | LightRocket via Getty Images

AMSTERDAM '-- OnlyFans is not experiencing a slowdown in subscribers like Netflix even as people grapple with rising prices, executives at the company said Tuesday.

''We're not experiencing that slowdown,'' Keily Blair, OnlyFans' chief strategy and operations officer, told reporters at the Money 20/20 fintech conference in Amsterdam.

In April, Netflix said subscriber numbers dropped by 200,000 in the first quarter, marking the first time the streaming platform has reported a decline in paid users in more than a decade.

Netflix is facing a slew of challenges '-- not least the reopening of economies after two years of Covid lockdowns. Inflation also poses a key risk to the business, as people are having to balance their budgets to deal with rising costs.

OnlyFans has a ''completely different business model'' to Netflix, said Lee Taylor, the firm's chief financial officer. Netflix is ''competing in a very saturated market,'' he added, including large tech firms like Amazon and traditional media players like Disney, which has its own streaming service, Disney Plus.

Whereas Netflix and other tech firms have laid off staff in recent weeks, OnlyFans is continuing to grow, Taylor said, with its team increasing 2% to 3% each month. OnlyFans has over 1,000 employees globally.

''We are aware of the cost of living crisis,'' OnlyFans' finance chief said. ''We are building a team in the U.K. to help our creators maximize their earnings.''

OnlyFans isn't exactly a name you'd associated with fintech '-- the company made a name for itself offering amateur adult content creators a way to make money through subscriptions.

Blair said OnlyFans was attending Money 20/20 to address ''misconception'' about its brand and ''take control of our own narrative.'' OnlyFans has built up a sizable payments business, according to Taylor, and recently processed $18 million in payouts to creators in a single day.

Last year, OnlyFans faced intense backlash from its users over a decision to ban pornography '-- a plan the firm subsequently decided to drop. Months later, OnlyFans co-founder Tim Stokely resigned.

''We kind of broke the internet when we said we were going to change our acceptable use policy,'' Blair said.

Taylor admitted he underestimated the ''strength'' of OnlyFans' creator community.

''It was obviously a challenging time,'' he said. ''The thing I'm proud of the most is how quickly we were able to reverse it.''

The platform has sought to branch out into other areas of content beyond porn, an industry that has had an awkward relationship with the mainstream financial world. In 2020, Mastercard and Visa said they would cut ties with Pornhub, the biggest porn site, over allegations that it hosted child sexual abuse material.

OnlyFans executives say the platform is not experiencing a slowdown in subscriber numbers despite climbing prices.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:00

People aged under 40 are being urged to have their hearts checked because they may potentially be at risk of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome.

The syndrome, known as SADS, has been fatal for all kinds of people regardless of whether they maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle.

SADS is an 'umbrella term to describe unexpected deaths in young people', said The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, most commonly occurring in people under 40 years of age.

People aged under 40 are being urged to have their hearts checked, because they may potentially be at risk of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS) (pictured, woman experiencing chest pain while running)

The term is used when a post-mortem cannot find an obvious cause of death.

The US-based SADS Foundation has said that over half of the 4,000 annual SADS deaths of children, teens or young adults have one of the top two warning signs present.

Those signs include a family history of a SADS diagnosis or sudden unexplained death of a family member, and fainting or seizure during exercise, or when excited or startled, reported news.com.au.

Last year a 31-year-old woman, Catherine Keane, died in her sleep while living with two friends in Dublin.

Catherine Keane (pictured right with her mother Margherita), 31, was found to have died in her sleep while living with two friends in Dublin last year

Her mother Margherita Cummins told the Irish Mirror, 'They were all working from home so no one really paid attention when Catherine didn't come down for breakfast.'

'They sent her a text at 11.20am and when she didn't reply, they checked her room and found she had passed.

'Her friend heard a noise in her room at 3.56am and believes now that is when she died.'

Ms Cummins stated that her daughter 'went to the gym and walked 10,000 steps every day'.

'I take some comfort in that she went in her sleep and knew no pain and I'm grateful for that. I always worried about the kids driving in the car but never saw this coming. I never thought I'd ever lose a child in my life,'

Spokesperson for Melbourne's Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute said: 'there are approximately 750 cases per year of people aged under 50 in Victoria suddenly having their heart stop (cardiac arrest)' (pictured, woman suffering from chest pain)

Melbourne's Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute is developing the country's first SADS registry.

'There are approximately 750 cases per year of people aged under 50 in Victoria suddenly having their heart stop (cardiac arrest),' a spokesperson said.

'Of these, approximately 100 young people per year will have no cause found even after extensive investigations such as a full autopsy (SADS phenomenon).'

Cardiologist and researcher Dr Elizabeth Paratz said: 'Baker's registry was the first in the country and one of only a few in the world that combined ambulance, hospital and forensics information.'

'(It allows you to see) people have had the cardiac arrest and no cause was found on the back end,' Dr Paratz said.

She believes the potential lack of awareness may be due to the fact 'a lot of it takes place outside of traditional medical settings'.

Cardiologist and researcher Dr Elizabeth Paratz (pictured) said from a public health perspective, combating SADS was 'not as easy as everyone in Australia getting genetically screened' as scientists were still not 100 per cent clear on 'what genes cause this'

'The majority of these SADS events, 90 per cent, occur outside the hospital '' the person doesn't make it '' so it's actually ambulance staff and forensics caring for the bulk of these patients,' Dr Paratz said.

'I think even doctors underestimate it. We only see the 10 per cent who survive and make it to hospital. We only see the tip of the iceberg ourselves.'

For family and friends of victims, SADS is a 'very hard entity to grasp' because it's a 'diagnosis of nothing', Dr Paratz added.

Dr Paratz said that from a public health perspective, combating SADS was 'not as easy as everyone in Australia getting genetically screened' as scientists were still not 100 per cent clear on 'what genes cause this'.

'The best advice would be, if you yourself have had a first-degree relative '' a parent, sibling, child '' who's had an unexplained death, it's extremely recommended you see a cardiologist,' she said.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 12:56

Jens Stoltenberg has called off a series of in-person meetings in Germany and Romania

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg suddenly canceled his visit to Berlin on Thursday, just hours before he was due to arrive in the German capital. The military alliance boss has developed shingles, according to his office.

Stoltenberg was scheduled to visit Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht as part of preparations for a NATO summit to take place in Madrid, Spain on June 29-30.

Other topics planned for discussion were Russia's ongoing military operation in Ukraine and its effect on Euro-Atlantic security; as well as the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO.

Early on Thursday, however, the NATO boss informed the authorities in Berlin that he would not be coming for the high-profile talks, the German Defense Ministry said.

A NATO official later told the German media that Stoltenberg had been diagnosed with shingles, which was a complication following his recent Covid-19 infection.

Shingles is a viral infection that usually causes a single stripe of blisters on one side of the torso. The disease isn't life-threatening, but the rash it causes can be very painful.

Stoltenberg will be forced to work from home due to his condition. The 63-year-old's planned meetings in Germany and Romania will now be conducted remotely, the official said.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 12:52

Tom Cruise on the set of Top Gun. (Paramount Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)When Erich Schwartzel moved to Los Angeles in 2013 to cover Hollywood for The Wall Street Journal, he started seeing Chinese influence everywhere he looked. China was on its way to becoming the most powerful foreign market for American movies'--and those movies were becoming a proxy battleground for the ideological rivalry between Washington and Beijing.

The studios, eager to maintain access to the biggest box office in the world, were all too willing to accommodate Communist Party censors. The examples are legion'--and many are ridiculous. In 2016, Tilda Swinton's character in Disney's ''Doctor Strange'' became a Celtic woman instead of a Tibetan monk. In the 2018 film ''Green Book,'' producers edited a scene in which a black pianist portrayed by Mahershala Ali is discovered naked with another man in a YMCA'--the better to shield Chinese moviegoers' eyes from the suggestion of homosexuality. This year, Warner Bros. cut six seconds of dialogue in ''Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'' that make reference to Dumbledore being gay.

And this is to say nothing of ''Mulan,'' the 2020 Disney movie. At the end of the film, Disney made a point of thanking local authorities for permitting them to film in Xinjiang Province, where countless Uyghurs are being held in Chinese detention camps.

That all came after Americans started paying attention to China.

There were countless edits and mini-controversies that happened before anyone knew what Uyghurs were. For example, Paramount, in 2006, edited a scene from ''Mission: Impossible III,'' in which one can spot laundry hanging from an apartment building in Shanghai (the Chinese thought that made them look backward). Or ''Men in Black 3'' (2012), which featured an apparently very dangerous fictional tool that wipes clean the memories of eyewitnesses of alien encounters. Censors saw this as an obvious allusion to authoritarian mind-control and insisted on it being cut.

Erich's recent book ''Red Carpet: Hollywood, China, and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy,'' tells these sordid stories and so many more.

With the recent flap surrounding the release of ''Top Gun: Maverick'' and the itsy bitsy flag everyone seems to be talking about, I asked Erich what we should make of all this. How, as he puts it below, ''studio chiefs in Los Angeles started to think like Ministry of Propaganda apparatchiks in Beijing.'' And whether that might be changing. '--BW

It was early in Top Gun: Maverick when Pete ''Maverick'' Mitchell, played by Tom Cruise, slipped on his iconic bomber jacket'--the same one he wore in the 1986 blockbuster about fighter jets, bromance and containing Communists. There'--for the briefest of seconds'--was the patch.

It was the patch of the Taiwanese flag that had first appeared in 1986, disappeared in 2019, and was now restored in 2022. The story of that patch is a microcosm of the entire relationship between the most powerful cultural industry in America and the world's would-be hegemon.

In the original Top Gun, Maverick's bomber featured sewn-on flags that highlighted the U.S.S. Galveston's tour of Japan and Taiwan, stationed just below his collar. Yet when the movie's studio, Paramount Pictures, unveiled the poster for Top Gun: Maverick in the summer of 2019, it showed Cruise from the back, his signature brown leather jacket in focus and the flags of Taiwan and Japan'--U.S. allies in real life'--removed.

The reason: China. Chinese investors in the movie worried that having a global movie star flaunt Taiwan's flag on his back undermined Chinese sovereignty. And given China's decades-long animosity toward Japan, the studio executives reasoned that they should play it safe and erase that patch, too. Only then, they reasoned, would the movie have a chance of being approved by Communist Party censors to play in Chinese theaters, where executives in Los Angeles projected grosses nearing $100 million. If it helped Paramount executives make their case to Chinese censors, Maverick's bomber would adhere to the One China policy.

Chinese officials did not even have to weigh in. By 2019, Hollywood had so fully absorbed Beijing's political preferences that such decisions were made by teams in Los Angeles months, or even years, before Chinese officials would take a look. How we got here, how Hollywood grew so beholden to a foreign country, can be told in the story of the two Top Gun's'--which not coincidentally parallels the story of America on the cusp of triumphing over the Soviet Union to America nearing its ignominious exit from Afghanistan.

The original 1986 film is a hallmark of Ronald Reagan's America'--the aviator-wearing daredevil Maverick, Berlin's ''Take My Breath Away,'' the hero declaring, ''I feel the need, the need for speed.'' In a sign of how deeply the film saw itself as a celebration of the U.S. Navy, producers asked the military to cooperate on the picture and acceded to its wishes to make the movie a robust demonstration of American military might. Moviegoers didn't mind the muscular patriotism; they wanted to watch their country's naval aviators pull off awesome stunts and save the day. Top Gun grossed $177 million in North America, more than Crocodile Dundee, Aliens, or any other movie released that year.

Top Gun was the product of eight decades of Hollywood burnishing America's image. From its earliest days, Hollywood was a factory town that exported the swagger of John Wayne, the romantic valor of Rocky, and the resistance heroes of Star Wars around the world. Politicians immediately recognized the big screen's capacity for political persuasion. In a 1916 speech, President Woodrow Wilson instructed his country's filmmakers to ''make this world more comfortable and more happy and convert them to the principles of America.'' The film industry's leading lobbyist boasted that he represented ''an adjunct of the State Department.''

In the decades that followed, a combination of pro-America storytelling (Yankee Doodle Dandy; Sergeant York) and American coolness (Rebel Without a Cause; Saturday Night Fever) combined to form the nation's most famous form of soft power, a cinematic gravitational pull toward the U.S. that turned the country, in the words of one scholar, into an ''empire by invitation.'' This was the history the original Top Gun inherited and built on when it premiered, a few weeks after the Chernobyl disaster and a few months before news of the Iran-contra affair broke. Military recruiters waited in theater lobbies to catch moviegoers on their way out of the film. Ray-Ban sales shot up, too.

Then, in 1994, Chinese officials began allowing American movies into their theaters for the first time since the 1949 communist revolution. When, in 1999, Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic caused hearts to swoon around the world, China's president, Jiang Zemin, first glimpsed the potential power of the big screen in his own country. ''We should never think that we are the only ones who know how to persuade people,'' Jiang told fellow Party members, an early indication of China's aspiration to replicate Hollywood's soft-power playbook.

Soon China was building 27 movie screens a day, the cinematic complement to a massive urbanization campaign that caused glistening megapolises to sprout atop the countryside. By the time Avatar was released in 2009, grossing more than $200 million in China, it was clear that China's box office was the growth market to break into, with theatrical ticket sales in the U.S. sputtering in the face of growing at-home viewing.

But accessing those Chinese screens required the approval of Chinese censors, so studio chiefs in Los Angeles started to think like Ministry of Propaganda apparatchiks in Beijing. They scrubbed scripts of any scene, image, or line that might anger officials, avoiding at all costs the ''three T's'' (Tibet, Taiwan, Tiananmen) or flashpoints like ghosts (too spiritual), time travel (too ahistoric), or homosexuality (too immoral). Behind-the-scenes changes became common: Red Dawn was only released after editing out a Chinese antagonist; World War Z was revised to cut implications that a zombie pandemic had originated in China; and Bohemian Rhapsody shoved Freddie Mercury back in the closet before Queen fans in China could see his story.

This was the economic reality in 2017, when Paramount Pictures announced that it would reboot Top Gun with its original star. What had been a closed market in 1986 was now on its way to becoming the No. 1 box office in the world. What's more, about 12.5% of Top Gun: Maverick's $150 million budget came from Tencent, the Chinese tech firm behind China's most popular messaging app. Chinese money was influencing the new Top Gun in two ways: in financing behind the scenes and in expected box-office receipts once it hit theaters there.

When the bomber jacket reappeared in 2019 in the new Top Gun: Maverick poster'--this time without the Taiwanese and Japanese flags'--fans and some politicians in the United States called it out. Postergate, if you will, compounded mounting fears about China's influence on American business, whether at Apple or Tesla or the National Basketball Association. But then Covid-19 shuttered theaters for much of 2020, delaying the movie's release several times. During those two years, China's hidden influence in the West became less hidden, and anger in the West over China's role in the spread of the coronavirus grew, prompting a widespread reassessment of the U.S.-China relationship: What was once an issue primarily seized on by Republicans became more of a bipartisan cause, with Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Abigail Spanberger calling out Western businesses that self-censored to curry favor with the regime.

In Hollywood, the box-office receipts that once justified such self-censorship grew less reliable, with Chinese officials putting the kibosh on the release of blockbusters like Spider-Man: No Way Home'--a casualty of rising diplomatic tensions between Washington and Beijing. By keeping the flags off the bomber jacket in Top Gun: Maverick, Paramount risked angering Americans in exchange for access to a market that it might not have wound up accessing. Tencent, the Chinese financier, quietly backed out of the film as Donald Trump's fight with Xi Jinping was escalating, apparently worried that Beijing would punish it for supporting a brazenly pro-American movie. The uneasy courtship that had formed between Hollywood and China in the 1990s seemed to be heading toward an acrimonious divorce. China had used business from American movies to help it become the No. 1 box office in the world, and it didn't need the U.S. anymore.

Will Hollywood ever stop worrying altogether about those censors in Beijing, or even go so far as to make movies that properly interrogate this looming clash?

That may be putting too much hope in a two-inch patch reintroduced onto a bomber jacket. The decades of serving as that ''adjunct of the State Department'' created the expectation that Hollywood would do America's bidding, even as the industry was becoming a borderless business. Today those dueling expectations'--Americans' expectation that the studios would further American interests, and studios' expectations that they would further those of shareholders'--have placed the nation's entertainers at odds with Washington.

China's pressure on Hollywood and its own entertainment industry has the potential to challenge the American film industry as the chief narrator of this next century. In considering the fight for the upcoming generation of hearts and minds, look beyond movie theaters in the U.S. and China.

Look to all those places on the frontlines of the fight for democracy'--starting with Taiwan. Top Gun: Maverick has made about $8 million in the country, a pittance for Paramount. But according to reports from auditoriums there, audiences in Taipei are greeting the Maverick bomber scene differently than in America and certainly China. They are bursting into applause.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 08:30

Zuckerberg, Rockefeller, Google and the Privatization of Election Integrity P 08.06.2022 U F. William Engdahl

Through deceit and capitalizing on loopholes in US law for non-profit entities, private corporate and foundation interests have and are pouring vast sums of money to corrupt the US election process in the interest of a dystopian Green Agenda and worse. It consists of a complex network of interests including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Google, Rockefeller funds. The evidence is that this is all being covertly orchestrated by US intelligence agencies to impose a destructive economic and social agenda on the US tied to the Davos Great Reset and UN Agenda 2030.

Increasing evidence is coming to light detailing the hijacking of the core of the American elections system that not only sheds light on the 2020 US elections, but also on private financing the very infrastructure of local election clerks and election procedures including drop-box mail-in balloting and expenses of city and county election offices. The room for abuse is staggering as the process is not transparent. At the heart of this is a little-known ''non-profit'' known as the oddly-named Center for Tech and Civic Life or CTCL. The alleged creator of CTCL and current head is a former Obama Foundation Fellow, Tiana Epps-Johnson. A close scrutiny of her CTCL funders and operations suggest she was simply chosen as a convenient vehicle by very powerful foundations and Big Tech companies to transform the very structure and control of the American elections process.

Center for Tech and Civic Life

Epps-Johnson founded CTCL in 2012, when she was in her 20s. By 2019 she was in the big leagues when Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan gave CTCL several donations totaling over $419 million to influence the 2020 US elections. How this was done is a study in sophisticated and patently illegal election manipulation.

Stalin once said ''Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.'' Today he might add, ''Who controls the Ballot Drop Boxes also controls the vote.'' This is the focus of Zuckerberg and the CTLC.

In the US political system each state is responsible for the conduct of election laws. In the run-up to the 2020 elections, following irregularities in the 2018 mid-term Congress elections where Democrats took majority in both houses, Republicans began pointing to a move by radical Democrat states like California, New York, Illinois or Michigan to open the floodgates to potential fraud by not requiring voter photo ID photo, or even standard restrictions on mail-in voting such as postmark or signature. Presently no proof of photo ID is required to cast a vote in 15 states including the most populous states of California, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Minnesota.

Follow the Money

In the crucial November 2020 US election, CTLC played an unprecedented, highly-sophisticated and clearly highly corrupt role to influence the outcome in favor of Democratic candidates, especially Joe Biden as President. It was thanks to donations totaling $419 million, nearly half a billion dollars, from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, through their $86 billion tax-exempt foundation. The crucial point was how and where the money was given out.

According to the CTLC website, they opened applications to any local election commission requesting funds, allegedly on a non-partisan basis. The money went direct and state legislatures or government had no control over it, contrary to what is written into the US Constitution. The grants or free funds were officially ''TO SUPPORT THE SAFE ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC ELECTIONS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.'' Here is where it gets interesting.

The states where covid lockdowns and social measures were most severe were precisely the key Democratic-run states asking no voter ID and imposing massive mail-in voting ''because of covid restrictions'' as noted above, like California, Illinois, Pennsylvania or New York. CTCL announced grants to support unprecedented mail-in voting, including special drop-boxes in key locations to make voting by mail easier, and vote fraud as well. The grant monies could finance vast networks of drop boxes in key Democrat neighborhoods such as Philadelphia, where Democratic Party corrupt machines were in control. Money also might be spent in local election districts to ''educate'' poll watchers or ''train'' election officials. Oh, how could this go wrong?

By law, tax-exempt organizations are required to file detailed expenditure statements to the IRS tax department. The CTLC tax form for the crucial 2020 election year was filed on January 22, 2022. For the first time since the November 2020 elections, it gives a detailed picture of what Zuckerberg's huge donations to CTCL bought. On the surface it appears that grants were indeed given to election commissions requesting regardless of whether it was a known democratic district or Republican. However, a detailed city or county breakdown shows the deception. In many states minimal grants of $5000 were doled out. Many of those went to known Republican areas. Not enough to do much of anything significant. But it allowed CTLC to claim non-partisanship.

But in the most notoriously corrupt democratic cities or counties the story was very different. For example the highly-populated Dallas County Texas where 65% voted Democrat, the County Election Commission got an eye-watering $15,130,433 from Tiana Epps-Johnson to spend as they saw fit. No details required. Neighboring Tarrant County where Fort Worth is, and 49% Democrat, was given $1,678,523, and Harris County where Houston is, and 56% Democratic, got a generous $9,663,446. Laredo Texas, a small town on the Mexican border got a juicy $2,435,169.

In Democratic-run Pennsylvania where major legal challenges of significant Democrat vote fraud in Philadelphia and Pittsburg were made, Tiana Epps-Johnson's CTLC nonprofit gave $2,052,251 to Allegheny County (Pittsburg) and a generous $10,016,070 to Philadelphia, the ''City of Brotherly Love.'' That $10 million was granted even as the former Philadelphia Judge of Elections was convicted for his role in accepting bribes to cast fraudulent ballots and certifying false voting results during the 2014, 2015, and 2016 primary elections in Philadelphia. Keep in mind neither CTLC nor Zuckerberg nor any government, required any accountability for their generosity.

New York City Board of Elections, under then notoriously corrupt Democrat Mayor Bill DeBlasio (born Warren Wilhelm Jr), got a CTLC contribution of $19,294,627. In Democrat-run Michigan the notoriously corrupt Democrat-run Detroit election officials got $7,436,450 to organize the vote as they saw fit. All told, in the State of Michigan, where significant 2020 vote fraud was claimed and even documented before corrupt judges threw the evidence, CTLC gave an estimated $24 million to some 420 towns and county election commissions. In Democratic Illinois, notoriously corrupt Chicago, home of CTLC, was given $2,269,663 to play with.

In the hotly-contested state of Georgia where both Republicans and Democrats were accused of fraud and refusal to legally prosecute it, tens of millions of dollars flowed from CTLC to key Democratic areas such as Dekalb County (83% Democrat) which got $9,625,041. Fulton County (Atlanta) which got some $10.7 million. Gwinnett County Georgia by Atlanta got $6.4 million of a total for Georgia in 2020 of $40 million! Biden ''won'' the pivotal swing state by a mere 0.2% of a percent. A corrupt Republican Secretary of State refused to challenge the result despite ample evidence of fraud. Another hotly-contested ''Swing State'' in 2020, Arizona, also got millions for key counties from CTLC including fraud-documented Maricopa County which got $1,840,345. And Democrat-run California, got some $18 million in a state asking no voter ID.

'Non-partisan' Tiana and CTLC

What is exactly the Center for Tech and Civic Life whose website claims to be about ''working to foster a more informed and engaged democracy, and helping to modernize US elections,''? Tiana Epps-Johnson in her own website modestly claims she is doing, ''groundbreaking work to make US elections more inclusive and secure.'' Bizarrely, she calls herself a ''civic technologist,'' whatever that is. Leave aside the fact that the most secure elections today are the classical in-person, ID verified paper ballot voting and not hackable Internet-accessible computer voting machines or mail-in or absentee ballots, which are banned in most developed countries. Outdoor Ballot Drop Boxes make vote fraud simple. This was the key to the Zuckerberg CTLC strategy

Tiana calls herself the founder and executive director of CTCL. Her Wikipedia bio reads like that of a typical spook, with no personal data such as family, birth. Her stated history begins with her as an undergraduate at Stanford where she allegedly got a BA. Quoting further from her website where she speaks of herself in third person, ''Prior to CTCL, she was the New Organizing Institute's Election Administration Director from 2012 to 2015. She previously worked on the Voting Rights Project for the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights. Tiana'... was selected to join the inaugural cohorts of Obama Foundation Fellows (2018) and Harvard Ash Center Technology and Democracy Fellows (2015). Tiana earned a MSc in Politics and Communication from the London School of Economics and a BA in Political Science from Stanford University.'' That's it, that is all the world knows about her background. Yet she is entrusted to dole out nearly half a billion dollars to influence the 2020 US elections? Her ties to Obama are so close such that she introduced the Democratic former President in April 2022 to a Stanford student audience for a speech on ''disinformation,'' for which Obama is clearly world-class expert.

Things become clearer when we look at the funders of this formerly obscure non-profit. In addition to Zuckerberg's Facebook (meta), CTLC's website lists Google, The Rockefeller Brothers Fund, eBay billionaire founder Pierre Omidyar's Democracy Fund, the Knight Foundation, most notably. Clearly Tiana, the mysterious young ''civic technologist'' travels in very high-powered circles.

Google-YouTube Censors

In a May, 2022 journalist Dinesh D'Souza released a documentary detailing actual CCTV video footage of ballot drop box fraud across key states in the 2020 elections. It's titled ' 2000 Mules' , a reference to some 2,000 paid vote fraudsters documented on surveillance CCTV video cameras. They are shown illegally delivering multiple votes to the special ballot drop boxes in key swing state cities like Philadelphia, drop boxes paid for by Zuckerberg's CTLC election largesse. Without the special election temporary drop boxes, allegedly to accommodate the huge increase in mail-in voting in 2020 due to ''covid,'' the ballot stuffing in the key states would not have been possible. The ''mules'' were allegedly paid $10 per vote stuffed, and identified mules were filmed driving to several drop boxes in the dead of night wearing gloves to avoid fingerprint traces. D'Souza's video has been banned on YouTube, a company owned by Google, the same Google which also donated to CTLC. Google enjoys close ties to the CIA as do most key Silicon Valley giants, allegedly also Zuckerberg. It is a spider's web of Democrat NGO's and tax-exempt foundations like Zuckerberg's, who have de facto privatized American elections in a covert way Stalin could only have dreamed of.

Since 2020, some 14 states have passed laws forbidding private funding of elections. Similar bills have passed the legislature in another five states, including Pennsylvania, but have been blocked by Democratic governors.

F. William Engdahl is strategic risk consultant and lecturer, he holds a degree in politics from Princeton University and is a best-selling author on oil and geopolitics, exclusively for the online magazine ''New Eastern Outlook''.

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Wed, 08 Jun 2022 16:14

The Microsoft executive walked into the small, windowless room in Studio C at about 8 o'clock that evening. A half dozen staffers on the company's "mixed reality" team were working late, tinkering with prototypes of virtual-reality headsets. When the boss arrived, an employee murmured, "I've got the thing working."

The executive slipped on a pair of VR goggles and hit play. As the executive gazed into the VR headset, a nearby monitor '-- which mirrored everything on the headset's display '-- flickered to life. Everyone in the room could see what the boss had chosen for his virtual-reality experience.

In the video that filled the screen, several young women in skimpy clothing frolicked on a bed; an overtly sexualized pillow fight ensued. An employee who was present, speaking with Insider later, described the scene as "VR porn." The assembled staffers exchanged confused glances, and a couple of them walked out.

"It was in the office, in front of women," the person recalled. "Incredibly uncomfortable."

Perhaps most stunning, the executive wearing the headset was not some low-level manager gone rogue. He was Alex Kipman, one of Microsoft's most powerful executives and the leader of its mixed-reality business. With his shoulder-length hair, leather jacket, and fluctuating degrees of stubble, Kipman looks as much like the frontman of a rock band as he does a tech executive.

In an earlier era, such a stunt might have passed with a smirk and an eye roll in the male-dominated tech industry. But all that was supposed to have changed at Microsoft. The incident with Kipman took place a few years after CEO Satya Nadella vowed to overhaul the company's toxic culture and implement a respectful, diverse, and inclusive work environment. "Every one of us needs to do our best work, lead, and help drive cultural change," Nadella wrote to employees the day he became CEO in 2014. "We sometimes underestimate what we each can do to make things happen and overestimate what others need to do to move us forward. We must change this."

Yet interviews with dozens of current and former employees suggest the incident involving Kipman is part of a widespread pattern of executive misconduct '-- including verbal abuse and sexual harassment '-- that continues to persist at Microsoft. (The sources requested anonymity out of fear of retribution, but their identities are known to Insider.) Despite Nadella's public stance against those he has called "talented jerks," many inside the company say Microsoft retains a nearly unlimited tolerance for bad behavior by its top rainmakers and developers. Late last year, a group of employees contributed to a report detailing a litany of complaints against Kipman, according to two people familiar with the matter. Yet the dozens of allegations of misconduct resulted in no apparent consequences for Kipman, one of the people said.

A former executive who brought similar concerns to Nadella characterized his approach as: What's something we can do to make it go away without making hard decisions? "He doesn't like conflict," the person said. Misconduct is "not something he wants to hear about," said another executive who worked directly with Nadella. "If he does, he wants someone else to go fix it."

Microsoft declined to confirm or deny the specific allegations against Kipman and other executives but said it was "unaware of any reports" about the VR incident. "Every reported claim we receive is investigated, and for every claim found substantiated there is clear action taken," the company said in a statement to Insider. "This disciplinary action can range from termination, to demotion, loss of pay or bonus, official reprimand, mandatory training, coaching, or combination of some of these."

Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates in 2000. Paul Allen once described working for Gates as "being in hell," and Ballmer was known for his explosive temper. Rick Maiman/Sygma/Getty Images Disrespectful and abusive workplaces have been a hallmark of the tech industry for decades. At Microsoft, sources say, the company's "golden boys" have enjoyed impunity dating back to the reigns of Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. "When they are golden, nothing can be done against them," a former Microsoft executive told Insider. "The person believes they are untouchable and can do anything they want. You might as well swallow the abuse."

Now, Nadella's carefully crafted narrative about a kinder, gentler Microsoft is in danger of unraveling. In November, shareholders pressured the company to stop concealing workplace misconduct, voting overwhelmingly to require the tech titan to report on the effectiveness of sexual-harassment policies and the results of investigations into executives. "The gilding on the reputation of the culture change has worn off," a woman who works directly with Nadella told Insider. "It's actually quite tarnished."

And in January, Microsoft sparked outrage among some employees when it announced it was acquiring Activision Blizzard, the scandal-ridden game developer being sued by the state of California over what the lawsuit describes as a "pervasive 'frat boy' workplace culture" that subjects female employees to sexual harassment and discrimination. In response to the announcement, one Microsoft employee called out Nadella on an internal message board for his "continuous silence" in the face of a yearslong effort by female employees to address sexual harassment and gender discrimination.

"We can't even take care of our own house," one Microsoft employee told Insider. "And now we just bought one in worse condition."

The Gates of 'hell'In the era of Bill Gates, Microsoft's cofounder and first CEO, the company had a reputation for rewarding the smartest person in the room '-- no matter how that person treated everyone else.

Gates built Microsoft into the world's biggest software company, but the success came at a cost to employees who endured his meltdowns and browbeating. Gates' Microsoft cofounder, Paul Allen, once described working for him as "being in hell." Gates' successor, Steve Ballmer, was also known to have an explosive temper. The culture established by leadership trickled down throughout the org chart, to the point where Microsoft's different units were once depicted in a cartoon as warring gangs.

When Nadella took over in 2014, he said changing the company's culture '-- a culture he knew well, having begun his career at Microsoft in 1992 '-- would be his top priority. Even his critics agree he has made some progress. He launched a performance-review program that rewards employee collaboration, hired a chief diversity officer, and tied bonuses to progress on diversity and inclusion. In May 2021, when Gates faced allegations of inappropriate behavior toward female Microsoft employees and ultimately acknowledged having an affair with a staffer, Nadella assured everyone that the company he runs is a new Microsoft. "The Microsoft of 2021 is very different from the Microsoft of 2000 to me and to everyone at Microsoft," Nadella said.

At a tech conference in 2014, Nadella told a board member, Maria Klawe, that women should rely on "good karma" to get raises. Klawe told Insider that after she pushed back, Microsoft's chairman asked her to resign from the board. YouTube But current and former employees say the public pronouncements and policy changes have failed to solve deeply entrenched problems at the company. In 2014, shortly after Nadella took over as CEO, he took the stage at a prominent conference for women in tech. In a conversation with Maria Klawe, then a Microsoft board member, Nadella said women should rely on "faith" in the system and "good karma" to get pay raises, rather than asking bosses for what they deserve. Klawe pushed back, to cheers from the audience, saying women should do their research and negotiate for raises.

Facing fierce backlash, Nadella apologized. As he later told the story in his book, "Hit Refresh," the moment helped him "confront an unconscious bias that I didn't know I had, and it helped me find a new sense of empathy for the great women in my life and at my company."

But Klawe told Insider there was more to the story. After the conference, she said, Microsoft's chairman at the time, John Thompson, blamed her for turning Nadella's comments into a gaffe and asked her to resign from the board. "I felt like I was being silenced," said Klawe, who stepped down the following year. "I was just disappointed Satya Nadella would let that happen."

Nearly eight years later, Microsoft still feels that way for many women. According to the company's own report on diversity, women make up just 25% of the company's executive ranks. Last year, as previously reported by Insider, dozens of women at Microsoft used an internal email group to share stories of gender discrimination at work, calling on management to address pay and promotion gaps between men and women. "Right now, women are all paid equally until the women who aren't prove it," one employee wrote. A similar email chain focused on reports of sexual harassment and discrimination spread through the company in 2019.

Employees interviewed by Insider say that even the new policies Nadella has instituted to address these problems haven't always worked as intended. The company now has a human-resources unit devoted to investigating gender-related issues. But some women say the investigations drag on for months or even years, with no clear timeline for resolution.

What's more, some employees say Microsoft's efforts to promote racial equity often smack of tokenism. One Black employee said she'd been interviewed for a dozen roles and felt as if the company was just going through the motions to satisfy a new policy requiring that all open searches include interviews with at least one "diverse" candidate. "I do a ton of interviews only to check a 'minority' box," the employee said. "I waste a bunch of my time and everybody else's time."

The age of the 'talented jerk' lives on Few of the "golden boys" at Microsoft were as infamous within the company as Terry Myerson, who was once hailed as "the most important man at Microsoft." Myerson worked at the company for 21 years, rising to executive vice president in charge of major products such as Microsoft Windows and the Xbox system software. But employees told Insider that there was a dark side to his tenure. A person who worked directly for Myerson for years said he was known throughout his career for "abusing, berating, and belittling" employees. Another person who worked closely with Myerson described him as "bullying, extremely abusive, angry."

Myerson enjoyed a protected status at the company for years, insiders said. But shortly before he left the company in early 2018, he "had a complete meltdown" backstage at a Microsoft event, according to a person who witnessed the incident. "He yelled at everyone and proceeded to berate them in a very public forum."

It often takes an incident of that magnitude, with that kind of visibility, to get Nadella to act, employees told Insider. "If it's something seriously egregious, he will address it," said a woman who works directly with Nadella. "But it has to be something that puts him at risk."

Employees say Alex Kipman, Tom Keane, and Terry Myerson are three of Microsoft's "golden boys" whose value to the company has shielded them from allegations of misconduct. Andrew Burton/Gabriel Bouys/Getty Images; Microsoft; Insider Not long after the backstage incident, Myerson left Microsoft to, as Nadella put it at the time, "pursue his next chapter." A representative for Myerson declined to confirm or deny the allegations against him. She said he "doesn't remember" berating employees at the event. "With 17K+ employees," she added, "of course there will be a few disgruntled in the mix."

The representative said that Myerson left the company on "great terms," and noted that Microsoft later invested in his new company, Truveta. But three people with knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Myerson's departure say that his behavior played a major role.

Another golden boy who one former executive says "cut people down to pieces" for years is Tom Keane, a 20-year veteran who served as corporate vice president of the company's Azure cloud-computing business. "I've seen him reduce people to tears," the former executive said.

Two insiders say Keane earned the nickname "King Tom" because employees were expected to be at his "beck and call" and obey him without question, or suffer his wrath. "People have to say the right thing and kiss the ring for King Tom," one said.

The former executive who worked with Keane recalled an incident in which Keane stopped a meeting to publicly reprimand one of his staff members, making her cry. "It was so jarring," the former executive said. "It almost didn't matter who was in the meeting. He was simply berating this poor lady." (Keane did not respond to a request for comment from Insider.)

Keane, the executive added, was protected at Microsoft because he was in charge of "one of the most vital levers of Azure's growth" '-- customizing cloud products for specific industries. Keane was internally credited with winning a $10 billion contract from the Pentagon.

"Tom could say anything and do anything," the executive said. "You only do things like this if an organization says, 'That's fine, you're more important than anything else.'"

In January, following a 30-day hiatus '-- Microsoft would not specify the reasons for the leave '-- Keane was reassigned to a role on the company's new special-projects team as part of a reorganization of Microsoft's cloud business. He still oversees hundreds of employees, according to an internal organization chart viewed by Insider. Microsoft doesn't reprimand "bullies," a woman who works on Keane's team told Insider. "They promote them."

Microsoft's point man in the metaverseIn January 2015, about a year after Nadella became CEO, Microsoft unveiled a sleek, futuristic-looking gadget that instantly rekindled the company's fading cool factor. The HoloLens goggles let a user see an augmented reality '-- a view of the physical world intertwined with holographic images. The device's inventor was Alex Kipman, a Microsoft veteran whose past hits included the motion-sensing Kinect controller for the Xbox gaming console.

Today, more than five years after the lewd VR incident in Studio C, Kipman remains near the top of the Microsoft org chart. He oversees a team that's central to Nadella's plan to define the next wave of computing in the metaverse '-- the catch-all term for technology that immerses users in lifelike digital worlds.

Current and former employees who have worked in Kipman's actual world over the past decade say he has fostered a culture that diminishes women's contributions and has engaged in inappropriate touching and comments. One former executive who worked with Kipman said they witnessed him behave inappropriately toward female colleagues more than once. In one instance, the former executive said, Kipman rubbed a woman employee's shoulders while she "looked deeply uncomfortable." The woman shrugged her shoulders, apparently trying to make him stop, but "he would firmly keep doing it," the executive said. "Who is going to tell him to stop?"

Managers warned employees not to leave women alone around Kipman, according to three sources who say they received such warnings. In recent months, Kipman has appeared to have what two employees described as "chaperones" from human resources present with him at meetings.

Kipman did not respond to a request for comment from Insider, and Microsoft said the reports of him being chaperoned were "not true." But last year, employees who say they've been subjected to inappropriate interactions with Kipman decided that enough was enough. More than 25 employees shared their experiences as part of the report that was compiled about Kipman, according to someone who contributed to it. It's not clear whether Nadella saw the report, but the contributor was disappointed that Microsoft has allowed Kipman to remain in a high-profile position.

"This is not the kind of culture Satya talks about," the person said. "Satya is giving Alex a platform to raise his ego and the work he's doing. It makes it seem like he is getting success in spite of the toxicity he's creating."

The former executive who worked closely with Kipman said his behavior was curbed only by something even more toxic. "The best thing that happened, sadly, was the pandemic," the executive said. "So we never had to interact with him in person."

A blizzard is comingAfter Microsoft shareholders voted in November to demand more openness about workplace abuse, the company hired a law firm to conduct an investigation of Microsoft's handling of sexual harassment and gender discrimination claims. The company declined to answer questions from Insider about the status of the investigation. "Microsoft is deeply invested in all aspects of our culture and employee experience, which includes ensuring employees have clear opportunities to voice any concerns they have about workplace behavior," the company said in a statement. "Microsoft's leadership team has established a robust process for reporting and investigating every concern, and however employees choose to report them, we ensure they go through that thorough process."

But the investigation did nothing to dampen the internal outrage over the company's decision to acquire Activision Blizzard. In January, within hours of the announcement, Microsoft's internal messaging boards lit up. Many employees were alarmed that Microsoft was joining forces with a company publicly described as having a frat-boy culture and facing widespread accusations of sexual harassment and discrimination. In March, Activision Blizzard agreed to pay $18 million to settle a federal investigation, though it still faces the lawsuit by California regulators. The company has asked a judge to dismiss that suit, which a representative says contains "distorted, and in many cases false, descriptions of Blizzard's past."

Employees at Activision Blizzard, which is being acquired by Microsoft, staged a walkout last July to protest what they say is a culture of harassment and inequality. Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times/Getty Images Activision Blizzard, the publisher of video game franchises including "Call of Duty" and "World of Warcraft," represents an important plank in Microsoft's quest to dominate what many believe will be the next big thing in tech. "We're investing deeply in world-class content, community, and the cloud to usher in a new era of gaming," Nadella said when the deal was announced. Activision Blizzard's technology, he added, "will play a key role in the development of metaverse platforms."

But some feel that Nadella hasn't gone far enough to address internal concerns over the way Activision Blizzard's culture might reflect on Microsoft. "I'm really disappointed that we didn't hear from Satya what his plans are to make sure that the awful culture that has taken root in Activision Blizzard won't fester and spread within Microsoft," one employee wrote in an internal message-board comment viewed by Insider shortly after the deal was announced. "I personally would never entertain the idea of working for/with Blizzard or Activision for my own safety and welfare as a female engineer. I hope we hear concrete steps to make sure we aren't introducing a dangerous and unwelcome culture."

Microsoft initially said the longtime Activision boss Bobby Kotick would continue to serve as CEO. Kotick has come under scrutiny after he reportedly failed to report to the board that employees had been accused of sexual assault, including rape. But a recent Activision Blizzard filing revealed that Kotick's employment at the company, after the acquisition, hadn't been finalized.

Some at Microsoft are skeptical that removing Kotick would make much of a difference. One former executive said Microsoft liked to excuse its cultural issues by "blaming the boogeyman" '-- pinning responsibility for misconduct on past CEOs like Gates and Ballmer. But over the years, not much has changed. "A talented jerk always adapts," another executive said. "A new CEO shows up and they just learn to play the same game in a different way."

Company insiders say a culture of executive misconduct has remained constant and pervasive at Microsoft, from Gates to the present day. "From experience, I know that toxic culture at Microsoft doesn't just disappear when a toxic person disappears," one employee said. "Toxic culture spreads. It's like cancer. Just because you cut it out doesn't mean it won't grow back."

Ashley Stewart is a senior tech correspondent at Insider. Are you a Microsoft employee or do you have insight to share? Contact the reporter via the encrypted messaging app Signal (+1-425-344-8242) or email (astewart@insider.com).

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Wed, 08 Jun 2022 11:48

Alyssa Blackburn, a data scientist at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, has spent several years performing digital detective work with her trusty lab assistant, Hail Mary, a shiny black computer with orange trim. She has been collecting and analyzing leaks from the Bitcoin blockchain, the immutable public ledger that has recorded all transactions since the cryptocurrency's launch in January 2009.

Bitcoin represents a techno-utopian dream. Satoshi Nakamoto, its pseudonymous inventor, proposed that the world run not on centralized financial institutions but on an egalitarian, math-based electronic money system distributed through a computer network. And the system would be ''trustless'' '-- that is, it would not rely on a trusted party, such as a bank or government, to arbitrate transactions. Rather, as Satoshi Nakamoto wrote in a 2008 white paper, the system would be anchored in ''cryptographic proof instead of trust.'' Or, as T-shirts proclaim: ''In Code We Trust.''

The practicalities have proved complicated. Price turbulence is enough to induce the Bitcoin bends, and the system is environmentally destructive, since the computational network uses exorbitant amounts of electricity.

Ms. Blackburn said her project was agnostic to Bitcoin's pros and cons. Her goal was to pierce the scrim of anonymity, track the transaction flow from Day 1 and study how the world's largest cryptoeconomy emerged.

Satoshi Nakamoto had presented the currency as anonymous: For Bitcoin transactions (buying, selling, sending, receiving et cetera), users employ pseudonyms, or addresses '-- alphanumeric cloaks that hide their real identities. And there was apparent confidence in the anonymity; in 2011, WikiLeaks announced that it would accept donations via Bitcoin. But over time, research revealed data leakage; the identity protections weren't so watertight after all.

''Drip-by-drip, information leakage erodes the once-impenetrable blocks, carving out a new landscape of socioeconomic data,'' Ms. Blackburn and her collaborators report in their new paper, which has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Aggregating multiple leakages, Ms. Blackburn consolidated many Bitcoin addresses, which might have seemed to represent many miners, into few. She pieced together a catalog of agents and concluded that, in those first two years, 64 key players '-- some of whom were the community's ''founders,'' as the researchers called them '-- mined most of the Bitcoin that existed at the time.

''What they figured out, just how concentrated early mining and use of Bitcoin was, that's a scientific discovery,'' said Eric Budish, an economist at the University of Chicago. Dr. Budish, who has conducted research in this realm, received a two-hour video preview with the authors. Once he came to understand what they had done, he thought, ''Wow, this is cool detective work,'' he said. Referring to those early key players, Dr. Budish suggested that the paper be titled ''The Bitcoin 64.''

The computer scientist Jaron Lanier, an early reader of the paper, called the investigation ''important and significant'' in its ambitions and social implications. ''The nerd in me is interested in the math,'' said Mr. Lanier, who is based in Berkeley, Calif. ''The techniques used to extract information are interesting.''

The demonstration of blockchain leakage, he noted, will be surprising to some, not to others. ''This thing isn't hermetically sealed,'' Mr. Lanier said. He added: ''I don't think it's the end of the story. I think there's further innovation that will take place, extracting information from these types of systems.''

One of Ms. Blackburn's tactics was simple perseverance. ''I kicked it till it broke,'' she said, recalling how the principal investigator, Erez Lieberman Aiden, an applied mathematician, computer scientist and geneticist at Baylor College of Medicine and Rice University, characterized her method.

More precisely, Ms. Blackburn developed hacks for the period of time that was of particular interest: from the cryptocurrency's start to when Bitcoin achieved parity with the U.S. dollar in February 2011, which coincided with the establishment of the Silk Road, a Bitcoin-based black market. She leveraged human lapses such as insecure user behavior; she exploited operational features inherent to Bitcoin's software; she deployed established techniques for linking the pseudonymous addresses; and she developed new techniques. Ms. Blackburn was particularly interested in miners, the agents who verify transactions by engaging in an elaborate computational tournament '-- a puzzle hunt, of sorts, guessing and checking random numbers against a target, in search of a lucky number. When a miner wins, they earn Bitcoin income.

Whether 64 seems like a small or large number of key miners depends on one's proximity to the crypto undertow. Scholars have questioned whether Bitcoin is truly a decentralized currency. From Dr. Lieberman Aiden's perspective, the population under investigation was ''even more concentrated than it seems.'' Although the analysis showed that the big players numbered 64 over two years, at any given moment, according to the researchers' modeling, the effective size of that population was only five or six. And on many occasions, just one or two people held most of the mining power.

As Ms. Blackburn described it, there were very few people ''wearing the crown,'' functioning as arbiters of the network '-- ''which is not the ethos of decentralized trustless crypto,'' she said.

Finding treasures in the data Image Alyssa Blackburn, left, a data scientist, and Erez Lieberman Aiden, a geneticist and computer scientist, tested Bitcoin's identity protections and claims of decentralization. Credit... Annie Mulligan for The New York Times For Ms. Blackburn and Dr. Lieberman Aiden, Bitcoin's data '-- 324 or so gigabytes archived in the blockchain '-- presented a cache of temptation. Dr. Lieberman Aiden's lab does biological physics and widely applied mathematics; one focus is three-dimensional genome mapping. But as a scholar, he is also intrigued by the use of new kinds of data to explore complex phenomena. In 2011, he published a quantitative cultural analysis using more than five million digitized books from 1800 to 2000, with Google Books and collaborators. ''Culturomics,'' he called it. For instance, the team introduced the Google Ngram Viewer, which lets users type in a word or phrase and observe its usage plotted over the centuries.

In the same spirit, he wondered what treasures might be submersed in Bitcoin's data lake. ''We literally have a record of every single transaction,'' he said. ''These are remarkable economic and sociological data sets. Clearly, there's a lot of information in there, if you can get at it.''

Getting at it proved nontrivial. Ms. Blackburn was barred from the university's supercomputing cluster '-- with her file folder labeled ''Bitcoin,'' she was suspected of mining the cryptocurrency. ''I objected,'' she said. She said she tried to convince an administrator that she was conducting research, but ''they were completely unmoved.''

A key tactic of Ms. Blackburn's was to trace patterns in plots of numbers that in theory should have been random and meaningless. In one case, she was chasing the ''extranonce,'' one piece of the mining puzzle: a short field of 0s and 1s tucked within a longer string that encodes each block, or bundle, of transactions. The extranonce leaked information about a computer's activity. This led Ms. Blackburn to reconstruct the miners' behavior: when they were mining, when they stopped and when they started up again. She speculates that the extranonce's leaky behavior was tolerated because it allowed Bitcoin's creator to keep an eye on miners; the source code was modified to plug this leak shortly before Satoshi Nakamoto disappeared from the public Bitcoin community in December 2010.

Once Ms. Blackburn had put various toeholds to use '-- allowing her to erode the identity-masking protections '-- she began merging addresses, linking nodes on a graph, consolidating the effective population of mining agents. Then she cross-referenced and validated the results with information scraped from Bitcoin discussion forums and blogs. Initially, the catalog of agents who mined most of the Bitcoin tallied a couple of thousand; then it hovered for a while around 200. Ultimately, Hail Mary spit out 64. (Eventually, Hail Mary's brains were incorporated into the lab's computer cluster, Voltron.)

The study's purpose was not to name names; it's the job of the F.B.I. and the I.R.S. to bust Bitcoin criminals. But the researchers pinpointed the identities of a couple of the top players who were publicly known Bitcoin criminals: Agent No. 19 is Michael Mancil Brown, a.k.a. ''Dr. Evil,'' who was found guilty of a 2012 fraud and extortion scheme involving Mitt Romney, then a candidate for president. Agent No. 67 is associated with Ross Ulbricht, a.k.a. ''DreadPirateRoberts,'' creator of the Silk Road. Naturally, Agent No. 1 is Satoshi Nakamoto '-- whose true identity the researchers did not try to determine.

Mark Gerstein, a professor of bioinformatics at Yale University, found in the research implications for data privacy. He recently stored a genome on a private blockchain, which allowed for a secure and tamperproof record. But he noted that in a public setting, as with Bitcoin's blockchain, a data set's size and subtle patterns made it susceptible to breaches, even as the data remained immutable. (Ms. Blackburn wasn't tampering with the Bitcoin blockchain's records.)

''That's the amazing thing about big data,'' Dr. Gerstein said. ''If you have a big enough data set, it starts to leak information in unexpected ways.'' Even more so when data from different sources are connected, he said: ''When you combine one data set with another to make a bigger data set, nonobvious linkages can arise.''

'Decentralization theater'

Image A map of the bitcoin blockchain constructed by Ms. Blackburn and Dr. Lieberman Aiden using data leakages. ''Each agent corresponds to a single map tile, whose area is proportional to the quantity of bitcoin mined by the agent,'' they noted in their recent paper. Credit... Alyssa Blackburn and Erez Lieberman Aiden Once Ms. Blackburn had assembled the catalog of agents, she analyzed the income they had reaped from mining. She found that within a few months of the cryptocurrency's introduction '-- and contrary to Bitcoin's egalitarian promise '-- a classic distribution of income inequality emerged: A small fraction of the miners held most of the wealth and power. (Mining income demonstrated what is called a Pareto distribution, after Vilfredo Pareto, a 19th-century economist.)

Expand Your Cryptocurrency Vocabulary Card 1 of 9Bitcoin. A Bitcoin is a digital token that can be sent electronically from one user to another, anywhere in the world. Bitcoin is also the name of the payment network on which this form of digital currency is stored and moved.

Blockchain. A blockchain is a database maintained communally and that reliably stores digital information. The original blockchain was the database on which all Bitcoin transactions were stored, but non-currency-based companies and governments are also trying to use blockchain technology to store their data.

Coinbase. The first major cryptocurrency company to list its shares on a U.S. stock exchange, Coinbase is a platform that allows people and companies to buy and sell various digital currencies, including Bitcoin, for a transaction fee.

Web3. The name ''web3'' is what some technologists call the idea of a new kind of internet service that is built using blockchain-based tokens, replacing centralized, corporate platforms with open protocols and decentralized, community-run networks.

DAOs. A decentralized autonomous organization, or DAO, is an organizational structure built with blockchain technology that is often described as a crypto co-op. DAOs form for a common purpose, like investing in start-ups, managing a stablecoin or buying NFTs.

The lab unintentionally replicated this dynamic when they invented ''CO2 coin,'' a cryptocurrency that could be used to buy snacks from a student-run store. In due course, some CO2 miners became more successful than others, and the store marked up snack prices catering to the tastes of the rich.

''The people who had a lot of crypto resources had very strong control over what the store would acquire, which other people didn't feel great about,'' Dr. Lieberman Aiden recalled. The economy collapsed '-- that is, there was a revolt '-- when the shop began charging in CO2 to use the coffee machine.

In the formal study, Ms. Blackburn also observed that the concentration of resources threatened the network's security, with a miner's computational resources being directly proportionate to his or her mining income. On several occasions, individual miners wielded more than 50 percent of the computational power and, as a result, could have taken over like a tyrant using what's called a ''51 percent attack.'' For instance, they could have cheated the system and repeatedly spent the same Bitcoins on different transactions.

Sarah Meiklejohn, a cryptographer at University College London, said that the investigation's findings'š assuming they were error-free, provide empirical confirmation of an ''intuition that has been floating around in this space for a while.'' (Dr. Meiklejohn developed some address-linking techniques used in the investigation and recently devised a technique for tracking a type of transaction flow called a peel chain.)

''We all kind of knew that mining was fairly centralized,'' she said. ''There aren't that many miners. This is true even today, of course, and it was even more true at the beginning.'' As for what should be done about it, ''we do need to really examine that question,'' she said. ''How do we make mining more decentralized?'' She thought the results of this investigation might encourage the field to take the issue more seriously.

But to add a twist, Ms. Blackburn found that while some miners had the power to execute 51 percent attacks, they repeatedly chose not to. Rather, they acted altruistically '-- preserving the cryptocurrency's integrity, even though the decentralization-based fraud-prevention mechanism had been compromised.

In parsing this finding, Ms. Blackburn's team turned to the tools of experimental economics. They gathered human subjects online to participate in game-theory scenarios that modeled the ''social dilemma'' faced by the founders '-- that is, how people behave when they find themselves as the trustee of an appreciating good.

''In scenarios like this, it appears that people don't like to kill the golden goose '-- they don't like to spoil it for the group,'' Dr. Lieberman Aiden observed. Whatever you believe about the motivations of the ''Bitcoin 64,'' he said, the fact that the network was vulnerable to individual decision makers changes the understanding of its security.

''Sure, decentralization protects the blockchain,'' he said. ''But even on occasions when the mining pool became centralized, the dominant miners declined to attack it. That is a very different picture than the idealized model people have for why these cryptocurrencies are secure.''

As the authors concluded in the paper: ''Although Bitcoin was designed to rely on a decentralized, trustless network of anonymous agents, its early success rested instead on cooperation among a small group of altruistic founders.''

For Glen Weyl, an economist at Microsoft Research who was consulted on the research, this finding demonstrates how decentralization played a rhetorical rather than substantive role. ''And that rhetorical role was very powerful '-- it bound together this community, much as other myths have bound together other communities, like nations,'' Dr. Weyl said; he and Mr. Lanier wrote about this research for CoinDesk. But the myth and the promise, he said, were in tension with the reality that emerged. ''It's just fascinatingly ironic, and also predictable, repeating the historical patterns it aspires to erase.''

Mr. Lanier called it ''decentralization theater.'' Cryptocurrencies create an illusion: '''Now we're in utopia. Everything's decentralized. Everybody's equal.' There's this notion of democracy without annoyance.''

But, he said, these systems end up hiding a new elite, which is probably just an old elite in a new arena. And the technology cuts both ways. ''Whatever you think you can achieve using new algorithms, or big data, or whatever, can also be used against you,'' Mr. Lanier said. ''The same algorithms can be used by scientists to interrogate and investigate these castles that are put up by the new elite.''

One moral of the story, Ms. Blackburn said, is simply: ''You have to be careful.'' There is a limited timeline for encryption, ''a horizon beyond which it will no longer be useful. When you are encrypting private data and making it public, you cannot assume that it'll be private forever.''

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Tue, 07 Jun 2022 14:14

6th episode of the tenth season of The X-Files

"My Struggle II" is the sixth episode and season finale of the tenth season of The X-Files. Written and directed by Chris Carter, it aired on February 22, 2016, on Fox. The tagline for this episode is "This Is the End".[1]

Plot [ edit ] Six weeks after the events of "My Struggle", Scully arrives at FBI headquarters to find that Mulder has disappeared after watching an excerpt from Tad O'Malley's online news broadcast (which had been revived). As Scully informs Skinner and Einstein of Mulder's absence, Mulder attempts to leave Washington'--visibly unwell and badly bruised.

Back in Washington, D.C., Scully receives a phone call from O'Malley, who has arrived at Mulder's house for a pre-arranged meeting and found signs of a struggle. O'Malley explains that he suspects that alien DNA has been injected into every American citizen in order to facilitate the widespread outbreak of the Spartan Virus. Designed to strip humans of their immune systems, this contagion quickly manifests itself nationwide, with Scully and Einstein noting a sharp increase in the number of patients admitted to hospitals and triage centers.

Miller finds a phone-tracking app on Mulder's computer, notes his position in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and leaves Washington in order to track him down, while Einstein questions Scully's medical theories. Scully, accepting that Einstein may be correct, receives a phone-call from former X-Files agent Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish), who asks to meet, claiming that she knows how to develop a vaccine.

During their meeting, Reyes reveals that, shortly after the closure of the X-Files, she was contacted by the badly injured Cigarette Smoking Man, who had survived the confrontation in New Mexico. Cigarette Smoking Man offers to secure both Scully and Reyes a place among the designated survivors of the end-times, in exchange for Reyes' assistance in the colonization effort. Reyes departs the FBI shortly thereafter, and is absent when Scully "looks her up" in 2015. Reyes also reveals that she has spent the past twelve years assisting Cigarette Smoking Man, but intending to halt the invasion from within the Syndicate.

Scully and Einstein attempt to develop a vaccine using Scully's DNA. Scully realizes that she is being protected from the contagion by a combination of the alien genomes that remained after she was abducted and experimented on, and the DNA anomalies instilled within her at the request of Reyes. It is the absence of alien DNA that makes everybody else susceptible. Mulder, meanwhile, approaches Cigarette Smoking Man, who offers him a chance to survive the outbreak. Mulder declines, and is found by Miller, who returns him to Washington with the hope of finding a cure.

O'Malley tells the nation that a friend, a doctor, has informed him of the existence of a vaccine.

After administering a vaccine to Einstein, Scully travels to Mulder and Miller's location, finding them at the 14th Street Bridge. She realizes that Mulder is too badly ill to survive without a stem cell transplant. When Miller asks how this will be possible, Scully replies that William, their son, will have to be the donor. While Scully and Miller discuss Mulder's prognosis, Mulder begins to succumb to the virus. Suddenly, a beam of light shines down onto Miller, Scully, and Mulder, and a triangle-shaped UFO slowly descends and hovers above them.

The episode ends with Scully looking at the lights of the spacecraft, shining down directly onto her and her partners.

Production [ edit ] The episode was directed by series creator Chris Carter who wrote the teleplay. Anne Simon and Margaret Fearon receive story credit along with Carter. Simon is the science adviser for the series and has worked on the series since the first season.[2] The episode features the return of Annabeth Gish as Monica Reyes, whose casting was announced in August 2015.[3] The episode also guest stars Joel McHale, Lauren Ambrose, and Robbie Amell, all reprising their roles from previous episodes as new characters that were introduced in this season. William B. Davis appears as Cigarette Smoking Man in a significant role, after previously appearing in small cameo roles in two previous season ten episodes.

During the halftime period of Super Bowl 50, Fox briefly posted preview footage of the episode on its website and social media channels.[4]

The episode's ending scene set on the 14th Street Bridge was filmed on the Georgia Viaduct in Vancouver, British Columbia on September 2, 2015, near Rogers Arena. The producers had to close the viaduct to the public in order to shoot the scene.[5]

Reception [ edit ] "My Struggle II" received generally negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode received a 32% approval rating and an average score of 4.7/10. The consensus reads: "Arguably noble intentions notwithstanding, 'My Struggle II' serves as a disappointingly sloppy conclusion to The X-Files' long-awaited revival '-- and a painfully persuasive argument that the show was better left 'out there'."[6]

In its initial broadcast in the United States on February 22, 2016, it received 7.60 million viewers,[7] an increase in viewership from the previous week's 7.07 million viewers.[8]

References [ edit ] ^ Miller, Liz Shannon (February 23, 2016). "Review: 'The X-Files' Season 10 Episode 6, 'My Struggle II' Brings Us a Bitter End". Indiewire . Retrieved March 10, 2016 . ^ O'Connell, Michael (February 23, 2016). " 'X-Files' Creator Chris Carter Says Fox Wants More Episodes '-- It's Just a Matter of When". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved February 23, 2016 . ^ Roots, Kimberly (August 11, 2015). "The X-Files: Annabeth Gish to Reprise Reyes in Fox's Revival". TVLine . Retrieved August 12, 2015 . ^ Maglio, Tony (February 4, 2016). "Fox Banks on 'X-Files' to Upstage Coldplay, Beyonce During Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show". TheWrap . Retrieved February 8, 2016 . ^ "My Struggle II". The X-Files: Filmmaker Files. YouTube. March 1, 2016 . Retrieved March 3, 2016 . ^ "My Struggle II". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved February 23, 2016 . ^ Porter, Rick (February 23, 2016). "Monday final ratings: 'Bachelor' adjusts up, 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' adjusts down". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on February 25, 2016 . Retrieved February 23, 2016 . ^ Porter, Rick (February 17, 2016). "Monday final ratings: Grammys and all other shows hold". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on February 19, 2016 . Retrieved February 17, 2016 . External links [ edit ] "My Struggle II" at IMDb

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Tue, 07 Jun 2022 13:51

Chairman Gary Gensler is expected to outline ideas for improving market efficiency Wednesday

Updated June 6, 2022 7:01 pm ETWASHINGTON'--The Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing to propose major changes to the stock market's plumbing as soon as this fall.

Chairman Gary Genslerdirected SEC staff last year to explore ways to make the stock market more efficient for small investors and public companies. While aspects of the effort are in varying stages of development, one idea that has gained traction is to require brokerages to send most individual investors' orders to be routed into auctions where trading firms compete to execute them,...

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WASHINGTON'--The Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing to propose major changes to the stock market's plumbing as soon as this fall.

Chairman Gary Gensler directed SEC staff last year to explore ways to make the stock market more efficient for small investors and public companies. While aspects of the effort are in varying stages of development, one idea that has gained traction is to require brokerages to send most individual investors' orders to be routed into auctions where trading firms compete to execute them, people familiar with the matter said.

SEC staffers have begun floating plans with market participants in recent weeks, and Mr. Gensler is planning to detail some of the potential changes in a speech Wednesday, these people added.

The most consequential change being discussed would affect the way trades are handled after an investor places a so-called market order with a broker to buy or sell a stock. Market orders, which account for the majority of individual investors' trades, don't specify a minimum or maximum price the investor is willing to pay.

Mr. Gensler has said he wants to ensure that brokers execute orders at the best possible price for investors'--the highest price for when an investor is selling, or the lowest price if they are buying.

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Current rules require brokers to perform ''reasonable diligence'' to determine the likely best market for executing a trade. Many brokers route orders to big electronic trading firms called wholesalers, including Citadel Securities or Virtu Financial Inc., rather than to exchanges such as the Nasdaq Stock Market , arguing that the wholesalers provide the best prices.

Some brokers, including Charles Schwab Corp. and Robinhood Markets Inc., accept compensation from wholesalers for routing trades to their venues. Mr. Gensler has said this practice, known as payment for order flow, creates a conflict of interest and limits competition for individual orders.

Under the auctions being considered by the SEC, different firms would compete with each other to fill an individual investor's trade, according to people familiar with the agency's plans. Such a mechanism would fundamentally alter the business model of wholesalers, which can make more money by trading against small investors than they do on public exchanges, where they might find themselves trading with other sophisticated trading firms or institutional investors.

An SEC spokesman declined to comment.

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A number of Wall Street firms pushed back forcefully last year when it became apparent that Mr. Gensler was targeting their business models. Wholesalers and brokers ramped up their lobbying and campaign spending in Washington and published their own plans for improving the stock market.

Virtu and Citadel Securities, in particular, have argued against the sort of changes the SEC is considering. They say the current system, including payment for order flow, has underpinned a broad reduction to trading costs that has made the stock market more accessible.

Douglas Cifu, chief executive of Virtu, said the order-by-order competition sought by Mr. Gensler could allow trading firms more discretion in choosing which trades they fill. This could end up being more profitable in the short term for wholesalers, he said, but wouldn't necessarily help investors.

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''The SEC should engage all market participants before proposing significant untested changes that would harm retail investors' execution quality and reduce retail investors' access to our capital markets,'' Mr. Cifu said.

A spokesman for Citadel Securities said the firm looks forward to reviewing the SEC's proposals and working with the agency.

''It is important to recognize that the current market structure has resulted in tighter spreads, greater transparency and meaningfully reduced costs for retail investors,'' the spokesman added.

The SEC commenced its review of market structure after the frenzied trading in GameStop Corp.

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and other meme stocks in early 2021

brought fresh scrutiny to the handling of individual investors' trades.

After a year of internal deliberations, the agency has homed in on a narrowing set of proposals. If the SEC votes to release them for public comment later this year, they would have a path to implementation, as Democrats hold a majority of seats on the commission.

The agency is also considering creating a more-stringent version of the so-called best-execution rule that directs brokers to find the most favorable terms for their customers, two of the people said. The rule that brokers currently follow was written by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, an industry body overseen by the SEC.

The SEC is also weighing a proposal to allow stock exchanges to quote shares in increments of less than 1 cent. This could enable venues such as Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange to better compete with wholesalers, which can beat the prices publicly displayed on exchanges by adding or subtracting hundredths of a penny to the price of a stock. Two people familiar with the matter said the agency is also considering an idea to harmonize the price increments, known as tick sizes, that are available on exchanges versus other venues.

In addition, SEC officials are aiming to reduce the maximum fee that exchanges can charge brokers to access their quotes, two of the people said. Like some of the other changes under consideration, such a move could encourage more orders to be sent to exchanges rather than to other venues.

Write to Paul Kiernan at paul.kiernan@wsj.com and Alexander Osipovich at alexander.osipovich@dowjones.com

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Tue, 07 Jun 2022 03:15

Discover the blind spots holding you back. Take the Three Dating Tendencies Quiz.

Learn to Date Smarter.Date Smarter is a 6-week bootcamp and private community for anyone who is ready to find their person. I'll help you identify the patterns that are holding you back and teach you a strategic playbook for finding love.

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Join the 55K+ people reading my weekly newsletter.Learn how to find love and not f*** it up.

Let me introduce myself.I'm a behavioral scientist turned dating coach, and the author of the bestselling book How To Not Die Alone. As the Director of Relationship Science at the dating app Hinge, I conduct research to help people find love. After studying psychology at Harvard, I ran Google's behavioral science team'--the Irrational Lab.

How to Not Die Alone is a data-driven, step-by-step guide to relationships, complete with hands-on exercises. It's designed to transform your life.

A definitive guide for a generation navigating the murky waters of modern love.'' - ESTHER PEREL

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Tue, 07 Jun 2022 02:32

The Undressing Room Presented By Macy's 'Single Black Female' | Episode 70This week on The Undressing Room, the ladies break down the economic imbalance between Black women and men in the'...

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Tue, 07 Jun 2022 01:37

''I believe women are hypergamous. It's an observable fact,'' my date declared matter-of-factly as we stared at each other across the abyss of Zoom. About an hour earlier, when the evening started going downhill, I began writing down the words I didn't understand but knew I'd heard before. So, I added ''hypergamous'' to the list. His previous mentions of ''pair bonded,'' ''high-value men,'' and ''dominant masculinity'' all sounded ominously familiar as well.

In the end, my date (let's call him King) and I talked for nearly three hours. King explained that I was behaving in a masculine way when I invited him to meet me for a date (instead of waiting for him to ask me), claimed it was a biological fact that in any romantic relationship someone (who's cisgender and male, of course) needed to dominate the other, and feminism was a force that had only served to divide the Black community and alienate Black men. That last part came after I ''revealed'' that I am a feminist, something he told me was usually a complete non-starter for him.

It was like the trolls I saw skulking around the edges of Black Twitter had jumped up from under their technicolor bridges and wandered directly into my dating life. The sirens clanging in my head throughout this entire ordeal bleated out one word over and over again: incel. For months, I had seen similar words and themes being used on social media. On Twitter, men that wield a particular animus against Black women are sometimes derogatively called ''nigcels.'' I had to find out how the language of ''chads'' and ''hypergamy,'''--both terms I associated with white men on the internet, the latter a claim that women only date men of higher social status'--had mapped onto the world of Black men.

Leah Romero

According to Aaron Fountain Jr., a Ph.D. candidate at Indiana University, it's less about incels in the case of Black men than the Manosphere, a more racially diverse space on the internet that includes men of all ages and has developed its own offshoot, the Black Manosphere. Within the Black Manosphere's fiefdom, there are many subgroups, rival influencers, competing philosophies, and myriad content creators. But each of them contain one common thread: a concerted, explicit disdain for Black women.

Leah Romero

In all parts of the Manosphere, men talk about taking the ''red pill,'' a Matrix reference that indicates that they have woken up to the purported ''truth'' about women. In some corners of the Black Manosphere, men grumble about the very popular YouTuber Kevin Samuels and his ilk, because Samuels allows the Black women he berates on his show to speak at all. In his lane, influencer Mr. Palmer has coined the term ''Baby Mama Terrorists,'' or BMT, and he and his followers sport Fuck Child Support hats. Dr. Shawn ''Thunder'' Wallace, a tenured professor at The Ohio State University, is an influencer whose work teeters at the edge of the Manosphere, beckoning in Black men who might want to explore further.

The content creator Mad BusDriverX1 (MBD for short), who films his YouTube videos wearing a helmet, would only consent to being interviewed over email. He's a founder of the Save Yourself Black Men, or SYSBM, community, but insists the group is not a part of the Black Manosphere, claiming that space has ''different goals and objections'' than SYSBM. In his videos, he spends hours describing the ills of Black women, the deterioration of the Black race, the importance of travel for Black men, and the virtues of dating and marrying anyone but American Black women.

In one video, titled ''protect your seed black men invest it into white Asian or Latina,'' MBD's language veers close to eugenics as he addresses the Black men listening, saying, ''There's going to be two types of Black people in the future and one's going to be Black-ish and one's going to be traditionally Black...the permanent underclass, you know what that's going to be. No disrespect, if you're a Black man who needs to save himself go on ahead...because you can't save it, it's ingrained, you've got to let it [the Black race] die out because they don't want to change.'' When asked if this use of eugenics language was intentional or if he was at all concerned about the historic weaponization of eugenics language against Black men and women, MBD responded that SYSBM is about freedom for Black men, rooted in their ability to choose better for themselves.

Leah Romero

While SYSBM's philosophy is deeply alarming, its foundation'--the perception of Black people as pathologically violent, lazy, and unintelligent'--is hardly new. The language of Black respectability and the ''betterment'' of the Black race has existed for generations; its most prominent proponents range from the scholar W.E.B. DuBois to pop culture figures like Bill Cosby. The Black Manosphere is fueled by this presumed cultural deficiency and shades of Black respectability politics. According to Fountain, the 1965 ''The Negro Family: The Case for National Action'' is a regularly quoted text in the Black Manosphere. Often referred to as the Moynihan Report and commissioned by then President Johnson, this report has for decades created a pseudo-anthropological argument claiming that Black people and their culture were at fault for their own second-class citizenship in America.

If you're wondering how a 60-year-old, oft-debunked government report holds so much weight among some Black men, whom it also seems to disparage, the answer seems to be, in part, its enduring place in white conservative talking points about Black families and communities. But even more critically for the Black Manosphere, the Moynihan Report places the responsibility for a stated Black pathology squarely on the shoulders of Black women. It was the Moynihan Report that propelled generations of ire toward Black woman-led households and served as the basis for the Reagan-era Black ''welfare queen'' stereotype. Its author, then-Assistant Labor Secretary Daniel Patrick Moynihan, admonished, ''Given the strains of the disorganized and matrifocal family life in which so many Negro youth come of age, the Armed Forces are a dramatic and desperately needed change: a world away from women, a world run by strong men of unquestioned authority...''

On our Zoom date, King had also bemoaned the idea of Black women leading anything from households to topics of conversation. His belief, one clearly indebted to the legacy of Moynihan's report, was that Black men's supremacy in heterosexual relationships is the healing balm the Black community needs to subvert a racial caste system.

Mumia Obsidian Ali, a Philly resident and self-described ''co-founder'' of the Black Manosphere, told me has a great deal of respect for Moynihan and his report. Over the past 12 years, Ali says his writing and videos have been featured on ''just about every Black Manosphere venue'' of note. According to Ali, he sought to establish and expand the Black Manosphere because ''Black women as a group have long enjoyed a megaphone to air out their grievances, much of it'--not all of it'--concerning Black men...And I got tired of being left out of the conversation.''

Leah Romero

Ali initially refused to be interviewed until I read his 42-chapter screed on Black dating. When we finally spoke via Zoom, our conversation began at an imbalance. Ali started not with a greeting, but instead by playing a fake advertisement for the ''Wookie Weave Warehouse,'' presumably a dig at my own purple box braids. (He kept his own camera off.) In his book, Ali defines Wookie Weave as ''hair extensions, lace front wigs, hair weaves and other hair appliances Black women are known to use in their daily beauty regimen. Many Black men do not like them on Black women, particularly when it comes to long term mating.'' The ad not only featured the braying of Star Wars' Chewbacca, it offered to throw in Elmer's glue to keep the weave on my head. Overall, the targeting felt consistent with Ali's written and public profile. Throughout his dating guide for ''non-select'' Black men, for instance, Ali decries the marginalization of Black men at the hands of Black women, whom he crowns with such titles as Paper Tigress, Spinster, Mizz Thang, and Victim Queen, to name a few.

Like the white Manosphere, the Black Manosphere is right-wing and politically conservative. (Ali proudly said he voted for Trump twice.) Its content creators perpetuate the belief that Black women'--not systemic economic, political, or social oppression'--are to blame for any inequities Black people, especially Black men, observe in their lives.

Packaging and repackaging this message is how the Manosphere grows its audience. Jamaal Muwwakkil, a Ph.D. candidate and linguist at University of California, Santa Barbara, has been researching conservative political groups as well as the linguistic and cultural memes that conservatives use to recruit young people. Muwwakkil explained how using memes in spaces like the Black Manosphere serve both as tools for community building and self-identification.

''I like to look at [these memes] as cultural signifiers, where I can signal to you who I am, where I'm from, what I know, quickly. By quoting a song lyric or a movie quote or referencing even with my body. It doesn't even have to be verbal,'' Muwwakkil says. ''It kind of provides for a plausible deniability, which was the other function of memeing. You get to [joke] your way out of any sticky situations. But if a person believes [your meme], I can see, 'Ah, you, too, are a man of culture.'''

In addition to ''red pill'' language, the Black Manosphere is awash in these memes. Ali, Samuels, Dr. Thunder, and many others use sound clips to reinforce negative portrayals of Black women (i.e. their tendencies toward ''Wookie Weave'' or the ''idiot woman'' sound loop Kevin Samuels directs at his callers). As Muwwakkil observes, the ever-expanding lexicon of Black Manosphere memes allows for its most harmful themes about Black women to be disguised in everyday conversations as off-color humor. In fact, when I asked Fountain about how he discovered the Black Manosphere, he admitted that, initially, he'd seen its videos as entertaining, absurdist humor.

Leah Romero

Toxic archetypes of Black womanhood'--the mammy, the Black matriarch, the jezebel (or the Scraggle Daggle, in SYSBM parlance), and the welfare mother'--are all alive and well in the Black Manosphere. The research of Dr. Patricia Hill-Collins, a preeminent Black feminist scholar and distinguished professor emerita at the University of Maryland, shows that such images have been used since Black people's forced arrival in the country to justify Black women's dehumanization by racist systems and to mask the physical and psychological harm they experience. The Black Manosphere breathes new life into these long-standing cultural memes and helps to reanimate their virulence in digital spaces.

A 2018 study analyzing the abusive and violent tweets women receive on Twitter found that Black women are 84 percent more likely than their white counterparts to experience violent threats and language on the platform. The vast majority of that language was racialized. Dr. Sarah Adeyinka-Skold, an assistant professor of sociology at Furman University, has seen these truths born out in her research on the dating lives of heterosexual Black women. She explains that on dating apps, Black women are often not selected by male partners, and when they do garner attention, tropes of them as sluts or welfare queens also mean they face fetishization and derogatory language. According to Adeyinka-Skold, ''[Black women] are the only racial group to be excluded by non-Black men and Black men.''

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the Black Manosphere is the immense amount of pain its content creators appear to be in, even as they dispense supposedly clear-eyed truths. Their own rejection and ostracization has been transmuted into a blunt object used to bludgeon their way to supposed relevance. When I asked Ali what a realistic (by his standards) Black romance movie would look like, he replied, ''80 percent of the guys get looked over while 20 percent of the guys get the ladies, who then screw the ladies over. And the Black ladies complain that Black men ain't shit.'' And yet, the loss these Black Manosphere content creators feel at not holding a ''select'' or ''high-value'' position in society is never channeled into anger at systems like racism, colorism, classism, or fatphobia. Instead, their crosshairs are steadfastly trained on Black women and feminism.

During our interview, Ali asked me why I am a feminist. I had answered a similar question from my date, months before, in almost the exact same way. I told them both that, for me, Black queer feminism provides a lens and a framework through which to see myself and other people (of all genders) more expansively. I explained that Black queer feminist scholars have pushed me to question the limiting nature of white dominant definitions of masculinity and femininity. I talked about the freedom to see each other, especially Black people, as whole, myriad, and not boxed in by what we are told we have to be. Strangely, or perhaps miraculously, they both agreed with this part of the feminist doctrine they purport to hate. ''Being more expansive,'' Ali mused. ''I have no problem with that.''

Nicole Young Nicole Young is a writer whose work has appeared in ZORA and Bitch magazine. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

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Tue, 07 Jun 2022 00:58

American musician and actor (born 1960)

"Luke Skyywalker" redirects here. For the Star Wars character, see

Luke Skywalker.

Uncle Luke

Campbell in 2017

BornLuther Roderick Campbell

( 1960-12-22 ) December 22, 1960 (age 61) Other namesLuke Skyywalker, Solo Luke, Uncle Luke, LukeOccupationRapperpromoterrecord executiveactorYears active1981''2010, 2017''presentMusical careerGenresInstrumentsVocalsLabelsMusical artist

Luther Roderick Campbell (born December 22, 1960), also known as Luke Skyywalker, Uncle Luke and simply Luke, is an American rapper, promoter, record executive, actor, and former leader of the rap group 2 Live Crew. He also starred in a short-lived show on VH1, Luke's Parental Advisory.

Early life [ edit ] Luther Campbell was born on December 22, 1960 in Miami. His mother was a beautician of Bahamian ancestry and his father was a custodian of Jamaican ancestry.[1] He was the youngest of five sons and was named after Martin Luther King Jr.

After graduating from Miami Beach Senior High School in 1979, Campbell was asked by his mother to leave the house every weekday from 8:30am to 4:30pm regardless of his employment status.[2]

Career [ edit ] 1980s [ edit ] In the early 1980s, Campbell worked as a cook at Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach and as a concert promoter in Miami, bringing rap groups of that era to Miami. In 1983, he also enrolled in an eight-week study course at Miami public radio station WDNA, where he learned basic audio editing and production techniques.

In 1984, Campbell took notice of a single from California named "Revelation" by 2 Live Crew, which consisted of two rappers (Fresh Kid Ice and Amazing V) and a DJ (Mr. Mixx). The single was a hit on the South Florida club circuit, and Campbell decided to bring them from California to Miami for a performance. He took a special interest in the group and began managing them.

2 Live Crew eventually fully relocated to Florida without Amazing Vee and in 1986, 2 Live Crew recorded "Throw the D" with "Ghetto Bass" on the B-side, they went into a joint venture with Campbell to start Luke Skyyywalker Records, which was also his first MC name.

In April of that year Brother Marquis joined the group in Miami. Campbell gave The 2 Live Crew a record deal and officially joined the group. They exploded on the local scene with their gold-selling debut album, The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are (1986). This made Luke Skyyywalker and his bandmates rap superstars in south Florida.[3]

In 1988, the group released their second album, Move Somethin ' . It was certified Gold and featured the singles "Move Somethin'" and "Do Wah Diddy Diddy". The album improved on the charts from the previous album, making it to #68 on the Billboard 200 and #20 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart.

Campbell decided to sell a separate clean version in addition to the explicit version of the album. A record store clerk in Alexander City, Alabama, was cited for selling a copy to an undercover police officer in 1988. It was the first time in the United States that a store owner was held liable for obscenity over music. The charges were dropped after a jury found the owner not guilty.

Their third album As Nasty As They Wanna Be (1989) became the group's largest seller, being certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. In 1990, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida ruled that the album was legally obscene;[4] this ruling was later overturned by the Eleventh Circuit.[5] It is the first album in history to be deemed legally obscene.[6] An obscenity trial followed, in which Henry Louis Gates, Jr., addressed the court on behalf of the defendants, all of whom were eventually acquitted.

University of Miami "pay-for-play" allegations [ edit ] Campbell was also infamous in the late 1980s and early 1990s for his association with the University of Miami Hurricanes football team. Campbell was alleged to have been behind what was referred to as a "pay-for-play" system, which involved cash rewards for acts such as scoring touchdowns and big hits,[7] although Campbell has never actually donated to the University of Miami or its athletics department.

In 1993, Campbell threatened to go public with various alleged violations by the university's athletic department and its football program if Ryan Collins, a black player on the team, wasn't named starting quarterback that season.[8]

1990s [ edit ] 1990 saw the release of Banned in the U.S.A., originally credited as Campbell's solo album featuring 2 Live Crew and in later editions credited as a 2 Live Crew album. The album included the hits "Do the Bart" and the title track. It was also the very first release to bear the RIAA-standard Parental Advisory warning sticker.[9] It peaked at number 20 on the Hot 100.[10]

The eponymous title single is a reference to the decision in a court case that the group's album As Nasty As They Wanna Be was obscene. Bruce Springsteen granted the group permission to interpolate his song "Born in the U.S.A." for it.

Displeased over the decision of Florida Governor Bob Martinez who, on being asked to examine the album, decided it was obscene and recommended local law enforcement take action against it and over the subsequent action of Broward County, Florida, sheriff Nick Navarro, who arrested local record-store owners on obscenity charges for selling the group's albums and the subsequent arrest of members of the group on obscenity charges, the group included the song "Fuck Martinez", which also includes multiple repetitions of the phrase "fuck Navarro". The group found two other men with the same names, and had them sign releases, as they thought that this action would make it impossible for Martinez or Navarro to sue them.

That same year they released Live in Concert, the group's first and only live album, and their fifth record overall. It was released under the Effect subsidiary label of Luke Records, a move that was deemed necessary for the company to be able to release additional 2 Live Crew material outside of their distribution deal with Atlantic Records. The album peaked at number 46 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[11]

Sports Weekend: As Nasty as They Wanna Be, Pt. 2 (1991) is the sixth album overall and fifth studio album by the 2 Live Crew. A clean version was released later that same year titled Sports Weekend: As Clean As They Wanna Be Part II and was the sequel of As Clean As They Wanna Be. This would be the last studio album by all original members of the 2 Live Crew.[12]

In 1992, I Got Shit on My Mind was released. It was his first official solo album without The 2 Live Crew. It peaked at #52 on the Billboard 200 chart and #20 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It was the album that spawned the hit single "I Wanna Rock" (better known more prominently as "Doo-Doo Brown"), which became Campbell's signature song. Upon its initial release in 1992, the song did not garner much attention until the following year, when it became a runaway hit, and charted at 73 on the Hot 100.[13]

June 8, 1993 saw the release of his third solo album In the Nude. It was another success, reaching #54 on the Billboard 200 and #8 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[14]

In 1994, he reunited with Fresh Kid Ice, and a local rapper named Verb made an album under the banner The New 2 Live Crew. It is the last 2 Live Crew related project to feature him. The album became a moderate hit, peaking at #52 on the Billboard 200 and #9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, as well as producing two charting singles, "Hell, Yeah" and "You Go Girl" who were both made into music videos.[15]

Freak for Life is Campbell's fourth album. It was released on July 12, 1994, through Luke Records. Freak for Life peaked at #174 on the Billboard 200 and #24 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, making it his lowest charting album at the time. One single found mild success, "It's Your Birthday" peaked at #33 on the Hot Rap Singles and #91 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.

Also in 1994, Campbell co-founded Liberty City Optimists, an inner city youth sports program. One of his notable apprentices is Devonta Freeman, who went on to play college football for Florida State Seminoles, rival of the Hurricanes.[16]

Campbell and his label, Luke Records, Inc. went bankrupt in 1995 and sold their catalogs to Joseph Weinberger and Lil' Joe Records, Inc. in 1996.

Uncle Luke was released on May 14, 1996, on Luther Campbell Music and was mainly produced by Darren "DJ Spin" Rudnick, and Rod XL, with additional production by Frankie Cutlass, Ice Cube and Doug E. Fresh. Uncle Luke was a success, peaking at #51 on the Billboard 200 and #8 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and spawned a single, "Scarred", which made it to #64 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the Hot Rap Singles, the song was also turned into a Video.

Changin' the Game is the sixth album released by Campbell. It was released on November 11, 1997, on the Island Black Music label in collaboration with Luke Records and featured production from Campbell, Rod XL, Lil' Jon and Louis "Ugly" Howard. Though the album was met with some positive reviews, the album was a flop and remains Campbell's lowest charting album, only making it to #49 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. However, the single "Raise the Roof" found great success peaking at #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot Rap Singles.[17] The song helped to popularize the arm gesture by the same name which involved repeatedly extending ones arms upwards with the palms of the hands also facing upwards. The song is also featured in the compilation album Jock Jams Volume 4.

In 1998 he played a supporting role in the movie Ride a comedy film written and directed by Millicent Shelton. It stars Malik Yoba, Fredro Starr, and Melissa De Sousa. Also that year he played a supporting role in Ice Cube' The Players Club. The comedy/drama film stars Bernie Mac, Monica Calhoun, Jamie Foxx, John Amos, A. J. Johnson, Alex Thomas, Charlie Murphy, Terrence Howard, Faizon Love and LisaRaye.

2000s [ edit ] Somethin' Nasty is the seventh album released by Campbell. It was released on March 13, 2001, on Luke Records through Koch Records' short-lived independent label distribution unit, KELA (Koch Entertainment Label Alliance) and featured production by Campbell's former 2 Live Crew bandmate, Mr. Mixx, Daz Dillinger, Gorilla Tek, and Campbell himself. The album found minor success, peaking at #149 on the Billboard 200, #36 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #6 on the Top Independent Albums.

Campbell's last release, My Life & Freaky Times, was released in March 2006, and peaked at 32 at the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[18] The first singles serviced to radio were "Holla at Cha Homeboy", featuring Pitbull & Petey Pablo, and the reggaeton-leaning "Pop That" by Plan B and Rey Chester Secretweapon.[19]

That same year, Campbell appeared in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories as DJ Luke for the hip-hop station Fresh 105 FM. Campbell hosts a sports talk show on Miami's 790 The Ticket with former football player Terry Kirby on Saturdays.

Campbell has previously entered the adult film industry and cites on his MySpace page the need to clean up the "sometimes amateurish new courtship of Hip-Hop and Adult Entertainment".[20] He produced the adult entertainment movie Luke's Bachelor Party in 2007.

In December 2007, Campbell launched The Luke Entertainment Group and took the company public trading under the symbol LKEN on Pink Sheets.[21]

In 2008, he starred in his own short-lived show on VH1, Luke's Parental Advisory.

Campbell was interviewed about his involvement with the University of Miami football program for the documentary The U, which premiered December 12, 2009 as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series.

In 2010, he briefly reunited with Fresh Kid Ice, Brother Marquis, and Mr. Mixx as the 2 Live Crew were honorees winners at the 2010 VH1 Hip-Hop Honors: The Dirty South Edition.[22]

On February 2, 2011, Campbell announced his intention to run for mayor of Miami-Dade County on a platform that includes making housing projects safer, transparency in local government, and taxing strippers.[23] He came in fourth in a field of 11 candidates, winning 11% of the vote.[24]

By Thanksgiving 2014, Campbell reunited with 2 Live Crew (Fresh Kid Ice and Brother Marquis) for a series of shows until 2015.[25][26]

One of Campbell's songs, which used a parody of Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman", was the subject of a lawsuit, Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc., which was argued in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. The Miami New Times described Campbell as "the man whose booty-shaking madness once made the U.S. Supreme Court stand up for free speech".[27]

Personal life [ edit ] On February 18, 2009, Campbell was arrested for falling behind on child support payments.[28]

In February 2010, Campbell became a columnist for Miami New Times, an alternative weekly newspaper distributed in the Miami metropolitan area.[29] Campbell's column, called "Luke's Gospel",[30] provides "a forum for his crazy-ass views on current events," which include politics, sports and entertainment. He is quoted on the Miami New Times website as saying, "It's the perfect place for me. I am a free-speech guy. It's just a match made in Heaven. Can you believe it? Me turned loose on the world in New Times. Wow."[31]

Discography [ edit ] Studio albums [ edit ] Compilation albums [ edit ] 1996: Greatest Hits2000: Luke's Freak Fest 20002002: Scandalous: The All Star CompilationSingles [ edit ] References [ edit ] ^ Jamaican Ancestry ^ Bishop, Greg (November 5, 2012). "Luther Campbell Has a New Gig, and a New Rap for His Players". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved February 26, 2019 . ^ "Gold & Platinum '' RIAA". RIAA . Retrieved October 24, 2017 . ^ Skyywalker Records, Inc. v. Navarro, 739 F.Supp. 578 (S.D. Fla. 1990). ^ Luke Records, Inc. v. Navarro, 960 F.2d 134 (11th Cir. 1992). ^ Deflem, Mathieu. 2020. "Popular Culture and Social Control: The Moral Panic on Music Labeling." American Journal of Criminal Justice 45(1):2-24 (First published online July 24, 2019). ^ "Cash Bounties Reported at Miami". The New York Times. May 21, 1994 . Retrieved November 26, 2014 . ^ "Rapper's Threats on Behalf of Collins Trouble Qb's Dad". Sun Sentinel . Retrieved November 26, 2014 . ^ Schonfeld, Zach. "Does the Parental Advisory Label Still Matter?". Newsweek . Retrieved July 24, 2016 . ^ "Luke Banned In The U.S.A. Chart History". Billboard . Retrieved March 1, 2019 . ^ "The 2 Live Crew Live In Concert Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 11, 2018 . Retrieved April 3, 2018 . ^ Wong Won, Christopher 'Fresh Kid Ice" (July 20, 2015). "My Rise 2 Fame": The Tell All Autobiography of a Hip Hop Legend. Iconic Three Media Group, LLC. ^ "Luke I Wanna Rock Chart History". Billboard . Retrieved March 1, 2019 . ^ "Luke In The Nude Chart History". Billboard . Retrieved March 1, 2019 . ^ "The New 2 Live Crew Back At Your Ass For The Nine-4 Chart History". Billboard . Retrieved February 26, 2019 . ^ "Devonta Freeman has unlikely, but inspiring mentor". YouTube. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014 . Retrieved November 26, 2014 . ^ "Luke Raise The Roof Chart History". Billboard . Retrieved March 1, 2019 . ^ "Uncle Luke My Life & Freaky Times Chart History". Billboard . Retrieved March 1, 2019 . ^ Clark, Carlos (February 1, 2006). "2 Live Crew Member Tells All". CMJ. Archived from the original on February 7, 2006 . Retrieved March 12, 2006 . ^ Luther Canpbell, Myspace. ^ "LUKE ENTERTAINMENT (LKEN.PK)". Yahoo! Finance . Retrieved November 26, 2014 . ^ "Live from VH1 2010 Hip Hop Honors: The Dirty South". Essence . Retrieved February 27, 2019 . ^ "It's Official: Luther Campbell To Run For Mayor CBS Miami". February 2, 2011 . Retrieved November 26, 2014 . ^ "Dade '' Election Results" . Retrieved November 26, 2014 . ^ "2 Live Crew Reunion at LIV". New Miami Times. November 27, 2014. ^ "2 Live Crew & Uncle Luke at LIV". World Red Eye. August 31, 2015. ^ Luther Campbell (January 11, 2011). "Luke for Miami Mayor!" . Retrieved November 26, 2014 . ^ Castillo, Arielle (February 20, 2009). "Luther Campbell Speaks on Going to Jail". Miami New Times . Retrieved September 1, 2016 . ^ S. Pajot (November 25, 2014). "Miami New Times website" . Retrieved November 26, 2014 . ^ "List of Campbell's columns on the Miami New Times website" . Retrieved November 26, 2014 . ^ Luther Campbell (February 23, 2010). " "Fire Heat coach Erik Spoelstra," February 25, 2010" . Retrieved November 26, 2014 . ^ "Luke Album & Song Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved March 10, 2012 . ^ "Luke Album & Song Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved March 10, 2012 . ^ Peak chart positions for singles on the Hot Rap Singles or Hot Rap Songs charts in the United States"Luke Album & Song Chart History: Rap Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved March 10, 2012 . External links [ edit ] Uncle Luke's Gospel '' His Personal BlogUncle Luke at IMDbLuther Campbell InterviewLuke Entertainment GroupAppearances on C-SPAN

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Tue, 07 Jun 2022 00:49

1990 nonfiction book by Naomi Wolf

The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women is a nonfiction book by Naomi Wolf, originally published in 1990 by Chatto & Windus in the UK and William Morrow & Co (1991) in the United States. It was republished in 2002 by HarperPerennial with a new introduction.

The basic premise of The Beauty Myth is that as the social power and prominence of women have increased, the pressure they feel to adhere to unrealistic social standards of physical beauty has also grown stronger because of commercial influences on the mass media. This pressure leads to unhealthy behaviors by women and a preoccupation with appearance in both sexes, and it compromises the ability of women to be effective in and accepted by society.

Summary [ edit ] In her introduction, Wolf offers the following analysis:

The more legal and material hindrances women have broken through, the more strictly and heavily and cruelly images of female beauty have come to weigh upon us... [D]uring the past decade, women breached the power structure; meanwhile, eating disorders rose exponentially and cosmetic surgery became the fastest-growing specialty... [P]ornography became the main media category, ahead of legitimate films and records combined, and thirty-three thousand American women told researchers that they would rather lose ten to fifteen pounds than achieve any other goal...More women have more money and power and scope and legal recognition than we have ever had before; but in terms of how we feel about ourselves physically, we may actually be worse off than our unliberated grandmothers.[1]

Wolf also posits the idea of an iron maiden, an intrinsically unattainable standard that is then used to punish women physically and psychologically for their failure to achieve and conform to it. Wolf criticizes the fashion and beauty industries as exploitative of women, but claims the beauty myth extends into all areas of human functioning. Wolf writes that women should have "the choice to do whatever we want with our faces and bodies without being punished by an ideology that is using attitudes, economic pressure, and even legal judgments regarding women's appearance to undermine us psychologically and politically". Wolf argued that women were under assault by the "beauty myth" in five areas: work, religion, sex, violence, and hunger. Ultimately, Wolf argues for a relaxation of normative standards of beauty.[2]

Impact [ edit ] Wolf's book was a quick bestseller, garnering intensely polarized responses from the public and mainstream media, but winning praise from many feminists. Second-wave feminist Germaine Greer wrote that The Beauty Myth was "the most important feminist publication since The Female Eunuch", and Gloria Steinem wrote: "The Beauty Myth is a smart, angry, insightful book, and a clarion call to freedom. Every woman should read it."[3] British novelist Fay Weldon called the book "essential reading for the New Woman",[4] and Betty Friedan wrote in Allure magazine that "The Beauty Myth and the controversy it is eliciting could be a hopeful sign of a new surge of feminist consciousness."

With the publication of The Beauty Myth, Wolf became a leading spokesperson of what was later described as the third wave of the feminist movement.

Criticism [ edit ] In Who Stole Feminism? (1994) Christina Hoff Sommers criticized Wolf for publishing the claim that 150,000 women were dying every year from anorexia in the United States, writing that the actual figure was more likely to be somewhere between 100 and 400 per year.[5]

Similarly, a 2004 paper compared Wolf's eating disorder statistics to statistics from peer-reviewed epidemiological studies and concluded that 'on average, an anorexia statistic in any edition of The Beauty Myth should be divided by eight to get near the real statistic.' Schoemaker calculated that there are about 525 annual deaths from anorexia, 286 times less than Wolf's statistic.[6]

Humanities scholar Camille Paglia also criticized the book, arguing that Wolf's historical research and analysis was flawed.[7]

Connection to women's studies [ edit ] Within women's studies, scholars[who? ] posit that the Beauty Myth is a powerful force that keeps women focused on and distracted by body image and that provides both men and women with a way to judge and limit women due to their physical appearance. Magazines, posters, television ads and social media sites are, in this hypothesis, among the many platforms today that perpetuate beauty standards for both men and women. The daily presence and circulation of these platforms, it is argued, makes escaping these ideals almost impossible. Women and men alike are faced with ideal bodies, bodies that are marketed as attainable through diets and gym memberships. However, for most people these beauty standards are neither healthy nor achievable through diet or exercise. Women often place a greater importance on weight loss than on maintaining a healthy average weight, and they commonly make great financial and physical sacrifices to reach these goals. Yet failing to embody these ideals makes women targets of criticism and societal scrutiny.

Perfectionistic, unattainable goals are cited as an explanation for the increasing rates of plastic surgery and anorexia nervosa. Anorexia is one of the most prevalent eating disorders in Western countries "affecting an estimated 2.5 million people in the United States alone."[8] Of this number, more than 90 percent of anorexics are girls and young women. They suffer from a "serious mental health disease that involves compulsive dieting and drastic weight loss". This weight loss is the result of deliberate self-starvation to achieve a thinner appearance, and it is frequently associated with the disorder bulimia. Anorexia's deep psychological roots make it difficult to treat and often extend the recovery process into a life-long journey.

Some feminists believe the beauty myth is part of a system that reinforces male dominance. According to Naomi Wolf, as women increasingly focus their attention on their physical appearance, their focus on equal rights and treatment takes a lower priority. The same is argued in Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex, in which she recounts the effects of societies that condition adolescent girls and young women to behave in feminine ways. According to Beauvoir, these changes encompass a "huge array of social expectations including physical appearance, but unlike the social expectations on boys, the social expectations on girls and women usually inhibit them from acting freely".[9] In her argument, Beauvoir cites things such as clothing, make-up, diction and manners as subjects of scrutiny that women face but men do not.

Studies reveal that women today strive to achieve aesthetic ideals because they recognize the correlation between beauty and social standing. According to Dr. Vivian Diller's book Face It: What Women Really Feel as their Looks Change and What to Do About It, "most women agree, reporting the good looks continue to be associated with respect, legitimacy, and power in their relationships".[10] In the commercial world, hiring, evaluations and promotions based on physical appearance push women to place the importance of beauty above that of their work and skills.

Over the course of history, beauty ideals for women have changed drastically to represent societal views.[11] Women with fair skin were idealized and segregated and used to justify the unfair treatment of dark-skinned women.[citation needed ] In the early 1900s, the ideal female body was represented by a pale complexion and cinched-waist; freckles, sun spots, and/or skin imperfections led to scrutiny by others. In 1920, women with a thinner frame and small bust were seen as beautiful, while the ideal body type of full-chested, hourglass figures began in the early 1950s, leading to a spike in plastic surgery and eating disorders. Society is continually shifting the socially constructed ideals of beauty imposed on women.[citation needed ]

Film [ edit ] In February 2010, a filmed 42-minute lecture delivered by Naomi Wolf at California Lutheran University, entitled The Beauty Myth: The Culture of Beauty, Psychology, & the Self, was released on DVD by Into the Classroom Media.[12]

References [ edit ] ^ The Beauty Myth. pp. 10 ^ The Beauty Myth, pp. 17''18, 20, 86, 131, 179, 218. ^ "The Beauty Myth". Powells.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. ^ Hubbard, Kim (June 24, 1991), The Tyranny of Beauty, To Naomi Wolf, Pressure to Look Good Equals Oppression, People. ^ Sommers, Christina Hoff (1995). Who Stole Feminism? How Women Have Betrayed Women. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 11, 12. ISBN 0-684-80156-6. ^ "A critical appraisal of the anorexia statistics in The Beauty Myth: introducing Wolf's Overdo and Lie Factor (WOLF)". Eat Disord. 12 (2): 97''102. 2004. doi:10.1080/10640260490444619. PMID 16864310. ^ "If you want to see what's wrong with Ivy League education, look at The Beauty Myth. Paglia, Camille (1992). Sex, Art, Culture: New Essays. New York: Vintage, ISBN 978-0-679-74101-5. ^ Parks, Peggy J. (2009). Anorexia . San Diego, CA: ReferencePoint Press. pp. 6''10. ISBN 9781601520425. ^ Scholz, Sally J. (2010). Feminism: A Beginner's Guide. Oxford: Oneworld. pp. 158''164. ISBN 9781851687121. ^ Diller, Vivian; Jill Muir-Sukenick (2011). Michele Willens (ed.). Face It: What Women Really Feel as their Looks Change and What to Do About It: A Psychological Guide to Enjoying Your Appearance at Any Age (3rd ed.). Carlsbad, Calif.: Hay House. ISBN 9781401925413. ^ Ryle, Robyn (2012). Questioning Gender: A Sociological Exploration. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE/Pine Forge Press. ISBN 9781412965941. ^ Wolf, Naomi (2010). The Beauty Myth: The Culture of Beauty, Psychology, & the Self. Los Angeles: Into the Classroom Media. External links [ edit ] Rebecca Onion, "A Modern Feminist Classic Changed My Life. Was It Actually Garbage?" March 30, 2021, re-assessment of the book at Slate.

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Tue, 07 Jun 2022 00:36

American personal trainer

Jillian Michaels (born February 18, 1974)[1] is an American personal trainer, businesswoman, author, and television personality from Los Angeles, California.[2] Michaels is best known for her appearances on NBC, particularly The Biggest Loser. She has also made an appearance on the talk show The Doctors. In fall 2015, she hosted and co-judged a series on Spike titled Sweat, INC. In January 2016, her reality television series Just Jillian premiered on E!.

Early life [ edit ] Michaels was born in Los Angeles, California,[1] the daughter of JoAnn, a psychotherapist, and Douglas McKarus, a lawyer.[3][4] She was raised in Tarzana.

Michaels attended California State University, Northridge, supporting herself as a bartender and personal trainer during that time. After working briefly as an agent with International Creative Management, in 2002, Michaels opened the sports medicine facility Sky Sport & Spa in Beverly Hills.[1]

Career [ edit ] As a personal trainer and black belt holder, Jillian Michaels uses a blend of strength training techniques with her clients including kickboxing, yoga, Pilates, plyometrics, and weight training.[5] Since 1993, Jillian has held four personal training certificates from the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association NESTA and The Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), CanFitPro and she is Kettlebell Concepts certified. Jillian has also developed a continuing education series for trainers with AFAA and holds a nutrition and wellness consultant certificate with the American Fitness Professionals and Associates (AFPA).[6]

Media [ edit ] Jillian Michaels: The Fitness App is one of the top fitness apps globally and has won awards from both Apple and Google for best of in health and fitness app category.[7] Michaels has also released 20 fitness DVDs that have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Michaels has also authored 9 books on health and wellness topics with 8 NY Times Best Sellers New York Times Best Seller list.[8][9]

Since February 2011, Michaels has hosted a weekly podcast, The Jillian Michaels Show, through iTunes. In December 2011, the show was among the podcasts honored by Apple in its App Store Rewind 2011, winning in the Best New Audio Podcast category.[10]

Jillian launched her company Empowered Media LLC in 2008 and released her fitness video membership website called Fitfusion.com, often referred to as the Netflix of fitness, featuring top fitness and yoga trainers and celebrities including Dashama, Tara Stiles, Cassey Ho, Crunch Fitness, Jennifer Nicole Lee, Tone It Up, Zuzka Light, and others. Fitfusion is also associated and broadcasts on AT&T U-verse, BroadbandTV Corp, Bell Satellite TV Canada, and other TV channels, as well as Roku, Apple TV, and Fitness on Demand reaching audiences in Marriott, Hilton Worldwide and Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.[11][12]

The Biggest Loser [ edit ] Michaels was an original trainer on the reality series The Biggest Loser when the show debuted in October 2004. On the show, she assumed the role of Red Team trainer and remained in that capacity for the first two seasons. After her departure in 2006, she was replaced by Kim Lyons.[13] She returned to the show in 2007 as the Black Team trainer competing against Lyons' Red Team and Bob Harper's Blue Team.[14] Along with Harper, Michaels was also a trainer in the Australian version of the show from 2006 to 2008.[15]

On December 7, 2010, Michaels announced via Twitter that the eleventh season of the show would be her last.[16] Michaels made her last appearance on The Biggest Loser on May 24, 2011.

On September 4, 2012, it was announced that Michaels will return to The Biggest Loser in Season 14.[17] Michaels also returned for Season 15, which premiered on October 15, 2013, on NBC, but did not return for Season 16 which aired in the fall of 2014.[18]

Losing It With Jillian [ edit ] On June 1, 2010, NBC debuted Losing It With Jillian, a spin-off of The Biggest Loser. In the show, Michaels visits the home and workplaces of family members for a week.[19][20]

Losing It With Jillian originally ran on NBC in June and July 2010. As of January 2012, all eight episodes of the series are available for viewing online.[21]

Contract with CBS Television Distribution [ edit ] Jillian Michaels,

Unlimited book signing, Toronto, Canada 2011

On May 6, 2011, CBS Television Distribution announced that Michaels had signed a multi-year deal to become a co-host of the panel-discussion show The Doctors, as well as to serve as a special correspondent on the CTD program Dr. Phil. Michaels had been a guest on The Doctors several times previously.[22] On the show, Michaels hosted a recurring segment called Ask Jillian, which dealt primarily with nutrition and diet topics.

Michaels left The Doctors in January 2012 after half a season, because, she claimed, the arrangement "wasn't the fit both the show and I hoped for".[23][24]

Charities [ edit ] Michaels is an avid activist who works closely with a variety of charities including the UNHCR and has taken multiple missions on behalf of this organization to help raise awareness and funds for refugees around the globe.[25] Michaels is involved in a variety of charities including the NFL's Play 60,[26] Stand Up to Cancer,[27] Working Wardrobes,[28] Hope for Haiti,[29] and Sow a Seed and Dress for Success.[30] Michaels also devotes time to animal welfare causes, and she recently helped PETA rescue a racehorse from the slaughterhouse.[31]

Personal life [ edit ] Michaels has two children with her ex-fianc(C)e Heidi Rhoades.[32] Michaels adopted their then-two-year-old daughter (Lukensia Michaels Rhoades) from Haiti in May 2012, and Rhoades gave birth to a son (Phoenix Michaels Rhoades) that same month.[33] The couple announced the end of their relationship in June 2018.[34][35]

As of late 2018 Michaels has been in a relationship with designer Deshanna Marie Minuto.[36] In November 2021, Michaels announced that she and Minuto were engaged.[37]

On her sexuality, Michaels has stated, "Let's just say I believe in healthy love. If I fall in love with a woman, that's awesome. If I fall in love with a man, that's awesome. As long as you fall in love...it's like organic food. I only eat healthy food, and I only want healthy love!"[32] She credits Madonna's "Justify My Love" video with helping her find her voice.[38]

In September 2020, Michaels told Fox Business that she had recently recovered from COVID-19. She said that she was "able to get on the other side of it pretty quick."[39]

Bibliography [ edit ] Winning by Losing: Drop the Weight, Change Your Life (September 2005), William Morrow, ISBN 0-06-084546-5Making the Cut: The 30-Day Diet and Fitness Plan for the Strongest, Sexiest You (April 2007), Harmony Books, ISBN 0-307-38250-8Master Your Metabolism: The 3 Diet Secrets to Naturally Balancing Your Hormones for a Hot and Healthy Body! (April 2009), Crown, ISBN 0-307-45073-2The Master Your Metabolism Calorie Counter (April 2010), Three Rivers Press, ISBN 0-307-71821-2The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook (April 2010), Harmony Books, ISBN 0-307-71822-0Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life (April 2011), Harmony Books, ISBN 0-307-58830-0Slim for Life: My Insider Secrets to Simple, Fast, and Lasting Weight Loss (April 2013), Harmony Books, ISBN 9780804138178Yeah Baby!: The Modern Mama's Guide to Mastering Pregnancy, Having a Healthy Baby, and Bouncing Back Better Than Ever (November 2016), Rodale Books, ISBN 9781623368036The 6 Keys: Unlock Your Genetic Potential for Ageless Strength, Health and Beauty (December 2018), Little Brown, ISBN 9780316448642References [ edit ] ^ a b c "Jillian Michaels Biography". Biography.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012 . Retrieved January 11, 2012 . ^ "Jillian Michaels". AskMen.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011 . Retrieved August 18, 2009 . ^ "Jo Ann McKarus: Psychotherapist". JillianMichaels.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2013 . Retrieved March 12, 2013 . ^ "Health for Women Magazine" (PDF) . www.juliehadden.com. 2009 . Retrieved October 19, 2019 . ^ "Jillian's Bio". JillianMichaels.com . Retrieved March 12, 2013 . ^ "Jillian Michaels Bio". Archived from the original on January 26, 2014 . Retrieved October 23, 2013 . ^ "Best Daily Helper - Android Apps on Google Play" . Retrieved October 19, 2019 . ^ Best Sellers - The New York Times February 07, 2010 (accessed January 11, 2012) ^ Best Sellers - The New York Times April 24, 2011 (accessed January 11, 2012) ^ iTunes Rewind 2011: Apple Gives Us Their Best Music, Movies, and Apps of the Year (accessed January 10, 2012) ^ " 'Meet the Netflix for Fitness: FitFusion". Readers Digest Best Health Magazine . Retrieved August 30, 2018 . ^ " 'FitFusion.com Makes Switching Up Your Workout Cheaper and Easier". Self Magazine . Retrieved August 30, 2018 . ^ Why did Jillian leave 'Biggest Loser'? (accessed January 10, 2012) ^ Jillian Michaels returns to 'Biggest Loser' (accessed January 10, 2012) ^ Biggest Loser star battled weight, blues The Sydney Morning Herald, September 18, 2006 (accessed January 10, 2012) ^ " 'Biggest Loser' will soon lose Jillian Michaels '' The Marquee Blog". CNN. ^ "Jillian Michaels Returns to 'The Biggest Loser' in January 2012; Series to Feature Teen Participants". TV By the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 9, 2012 . Retrieved September 4, 2012 . ^ Hines, Ree. " 'Biggest Loser' trainer Jillian Michaels won't return for season 16". ^ Losing It With Jillian. - NBC. (at NBC.com). ^ Kinon, Cristina (May 12, 2010). " 'Mean' trainer Jillian Michaels sheds tears, while families shed pounds on 'Losing It With Jillian' ". Daily News . Retrieved May 18, 2010 . ^ Losing it With Jillian - NBC Site (accessed January 11, 2012) ^ Albiniak, Paige (May 6, 2011). "Jillian Michaels to join 'The Doctors' ". Broadcasting & Cable . Retrieved December 24, 2011 . ^ Starr, Michael. Jillian Michaels off 'Doctors', New York Post, January 3, 2012. (accessed January 11, 2012) ^ Potts. ^ "Close". Archived from the original on July 1, 2019. ^ The Biggest Loser's Jillian Michaels at the NFL's Play 60 Event Archived January 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine(accessed January 10, 2012) ^ Jillian Michaels to Host All-Star Game Charity 5K & Fun Run Archived January 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (accessed January 10, 2012) ^ Working Wardrobes Press Room Archived November 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine (accessed January 10, 2012) ^ Fisher, Luchina. "Hope for Haiti: Stars Line Up for Tonight's Telethon", ABC News, January 22, 2010. (accessed January 24, 2012) ^ Dress for Success Worldwide: The Power Walk Archived January 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (accessed January 19, 2012) ^ Beth Ann Macaluso, "Jilian Michaels Helps Rescue Racehorse Bound for Slaughter," US Weekly April 19, 2012. ^ a b "Jillian Michaels Is Gay". SheKnows.com. May 23, 2012 . Retrieved May 23, 2012 . ^ "Jillian Michaels Is a Mom '' Times Two!". People. May 23, 2012 . Retrieved May 23, 2012 . ^ Hautman, Nicholas (June 15, 2018). "Jillian Michaels and Fiancee Heidi Rhoades Split After Nearly Nine Years Together". Us Weekly . Retrieved June 18, 2018 . ^ Mazziotta, Julie (June 15, 2018). "Jillian Michaels and Fianc(C)e Heidi Rhoades Have Been Split 'for Awhile Now' ". People Health . Retrieved June 18, 2018 . ^ "Jillian Michaels Is Dating Designer Deshanna Marie Minuto After Split from Fianc(C)e Heidi Rhoades". PEOPLE.com . Retrieved April 15, 2021 . ^ Butler, Karen (November 28, 2021). "Jillian Michaels engaged to marry DeShanna Marie Minuto". United Press International. Archived from the original on November 28, 2021 . Retrieved November 28, 2021 . ^ "Q&A: Jillian Michaels on Her Madonna-Influenced Coming Out, LGBT Community's Pressure to Marry & Why She Uses the Word 'Fag' ". Between the Lines. ^ "Jillian Michaels Says She Contracted COVID-19 After Letting Her 'Guard Down for an Hour' ". PEOPLE.com . Retrieved September 9, 2020 . External links [ edit ] Official website Jillian Michaels at IMDb

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Tue, 07 Jun 2022 00:03

U.S. | Kevin Samuels, a Polarizing YouTube Personality, Dies at 57 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/07/us/kevin-samuels-dead.htmlStyling himself as an image consultant, Mr. Samuels aimed his advice at Black men and women, drawing a large following and a chorus of detractors who condemned his views as outdated and cruel.

Kevin Samuels transformed in recent years from a personal stylist into a social media celebrity who built a following on an image of plain-spoken, hypermasculine authority. Credit... via YouTube May 7, 2022

Kevin Samuels, a YouTube and Instagram personality whose blunt lifestyle advice aimed at Black men and women drew a legion of admiring followers and a chorus of detractors who condemned his views as outdated and cruel, died on Thursday in Atlanta. He was 57.

His death was announced by two friends and fellow YouTube personalities, Dennis Spurling and Melanie King. Mr. Spurling, who is also a lawyer, identified himself as a family spokesman in an Instagram post.

The Atlanta police said he was found unresponsive on the floor of his apartment. No cause was cited.

Describing himself as an image consultant, Mr. Samuels had transformed in recent years from a personal stylist into a social media celebrity who built his following on an image of plain-spoken, hypermasculine authority, usually wearing a finely tailored suit. The approach brought him more than a million followers on both YouTube and Instagram, and many of his supporters viewed him as taking courageous stands for what they called traditional values.

In his videos and posts, Mr. Samuels urged his followers to adhere to rigid gender roles; he largely evaluated women for their appearance and youth, men for their assertiveness and money. He criticized women whom he saw as too career-focused, and asked questions suggesting women's interest in men was based mostly on their income: ''How much do you charge for submission?''

The messages were repugnant to many, especially women, who said his views were misogynistic and promoted a brand of masculinity that harmed the men who listened to him. More than 30,000 people signed an online petition asking YouTube and Instagram to remove Mr. Samuels, saying he had ''galvanized a community of men of all races and nationalities in the outspoken hatred of women.''

On Thursday, when word of his death first surfaced, Mr. Samuels became one of the leading topics on Twitter, with many of the most amplified voices speaking out against him.

''Kevin Samuels has basically made a profit and has made his profile consistently perpetuating harmful stereotypes about Black men and women,'' Ernest Owens, a journalist, said on Friday, adding that ''a lot of his rhetoric and commentary was rooted in misogyny.''

The comments on Mr. Samuels's YouTube and Instagram videos revealed a community, mostly but not entirely composed of men, who looked up to him. One commenter responded to a recent video by calling Mr. Samuels an ''inspiration'' to Black men around the world, and thousands of others indicated support for the comment.

Kevin Samuels was born on March 13, 1965, according to Mr. Spurling, who said he was survived by his mother and a daughter.

Mr. Samuels had an early interest in fashion, telling The Oklahoma Gazette in 2016 that as a child he ''laid out my pajamas and made sure they were pressed.'' He credited his mother with piquing that interest.

He attended the University of Oklahoma, where he studied chemical engineering, according to his LinkedIn page. He had a career in marketing before leaving the industry in 2013 and pivoting to his own image consulting firm. An early business went by the name Made Men Image Consulting.

In the early years there was little of the sharp-tongued content that would later launch him to stardom, as he focused initially on personal fashion and self-improvement for professionals.

''People can expect to receive high-level fashion and style ideas distilled down to the practical level that the average, everyday man and woman needs, finds useful and can immediately act upon,'' Mr. Samuels told Uncovering Oklahoma in 2016.

But he later discovered a formula that would help his following skyrocket, based on harsh assessments of modern women and the dynamics of dating and relationships. Many of his videos, seeking to explain why people were not in relationships, centered on the inherent value of men and women, based on a set of traditional criteria.

In 2020, in one of his first viral hits, a video that assessed a woman as ''average at best'' received millions of views. He referred to women over 35 as ''leftovers,'' echoing a line he claimed was used by the Chinese Communist Party.

''If you have made it to 35 and you are unmarried, you are a leftover woman,'' he said. ''You are what is left. Men know that there is something likely wrong with you. Whether you want to hear it or not, I'm going to go there with you. I'm telling you the truth that you don't want to hear.''

On social media, Mr. Samuels outlined a view of relationships that put men in a dominant position and said women should accept infidelity by men but not be unfaithful themselves.

''Successful men cheat,'' he recently wrote on Instagram. ''Either you will deal with it or not.''

The approach appeared to be lucrative. In addition to whatever revenue he accrued from his followings on Instagram and YouTube, as of Friday afternoon more than 1,700 people had paid between $5 and $20 per month for his newsletter.

Johnny Diaz and Alex Traub contributed reporting.

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Canadian ice hockey player

Ice hockey player

Sean Christopher Avery (born April 10, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. During his career in the National Hockey League (NHL), he played left wing for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and Dallas Stars, gaining recognition for controversial and disrespectful behavior both on and off the ice. His agitating playing style led to multiple teams waiving him and to having a contract terminated. He led the league in penalty minutes twice, during the 2003''04 and 2005''06 NHL seasons.

After retiring in 2012, Avery focused full-time on working in the creative industry. He has worked in fashion as an intern at Vogue magazine, as a model, and as a former restaurateur.[1] Avery's memoir, Ice Capades: A Memoir of Fast Living and Tough Hockey, was published by Blue Rider Press in 2017.[2]

Early life [ edit ] Avery was born in North York, Ontario,[3] the son of Al and Marlene Avery, both teachers.[4] He grew up in Pickering, Ontario,[5] where he attended Dunbarton High School.[6] He has a younger brother named Scott.[7]

Playing career [ edit ] Junior league (1996''2000) [ edit ] Prior to joining the NHL, Avery played for the Owen Sound Platers and the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).[8]

Detroit Red Wings (2001''2003) [ edit ] Avery was signed by the Detroit Red Wings as a free agent in 1999. He played one final season in the OHL before turning professional in 2000 with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the American Hockey League (AHL). Avery first played in the NHL during the 2001''02 season, playing 36 games with the Red Wings and 36 in the minors. The Red Wings went on to win the Stanley Cup that season but Avery did not play in the playoffs nor did he play the required 41 games to get his name engraved on the Cup.

Midway through the 2002''03 season, Avery was traded to the Los Angeles Kings, along with defenseman Maxim Kuznetsov and two draft picks for Mathieu Schneider.[9] He finished the season with 15 points in 51 games.[10]

Los Angeles Kings and NHL lockout (2003''2007) [ edit ] In 2003''04, Avery played 76 games for the Kings, scoring 9 goals to go along with 19 assists. He also led the NHL in penalty minutes with 261.[10]

During the 2004''05 NHL lockout, Avery briefly played in the Finnish Elite League with the Lahti Pelicans, and in the United Hockey League for the Motor City Mechanics. Along with 149 penalty minutes in just 16 games, he tallied 26 points for the Mechanics, including two hat tricks, making him the first player in Mechanics history to record two hat tricks in one season. Several players spoke publicly of their dissatisfaction with the NHL Players' Association's leadership during the lockout, including Avery, who publicly blamed NHLPA president Bob Goodenow for wasting an entire season with a battle that alienated fans and yielded few results.[11]

Avery led the league in penalty minutes for the second consecutive season in 2005-06, with 257. With three games remaining, the Kings unofficially suspended Avery for the remainder of the season after he refused to do a drill in practice. Nevertheless, the team re-signed him to a one-year deal.[12]

During his time with the Kings, Avery has been said to have mocked Dustin Brown about his lisp. Former Kings' teammate Ian Laperri¨re said it "was bullying, like you might see in high school." But according to other players and coaches, Brown's lisp was not Avery's target, Brown's then girlfriend, now wife, Nicole was. Avery did not think Nicole Brown was glamorous enough to be a "girlfriend of a hockey player in Hollywood."[13]

New York Rangers (2007''2008) [ edit ] On February 5, 2007, in the middle of the 2006''07 season, Avery was traded to the New York Rangers.[12] After joining the Rangers, he scored 20 points in 29 games to help the team complete a 17''4''6 end-of-season run to qualify for the playoffs. On March 17, Avery recorded a single-game career-high four points (one goal and three assists) against the Boston Bruins in a 7''0 victory.[14] Avery played in his first career playoff game on April 12 against the Atlanta Thrashers, recording his first playoff points with a goal and an assist.[15]

On August 1, 2007, Avery, as a restricted free agent, earned an arbitration award of $1.9 million for the 2007''08 season, which the Rangers accepted.[16]

On February 16, 2008, in a game against the Buffalo Sabres, Avery scored a goal 10 seconds into the game, setting a record for fastest goal scored by a Ranger on home ice.[17]

Dallas Stars (2008) [ edit ] Avery signed a four-year, $15.5 million contract with the Dallas Stars on July 2, 2008.[18] In December 2008, the NHL suspended Avery after he made controversial remarks about other players dating his ex-girlfriends.[19] After serving a six-game suspension and completing a counseling program, the Stars placed Avery on waivers on February 7, 2009.[20][21]

Return to the Rangers (2009''2012) [ edit ] Avery in the 2009 playoffs

After clearing waivers on February 9, 2009, Avery was assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers' AHL affiliate, although he remained a member of the Stars organization (that season, the Stars had no AHL affiliate).[21][22] On March 2, Avery was placed on re-entry waivers by Dallas, and claimed by the Rangers the following day.[23] On January 5, 2010, in a game against the Stars, his former team, Avery recorded one goal and three assists.[24]

On October 4, 2011, the Rangers waived Avery. He later cleared waivers and re-joined the Rangers for their November 5 game against the Montreal Canadiens.[25] After being a healthy scratch for nine games, Avery was once again placed on waivers on December 30, 2011. Since no NHL team claimed him, he returned to the AHL's Connecticut Whale.[26] His last game played with the Whale was on January 27, 2012. He was left off the Whale's Clear Day list of players eligible to play for the remainder of the AHL season submitted on March 5, and told to no longer report to games or practices.[27]

On March 12, 2012, Avery retired. He announced his retirement on Watch What Happens Live with host Andy Cohen.[28][29]

Orlando Solar Bears (2022) [ edit ] On February 23, 2022, the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL signed Avery to a standard player contract, putting him on the team's reserve list.[30] Orlando released him two days later. Avery did not play in a game for the Solar Bears.[31]

Controversies and bullying [ edit ] During and after his hockey career, Avery has been involved in a number of controversies. The NHL and his teams have disciplined him multiple times. Outside of hockey, he has a history of bullying co-workers, support staff, and his own mother-in-law.[1]

The lack of respect for others started early in his career; Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said he traded Avery during the 2002''03 season because he did not live up to the standards of an NHL professional.[32]

Avery has bullied people including Dustin Brown[13] and Martin Brodeur.[33] One former teammate said of Avery, "He is all smoke and mirrors. He doesn't have a lot of friends in any line of work."[1]

[ edit ] In November 2007, Howard Berger, a reporter for Toronto radio station FAN 590 stated that an unnamed Rangers player had accused Avery of commenting about Toronto Maple Leafs player Jason Blake's battle with leukemia, prior to a pre-game confrontation between Avery and Toronto's Darcy Tucker.[34] Avery, who denied the allegation, received an NHL-maximum $2500 fine, and Tucker received a $1000 fine.[35]

The Avery Rule [ edit ] Avery "screening" Brodeur

During Game 3 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals against the New Jersey Devils, Avery turned his back on the play in order to face and screen Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur during a two-man advantage on the power play. He waved his hands and stick in front of Brodeur in an attempt to distract him and block his view. The puck was later cleared out of the Devils' zone but on the second Rangers offensive attack, Avery scored a power play goal.

Notable in this instance was that Avery had spent the initial part of the play facing Brodeur while ignoring the puck, with his back to the play (normally, the player screening the goaltender is facing the play). The following day, the NHL issued an interpretation of the league's unsportsmanlike conduct rule to cover actions such as the one employed by Avery, which would now result in a minor penalty.[36] This became known colloquially as "The Avery Rule".[37]

Avery's tactics during that series against the Devils earned multiple power plays, and he scored in each of the first three games. The Rangers won the series in five games.

Heckling incident [ edit ] Avery during the 2010''11 season

On November 1, 2008, following a game with the Stars against the Boston Bruins, Avery was accused of shouting obscenities at a fan who had been heckling him during the game. A report of complaint was filed with the NHL, but no action was taken.[38]

[ edit ] On December 2, 2008, prior to the Stars' morning skate in preparation for a game against the Calgary Flames, Avery approached the assembled reporters in the dressing room and stated, "I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don't know what that's about, but enjoy the game tonight." At the time, two of Avery's ex-girlfriends were dating fellow NHL players '' actress Elisha Cuthbert was dating Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf, and model Rachel Hunter was dating Kings center Jarret Stoll.[38][39]

Within hours, the NHL suspended Avery indefinitely for "conduct detrimental to the league or the game of hockey". His comments were met with near-unanimous condemnation by the Stars organization, fellow players, and fans alike. Stars owner Tom Hicks said that the team would have suspended Avery had the NHL not acted first.[41] Avery apologized the next day, calling his actions "inappropriate" and "a bad attempt to build excitement for the game".[42]

On December 5, the NHL fixed Avery's suspension at six games, retroactive to the December 2 game against the Flames. He agreed to undergo anger management counseling due to what the NHL called unacceptable and antisocial behavior. Commissioner Gary Bettman noted that both he and league disciplinarian Colin Campbell had warned Avery several times before about his behavior. On December 14, after the last game of Avery's suspension, the Stars announced that Avery would not return to the team. One factor in the Stars decision was that coach Dave Tippett and several of the players, including Mike Modano and Marty Turco, let it be known they weren't willing to take him back on the team. Tippett had warned Avery not to talk to the media about his former girlfriends, and was outraged when he did so.[43][44] According to TSN's James Duthie, Avery's teammates had soured on him not long after he arrived. The "sloppy seconds" incident was the last straw, and Hicks had been actively looking to cut ties with him while the suspension was underway.[45]

Feud with John Tortorella [ edit ] Prior to his second stint with the Rangers, Avery had been called out on numerous occasions by then TSN commentator, future Rangers coach and Stanley Cup winner John Tortorella, who is noted for his no-nonsense behavior with his players and the press. After rejoining the Rangers, Avery's relationship with Tortorella was uneasy, although in Avery's book he reports there were moments of mutual admiration. Nearly a year after Avery retired, on March 30, 2013, following the Rangers' second consecutive shutout loss, Avery posted on his Twitter account about his former coach, "Fire this CLOWN, his players hate him and wont play for his BS."[46][47] On May 29, 2013, after the Rangers lost to the Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Tortorella was fired.[48] Avery told the New York Post that he "had a huge smile" on his face after finding out that Tortorella was fired, adding, "It's not that I'm happy for myself. I'm happy for the Rangers and Ranger fans."[47]

Restraining order and other bullying incidents [ edit ] In late 2014, Avery left rehearsals of a Broadway production he was a part of early after growing agitated. The next day, Avery's behavior grew worse. According to witnesses, when a young assistant stage manager named Natalie asked the athlete-turned-actor if he wanted a slice of pizza, he said no, but somehow thought the assistant had called him an "a''hole." "It's a complete horror story '... Avery had a complete meltdown in rehearsals and quit. He pretty much snapped," witnesses told the New York Post.[49]

In 2016, Avery was served with a restraining order for harassing his mother-in-law. Beginning in summer of 2016, Avery "...was harassing her. They were running into each other, belonged to the same gym, and he'd issue profanities at her and make obscene gestures. He was driving in his car too close to her and scaring her."[50]

Criminal mischief trial [ edit ] In 2019, Avery used his Instagram account to mount "an increasingly brash, occasionally violent crusade" to clear New York City's bike lanes. He was cited by police for allegedly ramming his scooter into a car that was blocking a bike lane in the West Village.[51]

Avery was charged with criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, in 2019. Prosecutors offered him a plea deal that would involve him pleading guilty, paying a fine, and attending anger management classes. In an in-person hearing in April 2022, Avery dismissed his lawyer, chose to represent himself, and declined a bench trial, demanding instead a jury trial. His court date was set for May 23, 2022. This angered Avery, who lives and works in California, and who had demanded a trial on the same day as his hearing.[52] At a pretrial hearing on May 23, Avery attended via FaceTime and was represented by an attorney. He was ordered to appear in person on June 15.[53]

Advertising [ edit ] After retiring from the NHL in 2012, Avery began working at Lipman, a New York City-based advertising and creative agency. Avery was said to have "charmed (David) Lipman into giving him a position"[1] and was brought on as the chief strategic officer. Avery helped develop strategies for the company and worked as a model. He also handled a range of assignments for Lipman's parent company, Revolate Holdings, a "failed brand marketing holding company that had stakes in a number of ventures".[54][55] During his time at Lipman, Avery was said to have been "terrorizing everyone in the office." According to former co-workers, "He will stop at nothing to get it done, even if there are casualties along the way. He creates conflict and pushes it too far."[1] In August 2013, when Lipman declared bankruptcy, Avery was owed $229,167 for his work.[56][54]

Fashion [ edit ] Vogue [ edit ] In April 2008, it was announced that Avery would be spending the summer offseason interning at Vogue magazine.[57] In June 2008, Avery guest-edited Mensvogue.com, the website for Men's Vogue magazine.[58] His interest mainly resides with women's fashion; of men's fashion Avery has said, "You do suits and pants and that's about that. Women's clothes tell a story. That's what's interesting to me."[59]

In 2008, New Line Cinema put into development a film based on Avery's life, focusing on his status as a professional athlete with an active interest in fashion, including a summer internship at Vogue. Stan Chervin was hired to write the script.[60]

Commonwealth Utilities [ edit ] In 2009, Avery worked with men's fashion label Commonwealth Utilities to present a clothing line for New York Fashion Week.[61]

Modeling [ edit ] Hickey Freeman [ edit ] Avery was hired to be the face of Hickey Freeman's Spring/Summer 2012 ad campaign, shot by Francesco Carrozzini. The print ads appeared in Vanity Fair, DC Modern Luxury and other magazines. As of 2021, he is no longer working with Hickey Freeman.

7 For All Mankind [ edit ] Avery was in the 2013 campaign for 7 For All Mankind, A Beautiful Odyssey. He also appeared in print ads.[62]

Film and television appearances [ edit ] Avery had a small role in the 2005 Maurice Richard biopic The Rocket: The Legend of Rocket Richard, portraying former New York Rangers defenseman Bob Dill.

Avery appeared in a 2007 episode of MADtv with Kings teammates Tom Kostopoulos and Scott Thornton.

He was on People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive 2007 list.[63]

He was a guest on a 2009 episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon; a Top Ten List presenter on a 2009 episode of Late Show with David Letterman; a guest judge on Project Runway: All Stars in 2012; and appeared on Fashion Police in 2013.[64]

On March 4, 2014, he was announced as one of the celebrities who will take part in the 18th season of Dancing with the Stars.[65] He partnered with Karina Smirnoff. The two were the second couple to be eliminated on week 2 after a double elimination.

In 2018 he appeared in the Peter Berg Directed Movie Mile 22 Starring Mark Wahlberg.

In January 2020, Avery announced he was cast in Christopher Nolan ' s film Tenet.[66]

In 2021 he appeared in S01E06 of the AMC Series Kevin Can F**k Himself.[67] as himself.

He has appeared multiple times in 2021-22 as a guest commentator on the Gutfeld! show on Fox News.

Book [ edit ] Avery's memoir, Ice Capades: A Memoir of Fast Living and Tough Hockey (titled Offside: My Life Crossing the Line in Canada), was published by Blue Rider Press on October 24, 2017.[2]

Restaurants [ edit ] Avery had financial interest in two New York City restaurants in the early 2010s. In August 2013, the New York Post reported that Avery had sold his interests in both Warren 77 and Tiny's.[68] According to sources, "For the betterment of the business, they paid him to go away. He got bought out".[1]

Activism [ edit ] Political endorsements [ edit ] On August 29, 2021, Avery, via Twitter, endorsed Republican Curtis Sliwa for Mayor of New York City.[69]

Same-sex marriage [ edit ] In May 2011, Avery recorded a video for the New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign, in support of same-sex marriage.[70] In an interview with the New York Times, he stated, "I certainly have been surrounded by the gay community. And living in New York and when you live in L.A., you certainly have a lot of gay friends."[71] Avery also traveled to Albany, New York, to lobby politicians prior to the July 2011 legalization of same-sex marriage in New York State.[72][73]

Athlete Ally [ edit ] In 2012, Avery was a member the board of directors of Athlete Ally.[74] As of 2013, he is no longer associated with the group.[75]

Personal life [ edit ] Avery married model Hilary Rhoda at the Parrish Art Museum in New York on October 10, 2015.[76] The couple had been engaged since November 8, 2013.[77] The two first met at Warren 77 in the summer of 2009.[76] The couple have been publicly estranged from Rhoda's mother for several years.[78]

Avery and Rhoda have a son, Nash Hollis Avery, born on July 28, 2020.[79]

Career statistics [ edit ] Bold indicates led league

[ edit ] January 11, 1999 '' Traded to Kingston (OHL) by Owen Sound (OHL) with Steve Lafleur for Aaron Fransen and D. J. Maracle.[80]September 21, 1999 '' Signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings.[80]March 11, 2003 '' Traded by the Red Wings, along with Maxim Kuznetsov, Detroit's 2003 first-round draft choice and 2004 second-round draft choice, to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Mathieu Schneider.[9]November 24, 2004 '' Signed as a free agent by Lahti (Finland).[80]February 11, 2005 '' Signed as a free agent by Motor City (UHL).[80]February 5, 2007 '' Traded by the Kings, along with John Seymour, to the New York Rangers in exchange for Jason Ward, Jan Marek, Marc-Andr(C) Cliche and New York's 2008 third-round draft choice.[80]July 2, 2008 '' Signed as a free agent with the Dallas Stars.[80]March 3, 2009 '' Claimed off re-entry waivers by the Rangers.[23]October 11, 2011 '' Sent down to the Connecticut Whale (AHL).[81]October 31, 2011 '' Placed on 24-hour re-entry waivers.[25]March 12, 2012 '' Announces retirement.[28]References [ edit ] ^ a b c d e f Fleming, Kirsten (April 17, 2016). 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Klein, "Avery Comes Alive Against the Stars, His Ex-Team," New York Times, January 6, 2010. ^ a b Larry Books, "Rangers put Avery on re-entry waivers," New York Post, October 31, 2011. ^ Sean Avery clears waivers. espn.com (December 31, 2011). ^ Katie Strang, "AHL's Whale done with Sean Avery," ESPN, March 6, 2012. ^ a b Larry Books, "Former Rangers forward Avery calls it quits," New York Post, March 14, 2012. ^ Katie Strang, "Sean Avery talks retirement," ESPN, March 13, 2012. ^ Wyshynski, Greg (February 23, 2022). "Former New York Rangers forward Sean Avery, 41, signs with ECHL team". ESPN. ^ Wegman, Josh (February 25, 2022). "Sean Avery released by ECHL's Solar Bears 2 days after signing". The Score. ^ Rosen, Dan; and Adam Kimelman. Holland: "Avery hasn't matured". NHL.com, 2008-12-05. ^ Uribarri, Jaime. "Sean Avery rips 'fatso' Martin Brodeur on Twitter over 'Dancing With the Stars' insult". nydailynews.com . Retrieved September 3, 2021 . ^ "Controversial incidents involving Sean Avery", CBS Sports, November 13, 2007. ^ "Did Sean Avery Make Comments About Jason Blake's Fight With Cancer?", CityNews, November 13, 2007. ^ "NHL amends unsportsmanlike conduct rule in response to Avery's antics". ESPN. April 14, 2008 . Retrieved April 14, 2008 . ^ Allen Salkin, "The Demon on His Shoulder," New York Times, March 27, 2009. ^ a b Scott Burnside, "Isolated incident? No, Avery's career has been defined by indiscretions," ESPN, December 3, 2008. ^ "Controversial incidents involving Sean Avery", CBS Sports, November 13, 2007. ^ "NHL statement on Avery suspension". ^ Stars LW Avery issues apology for televised comments about ex-girlfriends. Associated Press via ESPN; 2008-12-04. ^ Avery to continue counseling, will not return to Stars, TSN.ca, 2008-12-14. ^ Stars: Avery will not return. ESPN, 2008-12-14. ^ Duthie, James. Avery's teammates hope "indefinitely" means "forever", The Sports Network, 2008-12-03. ^ Greg Wyshynski, "Sean Avery had 'huge smile' over John Tortorella's firing by Rangers," Yahoo! Sports, May 31, 2013. ^ a b Larry Books, "Avery: I had 'huge smile' after finding out Rangers fired Tortorella," New York Post, May 31, 2013. ^ Katie Strang, "Rangers fire John Tortorella," ESPN, May 29, 2013. ^ Smith, Stephanie (November 5, 2014). "Sean Avery has meltdown days before off-Broadway debut". Page Six . Retrieved August 27, 2021 . ^ Siegler, Mara (December 6, 2017). "Sean Avery was slapped with restraining order for 'harassing' mother-in-law". Page Six . Retrieved August 27, 2021 . ^ Offenhartz, Jake (June 11, 2019). "NYC's Besieged Bike Lanes Needed A Hero. Instead, We Got Sean Avery". Gothamist . Retrieved April 14, 2022 . ^ Bromwich, Jonah E. (April 14, 2022). "He Made an N.H.L. Career Out of Being a Pest. It Isn't Working in Court". The New York Times . Retrieved April 14, 2022 . ^ "Ex-NHL enforcer Sean Avery opts for a lawyer with trial date set in car-ramming case". The Toronto Star. May 23, 2022. ISSN 0319-0781 . Retrieved May 26, 2022 . ^ a b "Sean Avery owed $229K by bankrupt Lipman agency". New York Post. October 24, 2013 . Retrieved September 3, 2021 . ^ Stuart Elliott, "From Madison Square Garden to Madison Avenue," New York Times, December 13, 2012. ^ "The ripple effect of Lipman's bankruptcy". New York Post. October 5, 2013 . Retrieved September 3, 2021 . ^ Zargani, Luisa; Smith, Stephanie D.; Wicks, Amy (April 25, 2008). "Memo Pad: And his qualifications are?... Eye of the beholder..." WWD.Com . Retrieved March 3, 2009 . ^ "The Diary of 'Vogue' intern Sean Avery," The Cut, June 23, 2008. ^ "Clothes Make The Ice Man," Archived October 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Newsweek, October 24, 2008. ^ Amy Odell, "Sean Avery's 'Vogue' Internship to Become a Movie," The Cut, September 9, 2008. ^ "It's Fashion Week!". The New York Times. September 10, 2009 . Retrieved September 11, 2009 . ^ Lauren Levinson, "Exclusive: Watch James Franco's Latest 7 For All Mankind Video Starring Sean Avery," Elle, March 20, 2013. ^ "Sexiest Man Alive 2007," People, 2007. ^ Sean Avery, IMDb. Accessed September 8, 2013. ^ Kristin Dos Santos, "Dancing With the Stars Cast Revealed! Cody Simpson, Nene Leakes and James Maslow Are Among the Names'--See the Full List!" E! Online, March 4, 2014. ^ "Spittin' Chiclets Episode 235: Featuring Sean Avery". Barstool Sports (Podcast). January 13, 2020. Event occurs at 55:20. ^ AV Club article, July 19, 2021 ^ "Exiting eateries," New York Post, August 31, 2013. ^ "https://twitter.com/imseanavery/status/1432087399710879746". Twitter . Retrieved September 1, 2021 . ^ "Sean Avery for HRC's NYers 4 Marriage Equality". YouTube. May 5, 2011 . Retrieved August 5, 2011 . ^ John Branch, "In Rarity, a Player Speaks Out for Gay Rights," New York Times, May 7, 2011. ^ "Cynthia Nixon Says We're at a Turning Point For Gay Marriage". Ontopmag.com. July 20, 2011 . Retrieved November 1, 2011 . ^ Michael Barbaro, "After Long Wait, Same-Sex Couples Marry in New York," New York Times, July 24, 2011. ^ "Former New York Ranger Sean Avery Joins Athlete Ally Board," Archived March 4, 2014, at the Wayback Machine Athlete Ally, May 30, 2012. ^ "About". Athlete Ally . Retrieved September 1, 2021 . ^ a b Marx, Linda. "Hilary Rhoda and Sean Avery Marry," The New York Times, Sunday, October 11, 2015. ^ Stephanie Webber, "Sean Avery, Former NHL Player, Engaged to Model Hilary Rhoda," Us Weekly, November 13, 2013. ^ Confidential. "Retired hockey star Sean Avery 'brainwashed' Hilary Rhoda into cutting her mother, brother from wedding: sources". nydailynews.com . Retrieved September 1, 2021 . ^ https://www.instagram.com/p/CDMPbvKhIPT/ ^ a b c d e f "NHL.com '' Players: Sean Avery". NHL.com . Retrieved March 3, 2009 . ^ "Avery clears waivers, sent to AHL; Staal on injured list," TSN, October 5, 2011. External links [ edit ] Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or ESPN.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey DatabaseSean Avery at IMDb

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Source: CoinDesk

Mon, 06 Jun 2022 11:22

Ambre Soubiran is the chief executive of one of crypto's most essential data startups, Kaiko. A mathematician by training, Soubrian left an analyst job at HSBC for the crypto industry, predicting that blockchain would reinvent banking. The Chicago-native living in Paris is the latest to take CoinDesk Confidential, a survey not like many others. Like the Proust Questionnaire it is modeled after, our survey asks a series of brief, offbeat and sometimes intimate questions aimed at getting to the heart of someone's psychology. Soubrian is a speaker at the Consensus festival in Austin, Texas.

What is the quality you most like in a man/woman/person?

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Do you often remember your dreams?

Is crypto still blossoming?

Should Elon Musk run Twitter?

Should countries be run as companies?

In 100 years, will there be more or fewer monies?

Is the U.S. dollar a Ponzi scheme?

Who is your favorite politician? Why?

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Ću vi parolas esperanton?

Do what you want or do what you must?

What is your best characteristic?

What characteristic do you most deplore in yourself?

Do you use a hardware wallet?

A Bodyfriend massage chair for home

Favorite TV show? (What you're watching now?)

What is your greatest achievement?

Your current state of mind?

Would you choose to live forever? Why or why not?

Do cars look like faces to you?

Who is your favorite singer?

Napkins: for or against them?

Do you have a library card?

How is the weather today?

On what occasion do you lie?

Never (you never get caught if you never lie)

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

Which living person do you most despise?

Do you write a list before grocery shopping?

Yes '' I do lists all the time for everything

If you could be safely catapulted somewhere, would you prefer to walk?

No, happy to be safely catapulted

Do you own an article of clothing that could be called indigo?

Bees see ultraviolet; do you see the same world (or most of it)?

New York or San Francisco bagels?

How many glasses of water do you drink per day?

Happiness, family, friends

Would you ever drive a red convertible regularly?

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

What's your strongest-held belief that would get you "canceled"?

What's the funniest/smartest tweet you've seen that can recall off the top of your head?

perhaps soy milk is just regular milk introducing itself in Spanish

sorry for the long post here's a potato meme

If you could be granted one superpower, what would it be?

How would you like to die?

old and happy, in my sleep

In three words or fewer, what is currently the largest detriment to society?

manipulation overconsumption lies

In three words or fewer, what is currently the greatest hope for society?

DISCLOSURE

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.

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Mon, 06 Jun 2022 02:34

Language & region English (United States)

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 17:00

Maze : This video was played all over conservative media. But I don't feel pride. I feel unburdened by what has been. https://t.co/k2FwCiNHUe

Wed Jun 08 01:54:26 +0000 2022

Ihavetheconch : @mazemoore @AsianPatDixon Gavin calls you dumb but he needs to watch this and be unburdened by what has been.

Thu Jun 09 16:04:14 +0000 2022

C Clearly : @mazemoore @MadApache1 🤪ðŸ'🤣

Thu Jun 09 14:51:50 +0000 2022

CJ : @mazemoore They must feel that quip was really a winner and impactful. I didn't feel that way, but they must have.

Thu Jun 09 14:22:40 +0000 2022

Pertinax Imperator : @mazemoore She's so terrible

Thu Jun 09 14:07:19 +0000 2022

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:54

Chaos erupted in the European Parliament on Wednesday as the scheduled votes on three key climate laws were postponed over last-minute political disagreements.

The trouble began with a vote to reform the EU's Emissions Trading System (ETS), a well-established scheme that sets a price for the greenhouse gas emissions released by the most energy-intensive industries.

The ETS is considered a key tool to gradually decrease the burning of fossil fuels and encourage the deployment of renewable energy.

MEPs had drafted an initial report about the ETS reform in the parliament's environmental committee.

Among the changes was the creation of a new ETS that would target the emissions coming from road transport and buildings, which many lawmakers feared would hit struggling households. In their text, MEPs decided the system would exempt private buildings and private transport until 2029.

The report received an ample margin of support in the environmental committee, a consensus that was expected to be replicated in the full hemicycle.

But as several amendments put forward by the socialists began to be struck down, one after the other, Iratxe Garc­a, the group's leader, asked for a short interruption before the final vote.

"If not, we'll vote against!" Garc­a was heard shouting to their peers, who complained about the pause. The socialists then gathered on the stairs to discuss their next move.

"I think the three big minutes are up," said Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament.

Metsola opened the floor for the final vote and revealed the ETS proposal had been surprisingly rejected by 340 votes against and 265 votes in favour, with 34 abstentions.

The result prompted cheers from the socialists and greens, who had pushed for higher climate goals, and boos from the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) and the liberal Renew Europe, who had thrown their support behind the report.

MEPs were seen pointing fingers at each other, trading accusations.

"It's a bad day for the European Parliament," said Pieter Liese, an EPP lawmaker who acted as rapporteur of the ETS reform.

Liese was immediately cut off by jeers, forcing Metsola to intervene and demand silence.

"I think it's a shame that the far-right and the Socialist and the Greens have voted together," Liese said. "Democracy means to respect the Parliament and to have a reduction of the damage, to give it a second try. All those who voted against today can think twice. Please don't kill the ETS."

Liese then requested the ETS file to be referred back to the environmental committee in a bid to reach a new compromise and bring it back to the hemicycle, possibly after the summer.

The request was accepted by his colleagues.

Philippe Lamberts, a Belgian MEP who co-chairs the Greens, said his group was willing to work together with the EPP and the other "pro-European parties" to craft a new compromise.

"Pro-European majorities in this chamber don't automatically mean a green-socialist majority," replied Manfred Weber, the EPP chief, who was also met with booing and jeering.

"The reality is that Greens and Socialists voted with the far-right against the proposal of the majority in this parliament. Don't change history, that's not fair," he added.

On behalf of the liberals, St(C)phane S(C)journ(C) said his group shared the ambition of the Greens but made a "tactical choice" to avoid voting with the far-right against the ETS reform.

The far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group is generally opposed to any measure that strengthens climate targets. The eurosceptic European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, which rejects the far-right label, often defends a sceptical position when it comes to the European Green Deal.

"I think it's important that we lower the temperature," said Iratxe Garc­a, who many saw as the main disruptor of Wednesday's session. "We are going to take [the ETS report] back to the committee and use that time to try to build a coherent common position. Let's not put out traps."

Garc­a admitted the rejection of her group's "ambitious" amendments was the reason behind the U-turn. She then approached Manfred Weber for a face-to-face discussion, which the microphones did not register.

"Now that everybody is calm, do we go to the next file?" asked President Metsola.

But the rejection of the ETS report caused a domino effect, bringing down two other key votes: one on the Social Climate Fund, which would be partially financed by revenues obtained from selling ETS permits, and another on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), a tax on polluting imports that try to enter the single market.

MEPs considered the three files to be too interlinked to be voted separately. The trio will go back to discussions at committee level before a new compromise is put forward to the whole chamber.

The three legislative proposals are part of Fit For 55, a far-reaching and transformative package of 13 draft laws that the Commission unveiled last year to slash the bloc's carbon emissions by at least 55% before the end of the year and comply with the Paris Agreement goals.

The legislation has to be approved by the European Parliament and the EU Council, a negotiation process that is expected to be fraught and intense, as previewed by Wednesday's chaotic vote.

In a second part of voting that took place several hours after the brawl, MEPs endorsed a Commission's proposal to end sales of new combustion-engine vehicles by 2035, striking down an EPP amendment that tried to delay the phase-out.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:48

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:47

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:44

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:18

Disclose.tv : NOW - Gov. Hochul: "In the state of New York, we're now requiring social media networks to monitor and report 'hate'... https://t.co/msgSlV6qIl

Mon Jun 06 15:16:57 +0000 2022

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 15:55

As COVID-19 cases began to accelerate again this spring, federal data suggests the rate of breakthrough COVID infections in April was worse in boosted Americans compared to unboosted Americans '-- though rates of deaths and hospitalizations remained the lowest among the boosted.

The new data do not mean booster shots are somehow increasing the risk. Ongoing studies continue to provide strong evidence of additional protection offered by booster shots against infection, severe disease, and death.

Instead, the shift underscores the growing complexity of measuring vaccine effectiveness at this stage of the pandemic. It comes as officials are weighing key decisions on booster shots and pandemic surveillance, including whether to continue using the "crude case rates" at all.

It also serves to illustrate a tricky reality facing health authorities amid the latest COVID-19 wave: even many boosted Americans are vulnerable to catching and spreading the virus, at a time when officials are wary of reimposing pandemic measures like mask requirements.

"During this Omicron wave, we're seeing an increased number of mild infections '-- at-home type of infections, the inconvenient, having a cold, being off work, not great but not the end of the world. And that's because these Omicron variants are able to break through antibody protection and cause these mild infections," John Moore, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College, told CBS News.

"So, one of the dynamics here is that people feel, after vaccination and boosting, that they're more protected than they actually are, so they increase their risks," he said. "That, I think, is the major driver of these statistics."

On the CDC's dashboard, which is updated monthly, the agency acknowledges several "factors likely affect crude case rates by vaccination and booster dose status, making interpretation of recent trends difficult."

The CDC had rolled out the page several months ago, amid demands for better federal tracking of breakthrough cases. It has now grown to encompass data from immunization records and positive COVID-19 tests from 30 health departments across the country

For the week of April 23, it said the rate of COVID-19 infections among boosted Americans was 119 cases per 100,000 people. That was more than double the rate of infections in those who were vaccinated but unboosted, but a fraction of the levels among unvaccinated Americans.

That could be because there is a "higher prevalence of previous infection" right now among those who are unvaccinated and unboosted, the CDC said. More boosted Americans may now have abandoned "prevention behaviors" like wearing masks, leading to an uptick.

Some boosted Americans might be more likely to seek out a lab test for COVID-19, as opposed to relying on over-the-counter rapid tests that go largely unreported to health authorities.

"Home testing has become, I think, the single biggest concern in developed countries that can interfere with our measurements," CDC's Ruth Link-Gelles told a conference hosted by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases last month.

CDC warns of COVID-19 "rebound" after Pfizer pill Paxlovid 02:07 Some federal officials have floated the possibility of adopting a survey '-- similar to those relied on by authorities in the United Kingdom '-- as an alternative way to track a "ground truth" in COVID-19 cases, though plans to stand up such a system do not appear imminent.

"Moving beyond this crisis, I do think the future is in random sampling. And that's an area that we're looking at closely," Caitlin Rivers, a top official on the agency's disease forecasting team, told an event hosted by the National Academies last week.

Meanwhile, federal officials are also preparing for key decisions on future COVID-19 vaccine shots, which might up the odds that additional shots might be able to fend off infections from the latest variants.

In the short term, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky recently told reporters that her agency was in talks with the Food and Drug Administration about extending the option for second boosters to more adults.

Right now, only adults 50 and over and some immunocompromised Americans are eligible to receive a fourth dose.

Next generation of vaccines and boostersFurther down the road, a panel of the Food and Drug Administration's outside vaccine advisers is scheduled to meet later this month to weigh data from new booster candidates produced by Pfizer and BioNTech as well as Moderna.

BioNTech executives told investors last month that regulators had asked to see data for both shots specifically adapted for the Omicron variant in addition to "bivalent vaccines," which target a blend of mutations.

Those new vaccines would take about three months to manufacture, the White House's top COVID-19 official Dr. Ashish Jha told reporters.

"It's a little bit of a challenge here because we don't know how much further the virus will evolve over the next few months, but we have no choice because if we want to produce the hundreds of millions of doses that need to be available for a booster campaign, we have to start at risk in the early July timeframe or even somewhat sooner," Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA's top vaccines official, said at a recent webinar hosted by the American Medical Association.

Marks said that bivalent shots seemed likely to be favored, given the "wiggle room" it could offer for unforeseen variants beyond Omicron.

Vaccines that might offer even better "mucosal immunity" '' actually fighting off the virus where it first infects the respiratory system '' are still a ways off, Marks cautioned.

"I think that we are in a transition time and I, again, will speak openly to the fact that 2022 to 2023 is a year where we have to plan for trying to minimize the effect of COVID-19 with the tools that we have in hand," Marks said at a recent event with the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

"I do believe that, potentially by the 2023-2024 season, we'll start to see second generation SARS-CoV-2 vaccines," he added later.

More In: booster dose COVID-19 Vaccine COVID-19 Alexander TinCBS News reporter covering public health and the pandemic.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 15:37

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 15:27

Rebel News : "You don't have an absolute right to own private property in Canada," says Liberal Justice Minister David Lametti w'... https://t.co/8OEONBSicq

Wed Jun 08 15:33:37 +0000 2022

Iain Paterrrson : @RebelNewsOnline Stealing Russian assets.Wonder when they start returning the favour seriously.

Thu Jun 09 15:25:59 +0000 2022

Fringe peoplekind with unacceptable views 🇨ðŸ‡...ðŸ‡"🇱 : @RebelNewsOnline We might just have to declare a state of emergency, to stay within the boundaries, but don't worry.

Thu Jun 09 15:19:17 +0000 2022

Melanie : @RebelNewsOnline That's not nice of him. Maybe someone should take his possessions and home, and then see how he fe'... https://t.co/C4M7z4csTk

Thu Jun 09 15:13:30 +0000 2022

Barb-Ron Tylor : @RebelNewsOnline https://t.co/f28EzX9x2T

Thu Jun 09 15:12:12 +0000 2022

Barb-Ron Tylor : @RebelNewsOnline YOU OWN NOTHING, YOU'LL BE HAPPY.WHEN JUSTIN TRUDEAU AND DAVID LAMETTI OWN NOTHING AND CAN LOOK'... https://t.co/hNTvMSxSVP

Thu Jun 09 14:59:52 +0000 2022

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 14:39

Marty Bent : Is the mainstream corporate media really just going to continue to pretend Joe Biden isn't losing his mind in front'... https://t.co/J23aGCdCX8

Thu Jun 09 11:43:35 +0000 2022

Brad : @MartyBent We have no president https://t.co/sEbVrUbm8Q

Thu Jun 09 14:30:10 +0000 2022

Crypto J : @MartyBent Don't care, still better then Trump

Thu Jun 09 14:06:59 +0000 2022

Kyle E. Wells : @MartyBent Master class. 16 minutes straight. 1975.America is running a massive soft power deficit. Why?https://t.co/vQ290Re2eL

Thu Jun 09 14:03:44 +0000 2022

chili_as_fuk : @MartyBent We've been pretending for 3 years, why would they stop now?

Thu Jun 09 14:00:50 +0000 2022

Jerp Chirpin '🍌🥖🚚 : @MartyBent Honk honk

Thu Jun 09 13:54:12 +0000 2022

Plebs together strong : @MartyBent Look how much the other guy tries to help him. It's so clear that they are on the same team.

Thu Jun 09 13:52:00 +0000 2022

CryptoCalypso : @MartyBent Reminds me of my grandfather as his mental health began to deteriorate. This is how it starts. Grasping'... https://t.co/kU9r5DMGZ7

Thu Jun 09 13:46:42 +0000 2022

Geoffrey W. Lane : @MartyBent https://t.co/r8r65D6Lfh

Thu Jun 09 13:42:19 +0000 2022

wgm5239 : @MartyBent Its just shocking how the media are addressing this leadership crisis. The Democrats are heading for a l'... https://t.co/2F4ItqccjW

Thu Jun 09 13:40:19 +0000 2022

Anthony : @MartyBent What a joke, what we need now is a President that can put a comprehensive sentence together. And the media covers this up nicely.

Thu Jun 09 13:37:49 +0000 2022

Dom : @MartyBent Whenever he says "anyway" that's a signal that his memory juice ran out

Thu Jun 09 13:34:10 +0000 2022

End Boss of the Universe : @MartyBent https://t.co/wT3HwDW2pF

Thu Jun 09 13:27:26 +0000 2022

TravisP - Net Security : @MartyBent First segment Jimmy has been funny since the man show 👍

Thu Jun 09 13:27:14 +0000 2022

'‚eliever '‚oomer : @MartyBent Yes, because they knew it was lost the day they decided he'd be their candidate - that was their reason for choosing him.

Thu Jun 09 13:26:08 +0000 2022

hanneswot : @MartyBent He hady been drugged, hypnotised, what you expect. The media doesn't give a f* .Get it... They don't ca'... https://t.co/x43mC3SRyr

Thu Jun 09 13:23:50 +0000 2022

Jeff : @MartyBent Sad to watch America crumble like this. This is what happens when you Politicians destroy a country for'... https://t.co/Rq0WH8An9k

Thu Jun 09 13:22:04 +0000 2022

Ivan Zuluaga : @MartyBent This mfkr is gonna make all of us get nuked

Thu Jun 09 13:21:54 +0000 2022

Lr T : @MartyBent Funny how mental instability never bothered you when Trump was in power and loosing 60K per month on ave'... https://t.co/BYf41CyTsy

Thu Jun 09 13:20:53 +0000 2022

Schmiegle : @MartyBent The Emperor has no clothes comes to mind

Thu Jun 09 13:20:42 +0000 2022

Drew2006 : @MartyBent Sad, that they have degenerated to this point. Loss of audience to Social Media means they have less mo'... https://t.co/4XKUuHF7G7

Thu Jun 09 13:15:08 +0000 2022

01123581321345589144233377610987159725844181 : @MartyBent Brandon, its nap time ðŸ´

Thu Jun 09 13:14:37 +0000 2022

AlexanderStruck : @MartyBent Joe Biden/Age79 yearsNovember 20, 1942the man is nearly 80 years old, what do you expect?

Thu Jun 09 13:14:17 +0000 2022

Patrick Delgado : @MartyBent Ya take a break...Joe needs a nappy nap

Thu Jun 09 13:10:49 +0000 2022

CODL.CO : @MartyBent They won't stop lying. It would spell their doom.

Thu Jun 09 13:10:45 +0000 2022

TAMAR'A : @MartyBent https://t.co/l14gETAbGD

Thu Jun 09 13:10:43 +0000 2022

Mart3333!! : @MartyBent He needs to take a nap. Let's go granny

Thu Jun 09 13:10:12 +0000 2022

HODLmars : @MartyBent Yes

Thu Jun 09 13:09:42 +0000 2022

Adrian Roth : @MartyBent Who thought this was a good idea? Did they run out of all the drugs they pumped into him for the debates?

Thu Jun 09 13:09:11 +0000 2022

TAMAR'A : @MartyBent https://t.co/qBm7kIjJqR

Thu Jun 09 13:08:35 +0000 2022

'‚ioCrypto : @MartyBent Yep we are for sure in #clownworld ðŸ¤ðŸŒ https://t.co/tN9R9V3Kpl

Thu Jun 09 13:06:09 +0000 2022

TAMAR'A : @MartyBent https://t.co/mWeZez2gLJ

Thu Jun 09 13:04:27 +0000 2022

Interested Party : @MartyBent Sounds drunk

Thu Jun 09 13:03:11 +0000 2022

Amine : @MartyBent You too old mister president go to rest.

Thu Jun 09 13:02:39 +0000 2022

TroubleMum : @MartyBent They can't admit it, at least not before the midterms, because it would expose their part in the charade

Thu Jun 09 12:56:58 +0000 2022

Pranksies : @MartyBent Yup everytime he hits the stage...

Thu Jun 09 12:55:57 +0000 2022

Drunk Caractus : @MartyBent Yes, yes they are.

Thu Jun 09 12:55:06 +0000 2022

I InventMetas : @MartyBent Yes, I remeber the incoherent ramblings of Donald Trump even better.I didn't day The Donald was losing'... https://t.co/CS9ypMKfah

Thu Jun 09 12:49:04 +0000 2022

Nicholas Teulon 🌊ðŸ--±ðŸ¬ : @MartyBent Bring back the Pnyx. ðŸ--¥ | 🌊ðŸ--±ðŸ¬ | 'š¸

Thu Jun 09 12:42:00 +0000 2022

Espen Bjerke : @MartyBent yes

Thu Jun 09 12:41:51 +0000 2022

universal mind : @MartyBent Yikes and people wonder why chaos seems to reign the day?? Trickle down chaos. Sad we are so much better'... https://t.co/mTyOqgqb1f

Thu Jun 09 12:40:42 +0000 2022

Mdaddy : @MartyBent Clearly he can't keep his thoughts more than 30 seconds and need to pivot. It's going to deteriorate quickly going forward.

Thu Jun 09 12:37:13 +0000 2022

Ì Ì Ì Ì'Ì'\̵͇ÌÌ\з=( Í ° ͟ʖ Í°)=ε/̵͇ÌÌ/'ÌÌ Ì Ì Ì Ì : @MartyBent Yes, because they're all owned by the people who put him in office. The news is constantly lying to you'... https://t.co/buG3v4Hf6d

Thu Jun 09 12:34:44 +0000 2022

DataFox : @MartyBent https://t.co/Yg7z9zuHsu

Thu Jun 09 12:31:22 +0000 2022

Meridian Smith : @MartyBent The answer is yes.

Thu Jun 09 12:31:17 +0000 2022

X-Money : @MartyBent Yeah it's going to be like that till 2024 elections. Cause he's not getting re-elected. Democrats will n'... https://t.co/LQobCMSmXS

Thu Jun 09 12:30:34 +0000 2022

Home_Alone 🇨ðŸ‡...ðŸ¤'🇷🇺 : @MartyBent As far as Biden clips go, this ranks as one of the more lucid.

Thu Jun 09 12:26:35 +0000 2022

oldcryptoguy : @MartyBent Wut? Now you know why they kept him in the basement.

Thu Jun 09 12:23:36 +0000 2022

Nullius in Ver'‚a'š¸ : @MartyBent Take a break for him to take his meds

Thu Jun 09 12:22:06 +0000 2022

Tucker Max : @MartyBent Yes. Blatant lies have mostly worked for them for decades. They won't stop until they are forced out.

Thu Jun 09 12:21:28 +0000 2022

BitcoinWilderness : @MartyBent Shame we should really have age limits on leaders... even a problem in africa too

Thu Jun 09 12:20:42 +0000 2022

wilson : @MartyBent He's not wrong here though, despite the slow fumbled delivery. Everything is for clicks and goes for sensationalism

Thu Jun 09 12:17:36 +0000 2022

six-crypto : @MartyBent better take away his launch keys...ðŸš(C)ðŸš(C)ðŸš(C)

Thu Jun 09 12:06:28 +0000 2022

Jeff'š¸ : @MartyBent https://t.co/cLSx2MNrKl

Thu Jun 09 12:06:24 +0000 2022

Big Money : @MartyBent The entire world is laughing at us

Thu Jun 09 12:05:13 +0000 2022

Viktor : @MartyBent Yeah what is he even talking about.

Thu Jun 09 12:04:58 +0000 2022

'š¸'š¸Maddhadder goes Brrrr'š¸BTCðŸ‡...🇸🇼🇸 : @MartyBent i would be ok if an actual potato was president

Thu Jun 09 12:01:44 +0000 2022

'‚TC Fiend 'šðŸŠðŸ'Š : @MartyBent Jimmy is talking to the 'leader' of our country as if he's talking to his senile grandpa he's visiting in the nursing home.

Thu Jun 09 12:00:08 +0000 2022

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 14:20

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:21

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:11

Reparations for slavery was a hot topic during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary. The candidates paid careful lip service to the idea. And it's no mystery as to why: President Biden won the nomination by capturing South Carolina, a state which owes its sizable Black population to the fact that the Port of Charleston was the largest slave port in the country. The state with the second largest enslaved population at the start of the Civil War was Georgia, another state whose Black population was pivotal in driving Biden to victory.

So it's rather shocking that President Biden has yet to fully endorse H.R. 40, a bill that would establish a commission to study reparations, despite Biden's advocacy for the bill during his campaign. Former Press Secretary Jen Psaki has said the President supports the study of reparations, but we've heard very little from the President himself. And it reflects a larger pattern of Biden talking a big game on equity without much by way of follow through with action.

His dormancy on issues of racial equity are all the more disappointing this week given the example set by California, which released a report this week about the evils of slavery with a recommendation for reparations.

It took Gavin Newsom, the governor of a state that is just 6 percent Black and has no direct link to slavery, to have the courageous audacity to study reparations'--after facing a recall election and being a favorite target of rightwing pundits.

Newsom's commission to investigate reparations produced a 500-page report that makes bold recommendations like the creation of a state-subsidized mortgage program with low interest rates and free higher education for descendants of enslaved Africans in the U.S. who qualify.

Several organizations including Human Rights Watch and the Color of Change signed a letter attempting to compel Biden to be more vocal in his support of H.R. 40. But the President is apparently playing it safe. Much like his predecessor, he has historically low poll numbers, and it often feels like his administration is trying to avoid being labeled "woke" by Fox News hosts and right-wing Twitter. What the President and his advisors are missing is that they will receive this label regardless of whether or not they act on policy that is popular with his base.

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 01: U.S. President Joe Biden meets virtually with baby formula manufacturers at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on June 01, 2022 in Washington, DC. Biden, along with other administration officials, met with executives from manufacturers including ByHeart, Bubs Australia, Reckitt, Perrigo Company and Gerber to discuss the ongoing baby formula shortage. Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesBiden's biggest fear should be losing the confidence of his base of support'--the Black father in South Carolina who is wondering how he will fund his children's education and the Black couple in Georgia who are looking to purchase their first home. Both likely have no inheritance or generational wealth as a result of the discrimination their parents faced in housing, education, and employment, which are all a part of the legacy of slavery. Instead of addressing these issues directly, President Biden gave us Juneteenth as a national holiday, a nice gesture though many felt it was an attempt to pacify the President's African American supporters rather than serve them.

After losing on what felt to many like a half-hearted effort to defend voting rights, many Black voters would feel encouraged by the President being more vocal in his support of studying reparations. He would not be bound to try and implement every recommendation of the Reparations commission, but it would go a long way to strengthen a relationship with Black voters that is arguably slowly fraying; without tremendous Black turnout both at midterms and in 2024, Democrats will suffer massive losses at the ballot box.

And it's not just Black voters. As of early 2021, 60 percent of Democrats of all backgrounds supported the study of reparations. And there is no shortage of research-based talking points for Biden and his surrogates to defend building the commission: African American families have one tenth the wealth of white Americans, and Black college graduates earn less than white high school dropouts on average, which debunks the conservative myth that "class is the real issue, not race" and that better education would produce more equal economic outcomes.

The people who oppose a simple, non-binding study on reparations already vehemently oppose the president, and avoiding controversial topics won't stop that. President Obama brought the audacity of hope with his historic election and presidency. President Biden should be the one who brings the audacity of action.

Dr. Jason Nichols is an award winning senior lecturer in the African American Studies Department at the University of Maryland College Park and was the longtime editor-in-chief of Words Beats & Life: The Global Journal of Hip-Hop Culture, the first peer-reviewed journal of Hip-hop Studies. His work has been featured in publications such as The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Foxnews.com, NBCNews.com and The Hill, and he cohosts the "Vince and Jason Save the Nation" podcast.

The views in this article are the writer's own.

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Thu, 09 Jun 2022 13:08

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Mon, 06 Jun 2022 13:34

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