944: Ming the Magnificent

Link to Article

Archived Version

Source: The Local

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:29

Angela Merkel and Recep Tayyip Erdogan speak amid a NATO summit in Brussels in May. Photo: NATO/DPA

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at Germany on Wednesday, warning that it was "committing political suicide" on the eve of his expected meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Erdogan's latest outburst came after Germany refused to allow him to address members of the large ethnic Turkish community in a rally in Germany ahead of the G20 summit.

"What kind of mentality is that? That's very ugly. I have never seen anything like that. Germany is committing suicide. That's a political suicide," Erdogan charged in an interview with weekly magazine Die Zeit.

"Germany must correct this error," he added, arguing that "he could not be silenced".

The issue is expected to come up when Erdogan meets Merkel face to face ahead of Friday's Group of 20 summit.

SEE ALSO: Five key issues to know about ahead of the G20

Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Wednesday that the talks would "likely take place tomorrow".

Relations between the two countries have been fraught, deteriorating sharply over Turkey's mass crackdown after a failed coup last year and a host of other civil rights controversies.

On Tuesday, Turkey protested officially to Germany after an artist was allowed to set up an installation in central Berlin offering a car as a prize in exchange for killing world leaders including Erdogan.

The installation was set up outside Merkel's offices on Monday, comprising a Mercedes C-class car and banners with pictures of Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia's King Salman.

Another key dispute centres on Deniz Y¼cel, a German-Turkish journalist with the newspaper Die Welt who was imprisoned by Turkey on terror charges earlier this year.

And last month Germany decided to withdraw its troops who support the fight against Isis in Syria from NATO partner Turkey's Incirlik base and move them to Jordan after German lawmakers were prohibited from visiting the base.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Source: Lame Cherry

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:11

As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.

One can not but help but gush over Marionette Worshipper, First Lady Melania Trump, as thee most gorgeous First Lady on the planet. Arriving in Poland, Mrs. Trump looked absolutely the part, as the sun of her eclipses the shadow of Michelle Obama and the twilight of Jackie Kennedy.

In an absolutely perfect green attire she descended the stage created for her by the adoring people of Poland, welcoming home one of their own East European children, who went to New York, made it big and made everyone in Europe proud of this Slovenian darling.

The Poles were fitting in their adoration of the American First Lady, in presenting her with a bouquet as large as the Polish hearts are toward the wonder of Melania Trump.

Such a beauty, such an honor, such a beautiful display of flowers.

......and then the Poles presented the wicked step daughter, Ivanka Kushner with a hand full of weeds, which was fitting of this attempted usurper, as Jackie Kennedy certainly never had anyone so gauche as attempting to grab the spotlight.

As one can witness, the Poles were so put off that they refused to even look upon the Scarlet Letter.

Seriously, who appears on the world stage in the colors of adultery, as if she is auditioning to become the Whore of Babylon, a Jewess affirming the legend of Blood Libel in her red stained clothes. One must pity the White House staff which has to deal with this problem daughter, as one can know for certain that someone attempted to inform Ivanka Kushner that attempting to upstage the First Lady again, and then wearing Scarlet Letter clothing in a pious Catholic nation as Poland, was the ultimate slap against the Poles, and a most unpleasant reminder of the Polish experience with Jews in her history of Blood Libel and a generation hence of ordeal of Jews in the Warsaw ghetto of the elders selling their poor to the Nazi war machine.

This problem daughter, should have stayed in her 5 million dollar mansion and been a mother to her children, as she was just one day hence on the 4th of July, again pimping those poor defenseless children online, attempting to elevate her abhorrent disapproval ratings for betraying American Christians and Loyalists, by feeding those children ice cream as children of the world were starving or being blown up in Syria after Ivanka's Tomahawk salvo.

Poor Barron, the stalwart son, no doubt was left home to babysit the 3 children that Ivanka refuses to be a proper mother to. Of course, in the wonderful example of First Lady Melania Trump and the President, Barron will be the most beneficial of Uncles in providing a sound influence on those poor disrupted Jewish children abandoned again, and again by their absentee mum.

These are trying times, in all the good that President Trump attempts are thwarted by Ivanka and Jared Kushner in their boy hating and slave loving policies for the financier rich, and then the constant attempted smears of the wicked step daughter upon the devout Marionette, Melania Trump, First Lady, stir the heart to sorrow and empathy, as who could but continue in gracious form, but Melania Trump, as she does.

The Polish People comprehend and appreciate the appearance of the truly gracious and poised Melania Trump, the First Lady of the United States who has no equals, and once again in her nature of light did not allow the shadow cast by her wicked step daughter to lessen the radiant beauty of the Polish People appreciating the President and the First Lady of those United States.

agtG

agtG

Link to Article

Archived Version

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 05:33

United Nations Population Division, Replacement Migration 89 10. European Union (a) Past trends The total fertility rate in the 15 countries that presently constitute the European Union was on a rising curve until 1960-65, when it attained 2.69 births per woman. Since 1995, fertility has constantly decreased, falling below the replacement level of two children per woman around 1975. By 1990-95, fertility stood at 1.5 births per woman. Life expectancy at birth, meanwhile, rose from 67.0 years in 1950-1955 to 76.5 years in 1990-1995. As a consequence of these trends, the proportion of the population aged 65 or older rose from 9.5 per cent in 1950 to 15.5 per cent in 1995, and the potential support ratio (the number of persons aged 15-64 for each person aged 65 or older) fell in the same period, from 7.0 to 4.3. (b) Scenario I Scenario I, the medium variant of the United Nations population projections in the 1998 Revision, assumes an average net intake very close to 300,000 migrants per year between 1995-2050, for a total of almost 16.4 migrants during the period. The medium variant projects that the total population of the 15 countries would briefly continue to grow until around 2005, by which time it would attain 376.5 million; from that point, it would start to decline at increasing speed, so that by 2050 some 331.3 million people would remain a loss of 40.6 million persons in relation to 1995 and 45.2 million persons in relation to the projected peak level in 2005 (the results of the 1998 United Nations projections are shown in the annex tables). This loss would be equivalent to the combined present population of the seven smallest members of the European Union: Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal and Sweden (see table 27). By 2050, the population of the European Union, which in 1995 was some 100 million larger than that of the United States, would be smaller than that of the United States by about 20 million. The population aged 15-64 would first register a slight increase from 249 million in 1995 to less than 252 million in 2005, but it would be followed by an accelerating decline that would bring it down to slightly under 188 million by 2050. The projected decline (61.5 million between 1995 and 2050) would thus reduce the working-age population by one quarter in relation to 1995 levels. On the other hand, the population aged 65 or older would register steady growth, rising from 58 million in 1995 to 96 million in 2050, an increase of approximately 65 per cent. As a result, the potential support ratio would decrease from 4.3 in 1995 to slightly less than 2.0 in 2050. (c) Scenario II Scenario II, which is the medium variant with zero migration, uses the fertility and mortality assumptions of the medium variant of the 1998 Revision, but without any migration to the 15 countries of the European Union after 1995. In this scenario, the total population would start declining after 2000 rather than five years later, and by 2050 it would be down to approximately 311 million, which is 20 million less than in scenario I. The population aged 15-64 would immediately start declining, dropping from 249 million in 1995 to 174 million in 2050. Thus, without migration, the working age population would be cut by 30 per cent rather then by 25 per cent as in scenario I. The population aged 65 or older would increase from 58 million in 1995 to 92 million in 2050, entailing a decline of the potential support ratio to 1.9 in 2050, 0.1 less than that projected in scenario I.

United Nations Population Division, Replacement Migration 90 TABLE 27. POPULATION OF THE MEMBER COUNTRIES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 1995 AND 2050, SCENARIO I Population (thousands) Projected change 1995-2050 Member countries as of 2000 1995 2050 (Scenario I) (Thousands) (Percentage) Austria 8 001 7 094 - 907 - 11.3 Belgium 10 088 8 918 - 1 170 - 11.6 Denmark 5 225 4 793 - 567 - 10.9 Finland 5 108 4 898 - 210 - 4.1 France 58 020 59 883 1 863 + 3.2 Germany 81 661 73 303 - 8 358 - 10.2 Greece 10 489 8 233 - 2 256 - 21.5 Ireland 3 609 4 710 1 101 + 30.5 Italy 57 338 41 197 - 16 141 - 28.2 Luxembourg 407 430 23 + 5.7 Netherlands 15 459 14 156 - 1 303 - 8.4 Portugal 9 856 8 137 - 1 719 - 17.4 Spain 39 568 30 226 9 342 - 23.6 Sweden 8 800 8 661 - 139 - 1.6 United Kingdom 58 308 56 667 - 1 641 - 2.8 European Union 371 937 331 307 - 40 630 - 10.9 (d) Scenario III Scenario III keeps the size of the total population constant at its projected peak level of 372 million in 2000 (assuming no in-migration in the period 1995-2000). In order to keep the total population constant at that level, 47.4 million migrants would be necessary between 2000 and 2050, an average of 949,000 migrants per year. By 2050, out of a total population of 372 million, 61.6 million, or 16.5 per cent, would be post-2000 immigrants or their descendants. The potential support ratio in 2050 would be 2.2, which is only 0.2 point higher than in scenario I. (e) Scenario IV Scenario IV keeps the size of the population aged 15-64 constant at its 1995 level of 249 million, which would be the maximum level that it would ever reach in the absence of post-1995 migration. In order to keep the working-age population constant at that level, it would in fact be necessary to have 79.6 million migrants between 1995 and 2050, an average of 1.4 million migrants per year. Owing to irregularities in the age structure of the population, the annual number of migrants required to keep the working-age population constant would first increase rapidly and then decline. It would peak in 2025-2030, with an annual number of net migrants in excess of 2.8 million. By 2050, out of a total population of 418.5 million, post-1995 immigrants and their descendants would be 107.7 million, or 25.7 per cent. The potential support ratio in 2050 according to this scenario would be significantly higher than in scenario I, (2.4 as opposed to 2.0), but the difference is modest compared to the magnitude of the drop from the level of 4.3 in 1995. (f) Scenario V Scenario V does not allow the potential support ratio to decrease below the value of 3.0. In order to achieve this, no immigrants would be needed until 2015, and 153.6 million immigrants would be needed between 2015 and 2040, an average of 6.1 million per year during that period. By 2050, out of a total population of 520 million, 209 million, or 40 per cent, would be post-1995 immigrants or their descendants.

United Nations Population Division, Replacement Migration 91(g) Scenario VI Scenario VI keeps the potential support ratio at its 1995 value of 4.3 persons aged 15-64 for each person aged 65 or older. In order to keep the potential support ratio constant at that level, the European Union would need 701 million immigrants from 1995 to 2050, an average of 12.7 million per year. Also, as under scenario IV, the irregularities in the age structure of the population would cause fluctuations in the annual number of migrants required to keep the potential support ratio constant. The peak levels would be attained in 2030-2035, with 20.3 million net immigrants per year. By 2050, out of a total population of 1.2 billion, 918 million, or about 75 per cent, would be post-1995 immigrants or their descendants. (h) Additional considerations According to recent national estimates, the European Union had an average annual net migration of 857,000 persons from 1990 to 1998. Thus, the number of migrants needed to prevent a decline in the total population is roughly comparable to the level of migration in the 1990s. However, in order to prevent a decline in the working-age population, the annual number of migrants would need to nearly double in relation to recent experience. Figure 26 shows, for scenarios I, II, III and IV, the population of the European Union in 2050, indicating the share that is made up of post-1995 migrants and their descendants. The annual number of migrants necessary to keep the potential support ratio constant at its 1995 level would be 15 times greater than the net migration level in the 1990s. Towards the end of the period, i.e. by 2040-2050, the net annual number of migrants required by the European Union would be equivalent to half the world's annual population growth. Thus, if replacement migration were to be used as the mechanism for shoring up the potential support ratio in the European Union at its present level, by 2050 the total population of the European Union would have grown to more than three times its present level. In this process, the European Union's share of world population would have more than doubled, from 6.6 per cent in 1995 to 13.8 per cent 2050. In addition, three quarters of the total population in 2050 would consist of post-1995 migrants from outside the present boundaries of the Union and their descendants. In the absence of migration, the calculations in this report indicate that the upper limit of the working age would need to be raised to 71.3 years to obtain a potential support ratio of 3.0 in 2050, and to about 76 years in order to obtain in 2050 the same potential support ratio observed in 1995 in the European Union, which was 4.3 persons of working age per older person.

United Nations Population Division, Replacement Migration 92 TABLE 28. POPULATION INDICATORS FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION BY PERIOD FOR EACH SCENARIO Scenario I II III IV V VI * Period Medium variant Medium variant with zero migration Constant total population Constant age group 15-64 Ratio 15-64/65+ not less than 3.0 Constant ratio 15-64/65 years or older A. Average annual number of migrants (thousands) 1995-2000 574 0 0 46 0 5 302 2000-2025 330 0 612 1 380 1 793 8 556 2025-2050 210 0 1 287 1 795 4 352 18 404 2000-2050 270 0 949 1 588 3 073 13 480 1995-2050 297 0 863 1 447 2 794 12 736 B. Total number of migrants (thousands) 1995-2000 2 870 0 0 230 0 26 510 2000-2025 8 239 0 15 290 34 502 44 837 213 911 2025-2050 5 250 0 32 166 44 874 108 808 460 088 2000-2050 13 489 0 47 456 79 375 153 646 673 999 1995-2050 16 361 0 47 456 79 605 153 646 700 506 C. Total population (thousands) 1950 296 151 - - - - - 1975 349 313 - - - - - 1995 371 937 - - - - - 2000 375 276 372 440 372 440 372 680 372 440 400 089 2025 367 342 354 500 372 440 394 551 401 916 641 056 2050 331 307 310 839 372 440 418 509 519 965 1 228 341 D. Age group 0-14 (thousands) 1950 72 524 - - - - - 1975 82 958 - - - - - 1995 64 740 - - - - - 2000 62 380 61 879 61 879 61 941 61 879 69 006 2025 52 926 50 320 54 641 60 204 62 805 116 157 2050 47 856 44 130 57 445 65 846 86 786 237 981 E. Age group 15-64 (thousands) 1950 195 578 - - - - - 1975 220 708 - - - - - 1995 249 382 - - - - - 2000 251 299 249 213 249 213 249 382 249 213 268 773 2025 230 090 221 083 233 826 249 382 254 334 426 112 2050 187 851 174 470 216 929 249 382 325 575 803 974 F. Age group 65+ (thousands) 1950 28 049 - - - - - 1975 45 647 - - - - - 1995 57 815 - - - - - 2000 61 596 61 349 61 349 61 357 61 349 62 310 2025 84 326 83 096 83 973 84 964 84 778 98 786 2050 95 600 92 240 98 067 103 280 107 603 186 386 G. Potential support ratio 15-64/65+ 1950 6.97 - - - - - 1975 4.84 - - - - - 1995 4.31 - - - - - 2000 4.08 4.06 4.06 4.06 4.06 4.31 2025 2.73 2.66 2.78 2.94 3.00 4.31 2050 1.96 1.89 2.21 2.41 3.03 4.31 * Scenario VI is considered to be demographically unrealistic.

United Nations Population Division, Replacement Migration 93Figure 26. Population of the European Union in 2050, indicating those who are post-1995 migrants and their descendants, by scenario 0 50 100150200 250 300350400450I. Medium variant II. Zero migration III. Constant totalpopulationIV. Constantworking ageScenarioPopulation (millions)Migrants plusdescendantsPopulationwithoutmigration after1995

United Nations Population Division, Replacement Migration 94 EUROPEAN UNION Figure 27. Age-sex structures by scenario for 2000, 2025 and 2050 (Population in millions) Medium variant Constant total population Age 2000 2025 2050 Population without migration after 1995 Migrants plus descendants 50 40 30 20 10 10 20 30 40 500 10 20 30 40 50 6070 80 90 100Males Females050 40 30 20 10 10 20 30 40 500 10 20 30 40 50 6070 80 90 100Mal esFemale050 40 30 20 10 10 20 30 40 500 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100Mal es F e male050 40 30 20 10 10 20 30 40 500 10 20 30 40 50 6070 80 90 100Mal es F e mal050 40 30 20 10 10 20 30 40 500 10 20 30 40 50 6070 80 90 100Males Female050 40 30 20 10 10 20 30 40 500 10 20 30 40 50 6070 80 90 100Males Females0

United Nations Population Division, Replacement Migration 95 EUROPEAN UNION Figure 27 (continued) Constant Constant ratio age group 15-64 15-64/65 years or older Age 2000 2025 ` 2050 50 40 30 20 10 10 20 30 40 500 10 20 30 40 50 6070 80 90 100Females Mal es 050 40 30 20 10 10 20 30 40 500 10 20 30 40 50 6070 80 90 100Females Mal es050 40 30 20 10 10 20 30 40 500 10 20 30 40 50 6070 80 90 100Females Mal es050 40 30 20 10 10 20 30 40 500 10 20 30 40 50 6070 80 90 100Males Females050 40 30 20 10 10 20 30 40 500 10 20 30 40 50 6070 80 90 100MalesFemales050 40 30 20 10 10 20 30 40 500 10 20 30 40 50 6070 80 90 100Males Females0

Link to Article

Archived Version

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 20:38

1/48 Ed Sheeran woos the crowd during his Pyramid Stage performance on the final day of the festival, 25 June 2017

PA

2/48 PC Small wearing a fairy costume sits on top of her horse Sedgemoor who is wearing garlands as she and her colleague interact with the public at Glastonbury, 25 June 2017

Getty Images

3/48 Barry Gibb performs on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 2017

AFP/Getty Images

4/48 Festival-goers queue to charge their mobile phones at the Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 2017

AFP/Getty Images

5/48 Rag'n'Bone Man performs on day 4 of the Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 2017

Getty Images

6/48 Jamie Cullum performs on the Pyramid Stage during day 4 of the Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 2017

Getty Images

7/48 Musician Jarvis Cocker plays a DJ set from a wooden tree structure in the Greenpeace are at Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 2017

Getty Images

8/48 Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters performs at the Glastonbury Festival, 24 June 2017

Getty Images

9/48 One of the 'Lords of Lightning' harnesses high-voltage electricity in a performance during the Metamorphosis Show in the Arcadia area at the Glastonbury Festival, 24 June 2017

AFP/Getty Images

10/48 Katy Perry performs on day 3 of the Glastonbury Festival, 24 June 2017

Getty

11/48 Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn addresses the crowd alongside Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis on the Pyramid Stage as he makes a guest appearance at the Glastonbury Festival Site, 24 June 2017

Getty Images

12/48 Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn meets festival goers as he visits the Green Fields at the Glastonbury Festival site at Worthy Farm in Pilton, 24 June 2017

Getty Images

13/48 Craig David performs on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, 24 June 2017

AFP/Getty Images

14/48 Gabrielle Aplin performs on the Other Stage during day 3 of the Glastonbury Festival 2017 at Worthy Farm, Pilton, 24 June 2017

Getty Images

15/48 Lights illuminate the Glastonbury Festival site at Worthy Farm at night in Pilton, 23 June 2017

Getty Images

16/48 The Flaming Lips perform on The Park Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, 23 June 2017

AFP/Getty Images

17/48 People gather to watch the Arcadia landing show at the Glastonbury Festival site at Worthy Farm in Pilton, 23 June 2017

Getty Images

18/48 Lorde performs on day 2 of the Glastonbury Festival 2017 at Worthy Farm, 23 June 2017

Getty Images

19/48 Thom Yorke of Radiohead performs on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts on Worthy Farm near the village of Pilton in Somerset, South West England, 23 June 2017

AFP/Getty Images

20/48 Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim of the XX perform on day 2 of the Glastonbury Festival 2017 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 23

Getty Images

21/48 Former Labour MP Ed Balls attends Glastonbury Festival on 23 June 2017

Getty Images

22/48 Dua Lipa performs on the John Peel Stage on day 2 of the Glastonbury Festival 2017 at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 23, 2017

Getty Images

23/48 Revellers dance as they listen to Circa Waves perform on the Other Stage at Worthy Farm in Somerset during the Glastonbury Festival in Britain, June 23, 2017

Reuters

24/48 Festival goers at Glastonbury Festival Site on June 21, 2017 in Glastonbury, England

Getty

25/48 Reuters

26/48 Festivalgoers watching Blossoms on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, at Worthy Farm in Somerset

PA

27/48 EPA

28/48 Actor Johnny Depp poses on a Cadillac before presenting his film 'The Libertine', at Cinemageddon at Worthy Farm in Somerset during the Glastonbury Festival

Reuters

29/48 Fans cheer as American actor Johnny Depp makes his entrance at Cinemageddon during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, near Pilton, Somerset

EPA

30/48 US actor Johnny Depp attends the Cinemageddon event as part of the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2017 at Worthy Farm

EPA

31/48 Cineramageddon ushers Daisy Peters (left), from Shepton Mallet, and Tamsin Walton, from Pilton, before an appearance by Johnny Depp for a screening of The Libertine, during the Glastonbury Festival

PA

32/48 Festival-goers pose at the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2017 at Worthy Farm on 22 June

EPA

33/48 Revellers sleep in front of a food stand at Worthy Farm in Somerset during the Glastonbury Festival on 22 June, 2017

Reuters

34/48 An aerial view of the Glastonbury Festival site at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset on 22 June, 2017

PA

35/48 People gather to watch the sun set as temperatures reach record levels at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton on 21 June, 2017

Getty

36/48 Festival goers enjoy themselves as the gates open at the Glastonbury Festival amid heightened security at Worthy Farm in Pilton

Getty

37/48 A festival goer arrives at Glastonbury Festival Site on 21 June in Glastonbury, England

Getty

38/48 A festival goer at Glastonbury Festival Site on June 21, 2017 in Glastonbury, England

Getty

39/48 Festival goers enjoy themselves as the gates open at the Glastonbury Festival amid heightened security at Worthy Farm in Pilton on June 21, 2017 near Glastonbury, England

Getty

40/48 Festival goers at Glastonbury Festival Site on June 21, 2017 in Glastonbury, England

Getty

41/48 Revellers sing and dance by the Stone Circle at Worthy Farm in Somerset

Reuters

42/48 Festival founder Michael Eavis arrives to attend a screening of film maker Julian Temple's Glastonbury documentary

Getty

43/48 People attend a screening of film maker Julian Temple's Glastonbury documentary being shown at the new night time area Cinemaggedon on June 21, 2017

Getty

44/48 People attend a screening of film maker Julian Temple's Glastonbury documentary being shown at the new night time area Cinemaggedon on June 21, 2017

Getty

45/48 People gather to watch the sun set as temperatures reach record levels at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton on June 21, 2017

Getty

46/48 The sun sets at the Glastonbury Festival 2017 at Worthy Farm in Pilton on 21 June, 2017

Getty

47/48 Fireworks illuminate the night sky at the end of the first day at the Glastonbury Festival on 21 June

Getty

48/48 A reveller smokes by the Stone Circle at Worthy Farm in Somerset during the Glastonbury Festival on June 22, 2017

Reuters

Link to Article

Archived Version

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 21:36

A ustria has deployed armoured vehicles close to its border with Italy and will send up to 750 soldiers to block any migrants trying to head north, the government announced.

The move reflects deep concern in Vienna and elsewhere in Europe over the huge number of asylum seekers who continue to cross the Mediterranean from Libya '' so far this year more than 85,000 have been rescued and brought to Italy.

But it prompted a rebuke from Rome, with the Italian foreign ministry summoning Austria's ambassador to explain the beefing up of border security. Italy has warned in the past that such measures would contravene EU rules on free movement.

Austria said it would ramp up border controls at the Brenner Pass, a key trade and transport route through the Alps that connects the two countries. "We are ready to protect our Brenner border if necessary,'' said Sebastian Kurz, the Austrian foreign minister.

The 750 soldiers could be rushed to the border within 72 hours if there was a migration emergency, officials said. "I expect border controls will be introduced very soon," Peter Doskozil, the defence minister, told the newspaper Kronen Zeitung.

H is spokesman said there was no concrete timetable for the new controls. "But we see how the situation in Italy is becoming more acute and we have to be prepared to avoid a situation comparable to summer 2015."

T hat was a reference to the crisis two years ago when hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants streamed into Western Europe along the so-called Balkan Route, having crossed to Greece from Turkey.

The four military vehicles have been moved to Tyrol province, on the border with Italy. They are armoured but not armed, the spokesman said. "These are not battle tanks. These are armoured vehicles without weapons which could block roads.''

They were used during the refugee crisis of 2015, when they were deployed at a crossing on Austria's border with Slovenia.

T he militarisation of the border seemed to be, in part at least, driven by domestic political considerations.

There are concerns that when Austria holds an election in October, the far-Right Freedom Party could do well unless the government can seize the initiative on migration and border security.

With France and Switzerland closing their borders to migrants since last year, the tens of thousands in Italy have nowhere to go.

The EU came up with a plan to relocate around 160,000 asylum seekers stuck in Italy and Greece but so far only 20,000 have been resettled.

I taly says it can no longer be expected to deal single-handedly with the vast number of asylum seekers, most of them economic migrants, streaming across the Mediterranean.

T he Italians have threatened to close their ports to NGO boats carrying rescued migrants and have called on some of the vessels to be sent to ports in France and Spain.

Rome is drawing up a long list of proposals that it will present on Thursday at an EU ministerial meeting in Tallinn, Estonia.

The European Commission, for its part, came up with a package of measures to halt the flow of migrants from Africa.

It pledged to give Italy an additional '‚¬35 million to help with migration management, set up a maritime rescue centre in Libya, speed up deportations of failed asylum seekers and increase border security along Libya's desert borders.

The plan will be discussed at the meeting in Tallinn.

The Italian government has warned that after years of taking in hundreds of thousands of migrants, the country is now at breaking point. Paolo Gentiloni, the prime minister, says that unless the problem is resolved, social tensions could increase between Italians and migrants.

On Sunday, petrol bombs were thrown at an empty hotel in the northern city of Brescia that has been earmarked as a hostel for migrants. "We are asking for the work to be shared," Mr Gentiloni said on Monday. "This is necessary if ... we are to avoid the situation in Italy becoming unsustainable and stoking hostility in a society which until now has responded in an exemplary way, with cohesion."

V incent Cochetel, the UNHCR's special envoy for the central Mediterranean, said: ''This is not sustainable. We need to have other countries joining Italy and sharing that responsibility.''

Link to Article

Archived Version

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 20:39

Scientists have recommended a new way to beat cancer '-- and it's much more fun than dieting. Picture: iStock

PROSTATE health can be a pretty awkward subject, so prepare to blush at this new research from Harvard University.

Scientists say frequent ejaculations could be the key to keeping the semen-producing gland healthy and avoiding cancer.

In fact, in a study of almost 32,000 men published in the journal of European Urology, researchers found high levels of sexual activity can reduce the risk of contracting prostate cancer by 33 per cent.

The optimum number is 21 ejaculations per month.

We've done a few quick calculations and that's equal to 252 times annually '-- or almost 70 per cent of days in a year.

Experts aren't exactly sure why ejaculation lowers the risk of prostate cancer, but they speculate it might help flush out cancer-causing toxins.

You don't have to be as awkward as this guy when you're discussing prostate cancer. Picture: iStock Source:istock

According to statistics from the University of Sydney, prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in Australia, and the third most common cause of cancer death.

It's more common in older men, with 85 per cent of cases diagnosed in those over 65 years of age, so the results of this study are definitely worth taking on board.

Enjoyable as it may be, frequent ejaculation isn't a magical one-stop shop.

The Harvard researchers pointed out an active sex life may be an indicator of good general health, which in itself is likely to lower the risk of cancer.

Therefore, it's also important to maintain a good diet and exercise routine, and get regular check-ups from your doctor.

Gentlemen, you know what you need to do.

This article does not contain medical advice, and is intended to be general in nature.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 15:16

By now you may have heard I fucked up, and people are calling me a creep.

While I'd like to believe that I'm not a bad or evil person, regardless it's clear that some of my past actions have hurt or offended several women.

And I probably deserve to be called a creep.

So, what did I do?

I made advances towards multiple women in work-related situations, where it was clearly inappropriate. I put people in compromising and inappropriate situations, and I selfishly took advantage of those situations where I should have known better. My behavior was inexcusable and wrong.

With respect to the NYT article above and Sarah Kunst specifically, I'd like to sincerely apologize for making inappropriate advances towards her several years ago over drinks, late one night in a small group, where she mentioned she was interested in a job at 500. While I did not offer her a job at the time, a few days/weeks later I did refer her to my co-founder Christine Tsai to begin a formal interview process with 500, where Christine and others on the team met with her. Ultimately, 500 decided not to offer Sarah a job. Again my apologies to Sarah for my inappropriate behavior in a setting I thought was social, but in hindsight was clearly not. It was my fault and I take full responsibility. She was correct in calling me out.

For these and other incidents where I have been at fault, I would like to apologize for being a clueless, selfish, unapologetic and defensive ass.

To all those I let down, and especially to those I directly offended and hurt: I'm very sorry.

I'm ashamed I didn't change my behavior until I was forced to do so by circumstance and by others. The reality is, I was stopped from further bad actions by those who spoke up about my offenses, at substantial risk to their personal and professional reputations'... and subsequently, by Christine and others on the 500 team. I won't try and thank any of those folks right now, or act like I wanted that ass-kicking. But yeah'... guess I kinda needed that.

When confronted about what happened, I was at first defensive. What did I do wrong? We were just hanging out! Why are people so upset? I tried to present my crappy behavior in the best possible light. I didn't have much empathy for the people I hurt and offended, and rather than face up to my own shallow motivations, I rationalized my actions and came up with reasons to find blame in others, rather than solely with me.

After several tough conversations with Christine and senior management at 500, I realized that'Š'--'Šguess what?'Š'--'Š*I* was the problem. I wasn't full of goodness and light as I thought, and I needed to take a closer look at the stranger in the mirror staring back at me. Somewhere, I had lost the plot.

As a result of the above intervention, I agreed to hand over day-to-day management of 500 to Christine, and she is now leading 500 in the new role of CEO. My role has been limited to focus on fiduciary obligations to our investors as a general partner of our funds. Along with the above, I also started regular counseling sessions about a month ago to address my shitty behavior and poor judgement. I don't expect anyone to believe I will change, but I'm working on it.

I'd like to state clearly that my past actions are most certainly my own fault and responsibility. Until recently, Christine and other senior management at 500 were unaware of my actions. Once they did become aware, they took steps quickly to investigate and prevent further inappropriate behavior. You can place the blame squarely on me, not Christine or anyone else at 500.

In the next few days as I get feedback from many (many) people, I plan to speak further with Christine and the 500 management team, our investors and advisors, and others to figure out the best possible outcome for 500. As this is a group of hundreds of people and companies, I would not want my individual interests to overshadow what is best for them (not me). I am also cognizant that many people outside 500'Š'--'Šincluding those I have hurt or offended'Š'--'Šhave strong opinions as well, and I am doing my best to listen.

My personal failures aside, 500 has long supported a diverse community of entrepreneurs including women, minorities, LGTBQ, international, and other overlooked founders. Despite my many mistakes, I sincerely hope 500 will be able to continue that mission. To the extent my actions have now made that more difficult, I am truly sorry to Christine and the 500 team, to our founders and investors and partners, to the larger global tech community, and again most specifically to the women I have hurt or offended, all of whom I have clearly failed.

And I know ''sorry'' means absolutely nothing right now.

Again, what I did was wrong. It wasn't and isn't acceptable. I'm working on behaving differently in the future. If you have suggestions or feedback or criticism, I'm open to hearing all of it. I'm guessing you probably have some.

Thanks again to everyone who has ever helped me/us along the way to 500.

Please continue that journey.

DMC

In an effort to get the planes out on time, Delta instituted a "close the door" bonus. The Gate Agent is awarded money based on the door closing exactly 5 minutes prior to push back. No door signal (which is tracked by Big Delta)...no bonus to the agent for that flight.

So if you show, before push, but after the "close the door", that agent won't open it back up.

LOB

Link to Article

Archived Version

Source: CNET News

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:18

Baseball, hot dogs and tweeting the Declaration of Independence?

Roberto Machado Noa Parades, fireworks, hot dogs '... and NPR's recitation of the Declaration of Independence. For some, these are long-held annual Fourth of July traditions.

But the latter, which this year was expanded by National Public Radio to include the posting of the country's founding document on Twitter, was not seen at least by some as particularly patriotic.

As NPR on Tuesday tweeted the Declaration line by line on its main Twitter account in 113 consecutive posts, Twitter users lashed out, calling the thread everything from spam to a waste of time to the pushing of an agenda.

So, NPR is calling for revolution.

Interesting way to condone the violence while trying to sound "patriotic".

Your implications are clear.

'-- D.G.Davies (@JustEsrafel) July 4, 2017For example, one tweet from the Declaration read, "It is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government." Twitter D.G. Davis responded with: "So, NPR is calling for revolution. Interesting way to condone the violence while trying to sound 'patriotic'. Your implications are clear."

However, Davis wasn't the only to later post regret for comments made. "I Tweeted a VERY dumb comment. But ask yourselves; if read to the average American, would they know that you were reading the DOI? I do now."

The reactions seemed to intensify when NPR posted the portion of the Declaration that outlined all the ways the colonies had been wronged by Britain's George III.

"A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people," read one post, which triggered almost 11,000 retweets along with comments from users who apparently assumed the lines were references to President Donald Trump and his current administration. The Washington Post spotted a heated response to this post from a user whose account has since been deleted but whose messages were captured by captured by Winnipeg Free Press reporter Melissa Martin:

"Propaganda is that all you know how? Try supporting a man who wants to do something about the Injustice in this country #drainingtheswamp," the tweet read.

NPR representatives didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

CNET Magazine: Check out a sample of the stories in CNET's newsstand edition.

Logging Out: Welcome to the crossroads of online life and the afterlife.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Source: Western Journalism

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:22

Advertisement - story continues below

CNN's threat of action against the maker of a video showing President Donald Trump taking down man with a CNN logo on his head could be a violation of the law, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Wednesday.

Cruz, on Twitter, said the Atlanta-based network may have violated an extortion statue.

The video was created by a Reddit user and retweeted by Trump, putting it in the national spotlight.

Advertisement - story continues below

As reported by Western Journalism, CNN publicly threatened to expose the identity of the video's creator and said it will only refrain from doing so if he does nothing else to offend the network.

CNN's position has been attacked by many as a means of stifling the kind of free expression of ideas that helps protect CNN.

Cruz then went further, saying if the network tracked the creator through his IP address and later used that information as a basis for threats, it could be violation of a Georgia law.

Advertisement - story continues below

(1/2) Troubling. I assume CNN's lawyers are examining GA § 16-8-16 Theft by extortion. If CNN constructively obtained the gif-maker's IP'... https://t.co/ChxqocuDgc

'-- Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 5, 2017

(2/2) it's a GA crime if they threatened to "Disseminate any information tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule'...." https://t.co/ChxqocuDgc

'-- Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 5, 2017

''Troubling,'' he tweeted in reference to the controversy. ''I assume CNN's lawyers are examining GA § 16-8-16 Theft by extortion. If CNN constructively obtained the gif-maker's IP '... it's a GA crime if they threatened to 'Disseminate any information tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule'....'''

The statute cited by Cruz says it is illegal to ''unlawfully obtain property of someone by threatening to disseminate any information tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule or to impair his credit or business repute.''

Advertisement - story continues below

Twitter, which has savaged CNN for its actions, responded to Cruz's tweets.

CNN threatened to dox this individual with intent to subject him to public ridicule & harassment. They deserve criminal charges.

'-- spicysaurus (@spicysaurus5) July 5, 2017

Please Ted hold them to account for their crimes against us private citizens! We appreciate the support and leadership!

'-- CNNisISIS (@SlickRounder) July 5, 2017

What CNN did is against every citizen in the United States by blackmailing this young man. The did to all of us any political party .

'-- michelle (@Mirjana8Mirjana) July 5, 2017

CNN Wednesday defended itself by saying that any ''assertion that the network blackmailed or coerced him is false.''

What do you think? Scroll down to comment below.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 17:50

Anti-fascist groups, or ''Antifa,'' are a subset of the anarchist movement and focus on issues involving racism, sexism, and anti-Semitism, as well as other perceived injustices.

Self-described Antifa groups have been established across the United States and in several major cities, including New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco. A majority of New Jersey-based anarchist groups are affiliated with the Antifa movement and are opposed to ''fascism,'' racism, and law enforcement. Antifa groups coordinate regionally and have participated in protests in New York City and Philadelphia. There are three loosely organized chapters in New Jersey, known as the North Jersey Antifa, the South Jersey Antifa, and the HubCity Antifa New Brunswick (Middlesex County).

In December 2016, a group known as the Antifascist Action-Nebraska engaged in a doxing campaign against a prominent member of American Vanguard, a white supremacist organization. The group published his personal information on several social media platforms and posted fliers on the University of Nebraska Omaha campus, calling for his expulsion.

On March 28, a small fight occurred between Antifa members and supporters of the US President during a rally in Seaside Heights (Ocean County). Because of advance publicity about the event on social media, local and state law enforcement officers were able to keep altercations to a minimum.Antifa: Inciting Violence Toward Far-Right ExtremistsViolent confrontations between Antifa members and white supremacists'--as well as militia groups'--will likely continue because of ideological differences and Antifa's ability to organize on social media. In the past year, Antifa groups have become active across the United States, employing a variety of methods to disrupt demonstrations.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Source: The Good Men Project

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:17

'--

Recently there was some controversy over a straight actor playing a gay male role saying that when he received criticism for the part and that it should be played by a gay man he said basically they wanted the character to be straight acting.

Twitter freaks out after straight actor says his gay character ''acts straight and acts normal''

There is no doubt the actor meant well. He was basically trying to say the character was meant to blend in and not stand out and be mainstream in every way but his sexuality.

But aren't gay men responsible for forming the term, ''straight acting'' which is now being used by heterosexuals? Let's face it, we use it all the time.

Nobody teaches us how to be gay men, so each of us ends up having to find our own way. As members of a subculture, we gay men are degraded in the worst way by being termed faggots , perverts , pansies , sissies , mother-dominated mama's boys , or dismissed as ''more like women,'' ''immature,'' ''underdeveloped in their masculinity,'' ''less than a man,'' ''weak,'' ''innately vulnerable,'' and ''cowardly.''

In gay culture, the drive to escape these negative self-images manifests by looking for'--and often striving to become'--a '' straight acting'' male. In any quick survey, you can find gay male personal ads looking for ''straight acting'' guys, specifying ''masculine, no fems.'' What the writers really mean is ''masculine-acting guys'''--and the more so, the better. The Village People even made fun of this attitude in a song lyric: ''I want to be a macho man,'' implying that the singer wasn't macho, to begin with.

Imagine a Black man looking for a ''white acting'' woman or a Jewish woman looking for a ''gentile-acting'' man. This would seem as ridiculous to say out loud as is ''straight acting''.

But people do say these things and ultimately there should be nothing wrong with basically wanting to be with a partner or friends who don't assume and adopt the cultural means of behaviors and language. But to put it in writing does lend itself the idea that there is something wrong with acting gay or acting black or acting Jewish.

What gay men really mean is that they are looking for a masculine guy'--a guy who acts masculine. This is fine and if that is his preference he should be able to say that. Gay men are masculine. Straight men are masculine.

Masculinity does not equate heterosexual men.

Being raised as a boy in America's heterosexist culture means avoiding and distancing yourself from being perceived as feminine in any way. Being gay is synonymous with being effeminate . This is inherently sexist, of course, as if being associated with anything female would be automatically degrading. Being male is a privileged position, and anything else is viewed as of inferior status.

Nor is the concept of femininity generally acceptable among gay men. Countless times, I've heard gay men say of their more effeminate counterparts, ''If I wanted a woman, I'd be straight'''--always in a negative and hostile way. Many gay men tolerate drag shows and effeminate talk and accept behaviors among friends in the culture, but declare this off-limits in their personal relationships.

'—Š'...'—Š

Listen to my video on the topic of ''straight acting'' along with my reasons for why gay men are attracted to straight men which include:

Internalized Homophobia Forbidden Fruit Straight Men Represent Authority A Chance for Being Accepted by Straight Men .

'--

Do you want to be part of ending sexism, racism, and homophobia?

'--

Photo credit: Getty Images

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 07:02

Vatican police raided a drug-fueled gay-sex party at an apartment belonging to an aide of one of Pope Francis' key advisers, according to a new report.

The Holy Father is ''enraged,'' since the home, inhabited by Francesco Cardinal Coccopalmerio's secretary, belongs to the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith '-- the arm charged with tackling clerical sex abuse, the Italian paper Il Fatto Quotidiano reported.

Cops raided the apartment in late June after neighbors voiced concern about multiple people acting strangely while streaming in and out of the residence, the newspaper reported Wednesday.

Once police were inside the apartment, they said they found multiple men engaged in rampant drug use and homosexual activity.

They then arrested the priest '-- an aide to one of Pope Francis' key advisers '-- after taking him to a clinic to detox from the drugs he'd ingested.

The unnamed aide is now on a spiritual retreat in a convent in Italy, the paper said.

The aide's apartment building is the same place where Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger lived for about 25 years before becoming Pope Benedict XVI.

Fatto Quotidiano described the building as ''a perfect location to enjoy the extraterritorial rights [of the Vatican] without having to undergo neither the checks of the Italian State nor those of the Vatican City.''

Pope Francis ''has decided to accelerate the retirement'' of Coccopalmerio, who serves as president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, the paper said.

Coccopalmerio had recommended the secretary for a promotion to bishop '-- but his prospects aren't looking good following this incident and two previous alleged drug overdoses, according to an International Business Times report.

''He had proposed his secretary to the episcopate. Fortune that they have not appointed him bishop. Now what would happen?'' Il Fatto Quotidiano said. ''Someone stopped this appointment before it was too late.''

The scandal comes just a week after the Vatican was rocked by sex-abuse allegations against high-ranking church official George Cardinal Pell.

Pell was charged with multiple counts of historical sexual assault offenses by Australian police.

The cardinal, who served as Pope Francis' chief financial adviser and is Australia's most senior Catholic, is the highest-ranking Vatican official ever to be charged in the church's sexual- abuse scandals.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Source: The Last Refuge

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:05

For those who cannot see the multi-dimensional strategy here, an approach assembled for years in the aggregate and fine-tuned in the last several weeks, President Trump is reinforcing our prior analysis of his strategy:

A day before he meets face-to-face with Xi Jinping, President Trump is highlighting the enabler to North Korea. President Trump is smartly setting up a spotlight for the entire world to see who is creating the problem, China.

President Trump will never start a military war because it's antithetical to his entire constitution. However, within the field of economic combat '' watch out. Not only will Trump engage in economic warfare, he's built an armory for decades, he's positioned to win against any opponent. As such, the long-term adversary in this equation is not North Korea, it's China.

To understand the longer and larger strategy, we must first remember the underpinning of all leverage, economics. Every single aspect of national wealth and national security boils down to economics. The true economic adversary to the United States is China.

President Trump and Secretary Tillerson are establishing who supports North Korea by defining who enables them. Once the enabler is defined and in the sunlight, then action against the enabler is justified.

In the final analysis, China will either take action to remove the North Korean threat, or the United States will collapse the economy of China with the biggest set of economic actions against China in the history of economic sanctions.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley will establish and highlight the action of the enablers.

U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad will politely request China to stop enabling and take action.

President Trump will politely ask Xi Jinping not to put him in a position of destroying the Chinese economy. Trump will remind Xi Jinping he really doesn't want to, but he is being left no option.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue are the atomic economic sledgehammer'.... awaiting orders.

President Trump works the entire plan down to it's two logical outcomes for the world to decide. Either:

A.) War with North Korea killing millions of people.

OR

B.) Economic Sanctions against China to avoid war.

President Xi Jinping can already see this is the binary choice at the logical end of the current path. He too knows the art of economic war.

Xi can see this coming hence he will work veraciously to avoid being in that binary economic box.

One of China's approaches will be an attempt to curry favor with all economic adversaries; China needs friends and will attempt to buy them if possible. However, the U.S. economic market is worth $20 trillion and is the strongest economic leverage on the planet.

Economic isolation does not hurt the U.S. as much as economic isolation hurts all other industrial nations that rely on their ability to bring their products to U.S. markets. The U.S. holds all economic leverage. Remember, at its core '' the U.S. is self sufficient in every industry.

China holds dollars. China also hordes dollars as part of: a.) their trade surplus with the U.S. paying in dollars; and b.) their economic strategy to keep the U.S. dollar inflated. China cannot dump dollars in retaliation without punishing their own economy.

If you owe the bank a million dollars the bank owns you. If you owe the bank a trillion dollars, you own the bank.

China is screwed.

For three decades everyone in Donald Trump's financial orbit, the ''killers'' per se', have been chomping at the bit to crush China and cut them down to size.

U.S. Billionaire Donald Trump is now the President of the United States. U.S. Billionaire Steven Mnuchin is now the master of all international finance. U.S. Billionaire Wilbur Ross and Robert Lighthizer control trade.

North Korea is a regional problem, but North Korea is also an American opportunity.

North Korea's behavior is giving President Trump every excuse to crush China economically; and yet no-one yet realizes what the long strategy is'...

When all options are exhausted and this question remains, China will become the visible enemy enabler that must be confronted to avoid war.

That, my friends, is leverage.

That is also, why Trump has needed to speak so warmly about China.

China has always been the target.

Sun Tzu

''Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.''~Sun Tzu

Or, put another way:

Move slowly, carefully '-- and then strike like the fastest animal on the planet!

'-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 20, 2013

Advertisements

Link to Article

Archived Version

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 10:11

Former President Barack Obama will be in South Korea Monday, giving a speech at an international forum hosted by a local newspaper.

The Korea Herald said Obama will also meet informally with former President Lee Myung-bak and current President Moon Jae-in.

The meeting comes shortly after President Trump hosted Moon at the White House.

During a joint press conference on Friday, Trump struck a hard stance on North Korea, saying "patience is over" and calling for an aggressive international effort to curb the rogue state's nuclear program.

"Together, we are facing the threat of the reckless and brutal regime in North Korea," Trump said at the White House alongside Moon. "The nuclear and ballistic missile programs of that regime require a determined response."

Next week, Trump will attend the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.

He's expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and also has meetings scheduled with Moon, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mexican President Enrique Pe a Nieto, among others.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 09:38

As the state of Illinois careens into financial free fall, the state House of Representatives passed a bill on Sunday raising taxes by a whopping 33% and approving the state budget. Neither action will do anything to ameliorate the state's financial woes.

Here are five things you need to know about the tax hike and spending bill passed by the Illinois House on Sunday.

1. The tax increases amount to $5 billion. Personal income taxes would rise from 3.75% to 4.95% and the corporate tax rate would increase from 5.25% to 7%. On the other hand, the bill widens the scope of the state's earned income tax credit.

The tax increases passed by a margin of 72-45, one vote ahead of the 71-vote threshold needed to pass them. Fifteen Republicans voted for them.

2. The budget will spend slightly over $36 billion. This is actually $400 million less than what the House Democrats originally proposed and will reduce spending for colleges by 5%. The spending bill passed by a margin of 81-34.

3. The tax increases might not pass the Senate. The Chicago Tribune notes that "when the Senate approved its own tax hike in late May, no Republicans voted for it and several Democrats voted against it." But given the financial dire straits facing Illinois, it's possible the Senate will buckle on it.

4. Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) has threatened to veto it. Rauner has stated that he would only sign a tax increase if it's temporary and accompanied with a freeze on property taxes as well as other reforms such as term limits for the state legislature. The House did not meet any of those standards on Sunday.

Rauner issued a statement that read, "Illinois families don't deserve to have more of the hard-earned money taken from them when the Legislature has done little to restore confidence in government or grow jobs."

5. The tax increases and spending bill won't stop Illinois from veering into bankruptcy. As The Daily Wire's Elliott Hamilton has explained, the state has an unpaid backlog of nearly $15 billion and faces $130 billion in unfunded liabilities due to the state's unsustainable pension system.

"The actual cause of much of the state's financial problems originated in 2011 when the state, led by Gov. Pat Quinn (D), decided to hike the tax rate to address a looming pension shortfall as well as offset a $12 billion deficit to account for a $35 billion state-wide budget," wrote Hamilton. "Since then, the Democrat-led state failed to reform the pension plans."

The House clearly hasn't learned their lesson; it remains to be seen if the Senate has and if Rauner will eventually sign a bill that tackles pensions. Otherwise, Illinois will be filing for bankruptcy.

Follow Aaron Bandler on Twitter.

{{title}} {{#each authors}} {{this}} {{/each}}

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:38

Published on July 4, 2017

Written by John O'Sullivan

Penn State climate scientist, Michael 'hockey stick' Mann commits contempt of court in the 'climate science trial of the century.' Prominent alarmist shockingly defies judge and refuses to surrender data for open court examination. Only possible outcome: Mann's humiliation, defeat and likely criminal investigation in the U.S.

The defendant in the libel trial, the 79-year-old Canadian climatologist, Dr Tim Ball (above, right) is expected to instruct his British Columbia attorneys to trigger mandatory punitive court sanctions, including a ruling that Mann did act with criminal intent when using public funds to commit climate data fraud. Mann's imminent defeat is set to send shock waves worldwide within the climate science community as the outcome will be both a legal and scientific vindication of U.S. President Donald Trump's claims that climate scare stories are a ''hoax.''

As can be seen from the graphs below; Mann's cherry-picked version of science makes the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) disappear and shows a pronounced upward 'tick' in the late 20th century (the blade of his 'hockey stick'). But below that, Ball's graph, using more reliable and widely available public data, shows a much warmer MWP, with temperatures hotter than today, and showing current temperatures well within natural variation.

Michael Mann, who chose to file what many consider to be a cynical SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) libel suit in the British Columbia Supreme Court, Vancouver six long years ago, has astonished legal experts by refusing to comply with the court direction to hand over all his disputed graph's data. Mann's iconic hockey stick has been relied upon by the UN's IPCC and western governments as crucial evidence for the science of 'man-made global warming.'

As first reported in Principia Scientific International (February 1, 2017), the defendant in the case, Canadian climatologist Dr. Tim Ball, had won ''concessions'' against Mann, but at the time the details were kept confidential, pending Mann's response.

The negative and unresponsive actions of Dr Mann and his lawyer, Roger McConchie, are expected to infuriate the judge and be the signal for the collapse of Mann's multi-million dollar libel suit against Dr Ball. It will be music to the ears of so-called 'climate deniers' like President Donald Trump and his EPA Chief, Scott Pruitt.

As Dr Ball explains:

''Michael Mann moved for an adjournment of the trial scheduled for February 20, 2017. We had little choice because Canadian courts always grant adjournments before a trial in their belief that an out of court settlement is preferable. We agreed to an adjournment with conditions. The major one was that he [Mann] produce all documents including computer codes by February 20th, 2017. He failed to meet the deadline.''

Punishment for Civil Contempt

Mann's now proven contempt of court means Ball is entitled to have the court serve upon Mann the fullest punishment. Contempt sanctions could reasonably include the judge ruling that Dr. Ball's statement that Mann ''belongs in the state pen, not Penn. State' is a precise and true statement of fact. This is because under Canada's unique 'Truth Defense', Mann is now proven to have wilfully hidden his data, so the court may rule he hid it because it is fake. As such, the court must then dismiss Mann's entire libel suit with costs awarded to Ball and his team.

The spectacular rise and fall of climate alarmism's former golden boy is a courtroom battle with even more ramifications than the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925. To much fanfare at the time, Mann had sued Ball for daring to publish the damning comment that Mann ''belongs in the state pen, not Penn. State.'' Dr Ball brilliantly backed up his exposure of the elaborate international money-making global warming scam in his astonishing book, 'The Deliberate Corruption of Climate Science'.

In his books, articles, radio and television appearances, Dr. Ball has been resolute in his generation-long war against those who corrupted the field of science to which he had selflessly dedicated his life. Now aged 79, Ball is on the cusp of utter vindication. Despite the stresses and strains on himself and his family, Tim has stood at the forefront of those scientists demanding more openness and transparency from government-funded researchers.

As Ball explains:

''We believe he [Mann] withheld on the basis of a US court ruling that it was all his intellectual property. This ruling was made despite the fact the US taxpayer paid for the research and the research results were used as the basis of literally earth-shattering policies on energy and environment. The problem for him is that the Canadian court holds that you cannot withhold documents that are central to your charge of defamation regardless of the US ruling.''

Likely Repercussions for Science & Climate Policy

A bitter and embarrassing defeat for the self-styled 'Nobel Prize winner' who acted as if he was the epitome of virtue, this outcome shames not only Michael Mann, but puts the climate science community in crisis. Many hundreds of peer-reviewed papers cite Mann's work, which is now effectively junked. Despite having deep-pocketed backers willing and able to feed his ego as a publicity-seeking mouthpiece against skeptics, Mann's credibility as a champion of environmentalism is in tatters.

But it gets worse for the litigious Penn State professor. Close behind Dr Ball is celebrated writer Mark Steyn. Steyn also defends himself against another one of Mann's SLAPP suits '' this time in Washington DC. Steyn boldly claims Mann ''has perverted the norms of science on an industrial scale.'' Esteemed American climate scientist, Dr Judith Curry, has submitted to the court an Amicus Curiae legal brief exposing Mann. The world can now see that his six-year legal gambit to silence his most effective critics and chill scientific debate has spectacularly backfired.

But at a time of much clamor about 'fake news,' it seems climate scare stories will have a new angle now that the United States has officially stepped back from the Paris Climate Treaty. President Trump was elected on a mandate to weed out climate fraud so his supporters will point to this legal outcome as vindication for a full purge. It makes a mockery of statements made by Mann last February when PSI's Hans Schreuder and John O'Sullivan publicly backed their colleague, Dr Ball and endorsed the revelations in his book. Mann reacted by moaning:

''It is difficult to keep up with this dizzying ongoing assault on science.''

The perpetrator of the biggest criminal ''assault on science'' has now become clear: Dr Mann, utterly damned by his contempt of the court order to show his dodgy data.

There can be little doubt that upon the BC Supreme Court ruling that Mann did commit data fraud, over in Washington DC, the EPA's Scott Pruitt will feel intense pressure from skeptics to initiate a full investigation into Mann, his university and all those conspiring to perpetuate a trillion-dollar carbon tax-raising sting on taxpayers.

With the scent of courtroom victory invigorating pensioner Ball, he reveals he is determined to go for a second such court win this coming Fall. Then he defends a similar libel lawsuit in Vancouver, filed against him by fellow Canadian climate scientist, Andrew Weaver.

On that case Tim reports:

''The second defamation lawsuit involves Andrew Weaver and is scheduled for court in October 2017. We are not sure what will happen as Weaver, who was a lead author for the computer model chapter of four IPCC Reports (1995, 2001, 2007, and 2013), became a politician. He ran for and was elected leader of the British Columbia Green Party and is a sitting member of the provincial legislature. We must continue to prepare for the trial, but it is the prevailing view in the court system that if a scientist becomes a politician their scientific objectivity is compromised '' it is considered the bias of a 'noble cause'.''

As a career-long defender of the scientific method, embracing open and transparent verification of important government research, Ball makes this promise to his loyal supporters:

''Regardless of the outcomes I am planning a major campaign to expose to the world how they used the court system to silence me because I dared to speak out against their claims and actions. I am not particularly bright but I had two major threats, I was qualified, and I had an ability to explain in a way the public could understand. These latter abilities were honed in teaching a science credit for arts students for 25 years.''

Saving a final word for his friends and colleagues at Principia Scientific International (PSI) Dr Ball concluded:

''It goes without saying that I could not have done any of this without the support of people [like Gregg Thomspon] who gave money and John O'Sullivan who gave superb advice from a legal and life experience perspective.''

Dr Ball and his PSI colleagues are among those now calling for governments to set aside proper funding for 'blue team' scientists and experts skilled in critically examining claims made by so-called government 'experts' where they impact public policy. In the final outcome, these 'devil's advocates' of science (or 'skeptics') are the best defense against waste and corruption.

To that end, Australian Astronomer and entrepreneur Gregg Thompson has been crucial in providing resources that helped establish PSI as a registered UK charity devoted to this public service. PSI is urging more charitable donations from ordinary citizens to help further the cause of creating more 'blue team/red team' initiatives devoted to monitoring government science and prepared to bravely expose negligence and intentional misconduct on the public dime.

Read more from Tim Ball at his website: drtimball.com. Buy on Amazon Tim's 'The Deliberate Corruption of Climate Science'

Related

Link to Article

Archived Version

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 08:01

British professor fears global warming will cause temperatures to skyrocket beyond boiling point and sulphuric acid to rain from the sky

STEPHEN Hawking fears Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris climate change agreement could be the ''tipping point'' which wipes out humanity and turns our planet into a living hell.

The British professor is worried that The Donald's rejection of this plan to combat global warming could cause irreversible changes which doom our planet to a grim fate.

Will Donald Trump bring about the apocalypse? Professor Stephen Hawking certainly appears to think soIn recent years, Hawking has become something of a doommonger, who is determined to sketch out a variety of grim fates which await the human race.

In his latest prophecy, the professor suggested our planet could be destined to become totally uninhabitable.

''We are close to the tipping point where global warming becomes irreversible. Trump's action could push the Earth over the brink, to become like Venus, with a temperature of 250°C, and raining sulphuric acid,'' he told the BBC.

''Climate change is one of the great dangers we face, and it's one we can prevent if we act now.

''By denying the evidence for climate change, and pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, Donald Trump will cause avoidable environmental damage to our beautiful planet, endangering the natural world, for us and our children.''

The famed physicist also fears that ''evolution has inbuilt greed and aggression to the human genome'', meaning that we might wipe ourselves out before Earth turns into Venus.

NINTENDO SAYS NONintendo's alleged 'censorship' of games deemed too sexy or shocking for Western audiences revealed

GAMER'S PARADISEThe Steam Sale ends TOMORROW - here are today's hottest deals

'PLUG AND PLAY' PIRACYThe European Court has made a ruling over Kodi boxes - so can you still use them?

HIPPY PEPECreator of 'white supremacist' Pepe the Frog meme wants to reclaim him as 'universal symbol of peace and love'

BRITAIN'S X-FILESUFO files reveal Cold War spy plane crew's horror as craft 'covered in 20 flashing lights' closed in at 35,000ft

mOURINHo 3.0FIFA 18 graphics: Just how much better will EA's new football game look?

He added: ''There is no sign of conflict lessening, and the development of militarised technology and weapons of mass destruction could make that disastrous. The best hope for the survival of the human race might be independent colonies in space.''

Professor Hawking fears technology will wipe out humanity and has called for global government to defeat killer robots.

He has also said humanity should probably leave Earth within 1,000 years, although even this great escape might not save us because an alien civilisation could come along and wipe us out.

No future for you'....

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368

Link to Article

Archived Version

Source: CNET News

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:24

The latest chapter in the NotPetya saga: A ransom note.

James Martin/CNET A hacking group linked to last week's ransomware attack that locked up devices at multibillion-dollar companies has reportedly made its first public statement, demanding about $250,000 in exchange for a private encryption key used in the attack.

In ransom note published on the dark web Tuesday and first spotted by Motherboard, the group ostensibly behind the NotPetya malware, also referred to as GoldenEye, demanded a payment of 100 bitcoin in exchange for a key that it says could decrypt any file locked by the malware.

The NotPetya malware swarmed computers one week ago after starting with a cyberattack in Kiev, Ukraine. From there, it spread to the country's electrical grid, airport and government offices, and it also locked up files around the globe at companies including FedEx, Merck, Cadbury and AP Moller-Maersk.

Combined, these four companies are worth about $130 billion -- big targets with fat wallets. So it was surprising when the hackers initially asked for just $300 per hijacked computer.

But despite Tuesday's significantly higher demand price, experts believe nation-state attackers are using ransomware as a screen , tempting victims to blame faceless hackers instead of the countries allegedly behind the attacks. The real goal presumably was to get at and destroy data.

The fix -- which has been proven to work by Forbes -- cannot decrypt your entire hard drive, only certain files. That means even if you pay the ransom, you could still be locked out of your devices.

It's still not clear whether anyone took the group up on its offer. But it doesn't appear there have been any bitcoin transactions of that size, according to reports.

Logging Out: Welcome to the crossroads of online life and the afterlife.

Special Reports:CNET's in-depth features in one place.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 01:25

Pensive Pence '... the 25th amendment would be used if the vice-president were to replace Trump. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Name: The 25th amendment to the US constitution.

Age: 50.

Appearance: Seven paragraphs of justified type with lots of white space, some fancy titles and a nice red border. The amendment itself is just 400 words long.

I can't read all that. Give me a 50-word summary. It states the vice-president becomes president if the president dies, explains how the president should replace a vice-president or cede power temporarily to the vice-president, and gives the vice-president and the cabinet the power to remove a president who is unable to do the job.

That sounds important. It is. The original constitution was a bit vague and kept causing problems when presidents or vice-presidents died or got ill. Congress finally amended it after President Kennedy was killed, and the rules have been used several times since: when Nixon resigned, Reagan was shot, and various people had surgery.

I see. And now, for some reason, the 25th amendment is trendy again? That's right. Some think that President Trump is behaving a tad oddly.

He was never exactly the sort of strong and stable leader that Britain is so lucky to have. No, indeed. But he spent most of last week in a Twitter feud with the media, and ultimately posted a gif of himself pretending to beat up a CNN logo with a human body.

Is that grounds for impeachment? I'd say it was just childish. Trump prefers ''MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL''.

Either way, it's standard behaviour on Twitter. I suppose. But thousands of people began tweeting #twentyfifthamendmentnow shortly afterwards, demanding that he be removed from office.

That's standard behaviour on Twitter too. I can't see Mike Pence and the cabinet being suddenly convinced. No, although there is an attempt under way to clarify how a president could be declared medically unfit. Jamie Raskin, a Democratic congressman, is planning to introduce a bill to establish an oversight commission on presidential capacity.

Just in case the US ends up with an unstable president at some point in the future? That's right. Just in case.

Do tweet: ''Those losers in Congress say I'm a danger to myself and others. Sad!''

Don't tweet: ''Covfefe.''

Link to Article

Archived Version

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 16:00

For months, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders have privately counseled their more militant members to forswear talk of impeaching President Trump, telling them the political support for such a step simply doesn't exist in the GOP-controlled Congress.

But 25 House Democrats, including the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, are now pushing an equally radical alternative: They are backing a bill that would create a congressional ''oversight'' commission that could declare the president incapacitated, leading to his removal from office under the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

At 12:56 p.m. Thursday, barely four hours after Trump tweeted attacks against MSNBC cable host Mika Brzezinski in crude, personal terms, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the chief sponsor of the bill, sent out an email to his colleagues, urging them to get behind the measure, writing it was of ''enduring importance to the security of our nation.''

''In case of emergency, break glass,'' Raskin told Yahoo News in an interview. ''If you look at the record of things that have happened since January, it is truly a bizarre litany of events and outbursts.'' Asked if Trump's latest tweets attacking Brzezinski and her co-host Joe Scarborough '-- which were roundly condemned by members of both parties as beneath the dignity of his office '-- strengthened the grounds for invoking the 25th Amendment, Raskin replied: ''I assume every human being is allowed one or two errant and seemingly deranged tweets. The question is whether you have a sustained pattern of behavior that indicates something is seriously wrong.'' After Trump's Thursday morning tweets, four more Democrats signed on to Raskin's bill, his office said Friday. (Brzezinski and Scarborough's response to Trump's tweets ran in today's Washington Post under the headline, ''The President is not well.'' White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended Trump's tweets Thursday, saying he ''fights fire with fire.'')

View photos

President Trump (Photo: Yuri Gripas/Reuters)

More To be sure, even Raskin acknowledges Congress and the country are in largely uncharted waters. The 25th Amendment was adopted in 1967 in response to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and past presidential medical crises '-- including the heart attacks of Dwight Eisenhower and the illnesses of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson '-- to deal with instances where presidents become incapacitated and unable to perform the duties of their office.

One of its provisions, known as Section 4, empowers the vice president along with a majority of the Cabinet to make a determination that a president is ''unable to discharge the powers and duties'' of the office, and then provide it in writing to Congress, resulting in the president's removal. It's a step that has never been taken.

But Raskin, a former constitutional law professor, has seized on some largely overlooked language in Section 4 as the basis for his bill. It turns out it doesn't have to be the Cabinet that makes a finding of presidential incapacity. The section also permits ''such other body as Congress may by law provide'' '-- along with the vice president '-- to reach the same conclusion.

Yet in the 50 years since the 25th Amendment took effect, Congress has never set up such a body. Raskin's bill would do so. It calls for the creation of an ''Oversight Commission on Presidential Capacity.'' The commission would be a nonpartisan panel appointed by congressional leaders composed of four physicians, four psychiatrists and three others '-- such as former presidents, vice presidents or other former senior U.S. government officials. The commission, if directed by Congress through a concurrent resolution, would be empowered to conduct an examination of the president ''to determine whether the president is incapacitated, either mentally or physically.''

View photos

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., speaks at the ''March for Truth'' protest in Washington, D.C., June 3. (Photo: Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images)

More The 25th Amendment itself says nothing about the guidelines for making such a determination, much less what kinds of perceived mental illnesses would make a president unable to perform his duties. But Raskin, who first introduced his bill in April, said that he's been getting increased interest in the legislation among colleagues, including Republicans who have privately approached him about it on the House floor. ''I've had tons of inquiries, and lots of colleagues have been talking to me about it,'' he said. ''I'm convinced most Americans believe we are living in a very strange reality. '... The question is, what are the escape routes we have, and the 25th Amendment is one of them.''

Raskin's bill so far has been quietly picking up support in the Democratic caucus. Among the co-sponsors who have signed are Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee (and the only member of Congress who was around when the 25th Amendment was enacted), and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., the former chair of the Democratic National Committee.

But despite some talk of the 25th Amendment option in conservative circles '-- New York Times columnist Ross Douthat recently urged that it be considered and National Review contributing editor Andrew McCarthy tweeted about it Thursday '-- so far no Republican members of Congress have signed on to the idea. ''It's really a political decision,'' said Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., who has also co-sponsored Raskin's bill. While many of his GOP colleagues are, in the privacy of the House cloakroom, ''shaking their heads'' and ''embarrassed'' by the president, ''they can't say anything publicly'' given the core support Trump has so far retained among their base, he said.

Indeed, in some respects, the political obstacles to executing the 25th Amendment are even greater than impeachment, notes Joel K. Goldstein, a professor of law at St. Louis University. Under its provisions, if a president challenged a finding of incapacity and demanded that he or she be reinstalled in office, it would require two-thirds of both chambers to block the commander in chief from doing so. (By contrast, it only takes a majority of the House to impeach a president, although two thirds of the Senate must vote to convict and remove the president.)

Moreover, as Goldstein notes, even if Congress were to create the body called for in Raskin's bill, it couldn't act to declare the president incapacitated without the concurrence of the vice president. That means Vice President Mike Pence could effectively block any move to invoke the 25th Amendment option. ''The vice president is a necessary party. He effectively has a veto,'' said Goldstein. ''He's a deal breaker.''

Still, Raskin is undeterred. ''The question is, where are we going to be six months, 12 months, 18 months from now? The presidency is considered extremely stressful for people with the strongest mental health. We need to be prepared for all eventualities.''

Read more from Yahoo News:

Link to Article

Archived Version

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 11:14

''Who gives a $#%& about an Oxford comma?''

So goes one of my favorite lyrics by Vampire Weekend , and the answer to date has largely been: grammar nerds, Strunk & White and those who follow the infamous Chicago vs. AP style debate .

Now, we can add dairy driver to the list.

That's because an appellate court recently ruled in favor of Maine dairy drivers in a labor dispute that hinged on the oft-debated piece of punctuation.

For anyone who's ever wondered what all the fuss is about over Oxford commas, the circuit judge's opinion says it all: ''For want of a comma, we have this case.''

Why an extra comma matters For those in need of a grammar refresh, the Oxford (or serial) comma is a comma placed between the last two items in a series of three or more. For instance, ''I like cake, pizza, and ice cream.''

Proponents of the Oxford comma argue it's necessary to avoid potential ambiguity.

In the example sentence, it's clear I like three types of food in and of themselves. Remove it and the sentence reads, ''I like cake, pizza and ice cream'' '-- leading to the potential to read the last two items as one combination item. I no longer like pizza and ice cream on their own, one could argue; I like pizza and ice cream only when they're together. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

It was precisely this type of ambiguity that led to the Maine case.

The $10 million comma In this class action lawsuit, drivers for Oakhurst Dairy sued the company over its failure to grant them overtime pay. According to Maine law, workers are entitled to 1.5 times their normal pay for any hours worked over 40 per week. However, there are exemptions to this rule. Specifically, companies don't need to pay overtime for the following activities:

The canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution of:

Agricultural produce; Meat and fish product; and Perishable foods Note the end of the opening line, where there is no comma before the ''or.''

Oakhurst Dairy argued its drivers did not qualify for overtime because they engage in distribution, and the spirit of the law intended to list ''packing for shipment'' and ''distribution'' as two separate exempt activities.

However, the drivers argued the letter of the law said no such thing. Without that telltale Oxford comma, the law could be read to exclude only packing '-- whether it was packing for shipment or packing for distribution. Distribution by itself, in this case, would not be exempt.

Without that comma, as the judgemaintained, this distinction was not clearcut:

Specifically, if that exemption used a serial comma to mark off the last of the activities that it lists, then the exemption would clearly encompass an activity that the drivers perform. And, in that event, the drivers would plainly fall within the exemption and thus outside the overtime law's protection. But, as it happens, there is no serial comma to be found in the exemption's list of activities, thus leading to this dispute over whether the drivers fall within the exemption from the overtime law or not.

As a result, the court found in favor of the drivers, costing the dairy an estimated $10 million .

To comma, or not to comma? As a diehard Oxford comma loyalist, this ruling made my day. While many of the sites I write for as a freelance blogger follow AP style (including this one), which is sans-serial comma, I still sneak one in when it seems needed to avoid potential confusion. This case backs up that habit as more than just an old-school tic I haven't yet let go.

While the debate may still rage on over whether Oxford commas are necessary all the time, this ruling upholds the practice of using them when they're essential to ward off ambiguity.

So, who gives a $#%& about an Oxford comma? The answer, according to the courts, is officially: anyone who's interested in clarity.

(Take that, AP style!)

What do you think? Are you pro-Oxford comma as a rule, or only in specific circumstances?

Kelly Gurnett is a freelance blogger, writer and editor; follow her on Twitter @CordeliaCallsIt.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 06:21

JACK HIGHBERGER - FOX 9MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) '' When put to the test, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport failed 95-percent of security tests conducted at the airport last week, according to Fox 9 sources.

Last Thursday, what's referred to as the ''Red Team'' in town from Washington D.C., posed as passengers and attempted to sneak items through security that should easily be caught.

In most cases, they succeeded in getting the banned items through. 17 out of 18 tries by the undercover federal agents saw explosive materials, fake weapons, or drugs pass through TSA screening undetected.

Two sources told Fox 9 that the tests carried out thrusday were eventually stopped after the failure rate reached 95-percent.

This information was released to Fox 9 as the holiday weekend began, a weekend Americans are expected to set travel records. It is estimated that nearly 3.5 million people are expected to fly this weekend.

This is not the first time MSP Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has received this sort of failing grade. In April of 2016, sources said the airport failed nine out of 12 tests.

In 2015, nationwide TSA struggles forced the resignation of the TSA Chief Melvin Carraway. Roughly two years later, questions remain under new leadership about how to fix these issues.

When asked about Thursday's failing grade, the TSA told Fox 9, ''TSA cannot confirm or deny the results of internal tests and condemns the release of any information that could compromise our nation's security.''

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:26

The U.S. government sought to intervene in Apple's tax troubles in Europe, a source told Reuters. Last August, the European Commission said Apple had received illegal tax breaks in Ireland, and it ordered the company to pay back close to $15 billion. The decision was criticized by the Obama administration. Trump's White House has not said anything in public about the case. In December, Apple appealed the EC decision in the Luxembourg-based General Court, Europe's second-highest. This is where the U.S. government filed its application to intervene in the case. The court is expected to hear the case in late 2018. Apple is not the only U. S. company in the EU crosshairs over tax deals. Others include Amazon, McDonald's, and Starbucks.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:21

Reuters is the news and media division of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms.

*All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Source: Washington Free Beacon

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:04

Link to Article

Archived Version

Source: Washington Free Beacon

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:03

Link to Article

Archived Version

Source: Washington Free Beacon

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:02

Link to Article

Archived Version

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 17:13

NBC's Matt Bradley accused Donald Trump Monday of using Charlie Gard's parents' grief in order to further his own political agenda.

Trump tweeted earlier that day that he would be ''delighted'' to help Charlie Gard, a U.K. infant who has been sentenced to die by the British courts.

Gard has a mitochondrial disease that has rendered him critically ill, and his parents wish to bring him to the United States for experimental treatment. However, British courts have declined the parents' request to move their child and have granted doctors the right to end Gard's life-sustaining treatment at any time.

Bradley, an NBC reporter out of London, said that depending on how you feel about Trump, you may view his tweet one of two ways.

The more charitable option, he explained, is that the president genuinely wants to help Gard.

''Now, depending on how you see this, Hallie, depending really on your impressions of Mr. Trump beforehand, you could either decide that this is the president selflessly stepping in to help grieving parents who are experiencing a terrible, wrenching pain and a baby who has a very rare, very difficult to treat illness,'' he offered.

However, Bradley also suggested that their may be a more sinister motive to Trump's tweet.

''Or,'' he continued, ''You could decide that this was the president trying to use the grief of two parents and a small baby for political gain and weighing into a situation that was very much a national and European issue and not one we would expect anything from an American politician.''

''But again,'' Bradley said, ''it all depends on how you look at it.''

WATCH:

Follow Amber on Twitter

Link to Article

Archived Version

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 16:30

Jean-Claude Juncker windt zich op in het Europees Parlement. Beeld (C) EPA

Jean-Claude Juncker, de voorzitter van de Europese Commissie, is keihard in aanvaring gekomen met het Europees Parlement. "Jullie zijn belachelijk!", brieste de Luxemburger.

De plenaire vergadering, waarbij de Maltese premier Joseph Muscat te gast was, wist maar weinig bekijks te trekken van Europarlementarirs. Daarop besloot Juncker zijn onvrede niet onder stoelen of banken te steken.

Parlement niet serieus"Ik wil hen verwelkomen die de moeite hebben genomen om op te komen dagen vanmorgen", begon de Commissievoorzitter. "Het feit dat er maar een stuk of 30 mensen aanwezig zijn bij dit debat illustreert dat het parlement dit niet serieus neemt."

Volgens Juncker zou het huis vol zitten als niet Muscat, maar bijvoorbeeld de Franse Emmanuel Macron of de Duitse bondskanselier Angela Merkel in de zaal zou zitten.

Jullie zijn belachelijkDit wekte de woede van parlementsvoorzitter Antonio Tajani die Juncker gergerd verzocht zijn taal wat te matigen. Tajani wees hem er fijntjes op dat het parlement de Commissie controleert, niet andersom. Maar dat mocht niet baten. Juncker deed er zelfs nog een schepje bovenop.

"Er zijn slechts een paar parlementarirs in de plenaire sessie om de Commissie te controleren. Jullie zijn belachelijk!"

Tot nooit!Die hartenkreet kwam Juncker op een nieuwe reprimande van Tajani te staan, ditmaal vergezeld van driftige handgebaren. "Alstublieft! Ik vraag u om andere woorden te gebruiken. Wij zijn niet belachelijk!" Maar voor de Commissievoorzitter was toen de maat helemaal vol.

"Ik zal nooit meer op komen dagen bij een dergelijke vergadering", aldus Juncker.

Europarlementarirs hebben het de laatste maanden niet makkelijk, wat kritiek betreft. Eind mei bleek ook al uit onderzoek dat ze per jaar voor een slordige 40 miljoen euro onkostenvergoeding krijgen, maar in de meeste gevallen is het volstrekt onduidelijk waar dat geld voor wordt gebruikt.

Bron ' RTL Z

Link to Article

Archived Version

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 11:15

Link to Article

Archived Version

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 09:11

Link to Article

Archived Version

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 00:34

Following Trump's undignified and sexist attack on MSNBC's ''Morning Joe'' co-host Mika Brzezinski, fellow MSNBC anchor Nicolle Wallace issued a stern statement to the women of the White House.

Wallace, host of ''Deadline: White House,'' put the onus on the women working in the Trump administration to denounce the President's blatantly sexist comments.

''As a woman who was fortunate enough to work in the White House as a public servant, all of the women collecting paychecks from the U.S. taxpayers, Dina Powell, Kellyanne Conway, Elaine Chow, Betsy DeVos, you should all go on the record and condemn your boss's comments, and you should work behind the scenes to educate him about just how offensive they are.''

She continued with a dire warning to not only the females working for Trump, but the Republican Party as a whole.

''As someone who once proudly called myself a Republican, the party will be permanently associated with misogyny if leaders don't stand up and demand a retraction.''

Wallace's comments come on the heels of Sarah Huckabee Sanders' ridiculous defense of the President, in which she claimed that, ''he's not going to sit back and be attacked by the liberal media'... and when they hit him, he's going to hit back.'' Somehow, ''he's going to hit back,'' does not quite do justice to claims that his comments were beneath the dignity of the office of the President.

The fact that Wallace, who was once a Republican and even served as former President George W. Bush's communications director, so vehemently denounced the President is a testament to the fact that Trump's toxic behavior is decimating what little integrity remains of his party. If the GOP won't listen to Democrats, maybe they should take it from a former Republican herself.

Add your name to millions demanding that Congress take action on the President's crimes. IMPEACH DONALD TRUMP!

Brian Tyler CohenBrian Tyler Cohen is a political writer, actor, and comedy sketch director. He graduated from Lehigh University with a dual degree in English and Business. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 10:14

Link to Article

Archived Version

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 09:33

A category on ''Jeopardy!'' Friday night woke audience members right up, but for not quite the reason you'd expect.

The popular quiz show unveiled a category called ''Stay Woke,'' prompting celebratory Tweets from some viewers because the term is used by groups like Black Lives Matter to encourage people to stay aware of social and political issues.

But as it so happened, the category didn't feature questions on current events or injustices. The term, which the Oxford English Dictionary last month noted is derived from African-American vernacular, was instead about sleep and staying awake, in the literal sense. The questions' answers included melatonin, caffeine, and the stimulant product NoDoz.

Obviously, Twitter had a lot to stay on the matter, with some viewers suggesting that the category was ''disappointing'' and suffered a ''major miss.''

Hey, you can't win them all, and to be fair, puns and wordplay in the show's categories are to be expected.

That said, there have been far more cringeworthy moments on the show, like their past ''What Women Want'' category '• whose answers included a vacuum cleaner, pilates, and jeans that make butts look good '• and that time a contestant mispronounced 2Pac's name as ''Two Pack.''

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 15:12

The mission of the Media Research Center is to create a media culture in America where truth and liberty flourish. The MRC is a research and education organization operating under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions to the MRC are tax-deductible. Copyright (C) 2005-2017, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.

Federal employees and military personnel can donate to the Media Research Center through the Combined Federal Campaign or CFC. To donate to the MRC, use CFC #12489. Visit the CFC website for more information about giving opportunities in your workplace.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 15:12

The mission of the Media Research Center is to create a media culture in America where truth and liberty flourish. The MRC is a research and education organization operating under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions to the MRC are tax-deductible. Copyright (C) 2005-2017, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.

Federal employees and military personnel can donate to the Media Research Center through the Combined Federal Campaign or CFC. To donate to the MRC, use CFC #12489. Visit the CFC website for more information about giving opportunities in your workplace.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 15:12

The mission of the Media Research Center is to create a media culture in America where truth and liberty flourish. The MRC is a research and education organization operating under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions to the MRC are tax-deductible. Copyright (C) 2005-2017, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.

Federal employees and military personnel can donate to the Media Research Center through the Combined Federal Campaign or CFC. To donate to the MRC, use CFC #12489. Visit the CFC website for more information about giving opportunities in your workplace.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 15:05

The mission of the Media Research Center is to create a media culture in America where truth and liberty flourish. The MRC is a research and education organization operating under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions to the MRC are tax-deductible. Copyright (C) 2005-2017, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.

Federal employees and military personnel can donate to the Media Research Center through the Combined Federal Campaign or CFC. To donate to the MRC, use CFC #12489. Visit the CFC website for more information about giving opportunities in your workplace.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 14:44

The mission of the Media Research Center is to create a media culture in America where truth and liberty flourish. The MRC is a research and education organization operating under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions to the MRC are tax-deductible. Copyright (C) 2005-2017, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.

Federal employees and military personnel can donate to the Media Research Center through the Combined Federal Campaign or CFC. To donate to the MRC, use CFC #12489. Visit the CFC website for more information about giving opportunities in your workplace.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 06:21

JACK HIGHBERGER - FOX 9MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) '' When put to the test, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport failed 95-percent of security tests conducted at the airport last week, according to Fox 9 sources.

Last Thursday, what's referred to as the ''Red Team'' in town from Washington D.C., posed as passengers and attempted to sneak items through security that should easily be caught.

In most cases, they succeeded in getting the banned items through. 17 out of 18 tries by the undercover federal agents saw explosive materials, fake weapons, or drugs pass through TSA screening undetected.

Two sources told Fox 9 that the tests carried out thrusday were eventually stopped after the failure rate reached 95-percent.

This information was released to Fox 9 as the holiday weekend began, a weekend Americans are expected to set travel records. It is estimated that nearly 3.5 million people are expected to fly this weekend.

This is not the first time MSP Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has received this sort of failing grade. In April of 2016, sources said the airport failed nine out of 12 tests.

In 2015, nationwide TSA struggles forced the resignation of the TSA Chief Melvin Carraway. Roughly two years later, questions remain under new leadership about how to fix these issues.

When asked about Thursday's failing grade, the TSA told Fox 9, ''TSA cannot confirm or deny the results of internal tests and condemns the release of any information that could compromise our nation's security.''

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:26

The U.S. government sought to intervene in Apple's tax troubles in Europe, a source told Reuters. Last August, the European Commission said Apple had received illegal tax breaks in Ireland, and it ordered the company to pay back close to $15 billion. The decision was criticized by the Obama administration. Trump's White House has not said anything in public about the case. In December, Apple appealed the EC decision in the Luxembourg-based General Court, Europe's second-highest. This is where the U.S. government filed its application to intervene in the case. The court is expected to hear the case in late 2018. Apple is not the only U. S. company in the EU crosshairs over tax deals. Others include Amazon, McDonald's, and Starbucks.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:21

Reuters is the news and media division of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms.

*All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Source: Washington Free Beacon

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:04

Link to Article

Archived Version

Source: Washington Free Beacon

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:03

Link to Article

Archived Version

Source: Washington Free Beacon

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 03:02