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<p><a href="http://variety.com/t/jeff-bauman/" type="external">Jeff Bauman</a> was enjoying a self-professed “ordinary” life in Boston, until the day in 2013 when a bomb exploded at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, where he was waiting for his then-girlfriend. Bauman lost his legs that day but gained a new path — one which led him to write his story in the 2014 memoir “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/stronger/" type="external">Stronger</a>.” It has now been turned into a feature film, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Bauman. “The bombing was only 15 seconds of my life,” Bauman says. “What’s important is the people around me.”</p>
<p>When did you realize the importance of sharing your story?</p>
<p>It took me a long time to really realize the power of my story. I was fighting a lot of battles that were in my own head and just taking direction from the people around me that were looking out for me. I met [author] Bret Witter about four months after I had gotten blown up, and I was really on the fence about doing anything because it was so early [but] I met Bret, and Bret was just a really cool guy. He’d done inspirational books before, and he also just did “The Monuments Men,” which I’d enjoyed, so I was like, “OK, Bret’s cool, let’s try this.” My family said I probably wasn’t going to get another opportunity like this so I should probably do it. So I said OK, and it was really stressful and there was a lot going on, but it kept me busy.</p>
<p>When the book first came out, I started to get really good feedback on it, and I went around the country, public speaking, telling my story to corporations and colleges. So then I realized that it is a pretty crazy story, a pretty crazy event that happened to me. And I really realized the power of it when I started seeing more violence all around the world. Violence towards anybody really hurts me deep down because it’s something that happened to me, and it’s hard. But I’m still here. And I’m a dad and I have a lot to live for. I did before, but I was kind of more alone before, and now I have my daughter, and I’ve got to continue my life, so I love the fact that Jake and everyone wanted to capture that part of my life and show how hard it was. I know it’s hard because I went through it, and it’s still hard, but to really capture it like they did, it’s really wonderful. I’m really proud of it.</p>
<p>Was it an easier decision for you, then, to agree to a cinematic adaptation?</p>
<p>The movie, I felt the same way, but it was a little later on — about a year and a half or two years after — and I was getting used to my new life. I thought I could take it on. But I also thought, “They’re never going to make this movie, so I’ll just go along with it until they give up on it.”</p>
<p>Why did you think they wouldn’t make it?</p>
<p>That’s just who I am, I guess. I didn’t think my story was important enough. And I heard there was going to be another marathon movie, too. But they kept wanting to do it, and Jake came on, and he was really passionate and into it, and I saw they really cared and were going to do it. Everyone on the movie just really cared, and that’s why I got pumped up about it.</p>
<p>As a consultant on the film, how involved were you in casting some of the actors who would play your real life family and friends?</p>
<p>David Gordon Green entertained my thoughts because that’s who he is. You can literally call him at any point and offer ideas, and he’ll entertain it because he’s an awesome guy. So he listened to me about everything. Jake did, too, but Jake was more studying how he was going to play me. Dave was taking everything in in a different way.</p>
<p>How did you help the actors embody your loved ones once they did come on board?</p>
<p>We’d go out and have fun, go to see comedy shows, just get to know each other. Tatiana [Maslany] would come, we’d go out as a group. They’re awesome people. So they got to know me before. When shooting started, I only went to the offices and hung out on their off-time. The movie set was a little too intense. Two hundred and fifty people were trying to do a job, and I didn’t want to interrupt.</p>
<p>The set was probably intense because of the high level of emotions they were capturing, as well, right?</p>
<p>That’s what’s so powerful about the movie: there’s a lot of levels to it. And that’s what gets me the most, I think. That’s what I work on in therapy. The relationship between Erin and I, that’s a real relationship, and it’s heart-wrenching, and we were bawling our eyes out watching it. They were spot-on with how they did it. And then the movie has so many other things, like the triangle with my mom and Erin and me. It was funny at some points because it was so real. The movie had me laughing, and it had me crying.</p>
<p>Has the process of making the film, or even watching it and Jake’s version of you within it, been therapeutic for you?</p>
<p>It’s been a good experience, but I think therapeutic-wise, that’s hard work you have to do to keep yourself mentally healthy and physically healthy. I’m dealing with that personally on my own, but it’s been cool to get new friends and a whole different support group, too, now. There’s Jake and Dave or Todd Lieberman or anyone that was involved. I still talk to them, and they’re there, which is really nice to have. And I still have my mom and my dad and my best friends, my brothers, Erin, my daughter Nora. It’s added to my support group.</p>
<p>What do you hope people learn from you and your experience?</p>
<p>With the book I just thought people were going to learn a lot about me. People started to do book reports on my story, and I was like “Cool, that’s really interesting.” I’m proud of that, but I didn’t set out looking to do that. I wasn’t in that mindset with the book. But with the movie I just want people to really appreciate their own lives. I know they’re going to spend a lot of time in my story, but I want them to compare and reflect on their own lives and be grateful for what they have. I want them to be uplifted and to know that if they’re going through something hard, and everybody is, it will get better and you can get through it. That’s the message of the movie. We’re always going to adapt to our new normal, and if I can do it, anyone can definitely do it.</p> | false | 1 | jeff bauman enjoying selfprofessed ordinary life boston day 2013 bomb exploded finish line boston marathon waiting thengirlfriend bauman lost legs day gained new path one led write story 2014 memoir stronger turned feature film starring jake gyllenhaal bauman bombing 15 seconds life bauman says whats important people around realize importance sharing story took long time really realize power story fighting lot battles head taking direction people around looking met author bret witter four months gotten blown really fence anything early met bret bret really cool guy hed done inspirational books also monuments men id enjoyed like ok brets cool lets try family said probably wasnt going get another opportunity like probably said ok really stressful lot going kept busy book first came started get really good feedback went around country public speaking telling story corporations colleges realized pretty crazy story pretty crazy event happened really realized power started seeing violence around world violence towards anybody really hurts deep something happened hard im still im dad lot live kind alone daughter ive got continue life love fact jake everyone wanted capture part life show hard know hard went still hard really capture like really wonderful im really proud easier decision agree cinematic adaptation movie felt way little later year half two years getting used new life thought could take also thought theyre never going make movie ill go along give think wouldnt make thats guess didnt think story important enough heard going another marathon movie kept wanting jake came really passionate saw really cared going everyone movie really cared thats got pumped consultant film involved casting actors would play real life family friends david gordon green entertained thoughts thats literally call point offer ideas hell entertain hes awesome guy listened everything jake jake studying going play dave taking everything different way help actors embody loved ones come board wed go fun go see comedy shows get know tatiana maslany would come wed go group theyre awesome people got know shooting started went offices hung offtime movie set little intense two hundred fifty people trying job didnt want interrupt set probably intense high level emotions capturing well right thats whats powerful movie theres lot levels thats gets think thats work therapy relationship erin thats real relationship heartwrenching bawling eyes watching spoton movie many things like triangle mom erin funny points real movie laughing crying process making film even watching jakes version within therapeutic good experience think therapeuticwise thats hard work keep mentally healthy physically healthy im dealing personally cool get new friends whole different support group theres jake dave todd lieberman anyone involved still talk theyre really nice still mom dad best friends brothers erin daughter nora added support group hope people learn experience book thought people going learn lot people started book reports story like cool thats really interesting im proud didnt set looking wasnt mindset book movie want people really appreciate lives know theyre going spend lot time story want compare reflect lives grateful want uplifted know theyre going something hard everybody get better get thats message movie always going adapt new normal anyone definitely | 515 |
<p>By Elena Fabrichnaya and Oksana Kobzeva</p>
<p>MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s Otkritie bank has a hole in its balance sheet that could be as large as $6.9 billion, a central bank deputy governor told Reuters, a shortfall that would make the bailout now underway the biggest in Russia’s history.</p>
<p>Earlier this week, the central bank announced it was taking over control of Otkritie, Russia’s largest private bank, saying the bank’s ambitious expansion drive and a run on deposits had left it with insufficient capital.</p>
<p>“According to a preliminary assessment, taking into account that not all the group’s assets have been studied … the volume of extra capital the group would need is between 250 billion roubles ($4.3 billion) and 400 billion roubles ($6.9 billion),” Central bank deputy governor Vasily Pozdyshev said in an interview.</p>
<p>Until now, the biggest banking bailout in Russia was a 395 billion rouble rescue in 2011 of Bank of Moscow, Russia’s fifth-biggest lender by assets at the time. It was taken over by state-controlled VTB, Russia’s No.2 bank.</p>
<p>Pozdyshev said that since the rescue was launched on Tuesday, deposits that were earlier withdrawn were starting to return to Otkritie, and that he saw no risk of contagion affecting other Russian banks.</p>
<p>“There were, and are, absolutely no fears about a systemic or non-systemic banking crisis,” he said.</p>
<p>Speaking to Reuters in his office at the central bank in Moscow late on Thursday, Pozdyshev revealed new details about the planned bailout.</p>
<p>He said it would cover not only the bank itself but other assets held by Otkritie group, including acquisitions of Rosgosstrakh and Trust bank, which he said would suck up much of the central bank’s capital injection.</p>
<p>The central bank will find the cash for Otkritie’s rescue by printing money, but Pozdyshev said the central bank will not put in the money in a lump sum, instead spreading it over time. The support is coming in the form of liquidity – which the bank will have to repay – and a capital injection which will see shareholders diluted or losing their holdings completely.</p>
<p>Excess liquidity in the market which may result from the Otkritie bailout will be absorbed using the central bank’s usual tools – deposit auctions and OBR bonds, Pozdyshev said in the interview, which was cleared for release on Friday.</p>
<p>“Otkritie’s financial rehabilitation and the tools the central bank is using will not anyhow impact on reaching the inflation target or on inflation itself,” Pozdyshev said.</p>
<p>Pozdyshev offered little cheer for holders of Otkritie’s subordinated bonds, sticking to the central bank line that some could be written off, and others converted into Otkritie equity. The price of the subordinated bonds hit an all-time low on Friday.</p>
<p>SLEEPLESS NIGHTS</p>
<p>Pozdyshev said he returned as planned from vacation on Monday and threw himself into dealing with the Otkritie rescue. He said he had been working flat out since then, with no sleep for two nights.</p>
<p>Explaining how Otkritie had got itself into difficulty, he described a confluence of events — including burdensome acquisitions, market rumors about the state of the bank and a chain reaction of depositor withdrawals — that by the end of August had become too much for Otkritie to handle on its own.</p>
<p>Some financial analysts have said the Otkritie bailout raises questions about the quality of central bank supervision.</p>
<p>Asked about this, Pozdyshev said the bank had been keeping a close eye on Otkritie. He said that between 2015 and the start of 2017, the central bank asked Otkritie to boost provisions for bad loans by an additional 80 billion roubles and to inject another 20 billion roubles into the capital. The bank complied.</p>
<p>Last September the central bank started preparing a wide-ranging check into Otkritie, but that did not get underway until May this year. He said the delay was because the whole Otkritie group with its multiple units — not just the bank — needed to be examined.</p>
<p>While the check was being prepared, Otkritie bank had started the acquisition of the insurer, Rosgosstrakh, forcing it to pour in liquidity.</p>
<p>At the same time, Otkritie was experiencing an outflow in deposits. Pozdyshev said the central bank had been in touch with the bank’s managers, who said they had a plan in place to deal with the outflow. But, he said, the bank underestimated the scale of the outflow.</p>
<p>In June, July and August, 693 billion roubles in client funds was taken out of Otkritie bank. Based on a Fitch estimate, that would amount to about a third of Otkritie’s liabilities.</p>
<p>Some Russian banking analysts have said a low rating issued in early July to Otkritie by ACRA, a Russian ratings agency, triggered the outflow.</p>
<p>But Pozdyshev said that only a third of the outflows, or 211 billion roubles, was linked to the rating.</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t say that the rating assignment became the main reason for the liquidity outflow,” Pozdyshev said.</p>
<p>He said a role was played also by rumors circulating about the problems at Rosgosstrakh, and the knock-on effect on Otkritie. An “information attack” was underway, though he did not say who mounted it.</p>
<p>After that, bank clients started talking to each other, he said, and if one withdrew their deposit, others would follow.</p>
<p>RELATED PARTY LENDING</p>
<p>Pozdyshev said a temporary administration team set up by the central bank is now poring through the books of Otkritie group to gauge the true state of its finances, and understand how it was being managed when it got into trouble.</p>
<p>Under central bank rules, a bank’s lending to related parties cannot exceed 25 percent, a measure designed to stop lenders becoming overexposed, including to its own shareholders.</p>
<p>Pozdyshev said Otkritie bank, on paper, was within the rule, at 24 percent, but that in reality its exposure to the wider Otkritie group may be higher.</p>
<p>Vadim Belyayev, chairman at the group, holds a 28.6 percent in the holding which controls Otkritie bank. Shareholders in the group also include VTB and executives at oil company Lukoil.</p>
<p>Pozdyshev said the holding had around 100 billion roubles of investments in the bank, in addition to loans it took from the bank. “We will need to detach the holding and the bank,” he said.</p>
<p>Asked if there were any signs of assets being stripped from the Otkritie group, Pozdyshev said the temporary administrators had frozen some transactions carried out in the days before the bailout, but that the sums were not significant.</p>
<p>He said the existing shareholders were working actively and constructively with the central bank on the rescue, and that the central bank would return to shareholders as much of their funds as possible.</p>
<p>Under the rescue plan, the central bank will take a minimum of a 75 percent stake in the bank, which may increase to 100 percent if the bank’s capital turns negative.</p>
<p>The Russian state had no interest in holding onto Otkritie in the long term, Pozdyshev said. He said he envisaged the central bank selling the bank, but that it would be two or three years before a sale was on the cards.</p> | false | 1 | elena fabrichnaya oksana kobzeva moscow reuters russias otkritie bank hole balance sheet could large 69 billion central bank deputy governor told reuters shortfall would make bailout underway biggest russias history earlier week central bank announced taking control otkritie russias largest private bank saying banks ambitious expansion drive run deposits left insufficient capital according preliminary assessment taking account groups assets studied volume extra capital group would need 250 billion roubles 43 billion 400 billion roubles 69 billion central bank deputy governor vasily pozdyshev said interview biggest banking bailout russia 395 billion rouble rescue 2011 bank moscow russias fifthbiggest lender assets time taken statecontrolled vtb russias no2 bank pozdyshev said since rescue launched tuesday deposits earlier withdrawn starting return otkritie saw risk contagion affecting russian banks absolutely fears systemic nonsystemic banking crisis said speaking reuters office central bank moscow late thursday pozdyshev revealed new details planned bailout said would cover bank assets held otkritie group including acquisitions rosgosstrakh trust bank said would suck much central banks capital injection central bank find cash otkrities rescue printing money pozdyshev said central bank put money lump sum instead spreading time support coming form liquidity bank repay capital injection see shareholders diluted losing holdings completely excess liquidity market may result otkritie bailout absorbed using central banks usual tools deposit auctions obr bonds pozdyshev said interview cleared release friday otkrities financial rehabilitation tools central bank using anyhow impact reaching inflation target inflation pozdyshev said pozdyshev offered little cheer holders otkrities subordinated bonds sticking central bank line could written others converted otkritie equity price subordinated bonds hit alltime low friday sleepless nights pozdyshev said returned planned vacation monday threw dealing otkritie rescue said working flat since sleep two nights explaining otkritie got difficulty described confluence events including burdensome acquisitions market rumors state bank chain reaction depositor withdrawals end august become much otkritie handle financial analysts said otkritie bailout raises questions quality central bank supervision asked pozdyshev said bank keeping close eye otkritie said 2015 start 2017 central bank asked otkritie boost provisions bad loans additional 80 billion roubles inject another 20 billion roubles capital bank complied last september central bank started preparing wideranging check otkritie get underway may year said delay whole otkritie group multiple units bank needed examined check prepared otkritie bank started acquisition insurer rosgosstrakh forcing pour liquidity time otkritie experiencing outflow deposits pozdyshev said central bank touch banks managers said plan place deal outflow said bank underestimated scale outflow june july august 693 billion roubles client funds taken otkritie bank based fitch estimate would amount third otkrities liabilities russian banking analysts said low rating issued early july otkritie acra russian ratings agency triggered outflow pozdyshev said third outflows 211 billion roubles linked rating wouldnt say rating assignment became main reason liquidity outflow pozdyshev said said role played also rumors circulating problems rosgosstrakh knockon effect otkritie information attack underway though say mounted bank clients started talking said one withdrew deposit others would follow related party lending pozdyshev said temporary administration team set central bank poring books otkritie group gauge true state finances understand managed got trouble central bank rules banks lending related parties exceed 25 percent measure designed stop lenders becoming overexposed including shareholders pozdyshev said otkritie bank paper within rule 24 percent reality exposure wider otkritie group may higher vadim belyayev chairman group holds 286 percent holding controls otkritie bank shareholders group also include vtb executives oil company lukoil pozdyshev said holding around 100 billion roubles investments bank addition loans took bank need detach holding bank said asked signs assets stripped otkritie group pozdyshev said temporary administrators frozen transactions carried days bailout sums significant said existing shareholders working actively constructively central bank rescue central bank would return shareholders much funds possible rescue plan central bank take minimum 75 percent stake bank may increase 100 percent banks capital turns negative russian state interest holding onto otkritie long term pozdyshev said said envisaged central bank selling bank would two three years sale cards | 656 |
<p>While investor sentiment continues to hit all-time highs, there’s a growing chorus of professional money managers expressing caution about the stock market.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mauldineconomics.com/go/v37h77/nmx" type="external">This disconnect between professional and individual investors is clear when looking at ETF flows.</a> Since 2008, $2.8 trillion has flowed into ETFs.</p>
<p>However, most of these funds have gone into just a handful of ETFs. FactSet found that in August, 51.3% of inflows went to just 10 of the 1,800 ETFs available in the US.</p>
<p>The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF (SPY), the world’s largest ETF topped that list.</p>
<p>While SPY continues to benefit from ETFs’ rise in popularity, it has fallen out of favor with big-name investors.</p>
<p>Wall Street Turns Bearish on US ETFs</p>
<p>Combing through the latest SEC filings of some of the world’s top money managers, an interesting trend emerged.</p>
<p>One of the most sold stocks by investors managing over $100 million was… you guessed it, SPY.</p>
<p>In total, 652 funds dumped the stock, with some big names including UBS, Wells Fargo, and Allianz Asset Management exiting their positions.</p>
<p>However, it’s not just SPY, or the S&amp;P 500, top money managers are dumping.</p>
<p>George Soros’s Soros Asset Management and Paul Singer’s Elliot Management placed huge bets against PowerShares Trust (QQQ), the largest NASDAQ ETF.</p>
<p>The latest Global Fund Managers survey from BoAML confirms that <a href="http://www.mauldineconomics.com/go/v37h7b/nmx" type="external">professional money managers are turning against US stocks</a>. In September, fund managers were the most bearish they have been on US stocks since November 2007.</p>
<p>Although top investors are dumping broad US stocks and ETFs, they’re pouring billions into others.</p>
<p>Here’s the three most popular ETF’s among professional investors in 2017.</p>
<p>Emerging Markets (VWO)</p>
<p>The Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) is up 27% year to date. That’s more than double the 12.5% return of the SPY.</p>
<p>Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund recently increased its holdings of VWO. The ETF now makes up 30% of its portfolio.</p>
<p>But Ray Dalio’s firm isn’t just bullish on VWO—it’s bullish on emerging markets (EM). Together, VWO and the Shares MSCI Emerging Markets Index (EEM) make up 51% of its total holdings.</p>
<p>UBS and Credit Suisse are also positive on EM stocks, citing attractive valuations and rising earnings as the reasons.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mauldineconomics.com/go/v37h7f/nmx" type="external">A weak US dollar is another positive for EM.</a> This chart shows the strong negative correlation between EEM and the US Dollar.</p>
<p>Healthcare (XLV)</p>
<p>While professional investors are turning away from broad US ETFs, they’re still putting money into specific sectors and stocks.</p>
<p>As a group, healthcare stocks are up 21% year to date, making them the second-best performing S&amp;P 500 sector.</p>
<p>So, why are investors bullish on healthcare stocks after years of underperformance?</p>
<p>One reason is the length of this bull market.</p>
<p>Fidelity Investments found that health care has consistently outperformed in late-stage expansions. Given that we are in the ninth year of this expansion, it certainly can be considered “late stage.”</p>
<p>Besides top-down factors, the sector also has superior earnings-per-share growth—a driver of long-term equity returns. Strong fundamentals are likely one of the reasons the Health Care SPDR ETF (XLV) is beating the SPY by a wide margin in 2017.</p>
<p>Although the focus here is ETFs, we noticed one specific healthcare stock has attracted a lot of attention from top money managers.</p>
<p>In their latest SEC filings, investing heavyweights John Paulson, Seth Klarman, and David Tepper all held major stakes in Allergan (AGN). In fact, AGN was Paulson and Tepper’s single-biggest holding.</p>
<p>Europe (VGK)</p>
<p>The Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (VGK) has more than doubled the performance of SPY year to date.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.mauldineconomics.com/go/v37h7m/nmx" type="external">Jared Dillian, former head of ETF trading at Lehman Brothers</a>, has been bullish on European stocks since December 2016 when they were still out-of-favor with most investors.</p>
<p>Why did Jared turn bullish on Europe? Simple. Europe is relatively undervalued to other asset classes where he sees bubbles forming. If you want to see what Jared has to say about these bubbles, <a href="http://www.mauldineconomics.com/go/v37h7j/nmx" type="external">I’d highly recommend that get your free copy of his latest special report, Investing in the Age of the Everything Bubble</a>.</p>
<p>While investors’ fondness for European stocks is an old story by now, VGK is still attracting huge inflows. In Q2 2017, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan poured over $1.5 billion into the largest European ETF.</p>
<p>And being bullish on Europe is the consensus among fund managers.</p>
<p>Respondents to September’s Global Fund Managers survey said European equities were their strongest conviction position.</p>
<p>One of the most commonly cited reasons for this optimism was the valuation gap between European and US stocks. Despite 35 months of consecutive inflows, Europe’s stocks are still undervalued relative to their US counterparts.</p>
<p>Grab Jared Dillian’s Exclusive Special Report, Investing in the Age of the Everything Bubble&#160;As a Wall Street veteran and former Lehman Brothers head of ETF trading, Jared Dillian has traded through two bear markets.&#160;Now, he’s staking his reputation on a call that a downturn is coming. And soon.&#160;In this special report, you will learn how to properly position your portfolio for the coming bloodbath. <a href="http://www.mauldineconomics.com/go/v37h7j/nmx" type="external">Claim your FREE copy now.</a></p> | false | 1 | investor sentiment continues hit alltime highs theres growing chorus professional money managers expressing caution stock market disconnect professional individual investors clear looking etf flows since 2008 28 trillion flowed etfs however funds gone handful etfs factset found august 513 inflows went 10 1800 etfs available us spdr sampp 500 etf spy worlds largest etf topped list spy continues benefit etfs rise popularity fallen favor bigname investors wall street turns bearish us etfs combing latest sec filings worlds top money managers interesting trend emerged one sold stocks investors managing 100 million guessed spy total 652 funds dumped stock big names including ubs wells fargo allianz asset management exiting positions however spy sampp 500 top money managers dumping george soross soros asset management paul singers elliot management placed huge bets powershares trust qqq largest nasdaq etf latest global fund managers survey boaml confirms professional money managers turning us stocks september fund managers bearish us stocks since november 2007 although top investors dumping broad us stocks etfs theyre pouring billions others heres three popular etfs among professional investors 2017 emerging markets vwo vanguard ftse emerging markets etf vwo 27 year date thats double 125 return spy bridgewater associates worlds largest hedge fund recently increased holdings vwo etf makes 30 portfolio ray dalios firm isnt bullish vwoits bullish emerging markets em together vwo shares msci emerging markets index eem make 51 total holdings ubs credit suisse also positive em stocks citing attractive valuations rising earnings reasons weak us dollar another positive em chart shows strong negative correlation eem us dollar healthcare xlv professional investors turning away broad us etfs theyre still putting money specific sectors stocks group healthcare stocks 21 year date making secondbest performing sampp 500 sector investors bullish healthcare stocks years underperformance one reason length bull market fidelity investments found health care consistently outperformed latestage expansions given ninth year expansion certainly considered late stage besides topdown factors sector also superior earningspershare growtha driver longterm equity returns strong fundamentals likely one reasons health care spdr etf xlv beating spy wide margin 2017 although focus etfs noticed one specific healthcare stock attracted lot attention top money managers latest sec filings investing heavyweights john paulson seth klarman david tepper held major stakes allergan agn fact agn paulson teppers singlebiggest holding europe vgk vanguard ftse europe etf vgk doubled performance spy year date jared dillian former head etf trading lehman brothers bullish european stocks since december 2016 still outoffavor investors jared turn bullish europe simple europe relatively undervalued asset classes sees bubbles forming want see jared say bubbles id highly recommend get free copy latest special report investing age everything bubble investors fondness european stocks old story vgk still attracting huge inflows q2 2017 morgan stanley jpmorgan poured 15 billion largest european etf bullish europe consensus among fund managers respondents septembers global fund managers survey said european equities strongest conviction position one commonly cited reasons optimism valuation gap european us stocks despite 35 months consecutive inflows europes stocks still undervalued relative us counterparts grab jared dillians exclusive special report investing age everything bubble160as wall street veteran former lehman brothers head etf trading jared dillian traded two bear markets160now hes staking reputation call downturn coming soon160in special report learn properly position portfolio coming bloodbath claim free copy | 540 |
<p>Nov. 9 (UPI) — Prepare for Week 10 by studying up on the best kickers and defenses for your fantasy <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/John_Walker/" type="external">football</a> lineup.</p>
<p>This week the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Baltimore-Ravens/" type="external">Baltimore Ravens</a>, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Kansas-City-Chiefs/" type="external">Kansas City Chiefs</a>, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Oakland-Raiders/" type="external">Oakland Raiders</a> and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Philadelphia-Eagles/" type="external">Philadelphia Eagles</a> are serving their byes. That means there are other units worthy of being your starting defense because of good matchups. You also want to drop a kicker from those teams, if you own one, in order to pick up someone who will be active this week. Don’t use too many roster spots on that position this late in the season, as they should be used on top waiver wire targets and high upside prospects.</p>
<p>Take a <a href="https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/NFL/2017/11/07/Fantasy-Football-Best-Week-10-adddrops-from-waiver-wire/5251510066372/" type="external">look at my Week 10 top pickups and drops</a> article for an idea of the players I like this week.</p>
<p>Greg Zuerlein is my top kicker and the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Pittsburgh_Steelers/" type="external">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> are my top defense for Week 10.</p>
<p>TOP SHELF</p>
<p>The Pittsburgh Steelers are my top defense this week for several reasons. Pittsburgh has limited its last three opponents to 15 points or fewer. The Steelers have been a top 10 scoring defense this year in fantasy football points per game. The Colts haven’t scored more than 23 points in a game since Oct. 8. I’m counting on the Steelers to finish the week on top of the defensive rankings.</p>
<p>Another solid option this week is the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Detroit-Lions/" type="external">Detroit Lions</a>. The Lions dominated the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Green_Bay_Packers/" type="external">Green Bay Packers</a> on Monday Night Football and I expect nothing less at home against the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Cleveland-Browns/" type="external">Cleveland Browns</a>. The Browns haven’t scored more than 17 points since Sept. 24 and I don’t expect that to change here against the unit. The Lions are a top 5 play for Week 10.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/los-angeles-rams/" type="external">Los Angeles Rams</a> kicker Greg Zuerlein has benefited from playing behind one of the best offenses in football this season. He is also making field goals at a very high clip. Both of those trends will continue in Week 10 against the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Houston-Texans/" type="external">Houston Texans</a>. Zuerlein leads fantasy football kickers in points per game and has attempted multiple field goals in every game this season. He has nine straight successful attempts through his last three games. He has also hit 12 extra points during that stretch.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh Steelers leg <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Chris-Boswell/" type="external">Chris Boswell</a> is another kicker I would consider for my top 5 this week. Boswell is inside the top 10 this year for average fantasy points per game among kickers. He also has seven successful attempts in his last two games. The Steelers should win this Week 10 matchup against the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Indianapolis-Colts/" type="external">Indianapolis Colts</a>. Expect Boswell to be busy.</p>
<p>SNEAKY PLAYS</p>
<p>The Los Angeles Rams are playing great football right now. As one of the best scoring offenses in the league, opponents must keep up with this unit. That opens the door to opportunity for more fantasy points, especially for the defensive line. Los Angeles hasn’t allowed more than 17 points in a game since Oct. 1. I expect another solid performance against the Houston Texans. The Rams are a top 5 play here.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Chicago_Bears/" type="external">Chicago Bears</a> are another top 10 play for Week 10 with a matchup against the Green Bay Packers. I don’t expect Brett Hundley to suddenly amp it up and throw the football all over the Bears. Look for this bout to be low-scoring and the Packers to continue to lean on the run game, limiting turnovers but also hampering explosive plays.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/New-Orleans-Saints/" type="external">New Orleans Saints</a> kicker Will Lutz has been solid all season. He lands in my top 5 again this week with a matchup against the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Buffalo-Bills/" type="external">Buffalo Bills</a>. I expect the Saints to play great defense in this one and the Bills have proven they can hang around with great offenses. Look for Lutz to drill multiple field goal attempts in this one when the Saints’ offense gets in a jam.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Denver_Broncos/" type="external">Denver Broncos</a> kicker <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Brandon-McManus/" type="external">Brandon McManus</a> should also have a big day against the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/New_England_Patriots/" type="external">New England Patriots</a>. I expect the Broncos to have a much better week than they had in Week 10. New England’s defense has been overly generous this season and that should open up the chance for plenty of opportunities for McManus.</p>
<p>LONGSHOTS</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/New-York-Jets/" type="external">New York Jets</a> are a great streaming option for Week 10. The <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Tampa-Bay-Buccaneers/" type="external">Tampa Bay Buccaneers</a> are heading into this matchup without <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Mike_Evans/" type="external">Mike Evans</a> and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jameis-Winston/" type="external">Jameis Winston</a>. If the Jets play respectable run defense, the Buccaneers will lose this game. Mark the Jets down as a streaming option and bye week fill-in.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/New_York_Giants/" type="external">New York Giants</a> entered the season as a quality defensive option for your fantasy football team. Well, that hasn’t quite panned out. But you can count on the Giants in Week 10 against a <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/San-Francisco-49ers/" type="external">San Francisco 49ers</a> offense without some of its key playmakers. San Francisco is also planning to give work to a new quarterback in <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jimmy-Garoppolo/" type="external">Jimmy Garoppolo</a>. The Giants are another streaming option.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Cincinnati-Bengals/" type="external">Cincinnati Bengals</a> kicker Marshall Koehn is an interesting streaming play this weekend against the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Tennessee-Titans/" type="external">Tennessee Titans</a>. I don’t expect either defense to play particularly well in this spot, leading to great field position for both teams. Koehn was signed just last week and could be the Bengals’ starter in Week 10. If you need help in this spot, he won’t be a bad streaming option based on the matchup and the Bengals’ challenges of getting into the end zone this season.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jacksonville-Jaguars/" type="external">Jacksonville Jaguars</a> kicker Josh Lambo could also prove a strong streaming play against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10. The Jaguars’ defense should perform well in this spot and Lambo hasn’t missed a field goal yet. He also hit three of his attempts last week against the Cincinnati Bengals.</p> | false | 1 | nov 9 upi prepare week 10 studying best kickers defenses fantasy football lineup week baltimore ravens kansas city chiefs oakland raiders philadelphia eagles serving byes means units worthy starting defense good matchups also want drop kicker teams one order pick someone active week dont use many roster spots position late season used top waiver wire targets high upside prospects take look week 10 top pickups drops article idea players like week greg zuerlein top kicker pittsburgh steelers top defense week 10 top shelf pittsburgh steelers top defense week several reasons pittsburgh limited last three opponents 15 points fewer steelers top 10 scoring defense year fantasy football points per game colts havent scored 23 points game since oct 8 im counting steelers finish week top defensive rankings another solid option week detroit lions lions dominated green bay packers monday night football expect nothing less home cleveland browns browns havent scored 17 points since sept 24 dont expect change unit lions top 5 play week 10 los angeles rams kicker greg zuerlein benefited playing behind one best offenses football season also making field goals high clip trends continue week 10 houston texans zuerlein leads fantasy football kickers points per game attempted multiple field goals every game season nine straight successful attempts last three games also hit 12 extra points stretch pittsburgh steelers leg chris boswell another kicker would consider top 5 week boswell inside top 10 year average fantasy points per game among kickers also seven successful attempts last two games steelers win week 10 matchup indianapolis colts expect boswell busy sneaky plays los angeles rams playing great football right one best scoring offenses league opponents must keep unit opens door opportunity fantasy points especially defensive line los angeles hasnt allowed 17 points game since oct 1 expect another solid performance houston texans rams top 5 play chicago bears another top 10 play week 10 matchup green bay packers dont expect brett hundley suddenly amp throw football bears look bout lowscoring packers continue lean run game limiting turnovers also hampering explosive plays new orleans saints kicker lutz solid season lands top 5 week matchup buffalo bills expect saints play great defense one bills proven hang around great offenses look lutz drill multiple field goal attempts one saints offense gets jam denver broncos kicker brandon mcmanus also big day new england patriots expect broncos much better week week 10 new englands defense overly generous season open chance plenty opportunities mcmanus longshots new york jets great streaming option week 10 tampa bay buccaneers heading matchup without mike evans jameis winston jets play respectable run defense buccaneers lose game mark jets streaming option bye week fillin new york giants entered season quality defensive option fantasy football team well hasnt quite panned count giants week 10 san francisco 49ers offense without key playmakers san francisco also planning give work new quarterback jimmy garoppolo giants another streaming option cincinnati bengals kicker marshall koehn interesting streaming play weekend tennessee titans dont expect either defense play particularly well spot leading great field position teams koehn signed last week could bengals starter week 10 need help spot wont bad streaming option based matchup bengals challenges getting end zone season jacksonville jaguars kicker josh lambo could also prove strong streaming play los angeles chargers week 10 jaguars defense perform well spot lambo hasnt missed field goal yet also hit three attempts last week cincinnati bengals | 564 |
<p>By Nick Brown, Robin Respaut and Jessica Resnick-Ault</p>
<p>SALINAS, Puerto Rico/NEW YORK (Reuters) – In the rural village of Salinas in southern Puerto Rico, frayed electric lines hanging from a utility pole blew in the breeze last week near the town square.</p>
<p>But the damage didn’t come from Hurricane Maria.</p>
<p>“Those wires were actually there before,” said Fermin Seda, 68, a Salinas resident who said he has grown accustomed to downed lines and power outages.</p>
<p>Two weeks after the storm plunged the island into a blackout, less than 10 percent of Puerto Rico’s 3.4 million people have seen power restored – and many will wait months.</p>
<p>Restoring the grid after the worst storm to hit here in nine decades would be a monumental task even for a well-run utility. It will be much harder for the chronically underfunded Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), which went bankrupt in July amid mounting maintenance problems, years-long battles with creditors, a shrinking workforce and frequent management turnover.</p>
<p>Interviews with more than two dozen officials and consultants who work for or with the U.S. territory’s government, PREPA or its creditors reveal a utility that was unprepared for a major storm despite the ever-present risk to this Caribbean island. When Maria hit, PREPA was trying to simultaneously finance an operational overhaul and dig out from about $8 billion in debt.</p>
<p>Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello, in an interview with Reuters on Saturday, said none of the utility’s storm response plans could account for years of poor maintenance of the dilapidated electric network.</p>
<p>“The emergency plan was as follows: There is no way to fix the nature of the grid,” Rossello said.</p>
<p>He added that the network was so feeble it would have collapsed even in a much weaker storm than the one that hit Puerto Rico at Category 4 wind strength – the second highest level in the five-tier U.S. storm gauge.</p>
<p>“If you have an old grid susceptible to collapse, there is no way – until you change it completely – that it can sustain the winds of a Category 4, or even really a Category 2,” the governor said.</p>
<p>CHRONIC WEAKNESSES</p>
<p>A host of chronic problems at PREPA left the island’s electric grid vulnerable to collapse in a major storm, Reuters found. They include:</p>
<p>Ricardo Ramos, who took over as the utility’s chief executive in March, told Reuters that the number of employee departures over the past five years is actually closer to 4,000 – with the vast majority being key operational workers such as linemen, power plant operators and mechanics.</p>
<p>They were exactly the kind of workers the utility couldn’t afford to lose.</p>
<p>“PREPA did not invest in new power plants or new generation, so our power plants are very, very old; our distribution system is very, very old,” Ramos said in an interview on Monday.</p>
<p>One pivotal question now is whether the United States will work merely to patch the existing network or allocate billions of dollars in federal funds to overhaul it. The government is open to spending money on modernization, Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert said at a briefing last week.</p>
<p>The White House did not respond to Reuters’ inquiries seeking comment on the short- and long-term U.S. roles in restoring power to this U.S. territory.</p>
<p>‘THE LONG HAUL’</p>
<p>The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) told Reuters that the agency is “in this for the long haul” but offered no details on the level of funding it could commit to the island’s power grid.</p>
<p>Citizens of Puerto Rico do not receive services equal to U.S. states but also do not pay federal income tax.</p>
<p>The collapse of the grid isn’t the only cause of the island’s suffering. The U.S. relief effort so far has been unable to supply Puerto Rico with all the fuel it requires, for instance, leaving motorists waiting in long gasoline-station lines and depriving many backup electricity generators of diesel.</p>
<p>The lengthy electrical outages are a bitter pill for storm victims, who before Maria had already endured frequent service interruptions and rates higher than any U.S. state except Hawaii, according to PREPA and the U.S. Energy Department.</p>
<p>The impacts go well beyond temporary discomfort. The lack of power has been a key factor in a humanitarian crisis as residents with no refrigeration for food and medicine scrambled to find open stores and waited in endless lines.</p>
<p>In Salinas, 54-year-old Maria Sanchez wept as she threw out all of the food inside her mother’s fridge. By Saturday, she and six family members were surviving on crackers after eating all the other non-perishable food in the house.</p>
<p>“We are not rich – to throw away food like that. We’re running out of food – like fast,” she said, sitting on the porch, where a mild sea breeze offered little reprieve from the oppressive heat.</p>
<p>Diabetic Nancy Rivera lost more than food.</p>
<p>“All of my insulin is ruined,” said Rivera, 59, of Santurce, a district in San Juan, who stopped taking her spoiled medicine four days after the storm.</p>
<p>‘TRIAGE’ OF GRID REPAIRS</p>
<p>Winds of up to 155 mph (250 km/hr) during Maria knocked out about 80 percent of PREPA’s distribution network, said Ramos, the utility’s chief executive. Since the storm, power has been limited to key locales such as hospitals and hotels using generators fueled with a scarce supply of diesel.</p>
<p>Damage assessment for the grid, usually completed within 48 hours of a hurricane in the mainland United States, took a week-and-a-half, Ramos said. The assessment went as fast as possible given the widespread damage, he said, and the utility had three working helicopters to survey the network.</p>
<p>FEMA last week put the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – often tasked with infrastructure projects – in charge of short-term power restoration, in coordination with the Energy Department, the American Public Power Association and the New York Power Authority.</p>
<p>Gil Quiniones, CEO of NYPA, said the Army Corps had asked his utility for experts in power systems – which isn’t a Corps specialty – who can “think strategically on how to triage the situation and how to prioritize the work.”</p>
<p>The task is made more daunting by the island’s ill-maintained infrastructure. And PREPA’s strapped finances mean it cannot keep large standing orders for full-scale repair operations to swarm in after disasters, as utility repairman did last month in Florida after Hurricane Irma.</p>
<p>Ramos said PREPA has about 30 days worth of existing supplies for repairs following a storm; more is being ordered, to arrive in the next few weeks, he said.</p>
<p>‘THEY CAN’T TELL ME HOW LONG’</p>
<p>On the south side of Puerto Rico, near most of the island’s power plants, broken wires and blackouts were common before Maria.</p>
<p>“They tell me that right now, they’re evaluating damage to the power grid in our region,” Salinas Mayor Karilyn Bonilla said on Friday. “And they can’t tell me how long that will take.”</p>
<p>Bonilla said she has seen workers remove a few transformers since Maria hit but no one fixing downed power lines.</p>
<p>The amount of time power plants were down due to unplanned outages, measured in megawatt hours, more than doubled between mid-2015 and mid-2016, according to Synapse, the consultant firm.</p>
<p>By summer 2016, residents were experiencing four to five times the number of outages as the average U.S. customer, the consultants wrote.</p>
<p>The system’s deficiencies were laid bare in September 2016, when a transformer fire knocked out half of the island’s power, which wasn’t fully restored for nearly a week, forcing the governor to declare a state of emergency.</p>
<p>“Basically it was what you can call an unfortunate set of events, but really it is what I have said since I began at PREPA: lack of maintenance,” Ramos said.</p>
<p>One of the biggest factors in the outages: a constantly shrinking staff, driven away by costly medical benefits and unsafe conditions. The utility’s April report notes PREPA had a greater-than-average number of safety incidents for U.S. utilities, with more than 14,000 accidents and 15 fatalities in a 10-year period.</p>
<p>Many workers left for better opportunities, Ramos said. Because Puerto Ricans are American citizens, they face no legal barriers in leaving the island for the mainland.</p>
<p>“The truth of the matter is they make a lot more money in the U.S.,” said Ramos.</p>
<p>FIGHT FOR CONTROL</p>
<p>U.S. utilities are regulated by the states in which they operate, and by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission if they operate across state lines. U.S. federal oversight of PREPA is limited to environmental and safety standards and does not cover the transmission network.</p>
<p>Unlike utilities in U.S. states, PREPA had no regulator for decades and essentially governed itself. In 2014, the Puerto Rico Energy Commission was created by the island’s legislature, which sought greater oversight in response to perceived neglect by PREPA’s leadership at the time, which resisted the intervention.</p>
<p>Weeks after the act passed, PREPA became insolvent.</p>
<p>Today, the political squabbling over control of PREPA – and blame for its problems – continues even as utility officials respond to a historic crisis.</p>
<p>Ramon Luis Nieves – former head of Puerto Rico’s senate energy committee and a champion of the 2014 legislation – blasted former utility officials for poor oversight in an interview last week.</p>
<p>“Using their powers of self-regulation, PREPA itself was judge and jury,” he said as he waited in a five-hour gasoline line.</p>
<p>Energy Commissioner Angel Rivera said former PREPA officials gave the new regulator nothing in the way of disaster plans.</p>
<p>“If PREPA did any sort of analysis like this when they were creating the system, we would not know,” said Rivera, who was appointed in November 2014.</p>
<p>PREPA also fought the commission’s requirements to integrate renewable energy, said Nieves, the former senator. The commission rejected the utility’s first long-term plan to create a more reliable, cost-effective grid as inadequate, according to commission records.</p>
<p>Attempts by Reuters to reach PREPA’s previous chief executive, Javier Quintana, were unsuccessful.</p>
<p>Ramos – Quintana’s successor and a former engineer and PREPA employee – said he agreed with the need for an oversight commission when it was formed. But he now believes the commission wields too much power, citing its pushback on the utility’s capital spending.</p>
<p>“I basically have no power,” he said. “Basically, they wanted to run PREPA except during a hurricane, because now they are nowhere to be found.”</p>
<p>Jose Roman, interim chairman of the energy commission, disputed the notion that the commission wanted to run the utility, saying it only aimed to protect customers.</p>
<p>YEARS OF REBUILDING AHEAD</p>
<p>What remains unclear is the level of commitment from FEMA, the Army Corps and U.S. utilities for longer-term upgrades to buttress the system against future storms.</p>
<p>Bossert, the U.S. Homeland security advisor, said on Sept. 28 that the power grid would have to be rebuilt, “so we’re going to put federal money into this.”</p>
<p>The costs will be steep: The $4 billion estimate for modernization from PREPA does not include additional damage from Maria.</p>
<p>The task will be complicated by PREPA’s battles with creditors, who are led by hedge funds and mutual funds. The parties had been in debt restructuring talks for three years before the agency filed for bankruptcy in July.</p>
<p>A group of PREPA’s largest creditors, which include Franklin Advisers, Oppenheimer Funds and BlueMountain Capital, offered a loan of $1 billion after the hurricane. The island’s fiscal oversight committee rejected the offer, calling it a “publicity stunt” and criticizing the repayment and interest terms as unfavorable.</p>
<p>A spokesperson for the creditors declined to comment on that statement but the investment firms’ advisor, investment bank Houlihan Lokey, earlier expressed disappointment that the proposed loan had been rejected without negotiation.</p>
<p>The utility had considered but not yet implemented a wide variety of infrastructure improvements when senior leadership turned over after Rossello became governor at the beginning of the year. The governor typically appoints PREPA’s board and executive director.</p>
<p>Now new honchos are starting over in assessing PREPA’s needs, a repeat of past leadership transitions.</p>
<p>In the summer of 2016, PREPA held its 2017 public budgeting proceeding – the first led by the island’s utility commission rather than the utility itself.</p>
<p>Amid the deep financial problems of the island’s government and the utility, the commission allocated about $400 million for PREPA to address maintenance and repairs for the year, Commissioner Rivera said. Overall capital improvement plans for 20 years come to $2 billion, according to commission consultant Synapse.</p>
<p>Even the long-term plan represents just a fraction of what will be needed, suggesting the grid overhaul will require a serious commitment from the United States. Discussions about that reality are starting now.</p>
<p>“There’s diverging sentiments on the role of U.S. funding,” said a private sector energy executive who is working with PREPA to fix the networks and has been involved in strategy discussions with officials from FEMA and Puerto Rico.</p>
<p>“That’s where things start to get stuck,” he said. “No one argues about a generator in a hospital, but that doesn’t get the lights in the houses turned back on. Nobody knows where the money is going to come from.”</p> | false | 1 | nick brown robin respaut jessica resnickault salinas puerto riconew york reuters rural village salinas southern puerto rico frayed electric lines hanging utility pole blew breeze last week near town square damage didnt come hurricane maria wires actually said fermin seda 68 salinas resident said grown accustomed downed lines power outages two weeks storm plunged island blackout less 10 percent puerto ricos 34 million people seen power restored many wait months restoring grid worst storm hit nine decades would monumental task even wellrun utility much harder chronically underfunded puerto rico electric power authority prepa went bankrupt july amid mounting maintenance problems yearslong battles creditors shrinking workforce frequent management turnover interviews two dozen officials consultants work us territorys government prepa creditors reveal utility unprepared major storm despite everpresent risk caribbean island maria hit prepa trying simultaneously finance operational overhaul dig 8 billion debt puerto rico governor ricardo rossello interview reuters saturday said none utilitys storm response plans could account years poor maintenance dilapidated electric network emergency plan follows way fix nature grid rossello said added network feeble would collapsed even much weaker storm one hit puerto rico category 4 wind strength second highest level fivetier us storm gauge old grid susceptible collapse way change completely sustain winds category 4 even really category 2 governor said chronic weaknesses host chronic problems prepa left islands electric grid vulnerable collapse major storm reuters found include ricardo ramos took utilitys chief executive march told reuters number employee departures past five years actually closer 4000 vast majority key operational workers linemen power plant operators mechanics exactly kind workers utility couldnt afford lose prepa invest new power plants new generation power plants old distribution system old ramos said interview monday one pivotal question whether united states work merely patch existing network allocate billions dollars federal funds overhaul government open spending money modernization homeland security advisor tom bossert said briefing last week white house respond reuters inquiries seeking comment short longterm us roles restoring power us territory long haul federal emergency management agency fema told reuters agency long haul offered details level funding could commit islands power grid citizens puerto rico receive services equal us states also pay federal income tax collapse grid isnt cause islands suffering us relief effort far unable supply puerto rico fuel requires instance leaving motorists waiting long gasolinestation lines depriving many backup electricity generators diesel lengthy electrical outages bitter pill storm victims maria already endured frequent service interruptions rates higher us state except hawaii according prepa us energy department impacts go well beyond temporary discomfort lack power key factor humanitarian crisis residents refrigeration food medicine scrambled find open stores waited endless lines salinas 54yearold maria sanchez wept threw food inside mothers fridge saturday six family members surviving crackers eating nonperishable food house rich throw away food like running food like fast said sitting porch mild sea breeze offered little reprieve oppressive heat diabetic nancy rivera lost food insulin ruined said rivera 59 santurce district san juan stopped taking spoiled medicine four days storm triage grid repairs winds 155 mph 250 kmhr maria knocked 80 percent prepas distribution network said ramos utilitys chief executive since storm power limited key locales hospitals hotels using generators fueled scarce supply diesel damage assessment grid usually completed within 48 hours hurricane mainland united states took weekandahalf ramos said assessment went fast possible given widespread damage said utility three working helicopters survey network fema last week put us army corps engineers often tasked infrastructure projects charge shortterm power restoration coordination energy department american public power association new york power authority gil quiniones ceo nypa said army corps asked utility experts power systems isnt corps specialty think strategically triage situation prioritize work task made daunting islands illmaintained infrastructure prepas strapped finances mean keep large standing orders fullscale repair operations swarm disasters utility repairman last month florida hurricane irma ramos said prepa 30 days worth existing supplies repairs following storm ordered arrive next weeks said cant tell long south side puerto rico near islands power plants broken wires blackouts common maria tell right theyre evaluating damage power grid region salinas mayor karilyn bonilla said friday cant tell long take bonilla said seen workers remove transformers since maria hit one fixing downed power lines amount time power plants due unplanned outages measured megawatt hours doubled mid2015 mid2016 according synapse consultant firm summer 2016 residents experiencing four five times number outages average us customer consultants wrote systems deficiencies laid bare september 2016 transformer fire knocked half islands power wasnt fully restored nearly week forcing governor declare state emergency basically call unfortunate set events really said since began prepa lack maintenance ramos said one biggest factors outages constantly shrinking staff driven away costly medical benefits unsafe conditions utilitys april report notes prepa greaterthanaverage number safety incidents us utilities 14000 accidents 15 fatalities 10year period many workers left better opportunities ramos said puerto ricans american citizens face legal barriers leaving island mainland truth matter make lot money us said ramos fight control us utilities regulated states operate us federal energy regulatory commission operate across state lines us federal oversight prepa limited environmental safety standards cover transmission network unlike utilities us states prepa regulator decades essentially governed 2014 puerto rico energy commission created islands legislature sought greater oversight response perceived neglect prepas leadership time resisted intervention weeks act passed prepa became insolvent today political squabbling control prepa blame problems continues even utility officials respond historic crisis ramon luis nieves former head puerto ricos senate energy committee champion 2014 legislation blasted former utility officials poor oversight interview last week using powers selfregulation prepa judge jury said waited fivehour gasoline line energy commissioner angel rivera said former prepa officials gave new regulator nothing way disaster plans prepa sort analysis like creating system would know said rivera appointed november 2014 prepa also fought commissions requirements integrate renewable energy said nieves former senator commission rejected utilitys first longterm plan create reliable costeffective grid inadequate according commission records attempts reuters reach prepas previous chief executive javier quintana unsuccessful ramos quintanas successor former engineer prepa employee said agreed need oversight commission formed believes commission wields much power citing pushback utilitys capital spending basically power said basically wanted run prepa except hurricane nowhere found jose roman interim chairman energy commission disputed notion commission wanted run utility saying aimed protect customers years rebuilding ahead remains unclear level commitment fema army corps us utilities longerterm upgrades buttress system future storms bossert us homeland security advisor said sept 28 power grid would rebuilt going put federal money costs steep 4 billion estimate modernization prepa include additional damage maria task complicated prepas battles creditors led hedge funds mutual funds parties debt restructuring talks three years agency filed bankruptcy july group prepas largest creditors include franklin advisers oppenheimer funds bluemountain capital offered loan 1 billion hurricane islands fiscal oversight committee rejected offer calling publicity stunt criticizing repayment interest terms unfavorable spokesperson creditors declined comment statement investment firms advisor investment bank houlihan lokey earlier expressed disappointment proposed loan rejected without negotiation utility considered yet implemented wide variety infrastructure improvements senior leadership turned rossello became governor beginning year governor typically appoints prepas board executive director new honchos starting assessing prepas needs repeat past leadership transitions summer 2016 prepa held 2017 public budgeting proceeding first led islands utility commission rather utility amid deep financial problems islands government utility commission allocated 400 million prepa address maintenance repairs year commissioner rivera said overall capital improvement plans 20 years come 2 billion according commission consultant synapse even longterm plan represents fraction needed suggesting grid overhaul require serious commitment united states discussions reality starting theres diverging sentiments role us funding said private sector energy executive working prepa fix networks involved strategy discussions officials fema puerto rico thats things start get stuck said one argues generator hospital doesnt get lights houses turned back nobody knows money going come | 1,301 |
<p>Healthcare reform has largely ignored the poor.&#160; The healthcare safety net has far too many holes, and the Affordable Care Act builds on a flawed system of health insurance. Lower income families, especially those enrolled in Medicaid, have a difficult time finding doctors who will accept their coverage.&#160; Insurance is of little value if doctors will not work with your insurer.</p>
<p>About one-third of physicians refuse to see new Medicaid patients.&#160; Referrals to specialists are especially difficult.&#160; In Washington State primary care physicians had 75 percent more problems obtaining a specialty referral for Medicaid patients than for those with commercial coverage.</p>
<p>States buy health services for the poor, but at less-than-market prices.&#160; According to the government’s health actuaries, Medicaid pays about 60 percent of what private insurers pay for medical care.&#160; Who can blame physicians for avoiding this kind of insurance?</p>
<p>It’s not just the privately insured that make better customers for physicians.&#160; Incredibly,&#160; three-quarters of all physicians received higher reimbursement rates from their uninsured patients paying out-of-pocket than from Medicaid.&#160; With fewer doctors and hospitals willing to take care of Medicaid patients, access to timely and high quality care is often compromised.</p>
<p>For those lower income Americans seeking subsidized coverage on the ACA’s exchanges, the story is similar.&#160; While the exchanges offer a choice of coverage, the options are dominated by “narrow network plans” that look suspiciously like Medicaid coverage.&#160; Many participants are only now discovering that their access to top physicians and hospitals is limited. In the Houston area, the renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center participates in fewer than half of the available ACA plans.</p>
<p>The expanded health programs have a serious catch:&#160; big tax increases on the working poor.&#160; Families who work longer hours or take higher paying jobs will have higher incomes but the extra earnings mean lower health insurance subsidies.&#160; A bigger salary therefore translates into a higher health insurance premium.</p>
<p>According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a family of four would face an additional 13 percent implicit tax from the ACA if it raised its income from $35,300 to $47,100.&#160; Combined with an expected increase in income and payroll taxes, and the loss of other government assistance such as food stamps, many families could see their total tax rates rise to well above 50 percent.&#160; The workforce will shrink by 2.5 million Americans over the next ten years because of the work disincentives created by the ACA.</p>
<p>Work is the essential ingredient in improving the lives of the poor and near-poor.&#160; What’s needed is a plan that gives the poor access to care that is comparable to what the middle class receives without needlessly discouraging the poor from working to join the middle class themselves.</p>
<p>First, there should be a universal tax credit for any household without access to employer-financed insurance, including Medicaid participants.&#160; This subsidy should be sufficient to ensure that all Americans can purchase private insurance protection against large medical expenses.</p>
<p>Second, states must have the flexibility to use Medicaid’s resources more effectively.&#160; Medicaid should be converted into premium support for insurance, and participants should be able to select their own insurance plan—including an employer plan, if one is available.</p>
<p>The goal is to allow beneficiaries to choose a health insurance plan that they—not some policy expert or public health official—find most attractive.&#160; The very poor would get help, through premium support, to ensure essentially free health care, with higher-income beneficiaries contributing more to the cost of the program.&#160; This approach ensures competition and responsiveness to actual consumer needs and preferences—and higher enrollment as families would find options more suited to their needs.</p>
<p>As part of the reform, states could test new approaches to serving low income Americans. For instance, states could implement a health savings account model, which has been used in Indiana to expand insurance enrollment. Beneficiary-owned accounts used to pay deductibles and copayments would be seeded with government money.&#160; This approach has proven popular with participants even as it promotes prudent use of services.</p>
<p>The third step is to invest in better health clinics to catch those who fall between the cracks.&#160; Instead of relying on the existing public model, a new approach should rely on competitive bidding to select the most cost-effective approaches for improving the health status of poor households.</p>
<p>Providing a secure and accessible health system for the poor will not occur without some public expense, and will require additional discipline elsewhere in the budget. But that should not be an excuse for failing to reform a dysfunctional system.</p>
<p>The debate over health care is not over.&#160; The public is not satisfied with the status quo, and reform is still necessary, especially to improve care for the poor..&#160; Now is the time to present a better way forward.</p>
<p>James C. Capretta is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.</p>
<p>Joseph R. Antos, Ph.D. is the Wilson H. Taylor scholar in healthcare and retirement policy at the American Enterprise Institute.&#160;</p>
<p>Robert Doar is the Morgridge fellow in poverty studies at the American Enterprise Institute.</p>
<p>Mark Pauly, Ph.D. is the Bendheim professor of economics at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.</p> | false | 1 | healthcare reform largely ignored poor160 healthcare safety net far many holes affordable care act builds flawed system health insurance lower income families especially enrolled medicaid difficult time finding doctors accept coverage160 insurance little value doctors work insurer onethird physicians refuse see new medicaid patients160 referrals specialists especially difficult160 washington state primary care physicians 75 percent problems obtaining specialty referral medicaid patients commercial coverage states buy health services poor lessthanmarket prices160 according governments health actuaries medicaid pays 60 percent private insurers pay medical care160 blame physicians avoiding kind insurance privately insured make better customers physicians160 incredibly160 threequarters physicians received higher reimbursement rates uninsured patients paying outofpocket medicaid160 fewer doctors hospitals willing take care medicaid patients access timely high quality care often compromised lower income americans seeking subsidized coverage acas exchanges story similar160 exchanges offer choice coverage options dominated narrow network plans look suspiciously like medicaid coverage160 many participants discovering access top physicians hospitals limited houston area renowned md anderson cancer center participates fewer half available aca plans expanded health programs serious catch160 big tax increases working poor160 families work longer hours take higher paying jobs higher incomes extra earnings mean lower health insurance subsidies160 bigger salary therefore translates higher health insurance premium according congressional budget office cbo family four would face additional 13 percent implicit tax aca raised income 35300 47100160 combined expected increase income payroll taxes loss government assistance food stamps many families could see total tax rates rise well 50 percent160 workforce shrink 25 million americans next ten years work disincentives created aca work essential ingredient improving lives poor nearpoor160 whats needed plan gives poor access care comparable middle class receives without needlessly discouraging poor working join middle class first universal tax credit household without access employerfinanced insurance including medicaid participants160 subsidy sufficient ensure americans purchase private insurance protection large medical expenses second states must flexibility use medicaids resources effectively160 medicaid converted premium support insurance participants able select insurance planincluding employer plan one available goal allow beneficiaries choose health insurance plan theynot policy expert public health officialfind attractive160 poor would get help premium support ensure essentially free health care higherincome beneficiaries contributing cost program160 approach ensures competition responsiveness actual consumer needs preferencesand higher enrollment families would find options suited needs part reform states could test new approaches serving low income americans instance states could implement health savings account model used indiana expand insurance enrollment beneficiaryowned accounts used pay deductibles copayments would seeded government money160 approach proven popular participants even promotes prudent use services third step invest better health clinics catch fall cracks160 instead relying existing public model new approach rely competitive bidding select costeffective approaches improving health status poor households providing secure accessible health system poor occur without public expense require additional discipline elsewhere budget excuse failing reform dysfunctional system debate health care over160 public satisfied status quo reform still necessary especially improve care poor160 time present better way forward james c capretta senior fellow ethics public policy center visiting fellow american enterprise institute joseph r antos phd wilson h taylor scholar healthcare retirement policy american enterprise institute160 robert doar morgridge fellow poverty studies american enterprise institute mark pauly phd bendheim professor economics wharton school university pennsylvania | 528 |
<p>(The Sports Xchange) – Highlights of Sunday’s National Football League games:</p>
<p>Patriots 36, Saints 20</p>
<p>Tom Brady threw for 302 of his 447 passing yards in a 30-point first-half explosion and New England rebounded from a season-opening loss to Kansas City with a rout of New Orleans.</p>
<p>Brady connected on 19 of 25 passes for 302 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone as New England (1-1) raced to a 30-13 lead and coasted to the win over the Saints (0-2).</p>
<p>It was the first time in Brady’s career — spanning 273 games — that he threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter. He hit three different players – running back Rex Burkhead for 19 yards, tight end Rob Gronkowski for 53 and wide receiver Chris Hogan for 13 – and finished 30 of 39 for 447 yards.</p>
<p>The Patriots finished with 555 yards in total offense with Gronkowski catching six passes for 116 yards before leaving with a reported groin injury.</p>
<p>Drew Brees (27 of 44 for 356 yards and two touchdowns) tried to keep the Saints close, connecting with Brandon Coleman on a five-yard fade that began a 10-point comeback in the second quarter and cut New England’s lead to 20-13.</p>
<p>Broncos 42, Cowboys 17</p>
<p>Quarterback Trevor Siemian shook off a pair of costly turnovers to throw for four touchdowns, and the Denver Broncos dominated the Dallas Cowboys in a game that was suspended for about an hour due to the danger of lightning strikes.</p>
<p>Denver’s defense capped its performance with a flourish as cornerback Aqib Talib returned an interception 102 yards for a touchdown, stepping in front of Dak Prescott’s end-zone pass intended for Dez Bryant and sprinting down the sideline for the score.</p>
<p>Siemian completed 22 of 32 for 231 yards and had touchdown passes of 10 and 6 yards to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, along with a 16-yard scoring pass to C.J. Anderson and 2 yards to tight end Virgil Green.</p>
<p>Chiefs 27, Eagles 20</p>
<p>Two second-half touchdowns from running back Kareem Hunt on runs of 53 and two yards helped Kansas City (2-0) pull away from Philadelphia (1-1).</p>
<p>The second gave the Chiefs a 27-13 lead.</p>
<p>Kansas City had gone ahead for good with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Alex Smith to tight end Travis Kelce that put the Chiefs up 20-13.</p>
<p>Raiders, 45, Jets 20</p>
<p>Derek Carr threw three touchdown passes to wide receiver Michael Crabtree, running back Jalen Richard scored on a 52-yard run and wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson had a 43-yard scoring run as Oakland (2-0) rolled to an easy victory over New York (0-2).</p>
<p>Running back Marshawn Lynch carried 12 times for 45 yards and scored on a 2-yard touchdown in his first home game with the Raiders.</p>
<p>Panthers 9, Bills 3</p>
<p>The Carolina Panthers relied on relentless defense and three Graham Gano field goals for a victory over the Buffalo.</p>
<p>The Bills (1-1) put together a potential winning drive, moving to the Carolina 32 in the final minute before quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw incomplete to rookie receiver Zay Jones at the Carolina 2 on fourth down with nine seconds left.</p>
<p>Carolina quarterback Cam Newton completed 20 of 32 passes for 228 yards. The Panthers (2-0) lost tight end Greg Olsen to a first-half injured right foot.</p>
<p>Steelers 26, Vikings 9</p>
<p>Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed 23 of 35 passes for 243 yards and two first-half touchdowns for Pittsburgh (2-0).</p>
<p>Roethlisberger threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Martavis Bryant to cap the Steelers’ second possession and found JuJu Smith-Schuster for a four-yard shovel pass in the second quarter as Minnesota fell to 1-1.</p>
<p>Seahawks 12, 49ers 9</p>
<p>Russell Wilson’s nine-yard touchdown pass to Paul Richardson with just over seven minutes remaining sent the Seahawks past San Francisco (0-2).</p>
<p>Wilson overcame a poor passing performance on a rainy afternoon to put together a 10-play, 82-yard drive that included several scrambles for first downs before throwing the go-ahead touchdown pass to Richardson.</p>
<p>Cardinals 16, Colts 13 (overtime)</p>
<p>Phil Dawson’s 30-yard field goal with 8:02 remaining in overtime rallied Arizona (1-1) from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit at Indianapolis (0-2)</p>
<p>Dawson kicked the winner after free safety Tyrann Mathieu intercepted Indianapolis quarterback Jacoby Brissett at the Colts 22 on the first play of overtime.</p>
<p>Dolphins 19, Chargers 17</p>
<p>Cody Parkey kicked his fourth field goal, a 54 yarder with 65 seconds remaining, to send Miami (1-0) past the Los Angeles Chargers (0-2)</p>
<p>Charger rookie Younghoe Koo’s 44-yard field goal with five seconds left was off the mark. It was the second straight week Koo had failed to win or tie a game in the closing seconds,.</p>
<p>Buccaneers 29, Bears 7</p>
<p>Tampa Bay (1-0) led 26-0 at halftime against the Bears (0-2) who had four first-half turnovers.</p>
<p>The Bucs turned two of the takeaways into touchdowns — a 13-yard pass from quarterback Jameis Winston to wide receiver Mike Evans and a 1-yard run by Jacquizz Rodgers.</p>
<p>Bears quarterback Mike Glennon completed 31 of 45 passes for 301 yards, but was haunted by a pair of critical second-quarter errors.</p>
<p>Ravens 24, Browns 10</p>
<p>Joe Flacco threw a pair of touchdown passes and Baltimore (2-0) forced five turnovers in the victory over Cleveland (0-2).</p>
<p>Flacco completed 25 of 34 pass attempts for 217 yards and an interception.</p>
<p>Cleveland rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer left with a migraine midway through the second quarter but returned.</p>
<p>Titans 37, Jaguars 16</p>
<p>Tennessee (1-1) forced three turnovers and scored on their first five drives of the second half to defeat Jacksonville (1-1).</p>
<p>The Titans had four straight touchdowns – by running back Derrick Henry, tight ends Delanie Walker and Jonnu Smith and fullback Jalston Fowler.</p>
<p>Redskins 27, Rams 20</p>
<p>Kirk Cousins’ 11-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Grant with 1:49 remaining lifted the Washington Redskins over the Los Angeles Rams.</p>
<p>The Redskins jumped to a 13-0 lead and never trailed. The Rams caught up to tie it, 20-20, in the fourth quarter, but never led.</p> | false | 1 | sports xchange highlights sundays national football league games patriots 36 saints 20 tom brady threw 302 447 passing yards 30point firsthalf explosion new england rebounded seasonopening loss kansas city rout new orleans brady connected 19 25 passes 302 yards three touchdowns first half alone new england 11 raced 3013 lead coasted win saints 02 first time bradys career spanning 273 games threw three touchdown passes first quarter hit three different players running back rex burkhead 19 yards tight end rob gronkowski 53 wide receiver chris hogan 13 finished 30 39 447 yards patriots finished 555 yards total offense gronkowski catching six passes 116 yards leaving reported groin injury drew brees 27 44 356 yards two touchdowns tried keep saints close connecting brandon coleman fiveyard fade began 10point comeback second quarter cut new englands lead 2013 broncos 42 cowboys 17 quarterback trevor siemian shook pair costly turnovers throw four touchdowns denver broncos dominated dallas cowboys game suspended hour due danger lightning strikes denvers defense capped performance flourish cornerback aqib talib returned interception 102 yards touchdown stepping front dak prescotts endzone pass intended dez bryant sprinting sideline score siemian completed 22 32 231 yards touchdown passes 10 6 yards wide receiver emmanuel sanders along 16yard scoring pass cj anderson 2 yards tight end virgil green chiefs 27 eagles 20 two secondhalf touchdowns running back kareem hunt runs 53 two yards helped kansas city 20 pull away philadelphia 11 second gave chiefs 2713 lead kansas city gone ahead good 15yard touchdown pass alex smith tight end travis kelce put chiefs 2013 raiders 45 jets 20 derek carr threw three touchdown passes wide receiver michael crabtree running back jalen richard scored 52yard run wide receiver cordarrelle patterson 43yard scoring run oakland 20 rolled easy victory new york 02 running back marshawn lynch carried 12 times 45 yards scored 2yard touchdown first home game raiders panthers 9 bills 3 carolina panthers relied relentless defense three graham gano field goals victory buffalo bills 11 put together potential winning drive moving carolina 32 final minute quarterback tyrod taylor threw incomplete rookie receiver zay jones carolina 2 fourth nine seconds left carolina quarterback cam newton completed 20 32 passes 228 yards panthers 20 lost tight end greg olsen firsthalf injured right foot steelers 26 vikings 9 quarterback ben roethlisberger completed 23 35 passes 243 yards two firsthalf touchdowns pittsburgh 20 roethlisberger threw 27yard touchdown pass martavis bryant cap steelers second possession found juju smithschuster fouryard shovel pass second quarter minnesota fell 11 seahawks 12 49ers 9 russell wilsons nineyard touchdown pass paul richardson seven minutes remaining sent seahawks past san francisco 02 wilson overcame poor passing performance rainy afternoon put together 10play 82yard drive included several scrambles first downs throwing goahead touchdown pass richardson cardinals 16 colts 13 overtime phil dawsons 30yard field goal 802 remaining overtime rallied arizona 11 10point fourthquarter deficit indianapolis 02 dawson kicked winner free safety tyrann mathieu intercepted indianapolis quarterback jacoby brissett colts 22 first play overtime dolphins 19 chargers 17 cody parkey kicked fourth field goal 54 yarder 65 seconds remaining send miami 10 past los angeles chargers 02 charger rookie younghoe koos 44yard field goal five seconds left mark second straight week koo failed win tie game closing seconds buccaneers 29 bears 7 tampa bay 10 led 260 halftime bears 02 four firsthalf turnovers bucs turned two takeaways touchdowns 13yard pass quarterback jameis winston wide receiver mike evans 1yard run jacquizz rodgers bears quarterback mike glennon completed 31 45 passes 301 yards haunted pair critical secondquarter errors ravens 24 browns 10 joe flacco threw pair touchdown passes baltimore 20 forced five turnovers victory cleveland 02 flacco completed 25 34 pass attempts 217 yards interception cleveland rookie quarterback deshone kizer left migraine midway second quarter returned titans 37 jaguars 16 tennessee 11 forced three turnovers scored first five drives second half defeat jacksonville 11 titans four straight touchdowns running back derrick henry tight ends delanie walker jonnu smith fullback jalston fowler redskins 27 rams 20 kirk cousins 11yard touchdown pass ryan grant 149 remaining lifted washington redskins los angeles rams redskins jumped 130 lead never trailed rams caught tie 2020 fourth quarter never led | 692 |
<p>In the continuing debate over Obamacare, both the law’s champions and its critics are now focused largely on the mechanics of implementation. This is understandable. The insurance exchanges are supposed to launch October 1, most of the law’s other major provisions take effect January 1, and every week seems to bring fresh news of some delay or dysfunction for critics to highlight and defenders to justify or dismiss.</p>
<p>The technological architecture of the exchanges appears to be behind schedule and below expectations, and concerns about fraud and identity theft are especially grave. Some provisions of the law (most notably the employer mandate, some reporting requirements, and verification of eligibility for subsidies) have been found too difficult to implement and have been put off, at least temporarily, while others (like the CLASS long-term-care insurance scheme) have been found unworkable and abandoned altogether. Some major insurers have opted out of offering coverage in some states as a result of excessive regulatory burdens or price controls. Early premium data from some states suggest huge price spikes for key portions of the population, while employment data suggest the economic incentives created by the law may be undermining hiring and growth.</p>
<p>From here on, the fate of Obamacare obviously hinges on how it works out in practice, so it makes sense to pay close attention to such early indications. But lost in the commotion over these practical setbacks have been two important shifts in the underlying argument for Obamacare—one about how to build risk pools and the other about what insurance is for—that could prove at least as significant over time. Both have involved meaningful, if perhaps not fully intentional, concessions on the part of some of Obamacare’s defenders as they struggle to respond to unwelcome news; both point to the incoherence of Obamacare’s design and to the shape of a compelling alternative.</p>
<p>The health care debate is plainly far from over, and it has changed more this year than a cursory reading of the news about implementation would suggest.</p>
<p>Cost and Value</p>
<p>The first shift has occurred as the result of a chain of defensive arguments surrounding the early data about premium costs in the state exchanges that are supposed to open this fall. Those data have suggested that, in many states, some consumers—especially younger and healthier ones—will see major price increases in the individual market next year.</p>
<p>For instance, comparing detailed data about 2013 premiums compiled by the Government Accountability Office and preliminary 2014 exchange-premium data made available by eight states so far,&#160;Investor’s Business Daily&#160;reporter John Merline found earlier this month that “the average price for the lowest-cost Obamacare ‘bronze’ plan in eight states is 122 percent higher than the cheapest plan currently available in those states.” Premiums vary from state to state, and different analysts break down the numbers available so far in different ways, but all agree that for people who now qualify for the cheapest plans on the individual market, next year will bring far higher costs. That kind of price shock could make it very difficult to attract the sorts of young and healthy insurance buyers the new system will need to sustain itself.</p>
<p>Some defenders of Obamacare have sought simply to ignore or deny this problem. The president himself, in an August 9 news conference, said that people who are now uninsured are “going to be able to go on a website or call up a call center and sign up for affordable quality health insurance at a significantly cheaper rate than what they can get right now on the individual market.” But for a great many people, that will plainly not be the case.</p>
<p>Many other Obamacare defenders have responded to the premium figures by pointing to the fact that some people will qualify for subsidies in the new exchanges, which will effectively function as discounts on insurance premiums, provided on a means-tested sliding scale. But the emerging pattern of premium spikes suggests that for many young and healthy Americans, the subsidies will not be enough to make up for next year’s premium increases.</p>
<p>In January, a study by Kurt Giesa and Chris Carlson in the magazine of the American Academy of Actuaries estimated that 80 percent of Americans below the age of 30 in the individual market would find themselves with higher premiums next year than this year, even after subsidies. Early data from the states suggest this estimate may not be far off the mark. As the Manhattan Institute’s Avik Roy has found, in California, “if you’re a healthy, non-smoking 25-year-old, and you make more than $18,558, your health insurance will cost more under Obamacare—possibly a lot more.” That means more than 90 percent of such younger Californians who are eligible for subsidies would still pay more after those subsidies next year than they would pay for coverage now.</p>
<p>Obamacare’s defenders tend to respond to such figures by arguing that it would mostly be such relatively young and healthy people who faced higher costs even after subsidies, while the new system would surely reduce costs for older and sicker Americans—especially those with pre-existing conditions who now find it difficult to obtain any affordable coverage. As the&#160;Washington Post’s Ezra Klein put it on MSNBC in June, “at its core, health insurance, what we’re doing here, is redistributing from the healthy to the sick and from the young to the old, and we are putting in big subsidies to help people who are poor.” To focus on the higher costs for the young and healthy, such Obamacare champions contend, is to neglect the problems of the sick.</p>
<p>Clearly, one of the many things Obamacare is designed to do is to make it cheaper and easier for sicker and older people to get health insurance. This is a worthy and important goal. Any meaningful reform of our health care system would have to offer a serious solution to the plight of people with preexisting conditions, and Obamacare’s supporters are right to insist that this is generally a more significant moral and social problem than the plight of the young and healthy.</p>
<p>But consider the solution they propose. Obamacare’s “redistributing from the healthy to the sick and from the young to the old” happens for the most part not through government taxing and spending, or through the sorts of subsidized high-risk pool arrangements that conservatives propose, but through a redesigned insurance system in which the cost of risk is massively redistributed. The young and healthy are expected to enable that system to function in two ways: They will pay significantly higher rates than they do now, and more of them will buy coverage. But there is an obvious contradiction between these two expectations. If the cost of something goes up, why would more people buy it?</p>
<p>In fact, the problem is even worse than that. Obamacare doesn’t just increase the cost of coverage for the young and healthy, it also reduces the value of insurance for them. The law’s insurance rules mean that a sick person can buy insurance for essentially the same price as a healthy person, so healthy people know that if they get sick they will never be more than one enrollment period away from being able to buy coverage for the same price they would pay while they are healthy. That doesn’t mean they will always be able to get coverage as soon as they need it (if they become sick or injured outside the annual enrollment period, they will have to wait, perhaps even a few months, until the next one), but it still means a major health setback while uninsured will involve far less risk than it does today.</p>
<p>Insurance exists to offer protection against the risk of a medical calamity becoming a financial calamity, and part of its appeal to the healthy has always been that waiting to buy coverage means running the risk that poor health will make such coverage unaffordable later. Coverage rules that dramatically reduce that risk for people who are healthy therefore make insurance less valuable for them.</p>
<p>So young and healthy people who now choose not to buy even the cheapest available insurance plans are expected next year to buy insurance that is both more expensive and less valuable, and the entire system depends on their choosing to do so. To focus on the financial incentives they will confront is not to neglect the system’s redistributive purpose—if the young and healthy stay out, older and sicker Americans will face higher costs and less access to coverage, and the system will fail by its defenders’ own standards. Its mistreatment of the young and healthy is therefore actually a huge problem for the law, and points to the core of the new system’s economic irrationality, or rather to its failure to contend with how people understand their economic options.</p>
<p>In theory, it has always been fairly stupid for young and healthy people not to buy insurance: Coverage has been very cheap for them in much of the country, and the risk of unexpected health costs—which would both deplete their meager resources and make it much tougher for them to get insurance in the future—while statistically low, is financially grave and serious. Low-cost protection against that risk would be worthwhile for most. But in practice, when weighing their particular risks and finances, a great many young and healthy people have nonetheless opted against it. That is a major part of the reason why two-thirds of the uninsured are under the age of 40.</p>
<p>A reform aimed at getting more of them to buy coverage would have to make it even more stupid for them to remain uninsured. Some reformers would do so with a firm individual mandate backed with a stiff penalty. But the Supreme Court last year said a legal requirement to buy coverage would be unconstitutional and transformed Obamacare’s mandate and penalty into a tax on the uninsured. And since forcing people to buy a product they don’t want doesn’t make for great politics, that penalty (now tax) was in any case set much too low to fundamentally change the financial calculation for most people.</p>
<p>A better approach might even further reduce the cost of coverage for the young and healthy while increasing the risk of choosing to remain uninsured (by rewarding continuous coverage while putting it within everyone’s reach), and so make coverage more valuable. This is the approach favored by conservative health care proposals of recent years. But Obamacare does the opposite, making it less stupid to remain uninsured, and yet relies even more heavily than today’s insurance system on the participation of the young and healthy.</p>
<p>In the face of this serious problem, Obamacare’s defenders have tended to shift the focus of their arguments from cost to value. Maybe Obamacare will not make coverage cheaper for the essential young and healthy demographic, they argue, but it will make it more valuable—despite the new insurance rules—because it will make coverage more comprehensive, meaning insurance will cover a greater share of people’s costs and offer a wider range of benefits.</p>
<p>In this telling, the more comprehensive an insurance plan is, the better it is. Ideal insurance would presumably be first-dollar coverage that renders even the most minimal care free at the point of delivery in return for a high premium in advance, while insurance with low premiums and high deductibles that provides protection against catastrophic costs is disdained as less than real coverage. Princeton economist and&#160;New York Times&#160;columnist Paul Krugman wrote in June that such catastrophic plans can be cheap “because they don’t provide much insurance.” In trying to explain why next year’s premiums look so much higher than this year’s low-cost individual-market plans in many states, HHS secretary Kathleen Sebelius said this spring, “Some of these folks have very high catastrophic plans that don’t pay for anything unless you get hit by a bus. They’re really mortgage protection, not health insurance.”</p>
<p>Thus, evidence of high premium costs in the exchanges has driven some defenders of Obamacare in recent months to acknowledge that the new system, which depends on getting young and healthy uninsured people to buy coverage, depends in turn on the value and appeal of particularly comprehensive coverage. Maybe insurance will cost these people more next year, but it will be worth it.</p>
<p>Here, however, we find the second of the major recent liberal confrontations with unpleasant facts, which has undermined precisely the case for fully comprehensive insurance coverage.</p>
<p>Real Insurance</p>
<p>The story begins a few years ago, when Oregon officials decided to expand their Medicaid program but did not have the funds for a simple expansion of income eligibility, and so set up a lottery by which some eligible Oregonians could gain access to the program. That policy created an unusual natural experiment, allowing for a comparison of two groups of similarly situated people, one of which had won the lottery and so had Medicaid coverage while the other remained uninsured. A group of economists from Harvard and MIT carefully tracked the two groups’ finances and health and published two years’ worth of results in May.</p>
<p>They found that having Medicaid coverage yielded major financial benefits but could not be shown to have&#160; yielded major medical benefits. Such coverage “nearly eliminated catastrophic out-of-pocket medical expenditures” and was correlated with a significant decrease in self-reported depression, but appeared not to have a statistically significant effect on three key health measures often used in assessing physical health outcomes. That doesn’t mean it had no effect, as no such study could prove a negative (and the sample was not large enough for great confidence) but it means that in terms of health, the difference between having comprehensive coverage and being uninsured was not readily discernible by the best available analysis to date.</p>
<p>The response to this study, on all sides of our politics, was largely focused on Medicaid, and whether the enormous state and federal government expenditures on the program (expected to surpass $7 trillion in the coming decade) could be justified given these findings. But the study’s results do not suggest something unique about Medicaid. Rather, they raise the question of the health value of health insurance more generally.</p>
<p>The findings are in line with a series of studies reaching back to a famous experiment by the RAND Corporation in the 1970s. RAND divided several thousand families into five groups, each provided with health insurance with a different level of co-insurance and out-of-pocket costs—from very comprehensive to essentially catastrophic coverage. They found that while the financial situations of families in the different groups ended up differing, and the degrees to which they used the health care system differed, their actual health outcomes did not.</p>
<p>The expense and complexity of this kind of study has made it difficult to repeat, though subsequent analyses and smaller studies have tended to confirm the basic findings, just as this year’s Oregon study did: Insurance can save you from financial catastrophe, but not medical catastrophe. This has hardly been an uncontroversial claim in the field, but it appears to be in line with the available evidence.</p>
<p>In a 2009 review of the literature in the journal&#160;Health Services Research, Richard Kronick found that “it is not possible to draw firm causal inferences from the results of observational analyses, but there is little evidence to suggest that extending insurance coverage to all adults would have a large effect on the number of deaths in the United States.” In 2005, economists Amy Finkelstein and Robin McKnight studied the effects of the introduction of Medicare on the elderly in America and concluded that “in its first 10 years, the establishment of universal health insurance for the elderly had no discernible impact on their mortality. However, we find that the introduction of Medicare was associated with a substantial reduction in the elderly’s exposure to out of pocket medical expenditure risk.”</p>
<p>The response of many defenders of Obamacare to this spring’s Oregon study mostly involved reverting to this well-supported argument to insist that the study should not bring Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion into question. Paul Krugman published a post on his&#160;Timesblog that read, in its entirety:</p>
<p>Fire Insurance Is Worthless!</p>
<p>After all, there’s no evidence that it prevents fires.</p>
<p>But strange to say (as Mark Thoma points out in correspondence), people seem to think it’s a good idea anyway.</p>
<p>I leave the relevance of this thought to the Medicaid discussion as an exercise for readers.</p>
<p>Krugman’s point, which he evidently believed was very cleverly made, was that insurance provides financial protection from catastrophic costs, and such protection is nothing to sneeze at.</p>
<p>He was certainly right. Protection from catastrophic health costs is extremely important, and public policy should aim to make it available to everyone. But consider what this means for the case for comprehensive health coverage. If health insurance does not prevent ill-health, just as fire insurance does not prevent fires, and both are simply financial products that offer a hedge against the risk of extreme unexpected costs, then why should coverage for medical services that do not involve extreme costs add significant value to an insurance policy?</p>
<p>In fact, such coverage is not quite insurance at all. Secretary Sebelius’s complaint about catastrophic coverage, noted above, has things roughly backwards: Protection from financial disaster in case of medical disaster is what insurance is for. Coverage that merely acts as an intermediary for small, routine expenses—which you pay for through high premiums and the insurer then turns over to a doctor—mostly acts to make the delivery of health services less efficient, but does little to improve either your physical or your financial well-being.</p>
<p>This model of comprehensive insurance particularly lacks appeal for young and healthy people, whose routine medical costs are very low. For them, and for many others, the model of health insurance that could best balance cost and use would probably look like most other kinds of insurance: coverage for unusual and particularly expensive needs and a range of options and prices for more routine and cheaper services.</p>
<p>Real Reform</p>
<p>A Functional health reform might therefore begin with universal catastrophic coverage and build from there. It could involve a highly competitive market for both coverage and care, with today’s preferential tax treatment for employer-provided coverage turned into a universal credit that would cover the premium for at least a catastrophic plan for all and allow individuals to purchase more coverage or care on their own or through their employers (or, for the poor, with the aid of a Medicaid program transformed into an add-on to the credit). It would keep the young and healthy in the system by making coverage far more valuable for them through lower costs and protections for those who are continuously insured, as described above, and would enable Americans with preexisting conditions who have not had continuous coverage to buy insurance through subsidized high-risk pools.</p>
<p>This approach would aim at a model of coverage that encouraged consumer choice and provider competition, rather than eliminating price signals and encouraging overspending. It would require far less public spending than Obama-care, and could make coverage available to as many people as Obamacare without the mandates, taxes, and irrational insurance rules because its organizing principle would not be forcing people to buy products they don’t want but rather making insurance more appealing and affordable.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/how-to-replace-obamacare" type="external">Such plans exist</a>, of course, and&#160; <a href="http://www.aei.org/files/2012/12/12/-constructing-an-alternative-to-obamacare-key-details-for-a-practical-replacement-program_171532844111.pdf" type="external">have been advanced</a>&#160;by some conservative policy experts for many years. But the last few months have seen the advocates of Obamacare implicitly acknowledge some of the key premises of this conservative approach, as the law they enacted confronts some significant practical difficulties.</p>
<p>These early difficulties do not by themselves prove that Obamacare will be a train wreck. Predictions at this early stage are inevitably speculative, and the Obama administration has shown itself willing to engage in frantic (and often lawless) ad hoc transformations of the system to avoid near-term catastrophe. But the early signs do suggest serious problems that run deep, and that will be difficult to juggle for long. They suggest, above all, that America’s health care debate is very far from over.</p>
<p>This is a fact that many Obamacare defenders have found difficult to accept. Passage of the law has neither made it more popular nor settled the basic dispute about it, as both the law itself and the case for it continue to weaken and shift. Obamacare as it is now being implemented could not have been enacted in 2010. Shorn of the short-term fiscal fig leaf of the CLASS Act, absent the revenue and insurance-market stabilization of the employer mandate, stripped of eligibility verification for subsidies costing billions of taxpayer dollars, saddled with an assault on religious liberty—all of which has been done by the law’s own champions and defenders—the bill would never have had the votes to become law even in the heavily Democratic 111th Congress.</p>
<p>But more than that has been lost. The basic case for Obamacare now looks much diminished. Its flaws, as made evident by the liberal confrontations with reality of the past few months, point toward a different model of insurance reform. But that model will only become apparent to the public if conservative politicians articulate and embrace it, and help voters see how it could address the real problems of American health care. Obamacare stands to leave our health care system significantly worse than it was before the law’s enactment, but that system was itself badly broken. Real reform that made reliable coverage and high-quality care available to all would move well to the right of the pre-Obamacare status quo.</p>
<p>The practical problems of Obamacare’s implementation mean the debate will go on. But only a forthright public case for a serious alternative that would replace Obamacare by addressing the problems that preceded it can enable Republicans to win that debate.</p>
<p>Yuval Levin is Hertog fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a contributing editor to&#160;The Weekly Standard,&#160;and the founding editor of&#160;National Affairs.</p> | false | 1 | continuing debate obamacare laws champions critics focused largely mechanics implementation understandable insurance exchanges supposed launch october 1 laws major provisions take effect january 1 every week seems bring fresh news delay dysfunction critics highlight defenders justify dismiss technological architecture exchanges appears behind schedule expectations concerns fraud identity theft especially grave provisions law notably employer mandate reporting requirements verification eligibility subsidies found difficult implement put least temporarily others like class longtermcare insurance scheme found unworkable abandoned altogether major insurers opted offering coverage states result excessive regulatory burdens price controls early premium data states suggest huge price spikes key portions population employment data suggest economic incentives created law may undermining hiring growth fate obamacare obviously hinges works practice makes sense pay close attention early indications lost commotion practical setbacks two important shifts underlying argument obamacareone build risk pools insurance forthat could prove least significant time involved meaningful perhaps fully intentional concessions part obamacares defenders struggle respond unwelcome news point incoherence obamacares design shape compelling alternative health care debate plainly far changed year cursory reading news implementation would suggest cost value first shift occurred result chain defensive arguments surrounding early data premium costs state exchanges supposed open fall data suggested many states consumersespecially younger healthier oneswill see major price increases individual market next year instance comparing detailed data 2013 premiums compiled government accountability office preliminary 2014 exchangepremium data made available eight states far160investors business daily160reporter john merline found earlier month average price lowestcost obamacare bronze plan eight states 122 percent higher cheapest plan currently available states premiums vary state state different analysts break numbers available far different ways agree people qualify cheapest plans individual market next year bring far higher costs kind price shock could make difficult attract sorts young healthy insurance buyers new system need sustain defenders obamacare sought simply ignore deny problem president august 9 news conference said people uninsured going able go website call call center sign affordable quality health insurance significantly cheaper rate get right individual market great many people plainly case many obamacare defenders responded premium figures pointing fact people qualify subsidies new exchanges effectively function discounts insurance premiums provided meanstested sliding scale emerging pattern premium spikes suggests many young healthy americans subsidies enough make next years premium increases january study kurt giesa chris carlson magazine american academy actuaries estimated 80 percent americans age 30 individual market would find higher premiums next year year even subsidies early data states suggest estimate may far mark manhattan institutes avik roy found california youre healthy nonsmoking 25yearold make 18558 health insurance cost obamacarepossibly lot means 90 percent younger californians eligible subsidies would still pay subsidies next year would pay coverage obamacares defenders tend respond figures arguing would mostly relatively young healthy people faced higher costs even subsidies new system would surely reduce costs older sicker americansespecially preexisting conditions find difficult obtain affordable coverage the160washington posts ezra klein put msnbc june core health insurance redistributing healthy sick young old putting big subsidies help people poor focus higher costs young healthy obamacare champions contend neglect problems sick clearly one many things obamacare designed make cheaper easier sicker older people get health insurance worthy important goal meaningful reform health care system would offer serious solution plight people preexisting conditions obamacares supporters right insist generally significant moral social problem plight young healthy consider solution propose obamacares redistributing healthy sick young old happens part government taxing spending sorts subsidized highrisk pool arrangements conservatives propose redesigned insurance system cost risk massively redistributed young healthy expected enable system function two ways pay significantly higher rates buy coverage obvious contradiction two expectations cost something goes would people buy fact problem even worse obamacare doesnt increase cost coverage young healthy also reduces value insurance laws insurance rules mean sick person buy insurance essentially price healthy person healthy people know get sick never one enrollment period away able buy coverage price would pay healthy doesnt mean always able get coverage soon need become sick injured outside annual enrollment period wait perhaps even months next one still means major health setback uninsured involve far less risk today insurance exists offer protection risk medical calamity becoming financial calamity part appeal healthy always waiting buy coverage means running risk poor health make coverage unaffordable later coverage rules dramatically reduce risk people healthy therefore make insurance less valuable young healthy people choose buy even cheapest available insurance plans expected next year buy insurance expensive less valuable entire system depends choosing focus financial incentives confront neglect systems redistributive purposeif young healthy stay older sicker americans face higher costs less access coverage system fail defenders standards mistreatment young healthy therefore actually huge problem law points core new systems economic irrationality rather failure contend people understand economic options theory always fairly stupid young healthy people buy insurance coverage cheap much country risk unexpected health costswhich would deplete meager resources make much tougher get insurance futurewhile statistically low financially grave serious lowcost protection risk would worthwhile practice weighing particular risks finances great many young healthy people nonetheless opted major part reason twothirds uninsured age 40 reform aimed getting buy coverage would make even stupid remain uninsured reformers would firm individual mandate backed stiff penalty supreme court last year said legal requirement buy coverage would unconstitutional transformed obamacares mandate penalty tax uninsured since forcing people buy product dont want doesnt make great politics penalty tax case set much low fundamentally change financial calculation people better approach might even reduce cost coverage young healthy increasing risk choosing remain uninsured rewarding continuous coverage putting within everyones reach make coverage valuable approach favored conservative health care proposals recent years obamacare opposite making less stupid remain uninsured yet relies even heavily todays insurance system participation young healthy face serious problem obamacares defenders tended shift focus arguments cost value maybe obamacare make coverage cheaper essential young healthy demographic argue make valuabledespite new insurance rulesbecause make coverage comprehensive meaning insurance cover greater share peoples costs offer wider range benefits telling comprehensive insurance plan better ideal insurance would presumably firstdollar coverage renders even minimal care free point delivery return high premium advance insurance low premiums high deductibles provides protection catastrophic costs disdained less real coverage princeton economist and160new york times160columnist paul krugman wrote june catastrophic plans cheap dont provide much insurance trying explain next years premiums look much higher years lowcost individualmarket plans many states hhs secretary kathleen sebelius said spring folks high catastrophic plans dont pay anything unless get hit bus theyre really mortgage protection health insurance thus evidence high premium costs exchanges driven defenders obamacare recent months acknowledge new system depends getting young healthy uninsured people buy coverage depends turn value appeal particularly comprehensive coverage maybe insurance cost people next year worth however find second major recent liberal confrontations unpleasant facts undermined precisely case fully comprehensive insurance coverage real insurance story begins years ago oregon officials decided expand medicaid program funds simple expansion income eligibility set lottery eligible oregonians could gain access program policy created unusual natural experiment allowing comparison two groups similarly situated people one lottery medicaid coverage remained uninsured group economists harvard mit carefully tracked two groups finances health published two years worth results may found medicaid coverage yielded major financial benefits could shown have160 yielded major medical benefits coverage nearly eliminated catastrophic outofpocket medical expenditures correlated significant decrease selfreported depression appeared statistically significant effect three key health measures often used assessing physical health outcomes doesnt mean effect study could prove negative sample large enough great confidence means terms health difference comprehensive coverage uninsured readily discernible best available analysis date response study sides politics largely focused medicaid whether enormous state federal government expenditures program expected surpass 7 trillion coming decade could justified given findings studys results suggest something unique medicaid rather raise question health value health insurance generally findings line series studies reaching back famous experiment rand corporation 1970s rand divided several thousand families five groups provided health insurance different level coinsurance outofpocket costsfrom comprehensive essentially catastrophic coverage found financial situations families different groups ended differing degrees used health care system differed actual health outcomes expense complexity kind study made difficult repeat though subsequent analyses smaller studies tended confirm basic findings years oregon study insurance save financial catastrophe medical catastrophe hardly uncontroversial claim field appears line available evidence 2009 review literature journal160health services research richard kronick found possible draw firm causal inferences results observational analyses little evidence suggest extending insurance coverage adults would large effect number deaths united states 2005 economists amy finkelstein robin mcknight studied effects introduction medicare elderly america concluded first 10 years establishment universal health insurance elderly discernible impact mortality however find introduction medicare associated substantial reduction elderlys exposure pocket medical expenditure risk response many defenders obamacare springs oregon study mostly involved reverting wellsupported argument insist study bring obamacares medicaid expansion question paul krugman published post his160timesblog read entirety fire insurance worthless theres evidence prevents fires strange say mark thoma points correspondence people seem think good idea anyway leave relevance thought medicaid discussion exercise readers krugmans point evidently believed cleverly made insurance provides financial protection catastrophic costs protection nothing sneeze certainly right protection catastrophic health costs extremely important public policy aim make available everyone consider means case comprehensive health coverage health insurance prevent illhealth fire insurance prevent fires simply financial products offer hedge risk extreme unexpected costs coverage medical services involve extreme costs add significant value insurance policy fact coverage quite insurance secretary sebeliuss complaint catastrophic coverage noted things roughly backwards protection financial disaster case medical disaster insurance coverage merely acts intermediary small routine expenseswhich pay high premiums insurer turns doctormostly acts make delivery health services less efficient little improve either physical financial wellbeing model comprehensive insurance particularly lacks appeal young healthy people whose routine medical costs low many others model health insurance could best balance cost use would probably look like kinds insurance coverage unusual particularly expensive needs range options prices routine cheaper services real reform functional health reform might therefore begin universal catastrophic coverage build could involve highly competitive market coverage care todays preferential tax treatment employerprovided coverage turned universal credit would cover premium least catastrophic plan allow individuals purchase coverage care employers poor aid medicaid program transformed addon credit would keep young healthy system making coverage far valuable lower costs protections continuously insured described would enable americans preexisting conditions continuous coverage buy insurance subsidized highrisk pools approach would aim model coverage encouraged consumer choice provider competition rather eliminating price signals encouraging overspending would require far less public spending obamacare could make coverage available many people obamacare without mandates taxes irrational insurance rules organizing principle would forcing people buy products dont want rather making insurance appealing affordable plans exist course and160 advanced160by conservative policy experts many years last months seen advocates obamacare implicitly acknowledge key premises conservative approach law enacted confronts significant practical difficulties early difficulties prove obamacare train wreck predictions early stage inevitably speculative obama administration shown willing engage frantic often lawless ad hoc transformations system avoid nearterm catastrophe early signs suggest serious problems run deep difficult juggle long suggest americas health care debate far fact many obamacare defenders found difficult accept passage law neither made popular settled basic dispute law case continue weaken shift obamacare implemented could enacted 2010 shorn shortterm fiscal fig leaf class act absent revenue insurancemarket stabilization employer mandate stripped eligibility verification subsidies costing billions taxpayer dollars saddled assault religious libertyall done laws champions defendersthe bill would never votes become law even heavily democratic 111th congress lost basic case obamacare looks much diminished flaws made evident liberal confrontations reality past months point toward different model insurance reform model become apparent public conservative politicians articulate embrace help voters see could address real problems american health care obamacare stands leave health care system significantly worse laws enactment system badly broken real reform made reliable coverage highquality care available would move well right preobamacare status quo practical problems obamacares implementation mean debate go forthright public case serious alternative would replace obamacare addressing problems preceded enable republicans win debate yuval levin hertog fellow ethics public policy center contributing editor to160the weekly standard160and founding editor of160national affairs | 1,999 |
<p>By Samuel Shen and John Ruwitch</p>
<p>SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Retired Shanghai truck driver Shen Xipei shunned risky stocks and low-yielding deposits and instead put his life savings into a wealth management product (WMP) sold – and guaranteed – by a bank.</p>
<p>Soon, however, investors like Shen may start switching into other assets after Beijing published draft guidelines on Nov. 17 to ban financial institutions from guaranteeing investors against losses, tightening supervision of what the central bank says is a $9 trillion asset management industry.</p>
<p>A move away from bank WMPs by armies of Chinese investors – which some analysts expect – would likely trigger a seismic shift in China’s asset management industry, with the new rules apparently favoring transparent mutual fund products.</p>
<p>“I bought the WMP because I trust banks. They don’t run away with your money,” said 63-year-old Shen. The product he bought from Industrial Bank promised an annualized return of around 4.15 percent – far exceeding the 1.5 percent yield on one-year bank deposits, he said.</p>
<p>“But if they no longer guarantee my principal, I’ll definitely put my money elsewhere.”</p>
<p>It remains to be seen where, exactly, the flood of cash will slosh, but some analysts expect relatively safe bond funds or more liquid money market funds to benefit. With limited options for onshore investments, people may also park their money in already inflated real estate markets.</p>
<p>“When implicit guarantee fades out … demand for off-balance-sheet WMPs may partially switch to similar products such as money market funds or bond funds,” said Sophie Jiang, banking analyst at Nomura. “We see stronger competition for deposits as loopholes around WMPs get fixed.”</p>
<p>IT’LL TAKE TIME</p>
<p>The new rules underscore Beijing’s determination to reduce risks and further standardize the country’s financial markets. More investment securities, meanwhile, will be allowed to fail, leading to a better pricing of risk and professionalization in the asset management industry.</p>
<p>By holding investors responsible for their own losses, the authorities are also trying to change a deeply-ingrained culture that made it common for investors to dump money into risky, high-yielding assets and expect state protection. Prices have been warped along the way.</p>
<p>“Breaking the implicit principal guarantee will force a risk re-pricing in the market,” said Hong Hao, Head of Research at BOCOM International.</p>
<p>“Investors should get used to a new high-return, high-risk regime, instead of the old, risk-free but high-return regime – It won’t be easy.”</p>
<p>Financial markets have started to react to the flurry of financial reforms announced in recent weeks, with domestic bond yields rising steadily since the end of September, while stocks saw their biggest one-day drop in nearly 18 months on Thursday. [nL3N1NU1X4]</p>
<p>There is no official data on the number of people who have invested in WMPs, but official statistics show that at the end of June, 555 Chinese banks had 85,800 outstanding WMPs. In the first half of 2017, a cumulative 119,200 WMPs had been issued.</p>
<p>WMPs issued by banks and other financial institutions, such as trust companies, have been a central component of China’s murky shadow banking sector, which the government has struggled to contain.</p>
<p>NEW RULES</p>
<p>As part of efforts to break implicit principal guarantees, the new guidelines require that all asset management products must be based on net-asset-value (NAV) to reflect risks on a timely basis – rules that analysts say favor mutual funds.</p>
<p>“For institutions such as trust firms, it would take time to adjust their products in a bid to meet the tall order,” said Ivan Shi, head of research at fund consultancy Z-Ben Advisors, predicting greater investment flows into fixed income or money market mutual funds.</p>
<p>Although banks are expected to redesign WMPs and set up asset management units to compete, fund distributor Puyi Wealth Management said there was “a huge question mark” over whether banks could persuade investors not to shift to more mature mutual fund products.</p>
<p>The sweeping new guidelines, covering all financial institutions including banks, brokerages, insurers, fund houses and trust companies, are the latest effort to rein in China’s rampantly growing shadow banking sector, notorious for excessive leverage, Byzantine structures, and opaqueness. [nL3N1NN3AC]</p>
<p>A transition period will last until June 30, 2019, to give institutions breathing space.</p>
<p>The ban on principal guarantees has been singled out by the state news agency, Xinhua, as the most significant step against “financial chaos”. In an editorial it likened the guarantees to landmines in the financial system.</p>
<p>Other measures announced in the draft regulations include leverage caps, provision requirements, and a ban on “capital pools” – a mixed bag of products with different risk levels, maturities and investors.</p>
<p>By the end of June, China’s asset management business totaled more than 60 trillion yuan, according to central bank data, almost as big as the country’s annual gross domestic product. Bank WMPs account for nearly half.</p>
<p>REPRICING</p>
<p>It’s not just in the asset management industry that regulators are ending implicit state guarantees to investors.</p>
<p>In the bond market, the government is increasingly allowing issuers – both private and state-owned – to default or go bankrupt, seeking to break the link between commercial and sovereign credit.</p>
<p>In a recent case, creditors of state-owned Chongqing Iron &amp; Steel Co (SS:) agreed to accept a debt-for-equity swap plan to restructure nearly 40 billion yuan ($6.04 billion) in debts. [nL3N1NN2XZ]</p>
<p>Beijing has also deepened efforts to bar local governments from making implicit guarantees to investors in infrastructure projects and local government financing vehicles (LGFVs), breaking the traditionally unshakable faith that such projects will never default.</p>
<p>“The mismatch between risk and reward is pushing up risk-free interest rates … and blurs the line between good and bad assets,” said Qiu Gaoqing, vice head of research at Bank of Communications, China’s fifth-biggest lender.</p>
<p>Chen Jie, of Hi-Jion Law Group, said banks provide implicit guarantees even when there’s no legal obligation to do so because of SOEs’ ambiguous relationships with the government.</p>
<p>“Retail investors walking into a bank outlet would naturally assume WMPs sold there have state backing. For them, state lenders and the government are one thing,” said Chen, who represents investors in WMP disputes.</p>
<p>“And for banks… they not only care about their commercial reputation, but also assume the role of maintaining social stability. With these guidelines, banks won’t have to in the future.”</p> | false | 1 | samuel shen john ruwitch shanghai reuters retired shanghai truck driver shen xipei shunned risky stocks lowyielding deposits instead put life savings wealth management product wmp sold guaranteed bank soon however investors like shen may start switching assets beijing published draft guidelines nov 17 ban financial institutions guaranteeing investors losses tightening supervision central bank says 9 trillion asset management industry move away bank wmps armies chinese investors analysts expect would likely trigger seismic shift chinas asset management industry new rules apparently favoring transparent mutual fund products bought wmp trust banks dont run away money said 63yearold shen product bought industrial bank promised annualized return around 415 percent far exceeding 15 percent yield oneyear bank deposits said longer guarantee principal ill definitely put money elsewhere remains seen exactly flood cash slosh analysts expect relatively safe bond funds liquid money market funds benefit limited options onshore investments people may also park money already inflated real estate markets implicit guarantee fades demand offbalancesheet wmps may partially switch similar products money market funds bond funds said sophie jiang banking analyst nomura see stronger competition deposits loopholes around wmps get fixed itll take time new rules underscore beijings determination reduce risks standardize countrys financial markets investment securities meanwhile allowed fail leading better pricing risk professionalization asset management industry holding investors responsible losses authorities also trying change deeplyingrained culture made common investors dump money risky highyielding assets expect state protection prices warped along way breaking implicit principal guarantee force risk repricing market said hong hao head research bocom international investors get used new highreturn highrisk regime instead old riskfree highreturn regime wont easy financial markets started react flurry financial reforms announced recent weeks domestic bond yields rising steadily since end september stocks saw biggest oneday drop nearly 18 months thursday nl3n1nu1x4 official data number people invested wmps official statistics show end june 555 chinese banks 85800 outstanding wmps first half 2017 cumulative 119200 wmps issued wmps issued banks financial institutions trust companies central component chinas murky shadow banking sector government struggled contain new rules part efforts break implicit principal guarantees new guidelines require asset management products must based netassetvalue nav reflect risks timely basis rules analysts say favor mutual funds institutions trust firms would take time adjust products bid meet tall order said ivan shi head research fund consultancy zben advisors predicting greater investment flows fixed income money market mutual funds although banks expected redesign wmps set asset management units compete fund distributor puyi wealth management said huge question mark whether banks could persuade investors shift mature mutual fund products sweeping new guidelines covering financial institutions including banks brokerages insurers fund houses trust companies latest effort rein chinas rampantly growing shadow banking sector notorious excessive leverage byzantine structures opaqueness nl3n1nn3ac transition period last june 30 2019 give institutions breathing space ban principal guarantees singled state news agency xinhua significant step financial chaos editorial likened guarantees landmines financial system measures announced draft regulations include leverage caps provision requirements ban capital pools mixed bag products different risk levels maturities investors end june chinas asset management business totaled 60 trillion yuan according central bank data almost big countrys annual gross domestic product bank wmps account nearly half repricing asset management industry regulators ending implicit state guarantees investors bond market government increasingly allowing issuers private stateowned default go bankrupt seeking break link commercial sovereign credit recent case creditors stateowned chongqing iron amp steel co ss agreed accept debtforequity swap plan restructure nearly 40 billion yuan 604 billion debts nl3n1nn2xz beijing also deepened efforts bar local governments making implicit guarantees investors infrastructure projects local government financing vehicles lgfvs breaking traditionally unshakable faith projects never default mismatch risk reward pushing riskfree interest rates blurs line good bad assets said qiu gaoqing vice head research bank communications chinas fifthbiggest lender chen jie hijion law group said banks provide implicit guarantees even theres legal obligation soes ambiguous relationships government retail investors walking bank outlet would naturally assume wmps sold state backing state lenders government one thing said chen represents investors wmp disputes banks care commercial reputation also assume role maintaining social stability guidelines banks wont future | 681 |
<p>It’s easy for anyone who’s heard a <a href="http://variety.com/t/dj-khaled/" type="external">DJ Khaled</a> song or seen him onstage to think that all he does is get up there and yell, then rope in famous friends who inexplicably do all the real work for him. After all, he’s not singing, rapping, dancing or playing an instrument — and while his bearded, plus-sized frame has become iconic, he’s not exactly supermodel material.</p>
<p>But Khaled, the 41 -year-old son of hard-working Palestinian immigrants, came in ninth on <a href="https://www.forbes.com/hip-hop-cash-kings/#14ad5abe5bce" type="external">Forbes’ latest Hip-Hop Cash Kings</a> list, with $24 million earned over the last year — ahead of Kanye West, Snoop Dogg and Nicki Minaj. His last two albums, “Major Key” and “Grateful,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — and the latter not only includes two of the year’s biggest songs, “I’m the One” and “Wild Thoughts,” which landed at No. 9 and No. 26 (respectively) on Buzz Angle’s Top Songs of 2017, it features some of the biggest stars in the world: <a href="http://variety.com/t/beyonce/" type="external">Beyonce</a>, Jay-Z, Drake, <a href="http://variety.com/t/rihanna/" type="external">Rihanna</a>, <a href="http://variety.com/t/justin-bieber/" type="external">Justin Bieber</a>, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne (Jay-Z is also Khaled’s manager). He has built an empire around his We the Best brand, and he’s branching into films, appearing in “Pitch Perfect 3” and a couple of others to be announced. He has branding or endorsement deals with Mentos, Champ Sports, Apple and other brands, and he scores six-figure fees for his DJ gigs. He lives large and broadcasts his doings from nearly every possible platform, with nearly 15 million social media followers (even his infant son Asahd has 44,000 Twitter followers). He’s on countless records yelling about his greatness, his gratitude for his greatness, and self-help advice about how to attain greatness like his.</p>
<p>Yet Khaled’s boasting both broadcasts and obscures the fact that he’s a first-rate producer in the truest sense of the word: an operator, organizer, orchestrator, hustler, hooker-upper and a world-class networker as well as a golden-eared record producer. He can get those artists on his records because he’s known most of them for 10 or 15 or, in Lil Wayne’s case, 24 years; several high-placed music executives told Variety he’s the best A&amp;R in the business. It’s not that he’s the biggest dreamer or talker or mastermind —although he’s up there —&#160;but he just might believe bigger than anyone else.</p>
<p>“His business acumen goes well beyond music,” says Sylvia Rhone, president of Epic Records, which inked a partnership with Khaled’s We the Best label in 2016. “He is a genius at tying together all the disparate, moving parts and coming out with a diamond. He’s a culture creator and a rain-maker who is always thinking miles ahead of most people in the game. He impresses me every day.”</p>
<p>“I’ve always had the hustle in my blood,” says Khaled from his studio in Los Angeles, where he was working up some “top secret” new music. “The key is to believe: To succeed, you must believe.”</p>
<p>The building blocks of his empire were set in New Orleans and Florida, where the young Khaled Mohamed Khaled saw his parents working “seven days a week, 6 a.m. until 10 or 11 p.m.” He began DJing and organizing parties in his early teens, and worked at New Orleans’ Odyssey record store, where he first met Lil Wayne and the brothers who founded Cash Money Records, Bryan “Birdman” and Ronald “Slim” Williams, in the early ‘90s. “I learned a lot there,” he says. “When people would buy CDs or cassettes I’d have to scan it, and the sale would get documented [by Nielsen SoundScan]. So when we’d sell music by people who didn’t have national deals yet, like Birdman and Slim bringing me the early Cash Money albums out of the trunk of their car, I’d get [major] record companies calling me up asking, ‘Are you really selling all those records?’ ‘Absolutely — they sell out in an hour.’ So I learned that by those guys going to the local store to sell their music the correct way, it ended up [getting them major-label deals] and changing their lives. If you’re good at something and the people want it, make sure you get your credit!”</p>
<p>In a similar way, his work as a DJ shaped his skills as a record producer. “DJing at parties, I knew I had to keep the crowd moving and control the mood — some parties I’d make it feel like New Year’s Eve, others I’d make people wanna have an ice grill. And being a DJ on the radio, everyone would request the hits so I’d [analyze] why people loved those songs. I learned where to put certain breaks and build-ups to build emotions, how big the chorus and the hooks need to be. It’s about bringing out emotions in the listener, so any time you have a record that can connect with people, you’re doing your job as a producer.” He even undertakes the notoriously laborious process of clearing samples himself. “Usually you have people at the labels who get paid a lot of money to do that, but I think it makes me appreciate it — like, ‘Yo, if I’m gonna do all this sh–, I’d better make sure this record is a hit!’”</p>
<p>Through it all, he’s built up a contact list that has few peers in the hip-hop world: Even his first album, 2006’s “Listennn… the Album,” featured Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, John Legend, among many others. “A lot of them are people that I came up with — I broke some of Kanye’s early records on my radio show — or I started off as a fan: I remember going to a [Notorious B.I.G.] concert and asking him and Puff for a drop on my little cassette recorder, and I always looked up to Jay. Now he’s my manager and partner — when I’m in a room with him, I still be trippin’.”</p>
<p>Yet for all his high-roller hobnobbing with pop royalty, Khaled admits, “There’s only two artists I get starstruck from, and that’s <a href="http://variety.com/2017/biz/news/rihanna-amal-clooney-donatella-versace-to-host-2018-met-gala-1202610085/" type="external">Rihanna</a> and <a href="http://variety.com/2017/music/news/eminem-drops-new-song-walk-on-water-featuring-beyonce-listen-1202612007/" type="external">Beyonce</a>,” even though both are featured on his album and Khaled was the opening act on Beyonce’s “Lemonade” tour. “Me and Rihanna are friends and we always show love to each other, but I get real shy. And when I be talking to Jay and Beyonce pops up, I mean, obviously I say hello and I’ve thanked her for putting me on the floor. But I’m so nervous I don’t look nowhere else but at Jay, and then I leave the room like ‘I gotta go.’” He laughs, “I’m telling you, it’s weird!”</p>
<p>It would all be just talk if he didn’t deliver. “When I first started throwing parties, I’d make sure the flyers looked cool and I passed them out at high schools, the mall, restaurants, everywhere. And when you showed up and that party was incredible, you’d trust my vision and next time around it gets bigger. I already had the mentality of a CEO at 14 or 15 years old. I went through some hard times but I was always focused on the goal and the vision: To be one of the greats you’ve got to be very confident.”</p> | false | 1 | easy anyone whos heard dj khaled song seen onstage think get yell rope famous friends inexplicably real work hes singing rapping dancing playing instrument bearded plussized frame become iconic hes exactly supermodel material khaled 41 yearold son hardworking palestinian immigrants came ninth forbes latest hiphop cash kings list 24 million earned last year ahead kanye west snoop dogg nicki minaj last two albums major key grateful debuted 1 billboard 200 latter includes two years biggest songs im one wild thoughts landed 9 26 respectively buzz angles top songs 2017 features biggest stars world beyonce jayz drake rihanna justin bieber chance rapper lil wayne jayz also khaleds manager built empire around best brand hes branching films appearing pitch perfect 3 couple others announced branding endorsement deals mentos champ sports apple brands scores sixfigure fees dj gigs lives large broadcasts doings nearly every possible platform nearly 15 million social media followers even infant son asahd 44000 twitter followers hes countless records yelling greatness gratitude greatness selfhelp advice attain greatness like yet khaleds boasting broadcasts obscures fact hes firstrate producer truest sense word operator organizer orchestrator hustler hookerupper worldclass networker well goldeneared record producer get artists records hes known 10 15 lil waynes case 24 years several highplaced music executives told variety hes best aampr business hes biggest dreamer talker mastermind although hes 160but might believe bigger anyone else business acumen goes well beyond music says sylvia rhone president epic records inked partnership khaleds best label 2016 genius tying together disparate moving parts coming diamond hes culture creator rainmaker always thinking miles ahead people game impresses every day ive always hustle blood says khaled studio los angeles working top secret new music key believe succeed must believe building blocks empire set new orleans florida young khaled mohamed khaled saw parents working seven days week 6 10 11 pm began djing organizing parties early teens worked new orleans odyssey record store first met lil wayne brothers founded cash money records bryan birdman ronald slim williams early 90s learned lot says people would buy cds cassettes id scan sale would get documented nielsen soundscan wed sell music people didnt national deals yet like birdman slim bringing early cash money albums trunk car id get major record companies calling asking really selling records absolutely sell hour learned guys going local store sell music correct way ended getting majorlabel deals changing lives youre good something people want make sure get credit similar way work dj shaped skills record producer djing parties knew keep crowd moving control mood parties id make feel like new years eve others id make people wan na ice grill dj radio everyone would request hits id analyze people loved songs learned put certain breaks buildups build emotions big chorus hooks need bringing emotions listener time record connect people youre job producer even undertakes notoriously laborious process clearing samples usually people labels get paid lot money think makes appreciate like yo im gon na sh id better make sure record hit hes built contact list peers hiphop world even first album 2006s listennn album featured kanye west lil wayne rick ross john legend among many others lot people came broke kanyes early records radio show started fan remember going notorious big concert asking puff drop little cassette recorder always looked jay hes manager partner im room still trippin yet highroller hobnobbing pop royalty khaled admits theres two artists get starstruck thats rihanna beyonce even though featured album khaled opening act beyonces lemonade tour rihanna friends always show love get real shy talking jay beyonce pops mean obviously say hello ive thanked putting floor im nervous dont look nowhere else jay leave room like got ta go laughs im telling weird would talk didnt deliver first started throwing parties id make sure flyers looked cool passed high schools mall restaurants everywhere showed party incredible youd trust vision next time around gets bigger already mentality ceo 14 15 years old went hard times always focused goal vision one greats youve got confident | 666 |
<p>The annual Lenten pilgrimage to dozens of Rome’s most striking churches is a sacred tradition dating back almost two millennia, to the earliest days of Christianity. Along this historic spiritual pathway, today’s pilgrims confront the mysteries of the Christian faith through a program of biblical and early Christian readings amplified by some of the greatest art and architecture of western civilization. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465027695/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0465027695&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=ethandpubpolc-20" type="external" /></p>
<p>In&#160; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465027695/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0465027695&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=ethandpubpolc-20" type="external">Roman Pilgrimage</a>, bestselling theologian and papal biographer George Weigel, art historian Elizabeth Lev, and photographer Stephen Weigel lead readers through this unique religious and aesthetic journey with magnificent photographs and revealing commentaries on the pilgrimage’s liturgies, art, and architecture. Through reflections on each day’s readings about faith and doubt, heroism and weakness, self-examination and conversion, sin and grace, Rome’s familiar sites take on a new resonance. And along that same historical path, typically unexplored treasures—artifacts of ancient history and hidden artistic wonders—appear in their original luster, revealing new dimensions of one of the world’s most intriguing and multi-layered cities.</p>
<p>A compelling guide to the Eternal City, the Lenten Season, and the itinerary of conversion that is Christian life throughout the year,&#160;Roman Pilgrimage&#160;reminds readers that the imitation of Christ through faith, hope, and love is the template of all true discipleship, as the exquisite beauty of the Roman station churches invites reflection on the deepest truths of Christianity.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Reviews</p>
<p>Kirkus “[A] comprehensive, visually appealing work. Weigel’s Lenten tour of Rome acts as part travelogue and part theological primer, and he introduces readers to some of Rome’s most splendid and historically significant places of worship…. Weigel does an admirable job of weaving story and history into each chapter, introducing readers to characters long since forgotten to most. All the while, the author clearly describes the architectural importance of each site…. Engrossing, expansive pictorial study on a renewed Lenten discipline at the heart of Roman Catholicism.”</p>
<p>Publishers Weekly “Gorgeous photographs by Stephen Weigel – of churches, basilicas, and cathedrals – accompany in-depth historical accounts and fascinating insights from Lev into the role these edifices play in the life of the larger Catholic Church. Each chapter begins with the day’s Scripture readings and a brief exegesis, along with practical advice on living one’s faith in a more authentic way. These reflections bring the traditional Lenten ascetic practices of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving into a contemporary context. [A] valuable companion for the Lenten journey.”</p>
<p>Booklist “This is a unique guide book, referencing not only theology but the history of Western art, modern and post modern literature, urban history, and church history. Valuable to believers, scholars, students, armchair travelers, and those planning pilgrimages following Phil Cousineau’s guides.”</p>
<p>Library Journal “While no replacement for an actual pilgrimage, Weigel’s reflections allow one to enter into the spirit of the Lenten experience of conversion…. Although heavily Catholic in tone, the book will appeal to any Christian seeking to experience somewhat the pilgrimage that many have followed to prepare themselves to celebrate Easter.”</p>
<p>Fr. Robert Barron, Rector-President, Mundelein Seminary “An astonishingly good book. George Weigel’s meditations on the liturgical texts of Lent and Easter are intellectually rich, spiritually alert, and rendered in beautifully crafted prose; Elizabeth Lev’s examinations of the station churches themselves are always informative, insightful, and witty. Equally impressive are Stephen Weigel’s artfully composed photographs.&#160;Roman Pilgrimage&#160;will delight your eye and feed your soul.”</p>
<p>Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York “On cold, damp, late-winter early mornings, hundreds of priests, seminarians, sisters, and devoted lay people walk the Roman cobblestones to one of the Eternal City’s forty most venerable sites, the station church of that Lenten day. It’s a microcosm of the pilgrim Church and of life’s journey, and Easter is never brighter than after faithfully completing this sixteen-century-old pilgrimage tradition.”</p>
<p>Roger Kimball, Editor,&#160;The New Criterion “Roman Pilgrimage&#160;is as beautiful as it is profound. Part travelogue, part meditation on Lent and Easter, part art-historical feast, this sumptuously produced book, full of striking photographs and theological wisdom, provides readers with a personal spiritual itinerary through the Eternal City during the holiest time of the year.”</p>
<p>Bruce Cole, Chairman, National Endowment for the Humanities, 2001-2009 “A splendid&#160;vade mecum&#160;to the annual Lenten pilgrimage in Rome. Visitors to the Eternal City, either in their armchairs or on foot, will learn much about the spiritual journey of Lent and Easter through Rome’s station churches, many of them little-known artistic treasures.”</p>
<p>Noel Fahey, Irish ambassador to the Holy See, 2007-2011 “George Weigel’s original, contemporary reflections on the station church liturgies of Lent and Easter are greatly enhanced by Elizabeth Lev’s descriptions of the station churches and Stephen Weigel’s evocative photographs. An indispensable guide.”</p>
<p>Edwin Cardinal O’Brien, Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem “The Lenten station church pilgrimage is increasingly popular in Rome, especially among English-speaking Catholics. Zealously promoted and led by the students of the Pontifical North American College, the daily Eucharistic celebrations at these earliest of the Eternal City’s churches commemorate the martyrs of the first three centuries, whose witness is being emulated throughout the world today. Up to now, though, these sunrise pilgrimages have been known to few outside Rome. No more!”</p>
<p>Hanna Suchocka, Polish Ambassador to the Holy See, 2001-2013 “Roman Pilgrimage&#160;evokes a tradition dating back to Pope St. Gregory the Great, but it also highlights, in a remarkable way, how relevant, contemporary, and even fashionable pilgrimage continues to be today. This beautiful book is an important gift to contemporary Christians, those looking for their roots and those seeking new ways to deepen their faith. At the same time, it makes an important proposal to those who doubt and to those who got lost on the way.&#160;Roman Pilgrimage&#160;should be on the packing list of anyone who, setting off for the Eternal City, wants to return with something more than the usual tourist mementos.”</p>
<p>Msgr. James Checchio, Rector, Pontifical North American College “Roman Pilgrimage&#160;is a special gift to those who cannot be in Rome for Lent, for it connects every reader spiritually to this ancient walk of faith. No one will come away from the station church pilgrimage—a unique opportunity to renew our friendship with the Lord—disappointed.”</p>
<p>Anne Leahy, Faculty of Religious Studies, McGill University, Montreal “The Roman station churches describe an itinerary with a difference. Along it, pilgrims encounter two thousand years of the masterpieces of culture while being invited to reflect on the claims of Christian faith in light of today’s challenges. A great companion on a pilgrimage through the station churches, in Rome or at home.”</p>
<p>Most Rev. Timothy P. Broglio, Archbishop for the Military Services “More than a historical and cultural narrative and a striking guide book,&#160;Roman Pilgrimage&#160;is also an inspiring reflection on the spiritual life, well-suited to an enriching retreat.”</p>
<p>Rev. Joseph Carola, S.J., Pontifical Gregorian University “Theologically rich, spiritually inspiring, historically informative, and beautifully illustrated,&#160;Roman Pilgrimage&#160;takes the reader on a spiritual journey into the incarnate depths of the Christian faith. Whether we are in Rome or elsewhere, we are invited to walk with the saints and martyrs along the path of paschal renewal in Christ.”</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>About the Authors</p>
<p>George Weigel&#160;is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, where he holds the William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies. The author of numerous books on Catholicism and faith, Weigel lives with his wife in North Bethesda, Maryland.</p>
<p>Elizabeth Lev&#160;is an American-born art historian living in Rome. She teaches art history at Duquesne University’s Italian campus and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. She is the author of&#160;The Tigress of Forlì: Renaissance Italy’s Most Courageous and Notorious Countess, Caterina Riario Sforza de’ Medici.</p>
<p>Stephen Weigel&#160;is a professional photographer and the principal of Stephen Weigel Photography.</p>
<p>Click here to purchase&#160; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465027695/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0465027695&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=ethandpubpolc-20" type="external">Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches</a>&#160;on Amazon.</p> | false | 1 | annual lenten pilgrimage dozens romes striking churches sacred tradition dating back almost two millennia earliest days christianity along historic spiritual pathway todays pilgrims confront mysteries christian faith program biblical early christian readings amplified greatest art architecture western civilization in160 roman pilgrimage bestselling theologian papal biographer george weigel art historian elizabeth lev photographer stephen weigel lead readers unique religious aesthetic journey magnificent photographs revealing commentaries pilgrimages liturgies art architecture reflections days readings faith doubt heroism weakness selfexamination conversion sin grace romes familiar sites take new resonance along historical path typically unexplored treasuresartifacts ancient history hidden artistic wondersappear original luster revealing new dimensions one worlds intriguing multilayered cities compelling guide eternal city lenten season itinerary conversion christian life throughout year160roman pilgrimage160reminds readers imitation christ faith hope love template true discipleship exquisite beauty roman station churches invites reflection deepest truths christianity 160 reviews kirkus comprehensive visually appealing work weigels lenten tour rome acts part travelogue part theological primer introduces readers romes splendid historically significant places worship weigel admirable job weaving story history chapter introducing readers characters long since forgotten author clearly describes architectural importance site engrossing expansive pictorial study renewed lenten discipline heart roman catholicism publishers weekly gorgeous photographs stephen weigel churches basilicas cathedrals accompany indepth historical accounts fascinating insights lev role edifices play life larger catholic church chapter begins days scripture readings brief exegesis along practical advice living ones faith authentic way reflections bring traditional lenten ascetic practices fasting prayer almsgiving contemporary context valuable companion lenten journey booklist unique guide book referencing theology history western art modern post modern literature urban history church history valuable believers scholars students armchair travelers planning pilgrimages following phil cousineaus guides library journal replacement actual pilgrimage weigels reflections allow one enter spirit lenten experience conversion although heavily catholic tone book appeal christian seeking experience somewhat pilgrimage many followed prepare celebrate easter fr robert barron rectorpresident mundelein seminary astonishingly good book george weigels meditations liturgical texts lent easter intellectually rich spiritually alert rendered beautifully crafted prose elizabeth levs examinations station churches always informative insightful witty equally impressive stephen weigels artfully composed photographs160roman pilgrimage160will delight eye feed soul timothy cardinal dolan archbishop new york cold damp latewinter early mornings hundreds priests seminarians sisters devoted lay people walk roman cobblestones one eternal citys forty venerable sites station church lenten day microcosm pilgrim church lifes journey easter never brighter faithfully completing sixteencenturyold pilgrimage tradition roger kimball editor160the new criterion roman pilgrimage160is beautiful profound part travelogue part meditation lent easter part arthistorical feast sumptuously produced book full striking photographs theological wisdom provides readers personal spiritual itinerary eternal city holiest time year bruce cole chairman national endowment humanities 20012009 splendid160vade mecum160to annual lenten pilgrimage rome visitors eternal city either armchairs foot learn much spiritual journey lent easter romes station churches many littleknown artistic treasures noel fahey irish ambassador holy see 20072011 george weigels original contemporary reflections station church liturgies lent easter greatly enhanced elizabeth levs descriptions station churches stephen weigels evocative photographs indispensable guide edwin cardinal obrien grand master equestrian order holy sepulcher jerusalem lenten station church pilgrimage increasingly popular rome especially among englishspeaking catholics zealously promoted led students pontifical north american college daily eucharistic celebrations earliest eternal citys churches commemorate martyrs first three centuries whose witness emulated throughout world today though sunrise pilgrimages known outside rome hanna suchocka polish ambassador holy see 20012013 roman pilgrimage160evokes tradition dating back pope st gregory great also highlights remarkable way relevant contemporary even fashionable pilgrimage continues today beautiful book important gift contemporary christians looking roots seeking new ways deepen faith time makes important proposal doubt got lost way160roman pilgrimage160should packing list anyone setting eternal city wants return something usual tourist mementos msgr james checchio rector pontifical north american college roman pilgrimage160is special gift rome lent connects every reader spiritually ancient walk faith one come away station church pilgrimagea unique opportunity renew friendship lorddisappointed anne leahy faculty religious studies mcgill university montreal roman station churches describe itinerary difference along pilgrims encounter two thousand years masterpieces culture invited reflect claims christian faith light todays challenges great companion pilgrimage station churches rome home rev timothy p broglio archbishop military services historical cultural narrative striking guide book160roman pilgrimage160is also inspiring reflection spiritual life wellsuited enriching retreat rev joseph carola sj pontifical gregorian university theologically rich spiritually inspiring historically informative beautifully illustrated160roman pilgrimage160takes reader spiritual journey incarnate depths christian faith whether rome elsewhere invited walk saints martyrs along path paschal renewal christ 160 authors george weigel160is distinguished senior fellow ethics public policy center holds william e simon chair catholic studies author numerous books catholicism faith weigel lives wife north bethesda maryland elizabeth lev160is americanborn art historian living rome teaches art history duquesne universitys italian campus pontifical university st thomas aquinas author of160the tigress forlì renaissance italys courageous notorious countess caterina riario sforza de medici stephen weigel160is professional photographer principal stephen weigel photography click purchase160 roman pilgrimage station churches160on amazon | 808 |
<p>An Interview with Kamal Alam, a former advisor on Syrian affairs to the UK’s Chief of Defence Staff</p>
<p>Kamal Alam is the Syria Fellow at <a href="http://www.statecraft.org.uk/" type="external">The Institute for Statecraft</a>, and advises the British Army on Syrian Affairs. He has served as advisor on Syrian affairs to the UK’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_the_Defence_Staff_%28United_Kingdom%29" type="external">Chief of Defence Staff</a> and to the European Union and is a visiting lecturer at several military staff colleges across the Middle East and UK. His articles can be found in Nikkei Asian Review, ForeignPolicy.com, Middle East Eye, and other publications.</p>
<p>&lt;img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-27460" src="https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/kamal-alam.jpg" alt="Kamal Alam" width="161" height="238" srcset="https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/kamal-alam.jpg 161w, https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/kamal-alam-101x150.jpg 101w" sizes="(max-width: 161px) 100vw, 161px" /&gt; One year ago, Kamal Alam published a controversial yet prescient article on openDemocracy.net entitled “ <a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/arab-awakening/kamal-alam/pax-syriana-neither-vanquished-nor-allconquering" type="external">Pax Syriana: neither vanquished, nor all-conquering</a> ”, wherein he explained why the Syrian Army had not and would not easily fragment, leading to the collapse of the Syrian state, as predicted by a steady chorus of analysts going back to 2011.</p>
<p>In November 2014, Alam testified before the UK Parliament’s Defence Committee over ISIS and national security, a written form of which can be viewed <a href="http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/defence-committee/the-situation-in-iraq-and-syria-and-the-threat-posed-by-islamic-state-in-iraq-and-the-levant-isil/written/15734.html" type="external">here</a>.</p>
<p>With new rebel victories in spring of 2015, commentators and reporters declaring the government’s imminent collapse grew louder, but it hasn’t happened. Kamal Alam agreed to the following exclusive interview — I wanted to know why the same old voices keep getting Syria so wrong…</p>
<p>Brad Hoff: At various times over the past few years there have been many failed predictions by prominent commentators declaring “the imminent demise” of the Syrian government. With the fall of Idlib and Palmyra and increased pressures, the prevailing wisdom in Western press is now once again that the government will soon collapse. Do you agree with this current popular assessment?</p>
<p>Kamal Alam: I do not believe the commonly stated prediction about the fall of Assad and the Syrian regime. The coming fall of the Assad regime has begun to sound like the boy who cried wolf. Yet there is no wolf to be seen. However, the fall of Idlib and Palmyra have significantly weakened the strategic posture of the Syrian Arab Army. The Syrian Arab Army is fighting the hardest battle in the Middle East against terrorists. Although one cannot deny that the Syrian protests started as a peaceful demand for reform, they were quickly hijacked by the worst kind of extremists. No one from the initial days of the uprising wanted regime change. This was an external agenda which quickly spiraled out of control. And whilst the Syrian regime made mistakes to begin with, as any state makes in times of tension, the uprising has turned into a bloodletting sponsored by external states.</p>
<p>BH: Why do such commentators and analysts consistently fail in their predictions on Syria?</p>
<p>KA: The so-called experts and analysts fail in their predictions because they think Syria was the same as Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Tunisia, and even Egypt. They failed to realize the ground realities of Syria and most experts have not even been to Syria. For instance, the same experts were defense advisers in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Libya. They often begin their arguments by saying, ‘In Bosnia we did so and so.’ ‘In Afghanistan, we did the surge in the South.’ Really? If Afghanistan or Iraq are barometers for success, then one must look really hard in the mirror. Most strategic analysts are opportunists linked with media and defense companies who have vested interests and are definitely not bi-partisan. Without naming names, one of the key ‘experts’ was a DoD official who become the spokesperson for the Syrian National Council. How can an American defense official all of a sudden be a Syrian expert and spokesperson for the SNC? The only credible voices on Syria have been the late Patrick Seale, Henry Kissinger, Zbigniew Brzezinski and Joshua Landis. Even the ex-Israeli PM Ehud Barak said Assad would fall in two months, and this was in 2011.</p>
<p>BH: Damascus and other government-held centers are increasingly resource starved, and yet any modern army requires constant flow of energy and other resources. How has resource disruption impacted the operational effectiveness of the Syrian Army? How has the general strain impacted morale among the troops?</p>
<p>KA: The morale of the Syrian Army is still high. It is the only pluralistic fighting force on the ground which draws from the Sunni, Christian, Druze and Allawi sections of the society. The resources are severely depleted, but time and again they have fought back from several setbacks over the last five years to regain their lost ground. No army can fight a war without the support of its people and lands it operates in. For the Syrian Arab Army to operate for as long as it has, it has relied on its own people no matter how many foreign advisers there might be; there can be no substitute to your own people’s backing. The main problem is the supply line, and the international allies are helping the army keep their supply lines well fed. At the same time, people forget that Syria has always been the bread basket for the region. The Syrian Army is very resourceful given its experience in the Lebanese Civil War and de facto involvement in the war in Iraq since 2003. Lebanon was stabilized thanks to the Syrian Army in the 1970s and 1980s. People have a short memory and forget the Arab League and the United Nations mandated Syria to end the fighting in Lebanon. Now it is the time for the Lebanese to repay the favor to their Syrian brothers. The greatest factor in the cohesion of the Syrian Army is its multi-faith background.</p>
<p>BH: Former deputy director of the CIA Michael Morell recently <a href="http://www.jpost.com/International/A-Mideast-briefing-from-Customer-No-1s-briefer-406523" type="external">publicly acknowledged</a> Israeli-Nusra cooperation along the Golan. Concerning this and Israel’s documented direct attacks during the Syrian conflict, what do you see is Israel’s strategic interest in Syria?</p>
<p>KA: Kissinger famously said that without Syria there can be no peace in the Middle East. Israel has always clung to this statement; by knocking out the Syrian Army, they once and for all diminish any regional threat to their hegemony. Israel’s strategy in Syria has been clear: to divide the Syrians and create a buffer zone to further annex land along the Golan Heights. They have tried hard to split the Druze and Allawi in particular saying they will protect them; however, so far they have failed in these attempts. In fact, as we saw a number of days ago the Israeli Druze attacked an Israeli military ambulance. So if anything Israel’s attempts have backfired and angered its own Druze community.</p>
<p>BH: In 2014 there were many reports of local ceasefires and potential “freeze zones” that might lead to a long term stall in fighting [discussed <a href="http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/12/18/syria-assad-ceasefires-surrender-nir-rosen-hd-centre-report/" type="external">here</a> for example]. To your knowledge, did any locally negotiated ceasefires endure to a local peace? What are the prospects for peace in Syria? What would have to happen?</p>
<p>KA: There have been many successful local ceasefires most notably in Western Ghouta, Muaadamiet Esham, Qudssaya, Barzeh and the old city of Homs. The example of Maloula is also a useful one, where after the takeover of Islamic extremists, they were forced out by a coalition of armed locals and the Syrian Arab Army. Western Ghouta and Reef Dimashq has been a particular example with particular truces holding out in Ain Alfijeh and Wadi Barada. The key for a durable peace has to be a political understanding between agreeable sides. Both the Geneva talks failed because the rebels failed to come with an open mind. Moaz al Khatib, the most credible rebel leader to date resigned citing that the Syrian opposition is run by non-Syrians. The Turks and GCC begged him to stay on — yet he walked away knowing there is no credible opposition which he could lead. The examples of Libya, Tunisia, and Egypt are before us in terms of the rigidity of Islamic democrats who feign the process of pluralism to grab power. Damascus has seen historical truces between Maronites and Druze of Lebanon, Sunnis and the Druze of Southern Syria. However for this to happen, foreign interference must cease. The European states in particular need to hold their Muslim communities to account; Britain in particular has allowed so-called moderate Islamists to destabilize Egypt, Libya, and Syria. This policy must be put to an immediate end. Anyone who uses religion to seek power is by definition not a moderate — Syria gave birth to Christianity and a Christian priest foretold the coming of a Prophet in Arabia. Gulf Bedouins with little understanding of tolerance cannot dictate peace to the oldest civilization in the world.</p>
<p>This article was originally published at&#160; <a href="http://levantreport.com/2015/07/06/endless-predictions-of-the-syrian-regimes-collapse-but-why-hasnt-it-happened-an-interview-with-kamal-alam-of-the-uk-based-institute-for-statecraft/" type="external">Levant Report</a>&#160;and has been used here with permission.</p> | false | 1 | interview kamal alam former advisor syrian affairs uks chief defence staff kamal alam syria fellow institute statecraft advises british army syrian affairs served advisor syrian affairs uks chief defence staff european union visiting lecturer several military staff colleges across middle east uk articles found nikkei asian review foreignpolicycom middle east eye publications ltimg classalignleft sizefull wpimage27460 srchttpswwwforeignpolicyjournalcomwpcontentuploads201507kamalalamjpg altkamal alam width161 height238 srcsethttpswwwforeignpolicyjournalcomwpcontentuploads201507kamalalamjpg 161w httpswwwforeignpolicyjournalcomwpcontentuploads201507kamalalam101x150jpg 101w sizesmaxwidth 161px 100vw 161px gt one year ago kamal alam published controversial yet prescient article opendemocracynet entitled pax syriana neither vanquished allconquering wherein explained syrian army would easily fragment leading collapse syrian state predicted steady chorus analysts going back 2011 november 2014 alam testified uk parliaments defence committee isis national security written form viewed new rebel victories spring 2015 commentators reporters declaring governments imminent collapse grew louder hasnt happened kamal alam agreed following exclusive interview wanted know old voices keep getting syria wrong brad hoff various times past years many failed predictions prominent commentators declaring imminent demise syrian government fall idlib palmyra increased pressures prevailing wisdom western press government soon collapse agree current popular assessment kamal alam believe commonly stated prediction fall assad syrian regime coming fall assad regime begun sound like boy cried wolf yet wolf seen however fall idlib palmyra significantly weakened strategic posture syrian arab army syrian arab army fighting hardest battle middle east terrorists although one deny syrian protests started peaceful demand reform quickly hijacked worst kind extremists one initial days uprising wanted regime change external agenda quickly spiraled control whilst syrian regime made mistakes begin state makes times tension uprising turned bloodletting sponsored external states bh commentators analysts consistently fail predictions syria ka socalled experts analysts fail predictions think syria iraq yemen libya tunisia even egypt failed realize ground realities syria experts even syria instance experts defense advisers bosnia afghanistan libya often begin arguments saying bosnia afghanistan surge south really afghanistan iraq barometers success one must look really hard mirror strategic analysts opportunists linked media defense companies vested interests definitely bipartisan without naming names one key experts dod official become spokesperson syrian national council american defense official sudden syrian expert spokesperson snc credible voices syria late patrick seale henry kissinger zbigniew brzezinski joshua landis even exisraeli pm ehud barak said assad would fall two months 2011 bh damascus governmentheld centers increasingly resource starved yet modern army requires constant flow energy resources resource disruption impacted operational effectiveness syrian army general strain impacted morale among troops ka morale syrian army still high pluralistic fighting force ground draws sunni christian druze allawi sections society resources severely depleted time fought back several setbacks last five years regain lost ground army fight war without support people lands operates syrian arab army operate long relied people matter many foreign advisers might substitute peoples backing main problem supply line international allies helping army keep supply lines well fed time people forget syria always bread basket region syrian army resourceful given experience lebanese civil war de facto involvement war iraq since 2003 lebanon stabilized thanks syrian army 1970s 1980s people short memory forget arab league united nations mandated syria end fighting lebanon time lebanese repay favor syrian brothers greatest factor cohesion syrian army multifaith background bh former deputy director cia michael morell recently publicly acknowledged israelinusra cooperation along golan concerning israels documented direct attacks syrian conflict see israels strategic interest syria ka kissinger famously said without syria peace middle east israel always clung statement knocking syrian army diminish regional threat hegemony israels strategy syria clear divide syrians create buffer zone annex land along golan heights tried hard split druze allawi particular saying protect however far failed attempts fact saw number days ago israeli druze attacked israeli military ambulance anything israels attempts backfired angered druze community bh 2014 many reports local ceasefires potential freeze zones might lead long term stall fighting discussed example knowledge locally negotiated ceasefires endure local peace prospects peace syria would happen ka many successful local ceasefires notably western ghouta muaadamiet esham qudssaya barzeh old city homs example maloula also useful one takeover islamic extremists forced coalition armed locals syrian arab army western ghouta reef dimashq particular example particular truces holding alfijeh wadi barada key durable peace political understanding agreeable sides geneva talks failed rebels failed come open mind moaz al khatib credible rebel leader date resigned citing syrian opposition run nonsyrians turks gcc begged stay yet walked away knowing credible opposition could lead examples libya tunisia egypt us terms rigidity islamic democrats feign process pluralism grab power damascus seen historical truces maronites druze lebanon sunnis druze southern syria however happen foreign interference must cease european states particular need hold muslim communities account britain particular allowed socalled moderate islamists destabilize egypt libya syria policy must put immediate end anyone uses religion seek power definition moderate syria gave birth christianity christian priest foretold coming prophet arabia gulf bedouins little understanding tolerance dictate peace oldest civilization world article originally published at160 levant report160and used permission | 817 |
<p>SEATTLE — A U.S. judge on Friday imposed a nationwide hold on President Donald Trump’s ban on travelers and immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim countries, siding with two states that had challenged the executive order that has launched legal battles across the country.</p>
<p>U.S. District Judge James Robart in Seattle ruled that Washington state and Minnesota had standing to challenge Trump’s order, which government lawyers disputed, and said they showed their case was likely to succeed. About 60,000 people from the affected countries had their visas cancelled.</p>
<p>“The state has met its burden in demonstrating immediate and irreparable injury,” Robart said. “This TRO (temporary restraining order) is granted on a nationwide basis …”</p>
<p>It wasn’t immediately clear what happens next for people who had waited years to receive visas to come to America, however an internal email circulated among Homeland Security officials told employees to comply with the ruling immediately.</p>
<p>White House spokesman Sean Spicer released a statement late Friday saying they “will file an emergency stay of this outrageous order and defend the executive order of the President, which we believe is lawful and appropriate.” Soon after, the White House sent out a new statement that removed the word “outrageous.”</p>
<p>“The president’s order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American people,” the statement said.</p>
<p>Trump’s order last week sparked protests nationwide and confusion at airports as some travelers were detained. The White House has argued that it will make the country safer.</p>
<p>Washington became the first state to sue over the order that temporarily bans travel for people from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen and suspends the U.S. refugee program.</p>
<p>State Attorney General Bob Ferguson said the travel ban significantly harms residents and effectively mandates discrimination. Minnesota joined the lawsuit two days later.</p>
<p>After the ruling, Ferguson said people from the affected countries can now apply for entry to the U.S.</p>
<p>“Judge Robart’s decision, effective immediately … puts a halt to President Trump’s unconstitutional and unlawful executive order,” Ferguson said. “The law is a powerful thing — it has the ability to hold everybody accountable to it, and that includes the president of the United States.”</p>
<p>Gillian M. Christensen, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said the agency doesn’t comment on pending litigation. The judge’s ruling could be appealed the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.</p>
<p>The judge’s written order, released late Friday, said it’s not the court’s job to “create policy or judge the wisdom of any particular policy promoted by the other two branches” of government.</p>
<p>The court’s job “is limited to ensuring that the actions taken by the other two branches comport with our country’s laws.”</p>
<p>Robart ordered federal defendants “and their respective officers, agents, servants, employees, attorneys and persons acting in concert or participation with them are hereby enjoined and restrained from” enforcing the executive order.</p>
<p>A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the matter is under litigation, said Friday: “We are working closely with the Department of Homeland Security and our legal teams to determine how this affects our operations. We will announce any changes affecting travelers to the United States as soon as that information is available.?”</p>
<p>Federal attorneys had argued that Congress gave the president authority to make decisions on national security and immigrant entry.</p>
<p>The two states won a temporary restraining order while the court considers the lawsuit, which aims to permanently block Trump’s order. Court challenges have been filed nationwide from states and advocacy groups.</p>
<p>In court, Washington Solicitor General Noah Purcell said the focus of the state’s legal challenge was the way the president’s order targeted Islam.</p>
<p>Trump has called for a ban on Muslims entering the country, and the travel ban was an effort to make good on that campaign promise, Purcell told the judge.</p>
<p>“Do you see a distinction between campaign statements and the executive order,” Robart asked. “I think it’s a bit of a reach to say the president is anti-Muslim based on what he said in New Hampshire in June.”</p>
<p>Purcell said there was an “overwhelming amount of evidence” to show that the order was directed at the Muslim religion, which is unconstitutional.</p>
<p>When the judge questioned the federal government’s lawyer, Michelle Bennett, he repeatedly questioned the rationale behind the order.</p>
<p>Robart, who was appointed the federal bench by President George W. Bush, asked if there had been any terrorist attacks by people from the seven counties listed in Trump’s order since 9/11. Bennett said she didn’t know.</p>
<p>“The answer is none,” Robart said. “You’re here arguing we have to protect from these individuals from these countries, and there’s no support for that.”</p>
<p>Bennett argued that the states can’t sue on behalf of citizens and the states have failed to show the order is causing irreparable harm.</p>
<p>Robart disagreed.</p>
<p>Up to 60,000 foreigners from the seven majority-Muslim countries had their visas canceled because of the executive order, the State Department said Friday.</p>
<p>That figure contradicts a statement from a Justice Department lawyer on the same day during a court hearing in Virginia about the ban. The lawyer in that case said about 100,000 visas had been revoked.</p>
<p>The State Department clarified that the higher figure includes diplomatic and other visas that were actually exempted from the travel ban, as well as expired visas.</p>
<p>Ferguson, a Democrat, said the order is harming Washington residents, businesses and its education system.</p>
<p>Washington-based businesses Amazon, Expedia and Microsoft support the state’s efforts to stop the order. They say it’s hurting their operations, too.</p>
<p>RELATED</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Family endures ‘scary, stressful’ airport wait because of Trump immigration order</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Trump orders border wall, ‘sanctuary city’ fund cuts</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Trump fires acting attorney general for refusing to defend immigration order</a></p>
<p /> | false | 1 | seattle us judge friday imposed nationwide hold president donald trumps ban travelers immigrants seven predominantly muslim countries siding two states challenged executive order launched legal battles across country us district judge james robart seattle ruled washington state minnesota standing challenge trumps order government lawyers disputed said showed case likely succeed 60000 people affected countries visas cancelled state met burden demonstrating immediate irreparable injury robart said tro temporary restraining order granted nationwide basis wasnt immediately clear happens next people waited years receive visas come america however internal email circulated among homeland security officials told employees comply ruling immediately white house spokesman sean spicer released statement late friday saying file emergency stay outrageous order defend executive order president believe lawful appropriate soon white house sent new statement removed word outrageous presidents order intended protect homeland constitutional authority responsibility protect american people statement said trumps order last week sparked protests nationwide confusion airports travelers detained white house argued make country safer washington became first state sue order temporarily bans travel people iran iraq syria sudan somalia libya yemen suspends us refugee program state attorney general bob ferguson said travel ban significantly harms residents effectively mandates discrimination minnesota joined lawsuit two days later ruling ferguson said people affected countries apply entry us judge robarts decision effective immediately puts halt president trumps unconstitutional unlawful executive order ferguson said law powerful thing ability hold everybody accountable includes president united states gillian christensen spokeswoman department homeland security said agency doesnt comment pending litigation judges ruling could appealed 9th us circuit court appeals judges written order released late friday said courts job create policy judge wisdom particular policy promoted two branches government courts job limited ensuring actions taken two branches comport countrys laws robart ordered federal defendants respective officers agents servants employees attorneys persons acting concert participation hereby enjoined restrained enforcing executive order state department official speaking condition anonymity matter litigation said friday working closely department homeland security legal teams determine affects operations announce changes affecting travelers united states soon information available federal attorneys argued congress gave president authority make decisions national security immigrant entry two states temporary restraining order court considers lawsuit aims permanently block trumps order court challenges filed nationwide states advocacy groups court washington solicitor general noah purcell said focus states legal challenge way presidents order targeted islam trump called ban muslims entering country travel ban effort make good campaign promise purcell told judge see distinction campaign statements executive order robart asked think bit reach say president antimuslim based said new hampshire june purcell said overwhelming amount evidence show order directed muslim religion unconstitutional judge questioned federal governments lawyer michelle bennett repeatedly questioned rationale behind order robart appointed federal bench president george w bush asked terrorist attacks people seven counties listed trumps order since 911 bennett said didnt know answer none robart said youre arguing protect individuals countries theres support bennett argued states cant sue behalf citizens states failed show order causing irreparable harm robart disagreed 60000 foreigners seven majoritymuslim countries visas canceled executive order state department said friday figure contradicts statement justice department lawyer day court hearing virginia ban lawyer case said 100000 visas revoked state department clarified higher figure includes diplomatic visas actually exempted travel ban well expired visas ferguson democrat said order harming washington residents businesses education system washingtonbased businesses amazon expedia microsoft support states efforts stop order say hurting operations related family endures scary stressful airport wait trump immigration order trump orders border wall sanctuary city fund cuts trump fires acting attorney general refusing defend immigration order | 586 |
<p>Where the Gold Standard Act of 1984 Came From–and Why It’s Still Relevant</p>
<p>By John D. Mueller[1]</p>
<p />
<p>Kemp Forum on Growth, 30th Anniversary of the Gold Standard Act of 1984</p>
<p>U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC, 6 June 2014</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>I’d like briefly to outline the debate that occurred among advisers to Jack Kemp (1935-2009) in the early 1980s and led to Jack’s introduction of the Gold Standard Act of 1984–then explain why the agreement on gold that eluded Ronald Reagan’s advisers is now possible.</p>
<p>The essence of the “supply-side” approach to economic policy was that monetary and fiscal policy are inherently separable. The previous consensus going back to John Maynard Keynes was that monetary and fiscal policy always work in the same direction.</p>
<p>The idea that you can have a different “policy mix” is generally credited to Columbia University Professor Robert A. Mundell. As explained by Wall Street Journal editor Robert Bartley: “To combat stagnation plus inflation, you needed two levers: tight money to curb inflation, and tax cuts to promote growth. … In a Keynesian world, of course, tight money would merely offset tax cuts; one would contract aggregate demand while the other expands it. The key was that supply-side tax cuts provided stimulus not by expanding aggregate demand – ‘putting money into people’s pockets’ – but by stimulating supply, by increasing incentives to work and invest.” (Wanniski 1998 [1978]),&#160; Introduction to the Third Edition, pp. 366-367)</p>
<p>However, supply-siders who agreed on the tax-cutting half often disagreed about the monetary half of the policy mix. There were three camps. Some were “domestic monetarists” who agreed with Milton Friedman that “tight money” meant controlling the domestic money supply while allowing exchange rates to float. Two other groups argued that this would not work, partly because under floating exchange rates the demand for domestic money is not stable. Instead, monetary policy ought to be governed by some kind of “price rule” – some mechanism by which the central bank supplies all money demanded at a fixed price.</p>
<p>But those who advocated a “price rule” disagreed about which price rule. And in this debate, there were many throwbacks to a debate carried on during the late 1950s and 1960s, as the Bretton Woods system was crumbling into dissolution.</p>
<p>Two economists – Jacques Rueff (1896-1978) and Robert Triffin (1911-1993) – had the distinction of correctly predicting, beginning around 1960, that the Bretton Woods system (then in its heyday) could not last. Under the Bretton Woods system, the United States alone maintained convertibility of the dollar into gold, while other nations kept their currencies convertible into dollar securities. Basing the international monetary system largely on the IOUs of one nation (the United States), Triffin and Rueff proved, was financing a gradual inflation despite a fixed gold price. The monetary IOUs of the United States to foreign central banks kept expanding, but the supply of new gold did not keep up; because rising prices meant rising gold-mining costs, while the output price for gold was constant.[i]</p>
<p>To solve this “Triffin dilemma,” Triffin and Rueff agreed,&#160; the international monetary system must be based, not on any single nation’s currency, like the dollar, but on a truly international money. But they disagreed about which.</p>
<p>Triffin argued in favor of a plan originally proposed in 1943 by John Maynard Keynes, which would have set up the International Monetary Fund as the world’s central bank. The IMF would issue its own world-wide paper currency, which all nations’ central banks, including the Federal Reserve, would be required to use to settle international accounts. All the central banks, in effect, would stand in the same subordinate relation to the new world central bank as a domestic commercial bank stands to its central bank. The original Keynes plan was rejected because of its inflationary potential, though Triffin suggested safeguards to reduce this danger.</p>
<p>Rueff, on the other hand, argued for a return to the international gold standard; the central banks of all nations would settle their accounts in gold, not the currency of any nation or of a world central bank. This, Rueff argued, was a viable system with a proven record of price stability. And such a reform, he pointed out, would remove the defect that had caused both the breakdown of Bretton Woods and had permitted the deflationary collapse of the similar monetary system based on the pound sterling in the 1920s and early 1930s. (And, I should add, triggered the Great Recession of 2007-09.)</p>
<p>In the event, Bretton Woods was allowed to collapse, unleashing unprecedented world-wide inflation. Yet, against the expectations of many, the system that emerged, though one of flexible exchange rates, was still based primarily on the dollar.</p>
<p>Friedman’s, Triffin’s and Rueff’s positions were represented among advisers to Jack Kemp. Mundell had long agreed with Triffin’s and Rueff’s analysis of Bretton Woods. He, Jude Wanniski (1936-2005) and other “global monetarists” favored a variation of the Keynes plan, under which the IMF would issue a “gold SDR” (Special Drawing Right; Keynes had called his monetary unit “bancor” – “bank gold” – an oxymoron). However, recognizing that such a plan would be a political non-starter, they fell back on a revival of Bretton Woods. This may seem surprising, since Wanniski’s seminal 1975 article in The Public Interest, “The Mundell-Laffer Hypothesis,” was devoted mostly to explaining why Bretton Woods broke down and to advocating the “gold SDR.” (In that article, tax cuts are mentioned briefly, and the Laffer Curve is literally a footnote: Wanniski 1975) But in Mundell and Wanniski’s view, the international gold standard would be a step backward in what they perceived as an inexorable monetary evolution, while revived Bretton Woods would leave the door open for a future world central bank.[ii] Lehrman and I, joined later by Jeff Bell, favored Rueff’s solution, for the same reasons I have described.</p>
<p>In 1980, Kemp had asked me to draft a bill intended to restore Bretton Woods. I responded with a long memo based on Rueff’s analysis (as well as I understood it), explaining why that would not be a good idea.[iii] Many supply-siders among whom the memo was circulated were students of Laffer and Mundell, and disagreed. But after much internal debate, on June 29, 1984, Jack introduced the <a href="http://eppc.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/HR5986.pdf" type="external">Gold Standard Act of 1984 (HR5986)</a>, a concise bill which was an honest-to-God gold standard, not a gold-price “rule” or gold “target” under a fiat standard (as Larry White aptly described the policy: Cato Institute 2014).</p>
<p>When he ran for president Jack explained the issue in Rueffian terms. For example, in his May 29, 1987, farm speech he said (Kemp&#160; 1988, p. 24):</p>
<p>“Why do we keep having these cycles? I believe it has to do with the burdens and privileges of the dollar’s unique international role. First, the extra demand for dollars puts a premium on their value that makes American exports less competitive. And on world markets, only a few cents mean the difference between a sale and a loss.</p>
<p>“Second, the dollar’s role helps fuel Congress’s deficit spending. Foreign central banks buy U.S. Treasury securities to hold as reserves and to keep their currencies from rising–almost $100 billion in the last year and a half. This amounts to a special ‘line of credit’ that lets Congress spend resources which could otherwise be used to farm or manufacture for export. President Reagan used to say that to get Congress to spend less you have to reduce its allowance. Well, we may have reduced its allowance, but we haven’t taken away its charge card. That’s one reason why every tax dollar is spent without cutting the deficit.</p>
<p>“Trying to compete in world markets under these conditions is like trying to run a race with a ball and chain around your ankle. We face a constant choice between giving in to the pressure to let the dollar fall at the risk of inflation, or keeping interest rates high at the expense of a trade deficit and growing pressure for protectionism. The dilemma will continue until we stabilize the dollar, end the inflation/deflation cycle, and bring down interest rates with the right kind of monetary reform.”</p>
<p>&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Reagan’s Unfinished Monetary Reform..[iv]&#160; Why do I say that it possible now to achieve what Reagan could not because of the disagreements I have described? Though they often disagreed, Milton Friedman and Robert Mundell exhibited colossal integrity in acknowledging that changing circumstances had made their earlier proposals infeasible. As Friedman summarized in a&#160; 2003 Financial Times interview, “The use of quantity of money as a target has not been a success. I’m not sure that I would as of today push it as hard as I once did” (London 2003). Similarly, according to a Wall Street Journal interview with Judy Shelton, Mundell believes that “it would not be possible today to forge a monetary system with the dollar as the key reserve currency, as President Franklin Roosevelt and Treasury Secretary Henry Morganthau did in the 1940s. ‘To be fair, America’s position is not nearly as strong now,’ he concedes.’” (Shelton 2010).</p>
<p>Thus, it is now finally possible to restore the first principle of successful presidential economic policy, which goes back to George Washington and his Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. As Rueff showed, the essential requirement is that the major countries agree to replace all official foreign-exchange reserves with an independent monetary asset that is not ultimately some particular nation’s liability: gold.[v]</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>John Mueller is the Lehrman Institute Fellow in Economics at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.</p>
<p>References</p>
<p>Cato Institute (2014). Gold: The Monetary Polaris. Conference on Lewis (2013). (12 February). http://www.cato.org/multimedia/events/gold-monetary-polaris</p>
<p>Friedman, M. (1962) Capitalism and Freedom. University of Chicago Press. Chicago.</p>
<p>Friedman, M. and Schwartz, A.J. (1963) A Monetary History of the United States, 1867–1960. Princeton University Press. Princeton.</p>
<p>Kemp, J.F. (1988) Advancing the American Idea into the ’90s. Campaign for a New Majority. Washington, DC.</p>
<p>_________ (1984a) The American Idea: Ending the Limits to Growth. American Studies Center. Washington, DC</p>
<p>_________ (1984b) “Lower Interest Rates and Economic Growth by Restoring a Golden Rule,” 130 Congressional Record 20314-20317 (29 June)</p>
<p>_________ (1979) An American Renaissance: A Strategy for the 1980s. Harper &amp; Row. New York, NY.</p>
<p>Laffer, A.B. (1982) “Reinstatement of the Dollar: The Blueprint,” Economic Notes 0 (2),&#160; 158–176</p>
<p>_________ (1972) “Monetary Policy and the Balance of Payments,” Journal of Money, Credit, and Banking Part I 4 (1), 13–22</p>
<p>_________(1969) “The U.S. Balance of Payments – A Financial Center View,” Law and Contemporary Problems 34 (1), pp. 33–46.</p>
<p>Lehrman, L. E. (2014) The Federal Reserve and the Dollar. Cato Journal, Vol. 34, No. 2 (Spring/Summer). Washington, DC. Cato Institute.</p>
<p>_________ (2013) Money, Gold, and History. 2nd ed. Greenville, N.Y.: TLI Books.</p>
<p>_________&#160; (2012) The True Gold Standard. Greenville, N.Y.: TLI Books.</p>
<p>_________ (2013) Money, Gold, and History.&#160; Greenville, N.Y.: TLI Books.</p>
<p>_________ (1984) “Golden Antidote to High Interest Rates.” Wall Street Journal.&#160; New York, NY. (29 June)</p>
<p>Lehrman, L. E., and Paul, R. (1982) The Case for Gold. Washington: Cato Institute.</p>
<p>Lewis, N. K. (2013) Gold: The Monetary Polaris. Canyon Maple Publishing. New Berlin, NY.</p>
<p>_________ (2007) Gold: The Once and Future Money. Hoboken, NJ. John Wiley &amp; Sons</p>
<p>London, S. (2003) “Lunch with the FT: Milton Friedman.”&#160; Financial Times (7 June).</p>
<p>Mueller, J. (2014a [2010]) Redeeming Economics: Rediscovering the Missing Element.&#160; Wilmington, Del.: ISI Books. The 2014 paperback edition updated about half the hundred charts and tables.</p>
<p>_________&#160; (2014b). The Three Major Problems Congress Created by Ending the Classical Gold Standard. Association for Private Enterprise Education (APEE) 2014 Conference, Las Vegas, NV (15 April) Available at http://eppc.org/publications/major-problems-congress-created-ending-classical-gold-standard/</p>
<p>_________ (2000) Jacques Rueff: Political Economist for the 21st Century? The LBMC Report. Arlington, VA. (28 January) Available at http://eppc.org/publications/jacques-rueff-political-economist-for-the-21st-century/</p>
<p>_________ (1999) Nobel Prize Winner Robert A. Mundell: An Appreciation. The LBMC Report. Arlington, VA. (29 December) Available at http://eppc.org/publications/nobel-prize-winner-robert-a-mundell-an-appreciation/</p>
<p>_________ (1991) “The Rueffian Synthesis.” The LBMC Report (June/July).&#160; Arlington, Va.&#160; Serialized in 2013 at <a href="http://www.thegoldstandardnow.org/the-rueffian-synthesis" type="external">www.thegoldstandardnow.org/the-rueffian-synthesis</a>.</p>
<p>Mundell, R.A. (1973) The Economic Consequences of Jacques Rueff. Journal of Business (June).</p>
<p>__________ (1971) Monetary Theory: Interest, Inflation and Growth in the World Economy Pacific Palisades, CA. Goodyear.</p>
<p>__________ (1968a) International Economics. New York. Macmillan.</p>
<p>__________ (1968b) Man and Economics. McGraw-Hill,</p>
<p>Rueff, J. (1967) Balance of Payments: Proposals for the Resolution of the Most Pressing World Economic Problem of Our Time, New York: Macmillan</p>
<p>__________ (1964) The Age of Inflation. Translated by A. H. Meeus and F. G. Clarke. Chicago: Gateway Editions, Henry Regnery Company.</p>
<p>___________ (1961) The west is risking a credit collapse, Fortune magazine. (July)</p>
<p>___________ (1932) “The Case for the Gold Standard.” Lecture delivered at L’Ecole des Sciences Politique, March 17. Translated into English and reprinted in Rueff (1964: 30–61).</p>
<p>Shelton, J. (2010). Currency Chaos: Where Do We Go From Here? Weekend Interview. Wall Street Journal. New York. (10 October).</p>
<p>Triffin, R. (1960). Gold and the Dollar Crisis: The Future of Convertibility. Yale University Press. New Haven.</p>
<p>Wanniski, J. (2005) “Sketching the Laffer Curve,” The Yorktown Patriot (14 June) Available at http://www.yorktownpatriot.com/printer_78.shtml</p>
<p>_________ (1998 [1978]). The Way the World Works. Gateway Contemporary. New York.</p>
<p>_________(1975) The Mundell-Laffer Hypothesis: a new view of the world economy. The Public Interest. (Spring) pp. 31-51. Available at http://www.nationalaffairs.com/doclib/20080527_197503902themundelllafferhypothesisanewviewoftheworldeconomyjudewanniski.pdf</p>
<p>_________(1974a) “The Case for Fixed Exchange Rates.” The Wall Street Journal. (June 14)</p>
<p>_________(1974b) “Time to Cut Taxes.” The Wall Street Journal. (December 11)</p>
<p>White, L. H. (2013) The Merits and Feasibility of Returning to a Commodity Standard. Mercatus Center conference “Instead of the Fed: Past and Present Alternatives to the Federal Reserve System” (1st November). George Mason University. Arlington, VA.</p>
<p>__________ (1999) The Theory of Monetary Institutions. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell.</p>
<p>[1] John D. Mueller is The Lehrman Institute Fellow in Economics at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and President of LBMC LLC, both in Washington, DC. From 1979 through 1988 he was staff economist for then-Congressman Jack Kemp, mostly as Economic Counsel to the House Republican Conference, of which Kemp was chairman in 1981-87.</p>
<p>[i] In effect, rising prices were signaling to the gold market (exactly as under a gold standard) that there was too much gold, when in fact the cause of the inflation was too many IOUs. This was not some policy glitch; it was inherent in the “reserve-currency” system itself. Triffin and Rueff predicted that the thing would have to break down. One way or another, the relentless fall in the purchasing power of gold would be reversed – either through a general price deflation (as in the 1930s, when the similar system based on the pound sterling collapsed), or else through a devaluation of the dollar, and of all currencies tied to the dollar, against gold.</p>
<p>[ii] A third variation on the “price rule” should also be mentioned. Some have argued that if the Federal Reserve would “target” some commodity index or the price of gold. this would be equivalent to a gold standard. In response, I explained why “Targeting the price of gold under the current monetary system is not the same as a gold standard” (Mueller 1991, 39). As Larry White correctly observed at a recent Cato Institute conference, under a gold standard “gold is the medium of redemption,” not merely the unit of account, and what Lewis proposes is not a gold standard, but a “fiat standard with a gold price target” (Cato&#160; Institute&#160; 2014).</p>
<p>[iii] I became interested in Rueff through Lew Lehrman, whom I met shortly after joining Kemp’s staff at the start of 1979. Lehrman had known Rueff well, and was virtually alone in expounding his ideas. Lehrman had started republishing Rueff’s works through the Lehrman Institute, which was the hotbed of supply-side debate in the 1970s and early 1980s.</p>
<p>[iv] On June 29, 1984, Congressman Jack Kemp introduced the Gold Standard Act of 1984, which would have defined the dollar as a fixed weight of gold, restored gold convertibility of Federal Reserve notes and deposits, and provided for gold coinage. Both Kemp’s explanatory statement and Lewis E. Lehrman’s op-ed of that day, which Kemp inserted into the Congressional Record, remain valid. (Kemp 1984b)</p>
<p>[v] There are two conditions for the success of such a reform.</p>
<p>First, the gold values of all national currencies must be properly chosen to preclude the deflation of wages and prices that occurred in the 1920s and 1930s in those countries (notably Britain and the United States) which tried by substituting foreign exchange for gold reserves to keep parities that did not allow for past wage and price inflation. Other countries, notably France in 1926 and 1959, restored gold convertibility successfully with strong economic growth but without inflation, deflation, or unemployment. (Rueff chose the parities on both occasions.)</p>
<p>Second, existing official foreign exchange reserves must be removed from the balance sheets of monetary authorities by consolidating them into long-term government-to-government debts that would be repaid over several decades—much as the Washington-Hamilton administration funded the domestic and foreign Revolutionary War debt.</p> | false | 1 | gold standard act 1984 came fromand still relevant john mueller1 kemp forum growth 30th anniversary gold standard act 1984 us capitol washington dc 6 june 2014 160 id like briefly outline debate occurred among advisers jack kemp 19352009 early 1980s led jacks introduction gold standard act 1984then explain agreement gold eluded ronald reagans advisers possible essence supplyside approach economic policy monetary fiscal policy inherently separable previous consensus going back john maynard keynes monetary fiscal policy always work direction idea different policy mix generally credited columbia university professor robert mundell explained wall street journal editor robert bartley combat stagnation plus inflation needed two levers tight money curb inflation tax cuts promote growth keynesian world course tight money would merely offset tax cuts one would contract aggregate demand expands key supplyside tax cuts provided stimulus expanding aggregate demand putting money peoples pockets stimulating supply increasing incentives work invest wanniski 1998 1978160 introduction third edition pp 366367 however supplysiders agreed taxcutting half often disagreed monetary half policy mix three camps domestic monetarists agreed milton friedman tight money meant controlling domestic money supply allowing exchange rates float two groups argued would work partly floating exchange rates demand domestic money stable instead monetary policy ought governed kind price rule mechanism central bank supplies money demanded fixed price advocated price rule disagreed price rule debate many throwbacks debate carried late 1950s 1960s bretton woods system crumbling dissolution two economists jacques rueff 18961978 robert triffin 19111993 distinction correctly predicting beginning around 1960 bretton woods system heyday could last bretton woods system united states alone maintained convertibility dollar gold nations kept currencies convertible dollar securities basing international monetary system largely ious one nation united states triffin rueff proved financing gradual inflation despite fixed gold price monetary ious united states foreign central banks kept expanding supply new gold keep rising prices meant rising goldmining costs output price gold constanti solve triffin dilemma triffin rueff agreed160 international monetary system must based single nations currency like dollar truly international money disagreed triffin argued favor plan originally proposed 1943 john maynard keynes would set international monetary fund worlds central bank imf would issue worldwide paper currency nations central banks including federal reserve would required use settle international accounts central banks effect would stand subordinate relation new world central bank domestic commercial bank stands central bank original keynes plan rejected inflationary potential though triffin suggested safeguards reduce danger rueff hand argued return international gold standard central banks nations would settle accounts gold currency nation world central bank rueff argued viable system proven record price stability reform pointed would remove defect caused breakdown bretton woods permitted deflationary collapse similar monetary system based pound sterling 1920s early 1930s add triggered great recession 200709 event bretton woods allowed collapse unleashing unprecedented worldwide inflation yet expectations many system emerged though one flexible exchange rates still based primarily dollar friedmans triffins rueffs positions represented among advisers jack kemp mundell long agreed triffins rueffs analysis bretton woods jude wanniski 19362005 global monetarists favored variation keynes plan imf would issue gold sdr special drawing right keynes called monetary unit bancor bank gold oxymoron however recognizing plan would political nonstarter fell back revival bretton woods may seem surprising since wanniskis seminal 1975 article public interest mundelllaffer hypothesis devoted mostly explaining bretton woods broke advocating gold sdr article tax cuts mentioned briefly laffer curve literally footnote wanniski 1975 mundell wanniskis view international gold standard would step backward perceived inexorable monetary evolution revived bretton woods would leave door open future world central bankii lehrman joined later jeff bell favored rueffs solution reasons described 1980 kemp asked draft bill intended restore bretton woods responded long memo based rueffs analysis well understood explaining would good ideaiii many supplysiders among memo circulated students laffer mundell disagreed much internal debate june 29 1984 jack introduced gold standard act 1984 hr5986 concise bill honesttogod gold standard goldprice rule gold target fiat standard larry white aptly described policy cato institute 2014 ran president jack explained issue rueffian terms example may 29 1987 farm speech said kemp160 1988 p 24 keep cycles believe burdens privileges dollars unique international role first extra demand dollars puts premium value makes american exports less competitive world markets cents mean difference sale loss second dollars role helps fuel congresss deficit spending foreign central banks buy us treasury securities hold reserves keep currencies risingalmost 100 billion last year half amounts special line credit lets congress spend resources could otherwise used farm manufacture export president reagan used say get congress spend less reduce allowance well may reduced allowance havent taken away charge card thats one reason every tax dollar spent without cutting deficit trying compete world markets conditions like trying run race ball chain around ankle face constant choice giving pressure let dollar fall risk inflation keeping interest rates high expense trade deficit growing pressure protectionism dilemma continue stabilize dollar end inflationdeflation cycle bring interest rates right kind monetary reform 160160160160160160160160160160160 reagans unfinished monetary reformiv160 say possible achieve reagan could disagreements described though often disagreed milton friedman robert mundell exhibited colossal integrity acknowledging changing circumstances made earlier proposals infeasible friedman summarized a160 2003 financial times interview use quantity money target success im sure would today push hard london 2003 similarly according wall street journal interview judy shelton mundell believes would possible today forge monetary system dollar key reserve currency president franklin roosevelt treasury secretary henry morganthau 1940s fair americas position nearly strong concedes shelton 2010 thus finally possible restore first principle successful presidential economic policy goes back george washington treasury secretary alexander hamilton rueff showed essential requirement major countries agree replace official foreignexchange reserves independent monetary asset ultimately particular nations liability goldv 160 john mueller lehrman institute fellow economics ethics public policy center references cato institute 2014 gold monetary polaris conference lewis 2013 12 february httpwwwcatoorgmultimediaeventsgoldmonetarypolaris friedman 1962 capitalism freedom university chicago press chicago friedman schwartz aj 1963 monetary history united states 18671960 princeton university press princeton kemp jf 1988 advancing american idea 90s campaign new majority washington dc _________ 1984a american idea ending limits growth american studies center washington dc _________ 1984b lower interest rates economic growth restoring golden rule 130 congressional record 2031420317 29 june _________ 1979 american renaissance strategy 1980s harper amp row new york ny laffer ab 1982 reinstatement dollar blueprint economic notes 0 2160 158176 _________ 1972 monetary policy balance payments journal money credit banking part 4 1 1322 _________1969 us balance payments financial center view law contemporary problems 34 1 pp 3346 lehrman l e 2014 federal reserve dollar cato journal vol 34 2 springsummer washington dc cato institute _________ 2013 money gold history 2nd ed greenville ny tli books _________160 2012 true gold standard greenville ny tli books _________ 2013 money gold history160 greenville ny tli books _________ 1984 golden antidote high interest rates wall street journal160 new york ny 29 june lehrman l e paul r 1982 case gold washington cato institute lewis n k 2013 gold monetary polaris canyon maple publishing new berlin ny _________ 2007 gold future money hoboken nj john wiley amp sons london 2003 lunch ft milton friedman160 financial times 7 june mueller j 2014a 2010 redeeming economics rediscovering missing element160 wilmington del isi books 2014 paperback edition updated half hundred charts tables _________160 2014b three major problems congress created ending classical gold standard association private enterprise education apee 2014 conference las vegas nv 15 april available httpeppcorgpublicationsmajorproblemscongresscreatedendingclassicalgoldstandard _________ 2000 jacques rueff political economist 21st century lbmc report arlington va 28 january available httpeppcorgpublicationsjacquesrueffpoliticaleconomistforthe21stcentury _________ 1999 nobel prize winner robert mundell appreciation lbmc report arlington va 29 december available httpeppcorgpublicationsnobelprizewinnerrobertamundellanappreciation _________ 1991 rueffian synthesis lbmc report junejuly160 arlington va160 serialized 2013 wwwthegoldstandardnoworgtherueffiansynthesis mundell ra 1973 economic consequences jacques rueff journal business june __________ 1971 monetary theory interest inflation growth world economy pacific palisades ca goodyear __________ 1968a international economics new york macmillan __________ 1968b man economics mcgrawhill rueff j 1967 balance payments proposals resolution pressing world economic problem time new york macmillan __________ 1964 age inflation translated h meeus f g clarke chicago gateway editions henry regnery company ___________ 1961 west risking credit collapse fortune magazine july ___________ 1932 case gold standard lecture delivered lecole des sciences politique march 17 translated english reprinted rueff 1964 3061 shelton j 2010 currency chaos go weekend interview wall street journal new york 10 october triffin r 1960 gold dollar crisis future convertibility yale university press new wanniski j 2005 sketching laffer curve yorktown patriot 14 june available httpwwwyorktownpatriotcomprinter_78shtml _________ 1998 1978 way world works gateway contemporary new york _________1975 mundelllaffer hypothesis new view world economy public interest spring pp 3151 available httpwwwnationalaffairscomdoclib20080527_197503902themundelllafferhypothesisanewviewoftheworldeconomyjudewanniskipdf _________1974a case fixed exchange rates wall street journal june 14 _________1974b time cut taxes wall street journal december 11 white l h 2013 merits feasibility returning commodity standard mercatus center conference instead fed past present alternatives federal reserve system 1st november george mason university arlington va __________ 1999 theory monetary institutions malden mass blackwell 1 john mueller lehrman institute fellow economics ethics public policy center president lbmc llc washington dc 1979 1988 staff economist thencongressman jack kemp mostly economic counsel house republican conference kemp chairman 198187 effect rising prices signaling gold market exactly gold standard much gold fact cause inflation many ious policy glitch inherent reservecurrency system triffin rueff predicted thing would break one way another relentless fall purchasing power gold would reversed either general price deflation 1930s similar system based pound sterling collapsed else devaluation dollar currencies tied dollar gold ii third variation price rule also mentioned argued federal reserve would target commodity index price gold would equivalent gold standard response explained targeting price gold current monetary system gold standard mueller 1991 39 larry white correctly observed recent cato institute conference gold standard gold medium redemption merely unit account lewis proposes gold standard fiat standard gold price target cato160 institute160 2014 iii became interested rueff lew lehrman met shortly joining kemps staff start 1979 lehrman known rueff well virtually alone expounding ideas lehrman started republishing rueffs works lehrman institute hotbed supplyside debate 1970s early 1980s iv june 29 1984 congressman jack kemp introduced gold standard act 1984 would defined dollar fixed weight gold restored gold convertibility federal reserve notes deposits provided gold coinage kemps explanatory statement lewis e lehrmans oped day kemp inserted congressional record remain valid kemp 1984b v two conditions success reform first gold values national currencies must properly chosen preclude deflation wages prices occurred 1920s 1930s countries notably britain united states tried substituting foreign exchange gold reserves keep parities allow past wage price inflation countries notably france 1926 1959 restored gold convertibility successfully strong economic growth without inflation deflation unemployment rueff chose parities occasions second existing official foreign exchange reserves must removed balance sheets monetary authorities consolidating longterm governmenttogovernment debts would repaid several decadesmuch washingtonhamilton administration funded domestic foreign revolutionary war debt | 1,790 |
<p />
<p>Gradual democratic transition has been seen in Burma since the 2010 general elections. Prior to the elections, the country’s closest allies were governments that had business interests or groups that had established connection with the military generals. The international community was visibly divided under two separate camps – sanctions versus engagement.</p>
<p>The European Union (EU) and the United States (US), which imposed sanctions, were sources of funding and support for the Burmese democratic forces. The specifics of their strategies may not have been identical, but the ultimate goal to bring about democracy was the same. The objective of sanctions was to put pressure on the military generals to abandon its authoritarian rule for a democratic regime.</p>
<p>Some of the conditions of the Western powers to normalize diplomatic relations were the release of political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi, inclusive dialogue with the National League for Democracy (NLD) and ethnic minorities to pave the way for democracy, to end violence against ethnic minorities, to adhere to the United Nations non-proliferation agreements on nuclear weapons, and to hold a free and fair 2012 by-elections.</p>
<p>Since most of their demands were either met or initiated, both the US and EU suspended sanctions in 2012, except for arms embargo and individual sanctions to certain military leaders and their associates. As a sign of diplomatic thaw, European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso visited Burma and offered more than $100 million in development aid. The EU’s move was followed by a historic visit of President Barack Obama, the first ever visit by a sitting US president in November 2012.</p>
<p>It is evident from their policies and actions that both EU and US have respective interests. But what are their interests and how they intend to pursue is an interesting development. Their benchmark for normalizing relations and conditions for lifting sanctions seem to have certain variation.</p>
<p>EU’s Interest</p>
<p>On April 22, 2013, the EU unanimously lifted the sanctions it suspended a year ago. At its meeting in Luxembourg, the EU foreign ministers welcomed the changes that had taken place in the past year and decided to lift all sanctions except arms embargo.</p>
<p>Even prior to lifting sanctions, the European Commission on March 5th&#160;had announced a package of €150 million to support the country’s democratic reform ahead of a national election in 2015, and also pledged more EU development money and a bilateral investment agreement.</p>
<p>US’s Interest</p>
<p>In less than two weeks of EU’s decision, the US government on May 3, 2013 said it would lift visa ban on officials but extend targeted sanctions for another year. The rationale behind the action was to reward democratic progress of the past year but also aims to prevent backsliding it from reform.</p>
<p>After the suspension of sanctions in 2012, bilateral trade reached $190.96 million, of which Burma’s export to the US accounted for $16.47 million and its import was at $174.49 million. As of February 2013, the total US investments reached $243.56 million in 15 projects, accounting only for about 0.58% of the total foreign investments in Burma since the country opened to such in late 1988.</p>
<p>Two days after EU sanctions was lifted, acting US trade representative Demetrios Marantis visited Burma to express the idea of rebuilding production and trade capacity through Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), which would formalize bilateral dialogue on trade and investment issues, and the possibility of reinstating benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which allows for duty-free entry into the US of many goods from beneficiary countries.</p>
<p>Different Priorities</p>
<p>Evidently, the EU is convinced that changes on the ground merits the lifting of sanctions. The EU policy move is also based on the expectation that the reform process will continue. Aung San Suu Kyi’s support for the removal of sanctions was an important factor in the EU’s decision. Moreover, there was no opposition or disagreement within the EU for such action.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the US believes that the reform process is inconclusive and uncertainty still remains. While rewarding the government for its democratic reforms, the US government maintains the flexibility to re-impose sanctions if situation warrants.</p>
<p>The EU hopes to help consolidate the transition process by permanently lifting sanctions. However, the Obama administration sees that it is premature to take such a hasty decision. Some members in the Congress also have concerns over the transition.</p>
<p>By retaining targeted sanctions, the US government intends to have the necessary leverage to punish individuals and companies that slow or thwart the reform process. It is also aimed at sending strong signal to human rights violators and officials who propagate military ties with North Korea.</p>
<p>Lingering Concerns</p>
<p>There are some common concerns both the EU and US share, including the continued incarceration of political prisoners and the issue of Rohingya Muslims. They also have concerns on the larger question of ethnic problems that are yet to be addressed. Ceasefires have been signed with most of the armed groups but political solution is yet to be discussed.</p>
<p>An official ceasefire has not yet been reached with the Kachins, and recently tensions began to develop between the Burmese military and the Shan and Wa armed groups.</p>
<p>While it is encouraging to see the continued engagement of the two Western powers in the reform process, it is also equally disheartening to see their inability to influence the Burmese government to end conflict in ethnic territories, particularly in Rakhine state.</p>
<p>The reform process is likely to continue despite some uncertainties. But there are lingering concerns whether the Western interests will gear toward economic and strategic considerations rather than the consolidation of peace and democracy across the country.</p>
<p>How some pressing issues will be addressed remain to be seen. For example, is the central government willing to grant autonomy to the country’s ethnic minorities? Is the government, still dominated by the military, willing to amend the undemocratic elements of the 2008 constitution ahead of the 2015 general elections?</p>
<p>If answers to these questions are negative or still doubtful, Burma may be heading toward an illiberal or a defective democracy with the survival of certain inherent authoritarian elements in a widely perceived democratic institutional arrangement.</p>
<p>There are also concerns that the wide acceptance of the Thein Sein-led quasi-civilian government by the Western powers may influence the NLD and other opposition parties to accept an illiberal democracy.</p> | false | 1 | gradual democratic transition seen burma since 2010 general elections prior elections countrys closest allies governments business interests groups established connection military generals international community visibly divided two separate camps sanctions versus engagement european union eu united states us imposed sanctions sources funding support burmese democratic forces specifics strategies may identical ultimate goal bring democracy objective sanctions put pressure military generals abandon authoritarian rule democratic regime conditions western powers normalize diplomatic relations release political prisoners including aung san suu kyi inclusive dialogue national league democracy nld ethnic minorities pave way democracy end violence ethnic minorities adhere united nations nonproliferation agreements nuclear weapons hold free fair 2012 byelections since demands either met initiated us eu suspended sanctions 2012 except arms embargo individual sanctions certain military leaders associates sign diplomatic thaw european commission chief jose manuel barroso visited burma offered 100 million development aid eus move followed historic visit president barack obama first ever visit sitting us president november 2012 evident policies actions eu us respective interests interests intend pursue interesting development benchmark normalizing relations conditions lifting sanctions seem certain variation eus interest april 22 2013 eu unanimously lifted sanctions suspended year ago meeting luxembourg eu foreign ministers welcomed changes taken place past year decided lift sanctions except arms embargo even prior lifting sanctions european commission march 5th160had announced package 150 million support countrys democratic reform ahead national election 2015 also pledged eu development money bilateral investment agreement uss interest less two weeks eus decision us government may 3 2013 said would lift visa ban officials extend targeted sanctions another year rationale behind action reward democratic progress past year also aims prevent backsliding reform suspension sanctions 2012 bilateral trade reached 19096 million burmas export us accounted 1647 million import 17449 million february 2013 total us investments reached 24356 million 15 projects accounting 058 total foreign investments burma since country opened late 1988 two days eu sanctions lifted acting us trade representative demetrios marantis visited burma express idea rebuilding production trade capacity trade investment framework agreement tifa would formalize bilateral dialogue trade investment issues possibility reinstating benefits generalized system preferences gsp allows dutyfree entry us many goods beneficiary countries different priorities evidently eu convinced changes ground merits lifting sanctions eu policy move also based expectation reform process continue aung san suu kyis support removal sanctions important factor eus decision moreover opposition disagreement within eu action hand us believes reform process inconclusive uncertainty still remains rewarding government democratic reforms us government maintains flexibility reimpose sanctions situation warrants eu hopes help consolidate transition process permanently lifting sanctions however obama administration sees premature take hasty decision members congress also concerns transition retaining targeted sanctions us government intends necessary leverage punish individuals companies slow thwart reform process also aimed sending strong signal human rights violators officials propagate military ties north korea lingering concerns common concerns eu us share including continued incarceration political prisoners issue rohingya muslims also concerns larger question ethnic problems yet addressed ceasefires signed armed groups political solution yet discussed official ceasefire yet reached kachins recently tensions began develop burmese military wa armed groups encouraging see continued engagement two western powers reform process also equally disheartening see inability influence burmese government end conflict ethnic territories particularly rakhine state reform process likely continue despite uncertainties lingering concerns whether western interests gear toward economic strategic considerations rather consolidation peace democracy across country pressing issues addressed remain seen example central government willing grant autonomy countrys ethnic minorities government still dominated military willing amend undemocratic elements 2008 constitution ahead 2015 general elections answers questions negative still doubtful burma may heading toward illiberal defective democracy survival certain inherent authoritarian elements widely perceived democratic institutional arrangement also concerns wide acceptance thein seinled quasicivilian government western powers may influence nld opposition parties accept illiberal democracy | 622 |
<p>The season-opener on Sept. 2 can’t come soon enough for Ole Miss’ players.</p>
<p>They’ve spent their offseason having to answer one question after another about the program, few of them pertaining to the upcoming season. Ole Miss has been college <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/John_Walker/" type="external">football</a>‘s biggest storyline with various twists in its NCAA case that ultimately led to a sudden change in the program’s leadership.</p>
<p>Players are ready to expend their energy physically rather than verbally.</p>
<p>“We keep getting hit with stones. We’re going to keep getting up,” offensive lineman Javon Patterson said. “Somebody’s going to have to feel this frustration. We’re going to go out there, play 12 games and get after it.”</p>
<p>That frustration has been building for a while.</p>
<p>The Rebels experienced their first losing season under Hugh Freeze last fall, a 5-7 record that was punctuated with a 55-20 home loss to Mississippi State. Freeze overhauled his staff as a result, bringing in five new assistants, including offensive coordinator Phil Longo and defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff, that players are still getting used to during camp. A sixth assistant — offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. — was hired last month.</p>
<p>In February, players found out they have no chance at a bowl game this season as the school imposed a one-year postseason ban as part of its penalties stemming from the investigation, which has Ole Miss facing 21 charges of rules violations, including 15 Level I allegations, which the NCAA deems the most serious.</p>
<p>The most stunning development came last month when Freeze’s five-year tenure ended with an abrupt resignation after it was discovered that a call placed from Freeze’s university-issued cell phone to a number linked to an escort service led to a more thorough examination of Freeze’s phone records. That revealed what athletic director Ross <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Bjork/" type="external">Bjork</a> called a “concerning pattern” of personal misconduct.</p>
<p>“It was shocking,” Patterson said.</p>
<p>But the players are moving on with the coaches that are still around. It starts with interim coach Matt Luke, a former Ole Miss player whose first head coaching job comes at his alma mater after serving two stints as an assistant with the Rebels.</p>
<p>“He’s passionate. That’s the best way I can describe Coach Luke,” defensive tackle Breeland Speaks said. “I love Coach Luke because he gets after it. He doesn’t mind the grind. He doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. That’s just how Coach Luke has always been.”</p>
<p>MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER: QB Shea Patterson — The defense needs to be better after bottoming out last season, but with much of the same personnel on that side of the ball returning, Ole Miss will go as their young quarterback goes. Patterson, a former five-star recruit, got some unexpected experience last season after having his redshirt burned once Chad Kelly suffered a season-ending knee injury, throwing for 880 yards and six touchdowns while adding 169 yards on the ground in the last three games. With an experienced offensive line and backfield, as well as another talented receiving corps to work with, the natural expectation is for Patterson to take another step in his development during a season in which the Rebels may once again have to outscore opponents to win.</p>
<p>BREAKOUT STAR: WR D.K. Metcalf — Metcalf showed his potential on the outside last season as a true freshman with his only two catches going for touchdowns before a broken foot ended his debut season early. Pushing 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Metcalf already looks like an NFL receiver and possesses the physical tools to overwhelm smaller defensive backs. Metcalf, the son of former Ole Miss All-American and NFL offensive lineman <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Terrence_Metcalf/" type="external">Terrence Metcalf</a>, could emerge as one of the SEC’s top wideouts by season’s end if he’s able to stay healthy.</p>
<p>NEWCOMER TO WATCH: CB D.D. Bowie — The highest-ranked signee in Ole Miss’ latest recruiting class, Bowie was running with the second-team defense during the first couple of weeks of camp. Also a receiver in high school, Bowie already has the speed and range coaches covet at the position. Technique and consistency can improve like any true freshman, but Bowie is already showing advanced ball skills for a youngster. “When you put on the tape every day, at some point, that young man has gotten his hand on the football,” defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff said.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>LB Detric Bing-Dukes and CB Ken Webster are suspended for the Sept. 2 opener against South Alabama after being arrested earlier this month on shoplifting charges. Webster, who’s coming off reconstructive knee surgery, and Bing-Dukes are projected starters.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>CB Ken Webster, who’s still being allowed to practice despite his arrest, has gotten an extensive look at safety during camp. There aren’t many proven commodities at the position behind strong safety Zedrick Woods, with defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff saying he’s currently taking a by-committee approach to the No. 2 safety spot.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>RB Jordan Wilkins is eligible again and getting his first chance to be Ole Miss’ primary back entering his senior season. An academic credits snafu cost Wilkins all of last season.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>TE Octavious Cooley, a backup, has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. Interim head coach Matt Luke said he expects Cooley, the biggest tight end on the roster at 6-foot-3 and 257 pounds, back at some point.</p> | false | 1 | seasonopener sept 2 cant come soon enough ole miss players theyve spent offseason answer one question another program pertaining upcoming season ole miss college footballs biggest storyline various twists ncaa case ultimately led sudden change programs leadership players ready expend energy physically rather verbally keep getting hit stones going keep getting offensive lineman javon patterson said somebodys going feel frustration going go play 12 games get frustration building rebels experienced first losing season hugh freeze last fall 57 record punctuated 5520 home loss mississippi state freeze overhauled staff result bringing five new assistants including offensive coordinator phil longo defensive coordinator wesley mcgriff players still getting used camp sixth assistant offensive line coach jack bicknell jr hired last month february players found chance bowl game season school imposed oneyear postseason ban part penalties stemming investigation ole miss facing 21 charges rules violations including 15 level allegations ncaa deems serious stunning development came last month freezes fiveyear tenure ended abrupt resignation discovered call placed freezes universityissued cell phone number linked escort service led thorough examination freezes phone records revealed athletic director ross bjork called concerning pattern personal misconduct shocking patterson said players moving coaches still around starts interim coach matt luke former ole miss player whose first head coaching job comes alma mater serving two stints assistant rebels hes passionate thats best way describe coach luke defensive tackle breeland speaks said love coach luke gets doesnt mind grind doesnt mind getting hands dirty thats coach luke always important player qb shea patterson defense needs better bottoming last season much personnel side ball returning ole miss go young quarterback goes patterson former fivestar recruit got unexpected experience last season redshirt burned chad kelly suffered seasonending knee injury throwing 880 yards six touchdowns adding 169 yards ground last three games experienced offensive line backfield well another talented receiving corps work natural expectation patterson take another step development season rebels may outscore opponents win breakout star wr dk metcalf metcalf showed potential outside last season true freshman two catches going touchdowns broken foot ended debut season early pushing 6foot4 220 pounds metcalf already looks like nfl receiver possesses physical tools overwhelm smaller defensive backs metcalf son former ole miss allamerican nfl offensive lineman terrence metcalf could emerge one secs top wideouts seasons end hes able stay healthy newcomer watch cb dd bowie highestranked signee ole miss latest recruiting class bowie running secondteam defense first couple weeks camp also receiver high school bowie already speed range coaches covet position technique consistency improve like true freshman bowie already showing advanced ball skills youngster put tape every day point young man gotten hand football defensive coordinator wesley mcgriff said lb detric bingdukes cb ken webster suspended sept 2 opener south alabama arrested earlier month shoplifting charges webster whos coming reconstructive knee surgery bingdukes projected starters cb ken webster whos still allowed practice despite arrest gotten extensive look safety camp arent many proven commodities position behind strong safety zedrick woods defensive coordinator wesley mcgriff saying hes currently taking bycommittee approach 2 safety spot rb jordan wilkins eligible getting first chance ole miss primary back entering senior season academic credits snafu cost wilkins last season te octavious cooley backup suspended indefinitely violation team rules interim head coach matt luke said expects cooley biggest tight end roster 6foot3 257 pounds back point | 551 |
<p />
<p>With a nervous student waiting for her turn to speak, the camera briefly surveyed the immediate environment leading to the front gates of a local NGO headquarters which offered free English classes. Motorcycles whizzed past, raising dust and gravel. Farmers tended to their weary cattle, tired after a long day of rice planting and earth ploughing. Occasionally they whipped a cow’s legs with a bamboo cane to prevent them from straying near neighbours’ huts. Local school children did everything possible to steal the spotlight, yelling out “Helloooooooooooooo!” as if a well-known pop singer or actor was dropping in.</p>
<p>Clutching my camcorder, I turned my attention to the young woman about to be placed under the spotlight and asked what she thought would be her dream job in life.</p>
<p>A few seconds passed before Sae Khana’s eyes rolled around. Directing a hopeful glance towards her friends through the corner of her eye, she giggled before comprehending the question I had just asked.</p>
<p>“I want to be (an) English teacher.”</p>
<p>To her, all that mattered was giving an answer. Whether it turned out to be correct or not was irrelevant.</p>
<p>Answering personal questions in a foreign language in front of an audience is daunting enough, but for the first time, these students were taking part in a video biography, a last-minute plan that I had conceived the previous week out of sheer frustration.</p>
<p>So how did an interesting concept come to fruition?</p>
<p>Like all great achievements and classic dinner tales, the answer was simple: a teacher walkout borne out of sheer frustration. The thin line between being ostracised and performing an inglorious exit was crossed.</p>
<p>A simple rule in Cambodia is that if lessons are not fun, students will get bored and engage in private conversations in Khmer because they do not understand the lesson’s concepts. The theme was ordering food in a restaurant. With the commotion I had managed to put together in my classroom, the experience could have been lifted straight from John Cleese’s antics as the mad Basil Fawlty in the 1970s British sitcom Fawlty Towers. Perhaps I would have made for a good stunt double of Cleese’s character or his poor sidekick Manuel the waiter from Barcelona who bears the brunt of Cleese’s tantrums.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I never got to use the DVD due to power restrictions. Recreating a fun-filled setting at 5pm on a humid and wet day was a subject I did not take at university all those years ago.</p>
<p>Throughout the classroom, spot-fire conversations broke out, people entered and left as they pleased, interrupting the flow. I actually went to the point of asking one drop-in if he wanted a coffee, a book and the chance to put his feet up on the table. Naturally, the sarcasm was not comprehended.</p>
<p>With the class in disarray, my recourse was to simply stand silently in the front, with my arms folded, waiting for everybody to notice me. But this did not happen.</p>
<p>I uncrossed my arms, gazed ahead with the students in my sights, said “Excuse me”, and headed for the exit, fleeing upstairs to my room.</p>
<p>The entire class was stunned.</p>
<p>In selecting what I saw as the right way to compose myself and step outside, I thought this would result in minimal disruption. What I did not factor in was the effects of a sudden departure to the door. To the students, this was out of character for me, and they were right.</p>
<p>Stomping up the stairs and marching into my bedroom, I searching everywhere for an idea, and then out of the corner of my eye, I spotted what seemed like a gleaming silver object inside my open backpack. My camcorder!</p>
<p>This would be potentially a lifesaver; all I had to do was figure out how to use it to the benefit of the class…in 30 seconds or less. I kept thinking about whether anybody was interested in participating in any project, considering I had left the class in such a way.</p>
<p>Placing the camcorder into a plastic bag, I rushed out of my room, ran down the stairs, and collected my thoughts with a big breath before re-entering the classroom. I convinced myself that I had struck gold.</p>
<p>Use this to understand your students and improve yourself, my conscience said. That’s when it hit me; make a video biography. Students love to talk in English, and I had the perfect tool to assist them. Heck, I told myself, they may even have fun.</p>
<p>The students had elevated me to a higher status for being a teacher, one I felt was undeserved. How could I explain my walkout? Things seemed awkward for the initial 30 seconds and lightening the mood would not be an easy job. Eventually, a student rose from her seat, cleared her throat and said, “Teacher David, we are sorry for being a bad class and making you angry.”</p>
<p>At the end of her sentence, she bowed her head and sat down.</p>
<p>I could feel my heart shredding, blood squelching everywhere, unable to stop the haemorrhaging.</p>
<p>So this is what I have reduced them to, said my conscience in a mocking tone. Well done, I hope you’re happy, big guy and with that came the sound of clap, clap, clap, in my head.</p>
<p>At this time, the emergency plan was unveiled. I removed the camcorder from the bag, held it in the air like it was a star that I had pulled out of the night sky and declared, “We are going to make a film.”</p>
<p>A chorus of excited ooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhsss and ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhs then echoed throughout the room. Girls giggled, and a couple of boys cheered and shouted, “Me movie star, teacher!”</p>
<p>This project, based on the reaction alone, was worth its weight in gold. I may as well have discovered electricity or the internet.</p>
<p>Moving to the whiteboard, I wrote the words biography and interview, coupled with a dodgy drawing of a person holding a video while asking questions to a second person. I told the class everybody would have the chance to talk about themselves, and that the planning would commence on Monday. From that moment on, a fusion of uneasiness and excitement seemed to be present in the air.</p> | false | 1 | nervous student waiting turn speak camera briefly surveyed immediate environment leading front gates local ngo headquarters offered free english classes motorcycles whizzed past raising dust gravel farmers tended weary cattle tired long day rice planting earth ploughing occasionally whipped cows legs bamboo cane prevent straying near neighbours huts local school children everything possible steal spotlight yelling helloooooooooooooo wellknown pop singer actor dropping clutching camcorder turned attention young woman placed spotlight asked thought would dream job life seconds passed sae khanas eyes rolled around directing hopeful glance towards friends corner eye giggled comprehending question asked want english teacher mattered giving answer whether turned correct irrelevant answering personal questions foreign language front audience daunting enough first time students taking part video biography lastminute plan conceived previous week sheer frustration interesting concept come fruition like great achievements classic dinner tales answer simple teacher walkout borne sheer frustration thin line ostracised performing inglorious exit crossed simple rule cambodia lessons fun students get bored engage private conversations khmer understand lessons concepts theme ordering food restaurant commotion managed put together classroom experience could lifted straight john cleeses antics mad basil fawlty 1970s british sitcom fawlty towers perhaps would made good stunt double cleeses character poor sidekick manuel waiter barcelona bears brunt cleeses tantrums unfortunately never got use dvd due power restrictions recreating funfilled setting 5pm humid wet day subject take university years ago throughout classroom spotfire conversations broke people entered left pleased interrupting flow actually went point asking one dropin wanted coffee book chance put feet table naturally sarcasm comprehended class disarray recourse simply stand silently front arms folded waiting everybody notice happen uncrossed arms gazed ahead students sights said excuse headed exit fleeing upstairs room entire class stunned selecting saw right way compose step outside thought would result minimal disruption factor effects sudden departure door students character right stomping stairs marching bedroom searching everywhere idea corner eye spotted seemed like gleaming silver object inside open backpack camcorder would potentially lifesaver figure use benefit classin 30 seconds less kept thinking whether anybody interested participating project considering left class way placing camcorder plastic bag rushed room ran stairs collected thoughts big breath reentering classroom convinced struck gold use understand students improve conscience said thats hit make video biography students love talk english perfect tool assist heck told may even fun students elevated higher status teacher one felt undeserved could explain walkout things seemed awkward initial 30 seconds lightening mood would easy job eventually student rose seat cleared throat said teacher david sorry bad class making angry end sentence bowed head sat could feel heart shredding blood squelching everywhere unable stop haemorrhaging reduced said conscience mocking tone well done hope youre happy big guy came sound clap clap clap head time emergency plan unveiled removed camcorder bag held air like star pulled night sky declared going make film chorus excited ooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhsss ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhs echoed throughout room girls giggled couple boys cheered shouted movie star teacher project based reaction alone worth weight gold may well discovered electricity internet moving whiteboard wrote words biography interview coupled dodgy drawing person holding video asking questions second person told class everybody would chance talk planning would commence monday moment fusion uneasiness excitement seemed present air | 531 |
<p>A bitter battle over a proposal to develop the Badlands Golf Club will soon return to the Las Vegas City Council — a fight that has the council caught in its crossfire.</p>
<p>Council members told developer EHB Companies and opponents in the neighboring Queensridge community to settle their differences after an eight-hour meeting in November that left all sides exasperated.</p>
<p>Whether the sides will strike a deal by the time the council again takes up the proposal remains unclear. In the more than six weeks since the council’s directive to work together, the golf course ceased operation; a lawsuit over the development plans has been dismissed, and plans to develop another part of the course have been brought to City Hall.</p>
<p>EHB Companies’ proposal to build a 720-unit multifamily complex on 17 acres at the eastern tip of the property, at the corner of Alta Drive and Rampart Boulevard, is on the City Council’s Jan. 18 agenda. But Mayor Carolyn Goodman, one of the strongest voices for compromise on the issue, won’t be at that meeting, and it is unclear if the proposal is destined for another delay.</p>
<p>The two sides have railed against each other in court and at City Hall for more than a year. Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian said this issue is among the more controversial she’s seen during her 12-year tenure.</p>
<p>“It was sort of sad because a lot of those people have been good friends for years. It was sad that it seemed the sides weren’t listening to each other,” Tarkanian said.</p>
<p>Councilman Steve Ross said he wouldn’t rank the Badlands development “way up there” in terms of controversial issues the council has considered.</p>
<p>“It’s only super contentious because of the people who live in Queensridge,” Ross said.</p>
<p>In November, Goodman pushed for Frank Pankratz, EHB’s president of development, and Shauna Hughes, an attorney for the Queensridge Homeowners Association, to meet before the issue returned to the council.</p>
<p>Pankratz and Hughes met for the fifth time on Friday. EHB Companies CEO Yohan Lowie recently characterized those sessions as unproductive. Hughes did not respond to calls seeking comment on the talks.</p>
<p>Elaine Wenger-Roesener, the Queensridge Homeowners Association president, said Friday that it’s “premature” to say no headway has been made. She said that the homeowners association was “hopeful and appreciative” for more time to talk with the developers.</p>
<p>“The Queensridge community just wants a seat at the table, and to be considered,” Wenger-Roesener said. “This is an infill project in an established community, and we have grave concerns.”</p>
<p>Those concerns include the increased residential density’s effects on traffic, drainage and local schools.</p>
<p>NEW APPLICATION</p>
<p>Last month, the developers submitted an application to the city to develop another part of the 250-acre golf course.</p>
<p>An amendment to change the general plan designation from parks, recreation and open space to low-density residential on 167 acres at the southeast corner of the intersection is on the agenda for Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting — but it will likely be delayed until February.</p>
<p>According to a city staff analysis of the new application, necessary documents, including a tentative map, weren’t submitted with the request “to depict how and where the residential density would be dispersed across the overall site.”</p>
<p>A neighborhood meeting about the new application is slated for Monday evening. More than 1,000 notices were mailed to nearby property owners, and 32 neighborhood associations were notified. The city planning department last week received at least eight protest postcards. One handwritten note asked, “Where’s the developer’s good faith negotiation required by city council?”</p>
<p>Lowie, who envisions a luxury housing complex that’s heavy on amenities, said he has continually met with resistance to any development on the golf course.</p>
<p>“We would love to negotiate with the HOA. We would love to come up with a solution everybody’s happy with,” Lowie said. “But in effect, there’s nobody to talk to.”</p>
<p>Lowie said he first wanted to develop the 720 units near Alta and Rampart and either keep 18 holes of the golf course or keep the area irrigated and green. But city officials wanted a comprehensive plan for the entire property, so he upped the the proposal to more than 3,000 units spread across the 250 acres.</p>
<p>A group of Queensridge homeowners, which includes well-known Las Vegas names like businessman Jack Binion and gaming attorney Frank Schreck, filed a lawsuit in December 2015 alleging the developers were trying to “camouflage their plans so as to circumvent the legal rights of abutting homeowners.”</p>
<p>When that lawsuit, which remains in play, was filed, the proposal was for more than 3,000 units. Last year that was decreased to nearly 2,700 units. The Planning Commission voted in October to approve a fraction of that development, and the developers withdrew everything except for the 720 units at Alta and Rampart.</p>
<p>The application has been delayed multiple times, and some council members have been firm that they want the two sides to compromise.</p>
<p>Councilman Bob Coffin has suggested a reworked plan that would preserve part of the golf course, allowing for development at the site while keeping a substantial amount of open space.</p>
<p>“I’m used to this. I’ve had friends on both sides of an issue before,” Coffin said, adding that if the two sides can’t reach a consensus, “sometimes it’s up to the elected officials to make someone see the other side.”</p>
<p>Contact Jamie Munks at [email protected] or 702-383-0340. Follow <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JamieMunksRJ" type="external">@JamieMunksRJ</a> on Twitter.</p>
<p>RELATED</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Badlands golf course development in Las Vegas leads to bad blood</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Controversial Badlands Golf Course development on 90-day hold</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Developers decide to trim Badlands Golf Course project — for now</a></p>
<p />
<p /> | false | 1 | bitter battle proposal develop badlands golf club soon return las vegas city council fight council caught crossfire council members told developer ehb companies opponents neighboring queensridge community settle differences eighthour meeting november left sides exasperated whether sides strike deal time council takes proposal remains unclear six weeks since councils directive work together golf course ceased operation lawsuit development plans dismissed plans develop another part course brought city hall ehb companies proposal build 720unit multifamily complex 17 acres eastern tip property corner alta drive rampart boulevard city councils jan 18 agenda mayor carolyn goodman one strongest voices compromise issue wont meeting unclear proposal destined another delay two sides railed court city hall year councilwoman lois tarkanian said issue among controversial shes seen 12year tenure sort sad lot people good friends years sad seemed sides werent listening tarkanian said councilman steve ross said wouldnt rank badlands development way terms controversial issues council considered super contentious people live queensridge ross said november goodman pushed frank pankratz ehbs president development shauna hughes attorney queensridge homeowners association meet issue returned council pankratz hughes met fifth time friday ehb companies ceo yohan lowie recently characterized sessions unproductive hughes respond calls seeking comment talks elaine wengerroesener queensridge homeowners association president said friday premature say headway made said homeowners association hopeful appreciative time talk developers queensridge community wants seat table considered wengerroesener said infill project established community grave concerns concerns include increased residential densitys effects traffic drainage local schools new application last month developers submitted application city develop another part 250acre golf course amendment change general plan designation parks recreation open space lowdensity residential 167 acres southeast corner intersection agenda tuesdays planning commission meeting likely delayed february according city staff analysis new application necessary documents including tentative map werent submitted request depict residential density would dispersed across overall site neighborhood meeting new application slated monday evening 1000 notices mailed nearby property owners 32 neighborhood associations notified city planning department last week received least eight protest postcards one handwritten note asked wheres developers good faith negotiation required city council lowie envisions luxury housing complex thats heavy amenities said continually met resistance development golf course would love negotiate hoa would love come solution everybodys happy lowie said effect theres nobody talk lowie said first wanted develop 720 units near alta rampart either keep 18 holes golf course keep area irrigated green city officials wanted comprehensive plan entire property upped proposal 3000 units spread across 250 acres group queensridge homeowners includes wellknown las vegas names like businessman jack binion gaming attorney frank schreck filed lawsuit december 2015 alleging developers trying camouflage plans circumvent legal rights abutting homeowners lawsuit remains play filed proposal 3000 units last year decreased nearly 2700 units planning commission voted october approve fraction development developers withdrew everything except 720 units alta rampart application delayed multiple times council members firm want two sides compromise councilman bob coffin suggested reworked plan would preserve part golf course allowing development site keeping substantial amount open space im used ive friends sides issue coffin said adding two sides cant reach consensus sometimes elected officials make someone see side contact jamie munks jmunksreviewjournalcom 7023830340 follow jamiemunksrj twitter related badlands golf course development las vegas leads bad blood controversial badlands golf course development 90day hold developers decide trim badlands golf course project | 547 |
<p>Lucy Harris thinks Britain’s decision to leave the European Union is a dream come true. Nick Hopkinson thinks it’s a nightmare.</p>
<p>The two Britons — a “leave” supporter and a “remainer” — represent the great divide in a country that stepped into the unknown just over a year ago, when British voters decided by 52 percent to 48 percent to end more than four decades of EU membership.</p>
<p>They are also as uncertain as the rest of the country about what Brexit will look like, and even when it will happen. Since the shock referendum result, work on negotiating the divorce from the EU has slowed to a crawl as the scale and complexity of the challenge becomes clearer.</p>
<p>Harris, founder of the pro-Brexit group Leavers of London, says she is hopeful, rather than confident, that Britain will really cut its ties with the EU.</p>
<p>“If we haven’t finalized it, then anything’s still up for grabs,” she said. “Everything is still to play for.”</p>
<p>She’s not the only Brexiteer, as those who support leaving the EU are called, to be concerned. After an election last month clipped the wings of Britain’s Conservative government, remainers are gaining in confidence.</p>
<p>“Since the general election I’ve been more optimistic that at least we’re headed toward soft Brexit, and hopefully we can reverse Brexit altogether,” said Hopkinson, chairman of pro-EU group London4Europe. “Obviously the government is toughing it out, showing a brave face. But I think its brittle attitude toward Brexit will break and snap.”</p>
<p>Many on both sides of the divide had assumed the picture would be clearer by now. But the road to Brexit has not run smoothly.</p>
<p>First the British government lost a Supreme Court battle over whether a vote in Parliament was needed to begin the Brexit process. Once the vote was held, and won, Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative government officially triggered the two-year countdown to exit, starting a race to untangle four decades of intertwined laws and regulations by March 2019.</p>
<p>Then, May called an early election in a bid to strengthen her hand in EU negotiations. Instead, voters stripped May’s Conservatives of their parliamentary majority, severely denting May’s authority — and her ability to hold together a party split between its pro-and anti-EU wings.</p>
<p>Since the June 8 election, government ministers have been at war, providing the media with a string of disparaging, anonymously sourced stories about one another. Much of the sniping has targeted Treasury chief Philip Hammond, the most senior minister in favor of a compromise “soft Brexit” to cushion the economic shock of leaving the bloc.</p>
<p>The result is a disunited British government and an increasingly impatient EU.</p>
<p>EU officials have slammed British proposals so far as vague and inadequate. The first substantive round of divorce talks in Brussels last week failed to produce a breakthrough, as the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said Britain must clarify its positions in key areas.</p>
<p>Barnier said “fundamental” differences remain on one of the biggest issues — the status of 3 million EU citizens living in Britain and 1 million U.K. nationals who reside in other European countries. A British proposal to grant permanent residency to Europeans in the U.K. was dismissed by the European Parliament as insufficient and burdensome.</p>
<p>There’s also a fight looming over the multibillion-euro bill that Britain must pay to meet previous commitments it made as an EU member. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson recently asserted the bloc could “go whistle” if it thought Britain would settle a big exit tab.</p>
<p>“I am not hearing any whistling. Just the clock ticking,” Barnier replied.</p>
<p>EU officials insist there can be no discussion of a future trade deal with Britain until “sufficient progress” has been made on citizens’ rights, the exit bill and the status of the Irish border.</p>
<p>“We don’t seem to be much further on now than we were just after the referendum,” said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London. “I’m not sure anybody knows just how this is going to go. I’m not sure the government has got its negotiating goals sorted. I’m not sure the EU really knows what (Britain’s goals) are either.</p>
<p>“I think we are going to find it very, very hard to meet this two-year deadline before we crash out.”</p>
<p>The prospect of tumbling out of the bloc — with its frictionless single market in goods and services — and into a world of tariffs and trade barriers has given Britain’s economy the jitters. The pound has lost more than 10 percent of its value against the dollar in the last year, economic growth has slowed and manufacturing output has begun to fall.</p>
<p>Employers’ organization the Confederation of British Industry says the uncertainty is threatening jobs. The group says to ease the pain, Britain should remain in the EU’s single market and customs union during a transitional period after Brexit.</p>
<p>That idea has support from many lawmakers, both Conservative and Labour, but could bring the wrath of pro-Brexit Conservatives down on the already shaky May government. That could trigger a party leadership challenge or even a new election — and more delays and chaos.</p>
<p>In the meantime, there is little sign the country has heeded May’s repeated calls to unite. A post-referendum spike in hate crimes against Europeans and others has subsided, but across the country families have fought and friendships have been strained over Brexit.</p>
<p>“It has created divisions that just weren’t there,” said Hopkinson, who calls the forces unleashed by Brexit a “nightmare.”</p>
<p>On that, he and Harris agree. Harris set up Leavers of London as a support group after finding her views out of synch with many others in her 20-something age group.</p>
<p>“I was fed up with being called a xenophobe,” she said. “You start this conversation and it gets really bad very quickly.”</p>
<p>She strongly believes Britain will be better off outside the EU. But, she predicts: “We’re in for a bumpy ride, both sides.”</p> | false | 1 | lucy harris thinks britains decision leave european union dream come true nick hopkinson thinks nightmare two britons leave supporter remainer represent great divide country stepped unknown year ago british voters decided 52 percent 48 percent end four decades eu membership also uncertain rest country brexit look like even happen since shock referendum result work negotiating divorce eu slowed crawl scale complexity challenge becomes clearer harris founder probrexit group leavers london says hopeful rather confident britain really cut ties eu havent finalized anythings still grabs said everything still play shes brexiteer support leaving eu called concerned election last month clipped wings britains conservative government remainers gaining confidence since general election ive optimistic least headed toward soft brexit hopefully reverse brexit altogether said hopkinson chairman proeu group london4europe obviously government toughing showing brave face think brittle attitude toward brexit break snap many sides divide assumed picture would clearer road brexit run smoothly first british government lost supreme court battle whether vote parliament needed begin brexit process vote held prime minister theresa mays conservative government officially triggered twoyear countdown exit starting race untangle four decades intertwined laws regulations march 2019 may called early election bid strengthen hand eu negotiations instead voters stripped mays conservatives parliamentary majority severely denting mays authority ability hold together party split proand antieu wings since june 8 election government ministers war providing media string disparaging anonymously sourced stories one another much sniping targeted treasury chief philip hammond senior minister favor compromise soft brexit cushion economic shock leaving bloc result disunited british government increasingly impatient eu eu officials slammed british proposals far vague inadequate first substantive round divorce talks brussels last week failed produce breakthrough eus chief negotiator michel barnier said britain must clarify positions key areas barnier said fundamental differences remain one biggest issues status 3 million eu citizens living britain 1 million uk nationals reside european countries british proposal grant permanent residency europeans uk dismissed european parliament insufficient burdensome theres also fight looming multibillioneuro bill britain must pay meet previous commitments made eu member british foreign secretary boris johnson recently asserted bloc could go whistle thought britain would settle big exit tab hearing whistling clock ticking barnier replied eu officials insist discussion future trade deal britain sufficient progress made citizens rights exit bill status irish border dont seem much referendum said tim bale professor politics queen mary university london im sure anybody knows going go im sure government got negotiating goals sorted im sure eu really knows britains goals either think going find hard meet twoyear deadline crash prospect tumbling bloc frictionless single market goods services world tariffs trade barriers given britains economy jitters pound lost 10 percent value dollar last year economic growth slowed manufacturing output begun fall employers organization confederation british industry says uncertainty threatening jobs group says ease pain britain remain eus single market customs union transitional period brexit idea support many lawmakers conservative labour could bring wrath probrexit conservatives already shaky may government could trigger party leadership challenge even new election delays chaos meantime little sign country heeded mays repeated calls unite postreferendum spike hate crimes europeans others subsided across country families fought friendships strained brexit created divisions werent said hopkinson calls forces unleashed brexit nightmare harris agree harris set leavers london support group finding views synch many others 20something age group fed called xenophobe said start conversation gets really bad quickly strongly believes britain better outside eu predicts bumpy ride sides | 568 |
<p>Part 3: AIG and the Linkage to the Drug Trade</p>
<p>Read <a href="" type="internal">Part 1</a> and <a href="" type="internal">Part 2</a>.</p>
<p>The more one studies the dark history of the US national security state, the more transparent the CIA – Wall Street connections become. The links to the international drug trade are less obvious, but have existed from the beginning, that is, from the days of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the forerunner of the CIA. Time and again, the same pattern has played out: US military interventions in Southeast Asia, Central America and, since 2001, Afghanistan and Iraq, have been accompanied by a sharp increase in narco-trafficking, with all of the attendant evils. These include the plague of drug addiction, drug-related crime, the devastation of the family and as I hope to show, the corrupting of democratic institutions at home and abroad.</p>
<p>The morally bankrupt policies that are responsible for all of the above have had another deleterious effect: They have crippled our nation’s capacity to play a positive role on the world stage. It is no wonder that foreigners no longer view the United States with admiration and respect, but increasingly with fear and loathing. But US elites are oblivious to such concerns. They do not care, and are quite candid about what they view as the CIA’s pragmatic “need” to associate with unsavory individuals and criminals in the interest of furthering US foreign policy goals. Their realpolitik can be read between the lines of the policy papers. Take, for instance, the 1996 intelligence report, already noted, prepared by Maurice “Hank” Greenberg for the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), and for which Greenberg was nominated to replace John Deutch as director of the CIA. In the paper Greenberg affirms that “the capability to undertake [covert operations]….constitutes an important national security tool.” Later, in the section titled “Intelligence and Law Enforcement” he insists that</p>
<p>foreign policy ought to take precedence over law enforcement when it comes to overseas operations. The bulk of U.S. intelligence efforts overseas is devoted to traditional national security concerns; as a result, law enforcement must ordinarily be a secondary concern. FBI and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents operating abroad should not be allowed to act independently of either the ambassador or the CIA lest pursuit of evidence or individuals for prosecution cause major foreign policy problems or complicate ongoing intelligence and diplomatic activities.</p>
<p>This means, over and above diplomacy, that when criminals are judged to be intelligence assets, they are granted protection from prosecution for narco-trafficking, money laundering, extortion, rape, even terrorism and murder. In 1982, the CIA and the US Department of Justice actually worked out a secret agreement to this effect.[1] The deal exempted the CIA from having to report drug trafficking by CIA assets, which, notice, made a mockery of then presidential wife Nancy Reagan’s much ballyhooed “just say no” anti-drug campaign. At the time, most Americans trusted Ronald Reagan and believed that his administration was serious about the so-called war on drugs. But hindsight shows that the Reagan White House badly abused the public’s good faith.</p>
<p>The foreign policy advocated by Maurice Greenberg, above, is in large part responsible for the drug-related violence on the streets of our cities, and for the epidemic of narcotic addiction among our children, who have been sacrificed to the false god of national security. But the social carnage is not limited to the United States. Drug addiction in Muslim Iraq was almost unknown prior to the US invasion in 2003; but has since become a major problem. A similar recent explosion of heroin use has occurred in Iran, which, notice, is right next door to Afghanistan, where the poppies are grown with the blessing of the CIA. Such foreign policies are evil, a scourge upon the planet, yet, are intimately associated with US empire building. Quite simply, the US power elite has followed in the footsteps of the British and French who, in their day, also exploited the immensely profitable opium and heroin trade. The writer Chalmers Johnson has termed this descent into darkness the sorrow of empire.</p>
<p>The CIA’s secret collusion with the Department of Justice [sic] gave the CIA veto over law enforcement, effectively blunting the capacity of US drug enforcement agencies to interdict the flow of illegal drugs into the US. The timing was no accident. The deal coincided with the start of the CIA’s Contra war in Central America. This explains why, the next year, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), under pressure from the Pentagon, closed its office in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.[2] The flow of drugs through Honduras had not diminished; in fact, just the opposite. For years, the country had been a transfer point for illegal drug smuggling into the US, a reality that Contra leaders readily exploited to finance their war against the Nicaraguan Sandinistas; and they did so with the full knowledge and approval of the CIA. For many years after, Langley’s veto blocked legitimate efforts by US law enforcement to curb the drug trade.</p>
<p>I must emphasize that, meanwhile, the American people were kept in the dark about the policy and its effects, at every point in the chain: from the formulation of the policy to its implementation to the phony packaging of the policy for mass consumption. In fact, we only know about it, today, thanks to a courageous journalist named Gary Webb, who published a groundbreaking series of articles in 1996 in the San Jose Mercury News, exposing Contra links and CIA complicity in the crack cocaine epidemic that ravaged the black communities of Los Angeles in the 1980s.[3] The series, appropriately titled “Dark Alliance”, was one of the first big stories to be carried on the Internet; and later, Webb expanded it into an important book by the same name, in which he lays out the voluminous evidence in stark detail. But it was Webb’s series of articles in 1996 that initially focused media attention on the drug issue; and which compelled CIA director John Deutch to announce an internal investigation. Meanwhile, the agency simultaneously launched a disinformation campaign to discredit Webb, whom it viewed as a serious threat.</p>
<p>The campaign against Gary Webb has been called “one of the most venomous and factually inane assaults on a professional journalist’s competence in living memory.”[4] The fawning mainstream press, always eager to do the CIA’s bidding, appeared to take pleasure in savaging the messenger, even while tacitly conceding that his facts were basically correct. One of the low points occurred on live TV, on November 15, 1996, when NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, wife of Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan, referred to Webb’s exhaustively documented expose as “a conspiracy theory,” the kiss of death for any serious journalist.[5] At this same time, as we know, Greenspan was busily engineering the deregulation of Wall Street, setting the stage for the 2008 financial meltdown of the global economy.</p>
<p>CIA Inspector General Frederick Hitz led the internal probe, and even though his conclusions later confirmed Webb’s main thesis, the CIA suppressed Hitz’s report, even while leaking a denial of the allegations. The CIA’s minions in the press corps did the rest. On December 19, 1998, an article by Tim Weiner in the New York Times and another by Walter Pincus in the Washington Post cited “unnamed sources” who insisted that Hitz had found no “direct or indirect” links between the CIA and cocaine traffickers. This was a blatant lie; indeed, a breathtaking example of deception. But it had its intended effect. Neither reporter bothered to ask why Hitz’s report was still under wraps.</p>
<p>How could the mainstream press fumble the ball so badly? There are a number of reasons, but probably the main one is that, in the 1990s, the issue of CIA complicity in the drug trade was politically out of bounds, simply unthinkable, beyond the realm of the possible. Today, things are a little different. In 2011, the CIA’s support for Afghan drug lords is out of the closet. Even the major US papers have reported it.[6] However, in the 1990s, the political climate simply would not allow an honest airing of the issue (much as 9/11 is taboo, today). Webb’s publisher ultimately caved under pressure and threw his Pulitzer Prize winning reporter under the bus, even as Webb was turning up fresh confirmatory evidence which indicated that, if anything, he had under-stated the case against the CIA.[7]</p>
<p>When CIA Inspector General Fred Hitz finally testified before the House Intelligence Committee, in March, 1998, he admitted it was all true. Said Hitz: “Let me be frank about what we are finding. There are instances where CIA did not, in an expeditious or consistent fashion, cut off relationships with individuals supporting the Contra program who were alleged to have engaged in drug trafficking activity…”[8] On hearing this, Congressman Norman Dicks of Washington button-holed Hitz with the obvious next question: “Did any of these allegations involve trafficking in the United States?” “Yes,” Hitz replied, and went on to explain about the CIA’s secret arrangement with the Department of Justice. According to Webb, who was in attendance, at that point, a murmur swept through the hearing room as the meaning of Hitz’s testimony sank in.[9]</p>
<p>Of course, by this time, Webb’s career as a journalist was over, destroyed. The CIA’s vilification campaign had produced the intended result; and, next day, the Washington Post buried its story about Hitz’s testimony deep in the paper, along with its own culpability for helping to trash the reputation of one of America’s bravest muckraking writers. And why? Quite simply: for the crime of telling the truth.</p>
<p>We need to ask: How can such a miscarriage happen in a nation that prides itself on being a free and open society? I suspect the reader is not prepared for my answer, which I will present on the following pages. I must admit I was not prepared for it myself. The truth, as the reader is about to learn, is that complicity with narco-trafficking is both insidious and inexorable. It affects a corrupting influence on government at all levels, for government officials are not immune to the temptations of the drug trade, which, after all, is the most profitable business on the planet by a wide margin. Arms smuggling comes in a distant second. As with derivatives and insider trading, the possibilities for abuse are as unlimited as the human imagination. The outcome of a secret policy of complicity was entirely predictable. I must admit, though, I was shocked to learn just how far up the food chain the rot extends.</p>
<p />
<p /> | false | 1 | part 3 aig linkage drug trade read part 1 part 2 one studies dark history us national security state transparent cia wall street connections become links international drug trade less obvious existed beginning days office strategic services oss forerunner cia time pattern played us military interventions southeast asia central america since 2001 afghanistan iraq accompanied sharp increase narcotrafficking attendant evils include plague drug addiction drugrelated crime devastation family hope show corrupting democratic institutions home abroad morally bankrupt policies responsible another deleterious effect crippled nations capacity play positive role world stage wonder foreigners longer view united states admiration respect increasingly fear loathing us elites oblivious concerns care quite candid view cias pragmatic need associate unsavory individuals criminals interest furthering us foreign policy goals realpolitik read lines policy papers take instance 1996 intelligence report already noted prepared maurice hank greenberg council foreign relations cfr greenberg nominated replace john deutch director cia paper greenberg affirms capability undertake covert operationsconstitutes important national security tool later section titled intelligence law enforcement insists foreign policy ought take precedence law enforcement comes overseas operations bulk us intelligence efforts overseas devoted traditional national security concerns result law enforcement must ordinarily secondary concern fbi drug enforcement agency dea agents operating abroad allowed act independently either ambassador cia lest pursuit evidence individuals prosecution cause major foreign policy problems complicate ongoing intelligence diplomatic activities means diplomacy criminals judged intelligence assets granted protection prosecution narcotrafficking money laundering extortion rape even terrorism murder 1982 cia us department justice actually worked secret agreement effect1 deal exempted cia report drug trafficking cia assets notice made mockery presidential wife nancy reagans much ballyhooed say antidrug campaign time americans trusted ronald reagan believed administration serious socalled war drugs hindsight shows reagan white house badly abused publics good faith foreign policy advocated maurice greenberg large part responsible drugrelated violence streets cities epidemic narcotic addiction among children sacrificed false god national security social carnage limited united states drug addiction muslim iraq almost unknown prior us invasion 2003 since become major problem similar recent explosion heroin use occurred iran notice right next door afghanistan poppies grown blessing cia foreign policies evil scourge upon planet yet intimately associated us empire building quite simply us power elite followed footsteps british french day also exploited immensely profitable opium heroin trade writer chalmers johnson termed descent darkness sorrow empire cias secret collusion department justice sic gave cia veto law enforcement effectively blunting capacity us drug enforcement agencies interdict flow illegal drugs us timing accident deal coincided start cias contra war central america explains next year drug enforcement agency dea pressure pentagon closed office tegucigalpa honduras2 flow drugs honduras diminished fact opposite years country transfer point illegal drug smuggling us reality contra leaders readily exploited finance war nicaraguan sandinistas full knowledge approval cia many years langleys veto blocked legitimate efforts us law enforcement curb drug trade must emphasize meanwhile american people kept dark policy effects every point chain formulation policy implementation phony packaging policy mass consumption fact know today thanks courageous journalist named gary webb published groundbreaking series articles 1996 san jose mercury news exposing contra links cia complicity crack cocaine epidemic ravaged black communities los angeles 1980s3 series appropriately titled dark alliance one first big stories carried internet later webb expanded important book name lays voluminous evidence stark detail webbs series articles 1996 initially focused media attention drug issue compelled cia director john deutch announce internal investigation meanwhile agency simultaneously launched disinformation campaign discredit webb viewed serious threat campaign gary webb called one venomous factually inane assaults professional journalists competence living memory4 fawning mainstream press always eager cias bidding appeared take pleasure savaging messenger even tacitly conceding facts basically correct one low points occurred live tv november 15 1996 nbcs andrea mitchell wife federal reserve chairman alan greenspan referred webbs exhaustively documented expose conspiracy theory kiss death serious journalist5 time know greenspan busily engineering deregulation wall street setting stage 2008 financial meltdown global economy cia inspector general frederick hitz led internal probe even though conclusions later confirmed webbs main thesis cia suppressed hitzs report even leaking denial allegations cias minions press corps rest december 19 1998 article tim weiner new york times another walter pincus washington post cited unnamed sources insisted hitz found direct indirect links cia cocaine traffickers blatant lie indeed breathtaking example deception intended effect neither reporter bothered ask hitzs report still wraps could mainstream press fumble ball badly number reasons probably main one 1990s issue cia complicity drug trade politically bounds simply unthinkable beyond realm possible today things little different 2011 cias support afghan drug lords closet even major us papers reported it6 however 1990s political climate simply would allow honest airing issue much 911 taboo today webbs publisher ultimately caved pressure threw pulitzer prize winning reporter bus even webb turning fresh confirmatory evidence indicated anything understated case cia7 cia inspector general fred hitz finally testified house intelligence committee march 1998 admitted true said hitz let frank finding instances cia expeditious consistent fashion cut relationships individuals supporting contra program alleged engaged drug trafficking activity8 hearing congressman norman dicks washington buttonholed hitz obvious next question allegations involve trafficking united states yes hitz replied went explain cias secret arrangement department justice according webb attendance point murmur swept hearing room meaning hitzs testimony sank in9 course time webbs career journalist destroyed cias vilification campaign produced intended result next day washington post buried story hitzs testimony deep paper along culpability helping trash reputation one americas bravest muckraking writers quite simply crime telling truth need ask miscarriage happen nation prides free open society suspect reader prepared answer present following pages must admit prepared truth reader learn complicity narcotrafficking insidious inexorable affects corrupting influence government levels government officials immune temptations drug trade profitable business planet wide margin arms smuggling comes distant second derivatives insider trading possibilities abuse unlimited human imagination outcome secret policy complicity entirely predictable must admit though shocked learn far food chain rot extends | 979 |
<p>There’s only one word for this week’s Republican landslide: historic. Beyond the positive headlines, though, are warnings that the victors would be wise to heed if they want to build on their win for 2012 and beyond.</p>
<p>The rout should give Republicans hope. They look to have gained 60 to 65 House seats, the most by one party in an election since 1948. If they reach the top of that range, Republicans will have 244 seats, the most they have held since 1947 and their second-highest total since the Great Depression.</p>
<p>The party didn’t win this election because of any enthusiasm gap between their backers and Democratic supporters, as had been long predicted. In 2008, 38 percent of voters were Democrats, 36 percent Republicans and 26 percent independents. This year, each party held 36 percent of the electorate and independents comprised 28 percent, according to preliminary exit poll data.</p>
<p>The election results were instead due to a massive swing among independents, particularly those in rural and exurban counties. Exit polls showed that independents favored Republicans by 16 points, a turnabout from 2008 when they favored Democrats by about the same margin.</p>
<p>Exit polls identified the primary source of the landslide: white working-class voters. This group, defined as whites who aren’t college graduates, has voted Republican in presidential contests but often split tickets to elect Democratic congressmen. This time they supported Republicans for Congress by a record 29 points, more than for any of the party’s recent presidential nominees.</p>
<p>Ousting Incumbents</p>
<p>This working-class anger drew in even those who normally vote Democratic, as we can see by looking at the specific districts Republicans won.</p>
<p>Congressional districts that are solidly behind Democrats for president, including Minnesota’s 8th–a seat held for 18 terms by House Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar–plus Pennsylvania’s 11th and Illinois’ 17th, kicked out longtime incumbents in favor of conservative Republican challengers.</p>
<p>This crop of new Republican backers presents the party with unique challenges, if it wants to hold on to them.</p>
<p>While an AP-Gfk poll in September showed these voters distrust government, historically many have supported welfare-state programs and restrictions on trade and finance that Republicans traditionally oppose. Republican members of Congress and presidential candidates will have to find a way to thread the needle on these differences or risk having many of these voters revert back to their historic Democratic loyalty.</p>
<p>Obama Versus Nixon</p>
<p>Republicans need to take this challenge seriously. Working-class whites voted Republican primarily because they intensely dislike President Obama. Polls of the white working class electorate this year put Obama’s approval rating at close to 30 percent, or just a few points higher than President Richard Nixon’s in the days before his resignation.</p>
<p>Republicans will need every one of those votes because other, worrisome trends in the electorate continued this year. Polls showed that, even with the depth of the recession, Republicans captured only about 10 percent of blacks’ support and a third of Hispanics’, no better than in other years.</p>
<p>The Latino share of the electorate reached 8 percent, a record high for a mid-term election, while black turnout dropped from its high of 13 percent in 2008 to its historic 10 percent level this year. If Latinos continue to grow as a group, and blacks turn out in droves again to re-elect Obama, the Republican nominee in 2012 will be hard-pressed to win without retaining the record share of white working-class voters the party garnered this week.</p>
<p>Educated Voters</p>
<p>Republican weakness among educated residents of cities and inner suburbs also continued this year. The party gained least among holders of post-graduate degrees, who now comprise 20 percent of the electorate. Even in high-income suburbs rocked by the recession, such as California’s Silicon Valley, Democrats retained their massive majorities.</p>
<p>The combination of these trends explains the two big Republican disappointments on election night: the failure of Sharron Angle and Ken Buck to win Senate seats in Nevada and Colorado. The conservative Tea Party favorites swept the rural and exurban parts of their states, but lost big in the Las Vegas and Denver areas, where highly educated whites and most Latinos live.</p>
<p>The same goes for the too-close-to-call race in Washington state. If Dino Rossi loses to Democratic incumbent Patty Murray, it will be because he failed to persuade Seattle suburbanites to back him.</p>
<p>Another Republican Senate disappointment shows how hard it will be to retain white working-class support.</p>
<p>Less-Educated Voters</p>
<p>West Virginia is the capital of the white working class. Fifty-eight percent of the state’s voters were whites without a college degree, 19 points higher than the national average. Ninety-five percent are white and 69 percent say they disapprove of Obama’s job performance.</p>
<p>Despite this, the Democratic governor, Joe Manchin, swept to an easy 10-point victory over Republican John Raese, a wealthy businessman who owns mansions in Florida and expressed doubts about the minimum wage.</p>
<p>It’s been said that when Ben Franklin emerged from the Constitutional Convention, an American asked him what form of government he had given us. “A republic,” the sage replied, “if you can keep it.” So it is for Republicans. Americans have granted them a majority in the House. It remains to be seen if they can keep it.</p>
<p>Henry Olsen is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.</p> | false | 1 | theres one word weeks republican landslide historic beyond positive headlines though warnings victors would wise heed want build win 2012 beyond rout give republicans hope look gained 60 65 house seats one party election since 1948 reach top range republicans 244 seats held since 1947 secondhighest total since great depression party didnt win election enthusiasm gap backers democratic supporters long predicted 2008 38 percent voters democrats 36 percent republicans 26 percent independents year party held 36 percent electorate independents comprised 28 percent according preliminary exit poll data election results instead due massive swing among independents particularly rural exurban counties exit polls showed independents favored republicans 16 points turnabout 2008 favored democrats margin exit polls identified primary source landslide white workingclass voters group defined whites arent college graduates voted republican presidential contests often split tickets elect democratic congressmen time supported republicans congress record 29 points partys recent presidential nominees ousting incumbents workingclass anger drew even normally vote democratic see looking specific districts republicans congressional districts solidly behind democrats president including minnesotas 8tha seat held 18 terms house transportation committee chairman jim oberstarplus pennsylvanias 11th illinois 17th kicked longtime incumbents favor conservative republican challengers crop new republican backers presents party unique challenges wants hold apgfk poll september showed voters distrust government historically many supported welfarestate programs restrictions trade finance republicans traditionally oppose republican members congress presidential candidates find way thread needle differences risk many voters revert back historic democratic loyalty obama versus nixon republicans need take challenge seriously workingclass whites voted republican primarily intensely dislike president obama polls white working class electorate year put obamas approval rating close 30 percent points higher president richard nixons days resignation republicans need every one votes worrisome trends electorate continued year polls showed even depth recession republicans captured 10 percent blacks support third hispanics better years latino share electorate reached 8 percent record high midterm election black turnout dropped high 13 percent 2008 historic 10 percent level year latinos continue grow group blacks turn droves reelect obama republican nominee 2012 hardpressed win without retaining record share white workingclass voters party garnered week educated voters republican weakness among educated residents cities inner suburbs also continued year party gained least among holders postgraduate degrees comprise 20 percent electorate even highincome suburbs rocked recession californias silicon valley democrats retained massive majorities combination trends explains two big republican disappointments election night failure sharron angle ken buck win senate seats nevada colorado conservative tea party favorites swept rural exurban parts states lost big las vegas denver areas highly educated whites latinos live goes tooclosetocall race washington state dino rossi loses democratic incumbent patty murray failed persuade seattle suburbanites back another republican senate disappointment shows hard retain white workingclass support lesseducated voters west virginia capital white working class fiftyeight percent states voters whites without college degree 19 points higher national average ninetyfive percent white 69 percent say disapprove obamas job performance despite democratic governor joe manchin swept easy 10point victory republican john raese wealthy businessman owns mansions florida expressed doubts minimum wage said ben franklin emerged constitutional convention american asked form government given us republic sage replied keep republicans americans granted majority house remains seen keep henry olsen senior fellow ethics public policy center | 532 |
<p>DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — 3:55 p.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump has departed Switzerland after addressing an annual economic summit in the Swiss Alps.</p>
<p>He is due back at the White House late Friday.</p>
<p>Trump in a speech Friday at the World Economic Forum in Davos declared America open for business under his leadership. He also tried to assure the wary gathering that economic growth taking place in the U.S. under his "America first" agenda benefits the rest of the world.</p>
<p>Trump also held talks with the leaders of Britain, Israel, Switzerland and Rwanda during the summit, and had dinner with European business executives in the interest of encouraging them to invest in the U.S.</p>
<p>Next week, he delivers his first State of the Union address to the American public.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>2:40 p.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump is airing his long-running critique of the news media at the World Economic Forum in Davos.</p>
<p>Trump says during a question-and-answer session with the forum's founder that it wasn't until he became a politician that he realized "how nasty, how mean, how vicious and how fake the press can be."</p>
<p>His comment prompted some boos and hisses in the room.</p>
<p>Trump was asked by the forum founder Klaus Schwab about how his past experiences prepared him for the presidency.</p>
<p>Trump says a businessman had never been elected president.</p>
<p>He says he was often "treated well" by the news media when he was a New York City developer but that treatment changed when he entered politics.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2:35 p.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump says he's willing to negotiate trade deals individually or as a group with the countries that remain in a trans-Pacific trade deal that he pulled the U.S. out of after taking office.</p>
<p>Trump said in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that trade needs to be fair and reciprocal. He says unfair trade "undermines us all."</p>
<p>Trump says the U.S. is prepared to negotiate mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreements with all countries, including those in the Trans-Pacific Partnership.</p>
<p>Trump directed his trade representative to withdraw from the sweeping pact that involved the U.S. and 11 other Pacific Rim nations last year.</p>
<p>Trump says he will negotiate "if it is in the interests of all" sides.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2:20 p.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump is getting a muted response during his speech at the World Economic Forum.</p>
<p>Trump is making his debut appearance before the crowd in Davos on Friday. He drew some applause when he took the podium, but many in the audience kept their hands at their sides, reserving judgment.</p>
<p>As Trump showcased his economic agenda, the audience kept quiet, with no pockets of clapping that other leaders might receive. The president received polite applause when his speech ended.</p>
<p>When Forum chairman Klaus Schwab introduced Trump, he drew some hisses when he said that Trump's leadership could be subject to "misconceptions and biased interpretations."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2:15 p.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump is showcasing the American economy in his address in Davos, telling financial leaders, "America is the place to do business."</p>
<p>Trump is using his speech to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland to outline his work to overhaul the U.S. tax system and slash regulations.</p>
<p>He says his work is beginning to pay dividends. He's pointing to 2.4 million jobs created since his 2016 election and noting that companies like Apple are planning to invest billions in the U.S.</p>
<p>Trump says he's making progress on giving Americans the dream of a "great job, a safe home" and a "better life" for their children.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>1:50 p.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump plans to say in his Davos address, "America is open for business and we are competitive once again."</p>
<p>The White House is releasing excerpts of Trump's prepared remarks in advance of his speech to the World Economic Forum Friday.</p>
<p>Trump plans to say there "has never been a better time to hire, to build, to invest and to grow in the United States."</p>
<p>He will say that "when the United States grows, so does the world."</p>
<p>Before a global audience, Trump will argue that "America First does not mean America alone."</p>
<p>But he will pledge to "enforce our trade laws and restore integrity to the trading system" to "create a system that works not just for the United States but for all nations."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:10 p.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump is meeting with Swiss President Alain Berset on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.</p>
<p>Trump said Friday that his trip had been "exciting" and that he was bringing "good will" back to the United States. He is touting efforts to cut taxes and reduce regulations and says a booming U.S. economy is good for Switzerland.</p>
<p>Trump says, "You have a lot our stock in the United States so I have helped to make Switzerland even richer."</p>
<p>Berset welcomed Trump, saying he appreciated his attendance at the meeting.</p>
<p>Trump is the first sitting president to attend the gathering in Davos since Bill Clinton in 2000.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>11:25 a.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump says he "would certainly apologize" for retweeting anti-Muslim videos from a far-right British group.</p>
<p>Trump tells British journalist Piers Morgan that "I know nothing about" the Britain First group and "would certainly apologize, if you'd like me to do that."</p>
<p>Trump was widely criticized - including by Morgan - for retweeting the videos last year. Morgan pressed Trump on the issue during an interview taped Thursday in Switzerland, where Trump is attending the World Economic Forum.</p>
<p>Morgan released an interview clip on Friday. The full interview is scheduled to air Sunday on ITV.</p>
<p>The president says he retweeted the videos because he is a "big believer in fighting radical Islamic terror."</p>
<p>Trump also tells Morgan that he is "the least racist person anybody's going to meet."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>11:10 a.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump says Rwandan President Paul Kagame (keh-GAH'-may) is a "friend" in the aftermath of Trump's controversial comments about African countries.</p>
<p>The leaders met Friday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Kagame is beginning a one-year term as head of the African Union, a 55-member continental body.</p>
<p>Trump recently drew widespread condemnation for allegedly referring to African nations as "shithole countries" in discussing immigration, according to those at the meeting. The president has denied using that language, but others present say he did.</p>
<p>Kagame says he and Trump had "good discussions" on economic and trade issues. He says the African Union is "looking forward to working with the United States."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10:55 a.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump is bragging about the "tremendous crowd" at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.</p>
<p>He says the gathering has a "crowd like they've never had before." Trump is attending the forum for the first time.</p>
<p>The president spoke to reporters briefly as he arrived at the annual gathering of financial and political leaders.</p>
<p>Trump addresses the summit later Friday. He predicted his message will be "very well received" and that he will note that the U.S. is "doing fantastically well — better than we've done in decades."</p>
<p>The president is also expected to tout recent tax cuts and efforts to slash regulations.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10:30 a.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump says a New York Times report that he ordered the firing of special counsel Robert Mueller is "fake news."</p>
<p>The president was asked about the report on Friday as he arrived at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.</p>
<p>Trump replied: "Fake news, folks. Fake news. Typical New York Times fake stories."</p>
<p>The Times reported that Trump ordered the firing of Mueller last June but backed off after White House lawyer Don McGahn threatened to quit.</p>
<p>The newspaper says Trump demanded Mueller's firing just weeks after Mueller was first appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10 a.m.</p>
<p>The White House says President Donald Trump is looking forward to declaring at the World Economic Forum that America open for business.</p>
<p>Trump addresses the summit on Friday and administration officials who previewed the speech for journalists said the president is expected to tout recent tax cuts and efforts to reduce regulations. Trump will argue that it's a good time for businesses to invest in the United States.</p>
<p>Trump is a critic of multinational trade deals. But he'll stress his commitment to free markets under what he sees as fair terms. He'll also call for international cooperation to take on issues like the threat posed by the Islamic State group and North Korea's nuclear arsenal.</p>
<p>Officials say the speech will project a vision of free nations cooperating on shared goals.</p> | false | 1 | davos switzerland ap 355 pm president donald trump departed switzerland addressing annual economic summit swiss alps due back white house late friday trump speech friday world economic forum davos declared america open business leadership also tried assure wary gathering economic growth taking place us america first agenda benefits rest world trump also held talks leaders britain israel switzerland rwanda summit dinner european business executives interest encouraging invest us next week delivers first state union address american public __ 240 pm president donald trump airing longrunning critique news media world economic forum davos trump says questionandanswer session forums founder wasnt became politician realized nasty mean vicious fake press comment prompted boos hisses room trump asked forum founder klaus schwab past experiences prepared presidency trump says businessman never elected president says often treated well news media new york city developer treatment changed entered politics ___ 235 pm president donald trump says hes willing negotiate trade deals individually group countries remain transpacific trade deal pulled us taking office trump said speech world economic forum davos switzerland trade needs fair reciprocal says unfair trade undermines us trump says us prepared negotiate mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreements countries including transpacific partnership trump directed trade representative withdraw sweeping pact involved us 11 pacific rim nations last year trump says negotiate interests sides ___ 220 pm president donald trump getting muted response speech world economic forum trump making debut appearance crowd davos friday drew applause took podium many audience kept hands sides reserving judgment trump showcased economic agenda audience kept quiet pockets clapping leaders might receive president received polite applause speech ended forum chairman klaus schwab introduced trump drew hisses said trumps leadership could subject misconceptions biased interpretations ___ 215 pm president donald trump showcasing american economy address davos telling financial leaders america place business trump using speech world economic forum switzerland outline work overhaul us tax system slash regulations says work beginning pay dividends hes pointing 24 million jobs created since 2016 election noting companies like apple planning invest billions us trump says hes making progress giving americans dream great job safe home better life children ___ 150 pm president donald trump plans say davos address america open business competitive white house releasing excerpts trumps prepared remarks advance speech world economic forum friday trump plans say never better time hire build invest grow united states say united states grows world global audience trump argue america first mean america alone pledge enforce trade laws restore integrity trading system create system works united states nations ___ 1210 pm president donald trump meeting swiss president alain berset sidelines world economic forum trump said friday trip exciting bringing good back united states touting efforts cut taxes reduce regulations says booming us economy good switzerland trump says lot stock united states helped make switzerland even richer berset welcomed trump saying appreciated attendance meeting trump first sitting president attend gathering davos since bill clinton 2000 ___ 1125 president donald trump says would certainly apologize retweeting antimuslim videos farright british group trump tells british journalist piers morgan know nothing britain first group would certainly apologize youd like trump widely criticized including morgan retweeting videos last year morgan pressed trump issue interview taped thursday switzerland trump attending world economic forum morgan released interview clip friday full interview scheduled air sunday itv president says retweeted videos big believer fighting radical islamic terror trump also tells morgan least racist person anybodys going meet ___ 1110 president donald trump says rwandan president paul kagame kehgahmay friend aftermath trumps controversial comments african countries leaders met friday world economic forum davos switzerland kagame beginning oneyear term head african union 55member continental body trump recently drew widespread condemnation allegedly referring african nations shithole countries discussing immigration according meeting president denied using language others present say kagame says trump good discussions economic trade issues says african union looking forward working united states ___ 1055 president donald trump bragging tremendous crowd world economic forum davos switzerland says gathering crowd like theyve never trump attending forum first time president spoke reporters briefly arrived annual gathering financial political leaders trump addresses summit later friday predicted message well received note us fantastically well better weve done decades president also expected tout recent tax cuts efforts slash regulations ___ 1030 president donald trump says new york times report ordered firing special counsel robert mueller fake news president asked report friday arrived annual world economic forum davos switzerland trump replied fake news folks fake news typical new york times fake stories times reported trump ordered firing mueller last june backed white house lawyer mcgahn threatened quit newspaper says trump demanded muellers firing weeks mueller first appointed deputy attorney general rod rosenstein ___ 10 white house says president donald trump looking forward declaring world economic forum america open business trump addresses summit friday administration officials previewed speech journalists said president expected tout recent tax cuts efforts reduce regulations trump argue good time businesses invest united states trump critic multinational trade deals hell stress commitment free markets sees fair terms hell also call international cooperation take issues like threat posed islamic state group north koreas nuclear arsenal officials say speech project vision free nations cooperating shared goals | 858 |
<p>ARLINGTON, Texas — <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Aaron_Rodgers/" type="external">Aaron Rodgers</a> dashed the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Dallas-Cowboys/" type="external">Dallas Cowboys</a>‘ hopes for a win once again.</p>
<p>The Green Bay quarterback tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Davante-Adams/" type="external">Davante Adams</a> with 11 seconds remaining to lift the Packers to a 35-31 victory over Dallas on Sunday at AT&amp;T Stadium.</p>
<p>Rodgers’ scoring throw to Adams capped a nine-play, 75-yard march that took only 1:02. The winning touchdown pass came on second-and-10 from the Dallas 12, one play after Rodgers threw incomplete to Adams in the left-back corner of the end zone.</p>
<p>“I was going to call a different play, but (Davante) came back and said, ‘Call it again.’ With his eyes, he just said, ‘Throw a better ball,'” Rodgers said. “I just put a better throw on it and he made a great catch.”</p>
<p>Adams, who was in the NFL’s concussion protocol last week before being cleared to play on Saturday, made the game-winning catch over Cowboys rookie cornerback <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jourdan-Lewis/" type="external">Jourdan Lewis</a>, who had broken up the pass on the previous play.</p>
<p>The Packers eliminated Dallas from the playoffs on this same field in January when Rodgers converted a key third-and-20 play in the closing seconds and kicker <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Mason_Crosby/" type="external">Mason Crosby</a> nailed a 51-yard field goal as time expired.</p>
<p>Green Bay (4-1) returned to do it twice in a year, dropping the Cowboys to 2-3 on the season.</p>
<p>Dallas head coach <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jason_Garrett/" type="external">Jason Garrett</a> might have nightmares involving Rodgers for a while. Rodgers converted a third-and-8 play from the Dallas 30 by scrambling for an 18-yard gain to the Dallas 12 to set up the final sequence.</p>
<p>“Obviously what you’re trying to do (at the end of the game) is get stops on defense,” Garrett said. “He is obviously a really good <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/John_Walker/" type="external">football</a> player. He can beat you with his arm. He can beat you with his legs. A big point of emphasis coming into this ballgame was to keep him in the pocket as much as we could. At different times in this ballgame we were able to do that, but on that particular play he got out.”</p>
<p>Rodgers finished with 221 passing yards and three touchdowns, tossing to Adams seven times for 66 yards and two scores.</p>
<p>Cowboys quarterback <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Dak-Prescott/" type="external">Dak Prescott</a> led the Cowboys on a 17-play, 79-yard drive in the fourth quarter. The march required a reviewed spot on an <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Ezekiel-Elliott/" type="external">Ezekiel Elliott</a> fourth-and-1 run, but it showed Elliott reached the ball over the Packers’ 19-yard line, extending the Cowboys’ drive.</p>
<p>Three plays later, Prescott made it count by running to his left and picking his way through the Green Bay secondary to put the Cowboys ahead 31-28 with 1:13 remaining.</p>
<p>At that point, Green Bay head coach <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Mike_McCarthy/" type="external">Mike McCarthy</a> said he wasn’t thinking about January’s playoff win. Instead, he was excited to give the ball to Rodgers.</p>
<p>“Aaron Rodgers on a two-minute drill, just don’t know what else to say about him,” McCarthy said. “I’ve got to expand my vocabulary. Just a great job by Aaron, the whole structure of the two-minute offense.”</p>
<p>Dallas led Green Bay 24-22 before Packers cornerback Damarious Randall stepped in front of a Prescott pass and took it back 21 yards for a four-point lead, setting up the see-saw finish.</p>
<p>Rodgers led scoring drives on the Packers’ first two possessions of the second half as they erased Dallas’ 21-12 halftime lead.</p>
<p>Green Bay kicker Mason Crosby made a 22-yard field goal and Rodgers threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jordy_Nelson/" type="external">Jordy Nelson</a> that put the Packers in front 22-21 six seconds into the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>Dallas, which surged in front 21-6, has now squandered double-digit leads in two straight games. The Cowboys led the Rams, 24-13, in the second quarter.</p>
<p>“You’re frustrated,” Prescott said. “We knew how important it was for us to get this and go into the bye week 3-2. And now on the flip side it is just about staying focused.”</p>
<p>Dallas scored touchdowns on its first three drives as Prescott had an efficient first half.</p>
<p>Prescott completed 15 of 19 passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns in the first and second quarters. He hit wide receiver <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Cole-Beasley/" type="external">Cole Beasley</a> for touchdown passes of 2 and 5 yards to boost the Cowboys to a 14-0 lead by the 13:37 mark of the second quarter.</p>
<p>Wide receiver <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Dez_Bryant/" type="external">Dez Bryant</a> leaned past Randall to haul in a 10-yard touchdown catch, putting Dallas ahead 21-6 with 6:10 left before halftime.</p>
<p>The Cowboys scored on all four of their first-half possessions against the Rams last week. The clock ran out on the Cowboys’ attempt to do the same against the Packers, though Dallas didn’t punt in the first half for the second straight week.</p>
<p>Even so, Rodgers kept Green Bay in the game by passing for 107 yards and a touchdown before halftime.</p>
<p>Rodgers hit Adams for a 10-yard touchdown to cut the Cowboys’ lead to one in the first quarter.</p>
<p>Packers running back Aaron Jones ran seven yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. However, Crosby missed the extra points on both touchdowns, allowing Dallas to go to the break with a 21-12 lead.</p>
<p>Dallas defensive lineman <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/David_Irving/" type="external">David Irving</a>, making his season debut after missing four games due to suspension, sacked Rodgers twice in the first half.</p>
<p>NOTES: Packers WR Davante Adams, who was carted off the field on a stretcher after being knocked briefly unconscious in Green Bay’s last game on Sept. 28, cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol in time to play against the Cowboys on Sunday. He caught seven passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns. … Dallas activated DL David Irving for Sunday’s game. Irving, who was suspended for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, sat out the first four weeks of this season. It was an opportune time for the Cowboys to get Irving back as he forced three fumbles, posted a sack and batted down a pass in Dallas’ regular-season 30-16 victory over the Packers last season in Green Bay. … Dallas LB Sean Lee didn’t play for the second straight game due to a hamstring injury he suffered during Dallas’ win over Arizona in Week 2. … Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott rushed for more than 100 yards in both of the team’s games against Green Bay last season. Elliott ran 28 times for 157 yards in the regular-season win and gained 125 yards on 22 carries in the Cowboys’ 34-31 postseason loss to the Packers. … Green Bay improved to 19-17 in the all-time series against the Cowboys and the Packers hold a 15-13 edge in regular-season games.</p> | false | 1 | arlington texas aaron rodgers dashed dallas cowboys hopes win green bay quarterback tossed 12yard touchdown pass wide receiver davante adams 11 seconds remaining lift packers 3531 victory dallas sunday atampt stadium rodgers scoring throw adams capped nineplay 75yard march took 102 winning touchdown pass came secondand10 dallas 12 one play rodgers threw incomplete adams leftback corner end zone going call different play davante came back said call eyes said throw better ball rodgers said put better throw made great catch adams nfls concussion protocol last week cleared play saturday made gamewinning catch cowboys rookie cornerback jourdan lewis broken pass previous play packers eliminated dallas playoffs field january rodgers converted key thirdand20 play closing seconds kicker mason crosby nailed 51yard field goal time expired green bay 41 returned twice year dropping cowboys 23 season dallas head coach jason garrett might nightmares involving rodgers rodgers converted thirdand8 play dallas 30 scrambling 18yard gain dallas 12 set final sequence obviously youre trying end game get stops defense garrett said obviously really good football player beat arm beat legs big point emphasis coming ballgame keep pocket much could different times ballgame able particular play got rodgers finished 221 passing yards three touchdowns tossing adams seven times 66 yards two scores cowboys quarterback dak prescott led cowboys 17play 79yard drive fourth quarter march required reviewed spot ezekiel elliott fourthand1 run showed elliott reached ball packers 19yard line extending cowboys drive three plays later prescott made count running left picking way green bay secondary put cowboys ahead 3128 113 remaining point green bay head coach mike mccarthy said wasnt thinking januarys playoff win instead excited give ball rodgers aaron rodgers twominute drill dont know else say mccarthy said ive got expand vocabulary great job aaron whole structure twominute offense dallas led green bay 2422 packers cornerback damarious randall stepped front prescott pass took back 21 yards fourpoint lead setting seesaw finish rodgers led scoring drives packers first two possessions second half erased dallas 2112 halftime lead green bay kicker mason crosby made 22yard field goal rodgers threw 10yard touchdown pass wide receiver jordy nelson put packers front 2221 six seconds fourth quarter dallas surged front 216 squandered doubledigit leads two straight games cowboys led rams 2413 second quarter youre frustrated prescott said knew important us get go bye week 32 flip side staying focused dallas scored touchdowns first three drives prescott efficient first half prescott completed 15 19 passes 168 yards three touchdowns first second quarters hit wide receiver cole beasley touchdown passes 2 5 yards boost cowboys 140 lead 1337 mark second quarter wide receiver dez bryant leaned past randall haul 10yard touchdown catch putting dallas ahead 216 610 left halftime cowboys scored four firsthalf possessions rams last week clock ran cowboys attempt packers though dallas didnt punt first half second straight week even rodgers kept green bay game passing 107 yards touchdown halftime rodgers hit adams 10yard touchdown cut cowboys lead one first quarter packers running back aaron jones ran seven yards touchdown second quarter however crosby missed extra points touchdowns allowing dallas go break 2112 lead dallas defensive lineman david irving making season debut missing four games due suspension sacked rodgers twice first half notes packers wr davante adams carted field stretcher knocked briefly unconscious green bays last game sept 28 cleared nfls concussion protocol time play cowboys sunday caught seven passes 66 yards two touchdowns dallas activated dl david irving sundays game irving suspended violating nfls substanceabuse policy sat first four weeks season opportune time cowboys get irving back forced three fumbles posted sack batted pass dallas regularseason 3016 victory packers last season green bay dallas lb sean lee didnt play second straight game due hamstring injury suffered dallas win arizona week 2 cowboys rb ezekiel elliott rushed 100 yards teams games green bay last season elliott ran 28 times 157 yards regularseason win gained 125 yards 22 carries cowboys 3431 postseason loss packers green bay improved 1917 alltime series cowboys packers hold 1513 edge regularseason games | 665 |
<p>By Nigel Hunt and Sybille de La Hamaide</p>
<p>NEWLYN, England/PARIS (Reuters) – For the fishermen of this small port on the toe of England, Britain’s vote to leave the European Union was an answer to their prayers.</p>
<p>After 45 years chafing under what they saw as unfair quotas in one of the world’s richest fishing grounds, the UK government would finally, in the lexicon of Brexiteers, “take back control” of British waters.</p>
<p>But what Brexit gives with one hand, it can also take away. European fishermen want Brussels to use its trump card – continued access to the essential EU market – in negotiations on how to divvy up the seas.</p>
<p>It’s a familiar issue for negotiators hashing out the terms of Britain’s exit due in March 2019. The talks are currently focused on separation but will move to the future relationship, including trade ties, later this year.</p>
<p>“From our point of view, if they get free access to the European market, we should also have free access to fish in the British fishing zone,” said Niels Wichmann, head of the Danish Fishermen’s Association.</p>
<p>Trade access is vital to Britain because it exports the bulk of the seafood it catches while importing the majority of what it consumes, mostly cod, salmon, tuna, haddock and prawns.</p>
<p>Europe imports about 75 percent of the British catch, a cornucopia of 40 species that is too exotic for most domestic consumers, such as the cuttlefish and megrim sole sold every morning at Newlyn’s market in Cornwall.</p>
<p>“Previous generations were comfortable and knowledgeable&#160;in buying, preparing and cooking seafood, but the current generation of seafood consumers see seafood as a scary protein and tend stick to the same top 5 favorites,” said Richard Watson, analyst at UK seafood industry group Seafish.</p>
<p>Cod was the most popular fish in the year to June 16, 2016, at 69,321 tonnes, out of total seafood consumption of 485,691 tonne, according to Seafish data.</p>
<p>The group estimates around 90 percent of the cod supply was imported from countries such as Iceland and Norway in 2014, a number not likely to change substantially no matter what terms are agreed on Brexit, especially as the oceans warm up.</p>
<p>“Experts in the field report that cod have simply migrated further north to colder waters as sea temperatures have naturally warmed over the past few decades,” Watson said. “This makes it more economical in trip length and fuel costs etc for the Nordic countries to catch.”</p>
<p>The UK has been heavily reliant on imports of the species since losing access to the richest fishing grounds in the north Atlantic decades ago after the so-called Cod Wars.</p>
<p>Much of the salmon consumed in Britain is farmed in steel cages off the coasts of Scotland, Norway or Iceland, while tuna are generally caught in the Indian Ocean and imported.</p>
<p>GAME OVER</p>
<p>Britain has said it plans to allow foreign ships to fish in UK waters after Brexit but claims the right to decide the extent of access. The EU will be seeking to maintain something close to the status quo, industry sources say.</p>
<p>Any restrictions on EU market access would likely take the form of tariffs, which can be as high as 24 percent on seafood.</p>
<p>For European fishermen, losing rights to British waters would have devastating consequences.</p>
<p>Sean O’Donoghue, CEO of Ireland’s largest fishermen’s representative body, Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation, said it would be “game over for us”.</p>
<p>“We’ve already met (EU lead Brexit negotiator) Michel Barnier as a European Fishing Alliance Group and we got a commitment from him that the wider trade negotiations would not be separate from fisheries … So far we’ve got some traction on that but we are very concerned, obviously.”</p>
<p>Killybegs said about 60 percent of mackerel and 40 percent of Dublin Bay prawns, which together make up about 60 percent of the value of all Irish fish landed in Irish ports, are sourced from UK waters.</p>
<p>About a third of the output of France’s northern departments of Normandy, Brittany and Hauts-de-France comes from UK waters.</p>
<p>“Brexit would mean a big loss in revenue for everyone … The places where we can fish are already limited,” said Jean-Charles Frammery, captain of French boat La Fregate.</p>
<p>Revenue for French fishermen would drop by 50 percent and wages by 15 percent if the UK closed its waters, said Hubert Carré, director general at French fishermen’s group CNPMEM.</p>
<p>Belgian fishermen get around half their catch from UK waters.</p>
<p>“We could go to other parts of the North Sea but it would not be able to fully compensate,” said Sander Meyns, project coordinator at Rederscentrale, the organization representing Belgium’s fishing industry.</p>
<p>Spain gets around the problem by having a Spanish-owned but British-flagged fleet, a legacy of the years before Spain joined the EU, when it invested in Britain to gain access to the bloc’s fishing quotas, the Spanish Confederation of Fisheries (Cepesca) said.</p>
<p>The quota system is one of the biggest sources of frustration for British fishermen, who were among the most vocal supporters of the June 2016 vote to leave the EU.</p>
<p>For the last 34 years, the Common Fisheries Policy quota has given 84 percent of the cod in the English Channel to France and just 9 percent to Britain, for example, according to Britain’s National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO).</p>
<p>“Given the EU fleets take about four times as much fish out of UK waters as we take out of EU waters…the expectation is there will be a lot more fish (for UK fisherman),” said NFFO chief executive Barrie Deas.</p>
<p>THE SON OF A FISH MERCHANT</p>
<p>Barnier, the lead negotiator for the European Union, is a former French agriculture and fisheries minister. Representing UK interests is the senior government minister in charge of fishing, Michael Gove, the son of a fish merchant.</p>
<p>So far, neither side has stated a position and there has been no mention of fish in the official negotiating documents. The EU says failure to reach agreements with London will hurt the British economy more than that of the EU.</p>
<p>The fishing lobby’s clout may have been strengthened by the outcome of this year’s parliamentary election in Britain — the ruling Conservatives were able to cling to power after losing seats overall because they gained ground in the important fishing region of north-east Scotland.</p>
<p>Some experts believe it may not be the end of the world if Britain loses unrestricted access to Europe.</p>
<p>British consumers are already becoming more adventurous about the varieties of fish they eat and this could accelerate that trend, said Craig McAngus, a politics lecturer at the University of Aberdeen.</p>
<p>“Clearly it could be cheaper to eat fish that has been caught in the UK than imported from wherever else. I think the market in fish will change,” said McAngus, who is researching UK fisheries post-Brexit.</p>
<p>David Stevens, who skippers the “Crystal Sea” boat at Newlyn, saw scope for sales outside the EU.</p>
<p>“If they (the EU) decide not to buy British fish, that opens up the rest of the world. That is a very big market,” he told Reuters while repairing his nets.</p>
<p>The mood in Newlyn was positive, Stevens said. But he added some were waiting for the results of the EU talks before making investments.</p>
<p>“I think fishermen would definitely be looking to invest in boats, modernize them, and get them ready for a post-Brexit future,” he said.</p>
<p>GRAPHIC: Brexit Fishing http://tmsnrt.rs/2xKmgaH</p> | false | 1 | nigel hunt sybille de la hamaide newlyn englandparis reuters fishermen small port toe england britains vote leave european union answer prayers 45 years chafing saw unfair quotas one worlds richest fishing grounds uk government would finally lexicon brexiteers take back control british waters brexit gives one hand also take away european fishermen want brussels use trump card continued access essential eu market negotiations divvy seas familiar issue negotiators hashing terms britains exit due march 2019 talks currently focused separation move future relationship including trade ties later year point view get free access european market also free access fish british fishing zone said niels wichmann head danish fishermens association trade access vital britain exports bulk seafood catches importing majority consumes mostly cod salmon tuna haddock prawns europe imports 75 percent british catch cornucopia 40 species exotic domestic consumers cuttlefish megrim sole sold every morning newlyns market cornwall previous generations comfortable knowledgeable160in buying preparing cooking seafood current generation seafood consumers see seafood scary protein tend stick top 5 favorites said richard watson analyst uk seafood industry group seafish cod popular fish year june 16 2016 69321 tonnes total seafood consumption 485691 tonne according seafish data group estimates around 90 percent cod supply imported countries iceland norway 2014 number likely change substantially matter terms agreed brexit especially oceans warm experts field report cod simply migrated north colder waters sea temperatures naturally warmed past decades watson said makes economical trip length fuel costs etc nordic countries catch uk heavily reliant imports species since losing access richest fishing grounds north atlantic decades ago socalled cod wars much salmon consumed britain farmed steel cages coasts scotland norway iceland tuna generally caught indian ocean imported game britain said plans allow foreign ships fish uk waters brexit claims right decide extent access eu seeking maintain something close status quo industry sources say restrictions eu market access would likely take form tariffs high 24 percent seafood european fishermen losing rights british waters would devastating consequences sean odonoghue ceo irelands largest fishermens representative body killybegs fishermens organisation said would game us weve already met eu lead brexit negotiator michel barnier european fishing alliance group got commitment wider trade negotiations would separate fisheries far weve got traction concerned obviously killybegs said 60 percent mackerel 40 percent dublin bay prawns together make 60 percent value irish fish landed irish ports sourced uk waters third output frances northern departments normandy brittany hautsdefrance comes uk waters brexit would mean big loss revenue everyone places fish already limited said jeancharles frammery captain french boat la fregate revenue french fishermen would drop 50 percent wages 15 percent uk closed waters said hubert carré director general french fishermens group cnpmem belgian fishermen get around half catch uk waters could go parts north sea would able fully compensate said sander meyns project coordinator rederscentrale organization representing belgiums fishing industry spain gets around problem spanishowned britishflagged fleet legacy years spain joined eu invested britain gain access blocs fishing quotas spanish confederation fisheries cepesca said quota system one biggest sources frustration british fishermen among vocal supporters june 2016 vote leave eu last 34 years common fisheries policy quota given 84 percent cod english channel france 9 percent britain example according britains national federation fishermens organisations nffo given eu fleets take four times much fish uk waters take eu watersthe expectation lot fish uk fisherman said nffo chief executive barrie deas son fish merchant barnier lead negotiator european union former french agriculture fisheries minister representing uk interests senior government minister charge fishing michael gove son fish merchant far neither side stated position mention fish official negotiating documents eu says failure reach agreements london hurt british economy eu fishing lobbys clout may strengthened outcome years parliamentary election britain ruling conservatives able cling power losing seats overall gained ground important fishing region northeast scotland experts believe may end world britain loses unrestricted access europe british consumers already becoming adventurous varieties fish eat could accelerate trend said craig mcangus politics lecturer university aberdeen clearly could cheaper eat fish caught uk imported wherever else think market fish change said mcangus researching uk fisheries postbrexit david stevens skippers crystal sea boat newlyn saw scope sales outside eu eu decide buy british fish opens rest world big market told reuters repairing nets mood newlyn positive stevens said added waiting results eu talks making investments think fishermen would definitely looking invest boats modernize get ready postbrexit future said graphic brexit fishing httptmsnrtrs2xkmgah | 734 |
<p>Food lovers are cheesed off after what may be the greatest con of 2017. A food festival that promised unlimited cheese and wine ran out of the former – and has since been labelled the UK’s answer to the Fyre Festival.</p>
<p>Hundreds of eager Red Leicester lovers descended on Greenwich warehouse Studio 338 on Saturday and Sunday, forking out £30-£40 per ticket, expecting to enjoy unlimited fine wine and artisanal cheese while sitting by roaring fires.</p>
<p>Instead, devastated attendees were treated to limited low-quality cheese in an icy warehouse. To add insult to injury, the roaring fireplace was just a projection on a wall, as if to mock the food lovers and their freezing extremities.</p>
<p>Feta fans who arrived for the Saturday day session, which was supposed to start at midday, were made to line up outside in near-freezing temperatures until just before 1pm as organizers were “still setting up.”</p>
<p>In bits at the UK-equivalent of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FyreFestival?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" type="external">#FyreFestival</a>, a £35-a-head “immersive giant cheeseboard” that turned out to be a chaotic wasteland in a tent serving cold mulled wine and unidentified crumbled supermarket cheese <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GiantCheeseboard?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" type="external">#GiantCheeseboard</a></p>
<p>— Dawn Herod Foster (@DawnHFoster) <a href="https://twitter.com/DawnHFoster/status/942150473523572736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" type="external">December 16, 2017</a></p>
<p>When punters were finally let in, it quickly became apparent that they were not getting what they paid for. The free mulled wine and cider was still not ready and the UK’s giant ‘immersive’ cheese board was actually just multiple fold tables offering low quality cheese on paper plates.</p>
<p>But…just look at all those happy people eagerly awaiting the cheese! I took this picture during the first session on Saturday. Nobody was helping and nobody was happy. <a href="https://t.co/CGZwMekhCn" type="external">pic.twitter.com/CGZwMekhCn</a></p>
<p>— Aaron Cohen (@nalapiggy) <a href="https://twitter.com/nalapiggy/status/942531315840245761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" type="external">December 17, 2017</a></p>
<p>Angry patrons soon began chanting “we want a refund.” One woman described the event as “the worst thing” she had ever been to.</p>
<p>Kim Corr told RT that she left in disgust after only an hour.</p>
<p>“Six of us went along expecting a great [Saturday night… the place was freezing, we secured a seat in the ‘cheeseeasy’ [tent] but realized that the queue for mulled wine was 40 minutes [long] with one guy and one barrel, all outside.</p>
<p>“Collectively we spent £222 to get 6 glasses of lukewarm mulled wine and six plates of cheese.”</p>
<p>Hannah Belcher travelled from Chelmsford to attend the Sunday afternoon session, and is demanding a full refund plus petrol and the cost of parking from event organizers.</p>
<p>“I was absolutely shocked at how appalling the event was,” she told RT. “There were massive queues everywhere and the event completely over packed, with nowhere to sit to eat even. People were having to sit on a dirty dancefloor.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/viral/386486-fyre-festival-guests-stranded/" type="external" /></p>
<p>“There was no melted cheese or Camembert as promised, the mice that were supposed to be handing out cheese were in tacky Tom and Jerry cat outfits, the ‘giant cheese board’ was just a floor with an inflatable cheese on it, the warm cosy fire was just a screen, and the cheesecake that was also promised was being charged at almost £4 a slice.</p>
<p>“We spent 30 minutes in the venue and most of that was just queuing. Whoever organized and managed this event should be embarrassed.”</p>
<p>An expert in contract law told RT the event organizers may have violated their own contract with consumers by offering things like cheesecake in the cost of the ticket, and then attempting to charge per slice.</p>
<p>Daniel Lynch, who was hired by organizers to work at the event, actually walked off the job disgusted by what he was witnessing. Lynch told RT he thought “there would be a riot.”</p>
<p>“I decided to wander around as much as possible behind the scenes as to not get shouted at,” Lynch said.</p>
<p>“What I saw upstairs in the cheese prep area was horrible. Random people were cutting cheese – (some with gloves, some without – and putting it on boards as well as eating it as they went along. Food was stored on the floor and there were no food standards in place at all – and this was being served up to guests.”</p>
<p>Even the DJ group tasked with playing ‘cheesy tunes’ on the day have distanced themselves from the dairy disaster.&#160;</p>
<p>After a day of complaints, event organizers posted a lengthy statement on their Facebook page to rebuff the flood of complaints that had been made against them. Magic Dance, the company that ran the event, refused to apologize for the great cheese swindle of 2017, maintaining they had delivered on what was promised.</p>
<p>“Guys, if we felt that we had not provided any of the things included in your entry price then we’d be the first to hold our hands up and apologize but this is simply not the case!” organizers said in their statement.</p>
<p>“The cheeses were sourced from some of the UK and Europe’s best specialty cheese makers, dairies and farms… the Sainsbury’s truck some people saw arriving at the start of the first session was delivering extra Jacob’s crackers.</p>
<p>“We are truly passionate about cheese and have put months of planning and huge investment into this project – we are obviously very upset seeing any negative reactions at all… but to make the statement [sic] some of you are in messages and social media is just totally unfair and false!” they added.</p>
<p>“If we had run out of cheese, or limited anything or just stuck some tables in a room then fair enough… but that is absolutely not the case and there are loads and loads of ways we can prove this to anyone who’s interested to know more!”</p>
<p>Despite their offer to “prove this to anyone who is interested,” event organizers have ignored RT’s requests for comment.</p>
<p>But there’s a silver lining: tickets are still available for the next Giant Cheeseboard Event, run by the same organizers that brought us the disaster from the weekend, on December 23… if you dare.</p>
<p>– <a href="https://twitter.com/rlangjournalist" type="external">Rachel Lang</a>, RT UK.</p> | false | 1 | food lovers cheesed may greatest con 2017 food festival promised unlimited cheese wine ran former since labelled uks answer fyre festival hundreds eager red leicester lovers descended greenwich warehouse studio 338 saturday sunday forking 3040 per ticket expecting enjoy unlimited fine wine artisanal cheese sitting roaring fires instead devastated attendees treated limited lowquality cheese icy warehouse add insult injury roaring fireplace projection wall mock food lovers freezing extremities feta fans arrived saturday day session supposed start midday made line outside nearfreezing temperatures 1pm organizers still setting bits ukequivalent fyrefestival 35ahead immersive giant cheeseboard turned chaotic wasteland tent serving cold mulled wine unidentified crumbled supermarket cheese giantcheeseboard dawn herod foster dawnhfoster december 16 2017 punters finally let quickly became apparent getting paid free mulled wine cider still ready uks giant immersive cheese board actually multiple fold tables offering low quality cheese paper plates butjust look happy people eagerly awaiting cheese took picture first session saturday nobody helping nobody happy pictwittercomcgzwmekhcn aaron cohen nalapiggy december 17 2017 angry patrons soon began chanting want refund one woman described event worst thing ever kim corr told rt left disgust hour six us went along expecting great saturday night place freezing secured seat cheeseeasy tent realized queue mulled wine 40 minutes long one guy one barrel outside collectively spent 222 get 6 glasses lukewarm mulled wine six plates cheese hannah belcher travelled chelmsford attend sunday afternoon session demanding full refund plus petrol cost parking event organizers absolutely shocked appalling event told rt massive queues everywhere event completely packed nowhere sit eat even people sit dirty dancefloor read melted cheese camembert promised mice supposed handing cheese tacky tom jerry cat outfits giant cheese board floor inflatable cheese warm cosy fire screen cheesecake also promised charged almost 4 slice spent 30 minutes venue queuing whoever organized managed event embarrassed expert contract law told rt event organizers may violated contract consumers offering things like cheesecake cost ticket attempting charge per slice daniel lynch hired organizers work event actually walked job disgusted witnessing lynch told rt thought would riot decided wander around much possible behind scenes get shouted lynch said saw upstairs cheese prep area horrible random people cutting cheese gloves without putting boards well eating went along food stored floor food standards place served guests even dj group tasked playing cheesy tunes day distanced dairy disaster160 day complaints event organizers posted lengthy statement facebook page rebuff flood complaints made magic dance company ran event refused apologize great cheese swindle 2017 maintaining delivered promised guys felt provided things included entry price wed first hold hands apologize simply case organizers said statement cheeses sourced uk europes best specialty cheese makers dairies farms sainsburys truck people saw arriving start first session delivering extra jacobs crackers truly passionate cheese put months planning huge investment project obviously upset seeing negative reactions make statement sic messages social media totally unfair false added run cheese limited anything stuck tables room fair enough absolutely case loads loads ways prove anyone whos interested know despite offer prove anyone interested event organizers ignored rts requests comment theres silver lining tickets still available next giant cheeseboard event run organizers brought us disaster weekend december 23 dare rachel lang rt uk | 531 |
<p>WASHINGTON — Fresh from a legal setback to his travel ban, President Donald Trump expressed confidence on Friday that his order would ultimately be upheld by the courts, and promised to introduce additional national security steps next week.</p>
<p>Trump’s executive order banning entry to the United States by refugees and by citizens of seven Muslim-majority was put on hold by a federal judge in Seattle last week, and <a href="" type="internal">that suspension was upheld by an appeals court</a> in San Francisco on Thursday.</p>
<p>The White House is not ruling out the possibility of rewriting Trump’s Jan. 27 order in light of the court actions, an administration official said.</p>
<p>Trump’s order, which he has called a national security measure to head off attacks by Islamist militants, barred people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days, except refugees from Syria, who are banned indefinitely.</p>
<p>“We are going to do whatever’s necessary to keep our country safe,” Trump said during a White House news conference with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.</p>
<p>The Republican president did not answer directly when he was asked whether he would sign a new travel ban.</p>
<p>“We’ll be doing something very rapidly having to do with additional security for our country. You’ll be seeing that sometime next week,” Trump added. He did not make clear whether he was talking about a redrafted travel ban directive or some other initiative.</p>
<p>The president, who has made extensive use of executive action that bypasses Congress since taking office on Jan. 20, said his administration would also continue to go through the court process.</p>
<p>“And ultimately I have no doubt that we’ll win that particular case,” he added, referring to Thursday’s ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.</p>
<p>The administration could appeal the 9th Circuit ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court as early as Friday. It also could ask the 9th Circuit to rehear its appeal with a larger panel of judges.</p>
<p>While Trump’s comments alongside Abe were measured, earlier in the day he used Twitter to condemn the 9th Circuit ruling as “disgraceful,” his latest expression of frustration with the week-old court-mandated suspension.</p>
<p>NBC News reported that White House lawyers were working on a rewrite of Trump’s executive order that could win federal court approval.</p>
<p>“The administration is looking through all the options on how to move forward. But we’d like to win the case in court,” the administration official told Reuters.</p>
<p>Thursday’s ruling related only to the decision by U.S. District Judge James Robart in Seattle to suspend the order, and did not resolve the underlying lawsuit against the ban brought by the states of Washington and Minnesota. Those states have argued the ban violated constitutional protections against religious discrimination.</p>
<p>The administration has also been defending Trump’s ban in more than a dozen additional lawsuits now moving through the U.S. court system.</p>
<p>BAN ON RED-HAIRED PEOPLE?</p>
<p>Justice Department lawyers argued in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia on Friday against a preliminary injunction that would put a longer hold on Trump’s executive order than the Seattle court ruling.</p>
<p>Judge Leonie Brinkema asked the administration for more evidence of the threat posed by citizens of the seven countries, adding that the government’s argument that the judiciary should leave matters of national security to the executive branch was weak.</p>
<p>Hammering home that point, Brinkema asked an administration lawyer whether the judiciary would have a right to weigh in if the president decided to ban every red-headed person from entering the country.</p>
<p>The Trump administration has argued that the legal basis for the ban is a statute giving a president the authority to bar or restrict foreigners from entering the country if they would harm U.S. interests.</p>
<p>The Virginia case focused solely on visa holders from the seven countries and not refugees or other aspects of the executive order. It was not clear whether a potential preliminary injunction against the ban would protect visa holders nationwide or only those wishing to enter Virginia. The state is home to Dulles International Airport, on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court is currently one short of its nine-member strength and ideologically divided, with four liberal justices and four conservatives, pending Senate confirmation of Trump’s conservative nominee, Neil Gorsuch, to the bench.</p>
<p>The administration would need five of the eight justices to vote in favor of reinstating the travel ban while litigation continued in the lawsuit brought in the Seattle federal court by Washington and Minnesota. That would mean the administration would need to win over at least one of the liberal justices. A 4-4 split would leave the 9th Circuit ruling in place.</p>
<p>In Seattle, Robart ordered the Justice Department and Washington state on Friday to tell him by the end of Sunday how they want the case challenging the merits of Trump’s order to proceed while any appeal of the travel ban suspension continues.</p>
<p>The administration also filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against the executive order in Brooklyn, New York. It argued that the case brought there about the detention of people in U.S. airports was moot because they were no longer detained.</p> | false | 1 | washington fresh legal setback travel ban president donald trump expressed confidence friday order would ultimately upheld courts promised introduce additional national security steps next week trumps executive order banning entry united states refugees citizens seven muslimmajority put hold federal judge seattle last week suspension upheld appeals court san francisco thursday white house ruling possibility rewriting trumps jan 27 order light court actions administration official said trumps order called national security measure head attacks islamist militants barred people iran iraq libya somalia sudan syria yemen entering 90 days refugees 120 days except refugees syria banned indefinitely going whatevers necessary keep country safe trump said white house news conference visiting japanese prime minister shinzo abe republican president answer directly asked whether would sign new travel ban well something rapidly additional security country youll seeing sometime next week trump added make clear whether talking redrafted travel ban directive initiative president made extensive use executive action bypasses congress since taking office jan 20 said administration would also continue go court process ultimately doubt well win particular case added referring thursdays ruling threejudge panel 9th us circuit court appeals san francisco administration could appeal 9th circuit ruling us supreme court early friday also could ask 9th circuit rehear appeal larger panel judges trumps comments alongside abe measured earlier day used twitter condemn 9th circuit ruling disgraceful latest expression frustration weekold courtmandated suspension nbc news reported white house lawyers working rewrite trumps executive order could win federal court approval administration looking options move forward wed like win case court administration official told reuters thursdays ruling related decision us district judge james robart seattle suspend order resolve underlying lawsuit ban brought states washington minnesota states argued ban violated constitutional protections religious discrimination administration also defending trumps ban dozen additional lawsuits moving us court system ban redhaired people justice department lawyers argued federal court alexandria virginia friday preliminary injunction would put longer hold trumps executive order seattle court ruling judge leonie brinkema asked administration evidence threat posed citizens seven countries adding governments argument judiciary leave matters national security executive branch weak hammering home point brinkema asked administration lawyer whether judiciary would right weigh president decided ban every redheaded person entering country trump administration argued legal basis ban statute giving president authority bar restrict foreigners entering country would harm us interests virginia case focused solely visa holders seven countries refugees aspects executive order clear whether potential preliminary injunction ban would protect visa holders nationwide wishing enter virginia state home dulles international airport outskirts washington dc supreme court currently one short ninemember strength ideologically divided four liberal justices four conservatives pending senate confirmation trumps conservative nominee neil gorsuch bench administration would need five eight justices vote favor reinstating travel ban litigation continued lawsuit brought seattle federal court washington minnesota would mean administration would need win least one liberal justices 44 split would leave 9th circuit ruling place seattle robart ordered justice department washington state friday tell end sunday want case challenging merits trumps order proceed appeal travel ban suspension continues administration also filed motion dismiss lawsuit executive order brooklyn new york argued case brought detention people us airports moot longer detained | 521 |
<p>As the 2017 federal election begins in Germany, RT reviews the major political forces involved.</p>
<p>The German people will vote on Sunday to elect the members of the 19th Bundestag. Over 30 parties made it onto the ballots in at least one German state, but there are only six major political forces expected to hold seats in parliament.</p>
<p>German politics is not very welcoming for newcomers as, other than the CDU, SPD and FDP – which formed the modern Bundestag in the 1949 election – only two new parties have managed to squeeze into the parliament. The relative newcomers are The Left (Die Linke) and The Greens, whose predecessors entered parliament in the 1980s to early 1990s. However, this election will likely result in a new power entering the German parliament – Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has seen a surge in support over the past few years.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/403918-germany-merkel-business-feature/" type="external" /></p>
<p>CDU/CSU alliance</p>
<p>The center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is led by incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel, and the center-left Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) is led by Horst Seehofer. The parties refer to each other as “sisters” and do not compete, as the CSU operates only in Bavaria, the CDU in the rest of the country.</p>
<p>The alliance has recently seen a rift over a number of <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/404360-german-elections-parliament-parties/Delete%20READ%20MORE%20Bavarian%20PM%20to%20discuss%20%E2%80%98serious%E2%80%99%20migrant%20issue%20with%20Merkel%20before%20joint%20election%20push%20/news/372691-seehofer-issues-merkel-migrants/" type="external">issues</a>, including Merkel’s open-border policy, which has been criticized by Seehofer on numerous occasions. While the two appear to have reconciled their differences on the issue, there are other unresolved problems. Seehofer has threatened to not join Merkel’s coalition if she pushes for a ban on internal combustion engines, which would undermine Germany’s automotive industry.</p>
<p>The CDU/CSU alliance is expected to score 36 percent of the votes, according to the latest polls, compared to 41.5 percent in 2013. The popularity of the bloc took a major hit during the migrant crisis, dropping to 32 percent at its height. Merkel and the alliance, however, managed to regain lost ground ahead of the election.</p>
<p>Social Democrats</p>
<p>The center-left Social Democratic (SPD) party experienced a major surge in support this spring when it chose Martin Schulz, the former president of the European Parliament, as its new leader. But while in February and March, the party’s approval ratings reached those of the CDU/CDU, they plummeted ahead of the election to nearly the lowest in the party’s history. In May 2017, the SPD lost control of the major state of North Rhine-Westphalia in a state election.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/404345-martin-schulz-german-elections/" type="external" /></p>
<p>Schulz is seen as a controversial figure in German politics. His troubled early years, failed soccer career, and subsequent problems with alcohol, allow the party to present him as a ‘man of the people’ who has personally experienced the hardships of the average man. His career as a top EU bureaucrat, however, overshadows this image. While holding the post of President of the European Parliament, Schulz was plagued with allegations of living in excessive luxury at the expense of taxpayers, as well as protecting European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker by blocking an investigation into a Luxembourg tax scandal.</p>
<p>Alternative for Germany</p>
<p>The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD), founded in 2013, is expected to win seats in parliament for the first time in its history. During the previous election, AfD failed to pass the five percent threshold, but its popularity has surged over the past two years due to the migrant crisis. The party advocates strict border control, forced deportation of migrants, and other policies generally perceived as being anti-migrant.</p>
<p>Numerous scandals have plagued the party. Its leaders – <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/403489-afd-germany-says-stop-apologising-nazi-past/" type="external">Alexander Gauland</a> and <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/402971-merkel-afd-pig-puppet/" type="external">Alice Weidel</a> – as well as other members, have made statements in the past which have drawn accusations of being “racist,”“Islamophobic” and even “Nazi” from German Muslims and left-wing politicians. However, the AfD is still on the rise in Germany, enjoying 11-percent support according to recent polls.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/340060-islam-incompatible-german-constitution/" type="external">READ MORE:&#160;German AfD branded ‘Nazis’ after it says Islam is ‘unconstitutional’</a></p>
<p>Free Democratic Party</p>
<p>One of the oldest German parties, the liberal pro-business Free Democratic Party, fell out of the Bundestag in 2013 for the first time in its history, failing to reach the five-percent threshold.</p>
<p>Afterwards, the party elected a new chairman, Christian Lindner, who led a successful campaign for the 2017 election in North Rhine-Westphalia, perceived as a “rehearsal,” for the federal elections. The party is expected to rejoin the Bundestag, enjoying 10-percent nationwide support.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/403287-germany-election-policy-interview/" type="external" /></p>
<p>While the AfD is often branded a ‘far-right’ party, the Left Party (Die Linke) is sometimes referred to in the media as ‘far-left.’ The Left, however, refer to themselves as the “only” left-wing opposition party.</p>
<p>Sahra Wagenknecht, who is both the candidate and the face of the Left Party, has seemingly ruled out having a coalition with the SPD and the Greens, promising to fight for the party’s vision of Germany. She has been a fierce critic of Merkel’s open-door migrant policy and the participation of German troops in overseas wars.</p>
<p>The party has not experienced any major shifts in support since the previous election, and is currently expected to gain around nine percent of the vote.</p>
<p>The Green Party of Germany (Alliance 90/The Greens) enjoys eight-percent nationwide support, effectively the same as in previous elections, and is expected to pass the five percent threshold. The party advocates progressive ideas and policies, such as LGBT rights, generous welfare, and drug legalization.</p>
<p>It is led by Katrin Göring-Eckardt and Cem Özdemir.</p> | false | 1 | 2017 federal election begins germany rt reviews major political forces involved german people vote sunday elect members 19th bundestag 30 parties made onto ballots least one german state six major political forces expected hold seats parliament german politics welcoming newcomers cdu spd fdp formed modern bundestag 1949 election two new parties managed squeeze parliament relative newcomers left die linke greens whose predecessors entered parliament 1980s early 1990s however election likely result new power entering german parliament alternative germany afd seen surge support past years read cducsu alliance centerright christian democratic union cdu led incumbent chancellor angela merkel centerleft christian social union bavaria csu led horst seehofer parties refer sisters compete csu operates bavaria cdu rest country alliance recently seen rift number issues including merkels openborder policy criticized seehofer numerous occasions two appear reconciled differences issue unresolved problems seehofer threatened join merkels coalition pushes ban internal combustion engines would undermine germanys automotive industry cducsu alliance expected score 36 percent votes according latest polls compared 415 percent 2013 popularity bloc took major hit migrant crisis dropping 32 percent height merkel alliance however managed regain lost ground ahead election social democrats centerleft social democratic spd party experienced major surge support spring chose martin schulz former president european parliament new leader february march partys approval ratings reached cducdu plummeted ahead election nearly lowest partys history may 2017 spd lost control major state north rhinewestphalia state election read schulz seen controversial figure german politics troubled early years failed soccer career subsequent problems alcohol allow party present man people personally experienced hardships average man career top eu bureaucrat however overshadows image holding post president european parliament schulz plagued allegations living excessive luxury expense taxpayers well protecting european commission president jeanclaude juncker blocking investigation luxembourg tax scandal alternative germany rightwing alternative germany afd founded 2013 expected win seats parliament first time history previous election afd failed pass five percent threshold popularity surged past two years due migrant crisis party advocates strict border control forced deportation migrants policies generally perceived antimigrant numerous scandals plagued party leaders alexander gauland alice weidel well members made statements past drawn accusations racistislamophobic even nazi german muslims leftwing politicians however afd still rise germany enjoying 11percent support according recent polls read more160german afd branded nazis says islam unconstitutional free democratic party one oldest german parties liberal probusiness free democratic party fell bundestag 2013 first time history failing reach fivepercent threshold afterwards party elected new chairman christian lindner led successful campaign 2017 election north rhinewestphalia perceived rehearsal federal elections party expected rejoin bundestag enjoying 10percent nationwide support read afd often branded farright party left party die linke sometimes referred media farleft left however refer leftwing opposition party sahra wagenknecht candidate face left party seemingly ruled coalition spd greens promising fight partys vision germany fierce critic merkels opendoor migrant policy participation german troops overseas wars party experienced major shifts support since previous election currently expected gain around nine percent vote green party germany alliance 90the greens enjoys eightpercent nationwide support effectively previous elections expected pass five percent threshold party advocates progressive ideas policies lgbt rights generous welfare drug legalization led katrin göringeckardt cem Özdemir | 519 |
<p />
<p>One of the agreements reached in negotiating the terms of a Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government in Britain as a result of the May election was to hold a referendum next year on a new electoral system. Liberal Democrats demanded this concession because they are at a serious disadvantage under the current voting method. The relevant passage from the written agreement is as follows:</p>
<p>The parties will bring forward a Referendum Bill on electoral reform, which includes provision for the introduction of the Alternative Vote in the event of a positive result of the referendum?. Both parties will whip their Parliamentary Parties in both Houses to support a simple majority referendum on the Alternative Vote, without prejudice to the positions parties will take during such a referendum.</p>
<p>This statement contains two major components. The first is the substance of the referendum - the Alternative Vote. The second is procedural; it includes the parliamentary process associated with authorizing the referendum and the actions of the two parties in the campaign on the referendum itself.&#160; This article describes the system used in the most recent election, explains the Alternative Vote, and offers another possibility. It then goes on to discuss the role of the parties in Parliament and in the subsequent campaign on the proposed electoral change. Before analyzing the two parts of this statement a comment on terminology is necessary.</p>
<p>Election mechanisms are complex and come with endless variations. Terminology is a particular problem in that the same process may be known by several different names and the acronyms can be confusing. Given that this article examines the situation in the United Kingdom, I will use the British terminology as reflected by the Elector Reform Society, a link to which can be found at the end of this discussion. I recommend that site for further details on the three systems to discussed here and for information on other election procedures.</p>
<p>Britain currently uses the First Past the Post (FPP) method for elections to the House of Commons.&#160; The country is divided in 650 constituencies (or districts) with one member to be elected from each.&#160; Voters cast one vote in their constituency and the candidate with a plurality, one vote more than any other single candidate, wins the seat. A major advantage of this process is its simplicity - something to be considered in advocating any alternative.&#160; Its weakness is that it works against smaller parties, the Liberal Democrats, and in favor of the larger groups, the Conservative and the Labor parties. It also has the effect of encouraging a two party system. The results of this year's election dramatically illustrate these points; the results were as follows:</p>
<p>Conservatives: 36% of the popular vote; 47% of the seats</p>
<p>Labor:&#160; 29% of the popular vote; 40% of the seats</p>
<p>Liberal Democrats:&#160; 23% of the popular vote; 9% of the seats</p>
<p>The issue for the Liberal Democrats is immediately clear; the party claimed less than half the seats it would have won if the outcome had been based on the total national party vote. The problem that the smaller party faces is that its support is broad but shallow. Broad support means that a party receives a significant percentage of the vote nation-wide.&#160; Shallow indicates that its voters are not sufficiently concentrated geographically so as to win many seats at the constituency level. Thus the Liberal Democrats want a change.</p>
<p>The Liberal Democrats advocate replacing the FPP with the Alternative Vote (AV), the principle features of which are that the voter ranks the candidates in order of preference and the requirement that a majority, rather than a plurality, be achieved to win the seat. If a candidate wins a majority of first place votes, he or she is elected.&#160; In the event that no one receives a majority, the second preferences of the candidate who came in last are redistributed to the other candidates until one of them reaches the required majority.&#160; The system ensures that not one will enter the House of Commons with less than majority support in a constituency and its advocates maintain that smaller parties will be represented more in proportion to their popular support.</p>
<p>Not everyone agrees with the latter point; some experts argue that the Liberal Democrats would have increased their representation had the AV been in place in the last election - but not by very much.&#160; I see two additional problems with the Alternative Vote: its complexity and the fact that it does not take into account two issues of concern to many voters.</p>
<p>Its complexity has two dimensions. First, many voters may find it difficult to rank the candidates. Though ranking would not necessarily be required, the system is predicated on voters doing that.&#160; I have voted in more than 40 congressional and state legislative. My frequent problem was in finding one candidate to vote for; I would have had great difficulty in ranking all the candidates. The second complexity issue involves counting the votes - that is reassigning the votes of the last place candidate.&#160;&#160; I have a strong personal dislike of any system which relies too heavily on election officials and machinery, especially since the U.S. presidential election of 2000.</p>
<p>Most people approach an election with two questions in mind - which candidate does the voter want to see win and which party does that voter want to have control of parliament so as to form a government? The Alternative Vote does not adequately take into account either candidate orientation or party orientation. These two perspectives can be understood best in the context of the Additional Member System which I suggest is a better option than the Alternative Vote.</p>
<p>The Additional Member System (AMS) is employed in a number of countries and I believe it to be better for Britain. In this system the voter casts two votes - one for a candidate to represent a constituency and one for a party. Under this possibility the House of Commons would consist of 450 members elected through the existing first past the post process.&#160; Instead of 650 constituencies, there would be a smaller number, 450, of larger constituencies. These seats would continue to be filled by the candidate who won a plurality, one vote more than any other single candidate.</p>
<p>The second part of the proposal is to fill the remaining 200 seats through proportional representation (PR). Proportional representation comes in a bewildering variety of permutations.&#160; I suggest the simplest - the single national list system. In that format all parties nominate a list of up to 200 candidates and rank them from 1 to 200 in terms of the party's desire to see them take seats in Parliament.</p>
<p>Voters make two decisions in the election and vote twice.&#160; First they vote for one candidate to represent the geographical area - constituency - in which the voter resides as they do now. Second, they vote for one of the several single national party lists. Every voter would make a choice among the same lists nationally.&#160; The 200 seats to be decided in this part of the election would be assigned to parties based on their proportion of this second vote. For example, if a small party were to receive 10% of the vote for its national list, then the top 30 (10%) on that list win seats.</p>
<p>A change along these lines has several advantages.&#160; Most importantly AMS allows voters to take into account their candidate and their party interests. Let me illustrate with an example. I am a British voter whose best friend is running for the House of Commons from my constituency. Although he is a well qualified candidate whom I think would do a good job, there is a problem:&#160; I do not like the party that he represents and I do not want that party to control the national legislature. I am, like so many voters, cross pressured or conflicted. If AMS were in operation I could address both of my interests by voting for my friend in the constituency part of the ballot and for my preferred party in the party list contest. This strategy may not be entirely consistent, but many voters have conflicting loyalties which are difficult to balance.</p> | false | 1 | one agreements reached negotiating terms conservativeliberal democrat coalition government britain result may election hold referendum next year new electoral system liberal democrats demanded concession serious disadvantage current voting method relevant passage written agreement follows parties bring forward referendum bill electoral reform includes provision introduction alternative vote event positive result referendum parties whip parliamentary parties houses support simple majority referendum alternative vote without prejudice positions parties take referendum statement contains two major components first substance referendum alternative vote second procedural includes parliamentary process associated authorizing referendum actions two parties campaign referendum itself160 article describes system used recent election explains alternative vote offers another possibility goes discuss role parties parliament subsequent campaign proposed electoral change analyzing two parts statement comment terminology necessary election mechanisms complex come endless variations terminology particular problem process may known several different names acronyms confusing given article examines situation united kingdom use british terminology reflected elector reform society link found end discussion recommend site details three systems discussed information election procedures britain currently uses first past post fpp method elections house commons160 country divided 650 constituencies districts one member elected each160 voters cast one vote constituency candidate plurality one vote single candidate wins seat major advantage process simplicity something considered advocating alternative160 weakness works smaller parties liberal democrats favor larger groups conservative labor parties also effect encouraging two party system results years election dramatically illustrate points results follows conservatives 36 popular vote 47 seats labor160 29 popular vote 40 seats liberal democrats160 23 popular vote 9 seats issue liberal democrats immediately clear party claimed less half seats would outcome based total national party vote problem smaller party faces support broad shallow broad support means party receives significant percentage vote nationwide160 shallow indicates voters sufficiently concentrated geographically win many seats constituency level thus liberal democrats want change liberal democrats advocate replacing fpp alternative vote av principle features voter ranks candidates order preference requirement majority rather plurality achieved win seat candidate wins majority first place votes elected160 event one receives majority second preferences candidate came last redistributed candidates one reaches required majority160 system ensures one enter house commons less majority support constituency advocates maintain smaller parties represented proportion popular support everyone agrees latter point experts argue liberal democrats would increased representation av place last election much160 see two additional problems alternative vote complexity fact take account two issues concern many voters complexity two dimensions first many voters may find difficult rank candidates though ranking would necessarily required system predicated voters that160 voted 40 congressional state legislative frequent problem finding one candidate vote would great difficulty ranking candidates second complexity issue involves counting votes reassigning votes last place candidate160160 strong personal dislike system relies heavily election officials machinery especially since us presidential election 2000 people approach election two questions mind candidate voter want see win party voter want control parliament form government alternative vote adequately take account either candidate orientation party orientation two perspectives understood best context additional member system suggest better option alternative vote additional member system ams employed number countries believe better britain system voter casts two votes one candidate represent constituency one party possibility house commons would consist 450 members elected existing first past post process160 instead 650 constituencies would smaller number 450 larger constituencies seats would continue filled candidate plurality one vote single candidate second part proposal fill remaining 200 seats proportional representation pr proportional representation comes bewildering variety permutations160 suggest simplest single national list system format parties nominate list 200 candidates rank 1 200 terms partys desire see take seats parliament voters make two decisions election vote twice160 first vote one candidate represent geographical area constituency voter resides second vote one several single national party lists every voter would make choice among lists nationally160 200 seats decided part election would assigned parties based proportion second vote example small party receive 10 vote national list top 30 10 list win seats change along lines several advantages160 importantly ams allows voters take account candidate party interests let illustrate example british voter whose best friend running house commons constituency although well qualified candidate think would good job problem160 like party represents want party control national legislature like many voters cross pressured conflicted ams operation could address interests voting friend constituency part ballot preferred party party list contest strategy may entirely consistent many voters conflicting loyalties difficult balance | 718 |
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<p>Healthcare policy debates in the United States are dominated by discussions of health insurance coverage and the terms under which consumers enroll in these plans. That’s understandable, because health insurance can be crucial for securing access to lifesaving medical care.</p>
<p>But most Americans do not care all that much about their health insurance. Few people are wedded to the health insurance company processing their medical bills. What they care about is ready access to their preferred physicians and high-quality medical care at affordable prices. Health insurance is just a means to that end.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, policymakers’ heavy emphasis on expanding insurance enrollment has distorted the marketplace. Expansive third-party insurance has displaced the role of the consumer, weakening incentives for the supply side—that is, physicians and the clinics and hospitals they work in—to find new and innovative ways to give patients the high-quality, low-cost, and consumer-friendly care they want and deserve.</p>
<p>Expansive, Government-Subsidized Third-Party Insurance</p>
<p>The quality of medical care and services in the United States has much to commend it. The country has highly trained physicians and a network of sophisticated clinics and inpatient institutions that is unrivaled. Moreover, the United States is home to a vibrant biological and pharmaceutical product industry.</p>
<p>And yet, despite these strengths, there is plenty of reason to worry that the provision of health services to the US population is far from what it could and should be. Many studies have demonstrated the uneven quality of care provided by US clinicians. The consumer experience can be maddening, with piles of meaningless paperwork, endless bureaucracy, duplicative tests, poor communication and fragmentation among physicians, and generally lousy service. The technology revolution, which has swept through and upended most service industries, has barely made a dent in the manner by which medical services are provided to patients, which looks today pretty much as it did a few decades ago.</p>
<p>In a functioning marketplace, the suppliers of products and services strive to innovate and provide high-quality services to their customers because that is the way to stimulate demand and achieve higher profits. A company only does well if it is able to convince a sizeable number of consumers that what it is offering is worth whatever amount the consumer must pay to get it.</p>
<p>But the health sector is different from the rest of the US economy because the consumption side of the marketplace is dominated by third-party insurance payments. Consumers pay very little directly to the suppliers of medical services. Instead, third-party insurance pays the vast majority of the medical bills on patients’ behalf.</p>
<p>This is by design. In 2012, there were about 242 million Americans under the age of 65 who were enrolled in health insurance, and 92 percent of them were in plans subsidized by the federal government. There were 156 million people enrolled in employer-sponsored insurance plans. Employer-paid premiums are excluded from workers’ taxable compensation for purposes of both the income and payroll tax. Over time, this tax break has encouraged employers to substitute expansive health insurance coverage for higher wages. Beyond job-based coverage, another 66 million people were enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, or the military health insurance system. In each of these insurance systems, the consumers pay very little at the point of the service.</p>
<p>The diminished role of the consumer is evident in national statistics. As shown in figure 1, in 1960, consumer out-of-pocket spending for medical care accounted for nearly 48 percent of all spending on health in United States. By 2000, the percentage of national health expenditures paid for directly out of the pockets of consumers was down to under 15 percent, and in 2010 it was just 11.6 percent.</p>
<p>The displacement of the consumer has had consequences. The terms by which physicians deliver services to patients are now dictated much more by the fine points in their contracts with employers and insurance companies than by any quality commitments they make to their patients.</p>
<p>Figure 1. Out-of-Pocket Spending by Consumers as a Percentage of Total National Health Expenditures</p>
<p>Source: Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services, “National Health Expenditures” (historical tables).</p>
<p>Medicare’s Dominant Regulatory Architecture&#160;</p>
<p>Medicare plays a particularly dominant role in setting the terms under which the vast array of providers of medical services must operate.</p>
<p>Since the program was enacted in 1965, the Medicare bureaucracy has erected a vast web of payment rules and regulatory requirements that permeate the entire health sector. Physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, outpatient clinics, labs, device manufacturers, and every other supplier of clinical services must contend with the methods by which Medicare approves and pays for services. Because so much medical care is directed toward the elderly and disabled, it is not possible for most practitioners to simply ignore Medicare’s rules and go their own way; the revenue Medicare provides is necessary to sustain most aspects of the medical services industry, and therefore the government has substantial leverage to dictate the terms under which it makes payments.</p>
<p>Moreover, Medicare’s influence extends well beyond just those supplying services to the program’s enrollees. Private insurers piggyback on Medicare’s payment framework to compensate physicians and hospitals. According to a 2006 American Medical Association survey, some 75 percent of private insurance companies used the Medicare physician fee schedule as the basis for paying doctors in at least one of their product lines. Similarly, the vast majority of private insurers use Medicare’s diagnosis-related group payment structure to make payments to hospitals for inpatient services.</p>
<p>The extensive use of Medicare’s regulations for paying for medical services and products is a major impediment to innovation and customer-focused service delivery in the health sector. Physicians and other entrepreneurs who seek to provide new and better methods of taking care of patients, perhaps using information technology, are immediately faced with the question of whether or not Medicare will pay for what they are planning to offer.</p>
<p>Bringing a new approach to the marketplace is therefore less about selling the idea to consumers and more a matter of of convincing the Medicare bureaucracy that what is being proposed is worthy of reimbursement. Unfortunately, it is always easier and less risky for the bureaucracy to delay changes rather than approve them. Thus, there is a strong, inherent bias in US health care in favor of incumbents and their way of doing business and against new entrants and innovation in patient care.</p>
<p>Breaking Out of the Old Way of Doing Business</p>
<p>Information technology and medical discovery have the power to transform medical care in the United States for the better. Consumers want convenient, personalized medical attention that is forward-looking and proactive based on their medical profiles and not simply reactive when problems occur. They also want to track their medical records more carefully so that they can take more responsibility for improving their overall health.</p>
<p>All of this is possible, but it will require adjustments to current arrangements to allow consumers and suppliers of medical services to come together to pursue new ways of providing services.</p>
<p>The Supply Side</p>
<p>Suppliers of medical care need the freedom to develop entirely new ways of taking care of patients. Providing the space for new innovations to develop will require a concerted effort across federal and state regulatory agencies.</p>
<p>The Consumer Side</p>
<p>Innovation among suppliers of medical care will accelerate when they are able to deal directly with more consumers rather than insurers and the government. The key to empowering consumers is more widespread use of health savings accounts (HSAs). HSAs provide financial protection for enrollees even as they encourage consumers to aggressively seek out high-value, low-cost care when spending their own resources. The accounts are owned by the enrollees, so they have a strong incentive to use their resources only on services that they find truly valuable. The number of Americans enrolled in these arrangements has increased rapidly in recent years, from 3.2 million in January 2006 to 17.4 million in January 2014. But still more enrollment in these plans will be needed to provide enough of a consumer-driven marketplace to drive innovation and adaptation by clinicians and suppliers of medical care. That can be accomplished with reforms to a number of existing policies.</p>
<p>Conclusion</p>
<p>Advances in information technology and knowledge of human health have the potential to revolutionize the way medical care is delivered to patients over the coming decade. Americans could get better health care, at less cost, if those delivering services to patients have the freedom to take full advantage of what these advances make possible.</p>
<p>For that to happen, however, US health care will need to move steadily away from the bureaucratic model of resource allocation. Consumers must be given the power to steer a much larger slice of the healthcare pie, and suppliers of services must be given the freedom to meet consumer demand with products that improve the convenience, efficiency, and effectiveness of medical care in maintaining and improving the ability of patients to live fully functioning lives.</p>
<p>James C. Capretta is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He studies and provides commentary on a wide range of public policy and economic issues, with a focus on health care and entitlement reform, US fiscal policy, and global population aging.</p> | false | 1 | click download pdf version publication healthcare policy debates united states dominated discussions health insurance coverage terms consumers enroll plans thats understandable health insurance crucial securing access lifesaving medical care americans care much health insurance people wedded health insurance company processing medical bills care ready access preferred physicians highquality medical care affordable prices health insurance means end unfortunately policymakers heavy emphasis expanding insurance enrollment distorted marketplace expansive thirdparty insurance displaced role consumer weakening incentives supply sidethat physicians clinics hospitals work find new innovative ways give patients highquality lowcost consumerfriendly care want deserve expansive governmentsubsidized thirdparty insurance quality medical care services united states much commend country highly trained physicians network sophisticated clinics inpatient institutions unrivaled moreover united states home vibrant biological pharmaceutical product industry yet despite strengths plenty reason worry provision health services us population far could many studies demonstrated uneven quality care provided us clinicians consumer experience maddening piles meaningless paperwork endless bureaucracy duplicative tests poor communication fragmentation among physicians generally lousy service technology revolution swept upended service industries barely made dent manner medical services provided patients looks today pretty much decades ago functioning marketplace suppliers products services strive innovate provide highquality services customers way stimulate demand achieve higher profits company well able convince sizeable number consumers offering worth whatever amount consumer must pay get health sector different rest us economy consumption side marketplace dominated thirdparty insurance payments consumers pay little directly suppliers medical services instead thirdparty insurance pays vast majority medical bills patients behalf design 2012 242 million americans age 65 enrolled health insurance 92 percent plans subsidized federal government 156 million people enrolled employersponsored insurance plans employerpaid premiums excluded workers taxable compensation purposes income payroll tax time tax break encouraged employers substitute expansive health insurance coverage higher wages beyond jobbased coverage another 66 million people enrolled medicare medicaid military health insurance system insurance systems consumers pay little point service diminished role consumer evident national statistics shown figure 1 1960 consumer outofpocket spending medical care accounted nearly 48 percent spending health united states 2000 percentage national health expenditures paid directly pockets consumers 15 percent 2010 116 percent displacement consumer consequences terms physicians deliver services patients dictated much fine points contracts employers insurance companies quality commitments make patients figure 1 outofpocket spending consumers percentage total national health expenditures source centers medicare amp medicaid services national health expenditures historical tables medicares dominant regulatory architecture160 medicare plays particularly dominant role setting terms vast array providers medical services must operate since program enacted 1965 medicare bureaucracy erected vast web payment rules regulatory requirements permeate entire health sector physicians hospitals nursing homes hospices outpatient clinics labs device manufacturers every supplier clinical services must contend methods medicare approves pays services much medical care directed toward elderly disabled possible practitioners simply ignore medicares rules go way revenue medicare provides necessary sustain aspects medical services industry therefore government substantial leverage dictate terms makes payments moreover medicares influence extends well beyond supplying services programs enrollees private insurers piggyback medicares payment framework compensate physicians hospitals according 2006 american medical association survey 75 percent private insurance companies used medicare physician fee schedule basis paying doctors least one product lines similarly vast majority private insurers use medicares diagnosisrelated group payment structure make payments hospitals inpatient services extensive use medicares regulations paying medical services products major impediment innovation customerfocused service delivery health sector physicians entrepreneurs seek provide new better methods taking care patients perhaps using information technology immediately faced question whether medicare pay planning offer bringing new approach marketplace therefore less selling idea consumers matter convincing medicare bureaucracy proposed worthy reimbursement unfortunately always easier less risky bureaucracy delay changes rather approve thus strong inherent bias us health care favor incumbents way business new entrants innovation patient care breaking old way business information technology medical discovery power transform medical care united states better consumers want convenient personalized medical attention forwardlooking proactive based medical profiles simply reactive problems occur also want track medical records carefully take responsibility improving overall health possible require adjustments current arrangements allow consumers suppliers medical services come together pursue new ways providing services supply side suppliers medical care need freedom develop entirely new ways taking care patients providing space new innovations develop require concerted effort across federal state regulatory agencies consumer side innovation among suppliers medical care accelerate able deal directly consumers rather insurers government key empowering consumers widespread use health savings accounts hsas hsas provide financial protection enrollees even encourage consumers aggressively seek highvalue lowcost care spending resources accounts owned enrollees strong incentive use resources services find truly valuable number americans enrolled arrangements increased rapidly recent years 32 million january 2006 174 million january 2014 still enrollment plans needed provide enough consumerdriven marketplace drive innovation adaptation clinicians suppliers medical care accomplished reforms number existing policies conclusion advances information technology knowledge human health potential revolutionize way medical care delivered patients coming decade americans could get better health care less cost delivering services patients freedom take full advantage advances make possible happen however us health care need move steadily away bureaucratic model resource allocation consumers must given power steer much larger slice healthcare pie suppliers services must given freedom meet consumer demand products improve convenience efficiency effectiveness medical care maintaining improving ability patients live fully functioning lives james c capretta senior fellow ethics public policy center visiting fellow american enterprise institute studies provides commentary wide range public policy economic issues focus health care entitlement reform us fiscal policy global population aging | 899 |
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — The implosion of the Senate Republican health care bill leaves a divided GOP with its flagship legislative priority in tatters and confronts a wounded President Donald Trump and congressional leaders with dicey decisions about addressing their perhaps unattainable seven-year-old promise of repealing President Barack Obama’s law.</p>
<p>Two GOP senators — Utah’s Mike Lee and Jerry Moran of Kansas — sealed the measure’s doom late Monday when each announced they would vote “no” in an initial, critical vote that had been expected as soon as next week. Their startling, tandem announcement meant that at least four of the 52 GOP senators were ready to block the measure — two more than Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had to spare in the face of a wall of Democratic opposition.</p>
<p>“Regretfully, it is now apparent that the effort to repeal and immediately replace the failure of Obamacare will not be successful,” McConnell said in a late evening statement that essentially waved a white flag.</p>
<p>It was the second stinging setback on the issue in three weeks for McConnell, whose reputation as a legislative mastermind has been marred as he’s failed to unite his chamber’s Republicans behind a health overhaul package that’s highlighted jagged divides between conservatives and moderates. In late June, he abandoned an initial package after he lacked enough GOP support to pass.</p>
<p>The episode has also been jarring for Trump, whose intermittent lobbying and nebulous, often contradictory descriptions of what he’s wanted have shown he has limited clout with senators. That despite a determination by Trump, McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to demonstrate that a GOP running the White House and Congress can govern effectively.</p>
<p>Now, McConnell said, the Senate would vote on a measure the GOP-run Congress approved in 2015, only to be vetoed by Obama — a bill repealing much of Obama’s statute, with a two-year delay designed to give lawmakers time to enact a replacement. Trump embraced that idea last month after an initial version of McConnell’s bill collapsed due under Republican divisions, and did so again late Monday.</p>
<p>“Republicans should just REPEAL failing ObamaCare now &amp; work on a new Healthcare Plan that will start from a clean slate. Dems will join in!” Trump tweeted.</p>
<p>But the prospects for approving a clean repeal bill followed by work on replacement legislation, even with Trump ready to sign it, seemed shaky. Trump and party leaders had started this year embracing that strategy, only to abandon it when it seemed incapable of passing Congress, with many Republicans worried it would cause insurance market and political chaos because of uncertainty that they would approve substitute legislation.</p>
<p>McConnell’s failed bill would have left 22 million uninsured by 2026, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, a number that many Republicans found unpalatable. But the vetoed 2015 measure would be even worse, the budget office said last January, producing 32 million additional uninsured people by 2026 — figures that seemed likely to drive a stake into that bill’s prospects for passing Congress.</p>
<p>That would seem to leave McConnell with an option he described last month — negotiating with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. That would likely be on a narrower package aimed more at keeping insurers in difficult marketplaces they’re either abandoning or imposing rapidly growing premiums.</p>
<p>“The core of this bill is unworkable,” Schumer said in a statement. He said Republicans “should start from scratch and work with Democrats on a bill that lowers premiums, provides long-term stability to the markets and improves our health care system.”</p>
<p>Similar to legislation the House approved in May after its own setbacks, McConnell’s bill would repeal Obama’s tax penalties on people who don’t buy coverage and cut the Medicaid program for the poor, elderly and nursing home residents.</p>
<p>It rolled back many of the statute’s requirements for the policies insurers can sell and eliminated many tax increases that raised money for Obama’s expansion to 20 million more people, though it retained the law’s tax boosts on high earners.</p>
<p>Besides Lee and Moran, two other GOP senators had previously declared their opposition to McConnell’s bill: moderate Maine Sen. Susan Collins and conservative Rand Paul of Kentucky.</p>
<p>And other moderates were wavering and could have been difficult for McConnell and Trump to win over because of the bill’s Medicaid cuts: Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, Cory Gardner of Colorado, Rob Portman of Ohio, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Dean Heller of Nevada, probably the most endangered Senate Republican in next year’s elections.</p>
<p>The range of objections lodged by the dissident senators underscored the warring viewpoints within his own party that McConnell had to try patching over. Lee complained that the GOP bill didn’t go far enough in rolling back Obama’s robust coverage requirements, while moderates like Collins berated its Medicaid cuts and the millions it would leave without insurance.</p>
<p>McConnell’s revised version aimed to satisfy both camps, by incorporating language by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas allowing insurers to sell skimpy plans alongside more robust ones, and by adding tens of billions of dollars to treat opioid addiction and to defray consumer costs. His efforts did not achieve the intended result.</p> | false | 1 | washington ap implosion senate republican health care bill leaves divided gop flagship legislative priority tatters confronts wounded president donald trump congressional leaders dicey decisions addressing perhaps unattainable sevenyearold promise repealing president barack obamas law two gop senators utahs mike lee jerry moran kansas sealed measures doom late monday announced would vote initial critical vote expected soon next week startling tandem announcement meant least four 52 gop senators ready block measure two majority leader mitch mcconnell rky spare face wall democratic opposition regretfully apparent effort repeal immediately replace failure obamacare successful mcconnell said late evening statement essentially waved white flag second stinging setback issue three weeks mcconnell whose reputation legislative mastermind marred hes failed unite chambers republicans behind health overhaul package thats highlighted jagged divides conservatives moderates late june abandoned initial package lacked enough gop support pass episode also jarring trump whose intermittent lobbying nebulous often contradictory descriptions hes wanted shown limited clout senators despite determination trump mcconnell house speaker paul ryan rwis demonstrate gop running white house congress govern effectively mcconnell said senate would vote measure goprun congress approved 2015 vetoed obama bill repealing much obamas statute twoyear delay designed give lawmakers time enact replacement trump embraced idea last month initial version mcconnells bill collapsed due republican divisions late monday republicans repeal failing obamacare amp work new healthcare plan start clean slate dems join trump tweeted prospects approving clean repeal bill followed work replacement legislation even trump ready sign seemed shaky trump party leaders started year embracing strategy abandon seemed incapable passing congress many republicans worried would cause insurance market political chaos uncertainty would approve substitute legislation mcconnells failed bill would left 22 million uninsured 2026 according nonpartisan congressional budget office number many republicans found unpalatable vetoed 2015 measure would even worse budget office said last january producing 32 million additional uninsured people 2026 figures seemed likely drive stake bills prospects passing congress would seem leave mcconnell option described last month negotiating senate minority leader chuck schumer dny would likely narrower package aimed keeping insurers difficult marketplaces theyre either abandoning imposing rapidly growing premiums core bill unworkable schumer said statement said republicans start scratch work democrats bill lowers premiums provides longterm stability markets improves health care system similar legislation house approved may setbacks mcconnells bill would repeal obamas tax penalties people dont buy coverage cut medicaid program poor elderly nursing home residents rolled back many statutes requirements policies insurers sell eliminated many tax increases raised money obamas expansion 20 million people though retained laws tax boosts high earners besides lee moran two gop senators previously declared opposition mcconnells bill moderate maine sen susan collins conservative rand paul kentucky moderates wavering could difficult mcconnell trump win bills medicaid cuts alaskas lisa murkowski cory gardner colorado rob portman ohio shelley moore capito west virginia dean heller nevada probably endangered senate republican next years elections range objections lodged dissident senators underscored warring viewpoints within party mcconnell try patching lee complained gop bill didnt go far enough rolling back obamas robust coverage requirements moderates like collins berated medicaid cuts millions would leave without insurance mcconnells revised version aimed satisfy camps incorporating language sen ted cruz texas allowing insurers sell skimpy plans alongside robust ones adding tens billions dollars treat opioid addiction defray consumer costs efforts achieve intended result | 544 |
<p>After MMA superstar Conor McGregor made his boxing debut on Saturday and earned the biggest purse of his career in the process, we take a look at his next possible fight options.</p>
<p>The outcome of The Money Fight against Floyd Mayweather – a 10th-round stoppage defeat – does not suggest that McGregor will give boxing a second try in the nearest future. But the Irishman is not looking to hang up his MMA gloves, despite the amount of money he made in the Mayweather megafight.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/401049-mayweather-wins-mcgregor-tko/" type="external">READ MORE:&#160;Mayweather TKOs McGregor in 10th round of The Money Fight</a></p>
<p>“Everyone is like, ‘Oh, he’s going to retire – he made so much money.’ He’s ambitious. He’s super ambitious, and he loves to fight,” his manager Audie Attar <a href="http://mmajunkie.com/2017/08/conor-mcgregor-next-fight-nate-diaz-tony-ferguson-kevin-lee-khabib-nurmagomedov-max-holloway-ufc" type="external">told</a> mmajunkie.com right after the Las Vegas fight.</p>
<p>“He loves to compete and he’s a superb professional athlete. So there’s much more of Conor McGregor that everybody will see, and we’ll see what’s next,” he added.</p>
<p>Among the options he mentioned are a possible third fight with Nate Diaz, a match-up against the winner of the interim lightweight title fight between Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee, or bouts with number one lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov and featherweight champion Max Holloway.</p>
<p>Let’s take a look at each of the options.</p>
<p>DEFENDING THE BELT</p>
<p>This is the fight that makes most sense sports-wise. The UFC organizes the interim title fight, while its champion takes a break to fight by the boxing rules and promote the company and the sport of MMA. Thinking logically, the interim lightweight champion from the announced fight between Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee should fight the reigning champion, McGregor. Yet there is no guarantee that the fight will happen. UFC head Dana White has already said that the interim champion will not necessarily face McGregor next.</p>
<p>“I don’t know, we will see,” he said answering a question on the matter.</p>
<p>The UFC, which has been considering commercial issues more and more in recent years, was sold to the William Morris Endeavor entertainment company for $4 billion in the largest franchise sale in sports history. And if the fight between the champion and interim title holder does not make sense financially for the UFC, it will host one that does.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/401310-mcgregor-forbes-list-ronaldo/" type="external">READ MORE:&#160;McGregor set to overtake Ronaldo on Forbes list 1 year after prediction</a></p>
<p>Despite the fact that Ferguson has been undefeated in his last nine fights, he still lacks popularity and has headed an event only once, when he fought Rafael Dos Anjos at Fight Night 98 in Mexico City. Similarly, Kevin Lee has a solid UFC record of nine wins and two losses, but started to make the headlines only recently. However, Lee’s outspoken nature could make him a good opponent for McGregor in the pre-fight media activities.</p>
<p>THE TRILOGY</p>
<p>The first two fights between McGregor and Nate Diaz took MMA to a completely different level of popularity. The second bout helped to break the UFC record for the highest selling pay-per-view event at that time, with 1,650,000 buys, largely because of McGregor’s ability to sell fights and make a show of every aspect of the preparation to the bout. But the fact that Diaz made the Irishman tap in the first fight, and only lost via decision in the second, keeps the story open for McGregor. With the current score seeming to favor Diaz, the two need a third fight to determine once and for all who the better fighter is. And it is that aspect that could give the fight extra media hype. Plus keeping in mind the amount of financial investment and the entertainment nature of the promotion’s new owners, the UFC will now put financial success over sporting principles.</p>
<p>“He wants that trilogy (with Diaz),” McGregor’s manager told MMAjunkie.</p>
<p>And most likely we will see the pair fight sooner or later. The only question that remains is whether the bout will be the first one after McGregor’s boxing debut or not.</p>
<p>KHABIB</p>
<p>Khabib Nuramgomedov has a huge fan base in his native Russia. Each of his public appearances in the last two years have ended up with his followers storming the events – whether it be a Reebok store or a big exhibition center. His popularity in the States seemed to be on the rise after his UFC 205 victory and famous post-fight speech. However, it took a sizeable hit following his enforced pullout from the fight with Tony Ferguson due to health issues in March, when the pair were supposed to fight for the interim title. Victory in that fight and a new rise in popularity would definitely have elevated Khabib to a position to fight McGregor for the lightweight belt.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/401060-conor-mcgregor-khabib-nurmagomedov/" type="external">READ MORE:&#160;Khabib Nurmagomedov calls for McGregor fight in December after boxing debut defeat</a></p>
<p>But the pullout, which became the third in the Russian’s UFC career, seemed to destroy his chances to face McGregor. The possible fight, however, has been brought up by McGregor himself. UFC head Dana White told reporters that the Irishman wants to fight Khabib in Russia. Hosting the UFC event in Russia would give the promotion bigger exposure worldwide, but would not necessarily be lucrative, considering the time zone differences which would destroy the chances to gain a pay-per-view income. There is also the current exchange rate between the US dollar and Russian ruble to consider, which would make entrance tickets less attractive for local spectators – unless the UFC finds local sponsors to cover the expenses. While the talk of a UFC event in Russia remains purely speculation, Nurmagomedov himself called out McGregor in the States at the UFC 219 event in Las Vegas on December 30. The ball at the moment is firmly in the Irishman’s court. We are yet to see if McGregor will ever talk about fighting Khabib again.</p>
<p>MAX HOLLOWAY</p>
<p>When McGregor and Max Holloway met for the first time in 2013, the Irishman was just on the rise and was fighting only his second UFC bout. Since the decision loss to the Dubliner, Holloway went undefeated for the next four years and as many as 11 fights. His last two fights headed pay-per-view events, where he claimed TKO victories on both occasions, first by finishing Anthony Pettis for the interim featherweight title, and then Jose Aldo to unify the UFC Featherweight Championship. Being the reigning featherweight champion with a perfect record since his last fight with McGregor and having six knockout victories makes Holloway a very exciting opponent for a possible fight. That might be one of the top options for McGregor and the UFC money-wise. Fight-wise, however, it could mean a tough opponent for the Irishman.</p> | false | 1 | mma superstar conor mcgregor made boxing debut saturday earned biggest purse career process take look next possible fight options outcome money fight floyd mayweather 10thround stoppage defeat suggest mcgregor give boxing second try nearest future irishman looking hang mma gloves despite amount money made mayweather megafight read more160mayweather tkos mcgregor 10th round money fight everyone like oh hes going retire made much money hes ambitious hes super ambitious loves fight manager audie attar told mmajunkiecom right las vegas fight loves compete hes superb professional athlete theres much conor mcgregor everybody see well see whats next added among options mentioned possible third fight nate diaz matchup winner interim lightweight title fight tony ferguson kevin lee bouts number one lightweight contender khabib nurmagomedov featherweight champion max holloway lets take look options defending belt fight makes sense sportswise ufc organizes interim title fight champion takes break fight boxing rules promote company sport mma thinking logically interim lightweight champion announced fight tony ferguson kevin lee fight reigning champion mcgregor yet guarantee fight happen ufc head dana white already said interim champion necessarily face mcgregor next dont know see said answering question matter ufc considering commercial issues recent years sold william morris endeavor entertainment company 4 billion largest franchise sale sports history fight champion interim title holder make sense financially ufc host one read more160mcgregor set overtake ronaldo forbes list 1 year prediction despite fact ferguson undefeated last nine fights still lacks popularity headed event fought rafael dos anjos fight night 98 mexico city similarly kevin lee solid ufc record nine wins two losses started make headlines recently however lees outspoken nature could make good opponent mcgregor prefight media activities trilogy first two fights mcgregor nate diaz took mma completely different level popularity second bout helped break ufc record highest selling payperview event time 1650000 buys largely mcgregors ability sell fights make show every aspect preparation bout fact diaz made irishman tap first fight lost via decision second keeps story open mcgregor current score seeming favor diaz two need third fight determine better fighter aspect could give fight extra media hype plus keeping mind amount financial investment entertainment nature promotions new owners ufc put financial success sporting principles wants trilogy diaz mcgregors manager told mmajunkie likely see pair fight sooner later question remains whether bout first one mcgregors boxing debut khabib khabib nuramgomedov huge fan base native russia public appearances last two years ended followers storming events whether reebok store big exhibition center popularity states seemed rise ufc 205 victory famous postfight speech however took sizeable hit following enforced pullout fight tony ferguson due health issues march pair supposed fight interim title victory fight new rise popularity would definitely elevated khabib position fight mcgregor lightweight belt read more160khabib nurmagomedov calls mcgregor fight december boxing debut defeat pullout became third russians ufc career seemed destroy chances face mcgregor possible fight however brought mcgregor ufc head dana white told reporters irishman wants fight khabib russia hosting ufc event russia would give promotion bigger exposure worldwide would necessarily lucrative considering time zone differences would destroy chances gain payperview income also current exchange rate us dollar russian ruble consider would make entrance tickets less attractive local spectators unless ufc finds local sponsors cover expenses talk ufc event russia remains purely speculation nurmagomedov called mcgregor states ufc 219 event las vegas december 30 ball moment firmly irishmans court yet see mcgregor ever talk fighting khabib max holloway mcgregor max holloway met first time 2013 irishman rise fighting second ufc bout since decision loss dubliner holloway went undefeated next four years many 11 fights last two fights headed payperview events claimed tko victories occasions first finishing anthony pettis interim featherweight title jose aldo unify ufc featherweight championship reigning featherweight champion perfect record since last fight mcgregor six knockout victories makes holloway exciting opponent possible fight might one top options mcgregor ufc moneywise fightwise however could mean tough opponent irishman | 648 |
<p>If you’re from Illinois, you’re accustomed to, and therefore not surprised by, politicians making questionable judgment calls. There were the attempts by the convicted and now imprisoned former governor Rod Blagojevich to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama. More recently, Senator Richard Durbin stunned observers with his religiously bigoted questioning of federal appellate-court nominee Amy Barrett, grilling the respected Notre Dame law professor and mother of seven on the exact nature and extent of her Catholic faith. “Are you an&#160;orthodox&#160;Catholic?” he asked, stricken, it seemed, at the very thought that a Catholic who genuinely embodies her faith would sit on the federal bench.</p>
<p>But last week, Republican governor Bruce Rauner took an action so shocking in its duplicity and so out of step with the views of Illinois voters that many political watchers say it has likely ended his career in electoral politics. Last week Rauner signed HB 40, a bill sponsored by Democrats in the Illinois legislature. In doing so, he created a sad bit of history: Rauner became the first U.S. governor to initiate publicly funded abortions for all state employees and for all Medicaid recipients.</p>
<p>What’s more, he approved the measure after explicitly assuring the GOP caucus, religious leaders, and a host of pro-family and pro-life organizations that he would veto it. A veto would have been popular with Democrats and Republicans alike. Polls on the question of publicly funded abortion have consistently shown that taxpayers — even those who support legal abortion — disagree with using public dollars to pay for it. A QEV Analytics poll taken in March 2017 asked Illinois registered voters: “Regardless of your personal opinion of abortion, do you favor or oppose allowing state government funding of abortion? Do you hold that opinion strongly or not strongly?” Fifty-eight percent of voters said they opposed public funding, and 50 percent opposed it “strongly,” while only 32 percent favored it and only 28 percent “strongly.” The poll’s respondents included more people who had voted for Hillary Clinton than for Donald Trump, and more Democrats than Republicans.</p>
<p>Consequently, the governor’s political future seems tenuous at best. State representative Jeanne Ives questioned what Rauner’s decision would mean for his political future. “Taxpayer funding of abortion is hugely unpopular with Illinois voters,” she tells me. “And he promised the GOP caucus he would veto this bill. He’s now made it ten times more difficult to get himself reelected — and equally difficult to get fellow Republicans to campaign with him or for him.”</p>
<p>Veteran political commentators agreed. “Governor Rauner said from the time he was a candidate that he was a fiscal conservative with no social agenda. His wife, Diana, a major Planned Parenthood donor, said they were both ‘social-justice warriors.’ One of them turned out to be a liar — and it wasn’t Diana,” says Dan Proft, a conservative Chicago-area talk-show host and former Republican gubernatorial candidate. “Rauner’s fiscal conservatism never materialized, but the radical-left social agenda did, which is why his poll numbers read like a Chicago thermometer in February.”</p>
<p>The law’s impact will likely be dramatic. From data for the previous period during which Illinois permitted Medicaid-funded abortions, it is estimated that 12,000 abortions a year will now be funded with taxpayer dollars. And the law limits neither the number of abortions a woman can have nor when in her pregnancy she can have them. These are not insignificant considerations given that a number of Illinois abortion clinics openly advertise that they perform abortions later in pregnancy. Also, half of all abortions done nationwide are now repeat procedures, according to Planned Parenthood’s own statistic.</p>
<p>For the past two decades, Illinois has ranked among the nation’s bottom ten states for Medicaid services to the developmentally or physically disabled. And the additional cost to taxpayers for free abortions for state-employee and Medicaid recipients? An estimated&#160; <a href="http://illinoisrighttolife.org/governor-rauner-goes-against-his-promises-and-announces-he-will-sign-hb40/" type="external">$1.8 to $21 million</a>&#160;— each year. Governor Rauner’s new prioritization of public funds is rather telling, and it did not go unnoticed by families who have disabled members reliant on state support. A friend of mine who has a daughter with severe disabilities was sharing with me that she can’t find a specialist to see her daughter — because she’s on Medicaid. She was completely disheartened by Rauner’s decision: “Wouldn’t it be nice if he signed a bill to pay doctors to do good?” she asked. Meanwhile, loss of state funding has forced an&#160; <a href="https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20171003/portage-park/sunshine-activity-center-closing-state-cuts-diane-kunaka-bruce-rauner-robert-martwick" type="external">activity center for disabled adults</a>&#160;in Chicago to close.</p>
<p>Why did Governor Rauner sign such a wildly unpopular bill when he promised he wouldn’t? Speculation abounds. One theory is that he’s not planning to run for reelection and that the bill was a parting favor to the abortion-advocacy groups that he and his wife support. There are those who disagree, saying he fully plans to run again but underestimated, dramatically, the reaction of the political base he betrayed, figuring they would chalk it up to “politics as usual” and forgive and forget, eventually. Others surmise that, faced with an equally abortion-supporting Democratic opponent next November, Rauner calculated that rank-and-file Republicans would have no place to go but with the party nominee and would vote for him regardless of what he had done.</p>
<p>Whatever the reason for his decision, one thing is clear: If he chooses to run again, Bruce Rauner will have a rough road ahead of him. And he will have only himself to blame.</p>
<p>— Mary Hallan FioRito is an attorney and the Cardinal Francis George Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.</p> | false | 1 | youre illinois youre accustomed therefore surprised politicians making questionable judgment calls attempts convicted imprisoned former governor rod blagojevich sell us senate seat vacated barack obama recently senator richard durbin stunned observers religiously bigoted questioning federal appellatecourt nominee amy barrett grilling respected notre dame law professor mother seven exact nature extent catholic faith an160orthodox160catholic asked stricken seemed thought catholic genuinely embodies faith would sit federal bench last week republican governor bruce rauner took action shocking duplicity step views illinois voters many political watchers say likely ended career electoral politics last week rauner signed hb 40 bill sponsored democrats illinois legislature created sad bit history rauner became first us governor initiate publicly funded abortions state employees medicaid recipients whats approved measure explicitly assuring gop caucus religious leaders host profamily prolife organizations would veto veto would popular democrats republicans alike polls question publicly funded abortion consistently shown taxpayers even support legal abortion disagree using public dollars pay qev analytics poll taken march 2017 asked illinois registered voters regardless personal opinion abortion favor oppose allowing state government funding abortion hold opinion strongly strongly fiftyeight percent voters said opposed public funding 50 percent opposed strongly 32 percent favored 28 percent strongly polls respondents included people voted hillary clinton donald trump democrats republicans consequently governors political future seems tenuous best state representative jeanne ives questioned rauners decision would mean political future taxpayer funding abortion hugely unpopular illinois voters tells promised gop caucus would veto bill hes made ten times difficult get reelected equally difficult get fellow republicans campaign veteran political commentators agreed governor rauner said time candidate fiscal conservative social agenda wife diana major planned parenthood donor said socialjustice warriors one turned liar wasnt diana says dan proft conservative chicagoarea talkshow host former republican gubernatorial candidate rauners fiscal conservatism never materialized radicalleft social agenda poll numbers read like chicago thermometer february laws impact likely dramatic data previous period illinois permitted medicaidfunded abortions estimated 12000 abortions year funded taxpayer dollars law limits neither number abortions woman pregnancy insignificant considerations given number illinois abortion clinics openly advertise perform abortions later pregnancy also half abortions done nationwide repeat procedures according planned parenthoods statistic past two decades illinois ranked among nations bottom ten states medicaid services developmentally physically disabled additional cost taxpayers free abortions stateemployee medicaid recipients estimated160 18 21 million160 year governor rauners new prioritization public funds rather telling go unnoticed families disabled members reliant state support friend mine daughter severe disabilities sharing cant find specialist see daughter shes medicaid completely disheartened rauners decision wouldnt nice signed bill pay doctors good asked meanwhile loss state funding forced an160 activity center disabled adults160in chicago close governor rauner sign wildly unpopular bill promised wouldnt speculation abounds one theory hes planning run reelection bill parting favor abortionadvocacy groups wife support disagree saying fully plans run underestimated dramatically reaction political base betrayed figuring would chalk politics usual forgive forget eventually others surmise faced equally abortionsupporting democratic opponent next november rauner calculated rankandfile republicans would place go party nominee would vote regardless done whatever reason decision one thing clear chooses run bruce rauner rough road ahead blame mary hallan fiorito attorney cardinal francis george fellow ethics public policy center | 525 |
<p>By Girish Gupta</p>
<p>CARACAS (Reuters) – Last March, Chief Justice Maikel Moreno shocked Venezuela when his Supreme Court nullified the powers of the National Assembly and transferred them to the 32-judge tribunal.</p>
<p>Even in a country used to political upheaval, the decision triggered major protests, forcing Moreno to roll back much of the move three days later.</p>
<p>But the power play illustrated Moreno’s role as enforcer for the embattled administration of President Nicolas Maduro, now branded a dictatorship by a growing number of governments, from France and the United States to South American neighbors Colombia and Peru.</p>
<p>The 51-year-old bodyguard-turned-judge and his court have overruled virtually every major law passed by the opposition-led assembly.</p>
<p>Moreno’s past, however, remains unknown even to most Venezuelans. To trace his ascent, Reuters examined documents and interviewed associates, colleagues and friends of the chief justice in five countries.</p>
<p>The picture that emerges is of a jurist who, by leveraging personal connections and handling politically sensitive cases that other lawyers and judges rejected, endeared himself to Maduro and fellow members of the late Hugo Chavez’s “Bolivarian Revolution.”</p>
<p>In his rise to Venezuela’s top judicial perch, Moreno left behind a past that includes allegations he participated in extortion and influence-peddling rackets and his arrest in 1989 on suspicions of killing a teenager, according to government documents and people familiar with his history.</p>
<p>Reuters found no evidence Moreno was ever tried or convicted of any criminal charges.</p>
<p>In a brief text-message exchange with Reuters on Nov. 7, Moreno said the allegations of jail time, long rumored in Venezuela, were “invented” by sensationalists.</p>
<p>He offered to give Reuters an interview, but then did not respond to requests to schedule one. He did not respond to additional questions by text about his career or other episodes in which he was accused of wrongdoing.</p>
<p>Neither the Supreme Court nor Maduro’s government responded to separate requests for comment.</p>
<p>Documents including a 2006 intelligence report by the Supreme Court’s security division and a high court ruling against Moreno last decade point to episodes in which Moreno was accused of being on the wrong side of the law – from the 1989 shooting to his ouster as a lower court judge in 2007 for what the high court said was the improper release of two murder suspects.</p>
<p>Opponents of the Maduro government say Moreno is instrumental in propping up an administration that is increasingly authoritarian.</p>
<p>In recent months, the top court has sentenced five opposition mayors to prison. It approved the ouster of Venezuela’s chief prosecutor, who fled the country in mid-August, joining a growing exodus of Maduro critics.</p>
<p>In May, Moreno’s court gave the green light for Maduro to proceed with the election that created the Constituent Assembly, a legislature that now supersedes the National Assembly and cemented for many the country’s tilt toward authoritarian rule. At least 125 people died in four months of protests that ensued after the court sought in March to neuter the assembly.</p>
<p>“The greatest affront to the people is to put a criminal in charge of the judicial system,” said Luis Velazquez, a former Venezuelan judge who investigated Moreno on behalf of the Supreme Court a decade before Maduro appointed Moreno to run the top bench.</p>
<p>During his investigation, Velazquez says he found an arrest record for Moreno after the 1989 shooting death of the teen and investigated a phone call in which another judge in a separate case recorded Moreno allegedly pressuring him to release a suspected arms and drug trafficker.</p>
<p>The chief justice is not the first senior Venezuelan official to be accused of abuse of power.</p>
<p>The U.S. government earlier this year accused Vice President Tareck El Aissami of drug trafficking. It sanctioned Maduro himself for having “deliberately and repeatedly abused the rights of citizens” with repressive tactics. And it sanctioned Moreno and seven other Supreme Court justices for allegedly usurping the legislature and “restricting the rights and thwarting the will of the Venezuelan people.”</p>
<p>Venezuela’s government has dismissed the accusations and criticized the sanctions, which bar Americans from engaging in business with any of the officials and freezes any assets the officials may have in U.S. jurisdictions.</p>
<p>El Aissami, the vice president, denied ties to the drug trade and slammed the United States on Twitter for “miserable provocations” and “vile aggression.”</p>
<p>Under Chavez and now Maduro, the economy has cratered and social stability has ruptured in a country that was once one of Latin America’s most prosperous and still boasts the world’s largest proven oil reserves.</p>
<p>After an October vote in which Maduro’s Socialist party candidates swept a majority of gubernatorial elections, the president dismissed accusations of fraud and defended the legitimacy of his government.</p>
<p>“I am not a dictator,” Maduro said. “I have a moustache and look like Stalin, but I’m not him.”</p>
<p>A HOMICIDE “RESOLVED”</p>
<p>Little in the public record exists about Moreno’s youth. He was born on New Year’s Eve, 1965, in the eastern city of El Tigre, according to public tax and electoral documents.</p>
<p>In the late 1980s, court, intelligence and newspaper records show he worked as a bodyguard for then-President Carlos Andres Perez. It is not clear how he became a bodyguard or joined the president’s security detail.</p>
<p>That era in Venezuela, marked by food shortages and high inflation similar to the conditions roiling the country now, set the stage for the eventual entry of Chavez, a disgruntled leftist Army officer, into power.</p>
<p>With anger and hardship mounting, riots erupted in 1989. Hundreds of people died.</p>
<p>On the evening of April 26, Moreno and two other Perez bodyguards were in Parque Central, a working-class neighborhood of Caracas, the capital, according to an account two days later in El Nacional, a national newspaper.</p>
<p>For reasons that are not clear, a brawl broke out. Ruben Gil, a 19-year-old student, entered the fray with a baseball bat, the newspaper said. The bodyguards opened fire, shooting Gil dead.</p>
<p>“Presidential Bodyguards Kill Youth,” read the front-page headline, above a picture of Gil’s weeping mother, Carmen Romelia Marquez de Gomez.</p>
<p>Police arrested Moreno, according to the newspaper account, people familiar with the incident and an intelligence report prepared a decade ago by the security division of Venezuela’s Supreme Court. A mugshot from his arrest, included in the report and dated the week after the killing, shows Moreno was arrested for “homicide.”</p>
<p>The Supreme Court commissioned the report, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters, in 2006. The 32-member court was already aligned with the leftist government by then, because of appointments made by Chavez, but several judges there had begun to question Moreno’s rulings as a lower court judge.</p>
<p>The report, which has never before been made public, was signed by Luis Enrique Villoria Garcia, director general of the court’s security division at the time.</p>
<p>Reuters was unable to reach Villoria to discuss the report.</p>
<p>One page appears to be missing from the 19-page copy reviewed by Reuters.</p>
<p>But details from the report regarding the homicide and Moreno’s removal from the bench in 2007 were independently verified by people familiar with its contents. Those people include one senior government official, three former Supreme Court judges and three former senior intelligence officials.</p>
<p>Important details about the homicide and Moreno’s arrest remain unclear. Notably, Reuters was unable to find a paper trail documenting whether Moreno was tried, sentenced or imprisoned.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court report says he was jailed until sometime in 1990, and cites a criminal case number for a homicide charge against him, 522755, but Reuters could not find any files associated with the case.</p>
<p>A security guard at Lebrun, a central judicial archive in Caracas, would not grant Reuters access to records there. The Supreme Court did not respond to requests seeking permission to search the archive.</p>
<p>Gil’s mother died a decade ago, according to people close to the family.</p>
<p>Two people close to Gil told Reuters that witnesses and family members at the time of the brawl said Moreno fired the shot that killed the 19-year-old. These people, who requested anonymity, saying they were afraid of reprisals, said Gil had been a gang member and that an existing, but unspecified rivalry with Moreno had sparked the brawl.</p>
<p>One person, who says he saw Gil’s body in a Caracas morgue, said the young man was shot in the back. Gil’s death certificate, reviewed by Reuters, cites gunshot as the cause of death.</p>
<p>Three people close to the family said legal proceedings followed Gil’s death, but none of them knew what became of the case. “I have wanted to denounce him for years, but I have been too scared,” one of these people said.</p>
<p>Moreno has never publicly denied, confirmed or discussed shooting Gil.</p>
<p>He told friends and colleagues the killing was in self-defense, according to a person close to Moreno who spoke on condition of anonymity. Another person, who also asked not to be named, told Reuters that Moreno said any fallout from the killing had been “resolved.”</p>
<p>At some point in 1990, according to the intelligence report, Moreno was released from jail. It said he had received “an illegally granted procedural benefit” but gave no further details about his release.</p>
<p>In the text exchange with Reuters, Moreno disputed the assertion of jail time, saying it and the other details from the report “are not true either.” He did not clarify or directly address other specifics from the report.</p>
<p>“POLITICAL CASES”</p>
<p>Once free, Moreno pursued a law degree at Santa Maria University, in Caracas. He worked as a bailiff while he studied, according to his official biography.</p>
<p>While Moreno studied, Chavez in 1992 led a failed coup attempt against Perez’s increasingly unpopular government. Chavez was jailed, but freed in 1994 thanks to the work of Cilia Flores, a firebrand attorney fond of leftist causes.</p>
<p>In the next decade, Flores became a close aide of Chavez and the head of the National Assembly. She was also a friend of Moreno. It is not clear how she knew him, but Flores years before had also studied law at Santa Maria.</p>
<p>The government did not respond to Reuters requests to speak with Flores. Reuters could not reach her outside government channels.</p>
<p>Completing his law degree in 1995, Moreno worked for two years as an attorney before taking a job as a legal advisor at Corporacion Alas de Venezuela C.A., a holding company for Venezuelan airline Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela.</p>
<p>By that time, Chavez had won increasing support from working-class Venezuelans and was on track to win the 1998 presidential election. Moreno was already bragging about his close ties to Flores and other ascendant Chavistas.</p>
<p>“He made sure everyone knew about that relationship,” said Nelson Ramiz, who owned Aeropostal but gave up control of the airline and moved to Miami in 2007 after a dispute with regulators.</p>
<p>After three years at the airline, Moreno worked as a legal advisor to the metropolitan police in Sucre, a district of Caracas. He also began advising the National Assembly and became an auxiliary judge for a district in the country’s northeast.</p>
<p>For the rest of the 1990s, Moreno alternated between work as an attorney and judge, sometimes wearing both hats at nearly the same time.</p>
<p>It is not unusual for some attorneys in Venezuela to also work as judges. But Moreno’s choice of cases sometimes created what critics saw as conflicts of interest. In one episode, he defended a suspect in a high-profile homicide trial and later, as judge, heard related charges against another suspect.</p>
<p>Both cases stemmed from shooting deaths that occurred during a short-lived coup against Chavez in April 2002.</p>
<p>During the coup, gunfire erupted as opposition supporters marched toward Miraflores Palace, seat of the presidency. Witnesses later said they saw rooftop snipers, gunmen on a bridge and gun-wielding police officers during the shooting.</p>
<p>By the time the violence ended, 19 people were dead.</p>
<p>Basic facts of the event, which fueled years of controversy and trials, are still disputed by critics and supporters of the Chavez and Maduro governments.</p>
<p>Richard Penalver, a government supporter accused of being one of the shooters, hired Moreno as his defense lawyer. In 2003, Moreno secured Penalver’s acquittal, a victory for the pro-government camp.</p>
<p>Shortly thereafter, this time as pre-trial judge, Moreno agreed to hear whether a case should proceed against Ivan Simonovis, a former Caracas police commissioner who faced charges related to four of the deaths.</p>
<p>Government opponents argued that the charges were manipulated and that Simonovis was being made a scapegoat. They also perceived a conflict for Moreno because of his recent role in clearing Penalver.</p>
<p>Although the defense asked Moreno to recuse himself, according to one of the attorneys and a Simonovis family member, Moreno refused. He sent the case to trial, where Simonovis was convicted the following year and sentenced to 30 years in prison.</p>
<p>Simonovis, now serving time under house arrest because of an illness, is not allowed under the terms of his sentence to discuss the case with Reuters.</p>
<p>Few other judges were willing to hear such a polarizing case.</p>
<p>“None of us wanted to take on political cases,” one former Supreme Court justice told Reuters. “Maikel did, though, to ingratiate himself” with the Chavez government.</p>
<p>At the time, Moreno was getting ever closer to crucial powerbrokers, especially Flores and her longtime boyfriend – Chavez’s confidante and future successor, Maduro. The judge and the power couple grew to have regular contact, the former justice said.</p>
<p>Moreno began throwing his weight around with other judges.</p>
<p>In 2004, Caracas judge Luis Melendez recorded a telephone conversation in which Moreno said he was phoning at the behest of Jose Vicente Rangel, Venezuela’s vice president at the time. Disturbed by a prior call from Moreno, Melendez taped the follow-up conversation and gave the recording to internal inspectors of the national judiciary.</p>
<p>In the recording, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters, Moreno is heard pressuring Melendez to release Saul Cordero, a suspected criminal charged at the time with drug and arms trafficking. Reuters also reviewed a transcript of the call printed on Supreme Court letterhead during its investigation of Moreno in 2006.</p>
<p>“The important thing is for him to be out,” Moreno told Melendez. “Do what needs to be done.”</p>
<p>The senior government official and one other person familiar with the recording said it was authentic.</p>
<p>It is not clear whether Melendez released Cordero. But Cordero was never tried on the charges and eventually was named a police chief by a pro-government mayor in the municipality of Caroni.</p>
<p>Reuters could not reach Cordero, Melendez or Rangel for comment.</p>
<p>“GRAVE AND INEXCUSABLE ERRORS”</p>
<p>By 2006, word of the phone call and of Moreno’s controversial role in the 2002 shooting trials was increasingly well-known in judicial circles, according to several judges, attorneys and other officials active at the time. The Supreme Court ordered its security division to investigate.</p>
<p>The resulting intelligence report unearthed allegations that helped derail Moreno’s first stint as a judge.</p>
<p>The report, for instance, held that Moreno’s efforts to affect judicial outcomes went beyond pressuring colleagues. It cited testimony by numerous witnesses alleging Moreno took part in an extortion ring — known as “Los Enanos,” or “the Dwarves” — that secured payments from defendants in exchange for lenient sentences or acquittals.</p>
<p>Moreno was never charged for anything related to the alleged extortion. But his behavior, the report warned, was a threat to the courts, to Chavez and to “the revolution.”</p>
<p>In 2007, the Supreme Court found Moreno in contempt of the tribunal and defrocked him as an appeals court judge. Citing “grave and inexcusable errors,” the high court found Moreno had improperly released two murder suspects, according to its ruling.</p>
<p>Reuters could not determine on what grounds Moreno had released the two suspects.</p>
<p>Despite his ouster, Moreno remained calm, according to people who spoke with him at the time. Allies like Maduro, whom Chavez had just named foreign minister, would help him.</p>
<p>“Maduro and Cilia will protect me,” Moreno told Ramiz, according to the former airline owner’s recollection of a conversation with Moreno shortly after the dismissal. The two had remained friendly after Moreno left Aeropostal.</p>
<p>Almost immediately, Maduro sent Moreno to a diplomatic post in Rome. After a year, Maduro sent Moreno to Trinidad and Tobago, a Caribbean country much closer to home, where he held a commercial post with the Venezuelan embassy until 2010.</p>
<p>Moreno then returned to Caracas and studied for a doctorate.</p>
<p>Chavez, stricken by cancer, died in March 2013. Maduro, by then vice president, succeeded Chavez the following month. Weeks later, he married Flores, making her first lady.</p>
<p>With his allies firmly in power, Moreno revived a judicial career that three senior judges said would have remained moribund without such connections, given Moreno’s arrest in the 1989 killing and his later ouster from the court system.</p>
<p>The country’s 1999 constitution, rewritten by Chavez, stipulates the head of the Supreme Court be of “good repute.”</p>
<p>In 2014, Maduro named Moreno, with a fresh doctorate in constitutional law, to the top court.</p>
<p>Since then, Moreno’s influence has only grown.</p>
<p>In February 2017, Maduro named him chief justice, outraging critics, including Gabriela Ramirez, the national ombudsman at the time. Ramirez unsuccessfully sought to derail the appointment, citing to senior officials Moreno’s ouster from the appeals court.</p>
<p>Under Moreno as chief justice, the court proceeded to dismiss every legal challenge to Maduro’s authority that has reached the bench.</p> | false | 1 | girish gupta caracas reuters last march chief justice maikel moreno shocked venezuela supreme court nullified powers national assembly transferred 32judge tribunal even country used political upheaval decision triggered major protests forcing moreno roll back much move three days later power play illustrated morenos role enforcer embattled administration president nicolas maduro branded dictatorship growing number governments france united states south american neighbors colombia peru 51yearold bodyguardturnedjudge court overruled virtually every major law passed oppositionled assembly morenos past however remains unknown even venezuelans trace ascent reuters examined documents interviewed associates colleagues friends chief justice five countries picture emerges jurist leveraging personal connections handling politically sensitive cases lawyers judges rejected endeared maduro fellow members late hugo chavezs bolivarian revolution rise venezuelas top judicial perch moreno left behind past includes allegations participated extortion influencepeddling rackets arrest 1989 suspicions killing teenager according government documents people familiar history reuters found evidence moreno ever tried convicted criminal charges brief textmessage exchange reuters nov 7 moreno said allegations jail time long rumored venezuela invented sensationalists offered give reuters interview respond requests schedule one respond additional questions text career episodes accused wrongdoing neither supreme court maduros government responded separate requests comment documents including 2006 intelligence report supreme courts security division high court ruling moreno last decade point episodes moreno accused wrong side law 1989 shooting ouster lower court judge 2007 high court said improper release two murder suspects opponents maduro government say moreno instrumental propping administration increasingly authoritarian recent months top court sentenced five opposition mayors prison approved ouster venezuelas chief prosecutor fled country midaugust joining growing exodus maduro critics may morenos court gave green light maduro proceed election created constituent assembly legislature supersedes national assembly cemented many countrys tilt toward authoritarian rule least 125 people died four months protests ensued court sought march neuter assembly greatest affront people put criminal charge judicial system said luis velazquez former venezuelan judge investigated moreno behalf supreme court decade maduro appointed moreno run top bench investigation velazquez says found arrest record moreno 1989 shooting death teen investigated phone call another judge separate case recorded moreno allegedly pressuring release suspected arms drug trafficker chief justice first senior venezuelan official accused abuse power us government earlier year accused vice president tareck el aissami drug trafficking sanctioned maduro deliberately repeatedly abused rights citizens repressive tactics sanctioned moreno seven supreme court justices allegedly usurping legislature restricting rights thwarting venezuelan people venezuelas government dismissed accusations criticized sanctions bar americans engaging business officials freezes assets officials may us jurisdictions el aissami vice president denied ties drug trade slammed united states twitter miserable provocations vile aggression chavez maduro economy cratered social stability ruptured country one latin americas prosperous still boasts worlds largest proven oil reserves october vote maduros socialist party candidates swept majority gubernatorial elections president dismissed accusations fraud defended legitimacy government dictator maduro said moustache look like stalin im homicide resolved little public record exists morenos youth born new years eve 1965 eastern city el tigre according public tax electoral documents late 1980s court intelligence newspaper records show worked bodyguard thenpresident carlos andres perez clear became bodyguard joined presidents security detail era venezuela marked food shortages high inflation similar conditions roiling country set stage eventual entry chavez disgruntled leftist army officer power anger hardship mounting riots erupted 1989 hundreds people died evening april 26 moreno two perez bodyguards parque central workingclass neighborhood caracas capital according account two days later el nacional national newspaper reasons clear brawl broke ruben gil 19yearold student entered fray baseball bat newspaper said bodyguards opened fire shooting gil dead presidential bodyguards kill youth read frontpage headline picture gils weeping mother carmen romelia marquez de gomez police arrested moreno according newspaper account people familiar incident intelligence report prepared decade ago security division venezuelas supreme court mugshot arrest included report dated week killing shows moreno arrested homicide supreme court commissioned report copy reviewed reuters 2006 32member court already aligned leftist government appointments made chavez several judges begun question morenos rulings lower court judge report never made public signed luis enrique villoria garcia director general courts security division time reuters unable reach villoria discuss report one page appears missing 19page copy reviewed reuters details report regarding homicide morenos removal bench 2007 independently verified people familiar contents people include one senior government official three former supreme court judges three former senior intelligence officials important details homicide morenos arrest remain unclear notably reuters unable find paper trail documenting whether moreno tried sentenced imprisoned supreme court report says jailed sometime 1990 cites criminal case number homicide charge 522755 reuters could find files associated case security guard lebrun central judicial archive caracas would grant reuters access records supreme court respond requests seeking permission search archive gils mother died decade ago according people close family two people close gil told reuters witnesses family members time brawl said moreno fired shot killed 19yearold people requested anonymity saying afraid reprisals said gil gang member existing unspecified rivalry moreno sparked brawl one person says saw gils body caracas morgue said young man shot back gils death certificate reviewed reuters cites gunshot cause death three people close family said legal proceedings followed gils death none knew became case wanted denounce years scared one people said moreno never publicly denied confirmed discussed shooting gil told friends colleagues killing selfdefense according person close moreno spoke condition anonymity another person also asked named told reuters moreno said fallout killing resolved point 1990 according intelligence report moreno released jail said received illegally granted procedural benefit gave details release text exchange reuters moreno disputed assertion jail time saying details report true either clarify directly address specifics report political cases free moreno pursued law degree santa maria university caracas worked bailiff studied according official biography moreno studied chavez 1992 led failed coup attempt perezs increasingly unpopular government chavez jailed freed 1994 thanks work cilia flores firebrand attorney fond leftist causes next decade flores became close aide chavez head national assembly also friend moreno clear knew flores years also studied law santa maria government respond reuters requests speak flores reuters could reach outside government channels completing law degree 1995 moreno worked two years attorney taking job legal advisor corporacion alas de venezuela ca holding company venezuelan airline aeropostal alas de venezuela time chavez increasing support workingclass venezuelans track win 1998 presidential election moreno already bragging close ties flores ascendant chavistas made sure everyone knew relationship said nelson ramiz owned aeropostal gave control airline moved miami 2007 dispute regulators three years airline moreno worked legal advisor metropolitan police sucre district caracas also began advising national assembly became auxiliary judge district countrys northeast rest 1990s moreno alternated work attorney judge sometimes wearing hats nearly time unusual attorneys venezuela also work judges morenos choice cases sometimes created critics saw conflicts interest one episode defended suspect highprofile homicide trial later judge heard related charges another suspect cases stemmed shooting deaths occurred shortlived coup chavez april 2002 coup gunfire erupted opposition supporters marched toward miraflores palace seat presidency witnesses later said saw rooftop snipers gunmen bridge gunwielding police officers shooting time violence ended 19 people dead basic facts event fueled years controversy trials still disputed critics supporters chavez maduro governments richard penalver government supporter accused one shooters hired moreno defense lawyer 2003 moreno secured penalvers acquittal victory progovernment camp shortly thereafter time pretrial judge moreno agreed hear whether case proceed ivan simonovis former caracas police commissioner faced charges related four deaths government opponents argued charges manipulated simonovis made scapegoat also perceived conflict moreno recent role clearing penalver although defense asked moreno recuse according one attorneys simonovis family member moreno refused sent case trial simonovis convicted following year sentenced 30 years prison simonovis serving time house arrest illness allowed terms sentence discuss case reuters judges willing hear polarizing case none us wanted take political cases one former supreme court justice told reuters maikel though ingratiate chavez government time moreno getting ever closer crucial powerbrokers especially flores longtime boyfriend chavezs confidante future successor maduro judge power couple grew regular contact former justice said moreno began throwing weight around judges 2004 caracas judge luis melendez recorded telephone conversation moreno said phoning behest jose vicente rangel venezuelas vice president time disturbed prior call moreno melendez taped followup conversation gave recording internal inspectors national judiciary recording copy reviewed reuters moreno heard pressuring melendez release saul cordero suspected criminal charged time drug arms trafficking reuters also reviewed transcript call printed supreme court letterhead investigation moreno 2006 important thing moreno told melendez needs done senior government official one person familiar recording said authentic clear whether melendez released cordero cordero never tried charges eventually named police chief progovernment mayor municipality caroni reuters could reach cordero melendez rangel comment grave inexcusable errors 2006 word phone call morenos controversial role 2002 shooting trials increasingly wellknown judicial circles according several judges attorneys officials active time supreme court ordered security division investigate resulting intelligence report unearthed allegations helped derail morenos first stint judge report instance held morenos efforts affect judicial outcomes went beyond pressuring colleagues cited testimony numerous witnesses alleging moreno took part extortion ring known los enanos dwarves secured payments defendants exchange lenient sentences acquittals moreno never charged anything related alleged extortion behavior report warned threat courts chavez revolution 2007 supreme court found moreno contempt tribunal defrocked appeals court judge citing grave inexcusable errors high court found moreno improperly released two murder suspects according ruling reuters could determine grounds moreno released two suspects despite ouster moreno remained calm according people spoke time allies like maduro chavez named foreign minister would help maduro cilia protect moreno told ramiz according former airline owners recollection conversation moreno shortly dismissal two remained friendly moreno left aeropostal almost immediately maduro sent moreno diplomatic post rome year maduro sent moreno trinidad tobago caribbean country much closer home held commercial post venezuelan embassy 2010 moreno returned caracas studied doctorate chavez stricken cancer died march 2013 maduro vice president succeeded chavez following month weeks later married flores making first lady allies firmly power moreno revived judicial career three senior judges said would remained moribund without connections given morenos arrest 1989 killing later ouster court system countrys 1999 constitution rewritten chavez stipulates head supreme court good repute 2014 maduro named moreno fresh doctorate constitutional law top court since morenos influence grown february 2017 maduro named chief justice outraging critics including gabriela ramirez national ombudsman time ramirez unsuccessfully sought derail appointment citing senior officials morenos ouster appeals court moreno chief justice court proceeded dismiss every legal challenge maduros authority reached bench | 1,732 |
<p>NEW YORK (AP) — For the first time, researchers have used the cloning method that produced Dolly the sheep to create two healthy monkeys, bringing science an important step closer to being able to do the same with humans.</p>
<p>Since Dolly's birth in 1996, scientists have cloned nearly two dozen kinds of mammals, including dogs, cats, pigs, cows and polo ponies, and have also created human embryos with this method. But until now, they have been unable to make babies this way in primates, the category that includes monkeys, apes and people.</p>
<p>"The barrier of cloning primate species is now overcome," declared Muming Poo of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai.</p>
<p>He and colleagues announced their success with macaques in a paper released Wednesday by the journal Cell. The female baby monkeys, about 7 and 8 weeks old, are named Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua.</p>
<p>"It's been a long road," said one scientist who tried and failed to make monkeys and was not involved in the new research, Shoukhrat Mitalipov of Oregon Health &amp; Science University. "Finally, they did it."</p>
<p>In principle, Poo said, the feat means humans can be cloned. But he said his team has no intention of doing that. Mainstream scientists generally oppose making human babies by cloning, and Poo said society would ban it for ethical reasons.</p>
<p>Instead, he said, the goal is to create lots of genetically identical monkeys for use in medical research, where they would be particularly valuable because they are more like humans than other lab animals such as mice or rats.</p>
<p>The process is still very inefficient — it took 127 eggs to get the two babies — and so far it has succeeded only by starting with a monkey fetus. The scientists failed to produce healthy babies from an adult monkey, though they are still trying. Dolly caused a sensation because she was the first mammal cloned from an adult.</p>
<p>The procedure was technically challenging. Essentially, the Chinese scientists removed the DNA-containing nucleus from monkey eggs and replaced it with DNA from the monkey fetus. These reconstituted eggs grew and divided, finally becoming an early embryo, which was then placed into female monkeys to grow to birth.</p>
<p>The scientists implanted 79 embryos to produce the two babies. Still, the approach succeeded where others had failed. Poo said that was because of improvements in lab techniques and because researchers added two substances that helped reprogram the DNA from the fetus. That let the DNA abandon its job in the fetus, which involves things like helping to make collagen, and take on the new task of creating an entire monkey.</p>
<p>The Chinese researchers said cloning of fetal cells could be combined with gene editing techniques to produce large numbers of monkeys with certain genetic defects that cause disease in people. The animals could then be used to study such diseases and test treatments. The researchers said their initial targets will be Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.</p>
<p>Mitalipov, noting the Chinese failed to produce healthy babies from adult cells, said he suspects attempts to clone babies from a human adult would also fail. "I don't think it would be advisable to anyone to even think about it," he said.</p>
<p>Jose Cibelli, a scientist at Michigan State University, said it might be technically possible someday, but "criminal" to try now because of the suffering caused by the many lost pregnancies the process entails.</p>
<p>If the procedure became efficient enough in monkeys, he said, society could face "a big ethical dilemma" over whether to adapt it for humans. The key step of transferring DNA might be combined with gene editing to correct genetic disorders in embryos, allowing healthy babies to be born, he said.</p>
<p>Of course, the familiar image of human cloning involves making a copy of someone already born. That might be possible someday, but "I don't think it should be pursued," said researcher Dieter Egli of Columbia University. "I can't think of a strong benefit."</p>
<p>Henry Greely, a Stanford University law professor who specializes in the implications of biomedical technologies, said the strongest argument he can think of would be the desire of grieving parents to produce a genetic duplicate of a dead child. But he doubts that's a compelling enough reason to undertake the extensive and costly effort needed to get such a procedure approved, at least for "decades and decades."</p>
<p>Marcy Darnovsky, executive director of the Center for Genetics and Society in Berkeley, California, called it unethical to subject that new child to "the psychological and emotional risks of living under the shadow of its genetic predecessor." Human cloning could also require many women to donate eggs and to serve as surrogates, she said.</p>
<p>At the moment, because of safety concerns, federal regulators in the U.S. would not allow making a human baby by cloning, and international scientific groups also oppose it, said biomedical ethics expert Insoo Hyun of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.</p>
<p>People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals condemned the monkey-cloning experiments.</p>
<p>"Cloning is a horror show: a waste of lives, time and money — and the suffering that such experiments cause is unimaginable," PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo said in a statement. "Because cloning has a failure rate of at least 90 percent, these two monkeys represent misery and death on an enormous scale."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Dake Kang in Beijing contributed to this story.</p> | false | 1 | new york ap first time researchers used cloning method produced dolly sheep create two healthy monkeys bringing science important step closer able humans since dollys birth 1996 scientists cloned nearly two dozen kinds mammals including dogs cats pigs cows polo ponies also created human embryos method unable make babies way primates category includes monkeys apes people barrier cloning primate species overcome declared muming poo chinese academy sciences shanghai colleagues announced success macaques paper released wednesday journal cell female baby monkeys 7 8 weeks old named zhong zhong hua hua long road said one scientist tried failed make monkeys involved new research shoukhrat mitalipov oregon health amp science university finally principle poo said feat means humans cloned said team intention mainstream scientists generally oppose making human babies cloning poo said society would ban ethical reasons instead said goal create lots genetically identical monkeys use medical research would particularly valuable like humans lab animals mice rats process still inefficient took 127 eggs get two babies far succeeded starting monkey fetus scientists failed produce healthy babies adult monkey though still trying dolly caused sensation first mammal cloned adult procedure technically challenging essentially chinese scientists removed dnacontaining nucleus monkey eggs replaced dna monkey fetus reconstituted eggs grew divided finally becoming early embryo placed female monkeys grow birth scientists implanted 79 embryos produce two babies still approach succeeded others failed poo said improvements lab techniques researchers added two substances helped reprogram dna fetus let dna abandon job fetus involves things like helping make collagen take new task creating entire monkey chinese researchers said cloning fetal cells could combined gene editing techniques produce large numbers monkeys certain genetic defects cause disease people animals could used study diseases test treatments researchers said initial targets alzheimers parkinsons mitalipov noting chinese failed produce healthy babies adult cells said suspects attempts clone babies human adult would also fail dont think would advisable anyone even think said jose cibelli scientist michigan state university said might technically possible someday criminal try suffering caused many lost pregnancies process entails procedure became efficient enough monkeys said society could face big ethical dilemma whether adapt humans key step transferring dna might combined gene editing correct genetic disorders embryos allowing healthy babies born said course familiar image human cloning involves making copy someone already born might possible someday dont think pursued said researcher dieter egli columbia university cant think strong benefit henry greely stanford university law professor specializes implications biomedical technologies said strongest argument think would desire grieving parents produce genetic duplicate dead child doubts thats compelling enough reason undertake extensive costly effort needed get procedure approved least decades decades marcy darnovsky executive director center genetics society berkeley california called unethical subject new child psychological emotional risks living shadow genetic predecessor human cloning could also require many women donate eggs serve surrogates said moment safety concerns federal regulators us would allow making human baby cloning international scientific groups also oppose said biomedical ethics expert insoo hyun case western reserve university cleveland people ethical treatment animals condemned monkeycloning experiments cloning horror show waste lives time money suffering experiments cause unimaginable peta senior vice president kathy guillermo said statement cloning failure rate least 90 percent two monkeys represent misery death enormous scale ___ associated press writer dake kang beijing contributed story | 543 |
<p>From America's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement to extreme weather trends, Mother Nature took a toll in 2017.</p>
<p>But in case you missed it the first time around, here are five environmental issues that stormed American consciousness in the past year.</p>
<p>#1: The United States withdraws from the Paris Agreement</p>
<p>In June, President Trump reversed years of domestic environmental policy when he announced during a press conference that the U.S. would no longer participate in the 2015 Paris Agreement, an international framework that united nearly 200 countries in the global fight against climate change.</p>
<p>Among the reasons for initiating the withdrawal, the 45th commander-in-chief cited American workers, saying that the pact unfairly advantaged foreign countries.</p>
<p>Though the State Department officially has since notified the United Nations of the country's withdrawal, the end is far from near. Because former President Obama already signed the international agreement, the U.S. is subjected to certain terms of the deal, meaning that the earliest any country could withdraw from the accord is November 4, 2020.</p>
<p>#2: Extreme weather</p>
<p>From Houston to Puerto Rico, 2017 marked a year of fierce hurricanes across the country. And while the storms have passed, local communities are still expected to grapple with their effects long after the New Year.</p>
<p>"In the U.S. alone, it's been estimated almost half a trillion dollars worth of property damage alone," said Dr. Paul Salaman, CEO of Rainforest Trust. "Millions of American families have been impacted, hundreds of lives have been lost."</p>
<p>Some <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/accuweather-predicts-hurricane-harvey-to-be-more-costly-than-katrina-sandy-combined/70002597" type="external">weather experts</a>, in fact, believe that Hurricane Harvey could be the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, coming in at more than $190 billion. That prediction surpasses deadly Hurricane Katrina, which is estimated to have cost $160 billion, according to the <a href="https://www.cedim.de/download/FDA_Harvey_2017_report1.pdf" type="external">Center for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction.</a></p>
<p>And besides bearing unprecedented economic consequences, the human toll continues to be widespread as well, especially in Puerto Rico. Before Hurricane Maria ransacked the U.S. jurisdiction in September, Puerto Rico was already struggling from a failing economy and dilapidated infrastructure. Officials recently warned that the island may not have its power fully restored until May 2018, leaving many of its most vulnerable residents -- such as the elderly and sick -- forced to improvise without electricity for months on end.</p>
<p>But hurricanes weren't the only examples of extreme weather this year. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2017 is set to be among the three hottest years on record. Salaman said that's particularly alarming, since 2017 didn't have an "El Nino" episode.</p>
<p>#3: Wildfires</p>
<p>Wildfires ripped across northern and southern California in 2017.</p>
<p>"At the moment, we're in the midst of the largest forest fire in California's history, ongoing at the moment, devastating many communities," Salaman said.</p>
<p>Salaman is referring to the Thomas Fire that ignited in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Firefighters have gained nearly <a href="http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1922" type="external">total containment of California's largest-ever fire</a>, and evacuation orders have since been lifted.</p>
<p>Now, communities must deal with the massive destruction left behind. The wildfire, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/23/thomas-fire-now-ranks-as-largest-ever-wildfire-in-california-history.html" type="external">according to CNBC</a>, charred at least 273,400 acres. That's more than 427 square miles, and slightly more than the previous record of 273,246 acres charred in the 2003 Cedar blaze in San Diego. The flames were indiscriminate, burning mobile homes and middle-class neighborhoods as well as multimillion-dollar estates.</p>
<p>The Thomas Fire is the second wildfire to rock California in recent months. In October, blazes in and around Napa Valley -- known for its wine vineyards -- caused at least $1 billion in damage to insured property, destroying nearly 6,000 homes and businesses. But that's not all: air quality suffered too, leading to some of the worst air pollution ever recorded in the area.</p>
<p>#4: Wildlife protections</p>
<p>The world's largest land mammal stormed headlines in November after the Fish and Wildlife Service lifted an Obama-era ban on importing elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia.</p>
<p>Vehement opposition almost immediately followed. Congressional leaders and conservationists say poaching harms the declining elephant population, and also helps fund terrorist organizations abroad. But backers of the ban's lifting argue the opposite, saying that trophy hunting and expensive safari fees generate income that goes back to the communities that live near the animals, creating an incentive for them to protect the wildlife.</p>
<p>One day after the announcement, Trump said he would delay the lifting of the ban until all the facts were reviewed.</p>
<p>#5: Scaling back national monuments</p>
<p>Upon entering the Oval Office, Trump signed an executive order directing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to review 27 national monuments that were created under the Antiquities Act, which gives the president authority to safeguard federal lands and waters under threat.</p>
<p>In a follow-up September report, Zinke recommended that Trump modify nearly a dozen national monuments in places like Utah, Nevada and Maine. That process officially began in early December when Trump scaled back two monuments in Utah, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, by some two million acres.</p>
<p>"And that is why I’m here today: Because some people think that the natural resources of Utah should be controlled by a small handful of very distant bureaucrats located in Washington," Trump said during a speech in Utah. "And guess what? They’re wrong."</p>
<p>The decision to scale back the monuments riled up local community leaders, as well as environmentalists, who argue that the sacred land must be protected from oil and gas extraction, as well as other commercial activities.</p>
<p>Following the announcement, outdoor retail company Patagonia, as well as Native American tribes vowed to take legal action, meaning the issue could be revisited in 2018.</p>
<p>Check out Circa's full coverage of these environmental events:trel <a href="" type="internal">Companies from Tesla to Disney pledge their allegiance to Mother Earth, not the government</a> <a href="" type="internal">Maria wiped out 80% of Puerto Rico’s crops. This farmer is keeping things in perspective.</a> <a href="" type="internal">These before and after photos of the California wildfires show extreme devastation</a></p> | false | 1 | americas withdrawal paris agreement extreme weather trends mother nature took toll 2017 case missed first time around five environmental issues stormed american consciousness past year 1 united states withdraws paris agreement june president trump reversed years domestic environmental policy announced press conference us would longer participate 2015 paris agreement international framework united nearly 200 countries global fight climate change among reasons initiating withdrawal 45th commanderinchief cited american workers saying pact unfairly advantaged foreign countries though state department officially since notified united nations countrys withdrawal end far near former president obama already signed international agreement us subjected certain terms deal meaning earliest country could withdraw accord november 4 2020 2 extreme weather houston puerto rico 2017 marked year fierce hurricanes across country storms passed local communities still expected grapple effects long new year us alone estimated almost half trillion dollars worth property damage alone said dr paul salaman ceo rainforest trust millions american families impacted hundreds lives lost weather experts fact believe hurricane harvey could costliest natural disaster us history coming 190 billion prediction surpasses deadly hurricane katrina estimated cost 160 billion according center disaster management risk reduction besides bearing unprecedented economic consequences human toll continues widespread well especially puerto rico hurricane maria ransacked us jurisdiction september puerto rico already struggling failing economy dilapidated infrastructure officials recently warned island may power fully restored may 2018 leaving many vulnerable residents elderly sick forced improvise without electricity months end hurricanes werent examples extreme weather year according national oceanic atmospheric administration 2017 set among three hottest years record salaman said thats particularly alarming since 2017 didnt el nino episode 3 wildfires wildfires ripped across northern southern california 2017 moment midst largest forest fire californias history ongoing moment devastating many communities salaman said salaman referring thomas fire ignited santa barbara ventura counties firefighters gained nearly total containment californias largestever fire evacuation orders since lifted communities must deal massive destruction left behind wildfire according cnbc charred least 273400 acres thats 427 square miles slightly previous record 273246 acres charred 2003 cedar blaze san diego flames indiscriminate burning mobile homes middleclass neighborhoods well multimilliondollar estates thomas fire second wildfire rock california recent months october blazes around napa valley known wine vineyards caused least 1 billion damage insured property destroying nearly 6000 homes businesses thats air quality suffered leading worst air pollution ever recorded area 4 wildlife protections worlds largest land mammal stormed headlines november fish wildlife service lifted obamaera ban importing elephant trophies zimbabwe zambia vehement opposition almost immediately followed congressional leaders conservationists say poaching harms declining elephant population also helps fund terrorist organizations abroad backers bans lifting argue opposite saying trophy hunting expensive safari fees generate income goes back communities live near animals creating incentive protect wildlife one day announcement trump said would delay lifting ban facts reviewed 5 scaling back national monuments upon entering oval office trump signed executive order directing interior secretary ryan zinke review 27 national monuments created antiquities act gives president authority safeguard federal lands waters threat followup september report zinke recommended trump modify nearly dozen national monuments places like utah nevada maine process officially began early december trump scaled back two monuments utah bears ears grand staircaseescalante two million acres im today people think natural resources utah controlled small handful distant bureaucrats located washington trump said speech utah guess theyre wrong decision scale back monuments riled local community leaders well environmentalists argue sacred land must protected oil gas extraction well commercial activities following announcement outdoor retail company patagonia well native american tribes vowed take legal action meaning issue could revisited 2018 check circas full coverage environmental eventstrel companies tesla disney pledge allegiance mother earth government maria wiped 80 puerto ricos crops farmer keeping things perspective photos california wildfires show extreme devastation | 620 |
<p>It’s not unusual for political and legislative battles in the nation’s capital to be sharply partisan. But even by Washington standards, the health-care debate has been exceptionally contentious and polarizing. The bills that have passed in the House and the Senate are supported almost exclusively by Democrats, and Congressional Republicans are nearly unanimous in the view that these bills merit their total and unyielding opposition (so far, only one House Republican has voted for the Democratic proposals). Both sides are waging the fight with such an extreme take-no-prisoners attitude that even long-time Washington observers have been taken aback by the intensity of the struggle.</p>
<p>All of this political fighting can be disconcerting to average citizens. Why, on an issue that is plainly so important, can’t our nation’s elected leaders check their politics at the door and work out an agreement that elicits broad-based support instead of war-room like campaigns to prevail over their opponents?</p>
<p>The answer is that the disagreement over what must be done to improve American health-care is profound and largely irreconcilable. This isn’t your usual, run-of-the-mill political fight. The two sides hold diametrically opposed views that simply do not easily allow for compromise. Moreover, the outcome of the battle will be highly consequential, not just for our system of financing and delivering health-care, but also for our economy and democratic processes. In short, the stakes are very, very high, and both sides know it.</p>
<p>Many people suppose that the heart of the disagreement is over whether or not to expand coverage to more people. It is, of course, a primary objective of the Democratic sponsors of the current initiative to ensure that every American, or nearly so, is enrolled in some kind of health insurance plan on a continuous basis.</p>
<p>But Republicans are not opposed to expanding coverage to the uninsured. In 2008, presidential candidate John McCain proposed a plan which would have provided to every American household a tax credit which could only be used to purchase a health insurance policy. It was, in a very real sense, a “universal coverage” plan in that it sought to ensure that every American would have the financial wherewithal, provided by the federal government, to acquire some level of health insurance protection. The issue, then, is not over expanding coverage to all.</p>
<p>No, the real sticking point between the two sides is over how to allocate resources in the health-care sector. Both sides agree that the status quo is unsustainable, largely because costs are rising much more rapidly than wages or governmental revenues. The crucial question is what to do about the problem. Put differently, the question health-care reform advocates must answer is this: what process will be put in place to bring about continual improvement in the productivity and quality of patient care? That might strike some as more of a technical question than one of fundamental importance.&#160; But, in reality, it’s just another way of saying that resources are scarce and must be allocated in some fashion. The only way to slow rising costs without lowering the quality of care provided is to improve the efficiency of the interactions between doctors and hospitals and those they care for. The question before policymakers is what reforms are most likely to lead to better care at less cost.</p>
<p>The Obama administration believes a governmental process is the answer. There are a series of provisions in the House and Senate bills which try to use the leverage of Medicare payment policy to force doctors and hospitals to change how they practice medicine. For instance, there are penalties for hospitals that have too many of their patients readmitted for care, and for physicians who are outliers in terms of how many services they render for certain diagnoses.</p>
<p>Other reforms are introduced as pilot programs that might be expanded later. In addition, the Senate bill picks up on the idea pushed by the administration to set up an independent Medicare commission which would make ongoing recommendations for cost-cutting in the program through provider-payment reforms. Congress could not reject the commission’s proposals without substituting ideas that achieve similar levels of savings, but the commission couldn’t make any recommendations that alter any aspect of the program other than payment policies for providers of services.</p>
<p>Some of these reforms might actually work and marginally improve matters from the status quo. But would they fundamentally change Medicare, much less the rest of American health care? No, they wouldn’t.</p>
<p>The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that relatively small savings will result from the Medicare commission idea, and even smaller amounts will be saved by the other reforms touted by the administration. In ten years’ time, even if all of the ideas were fully implemented, Medicare and the rest of American health-care would look and operate largely as it does today, which is to say as a fee-for-service insurance model that rewards volume and fragmentation, not integration and efficiency. Adding tens of millions of people to an unreformed system will only exacerbate rising costs, putting even more pressure on the federal budget as well as household incomes.</p>
<p>Proponents of a governmental process have an unbounded confidence in the ability of the federal government to centrally plan and control an extremely complex sector of the American economy. But there is nearly a half century of experience with the Medicare program indicating that this confidence is entirely misplaced.</p>
<p>There have been countless efforts over the years to measure quality and&#160; set payments in the Medicare program accordingly to encourage patients to see the doctors and go to the hospitals that are the most efficient and provide the best care. Most of the ideas have been tested in demonstration programs, or floated as legislative initiatives. But virtually none of them have gone anywhere.</p>
<p>Why? The answer is simple: Politicians are incapable of building what amounts to a government-administered “preferred provider network.” They simply can’t pick one hospital over another, or one physician practice over another, because that implies that some physicians or hospitals in their districts are inferior. And that’s just not something an elected official ever wants to do.</p>
<p>So, instead, they prefer to hit spending targets with across-the-board payment-rate reductions which treat all licensed providers equally.Every hospital, doctor, and other service provider gets cut the same, without regard to any measure of how well or badly they treat patients. That’s been the history of the Medicare program, and, in fact, that’s how the current Congress plans to achieve most of the $500 billion in Medicare savings in the health-care bills.</p>
<p>But these kinds of arbitrary price controls are also very dangerous for the quality of American medicine. They drive out willing suppliers of services, after which the only way to balance supply and demand is with waiting lists and rationing of care. That’s why so many other countries have months-long waits for expensive care. They control costs by artificially holding down prices with government regulation. And they pay the price “off-budget” by making their citizens wait for care they would rather access much more quickly.</p>
<p>That’s the big danger of the health-care bills being drafted in Congress. They would put the federal government in the cost-control driver’s seat, and all experience indicates that will lead, in time, to arbi trary price setting and rationing.</p>
<p>There is an alternative to this kind of governmental process. It involves building a real marketplace, one where cost-conscious consumers choose between competing insurers and delivery systems based on price and quality. The government can and should play an important oversight role in such a reformed system. But the difficult organizational changes and innovations necessary to provide better care at lower cost would come from those delivering the services, not Congress, or the Department of Health and Human Services, or even an independent commission.</p>
<p>The new Medicare prescription drug benefit was constructed just this way when it was enacted in 2003. Beneficiaries get a fixed dollar entitlement that they can use to buy coverage from a number of different competing plans. The insurers understand that they have to keep costs down to attract price-sensitive enrollees. And the government has no role in setting premiums or drug prices.</p>
<p>And how is it working? Costs have come in forty percent below original expectations.</p>
<p>Opponents of a market-based reform argue that it is impossible to reconcile price-based allocation of health services with equity. But that is not true. In the Medicare drug program, low-income seniors get additional help to pay for their prescriptions through a special funding stream. And all indications are that poor seniors are getting what they need from the program.</p>
<p>The country faces a choice here. We can choose to rely entirely on the federal government to allocate resources in the health-care sector, or we can choose to let consumers and suppliers make decisions in a decentralized marketplace with the government providing oversight and enforcing consumer protections. There is an irreversible aspect to this decision, whenever it is made, which perhaps explains why it has been delayed so long in our political processes. Once we finally decide, definitively, to head down one of these paths, it will be very difficult to change course later and go the other way. Which is why all concerned are bringing to the current fight in Congress every resource they can muster to prevail.</p>
<p>James C. Capretta is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.</p> | false | 1 | unusual political legislative battles nations capital sharply partisan even washington standards healthcare debate exceptionally contentious polarizing bills passed house senate supported almost exclusively democrats congressional republicans nearly unanimous view bills merit total unyielding opposition far one house republican voted democratic proposals sides waging fight extreme takenoprisoners attitude even longtime washington observers taken aback intensity struggle political fighting disconcerting average citizens issue plainly important cant nations elected leaders check politics door work agreement elicits broadbased support instead warroom like campaigns prevail opponents answer disagreement must done improve american healthcare profound largely irreconcilable isnt usual runofthemill political fight two sides hold diametrically opposed views simply easily allow compromise moreover outcome battle highly consequential system financing delivering healthcare also economy democratic processes short stakes high sides know many people suppose heart disagreement whether expand coverage people course primary objective democratic sponsors current initiative ensure every american nearly enrolled kind health insurance plan continuous basis republicans opposed expanding coverage uninsured 2008 presidential candidate john mccain proposed plan would provided every american household tax credit could used purchase health insurance policy real sense universal coverage plan sought ensure every american would financial wherewithal provided federal government acquire level health insurance protection issue expanding coverage real sticking point two sides allocate resources healthcare sector sides agree status quo unsustainable largely costs rising much rapidly wages governmental revenues crucial question problem put differently question healthcare reform advocates must answer process put place bring continual improvement productivity quality patient care might strike technical question one fundamental importance160 reality another way saying resources scarce must allocated fashion way slow rising costs without lowering quality care provided improve efficiency interactions doctors hospitals care question policymakers reforms likely lead better care less cost obama administration believes governmental process answer series provisions house senate bills try use leverage medicare payment policy force doctors hospitals change practice medicine instance penalties hospitals many patients readmitted care physicians outliers terms many services render certain diagnoses reforms introduced pilot programs might expanded later addition senate bill picks idea pushed administration set independent medicare commission would make ongoing recommendations costcutting program providerpayment reforms congress could reject commissions proposals without substituting ideas achieve similar levels savings commission couldnt make recommendations alter aspect program payment policies providers services reforms might actually work marginally improve matters status quo would fundamentally change medicare much less rest american health care wouldnt congressional budget office cbo projects relatively small savings result medicare commission idea even smaller amounts saved reforms touted administration ten years time even ideas fully implemented medicare rest american healthcare would look operate largely today say feeforservice insurance model rewards volume fragmentation integration efficiency adding tens millions people unreformed system exacerbate rising costs putting even pressure federal budget well household incomes proponents governmental process unbounded confidence ability federal government centrally plan control extremely complex sector american economy nearly half century experience medicare program indicating confidence entirely misplaced countless efforts years measure quality and160 set payments medicare program accordingly encourage patients see doctors go hospitals efficient provide best care ideas tested demonstration programs floated legislative initiatives virtually none gone anywhere answer simple politicians incapable building amounts governmentadministered preferred provider network simply cant pick one hospital another one physician practice another implies physicians hospitals districts inferior thats something elected official ever wants instead prefer hit spending targets acrosstheboard paymentrate reductions treat licensed providers equallyevery hospital doctor service provider gets cut without regard measure well badly treat patients thats history medicare program fact thats current congress plans achieve 500 billion medicare savings healthcare bills kinds arbitrary price controls also dangerous quality american medicine drive willing suppliers services way balance supply demand waiting lists rationing care thats many countries monthslong waits expensive care control costs artificially holding prices government regulation pay price offbudget making citizens wait care would rather access much quickly thats big danger healthcare bills drafted congress would put federal government costcontrol drivers seat experience indicates lead time arbi trary price setting rationing alternative kind governmental process involves building real marketplace one costconscious consumers choose competing insurers delivery systems based price quality government play important oversight role reformed system difficult organizational changes innovations necessary provide better care lower cost would come delivering services congress department health human services even independent commission new medicare prescription drug benefit constructed way enacted 2003 beneficiaries get fixed dollar entitlement use buy coverage number different competing plans insurers understand keep costs attract pricesensitive enrollees government role setting premiums drug prices working costs come forty percent original expectations opponents marketbased reform argue impossible reconcile pricebased allocation health services equity true medicare drug program lowincome seniors get additional help pay prescriptions special funding stream indications poor seniors getting need program country faces choice choose rely entirely federal government allocate resources healthcare sector choose let consumers suppliers make decisions decentralized marketplace government providing oversight enforcing consumer protections irreversible aspect decision whenever made perhaps explains delayed long political processes finally decide definitively head one paths difficult change course later go way concerned bringing current fight congress every resource muster prevail james c capretta fellow ethics public policy center | 836 |
<p>By Susan Cornwell and David Morgan</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) – When Republicans tried to repeal and replace Obamacare over the summer, they acted like “a bunch of free range chickens”, said Republican Senator John Kennedy. “Everybody was upset, tired, mad, people drawing lines in the dirt.”</p>
<p>Not this time. Republican leader Mitch McConnell and the rest of his party’s Senate leadership brought party members into line this week and finally won passage of a sweeping tax overhaul early on Saturday.</p>
<p>Late arm-twisting and deal-sweeteners for wavering lawmakers allowed them to push through legislation that aims to slash corporate taxes and cut personal taxes.</p>
<p>Democrats complained it was a bad deal for middle-class and poor Americans and would irresponsibly raise the national debt by $1.4 trillion over the next decade. But they were outnumbered and Republicans’ discipline, in short supply for much of this year, saw the bill through.</p>
<p>The debate revealed how the Republican Party is undergoing a transformation under President Donald Trump. Republicans who fight above all for a balanced budget no longer wield the power they once had.</p>
<p>“I feel somewhat like a dinosaur,” deficit hawk Bob Corker admitted on Friday afternoon. Hours later, he was the only Republican to vote against the bill.</p>
<p>Fear also played a role. The risk of a backlash from wealthy donors and conservative supporters if the party failed to deliver on another campaign promise ahead of mid-term elections next year helped party leaders get the legislation approved in a 51-49 vote.</p>
<p>“I think after failing twice on healthcare, folks went back home and talked to the real people of America,” said Kennedy. “And they were told, ‘Look, we sent you up there to fix our problems. Fix them or we’ll find somebody who will.’”</p>
<p>McConnell needed 50 of the 52 Republicans in the Senate to back the tax bill, knowing Vice President Mike Pence was on hand to provide the tie-breaking vote if needed.</p>
<p>McConnell could only count on 43 votes on Wednesday night. Nine other Republican members were wobbly and he had no support from Senate Democrats.</p>
<p>McConnell and his allies went to work, offering a wide range of late concessions to holdouts to get a political victory after months of frustration.</p>
<p>The bill still needs to be reconciled with a different version approved by the House of Representatives, but the Senate bill is expected to remain largely intact.</p>
<p>Led by Corker and Jeff Flake, a small group of fiscal conservatives were at first upset that the Senate bill was going to increase fiscal deficits and the national debt. Early efforts to get their support went slowly.</p>
<p>“It’s been pretty hard to make them happy so far. We’re going to keep working on it, as we always have, and we’ll get to the finish line,” Senator Orrin Hatch said on Thursday night.</p>
<p>Flake came around when he was able to win two concessions. First, he got a commitment from Senate leadership and the Trump administration to put a time limit on allowing companies to write off the full value of new capital investments.</p>
<p>Second, Pence assured Flake the administration would work with him on fair and permanent protections for illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children.</p>
<p>Two other fiscal conservatives, James Lankford and Jerry Moran, also came on board. Although Corker refused to yield, the others’ votes were enough to ensure victory.</p>
<p>LEVERAGE</p>
<p>Senator Ron Johnson demanded and won amendments to further ease the tax burden on “pass-through” businesses. “I was just kind of biding my time … And then Senator Portman came over and said ‘What can we do’?”, Johnson said of a Thursday night vote.</p>
<p>Even moderate Senator Susan Collins, who helped scuttle Obamacare repeal efforts earlier this year, agreed to vote in favor of the tax bill.</p>
<p>Representing voters with a high state tax burden in Maine, Collins was against her party’s plan to end the deduction of state and local property taxes. Under an amendment she pushed, taxpayers would be allowed to deduct up to $10,000 a year.</p>
<p>Collins also said she was assured by Republican leaders that they would take steps soon to mitigate damage caused by the repeal of a fee linked to the Obamacare “individual mandate”, which requires some Americans to buy health insurance.</p>
<p>McConnell also got lucky in that Trump didn’t make his job any harder. Unlike his conduct in the Obamacare debate, Trump largely stayed on message, proclaiming the tax bill would help the middle class and businesses. Although incorrect, he also claimed it would be the biggest tax cut ever.</p>
<p>Trump met with Republican senators on Capitol Hill for lunch this week, a gathering described as thoughtful and positive.</p>
<p>“Nobody called anybody names or talked about anybody’s native American heritage, or anything,” said Kennedy, referring to Trump’s habit of picking fights with perceived enemies.</p>
<p>Democrats were furious, saying Republicans were throwing money at the rich and that the bill was handled too fast.</p>
<p>“If the economy grows or shrinks. If it creates jobs or loses them. Who knows? Certainly no one here. No one could know, because it hasn’t even been read, let alone thoughtfully considered,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Shumer.</p> | false | 1 | susan cornwell david morgan washington reuters republicans tried repeal replace obamacare summer acted like bunch free range chickens said republican senator john kennedy everybody upset tired mad people drawing lines dirt time republican leader mitch mcconnell rest partys senate leadership brought party members line week finally passage sweeping tax overhaul early saturday late armtwisting dealsweeteners wavering lawmakers allowed push legislation aims slash corporate taxes cut personal taxes democrats complained bad deal middleclass poor americans would irresponsibly raise national debt 14 trillion next decade outnumbered republicans discipline short supply much year saw bill debate revealed republican party undergoing transformation president donald trump republicans fight balanced budget longer wield power feel somewhat like dinosaur deficit hawk bob corker admitted friday afternoon hours later republican vote bill fear also played role risk backlash wealthy donors conservative supporters party failed deliver another campaign promise ahead midterm elections next year helped party leaders get legislation approved 5149 vote think failing twice healthcare folks went back home talked real people america said kennedy told look sent fix problems fix well find somebody mcconnell needed 50 52 republicans senate back tax bill knowing vice president mike pence hand provide tiebreaking vote needed mcconnell could count 43 votes wednesday night nine republican members wobbly support senate democrats mcconnell allies went work offering wide range late concessions holdouts get political victory months frustration bill still needs reconciled different version approved house representatives senate bill expected remain largely intact led corker jeff flake small group fiscal conservatives first upset senate bill going increase fiscal deficits national debt early efforts get support went slowly pretty hard make happy far going keep working always well get finish line senator orrin hatch said thursday night flake came around able win two concessions first got commitment senate leadership trump administration put time limit allowing companies write full value new capital investments second pence assured flake administration would work fair permanent protections illegal immigrants came united states children two fiscal conservatives james lankford jerry moran also came board although corker refused yield others votes enough ensure victory leverage senator ron johnson demanded amendments ease tax burden passthrough businesses kind biding time senator portman came said johnson said thursday night vote even moderate senator susan collins helped scuttle obamacare repeal efforts earlier year agreed vote favor tax bill representing voters high state tax burden maine collins partys plan end deduction state local property taxes amendment pushed taxpayers would allowed deduct 10000 year collins also said assured republican leaders would take steps soon mitigate damage caused repeal fee linked obamacare individual mandate requires americans buy health insurance mcconnell also got lucky trump didnt make job harder unlike conduct obamacare debate trump largely stayed message proclaiming tax bill would help middle class businesses although incorrect also claimed would biggest tax cut ever trump met republican senators capitol hill lunch week gathering described thoughtful positive nobody called anybody names talked anybodys native american heritage anything said kennedy referring trumps habit picking fights perceived enemies democrats furious saying republicans throwing money rich bill handled fast economy grows shrinks creates jobs loses knows certainly one one could know hasnt even read let alone thoughtfully considered said senate democratic leader chuck shumer | 530 |
<p>There are only two problems with the emerging Democratic plan to reform health care in the United States: the big picture, and the fine print.</p>
<p>From a macro perspective, the bills now moving through House and Senate committees call for a combination of employer and individual mandates to force more, though not all, Americans to purchase federally set levels of insurance coverage. Some Americans — mainly those without full-time jobs — would be eligible for a new entitlement to discounted premiums. The federal government would try to tell doctors and hospitals what constitutes appropriate medical practice.</p>
<p>The bills would pay for their insurance subsidies with significant new taxes, mainly on work and entrepreneurship, as well as some benefit cuts in Medicare. The bills would also create a new government-run insurance plan that would be available to many working-age people and would likely constitute the first step toward a single-payer system.</p>
<p>That’s the broad vision of Obamacare, which is bad enough because of what it will mean for the quality of American medical care over time. There are only two ways to allocate health-care resources: with a market or with government regulation. The Democratic vision firmly rejects consumer choice and a decentralized marketplace in favor of near-total federal-government control of health care. In time, that will mean cost control in the form of waiting lists, less innovation, and reduced quality.</p>
<p>But the fine print is likely to be just as alarming to Americans as this big picture is. The bills are chock-a-block with government intrusion into medical practice, limits on personal freedom, costly requirements that will stifle the private economy, massive and expensive government bureaucracy, taxes, fees, and fines.</p>
<p>It’s apparent that Democratic leaders in Congress and the Obama administration would like to keep these details out of the public spotlight, which is why there is an odd disconnect between the timeline for the legislation’s consideration in Congress and the timeline for its implementation.</p>
<p>President Obama has of late been spending much of his energy arguing that it is absolutely urgent that both chambers of Congress pass a bill this summer so that a final bill will get to his desk by October. Why? Why, because “the time is now.” And the status quo is unacceptable. And we’ve never been this close before.</p>
<p>Never mind that in the bills as now written, nothing would actually happen for more than three years. Indeed, no uninsured American would get health insurance under the Democratic bills until 2013 at the earliest. In fact, the CBO has estimated that the number of uninsured Americans will increase in 2011 and 2012, before the bills’ major provisions go into effect. And of course 2013 is safely after the next presidential election, just in case anyone’s keeping track.</p>
<p>This is about political momentum. The administration and Democratic leaders in Congress understand that the more people learn about what these bills would actually do to American health care, the less the public will like them. Consider just this small sampling of the bills’ details:</p>
<p>Severe limits on the purchase of private insurance. The House Democratic bill would make it illegal for Americans to buy health insurance from a company outside of the new structure. It’s the government-approved system or nothing.</p>
<p>Government-controlled market access. In the bill approved by Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, states would have the authority to limit the number of insurance offerings provided to consumers in “exchanges,” which are the government-run agencies that oversee consumer enrollment in insurance plans. Qualified insurers seeking to offer coverage to “exchange” participants may or may not get to do so. It would be up to government bureaucrats, who could deny market entry to an insurer for apparently any reason. It’s entirely predictable that this broad authority will be abused to benefit politically connected providers — at the expense of consumers.</p>
<p>The “commissioner.” House Democrats would hand over vast powers to a new “Health Choices Commissioner,” the head of the new bureaucracy charged with regulating basically all health insurance offered in America. The commissioner would become the choke point for all major health-care-policy decisions, such as what constitutes qualified insurance or employer compliance with the federal mandate to offer coverage. States would even be required to enter into agreements with the commissioner regarding the operation of their Medicaid programs. Vast power and little accountability: It’s a recipe for unresponsive bureaucracy, arbitrary rulemaking, meddling, and even more paperwork.</p>
<p>Penalizing work. In both the House and the Senate HELP bills, full-time work is heavily penalized. For the most part, the unemployed and part-timers are entitled to subsidized insurance. But full-time workers get no such subsidy. Their employers must offer them coverage or face severe penalties, and the workers have no choice but to take it, because otherwise they would face severe penalties themselves. This burden will be especially hard on low- to middle-income Americans who don’t sign up for job-based insurance today because they can’t afford it.</p>
<p>Funding abortion and abortion providers. Both the Senate HELP and House Democratic bills fail to exclude abortion from the services that constitute “qualified” insurance — which means, as a practical matter, abortion would be a required “covered benefit.” Thus, federal taxpayers would be forced to pay for abortions, and everyone would be forbidden to get insurance that does not cover abortion, even if he is spending only his own money.</p>
<p>Raising premiums with taxes on health benefits. The House bill creates something called a Health Care Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund (CERTF), which would be funded by fees on insurance providers. But insurers won’t pay these fees themselves; they will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher premiums. President Obama pilloried Senator McCain for proposing “for the first time in history . . . taxing people’s health-care benefits,” yet that is essentially what House Democrats are looking to do in their bill.</p>
<p>Deep Medicare cuts for beneficiaries living in low-cost areas. House Democrats are determined to force seniors out of the private-insurance program of Medicare, called Medicare Advantage (MA). According to the Congressional Budget Office, their bill is likely to work as planned: Some 5 million MA enrollees would get pushed back into the traditional government-run program, with its lower benefits and higher cost-sharing. This would happen because the House bill bases MA payment rates on the estimated regional cost of covering someone in the traditional program; those living in lower-cost areas would see their payment rates drop, making the traditional program look more attractive.</p>
<p>This approach worsens the unfair regional disparities that exist today. For instance, this year, the MA payment rate in Portland is only $819 per month, while Miami’s is $1,238 per month. The House bill would widen this gap by cutting Portland’s MA payments by 26 percent, since Portland is a low-cost region with a culture of judicious use of health services. Meanwhile, Miami, which is rife with Medicare fraud and abuse, would get only a 2 percent cut in its MA payment rate. Medicare beneficiaries in Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Albuquerque, and other low-cost cities would get hit almost as hard as Portland’s beneficiaries. This runs precisely counter to the notion, popularized by Atul Gawande in The New Yorker and heartily embraced by the Obama administration, that we should try to replicate, or at least reward, areas that provide mor e efficient health care.</p>
<p>Undermining entitlement reform. Section 1901 of the House bill would repeal a trigger intended to alert Congress and the broader public to the financing problems in the Medicare program. Under current law, the HHS secretary must propose Medicare program adjustments to eliminate projected funding shortfalls when the Medicare trustees forecast excessive program reliance on subsidies from the Treasury. Repealing this provision is one more indication that Democrats are not serious about addressing the explosion of entitlement spending, which will push U.S. fiscal policy off a cliff in relatively short order.</p>
<p>More government-run health care. So much attention has been focused on President Obama’s push for a new government-run insurance plan that many people do not realize that the Democrats are also seeking the largest expansion of Medicaid in the program’s history. Medicaid spending is already on track, along with Medicare, to push federal finances to the brink. Between 2009 and 2035, the CBO expects combined spending for these two programs to increase from 5.3 to 10 percent of GDP. But that’s apparently not enough: The House bill would add 11 million more enrollees to Medicaid, bringing total enrollment to about 71 million and adding more than $80 billion in new spending to the budget in 2019 — on top of the $426 billion that the program will already cost under current law.</p>
<p>These bills are a massive overreach by the Democrats, who see this year as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to have something like a New Deal or Great Society moment. Most Democrats believe strongly in total governmental control of health care, and they are determined to try to achieve it now, regardless of the fiscal and political consequences. So they press on, even as every day brings new revelations of the incoherence, hubris, and excesses of their plan.</p>
<p>It might work; the legislation might pass. Then again, it might not, as a restless public is becoming increasingly alarmed at what is emerging from Washington. A government takeover of health care seems not to be what the public wants — meaning that the Democrats may find themselves advocating bad policy that is unpopular to boot.</p>
<p>— Mr. Capretta, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a health-policy consultant, was an associate director at the White House Office of Management and Budget from 2001 to 2004. Mr. Troy, a visiting senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a health-policy consultant, was deputy secretary of health and human services from 2007 to 2009.</p> | false | 1 | two problems emerging democratic plan reform health care united states big picture fine print macro perspective bills moving house senate committees call combination employer individual mandates force though americans purchase federally set levels insurance coverage americans mainly without fulltime jobs would eligible new entitlement discounted premiums federal government would try tell doctors hospitals constitutes appropriate medical practice bills would pay insurance subsidies significant new taxes mainly work entrepreneurship well benefit cuts medicare bills would also create new governmentrun insurance plan would available many workingage people would likely constitute first step toward singlepayer system thats broad vision obamacare bad enough mean quality american medical care time two ways allocate healthcare resources market government regulation democratic vision firmly rejects consumer choice decentralized marketplace favor neartotal federalgovernment control health care time mean cost control form waiting lists less innovation reduced quality fine print likely alarming americans big picture bills chockablock government intrusion medical practice limits personal freedom costly requirements stifle private economy massive expensive government bureaucracy taxes fees fines apparent democratic leaders congress obama administration would like keep details public spotlight odd disconnect timeline legislations consideration congress timeline implementation president obama late spending much energy arguing absolutely urgent chambers congress pass bill summer final bill get desk october time status quo unacceptable weve never close never mind bills written nothing would actually happen three years indeed uninsured american would get health insurance democratic bills 2013 earliest fact cbo estimated number uninsured americans increase 2011 2012 bills major provisions go effect course 2013 safely next presidential election case anyones keeping track political momentum administration democratic leaders congress understand people learn bills would actually american health care less public like consider small sampling bills details severe limits purchase private insurance house democratic bill would make illegal americans buy health insurance company outside new structure governmentapproved system nothing governmentcontrolled market access bill approved democrats senate health education labor pensions help committee states would authority limit number insurance offerings provided consumers exchanges governmentrun agencies oversee consumer enrollment insurance plans qualified insurers seeking offer coverage exchange participants may may get would government bureaucrats could deny market entry insurer apparently reason entirely predictable broad authority abused benefit politically connected providers expense consumers commissioner house democrats would hand vast powers new health choices commissioner head new bureaucracy charged regulating basically health insurance offered america commissioner would become choke point major healthcarepolicy decisions constitutes qualified insurance employer compliance federal mandate offer coverage states would even required enter agreements commissioner regarding operation medicaid programs vast power little accountability recipe unresponsive bureaucracy arbitrary rulemaking meddling even paperwork penalizing work house senate help bills fulltime work heavily penalized part unemployed parttimers entitled subsidized insurance fulltime workers get subsidy employers must offer coverage face severe penalties workers choice take otherwise would face severe penalties burden especially hard low middleincome americans dont sign jobbased insurance today cant afford funding abortion abortion providers senate help house democratic bills fail exclude abortion services constitute qualified insurance means practical matter abortion would required covered benefit thus federal taxpayers would forced pay abortions everyone would forbidden get insurance cover abortion even spending money raising premiums taxes health benefits house bill creates something called health care comparative effectiveness research trust fund certf would funded fees insurance providers insurers wont pay fees passed consumers form higher premiums president obama pilloried senator mccain proposing first time history taxing peoples healthcare benefits yet essentially house democrats looking bill deep medicare cuts beneficiaries living lowcost areas house democrats determined force seniors privateinsurance program medicare called medicare advantage according congressional budget office bill likely work planned 5 million enrollees would get pushed back traditional governmentrun program lower benefits higher costsharing would happen house bill bases payment rates estimated regional cost covering someone traditional program living lowercost areas would see payment rates drop making traditional program look attractive approach worsens unfair regional disparities exist today instance year payment rate portland 819 per month miamis 1238 per month house bill would widen gap cutting portlands payments 26 percent since portland lowcost region culture judicious use health services meanwhile miami rife medicare fraud abuse would get 2 percent cut payment rate medicare beneficiaries salt lake city sacramento albuquerque lowcost cities would get hit almost hard portlands beneficiaries runs precisely counter notion popularized atul gawande new yorker heartily embraced obama administration try replicate least reward areas provide mor e efficient health care undermining entitlement reform section 1901 house bill would repeal trigger intended alert congress broader public financing problems medicare program current law hhs secretary must propose medicare program adjustments eliminate projected funding shortfalls medicare trustees forecast excessive program reliance subsidies treasury repealing provision one indication democrats serious addressing explosion entitlement spending push us fiscal policy cliff relatively short order governmentrun health care much attention focused president obamas push new governmentrun insurance plan many people realize democrats also seeking largest expansion medicaid programs history medicaid spending already track along medicare push federal finances brink 2009 2035 cbo expects combined spending two programs increase 53 10 percent gdp thats apparently enough house bill would add 11 million enrollees medicaid bringing total enrollment 71 million adding 80 billion new spending budget 2019 top 426 billion program already cost current law bills massive overreach democrats see year onceinageneration opportunity something like new deal great society moment democrats believe strongly total governmental control health care determined try achieve regardless fiscal political consequences press even every day brings new revelations incoherence hubris excesses plan might work legislation might pass might restless public becoming increasingly alarmed emerging washington government takeover health care seems public wants meaning democrats may find advocating bad policy unpopular boot mr capretta fellow ethics public policy center healthpolicy consultant associate director white house office management budget 2001 2004 mr troy visiting senior fellow hudson institute healthpolicy consultant deputy secretary health human services 2007 2009 | 962 |
<p>The Central American peace plan negotiated in August 1987 by the presidents of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua is certain to remain an object of debate in the new year. Yet the discussion over the past several months seems to have lacked the necessary specificity. What, concretely, would have to happen, were there to be peace with freedom in Central America?</p>
<p>The focus of that query must be Nicaragua. No doubt there are grave social, economic, and political problems in the other Central American republics. But as former Virginia governor Charles Robb put it this past fall, “the Nicaraguan government has singled itself out” for attention “by its refusal to grant democratic rights to its citizens.” In the first month after the Central American presidents’ plan was announced, some things did change in Nicaragua: the opposition paper La Prensa re-opened, and Radio Católica was allowed to broadcast again. Were these cosmetic gestures alone? The fact that censorship laws remain in force as this is written (in October) suggests reason for serious concern.</p>
<p>In any event, peace in Central America seems to depend on peace within Nicaragua—the kind of peace that is the fruit of a democratic society and polity that respects basic human rights. An impressive first cut at describing what the transition to democracy in Nicaragua would entail was published in September by the Puebla Institute, a lay Catholic human rights organization with offices in New York and Washington. At this season when “peace on earth” is more readily on the mind of our culture, the Puebla Institute booklet, “Necessary Steps,” offers an opportunity to think about peace in the concrete, historical sense of the term. These “necessary steps” to peace and freedom have salience, of course, in other societies traveling the hard road from left-wing or right-wing tyranny to that freedom which is an irreducible component of peace.</p>
<p>So what should happen? What are these “necessary steps?” Here is the Puebla Institute list, adapted:</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Political Prisoners</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Release everyone imprisoned without due process, including all those tried under vague political charges or tried in extraordinary tribunals or police courts.</p>
<p>Abolish the “Popular Anti-Somocista Tribunals,” which operate outside the constitutional framework of Nicaragua.</p>
<p>Rescind the extraordinary powers given police forces to conduct trials, decide appeals, and sentence individuals.</p>
<p>Restore those constitutional rights to due process that were suspended by the Sandinistas’ state-of-emergency decree. These would include rights to habeas corpus, to be informed of charges on arrest, to appeal to a higher court, to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, to not testify against oneself, and to consult an attorney when arrested.</p>
<p>Permit the International Committee of the Red Cross, independent human rights observers, families, and lawyers to visit all detainees and prisoners and to inspect places of imprisonment.</p>
<p>Stop holding detainees and prisoners incommunicado—the situation in which torture is most likely to occur.</p>
<p>Abolish conditions of confinement that, in themselves, are forms of torture.</p>
<p>End all other forms of torture and punish the officials responsible for torture.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Religious Liberty</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Allow the Catholic Church to reopen its social welfare and human rights offices. Restore freedom of the press to all Church-related communications media.</p>
<p>Restore the television broadcast of Cardinal Obando y Bravo’s Sunday Mass.</p>
<p>Permit all 20 priests expelled from Nicaragua to return.</p>
<p>Repeal Article 124 of the 1987 Nicaraguan constitution, the effect of which is to bar religion courses from the curriculum of even private religious schools.</p>
<p>Allow conscientious objection (with alternative service) for those opposed to conscription because of religious conviction.</p>
<p>Cease harassing Protestant evangelicals, who are often forbidden from holding or attending prayer meetings and from evangelizing and preaching.</p>
<p>End detention, intimidation, and other forms of coercion against religious believers.</p>
<p>Stop pressuring religious groups to incorporate Sandinista teachings into religious instruction and stop pressuring believers to join Sandinista-affiliated groups.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Labor Unions</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Ensure the right to strike, to bargain collectively, to demonstrate, to meet publicly, and to take other non-violent collective action on behalf of the claims of workers.</p>
<p>Release all trade unionists currently imprisoned in connection with nonviolent union activities.</p>
<p>End harassment of and pressure against independent unions (such pressures have included the withholding of food rations, cooking oil, bank loans, and fertilizers, as well as job dismissals and attacks from Sandinista mobs).</p>
<p>Give legal recognition to all democratic trade unions and reopen union publications.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Political Parties</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Permit opposition political parties to hold marches and public, outdoor meetings, now restricted by the state-of-emergency.</p>
<p>Stop jailing opposition party activists and conscripting them or their children as a penalty for non-violent political activity.</p>
<p>End government infiltration of political party meetings; end efforts to get opposition party members to spy on party activities or incriminate party leaders.</p>
<p>Allow the democratic opposition free access to the media and permit the opposition to publish their own materials.</p>
<p>Permit opposition parties to publicize party meetings and to travel within the country to attend those meetings.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>The Media</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Permit all publications, including labor bulletins, Church newspapers and magazines, political party bulletins, and private newsletters to publish freely. End prepublication censorship.</p>
<p>End restrictions on newsprint.</p>
<p>End economic harassment of independent publishers (e.g., when La Prensa was closed, it faced bankruptcy due to a combination of state-imposed employee salary increases and state-imposed restrictions on the price of the newspaper).</p>
<p>Allow private television broadcasting.</p>
<p>Allow news broadcasts on private radio stations. Limit censorship to what is strictly necessary for “the protection of national security, or of public order or of public health and morals,” as provided under international human rights law.</p>
<p>End all arbitrary arrests and mob attacks against independent journalists, writers, and publishers.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Human Rights Activists</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Stop all jailings, deprivation of food rations, threats of physical violence, and other pressures against independent human rights activists.</p>
<p>Allow independent human rights activists to hold public meetings and to travel freely throughout the country to monitor human rights conditions.</p>
<p>Give the Nicaraguan Permanent Commission for Human Rights, attorneys, and foreign human rights defenders access to all tribunals to observe proceedings and to all places of detention to inspect conditions and meet with prisoners.</p>
<p>Allow human rights defenders to report their findings freely in both their own publications and through the national and international media.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Indians and Creoles of the Atlantic Coast</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Permit free access to and movement within the Atlantic Coast region for all indigenous peoples and for members of the press, independent human rights activists, church and labor leaders, and other humanitarian groups. Stop requiring Indians and other Atlantic Coast residents to carry special identification cards and permits to travel, fish, hunt, farm, and carry out commercial activities.</p>
<p>Permit freedom of assembly, speech, publishing, and broadcasting to Indians and other indigenous peoples. Negotiate with Indians and other indigenous peoples (including the armed opposition drawn from these sources) to redress past grievances and guarantee autonomy. Permit the return of indigenous civilian rule in all towns and villages of the Atlantic Coast region. End arbitrary arrest, detention, and threats against the residents of the Atlantic Coast.</p>
<p>Permit all Indian and Creole refugees and exiles to return to their homes. Provide compensation for reconstruction of homes and communities destroyed by the government. Grant amnesty to all returnees.</p>
<p>End forcible relocation of indigenous populations. Stop counterinsurgency aerial bombing and strafing against civilians and their villages, homes, and other property. Stop burning and destruction of Indian farms, livestock, and crops.</p>
<p>Permit Indians and Creoles to engage freely in farming, fishing, hunting, and commercial activities necessary for their subsistence. End restrictive licensing and marketing controls that deny basic necessities to the people.</p>
<p>Permit all independent Indian and Creole political, cultural, economic, and social organizations to operate freely in the Atlantic Coast region.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Campesinos (Peasant Fanners)</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Abolish preventive detention of campesinos in areas of military conflict.</p>
<p>Release all campesinos imprisoned without due process.</p>
<p>Stop counterinsurgency aerial bombing and strafing attacks against campesino civilians, their villages, homes, and property.</p>
<p>Stop the counterinsurgency practice of burning and destroying campesino crops, livestock, and other food supplies.</p>
<p>End forced resettlement of campesino families to Sandinista-controlled camps; release and facilitate the return of campesinos to their homes.</p>
<p>End pressures against campesinos to join Sandinista farming cooperatives or to join and attend meetings of Sandinista political organizations such as the Sandinista Defense Committees.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Other Civil Liberties</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Ensure all citizens the rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly, and movement.</p>
<p>Restore the constitutional rights to security of person, the inviolability of the home, and freedom from warrantless arrest.</p>
<p>End coercive pressures to join Sandinista party groups, including the Defense Committees.</p>
<p>Cease applying conscription in a punitive or discriminatory fashion.</p>
<p>Ensure the right to academic freedom.</p>
<p>Allow all citizens, including refugees and exiles, the right to return to the country. Amnesty should extend to all political prisoners and to all resistance forces willing to lay down their arms.</p>
<p>Peace on earth, as we continually insist in these pages, has to do with institutions of freedom. That is not only true for Central America; it is true for South Africa, Korea, Chile, Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, Angola, Mozambique, Haiti, and Sri Lanka. The Puebia Institute’s “Necessary Steps” illustrate the incarnation, if you will, of what one hopes will someday be “peace on (at least a part of) earth.”</p>
<p>George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. and holds EPPC’s William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies.</p> | false | 1 | central american peace plan negotiated august 1987 presidents costa rica el salvador honduras guatemala nicaragua certain remain object debate new year yet discussion past several months seems lacked necessary specificity concretely would happen peace freedom central america focus query must nicaragua doubt grave social economic political problems central american republics former virginia governor charles robb put past fall nicaraguan government singled attention refusal grant democratic rights citizens first month central american presidents plan announced things change nicaragua opposition paper la prensa reopened radio católica allowed broadcast cosmetic gestures alone fact censorship laws remain force written october suggests reason serious concern event peace central america seems depend peace within nicaraguathe kind peace fruit democratic society polity respects basic human rights impressive first cut describing transition democracy nicaragua would entail published september puebla institute lay catholic human rights organization offices new york washington season peace earth readily mind culture puebla institute booklet necessary steps offers opportunity think peace concrete historical sense term necessary steps peace freedom salience course societies traveling hard road leftwing rightwing tyranny freedom irreducible component peace happen necessary steps puebla institute list adapted 160 political prisoners 160 release everyone imprisoned without due process including tried vague political charges tried extraordinary tribunals police courts abolish popular antisomocista tribunals operate outside constitutional framework nicaragua rescind extraordinary powers given police forces conduct trials decide appeals sentence individuals restore constitutional rights due process suspended sandinistas stateofemergency decree would include rights habeas corpus informed charges arrest appeal higher court presumed innocent proven guilty testify oneself consult attorney arrested permit international committee red cross independent human rights observers families lawyers visit detainees prisoners inspect places imprisonment stop holding detainees prisoners incommunicadothe situation torture likely occur abolish conditions confinement forms torture end forms torture punish officials responsible torture 160 religious liberty 160 allow catholic church reopen social welfare human rights offices restore freedom press churchrelated communications media restore television broadcast cardinal obando bravos sunday mass permit 20 priests expelled nicaragua return repeal article 124 1987 nicaraguan constitution effect bar religion courses curriculum even private religious schools allow conscientious objection alternative service opposed conscription religious conviction cease harassing protestant evangelicals often forbidden holding attending prayer meetings evangelizing preaching end detention intimidation forms coercion religious believers stop pressuring religious groups incorporate sandinista teachings religious instruction stop pressuring believers join sandinistaaffiliated groups 160 labor unions 160 ensure right strike bargain collectively demonstrate meet publicly take nonviolent collective action behalf claims workers release trade unionists currently imprisoned connection nonviolent union activities end harassment pressure independent unions pressures included withholding food rations cooking oil bank loans fertilizers well job dismissals attacks sandinista mobs give legal recognition democratic trade unions reopen union publications 160 political parties 160 permit opposition political parties hold marches public outdoor meetings restricted stateofemergency stop jailing opposition party activists conscripting children penalty nonviolent political activity end government infiltration political party meetings end efforts get opposition party members spy party activities incriminate party leaders allow democratic opposition free access media permit opposition publish materials permit opposition parties publicize party meetings travel within country attend meetings 160 media 160 permit publications including labor bulletins church newspapers magazines political party bulletins private newsletters publish freely end prepublication censorship end restrictions newsprint end economic harassment independent publishers eg la prensa closed faced bankruptcy due combination stateimposed employee salary increases stateimposed restrictions price newspaper allow private television broadcasting allow news broadcasts private radio stations limit censorship strictly necessary protection national security public order public health morals provided international human rights law end arbitrary arrests mob attacks independent journalists writers publishers 160 human rights activists 160 stop jailings deprivation food rations threats physical violence pressures independent human rights activists allow independent human rights activists hold public meetings travel freely throughout country monitor human rights conditions give nicaraguan permanent commission human rights attorneys foreign human rights defenders access tribunals observe proceedings places detention inspect conditions meet prisoners allow human rights defenders report findings freely publications national international media 160 indians creoles atlantic coast 160 permit free access movement within atlantic coast region indigenous peoples members press independent human rights activists church labor leaders humanitarian groups stop requiring indians atlantic coast residents carry special identification cards permits travel fish hunt farm carry commercial activities permit freedom assembly speech publishing broadcasting indians indigenous peoples negotiate indians indigenous peoples including armed opposition drawn sources redress past grievances guarantee autonomy permit return indigenous civilian rule towns villages atlantic coast region end arbitrary arrest detention threats residents atlantic coast permit indian creole refugees exiles return homes provide compensation reconstruction homes communities destroyed government grant amnesty returnees end forcible relocation indigenous populations stop counterinsurgency aerial bombing strafing civilians villages homes property stop burning destruction indian farms livestock crops permit indians creoles engage freely farming fishing hunting commercial activities necessary subsistence end restrictive licensing marketing controls deny basic necessities people permit independent indian creole political cultural economic social organizations operate freely atlantic coast region 160 campesinos peasant fanners 160 abolish preventive detention campesinos areas military conflict release campesinos imprisoned without due process stop counterinsurgency aerial bombing strafing attacks campesino civilians villages homes property stop counterinsurgency practice burning destroying campesino crops livestock food supplies end forced resettlement campesino families sandinistacontrolled camps release facilitate return campesinos homes end pressures campesinos join sandinista farming cooperatives join attend meetings sandinista political organizations sandinista defense committees 160 civil liberties 160 ensure citizens rights freedom expression association assembly movement restore constitutional rights security person inviolability home freedom warrantless arrest end coercive pressures join sandinista party groups including defense committees cease applying conscription punitive discriminatory fashion ensure right academic freedom allow citizens including refugees exiles right return country amnesty extend political prisoners resistance forces willing lay arms peace earth continually insist pages institutions freedom true central america true south africa korea chile eastern europe soviet union angola mozambique haiti sri lanka puebia institutes necessary steps illustrate incarnation one hopes someday peace least part earth george weigel distinguished senior fellow ethics public policy center washington dc holds eppcs william e simon chair catholic studies | 994 |
<p>GREEN BAY, Wis. — The <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Green_Bay_Packers/" type="external">Green Bay Packers</a>‘ defense, which stood in the way of a trip to last year’s Super Bowl, is why the Packers beat the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Seattle-Seahawks/" type="external">Seattle Seahawks</a> in Sunday’s season opener.</p>
<p>The Packers kept Seattle out of the end zone and limited quarterback <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Russell_Wilson/" type="external">Russell Wilson</a> to 158 passing yards on 14-of-27 accuracy to earn a 17-9 victory on Sunday.</p>
<p>That staunch defensive effort was just enough for the Packers, who got 311 passing yards and one touchdown from quarterback <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Aaron_Rodgers/" type="external">Aaron Rodgers</a> and 54 rushing yards and one touchdown from running back <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Ty-Montgomery/" type="external">Ty Montgomery</a>.</p>
<p>A 26-yard bootleg completion to tight end <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Martellus_Bennett/" type="external">Martellus Bennett</a> just before the two-minute warning clinched the victory.</p>
<p>The Packers limited Seattle to 12 first downs, 3-of-12 third-down conversions and 225 total yards, and Green Bay had an 18:26 edge in time of possession.</p>
<p>Green Bay has defeated Seattle each of the past three seasons — all at Lambeau Field.</p>
<p>Next week, Seattle hosts San Francisco (0-1) while Green Bay has an NFC Championship Game rematch at Atlanta (1-0).</p>
<p>Green Bay’s offense, bogged down by horrendous field position in trailing 3-0 at halftime, took possession at Seattle’s 6 for its opening touchdown following a turnover. On third-and-long for Seattle, Packers defensive tackle Mike Daniels beat guard <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Luke-Joeckel/" type="external">Luke Joeckel</a> for a strip-sack, with outside linebacker Kyler Fackrell recovering. On the first play, Montgomery ran through a pair of tacklers near the goal line for the touchdown.</p>
<p>Seattle answered with a chip-shot field goal, with rookie running back Chris Carson’s 30-yard run being the big play. The Seahawks had three plays from the 3, but couldn’t get it in, with Daniels’ hit on Wilson forcing a third-down incompletion. <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Blair-Walsh/" type="external">Blair Walsh</a>‘s 21-yard field goal cut the margin to 7-6.</p>
<p>The Packers extended the lead to 14-6 just before the end of the third quarter. Rodgers caught the Seahawks substituting before a third-and-2, and he rushed to the line and got the snap. With a flag thrown for 12 men on the field, Rodgers took advantage of the free play by hitting receiver <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jordy_Nelson/" type="external">Jordy Nelson</a> for a 32-yard touchdown pass past safety <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Earl-Thomas/" type="external">Earl Thomas</a> and linebacker Bobby Wagner.</p>
<p>Green Bay tacked on <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Mason_Crosby/" type="external">Mason Crosby</a>‘s 40-yard field goal before Wilson quickly drove the Seahawks into scoring position. On first down from the 23, he connected deep with receiver Amara Darboh against rookie cornerback Kevin King, but safeties <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Morgan-Burnett/" type="external">Morgan Burnett</a> and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix quickly converged and got Darboh out of bounds before he could get his feet down.</p>
<p>The drive stalled, and Walsh’s third field goal of the game, a 41-yarder, made it 17-9 with 6:17 to play.</p>
<p>Seattle’s offense, which did almost nothing for the first 29 minutes of the half, struck for back-to-back big plays to take a 3-0 halftime lead.</p>
<p>Time-management decisions by both coaches were huge factors.</p>
<p>With the Seahawks starting at their 11 with 55 seconds left in the second quarter, Green Bay head coach <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Mike_McCarthy/" type="external">Mike McCarthy</a> burned his last two timeouts, thinking he had a chance to get one last possession.</p>
<p>McCarthy’s final timeout came with 43 seconds left. Even if the Seahawks hadn’t converted a third-and-3, the clock would have run out. When running back <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/CJ-Prosise/" type="external">C.J. Prosise</a> gained 4 yards to move the chains, Seattle head coach <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Pete_Carroll/" type="external">Pete Carroll</a> called a timeout with 30 seconds left — and it worked.</p>
<p>Wilson found receiver <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Doug-Baldwin/" type="external">Doug Baldwin</a> streaking across the field for a gain of 34 to the Packers’ 44 with 22 seconds left. Wilson then found a huge void in the middle of the field and ran for 29 yards. Wilson threw two incompletions into the end zone, and Walsh kicked a 33-yard field goal as time expired.</p>
<p>Those two big plays accounted for 63.6 percent of Seattle’s 99 yards.</p>
<p>On Green Bay’s opening possession, Rodgers’ interception-free streak was snapped at 251 attempts. With the Packers driving into Seattle territory, Rodgers threw a screen that went right into the hands of defensive lineman Nazair Jones. Jones returned it for a touchdown, but there were two flags — one for an illegal block in the back against defensive end <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Cliff-Avril/" type="external">Cliff Avril</a> on Rodgers and one for cornerback Jeremy Lane getting into a scuffle with Packers receiver <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Davante-Adams/" type="external">Davante Adams</a>.</p>
<p>Lane, the starter opposite All-Pro <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Richard-Sherman/" type="external">Richard Sherman</a>, was ejected, but the Packers couldn’t take advantage.</p>
<p>NOTES: Packers WR Jordy Nelson became the fourth player in franchise history with 500 receptions. … Packers QB Aaron Rodgers’ interception-free streak was the second-longest in team history behind <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Bart_Starr/" type="external">Bart Starr</a>‘s 294 passes in 1964. … Seattle starting RB <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Thomas-Rawls/" type="external">Thomas Rawls</a> was inactive, so former Packer RB <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Eddie-Lacy/" type="external">Eddie Lacy</a> got the start. He carried five times for 3 yards. … Seahawks DE <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Michael_Bennett/" type="external">Michael Bennett</a> kneeled for the national anthem and his brother, Packers TE Martellus Bennett, raised his fist. Meanwhile, Packers WR <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Randall-Cobb/" type="external">Randall Cobb</a> helped hold the giant flag.</p> | false | 1 | green bay wis green bay packers defense stood way trip last years super bowl packers beat seattle seahawks sundays season opener packers kept seattle end zone limited quarterback russell wilson 158 passing yards 14of27 accuracy earn 179 victory sunday staunch defensive effort enough packers got 311 passing yards one touchdown quarterback aaron rodgers 54 rushing yards one touchdown running back ty montgomery 26yard bootleg completion tight end martellus bennett twominute warning clinched victory packers limited seattle 12 first downs 3of12 thirddown conversions 225 total yards green bay 1826 edge time possession green bay defeated seattle past three seasons lambeau field next week seattle hosts san francisco 01 green bay nfc championship game rematch atlanta 10 green bays offense bogged horrendous field position trailing 30 halftime took possession seattles 6 opening touchdown following turnover thirdandlong seattle packers defensive tackle mike daniels beat guard luke joeckel stripsack outside linebacker kyler fackrell recovering first play montgomery ran pair tacklers near goal line touchdown seattle answered chipshot field goal rookie running back chris carsons 30yard run big play seahawks three plays 3 couldnt get daniels hit wilson forcing thirddown incompletion blair walshs 21yard field goal cut margin 76 packers extended lead 146 end third quarter rodgers caught seahawks substituting thirdand2 rushed line got snap flag thrown 12 men field rodgers took advantage free play hitting receiver jordy nelson 32yard touchdown pass past safety earl thomas linebacker bobby wagner green bay tacked mason crosbys 40yard field goal wilson quickly drove seahawks scoring position first 23 connected deep receiver amara darboh rookie cornerback kevin king safeties morgan burnett ha ha clintondix quickly converged got darboh bounds could get feet drive stalled walshs third field goal game 41yarder made 179 617 play seattles offense almost nothing first 29 minutes half struck backtoback big plays take 30 halftime lead timemanagement decisions coaches huge factors seahawks starting 11 55 seconds left second quarter green bay head coach mike mccarthy burned last two timeouts thinking chance get one last possession mccarthys final timeout came 43 seconds left even seahawks hadnt converted thirdand3 clock would run running back cj prosise gained 4 yards move chains seattle head coach pete carroll called timeout 30 seconds left worked wilson found receiver doug baldwin streaking across field gain 34 packers 44 22 seconds left wilson found huge void middle field ran 29 yards wilson threw two incompletions end zone walsh kicked 33yard field goal time expired two big plays accounted 636 percent seattles 99 yards green bays opening possession rodgers interceptionfree streak snapped 251 attempts packers driving seattle territory rodgers threw screen went right hands defensive lineman nazair jones jones returned touchdown two flags one illegal block back defensive end cliff avril rodgers one cornerback jeremy lane getting scuffle packers receiver davante adams lane starter opposite allpro richard sherman ejected packers couldnt take advantage notes packers wr jordy nelson became fourth player franchise history 500 receptions packers qb aaron rodgers interceptionfree streak secondlongest team history behind bart starrs 294 passes 1964 seattle starting rb thomas rawls inactive former packer rb eddie lacy got start carried five times 3 yards seahawks de michael bennett kneeled national anthem brother packers te martellus bennett raised fist meanwhile packers wr randall cobb helped hold giant flag | 538 |
<p />
<p>In today's world of post-Arab Spring geopolitics, longstanding rivalries and established alliances can change on a whim. In Iran's case, the narrative has deviated from a maniacal mullah regime seeking weapons of mass destruction to a significant partner capable of promoting peace and stability in the region. How did Iran go from movie-villain status to negotiating partner and potential ally? Granted, any geopolitical shift involves several variables, but Iran smartly played its hand when it counted most.</p>
<p>President Hassan Rouhani had to do little to promote himself as a reformer after his election victory. The unceremonious departure of the provocative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was a victory in itself for whoever was to follow, not unlike President Obama's succession from George W. Bush. Rouhani's reputation as was already well established in Iran; hence the jubilance that followed the election. Although at times skeptical, the American media did have a hand <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/06/15/irans-next-president-hassan-rouhani-seen-as-best-hope-for-ending-nuclear-standoff-with-west/" type="external">in&#160;promoting Rouhani as a moderate</a>. All Rouhani had to do was say the right things, and he did just that. From reaching out to Jews on Twitter to having a friendly phone conversation with Obama and conducting himself with tact and professionalism at the U.N., Rouhani's so-called "charm offensive" and genuine willingness to engage worked to a tee much to the chagrin of Israel and Gulf states fearful of Iranian hegemony.</p>
<p>Rouhani also <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/12/the-case-for-giving-irans-scholar-diplomats-a-chance/282010/" type="external">surrounded himself</a> with a cerebral cabinet that holds more U.S doctorates than Obama's cabinet and more than France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, or Spain combined. Whether this results in good governance is immaterial. From a public relations strategic standpoint however, it demonstrates a shift away from a shadowy, fundamentalist theocratic regime to one that is educated, intellectually able and capable of producing change. Unlike leaders in most Muslim majority states, Rouhani knows that establishing a new, positive image is the first step towards changing diplomatic fortunes.</p>
<p>A successful rebrand, however is only as good as the product itself and unless the product is deemed valuable, it fades with time and becomes meaningless. Similarly, a positive image can be a boon to any regime, but regional significance cannot be understated. Given today's political realities, to ignore Iran is to ignore the Middle East, and the current nuclear negotiations prove that Iran is indeed deemed a significant actor on the world stage. Ironically, it was the U.S. that provided the initial impetus for Iran to wield its influence in Iraq and expand its reach in the region. The Syrian gift has only emboldened Iran to again dictate the future of a strategically significant state that serves as a sphere of influence for both Iran and Hezbollah, a vital Iranian proxy that turned the tide in favour of Bashir Al-Assad in Syria.</p>
<p>Iran's strategy has been orchestrated with a careful balance. Ayatollah Khamenei has acted as an effective intermediary between President Rouhani's outreach to the West and the more conservative elements within Iran, namely the Revolutionary Guard. Formed during the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution as a counter to the Iranian army, the Revolutionary Guard has grown into a lobby that has penetrated Iran's intelligence, economic and political institutions. It seems Khamenei has <a href="http://www.thenational.ae/world/middle-east/rouhani-moves-to-get-irans-revolutionary-guard-on-side" type="external">used his diplomatic acumen</a> to repair relations with the West through Rouhani on the one hand while allowing the Revolutionary Guard with a level of autonomy to dictate policy in Syria on the other. In doing so, Iran has made its adversaries think twice about the repercussions of an attack on its soil. After the invasion of Iraq, Iran was seen as a nuisance. With regards to Syria, Iran is now seen as a regional heavyweight with the image to boot.</p>
<p>These developments have allowed an opening of diplomatic channels between two sides that otherwise were not there. American sabre rattling combined with Ahmadinejad's provocations only served to create a cyclical dysfunctional relationship wrought with suspicion and malice. Iran's apparent move towards becoming a member of the international community and away from pariah status has the potential of a strategic relationship that can solve regional issues instead of creating them. This could manifest itself as an ongoing dialogue between the U.S. and Iran to work towards political and economic stability in the region. Allowing Iran to take part in Syria talks at the World Peace Conference would be the first step towards achieving such a goal. The new Iran would also allow the U.S. to exit the Syrian fiasco while maintaining face as it seeks to pivot its foreign policy towards Asia. As a major oil producer and&#160; <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/thewilsoncenter/rap-drugs-and-hijabs-13-things-you-should-know-bh9k" type="external">over half the population under the age of 35</a>, Iran is ripe for American corporations to develop new business relationships that will benefit both countries. With Iran out of the cross hairs for now, Israel and Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states may increase collaboration to thwart Iranian influence. However, the prerequisite for such an arrangement would have to be some sort of settlement on the Palestinian issue before a closer alliance can be declared. Granted, the current nuclear negotiations have to bear more fruit on both sides, but coming to the table has already garnered more results than three decades of hostility.</p>
<p>At any rate, the West's thawing relations with the new Iran opens up a multitude of possibilities in a region where multiple actors are trying to capitalize on waning U.S. influence. Unlike Iraq, Libya and Egypt, Iran has proven that engagement with the West can only come with domestic political flexibility and the power to shape Western interests, capped off, of course, with a new image and willingness&#160;to engage.</p> | false | 1 | todays world postarab spring geopolitics longstanding rivalries established alliances change whim irans case narrative deviated maniacal mullah regime seeking weapons mass destruction significant partner capable promoting peace stability region iran go movievillain status negotiating partner potential ally granted geopolitical shift involves several variables iran smartly played hand counted president hassan rouhani little promote reformer election victory unceremonious departure provocative mahmoud ahmadinejad victory whoever follow unlike president obamas succession george w bush rouhanis reputation already well established iran hence jubilance followed election although times skeptical american media hand in160promoting rouhani moderate rouhani say right things reaching jews twitter friendly phone conversation obama conducting tact professionalism un rouhanis socalled charm offensive genuine willingness engage worked tee much chagrin israel gulf states fearful iranian hegemony rouhani also surrounded cerebral cabinet holds us doctorates obamas cabinet france germany italy japan russia spain combined whether results good governance immaterial public relations strategic standpoint however demonstrates shift away shadowy fundamentalist theocratic regime one educated intellectually able capable producing change unlike leaders muslim majority states rouhani knows establishing new positive image first step towards changing diplomatic fortunes successful rebrand however good product unless product deemed valuable fades time becomes meaningless similarly positive image boon regime regional significance understated given todays political realities ignore iran ignore middle east current nuclear negotiations prove iran indeed deemed significant actor world stage ironically us provided initial impetus iran wield influence iraq expand reach region syrian gift emboldened iran dictate future strategically significant state serves sphere influence iran hezbollah vital iranian proxy turned tide favour bashir alassad syria irans strategy orchestrated careful balance ayatollah khamenei acted effective intermediary president rouhanis outreach west conservative elements within iran namely revolutionary guard formed aftermath iranian revolution counter iranian army revolutionary guard grown lobby penetrated irans intelligence economic political institutions seems khamenei used diplomatic acumen repair relations west rouhani one hand allowing revolutionary guard level autonomy dictate policy syria iran made adversaries think twice repercussions attack soil invasion iraq iran seen nuisance regards syria iran seen regional heavyweight image boot developments allowed opening diplomatic channels two sides otherwise american sabre rattling combined ahmadinejads provocations served create cyclical dysfunctional relationship wrought suspicion malice irans apparent move towards becoming member international community away pariah status potential strategic relationship solve regional issues instead creating could manifest ongoing dialogue us iran work towards political economic stability region allowing iran take part syria talks world peace conference would first step towards achieving goal new iran would also allow us exit syrian fiasco maintaining face seeks pivot foreign policy towards asia major oil producer and160 half population age 35 iran ripe american corporations develop new business relationships benefit countries iran cross hairs israel saudi arabia gulf states may increase collaboration thwart iranian influence however prerequisite arrangement would sort settlement palestinian issue closer alliance declared granted current nuclear negotiations bear fruit sides coming table already garnered results three decades hostility rate wests thawing relations new iran opens multitude possibilities region multiple actors trying capitalize waning us influence unlike iraq libya egypt iran proven engagement west come domestic political flexibility power shape western interests capped course new image willingness160to engage | 516 |
<p>UN Security Council resolutions directly critical of Israel for violations of its Charter obligations and international law</p>
<p>Following is a list of United Nations Security Council resolutions directly critical of Israel for violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions, the U.N. Charter, the Geneva Conventions, international terrorism, or other violations of international law.</p>
<p>Res. 57 (Sep. 18, 1948) – Expresses deep shock at the assassination of the U.N. Mediator in Palestine, Count Folke Bernadotte, by Zionist terrorists.</p>
<p>Res. 89 (Nov. 17, 1950) – Requests that attention be given to the expulsion of “thousands of Palestine Arabs” and calls upon concerned governments to take no further action “involving the transfer of persons across international frontiers or armistice lines”, and notes that Israel announced that it would withdraw to the armistice lines.</p>
<p>Res. 93 (May 18, 1951) – Finds that Israeli airstrikes on Syria on April 5, 1951 constitutes “a violation of the cease-fire”, and decides that Arab civilians expelled from the demilitarized zone by Israel should be allowed to return.</p>
<p>Res. 100 (Oct. 27, 1953) – Notes that Israel had said it would stop work it started in the demilitarized zone on September 2, 1953.</p>
<p>Res. 101 (Nov. 24, 1953) – Finds Israel’s attack on Qibya, Jordan on October 14-15, 1953 to be a violation of the cease-fire and “Expresses the strongest censure of that action”.</p>
<p>Res. 106 (Mar. 29, 1955) – Condemns Israel’s attack on Egyptian forces in the Gaza Strip on February 28, 1955.</p>
<p>Res. 111 (Jan. 19, 1956) – Condemns Israel’s attack on Syria on December 11, 1955 as “a flagrant violation of the cease-fire” and armistice agreement.</p>
<p>Res. 119 (Oct. 31, 1956) – Considers that “a grave situation has been created” by the attack against Egypt by the forces of Britain, France, and Israel.</p>
<p>Res. 171 (Apr. 9, 1962) – Reaffirms resolution 111 and determines that Israel’s attack on Syria on March 16-17, 1962 “constitutes a flagrant violation of that resolution”.</p>
<p>Res. 228 (Nov. 25, 1966) – “Deplores the loss of life and heavy damage to property resulting from the action” by Israel in the southern Hebron area on November 13, 1966, and “Censures Israel for this large-scale military action in violation of the United Nations Charter” and the armistice agreement between Israel and Jordan.</p>
<p>Res. 237 (Jun. 14, 1967) – Calls on Israel “to ensure the safety, welfare and security of the inhabitants where military operations have taken place” during the war launched by Israel on June 5, 1967 “and to facilitate the return of those inhabitants who have fled the areas since the outbreak of hostilities”.</p>
<p>Res. 242 (Nov. 22, 1967) – Emphasizes “the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war”, emphasizes that member states have a commitment to abide by the U.N. Charter, and calls for the “Withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied” during the June 1967 war.</p>
<p>Res. 248 (Mar. 24, 1968) – Observes that the Israeli attack on Jordan “was of a large-scale and carefully planned nature”, “Deplores the loss of life and heavy damage to property”, “Condemns the military action launched by Israel in flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and the cease-fire resolutions”, and “Calls upon Israel to desist from” further violations of resolution 237.</p>
<p>Res. 250 (Apr. 27, 1968) – Considers “that the holding of a military parade in Jerusalem will aggravate tensions in the area and have an adverse effect on a peaceful settlement of the problems in the area” and “Calls upon Israel to refrain from holding the military parade in Jerusalem which is contemplated” for May 2, 1968.</p>
<p>Res. 251 (May 2, 1968) – Recalls resolution 250 and “Deeply deplores the holding by Israel of the military parade in Jerusalem” on May 2, 1968 “in disregard of” resolution 250.</p>
<p>Res. 252 (May 21, 1968) – “Deplores the failure of Israel to comply with” General Assembly resolutions 2253 and 2254, considers Israel’s annexation of Jerusalem “invalid”, and calls upon Israel “to rescind all such measures already taken and to desist forthwith from taking any further action which tends to change the status of Jerusalem”.</p>
<p>Res. 256 (Aug. 16, 1968) – Recalls Israel’s “flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter” condemned in resolution 248, observes that further Israeli air attacks on Jordan “were of a large scale and carefully planned nature in violation of resolution 248”, “Deplores the loss of life and heavy damage to property”, and condemns Israel’s attacks.</p>
<p>Res. 259 (Sep. 27, 1968) – Expresses concern for “the safety, welfare and security” of the Palestinians “under military occupation by Israel”, deplores “the delay in the implementation of resolution 237 (1967) because of the conditions still being set by Israel for receiving a Special Representative of the Secretary-General”, and requests Israel to receive the Special Representative and facilitate his work.</p>
<p>Res. 262 (Dec. 31, 1968) – Observes “that the military action by the armed forces of Israel against the civil International Airport of Beirut was premeditated and of a large scale and carefully planned nature”, and condemns Israel for the attack.</p>
<p>Res.265 (Apr. 1, 1969) – Expresses “deep concern that the recent attacks on Jordanian villages and other populated areas were of a pre-planned nature, in violation of resolutions” 248 and 256, “Deplores the loss of civilian life and damage to property”, and “Condemns the recent premeditated air attacks launched by Israel on Jordanian villages and populated areas in flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and the cease-fire resolutions”.</p>
<p>Res. 267 (Jul. 3, 1969) – Recalls resolution 252 and General Assembly resolutions 2253 and 2254, notes that “since the adoption of the above-mentioned resolutions Israel has taken further measures tending to change the status of the City of Jerusalem”, reaffirms “the established principle that acquisition of territory by military conquest is inadmissible”, “Deplores the failure of Israel to show any regard for the resolutions”, “Censures in the strongest terms all measures taken to change the status of the City of Jerusalem”, “Confirms that all legislative and administrative measures and actions taken by Israel which purport to alter the status of Jerusalem, including expropriation of land and properties thereon, are invalid and cannot change that status”, and urgently calls on Israel to rescind the measures taken to annex Jerusalem.</p>
<p>Res. 270 (Aug. 26, 1969) – “Condemns the premeditated air attack by Israel on villages in southern Lebanon in violation of its obligations under the Charter and Security Council resolutions”.</p>
<p>Res. 271 (Sep. 15, 1969) – Expresses grief “at the extensive damage caused by arson to the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem” on August 21, 1969 “under the military occupation of Israel”, reaffirms “the established principle that acquisition of territory by military conquest is inadmissible”, “Determines that the execrable act of desecration and profanation of the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque emphasizes the immediate necessity of Israel’s desisting from acting in violation” previous resolutions and rescinding measures to annex Jerusalem, calls on Israel “to observe the provisions of the Geneva Conventions and international law governing military occupation”, and condemns Israel’s failure to comply with previous resolutions.</p>
<p>Res. 279 (May 12, 1970) – “Demands the immediate withdrawal of all Israeli armed forces from Lebanese territory.”</p>
<p>Res. 280 (May 19, 1970) – Expresses conviction that “that the Israeli military attack against Lebanon was premeditated and of a large scale and carefully planned in nature”, recalls resolution 279 “demanding the immediate withdrawal of all Israeli armed forces from Lebanese territory”, deplores Israel’s violation of resolutions 262 and 270, “Condemns Israel for its premeditated military action in violation of its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations”, and “Deplores the loss of life and damage to property inflicted as a result” of Israeli violations of Security Council resolutions.</p>
<p>Res. 285 (Sep. 5, 1970) – “Demands the complete and immediate withdrawal of all Israeli armed forces from Lebanese territory.”</p>
<p>Res. 298 (Sep. 25, 1971) – Recalls resolutions 252 and 267 and General Assembly resolutions 2253 and 2254 concerning Israel’s measures to annex Jerusalem, reaffirms “the principle that acquisition of territory by military conquest is inadmissible”, notes “the non-compliance by Israel” of the recalled resolutions, deplores Israel’s failure to respect the resolutions, confirms that Israel’s actions “are totally invalid”, and urgently calls on Israel to rescind its measures and take “no further steps in the occupied section of Jerusalem” to change the status of the city.</p>
<p>Res. 313 (Feb. 28, 1972) – “Demands that Israel immediately desist and refrain from any ground and air military action against Lebanon and forthwith withdraw all its military forces from Lebanese territory.”</p>
<p>Res. 316 (Jun. 26, 1972) – Deplores “the tragic loss of life resulting from all acts of violence”, expresses grave concern “at Israel’s failure to comply with Security Council resolutions” 262, 270, 280, 285, and 313 “calling on Israel to desist forthwith from any violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon”, calls on Israel to abide by the resolutions, and condemns “the repeated attacks of Israeli forces on Lebanese territory and population in violation of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and Israel’s obligations thereunder”.</p>
<p>Res. 317 (Jul. 21, 1972) – Notes resolution 316, deplores the fact that Israel had not yet released “Syrian and Lebanese military and security personnel abducted by Israeli armed forces from Lebanese territory” on June 21, 1972, and calls on Israel to release the prisoners.</p>
<p>Res. 332 (Apr. 21, 1972) – “Condemns the repeated military attacks conducted by Israel against Lebanon and Israel’s violation of Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty” in violation of the U.N. Charter, the armistice agreement, and cease-fire resolutions.</p>
<p>Res. 337 (Aug. 15, 1973) – Notes “the violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” by Israel “and the hijacking, by the Israeli air force, of a Lebanese civilian airliner on lease to Iraqi Airways”, expresses grave concern “that such an act carried out by Israel, a Member of the United Nations, constitutes a serious interference with international civil aviation and a violation of the Charter of the United Nations”, recognizes “that such an act could jeopardize the lives and safety of passengers and crew and violates the provisions of international conventions safeguarding civil aviation”, condemns Israel “for violating Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and for the forcible diversion and seizure by the Israeli air force of a Lebanese airliner from Lebanon’s air space”, and considers that Israel’s actions constitute a violation of the armistice agreement, cease-fire resolutions, the U.N. Charter, “the international conventions on civil aviation and the principles of international law and morality”.</p>
<p>Res. 347 (Apr. 24, 1974) – “Condemns Israel’s violation of Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and calls once more on the Government of Israel to refrain from further military actions and threats against Lebanon”, and calls on Israel “to release and return to Lebanon the abducted Lebanese civilians”.</p>
<p>Res. 425 (Mar. 19, 1978) – “Calls for strict respect for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon within its internationally recognized boundaries”, and “Calls upon Israel immediately to cease its military action against Lebanese territorial integrity and withdraw forthwith its forces from all Lebanese territory”.</p>
<p>Res. 427 (May 3, 1978) – “Calls upon Israel to complete its withdrawal from all Lebanese territory without any further delay”.</p>
<p>Res. 446 (Mar. 22, 1979) – Affirms “once more that the Fourth Geneva Convention … is applicable to the Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem”, “Determines that the policy and practices of Israel in establishing settlements in the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967 have no legal validity and constitute a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East”, “Strongly deplores the failure of Israel to abide by” resolutions 237, 252, and 298, and General Assembly resolutions 2253 and 2254, and calls on Israel “as the occupying Power” to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention, to “rescind its previous measures and to desist from any action which would result in changing the legal status and geographical nature and materially affecting the demographic composition of the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem, and, in particular, not to transfer parts of its own civilian population into the occupied Arab territories”.</p>
<p>Res. 450 (Jun. 14, 1979) – “Strongly deplores acts of violence against Lebanon that have led to the displacement of civilians, including Palestinians, and brought about destruction and loss of innocent lives”, and calls on Israel to cease actions against Lebanon, “in particular its incursions into Lebanon and the assistance it continues to lend to irresponsible armed groups”.</p>
<p>Res. 452 (Jul. 20, 1979) – Strongly deplores “the lack of co-operation of Israel” with the Security Council Commission “established under resolution 446 (1979) to examine the situation relating to settlements in the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem”, considers “that the policy of Israel in establishing settlements in the occupied Arab territories has no legal validity and constitutes a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention”, expresses deep concern at Israel’s policy of constructing settlements “in the occupied Arab territories, including Jerusalem, and its consequences for the local Arab and Palestinian population”, and calls on Israel to cease such activities.</p>
<p>Res. 465 (Mar. 1, 1980) – Strongly deplores Israel’s refusal to co-operate with the Security Council Commission, regrets Israel’s “formal rejection of” resolutions 446 and 452, deplores Israel’s decision “to officially support Israeli settlement” in the occupied territories, expresses deep concern over Israel’s settlement policy “and its consequences for the local Arab and Palestinian population”, “Strongly deplores the decision of Israel to prohibit the free travel” of the mayor of Hebron “to appear before the Security Council”, and “Determines that all measures taken by Israel to change the physical character, demographic composition, institutional structure or status of the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem, or any part thereof, have no legal validity and that Israel’s policy and practices of settling parts of its population and new immigrants in those territories constitute a flagrant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention”.</p>
<p>Res. 467 (Apr. 24, 1980) – “Condemns all actions contrary to” resolutions 425, 426, 427, 434, 444, 450, and 459 “and, in particular, strongly deplores” any “violation of Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity” and “Israel’s military intervention into Lebanon”.</p>
<p>Res. 468 (May 8, 1980) – Expresses deep concern “at the expulsion by the Israeli military occupation authorities of the Mayors of Hebron and Halhoul and the Sharia Judge of Hebron” and “Calls upon the Government of Israel as occupying Power to rescind these illegal measures and facilitate the immediate return of the expelled Palestinian leaders so that they can resume the functions for which they were elected and appointed”.</p>
<p>Res. 469 (May 20, 1980) – Recalls the Fourth Geneva Convention “and in particular article 1, which reads ‘The High Contracting Parties undertake to respect and to ensure respect for the present Convention in all circumstances,’ and article 49, which reads ‘Individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from the occupied territory to the territory of the occupying Power or to that of any other country, occupied or not, are prohibited, regardless of their motive”, “Strongly deplores the failure of the Government of Israel to implement Security Council resolution 468”, “Calls again upon the Government of Israel, as occupying Power, to rescind the illegal measures taken by the Israeli military occupation authorities in expelling the Mayors of Hebron and Halhoul and the Sharis Judge of Hebron, and to facilitate the immediate return of the expelled Palestinian leaders, so that they can resume their functions for which they were elected and appointed”.</p>
<p>Res. 471 (Jun. 5, 1980) – Recalls “once again” the Fourth Geneva Convention, “and in particular article 27, which reads, ‘ Protected persons are entitled, in all circumstances, to respect for their persons… They shall at all times be humanely treated, and shall be protected especially against all acts of violence or threats thereof…’”, reaffirms the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention “to the Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem”, expresses deep concern “that the Jewish settlers in the occupied Arab territories are allowed to carry arms, thus enabling them to perpetrate crimes against the civilian Arab population”, “Condemns the assassination attempts against the Mayors of Nablus, Ramallah and Al Bireh and calls for the immediate apprehension and prosecution of the perpetrators of these crimes”, “Expresses deep concern that Israel, as the occupying Power, has failed to provide adequate protection to the civilian population in the occupied territories in conformity with the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War”, calls on Israel “to provide the victims with adequate compensation for the damage suffered as a result of these crimes”, “Calls again upon the government of Israel to respect and to comply with the provisions of” the Fourth Geneva Convention and “the relevant resolutions of the Security Council”, “Calls once again upon all States not to provide Israel with any assistance to be used specifically in connexion [sic] with settlements in the occupied territories”, “Reaffirms the overriding necessity to end the prolonged occupation of Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem”.</p>
<p>Res. 476 (Jun. 30, 1980) – Reaffirms that “the acquisition of territory by force is inadmissible”, deplores “the persistence of Israel, in changing the physical character, demographic composition, institutional structure and the status of the Holy City of Jerusalem”, expresses grave concern “over the legislative steps initiated in the Israeli Knesset with the aim of changing the character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem”, reaffirms “the overriding necessity to end the prolonged occupation of Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem”, “Strongly deplores the continued refusal of Israel, the occupying Power, to comply with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly”, “Reconfirms that all legislative and administrative measures and actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, which purport to later the character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention”, “Reiterates that all such measures … are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council”, and “Urgently calls on Israel, the occupying Power, to abide by this and previous Security Council resolutions and to desist forthwith from persisting in the policy and measures affecting the character and status of the Holy city of Jerusalem”.</p>
<p>Res. 478 (Aug. 20, 1980) – Reaffirms “again that the acquisition of territory by force is inadmissible”, notes “that Israel has not complied with resolution 476”, “Censures in the strongest terms the enactment by Israel of the ‘basic law’ on Jerusalem and the refusal to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions”, “Affirms that the enactment of the ‘basic law’ by Israel constitutes a violation of international law”, “Determines that all legislative and administrative measures and actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, which have altered or purport to alter the character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and in particular the recent ‘basic law’ on Jerusalem, are null and void and must be rescinded forthwith”.</p>
<p>Res. 484 (Dec. 19, 1980) – Expresses “grave concern at the expulsion by Israel of the Mayor of Hebron and the Mayor of Halhoul”, “Reaffirms the applicability of” the Fourth Geneva Convention “to all the Arab territories occupied by Israel in 1967”, “Calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to adhere to the provisions of the Convention”, and “Declares it imperative that the Mayor of Hebron and the Mayor of Halhoul be enabled to return to their homes and resume their responsibilities”.</p>
<p>Res. 487 (Jun. 19, 1981) – Expresses full awareness “of the fact that Iraq has been a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons since it came into force in 1970, that in accordance with that Treaty Iraq has accepted IAEA safeguards on all its nuclear activities, and that the Agency has testified that these safeguards have been satisfactorily applied to date”, notes “furthermore that Israel has not adhered to the non-proliferation Treaty”, expresses deep concern “about the danger to international peace and security created by the premeditated Israeli air attack on Iraqi nuclear installations on 7 June 1981, which could at any time explode the situation in the area, with grave consequences for the vital interests of all States”, “Strongly condemns the military attack by Israel in clear violation of the Charter of the United Nations and the norms of international conduct”, “Further considers that the said attack constitutes a serious threat to the entire IAEA safeguards regime which is the foundation of the non-proliferation Treaty”, “Fully recognizes the inalienable sovereign right of Iraq, and all other States, especially the developing countries, to establish programmes of technological and nuclear development to develop their economy and industry for peaceful purposes in accordance with their present and future needs and consistent with the internationally accepted objectives of preventing nuclear-weapons proliferation”, and “Calls upon Israel urgently to place its nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards”.</p>
<p>Res. 497 (Dec. 17, 1981) – Reaffirms “that the acquisition of territory by force is inadmissible, in accordance with the United Nations Charter, the principles of international law, and relevant Security Council resolutions”, “Decides that the Israeli decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights is null and void and without international legal effect”, “Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, should rescind forthwith its decision”, and “Determines that all the provisions of the” Fourth Geneva Convention “continue to apply to the Syrian territory occupied by Israel since June 1967”.</p>
<p>Res. 501 (Feb. 25, 1982) – Reaffirms resolution 425 calling upon Israel to cease its military action against Lebanon.</p>
<p>Res. 509 ( Jun. 6, 1982) – “Demands that Israel withdraw all its military forces forthwith and unconditionally to the internationally recognized boundaries of Lebanon”.</p>
<p>Res. 515 (Jul. 29, 1982) – “Demands that the Government of Israel lift immediately the blockade of the city of Beirut in order to permit the dispatch of supplies to meet the urgent needs of the civilian population and allow the distribution of aid provided by United Nations agencies and by non-governmental organizations, particularly the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)”.</p>
<p>Res. 517 (Aug. 4, 1982) – Expresses deep shock and alarm “by the deplorable consequences of the Israeli invasion of Beirut on 3 August 1982”, “Confirms once again its demand for an immediate cease-fire and withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon”, and “Censures Israel for its failure to comply with” resolutions 508, 509, 512, 513, 515, and 516.</p>
<p>Res. 518 (Aug. 12, 1982) – “Demands that Israel and all parties to the conflict observe strictly the terms of Security Council resolutions relevant to the immediate cessation of all military activities within Lebanon and, particularly, in and around Beirut”, “Demands the immediate lifting of all restrictions on the city of Beirut in order to permit the free entry of supplies to meet the urgent needs of the civilian population in Beirut”.</p>
<p>Res. 520 (Sep. 17, 1982) – “Condemns the recent Israeli incursions into Beirut in violation of the cease-fire agreements and of Security Council resolutions”, &#160;and “Demands an immediate return to the positions occupied by Israel before” September 15, 1982 “as a first step towards the full implementation of Security Council resolutions”.</p>
<p>Res. 521 (Sep. 19, 1982) – “Condemns the criminal massacre of Palestinian civilians in Beirut” in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps.</p>
<p>Res. 573 (Oct. 4, 1985) – “Condemns vigorously the act of armed aggression perpetrated by Israel against Tunisian territory in flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations, international law and norms of conduct”.</p>
<p>Res. 592 (Dec. 8, 1986) – Reaffirms that the Fourth Geneva Convention “is applicable to the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem”, and “Strongly deplores the opening of fire by the Israeli army resulting in the death and the wounding of defenceless students”.</p>
<p>Res. 605 (Dec. 22, 1987) – “Strongly deplores those policies and practices of Israel, the occupying Power, which violate the human rights of the Palestinian people in the occupied territories, and in particular the opening of fire by the Israeli army, resulting in the killing and wounding of defenceless Palestinian civilians”, and reaffirms the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention “to the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem”.</p>
<p>Res. 607 (Jan. 5, 1988) – Expresses “grave concern over the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories”, notes “the decision of Israel, the occupying Power, to ‘continue the deportation’ of Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories”, “Reaffirms once again” the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention “to Palestinian and other Arab territories, occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem”, “Calls upon Israel to refrain from deporting any Palestinian civilians from the occupied territories”, and “Strongly requests Israel, the occupying Power, to abide by its obligations arising from the Convention”.</p>
<p>Res. 608 (Jan. 14, 1988) – Reaffirms resolution 607, expresses “deep regret that Israel, the occupying Power, has, in defiance of that resolution, deported Palestinian civilians”, and “Calls upon Israel to rescind the order to deport Palestinian civilians and to ensure the safe and immediate return to the occupied Palestinian territories of those already deported”.</p>
<p>Res. 611 (Apr. 25, 1988) – Notes “with concern that the aggression perpetrated” by Israelis on April 16, 1988 “in the locality of Sidi Bou Said”, Tunisia, “has caused loss of human life, particularly the assassination of Mr. Khalil El Wazir”, and “Condemns vigorously the aggression perpetrated … against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Tunisia in flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations, international law and norms of conduct”.</p>
<p>Res. 636 (Jul. 6, 1989) – Reaffirms resolutions 607 and 608, notes “that Israel, the occupying Power, has once again, in defiance of those resolutions, deported eight Palestinian civilians on 29 June 1989”, Expresses deep regret “the continuing deportation by Israel, the occupying Power, of Palestinian civilians”, “Calls upon Israel to ensure the safe and immediate return to the occupied Palestinian territories of those deported and to desist forthwith from deporting any other Palestinian civilians”, and “Reaffirms that” the Fourth Geneva Convention “is applicable to the Palestinian territories, occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem, and to other occupied Arab territories”.</p>
<p>Res. 641 (Aug. 30, 1989) – Reaffirms resolutions 607, 608, and 636, notes that Israel “has once again, in defiance of those resolutions, deported five Palestinian civilians on 27 August 1989”, and “Deplores the continuing deportation by Israel, the occupying Power, of Palestinian civilians”.</p>
<p>Res. 672 (Oct. 12, 1990) – “Expresses alarm at the violence which took place” on October 8, 1990, “at the Al Haram al Shareef and other Holy Places of Jerusalem resulting in over twenty Palestinian deaths and to the injury of more than one hundred and fifty people, including Palestinian civilians and innocent worshippers”, “Condemns especially the acts of violence committed by the Israeli forces resulting in injuries and loss of human life”, and “Requests, in connection with the decision of the Secretary-General to send a mission to the region, which the Council welcomes, that he submit a report to it before the end of October 1990 containing his findings and conclusions and that he use as appropriate all the resources of the United Nations in the region in carrying out the mission.”</p>
<p>Res. 673 (Oct. 24, 1990) – “Deplores the refusal of the Israeli Government to receive the mission of the Secretary-General to the region”, and “Urges the Israeli Government to reconsider its decision and insists that it comply fully with resolution 672 (1990) and to permit the mission of the Secretary-General to proceed in keeping with its purpose”.</p>
<p>Res. 681 (Dec. 20, 1990) – Reaffirms “the obligations of Member States under the United Nations Charter”, reaffirms “also the principle of the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war”, expresses alarm “by the decision of the Government of Israel to deport four Palestinians from the occupied territories in contravention of its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention” in contravention to resolutions 607, 608, 636, and 641, “Expresses its grave concern over the rejection by Israel of Security Council resolutions” 672 and 673, and “Deplores the decision by the Government of Israel, the occupying Power, to resume deportations of Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories”.</p>
<p>Res. 694 (May 24, 1991) – Reaffirms resolution 681 calling on Israel to respect the Fourth Geneva Convention, notes “with deep concern and consternation that Israel has, in violation of its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, and acting in opposition to relevant Security Council resolutions, and to the detriment of efforts to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, deported four Palestinian civilians” on May 18, 1991, “Declares that the action of the Israeli authorities of deporting four Palestinians … is in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention …, which is applicable to all the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem”, and “Deplores this action and reiterates that Israel, the occupying Power, refrain from deporting any Palestinian civilian from the occupied territories and ensure the safe and immediate return of all those deported”.</p>
<p>Res. 726 (Jan. 6, 1992) – Recalls resolutions 607, 608, 636, 641, and 694 calling on Israel to respect the Fourth Geneva Convention, “Strongly condemns the decision of Israel, the occupying Power, to resume deportations of Palestinian civilians”, “Reaffirms the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention … to all the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem”, and “requests Israel, the occupying Power, to ensure the safe and immediate return to the occupied territories of all those deported”.</p>
<p>Res. 799 (Dec. 18, 1992) – Reaffirms resolutions 607, 608, 636, 641, 681, 694, and 726 calling on Israel to respect the Fourth Geneva Convention, notes “with deep concern that Israel, the occupying Power, in contravention of its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention …, deported to Lebanon” on December 17, 1992 “hundreds of Palestinian civilians from the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jersualem”, “Strongly condemns the action taken by Israel, the occupying Power, to deport hundreds of Palestinian civilians, and expresses its firm opposition to any such deportation by Israel”, “Reaffirms the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention … to all the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem, and affirms that deportation of civilians constitutes a contravention of its obligations under the Convention”, and “Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, ensure the safe and immediate return to the occupied territories of all those deported”.</p>
<p>Res. 904 (Mar. 18, 1994) – Expresses shock at “the appalling massacre committed against Palestinian worshippers in the Mosque of Ibrahim in Hebron” on February 25, 1994 by Jewish settler Baruch Goldstein “during the holy month of Ramadan”, expresses grave concern with “the consequent Palestinian casualties in the occupied Palestinian territory as a result of the massacre, which underlines the need to provide protection and security for the Palestinian people”, notes “the condemnation of this massacre by the entire international community”, “Strongly condemns the massacre in Hebron and its aftermath which took the lives of more than fifty Palestinian civilians and injured several hundred others”, and “Calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to continue to take and implement measures, including, inter alia, confiscation of arms, with the aim of preventing illegal acts of violence by Israeli settlers”.</p>
<p>Res. 1073 (Sep. 28, 1996) – Expresses “deep concern about the tragic events in Jerusalem and the areas of Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem and the Gaza Strip, which resulted in a high number of deaths and injuries among the Palestinian civilians, and concerned also about the clashes between the Israeli army and the Palestinian police and the casualties on both sides”, and “Calls for the safety and protection for Palestinian civilians to be ensured”.</p>
<p>Res. 1322 (Oct. 7, 2000) – Expresses deep concern “by the tragic events that have taken place” since September 28, 2000 “that have led to numerous deaths and injuries, mostly among Palestinians”, “Deplores the provocation carried out at Al-Haram Al-Sharif in Jerusalem” on September 28, 2000 “and the subsequent violence there and at other Holy Places, as well as in other areas throughout the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, resulting in over 80 Palestinian deaths and many other casualties”, “Condemns acts of violence, especially the excessive use of force against Palestinians, resulting in injury and loss of human life”, and “Calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to abide scrupulously by its legal obligations and its responsibilities under the Fourth Geneva Convention”.</p>
<p>Res. 1402 (Mar. 30, 2002) – Expresses grave concern “at the further deterioration of the situation, including the recent suicide bombings in Israel and the military attack against the headquarters of the president of the Palestinian Authority”, “Calls upon both parties to move immediately to a meaningful cease-fire” and “calls for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian cities, including Ramallah”.</p>
<p>Res. 1403 (Apr. 4, 2002) – Expresses grave concern “at the further deterioration of the situation on the ground” and “Demands the implementation of its resolution 1402 (2002) without delay”.</p>
<p>Res. 1405 (Apr. 19, 2002) – Expresses concern for “the dire humanitarian situation of the Palestinian civilian population, in particular reports from the Jenin refugee camp of an unknown number of deaths and destruction”, calls for “the lifting of restrictions imposed, in particular in Jenin, on the operations of humanitarian organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross and United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East”, and “Emphasizes the urgency of access of medical and humanitarian organizations to the Palestinian civilian population”.</p>
<p>Res. 1435 (Sep. 24, 2002) – Expresses grave concern “at the reoccupation of the headquarters of the President of the Palestinian Authority in the City of Ramallah that took place” on September 19, 2002, demands “its immediate end”, expresses alarm “at the reoccupation of Palestinian cities as well as the severe restrictions imposed on the freedom of movement of persons and goods, and gravely concerned at the humanitarian crisis being faced by the Palestinian people”, reiterates “the need for respect in all circumstances of international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War”, “Demands that Israel immediately cease measures in and around Ramallah including the destruction of Palestinian civilian and security infrastructure”, and “Demands also the expeditious withdrawal of the Israeli occupying forces from Palestinian cities towards the return to the positions held prior to September 2000”.</p>
<p>Res. 1544 (May 19, 2004) – Reaffirms resolutions 242, 338, 446, 1322, 1397, 1402, 1405, 1435, and 1515, reiterates “the obligation of Israel, the occupying Power, to abide scrupulously by its legal obligations and responsibilities under the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War”, calls “on Israel to address its security needs within the boundaries of international law”, expresses “grave concern at the continued deterioration of the situation on the ground in the territory occupied by Israel since 1967”, condemns “the killing of Palestinian civilians that took place in the Rafah area”, expresses grave concern “by the recent demolition of homes committed by Israel, the occupying Power, in the Rafah refugee camp”, reaffirms “its support for the Road Map, endorsed in resolution 1515”, “Calls on Israel to respect its obligations under international humanitarian law, and insists, in particular, on its obligation not to undertake demolition of homes contrary to that law”, and “Calls on both parties to immediately implement their obligations under the Road Map”.</p>
<p>Res. 1701 (Aug. 11, 2006) – Expresses “its utmost concern at the continuing escalation of hostilities in Lebanon and in Israel” that “has already caused hundreds of deaths and injuries” and “extensive damage to civilian infrastructure and hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons”, and “Calls for a full cessation of hostilities” including “the immediate cessation by Israel of all offensive military operations”.</p>
<p>Res. 1860 (Jan. 8, 2009) – Expresses “grave concern at the escalation of violence and the deterioration of the situation, in particular the resulting heavy civilian casualties since the refusal to extend the period of calm”, expresses “grave concern also at the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza”, “calls for an immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire, leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza”, “Calls for the unimpeded provision and distribution throughout Gaza of humanitarian assistance, including of food, fuel and medical treatment”, and “Condemns all violence and hostilities directed against civilians and all acts of terrorism”.</p> | false | 1 | un security council resolutions directly critical israel violations charter obligations international law following list united nations security council resolutions directly critical israel violations un security council resolutions un charter geneva conventions international terrorism violations international law res 57 sep 18 1948 expresses deep shock assassination un mediator palestine count folke bernadotte zionist terrorists res 89 nov 17 1950 requests attention given expulsion thousands palestine arabs calls upon concerned governments take action involving transfer persons across international frontiers armistice lines notes israel announced would withdraw armistice lines res 93 may 18 1951 finds israeli airstrikes syria april 5 1951 constitutes violation ceasefire decides arab civilians expelled demilitarized zone israel allowed return res 100 oct 27 1953 notes israel said would stop work started demilitarized zone september 2 1953 res 101 nov 24 1953 finds israels attack qibya jordan october 1415 1953 violation ceasefire expresses strongest censure action res 106 mar 29 1955 condemns israels attack egyptian forces gaza strip february 28 1955 res 111 jan 19 1956 condemns israels attack syria december 11 1955 flagrant violation ceasefire armistice agreement res 119 oct 31 1956 considers grave situation created attack egypt forces britain france israel res 171 apr 9 1962 reaffirms resolution 111 determines israels attack syria march 1617 1962 constitutes flagrant violation resolution res 228 nov 25 1966 deplores loss life heavy damage property resulting action israel southern hebron area november 13 1966 censures israel largescale military action violation united nations charter armistice agreement israel jordan res 237 jun 14 1967 calls israel ensure safety welfare security inhabitants military operations taken place war launched israel june 5 1967 facilitate return inhabitants fled areas since outbreak hostilities res 242 nov 22 1967 emphasizes inadmissibility acquisition territory war emphasizes member states commitment abide un charter calls withdrawal israeli armed forces territories occupied june 1967 war res 248 mar 24 1968 observes israeli attack jordan largescale carefully planned nature deplores loss life heavy damage property condemns military action launched israel flagrant violation united nations charter ceasefire resolutions calls upon israel desist violations resolution 237 res 250 apr 27 1968 considers holding military parade jerusalem aggravate tensions area adverse effect peaceful settlement problems area calls upon israel refrain holding military parade jerusalem contemplated may 2 1968 res 251 may 2 1968 recalls resolution 250 deeply deplores holding israel military parade jerusalem may 2 1968 disregard resolution 250 res 252 may 21 1968 deplores failure israel comply general assembly resolutions 2253 2254 considers israels annexation jerusalem invalid calls upon israel rescind measures already taken desist forthwith taking action tends change status jerusalem res 256 aug 16 1968 recalls israels flagrant violation united nations charter condemned resolution 248 observes israeli air attacks jordan large scale carefully planned nature violation resolution 248 deplores loss life heavy damage property condemns israels attacks res 259 sep 27 1968 expresses concern safety welfare security palestinians military occupation israel deplores delay implementation resolution 237 1967 conditions still set israel receiving special representative secretarygeneral requests israel receive special representative facilitate work res 262 dec 31 1968 observes military action armed forces israel civil international airport beirut premeditated large scale carefully planned nature condemns israel attack res265 apr 1 1969 expresses deep concern recent attacks jordanian villages populated areas preplanned nature violation resolutions 248 256 deplores loss civilian life damage property condemns recent premeditated air attacks launched israel jordanian villages populated areas flagrant violation united nations charter ceasefire resolutions res 267 jul 3 1969 recalls resolution 252 general assembly resolutions 2253 2254 notes since adoption abovementioned resolutions israel taken measures tending change status city jerusalem reaffirms established principle acquisition territory military conquest inadmissible deplores failure israel show regard resolutions censures strongest terms measures taken change status city jerusalem confirms legislative administrative measures actions taken israel purport alter status jerusalem including expropriation land properties thereon invalid change status urgently calls israel rescind measures taken annex jerusalem res 270 aug 26 1969 condemns premeditated air attack israel villages southern lebanon violation obligations charter security council resolutions res 271 sep 15 1969 expresses grief extensive damage caused arson holy alaqsa mosque jerusalem august 21 1969 military occupation israel reaffirms established principle acquisition territory military conquest inadmissible determines execrable act desecration profanation holy alaqsa mosque emphasizes immediate necessity israels desisting acting violation previous resolutions rescinding measures annex jerusalem calls israel observe provisions geneva conventions international law governing military occupation condemns israels failure comply previous resolutions res 279 may 12 1970 demands immediate withdrawal israeli armed forces lebanese territory res 280 may 19 1970 expresses conviction israeli military attack lebanon premeditated large scale carefully planned nature recalls resolution 279 demanding immediate withdrawal israeli armed forces lebanese territory deplores israels violation resolutions 262 270 condemns israel premeditated military action violation obligations charter united nations deplores loss life damage property inflicted result israeli violations security council resolutions res 285 sep 5 1970 demands complete immediate withdrawal israeli armed forces lebanese territory res 298 sep 25 1971 recalls resolutions 252 267 general assembly resolutions 2253 2254 concerning israels measures annex jerusalem reaffirms principle acquisition territory military conquest inadmissible notes noncompliance israel recalled resolutions deplores israels failure respect resolutions confirms israels actions totally invalid urgently calls israel rescind measures take steps occupied section jerusalem change status city res 313 feb 28 1972 demands israel immediately desist refrain ground air military action lebanon forthwith withdraw military forces lebanese territory res 316 jun 26 1972 deplores tragic loss life resulting acts violence expresses grave concern israels failure comply security council resolutions 262 270 280 285 313 calling israel desist forthwith violation sovereignty territorial integrity lebanon calls israel abide resolutions condemns repeated attacks israeli forces lebanese territory population violation principles charter united nations israels obligations thereunder res 317 jul 21 1972 notes resolution 316 deplores fact israel yet released syrian lebanese military security personnel abducted israeli armed forces lebanese territory june 21 1972 calls israel release prisoners res 332 apr 21 1972 condemns repeated military attacks conducted israel lebanon israels violation lebanons territorial integrity sovereignty violation un charter armistice agreement ceasefire resolutions res 337 aug 15 1973 notes violation lebanons sovereignty territorial integrity israel hijacking israeli air force lebanese civilian airliner lease iraqi airways expresses grave concern act carried israel member united nations constitutes serious interference international civil aviation violation charter united nations recognizes act could jeopardize lives safety passengers crew violates provisions international conventions safeguarding civil aviation condemns israel violating lebanons sovereignty territorial integrity forcible diversion seizure israeli air force lebanese airliner lebanons air space considers israels actions constitute violation armistice agreement ceasefire resolutions un charter international conventions civil aviation principles international law morality res 347 apr 24 1974 condemns israels violation lebanons territorial integrity sovereignty calls government israel refrain military actions threats lebanon calls israel release return lebanon abducted lebanese civilians res 425 mar 19 1978 calls strict respect territorial integrity sovereignty political independence lebanon within internationally recognized boundaries calls upon israel immediately cease military action lebanese territorial integrity withdraw forthwith forces lebanese territory res 427 may 3 1978 calls upon israel complete withdrawal lebanese territory without delay res 446 mar 22 1979 affirms fourth geneva convention applicable arab territories occupied israel since 1967 including jerusalem determines policy practices israel establishing settlements palestinian arab territories occupied since 1967 legal validity constitute serious obstruction achieving comprehensive lasting peace middle east strongly deplores failure israel abide resolutions 237 252 298 general assembly resolutions 2253 2254 calls israel occupying power abide fourth geneva convention rescind previous measures desist action would result changing legal status geographical nature materially affecting demographic composition arab territories occupied since 1967 including jerusalem particular transfer parts civilian population occupied arab territories res 450 jun 14 1979 strongly deplores acts violence lebanon led displacement civilians including palestinians brought destruction loss innocent lives calls israel cease actions lebanon particular incursions lebanon assistance continues lend irresponsible armed groups res 452 jul 20 1979 strongly deplores lack cooperation israel security council commission established resolution 446 1979 examine situation relating settlements arab territories occupied since 1967 including jerusalem considers policy israel establishing settlements occupied arab territories legal validity constitutes violation fourth geneva convention expresses deep concern israels policy constructing settlements occupied arab territories including jerusalem consequences local arab palestinian population calls israel cease activities res 465 mar 1 1980 strongly deplores israels refusal cooperate security council commission regrets israels formal rejection resolutions 446 452 deplores israels decision officially support israeli settlement occupied territories expresses deep concern israels settlement policy consequences local arab palestinian population strongly deplores decision israel prohibit free travel mayor hebron appear security council determines measures taken israel change physical character demographic composition institutional structure status palestinian arab territories occupied since 1967 including jerusalem part thereof legal validity israels policy practices settling parts population new immigrants territories constitute flagrant violation fourth geneva convention res 467 apr 24 1980 condemns actions contrary resolutions 425 426 427 434 444 450 459 particular strongly deplores violation lebanese sovereignty territorial integrity israels military intervention lebanon res 468 may 8 1980 expresses deep concern expulsion israeli military occupation authorities mayors hebron halhoul sharia judge hebron calls upon government israel occupying power rescind illegal measures facilitate immediate return expelled palestinian leaders resume functions elected appointed res 469 may 20 1980 recalls fourth geneva convention particular article 1 reads high contracting parties undertake respect ensure respect present convention circumstances article 49 reads individual mass forcible transfers well deportations protected persons occupied territory territory occupying power country occupied prohibited regardless motive strongly deplores failure government israel implement security council resolution 468 calls upon government israel occupying power rescind illegal measures taken israeli military occupation authorities expelling mayors hebron halhoul sharis judge hebron facilitate immediate return expelled palestinian leaders resume functions elected appointed res 471 jun 5 1980 recalls fourth geneva convention particular article 27 reads protected persons entitled circumstances respect persons shall times humanely treated shall protected especially acts violence threats thereof reaffirms applicability fourth geneva convention arab territories occupied israel since 1967 including jerusalem expresses deep concern jewish settlers occupied arab territories allowed carry arms thus enabling perpetrate crimes civilian arab population condemns assassination attempts mayors nablus ramallah al bireh calls immediate apprehension prosecution perpetrators crimes expresses deep concern israel occupying power failed provide adequate protection civilian population occupied territories conformity provisions geneva convention relative protection civilian persons time war calls israel provide victims adequate compensation damage suffered result crimes calls upon government israel respect comply provisions fourth geneva convention relevant resolutions security council calls upon states provide israel assistance used specifically connexion sic settlements occupied territories reaffirms overriding necessity end prolonged occupation arab territories occupied israel since 1967 including jerusalem res 476 jun 30 1980 reaffirms acquisition territory force inadmissible deplores persistence israel changing physical character demographic composition institutional structure status holy city jerusalem expresses grave concern legislative steps initiated israeli knesset aim changing character status holy city jerusalem reaffirms overriding necessity end prolonged occupation arab territories occupied israel since 1967 including jerusalem strongly deplores continued refusal israel occupying power comply relevant resolutions security council general assembly reconfirms legislative administrative measures actions taken israel occupying power purport later character status holy city jerusalem legal validity constitute flagrant violation fourth geneva convention reiterates measures null void must rescinded compliance relevant resolutions security council urgently calls israel occupying power abide previous security council resolutions desist forthwith persisting policy measures affecting character status holy city jerusalem res 478 aug 20 1980 reaffirms acquisition territory force inadmissible notes israel complied resolution 476 censures strongest terms enactment israel basic law jerusalem refusal comply relevant security council resolutions affirms enactment basic law israel constitutes violation international law determines legislative administrative measures actions taken israel occupying power altered purport alter character status holy city jerusalem particular recent basic law jerusalem null void must rescinded forthwith res 484 dec 19 1980 expresses grave concern expulsion israel mayor hebron mayor halhoul reaffirms applicability fourth geneva convention arab territories occupied israel 1967 calls upon israel occupying power adhere provisions convention declares imperative mayor hebron mayor halhoul enabled return homes resume responsibilities res 487 jun 19 1981 expresses full awareness fact iraq party treaty nonproliferation nuclear weapons since came force 1970 accordance treaty iraq accepted iaea safeguards nuclear activities agency testified safeguards satisfactorily applied date notes furthermore israel adhered nonproliferation treaty expresses deep concern danger international peace security created premeditated israeli air attack iraqi nuclear installations 7 june 1981 could time explode situation area grave consequences vital interests states strongly condemns military attack israel clear violation charter united nations norms international conduct considers said attack constitutes serious threat entire iaea safeguards regime foundation nonproliferation treaty fully recognizes inalienable sovereign right iraq states especially developing countries establish programmes technological nuclear development develop economy industry peaceful purposes accordance present future needs consistent internationally accepted objectives preventing nuclearweapons proliferation calls upon israel urgently place nuclear facilities iaea safeguards res 497 dec 17 1981 reaffirms acquisition territory force inadmissible accordance united nations charter principles international law relevant security council resolutions decides israeli decision impose laws jurisdiction administration occupied syrian golan heights null void without international legal effect demands israel occupying power rescind forthwith decision determines provisions fourth geneva convention continue apply syrian territory occupied israel since june 1967 res 501 feb 25 1982 reaffirms resolution 425 calling upon israel cease military action lebanon res 509 jun 6 1982 demands israel withdraw military forces forthwith unconditionally internationally recognized boundaries lebanon res 515 jul 29 1982 demands government israel lift immediately blockade city beirut order permit dispatch supplies meet urgent needs civilian population allow distribution aid provided united nations agencies nongovernmental organizations particularly international committee red cross icrc res 517 aug 4 1982 expresses deep shock alarm deplorable consequences israeli invasion beirut 3 august 1982 confirms demand immediate ceasefire withdrawal israeli forces lebanon censures israel failure comply resolutions 508 509 512 513 515 516 res 518 aug 12 1982 demands israel parties conflict observe strictly terms security council resolutions relevant immediate cessation military activities within lebanon particularly around beirut demands immediate lifting restrictions city beirut order permit free entry supplies meet urgent needs civilian population beirut res 520 sep 17 1982 condemns recent israeli incursions beirut violation ceasefire agreements security council resolutions 160and demands immediate return positions occupied israel september 15 1982 first step towards full implementation security council resolutions res 521 sep 19 1982 condemns criminal massacre palestinian civilians beirut sabra shatila refugee camps res 573 oct 4 1985 condemns vigorously act armed aggression perpetrated israel tunisian territory flagrant violation charter united nations international law norms conduct res 592 dec 8 1986 reaffirms fourth geneva convention applicable palestinian arab territories occupied israel since 1967 including jerusalem strongly deplores opening fire israeli army resulting death wounding defenceless students res 605 dec 22 1987 strongly deplores policies practices israel occupying power violate human rights palestinian people occupied territories particular opening fire israeli army resulting killing wounding defenceless palestinian civilians reaffirms applicability fourth geneva convention palestinian arab territories occupied israel since 1967 including jerusalem res 607 jan 5 1988 expresses grave concern situation occupied palestinian territories notes decision israel occupying power continue deportation palestinian civilians occupied territories reaffirms applicability fourth geneva convention palestinian arab territories occupied israel since 1967 including jerusalem calls upon israel refrain deporting palestinian civilians occupied territories strongly requests israel occupying power abide obligations arising convention res 608 jan 14 1988 reaffirms resolution 607 expresses deep regret israel occupying power defiance resolution deported palestinian civilians calls upon israel rescind order deport palestinian civilians ensure safe immediate return occupied palestinian territories already deported res 611 apr 25 1988 notes concern aggression perpetrated israelis april 16 1988 locality sidi bou said tunisia caused loss human life particularly assassination mr khalil el wazir condemns vigorously aggression perpetrated sovereignty territorial integrity tunisia flagrant violation charter united nations international law norms conduct res 636 jul 6 1989 reaffirms resolutions 607 608 notes israel occupying power defiance resolutions deported eight palestinian civilians 29 june 1989 expresses deep regret continuing deportation israel occupying power palestinian civilians calls upon israel ensure safe immediate return occupied palestinian territories deported desist forthwith deporting palestinian civilians reaffirms fourth geneva convention applicable palestinian territories occupied israel since 1967 including jerusalem occupied arab territories res 641 aug 30 1989 reaffirms resolutions 607 608 636 notes israel defiance resolutions deported five palestinian civilians 27 august 1989 deplores continuing deportation israel occupying power palestinian civilians res 672 oct 12 1990 expresses alarm violence took place october 8 1990 al haram al shareef holy places jerusalem resulting twenty palestinian deaths injury one hundred fifty people including palestinian civilians innocent worshippers condemns especially acts violence committed israeli forces resulting injuries loss human life requests connection decision secretarygeneral send mission region council welcomes submit report end october 1990 containing findings conclusions use appropriate resources united nations region carrying mission res 673 oct 24 1990 deplores refusal israeli government receive mission secretarygeneral region urges israeli government reconsider decision insists comply fully resolution 672 1990 permit mission secretarygeneral proceed keeping purpose res 681 dec 20 1990 reaffirms obligations member states united nations charter reaffirms also principle inadmissibility acquisition territory war expresses alarm decision government israel deport four palestinians occupied territories contravention obligations fourth geneva convention contravention resolutions 607 608 636 641 expresses grave concern rejection israel security council resolutions 672 673 deplores decision government israel occupying power resume deportations palestinian civilians occupied territories res 694 may 24 1991 reaffirms resolution 681 calling israel respect fourth geneva convention notes deep concern consternation israel violation obligations fourth geneva convention 1949 acting opposition relevant security council resolutions detriment efforts achieve comprehensive lasting peace middle east deported four palestinian civilians may 18 1991 declares action israeli authorities deporting four palestinians violation fourth geneva convention applicable palestinian territories occupied israel since 1967 including jerusalem deplores action reiterates israel occupying power refrain deporting palestinian civilian occupied territories ensure safe immediate return deported res 726 jan 6 1992 recalls resolutions 607 608 636 641 694 calling israel respect fourth geneva convention strongly condemns decision israel occupying power resume deportations palestinian civilians reaffirms applicability fourth geneva convention palestinian territories occupied israel since 1967 including jerusalem requests israel occupying power ensure safe immediate return occupied territories deported res 799 dec 18 1992 reaffirms resolutions 607 608 636 641 681 694 726 calling israel respect fourth geneva convention notes deep concern israel occupying power contravention obligations fourth geneva convention deported lebanon december 17 1992 hundreds palestinian civilians territories occupied israel since 1967 including jersualem strongly condemns action taken israel occupying power deport hundreds palestinian civilians expresses firm opposition deportation israel reaffirms applicability fourth geneva convention palestinian territories occupied israel since 1967 including jerusalem affirms deportation civilians constitutes contravention obligations convention demands israel occupying power ensure safe immediate return occupied territories deported res 904 mar 18 1994 expresses shock appalling massacre committed palestinian worshippers mosque ibrahim hebron february 25 1994 jewish settler baruch goldstein holy month ramadan expresses grave concern consequent palestinian casualties occupied palestinian territory result massacre underlines need provide protection security palestinian people notes condemnation massacre entire international community strongly condemns massacre hebron aftermath took lives fifty palestinian civilians injured several hundred others calls upon israel occupying power continue take implement measures including inter alia confiscation arms aim preventing illegal acts violence israeli settlers res 1073 sep 28 1996 expresses deep concern tragic events jerusalem areas nablus ramallah bethlehem gaza strip resulted high number deaths injuries among palestinian civilians concerned also clashes israeli army palestinian police casualties sides calls safety protection palestinian civilians ensured res 1322 oct 7 2000 expresses deep concern tragic events taken place since september 28 2000 led numerous deaths injuries mostly among palestinians deplores provocation carried alharam alsharif jerusalem september 28 2000 subsequent violence holy places well areas throughout territories occupied israel since 1967 resulting 80 palestinian deaths many casualties condemns acts violence especially excessive use force palestinians resulting injury loss human life calls upon israel occupying power abide scrupulously legal obligations responsibilities fourth geneva convention res 1402 mar 30 2002 expresses grave concern deterioration situation including recent suicide bombings israel military attack headquarters president palestinian authority calls upon parties move immediately meaningful ceasefire calls withdrawal israeli troops palestinian cities including ramallah res 1403 apr 4 2002 expresses grave concern deterioration situation ground demands implementation resolution 1402 2002 without delay res 1405 apr 19 2002 expresses concern dire humanitarian situation palestinian civilian population particular reports jenin refugee camp unknown number deaths destruction calls lifting restrictions imposed particular jenin operations humanitarian organizations including international committee red cross united nations relief works agency palestine refugees near east emphasizes urgency access medical humanitarian organizations palestinian civilian population res 1435 sep 24 2002 expresses grave concern reoccupation headquarters president palestinian authority city ramallah took place september 19 2002 demands immediate end expresses alarm reoccupation palestinian cities well severe restrictions imposed freedom movement persons goods gravely concerned humanitarian crisis faced palestinian people reiterates need respect circumstances international humanitarian law including fourth geneva convention relative protection civilian persons time war demands israel immediately cease measures around ramallah including destruction palestinian civilian security infrastructure demands also expeditious withdrawal israeli occupying forces palestinian cities towards return positions held prior september 2000 res 1544 may 19 2004 reaffirms resolutions 242 338 446 1322 1397 1402 1405 1435 1515 reiterates obligation israel occupying power abide scrupulously legal obligations responsibilities fourth geneva convention relative protection civilian persons time war calls israel address security needs within boundaries international law expresses grave concern continued deterioration situation ground territory occupied israel since 1967 condemns killing palestinian civilians took place rafah area expresses grave concern recent demolition homes committed israel occupying power rafah refugee camp reaffirms support road map endorsed resolution 1515 calls israel respect obligations international humanitarian law insists particular obligation undertake demolition homes contrary law calls parties immediately implement obligations road map res 1701 aug 11 2006 expresses utmost concern continuing escalation hostilities lebanon israel already caused hundreds deaths injuries extensive damage civilian infrastructure hundreds thousands internally displaced persons calls full cessation hostilities including immediate cessation israel offensive military operations res 1860 jan 8 2009 expresses grave concern escalation violence deterioration situation particular resulting heavy civilian casualties since refusal extend period calm expresses grave concern also deepening humanitarian crisis gaza calls immediate durable fully respected ceasefire leading full withdrawal israeli forces gaza calls unimpeded provision distribution throughout gaza humanitarian assistance including food fuel medical treatment condemns violence hostilities directed civilians acts terrorism | 3,686 |
<p>By Alexandra Ulmer</p>
<p>CARACAS (Reuters) – Days before masked agents arrested him, family and friends pleaded with Eulogio Del Pino to flee, warning that he could be next among executives detained or pursued, one after another, in a mounting purge of Venezuela’s faltering oil industry.</p>
<p>But the former oil minister, detained by police before dawn on Nov 30, was reluctant to believe he could soon be among those targeted in what President Nicolas Maduro has characterized as a cleanup of the all-important sector.</p>
<p>“I told him: ‘Go!’,” said one of three people who described the leadup to the former minister’s detention. “But he told me ‘I haven’t done anything wrong. I trust that they’re not going to do anything bad to me.'”</p>
<p>That trust, the product of three years in which Del Pino held the top two jobs in Venezuela’s oil ministry, now appears alarmingly misplaced. Maduro is charging Del Pino and many other former industry executives with corruption and blaming them for economic woes now crippling the Andean nation.</p>
<p>“I’m not going to shield anyone,” Maduro said in a speech on Nov 28, as he swore in a general who replaced Del Pino as oil minister. “If you’re corrupt, you have to pay with jail and return what you’ve stolen.”</p>
<p>The crackdown has led to uncertainty, panic and paranoia across the sector, with as many as 65 former executives arrested over the past four months. Prosecutors, critics say, have provided scant evidence for the charges.</p>
<p>Corruption has long plagued the OPEC member’s oil industry and much of the broader Maduro government, a leftist administration struggling with an imploding economy, soaring crime and debilitated public services.</p>
<p>But critics of Maduro’s beleaguered administration, and many within the oil industry itself, see the purge as nothing more than an effort to eliminate rivals within the sector and consolidate control ahead of presidential elections next year.</p>
<p>“Maduro wants control of PDVSA and control of its cash flow,” said opposition legislator and economist Angel Alvarado, using the initials for state-controlled oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA.</p>
<p>Venezuela’s Information Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. PDVSA and the oil ministry did not respond to requests for comment either.</p>
<p>“I NEED A REST”</p>
<p>It is not clear whether any of the charges against Del Pino are substantiated. Prosecutors, without presenting any evidence, accused him of belonging to a “cartel” that operated a roughly $500 million corruption scheme in the western state of Zulia.</p>
<p>But the Stanford-educated engineer, who led the ministry until Nov. 26 and PDVSA for three years before that, was previously known as a government loyalist, committed to Maduro’s vision for “21st century socialism.”</p>
<p>Only after he was ousted from the ministry, the three people familiar with his arrest said, did Del Pino finally begin to believe that his time was probably up. His final days as a free man illustrate how swiftly fortunes can shift for even senior officials in Maduro’s government.</p>
<p>Just after his firing, Del Pino told Reuters in a WhatsApp message: “I need a rest.”</p>
<p>On Nov. 29, three days after his ouster, an exhausted Del Pino went to Avila, a verdant mountain that towers over Caracas, the capital, where he liked to hike, one of the people said.</p>
<p>Del Pino found a quiet spot under a tree and recorded a video on his cell phone. He said he believed he was about to become a “victim” of an “unjustified attack.”</p>
<p>Before sunlight the following morning, hooded and armed military intelligence agents burst into his home and arrested him. Footage of the detention showed Del Pino wearing the burgundy-colored soccer shirt of Venezuela’s national team.</p>
<p>Later that day, the video Del Pino recorded appeared on his Twitter account. “I hope the revolution will give me the right to a legitimate defense,” he said, referring to the government in the militant terms embraced by Maduro.</p>
<p>Del Pino did not respond to requests for comment on WhatsApp, where he had recently changed his profile picture from one of him in a PDVSA hat to one of his children.</p>
<p>After Del Pino’s detention, stunned workers at PDVSA’s Caracas headquarters, where he was generally well-liked, watched the state TV footage on screens in company elevators.</p>
<p>Fear has gripped employees at both institutions, according to a half-dozen current and former PDVSA insiders as well as foreign oil executives. Managers are scared to sign routine documents in case it could be used against them.</p>
<p>FALL FROM GRACE</p>
<p>Maduro promoted Del Pino, who was born in the Canary Islands and holds a Spanish passport, from PDVSA’s exploration and production division to the company’s top job in 2014.</p>
<p>At the time, foreign oil executives and analysts largely welcomed the arrival of the genial and low-profile technocrat. He replaced Rafael Ramirez, a once-powerful loyalist of the late Hugo Chavez, Maduro’s predecessor.</p>
<p>Ramirez, who dominated Venezuela’s oil industry for a decade, sought to make PDVSA “redder than red.” He urged workers to wear red shirts in support of Chavez’s socialist movement and to attend pro-government rallies.</p>
<p>Del Pino, by contrast, eased up on revolutionary garb and attendance at militant gatherings. He also sought closer relationships with foreign partners frustrated by currency controls and a lack of professionalism at PDVSA.</p>
<p>Still, many PDVSA insiders and oil executives were ultimately disappointed with Del Pino’s management. Instead of improvements, he presided over a major production fall that brought Venezuela’s oil output to near 30 year-lows.</p>
<p>Del Pino ultimately found his hands tied at a company where intervention by the government is common. Last January, Maduro replaced many of his top executives with political and military appointees.</p>
<p>Whether Del Pino and other arrested executives are ultimately found guilty or not, many in Venezuela see opportunism behind the ongoing purge, not a concerted effort to stamp out graft.</p>
<p>The industry, after all, has been under tight control of the ruling Socialist Party since shortly after Chavez came to power in 1998.</p>
<p>Although the government ridiculed a report last year by the opposition-run Congress, finding that some $11 billion went missing at PDVSA over a decade, it now recognizes that many voters support the anti-corruption stances espoused by rivals.</p>
<p>“The opposition has been pushing for a fight against corruption, and now Maduro wants to appropriate that,” said Alvarado, the opposition lawmaker.</p>
<p>After surviving major protests this year and pushing through a controversial pro-government legislative superbody, Maduro is feeling empowered, government officials said. He seeks to fortify his position for re-election next year.</p>
<p>He is also expected to continue finding ways to target perceived threats to his political power. Some in Venezuela see Del Pino’s arrest as a way of getting at an old rival: Ramirez, the former PDVSA boss.</p>
<p>Ramirez, until recently Venezuela’s envoy to the United Nations, is believed by many in the government to have presidential ambitions.</p>
<p>Although Ramirez has not been mentioned by prosecutors, senior government officials increasingly refer to his time at PDVSA as a period when “mafias” were formed and executives like Del Pino grew ascendant.</p>
<p>This week, after Ramirez criticized the president in recent opinion articles online, Maduro fired him and summoned him back to Caracas, according to people familiar with the clash.</p>
<p>Late Friday, police arrested Diego Salazar, a relative of Ramirez, in what prosecutors said was another corruption investigation.</p>
<p>Ramirez did not respond to a request for information on Friday.</p> | false | 1 | alexandra ulmer caracas reuters days masked agents arrested family friends pleaded eulogio del pino flee warning could next among executives detained pursued one another mounting purge venezuelas faltering oil industry former oil minister detained police dawn nov 30 reluctant believe could soon among targeted president nicolas maduro characterized cleanup allimportant sector told go said one three people described leadup former ministers detention told havent done anything wrong trust theyre going anything bad trust product three years del pino held top two jobs venezuelas oil ministry appears alarmingly misplaced maduro charging del pino many former industry executives corruption blaming economic woes crippling andean nation im going shield anyone maduro said speech nov 28 swore general replaced del pino oil minister youre corrupt pay jail return youve stolen crackdown led uncertainty panic paranoia across sector many 65 former executives arrested past four months prosecutors critics say provided scant evidence charges corruption long plagued opec members oil industry much broader maduro government leftist administration struggling imploding economy soaring crime debilitated public services critics maduros beleaguered administration many within oil industry see purge nothing effort eliminate rivals within sector consolidate control ahead presidential elections next year maduro wants control pdvsa control cash flow said opposition legislator economist angel alvarado using initials statecontrolled oil company petroleos de venezuela sa venezuelas information ministry respond request comment pdvsa oil ministry respond requests comment either need rest clear whether charges del pino substantiated prosecutors without presenting evidence accused belonging cartel operated roughly 500 million corruption scheme western state zulia stanfordeducated engineer led ministry nov 26 pdvsa three years previously known government loyalist committed maduros vision 21st century socialism ousted ministry three people familiar arrest said del pino finally begin believe time probably final days free man illustrate swiftly fortunes shift even senior officials maduros government firing del pino told reuters whatsapp message need rest nov 29 three days ouster exhausted del pino went avila verdant mountain towers caracas capital liked hike one people said del pino found quiet spot tree recorded video cell phone said believed become victim unjustified attack sunlight following morning hooded armed military intelligence agents burst home arrested footage detention showed del pino wearing burgundycolored soccer shirt venezuelas national team later day video del pino recorded appeared twitter account hope revolution give right legitimate defense said referring government militant terms embraced maduro del pino respond requests comment whatsapp recently changed profile picture one pdvsa hat one children del pinos detention stunned workers pdvsas caracas headquarters generally wellliked watched state tv footage screens company elevators fear gripped employees institutions according halfdozen current former pdvsa insiders well foreign oil executives managers scared sign routine documents case could used fall grace maduro promoted del pino born canary islands holds spanish passport pdvsas exploration production division companys top job 2014 time foreign oil executives analysts largely welcomed arrival genial lowprofile technocrat replaced rafael ramirez oncepowerful loyalist late hugo chavez maduros predecessor ramirez dominated venezuelas oil industry decade sought make pdvsa redder red urged workers wear red shirts support chavezs socialist movement attend progovernment rallies del pino contrast eased revolutionary garb attendance militant gatherings also sought closer relationships foreign partners frustrated currency controls lack professionalism pdvsa still many pdvsa insiders oil executives ultimately disappointed del pinos management instead improvements presided major production fall brought venezuelas oil output near 30 yearlows del pino ultimately found hands tied company intervention government common last january maduro replaced many top executives political military appointees whether del pino arrested executives ultimately found guilty many venezuela see opportunism behind ongoing purge concerted effort stamp graft industry tight control ruling socialist party since shortly chavez came power 1998 although government ridiculed report last year oppositionrun congress finding 11 billion went missing pdvsa decade recognizes many voters support anticorruption stances espoused rivals opposition pushing fight corruption maduro wants appropriate said alvarado opposition lawmaker surviving major protests year pushing controversial progovernment legislative superbody maduro feeling empowered government officials said seeks fortify position reelection next year also expected continue finding ways target perceived threats political power venezuela see del pinos arrest way getting old rival ramirez former pdvsa boss ramirez recently venezuelas envoy united nations believed many government presidential ambitions although ramirez mentioned prosecutors senior government officials increasingly refer time pdvsa period mafias formed executives like del pino grew ascendant week ramirez criticized president recent opinion articles online maduro fired summoned back caracas according people familiar clash late friday police arrested diego salazar relative ramirez prosecutors said another corruption investigation ramirez respond request information friday | 745 |
<p />
<p>Washington has had the US at war for 12 years: Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Yemen, and almost Syria, which could still happen, with Iran waiting in the wings. These wars have been expensive in terms of money, prestige, and deaths and injuries of both US soldiers and the attacked civilian populations. None of these wars appears to have any compelling reason or justifiable explanation.&#160; The wars have been important to the profits of the military/security complex. The wars have provided cover for the construction of a Stasi police state in America, and the wars have served Israel’s interest by removing obstacles to Israel’s annexation of the entire West Bank and southern Lebanon.&#160;</p>
<p>&lt;img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-2007" style="margin: 5px;" src="https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/paul-craig-roberts-300x168.jpg" alt="Paul Craig Roberts" width="300" height="168" /&gt; As costly and destructive as these wars have been, they are far below the level of a world war, much less a world war against nuclear armed opponents.</p>
<p>The fatal war for humanity is the war with Russia and China toward which Washington is driving the US and Washington’s NATO and Asian puppet states.&#160; There are a number of factors contributing to Washington’s drive toward the final war, but the overarching one is the doctrine of American exceptionalism.</p>
<p>According to this self-righteous doctrine, America is the indispensable country.&#160; What this means is that the US has been chosen by history to establish the hegemony of secular “democratic capitalism” over the world.&#160; The primacy of this goal places the US government above traditional morality and above all law, both its own and international.</p>
<p>Thus, no one in the US government has been held accountable for unprovoked aggression against other countries and for attacking civilian populations, unambiguous war crimes under international law and the Nuremberg standard.&#160; Neither has anyone in the US government been held accountable for torture, a prohibited crime under US law and the Geneva Conventions.&#160; Neither has anyone been held accountable for numerous violations of constitutional rights—spying without warrants, warrantless searches, violations of habeas corpus, murder of citizens without due process, denial of legal representation, conviction on secret evidence.&#160; The list is long.</p>
<p>A person might wonder what is exceptional and indispensable about a government that is a reincarnation of Nazi Germany in every respect.&#160; People propagandized into the belief that they are the world’s special people inevitably lose their humanity.&#160; Thus, as the US military video released by Bradley Manning reveals, US troops get their jollies by mowing down innocent people as they walk along a city street.</p>
<p>With the exception of the ACLU, constitutional rights groups and independent Internet voices, the American people including the Christian churches have accepted their government’s criminality and immorality with scant protest.</p>
<p>The absence of moral denunciation emboldens Washington which is now pushing hard against Russia and China, the current governments of which stand in the way of Washington’s world hegemony.</p>
<p>Washington has been working against Russia for 22 years ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.&#160; In violation of the Reagan-Gorbachev agreement, Washington expanded NATO into Eastern Europe and the Baltic states and established military bases on Russia’s borders.&#160; Washington is also seeking to extend NATO into former constituent parts of Russia itself such as Georgia and Ukraine.</p>
<p>The only reason for Washington to establish military and missile bases on Russia’s frontiers is to negate Russia’s ability to resist Washington’s hegemony.&#160; Russia has made no threatening gestures toward its neighbors, and with the sole exception of Russia’s response to Georgia’s invasion of South Ossetia, has been extremely passive in the face of US provocations.</p>
<p>This is now changing.&#160; Faced with the George W. Bush regime’s alternation of US war doctrine, which elevated nuclear weapons from a defensive, retaliatory use to pre-emptive first strike, together with the construction on Russia’s borders of US anti-ballistic missile bases and Washington’s weaponization of new technologies, has made it clear to the Russian government that Washington is setting up Russia for a decapitating first strike.</p>
<p>In his presidential address to the Russian National Assembly (both chambers of parliament) on December 12, Vladimir Putin addressed the offensive military threat that Washington poses to Russia.&#160; Putin said that Washington calls its anti-ballistic missile system defensive, but “in fact it is a significant part of the strategic offensive potential” and designed to tip the balance of power in Washington’s favor.&#160; Having acknowledged the threat, Putin replied to the threat:&#160; “Let no one have illusions that he can achieve military superiority over Russia. We will never allow it.”</p>
<p>Faced with the Obama regime’s murder of the nuclear weapons reduction treaty, Putin said: “We realize all this and know what we need to do.”</p>
<p>If anyone remains to write a history, the Obama regime will be known as the regime that resurrected the cold war, which President Reagan worked so hard to end, and drove it into a hot war.</p>
<p>Not content to make Russia an enemy, the Obama regime has also made an enemy of China. The Obama regime declared the South China Sea to be an area of “US national security interest.”&#160; This is akin to China declaring the Gulf of Mexico to be an area of Chinese national security interest.</p>
<p>To make clear that the claim to the South China Sea was not rhetorical, the Obama regime announced its “Pivot to Asia,” which calls for the redeployment of 60% of the US fleet to China’s zone of influence.&#160; Washington is busy at work securing naval and air bases from the Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam, Australia, and Thailand.&#160; Washington has increased the provocation by aligning itself with China’s neighbors who are disputing China’s claims to various islands and an expanded air space.</p>
<p>China has not been intimidated. China has called for “de-americanizing the world.”&#160; Last month the Chinese government announced that it now possesses sufficient nuclear weapons and delivery systems to wipe the US off of the face of the earth. A couple of days ago, China aggressively harassed a US missile cruiser in the South China Sea.</p>
<p>The militarily aggressive stance that Washington has taken toward Russia and China is indicative of the extreme self-assuredness that usually ends in war.&#160; Washington is told that US technological prowess can prevent or intercept the launch of Russian and Chinese missiles, thus elevating a US pre-emptive attack to slam-dunk status. Yet the potential danger from Iran acquiring nuclear weapons is said to be so great that a pre-emptive war is necessary right now, and a massive Department of Homeland Security is justified on the grounds that the US remains vulnerable to a few stateless Muslims who might acquire a nuclear weapon.&#160; It is an anomalous situation that the Russian and Chinese retaliatory response to US attack is considered to be inconsequential, but not nuclear threats from Iran and stateless Muslims.</p>
<p>Not content with sending war signals to Russia and China, Washington has apparently also decided to torpedo the Iranian settlement by announcing new sanctions against companies doing business with Iran. The Iranians understood Washington’s monkey wrench as Washington probably intended, as a lack of Washington’s commitment to the agreement, left Geneva and returned to Iran. It remains to be seen whether the agreement can be resurrected or whether the Israel Lobby has succeeded in derailing the agreement that promised to end the threat of war with Iran.</p>
<p>American citizens seem to have little, if any, influence on their government or even awareness of its intentions.&#160; Moreover, there is no organized opposition behind which Americans could rally to stop Washington’s drive toward world war.&#160; Hope, if there is any, would seem to lie with Washington’s European and Asian puppets.&#160; What interests do these governments have in putting the existence of their countries at risk for no other purpose than to help Washington acquire hegemony over the world?&#160; Cannot they realize that Washington’s game is a death-dealing one for them?</p>
<p>Germany alone could save the world from war while simultaneously serving its own interests.&#160; All Germany has to do is to exit the EU and NATO.&#160; The alliance would collapse, and its fall would terminate Washington’s hegemonic ambition.</p>
<p>This article was originally published at <a href="http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/" type="external">PaulCraigRoberts.org</a> and has been used here with permission.</p> | false | 1 | washington us war 12 years afghanistan iraq somalia libya pakistan yemen almost syria could still happen iran waiting wings wars expensive terms money prestige deaths injuries us soldiers attacked civilian populations none wars appears compelling reason justifiable explanation160 wars important profits militarysecurity complex wars provided cover construction stasi police state america wars served israels interest removing obstacles israels annexation entire west bank southern lebanon160 ltimg classalignleft sizemedium wpimage2007 stylemargin 5px srchttpswwwforeignpolicyjournalcomwpcontentuploads200909paulcraigroberts300x168jpg altpaul craig roberts width300 height168 gt costly destructive wars far level world war much less world war nuclear armed opponents fatal war humanity war russia china toward washington driving us washingtons nato asian puppet states160 number factors contributing washingtons drive toward final war overarching one doctrine american exceptionalism according selfrighteous doctrine america indispensable country160 means us chosen history establish hegemony secular democratic capitalism world160 primacy goal places us government traditional morality law international thus one us government held accountable unprovoked aggression countries attacking civilian populations unambiguous war crimes international law nuremberg standard160 neither anyone us government held accountable torture prohibited crime us law geneva conventions160 neither anyone held accountable numerous violations constitutional rightsspying without warrants warrantless searches violations habeas corpus murder citizens without due process denial legal representation conviction secret evidence160 list long person might wonder exceptional indispensable government reincarnation nazi germany every respect160 people propagandized belief worlds special people inevitably lose humanity160 thus us military video released bradley manning reveals us troops get jollies mowing innocent people walk along city street exception aclu constitutional rights groups independent internet voices american people including christian churches accepted governments criminality immorality scant protest absence moral denunciation emboldens washington pushing hard russia china current governments stand way washingtons world hegemony washington working russia 22 years ever since collapse soviet union 1991160 violation reagangorbachev agreement washington expanded nato eastern europe baltic states established military bases russias borders160 washington also seeking extend nato former constituent parts russia georgia ukraine reason washington establish military missile bases russias frontiers negate russias ability resist washingtons hegemony160 russia made threatening gestures toward neighbors sole exception russias response georgias invasion south ossetia extremely passive face us provocations changing160 faced george w bush regimes alternation us war doctrine elevated nuclear weapons defensive retaliatory use preemptive first strike together construction russias borders us antiballistic missile bases washingtons weaponization new technologies made clear russian government washington setting russia decapitating first strike presidential address russian national assembly chambers parliament december 12 vladimir putin addressed offensive military threat washington poses russia160 putin said washington calls antiballistic missile system defensive fact significant part strategic offensive potential designed tip balance power washingtons favor160 acknowledged threat putin replied threat160 let one illusions achieve military superiority russia never allow faced obama regimes murder nuclear weapons reduction treaty putin said realize know need anyone remains write history obama regime known regime resurrected cold war president reagan worked hard end drove hot war content make russia enemy obama regime also made enemy china obama regime declared south china sea area us national security interest160 akin china declaring gulf mexico area chinese national security interest make clear claim south china sea rhetorical obama regime announced pivot asia calls redeployment 60 us fleet chinas zone influence160 washington busy work securing naval air bases philippines south korea vietnam australia thailand160 washington increased provocation aligning chinas neighbors disputing chinas claims various islands expanded air space china intimidated china called deamericanizing world160 last month chinese government announced possesses sufficient nuclear weapons delivery systems wipe us face earth couple days ago china aggressively harassed us missile cruiser south china sea militarily aggressive stance washington taken toward russia china indicative extreme selfassuredness usually ends war160 washington told us technological prowess prevent intercept launch russian chinese missiles thus elevating us preemptive attack slamdunk status yet potential danger iran acquiring nuclear weapons said great preemptive war necessary right massive department homeland security justified grounds us remains vulnerable stateless muslims might acquire nuclear weapon160 anomalous situation russian chinese retaliatory response us attack considered inconsequential nuclear threats iran stateless muslims content sending war signals russia china washington apparently also decided torpedo iranian settlement announcing new sanctions companies business iran iranians understood washingtons monkey wrench washington probably intended lack washingtons commitment agreement left geneva returned iran remains seen whether agreement resurrected whether israel lobby succeeded derailing agreement promised end threat war iran american citizens seem little influence government even awareness intentions160 moreover organized opposition behind americans could rally stop washingtons drive toward world war160 hope would seem lie washingtons european asian puppets160 interests governments putting existence countries risk purpose help washington acquire hegemony world160 realize washingtons game deathdealing one germany alone could save world war simultaneously serving interests160 germany exit eu nato160 alliance would collapse fall would terminate washingtons hegemonic ambition article originally published paulcraigrobertsorg used permission | 785 |
<p>The 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony is not the only opportunity for TV’s top talent to celebrate themselves and their craft this month. The festivities begin in earnest this weekend, not only with the Creative Arts ceremony but also the first network party of the season. But they will continue on with several other fetes before the big awards ceremony and its various after parties on Sept. 17. To help plan your party attire, Variety has compiled the key events across town.</p>
<p>Saturday, Sept. 9Comedy Central Nominee Soiree: &#160;8 p.m., Boulevard 3&#160;–&#160;The annual bash immediately follows the Creative Arts <a href="http://variety.com/t/emmys/" type="external">Emmys</a> and will be a party where nominees and guest can toast to the year in television and pop into a custom designed Emmys inspired GIF booth to commemorate the evening.</p>
<p>Tuesday, Sept. 12Dynamic &amp; Diverse Emmy Celebration: 7 p.m., Television Academy Wolf Theatre</p>
<p>Wednesday, Sept. 13Directors Nominee Reception: 7 p.m., DGA</p>
<p>Thursday, Sept. 14Producers Nominee Reception: 7 p.m., Montage Beverly Hills</p>
<p>Audi Pre-Emmy Party: 8 p.m., The Dream Hotel&#160;–&#160;The official automotive partner and vehicle provider of the 69th Emmy Awards will host its eighth annual pre-Emmy event to celebrate outstanding talent across television. This year, anticipated guests include nominated actors, directors, producers and more.</p>
<p>Friday, Sept. 15Variety and Women in Film’s Television Nominees Party: 8 p.m., Gracias Madre&#160;–&#160;This year’s host committee features nominees Tracee Ellis Ross, Lena Waithe, Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon, who are all scheduled to attend the star-studded event, alongside fellow Emmy nominees Claire Foy, Thandie Newton and Ava DuVernay. Guests may sip custom tequila drinks and eat organic, vegan Mexican bites. DJ Daisy O’Dell will be spinning. The décor is boho whimsical chic.</p>
<p>Performers Nominee Reception: 7 p.m., Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts</p>
<p>Variety and WGA’s Sublime Primetime Pre-Emmy Party: 7:30 p.m., WGA –&#160;This year’s nominated writers who will take part in a panel about the most talked-about television include Matt and Ross Duffer, Lena Waithe, Gordon Smith, Jo Miller, Steven Davis and Kelvin Yu.</p>
<p>UTA Emmy Party: 7:30 p.m., home of managing director/partner Jay Sures&#160;–&#160;Clients and agency executives can mingle over catering by Carmelized Productions by Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo and spinning by DJ Spider.</p>
<p>Gersh Emmy Party: 8 p.m., home of senior managing partner, Leslie Siebert&#160;–&#160;The agency celebration is set to include nominees Jeffrey Tambor, Allison Janney, Kathryn Hahn, Angela Bassett, Judith Light and Louie Anderson. At the event, guests can sip at a specialty Tequila Don Julio 1942 bar.</p>
<p>Entertainment Weekly Pre-Emmy Party: 8:30 p.m., Sunset Tower Hotel&#160;–&#160;Past and present nominees, fall TV talent and industry elite will come together with presenting sponsor L’Oréal Paris to celebrate this year’s accomplishments and toast to the best in television at Sunset Tower Hotel in Los Angeles, with tunes from DJ Michelle Pesce.</p>
<p>WME Emmy Party: 8 p.m., Chateau Marmont&#160;–&#160;The agency’s annual pre-Emmy event will see a mix of clients and executives celebrating the television season in style. DJ Kiss will be spinning.</p>
<p>Saturday, Sept. 16Women Making History Brunch: 11:30 a.m., The Beverly Hilton&#160;–&#160;This year the National Women’s History Museum’s annual brunch will honor Kerry Washington, Marne Levine and Gwynne Shotwell.</p>
<p>ICM Partners Pre-Emmy Party: 12:30 p.m., home of managing partner Chris Silbermann&#160;–&#160;A broad roster of ICM clients and executives will mingle and celebrate on the afternoon before the Emmy Awards.</p>
<p>BAFTA Los Angeles Tea Party: 2 p.m., The Beverly Hilton&#160;–&#160;Emmy nominees, BAFTA members and leading television executives can sip traditional British tea with scones and cocktails at the annual tea party. And this year, an additional event goal is to raises awareness and support for BAFTA Los Angeles’ Access for All campaign, ensuring that talented individuals are offered a clear pathway to careers in the entertainment industry, uninhibited by background, demographics or personal circumstance.</p>
<p>FX Networks and Vanity Fair’s Emmy Nominee Celebration: 5 p.m., Craft LA&#160;–&#160;FX Networks, in partnership with Vanity Fair, hosts a private cocktail party to celebrate FX’s 55 nominations. Sponsored by Genesis, Santa Margherita and Viktor&amp;Rolf Flowerbomb, the party will recognize the cabler’s shows including “American Horror Story: Roanoke,” “Baskets,” “Fargo,” “Feud: Bette and Joan,” “Atlanta” and “Taboo.”</p>
<p>Showtime Pre-Emmy Party: 6:30 p.m., Chateau Marmont&#160;–&#160;The premium cabler is throwing an intimate dinner party on the eve of the Emmys to toast its nominees, including Mandy Patinkin, William H. Macy and Liev Schreiber.</p>
<p>11th Annual “Evening Before” MPTF Event: 8 p.m., The Lawn at Century Park&#160;–&#160;Members of the television industry will help raise funds to support industry colleagues who benefit from Motion Picture &amp; Television Fund’s charitable programs and services ranging from financial assistance to crisis counseling to caregiving support. This year’s event is sponsored by Delta Air Lines, Ford, Netflix, People TV and Target. Carmelized Productions by Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo will cater the event.</p>
<p>Sunday, Sept. 1769th Annual Emmy Awards: 8 p.m. ET / 5 PT, Microsoft Theater&#160;–&#160;The 2017 ceremony will be broadcast live on CBS from Los Angeles. Stephen Colbert hosts for the first time.</p>
<p>Governors Ball: Immediately following the ceremony, Los Angeles Convention Center&#160;–&#160;The first post-awards party stop for all the night’s winners, nominees and assorted attendees is the lavish affair from Sequoia Prods. With food by Patina Catering and legendary chef Joachim Splichal, this event marks the largest formal dinner in North America.</p>
<p>Fox Broadcasting, FX, 20th Century Fox TV, Nat Geo: 8 p.m., Vibiana&#160;–&#160;The casts of “Atlanta,” “Fargo,” “Feud,” “Modern Family,” “This Is Us” and more can enjoy a catered affair by Redbird, with design by Yifat Oren.</p>
<p>HBO Post-Awards Reception: 8 p.m., The Plaza at the Pacific Design Center&#160;–&#160;The casts of “Westworld,” “Silicon Valley,” “Veep,” “Big Little Lies,” “The Night Of,” “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” “Wizard of Lies” and “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” should celebrate the premium cabler’s big night at the Emmys after 111 nominations.</p>
<p>Hulu Post-Awards Celebration:&#160;8 p.m., Otium&#160;– The streaming service will be celebrating its first real foray into the Emmys with its cast and crew of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” including lead actress nominee Elisabeth Moss, director nominee Reed Morano, and showrunner Bruce Miller.</p>
<p>AMC, BBC America, IFC Emmy After-Party: 8:30 p.m., BOA&#160;–&#160;Talent and producers from the three networks, including those from multi-nominee “Better Call Saul,” will return to the Sunset Boulevard steakhouse to celebrate their accomplishments of the year.</p> | false | 1 | 69th annual primetime emmy awards ceremony opportunity tvs top talent celebrate craft month festivities begin earnest weekend creative arts ceremony also first network party season continue several fetes big awards ceremony various parties sept 17 help plan party attire variety compiled key events across town saturday sept 9comedy central nominee soiree 1608 pm boulevard 3160160the annual bash immediately follows creative arts emmys party nominees guest toast year television pop custom designed emmys inspired gif booth commemorate evening tuesday sept 12dynamic amp diverse emmy celebration 7 pm television academy wolf theatre wednesday sept 13directors nominee reception 7 pm dga thursday sept 14producers nominee reception 7 pm montage beverly hills audi preemmy party 8 pm dream hotel160160the official automotive partner vehicle provider 69th emmy awards host eighth annual preemmy event celebrate outstanding talent across television year anticipated guests include nominated actors directors producers friday sept 15variety women films television nominees party 8 pm gracias madre160160this years host committee features nominees tracee ellis ross lena waithe nicole kidman reese witherspoon scheduled attend starstudded event alongside fellow emmy nominees claire foy thandie newton ava duvernay guests may sip custom tequila drinks eat organic vegan mexican bites dj daisy odell spinning décor boho whimsical chic performers nominee reception 7 pm wallis annenberg center performing arts variety wgas sublime primetime preemmy party 730 pm wga 160this years nominated writers take part panel talkedabout television include matt ross duffer lena waithe gordon smith jo miller steven davis kelvin yu uta emmy party 730 pm home managing directorpartner jay sures160160clients agency executives mingle catering carmelized productions jon shook vinny dotolo spinning dj spider gersh emmy party 8 pm home senior managing partner leslie siebert160160the agency celebration set include nominees jeffrey tambor allison janney kathryn hahn angela bassett judith light louie anderson event guests sip specialty tequila julio 1942 bar entertainment weekly preemmy party 830 pm sunset tower hotel160160past present nominees fall tv talent industry elite come together presenting sponsor loréal paris celebrate years accomplishments toast best television sunset tower hotel los angeles tunes dj michelle pesce wme emmy party 8 pm chateau marmont160160the agencys annual preemmy event see mix clients executives celebrating television season style dj kiss spinning saturday sept 16women making history brunch 1130 beverly hilton160160this year national womens history museums annual brunch honor kerry washington marne levine gwynne shotwell icm partners preemmy party 1230 pm home managing partner chris silbermann160160a broad roster icm clients executives mingle celebrate afternoon emmy awards bafta los angeles tea party 2 pm beverly hilton160160emmy nominees bafta members leading television executives sip traditional british tea scones cocktails annual tea party year additional event goal raises awareness support bafta los angeles access campaign ensuring talented individuals offered clear pathway careers entertainment industry uninhibited background demographics personal circumstance fx networks vanity fairs emmy nominee celebration 5 pm craft la160160fx networks partnership vanity fair hosts private cocktail party celebrate fxs 55 nominations sponsored genesis santa margherita viktoramprolf flowerbomb party recognize cablers shows including american horror story roanoke baskets fargo feud bette joan atlanta taboo showtime preemmy party 630 pm chateau marmont160160the premium cabler throwing intimate dinner party eve emmys toast nominees including mandy patinkin william h macy liev schreiber 11th annual evening mptf event 8 pm lawn century park160160members television industry help raise funds support industry colleagues benefit motion picture amp television funds charitable programs services ranging financial assistance crisis counseling caregiving support years event sponsored delta air lines ford netflix people tv target carmelized productions jon shook vinny dotolo cater event sunday sept 1769th annual emmy awards 8 pm et 5 pt microsoft theater160160the 2017 ceremony broadcast live cbs los angeles stephen colbert hosts first time governors ball immediately following ceremony los angeles convention center160160the first postawards party stop nights winners nominees assorted attendees lavish affair sequoia prods food patina catering legendary chef joachim splichal event marks largest formal dinner north america fox broadcasting fx 20th century fox tv nat geo 8 pm vibiana160160the casts atlanta fargo feud modern family us enjoy catered affair redbird design yifat oren hbo postawards reception 8 pm plaza pacific design center160160the casts westworld silicon valley veep big little lies night immortal life henrietta lacks wizard lies last week tonight john oliver celebrate premium cablers big night emmys 111 nominations hulu postawards celebration1608 pm otium160 streaming service celebrating first real foray emmys cast crew handmaids tale including lead actress nominee elisabeth moss director nominee reed morano showrunner bruce miller amc bbc america ifc emmy afterparty 830 pm boa160160talent producers three networks including multinominee better call saul return sunset boulevard steakhouse celebrate accomplishments year | 754 |
<p />
<p>If political conventions are ranked on a one to ten scale for intelligence, I give the Republican Convention zero and the Democrats one.</p>
<p>How can the United States be a superpower when both political parties are unaware of everything that is happening at home and abroad?</p>
<p>The Republicans are relying for victory on four years of anti-Obama propaganda and their proprietary programed electronic voting machines.&#160; For nearly four years Republican operatives have flooded the Internet with portraits of Obama as a non-US citizen, as a Muslim (even while Obama was murdering Muslims in seven countries), and as a Marxist (put in power by the Israel Lobby, Wall Street, and the military/security complex).</p>
<p>Most Republican voters will vote against Obama based on these charges despite the curious fact that no committee in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives held a hearing to determine if Obama is a citizen.&#160; If Obama were not a citizen, why would the very aggressive House Republicans not capitalize on it?&#160; It would be easy for a Congressional committee to determine if Obama were a citizen. Despite the propaganda, the Republicans in office have shown no interest in the propaganda charges spread by Republican operatives over the Internet.</p>
<p>Either Republicans have no confidence in the charges and do not want to end up proving with Congressional hearings that Obama is a citizen, or the Republicans, having destroyed every other aspect of the US Constitution, reducing it to “a scrap of paper,” feel that making an issue of the last remaining Constitutional provision other than the Second Amendment would be the height of hypocrisy and don’t want to risk opening the constitutional issues that Republicans have run roughshod over.</p>
<p>If the Republicans can destroy habeas corpus, due process, violate both US statutory and international law, ignore the separation of powers, and create a Caesar, why can’t the Democrats run a non-citizen?</p>
<p>Why didn’t the Republican convention raise the issue about the Obama regime’s claim that the executive branch has the power to assassinate US citizens without due process of law?&#160; No such power exists in the US Constitution or in US statutory law. This gestapo police state claim exists only as an assertion. Republicans ignored this most important of all issues, because they support it.</p>
<p>Why didn’t the Democrat convention raise the issue that the Republicans took us to wars based on 9/11 assertions without ever conducting an investigation of 9/11?&#160; No qualified high-rise architect, structural engineer, physicist, chemist, or national security expert believes a word of the US government’s 9/11 story. Neither do the first responders who were on the scene and witnessed and experienced the event.</p>
<p>Many experts keep their opinions to themselves, because otherwise the federal grants to their universities are over and done with or their architectural and engineering businesses are boycotted by patriotic former clients.</p>
<p>Regardless of these risks, there are 1,700 architects and engineers who have sent a petition to Congress that they do not believe one word of the official explanation and who demand a real investigation.</p>
<p>Why did neither party raise the question of how the US economy can recover when corporations have offshored millions of US middle class jobs, both manufacturing jobs and professional service jobs. For at least a decade, the US economy has been able to create only lowly paid domestic non-tradable (not exportable) service jobs, such as waitresses, bartenders, and hospital orderlies.</p>
<p>Both parties talk total nonsense about jobs. The Republicans say they can create jobs by not taxing the rich. The Democrats say they can create jobs by financing jobs programs.&#160; The Republicans say that the Democrats’ jobs programs simply take money from business investments and give it to those who patronize bars and the drug trade. The Democrats say that the low taxes of the Republicans just subsidize yachts, exotic cars, private aircraft, and $800,000 wrist watches for the one percent, most of which is produced abroad.</p>
<p>Neither political party will admit that when US corporations offshore their production for US markets, Americans are removed from the incomes associated with the production of the goods and services that they consume. Offshoring is defended by both moronic political parties as “free trade.”&#160; In fact, offshoring is the gift of what was US GDP to China, India, and the other countries to which US corporations locate their production that they sell to Americans. US GDP goes down, the GDP of the countries who make the American goods sold to Americans goes up. The idiot free market economists call the de-industrializing of America “free trade.”</p>
<p>As an intelligent economist—an oxymoron—would know, destroying consumer incomes by moving their jobs to other countries, leaves consumers without incomes to purchase the imported offshored goods.</p>
<p>Neither American political party recognizes this disconnect. Neither party can afford to recognize it, as both parties are dependent on corporate campaign financing, and offshoring boosts executive bonuses and share prices. A political party that opposes offshoring of US jobs simply does not get financed.</p>
<p>So, the great “superpower,” the “indispensable nation,” the world hegemon, is going into an election, and no one knows what the stakes are.</p>
<p>Why did not either political party ask: if Washington has demonized Iran, why did the 120 countries that comprise the non-aligned movement convene in Iran last week?</p>
<p>Is Washington’s propaganda failing? Can Washington no longer convince the world that the countries that Washington wants to destroy are evil and must be destroyed?</p>
<p>If Washington’s propaganda is failing, the world rule of the hegemonic power will not succeed. As world rule is Washington’s goal in keeping with the neoconservative ideology, then Washington is failing and is not the superpower it pretends to be.</p>
<p>Most credible foreign policy experts, none of which either political party has, believe that Washington has thrown away US “soft power” by its obvious lies and unjustified military attacks on seven Muslim countries, its encirclement of Russia with missile bases, and its encirclement of China with air, naval, and troop bases.</p>
<p>In other words, Washington’s moral force no longer exists.&#160; All that exists is financial and military force, and both will fail as they are insufficient.</p>
<p>Neither party asked why the US is at wars with Muslims for Israel. Why should Americans be losing lives and limbs for Israel while going broke and running up enormous war debts for our children and grandchildren?&#160; The answer from both parties is to blame the country’s bankruptcy on what Washington does for its own economically disenfranchised citizens. America’s financial problems are all the fault of Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps, housing subsidies, Pell grants—any and every thing that gives a leg up to the non-one percent.</p>
<p>In short, the attitude of both parties is: if you are not the one percent, you are disposable.</p>
<p>Both Obamacare and the alternative Republican voucher program dispose of ill Americans who confront potentially terminal diseases. The American people and the ill no longer count; only the budget counts. Letting the elderly die sooner is cheaper. We can therefore afford more wars for hegemony and more tax cuts for the one percent.</p>
<p>Have any peoples in human history ever been less represented by their government and political parties than Americans?</p>
<p>The US government represents Israel and the one to ten percent. Everyone else is disposable.</p>
<p>Regardless of the political party whose lever is pulled in November, every American who votes will be voting for Israel and for their own demise.</p>
<p>This article was originally published at <a href="http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/" type="external">PaulCraigRoberts.org</a> and has been used here with permission.</p> | false | 1 | political conventions ranked one ten scale intelligence give republican convention zero democrats one united states superpower political parties unaware everything happening home abroad republicans relying victory four years antiobama propaganda proprietary programed electronic voting machines160 nearly four years republican operatives flooded internet portraits obama nonus citizen muslim even obama murdering muslims seven countries marxist put power israel lobby wall street militarysecurity complex republican voters vote obama based charges despite curious fact committee republicancontrolled house representatives held hearing determine obama citizen160 obama citizen would aggressive house republicans capitalize it160 would easy congressional committee determine obama citizen despite propaganda republicans office shown interest propaganda charges spread republican operatives internet either republicans confidence charges want end proving congressional hearings obama citizen republicans destroyed every aspect us constitution reducing scrap paper feel making issue last remaining constitutional provision second amendment would height hypocrisy dont want risk opening constitutional issues republicans run roughshod republicans destroy habeas corpus due process violate us statutory international law ignore separation powers create caesar cant democrats run noncitizen didnt republican convention raise issue obama regimes claim executive branch power assassinate us citizens without due process law160 power exists us constitution us statutory law gestapo police state claim exists assertion republicans ignored important issues support didnt democrat convention raise issue republicans took us wars based 911 assertions without ever conducting investigation 911160 qualified highrise architect structural engineer physicist chemist national security expert believes word us governments 911 story neither first responders scene witnessed experienced event many experts keep opinions otherwise federal grants universities done architectural engineering businesses boycotted patriotic former clients regardless risks 1700 architects engineers sent petition congress believe one word official explanation demand real investigation neither party raise question us economy recover corporations offshored millions us middle class jobs manufacturing jobs professional service jobs least decade us economy able create lowly paid domestic nontradable exportable service jobs waitresses bartenders hospital orderlies parties talk total nonsense jobs republicans say create jobs taxing rich democrats say create jobs financing jobs programs160 republicans say democrats jobs programs simply take money business investments give patronize bars drug trade democrats say low taxes republicans subsidize yachts exotic cars private aircraft 800000 wrist watches one percent produced abroad neither political party admit us corporations offshore production us markets americans removed incomes associated production goods services consume offshoring defended moronic political parties free trade160 fact offshoring gift us gdp china india countries us corporations locate production sell americans us gdp goes gdp countries make american goods sold americans goes idiot free market economists call deindustrializing america free trade intelligent economistan oxymoronwould know destroying consumer incomes moving jobs countries leaves consumers without incomes purchase imported offshored goods neither american political party recognizes disconnect neither party afford recognize parties dependent corporate campaign financing offshoring boosts executive bonuses share prices political party opposes offshoring us jobs simply get financed great superpower indispensable nation world hegemon going election one knows stakes either political party ask washington demonized iran 120 countries comprise nonaligned movement convene iran last week washingtons propaganda failing washington longer convince world countries washington wants destroy evil must destroyed washingtons propaganda failing world rule hegemonic power succeed world rule washingtons goal keeping neoconservative ideology washington failing superpower pretends credible foreign policy experts none either political party believe washington thrown away us soft power obvious lies unjustified military attacks seven muslim countries encirclement russia missile bases encirclement china air naval troop bases words washingtons moral force longer exists160 exists financial military force fail insufficient neither party asked us wars muslims israel americans losing lives limbs israel going broke running enormous war debts children grandchildren160 answer parties blame countrys bankruptcy washington economically disenfranchised citizens americas financial problems fault social security medicaid medicare food stamps housing subsidies pell grantsany every thing gives leg nonone percent short attitude parties one percent disposable obamacare alternative republican voucher program dispose ill americans confront potentially terminal diseases american people ill longer count budget counts letting elderly die sooner cheaper therefore afford wars hegemony tax cuts one percent peoples human history ever less represented government political parties americans us government represents israel one ten percent everyone else disposable regardless political party whose lever pulled november every american votes voting israel demise article originally published paulcraigrobertsorg used permission | 701 |
<p>Russian and Belarusian forces are striking the mock enemy on land, in the air and sea in the massive drills, which involve the full spectrum of troops, ranging from airborne armored vehicles to short-range tactical missiles.</p>
<p>The joint Russia-Belarus strategic Zapad 2017 drills kicked off Thursday in the two countries. Some 12,700 troops are taking part in the drills, 7,200 of them are from Belarus and 5,500 are from Russia. Some 70 military aircraft, 10 ships and 680 land vehicles, including 250 tanks, and 200 artillery pieces are also participating in the exercise.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/in-motion/403561-zapad-drills-russia-belarus/" type="external">WATCH&#160;MORE:&#160;Joint Russia-Belarus Zapad 2017 drills continue for second day</a></p>
<p>The first part of the drills, focused on joint defensive actions, concluded Saturday. The goals included raising the troops’ readiness to the highest level amid the mock offensive, as well as deploying command centers, field stockpiles, hospitals and other military infrastructure. The troops have been honing cooperation between armies of the two countries, as well as between different military branches.</p>
<p>[embedded content]</p>
<p>The first phase of the Zapad 2017 exercise <a href="http://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12142273@egNews" type="external">included</a> a spectacular massive airdrop when more than 500 airborne troops alongside with 10 combat vehicles have been deployed behind the lines of the mock enemy. The airdrop has been performed on a crumpled space in an unknown landscape. While the main force of the unit organized itself, preparing the vehicles, vanguard troops attacked the enemy from three sides simultaneously.</p>
<p>[embedded content]</p>
<p>Missile troops, operating Iskander-M and Tochka-U tactical missile systems, have <a href="http://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12142500@egNews" type="external">performed</a> simulated launches against life-size targets, imitating command centers and amassed armored units of the mock enemy. The missiles were launched on targets located from 30 to 100 kilometers away, while surveillance drones monitored the accuracy of the strikes. Following the launches the missile units performed swift relocation maneuvers to avoid detection.</p>
<p>Ground anti-aircraft forces and aviation have been monitoring airspace, and ensuring protection of the troops from aerial attacks. During the drills, Russian and Belarusian forces tested the compatibility between electronic warfare and air defense of the two countries.</p>
<p>The military used for the very first time the brand new high-speed communication network, capable of transmitting large amounts of data.</p>
<p>The first phase of the drills concluded with large-scale joint defensive actions, which involved different types of military hardware, including tanks, infantry combat vehicles, self-propelled and towed artillery, as well as various aircraft. While fighter planes protected the skies, destroying over 30 targets imitating planes and cruise missiles of the mock enemy, attack helicopters and bombers provided support to the ground troops. The cutting-edge SVP-24 targeting system was used during the bombing runs, which ensured exceptionally high-precision strikes.</p>
<p>The second phase, which started Sunday, is focused on mobile defense, going into an offensive and destroying the mock enemy. The drills are simultaneously taking part on test grounds in Belarus and Russia, as well as in the Baltic Sea.</p>
<p>The first day of the second phase was <a href="http://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12142596@egNews" type="external">marked</a> with high activity of the Russian Baltic Fleet and naval aviation. Su-24 planes from the Baltic Fleet aviation provided support to the ground troops, performing strikes from various heights, ranging from 200 meters to one kilometer. The pilots have destroyed all the life-size targets, representing command centers, fortifications, troops and hardware of the mock enemy.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/403418-putin-attend-zapad-drills/" type="external" /></p>
<p>Deck-deployed Ka-27PL anti-submarine helicopters have performed an exercise, involving search and destruction of a mock enemy submarine. The pilots detected the submarine, using elaborate hydro-acoustic and electronic equipment and then destroyed it with naval bombs. At the meantime, Baltic Fleet ships performed live-fire drills, striking targets, which imitated enemy ships, aircraft and shore artillery.</p>
<p>Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to attend the ongoing exercise on Monday.</p>
<p>“It is standard practice. It is the largest exercise. As commander-in-chief, Putin always attends one of its stages,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.</p>
<p>The Zapad 2017 drills drew much attention of the NATO countries long before its start, while some media outlets and politicians fueled anti-Russian hysteria amid the upcoming drills. The accusations ranged from exaggerating the number of troops which were to participate, to ideas that the exercise was Russian cover-up to launch an invasion on the neighboring countries. Russian officials have repeatedly emphasized the defensive and anti-terrorism nature of the drills.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/403324-zapad-2017-drills-facts/" type="external">READ MORE: Facts vs hysteria: What you need to know about Zapad 2017 drills</a></p>
<p>“For several months, major mass media outlets around the world have been disturbing the public with myths about the Russian military threat. Politicians followed suit,” Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Lieutenant-General Aleksandr Fomin said back in August.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/400986-zapad-russia-belarus-nato/" type="external" /></p>
<p>“They invent the most unbelievable ways for the events to develop, some even allege that Zapad 2017 could become a launchpad for a future attack with subsequent occupation of Lithuania, Poland or Ukraine. None of these paradoxical theories has anything to do with reality, as has been repeatedly stated by Russian and Belarusian officials.”</p>
<p>The accusations prompted Russia and Belarus to bring transparency during the drills to a whole new level, inviting “almost anyone who wants to attend,” according to Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko. Latvian military inspection group, for example, visited the proving grounds in Belarus during the drills, reportedly confirming the “high level of transparency and wide openness” of the event.</p>
<p>The anti-Russian hysteria, which surrounded the Zapad 2017 drills, however was used by NATO countries as a pretext to beef up its military activities on Russia’s western borders. For example, Sweden is holding its largest war games in over two decades, which coincide with the Russia-Belarus drills. Apart from exceeding the number of troops participating in Zapad 2017 by several thousand, the goal of the maneuvers are openly stated as preparation for a possible “Russian attack.”</p>
<p>[embedded content]</p> | false | 1 | russian belarusian forces striking mock enemy land air sea massive drills involve full spectrum troops ranging airborne armored vehicles shortrange tactical missiles joint russiabelarus strategic zapad 2017 drills kicked thursday two countries 12700 troops taking part drills 7200 belarus 5500 russia 70 military aircraft 10 ships 680 land vehicles including 250 tanks 200 artillery pieces also participating exercise watch160more160joint russiabelarus zapad 2017 drills continue second day first part drills focused joint defensive actions concluded saturday goals included raising troops readiness highest level amid mock offensive well deploying command centers field stockpiles hospitals military infrastructure troops honing cooperation armies two countries well different military branches embedded content first phase zapad 2017 exercise included spectacular massive airdrop 500 airborne troops alongside 10 combat vehicles deployed behind lines mock enemy airdrop performed crumpled space unknown landscape main force unit organized preparing vehicles vanguard troops attacked enemy three sides simultaneously embedded content missile troops operating iskanderm tochkau tactical missile systems performed simulated launches lifesize targets imitating command centers amassed armored units mock enemy missiles launched targets located 30 100 kilometers away surveillance drones monitored accuracy strikes following launches missile units performed swift relocation maneuvers avoid detection ground antiaircraft forces aviation monitoring airspace ensuring protection troops aerial attacks drills russian belarusian forces tested compatibility electronic warfare air defense two countries military used first time brand new highspeed communication network capable transmitting large amounts data first phase drills concluded largescale joint defensive actions involved different types military hardware including tanks infantry combat vehicles selfpropelled towed artillery well various aircraft fighter planes protected skies destroying 30 targets imitating planes cruise missiles mock enemy attack helicopters bombers provided support ground troops cuttingedge svp24 targeting system used bombing runs ensured exceptionally highprecision strikes second phase started sunday focused mobile defense going offensive destroying mock enemy drills simultaneously taking part test grounds belarus russia well baltic sea first day second phase marked high activity russian baltic fleet naval aviation su24 planes baltic fleet aviation provided support ground troops performing strikes various heights ranging 200 meters one kilometer pilots destroyed lifesize targets representing command centers fortifications troops hardware mock enemy read deckdeployed ka27pl antisubmarine helicopters performed exercise involving search destruction mock enemy submarine pilots detected submarine using elaborate hydroacoustic electronic equipment destroyed naval bombs meantime baltic fleet ships performed livefire drills striking targets imitated enemy ships aircraft shore artillery russias president vladimir putin scheduled attend ongoing exercise monday standard practice largest exercise commanderinchief putin always attends one stages kremlin spokesman dmitry peskov said friday zapad 2017 drills drew much attention nato countries long start media outlets politicians fueled antirussian hysteria amid upcoming drills accusations ranged exaggerating number troops participate ideas exercise russian coverup launch invasion neighboring countries russian officials repeatedly emphasized defensive antiterrorism nature drills read facts vs hysteria need know zapad 2017 drills several months major mass media outlets around world disturbing public myths russian military threat politicians followed suit russias deputy defense minister lieutenantgeneral aleksandr fomin said back august read invent unbelievable ways events develop even allege zapad 2017 could become launchpad future attack subsequent occupation lithuania poland ukraine none paradoxical theories anything reality repeatedly stated russian belarusian officials accusations prompted russia belarus bring transparency drills whole new level inviting almost anyone wants attend according belarus president aleksandr lukashenko latvian military inspection group example visited proving grounds belarus drills reportedly confirming high level transparency wide openness event antirussian hysteria surrounded zapad 2017 drills however used nato countries pretext beef military activities russias western borders example sweden holding largest war games two decades coincide russiabelarus drills apart exceeding number troops participating zapad 2017 several thousand goal maneuvers openly stated preparation possible russian attack embedded content | 605 |
<p>CINCINNATI — The <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Cincinnati-Bengals/" type="external">Cincinnati Bengals</a> are alive in what’s become a muddled AFC playoff race.</p>
<p>Yes, the Bengals who began the season 0-3.</p>
<p>The Bengals who fired their offensive coordinator after two games and have struggled to protect <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Andy_Dalton/" type="external">Andy Dalton</a> and establish a running game behind a patchwork offensive line.</p>
<p>The Bengals who are among the worst in the NFL in opponent’s third-down conversion.</p>
<p>Those Bengals find themselves one game out of the second AFC wild-card spot.</p>
<p>“We’ve got to keep playing,” head coach <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Marvin_Lewis/" type="external">Marvin Lewis</a> said. “I showed them that a year ago, we were in a situation where someone was going to get hot and break out of things. Last year it was Green Bay. They ran the table and this year it’s going to be somebody else.”</p>
<p>Cincinnati’s 20-17 win on Sunday at Denver wasn’t a thing of beauty. Far from it. But, the Bengals managed to burn the Broncos’ third-ranked defense with a pair of long touchdown passes from Dalton to <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/AJ-Green/" type="external">A.J. Green</a> and Alex Erickson. The Bengals’ defense then held on, helping them overcome an error-laden first quarter.</p>
<p>Of course, the fact the Bengals (4-6) are in this position is as much a testament to a largely average AFC as anything else. But, with three straight home games coming up against the winless Browns, Steelers, and Bears, anything is possible.</p>
<p>“Marvin has said that there is a team that is in the position that we’re in right now that gets hot every year,” said Dalton. “We’re doing everything we can to make it us.”</p>
<p>Dalton has made the best of his situation. His offensive line has struggled for most of the season and there’s been no running game to speak of. Add to that, tight end <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Tyler-Eifert/" type="external">Tyler Eifert</a>‘s season-ending injury, and the Bengals quarterback deserves credit for managing to pass for more than 2,100 yards with 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions for a 90.7 rating despite being sacked 27 times in 10 games.</p>
<p>The offensive line lost a key component in tackle Jake Fisher for the season due to a heart condition, but that unit didn’t play horribly on Sunday.</p>
<p>“We have to clean some things up in the running game,” Lewis said. “We ought to have more opportunities. We’ve got to keep doing it together all the time. We’ve all got work to do.”</p>
<p>The schedule isn’t exactly favorable down the stretch with games against the Vikings, Steelers, and Lions among the final six. But, there also are matchups with the Browns, Bears, and Ravens left, and four of the Bengals’ final six games are at home.</p>
<p>“There are a lot of teams in the situation we were in starting today and teams are going to get hot and get going,” Lewis said. “We play some of them and they play each other. So, we have an opportunity if we just handle our business.”</p>
<p>–Nose tackle Andrew Billings has earned more snaps and now he’s going to get them after Pat Sims was waived. Billings, a fourth-round pick who missed his rookie season due to a knee injury, has eight tackles this season. He had a tackle and a quarterback hit in Sunday’s win at Denver.</p>
<p>“Andrew’s played increasingly better,” said head coach Marvin Lewis. “He’s done a good job being physical. He’s been disruptive. He’s still trying to put it all together, but he keeps making positive plays.”</p>
<p>NOTES: WR Alex Erickson caught a 29-yard touchdown on Sunday, one of two catches he had for 42 yards. Both receptions were on third down. “The touchdown, but two third-down conversions,” head coach Marvin Lewis said. “Each opportunity that Alex gets, he does a nice job.” Erickson has nine catches for 142 yards this season while excelling on special teams. … RB <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Joe-Mixon/" type="external">Joe Mixon</a> rushed for 49 yards on Sunday on 20 attempts, an average of 2.5 yards for a Bengals running game that has struggled throughout the season. “As a runner, you can’t be frustrated,” head coach Marvin Lewis said. “You can’t let the last play, positively, negatively affect the next one. You have to make the most of it. They can’t have a notion in their mind where the ball is going to fit.”</p>
<p>REPORT CARD VS. BRONCOS</p>
<p>–PASSING OFFENSE: B – Andy Dalton won’t display these game stats on his mantle, but the Bengals QB had a solid day against a decent Broncos defense. Dalton passed for only 154 yards, but had three touchdowns including deep balls to A.J. Green and Alex Erickson. Dalton was sacked twice, but handled the Broncos’ pressure well and did not throw an interception.</p>
<p>–RUSHING OFFENSE: D – The Bengals’ rushing attack again was barely noticeable in Sunday’s game, accounting for just one of the team’s 12 first downs. Cincinnati averaged 1.9 yards per carry with Joe Mixon leading the way with 49 yards. Mixon had the longest run of the day, gaining eight yards. The second longest run? A designed eight-yard zone read by quarterback Andy Dalton.</p>
<p>–PASS DEFENSE: B – The timing was off for <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Brock_Osweiler/" type="external">Brock Osweiler</a> and the Broncos’ passing game throughout Sunday’s game. That can partially be attributed to the Bengals’ pass rush that produced three sacks and made the pocket uncomfortable for Osweiler all day. Osweiler was 23 of 42 for 254 yards with one touchdown and one interception.</p>
<p>–RUSH DEFENSE: C – Denver rushed for 112 yards and averaged 3.3 yards per carry. Not eye-popping numbers, and the Broncos got five of their 15 first downs on the ground. The Bengals didn’t tackle great at the point of attack and quarterback Brock Osweiler had 24 yards on four carries including one 12-yard run.</p>
<p>–SPECIAL TEAMS: C – This unit had an adventurous day. Kevin Huber had a punt blocked for the first time this season. Randy Bullock missed another extra point and a field goal. Bullock is now 8 of 10 on field goals and 18 of 20 on extra points after edging out Jake Elliott in a training-camp long competition.</p>
<p>–COACHING: B – Head coach Marvin Lewis called a couple of key timeouts on Sunday. One at the end of the first half just before Broncos kicker Randy McManus made a field goal that would have cut the Bengals’ lead to 13-10, in a game they won 20-17. McManus’ next attempt was blocked by KeiVarae Russell. Then, in the fourth quarter, Lewis got a timeout just before the expiration of the play clock. After the stoppage, Andy Dalton fired a laser to A.J. Green for the game-deciding touchdown. Somehow, the Bengals are still in the AFC playoff hunt.</p> | false | 1 | cincinnati cincinnati bengals alive whats become muddled afc playoff race yes bengals began season 03 bengals fired offensive coordinator two games struggled protect andy dalton establish running game behind patchwork offensive line bengals among worst nfl opponents thirddown conversion bengals find one game second afc wildcard spot weve got keep playing head coach marvin lewis said showed year ago situation someone going get hot break things last year green bay ran table year going somebody else cincinnatis 2017 win sunday denver wasnt thing beauty far bengals managed burn broncos thirdranked defense pair long touchdown passes dalton aj green alex erickson bengals defense held helping overcome errorladen first quarter course fact bengals 46 position much testament largely average afc anything else three straight home games coming winless browns steelers bears anything possible marvin said team position right gets hot every year said dalton everything make us dalton made best situation offensive line struggled season theres running game speak add tight end tyler eiferts seasonending injury bengals quarterback deserves credit managing pass 2100 yards 16 touchdowns eight interceptions 907 rating despite sacked 27 times 10 games offensive line lost key component tackle jake fisher season due heart condition unit didnt play horribly sunday clean things running game lewis said ought opportunities weve got keep together time weve got work schedule isnt exactly favorable stretch games vikings steelers lions among final six also matchups browns bears ravens left four bengals final six games home lot teams situation starting today teams going get hot get going lewis said play play opportunity handle business nose tackle andrew billings earned snaps hes going get pat sims waived billings fourthround pick missed rookie season due knee injury eight tackles season tackle quarterback hit sundays win denver andrews played increasingly better said head coach marvin lewis hes done good job physical hes disruptive hes still trying put together keeps making positive plays notes wr alex erickson caught 29yard touchdown sunday one two catches 42 yards receptions third touchdown two thirddown conversions head coach marvin lewis said opportunity alex gets nice job erickson nine catches 142 yards season excelling special teams rb joe mixon rushed 49 yards sunday 20 attempts average 25 yards bengals running game struggled throughout season runner cant frustrated head coach marvin lewis said cant let last play positively negatively affect next one make cant notion mind ball going fit report card vs broncos passing offense b andy dalton wont display game stats mantle bengals qb solid day decent broncos defense dalton passed 154 yards three touchdowns including deep balls aj green alex erickson dalton sacked twice handled broncos pressure well throw interception rushing offense bengals rushing attack barely noticeable sundays game accounting one teams 12 first downs cincinnati averaged 19 yards per carry joe mixon leading way 49 yards mixon longest run day gaining eight yards second longest run designed eightyard zone read quarterback andy dalton pass defense b timing brock osweiler broncos passing game throughout sundays game partially attributed bengals pass rush produced three sacks made pocket uncomfortable osweiler day osweiler 23 42 254 yards one touchdown one interception rush defense c denver rushed 112 yards averaged 33 yards per carry eyepopping numbers broncos got five 15 first downs ground bengals didnt tackle great point attack quarterback brock osweiler 24 yards four carries including one 12yard run special teams c unit adventurous day kevin huber punt blocked first time season randy bullock missed another extra point field goal bullock 8 10 field goals 18 20 extra points edging jake elliott trainingcamp long competition coaching b head coach marvin lewis called couple key timeouts sunday one end first half broncos kicker randy mcmanus made field goal would cut bengals lead 1310 game 2017 mcmanus next attempt blocked keivarae russell fourth quarter lewis got timeout expiration play clock stoppage andy dalton fired laser aj green gamedeciding touchdown somehow bengals still afc playoff hunt | 647 |
<p>The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction—sometimes called the “super committee” because of the unusual power it was granted in the legislative process—now has just three weeks left before it is to report out a plan to cut at least $1.2 trillion from projected federal budget deficits over the coming decade. If the committee fails to produce such a plan, then nine annual automatic “sequesters” will be triggered, starting in January 2013, to achieve the same targeted level of deficit reduction—$1.2 trillion. The “sequesters” will impose spending cuts in defense and certain non-exempt domestic accounts to hit the deficit reduction target.</p>
<p>Producing a deficit-cutting plan that will head off the automatic sequesters will be a tall order for the super committee. The law requires that seven of the committee’s twelve members sign onto any plan before it can be considered “approved” by the committee (and thus eligible for expedited consideration in the House and Senate). But the committee’s membership is split evenly, with six members from each party; thus, no plan can be approved by the committee unless it has achieved some level of bipartisan support.</p>
<p>In the current environment, that looks like a long shot, especially in view of the president’s rhetoric since Labor Day. In the last two months, he has traveled the country in a campaign-style tour excoriating Republicans, and especially those controlling the House, for being, as the president says, on the side of the rich and against the American middle class. And he has threatened to veto any deficit-cutting plan that does not impose higher tax rates on “the rich”—as he defines them. This isn’t exactly the way to build bipartisan consensus. Indeed, if the super committee fails, no one will be more to blame than President Obama, who clearly prefers at this point to campaign for re-election rather than to pursue a bipartisan deal that might undercut his political message.</p>
<p>But even if the president were pushing for a deal, it would still be a stretch because the parties are simply talking past each other on the most fundamental issues at stake in the budget talks—most especially entitlement reform.</p>
<p>When the committee began its work in August, committee members went out of their way to make it clear that they were going to keep their deliberations private to build trust. That didn’t last very long. Last week, we learned that the Democratic members of the committee had floated a plan to cut $3 trillion from the deficit over a decade, a plan that would seemingly achieve far more in deficit reduction than is required of the super committee. This conveniently leaked “plan” <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/senate-democrats-offer-3-trillion-debt-deal/2011/10/26/gIQAhgvMJM_story.html" type="external">played well in the usual places</a>, as the media trumpeted it as a credible offer.</p>
<p>But was it? It turns out that the Democratic plan isn’t much of a plan at all, but only a series of aggregate promises that would have to be backed up by actual detail later. All we know is that the Democrats promised to raise taxes by about $1.3 trillion over ten years and cut about $475 billion more from Medicare and Medicaid. But how, exactly? That’s where things are a little fuzzy. Apparently, what the Democrats envision is that the super committee would come to an aggregate deal and then let Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus write the detailed provisions to hit the targets.</p>
<p>Not exactly a process that builds confidence. Indeed, if that really were how things were to proceed, it’s not at all clear why the super committee ever existed.</p>
<p>The problem is not that the two sides can’t put on the table broad budget parameters that look good on paper (although Republicans will never agree to the kind of tax hike the Democrats are now calling for). The problem is that everything breaks down when the negotiations go from broad and general to the specific.</p>
<p>Sure, there’s bipartisan support for broad-based tax reform that lowers rates even as it generates more economic activity. But that’s as far as anybody ever gets because the base-broadening part of the deal will necessarily mean taking on some of the most entrenched deductions and exemptions in the current code, such as the exclusion for employer-paid health insurance, and the deductions for home mortgage interest, state and local taxes, and charitable contributions. Otherwise the promise of lower rates is just a mirage.</p>
<p>And with respect to Medicare and Medicaid, the parties simply have fundamentally different visions for cost-control. The Democrats want to double down on the approach taken in Obamacare, which means more across-the-board payment rate reductions imposed on suppliers of services and products as well as micromanagement by the Medicare bureaucracy. This approach to cost-cutting is basically worse than nothing, as it leaves unreformed the fundamental structures of Medicare and Medicaid which are a big part of the health care cost problem. Republicans are pushing for reforms that would move the programs away from command-and-control and toward market-based competition. But precisely because the Republican approach would move power and authority away from the federal government, the Democrats remain staunchly in support of the status quo (just with lower government payments).</p>
<p>By all accounts, the super committee has made no progress in conquering these large obstacles to a “grand bargain” on the budget.</p>
<p>That being the case, some in Congress are pushing for a smaller, more incremental deal from the committee, to demonstrate to the markets and the ratings agencies that the American political system isn’t entirely broken. Fine, if it can be done. But under no circumstances should a deal which merely tinkers around the edges and does not fundamentally reform the tax code and entitlement programs be billed as anything but a temporary Band-Aid.</p>
<p>In truth, what is really holding back the super committee is that it does not have a mandate from voters to do what needs to be done. That’s going to take another election, in 2012. Only then will it be clear which vision of government—permanently higher taxes to pay for the entitlement status quo, or lower taxes with sensible entitlement reform—has the upper hand. At that point, both sides will be able to calibrate their positions to reflect political reality.</p>
<p>Until then, asking the super committee to fix the problem is simply unrealistic. And there’s really no reason to wring hands over it.</p>
<p>After the election, when the voters have had their say, Congress will still have plenty of time to implement changes that would forestall the need for a 2013 sequester, and to provide room for the president (whoever that might be) to work with the next Congress on a broad budget deal. That will be the moment to address the fundamental questions that must be answered to narrow the long-term gap between revenue and spending. Not now.</p>
<p>James C. Capretta is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He was an associate director at the Office of Management and Budget from 2001 to 2004.</p> | false | 1 | joint select committee deficit reductionsometimes called super committee unusual power granted legislative processnow three weeks left report plan cut least 12 trillion projected federal budget deficits coming decade committee fails produce plan nine annual automatic sequesters triggered starting january 2013 achieve targeted level deficit reduction12 trillion sequesters impose spending cuts defense certain nonexempt domestic accounts hit deficit reduction target producing deficitcutting plan head automatic sequesters tall order super committee law requires seven committees twelve members sign onto plan considered approved committee thus eligible expedited consideration house senate committees membership split evenly six members party thus plan approved committee unless achieved level bipartisan support current environment looks like long shot especially view presidents rhetoric since labor day last two months traveled country campaignstyle tour excoriating republicans especially controlling house president says side rich american middle class threatened veto deficitcutting plan impose higher tax rates richas defines isnt exactly way build bipartisan consensus indeed super committee fails one blame president obama clearly prefers point campaign reelection rather pursue bipartisan deal might undercut political message even president pushing deal would still stretch parties simply talking past fundamental issues stake budget talksmost especially entitlement reform committee began work august committee members went way make clear going keep deliberations private build trust didnt last long last week learned democratic members committee floated plan cut 3 trillion deficit decade plan would seemingly achieve far deficit reduction required super committee conveniently leaked plan played well usual places media trumpeted credible offer turns democratic plan isnt much plan series aggregate promises would backed actual detail later know democrats promised raise taxes 13 trillion ten years cut 475 billion medicare medicaid exactly thats things little fuzzy apparently democrats envision super committee would come aggregate deal let senate finance committee chairman max baucus write detailed provisions hit targets exactly process builds confidence indeed really things proceed clear super committee ever existed problem two sides cant put table broad budget parameters look good paper although republicans never agree kind tax hike democrats calling problem everything breaks negotiations go broad general specific sure theres bipartisan support broadbased tax reform lowers rates even generates economic activity thats far anybody ever gets basebroadening part deal necessarily mean taking entrenched deductions exemptions current code exclusion employerpaid health insurance deductions home mortgage interest state local taxes charitable contributions otherwise promise lower rates mirage respect medicare medicaid parties simply fundamentally different visions costcontrol democrats want double approach taken obamacare means acrosstheboard payment rate reductions imposed suppliers services products well micromanagement medicare bureaucracy approach costcutting basically worse nothing leaves unreformed fundamental structures medicare medicaid big part health care cost problem republicans pushing reforms would move programs away commandandcontrol toward marketbased competition precisely republican approach would move power authority away federal government democrats remain staunchly support status quo lower government payments accounts super committee made progress conquering large obstacles grand bargain budget case congress pushing smaller incremental deal committee demonstrate markets ratings agencies american political system isnt entirely broken fine done circumstances deal merely tinkers around edges fundamentally reform tax code entitlement programs billed anything temporary bandaid truth really holding back super committee mandate voters needs done thats going take another election 2012 clear vision governmentpermanently higher taxes pay entitlement status quo lower taxes sensible entitlement reformhas upper hand point sides able calibrate positions reflect political reality asking super committee fix problem simply unrealistic theres really reason wring hands election voters say congress still plenty time implement changes would forestall need 2013 sequester provide room president whoever might work next congress broad budget deal moment address fundamental questions must answered narrow longterm gap revenue spending james c capretta fellow ethics public policy center associate director office management budget 2001 2004 | 611 |
<p>Tsunami warnings and watches along the west coast of the U.S. and Canada <a href="http://wjla.com/news/nation-world/magnitude-82-earthquake-strikes-off-alaska-coast-tsunami-warning-issued" type="external">were canceled Tuesday morning</a>as the potential risk subsided, but experts say communities remain vulnerable to future disasters and residents must be prepared for a cataclysmic wave in the future.</p>
<p>According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the alerts were triggered by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake in the Gulf of Alaska, about 175 miles southeast of Kodiak and at a depth of 15 miles. It was one of the largest on record in that region, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center.</p>
<p />
<p>Sirens blared in Kodiak and other coastal towns soon after the 12:31 a.m. quake, leading to evacuations to higher ground and emergency shelters. All Alaska warnings were canceled around 4 a.m. after waves no higher than one foot were recorded.</p>
<p>Tsunami Watch alerts were initially issued for the entire coasts of California and Oregon and the outer coast of Washington. About two hours after they were issued, they were canceled because “additional information and analysis have better defined the threat.”</p>
<p>Still, officials in some coastal areas warned residents to stay away from the shores. The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management urged citizens to avoid the coastline for 12 hours due to potentially strong and dangerous currents.</p>
<p>Residents may be frustrated that they were riled out of bed in the middle of the night by wireless alerts for nothing, but Eric Holdeman, a former Washington state emergency management official, said it is better to warn than not.</p>
<p>“There will be people who complain it ended up being a six-inch wave and they’ve been inconvenienced by it…but if it’d been a 15-foot wave, they’d have been much more inconvenienced by it,” he said. “People need to accept the imprecise nature of these warnings.”</p>
<p />
<p>The brief period of warning provided a test of local, state, and federal emergency procedures that are frequently drilled but rarely get unplanned real-world practice.</p>
<p>As with all natural disasters, preparedness plans for tsunamis are typically focused on mitigating the damage and loss of life during and after the event, but there are significant differences between preparing for a tsunami and other disasters.</p>
<p>“There are a lot of things you can do that are parallel…. For a tsunami, there are special considerations,” said Jason Ballmann, communications manager for the Southern California Earthquake Center.</p>
<p>A tsunami is a series of ocean waves generated by an event that displaces water like an earthquake, volcanic eruption, or landslide. The waves can bring walls of water dozens of feet high to shore, but even smaller waves have the potential to cause significant damage.</p>
<p>Tsunamis can be produced by local or distant events. In the case of a local event, officials may only have only minutes to warn residents, but if a distant event causes waves, they may know the water is coming hours in advance.</p>
<p>“A tsunami is unique in a couple of respects,” said Mike Angove, manager of NOAA’s Tsunami Program. “Number one is how catastrophic the impact can be, and then you combine that with the fact that you really have no lead time.”</p>
<p>Because of that, NOAA works closely with local officials to develop mitigation plans.</p>
<p>“We really try to attack it on two fronts,” Angove said. “We, on the one hand, are trying to improve our forecasting warning capability…and then on the other side, trying to match that with preparedness on the state and local level.”</p>
<p />
<p>Waves large enough to devastate communities rarely reach land, but they have had substantial impact several times in the last two decades.</p>
<p>A magnitude 9.0 earthquake in 2004 sent waves up to 100 feet high toward Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, killing 283,000 people and displace 1.1 million others.</p>
<p>In 2011, another 9.0 magnitude earthquake slammed northeastern Japan, causing a tsunami that set off a nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Nearly 16,000 people were killed and, as of June 2016, 2,500 were still missing.</p>
<p>Effects of the 2011 tsunami were felt as far away as California, where waves caused hundreds of millions of dollars of damage and killed a man trying to take photos at the mouth of the Klamath River.</p>
<p>Following the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., asked the Government Accountability Office to assess federal and state preparedness. The review found that many warning systems and emergency plans were out of date or limited in their effectiveness.</p>
<p>“That was an important report for us,” Angove said.</p>
<p>NOAA has since improved its sensing infrastructure and its ability to model tsunamis in real time. It has also worked to ensure that its directives are digestible and actionable at the state and local level.</p>
<p>“We take those reports very seriously and we made a lot of effort to address the concerns raised by the GAO,” Angove said.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/369836984/GAO-Tsunami-Preparedness-2006#from_embed" type="external">GAO Tsunami Preparedness 2006</a> by <a href="https://www.scribd.com/user/35620534/Stephen-Loiaconi#from_embed" type="external">Stephen Loiaconi</a> on Scribd</p>
<p />
<p>Massive disasters like those seen in 2004 and 2011 may lead officials to reevaluate their plans, but Brad Alexander, a spokesman for the California Office of Emergency Services, said coastal communities have been well aware of the danger since the 1964 tsunami.</p>
<p>“I think it’s been a growing process since the 50s and 60s,” he said.</p>
<p>Technology has made the warning process easier in recent years. With wireless emergency alerts, reverse 911, and social media, the threat advisory spreads quickly.</p>
<p>“Once you get that notice or alert, people are calling people,” Alexander said. Even if the alert itself does not wake you, it is likely family or friends who did hear it will be calling.</p>
<p>According to Patrick Corcoran, a hazards outreach specialist at Oregon State University and the Oregon Sea Grant program, tsunamis remain an abstract concept for many people in the U.S. because, unlike earthquakes, they have never seen one.</p>
<p>“It’s hard to take something seriously that you haven’t experienced, nor your parents or your grandparents,” he said.</p>
<p>The last massive earthquake along the Cascadia Subduction Zone on the west coast was 318 years ago this week, creating a tsunami that was documented in Japanese history and in Native American legends, but Corcoran said it is human nature not to take the threat of such rare events seriously enough.</p>
<p>“The vast majority of my job is convincing people that something that happened 41 times in thousands of years is going to happen 42 times,” he said.</p>
<p />
<p>Though they are generally seen as facing much lower risk, some eastern cities and states have developed tsunami mitigation plans as well.</p>
<p>A 2014 New York state planning document states that the closest occurrence of a tsunami in the last century was in Newfoundland in 1929, but evacuation plans should still be developed. It also notes evidence that a tsunami hit what would be the New York City area 2,300 years ago.</p>
<p>A 2013 study by a Boston College seismologist concluded that increased seismic activity in the North Atlantic could put New England in the path of a tsunami. A state mitigation plan published the same year recounted several earthquakes along the coast since 1668 that were reported to have impacted the waters of Massachusetts. It estimated nearly 1.6 million people lived in areas that could be exposed to a tsunami if it occurred.</p>
<p>Although the Virginia Department of Emergency Management has no tsunami-specific program, the city of Norfolk was the first on the east coast to earn “Tsunami Ready” status from the National Weather Service in 2006. To receive that designation, a city must undertake several activities related to preparation, response, and outreach.</p>
<p><a href="http://wjla.com/news/nation-world/washington-woman-buys-tsunami-survival-capsule-first-in-us" type="external">Tsunami preparedness plans</a>typically involve alert system, orders to evacuate inland or to high ground, and signs along the coast to direct people to safety. People are urged to recognize natural warning signs as well and be prepared. If they are unable to evacuate, it could be days or weeks before rescue crews are able to reach them.</p>
<p>Keeping warning systems and procedures up-to-date and well-practiced is the key for governments to avoiding <a href="http://wjla.com/news/nation-world/hawaii-officials-mistakenly-warn-of-inbound-missile-01-13-2018-185755873" type="external">false alarms and slip-ups</a> like the recent mistaken missile alert in Hawaii.</p>
<p>“Any system that’s not tested isn’t dependable,” Holdeman said.</p>
<p />
<p>City and state governments on the west coast have worked to educate their communities on the possible danger of tsunamis and the steps that can be taken to protect against them.</p>
<p>“The coastal communities that are most at risk practice their tsunami warnings pretty frequently,” Alexander said.</p>
<p>In addition to drills in many areas, the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program has designated “Tsunami Preparedness Week” campaigns in western states and ocean territories throughout the year, beginning in March.</p>
<p>“We can always use more funding, more people to help with all of these preparedness and resilience efforts, but it really comes down to what each individual is going to do,” said Ballmann, who helps run the annual Great ShakeOut earthquake drills.</p>
<p />
<p>It is helpful for citizens to know evacuation routes and prepare an emergency bag, but a coordinated and careful evacuation of millions of people from a crowded coastal city with giant waves approaching is a daunting task.</p>
<p>“A lot of people tend to think you can just jump in your car…. With a tsunami when you have tons of people trying to evacuate along the coast, it can be really difficult,” Ballmann said.</p>
<p>In the event of a nearby earthquake, a city may have less than a half hour before the resulting waves arrive. Adding to the complexity, an earthquake powerful enough to produce such a tsunami could also damage the infrastructure people need in order to evacuate.</p>
<p>Due to those circumstances, advance plans that can be executed quickly are essential for state and local governments.</p>
<p>“The biggest challenge is, of course, what do you do before it happens,” Ballmann said, “because everything you do before dictates how well you react during and how quick your recovery can be after.”</p>
<p />
<p>Alexander pointed to the visual spectacle of a massive wall of water crashing over the coast as another factor complicating evacuation efforts.</p>
<p>“People want to go see it,” he said. “They want to see the tsunami wave…that’s not what we want. We want people to get away from the coast.”</p> | false | 1 | tsunami warnings watches along west coast us canada canceled tuesday morningas potential risk subsided experts say communities remain vulnerable future disasters residents must prepared cataclysmic wave future according us geological survey alerts triggered magnitude 79 earthquake gulf alaska 175 miles southeast kodiak depth 15 miles one largest record region according alaska earthquake center sirens blared kodiak coastal towns soon 1231 quake leading evacuations higher ground emergency shelters alaska warnings canceled around 4 waves higher one foot recorded tsunami watch alerts initially issued entire coasts california oregon outer coast washington two hours issued canceled additional information analysis better defined threat still officials coastal areas warned residents stay away shores san francisco department emergency management urged citizens avoid coastline 12 hours due potentially strong dangerous currents residents may frustrated riled bed middle night wireless alerts nothing eric holdeman former washington state emergency management official said better warn people complain ended sixinch wave theyve inconvenienced itbut itd 15foot wave theyd much inconvenienced said people need accept imprecise nature warnings brief period warning provided test local state federal emergency procedures frequently drilled rarely get unplanned realworld practice natural disasters preparedness plans tsunamis typically focused mitigating damage loss life event significant differences preparing tsunami disasters lot things parallel tsunami special considerations said jason ballmann communications manager southern california earthquake center tsunami series ocean waves generated event displaces water like earthquake volcanic eruption landslide waves bring walls water dozens feet high shore even smaller waves potential cause significant damage tsunamis produced local distant events case local event officials may minutes warn residents distant event causes waves may know water coming hours advance tsunami unique couple respects said mike angove manager noaas tsunami program number one catastrophic impact combine fact really lead time noaa works closely local officials develop mitigation plans really try attack two fronts angove said one hand trying improve forecasting warning capabilityand side trying match preparedness state local level waves large enough devastate communities rarely reach land substantial impact several times last two decades magnitude 90 earthquake 2004 sent waves 100 feet high toward indonesia thailand india sri lanka maldives killing 283000 people displace 11 million others 2011 another 90 magnitude earthquake slammed northeastern japan causing tsunami set nuclear accident fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant nearly 16000 people killed june 2016 2500 still missing effects 2011 tsunami felt far away california waves caused hundreds millions dollars damage killed man trying take photos mouth klamath river following 2004 tsunami indonesia sen dianne feinstein dcalif asked government accountability office assess federal state preparedness review found many warning systems emergency plans date limited effectiveness important report us angove said noaa since improved sensing infrastructure ability model tsunamis real time also worked ensure directives digestible actionable state local level take reports seriously made lot effort address concerns raised gao angove said gao tsunami preparedness 2006 stephen loiaconi scribd massive disasters like seen 2004 2011 may lead officials reevaluate plans brad alexander spokesman california office emergency services said coastal communities well aware danger since 1964 tsunami think growing process since 50s 60s said technology made warning process easier recent years wireless emergency alerts reverse 911 social media threat advisory spreads quickly get notice alert people calling people alexander said even alert wake likely family friends hear calling according patrick corcoran hazards outreach specialist oregon state university oregon sea grant program tsunamis remain abstract concept many people us unlike earthquakes never seen one hard take something seriously havent experienced parents grandparents said last massive earthquake along cascadia subduction zone west coast 318 years ago week creating tsunami documented japanese history native american legends corcoran said human nature take threat rare events seriously enough vast majority job convincing people something happened 41 times thousands years going happen 42 times said though generally seen facing much lower risk eastern cities states developed tsunami mitigation plans well 2014 new york state planning document states closest occurrence tsunami last century newfoundland 1929 evacuation plans still developed also notes evidence tsunami hit would new york city area 2300 years ago 2013 study boston college seismologist concluded increased seismic activity north atlantic could put new england path tsunami state mitigation plan published year recounted several earthquakes along coast since 1668 reported impacted waters massachusetts estimated nearly 16 million people lived areas could exposed tsunami occurred although virginia department emergency management tsunamispecific program city norfolk first east coast earn tsunami ready status national weather service 2006 receive designation city must undertake several activities related preparation response outreach tsunami preparedness planstypically involve alert system orders evacuate inland high ground signs along coast direct people safety people urged recognize natural warning signs well prepared unable evacuate could days weeks rescue crews able reach keeping warning systems procedures uptodate wellpracticed key governments avoiding false alarms slipups like recent mistaken missile alert hawaii system thats tested isnt dependable holdeman said city state governments west coast worked educate communities possible danger tsunamis steps taken protect coastal communities risk practice tsunami warnings pretty frequently alexander said addition drills many areas national tsunami hazard mitigation program designated tsunami preparedness week campaigns western states ocean territories throughout year beginning march always use funding people help preparedness resilience efforts really comes individual going said ballmann helps run annual great shakeout earthquake drills helpful citizens know evacuation routes prepare emergency bag coordinated careful evacuation millions people crowded coastal city giant waves approaching daunting task lot people tend think jump car tsunami tons people trying evacuate along coast really difficult ballmann said event nearby earthquake city may less half hour resulting waves arrive adding complexity earthquake powerful enough produce tsunami could also damage infrastructure people need order evacuate due circumstances advance plans executed quickly essential state local governments biggest challenge course happens ballmann said everything dictates well react quick recovery alexander pointed visual spectacle massive wall water crashing coast another factor complicating evacuation efforts people want go see said want see tsunami wavethats want want people get away coast | 981 |
<p>CARSON CITY — The blitz to secure public financing for a proposed NFL football stadium and beef up convention amenities in Las Vegas begins in earnest Monday when Nevada lawmakers convene for a special session.</p>
<p>Gov. Brian Sandoval is summoning legislators to the state capital to act on recommendations from the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee. The biggest component involves raising the Clark County room tax by 0.88 percentage points to finance $750 million in bonds over 33 years to help finance the $1.9 billion domed stadium.</p>
<p>Mark Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders, has committed to move the team to Sin City if the facility is built and other NFL team owners approve. The stadium would also provide a new home for the UNLV football team.</p>
<p>Las Vegas Sands Corp. CEO Sheldon Adelson has pledged at least $650 million for the project, and the Raiders have committed $500 million.</p>
<p>Besides the stadium, lawmakers will be asked to tack on an additional 0.5 percentage-point room tax increase to raise about $400 million toward a $1.4 billion expansion and improvement project at the Las Vegas Convention Center.</p>
<p>A separate measure would authorize the Clark County Commission to raise the sales tax to hire more police officers.</p>
<p>NOT UNIVERSAL SUPPORT</p>
<p>Sandoval backs the measures and has said the public investments will help Las Vegas retain its stature as a global tourism destination and the stadium will provide a venue to host large-scale events — an amenity it currently lacks.</p>
<p>“Now is the time to capitalize on the opportunity before us to invest in Nevada’s most fundamental industry, tourism, by providing for the infrastructure and public safety needs of the 21st century,” Sandoval said in a statement last week when he announced the date of the special session.</p>
<p>“As I have said before, we can and must usher in a new era for tourism in the Las Vegas market, while keeping our citizens and visitors safe, and ensuring our position as a global leader in entertainment and hospitality.”</p>
<p>Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak said the projects would put Las Vegas “on the map with other major cities.”</p>
<p>“You don’t get this chance very often,” he said after the infrastructure committee, formed by Sandoval, unanimously approved its recommendations. “People from around the world will be coming here to watch professional football. It’s an exciting time for Las Vegas.”</p>
<p>Many unions also favor the projects, citing the thousands of construction jobs and other employment opportunities they would generate.</p>
<p>But critics are leery of funding the projects with hotel tax dollars and argue that Clark County residents could be on the hook if another recession hits and revenue to cover bond payments falls short. They also oppose raising taxes to subsidize wealthy proponents, given the state’s needs for additional education and social services funding.</p>
<p>The Nevada Taxpayers Association publicly opposed the plan and listed 16 concerns, including more pressing needs for room tax revenue. The association also said there is no evidence that a publicly funded stadium brings any benefit to taxpayers and that there is “significant data indicating that subsidized stadiums can be a detriment to a community.”</p>
<p>Nevadans for the Common Good, a faith-based organization composed of more than 40 religious and nonprofit groups, is also against the stadium on grounds it “involves substantial risk to the public without providing commensurate community benefits.”</p>
<p>THORNY POLITICS</p>
<p>Some conservative Republican lawmakers are upset that Sandoval, who sets the agenda for items lawmakers can consider, did not include funding for a school choice program and speculated the omission could jeopardize at least some votes for the Southern Nevada development projects.</p>
<p>Timing is also awkward. Sandoval in March warned state agencies to prepare flat spending plans and prepare for possible 5 percent cuts for the upcoming two-year budget cycle, when the state faces a projected $400 million shortfall because of caseload growth.</p>
<p>And lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle have expressed concerns over the timing of the special session. It comes less than two weeks before early voting begins for the Nov. 8 general election. Incumbents, especially Republicans, fear a “yes” vote to raise taxes — even if the bulk of it will be paid for by tourists — could expose them to voter backlash at the ballot box.</p>
<p>“It puts Republicans in a pickle,” acknowledged Assembly Majority Leader Paul Anderson. The Las Vegas Republican doesn’t have to worry — he won his GOP primary resoundingly in June and faces no other opposition in November.</p>
<p>But he understands the angst, particularly after the Republican-controlled Legislature last year passed Sandoval’s $1.5 billion tax package — the largest in state history.</p>
<p>“Some of us will be attacked on that,” said Anderson, who supports the stadium and convention center projects. “It’s still the right thing to do.”</p>
<p>It’s uncertain how long the special session will last, but most wrap up in a few days.</p>
<p>This will be the third special session for economic development projects Sandoval has called in the past two years. Lawmakers approved tax abatements for a Tesla battery plant in Storey County in 2014 and a Faraday Future car manufacturing plant in North Las Vegas in December 2015.</p>
<p>Legislators are expected to recess Tuesday afternoon if necessary for Yom Kippur, and then reconvene Thursday if necessary.</p>
<p>The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Sheldon Adelson, chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp.</p>
<p>Contact Sandra Chereb at [email protected] or 775-461-3821. Follow <a href="http://www.twitter.com/SandraChereb" type="external">@SandraChereb</a> on Twitter.</p>
<p>HOW A SPECIAL SESSION WORKS</p>
<p>Before Nevada lawmakers delve into the nitty-gritty of hotel room taxes and the risk-reward of public financing for an NFL stadium and Las Vegas Convention Center expansion project on Monday, there are procedural rituals and other business to tend to.</p>
<p>Sandoval last week announced the special session will begin at 8 a.m. Monday. But time, as seasoned observers are well aware, is flexible inside the Legislative Building. Proceedings commence when leadership and staff are ready — and not before.</p>
<p>Once the Assembly and Senate are gaveled to order, five new members will be sworn in to fill vacancies that occurred since the last general election. The Clark County Commission last month appointed Stephanie Smith to represent Assembly District 1 and Kyle Stephens for Assembly District 5. Washoe County commissioners named Julia Ratti to Senate District 13; Jesse Haw to Senate District 15; and Dominic Brunetti to Assembly District 25.</p>
<p>Their terms will be short-lived, ending after the Nov. 8 election. Only Ratti is running for the seat in the election and would continue in the office if she wins.</p>
<p>Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison, who presides over the Senate, and Assembly Speaker John Hambrick will then appoint committees to inform the other chamber and the governor that they are organized and ready for business.</p>
<p>Once those notifications are made and the committees return, the work begins.</p>
<p>Bills detailing the proposals will be introduced in one house or the other. During regular 120-day legislative sessions, bills are referred to specific committees after introduction. But in a special session, the entire Senate or Assembly serves as a “committee of the whole.”</p>
<p>Witnesses walk legislators through the specifics of the bills and answer questions. There is opportunity for public comment, and anyone can watch the proceedings on the Legislature’s website.</p>
<p>Lawmakers frequently break to meet behind closed doors with lobbyists, caucus members and leadership to hash out differences. If amendments are made, the entire bill must be reprinted — a requirement that slows the process and can lead to long recesses.</p>
<p>Afterward, the chambers dissolve as “committees” and reconvene as the Assembly and Senate to cast votes.</p>
<p>Lawmakers will give floor speeches urging their colleagues to vote one way or another before electronically recording their votes by pushing a green or red button.</p>
<p>After a bill clears one chamber, it is transmitted to the other where the process is repeated.</p>
<p>Passage of the measure to increase the room tax will require a two-thirds majority in both chambers — 14 votes in the Senate and 28 in the Assembly.</p>
<p>After the voting, the Senate and Assembly again appoint committees to inform the other chamber and the governor that they’ve concluded their business and are ready to adjourn “sine die” — meaning for the final time.</p>
<p>If legislation is approved, legislators and bill advocates would hike across the Capitol Complex courtyard to the governor’s office, where Sandoval would sign it into law in a bill signing ceremony.</p>
<p>RELATED</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Nevada governor calls special session for Monday to consider Raiders stadium plan</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Gov. Sandoval plans to call special session for proposed Raiders stadium</a></p>
<p /> | false | 1 | carson city blitz secure public financing proposed nfl football stadium beef convention amenities las vegas begins earnest monday nevada lawmakers convene special session gov brian sandoval summoning legislators state capital act recommendations southern nevada tourism infrastructure committee biggest component involves raising clark county room tax 088 percentage points finance 750 million bonds 33 years help finance 19 billion domed stadium mark davis owner oakland raiders committed move team sin city facility built nfl team owners approve stadium would also provide new home unlv football team las vegas sands corp ceo sheldon adelson pledged least 650 million project raiders committed 500 million besides stadium lawmakers asked tack additional 05 percentagepoint room tax increase raise 400 million toward 14 billion expansion improvement project las vegas convention center separate measure would authorize clark county commission raise sales tax hire police officers universal support sandoval backs measures said public investments help las vegas retain stature global tourism destination stadium provide venue host largescale events amenity currently lacks time capitalize opportunity us invest nevadas fundamental industry tourism providing infrastructure public safety needs 21st century sandoval said statement last week announced date special session said must usher new era tourism las vegas market keeping citizens visitors safe ensuring position global leader entertainment hospitality clark county commission chairman steve sisolak said projects would put las vegas map major cities dont get chance often said infrastructure committee formed sandoval unanimously approved recommendations people around world coming watch professional football exciting time las vegas many unions also favor projects citing thousands construction jobs employment opportunities would generate critics leery funding projects hotel tax dollars argue clark county residents could hook another recession hits revenue cover bond payments falls short also oppose raising taxes subsidize wealthy proponents given states needs additional education social services funding nevada taxpayers association publicly opposed plan listed 16 concerns including pressing needs room tax revenue association also said evidence publicly funded stadium brings benefit taxpayers significant data indicating subsidized stadiums detriment community nevadans common good faithbased organization composed 40 religious nonprofit groups also stadium grounds involves substantial risk public without providing commensurate community benefits thorny politics conservative republican lawmakers upset sandoval sets agenda items lawmakers consider include funding school choice program speculated omission could jeopardize least votes southern nevada development projects timing also awkward sandoval march warned state agencies prepare flat spending plans prepare possible 5 percent cuts upcoming twoyear budget cycle state faces projected 400 million shortfall caseload growth lawmakers sides political aisle expressed concerns timing special session comes less two weeks early voting begins nov 8 general election incumbents especially republicans fear yes vote raise taxes even bulk paid tourists could expose voter backlash ballot box puts republicans pickle acknowledged assembly majority leader paul anderson las vegas republican doesnt worry gop primary resoundingly june faces opposition november understands angst particularly republicancontrolled legislature last year passed sandovals 15 billion tax package largest state history us attacked said anderson supports stadium convention center projects still right thing uncertain long special session last wrap days third special session economic development projects sandoval called past two years lawmakers approved tax abatements tesla battery plant storey county 2014 faraday future car manufacturing plant north las vegas december 2015 legislators expected recess tuesday afternoon necessary yom kippur reconvene thursday necessary reviewjournal owned family sheldon adelson chairman ceo las vegas sands corp contact sandra chereb scherebreviewjournalcom 7754613821 follow sandrachereb twitter special session works nevada lawmakers delve nittygritty hotel room taxes riskreward public financing nfl stadium las vegas convention center expansion project monday procedural rituals business tend sandoval last week announced special session begin 8 monday time seasoned observers well aware flexible inside legislative building proceedings commence leadership staff ready assembly senate gaveled order five new members sworn fill vacancies occurred since last general election clark county commission last month appointed stephanie smith represent assembly district 1 kyle stephens assembly district 5 washoe county commissioners named julia ratti senate district 13 jesse haw senate district 15 dominic brunetti assembly district 25 terms shortlived ending nov 8 election ratti running seat election would continue office wins lt gov mark hutchison presides senate assembly speaker john hambrick appoint committees inform chamber governor organized ready business notifications made committees return work begins bills detailing proposals introduced one house regular 120day legislative sessions bills referred specific committees introduction special session entire senate assembly serves committee whole witnesses walk legislators specifics bills answer questions opportunity public comment anyone watch proceedings legislatures website lawmakers frequently break meet behind closed doors lobbyists caucus members leadership hash differences amendments made entire bill must reprinted requirement slows process lead long recesses afterward chambers dissolve committees reconvene assembly senate cast votes lawmakers give floor speeches urging colleagues vote one way another electronically recording votes pushing green red button bill clears one chamber transmitted process repeated passage measure increase room tax require twothirds majority chambers 14 votes senate 28 assembly voting senate assembly appoint committees inform chamber governor theyve concluded business ready adjourn sine die meaning final time legislation approved legislators bill advocates would hike across capitol complex courtyard governors office sandoval would sign law bill signing ceremony related nevada governor calls special session monday consider raiders stadium plan gov sandoval plans call special session proposed raiders stadium | 866 |
<p>CARSON CITY — Nevada’s burgeoning rooftop solar industry crashed and burned last year after new rates for net metering eliminated financial incentives for the green energy investment.</p>
<p>Now several state lawmakers want to get the industry back on track and growing again.</p>
<p>Nevada lost more than 2,500 rooftop solar installation jobs in 2016 after the less generous net metering rates were approved by the state Public Utilities Commission. Net metering provides homeowners with a credit for the excess electricity their systems generate.</p>
<p>Both the Assembly and the Senate have created special subcommittees on energy to focus on ways to make rooftop solar financially attractive for homeowners and put Nevada back on track with the industry and the thousands of jobs it can create in a state with nearly limitless sunshine.</p>
<p>This while balancing the effort with the vast majority of ratepayers who are not rooftop solar customers.</p>
<p>Specific proposals on net metering are not likely to emerge until later in the session.</p>
<p>Legislation dealing with energy issues has been introduced, including a measure that would require 80 percent of Nevada’s power to come from clean and renewable energy sources by the year 2040. The current goal for Nevada’s Renewable Energy Portfolio is 25 percent by 2025.</p>
<p>EXPERIENCE WITH ENERGY ISSUES</p>
<p>The Assembly subcommittee chairman is Chris Brooks, who has more than 15 years experience with the solar and green technology industries in Nevada.</p>
<p>The panel will focus both on net metering and renewable energy for the state, he said. Brooks introduced the bill seeking to increase reliance on renewable energy to 80 percent by 2040.</p>
<p>“Nevada is a leader in renewable energy and has been for quite some time,” Brooks said. “A lot of it is utility scale and you just don’t see it. We do a great job in providing clean energy.”</p>
<p>NV Energy is working to eliminate coal-fired electricity production, and projects that by March, 76 percent of its energy production will be from natural gas, 18 percent from renewable projects and 6 percent from coal.</p>
<p>Brooks said his renewable energy portfolio bill will help diversify the economy and create good-paying, high-quality jobs.</p>
<p>“But there is a lot of confusion and awkward starts and stops in rooftop solar policy,” he said.</p>
<p>A net metering bill passed by lawmakers in 2015, Senate Bill 374, sent the issue to state regulators for action after an effort in the Legislature to increase the allowable amount of net metering failed.</p>
<p>“I don’t know that we had enough information and enough guidance in that bill,” Brooks said. “And the results were unsatisfactory for most everyone involved. So now I think the Nevada Legislature has to take up those conversations.”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>LEGISLATION STYMIES BUSINESS</p>
<p>The 2015 legislation directed the PUC to address any unreasonable subsidy to rooftop solar homeowners from non-solar customers. The PUC set a new rate for rooftop solar customers but it generated a huge outcry. Regulators grandfathered in customers who applied for the program before the new rate took effect on Jan. 1, 2016.</p>
<p>But major rooftop solar companies left the state because business ground to a halt under the new rate structure.</p>
<p>In 2016, Nevada saw a 32 percent loss in the installation sector, from 8,285 jobs to 5,598, according to a survey released this month by The Solar Foundation.</p>
<p>There are 24,852 net metering customers in Nevada with NV Energy generating 220.4 megawatts of electricity. But there have only been 60 new applications for net metering submitted to Nevada Power since Jan. 1, and only six for Sierra Pacific.</p>
<p>CHANGE MAY BE IN THE WIND</p>
<p>The PUC recently directed NV Energy to offer projected cost savings to as many as 1,250 future solar customers of its Sierra Pacific company in Northern Nevada at the original net metering rates. The utility, which operates as Nevada Power in Southern Nevada, has asked that this decision be reconsidered, arguing the savings should apply to all customers.</p>
<p>In the Sierra Pacific order, the panel, with two new appointees from Gov. Brian Sandoval, repudiated the earlier decision to make rooftop solar less financially attractive for homeowners, called the result “incongruous with the policy of the state of Nevada, the intent of SB 374, and the public interest.”</p>
<p>In comments on the Sierra Pacific order, PUC Chairman Joe Reynolds said: “What is the meaning of value? How important is rooftop solar to the state of Nevada and how should it be valued? Value is not always objective, but that doesn’t mean it’s meaningless. It’s real, just difficult to put a value to it.”</p>
<p>&lt;img src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/sites/default/files/LEG-SOLAR-bars-FEB26.jpg" style="float:right; margin: 1em 0 1em 1em; width:100%; max-width: 300px" alt="Private solar power generation 2004 -2016, Nevada (Gabriel Utasi/Las Vegas Review-Journal)" /&gt;</p>
<p>The PUC has not acted on the request for reconsideration.</p>
<p>The decision has potential implications for Southern Nevada homeowners who may want to consider installing rooftop solar systems. A rate case that could raise the issue for Nevada Power customers is expected later this year, but lawmakers may act on the issue before then.</p>
<p>Jessica Scott, regional director at Vote Solar, called the decision to reinstate net metering “an important step toward solar progress in Nevada.”</p>
<p>COMPETITION MAY BE ON HORIZON</p>
<p>Another wrinkle in the energy debate is Question 3, approved by voters in November, which would open the energy market to competition for all consumers if approved a second time in 2018.</p>
<p>Sandoval recently announced the creation of a committee to prepare for potential approval of the Energy Choice initiative headed by Lt. Gov Mark Hutchison.</p>
<p>“Stability in our energy market is crucial for all Nevadans,” Sandoval said. “A second passage of this initiative will change the way Nevadans consume energy from flipping on hallway lights and ensuring power in our hospitals to illuminating the neon lights of the Las Vegas Strip.”</p>
<p>Jennifer Taylor, executive director of the Clean Energy Project in Nevada, said it will be critical for the committee to consider ways to increase the use of energy efficiency and renewable energy.</p>
<p>“Governor Sandoval’s Committee on Energy Choice has an opportunity to ensure the principles endorsed by energy choice advocates, which will promote a clean energy economy that is already creating healthier communities and thousands of jobs, are an integral part of the market transition,” she said.</p>
<p>Contact Sean Whaley at [email protected] or 775-461-3820. Follow <a href="http://www.twitter.com/seanw801" type="external">@seanw801</a> on Twitter.</p>
<p>&lt;img src="https://www.reviewjournal.com/sites/default/files/LEG-SOLAR-pies-FEB26.jpg" style="margin: 1em 0; width:100%; max-width: 640px" alt="NV Energy coal reduction plan (Gabriel Utasi/Las Vegas Review-Journal)" /&gt;</p>
<p>RELATED</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Deal reached to grandfather in rooftop solar customers under more favorable rates</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Rooftop solar shifts $36M a year to nonsolar ratepayers in Nevada, study says</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Nevada’s rooftop solar battle heats up with referendum</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Nevada rooftop solar advocates working to win over lawmakers</a></p>
<p /> | false | 1 | carson city nevadas burgeoning rooftop solar industry crashed burned last year new rates net metering eliminated financial incentives green energy investment several state lawmakers want get industry back track growing nevada lost 2500 rooftop solar installation jobs 2016 less generous net metering rates approved state public utilities commission net metering provides homeowners credit excess electricity systems generate assembly senate created special subcommittees energy focus ways make rooftop solar financially attractive homeowners put nevada back track industry thousands jobs create state nearly limitless sunshine balancing effort vast majority ratepayers rooftop solar customers specific proposals net metering likely emerge later session legislation dealing energy issues introduced including measure would require 80 percent nevadas power come clean renewable energy sources year 2040 current goal nevadas renewable energy portfolio 25 percent 2025 experience energy issues assembly subcommittee chairman chris brooks 15 years experience solar green technology industries nevada panel focus net metering renewable energy state said brooks introduced bill seeking increase reliance renewable energy 80 percent 2040 nevada leader renewable energy quite time brooks said lot utility scale dont see great job providing clean energy nv energy working eliminate coalfired electricity production projects march 76 percent energy production natural gas 18 percent renewable projects 6 percent coal brooks said renewable energy portfolio bill help diversify economy create goodpaying highquality jobs lot confusion awkward starts stops rooftop solar policy said net metering bill passed lawmakers 2015 senate bill 374 sent issue state regulators action effort legislature increase allowable amount net metering failed dont know enough information enough guidance bill brooks said results unsatisfactory everyone involved think nevada legislature take conversations legislation stymies business 2015 legislation directed puc address unreasonable subsidy rooftop solar homeowners nonsolar customers puc set new rate rooftop solar customers generated huge outcry regulators grandfathered customers applied program new rate took effect jan 1 2016 major rooftop solar companies left state business ground halt new rate structure 2016 nevada saw 32 percent loss installation sector 8285 jobs 5598 according survey released month solar foundation 24852 net metering customers nevada nv energy generating 2204 megawatts electricity 60 new applications net metering submitted nevada power since jan 1 six sierra pacific change may wind puc recently directed nv energy offer projected cost savings many 1250 future solar customers sierra pacific company northern nevada original net metering rates utility operates nevada power southern nevada asked decision reconsidered arguing savings apply customers sierra pacific order panel two new appointees gov brian sandoval repudiated earlier decision make rooftop solar less financially attractive homeowners called result incongruous policy state nevada intent sb 374 public interest comments sierra pacific order puc chairman joe reynolds said meaning value important rooftop solar state nevada valued value always objective doesnt mean meaningless real difficult put value ltimg srchttpswwwreviewjournalcomsitesdefaultfileslegsolarbarsfeb26jpg stylefloatright margin 1em 0 1em 1em width100 maxwidth 300px altprivate solar power generation 2004 2016 nevada gabriel utasilas vegas reviewjournal gt puc acted request reconsideration decision potential implications southern nevada homeowners may want consider installing rooftop solar systems rate case could raise issue nevada power customers expected later year lawmakers may act issue jessica scott regional director vote solar called decision reinstate net metering important step toward solar progress nevada competition may horizon another wrinkle energy debate question 3 approved voters november would open energy market competition consumers approved second time 2018 sandoval recently announced creation committee prepare potential approval energy choice initiative headed lt gov mark hutchison stability energy market crucial nevadans sandoval said second passage initiative change way nevadans consume energy flipping hallway lights ensuring power hospitals illuminating neon lights las vegas strip jennifer taylor executive director clean energy project nevada said critical committee consider ways increase use energy efficiency renewable energy governor sandovals committee energy choice opportunity ensure principles endorsed energy choice advocates promote clean energy economy already creating healthier communities thousands jobs integral part market transition said contact sean whaley swhaleyreviewjournalcom 7754613820 follow seanw801 twitter ltimg srchttpswwwreviewjournalcomsitesdefaultfileslegsolarpiesfeb26jpg stylemargin 1em 0 width100 maxwidth 640px altnv energy coal reduction plan gabriel utasilas vegas reviewjournal gt related deal reached grandfather rooftop solar customers favorable rates rooftop solar shifts 36m year nonsolar ratepayers nevada study says nevadas rooftop solar battle heats referendum nevada rooftop solar advocates working win lawmakers | 694 |
<p>Hurricane Irma grew into a dangerous Category 5 storm, the most powerful seen in the Atlantic in over a decade, and roared toward islands in the northeast Caribbean Tuesday on a path that could eventually take it to the United States.</p>
<p>The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Irma was a “potentially catastrophic” storm with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph (285 kph) as it bore down on the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. It was centered about 225 miles (365 kilometers) east of Antigua in the late morning and moving west at 14 mph (22 kph).</p>
<p>The center said there was a growing possibility that the storm’s effects could be felt in Florida later this week and over the weekend, though it was still too early to be sure of its future track.</p>
<p>If it stays on track and reaches the Florida Straits, the water there is warm enough that the already “intense” storm could become much worse with wind speeds potentially reaching 225 mph, warned Kerry Emanuel, an MIT meteorology professor.</p>
<p>“People who are living there (the Florida Keys) or have property there are very scared, and they should be,” Emanuel said.</p>
<p>Irma’s center was expected to move over portions of the northern Leeward Islands late Tuesday and early Wednesday, the hurricane center said, warning of “a life-threatening storm surge and large breaking waves” that could raise water levels up to 7 to 11 feet above normal.</p>
<p>The storm’s eye was then expected to pass about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Puerto Rico late Wednesday.</p>
<p>Irma is the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Rita in 2005, officials said.</p>
<p>“Puerto Rico has not seen a hurricane of this magnitude in almost 100 years,” Carlos Anselmi, a National Weather Service meteorologist in San Juan, told The Associated Press.</p>
<p>Authorities warned that the storm could dump up to 12 inches (31 centimeters) of rain, cause landslides and flash floods and generate waves of up to 23 feet (7 meters). Government officials began evacuations and urged people to finalize all preparations as shelves emptied out across islands including Puerto Rico.</p>
<p>“The decisions that we make in the next couple of hours can make the difference between life and death,” Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello said. “This is an extremely dangerous storm.”</p>
<p>Hurricane warnings were issued for 12 Caribbean island groups including Antigua, where buzzing chain saws and pounding hammers could be heard widely on Tuesday. Crews delivered water to neighboring Barbuda, one of the islands closest to the hurricane’s path.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Gaston Browne told the AP he was confident Barbuda would weather the storm because its shelter was built with reinforced concrete and equipped with a backup generator.</p>
<p>“I am satisfied that at a governmental level that we have done everything that is humanly possible to mitigate against the effects or the potential effects of this storm,” he said. “What is really required now is for Antiguans and Barbudans … to follow the warnings and to act appropriately so that we do not end up with any serious casualties or any fatalities.”</p>
<p>Antigua’s airport announced it was closing with an ominous statement advising visitors and residents to protect themselves from the “onslaught” of the storm: “May God protect us all.”</p>
<p>Puerto Ricans braced for blackouts after the director of the island’s power company told reporters that storm damage could leave some areas without electricity for about a week and other, unspecified areas for four to six months.</p>
<p>The utility’s infrastructure has deteriorated greatly during a decade-long recession, and Puerto Ricans experienced an island-wide outage last year.</p>
<p>Both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands expected 4 inches to 10 inches (10-25 centimeters) of rain and winds of 40-50 mph with gusts of up to 75 mph.</p>
<p>“This is not an opportunity to go outside and try to have fun with a hurricane,” U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Kenneth Mapp warned. “It’s not time to get on a surfboard.”</p>
<p>A hurricane warning was posted for Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Martin, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten and St. Barts, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. and British Virgin islands.</p>
<p>Hurricane watches were in effect for the Turks and Caicos, Guadeloupe and parts of the Bahamas, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.</p>
<p>In Florida, residents took advantage of the Labor Day holiday to empty many store shelves of drinking water and other supplies in advance of the storm.</p>
<p>Gov. Rick Scott activated 100 members of the Florida National Guard to be deployed across the state, and 7,000 National Guard members were to report to duty Friday when the storm could be bearing down on the area. On Monday, Scott declared a state of emergency in all of Florida’s 67 counties.</p>
<p>A new tropical storm also formed in the Atlantic on Tuesday, to the east of Irma. The hurricane center said Tropical Storm Jose was about 1,505 miles (2,420 kilometers) east of the Lesser Antilles with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph). It was moving west-northwest at 13 mph (20 kph) and was expected to become a hurricane by Friday.</p> | false | 1 | hurricane irma grew dangerous category 5 storm powerful seen atlantic decade roared toward islands northeast caribbean tuesday path could eventually take united states us national hurricane center said irma potentially catastrophic storm maximum sustained winds 180 mph 285 kph bore twinisland nation antigua barbuda centered 225 miles 365 kilometers east antigua late morning moving west 14 mph 22 kph center said growing possibility storms effects could felt florida later week weekend though still early sure future track stays track reaches florida straits water warm enough already intense storm could become much worse wind speeds potentially reaching 225 mph warned kerry emanuel mit meteorology professor people living florida keys property scared emanuel said irmas center expected move portions northern leeward islands late tuesday early wednesday hurricane center said warning lifethreatening storm surge large breaking waves could raise water levels 7 11 feet normal storms eye expected pass 50 miles 80 kilometers puerto rico late wednesday irma strongest atlantic hurricane since rita 2005 officials said puerto rico seen hurricane magnitude almost 100 years carlos anselmi national weather service meteorologist san juan told associated press authorities warned storm could dump 12 inches 31 centimeters rain cause landslides flash floods generate waves 23 feet 7 meters government officials began evacuations urged people finalize preparations shelves emptied across islands including puerto rico decisions make next couple hours make difference life death puerto rico gov ricardo rossello said extremely dangerous storm hurricane warnings issued 12 caribbean island groups including antigua buzzing chain saws pounding hammers could heard widely tuesday crews delivered water neighboring barbuda one islands closest hurricanes path prime minister gaston browne told ap confident barbuda would weather storm shelter built reinforced concrete equipped backup generator satisfied governmental level done everything humanly possible mitigate effects potential effects storm said really required antiguans barbudans follow warnings act appropriately end serious casualties fatalities antiguas airport announced closing ominous statement advising visitors residents protect onslaught storm may god protect us puerto ricans braced blackouts director islands power company told reporters storm damage could leave areas without electricity week unspecified areas four six months utilitys infrastructure deteriorated greatly decadelong recession puerto ricans experienced islandwide outage last year puerto rico us virgin islands expected 4 inches 10 inches 1025 centimeters rain winds 4050 mph gusts 75 mph opportunity go outside try fun hurricane us virgin islands gov kenneth mapp warned time get surfboard hurricane warning posted antigua barbuda anguilla montserrat st kitts nevis st martin saba st eustatius st maarten st barts puerto rico us british virgin islands hurricane watches effect turks caicos guadeloupe parts bahamas haiti dominican republic florida residents took advantage labor day holiday empty many store shelves drinking water supplies advance storm gov rick scott activated 100 members florida national guard deployed across state 7000 national guard members report duty friday storm could bearing area monday scott declared state emergency floridas 67 counties new tropical storm also formed atlantic tuesday east irma hurricane center said tropical storm jose 1505 miles 2420 kilometers east lesser antilles maximum sustained winds 40 mph 65 kph moving westnorthwest 13 mph 20 kph expected become hurricane friday | 515 |
<p>On Nov. 19, the eve of the International <a href="http://variety.com/t/emmy/" type="external">Emmy</a> Awards in New York, one of Germany’s leading production companies <a href="http://variety.com/t/ufa/" type="external">UFA</a> will celebrate its centenary. It has witnessed dramatic highs and lows over those 100 years, but is now enjoying a golden era, producing critical and commercial hits like International <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/spotlight/trump-emmy-vice-shane-smith-1202463462/" type="external">Emmy</a> winners “Generation War” and “Deutschland 83,” which also won a Peabody Award.</p>
<p>When <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/spotlight/ufa-gute-zeiten-schlechte-zeiten-1202615540/" type="external">UFA</a>’s parent company <a href="http://variety.com/t/fremantlemedia/" type="external">FremantleMedia</a> unveiled a shift in strategy to focus more on scripted content four years ago, UFA was seen as a “role model” for the rest of the group, says UFA’s CEO Nico Hofmann. Since its inception, UFA has primarily been a drama producer, with fiction shows contributing up to 70% of its revenue in recent years. Having run UFA’s high-end fiction business for almost 20 years, Hofmann was ideally suited to take the company forward when he became sole CEO of UFA in September after two years as co-chief with Wolf Bauer, who had led the company since 1990. Hofmann’s ambition was to turn UFA into a global player.</p>
<p>When UFA’s three-part World War II drama “Generation War” – budgeted at a total Euros 15 million ($17.4 million), a record per episode amount for a German show – sold around the world in 2013, it was seen as a gamechanger for both UFA and <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/global/fremantlemedia-global-giant-fiction-firepower-1202616397/" type="external">FremantleMedia</a>. Cold War spy thriller “Deutschland 83” added to this sense of a shift in UFA’s drama paradigm in 2015, with sales to 200 territories, including the U.S., where it was bought by Sundance Channel – the first U.S. linear channel to air a German-language drama series. The second season of the series, “Deutschland 86,” is in production.</p>
<p>Following on from the success of Nordic Noir in global markets, these shows’ achievements provided further evidence that non-English-language content could be embraced by international audiences. “‘Generation War’ and ‘Deutschland 83’ opened a lot of doors for us,” says Hofmann, adding that it strengthened the resolve of Cecile Frot-Coutaz, the CEO of FremantleMedia, to invest heavily in high-end drama. “I love the way she’s doing it because it gives me a real family feeling, and the backing to go further,” he says. “There is a huge appetite [for high-end drama]. It’s so huge it can’t be fed just by the Americans. [The buyers] need projects from everywhere.”</p>
<p>The new strategy has led to increasing co-operation between FremantleMedia’s rapidly expanding legions of international drama producers, but once again UFA had been ahead of the curve, co-producing “The Sinking of the Laconia” with FremantleMedia’s Talkback Thames in 2010. Under FremantleMedia’s director of global drama, Sarah Doole, such unions have been vigorously encouraged, resulting in the recent pact between UFA and the U.K.’s Euston Films to produce a series based on Robert Harris’ novel “Munich.”</p>
<p>The transformation of UFA into an international player is just the latest in a series of reinventions the company has been through. In the 1920s it was a creative hothouse bustling with talent like Fritz Lang, Billy Wilder and Marlene Dietrich, producing classic movies like “Metropolis” and “The Blue Angel.” In the 1930s the Nazis took over UFA, crushing its creativity and remodeling it as a propaganda weapon. The post-war era saw its renaissance as an independent movie studio, but this revival was stifled by the rise of television.</p>
<p>UFA’s most recent incarnation started in 1990 when Bauer took the reins, and it went from strength to strength to become a dominant force in German television, spanning both scripted and non-scripted programming, as well as delivering the occasional theatrical movie hit, like “The Physician.” Its commercial success was reflected in its revenue growth: starting at around Euros 10 million ($11.6 million) when Bauer took over, it rose by more than 30% a year, and is now 25 times bigger than in 1991.</p>
<p>Bauer says one of the qualities that has driven UFA’s success is its willingness to innovate and be the first mover in the market, such as its launch of Germany’s first daily soap opera, “Good Times, Bad Times” in 1991.</p>
<p>Another strength is the focus on establishing programming brands. “Only an emotional bond with the audience will lead to a long-lasting brand,” Bauer says.</p>
<p>UFA’s non-scripted business is also buoyant and being part of FremantleMedia has allowed it to produce German versions of its parent’s entertainment formats, like “America’s Got Talent” and “American Idol.” A growing area for UFA is reality shows, such as “Hartz und Herzlich,” about people living on welfare payments.</p>
<p>Despite the dramatic transitions of the past, Hofmann sees UFA’s transformation into a global player as its biggest opportunity yet. “The real re-invention is going on right now, because you have all these big international markets opening up. This is a golden age for television. Creatively, I have the feeling that it is the most interesting part of my life. Many things that I’ve tried to establish for over a decade are really coming together.”</p>
<p>Hofmann sees producers like himself as having a responsibility to engage in public debate about social and political issues. “We play a huge role because we are so strong in the [German] market. Sometimes on Saturday evenings we have almost 50% of the audience watching UFA shows,” he says.</p>
<p>“Generation War” was controversial because some viewers accused it of “emotionalizing the feelings of German soldiers” during World War II, Hofmann says. This led to a debate about the responsibility of ordinary Germans, the viewers’ parents and grandparents, for war crimes.</p>
<p>The rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany Party has prompted Hofmann, who is not on the right of politics, to express his opinions publicly. “If you make films about the Third Reich then you have a responsibility to talk about why a right-wing party is getting up to 15% of the vote in Germany. You can’t say it has nothing to do with you,” he says.</p>
<p>“I have the feeling that we must be much more political in our statements, because we are not just part of the entertainment industry, we have a very clear vision about German society.”</p> | false | 1 | nov 19 eve international emmy awards new york one germanys leading production companies ufa celebrate centenary witnessed dramatic highs lows 100 years enjoying golden era producing critical commercial hits like international emmy winners generation war deutschland 83 also peabody award ufas parent company fremantlemedia unveiled shift strategy focus scripted content four years ago ufa seen role model rest group says ufas ceo nico hofmann since inception ufa primarily drama producer fiction shows contributing 70 revenue recent years run ufas highend fiction business almost 20 years hofmann ideally suited take company forward became sole ceo ufa september two years cochief wolf bauer led company since 1990 hofmanns ambition turn ufa global player ufas threepart world war ii drama generation war budgeted total euros 15 million 174 million record per episode amount german show sold around world 2013 seen gamechanger ufa fremantlemedia cold war spy thriller deutschland 83 added sense shift ufas drama paradigm 2015 sales 200 territories including us bought sundance channel first us linear channel air germanlanguage drama series second season series deutschland 86 production following success nordic noir global markets shows achievements provided evidence nonenglishlanguage content could embraced international audiences generation war deutschland 83 opened lot doors us says hofmann adding strengthened resolve cecile frotcoutaz ceo fremantlemedia invest heavily highend drama love way shes gives real family feeling backing go says huge appetite highend drama huge cant fed americans buyers need projects everywhere new strategy led increasing cooperation fremantlemedias rapidly expanding legions international drama producers ufa ahead curve coproducing sinking laconia fremantlemedias talkback thames 2010 fremantlemedias director global drama sarah doole unions vigorously encouraged resulting recent pact ufa uks euston films produce series based robert harris novel munich transformation ufa international player latest series reinventions company 1920s creative hothouse bustling talent like fritz lang billy wilder marlene dietrich producing classic movies like metropolis blue angel 1930s nazis took ufa crushing creativity remodeling propaganda weapon postwar era saw renaissance independent movie studio revival stifled rise television ufas recent incarnation started 1990 bauer took reins went strength strength become dominant force german television spanning scripted nonscripted programming well delivering occasional theatrical movie hit like physician commercial success reflected revenue growth starting around euros 10 million 116 million bauer took rose 30 year 25 times bigger 1991 bauer says one qualities driven ufas success willingness innovate first mover market launch germanys first daily soap opera good times bad times 1991 another strength focus establishing programming brands emotional bond audience lead longlasting brand bauer says ufas nonscripted business also buoyant part fremantlemedia allowed produce german versions parents entertainment formats like americas got talent american idol growing area ufa reality shows hartz und herzlich people living welfare payments despite dramatic transitions past hofmann sees ufas transformation global player biggest opportunity yet real reinvention going right big international markets opening golden age television creatively feeling interesting part life many things ive tried establish decade really coming together hofmann sees producers like responsibility engage public debate social political issues play huge role strong german market sometimes saturday evenings almost 50 audience watching ufa shows says generation war controversial viewers accused emotionalizing feelings german soldiers world war ii hofmann says led debate responsibility ordinary germans viewers parents grandparents war crimes rise farright alternative germany party prompted hofmann right politics express opinions publicly make films third reich responsibility talk rightwing party getting 15 vote germany cant say nothing says feeling must much political statements part entertainment industry clear vision german society | 573 |
<p>It’s been a year.</p>
<p>In so many ways, the world feels changed. Like the ground is reforming itself beneath us, and we are discovering the rules of the world we live in are much more unjust than we realized. The real world is always intruding on pop culture, but more so than ever in 2017. It has felt, at times, as if the scales have finally fallen off my eyes, and I am beginning to see the world for what it truly is.</p>
<p>But on the flip side of being horrified is the vast landscape of being inspired. My list expanded to 25 this year, partly because of how many shows swung for the fences in 2017. Peak TV being what it is, few of those fully landed. It surprised me to learn that my top five shows are hourlong dramas, three of which were in their final seasons; after years of feeling that the dramatic hour was behind us, as a form, I found myself embracing it this year. Perhaps it has something to do with endings; I am drawn to those shows, old and new, that didn’t get rebooted to death or bloated with self-satisfaction, but found a way to go out on a high note. Peak TV might have eroded the audience for shows like “The Leftovers” and “Halt and Catch Fire,” but it also created a market for the indescribable “Twin Peaks: The Return,” which itself could serve as the series finale for television. Meanwhile, for all of my frustrations with elements of our new streaming world order, Netflix alone accounts for nine of my top 25 shows, suggesting that occasionally spending billions of dollars on original content does get yield some fantastic programming.</p>
<p>It’s a good year for trying new things — for expanding the roster of voices we listen to, and changing our expectations of what’s worth watching. The best shows of 2017, in my mind, brought with them a challenge, implicit or explicit, to imagine the world a bit differently. For some, that is about exploring gender dynamics; for others, that is examining racial dynamics. “Planet Earth II” looked at the natural around us with new eyes, both figuratively and literally; “Halt and Catch Fire” tried to predict the future of tech in the ‘80s, playing with the bits and bytes that they knew were about to shape the world.</p>
<p>And some shows imagine new dimensions and portals to other universes, and those might be my favorite of all. In a world that can feel hopeless, it is crucial to imagine endlessly; to look beyond the plane of existence that is given, to imagine the answers to bigger questions — or to even come up with those questions in the first place.</p>
<p>The message of art, almost always, is that we are all different and yet we are all the same.</p>
<p>Here are my top 25 shows for 2017, ranked: Different, and yet the same.</p>
<p>Note:&#160;I’ve called out exceptional episodes for selected shows below; I have not for others.</p>
<p>25. “Marvel’s The Punisher” (Netflix)</p>
<p>I didn’t expect to think highly of “The Punisher” at all — the recipe of <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/columns/marvel-the-punisher-violence-guns-las-vegas-1202583168/" type="external">shadowy violence and tortured, rippling muscles</a> didn’t entice — but <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/reviews/punisher-review-marvel-netflix-jon-bernthal-1202610451/" type="external">I was proven quite wrong</a>: The Frank Castle-centric drama became my favorite Marvel drama yet, with a clear sense of vision that didn’t seem bogged down either by Marvel’s ever-expanding universe or the constraints of trying to create superheroics on the small screen. But most of all, the show might be one of the best mainstream depictions of the contemporary doublespeak around American violence — including the oft-ignored perspectives of traumatized veterans.&#160;Exceptional episodes: “Kandahar,” with its combination of PTSD and surveillance, and the narratively adventurous “Virtue of the Vicious.”</p>
<p>24. “One Day at a Time” (Netflix)</p>
<p>Norman Lear’s update of his own series from 1975 was <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/uncategorized/review-one-day-at-a-time-netflix-reboot-norman-lear-1201947778/" type="external">one of the most surprising joys of 2017</a> — a multi-camera sitcom that felt fresh and vital, at the dawn of a year where immigrants, and their value to America, became a subject of regular debate. “One Day at a Time’s” Cuban-American family contains many different perspectives and has to take on many different struggles, from dating to deportation. But the love radiates from their family in every episode. And not for nothing, but Rita Moreno is one of the funniest women on television. Exceptional episodes: “Hold, Please,” “Sex Talk,” “No Mass”</p>
<p>23. “Insecure” (HBO)</p>
<p>Issa Rae and Prentice Penny’s “Insecure” is such a sturdy half-hour that it glows: Even with just eight episodes this season, it lodged into my brain. The second season didn’t have quite as much narrative cohesion as the first, but it’s still a reliably engaging and beautifully composed half-hour. Exceptional episodes: “Hella LA,” in which the leads all have separate, very Los Angeles adventures.</p>
<p>22. “Better Call Saul” (AMC)</p>
<p>It’s no surprise that Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould are still doing moving character work in the “Breaking Bad” universe with “Better Call Saul,” and although this season didn’t quite pack the wallop that the second season did, <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/columns/better-call-saul-season-3-in-off-brand-an-alter-ego-is-born-and-jimmys-fate-is-sealed-1202428090/" type="external">the show still casts a spell</a> — thanks largely to top-notch performances from the leads. Exceptional episodes: The highight of the season is the tense courtroom episode “Chicanery,” in which Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) and Chuck (Michael McKean) finally face off in the eyes of the law.</p>
<p>21. “The Good Place” (NBC)</p>
<p>“The Good Place” is the only broadcast comedy in my top tier of shows, largely due to how showrunner <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/the-good-place-season-two-preview-1202564193/" type="external">Michael Schur</a> has found a way to crack the predictable format of the sitcom with a world that consciously presents itself as an unchanging hellscape, and then reboots itself constantly when all the pieces don’t fit. There is nothing quite like “The Good Place” — a charming, witty discourse about ethics, values, and the afterlife for a half-hour every week. And of course there’s Janet (D’Arcy Camden) — a repository for all the information in the universe who falls in love with an idiot. Exceptional episodes: “Michael’s Gambit,” “The Trolley Problem”</p>
<p>20. “GLOW” (Netflix)</p>
<p>Jenji Kohan’s look at a squad of female pro-wrestlers in the ’80s is such a <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/uncategorized/tv-review-glow-netflix-alison-brie-1202466608/" type="external">lovely little set of half-hour episodes</a> that the main problem with Season 1 is how short it is — a mere introduction to a cast of fascinating women and an alien world that ends too soon. Alison Brie’s Ruth makes for a wonderfully irritating protagonist, who slowly learns that the world likes her better when she’s the bad guy, and Marc Maron shines in a rare dramatic turn as the crew’s pessimistic manager-coach-surrogate dad. The tone of the half-hour is remarkably fresh for a period piece; I expect great things from Season 2.</p>
<p>19. “The Deuce” (HBO)</p>
<p>David Simon and George Pelecanos’ <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/uncategorized/deuce-review-hbo-james-franco-maggie-gyllenhaal-david-simon-1202544105/" type="external">“The Deuce”</a> isn’t quite the masterpiece that “The Wire” was, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad, either: A sprawling portrait of New York City in the ’70s, it takes Simon’s signature massive cast of characters and uses them to examine the multifaceted network of the sex trade that called Times Square its epicenter. It’s hard to not be swept up in the masterful storytelling, even when it’s more expanding than narrating. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s performance anchors the production.</p>
<p>18. “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)</p>
<p>The Emmy winner was <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/columns/the-handmaids-tale-hulu-elisabeth-moss-margaret-atwood-sincerity-science-fiction-1202471559/" type="external">stronger in spirit than execution</a>, but it still made for one of the <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/uncategorized/tv-review-the-handmaids-tale-hulu-margaret-atwood-elisabeth-moss-1202325973/" type="external">best series of the year</a> — thanks largely to the power of Elisabeth Moss’ central performance and the overall look of the show, which combined gorgeous color palettes and creamy light with close-range and often quite bloody individual suffering. The series wouldn’t work, either, without the supporting talents of Yvonne Strahovski, Ann Dowd, Samira Wiley, and Madeline Brewer — who along with Moss offer the audience multiple perspectives of empowered or enslaved women in Margaret Atwood’s all-too-relevant dystopia.&#160;Exceptional episodes:&#160;“A Woman’s Place,” “Night”</p>
<p>17. “Dear White People” (Netflix)</p>
<p>Showrunner Justin Simien adapted and expanded his film of the same name into a sharply imagined Netflix series following a group of largely black characters trying to navigate their niche at an Ivy League institution. <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/5-unknown-shows-to-watch-netflix-hulu-amazon-1202581169/" type="external">“Dear White People”</a> is seemingly the confuence of Spike Lee and Wes Anderson’s effect on Simien, combined with the largesse of a Netflix format. Simien’s vision is a stylized one, but it works particularly well with this subject matter, which makes a comedy of manners out of modern-day identity politics.</p>
<p>16. “Broad City” (Comedy Central)</p>
<p>The fourth season of “Broad City” depicts the biggest departure for the sketch comedy show since it debuted. Co-creators, co-writers, and co-stars Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer have matured, and the struggle to reconcile their anger and frustration at the state of the world with the freewheeling shenanigans of their youth combine in a fourth season that feels fresh, sharp, and aware. Exceptional episodes: “Mushrooms,” which animates the ups and downs of a drug trip with frightening accuracy; “Florida,” <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/broad-city-donald-trump-witches-1202599601/" type="external">“Witches.”</a></p>
<p>15. “The Keepers” (Netflix)</p>
<p>This docuseries, from director Ryan White, starts as an exploration of a unsolved murder and turns into an investigation into a long-buried scandal of terrible abuse, covered up and then ignored by the Baltimore diocese as dozens of young girls were raped by a priest. As stories of sexual violence and harassment have been making more headlines, “The Keepers’” <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/columns/the-keepers-netflix-best-true-crime-docuseries-1202443690/" type="external">steadfast dedication</a> to the most marginalized voices and its championing of communal justice makes it stand out.</p>
<p>14. “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/star-trek-discovery/" type="external">Star Trek: Discovery</a>” (CBS All Access)</p>
<p>Hang the films; “Star Trek” belongs to TV. And the franchise desperately needed this <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/features/star-trek-discovery-preview-cbs-all-access-sonequa-martin-green-1202540540/" type="external">diverse, passionate, inventive new title</a>, which marries the space opera optimism of the series that preceded it with a surprisingly nuanced examination of individuality and identity politics in an ever-changing world. Much of the credit belongs to lead Sonequa Martin-Green, who displays an almost preternatural ease leading a varied ensemble. It’s a pity that Michelle Yeoh’s character didn’t survive past the first few episodes, but with Anthony Rapp, Doug Jones, and Wilson Cruz in consistently satisfying supporting roles, “Discovery” has shaped itself up to be a long-running vehicle with a lot of room to grow. Exceptional episodes: “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad”</p>
<p>13. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (The CW)</p>
<p>It’s been an even darker journey than usual for Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) in 2017, after being jilted on her wedding day led to a suicide attempt. But “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” has been <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/columns/crazy-ex-girlfriend-season-3-lets-generalize-about-men-1202589792/" type="external">more confident than ever</a> in telling Rebecca’s story. The opening episodes of the third season might be the strongest the show has ever done, and overall the show is so bright and enticing, even when dealing with painful storytelling, that it’s a delight to tune into every week.</p>
<p>12. “American Vandal” (Netflix)</p>
<p>“Who did the dicks?” is a catchphrase designed to set up laughs, but <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/5-unknown-shows-to-watch-netflix-hulu-amazon-1202581169/" type="external">“American Vandal”</a> turned out to be more than just a brilliantly pointed parody of docuseries like “Making a Murderer” — it went past satire to an unsettling examination of the types of people considered to be the criminal element in the eyes of the world, and looks for the characters underneath its stereotypes. The performances from the teenagers are especially rewarding — combining both the artless awkwardness of amateur high school “investigators” with the innocent vulnerability of youth.</p>
<p>11. “Planet Earth II” (BBC America)</p>
<p>Technologically masterful, lovingly rendered, and more vital than ever, the BBC docuseries narrated by David Attenborough is a <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/reviews/planet-earth-ii-david-attenborough-bbc-america-1201990587/" type="external">gorgeous and heart-wrenching work</a>. It’s hard to compare a docuseries to scripted television, but it’s also difficult to discount how refined and resonant “Planet Earth II” is. The series won two Emmys in 2017, including for Outstanding Documentary Series; and if the shots of peregrine falcons diving down the skyscrapers of Manhattan in “Cities” don’t get you a little teary, I don’t know what will.</p>
<p>10. “BoJack Horseman” (Netflix)</p>
<p>The animated Netflix series found a groove in Season 4 that took the series to an unexpected conclusion — one where BoJack (Will Arnett) finds a modicum of hope through an unexpected new family member, even as he tries to put his tortured relationship with his own mother to rest. More than seasons past, the fourth season emphasized memory and perspective: In various episodes, the show explored how isolated BoJack, Hollyhock (Aparna Nacherla), and his mother (Wendie Malick) were from each other, despite how much their struggles had in common with each other. Add to that a bizarre gubernatorial race where Jessica Biel runs against Mr. Peanutbutter, and an underground hive managed by a queen voiced by RuPaul Charles, and it’s not hard to see why “BoJack Horseman” is back on my top 10 list for another year in a row. Exceptional episodes:&#160;There are several, but “Ruthie” stands out.</p>
<p>9. “Better Things” (FX)</p>
<p>Pamela Adlon returned to the material established in Season 1 of “Better Things” with <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/uncategorized/better-things-season-2-review-pamela-adlon-fx-1202557374/" type="external">even more passion and clarity of vision</a> than she displayed at first. The result is breathtaking; With Adlon directing each episode and the details of her protagonist Sam’s life getting increasingly complicated, “Better Things” reveled in the particularly acrid flavor of this family’s intimacy and the many layers of the female experience, from little Duke’s visions of ghosts to grandmother Phil’s decline into senility. Exceptional episodes: “Eulogy,” “Graduation”</p>
<p>8. “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon)</p>
<p>This late debut, from acclaimed showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino, marries her signature brash humor with a lavish period piece and real stakes: The changing landscape for women in the late ’50s, as embodied by a woman who thought her privileged life was what she wanted and then discovers the horizon of a new way of being. “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is a delightful and heartfelt portrait of upper-middle-class Jewish life in Manhattan, and in between the seamy basement venues of the Village and the busy floor of the era’s department stores, it’s a love letter to New York City as it once was. The entire production is anchored by a fantastic lead performance in Rachel Brosnahan, who is every inch the charming, hilarious, impossible-to-ignore society wife.</p>
<p>7. “Alias Grace” (Netflix)</p>
<p>Most of the attention on Margaret Atwood adaptations has focused, justifiably, on Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.” But this Sarah Polley/Mary Harron collaboration, a six-part miniseries, <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/uncategorized/tv-review-alias-grace-netflix-1202559739/" type="external">captivated me</a> — a layered, contradictory attempt to tell the story of one woman in the midst of a matrix of systems designed to put her at a disadvantage. Much of the production is carried by Polley’s fantastic adaptation of Atwood’s novel; the rest is carried by Sarah Gadon, who plays Grace with a bodily conviction that is absolutely transformative — and utterly haunting.</p>
<p>6. “Rick and Morty” (Adult Swim)</p>
<p>It’s hard to think of a comedy more fiendishly inventive than “Rick and Morty,” the cartoon from Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon that ascended from jokes about death and quantum physics to a <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/columns/harvey-weinstein-rick-and-morty-harassment-1202593673/" type="external">crystalline, brilliant third season</a> about the limitations of intellect and the inexorable grip of intimacy. Exceptional episodes: “The Ricklantis Mixup,” set on a world populated only by Ricks and Mortys from parallel universes, and “Pickle Rick,” one of the finest episodes of the year, in which Rick turns himself into a deli side in order to escape family therapy.</p>
<p>5. “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/big-little-lies/" type="external">Big Little Lies</a>” (HBO)</p>
<p>Lush, crisp, and achingly familiar, <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/big-little-lies-recap-finale-jean-marc-vallee-1202021099/" type="external">Jean-Marc Vallée</a> and David E. Kelley’s <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/reviews/tv-review-big-little-lies-hbo-reese-witherspoon-nicole-kidman-jean-marc-vallee-1201979575/" type="external">“Big Little Lies”</a> transformed a beach read into a dramatic refenderum on the upper-middle-class cult of motherhood. Led by titanic performances from Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Alexander Skarsgard, the seven-part series mixed together elementary school rivalries, effortlessly cool music direction, and a long-buried tragedy for a heady, sparkling cocktail of a show.</p>
<p>4. “Twin Peaks: The Return” (Showtime)</p>
<p>David Lynch’s <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/uncategorized/tv-review-twin-peaks-the-return-showtime-1202439500/" type="external">18-part event series</a> returning to the events surrounding the mysterious death of Laura Palmer was a gorgeous, surreal, sublime journey <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/columns/twin-peaks-the-return-david-lynch-peak-tv-1202490838/" type="external">quite unlike anything else on television</a>. And it was a journey — through time and space, across dimensions and realities. “Twin Peaks: The Return” wasn’t exactly accessible, and at times it was hard to come to grips with the fact that Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) was talking to a giant kettle containing the spirit of David Bowie. But with truly Lynchian brilliance, the event series found a way to lyrical, vibrating horror that surpassed even the first two seasons in the ’90s. <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/twin-peaks-finale-recap-1202546550/" type="external">And that final scene</a> — gut-wrenching, stomach-dropping, and heartbreaking. Exceptional episodes: Part 8, Part 18.</p>
<p>3. “Halt and Catch Fire” (AMC)</p>
<p>The almost unbearably beautiful <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/features/halt-and-catch-fire-series-finale-recap-amc-lee-pace-mackenzie-davis-1202590139/" type="external">“Halt and Catch Fire”</a> closed out its run with a final season that struggled to articulate a legacy for all of its characters, while indelibly forming one of lasting resonance for the show. The AMC drama was never admired enough, and yet improved with every year. No other show on television was more honest about the conflict between ambition and affection, or more thoroughly examined the increasingly technological fabric of our lives. Lee Pace, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy and Kerry Bishé spun the straw of business history into dramatic gold. Exceptional episodes: “Signal to Noise,” “Goodwill”</p>
<p>2. “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/the-crown/" type="external">The Crown</a>” (Netflix)</p>
<p>“ <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/the-crown-season-2-vanessa-kirby-princess-margaret-1202635138/" type="external">The Crown</a>’s” portrait of the British royal family in the early days of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign is so richly imagined that it stuns, and in the second season, the story’s emphasis on the marriage between Elizabeth (Claire Foy) and Philip (Matt Smith) <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/reviews/the-crown-season-2-review-netflix-claire-foy-matt-smith-1202623240/" type="external">carries the season to unexpected corners of emotional resonance</a>. Their marriage is punctuated by tortuously long silences, in very British fashion; but thanks to Foy in particular, the season is even more affecting than the first. Exceptional episodes: “Beryl,” “Paterfamilias,” “Dear Mrs. Kennedy.”</p>
<p>1. “The Leftovers” (HBO)</p>
<p>Shattering, raw, innovative, and hilarious, “The Leftovers” went from a dour, meandering story of gloom in its first season to a third season that produced eight hall-of-fame episodes in a row. It’s hard to overstate just how fearless this show is in describing the contours of loss and grief, and with its leads Justin Theroux and Carrie Coon in particular, the season found characters that could be made and remade in the furnace of our cruel world until one day, eventually, they found each other again. It’s not just <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/the-leftovers-finale-damon-lindelof-season-3-1202453677/" type="external">well-plotted</a>, though: It’s a beautiful show, from the music to the direction to the cinematography of where it ends, in Australia. Daniel Sackheim’s shot of Carrie Coon in <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/the-leftovers-recap-gday-melbourne-1202411721/" type="external">“G’Day, Melbourne,”</a> looking down with water dripping down her face as “Take on Me” plays in the background, is the shot of the year. Exceptional episodes: <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/the-leftovers-recap-certified-amy-brenneman-1202437831/" type="external">All</a>, but “It’s a Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt World,” <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/leftovers-hbo-recap-perfect-strangers-dont-be-ridiculous-1202393308/" type="external">“Don’t Be Ridiculous,”</a> and “The Most Powerful Man in the World (And his Identical Twin Brother)” are up there.</p>
<p>See my colleague Maureen Ryan’s top 20 list <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/best-tv-shows-of-2017-maureen-ryan-leftovers-good-place-halt-and-catch-fire-big-little-lies-1202632591/" type="external">here</a> and all of Variety’s Best/Worst of 2017 lists <a href="http://variety.com/t/best-of-2017/" type="external">here</a>.</p> | false | 1 | year many ways world feels changed like ground reforming beneath us discovering rules world live much unjust realized real world always intruding pop culture ever 2017 felt times scales finally fallen eyes beginning see world truly flip side horrified vast landscape inspired list expanded 25 year partly many shows swung fences 2017 peak tv fully landed surprised learn top five shows hourlong dramas three final seasons years feeling dramatic hour behind us form found embracing year perhaps something endings drawn shows old new didnt get rebooted death bloated selfsatisfaction found way go high note peak tv might eroded audience shows like leftovers halt catch fire also created market indescribable twin peaks return could serve series finale television meanwhile frustrations elements new streaming world order netflix alone accounts nine top 25 shows suggesting occasionally spending billions dollars original content get yield fantastic programming good year trying new things expanding roster voices listen changing expectations whats worth watching best shows 2017 mind brought challenge implicit explicit imagine world bit differently exploring gender dynamics others examining racial dynamics planet earth ii looked natural around us new eyes figuratively literally halt catch fire tried predict future tech 80s playing bits bytes knew shape world shows imagine new dimensions portals universes might favorite world feel hopeless crucial imagine endlessly look beyond plane existence given imagine answers bigger questions even come questions first place message art almost always different yet top 25 shows 2017 ranked different yet note160ive called exceptional episodes selected shows others 25 marvels punisher netflix didnt expect think highly punisher recipe shadowy violence tortured rippling muscles didnt entice proven quite wrong frank castlecentric drama became favorite marvel drama yet clear sense vision didnt seem bogged either marvels everexpanding universe constraints trying create superheroics small screen show might one best mainstream depictions contemporary doublespeak around american violence including oftignored perspectives traumatized veterans160exceptional episodes kandahar combination ptsd surveillance narratively adventurous virtue vicious 24 one day time netflix norman lears update series 1975 one surprising joys 2017 multicamera sitcom felt fresh vital dawn year immigrants value america became subject regular debate one day times cubanamerican family contains many different perspectives take many different struggles dating deportation love radiates family every episode nothing rita moreno one funniest women television exceptional episodes hold please sex talk mass 23 insecure hbo issa rae prentice pennys insecure sturdy halfhour glows even eight episodes season lodged brain second season didnt quite much narrative cohesion first still reliably engaging beautifully composed halfhour exceptional episodes hella la leads separate los angeles adventures 22 better call saul amc surprise vince gilligan peter gould still moving character work breaking bad universe better call saul although season didnt quite pack wallop second season show still casts spell thanks largely topnotch performances leads exceptional episodes highight season tense courtroom episode chicanery jimmy bob odenkirk chuck michael mckean finally face eyes law 21 good place nbc good place broadcast comedy top tier shows largely due showrunner michael schur found way crack predictable format sitcom world consciously presents unchanging hellscape reboots constantly pieces dont fit nothing quite like good place charming witty discourse ethics values afterlife halfhour every week course theres janet darcy camden repository information universe falls love idiot exceptional episodes michaels gambit trolley problem 20 glow netflix jenji kohans look squad female prowrestlers 80s lovely little set halfhour episodes main problem season 1 short mere introduction cast fascinating women alien world ends soon alison bries ruth makes wonderfully irritating protagonist slowly learns world likes better shes bad guy marc maron shines rare dramatic turn crews pessimistic managercoachsurrogate dad tone halfhour remarkably fresh period piece expect great things season 2 19 deuce hbo david simon george pelecanos deuce isnt quite masterpiece wire doesnt mean bad either sprawling portrait new york city 70s takes simons signature massive cast characters uses examine multifaceted network sex trade called times square epicenter hard swept masterful storytelling even expanding narrating maggie gyllenhaals performance anchors production 18 handmaids tale hulu emmy winner stronger spirit execution still made one best series year thanks largely power elisabeth moss central performance overall look show combined gorgeous color palettes creamy light closerange often quite bloody individual suffering series wouldnt work either without supporting talents yvonne strahovski ann dowd samira wiley madeline brewer along moss offer audience multiple perspectives empowered enslaved women margaret atwoods alltoorelevant dystopia160exceptional episodes160a womans place night 17 dear white people netflix showrunner justin simien adapted expanded film name sharply imagined netflix series following group largely black characters trying navigate niche ivy league institution dear white people seemingly confuence spike lee wes andersons effect simien combined largesse netflix format simiens vision stylized one works particularly well subject matter makes comedy manners modernday identity politics 16 broad city comedy central fourth season broad city depicts biggest departure sketch comedy show since debuted cocreators cowriters costars abbi jacobson ilana glazer matured struggle reconcile anger frustration state world freewheeling shenanigans youth combine fourth season feels fresh sharp aware exceptional episodes mushrooms animates ups downs drug trip frightening accuracy florida witches 15 keepers netflix docuseries director ryan white starts exploration unsolved murder turns investigation longburied scandal terrible abuse covered ignored baltimore diocese dozens young girls raped priest stories sexual violence harassment making headlines keepers steadfast dedication marginalized voices championing communal justice makes stand 14 star trek discovery cbs access hang films star trek belongs tv franchise desperately needed diverse passionate inventive new title marries space opera optimism series preceded surprisingly nuanced examination individuality identity politics everchanging world much credit belongs lead sonequa martingreen displays almost preternatural ease leading varied ensemble pity michelle yeohs character didnt survive past first episodes anthony rapp doug jones wilson cruz consistently satisfying supporting roles discovery shaped longrunning vehicle lot room grow exceptional episodes magic make sanest man go mad 13 crazy exgirlfriend cw even darker journey usual rebecca bunch rachel bloom 2017 jilted wedding day led suicide attempt crazy exgirlfriend confident ever telling rebeccas story opening episodes third season might strongest show ever done overall show bright enticing even dealing painful storytelling delight tune every week 12 american vandal netflix dicks catchphrase designed set laughs american vandal turned brilliantly pointed parody docuseries like making murderer went past satire unsettling examination types people considered criminal element eyes world looks characters underneath stereotypes performances teenagers especially rewarding combining artless awkwardness amateur high school investigators innocent vulnerability youth 11 planet earth ii bbc america technologically masterful lovingly rendered vital ever bbc docuseries narrated david attenborough gorgeous heartwrenching work hard compare docuseries scripted television also difficult discount refined resonant planet earth ii series two emmys 2017 including outstanding documentary series shots peregrine falcons diving skyscrapers manhattan cities dont get little teary dont know 10 bojack horseman netflix animated netflix series found groove season 4 took series unexpected conclusion one bojack arnett finds modicum hope unexpected new family member even tries put tortured relationship mother rest seasons past fourth season emphasized memory perspective various episodes show explored isolated bojack hollyhock aparna nacherla mother wendie malick despite much struggles common add bizarre gubernatorial race jessica biel runs mr peanutbutter underground hive managed queen voiced rupaul charles hard see bojack horseman back top 10 list another year row exceptional episodes160there several ruthie stands 9 better things fx pamela adlon returned material established season 1 better things even passion clarity vision displayed first result breathtaking adlon directing episode details protagonist sams life getting increasingly complicated better things reveled particularly acrid flavor familys intimacy many layers female experience little dukes visions ghosts grandmother phils decline senility exceptional episodes eulogy graduation 8 marvelous mrs maisel amazon late debut acclaimed showrunner amy shermanpalladino marries signature brash humor lavish period piece real stakes changing landscape women late 50s embodied woman thought privileged life wanted discovers horizon new way marvelous mrs maisel delightful heartfelt portrait uppermiddleclass jewish life manhattan seamy basement venues village busy floor eras department stores love letter new york city entire production anchored fantastic lead performance rachel brosnahan every inch charming hilarious impossibletoignore society wife 7 alias grace netflix attention margaret atwood adaptations focused justifiably hulus handmaids tale sarah polleymary harron collaboration sixpart miniseries captivated layered contradictory attempt tell story one woman midst matrix systems designed put disadvantage much production carried polleys fantastic adaptation atwoods novel rest carried sarah gadon plays grace bodily conviction absolutely transformative utterly haunting 6 rick morty adult swim hard think comedy fiendishly inventive rick morty cartoon justin roiland dan harmon ascended jokes death quantum physics crystalline brilliant third season limitations intellect inexorable grip intimacy exceptional episodes ricklantis mixup set world populated ricks mortys parallel universes pickle rick one finest episodes year rick turns deli side order escape family therapy 5 big little lies hbo lush crisp achingly familiar jeanmarc vallée david e kelleys big little lies transformed beach read dramatic refenderum uppermiddleclass cult motherhood led titanic performances reese witherspoon nicole kidman alexander skarsgard sevenpart series mixed together elementary school rivalries effortlessly cool music direction longburied tragedy heady sparkling cocktail show 4 twin peaks return showtime david lynchs 18part event series returning events surrounding mysterious death laura palmer gorgeous surreal sublime journey quite unlike anything else television journey time space across dimensions realities twin peaks return wasnt exactly accessible times hard come grips fact dale cooper kyle maclachlan talking giant kettle containing spirit david bowie truly lynchian brilliance event series found way lyrical vibrating horror surpassed even first two seasons 90s final scene gutwrenching stomachdropping heartbreaking exceptional episodes part 8 part 18 3 halt catch fire amc almost unbearably beautiful halt catch fire closed run final season struggled articulate legacy characters indelibly forming one lasting resonance show amc drama never admired enough yet improved every year show television honest conflict ambition affection thoroughly examined increasingly technological fabric lives lee pace mackenzie davis scoot mcnairy kerry bishé spun straw business history dramatic gold exceptional episodes signal noise goodwill 2 crown netflix crowns portrait british royal family early days queen elizabeth iis reign richly imagined stuns second season storys emphasis marriage elizabeth claire foy philip matt smith carries season unexpected corners emotional resonance marriage punctuated tortuously long silences british fashion thanks foy particular season even affecting first exceptional episodes beryl paterfamilias dear mrs kennedy 1 leftovers hbo shattering raw innovative hilarious leftovers went dour meandering story gloom first season third season produced eight halloffame episodes row hard overstate fearless show describing contours loss grief leads justin theroux carrie coon particular season found characters could made remade furnace cruel world one day eventually found wellplotted though beautiful show music direction cinematography ends australia daniel sackheims shot carrie coon gday melbourne looking water dripping face take plays background shot year exceptional episodes matt matt matt matt world dont ridiculous powerful man world identical twin brother see colleague maureen ryans top 20 list varietys bestworst 2017 lists | 1,781 |
<p>It’s time for the 9/11 truth movement to resolve its Pentagon debate by applying the scientific method. Doing so points conclusively to large plane impact.</p>
<p>For over fifteen years the 9/11 truth movement and some of its most visible leaders have debated this question: Did a large plane, matching a Boeing 757 in general and Flight AA 77 in particular, hit the Pentagon on September 11, 2001? In the last several years a group of scientists and engineers have presented a number of scientific papers that answer both of these questions with a resounding “Yes.” A number of these scientists and engineers are affiliated with the organization <a href="http://www.scientistsfor911truth.org/" type="external">Scientists for 9/11 Truth</a>, which also fully supports the hypothesis that the impacts and resulting fires from the Boeing 767s crashing into the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers (WTC1 and WTC2) on 9/11 could not account for the destruction of these buildings. Building 7 (WTC7) was destroyed without being impacted by any plane. The evidence is clear that all three of these buildings were destroyed by some form of controlled demolition. While the 9/11 truth movement generally agrees on what happened in New York City, thus far there has been no closure on the Pentagon debate.</p>
<p>As an organization, Scientists for 9/11 Truth has stood virtually alone in maintaining large plane impact at the Pentagon together with controlled demolition of the buildings in New York City. With the publication of three new works, cited below, there are now indications that the 9/11 truth movement may be ready to adopt this position also. See, for example, <a href="https://www.911tap.org/557-news-releases/615-the-pentagon-plane-puzzle%20." type="external">this article</a> on the Truth Action Project website.</p>
<p>The Pentagon question has divided the 9/11 truth movement, impeding its thrust toward truth and public credibility. Despite hundreds of eyewitnesses who saw a large plane fly towards the Pentagon and impact it, critics continue to claim otherwise, mainly because the crash scene was unlike those for other plane crashes. Few critics considered that for this unique event—a high-speed impact of a large plane with a building—preconceived expectations of the observed outcome are of little value. The plane largely penetrated the building, leaving many small fragments outside but relatively few large pieces. In a recent conversation with a “no plane impact” advocate, the advocate stated “We will only know for sure what hit the Pentagon when the people who know the answers come forward.” In fact, these “people” came forward a long time ago in video and audio recordings and in written statements, starting on 9/11 itself. Regrettably, the 9/11 truth movement at large either does not know about these hundreds of witnesses, or else has refused to listen to or believe them.</p>
<p>Eyewitnesses affirm large plane impact, and the damage trail establishes the plane path before and after impact with a high degree of precision. The plane flew low from the southwest straight toward the Pentagon on a path making a 52-degree angle with the Pentagon’s west wall. It clipped a tree; downed five light poles; struck a fence, a generator-trailer, and a low concrete wall; and impacted the building at the first and second floors, creating an 18-foot wide hole atop a 96-foot gash in the façade. Outside, plane debris was strewn to the north near the Heliport because of the speed and angle of impact. The light poles’ separation gives a plane wingspan in the range 100 to 130 feet (a Boeing 757 wingspan is 124 feet 10 inches), while the low concrete wall and generator-trailer damage separation indicates an engine separation of approximately 43 feet (Boeing 757 engine separation is 42.5 feet). See Figure 1.</p>
<p>Inside the Pentagon, the plane was increasingly fragmented by the steel and concrete columns, creating a fluid-like flow of solid debris. This flow of material destroyed or damaged many internal columns, defining a continuation of the outside path, and ultimately created an exit hole in the C ring wall.&#160;Debris, including plane parts, spilled into the AE Drive in the direction of the original plane path. Internal columns were bowed and abraded in the flight path direction and much of the first floor suddenly filled with debris. The first floor ceiling beyond the collapsed portion of the building remained intact.</p>
<p>These elements all confirm a flight path that is supported by eyewitness accounts, the radar data and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) data, which was released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). There are over 62 documented eyewitnesses who saw the plane impact. Fourteen (14) witnesses saw one or more of the light poles struck. Four witnesses saw the right engine/wing hit the generator-trailer, while one witness saw the left engine hit the low concrete wall and break apart. Multiple witnesses traced the passage of the plane as it flew from the Sheraton Hotel (last radar reading) to impact at the Pentagon. There were some initial problems reading the last frame of the FDR data, but the properly decoded FDR data traces the plane’s path all the way from take-off at Dulles Airport to impact at the Pentagon.</p>
<p>Such a confluence of physical, eyewitness, and other evidence provides an overwhelming case for a large plane—a Boeing 757 and specifically Flight AA 77—impacting and penetrating the Pentagon on 9/11. The initial hypothesis of large plane impact, when examined for its consequences as shown by the eyewitness testimony, physical damage, and other supporting evidence, survives the scientific method test and becomes a theory that explains virtually all the observations. No other hypothesis, such as impact by a missile or pre-planted bombs, has even ventured to explain all this evidence.</p>
<p>This illustrates the difference between a hypothesis and a theory, and the application of the scientific method in solving physical problems. Those who deny large plane impact offer only criticisms or alternative hypotheses, not a theory. A complete theory examines the consequences of a hypothesis, compares these consequences with the evidence, and discards the hypothesis if it leads to results that do not match the evidence. Figure 2 illustrates the flow of analysis using the scientific method.</p>
<p>Let’s begin with the topmost oval in Figure 2 and ask a question: What caused the damage and deaths at the Pentagon on the morning of 9/11?</p>
<p>To answer this question, we first do some background research.</p>
<p>Eyewitnesses: According to eyewitnesses, a large plane flew (in about six seconds according to FDR data) from the vicinity of the Sheraton Hotel at the west end of the Navy Annex and impacted the Pentagon west wall. It flew above Columbia Pike, crossed the clover-leaf intersection of Columbia Pike with S. Washington Boulevard (Route 27), clipped a tree and impacted five light poles, a fence and a generator-trailer and a low concrete wall, all before hitting the Pentagon façade and then largely disappeared inside the building. Plane parts rained down on the Pentagon lawn and the highway that runs parallel to the west wall. Those who observed this fleeting event from outside the Pentagon, from the standstill traffic on route 27, from the vicinity of Arlington Cemetery, and from nearby buildings, are in substantial agreement that impact by a large plane occurred. Some witnesses identified the plane from its silver color and red and blue markings as an American Airlines plane, a Boeing 757, or both.</p>
<p>Witnesses to the aftermath of plane impact who did not see the plane hit, saw many small pieces of plane “confetti” as well as some large pieces of silver fuselage. Some witnesses did not see any large plane parts, and did not recognize the confetti for what it was. Critics have seized upon these latter accounts to try to prove that there was no plane. These accounts cannot negate the many positive observations of others as well as the abundance of photographic evidence. There are also photographs and a significant number of witnesses who described seeing plane parts in the interior of the building and in the AE Drive.</p>
<p>Photographs and Videos: Photographs taken outside and inside the Pentagon show many small pieces of silver fuselage with AA colored markings, plane and engine parts, landing gear and a tire. Abraded and bent interior columns show the direction of flow of fragmented plane parts, aligning with the known outside path to within a few degrees. Much of the first floor area under the non-collapsed ceiling suddenly filled with debris. Outside the C ring hole, debris and plane parts were strewn in the AE Drive in alignment with the flight path.</p>
<p>Radar and FDR Data: Figures 3 and 4 show the plane’s path from takeoff at Dulles Airport to a point close to the Sheraton Hotel (radar data) and to impact at the Pentagon (FDR data).</p>
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<p>Pentagon Security Videos: Recent work on the video from two Pentagon security cameras shows that they captured images of the approaching, low-flying plane. In his paper “ <a href="http://www.9-11tv.org/the-pentagon-plane-puzzle/85-pentagon-area-surveillance-cameras" type="external">The 85 Pentagon Area Surveillance Cameras</a>,” Ken Jenkins explains the images, how the date error came about, and the likely origins for the trailing white smoke. There is no evidence at this time that the government is withholding other images of the event captured by the surveillance cameras.</p>
<p>Ken Jenkins and David Chandler also recently took pairs of sequential images from the Pentagon surveillance video cameras, putting them together as you would see them in what is called a blink comparator. In this way, the image of the plane “pops out.” If you watch the image cycle a few times, the details of the plane are clearly visible. You can find the <a href="http://911speakout.org/wp-content/uploads/BlinkedPentagonPlane.html" type="external">blink comparisons</a> on David Chandler’s website, <a href="http://911speakout.org/" type="external">911SpeakOut.org</a>.</p>
<p>Based on the above background research, we propose and test the hypothesis that the Pentagon was struck by a large plane matching a Boeing 757 and most probably Flight AA 77.</p>
<p>Many physical hypotheses can be tested by experiment in a laboratory using relatively simple equipment. In the case of the Pentagon 9/11 event, costs to test and/or reproduce some features of the event would be prohibitive. Fortunately, there are prior relevant tests, airplane incidents and other evidence that are pertinent to the event and that support the large plane impact hypothesis.</p>
<p>The F4 Experiment: In the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVz5vhNvskk" type="external">F4 Phantom jet experiment</a>, a plane was propelled at high speed on a rocket sled into a massive and impenetrable concrete wall. The plane was completely fragmented into small pieces. This experiment supports the fragmentation of the Boeing 757 plane parts that did not enter the building.</p>
<p>Ground Effect: Because of what is known as ground effect, it is claimed by critics that the plane could not have flown closer to the ground than 56 feet, so it would have impacted at the fourth and fifth floor levels. Some experienced pilots have supported this objection. The physical evidence, such as the five downed light poles, confirms that a large plane did fly low. In addition, many witnesses actually reported that they saw a large commercial jetliner, identified as a Boeing 757, fly low and close to the ground. Actual experience confirms this behavior. For example, at an air show in Portugal, Evora 2007 (Figure 5), an Airbus A310, similar in size to a Boeing 757, repeatedly flew low, sometimes with the gear down and full flaps but with at least one pass at a relatively high speed, with no concern about any ground effect. The height of the plane above the runway was little more than the diameter of the fuselage.</p>
<p>Engineers and scientists working in the aerospace field feature an article which explains that, because of the high speed and low angle of attack, ground effect is not a relevant factor, particularly with an aircraft that is under automatic control, as was likely the case for Flight AA 77 at the end. According to Jeff Scott, “ground effect would have been quite small on Flight 77 given its high rate of speed and small angle of attack.” See <a href="http://www.aerospaceweb.org/" type="external">Aerospaceweb.org</a> and the answer by Jeff Scott, “ <a href="http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/conspiracy/q0274.shtml" type="external">Pentagon &amp; Boeing 757 Ground Effect</a>.”</p>
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<p>Clipped Tree: One witness described the plane as “picking off trees and light poles.” Photographs show that the starboard (right) engine of the plane did clip a tree. Jon Cole has shown experimentally that it is possible for the leading edge of an engine to cut the tree. Cole compared this action with similar-looking ragged branches cut with a heavy brush cutter with heavy, thick dull blades rotating at a lesser speed than the airplane that cut the woody branches of the Pentagon tree (See Figure 6). Branches ingested by the right engine can explain the smoke trail from the right engine from that point on, as seen in the security camera videos and in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVDdjLQkUV8" type="external">this simulation</a>.</p>
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<p>Rotated Generator-Trailer: Several witnesses saw the right plane engine and/or wing strike one end of a very heavy generator-trailer. The trailer was found to have rotated about the other end toward the building. In addition to the damaged end, there was a gash in the trailer top corresponding to the position of the first flap “canoe” beyond the right engine of a Boeing 757. The location and direction of the gash was consistent with the canoe’s position on the wing and the plane’s flight path.</p>
<p>Gouge in Low Concrete Wall: One witness saw the left engine hit a low concrete wall and break apart. The wall shows a curved gouge consistent with impact by an engine. The distance between the wall and the struck end of the generator-trailer is approximately 43 feet, matching the engines’ separation of a Boeing 757 of 42.5 feet. When the left engine hit the wall it was a few inches above ground level at that point. The wall sits on a high point, and this explains why the engine did not gouge the surrounding lawn as it traveled over the lawn. Some nearby, upright wooden spools were not struck as they were positioned between the plane fuselage and the low-slung left engine.</p>
<p>Debris by the Heliport Area: There was a noticeable amount of plane debris, mostly small pieces, at the Heliport area north of the impact hole. This is in accord with the plane’s path which made a 52-degree angle with the Pentagon west wall as it approached from the southwest. This distribution of debris is entirely to be expected since, after fragmentation, debris that remained outside the building would have a significant velocity component causing it to travel in a northerly direction.</p>
<p>The Impact Hole and Façade Damage: Many claims have been made that the impact hole was too small for a plane the size of a Boeing 757 to have entered the building. None of these claims have merit. The fuselage of a Boeing 757 is 12.33 feet wide and 13.5 feet high and the corresponding hole was about 18 feet wide. Early photographs were obscured by spray from fire hoses and hid a long gash of about 96 feet in the first floor façade. There were many missing outer support columns. Thus the plane’s fuselage, both engines, and the heavier, inner parts of the wings had sufficient room to penetrate the building.</p>
<p>According to witnesses and the FDR data, the plane had rolled about 5 degrees counterclockwise when it hit the wall. Façade markings, such as a long gash made by a wing, confirm these observations. Critics frequently point to the absence of a clear vertical gash that they contend should have been made by the vertical portion of the tail. There are, as shown by Jim Hoffman, markings in the area where the tail might have hit. It is possible that the tail was blown off and fragmented, and did not reach the wall intact. One witness described seeing the fuel explosion while the tail was still visible. Many witnesses saw the tail, and this criticism cannot overturn the other evidence of plane approach and impact.</p>
<p>Internal Column Damage: Figure 7 taken from The Pentagon Building Performance Report depicts internal column damage. At the top, red and blue squares depict missing and severely damaged columns. Green and yellow squares show columns with less damage. The width of the damage at the west wall (top) is about 100 feet, which is consistent with the impact of the fuselage, engines, and the heavy parts of the wings of a Boeing 757. As the fuselage moved into the building, it was shredded and scattered to the sides along its path, but a cone of decreasing width of material maintained enough focus to break through and make a hole in the C ring wall. The dark shaded area of the figure is where the building collapsed about 30 minutes after impact. The first floor area with damage but no collapse filled up with debris without the first floor ceiling collapsing. All these observations support the impact with the façade and passage of a large plane through the building primarily at the first floor level.</p>
<p>It is noteworthy that April Gallop, who has been extensively interviewed and quoted as an important witness, had an office in wedge 2 over 150 feet from the impact hole. Gallop’s office structure did collapse and the lights went out but Gallop was too far away to smell jet fuel. She, with her child and others, exited through a window near the Heliport. Once outside, Gallop collapsed, was apparently unconscious, and was moved to the outer lawn area, and then to a hospital. Gallop had no opportunity to see aircraft debris inside or outside the building.</p>
<p>C Ring Exit Hole: The C ring exit hole can be understood as resulting from the impact of many pieces of plane debris. This process and the false assertion that workers created the hole as a way to access the building interior are fully discussed in the papers listed below. The exit hole lines up with the plane path that made a 52-degree angle with the Pentagon west wall. This fact in itself points to the hole’s origin since the exact plane path was not known until some days or weeks after the event. There is no evidence that any part of the crash scene was staged to imply a non-existent plane crash. All the physical and eyewitness evidence points to actual large plane impact.</p>
<p>Debris in the AE Drive: Debris strewn outside the C ring exit hole was in line with the direction of the plane’s motion and included a plane tire and a wheel rim consistent with a Boeing 757. See Figure 8.</p>
<p>Figure 8 shows a large remnant of a tire outside the C Ring Hole (2). Also shown is a wheel rim (1). The debris angle (3) is also clearly visible. A single doorway lies in the direction pointed to by (4).</p>
<p>Both the background information that includes the eyewitnesses and the detailed examination of the plane path and damage presented above support the large plane impact hypothesis. The conclusion drawn is that a large plane matching a Boeing 757 and most probably Flight AA 77 struck the Pentagon on 9/11.</p>
<p>The hypothesis of impact by a large plane matching a Boeing 757 and Flight AA 77 is true. The next step in the scientific method is to report the results.</p>
<p>Among the first to report the results of a scientific analysis of the Pentagon 9/11 event were Jim Hoffman and Victoria Ashley. Subsequently, scientists affiliated with Scientists for 9/11 Truth, with additional authors such as engineers and computer scientists participating, produced a substantial number of papers. These papers, all listed in the Additional Reading section below, include the three new works mentioned above and listed here, together with a new article:</p>
<p>(a) “ <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmoqojtdMD0&amp;feature=youtu.be" type="external">The Pentagon Plane Puzzle</a>”, a video by Ken Jenkins on the Pentagon eyewitnesses,</p>
<p>(b) “ <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmoqojtdMD0&amp;feature=youtu.be" type="external">Going Beyond Speculation: A Scientific Look at the Pentagon Evidence</a>” a talk by David Chandler.</p>
<p>(c) “ <a href="http://www.scientificmethod911.org/docs/Honegger_Hypothesis_042916.pdf" type="external">The Pentagon Event: The Honegger Hypothesis Refuted</a>” a paper by Victoria Ashley, David Chandler, Jonathan H. Cole, Jim Hoffman, Ken Jenkins, Frank Legge, and John D. Wyndham.</p>
<p>Except for Victoria Ashley and Jonathan H. Cole ( <a href="http://stj911.org/index.html" type="external">Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Justice</a>), all of the foregoing individuals are members of <a href="http://www.scientistsfor911truth.org/index.html" type="external">Scientists for 9/11 Truth</a>.</p>
<p>See also the article “ <a href="http://www.scientistsfor911truth.org/docs/Why_Not_Use_a_Plane_v12_011616.pdf" type="external">Why Not Use a Plane?</a>” by Frank Legge and Ken Jenkins on the Scientists for 9/11 Truth <a href="http://www.scientistsfor911truth.org/index.html" type="external">website</a>.</p>
<p>Since the Pentagon 9/11 event, many individuals have tried to prove that a large plane did not impact the Pentagon. These individuals often point to testimonies by witnesses who did not see the plane impact. For example, an aftermath witness might not see recognizable plane parts and claim or imply that there was no plane involved. Some Pentagon workers inside the building inferred a bomb, since to them whatever happened sounded like a bomb. But an expert witness with military experience, who also saw the plane tail just before impact and following fireball, stated that it sounded like a “2000 lb” bomb. While many witnesses reported that they smelled the odor of jet fuel, a smaller number thought they smelled cordite, an explosive that has not been in use since WWII. Although at least 14 witnesses saw the plane hit the light poles one second or less before impact, some critics claim this could not have happened without the wings being visibly damaged or destroyed.</p>
<p>Even though the event occurred in broad daylight and was viewed by hundreds of people, scores of whom were stuck in traffic on route 27 with a clear view, critics have dismissed witness accounts by claiming these to be fraudulent. However, there is not a single case where a Pentagon witness has been shown to have deliberately lied. On the contrary, there has been an attempt by some to manipulate witnesses years later and lead them to a different conclusion about what they saw at the Pentagon. This is the case with those who postulate the “North path” approach in which the physical damage could not have been done by the plane. While the advocates of a “North path” approach claim the plane flew over the Pentagon, there is not a single, unequivocal witness to this scenario, and many of the very few North path witnesses affirm that the plane impacted the building.</p>
<p>Based on these criticisms, a number of alternative hypotheses have been proposed. Although often termed theories, these hypotheses do not rise to the level of theories because they have not been subjected to the discipline of the scientific method. It is instructive to subject these alternative hypotheses to analysis according to the scientific method steps of Figure 2.</p>
<p>Those who hypothesize that there was no plane impact attribute all damage and deaths to pre-planted explosives or bombs. These researchers include Barbara Honegger in her “ <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtFXYJlj61s" type="external">Behind the Smoke Curtain</a>” presentation and the <a href="http://www.citizeninvestigationteam.com/videos/national-security-alert" type="external">Citizen Investigation Team</a> (CIT). Their assumption is that the approaching plane seen by many flew over the Pentagon. Honegger has modified her hypothesis in the last several years to postulate that a white plane was destroyed with some sort of explosives outside the Pentagon near the Heliport area without any debris hitting the Pentagon wall. For these “no plane impact” hypotheses, the next step in the scientific method, Test with an Experiment, raises immediate problems.</p>
<p>The first major problem is the scores of eyewitnesses who saw the plane impact the Pentagon west wall. To solve this problem, many critics simply ignore or attempt to discredit the witnesses, claiming they are lying, incoherent, or manipulated by insiders to tell a false story. These criticisms fail for lack of proof. The witnesses cannot be explained away in any credible fashion.</p>
<p>The second major problem is how to explain the plane debris seen by witnesses and in photographs. No credible explanation has been offered as to how the large volume of plane debris was planted and distributed outside the Pentagon, inside the Pentagon, and in the AE Drive, except by a plane crash. Honegger’s “white plane destroyed” hypothesis appears to be an attempt to explain the plane debris near the Heliport, but it does not explain the plane debris found inside the Pentagon building or in the AE Drive.</p>
<p>The third major problem is a failure to explain, using bombs, the observed damage. This damage includes the clipped tree, the five downed light poles, the generator-trailer that was damaged and rotated toward the Pentagon, the gouge in the low concrete wall, the shape and nature of the façade damage, the internal bowed and abraded columns, the sudden appearance of internal plane debris, the C ring hole and the debris strewn in the AE Drive.</p>
<p>There is no credible evidence for Honegger’s “white plane.” The plane’s supposed destruction without its fragmented parts hitting the Pentagon west wall violates laws of physics, specifically the law of the conservation of momentum. The center of gravity of the combined fragments would still be moving toward the wall at the plane’s pre-explosion speed. There is nowhere near enough plane debris outside the wall near the heliport to account for an entire plane.</p>
<p>The bombs-only hypothesis fails the test of the scientific method in major ways, and the analysis shows the hypothesis is false. However, although the evidence is scant or nonexistent, it is still possible that there were some internal bombs timed to explode at the same time as large plane impact.</p>
<p>Some investigators claim that a small plane hit the Pentagon on 9/11. These include Massimo Mazzucco in part 2 of his film <a href="http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36585.htm" type="external">September 11 – The New Pearl Harbor</a>, and David Ray Griffin, author of <a href="http://www.911truth.org/911-ten-years-later-when-state-crimes-against-democracy-succeed/" type="external">many books</a> on the events of 9/11. Griffin has publicly endorsed Mazzucco’s work, including that on the Pentagon. This hypothesis immediately encounters major problems.</p>
<p>The great majority of over 180 eyewitnesses to the approach of the plane and its impact with the Pentagon west wall described a large plane. Only a very small number ( <a href="http://www.scientistsfor911truth.org/docs/Mazzucco_letter_Oct2013.pdf" type="external">six or less</a>) of witnesses described a small plane, and most of these viewed the plane at a great distance, making size judgments difficult and unreliable. Of the large plane witnesses, many described it as a silver American Airlines plane, a Boeing 737 or 757. One knowledgeable witness, Tim Timmerman, an airlines’ pilot, recognized it unequivocally as a Boeing 757.</p>
<p>Secondly, a small plane could not have created the observed physical damage. The downed light poles require a minimum wingspan of 100 feet, while the generator-trailer and low concrete wall separation gives the separation of the engines as about 43 feet, closely matching the actual separation of Boeing 757 engines at 42.5 feet. Given that wingtips of a plane are very light and might easily break off, a small plane would be unlikely to create a 96-foot gash in the first floor.</p>
<p>The small plane hypothesis fails the test of the scientific method and the analysis shows the hypothesis is false.</p>
<p>The missile hypothesis cannot explain the spatial characteristics of the physical damage. The light poles were effectively 100 feet apart, and the generator-trailer and low concrete wall were effectively 43 feet apart. These objects could not all have been impacted by a missile. The shape and size of the impact hole precludes a missile, the damaged internal columns were spaced apart over a wide area, and the bowed and abraded columns could not have been rendered in such a condition by a missile. A missile could possibly have created the C ring hole, but only plane parts were found in the debris in the AE Drive.</p>
<p>Donald Rumsfeld alluded to a missile, and eyewitness Mike Walter spoke of a missile, but in the metaphorical sense of a plane acting as a missile. These comments fueled the missile hypothesis. But no witnesses claimed to have seen a missile. Witnesses overwhelmingly described a large plane. The missile hypothesis fails the test of the scientific method and the analysis shows the hypothesis is false.</p>
<p>Despite the clear evidence and its analysis using the scientific method of large plane impact, a substantial portion of the 9/11 truth movement, including accepted leaders and those involved in major organizations, continues to publicly endorse, adhere to, or promulgate talks, writings and films on false Pentagon hypotheses. Some simply offer criticisms and reject or ignore evidence that would bring closure to the argument. There is clear evidence by way of disintegrating truth groups that these endorsements and communications are injurious to the movement. Public feedback shows that the false Pentagon hypotheses undermine public acceptance of other highly credible scientific findings, such as the demolitions of the Twin Towers and Building 7 (WTC7) in New York City.</p>
<p>Most rank and file members of the 9/11 truth movement take their cues on the Pentagon from well-known speakers, writers, and acknowledged leaders of the movement. The quickest way to end the ongoing damage to the movement’s credibility and bring closure would be for these prominent individuals to publicly repudiate their former endorsements, views, and statements on the Pentagon event and acknowledge the scientific method and its conclusion of large plane impact. In the absence of public repudiations, the damage caused by false Pentagon hypotheses is likely to continue indefinitely, even if those who fueled their spread cease to promote them. Consequently, the surest way to end the debate and enhance the credibility of the movement is for each individual to study, without bias or prejudice, the evidence for themselves.</p>
<p>The recent papers by scientists, engineers and others showing large plane impact at the Pentagon have been collected together on a website that invites feedback and discussion. Comments can be sent to the <a href="http://www.scientificmethod911.org/" type="external">Scientific Method 9/11</a> website which specifically invites feedback on many of the papers listed below.</p>
<p>[Editor’s note: Read the author’s responses to critical feedback at&#160; <a href="http://www.scientificmethod911.org/reviewpages/wyndham_debate.html" type="external">ScientificMethod911.org</a>. Read his most recent peer-reviewed paper, “ <a href="http://www.mdpi.com/2304-6775/5/2/16" type="external">Peer Review in Controversial Topics–A Case Study of 9/11</a>” (published in the journal&#160;Publications&#160;June 2017).]</p>
<p>This article is based on the research and writings of the following authors: Victoria Ashley, David Chandler, Jonathan H. Cole, Jim Hoffman, Ken Jenkins, Frank Legge, Warren Stutt and John D. Wyndham. These writings point to many other researchers, such as Adam Larson, Russell Pickering, John Farmer and Arabesque, who have contributed to an understanding of the Pentagon evidence.</p>
<p>The author of this article would like to thank David Chandler, Jonathan H. Cole, and Ken Jenkins for reading the manuscript and offering useful comments and suggestions.</p>
<p><a href="http://911research.wtc7.net/essays/pentagon/" type="external">The Pentagon Attack: What the Physical Evidence Shows</a> – Jim Hoffman</p>
<p><a href="http://911review.com/errors/pentagon/index.html" type="external">Pentagon Attack Errors</a> – Jim Hoffman</p>
<p><a href="http://stj911.org/evidence/pentagon.html" type="external">Evidence: The Pentagon Attack</a> – Victoria Ashley</p>
<p><a href="http://www.9-11tv.org/the-pentagon-plane-puzzle/85-pentagon-area-surveillance-cameras" type="external">The 85 Pentagon Area Surveillance Cameras</a> – Ken Jenkins</p>
<p><a href="http://911speakout.org/?page_id=219" type="external">The Pentagon – A joint statement</a> – David Chandler and Jonathan H. Cole</p>
<p><a href="http://scienceof911.com.au/pentagon/" type="external">The Science of 9/11, Pentagon</a> – Frank Legge</p>
<p><a href="http://warrenstutt.com/" type="external">Warren Stutt’s Home Page</a> – Warren Stutt</p>
<p><a href="http://www.scientistsfor911truth.org/papers.html#papers_pentagon" type="external">Papers on the Pentagon</a> – Scientists for 9/11 Truth, various scientists</p>
<p><a href="http://www.scientificmethod911.org/pentagon.html" type="external">Papers on the Pentagon</a> – Scientific Method 9/11, John D. Wyndham</p>
<p>Frank Legge, “ <a href="http://www.journalof911studies.com/volume/2009/WhatHitPentagonDrLeggeAug.pdf" type="external">What Hit the Pentagon? Misinformation and its Effect on the Credibility of 9/11 Truth</a>,” Journal of 9/11 Studies, July, 2009.</p>
<p>David Chandler (based on Ken Jenkins), “ <a href="http://911speakout.org/wp-content/uploads/BlinkedPentagonPlane.html" type="external">Blink Comparator Views of the Plane at the Pentagon</a>,” 911Speakout.org, 2016.</p>
<p>Frank Legge, and Warren Stutt, “ <a href="http://www.journalof911studies.com/volume/2010/Calibration%20of%20altimeter_92.pdf" type="external">Flight AA77 on 9/11: New FDR Analysis Supports the Official Flight Path…</a>“,&#160;Journal of 9/11 Studies, January, 2011.</p>
<p>Frank Legge and David Chandler, “ <a href="http://stj911.org/legge/Legge_Chandler_NOC_Refutation.html" type="external">The Pentagon Attack on 9/11: A Refutation of the Pentagon Flyover Hypothesis Based on Analysis of the Flight Path</a>,” STJ911.org, September, 2011 and its <a href="" type="internal">Addendum</a>, Foreign Policy Journal, December, 2011.</p>
<p>John D. Wyndham, “ <a href="http://www.journalof911studies.com/volume/2010/Wyndham1.pdf" type="external">The Pentagon Attack: Problems with Theories Alternative to Large Plane Impact</a>,” Journal of 9/11 Studies, November, 2011. Revised <a href="http://www.scientistsfor911truth.org/docs/Theories_Alternative_April_2016.pdf" type="external">version (3)</a>, ScientificMethod9/11.org, April, 2016.</p>
<p>Frank Legge, “ <a href="http://www.journalof911studies.com/resources/Legge-Letter-June.pdf" type="external">The 9/11 Attack on the Pentagon: the Search for Consensus</a>,” Journal of 9/11 Studies, June, 2012.</p>
<p>John D. Wyndham, “ <a href="http://www.scientistsfor911truth.org/docs/Pentagon_Event_Time_Mar19_2013.pdf" type="external">The Pentagon Attack: The Event Time Revisited</a>,” ScientificMethod9/11.org, March, 2013.</p>
<p>John D. Wyndham, “ <a href="http://www.scientistsfor911truth.org/docs/Eyewitnesses_DebrisFlow_FandE_Mar4_2016.pdf" type="external">The Pentagon Attack: Eyewitnesses, Debris Flow and Other Issues – A Reply to Fletcher and Eastman</a>,” ScientificMethod9/11.org, April, 2013.</p>
<p>Victoria Ashley et al., “ <a href="http://www.scientificmethod911.org/docs/Honegger_Hypothesis_042916.pdf" type="external">The Pentagon Event: The Honegger Hypothesis Refuted</a>,” ScientificMethod9/11.org, April, 2016.</p>
<p>Jim Hoffman, “ <a href="http://911review.com/articles/stjarna/eximpactdamage.html" type="external">Pentagon – Exterior Impact Damage</a>,” 911Review.com, February, 2003.</p>
<p>Jim Hoffman, “ <a href="http://911research.wtc7.net/essays/pentagontrap.html" type="external">The Pentagon No-757-Crash Theory: Booby Trap for 9/11 Skeptics</a>,” 911Research.WTC7.net, November, 2004.</p>
<p>Victoria Ashley, “ <a href="http://www.911review.com/articles/ashley/pentacon_con.html" type="external">To Con a Movement: Exposing CIT’s PentaCon ‘Magic Show’</a>,” 911Review.com, July, 2009.</p>
<p>Jim Hoffman, “ <a href="http://911research.wtc7.net/essays/pentacon/index.html" type="external">Google Earth Exposes Pentagon Flyover Farce</a>,” 911Research.WTC7.net, July, 2009.</p>
<p>Frank Legge, “ <a href="http://www.scientistsfor911truth.org/docs/Legge_Pentagon_Letter.pdf" type="external">Science, Activism, and the Pentagon Debate</a>,” Scientistsfor911Truth.org, April, 2014.</p>
<p>Ken Jenkins and David Chandler: “ <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmoqojtdMD0&amp;feature=youtu.be" type="external">Pentagon Plane Puzzle + David Chandler: Going Beyond Speculation</a>,” YouTube, September, 2015.</p>
<p>Frank Legge and Ken Jenkins, “ <a href="http://www.scientistsfor911truth.org/docs/Why_Not_Use_a_Plane_v12_011616.pdf" type="external">Why Not Use a Plane?</a>,” Scientistsfor911Truth.org, January, 2016.</p> | false | 1 | time 911 truth movement resolve pentagon debate applying scientific method points conclusively large plane impact fifteen years 911 truth movement visible leaders debated question large plane matching boeing 757 general flight aa 77 particular hit pentagon september 11 2001 last several years group scientists engineers presented number scientific papers answer questions resounding yes number scientists engineers affiliated organization scientists 911 truth also fully supports hypothesis impacts resulting fires boeing 767s crashing world trade centers twin towers wtc1 wtc2 911 could account destruction buildings building 7 wtc7 destroyed without impacted plane evidence clear three buildings destroyed form controlled demolition 911 truth movement generally agrees happened new york city thus far closure pentagon debate organization scientists 911 truth stood virtually alone maintaining large plane impact pentagon together controlled demolition buildings new york city publication three new works cited indications 911 truth movement may ready adopt position also see example article truth action project website pentagon question divided 911 truth movement impeding thrust toward truth public credibility despite hundreds eyewitnesses saw large plane fly towards pentagon impact critics continue claim otherwise mainly crash scene unlike plane crashes critics considered unique eventa highspeed impact large plane buildingpreconceived expectations observed outcome little value plane largely penetrated building leaving many small fragments outside relatively large pieces recent conversation plane impact advocate advocate stated know sure hit pentagon people know answers come forward fact people came forward long time ago video audio recordings written statements starting 911 regrettably 911 truth movement large either know hundreds witnesses else refused listen believe eyewitnesses affirm large plane impact damage trail establishes plane path impact high degree precision plane flew low southwest straight toward pentagon path making 52degree angle pentagons west wall clipped tree downed five light poles struck fence generatortrailer low concrete wall impacted building first second floors creating 18foot wide hole atop 96foot gash façade outside plane debris strewn north near heliport speed angle impact light poles separation gives plane wingspan range 100 130 feet boeing 757 wingspan 124 feet 10 inches low concrete wall generatortrailer damage separation indicates engine separation approximately 43 feet boeing 757 engine separation 425 feet see figure 1 inside pentagon plane increasingly fragmented steel concrete columns creating fluidlike flow solid debris flow material destroyed damaged many internal columns defining continuation outside path ultimately created exit hole c ring wall160debris including plane parts spilled ae drive direction original plane path internal columns bowed abraded flight path direction much first floor suddenly filled debris first floor ceiling beyond collapsed portion building remained intact elements confirm flight path supported eyewitness accounts radar data flight data recorder fdr data released national transportation safety board ntsb freedom information act foia 62 documented eyewitnesses saw plane impact fourteen 14 witnesses saw one light poles struck four witnesses saw right enginewing hit generatortrailer one witness saw left engine hit low concrete wall break apart multiple witnesses traced passage plane flew sheraton hotel last radar reading impact pentagon initial problems reading last frame fdr data properly decoded fdr data traces planes path way takeoff dulles airport impact pentagon confluence physical eyewitness evidence provides overwhelming case large planea boeing 757 specifically flight aa 77impacting penetrating pentagon 911 initial hypothesis large plane impact examined consequences shown eyewitness testimony physical damage supporting evidence survives scientific method test becomes theory explains virtually observations hypothesis impact missile preplanted bombs even ventured explain evidence illustrates difference hypothesis theory application scientific method solving physical problems deny large plane impact offer criticisms alternative hypotheses theory complete theory examines consequences hypothesis compares consequences evidence discards hypothesis leads results match evidence figure 2 illustrates flow analysis using scientific method lets begin topmost oval figure 2 ask question caused damage deaths pentagon morning 911 answer question first background research eyewitnesses according eyewitnesses large plane flew six seconds according fdr data vicinity sheraton hotel west end navy annex impacted pentagon west wall flew columbia pike crossed cloverleaf intersection columbia pike washington boulevard route 27 clipped tree impacted five light poles fence generatortrailer low concrete wall hitting pentagon façade largely disappeared inside building plane parts rained pentagon lawn highway runs parallel west wall observed fleeting event outside pentagon standstill traffic route 27 vicinity arlington cemetery nearby buildings substantial agreement impact large plane occurred witnesses identified plane silver color red blue markings american airlines plane boeing 757 witnesses aftermath plane impact see plane hit saw many small pieces plane confetti well large pieces silver fuselage witnesses see large plane parts recognize confetti critics seized upon latter accounts try prove plane accounts negate many positive observations others well abundance photographic evidence also photographs significant number witnesses described seeing plane parts interior building ae drive photographs videos photographs taken outside inside pentagon show many small pieces silver fuselage aa colored markings plane engine parts landing gear tire abraded bent interior columns show direction flow fragmented plane parts aligning known outside path within degrees much first floor area noncollapsed ceiling suddenly filled debris outside c ring hole debris plane parts strewn ae drive alignment flight path radar fdr data figures 3 4 show planes path takeoff dulles airport point close sheraton hotel radar data impact pentagon fdr data pentagon security videos recent work video two pentagon security cameras shows captured images approaching lowflying plane paper 85 pentagon area surveillance cameras ken jenkins explains images date error came likely origins trailing white smoke evidence time government withholding images event captured surveillance cameras ken jenkins david chandler also recently took pairs sequential images pentagon surveillance video cameras putting together would see called blink comparator way image plane pops watch image cycle times details plane clearly visible find blink comparisons david chandlers website 911speakoutorg based background research propose test hypothesis pentagon struck large plane matching boeing 757 probably flight aa 77 many physical hypotheses tested experiment laboratory using relatively simple equipment case pentagon 911 event costs test andor reproduce features event would prohibitive fortunately prior relevant tests airplane incidents evidence pertinent event support large plane impact hypothesis f4 experiment f4 phantom jet experiment plane propelled high speed rocket sled massive impenetrable concrete wall plane completely fragmented small pieces experiment supports fragmentation boeing 757 plane parts enter building ground effect known ground effect claimed critics plane could flown closer ground 56 feet would impacted fourth fifth floor levels experienced pilots supported objection physical evidence five downed light poles confirms large plane fly low addition many witnesses actually reported saw large commercial jetliner identified boeing 757 fly low close ground actual experience confirms behavior example air show portugal evora 2007 figure 5 airbus a310 similar size boeing 757 repeatedly flew low sometimes gear full flaps least one pass relatively high speed concern ground effect height plane runway little diameter fuselage engineers scientists working aerospace field feature article explains high speed low angle attack ground effect relevant factor particularly aircraft automatic control likely case flight aa 77 end according jeff scott ground effect would quite small flight 77 given high rate speed small angle attack see aerospaceweborg answer jeff scott pentagon amp boeing 757 ground effect clipped tree one witness described plane picking trees light poles photographs show starboard right engine plane clip tree jon cole shown experimentally possible leading edge engine cut tree cole compared action similarlooking ragged branches cut heavy brush cutter heavy thick dull blades rotating lesser speed airplane cut woody branches pentagon tree see figure 6 branches ingested right engine explain smoke trail right engine point seen security camera videos simulation rotated generatortrailer several witnesses saw right plane engine andor wing strike one end heavy generatortrailer trailer found rotated end toward building addition damaged end gash trailer top corresponding position first flap canoe beyond right engine boeing 757 location direction gash consistent canoes position wing planes flight path gouge low concrete wall one witness saw left engine hit low concrete wall break apart wall shows curved gouge consistent impact engine distance wall struck end generatortrailer approximately 43 feet matching engines separation boeing 757 425 feet left engine hit wall inches ground level point wall sits high point explains engine gouge surrounding lawn traveled lawn nearby upright wooden spools struck positioned plane fuselage lowslung left engine debris heliport area noticeable amount plane debris mostly small pieces heliport area north impact hole accord planes path made 52degree angle pentagon west wall approached southwest distribution debris entirely expected since fragmentation debris remained outside building would significant velocity component causing travel northerly direction impact hole façade damage many claims made impact hole small plane size boeing 757 entered building none claims merit fuselage boeing 757 1233 feet wide 135 feet high corresponding hole 18 feet wide early photographs obscured spray fire hoses hid long gash 96 feet first floor façade many missing outer support columns thus planes fuselage engines heavier inner parts wings sufficient room penetrate building according witnesses fdr data plane rolled 5 degrees counterclockwise hit wall façade markings long gash made wing confirm observations critics frequently point absence clear vertical gash contend made vertical portion tail shown jim hoffman markings area tail might hit possible tail blown fragmented reach wall intact one witness described seeing fuel explosion tail still visible many witnesses saw tail criticism overturn evidence plane approach impact internal column damage figure 7 taken pentagon building performance report depicts internal column damage top red blue squares depict missing severely damaged columns green yellow squares show columns less damage width damage west wall top 100 feet consistent impact fuselage engines heavy parts wings boeing 757 fuselage moved building shredded scattered sides along path cone decreasing width material maintained enough focus break make hole c ring wall dark shaded area figure building collapsed 30 minutes impact first floor area damage collapse filled debris without first floor ceiling collapsing observations support impact façade passage large plane building primarily first floor level noteworthy april gallop extensively interviewed quoted important witness office wedge 2 150 feet impact hole gallops office structure collapse lights went gallop far away smell jet fuel child others exited window near heliport outside gallop collapsed apparently unconscious moved outer lawn area hospital gallop opportunity see aircraft debris inside outside building c ring exit hole c ring exit hole understood resulting impact many pieces plane debris process false assertion workers created hole way access building interior fully discussed papers listed exit hole lines plane path made 52degree angle pentagon west wall fact points holes origin since exact plane path known days weeks event evidence part crash scene staged imply nonexistent plane crash physical eyewitness evidence points actual large plane impact debris ae drive debris strewn outside c ring exit hole line direction planes motion included plane tire wheel rim consistent boeing 757 see figure 8 figure 8 shows large remnant tire outside c ring hole 2 also shown wheel rim 1 debris angle 3 also clearly visible single doorway lies direction pointed 4 background information includes eyewitnesses detailed examination plane path damage presented support large plane impact hypothesis conclusion drawn large plane matching boeing 757 probably flight aa 77 struck pentagon 911 hypothesis impact large plane matching boeing 757 flight aa 77 true next step scientific method report results among first report results scientific analysis pentagon 911 event jim hoffman victoria ashley subsequently scientists affiliated scientists 911 truth additional authors engineers computer scientists participating produced substantial number papers papers listed additional reading section include three new works mentioned listed together new article pentagon plane puzzle video ken jenkins pentagon eyewitnesses b going beyond speculation scientific look pentagon evidence talk david chandler c pentagon event honegger hypothesis refuted paper victoria ashley david chandler jonathan h cole jim hoffman ken jenkins frank legge john wyndham except victoria ashley jonathan h cole scholars 911 truth justice foregoing individuals members scientists 911 truth see also article use plane frank legge ken jenkins scientists 911 truth website since pentagon 911 event many individuals tried prove large plane impact pentagon individuals often point testimonies witnesses see plane impact example aftermath witness might see recognizable plane parts claim imply plane involved pentagon workers inside building inferred bomb since whatever happened sounded like bomb expert witness military experience also saw plane tail impact following fireball stated sounded like 2000 lb bomb many witnesses reported smelled odor jet fuel smaller number thought smelled cordite explosive use since wwii although least 14 witnesses saw plane hit light poles one second less impact critics claim could happened without wings visibly damaged destroyed even though event occurred broad daylight viewed hundreds people scores stuck traffic route 27 clear view critics dismissed witness accounts claiming fraudulent however single case pentagon witness shown deliberately lied contrary attempt manipulate witnesses years later lead different conclusion saw pentagon case postulate north path approach physical damage could done plane advocates north path approach claim plane flew pentagon single unequivocal witness scenario many north path witnesses affirm plane impacted building based criticisms number alternative hypotheses proposed although often termed theories hypotheses rise level theories subjected discipline scientific method instructive subject alternative hypotheses analysis according scientific method steps figure 2 hypothesize plane impact attribute damage deaths preplanted explosives bombs researchers include barbara honegger behind smoke curtain presentation citizen investigation team cit assumption approaching plane seen many flew pentagon honegger modified hypothesis last several years postulate white plane destroyed sort explosives outside pentagon near heliport area without debris hitting pentagon wall plane impact hypotheses next step scientific method test experiment raises immediate problems first major problem scores eyewitnesses saw plane impact pentagon west wall solve problem many critics simply ignore attempt discredit witnesses claiming lying incoherent manipulated insiders tell false story criticisms fail lack proof witnesses explained away credible fashion second major problem explain plane debris seen witnesses photographs credible explanation offered large volume plane debris planted distributed outside pentagon inside pentagon ae drive except plane crash honeggers white plane destroyed hypothesis appears attempt explain plane debris near heliport explain plane debris found inside pentagon building ae drive third major problem failure explain using bombs observed damage damage includes clipped tree five downed light poles generatortrailer damaged rotated toward pentagon gouge low concrete wall shape nature façade damage internal bowed abraded columns sudden appearance internal plane debris c ring hole debris strewn ae drive credible evidence honeggers white plane planes supposed destruction without fragmented parts hitting pentagon west wall violates laws physics specifically law conservation momentum center gravity combined fragments would still moving toward wall planes preexplosion speed nowhere near enough plane debris outside wall near heliport account entire plane bombsonly hypothesis fails test scientific method major ways analysis shows hypothesis false however although evidence scant nonexistent still possible internal bombs timed explode time large plane impact investigators claim small plane hit pentagon 911 include massimo mazzucco part 2 film september 11 new pearl harbor david ray griffin author many books events 911 griffin publicly endorsed mazzuccos work including pentagon hypothesis immediately encounters major problems great majority 180 eyewitnesses approach plane impact pentagon west wall described large plane small number six less witnesses described small plane viewed plane great distance making size judgments difficult unreliable large plane witnesses many described silver american airlines plane boeing 737 757 one knowledgeable witness tim timmerman airlines pilot recognized unequivocally boeing 757 secondly small plane could created observed physical damage downed light poles require minimum wingspan 100 feet generatortrailer low concrete wall separation gives separation engines 43 feet closely matching actual separation boeing 757 engines 425 feet given wingtips plane light might easily break small plane would unlikely create 96foot gash first floor small plane hypothesis fails test scientific method analysis shows hypothesis false missile hypothesis explain spatial characteristics physical damage light poles effectively 100 feet apart generatortrailer low concrete wall effectively 43 feet apart objects could impacted missile shape size impact hole precludes missile damaged internal columns spaced apart wide area bowed abraded columns could rendered condition missile missile could possibly created c ring hole plane parts found debris ae drive donald rumsfeld alluded missile eyewitness mike walter spoke missile metaphorical sense plane acting missile comments fueled missile hypothesis witnesses claimed seen missile witnesses overwhelmingly described large plane missile hypothesis fails test scientific method analysis shows hypothesis false despite clear evidence analysis using scientific method large plane impact substantial portion 911 truth movement including accepted leaders involved major organizations continues publicly endorse adhere promulgate talks writings films false pentagon hypotheses simply offer criticisms reject ignore evidence would bring closure argument clear evidence way disintegrating truth groups endorsements communications injurious movement public feedback shows false pentagon hypotheses undermine public acceptance highly credible scientific findings demolitions twin towers building 7 wtc7 new york city rank file members 911 truth movement take cues pentagon wellknown speakers writers acknowledged leaders movement quickest way end ongoing damage movements credibility bring closure would prominent individuals publicly repudiate former endorsements views statements pentagon event acknowledge scientific method conclusion large plane impact absence public repudiations damage caused false pentagon hypotheses likely continue indefinitely even fueled spread cease promote consequently surest way end debate enhance credibility movement individual study without bias prejudice evidence recent papers scientists engineers others showing large plane impact pentagon collected together website invites feedback discussion comments sent scientific method 911 website specifically invites feedback many papers listed editors note read authors responses critical feedback at160 scientificmethod911org read recent peerreviewed paper peer review controversial topicsa case study 911 published journal160publications160june 2017 article based research writings following authors victoria ashley david chandler jonathan h cole jim hoffman ken jenkins frank legge warren stutt john wyndham writings point many researchers adam larson russell pickering john farmer arabesque contributed understanding pentagon evidence author article would like thank david chandler jonathan h cole ken jenkins reading manuscript offering useful comments suggestions pentagon attack physical evidence shows jim hoffman pentagon attack errors jim hoffman evidence pentagon attack victoria ashley 85 pentagon area surveillance cameras ken jenkins pentagon joint statement david chandler jonathan h cole science 911 pentagon frank legge warren stutts home page warren stutt papers pentagon scientists 911 truth various scientists papers pentagon scientific method 911 john wyndham frank legge hit pentagon misinformation effect credibility 911 truth journal 911 studies july 2009 david chandler based ken jenkins blink comparator views plane pentagon 911speakoutorg 2016 frank legge warren stutt flight aa77 911 new fdr analysis supports official flight path160journal 911 studies january 2011 frank legge david chandler pentagon attack 911 refutation pentagon flyover hypothesis based analysis flight path stj911org september 2011 addendum foreign policy journal december 2011 john wyndham pentagon attack problems theories alternative large plane impact journal 911 studies november 2011 revised version 3 scientificmethod911org april 2016 frank legge 911 attack pentagon search consensus journal 911 studies june 2012 john wyndham pentagon attack event time revisited scientificmethod911org march 2013 john wyndham pentagon attack eyewitnesses debris flow issues reply fletcher eastman scientificmethod911org april 2013 victoria ashley et al pentagon event honegger hypothesis refuted scientificmethod911org april 2016 jim hoffman pentagon exterior impact damage 911reviewcom february 2003 jim hoffman pentagon no757crash theory booby trap 911 skeptics 911researchwtc7net november 2004 victoria ashley con movement exposing cits pentacon magic show 911reviewcom july 2009 jim hoffman google earth exposes pentagon flyover farce 911researchwtc7net july 2009 frank legge science activism pentagon debate scientistsfor911truthorg april 2014 ken jenkins david chandler pentagon plane puzzle david chandler going beyond speculation youtube september 2015 frank legge ken jenkins use plane scientistsfor911truthorg january 2016 | 3,186 |
<p>Not everyone wants chestnuts for Christmas. If you’re looking for some <a href="http://variety.com/t/holiday-music/" type="external">holiday music</a> that hasn’t already been said many times, many ways, we’ve surveyed 15 newly released holiday music collections, including superlative sets of all-original material from pop auteur <a href="http://variety.com/t/sia/" type="external">Sia</a> and rock underdogs the Minus 5, who land at the top of our “nice” list. The roundup also includes a rip-roaring <a href="http://variety.com/t/cheap-trick/" type="external">Cheap Trick</a> album worth surrendering to, a more traditional <a href="http://variety.com/t/gwen-stefani/" type="external">Gwen Stefani</a> album we’ve got some doubts about, and fresh holiday efforts from <a href="http://variety.com/t/fantasia/" type="external">Fantasia</a>, <a href="http://variety.com/t/lindsey-stirling/" type="external">Lindsey Stirling</a>, Hanson, Smokey Robinson, and DJ/curator Rodney Bingenheimer.</p>
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<p><a href="http://variety.com/2017/music/news/sia-pokes-paparazzi-by-posting-nude-naked-photo-they-threatened-to-publish-1202608739/" type="external">Sia</a>:&#160;“Everyday is Christmas”&#160;(Atlantic)</p>
<p>Other pop stars may phone their Christmas albums in, but Sia is the only one in recent memory to commit herself to the holiday with a fully self-penned effort. She and musical partner Greg Kurstin (a current producer of the year Grammy nominee) have come up with a collection that’s in turn sumptuous and delightfully ridiculous, summoning the spirit of Phil Spector’s classic Christmas album without ever stooping to direct homage. Love songs don’t get any more temporal than her straight-faced mash notes to a melting “Snowman” (“Who’ll carry me without legs to run, honey?”) and “Snowflake” (“Catch you and keep you on ice, my love”). She’s completely serious, in any case, on the Motown-beat-driven “Puppies are Forever,” which is about conscientiousness in dog adoption: “They’re so cute and fluffy with shiny coats/But will you love ’em when they’re old and slow?”</p>
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<p>The Minus 5:&#160;“Dear December”&#160;(Yep Roc)</p>
<p>They’re far from a household name, but the Minus 5 are well-known to R.E.M. fans, at least, as the collective led by occasional sideman (and Young Fresh Fellow) Scott McCaughey with assistance from guitarist Peter Buck. On this swell set of 11 holiday originals, Mike Mills also shows up — to sing a Hanukkah song! — along with guests including Death Cab’s Ben Gibbard, M. Ward, the Posies, Chuck Prophet, and Decemberist Colin Meloy. The power pop-oriented bashers and ballads will delight anyone who ever dug Nick Lowe’s or Chris Stamey’s Christmas albums. Punny highlight: “Yule Tide Me Over,” a twangy anthem for lonely singles looking for a quick holiday pickup.</p>
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<p><a href="http://variety.com/2016/music/awards/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-2016-1201741566/" type="external">Cheap Trick</a>:&#160;“Christmas Christmas”&#160;(Big Machine)</p>
<p>The originals are fewer here, but that doesn’t much matter when Robin Zander is effectively scream-singing his way through some of the most celebrated holiday rockers of all time, as originated by everyone from the Ramones to Nilsson. In place of the children’s chorus on Wizzard’s classic “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday,” you get a Rick Nielsen guitar solo, which is not a bad tradeoff. Slade’s “Merry Xmas Everybody” actually improves in this modern translation. “Father Christmas” comes off sluggish compared to the Kinks’ original, but that’s an exception. In covering “Saturday Night Live’s” “I Wish It Was Christmas Today,” Cheap Trick turn the stuff of sketch comedy into a roaring supersonic jet.</p>
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<p><a href="http://variety.com/2017/music/news/pink-pat-benatar-gwen-stefani-compilation-album-linda-perry-label-1202551991/" type="external">Gwen Stefani</a>:&#160;“You Make It Feel Like Christmas”&#160;(Interscope)</p>
<p>Twenty years ago, No Doubt did a terrific cover of the Vandals’ “Oi to the World.” If you’re looking for anything remotely that fun in Stefani’s own Christmas album, it’s less “oi” and more like “oy.” Rather than adopt the six standards that make up half of this collection to her own style, she opts for generic big-band arrangements. Stefani’s six originals are more personal, but not always to their benefit: “Never Kissed Anyone with Blue Eyes Before You” is slightly interesting as a minor celebrity revelation, but it’s not much of a Christmas song. Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Blake Shelton, duets on a song they co-wrote, “You Make It Feel Like Christmas,” which mostly makes a good argument for keeping their careers separate.</p>
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<p><a href="http://variety.com/2015/film/news/disney-developing-fantasia-sequence-into-live-action-movie-1201511401/" type="external">Fantasia</a>:&#160;“Christmas After Midnight”&#160;(Concord)</p>
<p>For “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” Fantasia brings in Cee-Lo Green, who might not have been everyone’s first pick of duet partner for this particular song after his troubles a few years back. That choice aside, Fantasia has made a smart call to go with brassy but far from overbearing horn arrangements in this jazz-skirting pop/R&amp;B collection. Bonus points for reviving Leiber &amp; Stoller’s (and Ray Charles’) bluesy “The Snow is Falling.” Points docked for considering Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” a Christmas song.</p>
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<p><a href="http://variety.com/2017/music/news/lindsey-stirling-injured-dancing-with-the-stars-1202602676/" type="external">Lindsey Stirling</a>:&#160;“Warmer in the Winter”&#160;(Concord)</p>
<p>Hope you like violin. Really, really, really like violin. Maybe that goes without saying for any Stirling album, since fiddling around with classical/New Age/EDM crossover is the stock-in-trade that made the young Utah violinist into an unlikely star. But somehow the monotony of a single lead instrument gets older faster in a seasonal set. At least she finds an interesting instrumental partner in “Warmer for the Winter,” where Trombone Shorty shows up for a rare bowing-‘n’-blowing duel.</p>
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<p>Various artists:&#160;“Holidays Rule Vol. 2”&#160;(Capitol)</p>
<p>The main attraction is a revival of Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime,” as recorded by Macca with Jimmy Fallon and the Roots for “The Tonight Show” a year ago. It may be the second most-disliked holiday song of all time, after “Christmas Shoes,” but it turns out to be more palatable when you (a) ditch those ‘70s synths, (b) make it a cappella, and (c) have the whole thing over and done with in 1:27. Lake Street Dive make something even more listenable out of an oldie no one over 6 ever wanted to hear again, with their swinging “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.” But the high-class keeper is Roseanne Cash’s cover of Louis Jordan’s “May Ev’ry Day Be Christmas.”</p>
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<p>Hanson:&#160;“Finally It’s Christmas”&#160;(S-Curve)</p>
<p>Not much has changed in the 20 years since Hanson released their first Christmas album, “Snowed In”… except for Taylor Hanson’s voice. That means this follow-up is not the inadvertent tribute to the Jackson 5’s Christmas album that the first one was. The brothers’ youthful energy remains unflagging, and while the clichéd seasonal sentiments in their handful of original songs may make you feel a little MMM-bah, the title track is finally kind of irresistible.</p>
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<p>Smokey Robinson:&#160;“Christmas Everyday”&#160;(Amazon Originals)</p>
<p>Looking at the cover art, you might mistake this for a vintage album or repackaging. The good news is, it’s easy to mistake the contents for something minted in the ‘60s, too. The presence of the Dap Kings as guests on one track is a good sign that the 77-year-old Robinson is going for something vaguely retro on his first full Christmas album since 1963’s “Christmas with the Miracles.” Producer Adam Anders, the former executive music producer for “Glee,” has come up with an approach that will satisfy vintage Motown fans without getting too self-consciously throwback-y. You might even say it’s a Christmas Miracle.</p>
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<p>Various artists:&#160;“Santa’s Got a GTO Vol. 2”&#160;(Gearhead)</p>
<p>It’s been 19 years since Rodney Bingenheimer, the L.A. scenemaker and KROQ DJ, brought out his first album of garage-rock Christmas tunes. A fresh generation of caroling punks and feral girl groups appears on this long-needed sequel (which has “on the rock” instead of “ROQ” in the subtitle now, owing to his recent departure from his longtime radio home). The Mansfields’ “Broke on Christmas Again” is an instant anthem for a generation; the Glitter Critters’ “Little Drummer Boy” stands out among the revved-up standards. (Currently available on vinyl or download via Amoeba, Wacko/Soap Plant and Gearhead.com.)</p>
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<p>Reba McEntire:&#160;“My Kind of Christmas”&#160;(Nash Icon/Big Machine)</p>
<p>Maybe Reba’s third holiday album should come with a warning label for no orchestration. The entire album (except for one bonus track with Kelly Clarkson and Trisha Yearwood) ) has the country superstar being accompanied solely by piano, which led one reviewer to wonder about McEntire’s “budgetary constrictions.” That sparseness is actually a nice choice, though, particularly on the jauntier carols, which are easier to take without a huge brass section or even band. Instrumental modesty becomes her.</p>
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<p>Chuck Berry:&#160;“Berry Christmas”&#160;(Geffen/Ume)</p>
<p>At last, all four of Berry’s Christmas recordings — two of them very famous (“Run Run Rudolph,” “Merry Christmas Baby”), two very rare (“Christmas,” “Spending Christmas”) — are collected together for the first time on one disc. But there’s a catch: it’s only on vinyl. Oh, and an even more limiting caveat: this 10-inch red EP is only available as a bonus disc in a brand new vinyl boxed set of the late guitarist’s most notable material, “The Great Twenty-Eight — Super Deluxe.” But any sane person with a turntable should want the whole shebang anyway. (Currently available only through <a href="http://www.udiscovermusic.com/" type="external">UDiscoverMusic.com</a>.)</p>
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<p>Frank Sinatra:&#160;“Sinatra Ultimate Christmas”&#160;(Capitol)</p>
<p>A deal to merge Sinatra’s Capitol and Reprise catalogs came together in 2013, but it’s taken a few more for the Christmas music from those respective labels to be joined together on one disc. (His even earlier Columbia Christmas singles are still waiting to join in on the merger fun.) “Ultimate Christmas” reprises the better part of 1957’s excellent “A Jolly Christmas,” his only true, full Christmas solo album, before moving on through some collaborative efforts and singles from the ‘60s, ending with a poignant, frail-sounding version of “Silent Night” that he cut in 1991.</p>
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<p>Tom Chaplin:&#160;“Twelve Tales of Christmas”&#160;(Interscope)</p>
<p>If you’re in England, this holiday set from the former frontman of the band Keane is a very big deal. If you’re in the States, you’ve probably already skipped over this entry. Chaplin’s second solo album is by far the most somber holiday set you’ll hear on any side of the Atlantic this year; sometimes that quest for beauty serves him well, and sometimes you wish someone would load up his stocking with uppers. The sleepers include “Walking in the Air,” based on a favorite song from “The Snowman,” a perennial British holiday special, which would be akin to someone in America making “Holly Jolly Christmas” into a sad pop smash in 2017.</p>
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<p>Various artists:&#160;“A Capitol Christmas Volume Two”&#160;(Capitol)</p>
<p>This 24-song set from the Capitol vaults of music skirts the fine line between pre-rock pop excellence and elevator-music revivalism. Two selections from the Beach Boys’ Christmas album represent the fresh, “edgy” choices on an album that includes other boy bands like the Four Freshmen and the Lettermen, along with heritage acts both brilliant (the Louvin Brothers, Les Paul) and less so (two Wayne Newton songs might be one too many). Collectors will take interest in a couple of tracks never before officially released, including a surprisingly jazzy “Jingle Bells” from Dinah Shore previously limited to an automotive promo disc. 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melting snowman wholl carry without legs run honey snowflake catch keep ice love shes completely serious case motownbeatdriven puppies forever conscientiousness dog adoption theyre cute fluffy shiny coatsbut love em theyre old slow embedded content minus 5160dear december160yep roc theyre far household name minus 5 wellknown rem fans least collective led occasional sideman young fresh fellow scott mccaughey assistance guitarist peter buck swell set 11 holiday originals mike mills also shows sing hanukkah song along guests including death cabs ben gibbard ward posies chuck prophet decemberist colin meloy power poporiented bashers ballads delight anyone ever dug nick lowes chris stameys christmas albums punny highlight yule tide twangy anthem lonely singles looking quick holiday pickup embedded content cheap trick160christmas christmas160big machine originals fewer doesnt much matter robin zander effectively screamsinging way celebrated holiday rockers time originated everyone ramones nilsson place childrens chorus wizzards classic wish could christmas everyday get rick nielsen guitar solo bad tradeoff slades merry xmas everybody actually improves modern translation father christmas comes sluggish compared kinks original thats exception covering saturday night lives wish christmas today cheap trick turn stuff sketch comedy roaring supersonic jet embedded content gwen stefani160you make feel like christmas160interscope twenty years ago doubt terrific cover vandals oi world youre looking anything remotely fun stefanis christmas album less oi like oy rather adopt six standards make half collection style opts generic bigband arrangements stefanis six originals personal always benefit never kissed anyone blue eyes slightly interesting minor celebrity revelation much christmas song ol blue eyes blake shelton duets song cowrote make feel like christmas mostly makes good argument keeping careers separate embedded content fantasia160christmas midnight160concord baby cold outside fantasia brings ceelo green might everyones first pick duet partner particular song troubles years back choice aside fantasia made smart call go brassy far overbearing horn arrangements jazzskirting poprampb collection bonus points reviving leiber amp stollers ray charles bluesy snow falling points docked considering leonard cohens hallelujah christmas song embedded content lindsey stirling160warmer winter160concord hope like violin really really really like violin maybe goes without saying stirling album since fiddling around classicalnew ageedm crossover stockintrade made young utah violinist unlikely star somehow monotony single lead instrument gets older faster seasonal set least finds interesting instrumental partner warmer winter trombone shorty shows rare bowingnblowing duel embedded content various artists160holidays rule vol 2160capitol main attraction revival paul mccartneys wonderful christmastime recorded macca jimmy fallon roots tonight show year ago may second mostdisliked holiday song time christmas shoes turns palatable ditch 70s synths b make cappella c whole thing done 127 lake street dive make something even listenable oldie one 6 ever wanted hear swinging want hippopotamus christmas highclass keeper roseanne cashs cover louis jordans may evry day christmas embedded content hanson160finally christmas160scurve much changed 20 years since hanson released first christmas album snowed except taylor hansons voice means followup inadvertent tribute jackson 5s christmas album first one brothers youthful energy remains unflagging clichéd seasonal sentiments handful original songs may make feel little mmmbah title track finally kind irresistible smokey robinson160christmas everyday160amazon originals looking cover art might mistake vintage album repackaging good news easy mistake contents something minted 60s presence dap kings guests one track good sign 77yearold robinson going something vaguely retro first full christmas album since 1963s christmas miracles producer adam anders former executive music producer glee come approach satisfy vintage motown fans without getting selfconsciously throwbacky might even say christmas miracle embedded content various artists160santas got gto vol 2160gearhead 19 years since rodney bingenheimer la scenemaker kroq dj brought first album garagerock christmas tunes fresh generation caroling punks feral girl groups appears longneeded sequel rock instead roq subtitle owing recent departure longtime radio home mansfields broke christmas instant anthem generation glitter critters little drummer boy stands among revvedup standards currently available vinyl download via amoeba wackosoap plant gearheadcom embedded content reba mcentire160my kind christmas160nash iconbig machine maybe rebas third holiday album come warning label orchestration entire album except one bonus track kelly clarkson trisha yearwood country superstar accompanied solely piano led one reviewer wonder mcentires budgetary constrictions sparseness actually nice choice though particularly jauntier carols easier take without huge brass section even band instrumental modesty becomes embedded content chuck berry160berry christmas160geffenume last four berrys christmas recordings two famous run run rudolph merry christmas baby two rare christmas spending christmas collected together first time one disc theres catch vinyl oh even limiting caveat 10inch red ep available bonus disc brand new vinyl boxed set late guitarists notable material great twentyeight super deluxe sane person turntable want whole shebang anyway currently available udiscovermusiccom embedded content frank sinatra160sinatra ultimate christmas160capitol deal merge sinatras capitol reprise catalogs came together 2013 taken christmas music respective labels joined together one disc even earlier columbia christmas singles still waiting join merger fun ultimate christmas reprises better part 1957s excellent jolly christmas true full christmas solo album moving collaborative efforts singles 60s ending poignant frailsounding version silent night cut 1991 embedded content tom chaplin160twelve tales christmas160interscope youre england holiday set former frontman band keane big deal youre states youve probably already skipped entry chaplins second solo album far somber holiday set youll hear side atlantic year sometimes quest beauty serves well sometimes wish someone would load stocking uppers sleepers include walking air based favorite song snowman perennial british holiday special would akin someone america making holly jolly christmas sad pop smash 2017 embedded content various artists160a capitol christmas volume two160capitol 24song set capitol vaults music skirts fine line prerock pop excellence elevatormusic revivalism two selections beach boys christmas album represent fresh edgy choices album includes boy bands like four freshmen lettermen along heritage acts brilliant louvin brothers les paul less two wayne newton songs might one many collectors take interest couple tracks never officially released including surprisingly jazzy jingle bells dinah shore previously limited automotive promo disc knew remembered could swing golf club | 1,090 |
<p />
<p>The Cold War made a lot of money for the military/security complex for four decades dating from Churchill’s March 5, 1946 speech in Fulton, Missouri declaring a Soviet “Iron Curtain” until Reagan and Gorbachev ended the Cold War in the late 1980s. During the Cold War Americans heard endlessly about “the Captive Nations.”&#160; The Captive Nations were the Baltics and the Soviet bloc, usually summarized as “Eastern Europe.”</p>
<p>These nations were captive because their foreign policies were dictated by Moscow, just as these same Captive Nations, plus the UK, Western Europe, Canada, Mexico, Columbia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Georgia, and Ukraine, have their foreign policies dictated today by Washington.</p>
<p>Washington intends to expand the Captive Nations to include Azerbaijan, former constituent parts of Soviet Central Asia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia.</p>
<p>During the Cold War Americans thought of Western Europe and Great Britain as independent sovereign countries.&#160; Whether they were or not, they most certainly are not today.&#160; We are now almost seven decades after WWII, and US troops still occupy Germany. No European government dares to take a stance different from that of the US Department of State.</p>
<p>Not long ago there was talk both in the UK and Germany about departing the European Union, and Washington told both countries that talk of that kind must stop as it was not in Washington’s interest for any country to exit the EU.&#160; The talk stopped. Great Britain and Germany are such complete vassals of Washington that neither country can publicly discuss its own future.</p>
<p>When Baltasar Garzon, a Spanish judge with prosecuting authority, attempted to indict members of the George W. Bush regime for violating international law by torturing detainees, he was slapped down.</p>
<p>In Modern Britain, Stephane Aderca writes that the UK is so proud of being Washington’s “junior partner” that the British government agreed to a one-sided extradition treaty under which Washington merely has to declare “reasonable suspicion” in order to obtain extradition from the UK, but the UK must prove “probable cause.”</p>
<p>Being Washington’s “junior partner,” Aderca reports, is an ego-boost for British elites, giving them a feeling of self-importance.</p>
<p>Under the rule of the Soviet Union, a larger entity than present day Russia, the captive nations had poor economic performance.&#160; Under Washington’s rule, these same captives have poor economic performance due to their looting by Wall Street and the IMF.</p>
<p>As Giuseppe di Lampedusa said, “Things have to change in order to remain the same.”</p>
<p>The looting of Europe by Wall Street has gone beyond Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Ukraine, and is now focused on France and Great Britain.&#160; The American authorities are demanding $10 billion from France’s largest bank on a trumped-up charge of financing trade with Iran, as if it is any business whatsoever of Washington’s who French banks choose to finance.&#160; And despite Great Britain’s total subservience to Washington, Barclays bank has a civil fraud suit filed against it by the New York State Attorney General.</p>
<p>The charges against Barclays PLC are likely correct. But as no US banks were charged, most of which are similarly guilty, the US charge against Barclays means that big pension funds and mutual funds must flee Barclays as customers, because the pension funds and mutual funds would be subject to lawsuits for negligence if they stayed with a bank under charges.</p>
<p>The result, of course, of the US charges against foreign banks is that US banks like Morgan Stanley and Citigroup are given a competitive advantage and gain market share in their own dark pools.</p>
<p>So, what are we witnessing?&#160; Clearly and unequivocally, we are witnessing the use of US law to create financial hegemony for US financial institutions.&#160; The US Department of Justice (sic) has had evidence for five years of Citigroup’s participation in the fixing of the LIBOR interest rate, but no indictment has been forthcoming.</p>
<p>The bought and paid for governments of Washington’s European puppet states are so corrupt that the leaders permit Washington control over their countries in order to advance American financial, political, and economic hegemony.</p>
<p>Washington is organizing the world against Russia and China for Washington’s benefit.&#160; On June 27 Washington’s puppet states that comprise the EU issued an ultimatum to Russia. The absurdity of this ultimatum is obvious. Militarily, Washington’s EU puppets are harmless. Russia could wipe out Europe in a few minutes.&#160; Here we have the weak issuing an ultimatum to the strong.</p>
<p>The EU, ordered by Washington, told Russia to suppress the opposition in southern and eastern Ukraine to Washington’s stooge government in Kiev.&#160; But, as every educated person knows, including the White House, 10 Downing Street, Merkel, and Holland, Russia is not responsible for the separatist unrest in eastern and southern Ukraine.</p>
<p>These territories are former constituent parts of Russia that were added to the Ukrainian Soviet Republic by Soviet Communist Party leaders when Ukraine and Russia were two parts of the same country.</p>
<p>These Russians want to return to Russia because they are threatened by the stooge government in Kiev that Washington has installed. Washington, determined to force Putin into military action that can be used to justify more sanctions, is intent on forcing the issue, not on resolving the issue.</p>
<p>What is Putin to do?&#160; He has been given 72 hours to submit to an ultimatum from a collection on puppet states that he can wipe out at a moment’s notice or seriously inconvenience by turning off the flow of Russian natural gas to Europe.</p>
<p>Historically, such a stupid challenge to power would result in consequences. But Putin is a humanist who favors peace.&#160; He will not willingly give up his strategy of demonstrating to Europe that the provocations are coming from Washington, not from Russia.&#160; Putin’s hope, and Russia’s, is that Europe will eventually realize that Europe is being badly used by Washington.</p>
<p>Washington has hundreds of Washington-financed NGOs in Russia hiding behind various guises such as “human rights,” and Washington can unleash these NGOs on Putin at will, as Washington did with the protests against Putin’s election.&#160; Washington’s fifth columns claimed that Putin stole the election even though polls showed that Putin was the clear and undisputed winner.</p>
<p>In 1991 Russians were, for the most part, delighted to be released from communism and looked to the West as an ally in the construction of a civil society based on good will.&#160; This was Russia’s mistake.&#160; As the Brzezinski and Wolfowitz doctrines make clear,&#160;Russia is the enemy whose rise to influence must be prevented at all cost.</p>
<p>Putin’s dilemma is that he is caught between his heart-felt desire to reach an accommodation with Europe and Washington’s desire to demonize and isolate Russia.</p>
<p>The risk for Putin is that his desire for accommodation is being exploited by Washington and explained to the EU as Putin’s weakness and lack of courage.&#160; Washington is telling its European vassals that Putin’s retreat under Europe’s pressure will undermine his status in Russia, and at the right time Washington will unleash its many hundreds of NGOs to bring Putin to ruin.</p>
<p>This was the Ukraine scenario. With Putin replaced with a compliant Russian, richly rewarded by Washington, only China would remain as an obstacle to American world hegemony.</p> | false | 1 | cold war made lot money militarysecurity complex four decades dating churchills march 5 1946 speech fulton missouri declaring soviet iron curtain reagan gorbachev ended cold war late 1980s cold war americans heard endlessly captive nations160 captive nations baltics soviet bloc usually summarized eastern europe nations captive foreign policies dictated moscow captive nations plus uk western europe canada mexico columbia japan australia new zealand south korea taiwan philippines georgia ukraine foreign policies dictated today washington washington intends expand captive nations include azerbaijan former constituent parts soviet central asia vietnam thailand indonesia cold war americans thought western europe great britain independent sovereign countries160 whether certainly today160 almost seven decades wwii us troops still occupy germany european government dares take stance different us department state long ago talk uk germany departing european union washington told countries talk kind must stop washingtons interest country exit eu160 talk stopped great britain germany complete vassals washington neither country publicly discuss future baltasar garzon spanish judge prosecuting authority attempted indict members george w bush regime violating international law torturing detainees slapped modern britain stephane aderca writes uk proud washingtons junior partner british government agreed onesided extradition treaty washington merely declare reasonable suspicion order obtain extradition uk uk must prove probable cause washingtons junior partner aderca reports egoboost british elites giving feeling selfimportance rule soviet union larger entity present day russia captive nations poor economic performance160 washingtons rule captives poor economic performance due looting wall street imf giuseppe di lampedusa said things change order remain looting europe wall street gone beyond greece italy spain portugal ireland ukraine focused france great britain160 american authorities demanding 10 billion frances largest bank trumpedup charge financing trade iran business whatsoever washingtons french banks choose finance160 despite great britains total subservience washington barclays bank civil fraud suit filed new york state attorney general charges barclays plc likely correct us banks charged similarly guilty us charge barclays means big pension funds mutual funds must flee barclays customers pension funds mutual funds would subject lawsuits negligence stayed bank charges result course us charges foreign banks us banks like morgan stanley citigroup given competitive advantage gain market share dark pools witnessing160 clearly unequivocally witnessing use us law create financial hegemony us financial institutions160 us department justice sic evidence five years citigroups participation fixing libor interest rate indictment forthcoming bought paid governments washingtons european puppet states corrupt leaders permit washington control countries order advance american financial political economic hegemony washington organizing world russia china washingtons benefit160 june 27 washingtons puppet states comprise eu issued ultimatum russia absurdity ultimatum obvious militarily washingtons eu puppets harmless russia could wipe europe minutes160 weak issuing ultimatum strong eu ordered washington told russia suppress opposition southern eastern ukraine washingtons stooge government kiev160 every educated person knows including white house 10 downing street merkel holland russia responsible separatist unrest eastern southern ukraine territories former constituent parts russia added ukrainian soviet republic soviet communist party leaders ukraine russia two parts country russians want return russia threatened stooge government kiev washington installed washington determined force putin military action used justify sanctions intent forcing issue resolving issue putin do160 given 72 hours submit ultimatum collection puppet states wipe moments notice seriously inconvenience turning flow russian natural gas europe historically stupid challenge power would result consequences putin humanist favors peace160 willingly give strategy demonstrating europe provocations coming washington russia160 putins hope russias europe eventually realize europe badly used washington washington hundreds washingtonfinanced ngos russia hiding behind various guises human rights washington unleash ngos putin washington protests putins election160 washingtons fifth columns claimed putin stole election even though polls showed putin clear undisputed winner 1991 russians part delighted released communism looked west ally construction civil society based good will160 russias mistake160 brzezinski wolfowitz doctrines make clear160russia enemy whose rise influence must prevented cost putins dilemma caught heartfelt desire reach accommodation europe washingtons desire demonize isolate russia risk putin desire accommodation exploited washington explained eu putins weakness lack courage160 washington telling european vassals putins retreat europes pressure undermine status russia right time washington unleash many hundreds ngos bring putin ruin ukraine scenario putin replaced compliant russian richly rewarded washington china would remain obstacle american world hegemony | 687 |
<p>By Samia Nakhoul, Angus McDowall and Stephen Kalin</p>
<p>BEIRUT/RIYADH (Reuters) – The first hint that something was amiss came in a letter.</p>
<p>On Saturday Nov. 4, guests at Riyadh’s Ritz Carlton were notified by the opulent hotel that: “Due to unforeseen booking by local authorities which requires an elevated level of security, we are unable to accommodate guests … until normal operations are restored.”</p>
<p>The purge was already under way. Within hours security forces had rounded up dozens of members of Saudi Arabia’s political and business elite, mostly in the capital and the coastal city of Jeddah. Among them were 11 princes as well as ministers and wealthy tycoons.</p>
<p>Some were invited to meetings where they were detained. Others were arrested at their homes and flown to Riyadh or driven to the Ritz Carlton, which has been turned into a temporary prison.</p>
<p>The detainees were allowed a single, brief phone call home, a person familiar with the arrests told Reuters.</p>
<p>“They don’t receive calls and are kept under tight security. No one can go in or out,” the insider said. “It is obvious that there was a lot of preparation for it.”</p>
<p>The purge was ordered by 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Officially next in line to the throne to his father, King Salman, he is now in effect running the country which he has said he will transform into a modern state.</p>
<p>To do that – and in an attempt to shore up his own power – he has decided to go after the Saudi elite, including some members of the royal family, on accusations such as taking bribes and inflating the cost of business projects. Those arrested could not be reached for comment.</p>
<p>At stake is political stability in the world’s largest oil producer. The Crown Prince’s ability to rule unchallenged depends on whether the purge is successful.</p>
<p>The Crown Prince believes that unless the country changes, the economy will sink into a crisis that could fan unrest. That could threaten the royal family and weaken the country in its regional rivalry with Iran.</p>
<p>Saudi royal family arrests: http://tmsnrt.rs/2AjCNiQ</p>
<p>THE “CORRUPTION STICK”</p>
<p>Prince Mohammed decided to move on his family, the person familiar with events said, when he realized more relatives opposed him becoming king than he had thought.</p>
<p>“The signal was that anyone wavering in their support should watch out,” said the person familiar with the events. “The whole idea of the anti-corruption campaign was targeted toward the family. The rest is window dressing.”</p>
<p>King Salman said the purge was in response to “exploitation by some of the weak souls who have put their own interests above the public interest, in order to, illicitly, accrue money”. Insiders said the accusations were based on evidence gathered by the intelligence service.</p>
<p>Government backers have rejected suggestions that the campaign is really about eliminating political enemies. There was no immediate comment from the royal court on this story.</p>
<p>Among those now holed up at the Ritz Carlton hotel is Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, who is head of the powerful National Guard and Prince Mohammed’s cousin.</p>
<p>Miteb was in his farm house in Riyadh when he was called to a meeting with the Crown Prince. Such an invitation, even at night, would not be unusual for a senior official and would not have aroused suspicion.</p>
<p>“He went to the meeting and never came back,” said a second insider who has connections to some of those who were detained.</p>
<p>Others held include Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who is chairman of international investment firm Kingdom Holding and a cousin of Prince Mohammed, and Prince Turki bin Abdullah, former governor of Riyadh province and a son of the late King Abdullah.</p>
<p>Some royal watchers said tensions were laid bare during family meetings over the summer. One insider said it was widely known to Prince Mohammed that some of the powerful royals, including Miteb, were resentful about his elevation.</p>
<p>Prince Mohammed, who is widely known in Saudi Arabia by his initials MbS, had said openly in interviews that he would investigate the kingdom’s endemic corruption and would not hesitate to go after top officials.</p>
<p>The vehicle was an anti-corruption committee created by King Salman, and announced on Nov. 4. The king put the Crown Prince in charge, adding another power to the many he has been given in the past three years.</p>
<p>Saudi authorities have questioned 208 people in the anti-corruption investigation and estimate at least $100 billion has been stolen through graft, the attorney-general said on Thursday. The head of the committee said investigators had been collecting evidence for three years.</p>
<p>By launching a war on corruption, the prince has combined a popular cause with the elimination of an obstacle to acceding to the throne.</p>
<p>“MbS used the corruption stick which can reach any one of them,” said Jamal Khashoggi, a former adviser to Prince Turki al-Faisal, intelligence chief from 1979 to 2001. “For the first time we Saudis see princes being tried for their corruption.”</p>
<p>But Khashoggi, who lives in the United States, said Prince Mohammed was being selective in his purge.</p>
<p>“I believe MbS is a nationalist who loves his country and wants it to be the strongest but his problem is that he wants to rule alone,” he said.</p>
<p>Saudi Prince Alwaleed’s investments: http://tmsnrt.rs/2j5fE04</p>
<p>DE FACTO RULER</p>
<p>Prince Mohammed was appointed defense minister in 2015 when King Salman became monarch. In June, the King named him heir to the throne, pushing aside his older cousin Mohammed bin Nayef, a veteran head of the security apparatus. The royal family acquiesced and by September the Crown Prince had rounded up and jailed religious and intellectual opponents.</p>
<p>The latest detentions are intended to help him push through reforms that promise the greatest change since the reign of King Abdulaziz, founder of the current Saudi state in the 1930s.</p>
<p>That state has rested on an enduring accommodation between the royal family and the Wahhabist clerics who control the hardline version of Islam that originated in Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p>The ruling family promised to give Saudis comfortable lives and a share of the country’s oil wealth. In return, their subjects have offered political submission and promised to follow the country’s strict religious and social codes.</p>
<p>King Abdulaziz, who was also known as Ibn Saud, died in 1953. Since then, Saudi Arabia has been run by the king and below him there has been a group of princes, none of them strong enough to impose his will against the wishes of the others.</p>
<p>Decisions have mostly come through consensus. That arrangement has meant social and political change has been glacial although it has also kept the kingdom stable.</p>
<p>But in moves that position Prince Mohammed as the new Ibn Saud, the Crown Prince is tearing down pillars of rule that had been eroding under the weight of population growth and low oil prices.</p>
<p>Consensus has been replaced by what critics say is one-man rule, opposed by some princes although they would not risk saying so in public.</p>
<p>In the past few decades, every Saudi king had one or two of his brothers, sons or nephews by his side advising and sharing in governance. But Prince Mohammed has not appointed any of his brothers or other close family to top positions, instead relying on a team of advisers — mainly Saudis though some are U.S.- or British-trained.</p>
<p>King Salman, 82, still has the last word on everything. But he has delegated the running of the kingdom’s military, security, economic, foreign and social affairs to Prince Mohammed. There has been speculation for months, denied by court officials, that the king will soon abdicate the throne to MbS.</p>
<p>Even the Crown Prince’s age is remarkable. The last three kings have reached the throne aged 61, 80 and 79. Prince Mohammed is effectively in charge at 32.</p>
<p>NO GUARANTEE OF SUCCESS</p>
<p>Prince Mohammed says he offers a new social contract: A state that functions better than the rigid bureaucracy of the past, opportunities to have fun and an economy that will create jobs that can last, whatever happens in oil markets.</p>
<p>In September he announced that Saudi women will be given the right to drive. Just three weeks ago, during a conference for investors at the same Ritz Carlton that now houses the targets of his purge, he unveiled a plan for a $500-billion futuristic city where sexes could mingle and robots outnumber humans.</p>
<p>The prince has also drawn up a blueprint to wean Saudi Arabia off its dependence on oil and its subjects off state subsidies and government jobs. The public listing of national oil company Saudi Aramco, planned next year, is its centerpiece.</p>
<p>There are no guarantees the prince’s ambitions will succeed.</p>
<p>Even some admirers ask whether his reach exceeds his grasp. His top-down approach, brooking no opposition, could scare off investors wanting assurances about rule of law and security. Without huge investor support, he will struggle to meet the aspirations of Saudi youth.</p>
<p>War in Yemen, a dispute with the Gulf emirate of Qatar and growing tension with Iran is a concern to investors too.</p>
<p>It should help that Prince Mohammed, following the example of Ibn Saud, sees the importance of forging a special bond with the United States.</p>
<p>During a visit to Saudi Arabia in May, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Riyadh to lead an alliance against Iran and its attempt to cut a Shi’ite axis through Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.</p>
<p>Soon afterwards, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates blockaded Qatar, accusing its ruling Al Thani dynasty of supporting Iran and Islamist terrorism. Trump gave his backing. After the arrests of the past week, Trump tweeted support, saying those arrested had been “milking their country for years”.</p>
<p>One insider close to the royal family said the National Guard was unlikely to react strongly to Miteb’s removal. He said there had been no resistance to the ousting of Mohammed bin Nayef at the interior ministry and the National Guard would be no different.</p> | false | 1 | samia nakhoul angus mcdowall stephen kalin beirutriyadh reuters first hint something amiss came letter saturday nov 4 guests riyadhs ritz carlton notified opulent hotel due unforeseen booking local authorities requires elevated level security unable accommodate guests normal operations restored purge already way within hours security forces rounded dozens members saudi arabias political business elite mostly capital coastal city jeddah among 11 princes well ministers wealthy tycoons invited meetings detained others arrested homes flown riyadh driven ritz carlton turned temporary prison detainees allowed single brief phone call home person familiar arrests told reuters dont receive calls kept tight security one go insider said obvious lot preparation purge ordered 32yearold crown prince mohammed bin salman officially next line throne father king salman effect running country said transform modern state attempt shore power decided go saudi elite including members royal family accusations taking bribes inflating cost business projects arrested could reached comment stake political stability worlds largest oil producer crown princes ability rule unchallenged depends whether purge successful crown prince believes unless country changes economy sink crisis could fan unrest could threaten royal family weaken country regional rivalry iran saudi royal family arrests httptmsnrtrs2ajcniq corruption stick prince mohammed decided move family person familiar events said realized relatives opposed becoming king thought signal anyone wavering support watch said person familiar events whole idea anticorruption campaign targeted toward family rest window dressing king salman said purge response exploitation weak souls put interests public interest order illicitly accrue money insiders said accusations based evidence gathered intelligence service government backers rejected suggestions campaign really eliminating political enemies immediate comment royal court story among holed ritz carlton hotel prince miteb bin abdullah head powerful national guard prince mohammeds cousin miteb farm house riyadh called meeting crown prince invitation even night would unusual senior official would aroused suspicion went meeting never came back said second insider connections detained others held include prince alwaleed bin talal chairman international investment firm kingdom holding cousin prince mohammed prince turki bin abdullah former governor riyadh province son late king abdullah royal watchers said tensions laid bare family meetings summer one insider said widely known prince mohammed powerful royals including miteb resentful elevation prince mohammed widely known saudi arabia initials mbs said openly interviews would investigate kingdoms endemic corruption would hesitate go top officials vehicle anticorruption committee created king salman announced nov 4 king put crown prince charge adding another power many given past three years saudi authorities questioned 208 people anticorruption investigation estimate least 100 billion stolen graft attorneygeneral said thursday head committee said investigators collecting evidence three years launching war corruption prince combined popular cause elimination obstacle acceding throne mbs used corruption stick reach one said jamal khashoggi former adviser prince turki alfaisal intelligence chief 1979 2001 first time saudis see princes tried corruption khashoggi lives united states said prince mohammed selective purge believe mbs nationalist loves country wants strongest problem wants rule alone said saudi prince alwaleeds investments httptmsnrtrs2j5fe04 de facto ruler prince mohammed appointed defense minister 2015 king salman became monarch june king named heir throne pushing aside older cousin mohammed bin nayef veteran head security apparatus royal family acquiesced september crown prince rounded jailed religious intellectual opponents latest detentions intended help push reforms promise greatest change since reign king abdulaziz founder current saudi state 1930s state rested enduring accommodation royal family wahhabist clerics control hardline version islam originated saudi arabia ruling family promised give saudis comfortable lives share countrys oil wealth return subjects offered political submission promised follow countrys strict religious social codes king abdulaziz also known ibn saud died 1953 since saudi arabia run king group princes none strong enough impose wishes others decisions mostly come consensus arrangement meant social political change glacial although also kept kingdom stable moves position prince mohammed new ibn saud crown prince tearing pillars rule eroding weight population growth low oil prices consensus replaced critics say oneman rule opposed princes although would risk saying public past decades every saudi king one two brothers sons nephews side advising sharing governance prince mohammed appointed brothers close family top positions instead relying team advisers mainly saudis though us britishtrained king salman 82 still last word everything delegated running kingdoms military security economic foreign social affairs prince mohammed speculation months denied court officials king soon abdicate throne mbs even crown princes age remarkable last three kings reached throne aged 61 80 79 prince mohammed effectively charge 32 guarantee success prince mohammed says offers new social contract state functions better rigid bureaucracy past opportunities fun economy create jobs last whatever happens oil markets september announced saudi women given right drive three weeks ago conference investors ritz carlton houses targets purge unveiled plan 500billion futuristic city sexes could mingle robots outnumber humans prince also drawn blueprint wean saudi arabia dependence oil subjects state subsidies government jobs public listing national oil company saudi aramco planned next year centerpiece guarantees princes ambitions succeed even admirers ask whether reach exceeds grasp topdown approach brooking opposition could scare investors wanting assurances rule law security without huge investor support struggle meet aspirations saudi youth war yemen dispute gulf emirate qatar growing tension iran concern investors help prince mohammed following example ibn saud sees importance forging special bond united states visit saudi arabia may us president donald trump urged riyadh lead alliance iran attempt cut shiite axis iraq syria lebanon soon afterwards saudi arabia united arab emirates blockaded qatar accusing ruling al thani dynasty supporting iran islamist terrorism trump gave backing arrests past week trump tweeted support saying arrested milking country years one insider close royal family said national guard unlikely react strongly mitebs removal said resistance ousting mohammed bin nayef interior ministry national guard would different | 942 |
<p>In Afghanistan it is time to promote peace by encouraging all stakeholders to come to the negotiating table, including Taliban</p>
<p>The McChrystal saga is over. A change of command has taken place amid a disastrous Afghan war that tore that country apart, destabilized the region, brought America to the brink, exposed the civil-military divide and intensified the anti-war sentiment. As the storm dies down, it is time for the White House and Pentagon to take a deep breath before moving forward.</p>
<p>More importantly, it is time for General Petraeus to reflect upon his role in the new theatre of war for which he earlier wrote the script called the “new counterinsurgency strategy”. He should know, as his superiors do, that this is a bogus war that has claimed thousands of innocent lives for no reason. It is now up to him to realize and convince his superiors in Pentagon, the White House and Republican hawks in the Congress that this war is not worth fighting, it is time to begin winding it down and let peace return to Afghanistan.</p>
<p>Alternatively, the general will be fighting a losing war with only a marginal support from President Obama after July 2011 as he enters the crucial re-election phase in which this war would be a big liability for him. By promptly firing McChrystal, overruling recommendations by Secretary Gates, NATO and Karzai to retain him for the sake of continuity, Obama sent a clear message to his military top brass about his undisputed authority over the military and the conduct of war.</p>
<p>If this is any indication, he will most likely order troop withdrawal by next July, citing the failure of Petraeus’s strategy after having given the conflict his best shot and the need to scale down American presence, while exploring alternative solutions. Should that happen, General Petraeus would find himself limping back home at the head of an army that failed to accomplish its mission and he would then find his ‘success’ stories of Iraq relegated to the tales of failure in Afghanistan.</p>
<p>Although General Petraeus has been overseeing the war in Afghanistan from his perch in Iraq and execution of his Iraq-fame counterinsurgency doctrine that he gave to General McChrystal for a cut-and-paste application in Afghanistan, he will perhaps soon realize that “one doctrine suits all” approach does not work. Even the so-called success in Iraq was not attributable entirely to his counterinsurgency strategy or the troop surge.</p>
<p>The conditions existing in Afghanistan are very different. His own strategy applied in Afghanistan by his protégé failed because, among other reasons, the federal and provincial governments, the army, and the police are completely non-functional; and their functionality is a prerequisite for his strategy to succeed. He will be pitched against a tribal people, deeply religious, uncompromising and averse to foreign presence, who know their formidable terrain better than his men do, who are adept at fighting an irregular warfare and who are gaining strength despite the arrival of new troops. He will be working with a diplomatic team that operates on a different plane. His support at home is waning. And he has to follow a timetable set by his commander-in-chief, who is keen to wind up the war.</p>
<p>The Congress is also seeking assurances from him about his ability to adhere to the July 2011 withdrawal timeline. Senate and House of Representatives panels grilled him if enough progress can be made in reconciling the Afghan government and Taliban-led insurgents and whether an Afghan security force will be ready to replace American troops in time.</p>
<p>Since the US and NATO withdrawal is now on the cards, there is need for Petraeus to go about Afghanistan differently. Rather than continue the slaughter of the Afghans and the US/ISAF troops and pursuing the long term exercise of winning people’s hearts and minds, one that could take a decade or longer with no guarantees of success, he needs to lead an effort at developing a workable political strategy to help stabilize the country. Absence of such a strategy causes “strategic confusion,” said Ronald Neumann, former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan (2005-07).</p>
<p>Speaking in Toronto recently, Obama also acknowledged that “ultimately as was true in Iraq, so will be true in Afghanistan, we will have to have a political solution.”</p>
<p>A political solution needs a political strategy. Such a strategy should chart “a pathway to the future shape of a peaceful Afghanistan and its relationships with its neighbors and the wider world,” wrote British diplomat Shercliff. “At the end of that pathway is a steady-state situation: an Afghanistan . . . robust enough to sustain its own economic and political stability”.</p>
<p>The political strategy should focus on reconciliation and restoration of peace that also allows the region, particularly its neighbor, Pakistan, to come out of the spiral of conflicts and violence that has plagued it since the Soviet invasion of 1978.</p>
<p>There are now signs that peace has a chance of breaking out in Afghanistan. The news of troop withdrawal has encouraged most parties to the conflict to seek peace. Karzai has already made his moves by firing hardliners from his administrations who opposed reconciliation with insurgents. He has begun a dialogue with Taliban groups, apparently outside the frame of action defined by the Americans, but clearly with their consent. The Taliban groups led by Mullah Omar are not averse to the idea of dialogue either and are ready to “do a deal” over Al Qaeda. In fact, Pakistan may be able to facilitate such a deal. Obama appears to favor this when he said in Toronto recently: “conversations between the Afghan government and the Pakistani government, building trust between those two governments, are a useful step.”</p>
<p>The Haqqani network is reportedly already talking to Karzai, and so is Gulbadeen Hekmatyar. Indications are that the Obama administration might not rule out the incorporation of the Haqqani network in an Afghan settlement. “Haqqani has a large fighting force, and by co-opting him into a power-sharing arrangement a lot of bloodshed can be avoided”, said an official on the condition of anonymity. Special envoy Richard Holbrooke said on a visit to Islamabad recently that it was “hard to imagine” the Haqqani network in an Afghan arrangement, but added, “Who knows?”</p>
<p>Pakistan is playing the crucial role of bringing the adversaries and stakeholders in the Afghan conflict to the negotiating table. The Pakistan Army and the ISI, both relentlessly presented and condemned as bad boys by the West and Kabul, which were egged-on by the Indian-Israeli outfits in the past, are now being looked upon as facilitators for peace talks by Karzai and the West. Obama sees Pakistan’s effort to broker talks “with openness”.</p>
<p>As this delicate process moves forward, a few words of caution: The process of reconciliation and re-integration of Taliban does not serve some outside interests such as those of India. Keen at playing a role itself, where none can realistically be claimed, India is averse to the idea of Pakistan’s involvement in the process. Anguished by this turn of events, which it fears might threaten its long term geostrategic interests, India can be expected to attempt derailment of the effort. It has at stake over a billion US dollars invested in Afghanistan for gaining an economic and political clout and operating an intelligence network targeting Pakistan and would not like to lose out.</p>
<p>With Washington making its intentions clear as to the course it intends to follow and all parties to the conflict inching towards the negotiating table, there is not much left to fight for. Instead, it is time to cheer them up. In the interim, use of additional troops by the ISAF commanders to escalate the conflict just to prove their prowess and justify the surge would prove counterproductive. This will easily destroy the peace initiatives and kill any chances of reconciliation. So, if a truce cannot immediately be worked out, let there at least be a show of intent and in this spirit the Kandahar offensive needs to be reviewed.</p>
<p>To a very large extent it will now be the General’s call to draw the war to a close or escalate it. In the interest of the countries involved and the peace at large, the advice for the general is: hold your dogs of war and give peace a chance.</p> | false | 1 | afghanistan time promote peace encouraging stakeholders come negotiating table including taliban mcchrystal saga change command taken place amid disastrous afghan war tore country apart destabilized region brought america brink exposed civilmilitary divide intensified antiwar sentiment storm dies time white house pentagon take deep breath moving forward importantly time general petraeus reflect upon role new theatre war earlier wrote script called new counterinsurgency strategy know superiors bogus war claimed thousands innocent lives reason realize convince superiors pentagon white house republican hawks congress war worth fighting time begin winding let peace return afghanistan alternatively general fighting losing war marginal support president obama july 2011 enters crucial reelection phase war would big liability promptly firing mcchrystal overruling recommendations secretary gates nato karzai retain sake continuity obama sent clear message military top brass undisputed authority military conduct war indication likely order troop withdrawal next july citing failure petraeuss strategy given conflict best shot need scale american presence exploring alternative solutions happen general petraeus would find limping back home head army failed accomplish mission would find success stories iraq relegated tales failure afghanistan although general petraeus overseeing war afghanistan perch iraq execution iraqfame counterinsurgency doctrine gave general mcchrystal cutandpaste application afghanistan perhaps soon realize one doctrine suits approach work even socalled success iraq attributable entirely counterinsurgency strategy troop surge conditions existing afghanistan different strategy applied afghanistan protégé failed among reasons federal provincial governments army police completely nonfunctional functionality prerequisite strategy succeed pitched tribal people deeply religious uncompromising averse foreign presence know formidable terrain better men adept fighting irregular warfare gaining strength despite arrival new troops working diplomatic team operates different plane support home waning follow timetable set commanderinchief keen wind war congress also seeking assurances ability adhere july 2011 withdrawal timeline senate house representatives panels grilled enough progress made reconciling afghan government talibanled insurgents whether afghan security force ready replace american troops time since us nato withdrawal cards need petraeus go afghanistan differently rather continue slaughter afghans usisaf troops pursuing long term exercise winning peoples hearts minds one could take decade longer guarantees success needs lead effort developing workable political strategy help stabilize country absence strategy causes strategic confusion said ronald neumann former us ambassador afghanistan 200507 speaking toronto recently obama also acknowledged ultimately true iraq true afghanistan political solution political solution needs political strategy strategy chart pathway future shape peaceful afghanistan relationships neighbors wider world wrote british diplomat shercliff end pathway steadystate situation afghanistan robust enough sustain economic political stability political strategy focus reconciliation restoration peace also allows region particularly neighbor pakistan come spiral conflicts violence plagued since soviet invasion 1978 signs peace chance breaking afghanistan news troop withdrawal encouraged parties conflict seek peace karzai already made moves firing hardliners administrations opposed reconciliation insurgents begun dialogue taliban groups apparently outside frame action defined americans clearly consent taliban groups led mullah omar averse idea dialogue either ready deal al qaeda fact pakistan may able facilitate deal obama appears favor said toronto recently conversations afghan government pakistani government building trust two governments useful step haqqani network reportedly already talking karzai gulbadeen hekmatyar indications obama administration might rule incorporation haqqani network afghan settlement haqqani large fighting force coopting powersharing arrangement lot bloodshed avoided said official condition anonymity special envoy richard holbrooke said visit islamabad recently hard imagine haqqani network afghan arrangement added knows pakistan playing crucial role bringing adversaries stakeholders afghan conflict negotiating table pakistan army isi relentlessly presented condemned bad boys west kabul eggedon indianisraeli outfits past looked upon facilitators peace talks karzai west obama sees pakistans effort broker talks openness delicate process moves forward words caution process reconciliation reintegration taliban serve outside interests india keen playing role none realistically claimed india averse idea pakistans involvement process anguished turn events fears might threaten long term geostrategic interests india expected attempt derailment effort stake billion us dollars invested afghanistan gaining economic political clout operating intelligence network targeting pakistan would like lose washington making intentions clear course intends follow parties conflict inching towards negotiating table much left fight instead time cheer interim use additional troops isaf commanders escalate conflict prove prowess justify surge would prove counterproductive easily destroy peace initiatives kill chances reconciliation truce immediately worked let least show intent spirit kandahar offensive needs reviewed large extent generals call draw war close escalate interest countries involved peace large advice general hold dogs war give peace chance | 718 |
<p>WASHINGTON — Trailing in the polls, Republican candidate Ed Gillespie chanced an unusual tactic in his bid to win the Virginia governor’s race.</p>
<p>Dubbed “Trumpism without Trump,” the idea was to position Gillespie close enough to President Donald Trump to ride the victories enjoyed by other GOP hopefuls throughout 2017, but not so close that he would risk alienating Northern Virginia moderates.</p>
<p>Tuesday’s result: Democrat Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam <a href="" type="internal">trounced Gillespie</a> by an unexpectedly large margin.</p>
<p>From South Korea, Trump blasted Gillespie for ending the GOP’s 2017 winning streak of four House races.</p>
<p>“Ed Gillespie worked hard but did not embrace me or what I stand for. Don’t forget, Republicans won 4 out of 4 House seats, and with the economy doing record numbers, we will continue to win, even bigger than before!” Trump tweeted.</p>
<p>An energized House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., declared that the Democrats’ much-awaited win “opens the door” for the 2018 midterm races.</p>
<p>“We get the fresh recruits, and they get the retirements,” she said.</p>
<p>Gillespie never was the favorite to win Virginia. Trump himself lost the state to Hillary Clinton by a five-point margin one year ago.</p>
<p>Northam’s nine-point win, however, was more dramatic than insiders had expected. The RealClearPolitics polling average reported a 3.3 percentage point lead for Northam and had ranked the race a toss-up. Political operatives are left to noodle over whether Northam’s lead widened because of Trump or Trumpism without Trump.</p>
<p>Northam fingered Trump. “Virginia has told us to end the divisiveness, that we will not condone hatred and bigotry,” he said during his victory remarks.</p>
<p>Unknown territory</p>
<p>Both candidates maneuvered warily through unknown territory. Northam, a pediatrician, won the Democratic primary with ads in which he called Trump a “narcissistic maniac.” When the race appeared to tighten, Northam changed his tone and ran spots in which he pledged, “If Donald Trump is helping Virginia, I’ll work with him.”</p>
<p>Gillespie also straddled a fine line during the campaign. A former George W. Bush aide, Republican National Committee chairman and powerhouse lobbyist, Gillespie narrowly beat a Trump hard-liner in the Republican primary, only to adopt Trump positions on immigration and Civil War monuments in his bid to prevail in November.</p>
<p>As to Trump himself, Gillespie kept his distance. When the president endorsed Gillespie on Twitter, Gillespie didn’t bother to retweet the message.</p>
<p>Lanhee J. Chen, a research fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution who advised GOP nominee Mitt Romney in 2012, sees the Virginia verdict as preservation of the status quo. Just as the four House elections in red districts that Trump cited predictably elected Republicans, Northam prevailed in blue Virginia.</p>
<p>Chen doesn’t see a “progressive wave,” but he does think that “going into the midterms next year, this whole debate over tax reform is more critical. The Republicans really have to get things done.”</p>
<p>Would the outcome have been different if Gillespie had invited Trump to campaign for him? Probably not, Chen mused, but Gillespie’s big loss does suggest arm’s-length Trumpism isn’t “making the Trump supporters happy, and that’s where the energy is.”</p>
<p>Elsewhere on Tuesday, in the New Jersey gubernatorial contest, Democrat Phil Murphy, U.S. ambassador to Germany under President Barack Obama and a former Goldman Sachs executive, handily beat GOP Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. No surprise there. Guadagno never managed to separate herself from the unpopular incumbent, Chris Christie, and last year Clinton beat Trump by 11 points in New Jersey.</p>
<p>Maine and Medicaid</p>
<p>The most ominous election outcome for the GOP-controlled Congress came from Maine. For the first time, state voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to expand Medicaid under Obamacare.</p>
<p>Expect Maine’s decision to ripple through Washington. Now, Chen noted, “there’s no way in heck that (Maine GOP Sen.) Susan Collins will vote for anything that rolls back Obamacare.”</p>
<p>It may be a mistake to read too much into Tuesday’s results. “Classic political theory” says that, after a candidate wins the White House, there’s a “surge and decline” as the incumbent’s party’s “voters don’t turn out two years later,” Democratic pollster Paul Maslin observed.</p>
<p>Then Maslin offered up that Trump is “toxic” on the campaign trail. Exit polls show that 57 percent of Virginia voters disapproved of Trump. Maslin believes Gillespie would have lost by a much closer margin if there had been no Trump factor in the governor’s race.</p>
<p>Maslin sees Republican members of the House juggling what they have to do to win a GOP primary with what they have to do to win a general election. Only the rare Republican would want to alienate the GOP base by opposing Trump during the primary.</p>
<p>Once Republicans know they won’t have to face a primary challenge, Maslin said, “They’ll start compromising with Democrats. They’ll start calling (Trump) out. They’ll start doing a whole lot of things they weren’t doing before.”</p>
<p>Chen is skeptical that Trumpism without Trump can work in 2018. “It’s going to be very difficult for Republicans to embrace the president without embracing the president,” he said.</p>
<p>Contact Debra J. Saunders at <a href="" type="internal">[email protected].</a> Follow @DebraJSaunders on Twitter.</p>
<p>Democratic gains in Virginia</p>
<p>For beltway watchers, the big Tuesday surprise involved the Virginia House of Delegates, where Republicans had enjoyed a 32-seat advantage. On election day, Democrats took at least 13 seats from Republicans and won three open seats; other races likely will be determined by recounts.</p>
<p>“You can’t get away from this being a very clear reaction to Trump,” Minority Leader David J. Toscano told the Richmond Times-Dispatch.</p>
<p /> | false | 1 | washington trailing polls republican candidate ed gillespie chanced unusual tactic bid win virginia governors race dubbed trumpism without trump idea position gillespie close enough president donald trump ride victories enjoyed gop hopefuls throughout 2017 close would risk alienating northern virginia moderates tuesdays result democrat lt gov ralph northam trounced gillespie unexpectedly large margin south korea trump blasted gillespie ending gops 2017 winning streak four house races ed gillespie worked hard embrace stand dont forget republicans 4 4 house seats economy record numbers continue win even bigger trump tweeted energized house minority leader nancy pelosi dcalif declared democrats muchawaited win opens door 2018 midterm races get fresh recruits get retirements said gillespie never favorite win virginia trump lost state hillary clinton fivepoint margin one year ago northams ninepoint win however dramatic insiders expected realclearpolitics polling average reported 33 percentage point lead northam ranked race tossup political operatives left noodle whether northams lead widened trump trumpism without trump northam fingered trump virginia told us end divisiveness condone hatred bigotry said victory remarks unknown territory candidates maneuvered warily unknown territory northam pediatrician democratic primary ads called trump narcissistic maniac race appeared tighten northam changed tone ran spots pledged donald trump helping virginia ill work gillespie also straddled fine line campaign former george w bush aide republican national committee chairman powerhouse lobbyist gillespie narrowly beat trump hardliner republican primary adopt trump positions immigration civil war monuments bid prevail november trump gillespie kept distance president endorsed gillespie twitter gillespie didnt bother retweet message lanhee j chen research fellow stanfords hoover institution advised gop nominee mitt romney 2012 sees virginia verdict preservation status quo four house elections red districts trump cited predictably elected republicans northam prevailed blue virginia chen doesnt see progressive wave think going midterms next year whole debate tax reform critical republicans really get things done would outcome different gillespie invited trump campaign probably chen mused gillespies big loss suggest armslength trumpism isnt making trump supporters happy thats energy elsewhere tuesday new jersey gubernatorial contest democrat phil murphy us ambassador germany president barack obama former goldman sachs executive handily beat gop lt gov kim guadagno surprise guadagno never managed separate unpopular incumbent chris christie last year clinton beat trump 11 points new jersey maine medicaid ominous election outcome gopcontrolled congress came maine first time state voters overwhelmingly approved ballot measure expand medicaid obamacare expect maines decision ripple washington chen noted theres way heck maine gop sen susan collins vote anything rolls back obamacare may mistake read much tuesdays results classic political theory says candidate wins white house theres surge decline incumbents partys voters dont turn two years later democratic pollster paul maslin observed maslin offered trump toxic campaign trail exit polls show 57 percent virginia voters disapproved trump maslin believes gillespie would lost much closer margin trump factor governors race maslin sees republican members house juggling win gop primary win general election rare republican would want alienate gop base opposing trump primary republicans know wont face primary challenge maslin said theyll start compromising democrats theyll start calling trump theyll start whole lot things werent chen skeptical trumpism without trump work 2018 going difficult republicans embrace president without embracing president said contact debra j saunders dsaundersreviewjournalcom follow debrajsaunders twitter democratic gains virginia beltway watchers big tuesday surprise involved virginia house delegates republicans enjoyed 32seat advantage election day democrats took least 13 seats republicans three open seats races likely determined recounts cant get away clear reaction trump minority leader david j toscano told richmond timesdispatch | 579 |
<p>FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — NFL players look forward to the bye week because it allows them to take a short vacation, or spend a few days at home or visiting their alma mater.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/New-York-Jets/" type="external">New York Jets</a>, they played Sunday’s game in Tampa as if they already had one foot out the door heading for the break.</p>
<p>Bye weeks also give players a chance to rest and heal, something the Jets need to do after the Buccaneers beat them up in a game head coach <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Todd-Bowles/" type="external">Todd Bowles</a> likened to a 12-round prize fight his team lost by unanimous decision.</p>
<p>“You gotta show up every week in this league or you get it handed to you,” Bowles said after the game. “We didn’t show up today.”</p>
<p>The Jets (4-6) are seemingly the embodiment of an old NFL cliche that says the hardest thing for a young team to learn is how to win on the road.</p>
<p>New York is 1-4 away from home, with the lone win coming against winless Cleveland by only three points. In five home games, the Jets have outscored their opponents 114-96, but they’ve been outscored 126-87 on the road.</p>
<p>Still, outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins said that after 10 games, “that young crap is out the window.”</p>
<p>“We can’t use that as an excuse anymore,” he added.</p>
<p>Maybe he’s right.</p>
<p>It’s true the Jets are one of the younger teams in the league. Their 53-man roster coming out of training camp was the sixth-youngest in the league, with an average age of just over 25 1/2 years old.</p>
<p>And eight of the 10 youngest teams at the beginning of the season currently have losing records.</p>
<p>But the Rams were the second-youngest — plus they have a 31-year-old head coach — and they’re leading the NFC West at 7-2.</p>
<p>Also, the Jets’ loss on Sunday could be blamed more on the veterans than young players.</p>
<p>The offensive line — <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Kelvin-Beachum/" type="external">Kelvin Beachum</a>, James Carpenter, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Wesley_Johnson/" type="external">Wesley Johnson</a>, Brian Winters and Brandon Shell, from left to right — has an average of nearly five years of NFL experience per player, but was victimized by a Bucs pass rush that had a league-low eight sacks coming into the game.</p>
<p>Tampa Bay had six sacks on Sunday by six different players and eight more hits on quarterback <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Josh_McCown/" type="external">Josh McCown</a>.</p>
<p>“We had a bust here and there, we missed a few blocks,” Bowles said about the O-line during his Monday conference call. “We didn’t play well as a group.”</p>
<p>The 38-year-old McCown was another veteran who didn’t play well. He had his first interception since Week 7 in Miami and failed to complete 60 percent of his passes for the first time all season.</p>
<p>Seven-year vet <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Bilal-Powell/" type="external">Bilal Powell</a> was also a goat. As the feature back with <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Matt_Forte/" type="external">Matt Forte</a> out with a knee injury, the 29-year-old Powell rushed for only 30 yards on 10 carries and had a key fumble with the Jets down 6-3 late in the third quarter that led to a Tampa Bay field goal.</p>
<p>And it wasn’t only the veterans on offense who let the Jets down.</p>
<p>On the Bucs’ only touchdown of the game, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Charles-Sims/" type="external">Charles Sims</a> zoomed past six-year pro Demario Davis coming out of the backfield and Sims skated into the end zone untouched.</p>
<p>And Buster Skrine, who is in his seventh NFL season and just last week said penalties “don’t bother” him, was flagged for another one, unnecessary roughness. The 28-year-old has now been flagged 11 times in nine games.</p>
<p>Bowles even had his defensive backs practice last week with tennis balls in their hands so they wouldn’t get as “handsy,” as he put it on Monday. But it didn’t seem to work.</p>
<p>The team that showed up Sunday was certainly not the same one that demolished the Bills two Thursdays ago. Maybe the Jets, in addition to resting, can find their identity during the bye week. Bowles said they’ll be in for work Monday and Tuesday and then be off until next Monday.</p>
<p>“We’re 4-6, it’s been inconsistent up and down,” Bowles said Monday. “We’ve had some good games and some games we’d like to have back, yesterday being one of them.”</p>
<p>–At 4-6, the Jets are in last place in the AFC East and 10th place in the conference, so the playoffs are a long shot, at best. That said, head coach Todd Bowles isn’t willing to pull the plug on starting quarterback Josh McCown just yet.</p>
<p>When asked during his Monday conference call if there was a scenario, other than an injury to McCown, when he might want to play <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Bryce-Petty/" type="external">Bryce Petty</a>, in his third season with the Jets, or second-year man Christian Hackenberg, Bowles said: “I’m not coming up with a scenario right now. We’re gonna play the games and we’re gonna try to win each one, and take them one at a time and Josh will be our quarterback.”</p>
<p>The 38-year-old McCown is 13th in the league in passer rating among qualified players, better than prominent quarterbacks like <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Derek-Carr/" type="external">Derek Carr</a>, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Philip_Rivers/" type="external">Philip Rivers</a>, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Ben_Roethlisberger/" type="external">Ben Roethlisberger</a> and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Cam_Newton/" type="external">Cam Newton</a>. His touchdown pass to Robby Anderson on Sunday was his 14th of the season, a career high, but he also threw his eighth interception. He’s been sacked 32 times, which is second most in the league behind <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jacoby-Brissett/" type="external">Jacoby Brissett</a> of the Colts.</p>
<p>Petty, the 26-year-old former fourth-round pick out of Baylor, had three touchdowns and seven interceptions in six games last season, including four starts. The 22-year-old Hackenberg, a second-round pick out of Penn State in 2015, has yet to see the field in a regular-season game.</p>
<p>–With <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jeremy-Kerley/" type="external">Jeremy Kerley</a> suspended until the Jets’ Week 15 game in New Orleans, the offense is in need of another playmaker.</p>
<p>Robby Anderson has been the team’s most consistent weapon, with touchdown catches in four straight games, and tight end <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Austin-Seferian-Jenkins/" type="external">Austin Seferian-Jenkins</a> continued his strong play with six catches for 67 yards on Sunday. But <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jermaine-Kearse/" type="external">Jermaine Kearse</a> has had more than 38 receiving yards only once in the last seven games, and rookies ArDarius Stewart and Chad Hansen have yet to be fully ingratiated in the offense.</p>
<p>Stewart, a third-round pick out of Alabama, tweaked his groin last week at practice and was used sparingly on Sunday, while Hansen, a fourth-round selection out of Cal, played 48 snaps and made his first three career catches for 33 yards.</p>
<p>“They did OK,” Bowles said about his rookie receivers on Monday. “They got their feet wet with a little more playing time. They can do a little more, but they did fine. They fared well.”</p>
<p>NOTES: CB <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Morris-Claiborne/" type="external">Morris Claiborne</a>, who didn’t play two Thursdays ago against the Bills, left Sunday’s game in the first quarter after aggravating his foot injury. On Monday, head coach Todd Bowles said he didn’t have an update on Claiborne’s condition, but said he didn’t think “it was any worse than it was the other week.” … RB Matt Forte missed Sunday’s game due to swelling in his surgically-repaired knee and head coach Todd Bowles said Monday he had “not yet” received an update from the training staff on if the 31-year-old can play in two weeks against the Panthers.</p>
<p>REPORT CARD VS. BUCCANEERS</p>
<p>–PASSING OFFENSE: D – The Jets would have received a failing mark in this category had Robby Anderson not caught a touchdown pass for the fourth straight game. Josh McCown was sacked six times by a team that had eight sacks all season coming into the game, and he played his worst game since Week 1 in Buffalo. He failed to complete 60 percent of his passes for the first time this season (23-of-39), he had his worst passer rating since the season-opener (77.1) and the Jets were only 4-for-17 on third- and fourth-down conversions.</p>
<p>–RUSHING OFFENSE: F – Aside from a 21-yard run in the first quarter, Bilal Powell had nine carries for nine yards and a crucial fumble late in the third quarter after his only pass reception. Coming into the game, Powell had fumbled only five times, losing one, in 805 offensive touches. Elijah McGuire also had a subpar game, with 22 yards on eight carries.</p>
<p>–PASS DEFENSE: C – The Jets get graded a bit harsher because the Bucs were without leading receiver <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Mike_Evans/" type="external">Mike Evans</a>. Though <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Ryan_Fitzpatrick/" type="external">Ryan Fitzpatrick</a> threw for only 187 yards, the secondary had some trouble with the speed of <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/DeSean_Jackson/" type="external">DeSean Jackson</a> (six catches for 82 yards) and rookie Chris Godwin (career-high five catches and 68 yards). Reserve corner <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Darryl_Roberts/" type="external">Darryl Roberts</a>, filling in for the injured Morris Claiborne, had the Jets’ 10th interception of the season and the first of his career. But they allowed their 20th touchdown pass, which is tied with the Giants for the most in the league. The Jets had six pass deflections, but failed to get off the field on third downs, as Tampa Bay had scoring drives of 17, 15, nine and seven plays.</p>
<p>–RUSH DEFENSE: B – The good news is that the Jets held the Bucs to 90 yards on 31 carries, including only 51 on 20 attempts for <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Doug_Martin/" type="external">Doug Martin</a>. But, as has been the issue with the Jets all season, one or two big runs in crucial moments spoil the whole day. This time it was a 21-yard rush on a toss to Charles Sims on third-and-15 in the fourth quarter to keep the Bucs’ only touchdown drive of the day going.</p>
<p>–SPECIAL TEAMS: B – <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Chandler-Catanzaro/" type="external">Chandler Catanzaro</a> hit a 47-yard field goal and is now 16-for-20 on field-goal tries. He also hasn’t missed any of his 21 extra points. Lachlan Edwards averaged more than 50 yards per punt, but the Jets let Bernard Reedy shake loose for a 44-yard punt return. JoJo Natson had a 24-yard kickoff return in an otherwise nondescript NFL debut.</p>
<p>–COACHING: D – Penalties continue to be a problem, as the Jets were called for eight for 77 yards on Sunday and are now second worst in the NFL with 81 accepted penalties against them. But this loss went beyond the stat sheet. Head coach Todd Bowles has had his team prepared to play in every game … except this one. Known for their hot starts this season, the Jets sputtered from the get-go against an undermanned, and unimpressive, Bucs team, and seemed to be lethargic. Maybe they were feeling themselves a bit too much after their prime-time win over the Bills two Thursdays ago. Either way, it’s going to be hard for them to string together wins in the last six weeks with a very tough schedule that includes three division leaders (Patriots, Chiefs, Saints) plus the Panthers, who were 6-3 going into Monday night’s game against the Dolphins.</p> | false | 1 | florham park nj nfl players look forward bye week allows take short vacation spend days home visiting alma mater unfortunately new york jets played sundays game tampa already one foot door heading break bye weeks also give players chance rest heal something jets need buccaneers beat game head coach todd bowles likened 12round prize fight team lost unanimous decision got ta show every week league get handed bowles said game didnt show today jets 46 seemingly embodiment old nfl cliche says hardest thing young team learn win road new york 14 away home lone win coming winless cleveland three points five home games jets outscored opponents 11496 theyve outscored 12687 road still outside linebacker jordan jenkins said 10 games young crap window cant use excuse anymore added maybe hes right true jets one younger teams league 53man roster coming training camp sixthyoungest league average age 25 12 years old eight 10 youngest teams beginning season currently losing records rams secondyoungest plus 31yearold head coach theyre leading nfc west 72 also jets loss sunday could blamed veterans young players offensive line kelvin beachum james carpenter wesley johnson brian winters brandon shell left right average nearly five years nfl experience per player victimized bucs pass rush leaguelow eight sacks coming game tampa bay six sacks sunday six different players eight hits quarterback josh mccown bust missed blocks bowles said oline monday conference call didnt play well group 38yearold mccown another veteran didnt play well first interception since week 7 miami failed complete 60 percent passes first time season sevenyear vet bilal powell also goat feature back matt forte knee injury 29yearold powell rushed 30 yards 10 carries key fumble jets 63 late third quarter led tampa bay field goal wasnt veterans offense let jets bucs touchdown game charles sims zoomed past sixyear pro demario davis coming backfield sims skated end zone untouched buster skrine seventh nfl season last week said penalties dont bother flagged another one unnecessary roughness 28yearold flagged 11 times nine games bowles even defensive backs practice last week tennis balls hands wouldnt get handsy put monday didnt seem work team showed sunday certainly one demolished bills two thursdays ago maybe jets addition resting find identity bye week bowles said theyll work monday tuesday next monday 46 inconsistent bowles said monday weve good games games wed like back yesterday one 46 jets last place afc east 10th place conference playoffs long shot best said head coach todd bowles isnt willing pull plug starting quarterback josh mccown yet asked monday conference call scenario injury mccown might want play bryce petty third season jets secondyear man christian hackenberg bowles said im coming scenario right gon na play games gon na try win one take one time josh quarterback 38yearold mccown 13th league passer rating among qualified players better prominent quarterbacks like derek carr philip rivers ben roethlisberger cam newton touchdown pass robby anderson sunday 14th season career high also threw eighth interception hes sacked 32 times second league behind jacoby brissett colts petty 26yearold former fourthround pick baylor three touchdowns seven interceptions six games last season including four starts 22yearold hackenberg secondround pick penn state 2015 yet see field regularseason game jeremy kerley suspended jets week 15 game new orleans offense need another playmaker robby anderson teams consistent weapon touchdown catches four straight games tight end austin seferianjenkins continued strong play six catches 67 yards sunday jermaine kearse 38 receiving yards last seven games rookies ardarius stewart chad hansen yet fully ingratiated offense stewart thirdround pick alabama tweaked groin last week practice used sparingly sunday hansen fourthround selection cal played 48 snaps made first three career catches 33 yards ok bowles said rookie receivers monday got feet wet little playing time little fine fared well notes cb morris claiborne didnt play two thursdays ago bills left sundays game first quarter aggravating foot injury monday head coach todd bowles said didnt update claibornes condition said didnt think worse week rb matt forte missed sundays game due swelling surgicallyrepaired knee head coach todd bowles said monday yet received update training staff 31yearold play two weeks panthers report card vs buccaneers passing offense jets would received failing mark category robby anderson caught touchdown pass fourth straight game josh mccown sacked six times team eight sacks season coming game played worst game since week 1 buffalo failed complete 60 percent passes first time season 23of39 worst passer rating since seasonopener 771 jets 4for17 third fourthdown conversions rushing offense f aside 21yard run first quarter bilal powell nine carries nine yards crucial fumble late third quarter pass reception coming game powell fumbled five times losing one 805 offensive touches elijah mcguire also subpar game 22 yards eight carries pass defense c jets get graded bit harsher bucs without leading receiver mike evans though ryan fitzpatrick threw 187 yards secondary trouble speed desean jackson six catches 82 yards rookie chris godwin careerhigh five catches 68 yards reserve corner darryl roberts filling injured morris claiborne jets 10th interception season first career allowed 20th touchdown pass tied giants league jets six pass deflections failed get field third downs tampa bay scoring drives 17 15 nine seven plays rush defense b good news jets held bucs 90 yards 31 carries including 51 20 attempts doug martin issue jets season one two big runs crucial moments spoil whole day time 21yard rush toss charles sims thirdand15 fourth quarter keep bucs touchdown drive day going special teams b chandler catanzaro hit 47yard field goal 16for20 fieldgoal tries also hasnt missed 21 extra points lachlan edwards averaged 50 yards per punt jets let bernard reedy shake loose 44yard punt return jojo natson 24yard kickoff return otherwise nondescript nfl debut coaching penalties continue problem jets called eight 77 yards sunday second worst nfl 81 accepted penalties loss went beyond stat sheet head coach todd bowles team prepared play every game except one known hot starts season jets sputtered getgo undermanned unimpressive bucs team seemed lethargic maybe feeling bit much primetime win bills two thursdays ago either way going hard string together wins last six weeks tough schedule includes three division leaders patriots chiefs saints plus panthers 63 going monday nights game dolphins | 1,027 |
<p>JACKSONVILLE — Among the most notable changes in the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jacksonville-Jaguars/" type="external">Jacksonville Jaguars</a> foundation for 2017 was the emphasis the coaches and players put on finishing and winning. Previous Jacksonville teams would play solid football for 50-55 minutes in a game, but then would falter at the end. The result was another loss.</p>
<p>The Jaguars couldn’t have picked a worse time to revert back to those ways than what they showed in the final 10 minutes of Sunday’s 24-20 loss to the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/New_England_Patriots/" type="external">New England Patriots</a> in the AFC Championship Game in Gillette Stadium.</p>
<p>With 11 minutes left in the game, it appeared the miracle season would extend all the way to Minneapolis where they would play in the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl. Jacksonville held a 10-point lead at 20-10 at that point, had pressured Patriots quarterback <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Tom_Brady/" type="external">Tom Brady</a> enough that the 40-year-old would likely have to wait another year for his next Super Bowl appearance. But then Brady began to look like the Brady that has earned him five Super Bowl wins.</p>
<p>A 21-yard completion to <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Danny-Amendola/" type="external">Danny Amendola</a> on a third-and-18 situation was a heart-breaker. A stop on that play would have given the Jaguars some breathing room, to take some time off the clock and nurse their 10-point lead. Four plays later, the Patriots had pushed across a score and had pulled to within three points.</p>
<p>Another possible game-changing play came late in the first half. The Jaguars completed a third-down pass and would have had a first down at the Patriots’ 30-yard line. They were marching, had the Patriots’ defense on their heels and were headed for a possible 21-3 lead if they pushed across their third touchdown of the half, 17-3 at the worst if they converted on a field-goal attempt. But just before the play got underway, the 25-second play clock ran out, nullifying the first down. Jacksonville couldn’t convert following the penalty, enabling the Patriots to put together a late TD drive to cut the lead to 14-10 and gain all the momentum going into the halftime break.</p>
<p>The worst part of the delay of game call was that it followed a New England timeout where quarterback <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Blake-Bortles/" type="external">Blake Bortles</a> had been on the sideline talking to the coaches and getting the next play.</p>
<p>“I think it was just a lapse on our part of, it was after a timeout, went in there and we just figured once we called the play and broke the huddle, we were fine,” head coach <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Doug-Marrone/" type="external">Doug Marrone</a> said. “They started the clock earlier than we anticipated, which they have the right to do. I don’t think it was playing later or anything, it was just a lapse of taking something for granted. I really believe that.”</p>
<p>So ends the Jaguars unexpected run for a Super Bowl berth. They had become just the third team in NFL history to go from three wins one season to appearing in a championship game the following year. They joined the 2005 <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/New-Orleans-Saints/" type="external">New Orleans Saints</a> and the 1966 Houston Oilers, with none of the three teams able to win a conference title and advance to the Super Bowl.</p>
<p>The biggest offseason question for the Jaguars will be what they do with Bortles’ contract. Their three options are to bring him back at the $19 million that is the designated pay for the option year of his original contract; they can sign him to a multi-year contract which is saying they want him as their quarterback for the future; or they can release him.</p>
<p>Other big decisions will be whether they sign wide receivers <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Allen-Robinson/" type="external">Allen Robinson</a> and Marqise Lee along with cornerback Aaron Colvin to new deals. Robinson missed all but three plays of the 2017 season due to a torn ACL, but was a Pro Bowl pick in 2015 when he had 80 pass receptions for 1,400 yards and a franchise-record 14 touchdowns. Lee has caught 171 passes for 2,166 yards and eight scores in his four seasons with the Jaguars, but he’s also missed 11 games with injuries during that time. Colvin has only missed two games in the last three years due to injuries though he was sidelined for four games to start the 2016 season for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substances policy.</p>
<p>REPORT CARD VS. PATRIOTS</p>
<p>–PASSING OFFENSE: B-plus – It’s a combination grade of A in the first half, C-minus in the second half, which is a carbon copy of Blake Bortles’ season. Bortles was hot for a half, cold for a half. Hot for a game, cold for a game. This was no exception. He hit some good passes, but three of his 23 completions for 293 yards went to Corey Grant on short tosses out of the backfield that Grant turned into 59 yards in his best game this season. Bortles was in the 120.0 range with his passer rating most of the first half, but then fell off the last two quarters and finished at 98.5. But he did go a third consecutive playoff game without a turnover, certainly a bright spot for the future.</p>
<p>–RUSHING OFFENSE: B-minus – Once again, the question arose: how can this be the league’s No. 1-ranked rushing team and only gain 111 yards on the ground and average 3.2 yards a carry. <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Leonard-Fournette/" type="external">Leonard Fournette</a> was able to grind out 76 hard-earned yards, but it took 24 carries to get to that total. <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/TJ-Yeldon/" type="external">T.J. Yeldon</a> contributed 25 yards in five attempts to help out. But the running game never seemed to be a threat. Both Fournette and Yeldon had one run over 10 yards and most seemed to net less than four yards. Blake Bortles didn’t contribute anything to the running game and that hurt the cause.</p>
<p>–PASS DEFENSE: D – Go against Tom Brady and the grade isn’t likely to be very good. It could have been. It was for three quarters. Brady was a solid 17-of-24 for 152 yards and an 87.7 rating entering the fourth quarter. Had those numbers prevailed, the Jaguars likely would have won. But Brady connected on 9-of-14 attempts for 138 yards and two scores in the fourth quarter and that’s why the Patriots are moving on to the Super Bowl. The Jaguars’ biggest blunder in the secondary came when they allowed a 21-yard completion on a third-and-18 play in the fourth quarter. Three of the four players in the secondary were hit with key pass interference/unnecessary roughness penalties which aided Pats scoring drives.</p>
<p>–RUSH DEFENSE: A-minus – It was headed for an A-plus until New England’s final rushing attempt by <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Dion-Lewis/" type="external">Dion Lewis</a>. Up until then, the Patriots had only managed 28 rushing yards in 18 attempts. But on a third-and-9 from the 44, Lewis went around left end and kept going for 18 yards. That sealed the Jaguars fate, which otherwise would have gotten the ball back for one last effort at a winning drive. To hold a team to an average of 1.6 yards a game for all but the last 90 seconds should have been enough to get a win.</p>
<p>–SPECIAL TEAMS: C – Like the defense against the rush, it only took one bad play to do in the Jaguars. It came late in the game when Brad Nortman, punting from inside his own 10-yard line, got off a short (41 yards) line-drive kick that Danny Amendola was able to return 20 yards to the 30-yard line. Amendola fooled the coverage team on the play by signaling a baseball safe-sign, to tell his teammates to get away from the ball. Instead, he grabbed it and made the big return that set up the winning touchdown. Good news for the Jaguars was Josh Lambo finished strong with two more field goals including one from 54 yards.</p>
<p>–COACHING: B – It was a solid game plan for the Jaguars, but the coaches didn’t adjust to the Patriots’ changes and that’s on the coaching staff. The swing pass to Corey Grant was successful three straight plays in the first half, but for some reason the Jaguars never went back to it in the second half. The Jaguars are still too hesitant to go with a pass on first down. The numerous Fournette dives into the middle of the line on first down left the team with second-and-long too many times. Six penalties for 98 yards came at inopportune times. Meanwhile, New England was called for one 10-yard infraction on its punt return unit.</p> | false | 1 | jacksonville among notable changes jacksonville jaguars foundation 2017 emphasis coaches players put finishing winning previous jacksonville teams would play solid football 5055 minutes game would falter end result another loss jaguars couldnt picked worse time revert back ways showed final 10 minutes sundays 2420 loss new england patriots afc championship game gillette stadium 11 minutes left game appeared miracle season would extend way minneapolis would play franchises firstever super bowl jacksonville held 10point lead 2010 point pressured patriots quarterback tom brady enough 40yearold would likely wait another year next super bowl appearance brady began look like brady earned five super bowl wins 21yard completion danny amendola thirdand18 situation heartbreaker stop play would given jaguars breathing room take time clock nurse 10point lead four plays later patriots pushed across score pulled within three points another possible gamechanging play came late first half jaguars completed thirddown pass would first patriots 30yard line marching patriots defense heels headed possible 213 lead pushed across third touchdown half 173 worst converted fieldgoal attempt play got underway 25second play clock ran nullifying first jacksonville couldnt convert following penalty enabling patriots put together late td drive cut lead 1410 gain momentum going halftime break worst part delay game call followed new england timeout quarterback blake bortles sideline talking coaches getting next play think lapse part timeout went figured called play broke huddle fine head coach doug marrone said started clock earlier anticipated right dont think playing later anything lapse taking something granted really believe ends jaguars unexpected run super bowl berth become third team nfl history go three wins one season appearing championship game following year joined 2005 new orleans saints 1966 houston oilers none three teams able win conference title advance super bowl biggest offseason question jaguars bortles contract three options bring back 19 million designated pay option year original contract sign multiyear contract saying want quarterback future release big decisions whether sign wide receivers allen robinson marqise lee along cornerback aaron colvin new deals robinson missed three plays 2017 season due torn acl pro bowl pick 2015 80 pass receptions 1400 yards franchiserecord 14 touchdowns lee caught 171 passes 2166 yards eight scores four seasons jaguars hes also missed 11 games injuries time colvin missed two games last three years due injuries though sidelined four games start 2016 season violating nfls performanceenhancing substances policy report card vs patriots passing offense bplus combination grade first half cminus second half carbon copy blake bortles season bortles hot half cold half hot game cold game exception hit good passes three 23 completions 293 yards went corey grant short tosses backfield grant turned 59 yards best game season bortles 1200 range passer rating first half fell last two quarters finished 985 go third consecutive playoff game without turnover certainly bright spot future rushing offense bminus question arose leagues 1ranked rushing team gain 111 yards ground average 32 yards carry leonard fournette able grind 76 hardearned yards took 24 carries get total tj yeldon contributed 25 yards five attempts help running game never seemed threat fournette yeldon one run 10 yards seemed net less four yards blake bortles didnt contribute anything running game hurt cause pass defense go tom brady grade isnt likely good could three quarters brady solid 17of24 152 yards 877 rating entering fourth quarter numbers prevailed jaguars likely would brady connected 9of14 attempts 138 yards two scores fourth quarter thats patriots moving super bowl jaguars biggest blunder secondary came allowed 21yard completion thirdand18 play fourth quarter three four players secondary hit key pass interferenceunnecessary roughness penalties aided pats scoring drives rush defense aminus headed aplus new englands final rushing attempt dion lewis patriots managed 28 rushing yards 18 attempts thirdand9 44 lewis went around left end kept going 18 yards sealed jaguars fate otherwise would gotten ball back one last effort winning drive hold team average 16 yards game last 90 seconds enough get win special teams c like defense rush took one bad play jaguars came late game brad nortman punting inside 10yard line got short 41 yards linedrive kick danny amendola able return 20 yards 30yard line amendola fooled coverage team play signaling baseball safesign tell teammates get away ball instead grabbed made big return set winning touchdown good news jaguars josh lambo finished strong two field goals including one 54 yards coaching b solid game plan jaguars coaches didnt adjust patriots changes thats coaching staff swing pass corey grant successful three straight plays first half reason jaguars never went back second half jaguars still hesitant go pass first numerous fournette dives middle line first left team secondandlong many times six penalties 98 yards came inopportune times meanwhile new england called one 10yard infraction punt return unit | 782 |
<p>By Matt Robinson</p>
<p>BELGRADE (Reuters) – When a court on the Dutch North Sea coast issues its final verdict this week, it will signal the end of an experiment that has reverberated around the world, from the killing fields of Rwanda to the CIA’s secret cells in Europe.</p>
<p>The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), set up by the United Nations in 1993, marked the biggest leap in the field of international criminal law since the Allies tried the Nazis in Nuremberg.</p>
<p>Created in answer to the worst war crimes in Europe since World War Two, it set a precedent of accountability that has since put the Khmer Rouge and Liberia’s Charles Taylor in the dock and paved the way for a court with global ambition.</p>
<p>Almost 25 years later, its legacy is under threat.</p>
<p>The International Criminal Court (ICC), opened in 2002, is undermined by renewed West-Russia rivalry, stone-walling and revolt in Africa, barrel bombs in Syria and a boycott by three of five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.</p>
<p>Supporters of the Yugoslav tribunal say it will remain a beacon inspiring a growing demand for justice and creativeness in delivering it – from ad hoc tribunals in Africa to the conviction in one country of a dictator from another and that of a Syrian in Sweden after a post on Facebook (NASDAQ:).</p>
<p>The glass is either half full or half empty, said Alex Whiting, professor of practice at Harvard Law School.</p>
<p>“You can say we haven’t come far enough and the new institutions, particularly the ICC, have not replicated the success of the ICTY, but you can just as easily say it’s remarkable how far we’ve come in just 25 years,” he said.</p>
<p>“The ICTY is the North Star.”</p>
<p>‘RULINGS WILL WRITE HISTORY’</p>
<p>The Yugoslav tribunal owes a debt to history, born as it was between the end of the Cold War and the 9/11 attacks on the United States, when Russia was weak and the West was united in collective action.</p>
<p>For decades before, conflicts from Vietnam to Algeria, Afghanistan to Sri Lanka escaped major judicial scrutiny.</p>
<p>Backed by the arrest-power of Western peacekeepers and the readiness of the European Union to condition integration with Yugoslavia’s successor states on their cooperation, the tribunal issued 161 indictments and secured 83 convictions.</p>
<p>Wednesday’s verdict in the trial of Bosnian Serb wartime commander Ratko Mladic will be its last, bar appeals.</p>
<p>The Yugoslav court was the first to indict a sitting head of state in Serbia’s Slobodan Milosevic, recognized sexual violence as a crime of war and advanced the definition of genocide.</p>
<p>With the U.N. tribunal for Rwanda, it assembled the hybrid case law used by tribunals in Sierra Leone, Cambodia, Lebanon and ultimately the ICC.</p>
<p>Its 2.5 million pages of transcripts offer a forensic and often harrowing account of a state’s dissolution that dispels the fog of wartime propaganda. More than 4,500 witnesses took the stand.</p>
<p>“I committed myself to speak on behalf of those who did not survive,” said Nusreta Sivac, a former judge in Bosnia who testified to her rape by Bosnian Serb captors. “The tribunal rulings will write history.”</p>
<p>Detractors say the court was slow, expensive and damaged by a number of high-profile acquittals. Milosevic died in 2006 while still on trial, while some cases were plagued by witness intimidation. The tribunal was supposed to help with reconciliation, but revisionism is rife and convicted war criminals often feted as heroes.</p>
<p>Critics argue the indictment of Milosevic, at the height of NATO air strikes against him, only complicated the conflict and encouraged him to cling on, which he did for another 17 months.</p>
<p>Similar arguments have been made against the ICC’s pursuit of some African leaders.</p>
<p>INSURMOUNTABLE OBSTACLES</p>
<p>Established by treaty and boycotted by the United States, China and Russia, the ICC has little of the clout of the ICTY. With only one Arab member, it has found the bulk of its work in Africa.</p>
<p>Alleging bias, Burundi quit the court last month. Kenya and South Africa have threatened to follow.</p>
<p>The court’s credibility has already been tested by the collapse in 2014 of a case against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir’s eight-year evasion of arrest.</p>
<p>Most glaring is its impotence in the face of nearly half a million dead in Syria, its hands tied by Russian and Chinese vetoes in the Security Council, which can refer a case to the court in a non-member state such as Syria.</p>
<p>The ICC denies any bias against Africa and is at various stages of investigation in Georgia, Iraq, Ukraine, Colombia and Palestine, though it can expect to make little progress in investigating conflicts involving Russia or the United States.</p>
<p>In a watershed moment, prosecutors this month called for a formal investigation into war crimes in Afghanistan, including the mistreatment of detainees by U.S. forces in the country and at CIA ‘dark sites’ in Poland, Romania and Lithuania.</p>
<p>Experts say the move is symbolic of the court’s ambition, but also of its limitations, given the unlikelihood of any cooperation from the Trump administration.</p>
<p>The Yugoslav tribunal demonstrated that, “with strong political and diplomatic support from the international community, justice can be achieved”, its chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz told Reuters. “But without that support, the obstacles can be almost insurmountable.”</p>
<p>Kevin Jon Heller, law professor at the University of Amsterdam, said of the ICC: “I strongly doubt it is ever going to fulfill the aspirations of the people in the states that created it.”</p>
<p>EXPECTATION OF ACTION</p>
<p>Nevertheless, demands for accountability are multiplying, along with avenues to pursue them.</p>
<p>Experts point to the 2016 conviction of Chad ex-dictator, Hissene Habre, in a Senegalese court, the first time universal jurisdiction was used to prosecute the former ruler of one country by a court in another for human rights crimes.</p>
<p>The same principle saw a Syrian soldier convicted by a Swedish court last month, partly on the basis of social media posts, while authorities in Sweden and Germany are each investigating more than a dozen individuals for crimes in Syria and Iraq.</p>
<p>With the Security Council paralyzed, the U.N. General Assembly has launched its own ad hoc mechanism to investigate war crimes in Syria. A hybrid tribunal is in the works in Central African Republic and another mooted for South Sudan.</p>
<p>“What has not ebbed in the last five to seven years, and in fact what has only increased, is the demand for justice, and an expectation that it will translate into action,” said Param-Preet Singh, an associate director at Human Rights Watch.</p>
<p>The ICTY and efforts since have “changed the conversation”, said Whiting. “It is for that reason this project will never die,” he said. “It will go into dormancy, but it will never die.”</p> | false | 1 | matt robinson belgrade reuters court dutch north sea coast issues final verdict week signal end experiment reverberated around world killing fields rwanda cias secret cells europe international criminal tribunal former yugoslavia icty set united nations 1993 marked biggest leap field international criminal law since allies tried nazis nuremberg created answer worst war crimes europe since world war two set precedent accountability since put khmer rouge liberias charles taylor dock paved way court global ambition almost 25 years later legacy threat international criminal court icc opened 2002 undermined renewed westrussia rivalry stonewalling revolt africa barrel bombs syria boycott three five permanent members un security council supporters yugoslav tribunal say remain beacon inspiring growing demand justice creativeness delivering ad hoc tribunals africa conviction one country dictator another syrian sweden post facebook nasdaq glass either half full half empty said alex whiting professor practice harvard law school say havent come far enough new institutions particularly icc replicated success icty easily say remarkable far weve come 25 years said icty north star rulings write history yugoslav tribunal owes debt history born end cold war 911 attacks united states russia weak west united collective action decades conflicts vietnam algeria afghanistan sri lanka escaped major judicial scrutiny backed arrestpower western peacekeepers readiness european union condition integration yugoslavias successor states cooperation tribunal issued 161 indictments secured 83 convictions wednesdays verdict trial bosnian serb wartime commander ratko mladic last bar appeals yugoslav court first indict sitting head state serbias slobodan milosevic recognized sexual violence crime war advanced definition genocide un tribunal rwanda assembled hybrid case law used tribunals sierra leone cambodia lebanon ultimately icc 25 million pages transcripts offer forensic often harrowing account states dissolution dispels fog wartime propaganda 4500 witnesses took stand committed speak behalf survive said nusreta sivac former judge bosnia testified rape bosnian serb captors tribunal rulings write history detractors say court slow expensive damaged number highprofile acquittals milosevic died 2006 still trial cases plagued witness intimidation tribunal supposed help reconciliation revisionism rife convicted war criminals often feted heroes critics argue indictment milosevic height nato air strikes complicated conflict encouraged cling another 17 months similar arguments made iccs pursuit african leaders insurmountable obstacles established treaty boycotted united states china russia icc little clout icty one arab member found bulk work africa alleging bias burundi quit court last month kenya south africa threatened follow courts credibility already tested collapse 2014 case kenyan president uhuru kenyatta sudanese president omar albashirs eightyear evasion arrest glaring impotence face nearly half million dead syria hands tied russian chinese vetoes security council refer case court nonmember state syria icc denies bias africa various stages investigation georgia iraq ukraine colombia palestine though expect make little progress investigating conflicts involving russia united states watershed moment prosecutors month called formal investigation war crimes afghanistan including mistreatment detainees us forces country cia dark sites poland romania lithuania experts say move symbolic courts ambition also limitations given unlikelihood cooperation trump administration yugoslav tribunal demonstrated strong political diplomatic support international community justice achieved chief prosecutor serge brammertz told reuters without support obstacles almost insurmountable kevin jon heller law professor university amsterdam said icc strongly doubt ever going fulfill aspirations people states created expectation action nevertheless demands accountability multiplying along avenues pursue experts point 2016 conviction chad exdictator hissene habre senegalese court first time universal jurisdiction used prosecute former ruler one country court another human rights crimes principle saw syrian soldier convicted swedish court last month partly basis social media posts authorities sweden germany investigating dozen individuals crimes syria iraq security council paralyzed un general assembly launched ad hoc mechanism investigate war crimes syria hybrid tribunal works central african republic another mooted south sudan ebbed last five seven years fact increased demand justice expectation translate action said parampreet singh associate director human rights watch icty efforts since changed conversation said whiting reason project never die said go dormancy never die | 642 |
<p>NEW YORK — Donald Trump embraced new Cabinet officers Wednesday whose backgrounds suggest he’s primed to put tough actions behind his campaign rhetoric on immigration and the environment, even as he seemed to soften his yearlong stance on immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children.</p>
<p>It’s clearer by the day, underscored by Trump’s at-times contradictory words, that his actual policies as president won’t be settled until after he takes his seat in the Oval Office.</p>
<p>Retired Marine Gen. John Kelly has been selected to head the Department of Homeland Security, and Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, a climate-change denier whose policies have helped fossil fuel companies, is to be announced as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.</p>
<p>Separately, Trump named the former chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment, Linda McMahon, to head the Small Business Administration — and may have breathed new life into the candidacy of a secretary of state contender.</p>
<p>Trump said he planned to name his choice for the key Cabinet post next week and insisted that former rival Mitt Romney still had a chance. Trump, who has met twice with the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, denied he was stringing Romney along to make him pay for earlier remarks that Trump was unfit to be president.</p>
<p>“No, it’s not about revenge. It’s about what’s good for the country, and I’m able to put this stuff behind us — and I hit him very hard also,” Trump said in a telephone interview on NBC.</p>
<p>Three sources close to the selection process said late Wednesday that Romney’s stock is on the rise again within Trump’s circle after a period in which the celebrity businessman had cooled on the candidacy of the former Massachusetts governor. But Trump has changed his mind repeatedly throughout the process and has expanded the pool of contenders beyond the previously identified final four of Romney, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker and former CIA Director David Petraeus.</p>
<p>Trump’s long presidential campaign was in large part defined by searing rhetoric and his steadfast promises to build an impenetrable wall on the border with Mexico and crack down on immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. But he struck a softer tone in an interview published Wednesday after he was named Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year.”</p>
<p>“We’re going to work something out that’s going to make people happy and proud,” Trump said. “They got brought here at a very young age; they’ve worked here, they’ve gone to school here. Some were good students. Some have wonderful jobs. And they’re in never-never land because they don’t know what’s going to happen.”</p>
<p>He offered no details about a policy that would make that clear.</p>
<p>During the campaign, Trump’s tough comments — including a vow to overturn President Barack Obama’s executive orders on immigration — have led to fears among immigrant advocates that he will end Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Hundreds of thousands of young immigrants have gained work permits and temporary protection from deportation under the 2012 program, which aides to Trump have said would be revisited.</p>
<p>Others continue to press the immigrants’ case. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel presented Trump a letter Wednesday from 14 big city mayors urging him to keep the program intact.</p>
<p>“They were working hard toward the American dream,” Emmanuel told reporters in lobby of Trump’s skyscraper. “It’s no fault of their own their parents came here. They are something we should hold up and embrace.”</p>
<p>Though some immigrant advocates hope Trump’s words were an olive branch, others were skeptical.</p>
<p>“We’ve seen this movie before,” Frank Sharry of the immigrant-rights group America’s Voice said in a statement. “Unfortunately we expect no pivot and no softening.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Trump moved toward making another addition to the collection of generals in his Cabinet, settling on Kelly to head Homeland Security, according to people close to transition. Gen. Kelly, who joined the Marine Corps in 1970, retired this year after a final command that included oversight of the Guantanamo Bay detention center.</p>
<p>He has a reputation as a border hawk after a time in the Southern Command, which is based in South Florida and regularly works with Homeland Security on missions to identify and dismantle immigrant smuggling networks.</p>
<p>Trump also picked Pruitt, a longtime critic of the EPA, to head that same agency, according to person close to Pruitt who was not authorized to speak publicly about the choice before it was announced. The move comes just after Trump met with former Vice President Al Gore, who is an environmental activist, and said he had “an open mind” about honoring the Paris climate accords.</p>
<p>That gave hope to some environmentalists, but on Wednesday Trump’s apparent decision was denounced by Democrats.</p>
<p>“Mr. Pruitt’s record is not only that of being a climate change denier, but also someone who has worked closely with the fossil fuel industry to make this country more dependent, not less, on fossil fuels,” said Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.</p>
<p>But Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe, a Republican, said Pruitt “has proven that being a good steward of the environment does not mean burdening taxpayers and businesses with red tape.”</p>
<p>The president-elect also announced his selection of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad as the new U.S. ambassador to China. Trump and Branstad are expected to appear together in Iowa on Thursday.</p>
<p>Before that, Trump will meet with some of the victims of last week’s car-and-knife attack at Ohio State University. He has denounced immigration policies that allowed the apparent attacker into the country.</p> | false | 1 | new york donald trump embraced new cabinet officers wednesday whose backgrounds suggest hes primed put tough actions behind campaign rhetoric immigration environment even seemed soften yearlong stance immigrants brought us illegally children clearer day underscored trumps attimes contradictory words actual policies president wont settled takes seat oval office retired marine gen john kelly selected head department homeland security oklahoma attorney general scott pruitt climatechange denier whose policies helped fossil fuel companies announced head environmental protection agency separately trump named former chief executive world wrestling entertainment linda mcmahon head small business administration may breathed new life candidacy secretary state contender trump said planned name choice key cabinet post next week insisted former rival mitt romney still chance trump met twice 2012 gop presidential nominee denied stringing romney along make pay earlier remarks trump unfit president revenge whats good country im able put stuff behind us hit hard also trump said telephone interview nbc three sources close selection process said late wednesday romneys stock rise within trumps circle period celebrity businessman cooled candidacy former massachusetts governor trump changed mind repeatedly throughout process expanded pool contenders beyond previously identified final four romney former new york city mayor rudy giuliani senate foreign relations chairman bob corker former cia director david petraeus trumps long presidential campaign large part defined searing rhetoric steadfast promises build impenetrable wall border mexico crack immigrants living us illegally struck softer tone interview published wednesday named time magazines person year going work something thats going make people happy proud trump said got brought young age theyve worked theyve gone school good students wonderful jobs theyre nevernever land dont know whats going happen offered details policy would make clear campaign trumps tough comments including vow overturn president barack obamas executive orders immigration led fears among immigrant advocates end obamas deferred action childhood arrivals daca program hundreds thousands young immigrants gained work permits temporary protection deportation 2012 program aides trump said would revisited others continue press immigrants case chicago mayor rahm emmanuel presented trump letter wednesday 14 big city mayors urging keep program intact working hard toward american dream emmanuel told reporters lobby trumps skyscraper fault parents came something hold embrace though immigrant advocates hope trumps words olive branch others skeptical weve seen movie frank sharry immigrantrights group americas voice said statement unfortunately expect pivot softening meanwhile trump moved toward making another addition collection generals cabinet settling kelly head homeland security according people close transition gen kelly joined marine corps 1970 retired year final command included oversight guantanamo bay detention center reputation border hawk time southern command based south florida regularly works homeland security missions identify dismantle immigrant smuggling networks trump also picked pruitt longtime critic epa head agency according person close pruitt authorized speak publicly choice announced move comes trump met former vice president al gore environmental activist said open mind honoring paris climate accords gave hope environmentalists wednesday trumps apparent decision denounced democrats mr pruitts record climate change denier also someone worked closely fossil fuel industry make country dependent less fossil fuels said vermont sen bernie sanders oklahoma sen jim inhofe republican said pruitt proven good steward environment mean burdening taxpayers businesses red tape presidentelect also announced selection iowa gov terry branstad new us ambassador china trump branstad expected appear together iowa thursday trump meet victims last weeks carandknife attack ohio state university denounced immigration policies allowed apparent attacker country | 559 |
<p>The claim of an "intelligence failure" leading up to the war on Iraq is just another lie, part of the same campaign of deception as the claim Iraq had WMDs.</p>
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<p>The George Washington University National Security Archive recently published a newly released <a href="https://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/news/20120905/CIA-Iraq.pdf" type="external">CIA document</a> from January 2006 titled “Misreading Intentions: Iraq’s Reaction to Inspection Created Picture of Deception”. The document, the Archive <a href="https://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/news/20120905/" type="external">notes</a>, “blames ‘analyst liabilities’ such as neglecting to examine Iraq’s deceptive behavior ‘through an Iraqi prism,’ for the failure to correctly assess the country’s virtually non-existent WMD capabilities.” Foreign Policy magazine <a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/09/05/a_classified_CIA_mea_culpa_on_iraq%20" type="external">describes it</a> as a “remarkable CIA mea culpa”. But nothing could be further from the truth. Far from acknowledging the CIA’s true role, the document does not present any kind of serious analysis, but only politicized statements rehashing well-worn official claims designed to further the myth that there was an “intelligence failure” leading up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in March of 2003.</p>
<p>There was no such “intelligence failure”. On the contrary, there was an extremely successful disinformation campaign coordinated by the CIA in furtherance of the government’s policy of seeking regime change in Iraq. The language of the document itself reveals a persistent dishonesty. It speaks of “deepened suspicions” that Iraq “had ongoing WMD programs” and “suspicions that Iraq continued to hide WMD.” Needless to say, however, the Iraq war was not sold to the public on the grounds that government officials and intelligence agencies had “suspicions” that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (WMD). It was sold to the public with declarations that it was a known fact that Iraq had ongoing programs and stockpiles of WMD. The tacit acknowledgment that the actual evidence only supported “suspicions” that this was so by itself is proof of that the narrative of an “intelligence failure” is a fiction.</p>
<p>The report relies heavily upon the 1995 defection of Saddam Hussein’s son-in-law, Hussein Kamal (respectively spelled “Saddam Husayn” and “Husayn Kamil” in the document), arguing that the information he revealed bolstered suspicions that Iraq was concealing ongoing WMD programs and continued to possess stockpiles of WMD. It argues further that the regime’s behavior indicated he was hiding such weapons. Kamal, who returned to Iraq and was killed there in 1996, was the same individual Vice President Dick Cheney referred to in selling the administration’s case for war on August 26, 2002, when he said that “we now know that Saddam has resumed his efforts to acquire nuclear weapons. Among other sources, we’ve gotten this from the firsthand testimony of defectors—including Saddam’s own son-in-law, who was subsequently murdered at Saddam’s direction.” But the fact is that Cheney was lying, and the CIA’s persistent adherence to essentially the same false narrative renders ridiculous the suggestion that this document is some kind of “mea culpa”.</p>
<p>The document states, “Analysts interpreted Iraq’s intransigence and ongoing deceptive practices as indicators of continued WMD programs or an intent to preserve WMD capabilities, reinforcing intelligence we were receiving at the time that Saddam Husayn continued to pursue WMD.” Yet the examples it lists of Iraq’s “intransigence” and deception do not support the CIA’s earlier judgments that Iraq had ongoing programs and WMD stockpiles. “In April 1991, for example,” the document says, “Iraq declared that it had neither a nuclear weapons program nor an enrichment program. Inspections in June and September 1991 proved that Iraq had lied on both counts, had explored multiple enrichment paths, and had a well-developed nuclear weapons program.” This is true. However, the document makes no mention of the fact that it was public knowledge that Iraq’s nuclear program was subsequently completely dismantled. As former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohammed ElBaradei, pointed out, the Agency had “destroyed, removed or rendered harmless all Iraqi facilities and equipment component of Iraq’s nuclear programme” by 1992. The IAEA reported in 1998 that it was “confident that we had not missed any significant component of Iraq’s nuclear programme”.</p>
<p>The document states that in “March 1992, Iraq decided to declare the unilateral destruction of certain prohibited items to the Security Council, while continuing to conceal its biological warfare (BW) program and important aspects of the nuclear, chemical, and missile programs”. As worded, this implies that Iraq in 1992 was continuing these programs. This is disingenuous, because in fact Iraq was at that time trying conceal past programs that it had ended following the 1991 Gulf War. Iraq did not continue these programs, but dismantled them and unilaterally destroyed its WMD in order to hide the fact that it had had such programs in the past. As the document acknowledges in its “Key Findings” section, “in 1991, Iraq secretly destroyed or dismantled most undeclared items and records”. Yet the very next paragraph contradictorily and disingenuously states, “We now judge that the 1995 defection of Saddam’s son-in-law Husayn Kamil—a critical figure in Iraq’s WMD and denial and deception (D&amp;D) activities—promoted Iraq to change strategic direction and cease efforts to retain WMD programs.” This again implies that Iraq had ongoing WMD programs at least until 1995, which is false, as the CIA knew perfectly well at the time this report was written.</p>
<p>Even more importantly, that the programs had been dismantled and the weapons destroyed is in fact precisely what Hussein Kamal actually told U.N. inspectors when he defected in 1995. The newly released document in fact points out, “He said that Saddam destroyed all WMD in secret” in 1991. Yet apart from that single buried admission, the document is full of statements implying that weapons programs continued. For example, it states that “Iraqi officials did not admit to weaponized BW agent after the defection of Husayn Kamil”, but fails to clarify that this was an admission of past and not ongoing activity. The document acknowledges that Kamal’s defection was “the key turning point in Iraq’s decision to cooperate more with inspections”, but then adds that his debriefing with U.N. inspectors “strengthened the West’s perception of Iraq as a successful and efficient deceiver.” Following Kamal’s defection, the document states, “the West”, meaning the U.S., judged that Iraq “was determined to retain WMD capabilities.” In other words, the U.S. continued to claim that Iraq had ongoing WMD programs and stockpiles, and supposedly based that assessment on Kamal’s information, even though Kamal in fact had confirmed that Iraq’s WMD had been destroyed and its programs dismantled in 1991.</p>
<p>The document similarly states, “We now judge that the Iraqis feared that Kamil … would reveal additional undisclosed information. Iraq decided that further widespread deception and attempts to hold onto extensive WMD programs while under UN sanctions was untenable and changed strategic direction by adopting a policy of disclosure and improved cooperation.” The wording here that Iraq was attempting in 1995 “to hold onto” such programs does not merely imply a falsehood, but is an outright lie. Once again, the CIA was perfectly well aware that until 1995, Iraq was attempting to conceal the existence of its past WMD programs, which it was not attempting “to hold onto” but had dismantled in 1991. This kind of dishonest use of language to suggest Iraq continued to have ongoing WMD programs, even while contradictorily acknowledging elsewhere in the report that this was not true, is illustrative not of a willingness by the CIA to come clean, but to continue to obfuscate the truth and to persist in the false narrative of “intelligence failure”. The CIA in the document even tries to spin its acknowledgment that Iraq’s programs were dismantled and its WMD destroyed in 1991 by saying that this unilateral action left Iraq “unable to provide convincing proof when it later tried to demonstrate compliance”—thus shifting the burden onto Iraq to prove that it didn’t have WMD and attempting to obfuscate the fact that U.S. government officials repeatedly lied by claiming that the intelligence community had proof that Iraq did have WMD.</p>
<p>In October 1991, Iraq admitted to the U.N. Special Commission (UNSCOM) that its Al Atheer site had been built in order to conduct research into enriching uranium to build a nuclear weapon. On August 22, 1995, when Hussein Kamal was asked about the work that went on there, and whether it was continuing somewhere else, he replied, “yes, but not now, before the Gulf War.” That is to say, there were other sites involved in Iraq’s nuclear weapons program, but this program was ended by 1991. He also pointed out that the work done on enrichment “were only studies.” He noted that Iraq already “had highly enriched uranium from France but it was under the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] safeguards.” Iraq thus had worked on building its own centrifuges to enrich uranium, “but had never reached a point close to testing.”</p>
<p>The CIA document nevertheless states that Kamal’s defection “exposed the previously unknown 1991 crash program to develop nuclear weapons.” The program referred to would have entailed using enriched uranium from Iraq’s French-built reactor and enriching additional uranium obtained from Russia to weapons-grade in order to produce material for a bomb. The remarkable dishonesty of this statement is on full display when one compares it with the fact that, when this “crash program” was brought up in his UNSCOM debriefing, Kamal’s actual response was, “no, not true.” He acknowledged that “the decision was already there to use French uranium, but they were not ready with centrifuges.” In other words, the “crash program” was nothing more than a hypothetical contingency plan involving a scenario in which Iraq would make a final desperate effort to produce a nuclear weapon by kicking out U.N. and IAEA inspectors and enriching its own uranium to weapons-grade—a capability Iraq did not possess.</p>
<p>With regard to Iraq’s biological weapons programs, Kamal was asked during his debriefing, “[W]ere weapons and agents destroyed?” He answered, “[N]othing remained.” He added that the U.N. inspectors “have [an] important role in Iraq with this. You should not underestimate yourself. You are very effective in Iraq.” The unilateral destruction of WMD, Kamal said, “was done before you came in.” On the issue of chemical weapons, the discussion turned to Iraq’s development of VX nerve agent during the Iran-Iraq war. After the war, Kamal told his U.N. debriefers, “the factory was turned into civilian production.” He added, “Iran also had mustard and sarin and they used mustard [gas] in small quantities. Some of the chemical components came for the US to Iraq”—that the U.S. supplied precursors for Iraq’s WMD is well known. Kamal continued, “[W]e changed the factory into pesticide production. Part of the establishment started to produce medicine.” He also said, “We gave instructions not to produce chemical weapons…. All chemical weapons were destroyed. I ordered destruction of all chemical weapons. All weapons—biological, chemical, missile, nuclear were destroyed.” (He subsequently clarified, “in the nuclear area, there were no weapons”—he had meant that the nuclear program was dismantled.)</p>
<p>The CIA document repeats the standard refrain that Iraq viewed Iran and Israel as a threat and that this therefore “could explain why Iraq might have continued to give the impression that it was concealing WMD—to instill fear or at least uncertainty in their neighbors”. The propaganda claim that Iraq itself wished to give the impression that it had WMD has been repeated many times over the years. David Kay, who initially headed up the Iraq Survey Group (ISG), the CIA’s effort to find WMD in Iraq following the invasion, in order to explain why the search had turned up nothing, suggested that Saddam had “bluffed” about having WMD in order to deter Iran. In January 2008, the media was abuzz with the supposed revelation from Saddam’s interrogation confirming that he had “bluffed”. His interrogator, FBI agent George Piro, gave an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes in which he recalled telling Saddam, “And in June 2000 you gave a speech in which you said Iraq would not disarm until others in the region did.” The 60 Minutes report then inserted the claim, “That June 2000 speech was about weapons of mass destruction.” Piro reinforced that claim when the interviewer asked him why Saddam would put his nation at risk “to maintain this charade” of having WMD, to which Piro replied, “It was very important for him to project that because that was what kept him, in his mind, in power. That capability kept the Iranians away. It kept them from reinvading Iraq.”</p>
<p>The Associated Press reported that Saddam’s interrogation confirmed that he “falsely allowed the world to believe Iraq has weapons of mass destruction”. USA Today claimed that Saddam “said he was bluffing publicly about having weapons of mass destruction because he feared showing weakness to Iran”. The headline in the Christian Science Monitor declared, “Why Saddam Hussein lied about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction”;&#160; the London Telegraph proclaimed, “Saddam Hussein ‘lied about WMDs to protect Iraq from Iran’”; and Reuters announced, “FBI: Saddam told us he lied about having nukes to deter Iran”. But in fact the only lie was the claim that Saddam had lied about having WMD. The simple fact of the matter is that he never once claimed that Iraq had WMD. On the contrary, he repeatedly, consistently, and honestly denied this (the CIA document acknowledges in one place that “what Iraq was saying by the end of 1995 was, for the most part, accurate”).</p>
<p>The entire relevant section from the released FBI summary of the June 11, 2004 interrogation Piro was referring to stated, “SSA Piro then asked Hussein if he wrote his own speeches and they come from the heart, then what was the meaning of his June 2000 speech. Hussein replied this speech was meant to serve a regional and operational purpose. Regionally, the speech was meant to respond to Iraq’s regional threat. Hussein believed that Iraq could not appear weak to its enemies, especially Iran. Iraq was being threatened by others in the region and must appear able to defend itself. Operationally, Hussein was demonstrating Iraq’s compliance with the United Nations (UN) in its destruction of its Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).” That was very far from suggesting any kind of confession from Saddam that he had “bluffed” about having WMD.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the speech referred to, contrary to CBS’s false claim, was not about WMD. Saddam rather had spoken explicitly with reference to Iraq’s conventional arsenal of weapons. He spoke of how the U.S. had “used the United Nations as a cover” to pursue its own agenda and then added, “However, we must protect our country because we will not give them Iraq. We do not like to collect weapons for the sake of collecting weapons. But we consider the provision of the necessary means to protect our country an ethical and moral responsibility that every Iraqi man and woman must shoulder.” He was thus speaking specifically of Iraq’s right to self-defense and of maintaining a capability to exercise that right. He continued on to say that Iraq would be “most enthusiastic” to limit its weapons, so long as Israel—which had bombed Iraq in 1983, a watershed event that precipitated Saddam’s decision to try to develop a nuclear weapon to deter any further such attacks—did the same: “We told President Husni Mubarak: You can go ahead and announce that the Arabs are prepared to join any treaty to rid the region of the so-called weapons of mass destruction. We told him: This does not mean only ballistic missiles, which are no more than artillery of a longer range.” The condition for this proposed disarmament was “that the Zionist entity is the first to sign such a treaty.” And while Saddam had used the words “weapons of mass destruction”, he was explicitly referring to long-range ballistic missiles, which, although proscribed for Iraq under U.N. resolutions, were nevertheless conventional weapons—hence his description of them as “so-called” WMD. “If the world tells us to abandon all our weapons and keep only swords,” Saddam continued, “we will do that. We will destroy all the weapons, if they destroy their weapons. But if they keep a rifle and then tell me that I have the right to possess only a sword, then we would say no.”</p>
<p>The CIA document concludes that intelligence analysts had wrongly assessed Iraq’s WMD capabilities on the grounds that: “A liability of intelligence analysis is that once a party has been proven to be an effective deceiver, that knowledge becomes a heavy factor in the calculations of the analytical observer.” But, remarkably, while making vague judgments about the bias of analysts such as this one, the document does not address any of the actual intelligence underlying a single one of the claims made by government officials in their efforts to manufacture consent for the war on Iraq. An examination of the claims that were made and the actual intelligence underlying them reveals the fact that, for the most part, the intelligence community had not failed in its assessments of Iraq’s WMD capabilities. On the contrary, the top analysts in their respective area of expertise on numerous key claims from the Bush administration in making its case for war had correctly assessed that Iraq had no such WMD capabilities.</p>
<p>How the CIA Coordinated a Campaign of Disinformation</p>
<p>For instance, take the claims that Iraq had reconstituted its nuclear program, belied by open-source information from the IAEA that it had been completely dismantled and that there was no evidence that Iraq had attempted to restart it. The “evidence” cited to bolster these claims were founded primarily on alleged Iraqi attempts to procure yellowcake uranium from Niger and acquisition of aluminum tubes to manufacture centrifuges to enrich the uranium for a bomb. Yet both of these claims were false and were known to be false before the U.S. invaded. And in neither case did the intelligence community’s assessment support the claims made by administration officials.</p>
<p>President George W. Bush infamously proclaimed, for example, that “The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.” This was a lie. The British government hadn’t “learned” that; it merely claimed this was so with no credible evidence. In fact, the U.S. intelligence community regarded this claim as so dubious that the CIA had warned the British government against including it in the white paper Bush was referring to. In fact, the documents underlying the claim were forgeries. The documents were eventually handed over to the IAEA, and in his briefing to the U.N. Security Council on March 7, 2003, Mohammed ElBaradei announced, “Based on thorough analysis, the IAEA has concluded, with the concurrence of outside experts, that these documents—which formed the basis for the reports of recent uranium transactions between Iraq and Niger—are in fact not authentic.”</p>
<p>The role of the CIA in controlling the flow of information in the coordinated effort to deceive the public is best illustrated in the case of the aluminum tubes. Dick Cheney declared that Saddam Hussein “has reconstituted his nuclear program to develop a nuclear weapon…. [H]e now is trying, through his illicit procurement network, to acquire the equipment he needs to be able to enrich uranium to make the bombs…. Specifically aluminum tubes.” He added, “[W]e do know, with absolute certainty, that he is using his procurement system to acquire the equipment he needs in order to enrich uranium to build a nuclear weapon.” He went further, suggesting that Iraq may have already obtained a nuclear weapon. When asked to confirm that Iraq did not at that time have a nuclear weapon, Cheney replied, “I can’t say that.” National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice similarly lied, “We do know that he is actively pursuing a nuclear weapon. We do know that there have been shipments going … into Iraq, for instance, of aluminum tubes … that are only really suited for nuclear weapons programs, centrifuge programs.” President Bush also said, “Iraq has made several attempts to buy high-strength aluminum tubes used to enrich uranium for a nuclear weapon.” The same day, the State Department released a report titled “A Decade of Deception and Defiance” that stated, “Iraq has sought to buy thousands of specially designed aluminum tubes which officials believe were intended as components of centrifuges to enrich uranium.” On October 7, 2002, Bush repeated, “The evidence indicates that Iraq is reconstituting its nuclear weapons program.” He cited as “evidence” of this the claim that “Iraq has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes and other equipment needed for gas centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.” He added, “Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof—the smoking gun—that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud.”</p>
<p>Turning to the actual assessments of the U.S.’s intelligence agencies, the first CIA assessment of the tubes was published on April 10, 2001, and stated that they “have little use other than for a uranium enrichment program.” Yet no explanation for how this conclusion was arrived at was provided, and the report also acknowledged that “using aluminum tubes in a centrifuge effort would be inefficient and a step backward from the specialty steel machines Iraq was poised to mass produce at the onset of the Gulf War.” The Department of Energy (DOE) issued their own far more detailed analysis of the tubes the following day, which stated that their “specifications are not consistent with a gas centrifuge end use.” Additionally, there was no evidence for “related procurement efforts” that would be also required to produce centrifuges, and if the tubes were intended for this purpose, it would be “a centrifuge design quite different from any Iraq is known to have.” The DOE report stated, “[W]e assess that the procurement activity more likely supports a different application, such as conventional ordnance production. For example, the tube specifications and quantity appear to be generally consistent with their use as launch tubes for man-held anti-armor rockets or as tactical rocket casings.” Additionally, the lax manner in which Iraq had handled its procurement of the tubes “seems to better match our expectations for a conventional Iraqi military buy than a major purchase for a clandestine weapons-of-mass destruction program.” After further research, the DOE issued another report on May 9 noting that “Iraq has purchased similar aluminum tubes previously to manufacture chambers (tubes) for a multiple rocket launcher.”</p>
<p>The CIA responded with a report on June 14 acknowledging the error of its initial assessment. It admitted that the tubes “could be used as rocket bodies for multiple rocket launchers”, but nevertheless clung to its false claim that their specifications “are suitable for uranium enrichment gas centrifuge rotors” and that a conventional use was “less likely”. Once again, no rationale was offered for its differing assessment from the nation’s top experts on centrifuges at the DOE. The CIA issued another report on July 2 falsely claiming that they “are constructed from high strength aluminum (7075-T6) and are manufactured to the tight tolerances necessary for gas centrifuges. The dimensions of the tubes match those of a publicly available gas centrifuge design from the 1950s, known as the Zippe centrifuge.” It falsely stated that “the specifications for the tubes far exceed any known conventional weapons application, including rocket motor casings for 81-mm multiple rocket launchers.”</p>
<p>The IAEA first became alerted to the tubes issue in the summer of 2001, and immediately recognized that Iraq had previously used tubes with identical dimensions in a conventional rocket program, for which there was extensive documentation. A CIA analyst from the Center for Weapons Intelligence, Nonproliferation, and Arms Control (WINPAC) identified simply as “Joe”, was largely responsible for creating and propagating the argument that the tubes were intended for a centrifuge program. He travelled to Vienna in July to try to convince the IAEA experts of his position, arguing that after cutting the tubes and machining down the thickness, they could be used in a centrifuge that would then have the same mass as rotors in a Zippe centrifuge design (named after Soviet scientist Gernot Zippe). The IAEA experts pointed out to him that there were numerous flaws in his analysis, such as the fact that he had failed to calculate the mass of end caps and other components of such a design.</p>
<p>As the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Report on the U.S. Intelligence Community’s Prewar Intelligence Assessment on Iraq would later observe, nine additional intelligence reports were produced over the next year discussing the aluminum tubes, but “[n]one of these assessments provided any additional information to support the CIA’s analysis”. The Senate Committee’s report offered useful insight into how the CIA was controlling the flow of information on the tubes, revealing how “Most of the assessments were disseminated in limited channels, only to high-level policymakers and were not available to intelligence analysts from other agencies.” When asked by the Committee why this was so, CIA officials replied that they were written as responses to specific questions and intended for the President. Apparently relying on the CIA’s false claim that the tubes were a “match” to the Zippe design and being out of the loop about the DOE’s contrary assessment, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) produced a report on August 2, 2001 embracing the CIA’s case with the comment that “DIA analysts found the CIA WINPAC presentation to be very compelling.”</p>
<p>On August 17, the DOE released an additional extensive analysis, once again observing, as had the IAEA, that Iraq had previously used tubes with “the same specifications” to manufacture rockets. The DOE reiterated that the tubes were not well suited for a centrifuge and that the aluminum used “provides performance roughly half that of the materials Iraq previously pursued.” Furthermore, the diameter of the tubes was smaller than any known centrifuge and “too thick for favorable use as rotor tubes, exceeding the nominal 1-mm thickness of known aluminum rotor tubes by more than a factor of three.” In other words, as the Senate Committee later noted, “The dimensions of the tubes seized do not ‘match’ the dimensions of any of Zippe’s centrifuge designs.” Moreover, the DOE also noted, the anodized surface “is not consistent with a gas centrifuge application”, which was “unlikely”. Rather, “a rocket production application is the more likely end use for these tubes.”</p>
<p>Apparently still relying entirely upon the CIA’s assessment, the DIA issued a report in November acknowledging that “alternative uses for the tubes are possible, such as rocket motor cases or rocket launch tubes” but parroting once again the false claim that “the specifications are consistent with earlier Iraqi gas centrifuge rotor designs.” The DOE tried to set the record straight yet again in a report in December that stated, “The wall thickness is three times greater than that for metal rotor designs used in high-speed centrifuges”—including the Zippe design. The DOE’s experts pointed out the inefficiency of any centrifuge built using these tubes, concluding, “In short, we judge it unlikely that anyone could deploy an enrichment facility capable of producing weapons significant quantities of HEU [highly-enriched uranium] based on these tubes.” One analyst later expressed his view to the Senate Committee that if Iraq truly intended these tubes for use in a centrifuge, then “we should just give them the tubes.”</p>
<p>The CIA was undeterred, publishing another report on August 1, 2002 ignoring the DOE assessment and claiming that the tubes’ supposed high tolerances, high cost, and secrecy in procurement were evidence that they were intended for centrifuges. The DIA the following month once again repeated the false claim that alternative uses were “possible” but “less likely because the specifications are consistent with late-1980s Iraqi gas centrifuge rotor designs.” Again in September, the CIA repeated as evidence for an intended centrifuge application its false claims of secrecy in procurement, high cost, tight tolerances, the anodized coating, and that the tubes “matched” known centrifuge specifications. It concluded that it was “unlikely” they were intended for a rocket program.</p>
<p>While administration officials stated as fact that the tubes were intended for centrifuges and that they couldn’t be used for any other purpose, that the nation’s top experts on centrifuges at the DOE disagreed became public information long before the invasion of Iraq. David Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) released a report on September 23, 2002 that noted, “In fact, the intelligence community is deeply divided about the purpose of the tubing, with a significant number of experts knowledgeable about gas centrifuges dissenting from the CIA view.” Furthermore, Albright wrote, “ISIS has learned that U.S. nuclear experts who dissent from the Administration’s position are expected to remain silent.” In a second later report, Albright relayed that one expert “said that people in the administration can ‘release whatever they like, and they expect us to be silent.’” The New York Times similarly later reported that on September 13, after the administration had leaked information about the tubes to the press and made their rounds on the talk shows touting their claims, “the Energy Department sent a directive forbidding employees from discussing the subject with reporters.” Albright also made publicly known that the tubes would have to be modified significantly in order to be used for centrifuges, and also that UNSCOM had seen thousands of similar tubes in Iraq—for use in its rocket program. Further public information contradicting the U.S. government’s claims came when the British government released a dossier on September 24, 2002 admitting that “there is no definitive intelligence that it is destined for a nuclear programme.”</p>
<p>The CIA released an unclassified version of its National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iraqi WMD in October 2002, which stated that the tubes “could be used in a centrifuge enrichment program. Most intelligence specialists assess this to be to be the intended use, but some believe that these tubes are probably intended for conventional weapons programs.” Thus “most intelligence specialists” included “Joe” and a number of analysts within the CIA and DIA, while excluding the nation’s top experts on centrifuges who had repeatedly pointed out that the CIA and DIA assessments were relying on false information.</p>
<p>By contrast, the classified version of the NIE noted that the DOE “assesses that the tubes probably are not part of” a nuclear weapons program. The State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), it also noted, “accepts the judgment of technical experts at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) who have concluded that the tubes Iraq seeks to acquire are poorly suited for use in gas centrifuges to be used for uranium enrichment and finds unpersuasive the arguments advanced by others to make the case that they are intended for that purpose. INR considers it far more likely that the tubes are intended for another purpose, most likely the production of artillery rockets. The very large quantities being sought, the way the tubes were tested by the Iraqis, and the atypical lack of attention to operational security in the procurement efforts are among the factors, in addition to the DOE assessment, that lead INR to conclude that the tubes are not intended for use in Iraq’s nuclear weapon program.”</p>
<p>The NIE included an assessment from the Army National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC) that, due to the tubes’ specifications, they were “highly unlikely to be intended for rocket motor cases.” Yet the IAEA had confirmed that the Iraqis were attempting to reverse engineer an Italian rocket, the Medusa, which used the same material, 7075-T6 aluminum tubes with the same dimensions. Furthermore, in a written response to the Senate Committee, the NGIC acknowledged that “lightweight rockets, such as those originally developed for air-to-ground systems, typically use 7075-T6 aluminum for the motor casing because of its strength and weight”. The NGIC additionally acknowledged that “it is not unusual to use the aluminum alloy specified by Iraq for casings of unguided rockets.” The apparent explanation for the contradiction was once again the CIA’s control of information. One expert told David Albright “that he did not believe the CIA analysts presented NGIC with complete information about the case” prior to the publication of the NIE. The Department of Defense (DOD) similarly confirmed that the information its analysts had relied upon had been provided by the CIA. One engineer from the DOD told the Senate Committee that it became clear to him that the CIA “had an agenda” and was trying “to bias us, to encourage us to come up with [the] answer” that agreed with their own assessment.</p>
<p>With regard to the claim that the tubes were “excessively tightly toleranced” for use in rockets, a DOD rocket design engineer told the Committee that this could be explained because Iraqi engineers, who “don’t have 40 years of rocket manufacture [experience] like we have”, would “tend to err on the conservative side.” Another engineer agreed, “If you were starting from scratch, you would tend to go for a straighter, more tightly-toleranced product.” The DOE observed that this was common practice for inexperienced engineers trying to reverse engineer equipment, and the IAEA also confirmed this explanation. Further illustrating the dishonesty of the CIA’s assessment, the DOE explained that the tubes used in the U.S. Mark-66 rocket in fact had tolerances that exceeded those of the tubes procured by the Iraqis. As for the supposed “high cost” of the tubes, DOD design engineers responsible for U.S. rocket systems told the Senate Committee that this was “not correct at all”. On the contrary, high-strength aluminum is “around the world the material of choice for low cost rocket systems” and “one of the cheapest materials to make rocket motor cases.”</p>
<p>The CIA claimed in the NIE that it had successfully spun one of the tubes and that its test showed that it was “suitable as a centrifuge rotor”, even though the DOE had written an analysis of the spin test stating that it actually “would have precluded their use in a centrifuge.” The NIE did not repeat the false claim that the tubes were a “match” to the Zippe design, but did claim their dimensions were “similar”, and it omitted the fact that they were not consistent with Iraq’s previous centrifuge designs and the fact that the tubes’ specifications matched perfectly those used in Iraq’s existing rocket program.</p>
<p>After U.N. inspectors returned to Iraq under the Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), chief inspector Hans Blix reported in December 2002 that while it was still investigating the administration’s claims, “Iraq has also provided information on a short-range rocket that is manufactured using 81 mm aluminum tubes”, which was “not a new disclosure”. In January 2003, Mohamed ElBaradei briefed the Security Council that Iraq had explained its attempts to acquire the tubes “in connection with a programme aimed at reverse engineering 81-millimetre rockets.” In order to verify the Iraqi explanation, the IAEA had conducted an extensive investigation finding that “the specifications of the aluminum tubes sought by Iraq … appear to be consistent with reverse engineering of rockets. While it would be possible to modify such tubes for the manufacture of centrifuges, they are not directly suitable for it.” The assessment of the DOE, as already noted, had already been made public, and the INR’s agreement with the DOE was also reported by the New York Times in January. On January 27, ElBaradei briefed the Council again that after extensive investigation, the IAEA had concluded that “the aluminum tubes would be consistent with the purpose stated by Iraq and, unless modified, would not be suitable for manufacturing centrifuges”. He added that “we have to date found no evidence that Iraq has revived its nuclear weapons programme since the elimination of the programme in the 1990s”.</p>
<p>President Bush nevertheless claimed two days later that Saddam Hussein “has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production” and that he “has not credibly explained these activities.” Secretary of State Colin Powell repeated the administration’s case at the Security Council on February 5, declaring that “Saddam Hussein is determined to get his hands on a nuclear bomb. He is so determined that he has made repeated covert attempts to acquire high-specification aluminum tubes”. While acknowledging that there “are differences of opinion” about the tubes, Powell claimed that “Most U.S. experts think they are intended to serve as rotors in centrifuges used to enrich uranium.” The truth was that, as David Albright later observed, “The vast majority of gas centrifuge experts in this country and abroad who are knowledgeable about this case reject the CIA’s case”, including the nation’s top experts at the DOE who had “virtually the only expertise on gas centrifuges and nuclear weapons programs in the United States government”, as well as the intelligence branch of Powell’s own State Department.</p>
<p>Powell disingenuously and meaninglessly declared that “all the experts who have analyzed the tubes in our possession agree that they can be adapted for centrifuge use”. As one DOE analyst would later explain to the Senate Committee, you could also theoretically “turn your new Yugo into a Cadillac”. Retired Oak Ridge nuclear scientist Dr. Houston G. Wood, one of the top experts in the world on centrifuges, similarly explained that “it would have been extremely difficult to make these tubes into centrifuges. It stretches the imagination to come up with a way. I do not know any real centrifuge experts that feel differently.”</p>
<p>Powell lied that the tubes “are manufactured to a tolerance that far exceeds U.S. requirements for comparable rockets”, even though his own department’s intelligence agency had sent him a memo identifying this claim as a key concern and stating, “In fact, the most comparable US system is a tactical rocket—the US Mark 66 air-launched 70mm rocket—that uses the same, high-grade (7075-T6) aluminum, and that has specifications with similar tolerances.” He cited the anodized coating as evidence, asking why Iraq would “go to all that trouble for something that, if it was a rocket, would soon be blown into shrapnel when it went off?” In fact, the anodized coating was a clear indication the tubes were intended for rockets, the coating being to protect the tubes from the weather; and since the tubes would require machining to modify them for use in centrifuges, Powell, if he was honest, should have asked why the Iraqis would go to all that trouble if the coating would soon be removed to make centrifuges anyways.</p>
<p>Mohammed ElBaradei refuted Powell’s lies again in March, saying that “Extensive field investigation and document analysis have failed to uncover any evidence that Iraq intended to use these 81mm tubes for any project other than the reverse engineering of rockets…. Based on available evidence, the IAEA team has concluded that Iraq’s efforts to import these aluminum tubes were not likely to have been related to the manufacture of centrifuges and, moreover, that it was highly unlikely that Iraq could have achieved the considerable re-design needed to use them in a revived centrifuge programme.”</p>
<p>Thus, even before the U.S. launched its invasion of Iraq ostensibly to rid it of WMD because the world could not wait for the proof of Iraq’s possession of nuclear weapons to come “in the form of a mushroom cloud”, it was public knowledge that the British government, the IAEA, the top U.S. experts on centrifuges at the DOE, and the INR all agreed that the evidence did not indicate that the tubes were intended for use in a nuclear weapons program. On July 9, 2004, the Senate Committee published its report on pre-war intelligence. It concluded that “the judgment in the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear program, was not supported by the intelligence” and, furthermore, that “the information available to the Intelligence Community indicated that these tubes were intended to be used for an Iraqi conventional rocket program and not a nuclear program.” In the CIA’s final report on the findings of the ISG in September 2004, the agency reluctantly admitted that “Iraqi interest in aluminum tubes appears to have come from efforts to produce 81-mm rockets, rather than a nuclear end use.”</p>
<p>Needless to say, given the actual facts, the narrative that the admittedly false claims that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear weapons program were the product of an “intelligence failure” cannot withstand the slightest scrutiny. This claim is completely fictional. Simply stated, the fact of the matter is that the government lied, and no attempt by individuals or agencies responsible for these lies seeking to obfuscate and deny that fact could possibly be considered a “mea culpa” by any serious and honest analyst. The failure of journalists to objectively state the obvious fact that government officials lied and the near universal willingness to repeat the official fictional narrative of “intelligence failure” following the invasion is a further reflection of the same intellectual culture in the U.S. that was witnessed prior to the war, when the mainstream media uncritically parroted the government’s claims and reported lies and deceptions as fact.</p>
<p>A Counterintelligence Success</p>
<p>One may similarly examine virtually every other aspect of the case for war and see the same repetition of official deception. On February 24, 2001, Colin Powell stated that Saddam Hussein “has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction.” When he went before the Security Council two years later to present the administration’s case for war, he knew he was lying. He knew that the claims he was making were not supported by the available evidence. He knew that his claims were contradicted by the available intelligence assessments of the nation’s top experts in their respective fields.</p>
<p>Another example of this was the claim that Iraq’s unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were intended to deliver chemical and biological weapons. On October 7, 2002, President Bush declared, “We’ve also discovered through intelligence that Iraq has a growing fleet of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles that could be used to disperse chemical or biological weapons across broad areas. We’re concerned that Iraq is exploring ways of using these UAVs for missions targeting the United States.” According to Senator Bill Nelson, prior to the Congressional vote on the resolution granting the President the authority to enforce U.N. resolutions through the Security Council—(contrary to popular belief, the invasion of Iraq was a violation of the U.S. Constitution as well as international law)—members of Congress were told that Iraq could deliver anthrax to U.S. cities using UAVs. He testified, “I was told that not only did he have the weapons of mass destruction and that he had the means to deliver them through unmanned aerial vehicles, but that he had the capability of transporting those UAVs outside of Iraq and threatening the homeland here in America, specifically by putting them on ships off the eastern seaboard of which they would then drop their WMD on eastern seaboard cities. You can see all the more why I thought there was an imminent threat.”</p>
<p>In his February 5 presentation before the Security Council, Colin Powell showed a picture of an Iraqi Mirage jet aircraft that he claimed was spraying “simulated anthrax”. He claimed that spray tanks capable of dispersing chemical or biological weapons were “intended to be mounted on a MiG-21 that had been converted into an unmanned aerial vehicle, or a UAV.” He added that “UAVs outfitted with spray tanks constitute an ideal method for launching a terrorist attack using biological weapons.” After making these allegations, he turned his attention to Iraq’s actual known UAVs, which were smaller and lighter than a jet aircraft. These, he said, “are well suited for dispensing chemical and biological weapons. There is ample evidence that Iraq has dedicated much effort to developing and testing spray devices that could be adapted for UAVs.” He argued that, “According to Iraq’s December 7 declaration, its UAVs have a range of only 80 kilometers. But we detected one of Iraq’s newest UAVs in a test flight that went 500 kilometers nonstop on autopilot” in a “race track pattern”—that is to say, it “was flown around and around and around in a circle.” For this argument, Powell was relying on the ignorance of his audience. He could not have been unaware that Iraq’s UAVs necessarily functioned by use of a guiding signal that had a limited range. Thus, while the UAVs were shown to be able to carry enough fuel to fly a distance of 500 km, Powell in fact offered no evidence to contradict Iraq’s declaration that its UAVs had a range of 80 km. This was deliberate sleight-of-hand, a blatant effort to deceive. He further stated that “Iraq could use these small UAVs which have a wingspan of only a few meters to deliver biological agents to its neighbors or if transported, to other countries, including the United States.”</p>
<p>The U.N. inspectors, however, had not arrived at the same conclusions. In his report to the Security Council on March 7, Hans Blix only briefly mentioned Iraq’s UAVs, saying, “Inspectors are also engaged in examining Iraq’s programme for Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPVs). A number of sites have been inspected with data being collected to assess the range and other capabilities of the various models found. Inspections are continuing in this area.” In summing up the matter of Iraq’s UAV’s in the book he later wrote on the inspections process, Blix wrote, “The U.S. administration had concluded—almost certainly wrongly, it now appears—that the drone was a violation of the Security Council’s resolution. At UNMOVIC we were not ready to make that assessment. This angered Washington, despite the fact that it must have been known that the U.S. Air Force itself did not believe the Iraqi drones were for the delivery of biological and chemical agents.” And, as Blix also noted, the Air Force was “the greatest repository of U.S. expertise on drones”.</p>
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<p /> | false | 1 | claim intelligence failure leading war iraq another lie part campaign deception claim iraq wmds download paper pdf george washington university national security archive recently published newly released cia document january 2006 titled misreading intentions iraqs reaction inspection created picture deception document archive notes blames analyst liabilities neglecting examine iraqs deceptive behavior iraqi prism failure correctly assess countrys virtually nonexistent wmd capabilities foreign policy magazine describes remarkable cia mea culpa nothing could truth far acknowledging cias true role document present kind serious analysis politicized statements rehashing wellworn official claims designed myth intelligence failure leading us invasion iraq march 2003 intelligence failure contrary extremely successful disinformation campaign coordinated cia furtherance governments policy seeking regime change iraq language document reveals persistent dishonesty speaks deepened suspicions iraq ongoing wmd programs suspicions iraq continued hide wmd needless say however iraq war sold public grounds government officials intelligence agencies suspicions iraq weapons mass destruction wmd sold public declarations known fact iraq ongoing programs stockpiles wmd tacit acknowledgment actual evidence supported suspicions proof narrative intelligence failure fiction report relies heavily upon 1995 defection saddam husseins soninlaw hussein kamal respectively spelled saddam husayn husayn kamil document arguing information revealed bolstered suspicions iraq concealing ongoing wmd programs continued possess stockpiles wmd argues regimes behavior indicated hiding weapons kamal returned iraq killed 1996 individual vice president dick cheney referred selling administrations case war august 26 2002 said know saddam resumed efforts acquire nuclear weapons among sources weve gotten firsthand testimony defectorsincluding saddams soninlaw subsequently murdered saddams direction fact cheney lying cias persistent adherence essentially false narrative renders ridiculous suggestion document kind mea culpa document states analysts interpreted iraqs intransigence ongoing deceptive practices indicators continued wmd programs intent preserve wmd capabilities reinforcing intelligence receiving time saddam husayn continued pursue wmd yet examples lists iraqs intransigence deception support cias earlier judgments iraq ongoing programs wmd stockpiles april 1991 example document says iraq declared neither nuclear weapons program enrichment program inspections june september 1991 proved iraq lied counts explored multiple enrichment paths welldeveloped nuclear weapons program true however document makes mention fact public knowledge iraqs nuclear program subsequently completely dismantled former director general international atomic energy agency iaea mohammed elbaradei pointed agency destroyed removed rendered harmless iraqi facilities equipment component iraqs nuclear programme 1992 iaea reported 1998 confident missed significant component iraqs nuclear programme document states march 1992 iraq decided declare unilateral destruction certain prohibited items security council continuing conceal biological warfare bw program important aspects nuclear chemical missile programs worded implies iraq 1992 continuing programs disingenuous fact iraq time trying conceal past programs ended following 1991 gulf war iraq continue programs dismantled unilaterally destroyed wmd order hide fact programs past document acknowledges key findings section 1991 iraq secretly destroyed dismantled undeclared items records yet next paragraph contradictorily disingenuously states judge 1995 defection saddams soninlaw husayn kamila critical figure iraqs wmd denial deception dampd activitiespromoted iraq change strategic direction cease efforts retain wmd programs implies iraq ongoing wmd programs least 1995 false cia knew perfectly well time report written even importantly programs dismantled weapons destroyed fact precisely hussein kamal actually told un inspectors defected 1995 newly released document fact points said saddam destroyed wmd secret 1991 yet apart single buried admission document full statements implying weapons programs continued example states iraqi officials admit weaponized bw agent defection husayn kamil fails clarify admission past ongoing activity document acknowledges kamals defection key turning point iraqs decision cooperate inspections adds debriefing un inspectors strengthened wests perception iraq successful efficient deceiver following kamals defection document states west meaning us judged iraq determined retain wmd capabilities words us continued claim iraq ongoing wmd programs stockpiles supposedly based assessment kamals information even though kamal fact confirmed iraqs wmd destroyed programs dismantled 1991 document similarly states judge iraqis feared kamil would reveal additional undisclosed information iraq decided widespread deception attempts hold onto extensive wmd programs un sanctions untenable changed strategic direction adopting policy disclosure improved cooperation wording iraq attempting 1995 hold onto programs merely imply falsehood outright lie cia perfectly well aware 1995 iraq attempting conceal existence past wmd programs attempting hold onto dismantled 1991 kind dishonest use language suggest iraq continued ongoing wmd programs even contradictorily acknowledging elsewhere report true illustrative willingness cia come clean continue obfuscate truth persist false narrative intelligence failure cia document even tries spin acknowledgment iraqs programs dismantled wmd destroyed 1991 saying unilateral action left iraq unable provide convincing proof later tried demonstrate compliancethus shifting burden onto iraq prove didnt wmd attempting obfuscate fact us government officials repeatedly lied claiming intelligence community proof iraq wmd october 1991 iraq admitted un special commission unscom al atheer site built order conduct research enriching uranium build nuclear weapon august 22 1995 hussein kamal asked work went whether continuing somewhere else replied yes gulf war say sites involved iraqs nuclear weapons program program ended 1991 also pointed work done enrichment studies noted iraq already highly enriched uranium france iaea international atomic energy agency safeguards iraq thus worked building centrifuges enrich uranium never reached point close testing cia document nevertheless states kamals defection exposed previously unknown 1991 crash program develop nuclear weapons program referred would entailed using enriched uranium iraqs frenchbuilt reactor enriching additional uranium obtained russia weaponsgrade order produce material bomb remarkable dishonesty statement full display one compares fact crash program brought unscom debriefing kamals actual response true acknowledged decision already use french uranium ready centrifuges words crash program nothing hypothetical contingency plan involving scenario iraq would make final desperate effort produce nuclear weapon kicking un iaea inspectors enriching uranium weaponsgradea capability iraq possess regard iraqs biological weapons programs kamal asked debriefing weapons agents destroyed answered nothing remained added un inspectors important role iraq underestimate effective iraq unilateral destruction wmd kamal said done came issue chemical weapons discussion turned iraqs development vx nerve agent iraniraq war war kamal told un debriefers factory turned civilian production added iran also mustard sarin used mustard gas small quantities chemical components came us iraqthat us supplied precursors iraqs wmd well known kamal continued changed factory pesticide production part establishment started produce medicine also said gave instructions produce chemical weapons chemical weapons destroyed ordered destruction chemical weapons weaponsbiological chemical missile nuclear destroyed subsequently clarified nuclear area weaponshe meant nuclear program dismantled cia document repeats standard refrain iraq viewed iran israel threat therefore could explain iraq might continued give impression concealing wmdto instill fear least uncertainty neighbors propaganda claim iraq wished give impression wmd repeated many times years david kay initially headed iraq survey group isg cias effort find wmd iraq following invasion order explain search turned nothing suggested saddam bluffed wmd order deter iran january 2008 media abuzz supposed revelation saddams interrogation confirming bluffed interrogator fbi agent george piro gave interview cbss 60 minutes recalled telling saddam june 2000 gave speech said iraq would disarm others region 60 minutes report inserted claim june 2000 speech weapons mass destruction piro reinforced claim interviewer asked saddam would put nation risk maintain charade wmd piro replied important project kept mind power capability kept iranians away kept reinvading iraq associated press reported saddams interrogation confirmed falsely allowed world believe iraq weapons mass destruction usa today claimed saddam said bluffing publicly weapons mass destruction feared showing weakness iran headline christian science monitor declared saddam hussein lied iraqs weapons mass destruction160 london telegraph proclaimed saddam hussein lied wmds protect iraq iran reuters announced fbi saddam told us lied nukes deter iran fact lie claim saddam lied wmd simple fact matter never claimed iraq wmd contrary repeatedly consistently honestly denied cia document acknowledges one place iraq saying end 1995 part accurate entire relevant section released fbi summary june 11 2004 interrogation piro referring stated ssa piro asked hussein wrote speeches come heart meaning june 2000 speech hussein replied speech meant serve regional operational purpose regionally speech meant respond iraqs regional threat hussein believed iraq could appear weak enemies especially iran iraq threatened others region must appear able defend operationally hussein demonstrating iraqs compliance united nations un destruction weapons mass destruction wmd far suggesting kind confession saddam bluffed wmd furthermore speech referred contrary cbss false claim wmd saddam rather spoken explicitly reference iraqs conventional arsenal weapons spoke us used united nations cover pursue agenda added however must protect country give iraq like collect weapons sake collecting weapons consider provision necessary means protect country ethical moral responsibility every iraqi man woman must shoulder thus speaking specifically iraqs right selfdefense maintaining capability exercise right continued say iraq would enthusiastic limit weapons long israelwhich bombed iraq 1983 watershed event precipitated saddams decision try develop nuclear weapon deter attacksdid told president husni mubarak go ahead announce arabs prepared join treaty rid region socalled weapons mass destruction told mean ballistic missiles artillery longer range condition proposed disarmament zionist entity first sign treaty saddam used words weapons mass destruction explicitly referring longrange ballistic missiles although proscribed iraq un resolutions nevertheless conventional weaponshence description socalled wmd world tells us abandon weapons keep swords saddam continued destroy weapons destroy weapons keep rifle tell right possess sword would say cia document concludes intelligence analysts wrongly assessed iraqs wmd capabilities grounds liability intelligence analysis party proven effective deceiver knowledge becomes heavy factor calculations analytical observer remarkably making vague judgments bias analysts one document address actual intelligence underlying single one claims made government officials efforts manufacture consent war iraq examination claims made actual intelligence underlying reveals fact part intelligence community failed assessments iraqs wmd capabilities contrary top analysts respective area expertise numerous key claims bush administration making case war correctly assessed iraq wmd capabilities cia coordinated campaign disinformation instance take claims iraq reconstituted nuclear program belied opensource information iaea completely dismantled evidence iraq attempted restart evidence cited bolster claims founded primarily alleged iraqi attempts procure yellowcake uranium niger acquisition aluminum tubes manufacture centrifuges enrich uranium bomb yet claims false known false us invaded neither case intelligence communitys assessment support claims made administration officials president george w bush infamously proclaimed example british government learned saddam hussein recently sought significant quantities uranium africa lie british government hadnt learned merely claimed credible evidence fact us intelligence community regarded claim dubious cia warned british government including white paper bush referring fact documents underlying claim forgeries documents eventually handed iaea briefing un security council march 7 2003 mohammed elbaradei announced based thorough analysis iaea concluded concurrence outside experts documentswhich formed basis reports recent uranium transactions iraq nigerare fact authentic role cia controlling flow information coordinated effort deceive public best illustrated case aluminum tubes dick cheney declared saddam hussein reconstituted nuclear program develop nuclear weapon trying illicit procurement network acquire equipment needs able enrich uranium make bombs specifically aluminum tubes added know absolute certainty using procurement system acquire equipment needs order enrich uranium build nuclear weapon went suggesting iraq may already obtained nuclear weapon asked confirm iraq time nuclear weapon cheney replied cant say national security advisor condoleezza rice similarly lied know actively pursuing nuclear weapon know shipments going iraq instance aluminum tubes really suited nuclear weapons programs centrifuge programs president bush also said iraq made several attempts buy highstrength aluminum tubes used enrich uranium nuclear weapon day state department released report titled decade deception defiance stated iraq sought buy thousands specially designed aluminum tubes officials believe intended components centrifuges enrich uranium october 7 2002 bush repeated evidence indicates iraq reconstituting nuclear weapons program cited evidence claim iraq attempted purchase highstrength aluminum tubes equipment needed gas centrifuges used enrich uranium nuclear weapons added facing clear evidence peril wait final proofthe smoking gunthat could come form mushroom cloud turning actual assessments uss intelligence agencies first cia assessment tubes published april 10 2001 stated little use uranium enrichment program yet explanation conclusion arrived provided report also acknowledged using aluminum tubes centrifuge effort would inefficient step backward specialty steel machines iraq poised mass produce onset gulf war department energy doe issued far detailed analysis tubes following day stated specifications consistent gas centrifuge end use additionally evidence related procurement efforts would also required produce centrifuges tubes intended purpose would centrifuge design quite different iraq known doe report stated assess procurement activity likely supports different application conventional ordnance production example tube specifications quantity appear generally consistent use launch tubes manheld antiarmor rockets tactical rocket casings additionally lax manner iraq handled procurement tubes seems better match expectations conventional iraqi military buy major purchase clandestine weaponsofmass destruction program research doe issued another report may 9 noting iraq purchased similar aluminum tubes previously manufacture chambers tubes multiple rocket launcher cia responded report june 14 acknowledging error initial assessment admitted tubes could used rocket bodies multiple rocket launchers nevertheless clung false claim specifications suitable uranium enrichment gas centrifuge rotors conventional use less likely rationale offered differing assessment nations top experts centrifuges doe cia issued another report july 2 falsely claiming constructed high strength aluminum 7075t6 manufactured tight tolerances necessary gas centrifuges dimensions tubes match publicly available gas centrifuge design 1950s known zippe centrifuge falsely stated specifications tubes far exceed known conventional weapons application including rocket motor casings 81mm multiple rocket launchers iaea first became alerted tubes issue summer 2001 immediately recognized iraq previously used tubes identical dimensions conventional rocket program extensive documentation cia analyst center weapons intelligence nonproliferation arms control winpac identified simply joe largely responsible creating propagating argument tubes intended centrifuge program travelled vienna july try convince iaea experts position arguing cutting tubes machining thickness could used centrifuge would mass rotors zippe centrifuge design named soviet scientist gernot zippe iaea experts pointed numerous flaws analysis fact failed calculate mass end caps components design senate select committee intelligence report us intelligence communitys prewar intelligence assessment iraq would later observe nine additional intelligence reports produced next year discussing aluminum tubes none assessments provided additional information support cias analysis senate committees report offered useful insight cia controlling flow information tubes revealing assessments disseminated limited channels highlevel policymakers available intelligence analysts agencies asked committee cia officials replied written responses specific questions intended president apparently relying cias false claim tubes match zippe design loop contrary assessment defense intelligence agency dia produced report august 2 2001 embracing cias case comment dia analysts found cia winpac presentation compelling august 17 doe released additional extensive analysis observing iaea iraq previously used tubes specifications manufacture rockets doe reiterated tubes well suited centrifuge aluminum used provides performance roughly half materials iraq previously pursued furthermore diameter tubes smaller known centrifuge thick favorable use rotor tubes exceeding nominal 1mm thickness known aluminum rotor tubes factor three words senate committee later noted dimensions tubes seized match dimensions zippes centrifuge designs moreover doe also noted anodized surface consistent gas centrifuge application unlikely rather rocket production application likely end use tubes apparently still relying entirely upon cias assessment dia issued report november acknowledging alternative uses tubes possible rocket motor cases rocket launch tubes parroting false claim specifications consistent earlier iraqi gas centrifuge rotor designs doe tried set record straight yet report december stated wall thickness three times greater metal rotor designs used highspeed centrifugesincluding zippe design experts pointed inefficiency centrifuge built using tubes concluding short judge unlikely anyone could deploy enrichment facility capable producing weapons significant quantities heu highlyenriched uranium based tubes one analyst later expressed view senate committee iraq truly intended tubes use centrifuge give tubes cia undeterred publishing another report august 1 2002 ignoring doe assessment claiming tubes supposed high tolerances high cost secrecy procurement evidence intended centrifuges dia following month repeated false claim alternative uses possible less likely specifications consistent late1980s iraqi gas centrifuge rotor designs september cia repeated evidence intended centrifuge application false claims secrecy procurement high cost tight tolerances anodized coating tubes matched known centrifuge specifications concluded unlikely intended rocket program administration officials stated fact tubes intended centrifuges couldnt used purpose nations top experts centrifuges doe disagreed became public information long invasion iraq david albright institute science international security isis released report september 23 2002 noted fact intelligence community deeply divided purpose tubing significant number experts knowledgeable gas centrifuges dissenting cia view furthermore albright wrote isis learned us nuclear experts dissent administrations position expected remain silent second later report albright relayed one expert said people administration release whatever like expect us silent new york times similarly later reported september 13 administration leaked information tubes press made rounds talk shows touting claims energy department sent directive forbidding employees discussing subject reporters albright also made publicly known tubes would modified significantly order used centrifuges also unscom seen thousands similar tubes iraqfor use rocket program public information contradicting us governments claims came british government released dossier september 24 2002 admitting definitive intelligence destined nuclear programme cia released unclassified version national intelligence estimate nie iraqi wmd october 2002 stated tubes could used centrifuge enrichment program intelligence specialists assess intended use believe tubes probably intended conventional weapons programs thus intelligence specialists included joe number analysts within cia dia excluding nations top experts centrifuges repeatedly pointed cia dia assessments relying false information contrast classified version nie noted doe assesses tubes probably part nuclear weapons program state departments bureau intelligence research inr also noted accepts judgment technical experts us department energy doe concluded tubes iraq seeks acquire poorly suited use gas centrifuges used uranium enrichment finds unpersuasive arguments advanced others make case intended purpose inr considers far likely tubes intended another purpose likely production artillery rockets large quantities sought way tubes tested iraqis atypical lack attention operational security procurement efforts among factors addition doe assessment lead inr conclude tubes intended use iraqs nuclear weapon program nie included assessment army national ground intelligence center ngic due tubes specifications highly unlikely intended rocket motor cases yet iaea confirmed iraqis attempting reverse engineer italian rocket medusa used material 7075t6 aluminum tubes dimensions furthermore written response senate committee ngic acknowledged lightweight rockets originally developed airtoground systems typically use 7075t6 aluminum motor casing strength weight ngic additionally acknowledged unusual use aluminum alloy specified iraq casings unguided rockets apparent explanation contradiction cias control information one expert told david albright believe cia analysts presented ngic complete information case prior publication nie department defense dod similarly confirmed information analysts relied upon provided cia one engineer dod told senate committee became clear cia agenda trying bias us encourage us come answer agreed assessment regard claim tubes excessively tightly toleranced use rockets dod rocket design engineer told committee could explained iraqi engineers dont 40 years rocket manufacture experience like would tend err conservative side another engineer agreed starting scratch would tend go straighter tightlytoleranced product doe observed common practice inexperienced engineers trying reverse engineer equipment iaea also confirmed explanation illustrating dishonesty cias assessment doe explained tubes used us mark66 rocket fact tolerances exceeded tubes procured iraqis supposed high cost tubes dod design engineers responsible us rocket systems told senate committee correct contrary highstrength aluminum around world material choice low cost rocket systems one cheapest materials make rocket motor cases cia claimed nie successfully spun one tubes test showed suitable centrifuge rotor even though doe written analysis spin test stating actually would precluded use centrifuge nie repeat false claim tubes match zippe design claim dimensions similar omitted fact consistent iraqs previous centrifuge designs fact tubes specifications matched perfectly used iraqs existing rocket program un inspectors returned iraq monitoring verification inspection commission unmovic chief inspector hans blix reported december 2002 still investigating administrations claims iraq also provided information shortrange rocket manufactured using 81 mm aluminum tubes new disclosure january 2003 mohamed elbaradei briefed security council iraq explained attempts acquire tubes connection programme aimed reverse engineering 81millimetre rockets order verify iraqi explanation iaea conducted extensive investigation finding specifications aluminum tubes sought iraq appear consistent reverse engineering rockets would possible modify tubes manufacture centrifuges directly suitable assessment doe already noted already made public inrs agreement doe also reported new york times january january 27 elbaradei briefed council extensive investigation iaea concluded aluminum tubes would consistent purpose stated iraq unless modified would suitable manufacturing centrifuges added date found evidence iraq revived nuclear weapons programme since elimination programme 1990s president bush nevertheless claimed two days later saddam hussein attempted purchase highstrength aluminum tubes suitable nuclear weapons production credibly explained activities secretary state colin powell repeated administrations case security council february 5 declaring saddam hussein determined get hands nuclear bomb determined made repeated covert attempts acquire highspecification aluminum tubes acknowledging differences opinion tubes powell claimed us experts think intended serve rotors centrifuges used enrich uranium truth david albright later observed vast majority gas centrifuge experts country abroad knowledgeable case reject cias case including nations top experts doe virtually expertise gas centrifuges nuclear weapons programs united states government well intelligence branch powells state department powell disingenuously meaninglessly declared experts analyzed tubes possession agree adapted centrifuge use one doe analyst would later explain senate committee could also theoretically turn new yugo cadillac retired oak ridge nuclear scientist dr houston g wood one top experts world centrifuges similarly explained would extremely difficult make tubes centrifuges stretches imagination come way know real centrifuge experts feel differently powell lied tubes manufactured tolerance far exceeds us requirements comparable rockets even though departments intelligence agency sent memo identifying claim key concern stating fact comparable us system tactical rocketthe us mark 66 airlaunched 70mm rocketthat uses highgrade 7075t6 aluminum specifications similar tolerances cited anodized coating evidence asking iraq would go trouble something rocket would soon blown shrapnel went fact anodized coating clear indication tubes intended rockets coating protect tubes weather since tubes would require machining modify use centrifuges powell honest asked iraqis would go trouble coating would soon removed make centrifuges anyways mohammed elbaradei refuted powells lies march saying extensive field investigation document analysis failed uncover evidence iraq intended use 81mm tubes project reverse engineering rockets based available evidence iaea team concluded iraqs efforts import aluminum tubes likely related manufacture centrifuges moreover highly unlikely iraq could achieved considerable redesign needed use revived centrifuge programme thus even us launched invasion iraq ostensibly rid wmd world could wait proof iraqs possession nuclear weapons come form mushroom cloud public knowledge british government iaea top us experts centrifuges doe inr agreed evidence indicate tubes intended use nuclear weapons program july 9 2004 senate committee published report prewar intelligence concluded judgment national intelligence estimate nie iraq reconstituting nuclear program supported intelligence furthermore information available intelligence community indicated tubes intended used iraqi conventional rocket program nuclear program cias final report findings isg september 2004 agency reluctantly admitted iraqi interest aluminum tubes appears come efforts produce 81mm rockets rather nuclear end use needless say given actual facts narrative admittedly false claims iraq reconstituting nuclear weapons program product intelligence failure withstand slightest scrutiny claim completely fictional simply stated fact matter government lied attempt individuals agencies responsible lies seeking obfuscate deny fact could possibly considered mea culpa serious honest analyst failure journalists objectively state obvious fact government officials lied near universal willingness repeat official fictional narrative intelligence failure following invasion reflection intellectual culture us witnessed prior war mainstream media uncritically parroted governments claims reported lies deceptions fact counterintelligence success one may similarly examine virtually every aspect case war see repetition official deception february 24 2001 colin powell stated saddam hussein developed significant capability respect weapons mass destruction went security council two years later present administrations case war knew lying knew claims making supported available evidence knew claims contradicted available intelligence assessments nations top experts respective fields another example claim iraqs unmanned aerial vehicles uavs intended deliver chemical biological weapons october 7 2002 president bush declared weve also discovered intelligence iraq growing fleet manned unmanned aerial vehicles could used disperse chemical biological weapons across broad areas concerned iraq exploring ways using uavs missions targeting united states according senator bill nelson prior congressional vote resolution granting president authority enforce un resolutions security councilcontrary popular belief invasion iraq violation us constitution well international lawmembers congress told iraq could deliver anthrax us cities using uavs testified told weapons mass destruction means deliver unmanned aerial vehicles capability transporting uavs outside iraq threatening homeland america specifically putting ships eastern seaboard would drop wmd eastern seaboard cities see thought imminent threat february 5 presentation security council colin powell showed picture iraqi mirage jet aircraft claimed spraying simulated anthrax claimed spray tanks capable dispersing chemical biological weapons intended mounted mig21 converted unmanned aerial vehicle uav added uavs outfitted spray tanks constitute ideal method launching terrorist attack using biological weapons making allegations turned attention iraqs actual known uavs smaller lighter jet aircraft said well suited dispensing chemical biological weapons ample evidence iraq dedicated much effort developing testing spray devices could adapted uavs argued according iraqs december 7 declaration uavs range 80 kilometers detected one iraqs newest uavs test flight went 500 kilometers nonstop autopilot race track patternthat say flown around around around circle argument powell relying ignorance audience could unaware iraqs uavs necessarily functioned use guiding signal limited range thus uavs shown able carry enough fuel fly distance 500 km powell fact offered evidence contradict iraqs declaration uavs range 80 km deliberate sleightofhand blatant effort deceive stated iraq could use small uavs wingspan meters deliver biological agents neighbors transported countries including united states un inspectors however arrived conclusions report security council march 7 hans blix briefly mentioned iraqs uavs saying inspectors also engaged examining iraqs programme remotely piloted vehicles rpvs number sites inspected data collected assess range capabilities various models found inspections continuing area summing matter iraqs uavs book later wrote inspections process blix wrote us administration concludedalmost certainly wrongly appearsthat drone violation security councils resolution unmovic ready make assessment angered washington despite fact must known us air force believe iraqi drones delivery biological chemical agents blix also noted air force greatest repository us expertise drones | 4,209 |
<p>All the excitement in the global television business about the explosion of opportunity for scripted dramas in recent years has overshadowed the prolonged slump in the unscripted marketplace. The activity at Mipcom this time around will test whether “The Wall” can build audiences, “World of Dance” can sashay around the world, “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/escape/" type="external">Escape</a>” can get away internationally and “Family Food Fight” can create a stir.</p>
<p>Buyers and sellers are hopeful there is a renewed appetite for untested unscripted formats thanks to the same dynamic that has goosed demand for scripted series: content hungry SVOD outlets that are eager to take big gambles on producers who think big. A number of high-profile new unscripted formats will be shopped during the Oct. 16-19 market.</p>
<p>The heightened production values of scripted dramas these days have raised the bar for reality producers.</p>
<p>“It’s got to be bigger because people are used to seeing a lot of money on screen in drama and expect a similar level of quality,” says Banijay Rights chief Tim Mutimer. “People have so much choice and are not tied to a schedule. In the past they would have watched filler, but there’s less of that now because people will go to an on-demand service.”</p>
<p>Banijay acquired “Survivor” prodco Castaway earlier this year and Mutimer’s team is looking to drive new international business for the evergreen show, which is in its 35th cycle on CBS this season.</p>
<p>A new big-scale survival series is “ <a href="http://variety.com/2013/film/news/secretly-shot-disney-set-horror-film-escape-from-tomorrow-gets-release-1200581696/" type="external">Escape</a>,” in which a team of engineers are stranded at a crash site and must use the materials at hand to escape. All3Media International will launch it at Mipcom.</p>
<p>“People were saying ‘it’s too big, it’s impossible,’ and I said ‘that’s the way you have to think if you’re going to get the next turn of the wheel,’” says Simon Knight, CEO of Maverick, the U.K. producer making the show. He says the series channels big budget TV – but as blue-chip documentary programming rather than drama.</p>
<p>“A big part of why people will come to it is that you’ve got images you are only used to seeing in a David Attenborough natural history film, but in a survival-adventure series,” he says.</p>
<p>Escape is a theme across unscripted, says Cécile Bertrand, international research manager, at TV research house Eurodata TV Worldwide. “What’s new this summer is the idea of escapism – literally as in ‘The Big Escape’ on NPO3 in the Netherlands, or ‘Breakout,’ which will launch in 2018 on the same channel,” she says. “A few years ago the thing was to gather people together in a room and see what happens, and now it’s about how you get out of the room or situation.”</p>
<p>Another strategy when new shows are not sticking is to try and recapture the buzz of yesteryear, she adds. Just as “Stranger Things” channeled nostalgia in drama, in entertainment the trend can be seen in reboots including “Blind Date” in the U.K., “Three Wise Men,” in Belgium, “Klassfesten” in Sweden or “Sarabanda” in Italy. A new spin on “Fear Factor,” with Ludacris presenting, has also performed well for MTV in the U.S.</p>
<p>Challenging, serialized projects are staple fare in scripted, but in a troubled world, viewers sometimes crave something more lightweight.</p>
<p>“ <a href="http://variety.com/t/love-island/" type="external">Love Island</a>” was the surprise hit of the summer in the U.K. Putting young, attractive contestants together in a dating competition, it was ITV2’s biggest ever show. It wasn’t an overnight success, taking three seasons to hit home. ITV Studios Global Entertainment launched it several Cannes markets ago but the new-found success means international broadcasters are taking notice, especially given the young demo it attracts.</p>
<p>ITVS formats boss Mike Beale says a slower burn success at home and then internationally is the new normal: “It takes two or three series now to create a hit, you rarely get a one out of the door and if you look at the shows that have travelled, ‘First Dates,’ or ‘Bake Off,’ it has been after a few years.”</p>
<p>Post “Love Island” ITV2 greenlit high-concept entertainment series, “Celebrity Showmance,” from Keshet U.K. It has celebs paired off into unlikely couples and then try to convince the public they are an item using social media. It taps into the fake news zeitgeist, but is not set up as social commentary.</p>
<p>“It’s not a documentary, we’re not lecturing you about how obsessed society is with fake news, it’s fun,” says Keren Shahar, boss of Keshet Intl., which is shopping the format in Cannes. She observes a swing back to entertainment. “We’re seeing a much bigger appetite for unscripted formats than last year so we do think unscripted is coming back.”</p>
<p>The same distributor had the last major market hit with singing competition “Rising Star,” which failed to deliver on its Cannes buzz but was a masterclass in sales and marketing. Keshet and “Rising Star” producer Tedy have a new take on the shiny-floor dance format for Mipcom, “Masters of Dance.” Many predict that dance-driven shows could be the next formats battleground.</p>
<p>While the studios and integrated broadcaster-producer-distributor giants toil to find the next hit, the independents hope they are nimble enough to get away the next big thing.</p>
<p>“For a show to work for the big super indies they need to be able to roll it out multiple territories, and I don’t think they can take the risk on that innovative left field thought that will get the home run,” says Zig Zag Prods’ Danny Fenton.</p>
<p>The Chinese are keen to take a seat at the formats creation table, having never had a global show of note. Israel has established itself alongside the U.K., Netherlands and U.S. South Korea was shaping up to be an international player, but with sales to China curtailed, the country’s progress as an engine of TV formats has been dealt a blow. The U.S. slowed down in terms of format exports as a raft of observational docs dominated programming grids and failed to generate much international interest.</p>
<p>The Netherlands’ reputation remains intact, and John de Mol continues to lead the charge, now as boss of ITV-owned Talpa. Talpa is promising to launch a new reality format at Mipcom. The company will also present itself at the market as “the house of game shows.”</p>
<p>Through connection with Talpa-owned broadcaster SBS, which has a new game show time slot on Tuesday nights, director of formats at Talpa, Annelies Noest, says they are “guaranteed a constant flow of new game shows.” The first to market from that slot is “The Perfect Question,” in which contestants create the questions.</p>
<p>Producer and distributors say commissioners and buyers are increasingly playing it safe, and in terms of what they want, it’s not always obvious that they know themselves.</p>
<p>“I’m not sure people always have a clear vision in mind of what it should be other than ‘big, exciting and new,’” says Talpa’s Noest.</p>
<p>Paul Telegdy, president of alternative and reality for NBC Entertainment, explains why that’s the case. “We want remarkable programs that cut through the clutter and which, based on our business model will scale and return for many years,” he says, noting that he doesn’t think in terms of looking for a specific format. “We’re looking for shows that likely fall into one of two categories: either hugely familiar in type and form. Or, in the rather nebulous category of ‘shows that America doesn’t know it needs yet.’”</p>
<p>Netflix and Amazon, meanwhile, have big plans in unscripted; it’s just not wholly clear what they are. Amazon’s motoring entertainment series “The Grand Tour,” with its SVOD budget and ambition, became its most-watched series around the world. Netflix’s “Ultimate Beastmaster” aroused some initial interest but that quickly fell away. It is sure to try again.</p>
<p>Tech giants Apple, Google and Facebook also want in. Apple has “Carpool Karaoke,” and the others are also looking at entertainment.</p>
<p>“They haven’t yet cracked it but have the money and ability to make it a priority,” says Zig Zag’s Fenton. “I think, in all honesty, the next big hit will as likely come from an OTT player as it will a traditional broadcaster.”</p> | false | 1 | excitement global television business explosion opportunity scripted dramas recent years overshadowed prolonged slump unscripted marketplace activity mipcom time around test whether wall build audiences world dance sashay around world escape get away internationally family food fight create stir buyers sellers hopeful renewed appetite untested unscripted formats thanks dynamic goosed demand scripted series content hungry svod outlets eager take big gambles producers think big number highprofile new unscripted formats shopped oct 1619 market heightened production values scripted dramas days raised bar reality producers got bigger people used seeing lot money screen drama expect similar level quality says banijay rights chief tim mutimer people much choice tied schedule past would watched filler theres less people go ondemand service banijay acquired survivor prodco castaway earlier year mutimers team looking drive new international business evergreen show 35th cycle cbs season new bigscale survival series escape team engineers stranded crash site must use materials hand escape all3media international launch mipcom people saying big impossible said thats way think youre going get next turn wheel says simon knight ceo maverick uk producer making show says series channels big budget tv bluechip documentary programming rather drama big part people come youve got images used seeing david attenborough natural history film survivaladventure series says escape theme across unscripted says cécile bertrand international research manager tv research house eurodata tv worldwide whats new summer idea escapism literally big escape npo3 netherlands breakout launch 2018 channel says years ago thing gather people together room see happens get room situation another strategy new shows sticking try recapture buzz yesteryear adds stranger things channeled nostalgia drama entertainment trend seen reboots including blind date uk three wise men belgium klassfesten sweden sarabanda italy new spin fear factor ludacris presenting also performed well mtv us challenging serialized projects staple fare scripted troubled world viewers sometimes crave something lightweight love island surprise hit summer uk putting young attractive contestants together dating competition itv2s biggest ever show wasnt overnight success taking three seasons hit home itv studios global entertainment launched several cannes markets ago newfound success means international broadcasters taking notice especially given young demo attracts itvs formats boss mike beale says slower burn success home internationally new normal takes two three series create hit rarely get one door look shows travelled first dates bake years post love island itv2 greenlit highconcept entertainment series celebrity showmance keshet uk celebs paired unlikely couples try convince public item using social media taps fake news zeitgeist set social commentary documentary lecturing obsessed society fake news fun says keren shahar boss keshet intl shopping format cannes observes swing back entertainment seeing much bigger appetite unscripted formats last year think unscripted coming back distributor last major market hit singing competition rising star failed deliver cannes buzz masterclass sales marketing keshet rising star producer tedy new take shinyfloor dance format mipcom masters dance many predict dancedriven shows could next formats battleground studios integrated broadcasterproducerdistributor giants toil find next hit independents hope nimble enough get away next big thing show work big super indies need able roll multiple territories dont think take risk innovative left field thought get home run says zig zag prods danny fenton chinese keen take seat formats creation table never global show note israel established alongside uk netherlands us south korea shaping international player sales china curtailed countrys progress engine tv formats dealt blow us slowed terms format exports raft observational docs dominated programming grids failed generate much international interest netherlands reputation remains intact john de mol continues lead charge boss itvowned talpa talpa promising launch new reality format mipcom company also present market house game shows connection talpaowned broadcaster sbs new game show time slot tuesday nights director formats talpa annelies noest says guaranteed constant flow new game shows first market slot perfect question contestants create questions producer distributors say commissioners buyers increasingly playing safe terms want always obvious know im sure people always clear vision mind big exciting new says talpas noest paul telegdy president alternative reality nbc entertainment explains thats case want remarkable programs cut clutter based business model scale return many years says noting doesnt think terms looking specific format looking shows likely fall one two categories either hugely familiar type form rather nebulous category shows america doesnt know needs yet netflix amazon meanwhile big plans unscripted wholly clear amazons motoring entertainment series grand tour svod budget ambition became mostwatched series around world netflixs ultimate beastmaster aroused initial interest quickly fell away sure try tech giants apple google facebook also want apple carpool karaoke others also looking entertainment havent yet cracked money ability make priority says zig zags fenton think honesty next big hit likely come ott player traditional broadcaster | 775 |
<p />
<p><a href="https://www.transcend.org/tms/2011/07/oic-organization-of-islamic-c-conference-cooperation-community/" type="external">Transcend Media Service</a> — Pre-Islamic Arabia lived for a long time under various forms of asabiya, which meant chauvinism to the Arab race, to the tribe, or to a clan within the tribe. This was the source of many long-lasting wars. In the year 610, Prophet Muhammad, 40 years old, received the first verses of The Quran, challenging the social and political order. Asabiya yielded to brotherhood-sisterhood in a community of values, the Umma, from Umm, meaning mother. Arabs engaged with enthusiasm in this new “matriotism” based on an Islamic religion stating that “there is no difference between an Arab and a non‑Arab, or between a White and a Black, except by degree of piety.” Blood, race, ethnic group, color, gender, etc. vanished in favor of oneness of origin, freedom, justice, and above all rahma, meaning true love.</p>
<p>The Umma was guided by the Prophet, and ruled after his death by the Rightly Guided Successors (al‑Khulafa, ar‑Rashidun). But only 30 years after the death of the Prophet, in 661, the values he taught were violated. The political order was corrupted, reverting to asabiya.</p>
<p>Thus began a long decline of Muslim society. Even though there was a formal Khilafa (Caliphate), the Umma was split into countless political‑military fragments based on repression and corruption. Autocracy and cleptocracy became the rule. At the end, this would open the doors to various forms of external aggression. By the nineteenth century the seeds of “colonisability”– a term coined by Algerian philosopher Malek Bennabi – were there. Colonization became easy. In 1924, the Ottoman Caliphate was dismantled.</p>
<p>After political independence, the elites imported the secularist nation‑state model and imposed it on their populations. Nation‑based asabiya (nationalism) was born. Emphasizing strong cultural attachment among one people, several types of nationalism like Arabism, Turanism (Turkey) and Persianism arose, necessarily leading to minority‑based asabiya such as Kurdism and Berberism etc.</p>
<p>Regional organizations emerged in the Umma geographic space from West Africa to the Far East. The oldest one was the League of Arab States founded on March 22, 1945 (seven months before the United Nations in October 1945), with 22 member-states to “foster economic growth in the region, to resolve disputes between its members, and to coordinate political aims.” However, the last six decades or more have brought neither peace nor prosperity to the Arab World. It was always undermined by the asabiya of its members and their contradictory goals, and by foreign interference and influence. The only operational body is the Council of the Ministers of Interior, which coordinates their repressive policies.</p>
<p>On September 25, 1969, a larger organization was founded by leaders of Muslim states at a conference in Rabat to safeguard the interests of the Umma. It was a political reaction to the arson attack inside al‑Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem (al‑Quds) by Denis Michael Rohan (August 21). The Muslim leaders would have preferred an Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), but countries with large non‑Muslim minorities objected. They kept OIC with “C” meaning Conference, a reference to the Rabat Summit.</p>
<p>Four decades after its creation, on June 28, 2011, during the 38th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of OIC at Astana, Kazakhstan, member-states agreed to change the name to the Organization for Islamic Cooperation. The organization now stands for Cooperation, not Conference.</p>
<p>According to an OIC press release, “the new resolution reflects a qualitative shift in the performance of the Organization and enormous enhancement of its effectiveness as an international body active in diverse areas of politics, economy, culture and society.” With its 57 member-states spread over four continents, the OIC is the second biggest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations. It should, and will have, an active role in a globalized world structured around regional entities.</p>
<p>With greater freedom and prosperity, its 1.6 billion constituency of Muslims will push towards more economic, even political integration. Despite opposition from imperialist and neo‑colonial powers, progress towards integration will lead to an organization of the Islamic community – a&#160; twenty-first century Umma‑Khilafa model. The Islamic community will not be a chauvinist entity built on the antagonism with others. It will rather be an open space based on consolidation of Muslim unity and cooperation with others for peace and prosperity for all humanity.</p>
<p>Could an organization of the Islamic community institutionalize the vision of a peaceful Islam? The European Community–Union is also built on the vision of a Europe with inter-state wars not only ruled out, but “unthinkable.” today. However, this argument leaves out the third realm of treaties and pacts, for instance, between a future OIC and the EU in a regionalized, potentially more mature world. Important preparatory work has been done in EU-OIC dialogues.</p>
<p>The new OIC of cooperation will pose a major challenge to the United Nations. Of the five Security Council veto power-wielding members, four are Christian: the United States, (Evangelical), Britain (Anglican), France (Catholic-secular), Russia (Orthodox) and China (Daoist-Confucian-Buddhist). OIC outsizes them all, even China.</p>
<p>This is totally unfair, because the borders fragmenting the Islamic community were mainly drawn by Western powers. It also makes UN Security Council resolutions against Muslim countries illegitimate. Muslim veto power could have saved many human lives, as well as the USA-led West against unwise policies. Moreover, it could have opened the way for a more balanced United Nations and greater regional action. A modernized Security Council would accommodate the OIC; and the EU rather than two of its members. The idea of collectivities of states is enshrined in the Charter for Defense, making a transition possible from the world of 1945 to the world of today.</p> | false | 1 | transcend media service preislamic arabia lived long time various forms asabiya meant chauvinism arab race tribe clan within tribe source many longlasting wars year 610 prophet muhammad 40 years old received first verses quran challenging social political order asabiya yielded brotherhoodsisterhood community values umma umm meaning mother arabs engaged enthusiasm new matriotism based islamic religion stating difference arab nonarab white black except degree piety blood race ethnic group color gender etc vanished favor oneness origin freedom justice rahma meaning true love umma guided prophet ruled death rightly guided successors alkhulafa arrashidun 30 years death prophet 661 values taught violated political order corrupted reverting asabiya thus began long decline muslim society even though formal khilafa caliphate umma split countless politicalmilitary fragments based repression corruption autocracy cleptocracy became rule end would open doors various forms external aggression nineteenth century seeds colonisability term coined algerian philosopher malek bennabi colonization became easy 1924 ottoman caliphate dismantled political independence elites imported secularist nationstate model imposed populations nationbased asabiya nationalism born emphasizing strong cultural attachment among one people several types nationalism like arabism turanism turkey persianism arose necessarily leading minoritybased asabiya kurdism berberism etc regional organizations emerged umma geographic space west africa far east oldest one league arab states founded march 22 1945 seven months united nations october 1945 22 memberstates foster economic growth region resolve disputes members coordinate political aims however last six decades brought neither peace prosperity arab world always undermined asabiya members contradictory goals foreign interference influence operational body council ministers interior coordinates repressive policies september 25 1969 larger organization founded leaders muslim states conference rabat safeguard interests umma political reaction arson attack inside alaqsa mosque jerusalem alquds denis michael rohan august 21 muslim leaders would preferred organization islamic countries oic countries large nonmuslim minorities objected kept oic c meaning conference reference rabat summit four decades creation june 28 2011 38th session council foreign ministers oic astana kazakhstan memberstates agreed change name organization islamic cooperation organization stands cooperation conference according oic press release new resolution reflects qualitative shift performance organization enormous enhancement effectiveness international body active diverse areas politics economy culture society 57 memberstates spread four continents oic second biggest intergovernmental organization united nations active role globalized world structured around regional entities greater freedom prosperity 16 billion constituency muslims push towards economic even political integration despite opposition imperialist neocolonial powers progress towards integration lead organization islamic community a160 twentyfirst century ummakhilafa model islamic community chauvinist entity built antagonism others rather open space based consolidation muslim unity cooperation others peace prosperity humanity could organization islamic community institutionalize vision peaceful islam european communityunion also built vision europe interstate wars ruled unthinkable today however argument leaves third realm treaties pacts instance future oic eu regionalized potentially mature world important preparatory work done euoic dialogues new oic cooperation pose major challenge united nations five security council veto powerwielding members four christian united states evangelical britain anglican france catholicsecular russia orthodox china daoistconfucianbuddhist oic outsizes even china totally unfair borders fragmenting islamic community mainly drawn western powers also makes un security council resolutions muslim countries illegitimate muslim veto power could saved many human lives well usaled west unwise policies moreover could opened way balanced united nations greater regional action modernized security council would accommodate oic eu rather two members idea collectivities states enshrined charter defense making transition possible world 1945 world today | 554 |
<p>This used to be Hollywood’s favorite time of the year.</p>
<p>Studios would watch with dollar signs in their eyes as consumers snapped up VHS cassettes and discs by the handful during the holiday shopping period. But then shelves filled up and consumers began streaming or renting movies more cheaply instead.Margins shrank and so did the festive mood.</p>
<p>Studios have been trying to get consumers back in the movie buying habit ever since. They have promoted new formats (Blu-ray, Ultra HD 4K) and digital locker services that have so far failed to take off, and piled on the extras as purchase enticements. To encourage higher-margin digital sales, they make those versions available for purchase first, sometimes with their own bonus features, followed by disc versions.</p>
<p>Still, streaming services have continued to grow in popularity and number as disc sales have deteriorated.</p>
<p>There have been some promising signs for studios — consumer spending on digital purchases increased 7.9% through the third quarter of this year, according to the Digital Entertainment Group trade organization. But spending on subscription streaming rose 21.6% to $5.5 billion during the same period, more than three times the $1.6 billion digital sales tally. Disc purchases, down 10% to $3.3 billion through the first nine months of the year, still accounted for twice the spending as the category studios refer to as EST, short for electronic sell-through.</p>
<p>Now, as the industry gathers for <a href="http://variety.com/t/variety/" type="external">Variety</a>’s annual <a href="http://variety.com/t/press-play/" type="external">Press Play</a>: Home Entertainment and Digital Hall of Fame event in Beverly Hills, hopes rest on Movies Anywhere as a new sales stimulus. An outgrowth of Disney’s proprietary digital locker service, it launched Oct. 11 with the support of four rival studios: Sony, Universal, Fox and Warner Bros. Digital retailers iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and Vudu are also on board.</p>
<p>Under this cloud-based service, consumers can access purchases from participating digital retailers and create a digital library available for streaming or download across devices. They can also buy new digital movies through the app and redeem codes from DVD and Blu-ray purchases to access digital copies of them.</p>
<p>The service’s boosters point to the broad studio backing — Paramount and Lionsgate are notable exceptions — and ease of use as strong factors in its favor.</p>
<p>“Five major studios and four major retailers [to start] have come together to participate and enable content interoperability across platforms — that is significant,” says Michael Bonner, executive vice president, digital distribution, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.</p>
<p>When rival service UltraViolet launched in 2011, it also had the support of five major studios at launch, but Disney, Apple, Google and Amazon weren’t on board. That limited its flexibility; the service has also been criticized for a lackluster user experience.</p>
<p>“Movies Anywhere is a lot easier to understand,” says Denis Cambruzzi, VP of Ampere Analysis, who is a marketing vet with three decades of experience in the industry. “It has removed some of the obstacles and objections to other locker services.”</p>
<p>Jim Wuthrich, Warner Home Entertainment president, the Americas and global strategy, acknowledges negative consumer feedback about digital lockers in the past. He says consumers found it confusing that they could not create a unified library in their lockers under UltraViolet.That’s no longer a problem with the Movies Anywhere service.</p>
<p>Movies Anywhere allows consumers to bring all their purchases together into one virtual library, which “increases the utility of the collection and makes it easier to interact with it,” says Wuthrich, a Hall of Fame inductee this year. “The more studios, the more retailers that participate in the shared ecosystem, the more value it brings to the consumer.”</p>
<p><a href="http://variety.com/t/disney-home-entertainment/" type="external">Disney home entertainment</a> exec Chris Oldre says that Movies Anywhere’s accessibility has made the digital purchasing experience better than ever.</p>
<p>“Consumers no longer have to worry about where they bought their movies and [can] play back across multiple platforms and devices, offering an unprecedented ease of access,” says Oldre, exec VP, pay-television, digital, Canada and international distribution, for Disney/ABC home entertainment and television distribution. “We believe that by offering a great consumer experience, digital movie purchases will grow.”</p>
<p>DEG president Amy Jo Smith is similarly bullish about Movies Anywhere’s sales stimulus potential. She envisions consumers binge buying through the service and linked-up digital retailers.“It will help the whole entertainment ecosystem if it is done really well,” she says.</p>
<p>To entice new users, Movies Anywhere is offering up to five free digital movies: Those who register and connect one digital retailer will receive Sony’s 2016 “Ghostbusters” and Fox’s “Ice Age.” Those who link a second digital retailer get digital copies of Disney’s “Big Hero 6,” Universal’s “Jason Bourne” and Warner Bros. “The Lego Movie.”</p>
<p>Karin Gilford, general manager, Movies Anywhere, Disney/ABC home entertainment and television distribution, says the freebie offer has been a big driver for early registration. “We have seen an incredible consumer response to the launch of Movies Anywhere,” she says. She and Disney did not provide further launch details.</p>
<p>The true test will be how many consumers use their digital lockers on the Movies Anywhere service — and whether it will help drive digital purchases as hoped.</p>
<p>In order for locker services such as Movies Anywhere to take flight, studios must keep selling consumers on the benefits of movie ownership. Home entertainment execs are clear-eyed about the appeal of streaming services that offer vast TV and movie options for a low monthly fee. But they would still prefer consumers buy movies digitally when they are first available.</p>
<p>To that end, they are getting creative about digital extras, while promoting visual and audio enhancements.</p>
<p>“What we need to do is to continue to improve the value proposition for consumers,” Wuthrich says. “Digital ownership is the first home entertainment window for the content so it has an inherent value proposition there, but that’s not enough to grow the business. We need to enhance that experience.”</p>
<p>“It is more important than ever that we provide great value to the consumer through the ownership model,” concurs Jason Spivak, Sony Home Entertainment exec VP, worldwide digital distribution &amp; North America sales. “It starts with great content, but we also must deliver great image and sound quality.”</p>
<p>Studios have long piled on the extras for home-entertainment releases, be it behind-the-scenes footage or bloopers. In the digital era, those extras have gotten more elaborate, running the gamut from interactive games to virtual reality features.</p>
<p>Warners put on a drone light show at Dodger Stadium as part of its splashy “Wonder Woman” home- entertainment launch and uploaded footage of the event to digital purchasers as part of its next-generation program. The content then automatically populated for connected users. “That’s an example of how you can keep a product constantly updating, adding value for consumers,” Wuthrich says.It didn’t hurt that Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot, tweeted drone footage the night of the event and urged her 1.47 million followers to buy the movie on digital now or Blu-ray five days later.According to Wuthrich, the majority of Warner releases get some sort of bonus features. “Not all titles get the super treatment, which is the next-gen treatment, because that’s a fairly large investment and we need enough content to make it work,” he says.</p>
<p>So far, its next-gen content is available on Vudu and Warner All-Movie Access, but the studio is looking to expand to other digital retailers.</p>
<p>Home entertainment divisions design extras with the audience in mind. “For a family movie, we might see high engagement with casual games,” says Universal’s Bonner. “For others, it could be a user-controlled 360 degree exploration of the set. On a connected device, we can continue to enhance the content to keep the experience fresh each time a consumer comes back.”Extras have been popular with Vudu customers, according to VP-general manager Jeremy Verba, another Hall of Fame inductee this year. “When you are able to give them something extra, above and beyond, they consume it and they like it,” he says. “Often it’s different from what’s available on the disc, not always, but it depends on what’s available from the studios.”</p>
<p>Cambruzzi believes studios could unlock even more sales revenue by further experimenting with digital sales price points and compressing windows between movies’ theatrical and home entertainment debut.</p>
<p>“There’s a lot of room for growth,” he says.</p>
<p>He doesn’t see the growth in streaming services slowing down anytime soon either. Studios freely acknowledge the appeal of such services and are moving into that arena themselves. Disney, for example, announced this summer that it will pull its product from Netflix in 2019, when it plans to launch its own initiative.</p>
<p>For all the popularity of streaming services, consumers still like to be able to have their own copies of movies to watch when whenever they want, studio execs say. It may not be as pronounced as it once was, but consumers haven’t completely lost that buying feeling.</p>
<p>“One of the things we’re seeing on the physical and digital side is, consumers still want to collect,” Smith says. “Just because it’s digital doesn’t mean it can’t be cool and attractive tocollectors.”</p>
<p>Stephanie Prange contributed to this report.</p> | false | 1 | used hollywoods favorite time year studios would watch dollar signs eyes consumers snapped vhs cassettes discs handful holiday shopping period shelves filled consumers began streaming renting movies cheaply insteadmargins shrank festive mood studios trying get consumers back movie buying habit ever since promoted new formats bluray ultra hd 4k digital locker services far failed take piled extras purchase enticements encourage highermargin digital sales make versions available purchase first sometimes bonus features followed disc versions still streaming services continued grow popularity number disc sales deteriorated promising signs studios consumer spending digital purchases increased 79 third quarter year according digital entertainment group trade organization spending subscription streaming rose 216 55 billion period three times 16 billion digital sales tally disc purchases 10 33 billion first nine months year still accounted twice spending category studios refer est short electronic sellthrough industry gathers varietys annual press play home entertainment digital hall fame event beverly hills hopes rest movies anywhere new sales stimulus outgrowth disneys proprietary digital locker service launched oct 11 support four rival studios sony universal fox warner bros digital retailers itunes amazon google play vudu also board cloudbased service consumers access purchases participating digital retailers create digital library available streaming download across devices also buy new digital movies app redeem codes dvd bluray purchases access digital copies services boosters point broad studio backing paramount lionsgate notable exceptions ease use strong factors favor five major studios four major retailers start come together participate enable content interoperability across platforms significant says michael bonner executive vice president digital distribution universal pictures home entertainment rival service ultraviolet launched 2011 also support five major studios launch disney apple google amazon werent board limited flexibility service also criticized lackluster user experience movies anywhere lot easier understand says denis cambruzzi vp ampere analysis marketing vet three decades experience industry removed obstacles objections locker services jim wuthrich warner home entertainment president americas global strategy acknowledges negative consumer feedback digital lockers past says consumers found confusing could create unified library lockers ultravioletthats longer problem movies anywhere service movies anywhere allows consumers bring purchases together one virtual library increases utility collection makes easier interact says wuthrich hall fame inductee year studios retailers participate shared ecosystem value brings consumer disney home entertainment exec chris oldre says movies anywheres accessibility made digital purchasing experience better ever consumers longer worry bought movies play back across multiple platforms devices offering unprecedented ease access says oldre exec vp paytelevision digital canada international distribution disneyabc home entertainment television distribution believe offering great consumer experience digital movie purchases grow deg president amy jo smith similarly bullish movies anywheres sales stimulus potential envisions consumers binge buying service linkedup digital retailersit help whole entertainment ecosystem done really well says entice new users movies anywhere offering five free digital movies register connect one digital retailer receive sonys 2016 ghostbusters foxs ice age link second digital retailer get digital copies disneys big hero 6 universals jason bourne warner bros lego movie karin gilford general manager movies anywhere disneyabc home entertainment television distribution says freebie offer big driver early registration seen incredible consumer response launch movies anywhere says disney provide launch details true test many consumers use digital lockers movies anywhere service whether help drive digital purchases hoped order locker services movies anywhere take flight studios must keep selling consumers benefits movie ownership home entertainment execs cleareyed appeal streaming services offer vast tv movie options low monthly fee would still prefer consumers buy movies digitally first available end getting creative digital extras promoting visual audio enhancements need continue improve value proposition consumers wuthrich says digital ownership first home entertainment window content inherent value proposition thats enough grow business need enhance experience important ever provide great value consumer ownership model concurs jason spivak sony home entertainment exec vp worldwide digital distribution amp north america sales starts great content also must deliver great image sound quality studios long piled extras homeentertainment releases behindthescenes footage bloopers digital era extras gotten elaborate running gamut interactive games virtual reality features warners put drone light show dodger stadium part splashy wonder woman home entertainment launch uploaded footage event digital purchasers part nextgeneration program content automatically populated connected users thats example keep product constantly updating adding value consumers wuthrich saysit didnt hurt wonder woman gal gadot tweeted drone footage night event urged 147 million followers buy movie digital bluray five days lateraccording wuthrich majority warner releases get sort bonus features titles get super treatment nextgen treatment thats fairly large investment need enough content make work says far nextgen content available vudu warner allmovie access studio looking expand digital retailers home entertainment divisions design extras audience mind family movie might see high engagement casual games says universals bonner others could usercontrolled 360 degree exploration set connected device continue enhance content keep experience fresh time consumer comes backextras popular vudu customers according vpgeneral manager jeremy verba another hall fame inductee year able give something extra beyond consume like says often different whats available disc always depends whats available studios cambruzzi believes studios could unlock even sales revenue experimenting digital sales price points compressing windows movies theatrical home entertainment debut theres lot room growth says doesnt see growth streaming services slowing anytime soon either studios freely acknowledge appeal services moving arena disney example announced summer pull product netflix 2019 plans launch initiative popularity streaming services consumers still like able copies movies watch whenever want studio execs say may pronounced consumers havent completely lost buying feeling one things seeing physical digital side consumers still want collect smith says digital doesnt mean cant cool attractive tocollectors stephanie prange contributed report | 924 |
<p>Until yesterday, the administration had basically put on a brave face about the difficulties arising in its implementation of Obamacare. With a few minor exceptions (now especially notable among them the one-year delay of key requirements for the new small-business exchanges), they have pretended everything was fine, and have enabled a chorus of defenders on the left to do the same. Last night’s announcement of a one-year delay in the implementation of the employer mandate is the first serious indication that the administration sees that the wheels are coming off the bus, and is very worried about it.</p>
<p>Attempts to downplay the significance of this decision fail, I think, to reckon with how very difficult and embarrassing it must have been for the administration. You don’t announce something like this just before the start of a long holiday weekend while Congress is out of town if you’ve got a good case to make for yourself. The administration presumably intended to announce the decision after business hours tonight, not last night, but the news leaked to two Bloomberg reporters and they had to scramble some. The formal announcement came through a “ <a href="http://www.treasury.gov/connect/blog/Pages/Continuing-to-Implement-the-ACA-in-a-Careful-Thoughtful-Manner-.aspx" type="external">Treasury Note</a>,” essentially a blog post by the Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy at Treasury, which had the hilariously Orwellian title of “Continuing to Implement the ACA in a Careful, Thoughtful Manner.” The post mostly discussed the administration’s decision to delay employer reporting requirements for a year (and more on that below), and toward the end noted in passing that this also meant the employer mandate would be delayed. That’s a very odd way to break news like this. It seems clearly to be a move the administration did not want to make.</p>
<p>This would have been a very tough decision to come to for several reasons. Not least of them is that, as I say, it is the first major acknowledgement of a serious problem implementing this law, and it is a problem with an element of the law that is by no means the most difficult to implement. If they’re actually telling the truth that they can’t handle getting employer reporting requirements into place, how are they doing getting the exchange system into place? But perhaps more troubling for the law’s defenders, this decision is even more likely an acknowledgement of some of the economic irrationality of the law. I doubt that just implementing reporting requirements is the issue here. More likely, the administration agrees with some of its critics who have argued that this element of the law would hurt the economy, and especially employment. And they probably also saw that the pressure from employers to avoid both the reporting requirements and the mandate was going to create huge problems for their PR effort in the fall. That would make this decision a little easier to understand, but there must be more to it to explain the enormous costs and risks they’re taking by doing this.</p>
<p>For one thing, they run the risk of badly dispiriting their supporters going into the fall. The administration’s brazen disregard for and denial of plainly evident problems with Obamacare has been absolutely central to sustaining the morale and dedication of the law’s defenders. If that mask is dropping, they could be in for serious trouble. Moreover, the central proposition of defenders of the law has been that continued conservative opposition to it is a denial of the basic reality that the law is on the books and will be implemented. But apparently, the administration does not think of the law as a done deal. They believe they can pick and choose elements to implement or to ignore, and think the nature of the health-care system in the coming years is still an open question. Defenders of Obamacare will need to recalibrate their case as a result. It is pretty clear from the reaction on the left today that the administration did not prepare its supporters for this decision, and that could leave them wondering what shoe will drop next.</p>
<p>That question is itself an additional risk of this decision, because it is hard to see how this could be the last concession to reality. The individual mandate, for instance, may now be politically untenable, since, by eliminating the employer mandate but keeping the individual mandate, the administration is freeing large employers but not workers of a burden and would put the government in the position of causing people to be dumped from employer coverage and then fining them for not getting individual coverage in an unfamiliar and expensive new system with lots of growing pains. This is certainly in line with the administration’s broader corporatism, but it is a politically uncomfortable expression of that approach and a huge vulnerability. A move to at least delay the individual mandate could be pretty hard for Democrats&#160;to resist.</p>
<p>This concession on the employer mandate also makes other concessions more likely: The administration will certainly face added pressure to ignore various taxes, rules, and mandates that can be shown to have detrimental effects on the economy or on some constituency—and pretty much every line of Obamacare falls into that category in one way or another. They have just announced that they can implement or ignore whatever portions of the law they wish, and so will be feeling lots of pressure from lots of people with lots views about lots of provisions.</p>
<p>Moreover, by announcing that they can implement or ignore whatever portions of Obamacare they want, the administration is also taking even more direct ownership of any other problems that arise with implementation, since this move suggests they believe that implementation is entirely up to them and they are not really bound by the particulars of the law. This greater ownership of troubles to come will be a particular problem for them with regard to employer dumping and the exchanges. Any such dumping (rightly or wrongly, after all some significant dumping was already expected anyway) will be understood as resulting from the special favor the administration has now done for large employers. And since more people will be in the exchanges than otherwise would have been, the difficulties and uncertainties in that system will be a bigger political problem. This amounts to a very risky bet on the viability of the exchanges.</p>
<p>And that points to what may be, as a matter of policy substance, the most serious problem for the administration with this delay of the employer mandate: its effect on the viability of the exchanges. Under the law, eligibility for exchange subsidies depends on an individual not receiving an affordable offer of qualified insurance from an employer. If employers will now not be required to report on their insurance offerings in 2014, I don’t see how the government will be able to determine eligibility for subsidies, and therefore how the exchanges will be able to function.</p>
<p>Making subsidies available without proof of eligibility would be very expensive and destabilizing to the insurance system, and would also require the retraction of such subsidies if the employer mandate ever does return. Coming up with other ways to prove eligibility would be very difficult at this late stage (as exchanges are supposed to start operating in three months), and would also be totally lawless—though I recognize that is a rather quaint and old fashioned concern in the age of Obama. Any losers in that process could sue, and the federal courts would have a hard time sustaining the administration’s novel approach to executive power. The exchanges are utterly central to the way Obamacare is supposed to function, and the delay announced&#160; yesterday leaves the prospects for their proper functioning even more grim than they already were.</p>
<p>In all these ways, I think the administration has just made its Obamacare problems worse rather than alleviating them. But it may have opened a path to alleviating the country’s Obamacare problem, by elevating the idea of delay. Opponents of Obamacare should not imagine that the law will just collapse by itself or that as problems arise Democrats will come to them asking for repeal. That’s just ridiculous. They should look for ways to make the most of opportunities to avert the implementation of this odious law and advance the cause of&#160;ultimately repealing and replacing it. And&#160;yesterday’s announcement offers such an opportunity. The employer mandate is very bad policy, and its delay (which likely means its elimination) is a good thing. But the rest of Obamacare is very bad policy too. The delay of the employer mandate by a year highlights the irrationality of the larger law and exacerbates its instability. It does not seem to be sustainable as a discrete measure. It calls at the very least for a broader delay.</p>
<p>The law will not be any better a year from now, but since Democrats remain staunchly opposed to any talk of repeal yet now have to be open to talk of delay, Republicans should move to delay implementation of the entire law by a year. I’ve&#160; <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/338008/putting-obamacare-yuval-levin" type="external">argued before</a>&#160;(as others have) that delay offers both sides some near-term benefits—though in the long run I think it advances the cause of replacing this law with real health-care reform. With yesterday’s announcement, the administration has once again proven that near-term benefits are all the president cares about. So fine—let’s delay, let’s use the time to better frame a serious alternative for the country, and let’s see where we are a year from now.</p>
<p>-Yuval Levin is Hertog Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.</p> | false | 1 | yesterday administration basically put brave face difficulties arising implementation obamacare minor exceptions especially notable among oneyear delay key requirements new smallbusiness exchanges pretended everything fine enabled chorus defenders left last nights announcement oneyear delay implementation employer mandate first serious indication administration sees wheels coming bus worried attempts downplay significance decision fail think reckon difficult embarrassing must administration dont announce something like start long holiday weekend congress town youve got good case make administration presumably intended announce decision business hours tonight last night news leaked two bloomberg reporters scramble formal announcement came treasury note essentially blog post assistant secretary tax policy treasury hilariously orwellian title continuing implement aca careful thoughtful manner post mostly discussed administrations decision delay employer reporting requirements year toward end noted passing also meant employer mandate would delayed thats odd way break news like seems clearly move administration want make would tough decision come several reasons least say first major acknowledgement serious problem implementing law problem element law means difficult implement theyre actually telling truth cant handle getting employer reporting requirements place getting exchange system place perhaps troubling laws defenders decision even likely acknowledgement economic irrationality law doubt implementing reporting requirements issue likely administration agrees critics argued element law would hurt economy especially employment probably also saw pressure employers avoid reporting requirements mandate going create huge problems pr effort fall would make decision little easier understand must explain enormous costs risks theyre taking one thing run risk badly dispiriting supporters going fall administrations brazen disregard denial plainly evident problems obamacare absolutely central sustaining morale dedication laws defenders mask dropping could serious trouble moreover central proposition defenders law continued conservative opposition denial basic reality law books implemented apparently administration think law done deal believe pick choose elements implement ignore think nature healthcare system coming years still open question defenders obamacare need recalibrate case result pretty clear reaction left today administration prepare supporters decision could leave wondering shoe drop next question additional risk decision hard see could last concession reality individual mandate instance may politically untenable since eliminating employer mandate keeping individual mandate administration freeing large employers workers burden would put government position causing people dumped employer coverage fining getting individual coverage unfamiliar expensive new system lots growing pains certainly line administrations broader corporatism politically uncomfortable expression approach huge vulnerability move least delay individual mandate could pretty hard democrats160to resist concession employer mandate also makes concessions likely administration certainly face added pressure ignore various taxes rules mandates shown detrimental effects economy constituencyand pretty much every line obamacare falls category one way another announced implement ignore whatever portions law wish feeling lots pressure lots people lots views lots provisions moreover announcing implement ignore whatever portions obamacare want administration also taking even direct ownership problems arise implementation since move suggests believe implementation entirely really bound particulars law greater ownership troubles come particular problem regard employer dumping exchanges dumping rightly wrongly significant dumping already expected anyway understood resulting special favor administration done large employers since people exchanges otherwise would difficulties uncertainties system bigger political problem amounts risky bet viability exchanges points may matter policy substance serious problem administration delay employer mandate effect viability exchanges law eligibility exchange subsidies depends individual receiving affordable offer qualified insurance employer employers required report insurance offerings 2014 dont see government able determine eligibility subsidies therefore exchanges able function making subsidies available without proof eligibility would expensive destabilizing insurance system would also require retraction subsidies employer mandate ever return coming ways prove eligibility would difficult late stage exchanges supposed start operating three months would also totally lawlessthough recognize rather quaint old fashioned concern age obama losers process could sue federal courts would hard time sustaining administrations novel approach executive power exchanges utterly central way obamacare supposed function delay announced160 yesterday leaves prospects proper functioning even grim already ways think administration made obamacare problems worse rather alleviating may opened path alleviating countrys obamacare problem elevating idea delay opponents obamacare imagine law collapse problems arise democrats come asking repeal thats ridiculous look ways make opportunities avert implementation odious law advance cause of160ultimately repealing replacing and160yesterdays announcement offers opportunity employer mandate bad policy delay likely means elimination good thing rest obamacare bad policy delay employer mandate year highlights irrationality larger law exacerbates instability seem sustainable discrete measure calls least broader delay law better year since democrats remain staunchly opposed talk repeal yet open talk delay republicans move delay implementation entire law year ive160 argued before160as others delay offers sides nearterm benefitsthough long run think advances cause replacing law real healthcare reform yesterdays announcement administration proven nearterm benefits president cares finelets delay lets use time better frame serious alternative country lets see year yuval levin hertog fellow ethics public policy center | 778 |
<p>ALLEN PARK, Mich. — <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Ameer-Abdullah/" type="external">Ameer Abdullah</a> gave the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Detroit-Lions/" type="external">Detroit Lions</a> a lot of hope and a little bit of a scare in Sunday’s 14-7 win over the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Minnesota-Vikings/" type="external">Minnesota Vikings</a>.</p>
<p>Abdullah had the best game by a Lions running back in nearly four years, but couldn’t finish the contest after rolling his right ankle early in the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>Abdullah said his ankle felt “good” after the game, and he’s expected to be fine for this week’s showdown with the NFC South co-leading <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Carolina_Panthers/" type="external">Carolina Panthers</a>.</p>
<p>On Sunday, Abdullah set career highs with 20 carries and 94 yards rushing, giving the franchise hope that he’s headed for the breakout season many thought he was due for last year before suffering a season-ending Lisfranc injury.</p>
<p>“We know his capabilities, the type of talent that he has,” guard <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/TJ-Lang/" type="external">T.J. Lang</a> said. “He’s capable of doing that any time he touches the ball. It’s our job to make sure our guys are staying off of him and we’re opening up enough room for him to kind of squeeze through or make the guy miss.”</p>
<p>Abdullah accounted for two of the Lions’ eight longest plays Sunday, scored their first rushing touchdown of the season, and had just three plays that went for negative or no yards.</p>
<p>He said he wasn’t aware how close he was to becoming the Lions’ first 100-yard back since <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Reggie_Bush/" type="external">Reggie Bush</a> on Thanksgiving of 2013 when he left the game with 12:49 to play.</p>
<p>“I expect certain things out of myself and I think you guys kind of know that, getting to know me these last three years,” Abdullah said. “This game was solid, it was good to learn from. It’s a good motivation that, hey, if we establish the line of scrimmage we can be good. But we’re a long way off from where we can be every single game. So it was solid, not great. Definitely it was borderline good, but not great at all.”</p>
<p>With 23 total touches (and one more incompletion thrown his way), Abdullah saw a bigger workload than normal Sunday as the Lions leaned on their running game to help keep the Vikings’ stout pass rush at bay.</p>
<p>He may not duplicate that output in the weeks to come, but Abdullah said the “standard was set” Sunday for him and the running game for the rest of the year.</p>
<p>“We just moved the line of scrimmage,” Abdullah said. “It’s something that we always preach when we go into our run-game meetings is establishing a new line of scrimmage from where it started. Those guys did that consistently all night. When you create creases, we got backs who can hit the hole and make things happen.”</p>
<p>–The Lions lead the NFL with a plus-nine turnover margin after three weeks, and are tied for the league lead with 11 takeaways. Last year, they forced just 14 turnovers all season.</p>
<p>“I think that’s very important, obviously, not turning the ball over offensively and then able to get turnovers defensively, giving our offense more possessions,” safety Glover Quin said. “You can continue on that trend and continue to do those things you’re going to give yourself a lot of opportunities to win ballgames.”</p>
<p>The Lions recovered three fumbles Sunday, with Quin forcing the final one when he punched the ball away from <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Adam-Thielen/" type="external">Adam Thielen</a> near midfield with just under two minutes to play.</p>
<p>Quin is the only player in the NFL with two interceptions and two forced fumbles.</p>
<p>“You could tell he was going in with the intent of getting that ball out,” head coach <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jim_Caldwell/" type="external">Jim Caldwell</a> said. “And you usually don’t get that kind of play from a guy who’s concerned about where to line up and what to do. So he’s playing fast. He’s playing with an immense amount of confidence as well.”</p>
<p>–Darren Fells, who had two catches in the Lions’ first three games, caught a team-high four passes for 40 yards Sunday against the Vikings.</p>
<p>All four of Fells’ catches went for first downs, and the veteran tight end played a significantly larger role than <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Eric-Ebron/" type="external">Eric Ebron</a> as the Lions sought blocking help for their offensive line against a talented Vikings front.</p>
<p>Ebron remains the Lions’ best pass-catching tight end, but he had two crucial drops last week and doesn’t appear to be as trusted a player by Lions coaches. Fells, meanwhile, is a more well-rounded player than he appeared to be as a free-agent signing.</p>
<p>“Once we had him here, we had a chance to kind of look at his skill level both on the line of scrimmage inline, and also receiving, and he’s got talent,” Caldwell said. “I mean, you can kind of see, he’s a big body, he’s got nice hands, and he knows what to do with the ball when he gets it. I mean, those first downs that he was able to get were key. Battling for them, and driving forward and making a huge difference in the game. But you haven’t seen the best of him yet. He’s capable.”</p>
<p>NOTES: LB Paul Worrilow reportedly suffered a sprained MCL on the Lions’ first defensive snap Sunday and will miss multiple games. The Lions hope to have starting MLB <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jarrad-Davis/" type="external">Jarrad Davis</a> back in the lineup this week, which could bump his replacement, Nick Bellore, to Worrilow’s starting OLB spot. … S Miles Killebrew, who grew up in Henderson, Nev., said six of his friends were injured in the mass shooting in Las Vegas late Sunday night. Killebrew, who had three tackles and two pass breakups against the Vikings, said all of his family members were safe. … LS Don Muhlbach appeared in his 200th game as a Lion Sunday, tying Wayne Walker for third on the franchise’s all-time list. <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jason_Hanson/" type="external">Jason Hanson</a> (327 games) and Dominic Raiola (219) are the Lions with more games played.</p>
<p>REPORT CARD VS. VIKINGS</p>
<p>–PASSING OFFENSE: D – <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Matthew_Stafford/" type="external">Matthew Stafford</a> took a pounding Sunday as he was sacked six times, completed 19 of 31 passes for 209 yards and threw three near interceptions. The Lions didn’t have much success throwing the ball, save for a possession late in the first half when they drove just across midfield. Right tackle Rick Wagner gave up two sacks, left tackle <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Greg_Robinson/" type="external">Greg Robinson</a> allowed a third and blocking tight end Darren Fells led the Lions with four catches for 40 yards. <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Marvin-Jones/" type="external">Marvin Jones</a> caught a 38-yard pass in the first half, the only Lions’ pass play that went for more than 16 yards.</p>
<p>–RUSHING OFFENSE: A-minus – The Lions averaged just 3.1 yards per carry, but they moved the ball successfully on the ground on their lone touchdown drive and dominated time of possession. Ameer Abdullah had a career day with 94 yards rushing on 20 carries and would have become the first Lions player to top 100 yards in a game since Reggie Bush in 2013 if not for a fourth-quarter ankle injury. The Lions weren’t effective running the ball after Abdullah left as they had a net of zero yards rushing on five attempts in their four-minute offense.</p>
<p>–PASS DEFENSE: A-minus – <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Stefon-Diggs/" type="external">Stefon Diggs</a> and Adam Thielen entered the game ranked 2-3 in the NFL in receiving yards, but the Lions kept both players in check Sunday, save for two coverage breakdowns against Diggs (five catches, 98 yards). Anthony Zettel had two sacks, including one with the Vikings in third-and-goal at the 3-yard line with just over two minutes to play. <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Darius-Slay/" type="external">Darius Slay</a> and Nevin Lawson did draw pass interference flags, but the Lions got strong games from safeties Miles Killebrew and Glover Quin, who punched loose a fumble on Thielen on the Vikings’ final offensive play.</p>
<p>–RUSH DEFENSE: B-plus — <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Dalvin-Cook/" type="external">Dalvin Cook</a> averaged a hefty 5.1 yards per carry before he tore his ACL in the third quarter. The Lions recovered two fumbles in the rushing game, one caused by Tavon Wilson on Cook on the play he suffered his knee injury. Ends Zettel and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Ziggy-Ansah/" type="external">Ziggy Ansah</a> did a solid job setting the edge, and Tahir Whitehead had a strong game at outside linebacker. But the Lions missed rookie Jarrad Davis in the middle of their defense.</p>
<p>–SPECIAL TEAMS: B – <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Matt_Prater/" type="external">Matt Prater</a> proved he was human by missing his first field-goal attempt of the season, a 60-yarder that fell short just before halftime. Jeff Locke, a former Viking, had an excellent day punting, netting 44.1 yards per kick (and dropping three punts inside the 20) against his old team. The Lions did have one breakdown in kick coverage against <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jerick-McKinnon/" type="external">Jerick McKinnon</a>, and didn’t get much out of their return game. But Prater did make two other kicks and the Lions made good on a two-point conversion.</p>
<p>–COACHING: A-minus – Jim Caldwell and his staff are a big reason the Lions are 3-1 and tied atop the NFC North. The Lions aren’t known for their rushing prowess, but they put together a solid offensive game plan Sunday to help offset the Vikings’ ferocious pass rush. Defensively, Teryl Austin continues to get the most of a group that doesn’t have many stars. And from an in-game management standpoint, Caldwell used his timeouts wisely in the first half to try and maximize a scoring opportunity, then forced the Vikings to spend theirs late in the game.</p> | false | 1 | allen park mich ameer abdullah gave detroit lions lot hope little bit scare sundays 147 win minnesota vikings abdullah best game lions running back nearly four years couldnt finish contest rolling right ankle early fourth quarter abdullah said ankle felt good game hes expected fine weeks showdown nfc south coleading carolina panthers sunday abdullah set career highs 20 carries 94 yards rushing giving franchise hope hes headed breakout season many thought due last year suffering seasonending lisfranc injury know capabilities type talent guard tj lang said hes capable time touches ball job make sure guys staying opening enough room kind squeeze make guy miss abdullah accounted two lions eight longest plays sunday scored first rushing touchdown season three plays went negative yards said wasnt aware close becoming lions first 100yard back since reggie bush thanksgiving 2013 left game 1249 play expect certain things think guys kind know getting know last three years abdullah said game solid good learn good motivation hey establish line scrimmage good long way every single game solid great definitely borderline good great 23 total touches one incompletion thrown way abdullah saw bigger workload normal sunday lions leaned running game help keep vikings stout pass rush bay may duplicate output weeks come abdullah said standard set sunday running game rest year moved line scrimmage abdullah said something always preach go rungame meetings establishing new line scrimmage started guys consistently night create creases got backs hit hole make things happen lions lead nfl plusnine turnover margin three weeks tied league lead 11 takeaways last year forced 14 turnovers season think thats important obviously turning ball offensively able get turnovers defensively giving offense possessions safety glover quin said continue trend continue things youre going give lot opportunities win ballgames lions recovered three fumbles sunday quin forcing final one punched ball away adam thielen near midfield two minutes play quin player nfl two interceptions two forced fumbles could tell going intent getting ball head coach jim caldwell said usually dont get kind play guy whos concerned line hes playing fast hes playing immense amount confidence well darren fells two catches lions first three games caught teamhigh four passes 40 yards sunday vikings four fells catches went first downs veteran tight end played significantly larger role eric ebron lions sought blocking help offensive line talented vikings front ebron remains lions best passcatching tight end two crucial drops last week doesnt appear trusted player lions coaches fells meanwhile wellrounded player appeared freeagent signing chance kind look skill level line scrimmage inline also receiving hes got talent caldwell said mean kind see hes big body hes got nice hands knows ball gets mean first downs able get key battling driving forward making huge difference game havent seen best yet hes capable notes lb paul worrilow reportedly suffered sprained mcl lions first defensive snap sunday miss multiple games lions hope starting mlb jarrad davis back lineup week could bump replacement nick bellore worrilows starting olb spot miles killebrew grew henderson nev said six friends injured mass shooting las vegas late sunday night killebrew three tackles two pass breakups vikings said family members safe ls muhlbach appeared 200th game lion sunday tying wayne walker third franchises alltime list jason hanson 327 games dominic raiola 219 lions games played report card vs vikings passing offense matthew stafford took pounding sunday sacked six times completed 19 31 passes 209 yards threw three near interceptions lions didnt much success throwing ball save possession late first half drove across midfield right tackle rick wagner gave two sacks left tackle greg robinson allowed third blocking tight end darren fells led lions four catches 40 yards marvin jones caught 38yard pass first half lions pass play went 16 yards rushing offense aminus lions averaged 31 yards per carry moved ball successfully ground lone touchdown drive dominated time possession ameer abdullah career day 94 yards rushing 20 carries would become first lions player top 100 yards game since reggie bush 2013 fourthquarter ankle injury lions werent effective running ball abdullah left net zero yards rushing five attempts fourminute offense pass defense aminus stefon diggs adam thielen entered game ranked 23 nfl receiving yards lions kept players check sunday save two coverage breakdowns diggs five catches 98 yards anthony zettel two sacks including one vikings thirdandgoal 3yard line two minutes play darius slay nevin lawson draw pass interference flags lions got strong games safeties miles killebrew glover quin punched loose fumble thielen vikings final offensive play rush defense bplus dalvin cook averaged hefty 51 yards per carry tore acl third quarter lions recovered two fumbles rushing game one caused tavon wilson cook play suffered knee injury ends zettel ziggy ansah solid job setting edge tahir whitehead strong game outside linebacker lions missed rookie jarrad davis middle defense special teams b matt prater proved human missing first fieldgoal attempt season 60yarder fell short halftime jeff locke former viking excellent day punting netting 441 yards per kick dropping three punts inside 20 old team lions one breakdown kick coverage jerick mckinnon didnt get much return game prater make two kicks lions made good twopoint conversion coaching aminus jim caldwell staff big reason lions 31 tied atop nfc north lions arent known rushing prowess put together solid offensive game plan sunday help offset vikings ferocious pass rush defensively teryl austin continues get group doesnt many stars ingame management standpoint caldwell used timeouts wisely first half try maximize scoring opportunity forced vikings spend late game | 908 |
<p>The ball drops at Times Square, fireworks explode around the globe and North American Thoroughbreds celebrate their birthdays at midnight on Jan. 1.</p>
<p>A few of the newly turned 3-year-olds waste no time starting their once-in-a-lifetime quest for the Kentucky Derby starting gate as Aqueduct rings in 2018 with the $150,000 Jerome Stakes. On New Year’s Eve, Laurel Park and Fair Grounds give this year’s 2-year-olds one last chance to shine before their birthday.</p>
<p>It could be a big year as there’s plenty of opportunity for rising stars with the retirement of the likes of Arrogate and Gun Runner.</p>
<p>Santa Anita escorts out tired old 2017 with a trio of classy graded stakes on New Year’s Eve. There’s some classy turf action here and there elsewhere, too, especially at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs.</p>
<p>Speaking of classy, we’ve got the results of Thursday’s Grade I Hopeful Stakes for 2-year-olds at Nakayama Racecourse in Japan. Let’s just say, time flew.</p>
<p>And further speaking of classy, with all best wishes to all racing fans everywhere in the world, here’s our final UPI Horse Racing Preview of 2017:</p>
<p>The Road to the Roses</p>
<p>If it warms up enough (Thursday’s racing was canceled because of the colt), Monday’s $150,000 Jerome at Aqueduct is the first major test of 2018 for ambitious 3-year-olds. The race is part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series, offering 10 qualifying points to the winner. Entries were pending at press time.</p>
<p>Diamond King, A Different Style and Whirlin Curlin are the oddsmaker’s picks among 10 entered to go 7 furlongs in Saturday’s $100,000 Heft Stakes at Laurel Park. A Different Style, a colt by The Factor, exits a victory in the James F. Lewis III Stakes over the course. Diamond King won his first two starts, then lost jockey Frankie Pennington when he clipped heels at the start of the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs Nov. 25. Whirlin Curlin, by guess who, has two straight wins including the Maryland Juvenile Futurity in his most recent effort.</p>
<p>Saturday’s $200,000 <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Damon_Runyon/" type="external">Damon Runyon</a> Stakes at Aqueduct is restricted to state-bred juveniles but don’t overlook it. Trainer <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Wesley_Ward/" type="external">Wesley Ward</a> brings Battle Station, a Warrior’s Reward colt who won the Bertram Bongard in September and finished second versus open company in his last start at Churchill Downs. Sea Foam, a Medaglia d’Oro colt, finished second three times before winning his last two for trainer <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Christophe_Clement/" type="external">Christophe Clement</a>. They are the bookends in a field of nine with Sea Foam on the rail and Battle Station perched outside. Evaluator won the Sleepy Hollow against state-breds but hasn’t done much in two graded stakes starts. Audible and Jaye Jaye are both worth a look.</p>
<p>Sunday’s $100,000 Louisiana Futurity at Fair Grounds attracted a dozen state-breds, none of them a particular standout other than — maybe — the morning-line favorite, Givemeaminit, by first-crop sire Star Guitar. He makes his first start in his home state after contesting graded stakes at Saratoga, Keeneland, Del Mar and Churchill Downs but remains a maiden. Still, he was third in the Grade I Hopeful at the Spa and fourth in last month’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile so he certainly has the class edge in this bunch. More familiar with the winner’s circle are Gladyousawme (3-for-3), and the 1-2 finishers in the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile, Greeley Went West and Divine Bean.</p>
<p>At Sunland Park, matching 2-year-old events on Saturday and Sunday feature New Mexico-bred juveniles going 6 furlongs. It costs nothing to pay attention and you never know. Remember Mine That Bird.</p>
<p>Kentucky Oaks preps</p>
<p>A baker’s dozen will contest Saturday’s $100,000 Gin Talking Stakes at Laurel Park at 7 furlongs. The 7-2 favorite, Limited War, drew the rail. The Maryland-bred daughter of Freedom Child has won four of five starts but was sixth in the Grade II Adirondack at Saratoga. She has won on the lead and from off the pace. A Kentucky-bred Tizway filly, Gibby, comes off a sharp win at Parx Racing and drew gate No. 8.</p>
<p>Sunday’s $100,000 Louisiana Futurity at Fair Grounds has seven state-bred fillies. Minit to Stardom, another by Star Guitar, is the 6-5 morning-line favorite after winning the Louisiana Champions Day Lassie by 7 1/4 lengths, going away. Champagne Diva, by Tale of the Cat, totally dominated her first start over the course Dec. 9 and returns as the 9-5 second pick under <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Chantal_Sutherland/" type="external">Chantal Sutherland</a>.</p>
<p>Santa Anita</p>
<p>Saturday’s $300,000 Grade I American Oaks at 1 1/4 miles on the turf drew a sparkling field of 10. Rymska, a French-bred filly by Le Havre, has won all three previous starts this year — at Gulfstream Park, Laurel Park and Aqueduct. Daddys Lil Darling, by Scat Daddy, was second in the Kentucky Oaks and won on Kentucky Downs turf in course-record time. She also was to have run in the Investec Oaks at Epsom in England but was scratched after being spooked by lightning and thunder. New Money Honey, a Medaglia d’Oro filly, won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and went on to win the Grade I Belmont Oaks Invitational in July. Madame Dancealot is a graded stakes winner. Desert Duchess has won three in a row, including a Kentucky Downs allowance.</p>
<p>Six signed on for Saturday’s $100,000 Grade III Robert J. Frankel for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on the turf. Four are Irish-breds, one French-bred and one bred in Kentucky. The Gallic one, Penjade, has won four of her last five but makes the move from New York. Responsibleforlove, a daughter of Duke of Marmalade, Elysea World, by Champs Elysees, and Laseen, a <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Dylan_Thomas/" type="external">Dylan Thomas</a> mare, all have been on the fringes in graded stakes company.</p>
<p>Saturday’s $100,000 Grade III Midnight Lute, 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track, drew a field of nine including Masochistic, a dual Grade I winner on the circuit earlier in his career. This will be his first start since Kentucky Derby weekend at Churchill Downs. The field, however, is very well balanced and provides excellent wagering opportunities.</p>
<p>“The Great Race Place” also has the $75,000 Eddie Logan for 2-year-olds on the turf on Friday, the $75,000 Blue Norther for 2-year-old fillies on the grass on Sunday and the $75,000 Joe Hernandez for 4-year-olds and up down the hillside turf course on Monday.</p>
<p>Tampa Bay Downs</p>
<p>Saturday’s card features a pair of $100,000, 5-furlong turf sprints — the Turf Dash and the Lightning City for fillies and mares.</p>
<p>Gulfstream Park</p>
<p>There’s always something going on at Gulfstream when it’s below zero in Chicago. This weekend’s excitement is four turf stakes on Saturday: The H. Allen Jerkens at 2 miles, the Via Borghese for fillies and mares at 1 3/16 miles and the Tropical Park Derby and Tropical Park Oaks.</p>
<p>A year-end flashback: We remember a ridiculous winter day in the late 1980s, well before the advent of regular full-card simulcasts, when the Illinois Racing Board okayed importation of the Gulfstream Park signal to the state’s OTBs to replace the weathered-out local product. The local “broken down horseplayers” (a Dave Feldman term) seemed almost as interested in envying the shirt-sleeved crowd under the swaying palm trees as they were in the classy steeds on the track.</p>
<p>Japan</p>
<p>Time Flyer, a Heart’s Cry colt and grandson of Sunday Silence, rallied from far back in the field to win Thursday’s Grade I Hopeful Stakes for 2-year-olds at Nakayama Racecourse and forge his way into the picture for next year’s Japanese Classics — and perhaps more.</p>
<p>Time Flyer, racing for Sunday Racing Co., bided his time at the rear under Cristian Demuro, launched a very wide bid on the stretch turn and outfinished Gendarme, an American-bred Kitten’s Joy colt, by 1 1/4 lengths, finishing 2,000 meters in 2:01.4. Stay Foolish ran well at the end to finish third, another neck back. Lucas, a full brother to retired Japanese superstar Maurice, finished sixth with Yutaka Take in the irons.</p>
<p>“He will improve for the Classics because he’s still young and has a good turn of foot,” Demuro said of Time Flyer, “and I think the distance will not be a problem.”</p>
<p>Even before its recent elevation to Grade I status, the Hopeful was used by owners and trainers looking to the following year’s Classics rather than toward a juvenile championship. Past Hopeful runners include Victoire Pisa, who went on to win the 2011 Dubai World Cup; Epiphaneia, who later captured the 2014 Japan Cup, and this year’s winner of the Tokyo Yushun or Japanese Derby, Rey de Oro.</p>
<p>It’s not impossible that Time Flyer could make an impact on the world stage before the year is up. The Grade II UAE Derby on World Cup night in Dubai is available. And a victory in the Hyacinth Stakes at Tokyo Feb. 18 wold earn the colt enough points in the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby to ensure a spot in the Run for the Roses 29 years after his grandsire’s victory.</p>
<p>Odds and ends:</p>
<p>Happy 2018 to all. It’s only weeks to the Pegasus World Cup, three months until the Dubai World Cup, a little more than four months until the Kentucky Derby and a bit more than 10 months until Breeders’ Cup rolls around again. The days are getting longer now. And Cubs pitchers and catchers report to camp in Mesa, Ariz., in less than seven weeks. What’s not to like?</p> | false | 1 | ball drops times square fireworks explode around globe north american thoroughbreds celebrate birthdays midnight jan 1 newly turned 3yearolds waste time starting onceinalifetime quest kentucky derby starting gate aqueduct rings 2018 150000 jerome stakes new years eve laurel park fair grounds give years 2yearolds one last chance shine birthday could big year theres plenty opportunity rising stars retirement likes arrogate gun runner santa anita escorts tired old 2017 trio classy graded stakes new years eve theres classy turf action elsewhere especially gulfstream park tampa bay downs speaking classy weve got results thursdays grade hopeful stakes 2yearolds nakayama racecourse japan lets say time flew speaking classy best wishes racing fans everywhere world heres final upi horse racing preview 2017 road roses warms enough thursdays racing canceled colt mondays 150000 jerome aqueduct first major test 2018 ambitious 3yearolds race part road kentucky derby series offering 10 qualifying points winner entries pending press time diamond king different style whirlin curlin oddsmakers picks among 10 entered go 7 furlongs saturdays 100000 heft stakes laurel park different style colt factor exits victory james f lewis iii stakes course diamond king first two starts lost jockey frankie pennington clipped heels start grade ii kentucky jockey club churchill downs nov 25 whirlin curlin guess two straight wins including maryland juvenile futurity recent effort saturdays 200000 damon runyon stakes aqueduct restricted statebred juveniles dont overlook trainer wesley ward brings battle station warriors reward colt bertram bongard september finished second versus open company last start churchill downs sea foam medaglia doro colt finished second three times winning last two trainer christophe clement bookends field nine sea foam rail battle station perched outside evaluator sleepy hollow statebreds hasnt done much two graded stakes starts audible jaye jaye worth look sundays 100000 louisiana futurity fair grounds attracted dozen statebreds none particular standout maybe morningline favorite givemeaminit firstcrop sire star guitar makes first start home state contesting graded stakes saratoga keeneland del mar churchill downs remains maiden still third grade hopeful spa fourth last months breeders cup juvenile certainly class edge bunch familiar winners circle gladyousawme 3for3 12 finishers louisiana champions day juvenile greeley went west divine bean sunland park matching 2yearold events saturday sunday feature new mexicobred juveniles going 6 furlongs costs nothing pay attention never know remember mine bird kentucky oaks preps bakers dozen contest saturdays 100000 gin talking stakes laurel park 7 furlongs 72 favorite limited war drew rail marylandbred daughter freedom child four five starts sixth grade ii adirondack saratoga lead pace kentuckybred tizway filly gibby comes sharp win parx racing drew gate 8 sundays 100000 louisiana futurity fair grounds seven statebred fillies minit stardom another star guitar 65 morningline favorite winning louisiana champions day lassie 7 14 lengths going away champagne diva tale cat totally dominated first start course dec 9 returns 95 second pick chantal sutherland santa anita saturdays 300000 grade american oaks 1 14 miles turf drew sparkling field 10 rymska frenchbred filly le havre three previous starts year gulfstream park laurel park aqueduct daddys lil darling scat daddy second kentucky oaks kentucky downs turf courserecord time also run investec oaks epsom england scratched spooked lightning thunder new money honey medaglia doro filly last years breeders cup juvenile fillies turf went win grade belmont oaks invitational july madame dancealot graded stakes winner desert duchess three row including kentucky downs allowance six signed saturdays 100000 grade iii robert j frankel fillies mares 1 18 miles turf four irishbreds one frenchbred one bred kentucky gallic one penjade four last five makes move new york responsibleforlove daughter duke marmalade elysea world champs elysees laseen dylan thomas mare fringes graded stakes company saturdays 100000 grade iii midnight lute 6 12 furlongs main track drew field nine including masochistic dual grade winner circuit earlier career first start since kentucky derby weekend churchill downs field however well balanced provides excellent wagering opportunities great race place also 75000 eddie logan 2yearolds turf friday 75000 blue norther 2yearold fillies grass sunday 75000 joe hernandez 4yearolds hillside turf course monday tampa bay downs saturdays card features pair 100000 5furlong turf sprints turf dash lightning city fillies mares gulfstream park theres always something going gulfstream zero chicago weekends excitement four turf stakes saturday h allen jerkens 2 miles via borghese fillies mares 1 316 miles tropical park derby tropical park oaks yearend flashback remember ridiculous winter day late 1980s well advent regular fullcard simulcasts illinois racing board okayed importation gulfstream park signal states otbs replace weatheredout local product local broken horseplayers dave feldman term seemed almost interested envying shirtsleeved crowd swaying palm trees classy steeds track japan time flyer hearts cry colt grandson sunday silence rallied far back field win thursdays grade hopeful stakes 2yearolds nakayama racecourse forge way picture next years japanese classics perhaps time flyer racing sunday racing co bided time rear cristian demuro launched wide bid stretch turn outfinished gendarme americanbred kittens joy colt 1 14 lengths finishing 2000 meters 2014 stay foolish ran well end finish third another neck back lucas full brother retired japanese superstar maurice finished sixth yutaka take irons improve classics hes still young good turn foot demuro said time flyer think distance problem even recent elevation grade status hopeful used owners trainers looking following years classics rather toward juvenile championship past hopeful runners include victoire pisa went win 2011 dubai world cup epiphaneia later captured 2014 japan cup years winner tokyo yushun japanese derby rey de oro impossible time flyer could make impact world stage year grade ii uae derby world cup night dubai available victory hyacinth stakes tokyo feb 18 wold earn colt enough points japan road kentucky derby ensure spot run roses 29 years grandsires victory odds ends happy 2018 weeks pegasus world cup three months dubai world cup little four months kentucky derby bit 10 months breeders cup rolls around days getting longer cubs pitchers catchers report camp mesa ariz less seven weeks whats like | 981 |
<p>The <a href="http://variety.com/t/thanksgiving/" type="external">Thanksgiving</a> holiday is finally here, and besides the family reunions, turkey dinners, and fall football games, this means the return of holiday <a href="http://variety.com/t/tv-marathons/" type="external">TV marathons</a>.</p>
<p>Discovery Channel will run a marathon of Mike Rowe’s show “Dirty Jobs” on <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/awards/melina-matsoukas-anthony-hemingway-directors-bring-diverse-tv-projects-to-life-1202463697/" type="external">Thanksgiving</a> Day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. to hopefully give viewers a reason to be thankful for the jobs they do have, rather than the ones shown on screen. Bear Grylls, another former Discovery star, will have a marathon of his own as National Geographic will air “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/running-wild-with-bear-grylls/" type="external">Running Wild with Bear Grylls</a>” from 12 p.m. to 3 a.m. For those who want some animated laughs on Thanksgiving day, Comedy Central will air “South Park” from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., FXX will marathon “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/the-simpsons/" type="external">The Simpsons</a>” from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m., and Cartoon Network will run “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/teen-titans-go/" type="external">Teen Titans Go</a>!” from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.</p>
<p>Other notable marathons throughout the weekend include Freeform’s “Harry Potter” movie marathon on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. (Chance the Rapper recently tried to watch all eight movies straight but gave up. Maybe you can last longer?) or TNT’s marathon of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday. If Thursday feasting isn’t enough, then Food Network is offering viewers a trip to Flavortown with “Diner, Drive-Ins and Dives” beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday, and GSN can give them a lift back home with a marathon of the “Cash Cab” game show beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday.</p>
<p>Here’s a list of Thanksgiving weekend’s other marathons:</p>
<p>Thursday, Nov. 23</p>
<p>Friends&#160;(TBS, 1 p.m.)Gilmore Girls&#160;(UP, 6 a.m.)Chrisley Knows Best&#160;(USA, 6 a.m.)Long Lost Family&#160;(TLC, 4 p.m.)Blue Bloods&#160;(ION, 11 a.m.)Duck Dynasty&#160;(FYI, 10 a.m.)Ozzy and Jack’s World Detour&#160;(FYI, 5 p.m.)Live PD: Police Patrol&#160;(A&amp;E, 2 p.m.)Forged in Fire&#160;(History, 7 a.m.)Tanked&#160;(Animal Planet, 2 p.m.)M*A*S*H&#160;(TVLand, 11 a.m.)Forensic Files&#160;(HLN, 6 p.m.)The Three Stooges&#160;(IFC, 6 a.m.)Gone With the Wind&#160;(Sundance, 6 a.m.)The Godfather (AMC, 9 a.m.)Star Trek: The Original Series (BBC America, 6 a.m.)Martin (BET, 8 a.m.)Family Movie Marathon (FX, 7 a.m.)Action Comedy Movie Marathon (FX, 8 a.m.)Property Brothers (HGTV, 7 a.m.)Ridiculousness (MTV, 12:45 p.m.)Mythbusters (Science, 9 a.m.)Outlander (Starz, 6 a.m.)Family Comedy Movie Marathon (TCM, 8 p.m.)Hey Arnold! (TeenNick, 11 p.m.)Long Lost Family (TLC, 4 p.m.)Jurassic Park Movie Marathon (TNT, 12: 15 p.m.)Food Paradise (Travel Channel 1: 30 p.m.)America’s Funnies Home Videos (WGN, 12 p.m.)Cops (WGN, 7 p.m.)</p>
<p>Friday, Nov. 24</p>
<p>Mom&#160;(FXX, 12 p.m.)Flea Market Flip&#160;(HGTV, 7 a.m.)House Hunters&#160;(HGTV, 12 p.m.)Gilmore Girls&#160;(UP, 12 a.m.)Say Yes to the Dress&#160;(TLC, 3 a.m.)Law &amp; Order&#160;(ION, 11 a.m.; Sundance, 6 a.m.)Alaska: The Last Frontier&#160;(Discovery, 12 a.m.)Storage Wars&#160;(FYI, 1 p.m.)Ancient Aliens&#160;(History, 12 p.m.)Tanked&#160;(Animal Planet, 2 p.m.) <a href="http://variety.com/2017/film/news/will-arnett-kristen-bell-teen-titans-ivanhoe-18-party-1202584528/" type="external">Teen Titans Go</a>!&#160;(Cartoon Network, 7 a.m.)Forensic Files&#160;(HLN, 6 p.m.)Friends&#160;(Spike, 6 p.m.)The 80’s: The Decade That Made Us&#160;(National Geographic, 12 p.m.)Karate Kid Movie Marathon (AMC, 11 a.m.)Star Trek: The Original Series (BBC America, 12 a.m.)Star Trek: The Next Generation (BBC America, 9 a.m.)Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (BET, 8 a.m.)Don’t Be Tardy (Bravo, 6 a.m.)That ’70s Show (Comedy Central, 7 a.m.)Family Feud (GSN, 12 p.m.)Mom (FXX, 12 p.m.) <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/former-simpsons-composer-alf-clausen-ian-calderon-recording-musicians-association-fundraiser-1202564738/" type="external">The Simpsons</a> (FXX, 6 p.m.)Hey Arnold (TeenNick, 11 p.m.)Long Island Medium (TLC, 7 p.m.)Golden Girls (TVLand, 9 a.m.)America’s Funniest Home Videos (WGN, 9 a.m.)</p>
<p>Saturday, Nov. 25</p>
<p>Law &amp; Order&#160;(TNT, 5 a.m.)Fixer Upper&#160;(HGTV, 7 a.m.)Gilmore Girls&#160;(UP, 12 a.m.)Law &amp; Order: SVU&#160;(USA, 9 a.m.)Say Yes to the Dress&#160;(TLC, 7 a.m.)Cake Boss&#160;(TLC, 7 p.m.)Twilight Saga&#160;(MTV, 8 a.m.)Law &amp; Order: SVU&#160;(ION, 9 a.m.)Street Outlaws&#160;(Discovery, 12 p.m.)Parking Wars&#160;(FYI, 3 p.m.)Teen Titans Go!&#160;(Cartoon Network, 6 a.m.)Roseanne&#160;(TVLand, 12 a.m.)Forensic Files&#160;(HLN, 12 p.m.)Rocky&#160;(Spike, 9 a.m.)M*A*S*H&#160;(Sundance, 6 p.m.)That ’70s Show (Comedy Central, 7 a.m.)ER (Pop, 12 p.m.)Out of this World Movie Marathon (WGN, 5 p.m.)</p>
<p>Sunday Nov. 26</p>
<p>Law &amp; Order&#160;(TNT, 6 a.m.)Fixer Upper&#160;(HGTV, 7 a.m.)Gilmore Girls&#160;(UP, 12 a.m.)Law &amp; Order: SVU&#160;(USA, 11 a.m.)The Real Housewives of Atlanta&#160;(Bravo, 11:30 a.m.)Jersey Shore&#160;(MTV, 1 a.m.)Duck Dynasty&#160;(FYI, 5 p.m.)American Pickers&#160;(History, 1 p.m.)Monsters Inside Me&#160;(Animal Planet, 11 a.m.)Teen Titans Go!&#160;(Cartoon Network, 6 a.m.)Forensic Files&#160;(HLN, 12 p.m.)Storage Wars (A&amp;E, 7 a.m.)M*A*S*H (AMC, 5:12 a.m.)That ’70s Show (Comedy Central, 7 a.m.)</p> | false | 1 | thanksgiving holiday finally besides family reunions turkey dinners fall football games means return holiday tv marathons discovery channel run marathon mike rowes show dirty jobs thanksgiving day 9 7 pm hopefully give viewers reason thankful jobs rather ones shown screen bear grylls another former discovery star marathon national geographic air running wild bear grylls 12 pm 3 want animated laughs thanksgiving day comedy central air south park 6 9 pm fxx marathon simpsons 8 pm 12 cartoon network run teen titans go 6 3 pm notable marathons throughout weekend include freeforms harry potter movie marathon saturday 7 12 chance rapper recently tried watch eight movies straight gave maybe last longer tnts marathon hobbit lord rings beginning 9 saturday thursday feasting isnt enough food network offering viewers trip flavortown diner driveins dives beginning 2 pm friday gsn give lift back home marathon cash cab game show beginning 11 saturday heres list thanksgiving weekends marathons thursday nov 23 friends160tbs 1 pmgilmore girls160up 6 amchrisley knows best160usa 6 amlong lost family160tlc 4 pmblue bloods160ion 11 amduck dynasty160fyi 10 amozzy jacks world detour160fyi 5 pmlive pd police patrol160aampe 2 pmforged fire160history 7 amtanked160animal planet 2 pmmash160tvland 11 amforensic files160hln 6 pmthe three stooges160ifc 6 amgone wind160sundance 6 amthe godfather amc 9 amstar trek original series bbc america 6 ammartin bet 8 amfamily movie marathon fx 7 amaction comedy movie marathon fx 8 amproperty brothers hgtv 7 amridiculousness mtv 1245 pmmythbusters science 9 amoutlander starz 6 amfamily comedy movie marathon tcm 8 pmhey arnold teennick 11 pmlong lost family tlc 4 pmjurassic park movie marathon tnt 12 15 pmfood paradise travel channel 1 30 pmamericas funnies home videos wgn 12 pmcops wgn 7 pm friday nov 24 mom160fxx 12 pmflea market flip160hgtv 7 amhouse hunters160hgtv 12 pmgilmore girls160up 12 amsay yes dress160tlc 3 amlaw amp order160ion 11 sundance 6 amalaska last frontier160discovery 12 amstorage wars160fyi 1 pmancient aliens160history 12 pmtanked160animal planet 2 pm teen titans go160cartoon network 7 amforensic files160hln 6 pmfriends160spike 6 pmthe 80s decade made us160national geographic 12 pmkarate kid movie marathon amc 11 amstar trek original series bbc america 12 amstar trek next generation bbc america 9 amtyler perrys meet browns bet 8 amdont tardy bravo 6 amthat 70s show comedy central 7 amfamily feud gsn 12 pmmom fxx 12 pm simpsons fxx 6 pmhey arnold teennick 11 pmlong island medium tlc 7 pmgolden girls tvland 9 amamericas funniest home videos wgn 9 saturday nov 25 law amp order160tnt 5 amfixer upper160hgtv 7 amgilmore girls160up 12 amlaw amp order svu160usa 9 amsay yes dress160tlc 7 amcake boss160tlc 7 pmtwilight saga160mtv 8 amlaw amp order svu160ion 9 amstreet outlaws160discovery 12 pmparking wars160fyi 3 pmteen titans go160cartoon network 6 amroseanne160tvland 12 amforensic files160hln 12 pmrocky160spike 9 ammash160sundance 6 pmthat 70s show comedy central 7 amer pop 12 pmout world movie marathon wgn 5 pm sunday nov 26 law amp order160tnt 6 amfixer upper160hgtv 7 amgilmore girls160up 12 amlaw amp order svu160usa 11 amthe real housewives atlanta160bravo 1130 amjersey shore160mtv 1 amduck dynasty160fyi 5 pmamerican pickers160history 1 pmmonsters inside me160animal planet 11 amteen titans go160cartoon network 6 amforensic files160hln 12 pmstorage wars aampe 7 ammash amc 512 amthat 70s show comedy central 7 | 528 |
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<p>A few months ago, not many Americans, in fact Europeans as well, knew that a Yazidi sect in fact existed in northwest Iraq. Even in the Middle East itself, the Yazidis and their way of life have been an enigma, shrouded by mystery and mostly grasped through stereotypes and fictitious evidence. Yet in no time, the fate of the Yazidis became a rally cry for another US-led Iraq military campaign.</p>
<p>&lt;img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-17263" src="https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ramzy-baroud-300x200.jpg" alt="Ramzy Baroud" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ramzy-baroud-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ramzy-baroud-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ramzy-baroud-73x50.jpg 73w, https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ramzy-baroud-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ramzy-baroud-280x186.jpg 280w, https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ramzy-baroud-60x40.jpg 60w, https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ramzy-baroud-118x78.jpg 118w, https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ramzy-baroud-479x319.jpg 479w, https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ramzy-baroud.jpg 625w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /&gt; It was not a surprise that the small Iraqi minority found itself a target for fanatical Islamic State (IS) militants, who had reportedly carried out unspeakable crimes against Yazidis, driving them to Dohuk, Irbil, and other northern Iraqi regions. According to UN and other groups, 40,000 Yazidi had been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/07/40000-iraqis-stranded-mountain-isis-death-threat" type="external">stranded on Mount Sinjar</a>, awaiting imminent “genocide” if the US and other powers didn’t take action to save them.</p>
<p>The rest of the story was spun from that point on. The logic for intervention that preceded the latest US bombing campaign of IS targets, which started in mid-June, is similar to what took place in Libya over three years ago. Early 2011, imminent “genocide” awaiting Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi at the hands of Muammar Gaddafi was the rally cry that mobilized western powers to a war that wrought wanton killings and destruction in Libya. Since NATO’s intervention in Libya, which killed and wounded tens of thousands, the country has fallen prey to an endless and ruthless fight involving numerous militias, armed, and financially and politically-backed by various regional and international powers. Libya is now ruled by two governments, two parliaments, and a thousand militia.</p>
<p>When <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/08/14/did-the-pentagon-misjudge-the-danger-on-iraqs-mount-sinjar/" type="external">US Special Forces arrived to the top of Mount Sinjar</a>, they realized that the Yazidis had either been rescued by Kurdish militias, or were already living there. They found less than 5,000 Yazidis there, half of them refugees. The mountain is revered in local legend, as the final resting place of Noah’s ark. It was also the final resting place for the Yazidi genocide story. The finding hardly received much coverage in the media, which used the original claim to create fervor in anticipation for Western intervention in Iraq.</p>
<p>We all know how the first intervention worked out. Not that IS’s brutal tactics in eastern, northern and central Iraq should be tolerated. But a true act of genocide had already taken place in Iraq for nearly two decades, starting with the US war in 1990-91, a decade-long embargo and a most destructive war and occupation starting in 2003. Not once did a major newspaper editorial in the US bestow the term “genocide” on the killing and maiming of millions of Iraqis. In fact, the IS campaign is actually part of a larger Sunni rebellion in Iraq, in response to the US war and Shite-led government oppression over the course of years. That context is hardly relevant in the selective reporting on the current violence in Iraq.</p>
<p>It goes without saying, US policymakers care little for the Yazidis, for they don’t serve US interests in any way. However, experience has taught that such groups only become relevant in a specially tailored narrative, in a specific point in time, to be exploited for political and strategic objectives. They will cease to exist the moment the objective is met. Consider for example, the fact that IS has been committing horrific war crimes in western and northern Syria for years, as did forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and militants belonging to the various opposition groups there. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians have been killed and wounded. Various minority groups there faced and continue to face genocide. Yet, somehow, the horrifying bloodshed there was not only tolerated, but in fact encouraged.</p>
<p>For over three years, little effort was put forward to find or impose a fair political solution to the Syria civil war. The Syrians were killing each other and thousands of foreigners, thanks to a <a href="http://www.stripes.com/news/europe-s-fear-turkey-s-porous-border-serves-as-gateway-for-isil-s-spread-1.291646" type="external">purposely porous Turkish borders</a> were allowed to join in, in a perpetual “Guernica” that, with time, grew to become another Middle Eastern status quo.</p>
<p>Weren’t the massacres of Aleppo in fact genocide? The siege of Yarmouk? The wiping out of entire villages, the beheading and dismembering of people for belonging to the wrong sect or religion?</p>
<p>Even if they were, it definitely was not the kind of genocide that would propel action, specifically western-led action. In recent days, as it was becoming clear that the US was up to its old interventionist games, countries were being lined up to fight IS. US Secretary of State John Kerry was <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29172524" type="external">shuttling the globe</a> once more, from US to Europe, to Turkey, to Iraq to Saudi Arabia, and still going. “We believe we can take on ISIL (previous name for IS) in the current coalition that we have,” he said. But why now?</p>
<p>In his speech on the eve of the 13th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/11/barack-obama-tv-speech-on-isis-full-text" type="external">Obama declared war on IS</a>. Obama’s tangled foreign policy agenda became even more confused in his 13-minute speech from the White House. He promised to “hunt down” IS fighters “whenever they are” until the US ultimately destroys the group, as supposedly, it has down with al-Qaeda. IS, of course, is a splinter al-Qaeda group, which began as an idea, and thanks to the US global “war on terror”, has morphed into an army of many branches. The US never destroyed al-Qaeda; but it inadvertently allowed the creation of IS.</p>
<p>“That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq. This is a core principle of my presidency: if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven,” Obama said. Of course, he needed to say that, as his <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2738962/House-Senate-intel-chiefs-flag-Islamic-State-risk.html" type="external">Republican rivals have accused him of lack of decisiveness</a> and his presidency of being weak. His democratic party could possibly lose control over the Senate come the November elections. His fight against IS is meant to help rebrand the president as resolute and decisive, and perhaps create some distraction from economic woes at home.</p>
<p>That same media has also cleverly devalued and branded conflicts, and acts of genocide in ways consistent with US foreign policy agendas. While the Yazidis were purportedly stranded on mount Sinjar, Israel was carrying out a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Over 2,150 were killed, mostly civilians, hundreds of them children, and over 11,000 wounded, the vast majority of whom were civilians. Not an alleged 40,000 but a <a href="https://twitter.com/oxfamgb/status/498559625705562113" type="external">confirmed 520,000 thousand</a> were on the run, and along with the rest of Gaza’s 1.8 million, were entrapped in an open-air prison with no escape. But that was not an act of genocide either, as far as the US-western governments and media were concerned. Worse, they actively defended, and, especially in the case of the US, UK, France and Italy, armed and funded the Israeli aggression.</p>
<p>Experience has taught us that not all “acts of genocide” are created equal: Some are fabricated, and others are exaggerated. Some are useful to start wars, and others, no matter how atrocious, are not worth mentioning. Some acts of genocide are branded as wars to liberate, free and democratize. Other acts of genocide are to be encouraged, defended and financed.</p>
<p>But as far as the US involvement in the Middle East is concerned, the only real genocide is the one that serves the interests of the west, by offering an opportunity for military intervention, followed by political and strategic meddling to re-arrange the region.</p>
<p>The US experience in Iraq also taught us that its effort will only succeed in exacerbating an already difficult situation, yielding yet more disenfranchised groups, political despair and greater violence.</p> | false | 1 | months ago many americans fact europeans well knew yazidi sect fact existed northwest iraq even middle east yazidis way life enigma shrouded mystery mostly grasped stereotypes fictitious evidence yet time fate yazidis became rally cry another usled iraq military campaign ltimg classalignleft sizemedium wpimage17263 srchttpswwwforeignpolicyjournalcomwpcontentuploads201302ramzybaroud300x200jpg altramzy baroud width300 height200 srcsethttpswwwforeignpolicyjournalcomwpcontentuploads201302ramzybaroud300x200jpg 300w httpswwwforeignpolicyjournalcomwpcontentuploads201302ramzybaroud600x400jpg 600w httpswwwforeignpolicyjournalcomwpcontentuploads201302ramzybaroud73x50jpg 73w httpswwwforeignpolicyjournalcomwpcontentuploads201302ramzybaroud500x333jpg 500w httpswwwforeignpolicyjournalcomwpcontentuploads201302ramzybaroud280x186jpg 280w httpswwwforeignpolicyjournalcomwpcontentuploads201302ramzybaroud60x40jpg 60w httpswwwforeignpolicyjournalcomwpcontentuploads201302ramzybaroud118x78jpg 118w httpswwwforeignpolicyjournalcomwpcontentuploads201302ramzybaroud479x319jpg 479w httpswwwforeignpolicyjournalcomwpcontentuploads201302ramzybaroudjpg 625w sizesmaxwidth 300px 100vw 300px gt surprise small iraqi minority found target fanatical islamic state militants reportedly carried unspeakable crimes yazidis driving dohuk irbil northern iraqi regions according un groups 40000 yazidi stranded mount sinjar awaiting imminent genocide us powers didnt take action save rest story spun point logic intervention preceded latest us bombing campaign targets started midjune similar took place libya three years ago early 2011 imminent genocide awaiting libyas eastern city benghazi hands muammar gaddafi rally cry mobilized western powers war wrought wanton killings destruction libya since natos intervention libya killed wounded tens thousands country fallen prey endless ruthless fight involving numerous militias armed financially politicallybacked various regional international powers libya ruled two governments two parliaments thousand militia us special forces arrived top mount sinjar realized yazidis either rescued kurdish militias already living found less 5000 yazidis half refugees mountain revered local legend final resting place noahs ark also final resting place yazidi genocide story finding hardly received much coverage media used original claim create fervor anticipation western intervention iraq know first intervention worked iss brutal tactics eastern northern central iraq tolerated true act genocide already taken place iraq nearly two decades starting us war 199091 decadelong embargo destructive war occupation starting 2003 major newspaper editorial us bestow term genocide killing maiming millions iraqis fact campaign actually part larger sunni rebellion iraq response us war shiteled government oppression course years context hardly relevant selective reporting current violence iraq goes without saying us policymakers care little yazidis dont serve us interests way however experience taught groups become relevant specially tailored narrative specific point time exploited political strategic objectives cease exist moment objective met consider example fact committing horrific war crimes western northern syria years forces loyal president bashar alassad militants belonging various opposition groups hundreds thousands syrians killed wounded various minority groups faced continue face genocide yet somehow horrifying bloodshed tolerated fact encouraged three years little effort put forward find impose fair political solution syria civil war syrians killing thousands foreigners thanks purposely porous turkish borders allowed join perpetual guernica time grew become another middle eastern status quo werent massacres aleppo fact genocide siege yarmouk wiping entire villages beheading dismembering people belonging wrong sect religion even definitely kind genocide would propel action specifically westernled action recent days becoming clear us old interventionist games countries lined fight us secretary state john kerry shuttling globe us europe turkey iraq saudi arabia still going believe take isil previous name current coalition said speech eve 13th anniversary september 11 attacks obama declared war obamas tangled foreign policy agenda became even confused 13minute speech white house promised hunt fighters whenever us ultimately destroys group supposedly alqaeda course splinter alqaeda group began idea thanks us global war terror morphed army many branches us never destroyed alqaeda inadvertently allowed creation means hesitate take action isil syria well iraq core principle presidency threaten america find safe obama said course needed say republican rivals accused lack decisiveness presidency weak democratic party could possibly lose control senate come november elections fight meant help rebrand president resolute decisive perhaps create distraction economic woes home media also cleverly devalued branded conflicts acts genocide ways consistent us foreign policy agendas yazidis purportedly stranded mount sinjar israel carrying genocide palestinians gaza 2150 killed mostly civilians hundreds children 11000 wounded vast majority civilians alleged 40000 confirmed 520000 thousand run along rest gazas 18 million entrapped openair prison escape act genocide either far uswestern governments media concerned worse actively defended especially case us uk france italy armed funded israeli aggression experience taught us acts genocide created equal fabricated others exaggerated useful start wars others matter atrocious worth mentioning acts genocide branded wars liberate free democratize acts genocide encouraged defended financed far us involvement middle east concerned real genocide one serves interests west offering opportunity military intervention followed political strategic meddling rearrange region us experience iraq also taught us effort succeed exacerbating already difficult situation yielding yet disenfranchised groups political despair greater violence | 723 |
<p>Sky will sharply increase its spending on original content again next year, CEO <a href="http://variety.com/t/jeremy-darroch/" type="external">Jeremy Darroch</a> has told&#160;Variety. The entertainment giant has moved heavily into original programming with drama series such as “Tin Star” and “Riviera,” which it has renewed for a second season, and plans to up its spend by a quarter again next year as the race for quality content continues to heat up.</p>
<p>Darroch’s first 10 years at Sky saw the U.K.-based pay-TV operator expand across Europe and branch out further beyond sports and movies. As the 55-year-old exec enters his second decade as CEO, his company faces an existential challenge from U.S. streaming giants and tech firms getting into TV, and the corporate challenges associated with a possible takeover by 21st Century Fox.</p>
<p>In today’s fragmented media landscape, Sky’s success relies on offering something for everyone. To do that, Darroch says&#160;the company is spending nearly £7 billion ($9.2 billion) on programming this year and cranking up its production of original shows in order to become a content powerhouse. That eclipses Netflix’s spending of about $6 billion and HBO’s of about $2 billion.</p>
<p>A hefty chunk of Sky’s outlay is on sports rights, especially soccer, but the company is upping its budget for original programming as well. In 2018, it plans to release four original drama series every quarter to help bolster its base of over 22 million subscribers across Europe. Among the new offerings will be “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/the-new-pope/" type="external">The New Pope</a>” and “Das Boot,” adding to a slate that includes “Riviera” and “Gomorrah.”</p>
<p>“The idea that we can keep growing and developing just by doing the things we did in the past seems to me for the birds,” Darroch says. “We’re going to spend 25% more on originals this year, and we’ll probably spend a similar amount more next year. We have big ambitions.”</p>
<p>But in an era of spiraling costs, Sky knows it can’t fulfill all those big ambitions on its own. The company has teamed up with HBO, turning a distribution agreement for the U.S. cabler’s programs into a <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/global/sky-hbo-announce-250-million-co-production-deal-for-high-end-drama-1202391006/" type="external">$250 million co-production deal</a>. The first joint project is nuclear disaster miniseries “ <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/hbo-chernobyl-miniseries-jared-harris-1202507712/" type="external">Chernobyl</a>.” More collaboration is in the works with rival broadcasters and streamers: German pubcaster ARD was a partner on “Babylon Berlin,” the most expensive series in German history; Amazon is a partner on upcoming drama “Britannia.”</p>
<p>“It’s not restricted to HBO,” Darroch says. “There are others we will work with, and we can do it at multiple different levels because we produce and create a lot of content.”</p>
<p>Netflix and Amazon have drawn widespread attention with a smaller number of big-budget local originals such as “The Crown” and “The Grand Tour,” which Darroch says reflects their status as newer entrants in the market. “It’s always going to be a bit different for us because we are more established, and those singular moments tend to be for the new kid on the block,” he says. “I think there is a difference in being a leader in each of the markets and being mass-market.”</p>
<p>Darroch also dismisses a&#160; <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/bbc-tony-hall-netflix-finding-threat-1202605142/" type="external">warning from BBC director general Tony Hall</a>&#160;that the rise of global streamers like Netflix and Amazon endangers the survival of uniquely British programming. “It’ll be lost if we let it be lost,” Darroch says. “We don’t see that threat in the same way as the BBC.”</p>
<p>Sky wants to forge a path that runs between the mostly American fare emanating from the SVOD players and the mainstream local programming that the terrestrial networks serve up. A “Sky type of show,” as Darroch describes it, is one “where we can take local content that’s relevant to the markets we’re in and we can produce it with a particular Sky twist, which might [include] bigger sets and production. It might be a bit more intense, and that will create a space where we can work with the very best people in the industry.”</p>
<p>Fitting into that category: upcoming <a href="http://variety.com/t/benedict-cumberbatch/" type="external">Benedict Cumberbatch</a> starrer “ <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/benedict-cumberbatch-melrose-drama-showtime-sky-atlantic-1201998815/" type="external">Melrose</a>,” <a href="http://variety.com/t/idris-elba/" type="external">Idris Elba</a> comedy “ <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/idris-elba-1980s-comedy-for-sky-1202580270/" type="external">In the Long Run</a>,” buddy cop show “Bulletproof” and fantasy series “A Discovery of Witches.”</p>
<p>Not that Sky is about to abandon its staple sports coverage. A multibillion-pound auction for English Premier League rights looms next year. “[Soccer] is central to Sky Sports’ offering, and I don’t see that changing,” Darroch says. “Equally, what I’m not trying to do is build a business on one property alone.”</p>
<p>He’s also looking for new ways to distribute content. Despite its satellite pay-TV roots, Sky <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/sky-launches-spanish-streaming-service-1202553938/" type="external">moved into Spain</a> and Switzerland earlier this year with streaming-only services. “I was very keen with those two markets to do things a bit differently,” Darroch says. “From that we have an emerging playbook on how to enter new markets and the options we have.”</p>
<p>As for Sky’s news channel, it has recently become a <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/21st-century-fox-sky-news-1202609804/" type="external">pawn in the debate</a> over 21st Century Fox’s takeover bid. Sky has warned Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority, which is evaluating the proposed $15 billion takeover, that it might pull the plug on award-winning but loss-making Sky News if the deal is not approved. Whether the threat is real has been debated.</p>
<p>Darroch is clear that Sky wants the deal to go through, saying it would take the company to another level. But he’s ready whatever the outcome. “Like any business, we can’t simply have one plan,” he says. “Sky has its own stand-alone plans that are attractive. There’s no reason we can’t be successful as a stand-alone business or as part of a broader entity as well.”</p> | false | 1 | sky sharply increase spending original content next year ceo jeremy darroch told160variety entertainment giant moved heavily original programming drama series tin star riviera renewed second season plans spend quarter next year race quality content continues heat darrochs first 10 years sky saw ukbased paytv operator expand across europe branch beyond sports movies 55yearold exec enters second decade ceo company faces existential challenge us streaming giants tech firms getting tv corporate challenges associated possible takeover 21st century fox todays fragmented media landscape skys success relies offering something everyone darroch says160the company spending nearly 7 billion 92 billion programming year cranking production original shows order become content powerhouse eclipses netflixs spending 6 billion hbos 2 billion hefty chunk skys outlay sports rights especially soccer company upping budget original programming well 2018 plans release four original drama series every quarter help bolster base 22 million subscribers across europe among new offerings new pope das boot adding slate includes riviera gomorrah idea keep growing developing things past seems birds darroch says going spend 25 originals year well probably spend similar amount next year big ambitions era spiraling costs sky knows cant fulfill big ambitions company teamed hbo turning distribution agreement us cablers programs 250 million coproduction deal first joint project nuclear disaster miniseries chernobyl collaboration works rival broadcasters streamers german pubcaster ard partner babylon berlin expensive series german history amazon partner upcoming drama britannia restricted hbo darroch says others work multiple different levels produce create lot content netflix amazon drawn widespread attention smaller number bigbudget local originals crown grand tour darroch says reflects status newer entrants market always going bit different us established singular moments tend new kid block says think difference leader markets massmarket darroch also dismisses a160 warning bbc director general tony hall160that rise global streamers like netflix amazon endangers survival uniquely british programming itll lost let lost darroch says dont see threat way bbc sky wants forge path runs mostly american fare emanating svod players mainstream local programming terrestrial networks serve sky type show darroch describes one take local content thats relevant markets produce particular sky twist might include bigger sets production might bit intense create space work best people industry fitting category upcoming benedict cumberbatch starrer melrose idris elba comedy long run buddy cop show bulletproof fantasy series discovery witches sky abandon staple sports coverage multibillionpound auction english premier league rights looms next year soccer central sky sports offering dont see changing darroch says equally im trying build business one property alone hes also looking new ways distribute content despite satellite paytv roots sky moved spain switzerland earlier year streamingonly services keen two markets things bit differently darroch says emerging playbook enter new markets options skys news channel recently become pawn debate 21st century foxs takeover bid sky warned britains competition markets authority evaluating proposed 15 billion takeover might pull plug awardwinning lossmaking sky news deal approved whether threat real debated darroch clear sky wants deal go saying would take company another level hes ready whatever outcome like business cant simply one plan says sky standalone plans attractive theres reason cant successful standalone business part broader entity well | 518 |
<p><a href="http://variety.com/t/robin-thede/" type="external">Robin Thede</a> is about to get her own sliver of TV’s late-night audience. There’s a good chance what she says, however, will appeal to more than just a niche.</p>
<p>Thede is about to become TV’s only female African-American late-night host, launching “The Rundown” on <a href="http://variety.com/t/viacom/" type="external">Viacom</a>’s <a href="http://variety.com/t/bet/" type="external">BET</a> this Thursday night. At a time when NFL players are protesting the way people of color are treated and the President of the United States’ view of women and minorities is often called into question, her take on popular culture and politics might be of interest to more than <a href="http://variety.com/2017/scene/news/comedy-get-down-george-lopez-cedric-the-entertainer-charlie-murphy-trump-jokes-1202561333/" type="external">BET</a> regulars.</p>
<p>“I’m going to be able to give a perspective that’s definitely not happening simply because I am a black woman, but I don’t want people to watch just because of that. If that’s the reason you tune in, that’s great, but the reason you’ll stay is because of what I’m saying,” she says in an interview at her office, which features a table festooned with fidget spinners. “The jokes will be pointed. The jokes will be sharp.”</p>
<p>And they may poke through viewership boundaries. “With any luck, given how sharable short satire videos have proved to be through social media, Thede will find herself in the newsfeeds and timelines of people unaccustomed to watching BET. – e.g.; white people,” says&#160;Danna Young, an associate professor at the University of Delaware’s Center for Political Communication who has studied late-night shows for more than 15 years. “Wouldn’t that be some welcome news in 2017?”</p>
<p>Aficionados of wee-hours TV know Thede can land a punch. In her previous job at Comedy Central’s now-cancelled “Nightly Show,” hosted by <a href="http://variety.com/t/larry-wilmore/" type="external">Larry Wilmore</a>, she led segments like “Black Lady Sign Language,” in which she explained the many hand gestures utilized by African-American women. She’s happy to have been head writer for, then a regular contributor to a program that was early to pronounce Bill Cosby guilty of sexual assault (“We’ll ask the question, ‘Did he do it?’” asked Wilmore at the top of an early broadcast. “The answer will be ‘yes.’”).</p>
<p>The simple fact is that, like Wilmore, Thede has more license than many of her late-night counterparts to speak bluntly about matters of race, gender and culture.</p>
<p>“Yeah, Robin doesn’t take any prisoners,” says Wilmore during an interview. When she was writing for the show Wilmore recalls, “it was one of those things: ‘Robin, you can’t just write this. You have to go out and perform it.” Thede, he adds, “may be surprised at how broad her response may be.”</p>
<p>Thede says she intends to offer a few fresh twists on the usual late-night hijinks. She’d like to host occasional pop-up concert segments featuring up-and-coming musicians in laundromats and bodegas – “ambush style,” she says. “They are grittier. Not these big, polished staged performances that take place in the studio.”&#160; She also intends to do documentary-style pieces that put her in interesting situations, but viewers won’t see her playing a fake-news reporter trying to get to the bottom of something. &#160;“I’m 100% myself,” she says. “People get my opinion uncut.”</p>
<p>She comes with some comedic firepower behind the scenes. Chris Rock is an executive producer of the show. “He just says to be authentic,” Thede says.&#160; Producers originally thought they might launch the show with a team of “correspondents” at the ready, but Rock advised against it. “He was like, ‘Not yet,’” Thede recalls. “You need to introduce yourself to America, reintroduce yourself to people who know you. Get them to know and care about you before you throw a bunch of people in the mix.”</p>
<p>Thede turned to comedy at an early age. Her father, she says, loved to listen to comedy records and would sit with her to watch the durable “Caroline’s Comedy Hour” on cable. Indeed, she’s named for Robin Williams. Her dad’s interests struck a chord: “I didn’t have a lot of friends, and I would sit and watch the news and mock the newscaster,” she recalls.&#160; In college, she joined an improv comedy group.</p>
<p>But her mother’s influence is also strong. Thede says her mom “is an angel of a woman who has always been in social-service work, and always fought for people.”</p>
<p>Thede isn’t late-night’s first African American female host. Wanda Sykes hosted a weekly program on Fox. Mo’Nique hosted a late-night offering on BET between 2009 and 2011. And Whoopi Goldberg did a syndicated program in the mid-1990s.</p>
<p>But she may be the first already steeled to face the social-media backlash and intense digital scrutiny that have become so much a part of the era. She was a big part of the team that helped Wilmore craft what ended up becoming one of the more controversial stints at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. The targets included Don Lemon, Ted Cruz and President Obama’s white hair (“Your hair is so white, it tried to punch me at a Trump rally,” said Wilmore). On top of that, Wilmore used a racial epithet and sparked controversy. The moment, says Thede, was meant for two African-American men, not necessarily for the general public.</p>
<p>“We knew that would chafe people, but we didn’t come there to make friends. We came there to roast the press,” says Thede. “Larry and I created that thing together one joke at a time. It was a lot of fun. I feel great about it. If you read the transcript, those jokes are A-plus jokes.”</p>
<p>BET wants more humor in late night, said Connie Orlando, BET’s executive vice president and head of programming. Recent research shows that “our audience loves to laugh and that our audience is often up late,” she said.</p>
<p>Thede intends to deliver. “You just don’t have an opinion like mine in this landscape,” she says. “And I think it’s really important.”</p> | false | 1 | robin thede get sliver tvs latenight audience theres good chance says however appeal niche thede become tvs female africanamerican latenight host launching rundown viacoms bet thursday night time nfl players protesting way people color treated president united states view women minorities often called question take popular culture politics might interest bet regulars im going able give perspective thats definitely happening simply black woman dont want people watch thats reason tune thats great reason youll stay im saying says interview office features table festooned fidget spinners jokes pointed jokes sharp may poke viewership boundaries luck given sharable short satire videos proved social media thede find newsfeeds timelines people unaccustomed watching bet eg white people says160danna young associate professor university delawares center political communication studied latenight shows 15 years wouldnt welcome news 2017 aficionados weehours tv know thede land punch previous job comedy centrals nowcancelled nightly show hosted larry wilmore led segments like black lady sign language explained many hand gestures utilized africanamerican women shes happy head writer regular contributor program early pronounce bill cosby guilty sexual assault well ask question asked wilmore top early broadcast answer yes simple fact like wilmore thede license many latenight counterparts speak bluntly matters race gender culture yeah robin doesnt take prisoners says wilmore interview writing show wilmore recalls one things robin cant write go perform thede adds may surprised broad response may thede says intends offer fresh twists usual latenight hijinks shed like host occasional popup concert segments featuring upandcoming musicians laundromats bodegas ambush style says grittier big polished staged performances take place studio160 also intends documentarystyle pieces put interesting situations viewers wont see playing fakenews reporter trying get bottom something 160im 100 says people get opinion uncut comes comedic firepower behind scenes chris rock executive producer show says authentic thede says160 producers originally thought might launch show team correspondents ready rock advised like yet thede recalls need introduce america reintroduce people know get know care throw bunch people mix thede turned comedy early age father says loved listen comedy records would sit watch durable carolines comedy hour cable indeed shes named robin williams dads interests struck chord didnt lot friends would sit watch news mock newscaster recalls160 college joined improv comedy group mothers influence also strong thede says mom angel woman always socialservice work always fought people thede isnt latenights first african american female host wanda sykes hosted weekly program fox monique hosted latenight offering bet 2009 2011 whoopi goldberg syndicated program mid1990s may first already steeled face socialmedia backlash intense digital scrutiny become much part era big part team helped wilmore craft ended becoming one controversial stints annual white house correspondents dinner targets included lemon ted cruz president obamas white hair hair white tried punch trump rally said wilmore top wilmore used racial epithet sparked controversy moment says thede meant two africanamerican men necessarily general public knew would chafe people didnt come make friends came roast press says thede larry created thing together one joke time lot fun feel great read transcript jokes aplus jokes bet wants humor late night said connie orlando bets executive vice president head programming recent research shows audience loves laugh audience often late said thede intends deliver dont opinion like mine landscape says think really important | 538 |
<p>Senators met Thursday to evaluate ways to <a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/hearings/reauthorizing-the-higher-education-act-financial-aid-simplification-and-transparency" type="external">improve and simplify student loans</a>for higher education.</p>
<p>The Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor &amp; Pensions met to specifically address the Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act. The act was first signed into law in 1965 by Lyndon B. Johnson and required providing federal assistance for students pursuing post-secondary and higher education.</p>
<p>The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) “manages the student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the <a href="http://legcounsel.house.gov/Comps/HEA65_CMD.pdf" type="external">Higher Education Act</a>of 1965,” <a href="https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/about" type="external">according to their website</a>.</p>
<p>However, for years lawmakers and politicians from both sides of the aisle have sharply criticized the need to simplify the application process and provide transparency for the system in place.</p>
<p>Committee Chairman <a href="https://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/" type="external">Senator Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn</a>., said he introduced legislation during the last Congress to streamline federal aid.</p>
<p>“It would combine two federal grant programs into one grant program and reduce five federal loan programs into three. One loan for undergraduate students, one loan for graduate students, and one parent loan,” Alexander said. “It would also simplify payment options by streamlining complicated repayment programs into two simple plans. An income-based plan and a 10-year payment plan.”</p>
<p>The chairman stated he noticed a consensus forming among his Republicans and Democrat colleagues on this issue.</p>
<p>“The consensus I see emerging is this student focus. Simpler, more effective regulations to make it easier for students to pay for college and pay back their loans. Reducing red tape so administrators can spend more time and money on students. And making sure a degree is worth the time and money that students spend to earn it.”Alexander added that the current FAFSA has about 108 questions, with many of the question overlapping for information already submitted to the government for paying taxes. He suggested by using the information the government already has could shorten the form to 25 questions.</p>
<p>The committee’s Ranking Member <a href="https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/" type="external">Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash</a>., urged the committee that simplification to this financial aid process does not mean reducing funds.</p>
<p>We have to acknowledge that simplification cannot mean elimination of aid especially since college cost continues to rise. We should be reducing the barriers facing students at every stage of financial aid process; before they apply, while they are enrolled and after graduation,” Murray said.Murry stated that not only are these forms confusing to students, but no standard format or terms exist.</p>
<p>“I believe both our federal aid system and schools and universities need to play a bigger role helping enrolled students understand the complex maze of eligibility requirements for their financial aid,” Murray told the committee. “We have to help the millions of student loan borrowers struggling to manage their student debt with few resources that have their best interest in mind. Borrowers are experiencing delays and errors and mismanagement of their loans and often getting conflicting and inaccurate information.”</p>
<p>Witness and Chief Policy Officer for UAspire Laura Keane, advises her students to understand the commitment they are making financial before deciding on which university to attend.</p>
<p>UAspire is a Philadelphia-based organization that helps provide students with the necessary resource to find a financial path to higher education.</p>
<p>“College costs aren’t transparent. We advise our students to celebrate, then decide. Celebrate when you get accepted -- but decide only after you review the financial aid award letter, which explains your aid,” Keane said. “Award letters are confusing, if not misleading. They fail to provide the consumer -- in this case, students and families -- with key financial information.”Keane said they found that federal unsubsidized loan presented in 143 different ways in award letters they reviewed. Of those 143, 26 letters did not even use the word loan in the description.</p>
<p>Kean recommended to the committee establishing guidelines as in the past they have helped to provide transparency in other government-based programs.</p>
<p>Witness and Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation Racial Justice Fellow for the National Consumer Law Center Joanna Darcus said her organization works to train and support attorney who represents student loan borrowers nationwide.</p>
<p>“The federal aid program should be tailor to the needs of all students and borrowers working seamlessly for their benefit,” Darcus said. “(Income-driven repayment) IDR is at the heart of making student loan repayment sustainably affordable from borrowers like our clients.”Darcus said that many of her clients are not even aware that an income-driven repayment is an option and they default on their loan.</p>
<p>According to the <a href="http://wjla.com/news/nation-world/WASHINGTON%20(Sinclair%20Broadcast%20Group)%20%E2%80%93%20Senators%20met%20Thursday%20to%20evaluate%20ways%20to%20improve%20and%20simply%20student%20loans%20for%20higher%20education.%20%20%20The%20Senate%20Committee%20on%20Health,%20Education%20Labor%20&amp;%20Pensions%20met%20to%20specifically%20address%20the%20Reauthorizing%20the%20Higher%20Education%20Act.%20The%20act%20was%20first%20signed%20into%20law%20in%201965%20by%20Lyndon%20B.%20Johnson%20and%20required%20providing%20federal%20assistance%20for%20students%20pursuing%20post-secondary%20and%20higher%20education.%20%20%20The%20Free%20Application%20for%20Federal%20Student%20Aid%20(FAFSA)%20%E2%80%9Cmanages%20the%20student%20financial%20assistance%20programs%20authorized%20under%20Title%20IV%20of%20the%20Higher%20Education%20Act%20of%201965,%E2%80%9D%20according%20to%20their%20website.%20However,%20for%20years%20lawmakers%20and%20politicians%20from%20both%20sides%20of%20the%20aisle%20have%20sharply%20criticized%20the%20need%20to%20simplify%20the%20application%20process%20and%20provide%20transparency%20for%20the%20system%20in%20place.%20%20%20Committee%20Chairman%20Senator%20Lamar%20Alexander,%20R-Tenn.,%20said%20he%20introduced%20legislation%20during%20the%20last%20congress%20to%20streamline%20federal%20aid.%20%20%20%E2%80%9CIt%20would%20combine%20two%20federal%20grant%20programs%20into%20one%20grant%20program%20and%20reduce%20five%20federal%20loan%20programs%20into%20three.%20One%20loan%20for%20undergraduate%20students,%20one%20loan%20for%20graduate%20students,%20and%20one%20parent%20loan,%E2%80%9D%20Alexander%20said.%20%E2%80%9CIt%20would%20also%20simplify%20payment%20options%20by%20streamlining%20complicated%20repayment%20programs%20into%20two%20simple%20plans.%20An%20income%20based%20plan%20and%20a%2010-year%20payment%20plan.%E2%80%9D%20%20The%20chairman%20stated%20he%20noticed%20a%20consensus%20forming%20among%20his%20Republicans%20and%20Democrat%20colleagues%20on%20this%20this%20issue.%20%20%E2%80%9CThe%20consensus%20I%20see%20emerging,%20is%20this%20student%20focus.%20Simpler%20more%20effective%20regulations%20to%20make%20it%20easier%20for%20students%20to%20pay%20for%20college%20and%20payback%20their%20loans.%20Reducing%20red%20tape%20so%20administrators%20can%20spend%20more%20time%20and%20money%20on%20students.%20And%20making%20sure%20a%20degree%20is%20worth%20the%20time%20and%20money%20that%20students%20spend%20to%20earn%20it.%E2%80%9D%20%20Alexander%20added%20that%20the%20current%20FAFSA%20form%20is%20about%20108%20questions%20long%20with%20many%20of%20the%20question%20overlapping%20for%20information%20already%20submitted%20to%20the%20government%20for%20paying%20taxes.%20He%20suggested%20by%20using%20the%20information%20the%20government%20already%20has%20could%20shorten%20the%20form%20to%2025%20questions.%20%20%20%20The%20committee%E2%80%99s%20Ranking%20Member%20Senator%20Patty%20Murray,%20D-Wash.,%20urged%20the%20committee%20that%20simplification%20to%20this%20financial%20aid%20process%20does%20not%20mean%20reducing%20funds.%20%20%20%E2%80%9CWe%20have%20to%20acknowledge%20that%20simplification%20cannot%20mean%20elimination%20of%20aid%20especially%20since%20college%20cost%20continue%20to%20rise.%20We%20should%20be%20reducing%20the%20barriers%20facing%20students%20at%20every%20stage%20of%20financial%20aid%20process;%20before%20they%20apply,%20while%20they%20are%20enrolled%20and%20after%20graduation,%E2%80%9D%20Murray%20said.%20%20%20Murry%20stated%20that%20not%20only%20are%20these%20forms%20confusing%20to%20students%20but%20no%20standard%20format%20or%20terms%20exist.%20%20%20%E2%80%9CI%20believe%20both%20our%20federal%20aid%20system%20and%20schools%20and%20universities%20need%20to%20play%20a%20bigger%20role%20helping%20enrolled%20students%20understand%20the%20complex%20maze%20of%20eligibility%20requirements%20for%20their%20financial%20aid,%E2%80%9D%20Murray%20told%20the%20committee.%20%E2%80%9CWe%20have%20to%20help%20the%20millions%20of%20student%20loan%20borrowers%20struggling%20to%20manage%20their%20student%20debt%20with%20few%20resources%20that%20have%20their%20best%20interest%20in%20mind.%20Borrowers%20are%20experiencing%20delays%20and%20errors%20and%20mismanagement%20of%20their%20loans%20and%20often%20getting%20conflicting%20and%20inaccurate%20information.%E2%80%9D%20%20Witness%20and%20Chief%20Policy%20Officer%20for%20UAspire%20Laura%20Keane,%20advises%20her%20students%20to%20understand%20the%20commitment%20they%20are%20making%20financial%20before%20deciding%20on%20which%20university%20to%20attend.%20UAspire%20is%20a%20Philadelphia%20based%20organization%20that%20helps%20provide%20students%20with%20the%20necessary%20resource%20to%20find%20a%20financial%20path%20to%20higher%20education.%20%20%20%E2%80%9CCollege%20costs%20aren%E2%80%99t%20transparent.%20We%20advise%20our%20students%20to%20celebrate%20then%20decide.%20Celebrate%20when%20you%20get%20accepted%20but%20decide%20only%20after%20you%20review%20the%20financial%20aid%20award%20letter,%20which%20explains%20your%20aid,%E2%80%9D%20Keane%20said.%20%E2%80%9CAward%20letters%20are%20confusing%20if%20not%20misleading.%20They%20fail%20to%20provide%20the%20consumer,%20in%20this%20case%20students%20and%20families%20with%20key%20financial%20information.%E2%80%9D%20%20Keane%20said%20they%20found%20that%20federal%20unsubsidized%20loan%20presented%20in%20143%20different%20ways%20in%20award%20letters%20they%20reviewed.%20Of%20those%20143,%2026%20letters%20did%20not%20even%20use%20the%20word%20loan%20in%20the%20description.%20%20%20Kean%20recommended%20to%20the%20committee%20establishing%20guidelines%20as%20in%20the%20past%20they%20have%20helped%20to%20provide%20transparency%20in%20other%20government%20based%20programs.%20%20%20Witness%20and%20Massachusetts%20Legal%20Assistance%20Corporation%20Racial%20Justice%20Fellow%20for%20the%20National%20Consumer%20Law%20Center%20Joanna%20Darcus%20said%20her%20organization%20works%20to%20train%20and%20support%20attorney%20who%20represent%20student%20loan%20borrowers%20nationwide.%20%20%E2%80%9CThe%20federal%20air%20program%20should%20be%20tailor%20to%20the%20needs%20of%20all%20students%20and%20borrowers%20working%20seamlessly%20for%20their%20benefit,%E2%80%9D%20Darcus%20said.%20%E2%80%9C(Income%20driven%20repayment)%20IDR%20is%20at%20the%20heart%20of%20making%20student%20loan%20repayment%20sustainably%20affordable%20from%20borrowers%20like%20our%20clients.%E2%80%9D%20%20Darcus%20said%20that%20many%20of%20her%20clients%20are%20not%20even%20aware%20that%20income%20driven%20repayment%20is%20an%20option%20and%20they%20default%20on%20their%20loan.%20%20%20According%20to%20the%20Federal%20Student%20Aid%20website,%20%E2%80%9CAn%20income-driven%20repayment%20plan%20sets%20your%20monthly%20student%20loan%20payment%20at%20an%20amount%20that%20is%20intended%20to%20be%20affordable%20based%20on%20your%20income%20and%20family%20size.%E2%80%9D%20%20Witness%20and%20Professor%20Of%20Public%20Policy%20-%20Education%20and%20Economics,%20University%20of%20Michigan%20Dr.%20Susan%20Dynarski%20suggested%20looking%20at%20how%20other%20countries%20set%20up%20their%20Income%20driven%20repayment%20plans.%20%20%20%E2%80%9COther%20countries%20allow%20borrowers%20to%20spread%20their%20payments%20over%20more%20years,%E2%80%9D%20Dynarski%20said.%20%E2%80%9CIn%20the%20income%20based%20plans%20In%20the%20U.S.%20payments%20do%20not%20adjust%20automatically.%20Instead%20they%20are%20based%20on%20the%20previous%20year%E2%80%99s%20income.%20If%20a%20borrower%20needs%20to%20adjust%20her%20payments%20she%20has%20to%20fill%20out%20and%20application.%E2%80%9D%20%20She%20added%20there%20were%20two%20ways%20the%20there%20are%20two%20ways%20to%20deal%20with%20a%20complicated%20federal%20aid%20system.%20%20%20%E2%80%9CYou%20can%20try%20and%20push%20put%20more%20information%20that%20explains%20to%20people%20this%20very%20complicated%20system%20or%20you%20can%20simplify%20the%20system%20so%20it%20doesn%E2%80%99t%20need%20as%20much%20explaining,%E2%80%9D%20Dynarski%20said." type="external">Federal Student Aid</a>website, “An income-driven repayment plan sets your monthly student loan payment at an amount that is intended to be affordable based on your income and family size.”</p>
<p>Witness and Professor Of Public Policy in Education and Economics at the University of Michigan Dr. Susan Dynarski suggested looking at how other countries set up their income-driven repayment plans.</p>
<p>“Other countries allow borrowers to spread their payments over more years,” Dynarski said. “In the income-based plans In the U.S. payments do not adjust automatically. Instead, they are based on the previous year’s income. If a borrower needs to adjust her payments she has to fill out an application.”She added there were two ways to deal with a complicated federal aid system.</p>
<p>“You can try and push put more information that explains to people this very complicated system or you can simplify the system so it doesn’t need as much explaining,” Dynarski said.</p> | false | 1 | senators met thursday evaluate ways improve simplify student loansfor higher education senate committee health education labor amp pensions met specifically address reauthorizing higher education act act first signed law 1965 lyndon b johnson required providing federal assistance students pursuing postsecondary higher education free application federal student aid fafsa manages student financial assistance programs authorized title iv higher education actof 1965 according website however years lawmakers politicians sides aisle sharply criticized need simplify application process provide transparency system place committee chairman senator lamar alexander rtenn said introduced legislation last congress streamline federal aid would combine two federal grant programs one grant program reduce five federal loan programs three one loan undergraduate students one loan graduate students one parent loan alexander said would also simplify payment options streamlining complicated repayment programs two simple plans incomebased plan 10year payment plan chairman stated noticed consensus forming among republicans democrat colleagues issue consensus see emerging student focus simpler effective regulations make easier students pay college pay back loans reducing red tape administrators spend time money students making sure degree worth time money students spend earn italexander added current fafsa 108 questions many question overlapping information already submitted government paying taxes suggested using information government already could shorten form 25 questions committees ranking member senator patty murray dwash urged committee simplification financial aid process mean reducing funds acknowledge simplification mean elimination aid especially since college cost continues rise reducing barriers facing students every stage financial aid process apply enrolled graduation murray saidmurry stated forms confusing students standard format terms exist believe federal aid system schools universities need play bigger role helping enrolled students understand complex maze eligibility requirements financial aid murray told committee help millions student loan borrowers struggling manage student debt resources best interest mind borrowers experiencing delays errors mismanagement loans often getting conflicting inaccurate information witness chief policy officer uaspire laura keane advises students understand commitment making financial deciding university attend uaspire philadelphiabased organization helps provide students necessary resource find financial path higher education college costs arent transparent advise students celebrate decide celebrate get accepted decide review financial aid award letter explains aid keane said award letters confusing misleading fail provide consumer case students families key financial informationkeane said found federal unsubsidized loan presented 143 different ways award letters reviewed 143 26 letters even use word loan description kean recommended committee establishing guidelines past helped provide transparency governmentbased programs witness massachusetts legal assistance corporation racial justice fellow national consumer law center joanna darcus said organization works train support attorney represents student loan borrowers nationwide federal aid program tailor needs students borrowers working seamlessly benefit darcus said incomedriven repayment idr heart making student loan repayment sustainably affordable borrowers like clientsdarcus said many clients even aware incomedriven repayment option default loan according federal student aidwebsite incomedriven repayment plan sets monthly student loan payment amount intended affordable based income family size witness professor public policy education economics university michigan dr susan dynarski suggested looking countries set incomedriven repayment plans countries allow borrowers spread payments years dynarski said incomebased plans us payments adjust automatically instead based previous years income borrower needs adjust payments fill applicationshe added two ways deal complicated federal aid system try push put information explains people complicated system simplify system doesnt need much explaining dynarski said | 541 |
<p>WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday abruptly called for the United States to “greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability” until the rest of the world “comes to its senses” regarding nuclear weapons.</p>
<p>His comments on Twitter came hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin said strengthening his country’s nuclear capabilities should be a chief military objective in the coming year. The president-elect’s statement also followed his meetings a day earlier with top Pentagon officials and defense contractors.</p>
<p>Trump, who is spending the holidays at his palatial private club in Florida, did not expand on the actions he wants the U.S. to take or say why he raised the issue Thursday.</p>
<p />
<p>Spokesman Jason Miller said the president-elect was referring to the threat of nuclear proliferation “particularly to and among terrorist organizations and unstable and rogue regimes.” Miller said Trump sees modernizing the nation’s deterrent capability “as a vital way to pursue peace through strength.”</p>
<p>If Trump were to seek an expansion of the nuclear stockpiles, it would mark a sharp shift in U.S. national security policy. President Barack Obama has made nuclear nonproliferation a centerpiece of his agenda, calling in 2009 for the U.S. to lead efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons — a goal he acknowledged would not be accomplished quickly or easily.</p>
<p>Still, the U.S. has been moving forward on plans to upgrade its aging nuclear arsenal. Earlier this year, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said the Pentagon planned to spend $108 billion over the next five years to sustain and improve its nuclear force.</p>
<p>The U.S. and Russia hold the vast majority of the world’s nuclear weapons. In 2010, the two countries signed the New START treaty capping the number of nuclear warheads and missile launchers each country can possess. The agreement is in effect until 2021 and can be extended for another five years.</p>
<p>Thomas Karako, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the last comprehensive review of the U.S. nuclear force — which was conducted during Obama’s first term — occurred against the backdrop of efforts to reset relations between Washington and Moscow. The relationship has since deteriorated, with Obama and Putin clashing over Russia’s provocations in Ukraine and support for Syrian President Bashar Assad.</p>
<p>“We need to candidly asses what the environment is and what the prospects are for Russian compliance with current treaties,” Karako said.</p>
<p>Trump has repeatedly called for closer relations with Russia and has spoken favorably about Putin. Democrats have questioned his ties to the Kremlin, particularly after U.S. intelligence officials assessed that Russia had interfered in the U.S. election on Trump’s behalf.</p>
<p>Putin addressed his country’s nuclear capabilities during an annual year-end meeting of the Russian defense ministry. He said Russia should enhance missile complexes that can “penetrate existing and future missile defense systems.”</p>
<p>A U.S.-backed missile shield in Eastern Europe has been another source of tension between Washington and Moscow. Russia argues the system is a threat, while U.S. and NATO officials say it’s meant to deter Iran from targeting Europe.</p>
<p>The state of the U.S. nuclear arsenal was rarely addressed during the presidential campaign. To the extent it was, Trump showed faint understanding of its details. During a Republican primary debate, he appeared unfamiliar with the concept of a nuclear triad, the Cold War-era combination of submarines, land-based missiles and strategic bombers for launching nuclear attacks.</p>
<p>Trump’s vanquished campaign rival Hillary Clinton repeatedly cast the Republican as too erratic and unpredictable to have control of the nation’s nuclear arsenal.</p>
<p>The president-elect’s transition website says he “recognizes the uniquely catastrophic threats posed by nuclear weapons and cyberattacks,” adding that he will modernize the nuclear arsenal “to ensure it continues to be an effective deterrent.”</p>
<p>Trump has spent the week at Mar-a-Lago, his South Florida estate, meeting advisers and interviewing candidates for a handful of Cabinet positions that remain unfilled. On Wednesday, he met with Pentagon officials and the CEOs of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, companies with lucrative government contracts.</p>
<p>Since winning the election, Trump has complained about the cost of Boeing’s work on two new Air Force One planes and Lockheed’s contract for F-35 fighter jets. Following the meetings, both CEOs said they had discussed lowering costs of the projects with the president-elect.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>On Thursday, Trump pitted the two companies against each other on Twitter. “Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!” he tweeted.</p>
<p>Boeing spokesman Todd Blecher said Thursday, “We have committed to working with the president-elect and his administration to provide the best capability, deliverability and affordability.” Lockheed declined to comment.</p>
<p>Trump’s tweet came after the close of trading on Wall Street. But in after-hours dealings, shares of Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed Martin Corp. fell 2 percent, while Chicago-based Boeing Co.’s stock rose 1 percent.</p>
<p>Boeing and Lockheed are also among the companies pursuing a contract for replacing Minuteman missiles in the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Spokespeople for the two companies declined to comment on whether that contract came up during Trump’s meetings with their CEOs.</p>
<p>The president-elect was also building up his White House staff, announcing Thursday that campaign manager Kellyanne Conway would serve as a counselor. The move will put Conway in close proximity to the president, though she is also expected to remain a visible presence promoting Trump’s agenda in the media.</p>
<p>Trump also announced veteran Republican operatives Sean Spicer as his press secretary and Jason Miller as communications director. Hope Hicks, Trump’s long-serving campaign spokeswoman, is also joining the White House in a senior communications position.</p> | false | 1 | washington presidentelect donald trump thursday abruptly called united states greatly strengthen expand nuclear capability rest world comes senses regarding nuclear weapons comments twitter came hours russian president vladimir putin said strengthening countrys nuclear capabilities chief military objective coming year presidentelects statement also followed meetings day earlier top pentagon officials defense contractors trump spending holidays palatial private club florida expand actions wants us take say raised issue thursday spokesman jason miller said presidentelect referring threat nuclear proliferation particularly among terrorist organizations unstable rogue regimes miller said trump sees modernizing nations deterrent capability vital way pursue peace strength trump seek expansion nuclear stockpiles would mark sharp shift us national security policy president barack obama made nuclear nonproliferation centerpiece agenda calling 2009 us lead efforts rid world nuclear weapons goal acknowledged would accomplished quickly easily still us moving forward plans upgrade aging nuclear arsenal earlier year defense secretary ashton carter said pentagon planned spend 108 billion next five years sustain improve nuclear force us russia hold vast majority worlds nuclear weapons 2010 two countries signed new start treaty capping number nuclear warheads missile launchers country possess agreement effect 2021 extended another five years thomas karako senior fellow center strategic international studies said last comprehensive review us nuclear force conducted obamas first term occurred backdrop efforts reset relations washington moscow relationship since deteriorated obama putin clashing russias provocations ukraine support syrian president bashar assad need candidly asses environment prospects russian compliance current treaties karako said trump repeatedly called closer relations russia spoken favorably putin democrats questioned ties kremlin particularly us intelligence officials assessed russia interfered us election trumps behalf putin addressed countrys nuclear capabilities annual yearend meeting russian defense ministry said russia enhance missile complexes penetrate existing future missile defense systems usbacked missile shield eastern europe another source tension washington moscow russia argues system threat us nato officials say meant deter iran targeting europe state us nuclear arsenal rarely addressed presidential campaign extent trump showed faint understanding details republican primary debate appeared unfamiliar concept nuclear triad cold warera combination submarines landbased missiles strategic bombers launching nuclear attacks trumps vanquished campaign rival hillary clinton repeatedly cast republican erratic unpredictable control nations nuclear arsenal presidentelects transition website says recognizes uniquely catastrophic threats posed nuclear weapons cyberattacks adding modernize nuclear arsenal ensure continues effective deterrent trump spent week maralago south florida estate meeting advisers interviewing candidates handful cabinet positions remain unfilled wednesday met pentagon officials ceos boeing lockheed martin companies lucrative government contracts since winning election trump complained cost boeings work two new air force one planes lockheeds contract f35 fighter jets following meetings ceos said discussed lowering costs projects presidentelect thursday trump pitted two companies twitter based tremendous cost cost overruns lockheed martin f35 asked boeing priceout comparable f18 super hornet tweeted boeing spokesman todd blecher said thursday committed working presidentelect administration provide best capability deliverability affordability lockheed declined comment trumps tweet came close trading wall street afterhours dealings shares bethesda marylandbased lockheed martin corp fell 2 percent chicagobased boeing cos stock rose 1 percent boeing lockheed also among companies pursuing contract replacing minuteman missiles us nuclear arsenal spokespeople two companies declined comment whether contract came trumps meetings ceos presidentelect also building white house staff announcing thursday campaign manager kellyanne conway would serve counselor move put conway close proximity president though also expected remain visible presence promoting trumps agenda media trump also announced veteran republican operatives sean spicer press secretary jason miller communications director hope hicks trumps longserving campaign spokeswoman also joining white house senior communications position | 581 |
<p>Composer <a href="http://variety.com/t/jesse-novak/" type="external">Jesse Novak</a> has used music to enhance the mood of “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/the-mindy-project/" type="external">The Mindy Project</a>” from its inception. Over the years, his sounds have underscored Mindy’s romantic fantasies.</p>
<p>“As the story developed and there was more heartache and ambiguity, I started playing with variations of romantic themes and adding different colors,” Novak tells Variety. “The genesis was about the promise of true love.”</p>
<p>Ahead of the series finale,&#160;Variety speaks with Novak about wrapping up his first series, his process on the romcom versus a comedy like “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/bojack-horseman/" type="external">BoJack Horseman</a>,” and growing up in a creative household with his brother, B.J. Novak.</p>
<p>What was most important to you to do when working on the music for “ <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/tv-shows-to-watch-nov-13-punisher-mindy-project-1202612307/" type="external">The Mindy Project</a>’s” series finale, and did it include a return to the melody that plays whenever Mindy (Mindy Kaling) is attracted to someone?</p>
<p>That music was licensed, so it was not an original piece of music by me, but I’ve borrowed that melody. I did use it in the finale, but from another character’s point of view — maybe the first time it’s used to convey attraction and romance not from&#160;Mindy’s&#160;point of view. More than just this episode, I’m thinking about the whole six years wrapping up. It’s been a journey. I’m trying to do service to that by going back to Seasons 1 and 2 because while I’ve evolved the sound, I’ve paid attention to go back to certain melodies that I consider classic. I think everybody working on the show feels some attachment and wants to wrap it up in a way that connects the finale to the pilot. I put extra time into the music for the finale to try to enhance that feeling.&#160;It’s been an emotional goodbye. I’ve written so much music for the show and sometimes it feels crazy, but it has become a part of my brain, playing those notes. I like to feel like I’ve contributed to that world. It’s amazing to go through a show all the way from beginning to end. That’s a first for me.</p>
<p>Are there certain instruments you prefer to use?</p>
<p>I got the instrumentation and style down by the end of Season 1. The most prominent instrument is probably the clarinet — it conveys a lot and it’s fun. I haven’t added a bunch of new instruments for the final season, but I’ve evolved their interactions. The way in which the music flows tends to reflect the pace of the episode, so I write original music for each episode. I don’t reuse a lot, even though I repeat a lot of ideas. I write my music around how the episode is cut and how the story goes. It’s reflective of what’s happening on-screen.</p>
<p>You’ve composed music for other TV shows such as “ <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/awards/hollywood-new-leaders-creative-2017-1202591599/" type="external">BoJack Horseman</a>.” Do you have a general process that you use when you’re approaching any TV show?</p>
<p>I try to not think with my brain. I try to feel what’s happening. It doesn’t always work because it’s abstract, but I try to watch what’s happening and let my fingers rest on the keyboard, and if they start playing something that seems to fit the action, I’ll roll with it. I care a lot about trying to match the tone in a way that’s organic. It’s not usually strategic. Both “The Mindy Project” and “BoJack Horseman” alternate between serious moments and lighter comedy, in which I’m following the bounce of the conversation and the rhythm of the joke. I try to make it personal by letting the feeling go straight into the music.</p>
<p>Does working with different people on each show influence the environment and the way that you work on each?</p>
<p>Definitely. It seems to me like the creator of the show is the sun and everybody orbits around the sun. You see their influence everywhere; their humor permeates the atmosphere. I also think the network has to do with it. “The Mindy Project” was my first time composing music for a series, so I had a learning curve. By the time I started working on other shows, I had gotten experience under my belt, so I was able to focus less on the learning and more on the process.</p>
<p>What is your approach to theme songs? How do you know when something is meant to be the theme song?</p>
<p>I try to feel myself dancing a little. Maybe that’s because I tend to work on comedies and shows that are a little more upbeat. I have a test: if my mouse cursor starts moving around because my hand is dancing and my head is bobbing, that’s usually a good sign. But there’s still a lot of other people who need to feel it, too. I try to generate a lot of ideas quickly and if something gives me a positive feeling, I’ll send it. Then I wait and see what people respond to because it really is a collaboration. At that stage, there are key things about the show that I’m privy to, but meanwhile the writers are creating all this nuanced stuff so they have more background about the tone than I do. In some ways, it is a shot in the dark.</p>
<p>Does your personal taste inform your approach to composing?</p>
<p>To a degree. I’ve always loved bouncy, catchy music like that in cartoons and video games. Stuff from when I was a kid still gets in my head. The music on “The Mindy Project” is quite animated, and a lot of the music on “BoJack Horseman” is like that as well. Lately, I’ve been listening to more ambient sounds. I’m making more energetic music for work and listening to more relaxed stuff to come down. I’m gravitating toward slower, almost meditative, music, and I’m making some of that in my free time. I love the music I make for TV, but making that stuff opens me up to perceiving sounds which are the opposite.</p>
<p>You and your brother are both involved in the arts and entertainment world. Growing up, were your parents very creative?</p>
<p>We grew up in a family that took entertainment like it was high culture. Together we watched shows like “The Simpsons” and “Seinfeld,” which I still consider top-notch quality shows. There was a lot of emphasis on comedy and sitcoms. Entertaining people is a noble thing. It gave us both some foundational aspects that made us comfortable with show business.</p> | false | 1 | composer jesse novak used music enhance mood mindy project inception years sounds underscored mindys romantic fantasies story developed heartache ambiguity started playing variations romantic themes adding different colors novak tells variety genesis promise true love ahead series finale160variety speaks novak wrapping first series process romcom versus comedy like bojack horseman growing creative household brother bj novak important working music mindy projects series finale include return melody plays whenever mindy mindy kaling attracted someone music licensed original piece music ive borrowed melody use finale another characters point view maybe first time used convey attraction romance from160mindys160point view episode im thinking whole six years wrapping journey im trying service going back seasons 1 2 ive evolved sound ive paid attention go back certain melodies consider classic think everybody working show feels attachment wants wrap way connects finale pilot put extra time music finale try enhance feeling160its emotional goodbye ive written much music show sometimes feels crazy become part brain playing notes like feel like ive contributed world amazing go show way beginning end thats first certain instruments prefer use got instrumentation style end season 1 prominent instrument probably clarinet conveys lot fun havent added bunch new instruments final season ive evolved interactions way music flows tends reflect pace episode write original music episode dont reuse lot even though repeat lot ideas write music around episode cut story goes reflective whats happening onscreen youve composed music tv shows bojack horseman general process use youre approaching tv show try think brain try feel whats happening doesnt always work abstract try watch whats happening let fingers rest keyboard start playing something seems fit action ill roll care lot trying match tone way thats organic usually strategic mindy project bojack horseman alternate serious moments lighter comedy im following bounce conversation rhythm joke try make personal letting feeling go straight music working different people show influence environment way work definitely seems like creator show sun everybody orbits around sun see influence everywhere humor permeates atmosphere also think network mindy project first time composing music series learning curve time started working shows gotten experience belt able focus less learning process approach theme songs know something meant theme song try feel dancing little maybe thats tend work comedies shows little upbeat test mouse cursor starts moving around hand dancing head bobbing thats usually good sign theres still lot people need feel try generate lot ideas quickly something gives positive feeling ill send wait see people respond really collaboration stage key things show im privy meanwhile writers creating nuanced stuff background tone ways shot dark personal taste inform approach composing degree ive always loved bouncy catchy music like cartoons video games stuff kid still gets head music mindy project quite animated lot music bojack horseman like well lately ive listening ambient sounds im making energetic music work listening relaxed stuff come im gravitating toward slower almost meditative music im making free time love music make tv making stuff opens perceiving sounds opposite brother involved arts entertainment world growing parents creative grew family took entertainment like high culture together watched shows like simpsons seinfeld still consider topnotch quality shows lot emphasis comedy sitcoms entertaining people noble thing gave us foundational aspects made us comfortable show business | 535 |
<p>By Lawrence Hurley and Dustin Volz</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court is set to consider a major cellphone privacy case later this month, but leading players in the wireless industry that is at the center of the closely watched dispute are keeping their distance.</p>
<p>The case, to be heard by the justices on Nov. 29, involves whether a warrant is required for authorities to obtain cellphone location information that could implicate criminal suspects, the latest in a string of Supreme Court cases on privacy rights in the digital age.</p>
<p>It has become the latest example of how American phone carriers have been reluctant to engage in data privacy disputes — especially those that may pit them against the U.S. government — despite their role as custodians of customer data, legal experts and privacy advocates say.</p>
<p>Of the four major U.S. mobile phone carriers — Verizon Communications Inc (N:), AT&amp;T Inc (N:), Sprint Corp (N:) and T-Mobile US Inc (O:) — only Verizon has taken a stand in the case. Verizon joined a legal brief with technology companies including Alphabet Inc’s Google (O:) and Apple Inc (O:) calling for stronger protections for the privacy of customer data.</p>
<p>Wireless industry trade group CTIA has shied away from the case, the most significant in years on phone privacy.</p>
<p>Digital right advocates have criticized the industry’s hands-off approach.</p>
<p>“Few private actors have been more involved in the erosion of Americans’ privacy than the telecoms, particularly over the last 15 years,” said Alex Abdo, a senior staff attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University in New York, which filed a brief supporting expanded privacy rights in the case. “They have been silent for almost all that time.”</p>
<p>Despite massive growth in the amount and types of customer data stored by phone and tech companies, U.S. law on how to treat that information has barely changed during that period.</p>
<p>Some tech firms have urged reforms that would ensure privacy protections for customer data. Microsoft (O:) and Google both opposed the government’s attempts to obtain customer data stored on foreign servers, a central issue in the other major tech case currently before the Supreme Court.</p>
<p>CTIA, AT&amp;T and T-Mobile declined to comment on the current case. Sprint spokeswoman Lisa Belot said the company had not taken a position on it.</p>
<p>Verizon spokesman Rich Young said the case “highlights the ever-existing need to find the right balance between law enforcement and privacy, and raises tough questions about how to apply old statutes and legal doctrines to modern technologies.”</p>
<p>Although the legal fight is about location information, “the Supreme Court’s decision is likely to impact how the government obtains other sensitive types of information from many other types of providers,” Young added.</p>
<p>UNREASONABLE SEARCH</p>
<p>The Supreme Court twice in recent years has ruled on how criminal law applies to new technology, both times ruling against law enforcement authorities.</p>
<p>Cellphone location records are becoming increasingly important in criminal investigations, with authorities routinely requesting and receiving this data from wireless providers. The four major wireless carriers handle thousands of requests from law enforcement annually for this data.</p>
<p>Such data shows which local cellphone towers that phone users connected to when they made calls. Police can use past data to determine if a suspect was in the vicinity of a crime.</p>
<p>The justices will hear an appeal by a man named Timothy Carpenter who was convicted in armed robberies in Ohio and Michigan. Police helped establish Carpenter was near the scene of robberies at Radio Shack and T-Mobile stores by securing past cell site location information from his cellphone carrier, MetroPCS, now owned by T-Mobile.</p>
<p>Carpenter’s American Civil Liberties Union lawyers argued that police need “probable cause,” and therefore a warrant, in light of the U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches.</p>
<p>Based on a provision of a 1986 law called the Stored Communications Act, the Justice Department said probable cause was not needed, but rather the lesser “reasonable grounds,” to show that records are “relevant and material” to an investigation.</p>
<p>Civil liberties groups said that law did not anticipate the way mobile devices would become huge data depositories.</p>
<p>A ruling favoring Carpenter would set a precedent that could be applied to other forms of data. Investigations on a range of issues, including public corruption and identity theft, would be threatened if Carpenter wins, the National District Attorneys Association said in a legal brief.</p>
<p>Unlike internet firms, telephone providers require government licenses to operate and many have signed contractual agreements that mandate cooperation with the government on legal processes, said Albert Gidari, a lawyer who represented phone and internet companies on surveillance issues for 20 years.</p>
<p>Digital rights activists said this fact makes U.S. carriers reluctant to pick privacy fights with the government.</p>
<p>“On these issues,” Gidari said, “it does not serve them to be very vocal.”</p> | false | 1 | lawrence hurley dustin volz washington reuters us supreme court set consider major cellphone privacy case later month leading players wireless industry center closely watched dispute keeping distance case heard justices nov 29 involves whether warrant required authorities obtain cellphone location information could implicate criminal suspects latest string supreme court cases privacy rights digital age become latest example american phone carriers reluctant engage data privacy disputes especially may pit us government despite role custodians customer data legal experts privacy advocates say four major us mobile phone carriers verizon communications inc n atampt inc n sprint corp n tmobile us inc verizon taken stand case verizon joined legal brief technology companies including alphabet incs google apple inc calling stronger protections privacy customer data wireless industry trade group ctia shied away case significant years phone privacy digital right advocates criticized industrys handsoff approach private actors involved erosion americans privacy telecoms particularly last 15 years said alex abdo senior staff attorney knight first amendment institute columbia university new york filed brief supporting expanded privacy rights case silent almost time despite massive growth amount types customer data stored phone tech companies us law treat information barely changed period tech firms urged reforms would ensure privacy protections customer data microsoft google opposed governments attempts obtain customer data stored foreign servers central issue major tech case currently supreme court ctia atampt tmobile declined comment current case sprint spokeswoman lisa belot said company taken position verizon spokesman rich young said case highlights everexisting need find right balance law enforcement privacy raises tough questions apply old statutes legal doctrines modern technologies although legal fight location information supreme courts decision likely impact government obtains sensitive types information many types providers young added unreasonable search supreme court twice recent years ruled criminal law applies new technology times ruling law enforcement authorities cellphone location records becoming increasingly important criminal investigations authorities routinely requesting receiving data wireless providers four major wireless carriers handle thousands requests law enforcement annually data data shows local cellphone towers phone users connected made calls police use past data determine suspect vicinity crime justices hear appeal man named timothy carpenter convicted armed robberies ohio michigan police helped establish carpenter near scene robberies radio shack tmobile stores securing past cell site location information cellphone carrier metropcs owned tmobile carpenters american civil liberties union lawyers argued police need probable cause therefore warrant light us constitutions fourth amendment protections unreasonable searches based provision 1986 law called stored communications act justice department said probable cause needed rather lesser reasonable grounds show records relevant material investigation civil liberties groups said law anticipate way mobile devices would become huge data depositories ruling favoring carpenter would set precedent could applied forms data investigations range issues including public corruption identity theft would threatened carpenter wins national district attorneys association said legal brief unlike internet firms telephone providers require government licenses operate many signed contractual agreements mandate cooperation government legal processes said albert gidari lawyer represented phone internet companies surveillance issues 20 years digital rights activists said fact makes us carriers reluctant pick privacy fights government issues gidari said serve vocal | 513 |
<p>BOISE, Idaho — Storms brought cooler and wetter weather into the Western and Northwestern U.S. this weekend, breaking up a temperature inversion that had blanketed much of the region with acrid smoke from dozens of wildfires.</p>
<p>Officials at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise said Saturday they expected fire activity to decrease over the next several weeks. Center spokeswoman Kari Cobb says air quality should improve as the smoke-trapping inversion breaks up.</p>
<p>“We should see it lifting more today,” she said Saturday. “It’s predicted to be mostly gone by tomorrow in most of the West.”</p>
<p>She said forecasters expect storms to bring some lightning and winds to 30 mph, notably in Montana, but that rain and higher humidity should decrease the chances of new fires.</p>
<p>The center says there are 67 active large wildfires being fought.</p>
<p>A look at wildfires across the region:</p>
<p>Firefighters in drought-stricken Montana used sprinklers and hoses on Saturday to try to protect strategic locations near some of the over two dozen wildfires burning in the state that have forced more people from their homes.</p>
<p>A “rain for rent” system was being used in Glacier National Park, including around Lake McDonald Lodge, to increase humidity in the immediate area. That means firefighters were using sprinklers to recharge a swamp on the perimeter of a 176-square-mile (456-square-kilometer) fire burning near Seeley Lake. The land is too soggy to support bulldozers used to build containment lines but not wet enough to reliably stop the flames from advancing beyond it.</p>
<p>About a dozen people were ordered to evacuate their homes Friday night after very warm and dry conditions pushed a 37-square-mile (93-square-kilometer) fire near Lincoln toward them.</p>
<p>Stronger winds are expected to clear out some of the heavy smoke that has created unhealthy air in the state and grounded firefighting aircraft.</p>
<p>Wind gusts of 35 mph are possible, with the worst winds expected along the Continental Divide where some of the fires are burning.</p>
<p>Montana has spent more than $50 million on fire suppression since the beginning of July, depleting its reserves account and emergency funds at a time when tax revenues are down. It plans to cut programs and services to fill a projected $227 million budget shortfall.</p>
<p>At least four high school football games were cancelled Friday and another 13 postponed due to smoke from wildfires that the state Department of Health and Welfare said was so bad children and teens should be kept indoors and activities like football and soccer avoided.</p>
<p>Some of those games were rescheduled for Saturday, and state officials said air quality conditions had improved enough that they lifted a statewide Air Quality Forecast and Caution.</p>
<p>Idaho’s largest wildfire continues to burn in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in central Idaho . It’s being allowed to burn unchecked, but buildings and bridges are being protected.</p>
<p>Officials say the fire on Saturday had consumed about 126 square miles (326 square kilometers).</p>
<p>A 165-square-mile (427-square-kilometer) wildfire burning within the Pasayten Wilderness about 12 miles (19 kilometers) north of Mazama is the largest wildfire in Washington state.</p>
<p>It also crossed the border into Canada late last month with flames fueled by heavy dead and down timber.</p>
<p>Officials say the fire is about 40 percent contained but rugged terrain is hampering firefighting efforts.</p>
<p>Near Enumclaw, Washington, firefighters are attacking a 1-square-mile (2.6-square-kilometer) wildfire that is threatening the watershed for the city of Tacoma as well as industrial timberland.</p>
<p>About 200 firefighters are assigned to that fire.</p>
<p>A wildfire burning in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is holding at about 52 square miles (135 square kilometers) but residents in communities in three counties remain under evacuation notices and those in other communities have been told to be ready to flee.</p>
<p>More than 900 firefighters are battling the blaze that’s 7 percent contained and burning in timber.</p>
<p>Officials say firefighters set fires on Friday to burn fuel ahead of the blaze and have greatly reduced the danger of the fire’s spread to the north. They say a similar strategy burned up fuel around a communications tower south of Cascades Locks.</p>
<p>Officials say the fire has burned in a mosaic pattern, and some areas within the perimeter of the fire have trees that should survive, keeping at least some of the scenic gorge green.</p>
<p>A wildfire burning for more than two weeks in far northwestern California continues to chew through timber even as crews increase containment.</p>
<p>Officials said Saturday that the blaze near Helena, a rural community that was once a 19th century mining camp, has consumed nearly 32 square miles (83 square kilometers) of forest. It’s 40 percent contained. Evacuation orders remain in place for several homes.</p>
<p>In Central California, a fire on the western edge of the Sierra is half contained after burning nearly 40 square miles (102 square kilometers) of dry brush and trees near Springville.</p>
<p>Hundreds of firefighters are fighting about 20 large blazes across the state.</p>
<p>Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Madera, Mariposa and Tulare counties due to wildfires that have burned for several days.</p> | false | 1 | boise idaho storms brought cooler wetter weather western northwestern us weekend breaking temperature inversion blanketed much region acrid smoke dozens wildfires officials national interagency fire center boise said saturday expected fire activity decrease next several weeks center spokeswoman kari cobb says air quality improve smoketrapping inversion breaks see lifting today said saturday predicted mostly gone tomorrow west said forecasters expect storms bring lightning winds 30 mph notably montana rain higher humidity decrease chances new fires center says 67 active large wildfires fought look wildfires across region firefighters droughtstricken montana used sprinklers hoses saturday try protect strategic locations near two dozen wildfires burning state forced people homes rain rent system used glacier national park including around lake mcdonald lodge increase humidity immediate area means firefighters using sprinklers recharge swamp perimeter 176squaremile 456squarekilometer fire burning near seeley lake land soggy support bulldozers used build containment lines wet enough reliably stop flames advancing beyond dozen people ordered evacuate homes friday night warm dry conditions pushed 37squaremile 93squarekilometer fire near lincoln toward stronger winds expected clear heavy smoke created unhealthy air state grounded firefighting aircraft wind gusts 35 mph possible worst winds expected along continental divide fires burning montana spent 50 million fire suppression since beginning july depleting reserves account emergency funds time tax revenues plans cut programs services fill projected 227 million budget shortfall least four high school football games cancelled friday another 13 postponed due smoke wildfires state department health welfare said bad children teens kept indoors activities like football soccer avoided games rescheduled saturday state officials said air quality conditions improved enough lifted statewide air quality forecast caution idahos largest wildfire continues burn frank church river return wilderness central idaho allowed burn unchecked buildings bridges protected officials say fire saturday consumed 126 square miles 326 square kilometers 165squaremile 427squarekilometer wildfire burning within pasayten wilderness 12 miles 19 kilometers north mazama largest wildfire washington state also crossed border canada late last month flames fueled heavy dead timber officials say fire 40 percent contained rugged terrain hampering firefighting efforts near enumclaw washington firefighters attacking 1squaremile 26squarekilometer wildfire threatening watershed city tacoma well industrial timberland 200 firefighters assigned fire wildfire burning columbia river gorge national scenic area holding 52 square miles 135 square kilometers residents communities three counties remain evacuation notices communities told ready flee 900 firefighters battling blaze thats 7 percent contained burning timber officials say firefighters set fires friday burn fuel ahead blaze greatly reduced danger fires spread north say similar strategy burned fuel around communications tower south cascades locks officials say fire burned mosaic pattern areas within perimeter fire trees survive keeping least scenic gorge green wildfire burning two weeks far northwestern california continues chew timber even crews increase containment officials said saturday blaze near helena rural community 19th century mining camp consumed nearly 32 square miles 83 square kilometers forest 40 percent contained evacuation orders remain place several homes central california fire western edge sierra half contained burning nearly 40 square miles 102 square kilometers dry brush trees near springville hundreds firefighters fighting 20 large blazes across state gov jerry brown declared state emergency madera mariposa tulare counties due wildfires burned several days | 523 |
<p>SPOILER ALERT:&#160;Do not read if you have not yet watched “Uncharted,” the 11th episode of the third season of “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/outlander/" type="external">Outlander</a>.”</p>
<p>Claire’s (Caitriona Balfe) at sea, floating on the barrels that are tied together, bobbing like a cork in the water under the blazing sun. She washes up on shore, exhausted, bedraggled. She spreads her clothes out to dry. She’s not sure where she is but she knows it’s not Grand Turk. She has no idea how she’ll find Jamie. She immediately starts searching for water. The heat starts to get to her, and she uses some of her clothing to shade herself, walking inland to find a road and some sign of civilization. She gathers twigs and sticks and tries to build a fire&#160;— finally succeeds using material from her bustle as kindling.</p>
<p>The next day, Claire awakens to find ants crawling all over her legs! She tears strips of material and wraps her bitten-up legs. She’s dehydrated and still trying to find water. She comes upon a tree with coconuts but they’re too high up for her to reach. At night, an exhausted Claire sits down by a tree, only to awaken the next morning with an even bigger problem: a&#160;giant snake is curled across her.&#160;Petrified, she waits until the snake makes its way completely across her, and then she starts walking again. Her legs are horribly bitten and inflamed. She’s stumbling from thirst and hunger. She hears a man’s voice and faints. When she wakes, she’s in a bed and her hands are tied down. A woman tells her it’s for her own good and pours some water down Claire’s throat. Claire asks to be untied and the woman tells her it was the only way to keep Claire from scratching her legs. Claire goes back to sleep. The woman notices the zipper on Claire’s corset.</p>
<p>Claire wakes later to find a man and his dog Ludo. She asks where she is and the man says he’s Father Fogden. He’s pleased to discover she’s British. She asks him to untie her and he does so. He gives her more water to drink. She tells him she’s a doctor. He asks how she came to be here, the island of Saint Domingue. Claire says she needs to find her husband and Fogden tells her she can go to Saint Louis de Nord where there are fishing boats that can carry her to other ships that can get her to Jamaica. Claire says she wants to leave tomorrow but Fogden warns her of escaped slaves and pirates that make Claire’s journey dangerous. He asks Mamacita, the woman who has been tending to Claire, if she has something else Claire can wear, as her homemade suit is in need of repairs. Mamacita tells Claire she stinks and it’s time for her to wash. Claire takes her first bath in days.</p>
<p>Mamacita prepares dinner and the three eat together. Fogden tells Claire he traveled to Cuba to work with lost souls. He met a woman named Hilda and even though he was a priest and she was married, they had an affair and ran away together. The English invaded Cuba the day they fled together. They took a boat to Saint Domingue. Hilda became ill and died there. Fogden offers Claire a pipe to smoke that he says will make her euphoric. She declines. She asks about the village he mentioned earlier and says she wants to leave tomorrow. Fogden says he’ll accompany her the following week. Claire says she can’t wait that long, as she has to reach Jamaica. He tells her she has to rest and then she’ll be ready to travel. She says she’s a doctor and damn well knows when she’s ready to travel. Mamacita says, “We did our Catholic duty. That whore has to go. She could never replace my baby.” Mamacita is Hilda’s mother! Claire is determined to get to Saint Louis de Nord. Fogden apologizes for Mamacita’s harsh words and says the agony of losing a child still haunts Mamacita. Claire says she understands. Fogden says he could never forget Hilda, that the love he had for her will never leave him. Claire says if she doesn’t make it to Jamaica, she could lose her husband forever. Fogden takes her hands and says he’ll consult with Coco (his gourd) if tomorrow is right to leave for Saint Louis de Nord.</p>
<p>Claire wakes the next morning and sees her suit has been washed and mended. Claire knows Mamacita wants her to go and talks to Coco in order to convince Fogden that today is a good day to go to the village. Mamacita runs in and shows Fogden that one of their goats has been slaughtered by a pirate. Fogden pours a bunch of black bugs on the goat head. He says the bugs are from Abandowe&#160;— a place of great power. Claire recognizes the name of the place that she was once warned about&#160;— it’s an ancient cave. Fodgen says a Chinaman killed Arabella. Mamacita says she saw many sailors and broken sails on the shore. Claire realizes the Chinaman is Willoughby and asks how to get to the ship. Mamacita tells her to run to the right. Claire takes off running!</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Jamie (Sam Heughan) is on a beach with Fergus (Cesar Domboy). The foremast of the ship fell but the hull is intact. Some of the men were lost at sea, including Captain Raines. The surviving men are working to repair the ship. They’re baking in the sun as they work, dreaming of the rum that awaits them in Jamaica. Jamie says he wants to get to Kingston to reunite with his wife. Marsali (Lauren Lyle) is there helping too, as is Willoughby (Gary Young). The men are back on the ship putting up the repaired mast as Claire gets to the shore and screams his name. She holds up a small mirror and reflects the sun toward Jamie. He notices the glare and asks for a spyglass and sees Claire on the shore! He yells her name and gets in a rowboat to go to her. They kiss as they reunite on the shore. He sees she’s scratched her arm. Willoughby stitches up her wound. Claire tells Jamie that Captain Leonard is ambitious and he won’t stop looking for Jamie to arrest him. Jamie says he won’t stop looking for Young Ian, Leonard can’t arrest a man he can’t find. Jamie says, “We’d best get to Jamaica before Leonard does.” Jamie tells Claire he gave Fergus and Marsali his blessing to marry and says they love each other as he loves Claire. Jamie wants to have the wedding on the island. Claire says she knows someone who can perform the ceremony.</p>
<p>Claire, Jamie and Willoughby go to Father Fogden, and Willoughby apologizes for killing his goat. He brings Fogden a chicken and asks Fogden to forgive his ignorance. Fogden says he understands what it’s like to be a stranger in a strange land and offers Willoughby his pipe, which Willoughby smokes. Claire helps Marsali get ready for the wedding ceremony and asks if Marsali is nervous. Marsali asks she would be nervous and then asks Claire how she can lie with Fergus but not have a baby. She says she wants a baby someday but for now, she just wants to enjoy being with Fergus. Marsali says she wants to be happy with Fergus the way Claire is with Jamie, but without a baby. Claire says she’ll explain to Marsali how it’s done when they’re back on the ship. Father Fogden begins the ceremony and mistakes another man for the groom. Marsali speeds him along, telling Fergus, “You know I’ve been waiting to bed you.” Fogden asks for Fergus’s surname Fergus draws a blank. Jamie pipes up and says “His name is Fergus Claudell Fraser.” The marriage is completed as the newly married couple kisses. Fogden walks over to Jamie and Claire and blesses their union as well.</p>
<p>Back on board the ship, Claire is having some soup and Jamie notices she’s burning with fever. She takes a syringe from her medical kit and Jamie helps her fill a dose of penicillin. He says, “You want me to stab you in the ass with this?” She says, “This is your chance for revenge. I’ve done it to you before.” Jamie hesitates. She swabs her thigh, injects the syringe and makes Jamie push the plunger down. They start to make out. He tells her to keep her strength up. She tells him to bolt the door. Jamie tells her the turtle soup she ate had a bottle of sherry in it and he doesn’t usually take advantage of drunk women. Claire keeps kissing him. She bolts the door, they undress and start to have sex but then Willoughby knocks on the door and asks if she liked the soup. Jamie says she liked it and keeps grinding on Claire while he yells out “Goodnight Willoughby!” Willoughby smiles and walks away from the door.</p>
<p>“ <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/outlander-recap-season-3-episode-8-first-wife-1202607103/" type="external">Outlander</a>” airs on Sundays at 8 p.m. on Starz.</p> | false | 1 | spoiler alert160do read yet watched uncharted 11th episode third season outlander claires caitriona balfe sea floating barrels tied together bobbing like cork water blazing sun washes shore exhausted bedraggled spreads clothes dry shes sure knows grand turk idea shell find jamie immediately starts searching water heat starts get uses clothing shade walking inland find road sign civilization gathers twigs sticks tries build fire160 finally succeeds using material bustle kindling next day claire awakens find ants crawling legs tears strips material wraps bittenup legs shes dehydrated still trying find water comes upon tree coconuts theyre high reach night exhausted claire sits tree awaken next morning even bigger problem a160giant snake curled across her160petrified waits snake makes way completely across starts walking legs horribly bitten inflamed shes stumbling thirst hunger hears mans voice faints wakes shes bed hands tied woman tells good pours water claires throat claire asks untied woman tells way keep claire scratching legs claire goes back sleep woman notices zipper claires corset claire wakes later find man dog ludo asks man says hes father fogden hes pleased discover shes british asks untie gives water drink tells shes doctor asks came island saint domingue claire says needs find husband fogden tells go saint louis de nord fishing boats carry ships get jamaica claire says wants leave tomorrow fogden warns escaped slaves pirates make claires journey dangerous asks mamacita woman tending claire something else claire wear homemade suit need repairs mamacita tells claire stinks time wash claire takes first bath days mamacita prepares dinner three eat together fogden tells claire traveled cuba work lost souls met woman named hilda even though priest married affair ran away together english invaded cuba day fled together took boat saint domingue hilda became ill died fogden offers claire pipe smoke says make euphoric declines asks village mentioned earlier says wants leave tomorrow fogden says hell accompany following week claire says cant wait long reach jamaica tells rest shell ready travel says shes doctor damn well knows shes ready travel mamacita says catholic duty whore go could never replace baby mamacita hildas mother claire determined get saint louis de nord fogden apologizes mamacitas harsh words says agony losing child still haunts mamacita claire says understands fogden says could never forget hilda love never leave claire says doesnt make jamaica could lose husband forever fogden takes hands says hell consult coco gourd tomorrow right leave saint louis de nord claire wakes next morning sees suit washed mended claire knows mamacita wants go talks coco order convince fogden today good day go village mamacita runs shows fogden one goats slaughtered pirate fogden pours bunch black bugs goat head says bugs abandowe160 place great power claire recognizes name place warned about160 ancient cave fodgen says chinaman killed arabella mamacita says saw many sailors broken sails shore claire realizes chinaman willoughby asks get ship mamacita tells run right claire takes running meanwhile jamie sam heughan beach fergus cesar domboy foremast ship fell hull intact men lost sea including captain raines surviving men working repair ship theyre baking sun work dreaming rum awaits jamaica jamie says wants get kingston reunite wife marsali lauren lyle helping willoughby gary young men back ship putting repaired mast claire gets shore screams name holds small mirror reflects sun toward jamie notices glare asks spyglass sees claire shore yells name gets rowboat go kiss reunite shore sees shes scratched arm willoughby stitches wound claire tells jamie captain leonard ambitious wont stop looking jamie arrest jamie says wont stop looking young ian leonard cant arrest man cant find jamie says wed best get jamaica leonard jamie tells claire gave fergus marsali blessing marry says love loves claire jamie wants wedding island claire says knows someone perform ceremony claire jamie willoughby go father fogden willoughby apologizes killing goat brings fogden chicken asks fogden forgive ignorance fogden says understands like stranger strange land offers willoughby pipe willoughby smokes claire helps marsali get ready wedding ceremony asks marsali nervous marsali asks would nervous asks claire lie fergus baby says wants baby someday wants enjoy fergus marsali says wants happy fergus way claire jamie without baby claire says shell explain marsali done theyre back ship father fogden begins ceremony mistakes another man groom marsali speeds along telling fergus know ive waiting bed fogden asks ferguss surname fergus draws blank jamie pipes says name fergus claudell fraser marriage completed newly married couple kisses fogden walks jamie claire blesses union well back board ship claire soup jamie notices shes burning fever takes syringe medical kit jamie helps fill dose penicillin says want stab ass says chance revenge ive done jamie hesitates swabs thigh injects syringe makes jamie push plunger start make tells keep strength tells bolt door jamie tells turtle soup ate bottle sherry doesnt usually take advantage drunk women claire keeps kissing bolts door undress start sex willoughby knocks door asks liked soup jamie says liked keeps grinding claire yells goodnight willoughby willoughby smiles walks away door outlander airs sundays 8 pm starz | 831 |
<p>Before uncovering allegations of Hollywood bigwig Harvey Weinstein’s sexual misconduct, the New York Times buried a similar story over a decade ago, after he made a visit to the paper and A-list celebrities contacted the reporter.</p>
<p>Weinstein, a Hollywood film producer and film studio executive, was fired from the company he co-founded on Sunday, after a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/us/harvey-weinstein-harassment-allegations.html?mtrref=www.nytimes.com&amp;gwh=E96C2C9F9A5D87803D9C41E8962F8F79&amp;gwt=pay" type="external">New York Times investigation</a> uncovered three decades of sexual harassment allegations last week.</p>
<p>As one of the most powerful voices in the entertainment industry, Weinstein has collected six best-picture Oscars for producing critically acclaimed films such as “Sex, Lies, and Videotape,” “Pulp Fiction” and “Good Will Hunting.”</p>
<p>On Sunday, reporter Sharon Waxman wrote a piece for <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/media-enablers-harvey-weinstein-new-york-times/" type="external">The Wrap</a> that said that the New York Times had quashed her investigation into Weinstein’s sexual misconduct back in 2004.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/404762-rape-acquittal-consent-india/" type="external" /></p>
<p>In her original report, Waxman tracked down Fabrizio Lombardo, the head of Miramax Italy. She traveled to Italy and discovered that Lombardo knew nothing about filmmaking. He was reportedly being paid $400,000 in less than a year to “take care of Weinstein’s women needs.” At the time, Disney, the then-parent company of Miramax, told Waxman that they had no idea Lombardo existed.</p>
<p>Waxman also tracked down a woman in London who was paid off after an unwanted sexual encounter with Weinstein. The report said that she was “terrified” to speak about the incident, because she had a non-disclosure agreement.</p>
<p>However, according to Waxman, her story was spiked after “intense pressure from Weinstein,” which involved Weinstein personally visiting the New York Times newsroom and making his displeasure known. Waxman also said that she received calls from A-list actors Matt Damon and Russell Crowe, who vouched for Lombardo.</p>
<p>In the end, the Times printed a story about Miramax firing Lombardo without any reference to sexual misconduct.</p>
<p>Then-culture editor for the Times, Jon Landman, who is now an editor-at-large for Bloomberg, reportedly told Waxman that the story was unimportant because Weinstein was “not a publicly elected official.”</p>
<p>When Waxman was asked why she did not write anything on Weinstein in the past 13 years, she said that he has “done good things.”</p>
<p>“It’s easy to paint everyone in black and white in the 140-word Twitterverse,” Waxman said.</p>
<p />
<p>It’s easy to paint everyone in black and white in the 140-word Twitterverse. Harvey has done good things. Michelle Obama not rspsble for…</p>
<p>— Sharon Waxman (@sharonwaxman) <a href="https://twitter.com/sharonwaxman/status/917158209294557184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" type="external">October 8, 2017</a></p>
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<p>On Thursday, the New York Times reported that Weinstein had reached at least eight settlements with women after being confronted with allegations including sexual harassment and unwanted physical contact.</p>
<p>Among the allegations, the report described how Weinstein asked actress Ashley Judd to come to his Beverly Hills hotel room for what she assumed was a meeting, and asked her to watch him shower.</p>
<p>On another occasion, the report states that Weinstein badgered a female assistant into giving him a massage while he was naked.</p>
<p>“I am a 28-year-old woman trying to make a living and a career. Harvey Weinstein is a 64-year-old, world famous man and this is his company. The balance of power is me: 0, Harvey Weinstein: 10,” Lauren O’Connor, a colleague, said, according to the Times.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/weinstein-sexual-harassment-allegation_us_59d7ea3de4b046f5ad984211" type="external">Huffington Post</a> later reported that Weinstein took Lauren Sivan, a then-news anchor for News 12 Long Island, on a tour of Socialista, a Cuban-themed club and restaurant of which Weinstein was an investor, and tried to kiss her.</p>
<p>When she rejected his advances, Weinstein reportedly told her to “just stand there and shut up.” Then, he allegedly blocked her exit and masturbated into a potted plant in front of her.</p>
<p>The report states that Sivan stayed quiet for so many years, because she was “fearful of the power that Weinstein wielded in the media.”</p>
<p>After the Times reported on the sexual harassment allegations on Thursday, Weinstein apologized for causing “a lot of pain,” and took an immediate leave of absence from the company.</p>
<p>“I appreciate the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and I sincerely apologize for it. Though I’m trying to do better, I know I have a long way to go,” Weinstein said in a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/05/us/statement-from-harvey-weinstein.html" type="external">statement</a>.</p>
<p>Weinstein blamed his alleged behavior on his coming of age in a different era.</p>
<p>“I came of age in the 60’s and 70’s, when all the rules about behavior and workplaces were different. That was the culture then,” Weinstein said. “I have since learned it’s not an excuse, in the office – or out of it. To anyone.”</p>
<p>As the scandal grew, the board of directors of the Weinstein Company terminated Weinstein, citing “new information about misconduct by Harvey Weinstein that has emerged in the past few days.”</p>
<p>One-third of the company’s board also resigned.</p>
<p>In the aftermath, Hollywood actors, who had previously praised Weinstein, condemned him for the allegations that they claimed they knew nothing about.</p>
<p>On Monday, Academy award winning actress Meryl Streep, who collaborated with Weinstein on films like “August: Osage County” and “The Iron Lady,” said she was “appalled” by the “disgraceful” news.</p>
<p>“The behavior is inexcusable, but the abuse of power familiar. Each brave voice that is raised, heard and credited by our watchdog media will ultimately change the game,” Streep told the <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/meryl-streep-harvey-weinstein_us_59db5d87e4b072637c45420e" type="external">Huffington Post</a>.</p>
<p>Judi Dench, another Academy Award winner who has collaborated with Weinstein, told <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-judi-dench-who-has-harvey-weinstein-tattoo-her-butt-says-sexual-680815" type="external">Newsweek</a> that she was “completely unaware” of the “horrifying” claims. While accepting a British Film Institute Award in 2011, Dench thanked Weinstein for casting her in the Oscar-winning film “Shakespeare in Love” and said she had the producer’s name “tattooed on my bum ever since.”</p>
<p>“I offer my sympathy to those who have suffered, and wholehearted support to those who have spoken out,” Dench added.</p>
<p>Other celebrities have also come out against Weinstein, celebrating the women who have come forward as heroic.</p>
<p />
<p>The woman who chose to speak about their experience of harassment by Harvey Weinstein deserve our awe. It’s not fun or easy. It’s brave.</p>
<p>— Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) <a href="https://twitter.com/lenadunham/status/916013053237387265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" type="external">October 5, 2017</a></p>
<p />
<p />
<p>Stand with <a href="https://twitter.com/AshleyJudd?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" type="external">@AshleyJudd</a> or give your legs to someone else. What she and others have just done is painful and difficult and triumphant.</p>
<p>— Amber Tamblyn (@ambertamblyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/ambertamblyn/status/916079227132194816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" type="external">October 5, 2017</a></p>
<p />
<p />
<p>Women face serious repercussions for sharing their experiences and deserve our full support. I admire the courage of these women. <a href="https://t.co/dELkW1rFkT" type="external">https://t.co/dELkW1rFkT</a></p>
<p>— Megan Ellison (@meganeellison) <a href="https://twitter.com/meganeellison/status/916095777381871616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" type="external">October 6, 2017</a></p>
<p />
<p>Weinstein has often been seen as a champion of liberal causes. He has donated nearly $600,000 to the Democrats and hosted a fundraiser for former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in his Manhattan home last year. He has also employed Malia Obama, the oldest daughter of former President Barack Obama, as an intern.</p>
<p>He appeared on the White House visitor logs 13 times during Obama’s time in office.</p>
<p>In his statement responding to the Times investigation, Weinstein said that he “wants a second chance in the community,” and said that he will channel his anger into going after the National Rifle Association (NRA).</p>
<p>“I am going to need a place to channel my anger so I’ve decided I’m going to give the NRA my full attention,” Weinstein said. “I hope Wayne LaPierre will enjoy his retirement party. I’m going to do it at the same place I had my Bar Mitzvah.”</p>
<p>[embedded content]</p> | false | 1 | uncovering allegations hollywood bigwig harvey weinsteins sexual misconduct new york times buried similar story decade ago made visit paper alist celebrities contacted reporter weinstein hollywood film producer film studio executive fired company cofounded sunday new york times investigation uncovered three decades sexual harassment allegations last week one powerful voices entertainment industry weinstein collected six bestpicture oscars producing critically acclaimed films sex lies videotape pulp fiction good hunting sunday reporter sharon waxman wrote piece wrap said new york times quashed investigation weinsteins sexual misconduct back 2004 read original report waxman tracked fabrizio lombardo head miramax italy traveled italy discovered lombardo knew nothing filmmaking reportedly paid 400000 less year take care weinsteins women needs time disney thenparent company miramax told waxman idea lombardo existed waxman also tracked woman london paid unwanted sexual encounter weinstein report said terrified speak incident nondisclosure agreement however according waxman story spiked intense pressure weinstein involved weinstein personally visiting new york times newsroom making displeasure known waxman also said received calls alist actors matt damon russell crowe vouched lombardo end times printed story miramax firing lombardo without reference sexual misconduct thenculture editor times jon landman editoratlarge bloomberg reportedly told waxman story unimportant weinstein publicly elected official waxman asked write anything weinstein past 13 years said done good things easy paint everyone black white 140word twitterverse waxman said easy paint everyone black white 140word twitterverse harvey done good things michelle obama rspsble sharon waxman sharonwaxman october 8 2017 thursday new york times reported weinstein reached least eight settlements women confronted allegations including sexual harassment unwanted physical contact among allegations report described weinstein asked actress ashley judd come beverly hills hotel room assumed meeting asked watch shower another occasion report states weinstein badgered female assistant giving massage naked 28yearold woman trying make living career harvey weinstein 64yearold world famous man company balance power 0 harvey weinstein 10 lauren oconnor colleague said according times huffington post later reported weinstein took lauren sivan thennews anchor news 12 long island tour socialista cubanthemed club restaurant weinstein investor tried kiss rejected advances weinstein reportedly told stand shut allegedly blocked exit masturbated potted plant front report states sivan stayed quiet many years fearful power weinstein wielded media times reported sexual harassment allegations thursday weinstein apologized causing lot pain took immediate leave absence company appreciate way ive behaved colleagues past caused lot pain sincerely apologize though im trying better know long way go weinstein said statement weinstein blamed alleged behavior coming age different era came age 60s 70s rules behavior workplaces different culture weinstein said since learned excuse office anyone scandal grew board directors weinstein company terminated weinstein citing new information misconduct harvey weinstein emerged past days onethird companys board also resigned aftermath hollywood actors previously praised weinstein condemned allegations claimed knew nothing monday academy award winning actress meryl streep collaborated weinstein films like august osage county iron lady said appalled disgraceful news behavior inexcusable abuse power familiar brave voice raised heard credited watchdog media ultimately change game streep told huffington post judi dench another academy award winner collaborated weinstein told newsweek completely unaware horrifying claims accepting british film institute award 2011 dench thanked weinstein casting oscarwinning film shakespeare love said producers name tattooed bum ever since offer sympathy suffered wholehearted support spoken dench added celebrities also come weinstein celebrating women come forward heroic woman chose speak experience harassment harvey weinstein deserve awe fun easy brave lena dunham lenadunham october 5 2017 stand ashleyjudd give legs someone else others done painful difficult triumphant amber tamblyn ambertamblyn october 5 2017 women face serious repercussions sharing experiences deserve full support admire courage women httpstcodelkw1rfkt megan ellison meganeellison october 6 2017 weinstein often seen champion liberal causes donated nearly 600000 democrats hosted fundraiser former presidential candidate hillary clinton manhattan home last year also employed malia obama oldest daughter former president barack obama intern appeared white house visitor logs 13 times obamas time office statement responding times investigation weinstein said wants second chance community said channel anger going national rifle association nra going need place channel anger ive decided im going give nra full attention weinstein said hope wayne lapierre enjoy retirement party im going place bar mitzvah embedded content | 690 |
<p>2017 was the year of fanboys and wonder women, as the former grew almost deafening in their zeal (permitting no dissent on the unquestioned genius of the DC, Marvel, Star Wars and Apes franchises, even when the movies themselves disappointed), while the latter found a common voice and courageous platform to take on the honchos who have long ignored that famous superhero adage, “With great power comes great responsibility.”</p>
<p>“The Reckoning” (my nickname for this essential, long-overdue movement) has finally brought accountability for the kind of sexual harassment and all-around misbehavior no one should have to face in the workplace, toppling some of the biggest titans of our industry in the process. My heart broke when I read the words of ex-Weinstein employee Lauren O’Connor’s internal memo: “The balance of power is me: 0, Harvey Weinstein: 10.” But the movies have long given us a model for optimism in such situations, demonstrating that if you can add up enough “zeroes,” it’s possible to take on whatever villainy lies before you —&#160;a lesson beautifully illustrated by everything from “The Shape of Water” to the latest “Star Wars” movie.</p>
<p>And yet, there remains an enormous gap in on-screen representation, owing to the alarming deficit of women and off-white directors in Hollywood. The same goes for voices of color, who have already expanded cinema’s horizons in so many invaluable ways (as this year’s game-changing “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/get-out/" type="external">Get Out</a>” showed). While the studios continue to churn out generic movies that recycle the same old stories, a new crop of voices is changing the conversation. My favorite movie of the summer was “Girls Trip,” which featured the kind of empowerment many others saw in “Wonder Woman,” and while neither cracked my top 20, that just goes to show how high I consider the bar for the year’s very best movies.</p>
<p>1. “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/the-rider/" type="external">The Rider</a>”Technically speaking, “ <a href="http://variety.com/2017/film/news/chloe-zhao-the-rider-cannes-directors-fortnight-1202445981/" type="external">The Rider</a>” doesn’t open until April 2018, but I’ve already cried my way through Chinese-born writer-director Chloé Zhao’s deeply humanistic docu-fiction hybrid twice (it won top honors in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight section and at the Reykjavik Film Festival) and was duly impressed when the Film Independent Spirit Awards nominated it for best picture. Like “Moonlight” last year, “The Rider” goes off the beaten path to find fascinating characters we might otherwise never have the privilege of meeting on-screen — in this case, a Native American cowboy whose near-death rodeo injury leaves him with a metal plate in his head and a doctor’s order never to ride again. Zhao discovered her movie-star-handsome leading man, Brady Jandreau, on the Lakota reservation where she researched and shot her first feature, “Songs My Brothers Taught Me,” and she built this film around his personal story, enlisting Jandreau’s father, sister and quadriplegic best friend (another real-life rodeo casualty) to play versions of themselves. The groundbreaking result reveals another side of contemporary red-state America, in which a young man not yet old enough to vote must decide what to do with himself after he’s stripped of his one true passion.</p>
<p>2. “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”Speaking of red-state portraiture, writer-director Martin McDonough takes more critical aim at a backwater American town where local police chief Woody Harrelson has allowed a grisly murder to go unsolved. Frances McDormand is terrific as the victim’s mother, who tries to shame local law enforcement into action by posting hostile accusations on a series of abandoned billboards outside town. Too multiloquent for 140-character limits, McDonough doesn’t use Twitter, and yet he’s delivered a darkly satirical zeitgeist movie that demonstrates how short, impulsive messages blasted out into the world can have real consequences. Behind all that anger lies a sincere case for forgiveness.</p>
<p>3. “ <a href="http://variety.com/2017/film/news/get-out-african-american-film-critics-1202638405/" type="external">Get Out</a>”An even more ruthless satire, Jordan Peele’s breakout hit isn’t so much a horror movie as a heightened allegory of race relations in America today — “a documentary,” as the writer-director slyly teased after the Golden Globes slotted “Get Out” in their comedy category. Rather than attacking the obvious bigots, Peele’s “I Am Not Your Negro” thriller goes after those who consider themselves liberal, launching a daring direct attack on so many cultural codes long enforced by Hollywood: the white male gaze, the mixed-race couple taboo, the hapless wide-eyed African-American stereotype and the myth that we are somehow living in a post-racial society.</p>
<p>4. “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/call-me-by-your-name/" type="external">Call Me by Your Name</a>”Whereas most filmmakers are limited to two senses to convey their vision — sight and sound — Italian director Luca Guadagnino somehow manages to suggest all five: The taste of tree-ripened apricots, the smell of dinner being prepared downstairs, the feel of warm sun on bare flesh. Yes, this is a gay movie, but it carries hardly any of the cliches that same-sex love stories usually entail. The conflict here isn’t internalized shame or the fear of exposure, but the ticking clock. It’s the story of being lucky enough to connect with another soul, and the pain of knowing your time together is limited.</p>
<p>5. “The Distinguished Citizen”Comedies don’t get nearly enough respect come awards time, which is one reason I was delighted to serve on the jury of this year’s Monte Carlo Comedy Film Festival, where we honored this brilliant send-up of a self-important expat author (Oscar Martínez, who won best actor in Venice). Operating in the Alexander Payne vein, co-directors Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn have crafted a perceptive human comedy about the insecurity/vanity that fuels creative personalities, and the disconnect between artists and their audience. Though selected as Argentina’s Oscar submission last year, the movie skipped U.S. theaters and is now available on Netflix.</p>
<p>6. “Blade Runner 2049”This list may be light on big studio movies, but 2017 yielded plenty of reason to be encouraged, as releases such as “Blade Runner 2049,” “Dunkirk” and “mother!” demonstrated a willingness by the majors to gamble on bold visions from serious auteurs. While I’ve never quite understood the cult that surrounded Ridley Scott’s original, director Denis Villeneuve’s 35-years-later sequel ingeniously reinvents its central question: “What does it mean to be human?” And though I fear the costly production wasn’t enough of a hit to support the intended sequels (Haram Abbas’ and Jared Leto’s characters are left stranded), it provides some much-needed emotional closure.</p>
<p>7. “The Shape of Water”Monster-movie maven Guillermo del Toro turns the genre on its head with this forbidden love story between a mute cleaning woman (Sally Hawkins, so expressive even without words) and the mysterious creature held captive in the government lab where she works. Though I’ve long admired del Toro’s vision, this is the first time all the pieces have come together perfectly, bound together by the poetic notion that powerless individuals are collectively stronger than the institutions that oppress them. To the extent that great cinema allows us to identify with the outsider, del Toro’s masterpiece celebrates voiceless and invisible people everywhere.</p>
<p>8. “The Square”This was a peculiar year at the Cannes Film Festival, as a generation of filmmakers who follow in the footsteps of Michael Haneke and his austere brand of social critique managed to outshine the artist who inspired them: Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Killing a Sacred Deer,” Andrey Zvyagintsev’s “Loveless” and this sprawling Palme d’Or winner from Swedish director Ruben Ostlund were each fresh provocations, while Haneke’s “Happy End” felt like a worn-out greatest-hits record. An outrageous collection of socially awkward confrontations, Ostlund’s meaty art-world critique left me with the most to chew on afterward — especially in its wild performance-art sequence.</p>
<p>9. “I, Tonya”At turns hilarious and heart-breaking, this gonzo retelling of the circumstances leading up to the 1994 attack on Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan opens with the claim, “Based on irony free, wildly contradictory, totally true interviews with Tonya Harding and Jeff Gillooly,” suggesting a toxic kind of irreverence toward the scandal it depicts. But “I, Tonya” doesn’t so much glamorize the perpetrator as it recontextualizes Harding as a different kind of victim, addressing the issue of domestic violence with a kind of urgency that can’t be ignored. It also features 10-point performances from Margot Robbie and Allison Janney.</p>
<p>10. “Lost in Paris”If “La La Land” and “The Artist” taught us anything, it’s that a massive audience awaits movies that dare to resurrect old-fashioned cinematic forms, so long as they do it with romance and charm. While I’m admittedly partial to the city, “Lost in Paris” has abundant supplies of both, being an irresistible throwback to old-school burlesque, the kind of near-silent physical comedy once practiced by Charlie Chaplin and company. Circus-trained duo Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon co-direct and co-star in this delightful romantic romp, which also serves as a sweet farewell to French screen legend Emmanuelle Riva.</p>
<p>Nota bene: If you’re the sort of stickler who disapproves of my including 2018 release “The Rider,” feel free to substitute any of the following exceptional movies for the 10th slot on my list: “Brigsby Bear,” “Contemporary Color,” “The Florida Project,” “Heal the Living,” “Lady Macbeth,” “Land of Mine,” “mother!,” “Phantom Thread,” “Raw” or “Sweet Virginia.”</p> | false | 1 | 2017 year fanboys wonder women former grew almost deafening zeal permitting dissent unquestioned genius dc marvel star wars apes franchises even movies disappointed latter found common voice courageous platform take honchos long ignored famous superhero adage great power comes great responsibility reckoning nickname essential longoverdue movement finally brought accountability kind sexual harassment allaround misbehavior one face workplace toppling biggest titans industry process heart broke read words exweinstein employee lauren oconnors internal memo balance power 0 harvey weinstein 10 movies long given us model optimism situations demonstrating add enough zeroes possible take whatever villainy lies 160a lesson beautifully illustrated everything shape water latest star wars movie yet remains enormous gap onscreen representation owing alarming deficit women offwhite directors hollywood goes voices color already expanded cinemas horizons many invaluable ways years gamechanging get showed studios continue churn generic movies recycle old stories new crop voices changing conversation favorite movie summer girls trip featured kind empowerment many others saw wonder woman neither cracked top 20 goes show high consider bar years best movies 1 ridertechnically speaking rider doesnt open april 2018 ive already cried way chineseborn writerdirector chloé zhaos deeply humanistic docufiction hybrid twice top honors cannes directors fortnight section reykjavik film festival duly impressed film independent spirit awards nominated best picture like moonlight last year rider goes beaten path find fascinating characters might otherwise never privilege meeting onscreen case native american cowboy whose neardeath rodeo injury leaves metal plate head doctors order never ride zhao discovered moviestarhandsome leading man brady jandreau lakota reservation researched shot first feature songs brothers taught built film around personal story enlisting jandreaus father sister quadriplegic best friend another reallife rodeo casualty play versions groundbreaking result reveals another side contemporary redstate america young man yet old enough vote must decide hes stripped one true passion 2 three billboards outside ebbing missourispeaking redstate portraiture writerdirector martin mcdonough takes critical aim backwater american town local police chief woody harrelson allowed grisly murder go unsolved frances mcdormand terrific victims mother tries shame local law enforcement action posting hostile accusations series abandoned billboards outside town multiloquent 140character limits mcdonough doesnt use twitter yet hes delivered darkly satirical zeitgeist movie demonstrates short impulsive messages blasted world real consequences behind anger lies sincere case forgiveness 3 get outan even ruthless satire jordan peeles breakout hit isnt much horror movie heightened allegory race relations america today documentary writerdirector slyly teased golden globes slotted get comedy category rather attacking obvious bigots peeles negro thriller goes consider liberal launching daring direct attack many cultural codes long enforced hollywood white male gaze mixedrace couple taboo hapless wideeyed africanamerican stereotype myth somehow living postracial society 4 call namewhereas filmmakers limited two senses convey vision sight sound italian director luca guadagnino somehow manages suggest five taste treeripened apricots smell dinner prepared downstairs feel warm sun bare flesh yes gay movie carries hardly cliches samesex love stories usually entail conflict isnt internalized shame fear exposure ticking clock story lucky enough connect another soul pain knowing time together limited 5 distinguished citizencomedies dont get nearly enough respect come awards time one reason delighted serve jury years monte carlo comedy film festival honored brilliant sendup selfimportant expat author oscar martínez best actor venice operating alexander payne vein codirectors gastón duprat mariano cohn crafted perceptive human comedy insecurityvanity fuels creative personalities disconnect artists audience though selected argentinas oscar submission last year movie skipped us theaters available netflix 6 blade runner 2049this list may light big studio movies 2017 yielded plenty reason encouraged releases blade runner 2049 dunkirk mother demonstrated willingness majors gamble bold visions serious auteurs ive never quite understood cult surrounded ridley scotts original director denis villeneuves 35yearslater sequel ingeniously reinvents central question mean human though fear costly production wasnt enough hit support intended sequels haram abbas jared letos characters left stranded provides muchneeded emotional closure 7 shape watermonstermovie maven guillermo del toro turns genre head forbidden love story mute cleaning woman sally hawkins expressive even without words mysterious creature held captive government lab works though ive long admired del toros vision first time pieces come together perfectly bound together poetic notion powerless individuals collectively stronger institutions oppress extent great cinema allows us identify outsider del toros masterpiece celebrates voiceless invisible people everywhere 8 squarethis peculiar year cannes film festival generation filmmakers follow footsteps michael haneke austere brand social critique managed outshine artist inspired yorgos lanthimos killing sacred deer andrey zvyagintsevs loveless sprawling palme dor winner swedish director ruben ostlund fresh provocations hanekes happy end felt like wornout greatesthits record outrageous collection socially awkward confrontations ostlunds meaty artworld critique left chew afterward especially wild performanceart sequence 9 tonyaat turns hilarious heartbreaking gonzo retelling circumstances leading 1994 attack olympic figure skater nancy kerrigan opens claim based irony free wildly contradictory totally true interviews tonya harding jeff gillooly suggesting toxic kind irreverence toward scandal depicts tonya doesnt much glamorize perpetrator recontextualizes harding different kind victim addressing issue domestic violence kind urgency cant ignored also features 10point performances margot robbie allison janney 10 lost parisif la la land artist taught us anything massive audience awaits movies dare resurrect oldfashioned cinematic forms long romance charm im admittedly partial city lost paris abundant supplies irresistible throwback oldschool burlesque kind nearsilent physical comedy practiced charlie chaplin company circustrained duo dominique abel fiona gordon codirect costar delightful romantic romp also serves sweet farewell french screen legend emmanuelle riva nota bene youre sort stickler disapproves including 2018 release rider feel free substitute following exceptional movies 10th slot list brigsby bear contemporary color florida project heal living lady macbeth land mine mother phantom thread raw sweet virginia | 925 |
<p>The health-care legislation enacted this spring followed more than a year of heated, rancorous debate. But rather than subdue the public's passions, the bill's passage has only stoked them. Opposition to the new law remains very high, and Republicans have made clear their intention to push for its repeal if they gain control of Congress and the White House in 2010 and 2012.</p>
<p>For their part, President Obama and other champions of the legislation insist that public attitudes will soon change. More Americans will come to appreciate the law, they argue, once people have a better grasp of its benefits. And foremost among these benefits is the law's prohibition of “pre-existing condition” exclusions in health insurance — which would prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to customers with serious medical problems.</p>
<p>Like most of the health-care bill's major provisions, this ban will not take full effect until 2014. But the mere prospect of finally addressing the “pre-existing condition problem” is held up as an enormous selling point of the law. At long last, the bill's advocates claim, America has a solution to a profound failing of our current system — a solution that will eliminate a source of worry for millions, and that opponents would not dare undo. Indeed, while describing the plight of a young woman in the audience at a rally he attended in April, Obama told the crowd: “If [opponents of the law] want to look at Lauren Gallagher in the eye and tell her they plan to take away her father's ability to get health insurance…they can run on that platform.”</p>
<p>The president's dramatic talents notwithstanding, the choice he presents is a false one. We do not face an either-or showdown between cruelly denying sick people treatment and a massive new federal health-insurance entitlement. The problem of covering Americans with pre-existing conditions is certainly real, but the notion that the only way to solve it is through a massive transformation of America's health-care system — one that will increase costs, raise taxes, displace millions of the happily insured, create a new entitlement, and undermine our private insurance sector — is simply wrong.</p>
<p>The case for repealing the newly enacted law, then, is not that there are no problems to solve in American health care. Rather, it is that there are far better solutions available.</p>
<p>THE PRE-EXISTING DILEMMA</p>
<p>The challenge of covering people with pre-existing conditions is a function of the way our health-insurance system has evolved over many years — and especially of the fact that it is largely employer-based, voluntary, and distorted by complex subsidies and regulations that favor some insurance purchasers over others.</p>
<p>Since most working Americans get health insurance as a benefit of employment, losing or changing jobs often means losing or changing insurance coverage. As a result, most people are not continuously covered by the same plan throughout their lives. If they move directly from one employer-sponsored health plan to another, the disruption is usually not a problem (for reasons laid out below). But whenever someone, by choice or necessity, leaves employer-sponsored insurance to purchase health insurance on his own, the switch in coverage can present several challenges.</p>
<p>In a voluntary individual insurance market, insurers must have some means of preventing large mismatches between the premiums they take in and the claims they will likely need to pay out. The classic form of such a mismatch is the case of a consumer who waits until he is sick to purchase or enroll in an individual insurance plan. If an insurer offers coverage to such a person without pricing the expected costs of the enrollee's illness into the premium, the expense of paying out medical claims will almost certainly exceed the premiums collected. The practice will also encourage other people not to buy insurance until they need to draw on it — a problem known as “adverse selection.” Why pay for insurance when you're healthy if you can buy it for the same price when you get sick? It would be the equivalent of purchasing auto insurance only after you've totaled your car — and insurers would obviously go bankrupt if this were their business model.</p>
<p>Insurers selling directly to individual consumers use two practices to prevent widespread adverse selection. First, they try to take into account the health status of prospective customers when determining their premiums (a process called “underwriting,” by which they consider an applicant's age and other demographic factors and, in certain cases, medical history). Second, in some instances, they deny coverage of pre-existing conditions for a set period of time after a customer enrolls, so that if he buys insurance (or changes insurers) only after he has already been diagnosed with a costly condition, he cannot immediately use the new coverage to pay for medical claims associated with his existing ailment. Taken together, these two practices have led to the pre-existing condition problem: People who are sick can find themselves without health-care coverage, and without the ability to secure coverage at an affordable price, sometimes through no fault of their own.</p>
<p>From the rhetoric of some politicians, one might think this dilemma lies at the very core of America's health-care crisis. But in fact, the problem is relatively contained. Senior citizens can get health-care coverage through Medicare; the poor have Medicaid; and most Americans who have employer-based coverage do not run across the “pre-existing condition problem.” It primarily affects a subgroup of sick, working-age Americans — those who do not receive health coverage from their employers, do not qualify for Medicaid, and are not able to buy coverage in the individual market because their health conditions make their premiums too high (or cause insurers to reject them altogether).</p>
<p>Pre-existing conditions are not much of an issue in the (vastly larger) employer-based insurance market for several reasons. First, job-based plans are implicitly “community rated” products — meaning that everyone who is covered by the same plan is charged more or less the same price. Underwriting of individual patients is therefore minimal, as insurers sell group plans to firms based on the risk profile of the entire work force. (The high costs of caring for some workers with diabetes, for instance, are balanced by the relatively low costs associated with their more healthy co-workers.) Risk levels in employer plans are also somewhat contained by the plans' very nature, in that only relatively healthy people are likely to show up to work regularly, stay employed, and gain access to job-related insurance benefits.</p>
<p>Of course, these techniques for spreading risk do not always work perfectly. Some smaller firms may have fewer workers across whom an occasional high-cost risk might be spread; in some industries — like automobile manufacturing or coal mining — the balance between new “healthy” workers and older “unhealthy” ones may be unfavorably tipped by demographic and economic factors. Even within larger firms, there is evidence that employers sometimes reduce cash wages to adjust for the cost of insuring some workers (particularly older and more obese ones) whose actual health-care expenses are likely to be much higher than average. Still, on the whole, the sick and the healthy pay roughly the same premiums in job-based plans. And insurers see it as a sustainable business practice, because selling to a group allows for the balancing of high and low risks.</p>
<p>Moreover, in 1996, Congress provided an important protection to workers by making it unlawful for employer-sponsored plans to impose exclusions on pre-existing conditions for workers in continuous group insurance coverage. This means that if a person stays covered by job-based plans long enough (usually six months), he can move from one job to another without fear of losing insurance protection, or of ha ving to wait longer than other new hires before gaining coverage for ailments he may have developed. If a new hire maintained insurance in his old job, his new employer's plan must cover him — even if the worker has developed an expensive medical condition.</p>
<p>In theory, this law — called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (or HIPAA) — also provided “portability” rights to people moving from job-based plans to individually owned coverage. The law gave state governments a few options for meeting this mandate: They could establish high-risk pools (which, as discussed below, is the approach most states have followed); they could require that all individual-market health insurers within their states offer insurance to all eligible individuals, without any limits on coverage of pre-existing medical conditions; or they could use their regulatory powers to create a mix of rules that would have similar results. But unfortunately, none of these approaches has worked well enough, and today many people still end up falling through the cracks.</p>
<p>The problem starts with HIPAA's requirement that a worker first exhaust his right to temporary continuous coverage under his former employer's plan (through a federal program called COBRA, which lets workers keep buying into their employers' insurance plans, generally for up to 18 months after leaving their jobs) before he can enter the individual insurance market without a pre-existing condition exclusion. Many workers are not aware of this requirement (though employers must advise them of it in a written notice); even if they are, the premiums required to stay in an employer's plan through COBRA are often too high for them to pay. This is because COBRA premiums must cover both the employer and employee share of costs, and generally provide more expensive comprehensive benefits than individual-market alternatives. And unlike premiums paid in employer-based plans, these COBRA premiums do not receive any tax advantage — making them more expensive still. As a result, many workers facing this fully loaded “sticker shock” price choose not to pay the premiums, simply hoping for the best until they can find new jobs (and new coverage). In so doing, they inadvertently waive their HIPAA rights — leaving themselves vulnerable to exclusions and high costs for pre-existing conditions when they try to buy insurance on their own.</p>
<p>But even if a sick person abides by HIPAA's requirements and remains continuously insured — thereby protecting himself from pre-existing condition exclusions in the individual market — nothing in current federal law prevents insurers from charging him more than they charge healthy people. Insurers are prohibited only from denying coverage for a pre-existing condition altogether; it is quite permissible, however, for insurance providers to charge unaffordable premiums (unless an individual state's laws happen to prevent or restrict the practice), thus achieving essentially the same outcome.</p>
<p>Likewise, current law and regulations provide no premium protections for persons moving between individual insurance policies. A healthy worker who leaves an employer plan for the individual market might find an affordable plan at first — but if he ever wanted to switch insurers (or was forced to by, say, moving to a new state), he would face the risk of having his premium recalculated based on a new assessment of his health.</p>
<p>Of course, the fact that the problem of pre-existing condition coverage is limited almost entirely to the individual market does not mean that it pervades that market. In 2008, at the request of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, health economists Mark Pauly and Bradley Herring examined how people with chronic health conditions, and thus high anticipated health-care expenses, actually fared when seeking insurance in the individual market. Pauly and Herring found little, if any, evidence that enrollees in poor health generally paid higher premiums for individual insurance. Nor did they find that the onset of chronic conditions is necessarily associated with increased premiums in subsequent years. Existing “guaranteed renewability” requirements in federal and state law already prevent insurers from continuously reclassifying people (and the premiums they pay) based on health risks. And most private insurers already provided such protection as standard business practice before they were legally required to do so.</p>
<p>But even if the exclusions and prohibitive premiums caused by pre-existing conditions are not a universal problem in the individual insurance market, they clearly affect many Americans. Estimates range from 2 to 4 million, out of a total population of about 260 million people under the age of 65. More important than the sheer number, however, is the fact that many Americans know someone who has faced this situation directly, and fear that they could find themselves in the same boat — which explains the strong public support for changing the way insurance companies treat pre-existing conditions.</p>
<p>Most people find it unacceptable that responsible fellow citizens who have tried to stay insured throughout their lives can suddenly find themselves sick and unable to get adequate coverage. On the other hand, insurers clearly need some way of aligning premiums and risks in order to stay financially solvent. And because the smaller individual market now often operates as a last resort for those lacking better insurance options through employers, insurers must plan for the risk that people seeking individual coverage are doing so because they believe they will need substantial medical attention.</p>
<p>Of course, insurers have incentives to avoid excessive underwriting. For one thing, screening is expensive. For another, if insurers screen too aggressively, they will lose customers whose care would not in fact have been very costly. Insurance companies balance the benefits of screening against these costs in the individual market no less than in others: Indeed, the most extensive research in this area, by Pauly and Herring, has demonstrated that there is already a great deal of pooling of health risks in the individual market. But some people clearly still cannot get covered.</p>
<p>The question is what should be done for them. The most effective solution would be not heavy-handed regulation, but rather a new insurance marketplace built around truly portable, individually owned insurance. If households, not firms, chose and controlled their own insurance plans, people would no longer face the risks that come with changing coverage based on new employment arrangements. By carrying the same insurance plan from one job to the next (or even through periods with no job at all), individuals would keep their coverage even as their health status changed. Moreover, insurers would have strong incentives to do what they could to keep their enrollees healthy, knowing full well that some of them could be enrolled for many years. That is how health insurance is supposed to work.</p>
<p>But moving to true insurance portability will not be easy. It will require fundamental reform of the tax treatment of health insurance in order to level the playing field between plans owned by employers and those owned by individuals, as well as a reworking of some current insurance regulations. For now, both reforms face long political odds. And even if these changes were to happen, we would still need some way of covering people who already suffer from costly health conditions (and so could not easily buy their own portable insurance, even once a new system got up and running).</p>
<p>Short of such a transformation, then, what can be done to help people shut out by the current system? Some states have attempted to address the problem by imposing price controls on health-insurance premiums — requiring insurers to sell to all comers, regardless of their health status (a rule called “guaranteed issue”) and at standard rates (“community rating”). But this has only caused insurers to increase the premiums they c harge everyone else — even young, healthy customers — in order to make up for the losses associated with the enrollment of these more expensive cases at below-cost premiums. And when premiums rise for younger and healthier customers in a voluntary marketplace, a significant number of these people — weighing the low risk of an expensive illness against the high cost of buying health insurance — will drop out of coverage altogether. The pool of enrollees thus becomes older and less healthy, further driving up premium costs for the enrollees who remain. The resulting vicious cycle triggered by excessive regulation can cause so many consumers and insurers to flee that the entire market can collapse. This is what happened in Washington state and Kentucky when such reforms were tried in the 1990s, before they had to be “repealed and replaced.”</p>
<p>The new federal health-care legislation, meanwhile, aims to solve the “pre-existing” problem by dramatically transforming our entire health-care system — even though most insured Americans are quite happy with the coverage they have — and by creating an enormous and expensive system of regulations and entitlements. Obamacare thus creates an even greater risk of system collapse — in this case, with taxpayers picking up the pieces.</p>
<p>As so often happens, though, the model for a promising national solution has begun to emerge from the states. Across the country, state policymakers have turned to an approach that does not require a fundamental transformation of the insurance marketplace: the creation of high-risk pools. Unfortunately, these state-level efforts have not been sufficiently ambitious or adequately funded; they would also be badly undermined by the new federal health-care law. But if that law is in fact repealed, reformers concerned about the problem of pre-existing conditions should champion a system of robust, well-funded high-risk pools as a smart and effective solution.</p>
<p>PROMISE AND SHORTCOMINGS</p>
<p>High-risk pools are basically a policy mechanism for bridging the gap between the high cost of providing insurance to patients with predictably expensive pre-existing health conditions and the comparatively low premiums those patients can afford. In most states that have established such programs, the pool is a highly regulated, independent non-profit entity that functions as an insurance program, offering a selection of health-benefit plans. The work of managing benefits and interacting with customers (such as the collection of premiums and the payment of claims) is usually contracted out to participating private insurance companies. In other states, the risk-pool program is run more directly by the state health or insurance department (which, again, contracts out most key management functions to private insurers).</p>
<p>People who try to get insurance and are denied, or who receive only unaffordable coverage offers, may apply to participate in the high-risk pool program; the program's administrators then determine each applicant's eligibility. Common eligibility criteria in the states include one or more of the following: having been rejected for coverage, based on health reasons, by private insurers; having been refused coverage except at rates exceeding the subsidized premium offered in the high-risk pool; having received private coverage offers, but only with restrictive riders or pre-existing condition limitations; the existence of particular medical conditions (like HIV / AIDS, cancer, or diabetes) presumed to result in rejection by health insurers; or being a dependent of a person eligible for high-risk pool coverage. The pools also often cover people who, having maintained continuous coverage under HIPAA rules, need to find new insurance arrangements in the individual market.</p>
<p>Because everyone in the pool has, by definition, a high-risk profile, average claim costs are necessarily quite high. But eligible individuals' premiums are capped at various levels above standard rates; beyond those caps, premium payments are fully subsidized from various public revenue sources. The idea is that people will pay only the premiums they can afford, and the difference between those payments and the real cost of insurance will be made up by taxpayers.</p>
<p>In theory, such pools should not only help provide coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, but should also help lower premium costs in the rest of the insurance marketplace. This is because the uncertainty involved in covering the least healthy consumers would be removed from the cost structure financed by normal premium payments. When that is done, premiums go down and become more attractive for lower-risk customers, thus further expanding the pool of premium payers (and again lowering costs for everyone else).</p>
<p>The first high-risk pools were instituted in Minnesota and Connecticut back in 1976; today, 35 states operate some version of the plans. In 2008, approximately 200,000 people were enrolled in state high-risk pools; the average length of enrollment was three years (about 20 to 25% of enrollees leave each year), and the average age of those enrolled was 49. The premium costs that enrollees in these high-risk pools must pay are generally capped at levels between 125% and 150% of standard market rates (although some states — like Texas and South Carolina — go up to 200% or higher, while others — like Minnesota — cap them even below 125% for some categories of beneficiaries).</p>
<p>Premium revenue contributed by enrollees amounted to just over half (54%) of total high-risk pool funding in 2008; the rest came from a combination of assessments on private insurance carriers (23.2%), state general revenues (5%), state tobacco taxes (2.2%), and federal grants (1.7%). (A total of about $286 million has been awarded to states to establish new high-risk pools or subsidize existing ones under a federal program in operation since 2002.) The less transparent categories of “other assessments” (7.4%) and “other” (6.3%) comprised the rest of the funding sources.</p>
<p>Although high-risk pools have helped hundreds of thousands of Americans, they have nonetheless fallen far short of meeting the needs they are meant to address. In addition to the large differences among the state plans in terms of eligibility rules, benefit design, premium prices, subsidies, and financing, there are also huge discrepancies when it comes to effectiveness.</p>
<p>The pools' main shortcoming in every instance, though, is the large mismatch between the number of people who need them and the amount of money made available to subsidize them. Just how many people might face pre-existing condition exclusions and might benefit from high-risk pools is not a simple question, but several serious attempts have been made in recent years to arrive at a reliable figure.</p>
<p>In a 2001 survey by the Department of Health and Human Services, respondents were asked if they had “ever been denied health insurance because of poor health.” The data collected indicate that about 2 million people might be eligible for enrollment in high-risk pools.</p>
<p>In a different study, using 2006 data, the Government Accountability Office determined roughly the percentage of uninsured individuals who had at least one chronic health condition, and then applied it to census estimates of the average number of uninsured people in each state with an existing high-risk pool. (The aim was to get a sense of how many more people might be covered by such pools if they were available to all who needed them.) The GAO concluded that as many as 4 million Americans could be covered by more generously funded high-risk pools — 20 times the number now covered.</p>
<p>More recently, University of Pennsylvania health economist Mark Pauly looked at data about the number of people with chronic health conditions whose expected medical expenses are more than twice the national average. He first estimated the total nationwide high-risk group at around 4% of the under-65 population, excluding people receiving Medicaid — a number in the low millio ns. But Pauly ultimately concluded that the number of people who were both high-risk and looking for coverage in the individual market at any given point was far lower — on the order of tens of thousands.</p>
<p>Regardless of the particular sources or estimating methods, however, it is clear that the demand for premium assistance among those with high expected health costs far exceeds the state high-risk pools' current financial capacity.</p>
<p>Assuming that the higher ranges of these estimates are correct, what would it cost to use high-risk pools to cover between 2 and 4 million people? For an initial assessment, it might be best to start with the 2008 average subsidized cost of $4,341 per pool enrollee — the amount states contributed to their programs beyond the premiums paid by enrollees. If we assume that as many as 4 million more people might need (and seek) high-risk pool coverage, the annual cost of public subsidies could be as high as $17 billion. Other variables might include whether the new enrollees are likely to be somewhat less costly than current ones (since their situations might be less dire); whether benefits and cost-sharing levels are more or less generous than under current high-risk pool coverage; and whether additional income-based subsidies for enrollees are included. All of this suggests a rough estimate of between $15 and $20 billion per year for a comprehensive set of high-risk pool programs.</p>
<p>Given that cost, and the fiscal stresses most state governments are feeling these days, it is not surprising that state-based pools have been underfunded and closed off to many potential beneficiaries. Indeed, the most common complaint about high-risk pools has been that their coverage remains too expensive and too limited. Most state pools offer comprehensive insurance benefits (of the sort that most people in employer-based coverage receive), generally with 20% co-insurance, although they tend to impose higher deductibles (and some have lower lifetime-coverage limits) than private insurers. Furthermore, to control costs, all current state high-risk pools actually impose pre-existing condition exclusion periods — ranging from two months to one year — for enrollees who forfeited (or never accrued) portability rights under HIPAA. Facing fiscal pressures, many states are also not particularly aggressive in trying to boost high-risk pool enrollment through advertising and outreach to potential enrollees; nor have they been eager to pay commissions as generous as those paid by private insurers to insurance agents who bring in customers.</p>
<p>In short, the lack of adequate financing still leaves millions of potential high-risk beneficiaries with inferior options — and sometimes no options — for health-care coverage. So while high-risk pools offer a plausible and promising conceptual model for covering people with pre-existing conditions, their real-life implementation has (at least to date) left much room for improvement.</p>
<p>Champions of pro-market health-care reform should therefore urge states to properly design and operate high-risk pools, and should call on the federal government to properly fund them. Such pools would offer an effective, yet far less expensive and intrusive, approach to the problem of covering pre-existing conditions than the tack taken by the new health-care law. And very soon — well before its most important provisions take effect in 2014 — that law will put pre-existing conditions and risk pools front and center in our national health-care debate.</p>
<p>OBAMACARE'S SHALLOW POOLS</p>
<p>High-risk pools have tended not to be popular with liberal health-care reformers, who would prefer instead deep government involvement in the inner workings of the insurance system. The health-care plan Barack Obama offered when he ran for president in 2008 therefore made no room for the pools, and Obama-campaign surrogates were critical, if not dismissive, of Senator John McCain's proposal to use such pools as part of a broader reform of the health-care system.</p>
<p>President Obama and congressional Democrats remained disdainful of high-risk pools when they began to develop their health-care legislation last year, relying instead on mandates and subsidies for private insurance — along with a substantial expansion of Medicaid — to move toward universal insurance coverage. Unfortunately, their approach to addressing the needs of people with pre-existing conditions is modeled on one that has failed in several state efforts in recent decades: The new law includes an outright ban on insurers' excluding pre-existing conditions from coverage, and on insurers' requiring people with higher health risks to pay higher premiums (older enrollees would still pay more than younger ones, up to a point).</p>
<p>But the new federal law does differ from previous state efforts in one important way: Starting in 2014, health-insurance coverage will no longer be voluntary; every American must either carry insurance or pay a fine. In theory, mandating insurance enrollment should prevent the young and healthy from fleeing the marketplace when their premiums are increased to cover higher-cost cases (thus preventing any regulation-induced meltdown of private insurance markets). But many industry experts argue that the insurance mandate — which charges a penalty of less than $1,000 for failing to purchase insurance that could cost several times that much — will not work as planned, because too many young and healthy people will choose to stay out of the system. For them, it will still make financial sense to go without coverage. The Obama plan could therefore bring about the same cycle that eventually doomed state initiatives in the past.</p>
<p>Furthermore, as part of a legislative ploy to mask Obamacare's full cost and to keep the 10-year Congressional Budget Office score below $1 trillion, the new insurance system will not go into effect until 2014. But to sell the bill to the public, Democrats knew they had to offer something on the pre-existing condition front in the interim. To fill the gap, they turned to the very mechanism they had long derided: high-risk pools. The bill requires that high-risk pools for people with pre-existing conditions be established within three months of the law's enactment (meaning they must begin by the end of June), and operate until January 1, 2014, when the new insurance rules and subsidies would go into effect.</p>
<p>It is clear from the language of the legislation that these high-risk pool provisions were crudely cobbled together as an afterthought to Obamacare's other, more sweeping reforms. Little press or public attention was paid to them either before or after the bill passed. As a result, these provisions are likely to exacerbate the problems faced by states and patients, rather than resolve them.</p>
<p>To begin with, the notion that the new high-risk pools can be up and running effectively within a mere 90 days is sheer fantasy. Although the secretary of Health and Human Services has the authority to contract with existing state-based pools, the requirements for their eligibility as federal partners under the new law will be difficult to meet. As many as 20 states object to participating in the new law's high-risk pool program, including a dozen states already operating their own high-risk pools (which would be required to undergo significant changes). But the alternative — setting up one or more entirely separate, federally managed high-risk pools that would exist for less than four years — would be unnecessarily costly and redundant (even if it could be done quickly and competently, which is a pretty big “if”).</p>
<p>Moreover, the law prohibits the high-risk pools from imposing any pre-existing condition exclusions from coverage. Eligible individuals cannot be charged premiums that exceed the standard non-group insurance rate in each state — a significant departure from the practice of all current state-based high-risk pools (which, to one degree or another, charge higher-than-standard rates). Age-based premiu m rating will be more constrained than it is under state high-risk plans today, and insurers in the new risk pools will be required to pay at least 65% of the costs of covered medical treatments and procedures (clashing with some states' established practices, which require patients to pay for a greater portion of their own treatments). In effect, the new law would impose on the high-risk pools many of the restrictions it will place on insurance coverage, benefits, and premiums in the new health exchanges to be established in 2014 — but three and a half years before the latter are fully drafted and implemented.</p>
<p>The law also grossly underfunds the high-risk pools it requires, authorizing a total of only $5 billion for three and a half years of operation. The bill tries to get around its own tight purse strings by authorizing the newly mandated risk pools to “stop taking applications for participation in the program…to comply with the funding limitation” when the money runs out; it also vaguely empowers the HHS secretary to make “such adjustments as are necessary” to eliminate any deficit in the program during any fiscal year. In addition, the law suppresses potential demand for new high-risk pool coverage by limiting eligibility to people who have already been uninsured for six months. Merely having a pre-existing condition, and being turned down for coverage because of it, will not suffice. Nor can one gain admission to the new pools if one is already enrolled in an existing state high-risk pool but facing higher premiums with greater cost-sharing. After all, people in these circumstances are not “uninsured.”</p>
<p>In other words, then, the secretary of Health and Human Services is first authorized to determine which pre-existing conditions make a potential enrollee eligible for federal high-risk pool coverage — and then, as budget funds run short, is required to figure out how to avoid actually providing that person with the promised health-care coverage. The results are easy to foresee: waiting periods, benefit limits, and rationing of care — all the practices for which the new law's champions like to attack the private insurance industry.</p>
<p>The administration's own cost estimates reflect the degree to which optimistic promises are out of step with harsh reality. In April, the chief actuary of the Department of Health and Human Services released a cost projection for the new program, predicting that the $5 billion the law allocates for three and a half years of high-risk pools will in fact be exhausted in the program's first or second year. The actuary estimates that only 375,000 people shut out of insurance elsewhere will obtain health-care coverage through the high-risk pools — a number that falls far short of the 2 to 4 million people in the targeted population. One can therefore expect that, soon after the program is launched, it will be short of funds and forced to turn applicants away.</p>
<p>This coming failure of Obamacare's high-risk pool component will put the question of pre-existing conditions at the heart of the continuing health-care debate. For opponents of the new law, it will be crucial to show the public that the failure of the temporary high-risk pool is a function of its careless design, but not an indictment of the fundamental concept. They must show the public that the solution to our enduring “pre-existing” problem is a well-designed and well-funded system of state high-risk pools — not the new law's massive and misguided transformation of American health care.</p>
<p>THE REAL SOLUTION</p>
<p>What would a well-designed system of high-risk pools look like? Its guiding principle is straightforward enough: Americans who stay in continuous insurance coverage should not be penalized for developing costly health conditions. Any system capable of upholding this principle would need to incorporate several key components.</p>
<p>First, it would require Congress to fix several of the flaws in HIPAA noted above. Workers leaving job-based plans for the individual market should be able to do so without being penalized for failing to exhaust their COBRA rights. If a worker moves directly from an employer-provided plan to an individual policy, he should not be denied coverage based on a pre-existing condition.</p>
<p>Second, there should be limits (imposed by states, based on broader federal guidelines) on underwriting for people who move from the employer-based market to the individual market. This could be achieved by, for instance, capping the premiums charged to high-risk customers at some fixed level above their standard rates, regardless of income, and then having the government provide supplemental subsidies to the poor on a sliding scale. Another option is to take income as well as risk into account when setting the premium caps — so that if two people have the same risk level, the wealthier of the two will pay higher premiums. The aim of both ideas is to allow insurers to take higher health risks into account when calculating premiums, while also ensuring that people with expensive health conditions are not completely priced out of the market. (Identifying people at very high risks could also help insurers to better tailor health-care interventions in order to encourage these customers to change their behavior and lower their risks over time.)</p>
<p>Of course, limiting premiums this way will mean that the gap between a customer's contribution and the actual cost of insuring him must be bridged with taxpayer dollars through high-risk pool programs in the states. If these programs are to function properly, they must therefore be well funded — somewhere in the range of $15 to $20 billion per year. This funding should come in the form of a capped annual appropriation to the states from Congress. Making high-risk pools an open-ended entitlement — like, say, Medicaid — would create the same problems of runaway costs that are likely to plague the whole of the Democrats' health-reform plan. It is therefore better to set initially generous, but still firmly limited, annual appropriations; only after the program has undergone the necessary trial and error of implementation and practice — thus providing a better sense of the pools' actual needs and costs — should lawmakers re-examine the funding commitments.</p>
<p>Third, the risk pools themselves must be structured properly to prevent participating private insurers from dumping unwanted (but not truly high-risk) customers into the public-subsidy system. If an insurer believes that an applicant's health status argues for charging him a premium higher than, say, 1.5 times the standard rate, the insurer should be allowed to direct the customer to the high-risk pool program in his state. The job of determining eligibility for the subsidy should be contracted out by the state to a neutral third party with experience in medical-insurance underwriting, with private insurers collaborating to determine in advance the criteria for high-risk selection. If the third party finds no basis for designating the applicant an unusually high risk, the insurer seeking the evaluation would be required to take the applicant at no more than the maximum rate of (in this example) 1.5 times the standard premium. (And if the insurer makes failed claims too often, it would pay additional penalty fees to the state — thus discouraging so-called “risk dumping.”) But if the insurer's application is deemed valid, the state would subsidize the individual's high premium in its high-risk pool program, taking into account the enrollee's income and other resources.</p>
<p>Fourth, insurers participating in the individual market would need to offer coverage without a new risk assessment to anyone who has maintained an individual policy for some minimum period when he applies for a new one. This would mean that market entrants would face a risk evaluation only once; they would then have the right to renew their policies at the same rate class from any licensed insurer.</p>
<p>Finally, when these reforms are first implemented, there wi ll need to be a one-time open-season enrollment period to allow people who have fallen through the cracks over the years to re-establish their rights by maintaining continuous coverage. Those who have forfeited their coverage would get just one chance to become insured under the new rules (though perhaps at higher rates than those who had not forfeited their rights); once the enrollment window closed, everyone would know that people who remain continuously insured are protected, and that those who choose not to become insured have taken a risk.</p>
<p>A BETTER WAY</p>
<p>This approach to covering pre-existing conditions would not be inexpensive, of course. But its price tag would be tiny compared to the recent health-care bill's. And using high-risk pools to cover people who are uninsured because of pre-existing medical conditions would not cede all power over our health-care system to bureaucrats in Washington. Nor would it disrupt insurance arrangements that are working well for the vast majority of Americans. It would leave in place the many protections already available to people in the much larger employer-based insurance market. Indeed, it would likely ease cost pressures on many Americans who are currently insured — by properly funding high-risk individuals who are now pushing insurance premiums up for everyone.</p>
<p>The many advantages of high-risk pools create an opening for opponents of Obama's approach. Critics should seize the chance to present a coherent case to the public for replacing the deeply flawed new law — advancing in its place a series of targeted, incremental solutions to the specific problems plaguing our health-care system.</p>
<p>The challenge of covering Americans with pre-existing conditions offers the earliest, and perhaps best, proving ground for their case. It is a challenge that those who oppose Obamacare's overreach should embrace — not a vulnerability that should scare them away from the cause of repeal.</p>
<p>James C. Capretta is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Tom Miller is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.</p> | false | 1 | healthcare legislation enacted spring followed year heated rancorous debate rather subdue publics passions bills passage stoked opposition new law remains high republicans made clear intention push repeal gain control congress white house 2010 2012 part president obama champions legislation insist public attitudes soon change americans come appreciate law argue people better grasp benefits foremost among benefits laws prohibition preexisting condition exclusions health insurance would prevent insurance companies denying coverage customers serious medical problems like healthcare bills major provisions ban take full effect 2014 mere prospect finally addressing preexisting condition problem held enormous selling point law long last bills advocates claim america solution profound failing current system solution eliminate source worry millions opponents would dare undo indeed describing plight young woman audience rally attended april obama told crowd opponents law want look lauren gallagher eye tell plan take away fathers ability get health insurancethey run platform presidents dramatic talents notwithstanding choice presents false one face eitheror showdown cruelly denying sick people treatment massive new federal healthinsurance entitlement problem covering americans preexisting conditions certainly real notion way solve massive transformation americas healthcare system one increase costs raise taxes displace millions happily insured create new entitlement undermine private insurance sector simply wrong case repealing newly enacted law problems solve american health care rather far better solutions available preexisting dilemma challenge covering people preexisting conditions function way healthinsurance system evolved many years especially fact largely employerbased voluntary distorted complex subsidies regulations favor insurance purchasers others since working americans get health insurance benefit employment losing changing jobs often means losing changing insurance coverage result people continuously covered plan throughout lives move directly one employersponsored health plan another disruption usually problem reasons laid whenever someone choice necessity leaves employersponsored insurance purchase health insurance switch coverage present several challenges voluntary individual insurance market insurers must means preventing large mismatches premiums take claims likely need pay classic form mismatch case consumer waits sick purchase enroll individual insurance plan insurer offers coverage person without pricing expected costs enrollees illness premium expense paying medical claims almost certainly exceed premiums collected practice also encourage people buy insurance need draw problem known adverse selection pay insurance youre healthy buy price get sick would equivalent purchasing auto insurance youve totaled car insurers would obviously go bankrupt business model insurers selling directly individual consumers use two practices prevent widespread adverse selection first try take account health status prospective customers determining premiums process called underwriting consider applicants age demographic factors certain cases medical history second instances deny coverage preexisting conditions set period time customer enrolls buys insurance changes insurers already diagnosed costly condition immediately use new coverage pay medical claims associated existing ailment taken together two practices led preexisting condition problem people sick find without healthcare coverage without ability secure coverage affordable price sometimes fault rhetoric politicians one might think dilemma lies core americas healthcare crisis fact problem relatively contained senior citizens get healthcare coverage medicare poor medicaid americans employerbased coverage run across preexisting condition problem primarily affects subgroup sick workingage americans receive health coverage employers qualify medicaid able buy coverage individual market health conditions make premiums high cause insurers reject altogether preexisting conditions much issue vastly larger employerbased insurance market several reasons first jobbased plans implicitly community rated products meaning everyone covered plan charged less price underwriting individual patients therefore minimal insurers sell group plans firms based risk profile entire work force high costs caring workers diabetes instance balanced relatively low costs associated healthy coworkers risk levels employer plans also somewhat contained plans nature relatively healthy people likely show work regularly stay employed gain access jobrelated insurance benefits course techniques spreading risk always work perfectly smaller firms may fewer workers across occasional highcost risk might spread industries like automobile manufacturing coal mining balance new healthy workers older unhealthy ones may unfavorably tipped demographic economic factors even within larger firms evidence employers sometimes reduce cash wages adjust cost insuring workers particularly older obese ones whose actual healthcare expenses likely much higher average still whole sick healthy pay roughly premiums jobbased plans insurers see sustainable business practice selling group allows balancing high low risks moreover 1996 congress provided important protection workers making unlawful employersponsored plans impose exclusions preexisting conditions workers continuous group insurance coverage means person stays covered jobbased plans long enough usually six months move one job another without fear losing insurance protection ha ving wait longer new hires gaining coverage ailments may developed new hire maintained insurance old job new employers plan must cover even worker developed expensive medical condition theory law called health insurance portability accountability act hipaa also provided portability rights people moving jobbased plans individually owned coverage law gave state governments options meeting mandate could establish highrisk pools discussed approach states followed could require individualmarket health insurers within states offer insurance eligible individuals without limits coverage preexisting medical conditions could use regulatory powers create mix rules would similar results unfortunately none approaches worked well enough today many people still end falling cracks problem starts hipaas requirement worker first exhaust right temporary continuous coverage former employers plan federal program called cobra lets workers keep buying employers insurance plans generally 18 months leaving jobs enter individual insurance market without preexisting condition exclusion many workers aware requirement though employers must advise written notice even premiums required stay employers plan cobra often high pay cobra premiums must cover employer employee share costs generally provide expensive comprehensive benefits individualmarket alternatives unlike premiums paid employerbased plans cobra premiums receive tax advantage making expensive still result many workers facing fully loaded sticker shock price choose pay premiums simply hoping best find new jobs new coverage inadvertently waive hipaa rights leaving vulnerable exclusions high costs preexisting conditions try buy insurance even sick person abides hipaas requirements remains continuously insured thereby protecting preexisting condition exclusions individual market nothing current federal law prevents insurers charging charge healthy people insurers prohibited denying coverage preexisting condition altogether quite permissible however insurance providers charge unaffordable premiums unless individual states laws happen prevent restrict practice thus achieving essentially outcome likewise current law regulations provide premium protections persons moving individual insurance policies healthy worker leaves employer plan individual market might find affordable plan first ever wanted switch insurers forced say moving new state would face risk premium recalculated based new assessment health course fact problem preexisting condition coverage limited almost entirely individual market mean pervades market 2008 request us department health human services health economists mark pauly bradley herring examined people chronic health conditions thus high anticipated healthcare expenses actually fared seeking insurance individual market pauly herring found little evidence enrollees poor health generally paid higher premiums individual insurance find onset chronic conditions necessarily associated increased premiums subsequent years existing guaranteed renewability requirements federal state law already prevent insurers continuously reclassifying people premiums pay based health risks private insurers already provided protection standard business practice legally required even exclusions prohibitive premiums caused preexisting conditions universal problem individual insurance market clearly affect many americans estimates range 2 4 million total population 260 million people age 65 important sheer number however fact many americans know someone faced situation directly fear could find boat explains strong public support changing way insurance companies treat preexisting conditions people find unacceptable responsible fellow citizens tried stay insured throughout lives suddenly find sick unable get adequate coverage hand insurers clearly need way aligning premiums risks order stay financially solvent smaller individual market often operates last resort lacking better insurance options employers insurers must plan risk people seeking individual coverage believe need substantial medical attention course insurers incentives avoid excessive underwriting one thing screening expensive another insurers screen aggressively lose customers whose care would fact costly insurance companies balance benefits screening costs individual market less others indeed extensive research area pauly herring demonstrated already great deal pooling health risks individual market people clearly still get covered question done effective solution would heavyhanded regulation rather new insurance marketplace built around truly portable individually owned insurance households firms chose controlled insurance plans people would longer face risks come changing coverage based new employment arrangements carrying insurance plan one job next even periods job individuals would keep coverage even health status changed moreover insurers would strong incentives could keep enrollees healthy knowing full well could enrolled many years health insurance supposed work moving true insurance portability easy require fundamental reform tax treatment health insurance order level playing field plans owned employers owned individuals well reworking current insurance regulations reforms face long political odds even changes happen would still need way covering people already suffer costly health conditions could easily buy portable insurance even new system got running short transformation done help people shut current system states attempted address problem imposing price controls healthinsurance premiums requiring insurers sell comers regardless health status rule called guaranteed issue standard rates community rating caused insurers increase premiums c harge everyone else even young healthy customers order make losses associated enrollment expensive cases belowcost premiums premiums rise younger healthier customers voluntary marketplace significant number people weighing low risk expensive illness high cost buying health insurance drop coverage altogether pool enrollees thus becomes older less healthy driving premium costs enrollees remain resulting vicious cycle triggered excessive regulation cause many consumers insurers flee entire market collapse happened washington state kentucky reforms tried 1990s repealed replaced new federal healthcare legislation meanwhile aims solve preexisting problem dramatically transforming entire healthcare system even though insured americans quite happy coverage creating enormous expensive system regulations entitlements obamacare thus creates even greater risk system collapse case taxpayers picking pieces often happens though model promising national solution begun emerge states across country state policymakers turned approach require fundamental transformation insurance marketplace creation highrisk pools unfortunately statelevel efforts sufficiently ambitious adequately funded would also badly undermined new federal healthcare law law fact repealed reformers concerned problem preexisting conditions champion system robust wellfunded highrisk pools smart effective solution promise shortcomings highrisk pools basically policy mechanism bridging gap high cost providing insurance patients predictably expensive preexisting health conditions comparatively low premiums patients afford states established programs pool highly regulated independent nonprofit entity functions insurance program offering selection healthbenefit plans work managing benefits interacting customers collection premiums payment claims usually contracted participating private insurance companies states riskpool program run directly state health insurance department contracts key management functions private insurers people try get insurance denied receive unaffordable coverage offers may apply participate highrisk pool program programs administrators determine applicants eligibility common eligibility criteria states include one following rejected coverage based health reasons private insurers refused coverage except rates exceeding subsidized premium offered highrisk pool received private coverage offers restrictive riders preexisting condition limitations existence particular medical conditions like hiv aids cancer diabetes presumed result rejection health insurers dependent person eligible highrisk pool coverage pools also often cover people maintained continuous coverage hipaa rules need find new insurance arrangements individual market everyone pool definition highrisk profile average claim costs necessarily quite high eligible individuals premiums capped various levels standard rates beyond caps premium payments fully subsidized various public revenue sources idea people pay premiums afford difference payments real cost insurance made taxpayers theory pools help provide coverage people preexisting conditions also help lower premium costs rest insurance marketplace uncertainty involved covering least healthy consumers would removed cost structure financed normal premium payments done premiums go become attractive lowerrisk customers thus expanding pool premium payers lowering costs everyone else first highrisk pools instituted minnesota connecticut back 1976 today 35 states operate version plans 2008 approximately 200000 people enrolled state highrisk pools average length enrollment three years 20 25 enrollees leave year average age enrolled 49 premium costs enrollees highrisk pools must pay generally capped levels 125 150 standard market rates although states like texas south carolina go 200 higher others like minnesota cap even 125 categories beneficiaries premium revenue contributed enrollees amounted half 54 total highrisk pool funding 2008 rest came combination assessments private insurance carriers 232 state general revenues 5 state tobacco taxes 22 federal grants 17 total 286 million awarded states establish new highrisk pools subsidize existing ones federal program operation since 2002 less transparent categories assessments 74 63 comprised rest funding sources although highrisk pools helped hundreds thousands americans nonetheless fallen far short meeting needs meant address addition large differences among state plans terms eligibility rules benefit design premium prices subsidies financing also huge discrepancies comes effectiveness pools main shortcoming every instance though large mismatch number people need amount money made available subsidize many people might face preexisting condition exclusions might benefit highrisk pools simple question several serious attempts made recent years arrive reliable figure 2001 survey department health human services respondents asked ever denied health insurance poor health data collected indicate 2 million people might eligible enrollment highrisk pools different study using 2006 data government accountability office determined roughly percentage uninsured individuals least one chronic health condition applied census estimates average number uninsured people state existing highrisk pool aim get sense many people might covered pools available needed gao concluded many 4 million americans could covered generously funded highrisk pools 20 times number covered recently university pennsylvania health economist mark pauly looked data number people chronic health conditions whose expected medical expenses twice national average first estimated total nationwide highrisk group around 4 under65 population excluding people receiving medicaid number low millio ns pauly ultimately concluded number people highrisk looking coverage individual market given point far lower order tens thousands regardless particular sources estimating methods however clear demand premium assistance among high expected health costs far exceeds state highrisk pools current financial capacity assuming higher ranges estimates correct would cost use highrisk pools cover 2 4 million people initial assessment might best start 2008 average subsidized cost 4341 per pool enrollee amount states contributed programs beyond premiums paid enrollees assume many 4 million people might need seek highrisk pool coverage annual cost public subsidies could high 17 billion variables might include whether new enrollees likely somewhat less costly current ones since situations might less dire whether benefits costsharing levels less generous current highrisk pool coverage whether additional incomebased subsidies enrollees included suggests rough estimate 15 20 billion per year comprehensive set highrisk pool programs given cost fiscal stresses state governments feeling days surprising statebased pools underfunded closed many potential beneficiaries indeed common complaint highrisk pools coverage remains expensive limited state pools offer comprehensive insurance benefits sort people employerbased coverage receive generally 20 coinsurance although tend impose higher deductibles lower lifetimecoverage limits private insurers furthermore control costs current state highrisk pools actually impose preexisting condition exclusion periods ranging two months one year enrollees forfeited never accrued portability rights hipaa facing fiscal pressures many states also particularly aggressive trying boost highrisk pool enrollment advertising outreach potential enrollees eager pay commissions generous paid private insurers insurance agents bring customers short lack adequate financing still leaves millions potential highrisk beneficiaries inferior options sometimes options healthcare coverage highrisk pools offer plausible promising conceptual model covering people preexisting conditions reallife implementation least date left much room improvement champions promarket healthcare reform therefore urge states properly design operate highrisk pools call federal government properly fund pools would offer effective yet far less expensive intrusive approach problem covering preexisting conditions tack taken new healthcare law soon well important provisions take effect 2014 law put preexisting conditions risk pools front center national healthcare debate obamacares shallow pools highrisk pools tended popular liberal healthcare reformers would prefer instead deep government involvement inner workings insurance system healthcare plan barack obama offered ran president 2008 therefore made room pools obamacampaign surrogates critical dismissive senator john mccains proposal use pools part broader reform healthcare system president obama congressional democrats remained disdainful highrisk pools began develop healthcare legislation last year relying instead mandates subsidies private insurance along substantial expansion medicaid move toward universal insurance coverage unfortunately approach addressing needs people preexisting conditions modeled one failed several state efforts recent decades new law includes outright ban insurers excluding preexisting conditions coverage insurers requiring people higher health risks pay higher premiums older enrollees would still pay younger ones point new federal law differ previous state efforts one important way starting 2014 healthinsurance coverage longer voluntary every american must either carry insurance pay fine theory mandating insurance enrollment prevent young healthy fleeing marketplace premiums increased cover highercost cases thus preventing regulationinduced meltdown private insurance markets many industry experts argue insurance mandate charges penalty less 1000 failing purchase insurance could cost several times much work planned many young healthy people choose stay system still make financial sense go without coverage obama plan could therefore bring cycle eventually doomed state initiatives past furthermore part legislative ploy mask obamacares full cost keep 10year congressional budget office score 1 trillion new insurance system go effect 2014 sell bill public democrats knew offer something preexisting condition front interim fill gap turned mechanism long derided highrisk pools bill requires highrisk pools people preexisting conditions established within three months laws enactment meaning must begin end june operate january 1 2014 new insurance rules subsidies would go effect clear language legislation highrisk pool provisions crudely cobbled together afterthought obamacares sweeping reforms little press public attention paid either bill passed result provisions likely exacerbate problems faced states patients rather resolve begin notion new highrisk pools running effectively within mere 90 days sheer fantasy although secretary health human services authority contract existing statebased pools requirements eligibility federal partners new law difficult meet many 20 states object participating new laws highrisk pool program including dozen states already operating highrisk pools would required undergo significant changes alternative setting one entirely separate federally managed highrisk pools would exist less four years would unnecessarily costly redundant even could done quickly competently pretty big moreover law prohibits highrisk pools imposing preexisting condition exclusions coverage eligible individuals charged premiums exceed standard nongroup insurance rate state significant departure practice current statebased highrisk pools one degree another charge higherthanstandard rates agebased premiu rating constrained state highrisk plans today insurers new risk pools required pay least 65 costs covered medical treatments procedures clashing states established practices require patients pay greater portion treatments effect new law would impose highrisk pools many restrictions place insurance coverage benefits premiums new health exchanges established 2014 three half years latter fully drafted implemented law also grossly underfunds highrisk pools requires authorizing total 5 billion three half years operation bill tries get around tight purse strings authorizing newly mandated risk pools stop taking applications participation programto comply funding limitation money runs also vaguely empowers hhs secretary make adjustments necessary eliminate deficit program fiscal year addition law suppresses potential demand new highrisk pool coverage limiting eligibility people already uninsured six months merely preexisting condition turned coverage suffice one gain admission new pools one already enrolled existing state highrisk pool facing higher premiums greater costsharing people circumstances uninsured words secretary health human services first authorized determine preexisting conditions make potential enrollee eligible federal highrisk pool coverage budget funds run short required figure avoid actually providing person promised healthcare coverage results easy foresee waiting periods benefit limits rationing care practices new laws champions like attack private insurance industry administrations cost estimates reflect degree optimistic promises step harsh reality april chief actuary department health human services released cost projection new program predicting 5 billion law allocates three half years highrisk pools fact exhausted programs first second year actuary estimates 375000 people shut insurance elsewhere obtain healthcare coverage highrisk pools number falls far short 2 4 million people targeted population one therefore expect soon program launched short funds forced turn applicants away coming failure obamacares highrisk pool component put question preexisting conditions heart continuing healthcare debate opponents new law crucial show public failure temporary highrisk pool function careless design indictment fundamental concept must show public solution enduring preexisting problem welldesigned wellfunded system state highrisk pools new laws massive misguided transformation american health care real solution would welldesigned system highrisk pools look like guiding principle straightforward enough americans stay continuous insurance coverage penalized developing costly health conditions system capable upholding principle would need incorporate several key components first would require congress fix several flaws hipaa noted workers leaving jobbased plans individual market able without penalized failing exhaust cobra rights worker moves directly employerprovided plan individual policy denied coverage based preexisting condition second limits imposed states based broader federal guidelines underwriting people move employerbased market individual market could achieved instance capping premiums charged highrisk customers fixed level standard rates regardless income government provide supplemental subsidies poor sliding scale another option take income well risk account setting premium caps two people risk level wealthier two pay higher premiums aim ideas allow insurers take higher health risks account calculating premiums also ensuring people expensive health conditions completely priced market identifying people high risks could also help insurers better tailor healthcare interventions order encourage customers change behavior lower risks time course limiting premiums way mean gap customers contribution actual cost insuring must bridged taxpayer dollars highrisk pool programs states programs function properly must therefore well funded somewhere range 15 20 billion per year funding come form capped annual appropriation states congress making highrisk pools openended entitlement like say medicaid would create problems runaway costs likely plague whole democrats healthreform plan therefore better set initially generous still firmly limited annual appropriations program undergone necessary trial error implementation practice thus providing better sense pools actual needs costs lawmakers reexamine funding commitments third risk pools must structured properly prevent participating private insurers dumping unwanted truly highrisk customers publicsubsidy system insurer believes applicants health status argues charging premium higher say 15 times standard rate insurer allowed direct customer highrisk pool program state job determining eligibility subsidy contracted state neutral third party experience medicalinsurance underwriting private insurers collaborating determine advance criteria highrisk selection third party finds basis designating applicant unusually high risk insurer seeking evaluation would required take applicant maximum rate example 15 times standard premium insurer makes failed claims often would pay additional penalty fees state thus discouraging socalled risk dumping insurers application deemed valid state would subsidize individuals high premium highrisk pool program taking account enrollees income resources fourth insurers participating individual market would need offer coverage without new risk assessment anyone maintained individual policy minimum period applies new one would mean market entrants would face risk evaluation would right renew policies rate class licensed insurer finally reforms first implemented wi need onetime openseason enrollment period allow people fallen cracks years reestablish rights maintaining continuous coverage forfeited coverage would get one chance become insured new rules though perhaps higher rates forfeited rights enrollment window closed everyone would know people remain continuously insured protected choose become insured taken risk better way approach covering preexisting conditions would inexpensive course price tag would tiny compared recent healthcare bills using highrisk pools cover people uninsured preexisting medical conditions would cede power healthcare system bureaucrats washington would disrupt insurance arrangements working well vast majority americans would leave place many protections already available people much larger employerbased insurance market indeed would likely ease cost pressures many americans currently insured properly funding highrisk individuals pushing insurance premiums everyone many advantages highrisk pools create opening opponents obamas approach critics seize chance present coherent case public replacing deeply flawed new law advancing place series targeted incremental solutions specific problems plaguing healthcare system challenge covering americans preexisting conditions offers earliest perhaps best proving ground case challenge oppose obamacares overreach embrace vulnerability scare away cause repeal james c capretta fellow ethics public policy center tom miller resident fellow american enterprise institute | 3,863 |
<p>EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Mike_Zimmer/" type="external">Mike Zimmer</a> did more than confirm the obvious by saying <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Case_Keenum/" type="external">Case Keenum</a> will continue on as starting quarterback as the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Minnesota-Vikings/" type="external">Minnesota Vikings</a> take an 8-2 record and a six-game win streak to Detroit for a key NFC North showdown on Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>The crusty head coach also didn’t soften his language for the cameras when expressing what it is he likes about Keenum’s style of play.</p>
<p>“The thing I like the most about Case is he’s got big balls,” Zimmer said Tuesday when asked about his quarterback’s sometimes risky play. “He’s not afraid. He’s going to pull the trigger and he is going to play like that. That’s a good thing.”</p>
<p>Hey, it’s working. Keenum, a career backup, has played all but six quarters of a season that’s seen the Vikings stretch their lead in the NFC North to two games over the Lions and three over the Packers.</p>
<p>In 300 pass attempts, he has been sacked only five times and thrown just five interceptions. He has been sacked only once in the six games since the Vikings lost to the Lions 14-7 at U.S. Bank Stadium on Oct. 1.</p>
<p>But, yes, there are times when Keenum takes risks and somehow gets away with it. Or, as Zimmer put it, “He’s playing with a horseshoe” right now.</p>
<p>“First of all, you want to take care of the football,” Keenum said. “That’s the hopes and dreams of your team when you have the football in your hands. That’s why every decision I make is important.</p>
<p>“But with that being said, you want to be able to give your guys a chance (to make a play). Some chances are better than others. Some risks are better than others. There’s a lot of give and take and ways you can look at it. But just trying to keep doing what I’m doing.”</p>
<p>The importance of Thursday’s game can’t be understated. Win, and the Vikings have a three-game lead in the division with five to play. Lose, and the lead is one game with the Lions owning the first tiebreaker, head-to-head.</p>
<p>The Vikings have lost three straight to the Lions and are 2-5 against them with Zimmer as head coach. But only once in those five losses did the Lions score more than 16 points. And that was 22 points with a touchdown in overtime.</p>
<p>Now, the offensive line has gone from the biggest weakness a year ago to the top strength this year. The running game is rolling. <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Adam-Thielen/" type="external">Adam Thielen</a> is one of the best receivers in the league. And whatever Keenum does always seems to turn out right.</p>
<p>“I’ve always believed I could play at a high level,” Keenum said. “I’ve always had confidence in myself.”</p>
<p>SERIES HISTORY: 113th regular-season meeting. Vikings lead series, 71-39-2. Vikings are 32-23-1 at Detroit, but lost 16-13 at Ford Field on Thanksgiving last season. The Vikings are 2-5 against the Lions during the Mike Zimmer era. They have lost three straight, including a 14-7 setback at U.S. Bank Stadium on Oct. 1.</p>
<p>–A day after the 2015 season ended, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer fired offensive line coach Jeff Davidson.</p>
<p>When asked why he did so, Zimmer growled, “Because I wanted to.”</p>
<p>He wasn’t happy about the shoddy offensive line play during an 11-5, division-winning season.</p>
<p>Injuries derailed any chance of new line coach <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Tony_Sparano/" type="external">Tony Sparano</a> turning the tide in 2016. Decimated by midseason, the line was the team’s No. 1 weakness in a season-ending 3-8 slide.</p>
<p>This year, with four new starters, Zimmer is much happier with the guys up front.</p>
<p>“The offensive line,” he said, “is the strength of the team.”</p>
<p>The Vikings signed both starting tackles — Riley Reiff on the left and Mike Remmers on the right — in free agency. Their starting center — <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Pat-Elflein/" type="external">Pat Elflein</a> — came via the third round of the draft.</p>
<p>“A lot of it is about mentality,” Zimmer said of the turnaround. “We brought in a couple guys with the mentality that we’re looking for. Smart guys, tough guys.”</p>
<p>–At 39, cornerback <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Terence_Newman/" type="external">Terence Newman</a> no longer starts. He now shares the nickel-back job with Mackensie Alexander. And he’s still solid when he’s on the field, as evidenced by his two tackles for loss in last week’s win.</p>
<p>But Newman’s contribution goes beyond the field. He’s almost like a father figure to some of the players.</p>
<p>After the Vikings improved to 8-2, it was Newman who tapped the brakes on the runaway assumptions that some reporters were casting out to the players in the locker room after the game.</p>
<p>“I’ve been around this game too long,” Newman said. “I’ve seen things change quickly. You judge the season at the end of the season.”</p>
<p>Head coach Mike Zimmer has coached Newman at Dallas, Cincinnati and Minnesota. He considers the 15-year veteran’s voice to be vital.</p>
<p>“That’s part of who Terence is,” Zimmer said. “He’s always been great in the locker room, good mentor to these young guys. He’s seen a lot of different things throughout his career and plus he’s not afraid to voice his opinion.”</p>
<p>NOTES: QB Case Keenum has gone a franchise-record 102 pass attempts without a sack. The previous record was 98 by <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Fran_Tarkenton/" type="external">Fran Tarkenton</a> in 1972. … WR Adam Thielen has 311 yards after the catch and 605 yards at the catch. He and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Antonio_Brown/" type="external">Antonio Brown</a> are the only two players to rank in the top 10 in both categories. … RB <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Latavius-Murray/" type="external">Latavius Murray</a> has 16 touchdowns since the start of the 2015 season. Only <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Ezekiel-Elliott/" type="external">Ezekiel Elliott</a> (22), <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/LeGarrette_Blount/" type="external">LeGarrette Blount</a> (22) and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/LeSean_McCoy/" type="external">LeSean McCoy</a> (17) have more during that time. … DE Brian Robison was limited in Tuesday’s practice because of a lower back injury that sidelined him on Sunday. If he can’t play, the Vikings will continue to give extra reps to Stephen Weatherly. … RT Mike Remmers was limited in Tuesday’s practice because of a concussion that kept him out of the past two games. If he can’t play, Rashod Hill will get his third straight start. Hill has played well in Remmers’ place. … SS Andrew Sendejo was limited in Tuesday’s practice because of a groin and hamstring injury that sidelined him last week. If he can’t play, Anthony Harris will start for the fourth time this season. He had a team-high seven tackles including a forced fumble that he recovered inside the Vikings’ 1-yard line last week.</p> | false | 1 | eden prairie minn mike zimmer confirm obvious saying case keenum continue starting quarterback minnesota vikings take 82 record sixgame win streak detroit key nfc north showdown thanksgiving crusty head coach also didnt soften language cameras expressing likes keenums style play thing like case hes got big balls zimmer said tuesday asked quarterbacks sometimes risky play hes afraid hes going pull trigger going play like thats good thing hey working keenum career backup played six quarters season thats seen vikings stretch lead nfc north two games lions three packers 300 pass attempts sacked five times thrown five interceptions sacked six games since vikings lost lions 147 us bank stadium oct 1 yes times keenum takes risks somehow gets away zimmer put hes playing horseshoe right first want take care football keenum said thats hopes dreams team football hands thats every decision make important said want able give guys chance make play chances better others risks better others theres lot give take ways look trying keep im importance thursdays game cant understated win vikings threegame lead division five play lose lead one game lions owning first tiebreaker headtohead vikings lost three straight lions 25 zimmer head coach five losses lions score 16 points 22 points touchdown overtime offensive line gone biggest weakness year ago top strength year running game rolling adam thielen one best receivers league whatever keenum always seems turn right ive always believed could play high level keenum said ive always confidence series history 113th regularseason meeting vikings lead series 71392 vikings 32231 detroit lost 1613 ford field thanksgiving last season vikings 25 lions mike zimmer era lost three straight including 147 setback us bank stadium oct 1 day 2015 season ended vikings head coach mike zimmer fired offensive line coach jeff davidson asked zimmer growled wanted wasnt happy shoddy offensive line play 115 divisionwinning season injuries derailed chance new line coach tony sparano turning tide 2016 decimated midseason line teams 1 weakness seasonending 38 slide year four new starters zimmer much happier guys front offensive line said strength team vikings signed starting tackles riley reiff left mike remmers right free agency starting center pat elflein came via third round draft lot mentality zimmer said turnaround brought couple guys mentality looking smart guys tough guys 39 cornerback terence newman longer starts shares nickelback job mackensie alexander hes still solid hes field evidenced two tackles loss last weeks win newmans contribution goes beyond field hes almost like father figure players vikings improved 82 newman tapped brakes runaway assumptions reporters casting players locker room game ive around game long newman said ive seen things change quickly judge season end season head coach mike zimmer coached newman dallas cincinnati minnesota considers 15year veterans voice vital thats part terence zimmer said hes always great locker room good mentor young guys hes seen lot different things throughout career plus hes afraid voice opinion notes qb case keenum gone franchiserecord 102 pass attempts without sack previous record 98 fran tarkenton 1972 wr adam thielen 311 yards catch 605 yards catch antonio brown two players rank top 10 categories rb latavius murray 16 touchdowns since start 2015 season ezekiel elliott 22 legarrette blount 22 lesean mccoy 17 time de brian robison limited tuesdays practice lower back injury sidelined sunday cant play vikings continue give extra reps stephen weatherly rt mike remmers limited tuesdays practice concussion kept past two games cant play rashod hill get third straight start hill played well remmers place ss andrew sendejo limited tuesdays practice groin hamstring injury sidelined last week cant play anthony harris start fourth time season teamhigh seven tackles including forced fumble recovered inside vikings 1yard line last week | 608 |
<p />
<p>Since they began opening their doors to the public toward the end of the eighteenth century, art museums have been repositories of superior art. They have attempted to separate the wheat from the chaff, the permanent and profound from the inferior and transient. They display objects judged by the eye of history to be the most important of the civilizations that produced them. They have been places where visitors view art of the highest order, sanctuaries that offer enlightenment, inspiration, wisdom, and solace, far from the hurly burly of daily life.</p>
<p>But beginning in the 1960s, the idea of museums as sentinels of excellence, education, and expertise was challenged as antiquated, elitist, and just plain wrong. In the last several decades, this postmodern trend toward cultural relativism has accelerated alarmingly.</p>
<p>There are, as we shall see, ongoing attempts to abandon curatorial authority, and quality, in order to turn museums into something between a town hall and a community center. And, amazingly, directors and curators themselves are leading these efforts.&#160;Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?</p>
<p>Museums have long encouraged curators outside their institution to plan or collaborate on exhibitions, but traditionally these have been qualified people with the necessary training and experience to do so. But now, individuals without these credentials are being urged to share, or make, important decisions that affect the very nature of these places. It’s a little like asking someone who has never played the game to referee a tennis match.</p>
<p>This is nowhere better seen than at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Last year, the museum launched an online survey describing six possible exhibitions. It asked respondents: “Based on the description above, how likely would you be to visit the&#160;IMA&#160;to view this exhibition?”</p>
<p>Among the six were: “The Art of Forgery,” “Japanese Paintings,” “The Rise of Robotics,” “Hot Cars, High Fashion, Cool Stuff,”&#160;and “Orchids.”</p>
<p>By conducting the survey, the museum invited everyone with an internet connection, whether museum members, visitors, or anyone who just wanted to offer an opinion, to weigh in on what sorts of exhibitions were worthy of support and production.</p>
<p>Now, it is quite possible that some of the respondents had deep pockets of knowledge about art and museums, but it’s more likely that the vote was less informed, really only a popularity contest.</p>
<p>The results of the survey have not been released, but I’d bet on hot cars and cool stuff or robotics over Japanese paintings.</p>
<p>In another attempt to involve the community in some of its curatorial decisions, the museum established an Office of Art Grievances. Managed by the museum’s Public Projects team, it provides “a system for the public to formally file a complaint against ‘Art,’ either ‘generally or specifically.’ ”</p>
<p>Complaints are sent to the Orwellian-sounding Office of Art Resolutions, “where an official will attempt to remedy the art-related issue.” The purpose of the office is to produce “a feedback loop between audience and institution,” creating “an opportunity to examine the things about art that cause us distress and angst.”</p>
<p>Whether this “feedback loop” directly influences decisions about which works the museum hangs or what sort of exhibitions it mounts is unclear, but one can be fairly certain that it will cause curators to think twice about displaying an object that has a rap sheet.</p>
<p>And will the museum begin to think about its galleries as “safe spaces” devoid of micro-aggressions that might, in some way, cause angst to its visitors? (It’s hard not to believe that all of this is a hoax, but there is a page on the museum’s website describing the office and its responsibilities.)</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>By&#160;subcontracting some of its traditional curatorial responsibilities to the public, the Indianapolis Museum of Art (which now has an eighteen-hole miniature golf course) is following the lead of a number of other institutions.</p>
<p>For example, in 2010, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis organized an exhibition called “50/50: Audience and Experts Curate the Paper Collection.” The Gallery displayed 183 images of works on paper on its website and presented it to the public—or what the Walker calls, tellingly, the “audience.” Respondents were to vote “definitely” or “maybe not” (which I assume the Walker counted in the “no” column) on which works were to be included in the exhibition. Around 250,000 people cast ballots.</p>
<p>The Walker’s chief curator said that she “was interested in enabling a public voice in this exhibition” and “taking advantage of the natural impulse people have when encountering art to form an opinion.” Exactly how informed these opinions could be from looking at 183 electronic images of objects that most of the voters had never seen is questionable. As Robert Hughes aptly remarked, the relation of a reproduction to an actual work of art “is that of a shrunken head to a real one.”</p>
<p>Nonetheless, the Walker’s website claims, “This shared exchange sparks a range of questions about the dynamics between ‘audience’ and ‘expert,’ or between curatorial practice and so-called ‘mass taste,’ ” and the exercise “touches on a broader contrast between the act of making aesthetic judgments in an online context and the experience of looking at and thinking about art up close, without time constraints.”</p>
<p>A grant recently awarded to the Walker by the St. Paul–based Bush Foundation encourages an even larger transformation of the traditional role of museums.</p>
<p>A Walker press release states that the grant will transform how the museum “operates” in “a rapidly changing landscape in which the conventional roles of artist-as-sole-creator, audience-as-passive-receiver, and curator-as-institutional-gatekeeper are being rewritten.” Here the role of the curator as institutional “gatekeeper” is being challenged, as well as the artist’s “conventional role” as a single creator of art. And, I very much doubt that many of the visitors to the Walker are simply “passive” receivers, and to call them such is a bit condescending.</p>
<p>“With funds provided by the Bush Foundation,” the release continues, the museum will change “the rules of engagement” with artists and the audience by inviting the latter to be “active” participants in the “creation and interpretation” of its programs.</p>
<p>Seattle’s Frye Founding Collection is also changing the rules of engagement. Last year it posted all of its 232 paintings on the social media sites Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr for what it said was a crowd-curated event.</p>
<p>Viewers were told: “It’s that thing where you&#160;♥&#160;an image and that painting goes in an exhibition. You do what you do: Like what you like.” The museum bragged that it was “disrupting” museum practice by turning “the Frye over to you.” The most “liked” paintings were to be displayed in the museum, along with the respondents’ names and, in some cases, their comments. And, in fact, the exhibition featured the names of scores of survey takers on its gallery walls—an excellent example of the narcissistic selfie culture of social media.</p>
<p>In 2015, the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History went a step beyond the selfie. It solicited not votes or comments from an online audience, but actual objects to be included in an exhibition entitled “Everybody’s Ocean.” Anyone who lived in Central or Northern California was invited to submit a piece. It was, the museum claimed, a chance for them to offer “salty, seaworthy, sultry, swirling visual art about the sea.” There was no explanation about what constituted “seaworthy” art. Painted surfboards?</p>
<p>The museum listed some suggestions for works that might qualify for acceptance. They included the drawing by a two-year-old that had been “hanging on your refrigerator” for several months, or some video shot while surfing.</p>
<p>The sole requirement was that the entry had to depict the author’s “personal relationship” with the ocean, presumably the Pacific. Of course, there was no mention of quality because it was assumed that all of the objects submitted would be worthy of a museum exhibition, including, I would assume, a Paint-by-Numbers of the Pacific Ocean.</p>
<p>Two hundred and seventy-one “pieces” were submitted for this New Age exhibition. Some of these, the museum said, were curated (by museum personnel?), while the others were crowd-sourced, which must mean that they were accepted simply because they were submitted. One wonders if the toddler’s drawing made the final cut.</p>
<p>“Everybody’s Ocean” was rightly met with criticism in the Santa Cruz and national press (Judith Dobrzynski has covered it and other subcontracted exhibitions) for its abandonment of the standards that museums traditionally uphold when they display works, either from their own collections or borrowed for special exhibition.</p>
<p>One brave curator at the Santa Cruz Museum quit, saying that her duties included researching and selecting works for exhibitions that have aesthetic excellence, but that when the institution fails to uphold those responsibilities “no one wins.”</p>
<p>Justin Hoover, a museum official, brushed off potential complaints from professional artists that their work would by displayed next to pieces by amateurs (including that two-year-old?). He wondered “why it is that we should define their work as better than the work in question.” Even the possibility of one thing being better than another doesn’t exist in the postmodern world of Mr. Hoover. The quaint notion that museums are deciders of quality is a thing of the oppressive past where curators dared to pass judgment on art.</p>
<p>The Santa Cruz Museum is directed by Nina Simon, one of the apostles of the museum as community center. An engineer by training, she came to the Santa Cruz Museum from the Spy Museum in Washington,&#160;D.C., determined to shake things up. And, indeed, she has succeeded in increasing attendance at the museum through exhibitions like “Everyone’s Ocean.” But at what price?</p>
<p>There are no curators on her staff, only “catalysts.” There is a “catalyst” for community engagement, another for “public playmaking,” and yet another “catalyst” for collections. It’s a trendy, imprecise title, but it suggests change rather than stability, and playmaking instead of reasoned judgment, which is exactly Simon’s point.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Museums, of any sort, that relinquish their curatorial functions to their visitors are now in luck. They are about to receive the blessing, encouragement, and support (millions of dollars of it) of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).</p>
<p>Leading this postmodernist charge is William “Bro” Adams, the&#160;NEH chairman who was appointed by President Obama in 2015. In a recent interview with&#160;Museum&#160;magazine, he laid out his vision: “The museum as a cloistered place is breaking down into the museum as a community-embedded institution.” “[M]useums,” he added, “are much more public-facing entities,” and they and their audiences are “increasingly interactive and integrated into the public life of their communities.” This statement conveniently slights the important public role that museums have played in Western culture because it is not quite what Mr. Adams has in mind for the future.</p>
<p>Karen Mittelman, Mr. Adams’s Director of Public Programs, the&#160;NEH division that funds museums and their programming (sometimes up to a million dollars apiece), thinks like her boss.</p>
<p>In a revealing article for&#160;Humanities&#160;(the&#160;NEH’s glossy house organ) weirdly entitled “Museums in the Age of Social,” Mittelman lays out her vision for the brave new world of museums. After surveying the&#160;NEH’s history of support for large-scale traveling exhibitions, she declares them, more or less, artifacts of the past. Now, she claims, nameless museum leaders are switching direction and putting more emphasis on “community engagement.” She declares that the field is changing and “it’s time for the&#160;NEH&#160;to change with it.”</p>
<p>In the recent past, we are told, museum visitors would see galleries full of objects chosen by a curator, who, as Mittelman puts it, gave “authoritative voice” to what one saw.</p>
<p>Nowadays, she explains, “this kind of static display seems almost antiquated.” Here, of course, the implication is that “authoritative voice” itself is passé, that the old-fashioned sort of judgment about quality and worth is not necessarily a good thing—except of course when Mittelman is exercising it to dole out grants.</p>
<p>Today, she writes, the many institutions funded by the&#160;NEH increasingly serve as “town halls,” places where “citizens can come together to talk and debate issues of significance to their communities.” Some readers of Mittelman’s words may wonder why such conversations can’t take place in real town halls, not pretend ones. “The role of the museum,” she says, “is being reimagined from within and without, amounting to an epic shift in expectations.”</p>
<p>Mittelman and Mr. Adams want to bestow the&#160;NEH&#160;imprimatur, and shower taxpayer dollars, on recent efforts (some of which we have seen above) to turn museums from sanctuaries of art into community centers.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>It is likely they will have some success. As I observed from my stint at the&#160;NEH, when money, sometimes a considerable amount of it, is offered, many institutions tend to align their thinking with&#160;NEH grant guidelines.</p>
<p>But the&#160;NEH&#160;shouldn’t be leading from behind by backing trendy efforts that undermine the time-tested traditional role of museums to carefully curate, research, display, and make critical judgments about the quality and importance of art.</p>
<p>The&#160;NEH, and the museums it funds, should uphold standards instead of debasing them by encouraging a dumbing down of their most basic duties and responsibilities. Let community organizers organize, if they must, but just not in museums.</p>
<p>Bruce Cole&#160;is a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities.</p> | false | 1 | since began opening doors public toward end eighteenth century art museums repositories superior art attempted separate wheat chaff permanent profound inferior transient display objects judged eye history important civilizations produced places visitors view art highest order sanctuaries offer enlightenment inspiration wisdom solace far hurly burly daily life beginning 1960s idea museums sentinels excellence education expertise challenged antiquated elitist plain wrong last several decades postmodern trend toward cultural relativism accelerated alarmingly shall see ongoing attempts abandon curatorial authority quality order turn museums something town hall community center amazingly directors curators leading efforts160quis custodiet ipsos custodes museums long encouraged curators outside institution plan collaborate exhibitions traditionally qualified people necessary training experience individuals without credentials urged share make important decisions affect nature places little like asking someone never played game referee tennis match nowhere better seen indianapolis museum art last year museum launched online survey describing six possible exhibitions asked respondents based description likely would visit the160ima160to view exhibition among six art forgery japanese paintings rise robotics hot cars high fashion cool stuff160and orchids conducting survey museum invited everyone internet connection whether museum members visitors anyone wanted offer opinion weigh sorts exhibitions worthy support production quite possible respondents deep pockets knowledge art museums likely vote less informed really popularity contest results survey released id bet hot cars cool stuff robotics japanese paintings another attempt involve community curatorial decisions museum established office art grievances managed museums public projects team provides system public formally file complaint art either generally specifically complaints sent orwelliansounding office art resolutions official attempt remedy artrelated issue purpose office produce feedback loop audience institution creating opportunity examine things art cause us distress angst whether feedback loop directly influences decisions works museum hangs sort exhibitions mounts unclear one fairly certain cause curators think twice displaying object rap sheet museum begin think galleries safe spaces devoid microaggressions might way cause angst visitors hard believe hoax page museums website describing office responsibilities by160subcontracting traditional curatorial responsibilities public indianapolis museum art eighteenhole miniature golf course following lead number institutions example 2010 walker art center minneapolis organized exhibition called 5050 audience experts curate paper collection gallery displayed 183 images works paper website presented publicor walker calls tellingly audience respondents vote definitely maybe assume walker counted column works included exhibition around 250000 people cast ballots walkers chief curator said interested enabling public voice exhibition taking advantage natural impulse people encountering art form opinion exactly informed opinions could looking 183 electronic images objects voters never seen questionable robert hughes aptly remarked relation reproduction actual work art shrunken head real one nonetheless walkers website claims shared exchange sparks range questions dynamics audience expert curatorial practice socalled mass taste exercise touches broader contrast act making aesthetic judgments online context experience looking thinking art close without time constraints grant recently awarded walker st paulbased bush foundation encourages even larger transformation traditional role museums walker press release states grant transform museum operates rapidly changing landscape conventional roles artistassolecreator audienceaspassivereceiver curatorasinstitutionalgatekeeper rewritten role curator institutional gatekeeper challenged well artists conventional role single creator art much doubt many visitors walker simply passive receivers call bit condescending funds provided bush foundation release continues museum change rules engagement artists audience inviting latter active participants creation interpretation programs seattles frye founding collection also changing rules engagement last year posted 232 paintings social media sites instagram pinterest tumblr said crowdcurated event viewers told thing you160160an image painting goes exhibition like like museum bragged disrupting museum practice turning frye liked paintings displayed museum along respondents names cases comments fact exhibition featured names scores survey takers gallery wallsan excellent example narcissistic selfie culture social media 2015 santa cruz museum art history went step beyond selfie solicited votes comments online audience actual objects included exhibition entitled everybodys ocean anyone lived central northern california invited submit piece museum claimed chance offer salty seaworthy sultry swirling visual art sea explanation constituted seaworthy art painted surfboards museum listed suggestions works might qualify acceptance included drawing twoyearold hanging refrigerator several months video shot surfing sole requirement entry depict authors personal relationship ocean presumably pacific course mention quality assumed objects submitted would worthy museum exhibition including would assume paintbynumbers pacific ocean two hundred seventyone pieces submitted new age exhibition museum said curated museum personnel others crowdsourced must mean accepted simply submitted one wonders toddlers drawing made final cut everybodys ocean rightly met criticism santa cruz national press judith dobrzynski covered subcontracted exhibitions abandonment standards museums traditionally uphold display works either collections borrowed special exhibition one brave curator santa cruz museum quit saying duties included researching selecting works exhibitions aesthetic excellence institution fails uphold responsibilities one wins justin hoover museum official brushed potential complaints professional artists work would displayed next pieces amateurs including twoyearold wondered define work better work question even possibility one thing better another doesnt exist postmodern world mr hoover quaint notion museums deciders quality thing oppressive past curators dared pass judgment art santa cruz museum directed nina simon one apostles museum community center engineer training came santa cruz museum spy museum washington160dc determined shake things indeed succeeded increasing attendance museum exhibitions like everyones ocean price curators staff catalysts catalyst community engagement another public playmaking yet another catalyst collections trendy imprecise title suggests change rather stability playmaking instead reasoned judgment exactly simons point museums sort relinquish curatorial functions visitors luck receive blessing encouragement support millions dollars national endowment humanities neh leading postmodernist charge william bro adams the160neh chairman appointed president obama 2015 recent interview with160museum160magazine laid vision museum cloistered place breaking museum communityembedded institution museums added much publicfacing entities audiences increasingly interactive integrated public life communities statement conveniently slights important public role museums played western culture quite mr adams mind future karen mittelman mr adamss director public programs the160neh division funds museums programming sometimes million dollars apiece thinks like boss revealing article for160humanities160the160nehs glossy house organ weirdly entitled museums age social mittelman lays vision brave new world museums surveying the160nehs history support largescale traveling exhibitions declares less artifacts past claims nameless museum leaders switching direction putting emphasis community engagement declares field changing time the160neh160to change recent past told museum visitors would see galleries full objects chosen curator mittelman puts gave authoritative voice one saw nowadays explains kind static display seems almost antiquated course implication authoritative voice passé oldfashioned sort judgment quality worth necessarily good thingexcept course mittelman exercising dole grants today writes many institutions funded the160neh increasingly serve town halls places citizens come together talk debate issues significance communities readers mittelmans words may wonder conversations cant take place real town halls pretend ones role museum says reimagined within without amounting epic shift expectations mittelman mr adams want bestow the160neh160imprimatur shower taxpayer dollars recent efforts seen turn museums sanctuaries art community centers likely success observed stint the160neh money sometimes considerable amount offered many institutions tend align thinking with160neh grant guidelines the160neh160shouldnt leading behind backing trendy efforts undermine timetested traditional role museums carefully curate research display make critical judgments quality importance art the160neh museums funds uphold standards instead debasing encouraging dumbing basic duties responsibilities let community organizers organize must museums bruce cole160is senior fellow ethics public policy center former chairman national endowment humanities | 1,176 |
<p>Sometimes movies impress you with their formal daring, their transgressiveness, their experimental boldness. Sometimes movies win you over with visual spectacle, novelty, unpredictability. And sometimes movies don’t necessarily have any of those qualities, they just flat-out work. <a href="http://variety.com/t/david-gordon-green/" type="external">David Gordon Green</a>’s “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/stronger/" type="external">Stronger</a>,” a familiar yet undeniably moving film about Jeff Bauman, the everyman Bostonian who lost both his legs in the 2013 Marathon bombing, is a movie that just works.</p>
<p>It works, even though there are plenty of reasons to be suspicious of it. It’s a true story, cloaked in prestige trappings, about overcoming impossible odds. It’s a film about the Boston Marathon bombing that comes less than a year after Peter Berg’s “Patriots Day,” and heir to a long line of sometimes manipulative fact-based films that have seized on a moment of national tragedy to tell an inspirational tale. But then, “Stronger” is an inspirational tale that acknowledges easy inspirational tales are often nonsense. As he follows Jeff from the moment a terrorist bomb changes his life through his long, difficult rehabilitation, Green looks for small but meaningful ways to complicate and deepen the well-trod story he’s telling, and by the end, those complications help the film earn its uplift.</p>
<p>The director certainly gets plenty of help from a superb lead performance by <a href="http://variety.com/t/jake-gyllenhaal/" type="external">Jake Gyllenhaal</a>, whose recent work has been of such a uniformly high caliber that it’s almost easy to overlook, and who tackles this role with every ounce of his usual commitment. As the film starts, his character is such a Boston type he might as well have been spawned out of a Fenway beer tap: A charming yet go-nowhere twentysomething who still lives at home with a perpetually squabbling, borderline alcoholic family, he spends most days in the same bar with the same people, making the same complaints about the Red Sox game on TV. He has a job at Costco that he often screws up, and he’s in an on-again-off-again relationship with a local girl named Erin (Tatiana Maslany, also excellent) who’s training for the upcoming Marathon, though he’s recently screwed that up too.</p>
<p>In a grand get-her-back gesture, Jeff heads over to the Marathon finish line with a giant handmade sign, trying to disprove her complaint that he “never shows up” for anything. He jostles his way to the front, halfway notices a passing man with dark glasses, and holds up his placard. Just as Erin is rounding the final stretch, two bombs go off. When Jeff wakes up, he’s in the hospital, and both of his legs have been amputated above the knee.</p>
<p>Though the film includes a few glimpses of news coverage, the particulars of the explosion and subsequent citywide manhunt are relegated to the background, even though Jeff has become a media symbol of the tragedy thanks to a gruesome photo of him from moments after the attack, and his eyewitness testimony helped identify one of the bombers. What we do see is Jeff’s messy family – especially his domineering mother (Miranda Richardson, sinking her teeth into a meaty yet somewhat undercooked role) – come together uneasily in the hospital waiting room, and Erin volunteer to stay by his side.</p>
<p>After six weeks in the hospital, he’s recovered enough to make game thumbs-up gestures for the newspaper photographers and smile politely at the constant shouts of “Boston strong!” from passing strangers. Once he gets home, however, things get harder. Without veering into exploitation, Green turns a matter-of-fact eye toward the everyday realities of living with disability: Going to the bathroom, showering, clearing out the sock drawer that he will no longer ever need. Jeff and Erin become a couple again, and Jeff is still enough of a sardonic Boston barfly to get in some dark one-liners at his own expense — the film is often funnier than one would expect. But it isn’t long before depression and hopelessness start to get their tendrils into him, and the film doesn’t shy away from that either.</p>
<p>In the past, Gyllenhaal has slimmed down to a skeletal wisp in “Nightcrawler,” and bulked up to play a boxer in “Southpaw,” but here he delivers an equally physical performance without any dramatic transformation, packing reams of meaning into changes in posture, and delineating a good half-dozen different degrees of hungover. Sure, he has a handful of showy Oscar reel moments, but he’s even more impressive when he and Green take the road less traveled. A long single-take hospital scene in which Jeff has his bandages removed is shot with Gyllenhaal in the foreground, his legs in the background, and neither clearly visible – rather than rub our faces in outward expressions of suffering or shock us with clinical closeups, the scene stresses the despair and out-of-body unreality of such an ordeal.</p>
<p>The film also resists the temptation to make Jeff into a hero or a martyr: He may have more right to be selfish, sullen, and self-destructive than most, but that doesn’t make those impulses any less toxic. If he’s a martyr for anything, it’s the insatiable need of the public to have an easily identifiable symbol in the wake of a tragedy, and Gyllenhaal lets us feel Jeff’s sour uneasiness with being wheeled out to wave a flag at Bruins games and asked to pose for picture and picture. When a stranger cites him as proof that the terrorists can’t win, he looks down at his missing legs and isn’t so sure. His salvation only comes when he learns that being an inspirational symbol can work both ways.</p>
<p>Reviewed at Toronto International Film Festival (Gala Screenings), September 8, 2017. MPAA rating: R. Running time: 119 MINS.</p>
<p>A Lionsgate presentation of a Bold Films, Mandeville Films, Nine Stories production in association with Bold Films. Produced by Todd Lieberman, David Hoberman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Litvak, Scott Silver. Executive producers, Gary Michael Walters, Riva Marker, Anthony Mattero, Peter McGuigan, Nicolas Stern, Jeffrey Scott, Alexander Young.</p>
<p>Directed by David Gordon Green. Screenplay, John Pollono, based on the book by Jeff Bauman and Bret Witter. Camera (color): Sean Bobbitt. Editor: Dylan Tichenor. Music: Michael Brook.</p>
<p>Jake Gyllenhaal, Tatiana Maslany, Miranda Richardson, Clancy Brown, Lenny Clark, Carlos Sans.</p> | false | 1 | sometimes movies impress formal daring transgressiveness experimental boldness sometimes movies win visual spectacle novelty unpredictability sometimes movies dont necessarily qualities flatout work david gordon greens stronger familiar yet undeniably moving film jeff bauman everyman bostonian lost legs 2013 marathon bombing movie works works even though plenty reasons suspicious true story cloaked prestige trappings overcoming impossible odds film boston marathon bombing comes less year peter bergs patriots day heir long line sometimes manipulative factbased films seized moment national tragedy tell inspirational tale stronger inspirational tale acknowledges easy inspirational tales often nonsense follows jeff moment terrorist bomb changes life long difficult rehabilitation green looks small meaningful ways complicate deepen welltrod story hes telling end complications help film earn uplift director certainly gets plenty help superb lead performance jake gyllenhaal whose recent work uniformly high caliber almost easy overlook tackles role every ounce usual commitment film starts character boston type might well spawned fenway beer tap charming yet gonowhere twentysomething still lives home perpetually squabbling borderline alcoholic family spends days bar people making complaints red sox game tv job costco often screws hes onagainoffagain relationship local girl named erin tatiana maslany also excellent whos training upcoming marathon though hes recently screwed grand getherback gesture jeff heads marathon finish line giant handmade sign trying disprove complaint never shows anything jostles way front halfway notices passing man dark glasses holds placard erin rounding final stretch two bombs go jeff wakes hes hospital legs amputated knee though film includes glimpses news coverage particulars explosion subsequent citywide manhunt relegated background even though jeff become media symbol tragedy thanks gruesome photo moments attack eyewitness testimony helped identify one bombers see jeffs messy family especially domineering mother miranda richardson sinking teeth meaty yet somewhat undercooked role come together uneasily hospital waiting room erin volunteer stay side six weeks hospital hes recovered enough make game thumbsup gestures newspaper photographers smile politely constant shouts boston strong passing strangers gets home however things get harder without veering exploitation green turns matteroffact eye toward everyday realities living disability going bathroom showering clearing sock drawer longer ever need jeff erin become couple jeff still enough sardonic boston barfly get dark oneliners expense film often funnier one would expect isnt long depression hopelessness start get tendrils film doesnt shy away either past gyllenhaal slimmed skeletal wisp nightcrawler bulked play boxer southpaw delivers equally physical performance without dramatic transformation packing reams meaning changes posture delineating good halfdozen different degrees hungover sure handful showy oscar reel moments hes even impressive green take road less traveled long singletake hospital scene jeff bandages removed shot gyllenhaal foreground legs background neither clearly visible rather rub faces outward expressions suffering shock us clinical closeups scene stresses despair outofbody unreality ordeal film also resists temptation make jeff hero martyr may right selfish sullen selfdestructive doesnt make impulses less toxic hes martyr anything insatiable need public easily identifiable symbol wake tragedy gyllenhaal lets us feel jeffs sour uneasiness wheeled wave flag bruins games asked pose picture picture stranger cites proof terrorists cant win looks missing legs isnt sure salvation comes learns inspirational symbol work ways reviewed toronto international film festival gala screenings september 8 2017 mpaa rating r running time 119 mins lionsgate presentation bold films mandeville films nine stories production association bold films produced todd lieberman david hoberman jake gyllenhaal michael litvak scott silver executive producers gary michael walters riva marker anthony mattero peter mcguigan nicolas stern jeffrey scott alexander young directed david gordon green screenplay john pollono based book jeff bauman bret witter camera color sean bobbitt editor dylan tichenor music michael brook jake gyllenhaal tatiana maslany miranda richardson clancy brown lenny clark carlos sans | 604 |
<p>North Korea said Wednesday that leader Kim Jong Un was present as it fired for the first time a ballistic missile designed to carry a nuclear payload that flew over Japan and splashed into the northern Pacific Ocean.</p>
<p>Tuesday’s aggressive missile launch — likely the longest ever from North Korea — over the territory of a close U.S. ally sends a clear message of defiance as Washington and Seoul conduct war games nearby.</p>
<p>Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency said it was a Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile that the North first successfully tested in May and threatened to fire into waters near Guam earlier this month.</p>
<p>South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile traveled around 2,700 kilometers (1,677 miles) and reached a maximum height of 550 kilometers (341 miles) as it flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.</p>
<p>The launch seemed designed to show that North Korea can back up a threat to target the U.S. territory of Guam, if it chooses to do so, while also establishing a potentially dangerous precedent that could see future missiles flying over Japan.</p>
<p>Kim expressed great satisfaction over what the North described as successful testing and said the country will continue to watch “U.S. demeanors” before it decides on future actions. He called the launch a “meaningful prelude” to containing Guam, which is home to key U.S. military bases that North Korea finds threatening, and said the country needs to conduct more missile launches into the Pacific to advance the capabilities of its strategic force, according to the KCNA.</p>
<p>The agency said the flight test was countermeasure to the Ulchi Freedom Guardian joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea that run through Thursday. Pyongyang views the annual war games between the allies as invasion rehearsals.</p>
<p>In a statement, U.S. President Donald Trump said North Korea had signaled its “contempt for its neighbors” and that “all options are on the table” in terms of a U.S. response.</p>
<p>Any new test worries Washington and its allies because it presumably puts North Korea a step closer to its goal of an arsenal of nuclear missiles that can reliably target the United States. Tuesday’s test, however, looks especially aggressive to Washington, Seoul and Tokyo.</p>
<p>North Korea has conducted launches at an unusually fast pace this year — 13 times, Seoul says — and some analysts believe it could have viable long-range nuclear missiles before the end of Trump’s first term in early 2021.</p>
<p>Seoul says that while North Korea has twice before fired rockets it said were carrying satellites over Japan — in 1998 and 2009 — it has never before used a ballistic missile, which is unambiguously designed for military strikes. North Korea also chose not to fire its most recent missile at a lofted angle, as it did in previous launches to avoid other countries, and Seoul’s spy service said the North launched from an unusual spot: the international airport in its capital, Pyongyang.</p>
<p>Some outside observers said launching a road-mobile missile from an airport runway could demonstrate the North’s ability to fire its missiles from anywhere in the country.</p>
<p>The launch is also another rebuke to Trump, who suggested last week that his tough approach to North Korea, which included threats to unleash “fire and fury,” meant leader Kim Jong Un “is starting to respect us.”</p>
<p>Tuesday’s missile landed nowhere near Guam, but firing a Hwasong-12 so soon after the Guam threat may be a way for North Korea to show it could follow through if it chose to do so. Guam is 3,400 kilometers (2,110 miles) away from North Korea, but South Korea’s military said the North may have fired the most recent missile at a shorter range.</p>
<p>North Korea will no doubt be watching the world’s reaction to see if it can use Tuesday’s flight over Japan as a precedent for future launches.</p>
<p>Trump said in his statement that “Threatening and destabilizing actions only increase the North Korean regime’s isolation in the region and among all nations of the world,” and that “All options are on the table.”</p>
<p>Japanese officials made their usual strongly worded condemnations of the launch.</p>
<p>“We will do our utmost to protect people’s lives,” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said. “This reckless act of launching a missile that flies over our country is an unprecedented, serious and important threat.”</p>
<p>The launch was also condemned by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and a number of other countries.</p>
<p>Tokyo said there was no reported damage from the missile. Residents on Hokkaido were warned of a North Korean missile launch by an alert on their cellphones, with loud alarms and an email that told people to stay indoors. Speakers broadcast an alert saying “missile is passing, missile is passing.”</p>
<p>Tuesday’s launch came days after North Korea fired what was assessed as three short-range ballistic missiles into the sea, and a month after its second test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which analysts say could reach deep into the U.S. mainland when perfected.</p>
<p>In an unusual move, the military in Seoul released videos of three South Korean missile tests conducted last week. They showed two types of new missiles with ranges of 800 kilometers (500 miles) and 500 kilometers (310 miles) being fired from truck-mounted launchers.</p>
<p>South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development said the launches represented the last flight test for the longer-range missile before it is operationally deployed. Such missiles, which would be the latest additions to South Korea’s Hyumoo family of missiles, are considered key components of the so-called “kill chain” pre-emptive strike capability that South Korea is pursuing to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threat.</p>
<p>South Korea also said its air force conducted a live-fire drill involving four F-15 fighter jets dropping eight MK-84 bombs that accurately hit targets at a military field near the country’s eastern coast. Yoon Young-chan, chief press secretary of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, said the exercise was conducted after Moon directed the military to “display a strong capability to punish” North Korea if need be.</p>
<p>The North’s launch over Japan shouldn’t be a total surprise. Earlier this month, when threatening to lob four Hwasong-12s into the waters near Guam, North Korea specifically said they would fly over Japanese territory. North Korea in June also angrily reacted to the launch of a Japanese satellite it said was aimed at spying on the North and said Tokyo was no longer entitled to fault North Korea “no matter what it launches or whether that crosses the sky above Japan.”</p>
<p>North Korea typically reacts with anger to U.S.-South Korean military drills, which are happening now, often testing weapons and threatening Seoul and Washington in its state-controlled media. But animosity is higher than usual following threats traded between Trump and the North.</p>
<p>North Korea regularly says U.S.-South Korean military drills are a rehearsal for invasion, and North Korea’s U.N. ambassador, Ja Song Nam, wrote recently that the exercises are “provocative and aggressive” at a time when the Korean Peninsula is “like a time bomb.”</p> | false | 1 | north korea said wednesday leader kim jong un present fired first time ballistic missile designed carry nuclear payload flew japan splashed northern pacific ocean tuesdays aggressive missile launch likely longest ever north korea territory close us ally sends clear message defiance washington seoul conduct war games nearby pyongyangs official korean central news agency said hwasong12 intermediate range missile north first successfully tested may threatened fire waters near guam earlier month south koreas joint chiefs staff said missile traveled around 2700 kilometers 1677 miles reached maximum height 550 kilometers 341 miles flew northern japanese island hokkaido launch seemed designed show north korea back threat target us territory guam chooses also establishing potentially dangerous precedent could see future missiles flying japan kim expressed great satisfaction north described successful testing said country continue watch us demeanors decides future actions called launch meaningful prelude containing guam home key us military bases north korea finds threatening said country needs conduct missile launches pacific advance capabilities strategic force according kcna agency said flight test countermeasure ulchi freedom guardian joint military exercises united states south korea run thursday pyongyang views annual war games allies invasion rehearsals statement us president donald trump said north korea signaled contempt neighbors options table terms us response new test worries washington allies presumably puts north korea step closer goal arsenal nuclear missiles reliably target united states tuesdays test however looks especially aggressive washington seoul tokyo north korea conducted launches unusually fast pace year 13 times seoul says analysts believe could viable longrange nuclear missiles end trumps first term early 2021 seoul says north korea twice fired rockets said carrying satellites japan 1998 2009 never used ballistic missile unambiguously designed military strikes north korea also chose fire recent missile lofted angle previous launches avoid countries seouls spy service said north launched unusual spot international airport capital pyongyang outside observers said launching roadmobile missile airport runway could demonstrate norths ability fire missiles anywhere country launch also another rebuke trump suggested last week tough approach north korea included threats unleash fire fury meant leader kim jong un starting respect us tuesdays missile landed nowhere near guam firing hwasong12 soon guam threat may way north korea show could follow chose guam 3400 kilometers 2110 miles away north korea south koreas military said north may fired recent missile shorter range north korea doubt watching worlds reaction see use tuesdays flight japan precedent future launches trump said statement threatening destabilizing actions increase north korean regimes isolation region among nations world options table japanese officials made usual strongly worded condemnations launch utmost protect peoples lives japanese prime minister shinzo abe said reckless act launching missile flies country unprecedented serious important threat launch also condemned un secretarygeneral antonio guterres britain france germany russia number countries tokyo said reported damage missile residents hokkaido warned north korean missile launch alert cellphones loud alarms email told people stay indoors speakers broadcast alert saying missile passing missile passing tuesdays launch came days north korea fired assessed three shortrange ballistic missiles sea month second test intercontinental ballistic missile analysts say could reach deep us mainland perfected unusual move military seoul released videos three south korean missile tests conducted last week showed two types new missiles ranges 800 kilometers 500 miles 500 kilometers 310 miles fired truckmounted launchers south koreas agency defense development said launches represented last flight test longerrange missile operationally deployed missiles would latest additions south koreas hyumoo family missiles considered key components socalled kill chain preemptive strike capability south korea pursuing counter north koreas nuclear missile threat south korea also said air force conducted livefire drill involving four f15 fighter jets dropping eight mk84 bombs accurately hit targets military field near countrys eastern coast yoon youngchan chief press secretary south korean president moon jaein said exercise conducted moon directed military display strong capability punish north korea need norths launch japan shouldnt total surprise earlier month threatening lob four hwasong12s waters near guam north korea specifically said would fly japanese territory north korea june also angrily reacted launch japanese satellite said aimed spying north said tokyo longer entitled fault north korea matter launches whether crosses sky japan north korea typically reacts anger ussouth korean military drills happening often testing weapons threatening seoul washington statecontrolled media animosity higher usual following threats traded trump north north korea regularly says ussouth korean military drills rehearsal invasion north koreas un ambassador ja song nam wrote recently exercises provocative aggressive time korean peninsula like time bomb | 737 |
<p>Americans overwhelmingly want lawmakers of both parties to work out healthcare changes, with only 13 percent supporting Republican moves to repeal “Obamacare” absent a replacement, according to a new poll.</p>
<p>Although a deep partisan divide endures over the 2010 Affordable Care Act, people may be less far apart on what policymakers should try next, says the <a href="http://www.apnorc.org/PDFs/July%202017%20Health%20Care/July%20Omnibus%20Topline_FINAL.pdf" type="external">Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey.</a></p>
<p>In the poll, 8 in 10 said Republicans should approach Democrats with an offer to negotiate if the current GOP overhaul effort fails, rather than sticking with their own “repeal and replace” campaign of the past seven years. And nearly 9 in 10 said Democrats should take Republicans up on such an offer.</p>
<p>The poll was conducted as the GOP’s plan floundered in the Senate during the past week.</p>
<p>A foundation for common ground seems to be this: Nearly everyone wants changes to the Obama law, while hardly anyone wants to see it abolished without a substitute in place. The Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday the GOP repeal of Obama health law without replacement means 32 million more uninsured by 2026.</p>
<p>Among Democrats, only 22 percent actually want the ACA kept just as it is; 64 percent want it kept but with changes. Among Republicans, 27 percent want immediate repeal, while 54 percent favor repealing the law when a replacement is ready.</p>
<p>“Since we are a nation that’s founded on compromise, I don’t see why we can’t compromise on this,” said Valcee Cox, a retired high school history teacher in Big Spring, Texas. He votes Republican, but says with his party in control of Washington, “they should act like grown-ups.”</p>
<p>Republicans including President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have recently pushed the notion of repealing as much of “Obamacare” as possible, then figuring out a replacement later. That’s not what the public wants, the poll found.</p>
<p>“When they talk about repeal and not replacing, that scares me half to death,” said Andrea Martin of Taylor, Michigan. Disabled and dealing with diabetes and other health complications, Martin is keenly sensitive to deep Medicaid cuts proposed by Republicans. That “would just totally destroy me,” she said. “I’d just go downhill.”</p>
<p>Former President Barack Obama’s law extended coverage to some 20 million people, reducing the nation’s uninsured rate to a historic low of about 9 percent. But it was passed without a single Republican vote and has faced entrenched opposition ever since.</p>
<p>The law’s private insurance markets are shaky in many areas, with premiums rising and insurers exiting due to financial losses. The law’s Medicaid expansion has worked more smoothly, but 19 states still refuse it, amid debates about costs and the government’s role in health care.</p>
<p>The AP-NORC poll suggests the debate over Republican plans actually may have nudged the nation toward the left on health care.</p>
<p>In the poll, 62 percent said it is a federal responsibility to make sure that all Americans have health care coverage, a 10-point increase from just a few months ago. Thirty-seven percent said health care for all is not a federal responsibility, down from 47 percent in March.</p>
<p>“When confronted with millions losing coverage, Americans are more supportive of the principle that the federal government should cover people,” said Robert Blendon of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who reviewed the AP-NORC findings.</p>
<p>Indeed, 59 percent said they preferred leaving “Obamacare” in place over its outright repeal.</p>
<p>The poll found a deep sense of unease over Republican plans.</p>
<p>Thirty-seven percent said they or their families would be made worse off by the GOP proposals. That’s striking because the ACA covers only about 20 million people in a nation of more than 320 million.</p>
<p>Part of the explanation may be that Republicans also proposed major cuts to Medicaid. Sixty-two percent in the poll opposed Medicaid cuts.</p>
<p>Of major elements in the GOP plan tested in the poll, only the idea of allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26 got majority support (65 percent). That’s a holdover from Obama’s law.</p>
<p>Repealing Obama’s unpopular requirement that nearly all Americans have coverage or pay a fine got the support of 44 percent, while 39 percent were opposed.</p>
<p>Allowing insurers to charge older customers higher premiums based on their age got the support of only 7 percent, while 78 percent were opposed. Among Republicans, 75 percent were opposed.</p>
<p>Denying federal funds to Planned Parenthood was supported by 25 percent, while 57 percent were opposed. Among Republicans, 53 percent support denying Planned Parenthood funding.</p>
<p>Overall, 51 percent of Americans said they were opposed to the Republican healthcare plan, while only 22 percent supported it. Among Republicans, not quite half were in favor, while 2 in 10 were opposed.</p>
<p>The AP-NORC poll of 1,019 adults was conducted July 13-17 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.</p>
<p>Associated Press reporter Laurie Kellman contributed to this report.</p> | false | 1 | americans overwhelmingly want lawmakers parties work healthcare changes 13 percent supporting republican moves repeal obamacare absent replacement according new poll although deep partisan divide endures 2010 affordable care act people may less far apart policymakers try next says associated pressnorc center public affairs research survey poll 8 10 said republicans approach democrats offer negotiate current gop overhaul effort fails rather sticking repeal replace campaign past seven years nearly 9 10 said democrats take republicans offer poll conducted gops plan floundered senate past week foundation common ground seems nearly everyone wants changes obama law hardly anyone wants see abolished without substitute place congressional budget office said wednesday gop repeal obama health law without replacement means 32 million uninsured 2026 among democrats 22 percent actually want aca kept 64 percent want kept changes among republicans 27 percent want immediate repeal 54 percent favor repealing law replacement ready since nation thats founded compromise dont see cant compromise said valcee cox retired high school history teacher big spring texas votes republican says party control washington act like grownups republicans including president donald trump senate majority leader mitch mcconnell recently pushed notion repealing much obamacare possible figuring replacement later thats public wants poll found talk repeal replacing scares half death said andrea martin taylor michigan disabled dealing diabetes health complications martin keenly sensitive deep medicaid cuts proposed republicans would totally destroy said id go downhill former president barack obamas law extended coverage 20 million people reducing nations uninsured rate historic low 9 percent passed without single republican vote faced entrenched opposition ever since laws private insurance markets shaky many areas premiums rising insurers exiting due financial losses laws medicaid expansion worked smoothly 19 states still refuse amid debates costs governments role health care apnorc poll suggests debate republican plans actually may nudged nation toward left health care poll 62 percent said federal responsibility make sure americans health care coverage 10point increase months ago thirtyseven percent said health care federal responsibility 47 percent march confronted millions losing coverage americans supportive principle federal government cover people said robert blendon harvard th chan school public health reviewed apnorc findings indeed 59 percent said preferred leaving obamacare place outright repeal poll found deep sense unease republican plans thirtyseven percent said families would made worse gop proposals thats striking aca covers 20 million people nation 320 million part explanation may republicans also proposed major cuts medicaid sixtytwo percent poll opposed medicaid cuts major elements gop plan tested poll idea allowing young adults stay parents insurance age 26 got majority support 65 percent thats holdover obamas law repealing obamas unpopular requirement nearly americans coverage pay fine got support 44 percent 39 percent opposed allowing insurers charge older customers higher premiums based age got support 7 percent 78 percent opposed among republicans 75 percent opposed denying federal funds planned parenthood supported 25 percent 57 percent opposed among republicans 53 percent support denying planned parenthood funding overall 51 percent americans said opposed republican healthcare plan 22 percent supported among republicans quite half favor 2 10 opposed apnorc poll 1019 adults conducted july 1317 using sample drawn norcs probabilitybased amerispeak panel designed representative us population margin sampling error respondents plus minus 41 percentage points associated press reporter laurie kellman contributed report | 537 |
<p>An Ohio man who pleaded guilty to using social media to support the killing of 100 US military personnel on behalf of Islamic State was sentenced to 20 years in prison, the Justice Department said.</p>
<p>Terrence McNeil, 25, of Akron, earlier pleaded guilty to five counts of solicitation to commit a crime of violence and five counts of making threatening interstate communications, according to prosecutors.</p>
<p>McNeil who had no prior arrests or criminal history was arrested in November 2015.</p>
<p>Prosecutors said McNeil professed his support on social media on numerous occasions for Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).</p>
<p />
<p>Terrence J.McNeil,pleads guilty to terrorism charges. Charged with soliciting the murders of US servicemen with his Islamic State “hit list” <a href="https://t.co/c2TOBHpbL0" type="external">pic.twitter.com/c2TOBHpbL0</a></p>
<p>— Emile Ghessen (@emileghessen) <a href="https://twitter.com/emileghessen/status/855544307977203713" type="external">April 21, 2017</a></p>
<p />
<p>In January 2015, IS released a video via social networking website advocating so-called lone wolf attacks in Western countries, according to prosecutors.</p>
<p>Court documents said McNeil declared his support for IS in June of 2015 in a Tumblr post.</p>
<p>“McNeil posted a response to an anonymous user’s question, ‘If U [sic] support ISIS just admit it coward.’ McNeil responded, ‘Imao I don’t support Egyptian idols if you mean the Islamic State I have stated many times that I do support them.’”</p>
<p>The complaint said McNeil had expressed his hopes for violence in the US for over a year.In September 2015, he used his Tumblr account to re-post a file with the banner&#160;“Islamic State Hacking Division,” with a looping GIF image showing several photographs of US military personnel, a handgun and the words, “kill them wherever you find them.”</p>
<p>The Justice Department argued in its complaint that McNeil’s decision to reblog the post went beyond speech that is protected by the First Amendment.</p>
<p>“While we aggressively defend First Amendment rights, the individual arrested went far beyond free speech by reposting the names and addresses of 100 US service members, all with the intent to have them killed,” special agent Stephen Anthony, from the FBI’s Cleveland Division, said in a statement.</p>
<p>McNeil’s lawyer, Nathan Ray, described him as a “devoted son” who enjoyed cooking and taking nature photos.</p>
<p>“While Mr. McNeil recognizes the seriousness of his conduct, it is important to remember that while his posts, tweets and reposts could be seen by anyone, he himself never left Akron, Ohio,” Ray wrote, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/isis-gif-reblog-tumblr-terrence-mcneil-sentencing_us_59820adce4b02b36343fb1ed?upj" type="external">according to the Huffington Post</a>.</p>
<p>Government prosecutors <a href="http://ia601300.us.archive.org/11/items/gov.uscourts.ohnd.222105/gov.uscourts.ohnd.222105.96.0.pdf" type="external">wrote</a>&#160;there were indications that McNeil intended to take action in the real world and researched “the price online of firearms for sale at local firearm dealerships and possessed detailed bomb-making instructions. Defendant’s conduct both online and offline, however, demonstrate his intent to threaten, intimidate, and solicit the murder of United States servicemen and women.”</p>
<p>Federal agents began watching McNeil’s social media activity across several Twitter accounts, and started tracking his posts on Tumblr and Facebook.</p>
<p>A federal agent requested subscriber information from Twitter on August 25, 2015 and from internet providers Time Warner and Verizon, to acquire phone numbers, IP addresses and a home address. Later the FBI put McNeil under direct surveillance, noting when he left his home and where he went.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/321786-isis-supporter-arrested-reblogging-images/" type="external" /></p>
<p>The looping image reportedly included the names of 100 US military personnel with addresses and military branches and the caption, “kill them in their own lands, behead them in their own homes, stab them to death as they walk their streets thinking that they are safe,” according to prosecutors.</p>
<p>There was no indication any action was taken by McNeil or anyone else because of the post. No terrorism charges were filed.</p>
<p>“This defendant was dedicated to attacking members of the military here in the United States,” acting US attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, David Sierleja, said in a statement at the time of McNeil’s arrest. “This kind of fanaticism is dangerous and will be aggressively prosecuted.”</p>
<p>In one Tumblr post, McNeil wrote “Happy 9/11!!!!” He also posted photos of a strawberry dessert, as well as a photo of a cake with Osama Bin Laden’s image on it featuring candles that wrote out “9/11.” Those posts were intermingled with images of elephants, cats and baby sloths.</p>
<p>McNeil also posted about the July 16, 2015 attack in which a Tennessee man,</p>
<p>Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, opened fire on two military installations, killing four Marines and one Navy sailor, before being killed by law enforcement.</p>
<p>“I just heard the new Allah Akbar!!!! May Allah (SWT) accept our brother Muhammed Youssef Abdulazeez,” it read, according to the complaint.</p>
<p>Since the 9/11 attacks, the US government has charged over 800 people with material support for terrorism, criminal conspiracy and making false statements. Of the group, 526 have pleaded guilty to charges while the courts found 176 guilty at trial, according to documents <a href="https://trial-and-terror.theintercept.com/" type="external">reviewed by The Intercept.</a></p>
<p>The Intercept found that very few of the defendants had the means or opportunity to commit an act of violence but many were caught up in FBI stings, in which an informant or undercover officer posed as a member of a terrorist organization.</p> | false | 1 | ohio man pleaded guilty using social media support killing 100 us military personnel behalf islamic state sentenced 20 years prison justice department said terrence mcneil 25 akron earlier pleaded guilty five counts solicitation commit crime violence five counts making threatening interstate communications according prosecutors mcneil prior arrests criminal history arrested november 2015 prosecutors said mcneil professed support social media numerous occasions islamic state formerly isisisil terrence jmcneilpleads guilty terrorism charges charged soliciting murders us servicemen islamic state hit list pictwittercomc2tobhpbl0 emile ghessen emileghessen april 21 2017 january 2015 released video via social networking website advocating socalled lone wolf attacks western countries according prosecutors court documents said mcneil declared support june 2015 tumblr post mcneil posted response anonymous users question u sic support isis admit coward mcneil responded imao dont support egyptian idols mean islamic state stated many times support complaint said mcneil expressed hopes violence us yearin september 2015 used tumblr account repost file banner160islamic state hacking division looping gif image showing several photographs us military personnel handgun words kill wherever find justice department argued complaint mcneils decision reblog post went beyond speech protected first amendment aggressively defend first amendment rights individual arrested went far beyond free speech reposting names addresses 100 us service members intent killed special agent stephen anthony fbis cleveland division said statement mcneils lawyer nathan ray described devoted son enjoyed cooking taking nature photos mr mcneil recognizes seriousness conduct important remember posts tweets reposts could seen anyone never left akron ohio ray wrote according huffington post government prosecutors wrote160there indications mcneil intended take action real world researched price online firearms sale local firearm dealerships possessed detailed bombmaking instructions defendants conduct online offline however demonstrate intent threaten intimidate solicit murder united states servicemen women federal agents began watching mcneils social media activity across several twitter accounts started tracking posts tumblr facebook federal agent requested subscriber information twitter august 25 2015 internet providers time warner verizon acquire phone numbers ip addresses home address later fbi put mcneil direct surveillance noting left home went read looping image reportedly included names 100 us military personnel addresses military branches caption kill lands behead homes stab death walk streets thinking safe according prosecutors indication action taken mcneil anyone else post terrorism charges filed defendant dedicated attacking members military united states acting us attorney northern district ohio david sierleja said statement time mcneils arrest kind fanaticism dangerous aggressively prosecuted one tumblr post mcneil wrote happy 911 also posted photos strawberry dessert well photo cake osama bin ladens image featuring candles wrote 911 posts intermingled images elephants cats baby sloths mcneil also posted july 16 2015 attack tennessee man muhammad youssef abdulazeez opened fire two military installations killing four marines one navy sailor killed law enforcement heard new allah akbar may allah swt accept brother muhammed youssef abdulazeez read according complaint since 911 attacks us government charged 800 people material support terrorism criminal conspiracy making false statements group 526 pleaded guilty charges courts found 176 guilty trial according documents reviewed intercept intercept found defendants means opportunity commit act violence many caught fbi stings informant undercover officer posed member terrorist organization | 516 |
<p>1. <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Rory_McIlroy/" type="external">Rory McIlroy</a>, Northern Ireland</p>
<p>The fourth-ranked McIlroy would have been one of the favorites in the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow anyway because he won the regular-season PGA Tour event there in 2010 and 2015, and lost in a playoff to <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Rickie_Fowler/" type="external">Rickie Fowler</a> in 2012. However, he was struggling with his game recently before tying for fourth in the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale and tying for fifth last week in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone. McIlroy has claimed four major championships, but none since he captured the PGA for the second time in 2014 by one stroke over <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Phil_Mickelson/" type="external">Phil Mickelson</a> at Valhalla, after winning the final major of the year by eight strokes over <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/David_Lynn/" type="external">David Lynn</a> of England at Kiawah Island in 2012. Making him even more of a threat at Quail Hollow, he has finished out of the top 10 in only one of seven starts there and holds the course record of 11-under-par 61 and the tournament record of 21-under 267.</p>
<p>2. <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jordan-Spieth/" type="external">Jordan Spieth</a>, United States</p>
<p>The 24-year-old Texan will be the big story in the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow as long as he remains in contention because he is trying to become the youngest player to complete the career <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Grand_Slam/" type="external">Grand Slam</a>. The second-ranked Spieth, who also is No. 2 behind Hideki Matsuyama in the FedExCup point standings, cooled off a bit last week with a tie for 13th in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational after winning the Travelers Championship and the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, the latter his third major title. He has three victories this season, also winning the AT&amp;T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and has eight top-10 results and 13 in the top 25 on the PGA Tour. Spieth, who won the Masters and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/US-Open/" type="external">U.S. Open</a> at Chambers Bay in 2015, is making his fifth start in the PGA, with his best result a solo second three shots behind Jason Day at Whistling Straits that same year. He tied for 32nd in his only appearance at Quail Hollow in the 2013 <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Wells_Fargo/" type="external">Wells Fargo</a> Championship.</p>
<p>3. <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Dustin_Johnson/" type="external">Dustin Johnson</a>, United States</p>
<p>The top-ranked player in the world seems to be regaining his form following a back injury, which he sustained the day before the Masters, as he heads to the PGA Championship. He tied for eighth in the RBC Canadian Open and tied for 17th in his title defense in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational last week, with a 75 in the second round at Firestone the only time he failed to break 70 in his last eight rounds. DJ, who is third in the FedExCup standings, won three times earlier in the season, in addition to tying for second in the Wells Fargo Championship and finishing third at Pebble Beach. He claimed his only major title last year in the U.S. Open at Oakmont and his best finish among five top-10 results in the PGA was a tie for fifth in 2010 at Whistling Straits, where he held a one-stroke lead on the final hole before taking a two-stroke penalty for grounding his club in a bunker.</p>
<p>4. Hideki Matsuyama, Japan</p>
<p>About all that remains to round out Matsuyama’s career resume is a major championship. His five-stroke victory last week in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone was his second in the World Golf Championships, giving him seven victories around the world since the beginning of 2016. It was his third victory of the season on the PGA Tour and he also has finished second three times, lifting him to the lead in the FedExCup point standings. Matsuyama’s best finish in the majors was a tie for second two months ago in the U.S. Open at Erin Hills, four strokes behind <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Brooks-Koepka/" type="external">Brooks Koepka</a>, and his only top-10 result in the PGA Championship was a tie for fourth, four shots behind winner <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jimmy_Walker/" type="external">Jimmy Walker</a> last year at Baltusrol. The third-ranked Matsuyama has played three times in the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow, with his highest finish a tie for 11th last year, and he also tied for 20th two years ago.</p>
<p>5. Rickie Fowler, United States</p>
<p>The flashy Fowler knows he has to win more, especially a major championship, to prove there also is plenty of substance to his game. His best finishes in the Grand Slam events were ties for second in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 and the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, both in 2014. In fact, he wound up in the top five in all four majors that season, also tying for fifth in the Masters and tying for third in the PGA Championship at Valhalla, his best finish in the fourth major of the year. He is No. 10 in the world after winning the Honda Classic, tying for second in the Memorial Tournament and tying for third in both the Wells Fargo Championship and the Shell Houston Open, putting him sixth in the FedExCup standings. Fowler has played well at Quail Hollow, winning in a playoff over Rory McIlroy and D.A. Points in 2012, tying for fourth last year and finishing sixth in 2010.</p>
<p>6. Brooks Koepka, United States</p>
<p>The U.S. Open champion has continued to play well since winning the second major of the season at Erin Hills, tying for sixth in the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale and tying for 17th in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone. Koepka has recorded six top-10 results and nine in the top 25 on the PGA Tour this season, including solo second in both the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and the Valero Texas Open. Those results have put him 11th in the World Golf Rankings, seventh in the FedExCup standings and sixth in the Presidents Cup standings, so he seems certain to make the U.S. team for the matches later this year. Koepka has six top-10 results in the majors over the last four seasons and he tied for fifth in the PGA Championship in 2015 at Whistling Straits and tied for fourth last year at Baltusrol. He will be playing at Quail Hollow for the first time.</p>
<p>7. <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Paul_Casey/" type="external">Paul Casey</a>, England</p>
<p>Put Casey high on the list of best players not to win a major championship and he has nine results in the top 10 of the Grand Slam events in his career. After his career was short-circuited by injuries for several seasons, he is enjoying a strong season, having tied for fifth in the Travelers Championship, tied for 11th in the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale and tied for fifth in the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in his last three starts. Casey, who has climbed back to No. 18 in the world and is 21st in the FedExCup standings, has six results in the top 10 and 13 in the top 25 on the PGA Tour this season. Casey’s best major finish was a tie for third in the 2010 Open Championship at St. Andrews, but surprisingly his best result in 14 starts in the PGA Championship was only a tie for 10th last year at Baltusrol. In three appearances at Quail Hollow, he missed the cut twice and tied for 41st in 2016.</p>
<p>8. <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jon-Rahm/" type="external">Jon Rahm</a>, Spain</p>
<p>At No. 6 in the Official World Golf Rankings, Rahm is a cinch to be the PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year, and about all he hasn’t done is make a run at his first major championship. He showed he’s not afraid of the bright lights when he was low amateur in a tie for 23rd at the U.S. Open last year at Oakmont, but in four starts in the Grand Slam events since, his best finish was a tie for 27th in the Masters in April. Of course, this is the first season in which Rahm will play in all four majors and this is his PGA Championship debut. He won the Farmers Insurance Open in February, was second in both the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and the Dean &amp; DeLuca Invitational, and tied for third in the WGC-Mexico Championship to rank fifth in the FedExCup point standings. He also captured the Irish Open and is third in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai. Rahm is making his first start at Quail Hollow.</p>
<p>9. Jason Day, Australia</p>
<p>It’s been a difficult season for Day — No. 1 in the world at the end of last year — because of injuries and his mother’s battle with cancer. He has managed only two top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this season, solo second in the AT&amp;T <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Byron_Nelson/" type="external">Byron Nelson</a>, and a tie for fifth in the AT&amp;T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. However, Day can make up for it this week in the PGA Championship, which he won two years ago by three strokes at Whistling Straits over Jordan Spieth for his only major title. He was in the chase for a while last week in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational before back spasms struck again and he played the weekend in 70-71 to tie for 24th after tying for 27th in the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. The Aussie, who has slipped to No. 7 in the Official World Golf Rankings, is playing at Quail Hollow for the third time and he tied for ninth in 2012 after finishing in a tie for 22nd two years earlier.</p>
<p>10. <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Charley_Hoffman/" type="external">Charley Hoffman</a>, United States</p>
<p>Even though he has not won since the 2016 Valero Texas Open, his fourth victory on the PGA Tour, Hoffman is playing some of the best golf of his career entering the PGA Championship. In his last three events, he tied for 20th in the Open Championship, finished solo second in the RBC Canadian Open and solo third in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. He has seven results in the top 10 on the PGA Tour this season to place 11th in the FedExCup standings and has risen 46 spots to No. 20 in the Official World Golf Rankings since the end of last year. Hoffman’s best finish in a major championship was solo eighth in the U.S. Open two months ago at Erin Hills, and he has finished in the top 25 of all three majors this year, also tying for 22nd in the Masters. However, he has never finished in the top 10 in the PGA, with his best result a tie for 40th in 2013 at Oak Hill, but this could be his time.</p> | false | 1 | 1 rory mcilroy northern ireland fourthranked mcilroy would one favorites pga championship quail hollow anyway regularseason pga tour event 2010 2015 lost playoff rickie fowler 2012 however struggling game recently tying fourth open championship royal birkdale tying fifth last week wgcbridgestone invitational firestone mcilroy claimed four major championships none since captured pga second time 2014 one stroke phil mickelson valhalla winning final major year eight strokes david lynn england kiawah island 2012 making even threat quail hollow finished top 10 one seven starts holds course record 11underpar 61 tournament record 21under 267 2 jordan spieth united states 24yearold texan big story pga championship quail hollow long remains contention trying become youngest player complete career grand slam secondranked spieth also 2 behind hideki matsuyama fedexcup point standings cooled bit last week tie 13th wgcbridgestone invitational winning travelers championship open championship royal birkdale latter third major title three victories season also winning atampt pebble beach proam eight top10 results 13 top 25 pga tour spieth masters us open chambers bay 2015 making fifth start pga best result solo second three shots behind jason day whistling straits year tied 32nd appearance quail hollow 2013 wells fargo championship 3 dustin johnson united states topranked player world seems regaining form following back injury sustained day masters heads pga championship tied eighth rbc canadian open tied 17th title defense wgcbridgestone invitational last week 75 second round firestone time failed break 70 last eight rounds dj third fedexcup standings three times earlier season addition tying second wells fargo championship finishing third pebble beach claimed major title last year us open oakmont best finish among five top10 results pga tie fifth 2010 whistling straits held onestroke lead final hole taking twostroke penalty grounding club bunker 4 hideki matsuyama japan remains round matsuyamas career resume major championship fivestroke victory last week wgcbridgestone invitational firestone second world golf championships giving seven victories around world since beginning 2016 third victory season pga tour also finished second three times lifting lead fedexcup point standings matsuyamas best finish majors tie second two months ago us open erin hills four strokes behind brooks koepka top10 result pga championship tie fourth four shots behind winner jimmy walker last year baltusrol thirdranked matsuyama played three times wells fargo championship quail hollow highest finish tie 11th last year also tied 20th two years ago 5 rickie fowler united states flashy fowler knows win especially major championship prove also plenty substance game best finishes grand slam events ties second us open pinehurst 2 open championship royal liverpool 2014 fact wound top five four majors season also tying fifth masters tying third pga championship valhalla best finish fourth major year 10 world winning honda classic tying second memorial tournament tying third wells fargo championship shell houston open putting sixth fedexcup standings fowler played well quail hollow winning playoff rory mcilroy da points 2012 tying fourth last year finishing sixth 2010 6 brooks koepka united states us open champion continued play well since winning second major season erin hills tying sixth open championship royal birkdale tying 17th wgcbridgestone invitational firestone koepka recorded six top10 results nine top 25 pga tour season including solo second shriners hospitals children open valero texas open results put 11th world golf rankings seventh fedexcup standings sixth presidents cup standings seems certain make us team matches later year koepka six top10 results majors last four seasons tied fifth pga championship 2015 whistling straits tied fourth last year baltusrol playing quail hollow first time 7 paul casey england put casey high list best players win major championship nine results top 10 grand slam events career career shortcircuited injuries several seasons enjoying strong season tied fifth travelers championship tied 11th open championship royal birkdale tied fifth wgc bridgestone invitational last three starts casey climbed back 18 world 21st fedexcup standings six results top 10 13 top 25 pga tour season caseys best major finish tie third 2010 open championship st andrews surprisingly best result 14 starts pga championship tie 10th last year baltusrol three appearances quail hollow missed cut twice tied 41st 2016 8 jon rahm spain 6 official world golf rankings rahm cinch pga tours rookie year hasnt done make run first major championship showed hes afraid bright lights low amateur tie 23rd us open last year oakmont four starts grand slam events since best finish tie 27th masters april course first season rahm play four majors pga championship debut farmers insurance open february second wgcdell technologies match play dean amp deluca invitational tied third wgcmexico championship rank fifth fedexcup point standings also captured irish open third european tours race dubai rahm making first start quail hollow 9 jason day australia difficult season day 1 world end last year injuries mothers battle cancer managed two top10 finishes pga tour season solo second atampt byron nelson tie fifth atampt pebble beach proam however day make week pga championship two years ago three strokes whistling straits jordan spieth major title chase last week wgcbridgestone invitational back spasms struck played weekend 7071 tie 24th tying 27th open championship royal birkdale aussie slipped 7 official world golf rankings playing quail hollow third time tied ninth 2012 finishing tie 22nd two years earlier 10 charley hoffman united states even though since 2016 valero texas open fourth victory pga tour hoffman playing best golf career entering pga championship last three events tied 20th open championship finished solo second rbc canadian open solo third wgcbridgestone invitational seven results top 10 pga tour season place 11th fedexcup standings risen 46 spots 20 official world golf rankings since end last year hoffmans best finish major championship solo eighth us open two months ago erin hills finished top 25 three majors year also tying 22nd masters however never finished top 10 pga best result tie 40th 2013 oak hill could time | 964 |
<p>Has President Obama declared war on America’s fossil-fuel industry? The administration has been at pains to deny claims by lawmakers of both parties that it is waging a “war on coal.” But what if the real war is wider? Largely unnoticed by critics, Obama has begun supporting a cause called the “fossil-fuel resistance” by its radical advocates. The movement’s leading edge is a drive to have college endowments, as well as church, municipal, and state pension funds, divest themselves of stock in any large fossil-fuel companies.</p>
<p>Fossil-fuel divestment is meant to turn America’s conventional energy producers into social pariahs. Its goal is the enactment of a steeply escalating carbon tax that would result in America’s oil companies’ having to leave 80 percent or more of their known reserves forever unused in the earth. A massive national shift to renewable energy sources could then be financed by a slow-motion, government-imposed shutdown of America’s fossil-fuel industry.</p>
<p>If only for political reasons, it might seem unlikely that a president could support a program this extreme. After all, Obama may yet approve that ultimate environmental bugaboo, the Keystone XL pipeline project, which is still broadly supported by the public. And for all of his assaults on coal, the president’s June address on climate change at Georgetown University contained an endorsement of job-creating natural-gas production, at least for the medium term. Yet that same speech included a barely noticed expression of support for the extremist fossil-fuel-divestment movement, which swept across America’s college campuses over the past academic year. After telling Georgetown’s students he wanted to enlist their generation’s help in the battle against climate change, Obama said: “Convince those in power to reduce our carbon pollution. Push your own communities to adopt smarter practices. Invest. Divest. Remind folks there’s no contradiction between a sound environment and strong economic growth. And remind everyone who represents you at every level of government that sheltering future generations against the ravages of climate change is a prerequisite for your vote.”</p>
<p>That quick call to divest, followed by a plea to make climate change an election issue, was overlooked by the general public, few of whom had even heard of the fossil-fuel-divestment movement. Yet for student activists listening in, Obama’s call hit like a thunderclap. “We all shouted, screamed, and/or fell out of our chairs,” wrote University of Michigan divestment campaigner Marissa Solomon, adding, “This was huge. The president of the United States of America knows that we have started a legitimate, world-changing movement, and he likes it.” Barnard-Columbia divestment campaigner Daniela Lapidous was quoted in the Huffington Post as saying, “I was watching the speech with fellow divestment activists and when the president said ‘divest’ our jaws dropped. We just looked at each other in shock and then excitement.”</p>
<p>Jamie Henn, communications director for 350.org, the group behind the divestment campaign, quoted in the same Huffington Post piece, called Obama’s statement “a huge endorsement” and added: “My Twitter feed absolutely lit up with students tweeting the news, people are pumped.” A Boston Globe magazine piece recently declared that fossil-fuel divestment “now has the support of the White House,” while the New York Times devoted a July article to Obama’s pro-divestment signal.</p>
<p>Given the radicalism of the divestment crusade, it may suit the president that few outside of liberal environmental circles realize he has endorsed it. Responding to Obama’s climate-change address, Chris Hayes, who hosts a show on MSNBC, tweeted, “‘invest, divest’ is the most crypto-radical line the president has ever uttered.” The author of the Huffington Post piece, senior community organizer and 2008 Obama campaign adviser Peter Dreier, said the president was “signaling his support to the current generation of campus radicals,” adding, “The word ‘divest’ was like a dog whistle to campus activists.”</p>
<p>Transposing the president’s elusive whistle into an audible register could reshape the politics of energy. To understand why, let’s have a closer look at the fossil-fuel-divestment movement.</p>
<p>Divestment’s biggest moment to date was a November 2012 referendum in which 72 percent of participating Harvard undergraduates called on their university’s endowment to sell off any stocks in large fossil-fuel companies. Prior to that, fossil-fuel divestment was an outlier idea, confined to radical environmental groups on a few scattered campuses.</p>
<p>That changed after America’s most influential environmentalist, Bill McKibben, published a July 2012 article in Rolling Stone titled “Global Warming’s Terrifying New Math.” Already a hero to America’s green-minded Millennial generation for penning the first major account of global warming a quarter-century ago, McKibben caused a sensation with this new article by predicting climate catastrophe should more than about 20 percent of the world’s known fossil-fuel reserves be burned. He followed up by launching a rock-star-style tour of concert venues across the country, calling on students to join the “fossil-fuel resistance” by supporting divestment.</p>
<p>On a first hearing, divestment strikes many as a futile gesture. Since most energy companies are moneymakers, any stocks sold off are sure to find buyers. The only financial losers under such circumstances are likely to be the university endowments and public pension funds that divest, not oil companies.</p>
<p>McKibben understands this. The real goal of his effort, modeled on the anti-apartheid divestment movement of the 1980s, is to impugn the moral legitimacy of America’s energy producers. The first step toward bankrupting oil companies financially, McKibben believes, is bankrupting them politically, by turning them into pariahs. With disarming honesty, McKibben insists that “movements require enemies.” By painting oil companies as planetary enemy No. 1, McKibben hopes to generate a public groundswell for steep carbon taxes and other policies designed to force America’s conventional energy producers out of the fossil-fuel business.</p>
<p>That Harvard divestment vote, which followed hard on McKibben’s Boston tour stop, made the New York Times’s front page. In the ensuing months, the movement spread to over 300 college campuses, sparking scores of pro-divestment student votes at schools across the land.</p>
<p>While McKibben is the leading figure behind fossil-fuel divestment, his key ally is Naomi Klein, long an inspiring presence for the anti-corporate-globalization movement and its successor, Occupy Wall Street. Klein argues that, as a practical matter, hard-Left causes can best be advanced in current political circumstances under the banner of environmentalism. Her partnership with McKibben’s divestment movement embodies a long-sought alliance of the environmentalist and anti-capitalist Left.</p>
<p>By any reasonable standard, McKibben’s social vision is radical. Breaking with liberals as well as conservatives, he firmly opposes growth as an economic goal. As he explained in his 2007 book Deep Economy, as well as 2010’s Eaarth, McKibben hopes to unwind capitalist modernity, putting something like a postmodern peasantry in its place. From McKibben’s perspective, modern society is not only ecologically disastrous, it’s also far less satisfying than village and small-town life in the days before the Industrial Revolution.</p>
<p>That’s why McKibben would like to see a return to farm-based living. Instead of industrial farming, with its products distributed by way of carbon-intensive long-haul transport, McKibben seeks a revival of local, labor-intensive organic farming. In his ideal future, we’d abandon our cars and grow food on our suburban lawns.</p>
<p>While this vision is laid out in McKibben’s books, he’s downplayed it since the divestment campaign began. “More farm labor” has limited appeal as a student rallying cry. Yet the goal of shutting down America’s fossil-fuel-based economy dovetails perfectly with McKibben’s agrarian communitarianism. Critics of the climate movement have long maintained that forcibly paring back the carbon economy will do more harm than good—killing economic growth, with devastating human consequences. A post-growth society is McKibben’s goal, and he’s willing to risk some social and economic disruption to get there.</p>
<p>Do McKibben’s young followers understand his deep-lying hostility to economic growth, not to mention his odd utopian vision for America? For the most part, they do not. These days, McKibben has plenty to say about all the industry he wants to shut down, but he tells us virtually nothing about the economic and social consequences of that loss.</p>
<p>Naomi Klein shares McKibben’s no-growth, communitarian, localist vision, and means to use state power to achieve it. Shifting American society from high-tech capitalism to postmodern peasanthood can be financed, Klein believes, by nationalizing America’s oil companies and making them pay for the transition to a post-fossil-fuel economy. Full-throttle anti-capitalism? Klein happily embraces the charge. Given the intellectual underpinnings of the movement President Obama has endorsed, it’s hardly surprising that he chose to quietly “whistle” his support rather than shout his approval from the rooftops.</p>
<p>The quality of debate over the divestment issue on college campuses has, in general, been atrocious. At Harvard, apocalyptic climate-disaster scenarios drawn from the most questionable studies went all but unchallenged. Divestment critics raised questions about the economic wisdom of the tactic, yet few dared dispute the underlying assumptions of the movement: the fantasy of a cost-free post-carbon economy, or catastrophic climate predictions based on data susceptible to perfectly reasonable alternative interpretations. During Harvard’s debate, the wildly controversial economic and social visions of McKibben and Klein never even came up.</p>
<p>No doubt any student with the temerity to raise such questions would have been stigmatized as a climate-change “denier” and an abetter of corporate evil. Like many other universities that now house an official “office of sustainability,” Harvard, with its many “green” programs, effectively sends a message to its students that climate activism is something close to official university policy. The principle of free debate at the heart of liberal education cannot help but suffer when a disputed policy becomes an officially protected sacred cow.</p>
<p>This past March, Vassar College provided an example of what happens to those who dare to cross the line guarding campus climate orthodoxy, when a student group invited Alex Epstein, president of the pro-fossil-fuel Center for Industrial Progress, to speak on campus. Posters advertising the talk were ripped down. Students, a number of them wearing Dick Cheney masks, interrupted Epstein’s lecture with a hostile statement accusing him of being a pawn of the oil industry, then walked out en masse. Before Epstein arrived, a couple of student leaders even tried to persuade his hosts to pay him a fee not to give a talk.</p>
<p>The climax of the last school year’s divestment movement came just before graduation at Swarthmore, where activists took over a Board of Managers meeting that had been called to discuss divestment, at the activists’ request. Conservative student opponents of divestment were blocked from speaking by a bizarre, Alinsky-style tactic in which the protesters rhythmically “clapped down” opinions they opposed, rendering them inaudible. Craven administrators present at the meeting did nothing to impose order. Caught on video, the spectacle rightly embarrassed many Swarthmore students, yet served to encourage the radicals.</p>
<p>The coming school year is bound to bring more disruptions. A takeover of the president’s office at the Rhode Island School of Design late last year may be repeated elsewhere. Divestment activists have been training and planning all summer.</p>
<p>On the plus side, organized opposition to the divestment movement has emerged at Vassar, where many students were outraged by last March’s assault on free speech. They are circulating a statement opposing divestment to students, faculty, and administrators across the country. That statement, developed by the Center for Industrial Progress, calls the divestment movement “an attempt to silence legitimate debate” and condemns its refusal to grapple with the social costs of an industry shutdown. Rather than asking schools to endorse a particular stance on energy or the environment, the statement calls on them to eschew politics and promote open debate. Signed by such luminaries as Steven Hayward, Alan Charles Kors, Harvey Mansfield, Matt Ridley, Roger Scruton, and Peter Wood, the statement represents the most serious pushback against the divestment movement to date. (A copy of “Don’t Divest, Educate—An Open Letter to American Universities” can be found at fossilfueldebate.com.)</p>
<p>Lopsided student support for fossil-fuel divestment depends on the atmosphere of intimidation that has surrounded the movement so far. Many students support divestment for want of having heard counterarguments, or because they live on campuses where just about any policy proposal claiming the mantle of environmentalism is considered right. Real opposition could burst this bubble.</p>
<p>The president clearly hopes otherwise. As the New York Times suggested in the wake of Obama’s Georgetown nod to the divestment movement, his speech can be taken as a plea for help. Obama knows, said the Times, “that if he is to get serious climate policies on the books before his term ends in 2017, he needs a mass political movement pushing for stronger action.” So Obama’s supportive signal may have been an attempt to kindle divestment activism that will serve to pressure Congress to pass aggressive carbon restrictions, the end that Obama and the fossil-fuel-divestment movement share.</p>
<p>Democrats worry that the president’s climate proposals will leave them vulnerable to charges of killing jobs and raising energy prices. Organizing for Action, President Obama’s national community-organizing group, will counter such attacks by painting Republicans as anti-science climate “deniers.” That’s silly, since it’s perfectly possible to accept the basic physics of carbon dioxide’s effect on temperature without buying into climate catastrophism, but the administration is paying attention to polls that say Republicans can be hurt by being portrayed as “deniers.” This is what’s behind Obama’s more open and aggressive stance on the issue.</p>
<p>What if, instead of fighting a defensive battle against bogus efforts to paint them as troglodytes, Republicans were to highlight President Obama’s endorsement of the fossil-fuel-divestment movement? Again, the real goal of that movement is to use divestment activism to pressure Congress to pass a draconian carbon tax. Would the public be onboard with a government-imposed shutdown of America’s conventional-energy industry, leaving 80 percent of America’s fuel reserves in the ground, well before wind or solar becomes an economically viable substitute? What would that do to jobs and energy prices, not to mention our dependence on Middle Eastern oil (in the short term)? And what if the public were to get an inkling of the radical social vision of the divestment movement’s leaders?</p>
<p>The White House has so far declined to elaborate on what the president meant at Georgetown when he called on students to divest. No wonder. Should critics force the issue, the president will find that he has trapped himself. Either he will have to justify his support for a radical movement whose outlandish goal the public is sure to reject, or he will have to back off, sorely disappointing his Millennial base. Congressional Republicans and potential GOP presidential candidates should help the president choose—by calling on him to clarify his stand on fossil-fuel divestment.</p>
<p>Stanley Kurtz is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.</p> | false | 1 | president obama declared war americas fossilfuel industry administration pains deny claims lawmakers parties waging war coal real war wider largely unnoticed critics obama begun supporting cause called fossilfuel resistance radical advocates movements leading edge drive college endowments well church municipal state pension funds divest stock large fossilfuel companies fossilfuel divestment meant turn americas conventional energy producers social pariahs goal enactment steeply escalating carbon tax would result americas oil companies leave 80 percent known reserves forever unused earth massive national shift renewable energy sources could financed slowmotion governmentimposed shutdown americas fossilfuel industry political reasons might seem unlikely president could support program extreme obama may yet approve ultimate environmental bugaboo keystone xl pipeline project still broadly supported public assaults coal presidents june address climate change georgetown university contained endorsement jobcreating naturalgas production least medium term yet speech included barely noticed expression support extremist fossilfueldivestment movement swept across americas college campuses past academic year telling georgetowns students wanted enlist generations help battle climate change obama said convince power reduce carbon pollution push communities adopt smarter practices invest divest remind folks theres contradiction sound environment strong economic growth remind everyone represents every level government sheltering future generations ravages climate change prerequisite vote quick call divest followed plea make climate change election issue overlooked general public even heard fossilfueldivestment movement yet student activists listening obamas call hit like thunderclap shouted screamed andor fell chairs wrote university michigan divestment campaigner marissa solomon adding huge president united states america knows started legitimate worldchanging movement likes barnardcolumbia divestment campaigner daniela lapidous quoted huffington post saying watching speech fellow divestment activists president said divest jaws dropped looked shock excitement jamie henn communications director 350org group behind divestment campaign quoted huffington post piece called obamas statement huge endorsement added twitter feed absolutely lit students tweeting news people pumped boston globe magazine piece recently declared fossilfuel divestment support white house new york times devoted july article obamas prodivestment signal given radicalism divestment crusade may suit president outside liberal environmental circles realize endorsed responding obamas climatechange address chris hayes hosts show msnbc tweeted invest divest cryptoradical line president ever uttered author huffington post piece senior community organizer 2008 obama campaign adviser peter dreier said president signaling support current generation campus radicals adding word divest like dog whistle campus activists transposing presidents elusive whistle audible register could reshape politics energy understand lets closer look fossilfueldivestment movement divestments biggest moment date november 2012 referendum 72 percent participating harvard undergraduates called universitys endowment sell stocks large fossilfuel companies prior fossilfuel divestment outlier idea confined radical environmental groups scattered campuses changed americas influential environmentalist bill mckibben published july 2012 article rolling stone titled global warmings terrifying new math already hero americas greenminded millennial generation penning first major account global warming quartercentury ago mckibben caused sensation new article predicting climate catastrophe 20 percent worlds known fossilfuel reserves burned followed launching rockstarstyle tour concert venues across country calling students join fossilfuel resistance supporting divestment first hearing divestment strikes many futile gesture since energy companies moneymakers stocks sold sure find buyers financial losers circumstances likely university endowments public pension funds divest oil companies mckibben understands real goal effort modeled antiapartheid divestment movement 1980s impugn moral legitimacy americas energy producers first step toward bankrupting oil companies financially mckibben believes bankrupting politically turning pariahs disarming honesty mckibben insists movements require enemies painting oil companies planetary enemy 1 mckibben hopes generate public groundswell steep carbon taxes policies designed force americas conventional energy producers fossilfuel business harvard divestment vote followed hard mckibbens boston tour stop made new york timess front page ensuing months movement spread 300 college campuses sparking scores prodivestment student votes schools across land mckibben leading figure behind fossilfuel divestment key ally naomi klein long inspiring presence anticorporateglobalization movement successor occupy wall street klein argues practical matter hardleft causes best advanced current political circumstances banner environmentalism partnership mckibbens divestment movement embodies longsought alliance environmentalist anticapitalist left reasonable standard mckibbens social vision radical breaking liberals well conservatives firmly opposes growth economic goal explained 2007 book deep economy well 2010s eaarth mckibben hopes unwind capitalist modernity putting something like postmodern peasantry place mckibbens perspective modern society ecologically disastrous also far less satisfying village smalltown life days industrial revolution thats mckibben would like see return farmbased living instead industrial farming products distributed way carbonintensive longhaul transport mckibben seeks revival local laborintensive organic farming ideal future wed abandon cars grow food suburban lawns vision laid mckibbens books hes downplayed since divestment campaign began farm labor limited appeal student rallying cry yet goal shutting americas fossilfuelbased economy dovetails perfectly mckibbens agrarian communitarianism critics climate movement long maintained forcibly paring back carbon economy harm goodkilling economic growth devastating human consequences postgrowth society mckibbens goal hes willing risk social economic disruption get mckibbens young followers understand deeplying hostility economic growth mention odd utopian vision america part days mckibben plenty say industry wants shut tells us virtually nothing economic social consequences loss naomi klein shares mckibbens nogrowth communitarian localist vision means use state power achieve shifting american society hightech capitalism postmodern peasanthood financed klein believes nationalizing americas oil companies making pay transition postfossilfuel economy fullthrottle anticapitalism klein happily embraces charge given intellectual underpinnings movement president obama endorsed hardly surprising chose quietly whistle support rather shout approval rooftops quality debate divestment issue college campuses general atrocious harvard apocalyptic climatedisaster scenarios drawn questionable studies went unchallenged divestment critics raised questions economic wisdom tactic yet dared dispute underlying assumptions movement fantasy costfree postcarbon economy catastrophic climate predictions based data susceptible perfectly reasonable alternative interpretations harvards debate wildly controversial economic social visions mckibben klein never even came doubt student temerity raise questions would stigmatized climatechange denier abetter corporate evil like many universities house official office sustainability harvard many green programs effectively sends message students climate activism something close official university policy principle free debate heart liberal education help suffer disputed policy becomes officially protected sacred cow past march vassar college provided example happens dare cross line guarding campus climate orthodoxy student group invited alex epstein president profossilfuel center industrial progress speak campus posters advertising talk ripped students number wearing dick cheney masks interrupted epsteins lecture hostile statement accusing pawn oil industry walked en masse epstein arrived couple student leaders even tried persuade hosts pay fee give talk climax last school years divestment movement came graduation swarthmore activists took board managers meeting called discuss divestment activists request conservative student opponents divestment blocked speaking bizarre alinskystyle tactic protesters rhythmically clapped opinions opposed rendering inaudible craven administrators present meeting nothing impose order caught video spectacle rightly embarrassed many swarthmore students yet served encourage radicals coming school year bound bring disruptions takeover presidents office rhode island school design late last year may repeated elsewhere divestment activists training planning summer plus side organized opposition divestment movement emerged vassar many students outraged last marchs assault free speech circulating statement opposing divestment students faculty administrators across country statement developed center industrial progress calls divestment movement attempt silence legitimate debate condemns refusal grapple social costs industry shutdown rather asking schools endorse particular stance energy environment statement calls eschew politics promote open debate signed luminaries steven hayward alan charles kors harvey mansfield matt ridley roger scruton peter wood statement represents serious pushback divestment movement date copy dont divest educatean open letter american universities found fossilfueldebatecom lopsided student support fossilfuel divestment depends atmosphere intimidation surrounded movement far many students support divestment want heard counterarguments live campuses policy proposal claiming mantle environmentalism considered right real opposition could burst bubble president clearly hopes otherwise new york times suggested wake obamas georgetown nod divestment movement speech taken plea help obama knows said times get serious climate policies books term ends 2017 needs mass political movement pushing stronger action obamas supportive signal may attempt kindle divestment activism serve pressure congress pass aggressive carbon restrictions end obama fossilfueldivestment movement share democrats worry presidents climate proposals leave vulnerable charges killing jobs raising energy prices organizing action president obamas national communityorganizing group counter attacks painting republicans antiscience climate deniers thats silly since perfectly possible accept basic physics carbon dioxides effect temperature without buying climate catastrophism administration paying attention polls say republicans hurt portrayed deniers whats behind obamas open aggressive stance issue instead fighting defensive battle bogus efforts paint troglodytes republicans highlight president obamas endorsement fossilfueldivestment movement real goal movement use divestment activism pressure congress pass draconian carbon tax would public onboard governmentimposed shutdown americas conventionalenergy industry leaving 80 percent americas fuel reserves ground well wind solar becomes economically viable substitute would jobs energy prices mention dependence middle eastern oil short term public get inkling radical social vision divestment movements leaders white house far declined elaborate president meant georgetown called students divest wonder critics force issue president find trapped either justify support radical movement whose outlandish goal public sure reject back sorely disappointing millennial base congressional republicans potential gop presidential candidates help president chooseby calling clarify stand fossilfuel divestment stanley kurtz senior fellow ethics public policy center | 1,476 |
<p>Controversial agricultural giant Monsanto attempted to ‘kill’ research on Roundup weed killer, which is suspected of causing cancer, leaked documents show. The company also reportedly influenced EPA officials to conceal information about the cancer risks.</p>
<p>A trove of documents was released by LA-based plaintiff firm Baum, Hedlund, Aristei &amp; Goldman earlier in August. The company is <a href="https://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/toxic-tort-law/monsanto-roundup-lawsuit/" type="external">representing</a> people who claimed that they or their relatives got cancer due to Monsanto products.&#160;</p>
<p>In particular, the case concerns the notorious Roundup, a non-selective herbicide which kills weeds that compete with agricultural crops. Its active ingredient is called glyphosate.</p>
<p>The documents, mostly emails between Monsanto executives and researchers working for or connected with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are dated between 1999 and 2016.</p>
<p>For example, in one email Donna Farmer, a Monsanto scientist, insists to an expert that “glyphosate and Roundup cannot be used interchangeably.”</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/394201-monsanto-california-glyphosate-cancer-list/" type="external" /></p>
<p>“For example you cannot say that Roundup is not a carcinogen … we have not done the necessary testing on the formulation to make that statement,” she <a href="http://baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/27-Internal-Monsanto-Email-You-Cannot-Say-That-Roundup-is-not-a-Carcinogen.pdf" type="external">wrote</a>.</p>
<p>In another set of emails Monsanto Executive William Heydens edits a <a href="http://baumhedlundlaw.com/pdf/monsanto-documents/1-Monsanto-Executive-William-Heydens-Edits-and-Comments-on-Expert-Consultant-Manuscript.pdf" type="external">manuscript</a> on the effects of Roundup from an expert consultant.</p>
<p>The majority of the edits concern theories and speculation of possible links between glyphosate and cancer.</p>
<p>“This is a look behind the curtain,” attorney Brent Wisner said. “This show[s] that Monsanto has deliberately been stopping studies that look bad for them, ghostwriting literature and engaging in a whole host of corporate malfeasance.</p>
<p>“They [Monsanto] have been telling everybody that these products are safe because regulators have said they are safe, but it turns out that Monsanto has been in bed with US regulators while misleading European regulators,” he added.</p>
<p>Monsanto said that the plaintiffs’ legal team committed a “flagrant violation” of confidentiality by releasing the trove, and has asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit as a result. The corporation also says that the documents misrepresent its modus operandi.</p>
<p>The EPA’s Report of the Cancer Assessment Review Committee on glyphosate from 2015 addressed the cancer risks of the substance in a neutral way. The committee <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/glyphosate_issue_paper_evaluation_of_carcincogenic_potential.pdf" type="external">concluded</a> that the substance has no connection with many types of tumors, and cautiously said that “there is conflicting evidence” that glyphosate causes non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL), a type of blood cancer.&#160;</p>
<p>NHL is a primary concern for glyphosate as Baum, Hedlund, Aristei &amp; Goldman plaintiffs claim that they got this exact type of cancer after exposure to the substance.</p>
<p>According to the group, more than 900 people across the US who have been diagnosed with NHL are suing Monsanto.</p>
<p>The&#160; <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate" type="external">description</a> of glyphosate on the EPA website still appears to be positive, saying that it has “low toxicity for humans.”</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/389148-monsanto-international-march-gmo/" type="external" /></p>
<p>The biotech corporation, which on its website claims to help farmers “grow food more sustainably,” has been at the center of scandals in recent years. There have been scores of anti-Monsanto petitions and stories of people who claimed to have been affected by the company’s products.</p>
<p>The corporate giant has been also at the center of reports claiming it has influence with&#160;the US government and, thus, avoids lawsuits.</p>
<p>The anger with the corporation went global with the start of the March Against Monsanto movement in 2013. The initiative launched rallies against ‘Monsanto poison’ across the globe, with thousands of people joining. “Keep GMOs out of your genes,” says the slogan of the movement, whose Facebook page has gathered 1.4 million likes so far.&#160;</p>
<p>Europe appears to be “a force of resistance” against the corporation. In June, more than 1 million people signed a petition calling to ban glyphosate, according to the European Citizens Initiative, which <a href="https://act.wemove.eu/campaigns/eci-glyphosate-int" type="external">launched</a> the campaign. &#160;The document was submitted to 28 national European authorities.</p>
<p>“European citizens aren’t fooled by the pesticide industry’s lobbying efforts or the faulty science it’s peddling,” David Schwartz, ECI coordinator at WeMove.EU, said.&#160;</p>
<p>[embedded content]</p>
<p>The rising criticism of Monsanto also resulted in a 2014 documentary, claiming that the company has contributed to over 290,000 suicides by Indian farmers over the last 20 years. Farmers were allegedly forced to grow GM cotton instead of traditional crops, agricultural scientist Dr. G. V. Ramanjaneyulu, of the Center For Sustainable Agriculture, told a team from RT’s documentary channel, RTD, which traveled to India to learn about the issue. The seeds were so expensive and demanded so much more maintenance that farmers often went bankrupt and killed themselves.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/386858-monsanto-hired-trolls-court/" type="external" /></p>
<p>One of the recent scandals around Monsanto involves its alleged hiring, through third parties, of an army of internet trolls to counter negative comments. These trolls were reportedly tasked with citing positive “ghost-written” pseudo-scientific reports which downplay the potential risks of Monsanto products, including Roundup.</p>
<p>Monsanto even reportedly targeted all online materials and even social media comments that indicate potential dangers of its products, according to several plaintiffs’ lawsuits.&#160;</p>
<p>One of Monsanto’s most well-known attempts to seemingly hush-up “wrong” science concerns was in March 2015, when the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) released a report which <a href="http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/iarcnews/pdf/MonographVolume112.pdf" type="external">classified</a> glyphosate as a possible carcinogen.</p>
<p>Monsanto <a href="https://monsanto.com/company/media/statements/glyphosate-report-response/" type="external">promptly</a> said that it “strongly disagrees with IARC’s classification of glyphosate” and demanded it be retracted with its “erroneous classification”. &#160;</p>
<p>No scientific report has definitively concluded that Roundup, which has been on the market since 1974, causes cancer. This fact is especially noted in every Monsanto press release on the issue. The statements are usually supported by a pile of scientific articles claiming the harmless effects of glyphosate. One of the positive facts around the herbicide is that it <a href="https://monsanto.com/company/media/statements/glyphosate-herbicide/" type="external">helps</a> to tackle climate change, the company claims.</p> | false | 1 | controversial agricultural giant monsanto attempted kill research roundup weed killer suspected causing cancer leaked documents show company also reportedly influenced epa officials conceal information cancer risks trove documents released labased plaintiff firm baum hedlund aristei amp goldman earlier august company representing people claimed relatives got cancer due monsanto products160 particular case concerns notorious roundup nonselective herbicide kills weeds compete agricultural crops active ingredient called glyphosate documents mostly emails monsanto executives researchers working connected us environmental protection agency epa dated 1999 2016 example one email donna farmer monsanto scientist insists expert glyphosate roundup used interchangeably read example say roundup carcinogen done necessary testing formulation make statement wrote another set emails monsanto executive william heydens edits manuscript effects roundup expert consultant majority edits concern theories speculation possible links glyphosate cancer look behind curtain attorney brent wisner said shows monsanto deliberately stopping studies look bad ghostwriting literature engaging whole host corporate malfeasance monsanto telling everybody products safe regulators said safe turns monsanto bed us regulators misleading european regulators added monsanto said plaintiffs legal team committed flagrant violation confidentiality releasing trove asked court dismiss lawsuit result corporation also says documents misrepresent modus operandi epas report cancer assessment review committee glyphosate 2015 addressed cancer risks substance neutral way committee concluded substance connection many types tumors cautiously said conflicting evidence glyphosate causes nonhodgkin lymphoma nhl type blood cancer160 nhl primary concern glyphosate baum hedlund aristei amp goldman plaintiffs claim got exact type cancer exposure substance according group 900 people across us diagnosed nhl suing monsanto the160 description glyphosate epa website still appears positive saying low toxicity humans read biotech corporation website claims help farmers grow food sustainably center scandals recent years scores antimonsanto petitions stories people claimed affected companys products corporate giant also center reports claiming influence with160the us government thus avoids lawsuits anger corporation went global start march monsanto movement 2013 initiative launched rallies monsanto poison across globe thousands people joining keep gmos genes says slogan movement whose facebook page gathered 14 million likes far160 europe appears force resistance corporation june 1 million people signed petition calling ban glyphosate according european citizens initiative launched campaign 160the document submitted 28 national european authorities european citizens arent fooled pesticide industrys lobbying efforts faulty science peddling david schwartz eci coordinator wemoveeu said160 embedded content rising criticism monsanto also resulted 2014 documentary claiming company contributed 290000 suicides indian farmers last 20 years farmers allegedly forced grow gm cotton instead traditional crops agricultural scientist dr g v ramanjaneyulu center sustainable agriculture told team rts documentary channel rtd traveled india learn issue seeds expensive demanded much maintenance farmers often went bankrupt killed read one recent scandals around monsanto involves alleged hiring third parties army internet trolls counter negative comments trolls reportedly tasked citing positive ghostwritten pseudoscientific reports downplay potential risks monsanto products including roundup monsanto even reportedly targeted online materials even social media comments indicate potential dangers products according several plaintiffs lawsuits160 one monsantos wellknown attempts seemingly hushup wrong science concerns march 2015 whos international agency research cancer iarc released report classified glyphosate possible carcinogen monsanto promptly said strongly disagrees iarcs classification glyphosate demanded retracted erroneous classification 160 scientific report definitively concluded roundup market since 1974 causes cancer fact especially noted every monsanto press release issue statements usually supported pile scientific articles claiming harmless effects glyphosate one positive facts around herbicide helps tackle climate change company claims | 556 |
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<p>More than one novelist has had an intricate, even prickly, personality. In Evelyn Waugh, however, nature and grace contrived to fashion an exceptionally complex, even maddening, character; understanding him in full would require the combined skills of an archaeologist, a psychiatrist, and an old-school spiritual director. It would be a mistake, though, to miss the subtleties of Waugh’s art or the depth of his novelist’s vision by focusing exclusively on his personal quirks and eccentricities, amusing or appalling as they may be.</p>
<p>Who was Evelyn Arthur St. John Waugh, born in the Hampstead area of London in 1903, the younger son of a literary critic and publisher? What was his art? To begin at the surface, he was a brilliant satirist – one of the funniest writers of the twentieth century. At the same time, his humor was complemented by his literary craftsmanship, which was arguably the most well developed among his contemporaries; however one sorts out the relative merits of Waugh, P.G. Wodehouse, Graham Greene, and others, anyone who reads Waugh closely immediately senses that he was a master craftsman of English prose, a man incapable of writing a dull sentence.</p>
<p>Then there were those eccentricities. Waugh’s personality encompassed an astonishing range of idiosyncracies. But if he was an eccentric, he was not a crank. Yes, Evelyn Waugh reveled in being politically incorrect. Yes, he could be terribly self-centered and, at times, selfishly cruel. Yes, he lived a considerable part of his adult life in auto-constructed physical and psychological enclaves intended to keep the world at bay – including, sometimes, the world inhabited by his six children. Yes he was, as one of his biographers put it, a “displaced person” by nature.</p>
<p>To file Waugh away under the category “gifted eccentric,” however, would be a bad mistake; no one questions the literary gifts of a Herman Melville or a Henry James because of the oddities of their personalities. Or to take another writer, whom Waugh admired: no serious student of Flannery O’Connor’s distinctive fiction would suggest that we get to the essence of her inner life and its impact on her novels and short stories by pondering her fondness for guinea fowl. By the same token, it doesn’t make much sense to think that we can get to the core of Evelyn Waugh by contemplating his affectation of a Victorian ear-trumpet in his later years – or by remembering that he once asked a briefing officer during World War II whether it was true that “in the Romanian Army no one beneath the rank of Major is permitted to use lipstick.”</p>
<p>A great comic writer? Yes. An eccentric whose personal crotchets gave his fiction and his journalism a distinct tang? To be sure. But beneath and beyond all this, Evelyn Waugh, as he understood himself, was a Christian pilgrim – a Catholic with an intensely sacramental apprehension of reality, a craftsman with a profound belief that writing was his vocation, not simply his career. Waugh himself admitted that he was a very bad Christian, a man to whom neither prayer nor charity came easily; as he was famously reported to have said to a society matron who had complained about his boorish manners, “Madame, were it not for the Faith, I should scarcely be human.” At the same time, few novelists have explored with more profundity than Evelyn Waugh the mysterious workings of grace in the humanizing of a disparate cast of characters.</p>
<p>Waugh’s extensive corpus lends itself to friendly arguments about which of his novels is the greatest. Two generations of critics have deplored both the piety and the lush, magenta pose of Brideshead Revisited; yet an argument can be made that Brideshead is singularly effective in tracing the divine twitch on the thread of human lives, calling us from lesser, easier, more self-centered loves to higher, truer, harder loves. Yet even those who defy critical convention and celebrate Brideshead will often be found stumping for the artistic superiority of A Handful of Dust as a cleaner, more sharply etched, more psychologically nuanced novel. I have long argued that Waugh’s Sword of Honour trilogy (Men at Arms, Officers and Gentlemen, and Unconditional Surrender – known to Americans by the inferior title, The End of the Battle) stands at the apex of his artistic achievement; these are, surely, the finest novels to come out of World War II, and their morally driven view of world politics, scorned in the 1960s, was proven remarkably prescient by the Revolution of 1989 in east central Europe.</p>
<p>Evelyn Waugh’s personal favorite among his works was none of these, however. It was Helena. When it was first published in 1950, critics paid it little regard, imagining it another exercise in Waugh’s alleged snobbery, this time masquerading as piety. Helena has, at times, fallen out-of-print, a fate that has befallen none of Waugh’s other novels. Yet he loved it; his daughter, Harriet, remembered that Helena was “the only one of his books that he ever cared to read aloud to the whole family.” Why, tells us a lot about Waugh the artist and Waugh the man.</p>
<p>As for the artistry, Waugh was not modest in his claims for Helena. On the dust jacket of the first edition, he wrote, evidently without a blush, “Technically this is the most ambitious work of a writer who is devoted to the niceties of his trade.” However that may be, there’s something to be said for Waugh’s pride in his craft here: the novel’s spare narration, its crisp dialogue, its beguiling yet deceptive simplicity, the ongoing confrontation between myth and history that gives Helena its narrative line – all of this suggests an intriguing experiment, in the late 1940s, with a form of postmodern fiction.</p>
<p>At the same time, Helena was, and is, Waugh’s most intentional statement about the truth of Christianity, and about vocation – the divine call to a specific work in life – as the heart of Christian discipleship. Helena is full of biting historical and theological commentary (including a hilarious put-down of Edward Gibbon’s anti-Christian reading of Roman history). But, in the main, we are far, far away here from what one Waugh biographer calls the “jubilant malice” with which Waugh pilloried the California way of death in The Loved One. In Helena, Waugh explored, sparely but deeply, the question that shaped the last thirty-six years of his life – how does one become a saint?</p>
<p>In the course of his conversion to Catholicism, which took place in 1930, Evelyn Waugh came to the conviction that sanctity was not for the sanctuary only. Every Christian had to be a saint. And one of the hardest parts of that lifelong process of self-emptying and purification was to discover one’s vocation: that unique, singular something that would, in accord with God’s providential design, provide the means for sanctification. Helena’s sense of vocation, and the Christian scandal of particularity to which her vocation bore witness, was what attracted Waugh to the fourth-century Empress, whom the world remembers as the mother of the Emperor Constantine. Waugh later explained his choice in a letter to the poet John Betjeman, who confessed to being puzzled by the fact that, in the novel, Helena “doesn’t seem like a saint”:</p>
<p>Saints are simply souls in heaven. Some people have been so sensationally holy in life that we know they went straight to heaven and so put them in the [liturgical] calendar. We all have to become saints before we get to heaven. That is what purgatory is for. And each individual has his own form of sanctity which he must achieve or perish. It is no good my saying, ‘I wish I were like Joan of Arc or St. John of the Cross.’ I can only be St. Evelyn Waugh – after God knows what experiences in purgatory.</p>
<p>I liked Helena’s sanctity because it is in contrast to all that moderns think of as sanctity. She wasn’t thrown to the lions, she wasn’t a contemplative, she didn’t look like an El Greco. She just discovered what it was God has chosen for her to do and did it. And she snubbed Aldous Huxley with his perennial fog, by going straight to the essential physical historical fact of the redemption.</p>
<p>Waugh was not a proselytizer, and Helena is no more an exercise in conventional piety than Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory, whose hero is an alcoholic priest. But Waugh was a committed Christian apologist, and his apologetic skills are amply displayed in Helena. Thus Helena was not only addressed to those Christians who were trying to figure out the meaning of their own discipleship; it was also intended as a full-bore confrontation with the false humanism that, for Waugh, was embodied by well-meaning but profoundly wrong-headed naturalistic-humanistic critics of the modern world like Aldous Huxley and George Orwell.</p>
<p>More specifically, Waugh wanted to suggest that an ancient pathogen was lurking inside the hollowness of modern humanisms: gnosticism, the ancient heresy that denies the importance or meaningfulness of the world. So, to adopt a neologism from contemporary critics, Helena is, “metafictionally,” an argument on behalf of Waugh’s contention that modern humanistic fallacies are variants on the old, gnostic temptations exemplified by the Emperor Constantine and his world-historical hubris. And at the core of the gnostic temptation was, and is, the denial of the Christian doctrine of original sin – which is, in effect, a denial of some essential facts of life, including the facts of suffering and death. In Helena, the arrogantly ignorant Constantine puts it in precisely these terms to old Pope Sylvester, as the headstrong young conqueror heads off to his new capital on the Bosporus: “You can have your old Rome, Holy Father, with its Peter and Paul and its tunnels full of martyrs. We start with no unpleasant associations; in innocence, with Divine Wisdom and Peace.”</p>
<p>And what was the answer to the gnostic fallacy, which produced in Constantine’s time, as in ours, a kind of plastic, humanistic utopianism? For Helena, and for Waugh, it was what the aged Empress went to find: the “remorseless fact of the lump of wood to which Christ was nailed in agony,” as Waugh biographer Martin Stannard put it. This “remorseless lump of wood” reminds us of two very important things: it reminds us that we have been created, and it reminds us that we have been redeemed. Helena believed, and Waugh agreed, that without that lump of wood, without the historical reality it represented, Christianity was just another Mediterranean mystery religion, a variant on the Mithras cult or some other gnostic confection. With it – with this tangible expression of the incarnation and what theologians call the hypostatic union (the Son of God become man in Jesus of Nazareth) – a window was open to the supernatural, and the “real world” and its sufferings were put into proper perspective. For God had saved the world, not by fetching us out of our humanity (as the gnostics would have it), but by embracing our humanity in order to transform it through the mystery of the cross – the mystery of redemptive suffering, vindicated in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.</p>
<p>Gnosticism, and the plastic utopianism that follows in its wake, is every bit as much a temptation in the twenty-first century as it was in Helena’s day. Fish don’t notice water; we don’t notice gnosticism for what it is – even when it’s celebrated in a bestseller like The DaVinci Code. Audiences still find it amazing, even unbelievable, when I tell them that, in the overwhelming majority of American universities today, very, very few members of the philosophy department will defend the claim that the reality we perceive discloses the truth of things. Somehow, the radical skepticism and relativism of the intellectual guilds hasn’t penetrated down to the level of the people who sign the checks that allow the guild members to live in style. Or perhaps ordinary people – who think that they do, in fact, know some things – feel intimidated by the serpentine arguments of today’s gnostic intellectuals.</p>
<p>Although set more than a millennium and a half ago, Helena is a bracing antidote to this contemporary gnosticism: this “bosh” and “rubbish,” as Waugh’s Helena would put it. From her childhood, Helena is determined to know whether things are real or unreal, true or false — including the claims of Christianity. For her, Christianity is not one idea in a world supermarket of religious ideas. Christianity is either the truth — the Son of God really became man, really died, and really was raised from the dead for the salvation of the world — or it’s more “bosh” and “rubbish.” The true cross of Helena’s search is not a magical talisman; it is the unavoidable physical fact that demonstrates the reality of what Christians propose, and about which others must decide.</p>
<p>One Waugh biographer suggests that the novelist’s later years were marked by an agonizing spiritual quest for compassion and contrition. As for many of us, the contrition likely came easier than the compassion. But it is difficult to read Helena without discerning in its author the capacity for a great compassion indeed – a compassion for the human struggle with the great questions that are raised in every life, in every age. Evelyn Waugh’s comic energy was once sprung from his pronounced power to hurt others, as a novel like Vile Bodies demonstrates. But in the mature Waugh, the Waugh who wrote Helena and thought it his finest achievement, the farce has been transformed into comedy, and the comedy has become, for all the chiaroscuro shadings, a divine comedy indeed.</p>
<p>George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of Washington’s Ethics and Public Policy Center, where he holds the William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies.</p> | false | 1 | buy book click purchase book amazoncom one novelist intricate even prickly personality evelyn waugh however nature grace contrived fashion exceptionally complex even maddening character understanding full would require combined skills archaeologist psychiatrist oldschool spiritual director would mistake though miss subtleties waughs art depth novelists vision focusing exclusively personal quirks eccentricities amusing appalling may evelyn arthur st john waugh born hampstead area london 1903 younger son literary critic publisher art begin surface brilliant satirist one funniest writers twentieth century time humor complemented literary craftsmanship arguably well developed among contemporaries however one sorts relative merits waugh pg wodehouse graham greene others anyone reads waugh closely immediately senses master craftsman english prose man incapable writing dull sentence eccentricities waughs personality encompassed astonishing range idiosyncracies eccentric crank yes evelyn waugh reveled politically incorrect yes could terribly selfcentered times selfishly cruel yes lived considerable part adult life autoconstructed physical psychological enclaves intended keep world bay including sometimes world inhabited six children yes one biographers put displaced person nature file waugh away category gifted eccentric however would bad mistake one questions literary gifts herman melville henry james oddities personalities take another writer waugh admired serious student flannery oconnors distinctive fiction would suggest get essence inner life impact novels short stories pondering fondness guinea fowl token doesnt make much sense think get core evelyn waugh contemplating affectation victorian eartrumpet later years remembering asked briefing officer world war ii whether true romanian army one beneath rank major permitted use lipstick great comic writer yes eccentric whose personal crotchets gave fiction journalism distinct tang sure beneath beyond evelyn waugh understood christian pilgrim catholic intensely sacramental apprehension reality craftsman profound belief writing vocation simply career waugh admitted bad christian man neither prayer charity came easily famously reported said society matron complained boorish manners madame faith scarcely human time novelists explored profundity evelyn waugh mysterious workings grace humanizing disparate cast characters waughs extensive corpus lends friendly arguments novels greatest two generations critics deplored piety lush magenta pose brideshead revisited yet argument made brideshead singularly effective tracing divine twitch thread human lives calling us lesser easier selfcentered loves higher truer harder loves yet even defy critical convention celebrate brideshead often found stumping artistic superiority handful dust cleaner sharply etched psychologically nuanced novel long argued waughs sword honour trilogy men arms officers gentlemen unconditional surrender known americans inferior title end battle stands apex artistic achievement surely finest novels come world war ii morally driven view world politics scorned 1960s proven remarkably prescient revolution 1989 east central europe evelyn waughs personal favorite among works none however helena first published 1950 critics paid little regard imagining another exercise waughs alleged snobbery time masquerading piety helena times fallen outofprint fate befallen none waughs novels yet loved daughter harriet remembered helena one books ever cared read aloud whole family tells us lot waugh artist waugh man artistry waugh modest claims helena dust jacket first edition wrote evidently without blush technically ambitious work writer devoted niceties trade however may theres something said waughs pride craft novels spare narration crisp dialogue beguiling yet deceptive simplicity ongoing confrontation myth history gives helena narrative line suggests intriguing experiment late 1940s form postmodern fiction time helena waughs intentional statement truth christianity vocation divine call specific work life heart christian discipleship helena full biting historical theological commentary including hilarious putdown edward gibbons antichristian reading roman history main far far away one waugh biographer calls jubilant malice waugh pilloried california way death loved one helena waugh explored sparely deeply question shaped last thirtysix years life one become saint course conversion catholicism took place 1930 evelyn waugh came conviction sanctity sanctuary every christian saint one hardest parts lifelong process selfemptying purification discover ones vocation unique singular something would accord gods providential design provide means sanctification helenas sense vocation christian scandal particularity vocation bore witness attracted waugh fourthcentury empress world remembers mother emperor constantine waugh later explained choice letter poet john betjeman confessed puzzled fact novel helena doesnt seem like saint saints simply souls heaven people sensationally holy life know went straight heaven put liturgical calendar become saints get heaven purgatory individual form sanctity must achieve perish good saying wish like joan arc st john cross st evelyn waugh god knows experiences purgatory liked helenas sanctity contrast moderns think sanctity wasnt thrown lions wasnt contemplative didnt look like el greco discovered god chosen snubbed aldous huxley perennial fog going straight essential physical historical fact redemption waugh proselytizer helena exercise conventional piety graham greenes power glory whose hero alcoholic priest waugh committed christian apologist apologetic skills amply displayed helena thus helena addressed christians trying figure meaning discipleship also intended fullbore confrontation false humanism waugh embodied wellmeaning profoundly wrongheaded naturalistichumanistic critics modern world like aldous huxley george orwell specifically waugh wanted suggest ancient pathogen lurking inside hollowness modern humanisms gnosticism ancient heresy denies importance meaningfulness world adopt neologism contemporary critics helena metafictionally argument behalf waughs contention modern humanistic fallacies variants old gnostic temptations exemplified emperor constantine worldhistorical hubris core gnostic temptation denial christian doctrine original sin effect denial essential facts life including facts suffering death helena arrogantly ignorant constantine puts precisely terms old pope sylvester headstrong young conqueror heads new capital bosporus old rome holy father peter paul tunnels full martyrs start unpleasant associations innocence divine wisdom peace answer gnostic fallacy produced constantines time kind plastic humanistic utopianism helena waugh aged empress went find remorseless fact lump wood christ nailed agony waugh biographer martin stannard put remorseless lump wood reminds us two important things reminds us created reminds us redeemed helena believed waugh agreed without lump wood without historical reality represented christianity another mediterranean mystery religion variant mithras cult gnostic confection tangible expression incarnation theologians call hypostatic union son god become man jesus nazareth window open supernatural real world sufferings put proper perspective god saved world fetching us humanity gnostics would embracing humanity order transform mystery cross mystery redemptive suffering vindicated resurrection jesus dead gnosticism plastic utopianism follows wake every bit much temptation twentyfirst century helenas day fish dont notice water dont notice gnosticism even celebrated bestseller like davinci code audiences still find amazing even unbelievable tell overwhelming majority american universities today members philosophy department defend claim reality perceive discloses truth things somehow radical skepticism relativism intellectual guilds hasnt penetrated level people sign checks allow guild members live style perhaps ordinary people think fact know things feel intimidated serpentine arguments todays gnostic intellectuals although set millennium half ago helena bracing antidote contemporary gnosticism bosh rubbish waughs helena would put childhood helena determined know whether things real unreal true false including claims christianity christianity one idea world supermarket religious ideas christianity either truth son god really became man really died really raised dead salvation world bosh rubbish true cross helenas search magical talisman unavoidable physical fact demonstrates reality christians propose others must decide one waugh biographer suggests novelists later years marked agonizing spiritual quest compassion contrition many us contrition likely came easier compassion difficult read helena without discerning author capacity great compassion indeed compassion human struggle great questions raised every life every age evelyn waughs comic energy sprung pronounced power hurt others novel like vile bodies demonstrates mature waugh waugh wrote helena thought finest achievement farce transformed comedy comedy become chiaroscuro shadings divine comedy indeed george weigel distinguished senior fellow washingtons ethics public policy center holds william e simon chair catholic studies | 1,213 |
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<p>Krac des Chevaliers,&#160;Between Homs and the Lebanese border — Visiting archeological sites in Syria over the past several months I seem to keep crossing some of the paths traveled by the field archeologist and later Colonel in the British Army T.E. Lawrence. There are plenty of still visible footprints of ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ around Damascus and deep into Syria’s countryside, including at the majestic 18th century residence of the Ottoman governor of Damascus Ad’a Pasha al-Azem. The Palace now houses the Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions. Most foreigners like to spend time at Azem and Lawrence was frequently there a guest of Emir Faisal, a son of Sharif Hussein of Mecca whose irregular troops Lawrence fought alongside while sabotaging the railway supply lines of the overstretched Ottoman forces and significantly contributing to their defeat.</p>
<p>As the Ottoman domination crumbled, in no small measure due to the Arabs revolt around Damascus, Lawrence tried in vain to salvage something for the Arabs whom he loved and admired, even if he sometimes expressed his affection for them in an elitist English-orientalist turn of phrase. By the summer of 1917, it had become clear to Lawrence and Faisal that the four century rule over Arabia by the Ottoman Turks was about to collapse thanks in no small part to the Arab revolt and their great bravery and massive sacrifices. It also became clear to him if not to his friend Faisal, who was a bit naive history records, that his country England, a pillar of the “Big Four” at the Versailles Peace conference which included the President Woodrow Wilson, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, France’s Georges Clemenceau and Italian Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando, was planning once again-and not for the last time- to stab the Arabs in the back and renege on the promises that Lawrence was commanded to deliver.</p>
<p>Photos of Lawrence and Faisal hang today on the walls of Lawrence’s bedroom and office at the Azem Palace, and it’s clear from his facial expressions that Lawrence sensed what was coming to Syria and Palestine. Before he died at age 46 in a motorcycle accident, having recently returned to England, Lawrence increasingly expressed what he considered his personal failure during the closing years of the war when told friends and family that he failed to convince his superiors in the British government that Arab independence was in their interests. The secret Sykes-Picot Agreement between France and Britain, according to Lawrence, was an abject betrayal of the promises of independence he had made to the Arabs and for which he felt personally responsible.</p>
<p>I crossed paths again with Lawrence, in a manner of speaking, a few weeks ago at Palmyra archeological and UNESCO World Heritage site across the Syrian desert to the northeast of Damascus, recently liberated from Islamist jihadists. It was there that I read his words on a plaque: “Nothing in this scorching, desolate land could look so refreshing…Moslem story-tellers ascribe the building of Palmyra to the Jinn commandeered by Solomon…” Frankly, I am reluctant to demure from Lawrence’s description, but since he spoke those words it has become clear that the “Tadmor” (Arabic and Hebrew name for Palmyra) referred to in the Torah is not the Tadmor of Syria but of another site now lost to the sands of Palestine if it ever existed at all. So Lawrence might be alarmed to learn that his words linking Palmyra to Soloman are being misused by Zionist cheap land seeking interests who now claim Palmyra in Syria as part of Gods claimed gift and to lend legitimacy for acquiring more Arab land for the ever expanding Eretz Israel. But the misuse of Lawrence’s quote at Palmyra for political purposes is a subject for another Syrian update.</p>
<p>Lawrence and I crossed paths again in a manner of speaking on May 15 during a six hour hiking and climbing tour of the medieval fortress known as Krac des Chevaliers (Castle of the Kurds- who reportedly first inhabited the area in the 11th century). The Syrian Arab Army recaptured the castle and the village of al-Hosn from rebel forces on March 20, 2014 after rebels (aka ‘takfiri terrorists’) had occupied both the nearby 10,000 inhabitant’s village and the fortress over the preceding more than18 months. The “Krac” was widely damaged by the military conflict including in August 2012, July 2013 and again on August 18, 2013. My excellent companion and government guide during my day at Krac was “Mohammad” a Syrian army security commander with 40 troops under his command and stationed inside the fortress to keep anyone from trying to retake it “by a nighttime sneak attack” I was told.</p>
<p>Apparently an history buff, Mohammad’s first comment as we starting to ascend the very steep three floors of medieval steps, often gazing at the marvelous Gothic ceilings as we made our way, was to quote, who else, but Lawrence: “We are walking in the footsteps of Lawrence who called this fortress “perhaps the best preserved and most wholly admirable castle in the world, and a castle which forms a fitting commentary on any account of the Crusading buildings of Syria”, Mohammad recited to my great surprise.</p>
<p>Many historians have agreed with Lawrence including Hugh Kennedy who wrote that “the defenses of the outer wall were the most elaborate and developed anywhere in the Latin east … the whole structure is a brilliantly designed and superbly built fighting machine.” Crak des Chevaliers is considered one of the greatest and best preserved castles in the world due to its unique architecture in terms of the defense facilities, building materials and decorations. In 2006, it was inscribed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage sites along with the Citadel of Saladin, its” sister fort” further north in Lattakia.</p>
<p>Among the more than 400 well documented damaged or destroyed antiquity sites in Syria that are more or less now under government control and so more or less available to researchers, Krac des Chevaliers is viewed by locals as a sort of ‘success story’ because for sure it is still standing and a major restoration project was launched in April following the forts liberation and well underway. This observer spoke with some of the fifteen full-time restoration specialists plus some volunteers who are doing the work as government officials including the Ministers of Culture and of Tourism drop by from time to time to encourage them and praise their work. Indeed, on June 1, a “Krak des Chevaliers reopening to the public’ event is scheduled at the fortress and the amazing site will soon be available to international tourists. Whether many tourists will be available by that time is problematical.</p>
<p>But hopefully conditions will allow for their return soon. One of my traveling companions the day of my visit was a Syrian tour operator and he’s more than willing to help rebuild Syria’s second largest foreign exchange earner, tourism, which brought to Syria more than 1.5 billion dollars in 2010. Less fortunate than Krak is the former picturesque village of Hosn just down the road. It too was packed with rebels and was completely flattened such that its current conditions rival the old city of Aleppo and Homs for complete and total destruction. This observer did not see one bird, feral cat or fly in what the locals call, “the village of death.” Two weeks ago a four man unit from Mohammed’s battalion at Krak did discover two hold over rebels hiding out in the rubble and killed them on the spot.</p>
<p>After 12 centuries of invaders trying to conquer it-and a number succeeding- such as when the Muslims took it from the Christians in the seventh century employing the time tested ‘surrender or starve’ tactic, the damage is widespread but will be repaired. This observer’s purpose in visiting Krak was to detail the damage caused by 18 months of fighting over the fortress. My notes on the widespread but relatively modest damage to Krak des Chevaliers noted by this observer on May 15 includes, but is not limited to the following:</p>
<p>It is clear to me that the Syrian public and their officials are committed in each of this country’s 14 Governorates to the complete restoration of its unmatched archeological sites, just as soon as world heritage sites are liberated and security conditions permit.</p> | false | 1 | krac des chevaliers160between homs lebanese border visiting archeological sites syria past several months seem keep crossing paths traveled field archeologist later colonel british army te lawrence plenty still visible footprints lawrence arabia around damascus deep syrias countryside including majestic 18th century residence ottoman governor damascus ada pasha alazem palace houses museum arts popular traditions foreigners like spend time azem lawrence frequently guest emir faisal son sharif hussein mecca whose irregular troops lawrence fought alongside sabotaging railway supply lines overstretched ottoman forces significantly contributing defeat ottoman domination crumbled small measure due arabs revolt around damascus lawrence tried vain salvage something arabs loved admired even sometimes expressed affection elitist englishorientalist turn phrase summer 1917 become clear lawrence faisal four century rule arabia ottoman turks collapse thanks small part arab revolt great bravery massive sacrifices also became clear friend faisal bit naive history records country england pillar big four versailles peace conference included president woodrow wilson british prime minister david lloyd george frances georges clemenceau italian prime minister vittorio orlando planning againand last time stab arabs back renege promises lawrence commanded deliver photos lawrence faisal hang today walls lawrences bedroom office azem palace clear facial expressions lawrence sensed coming syria palestine died age 46 motorcycle accident recently returned england lawrence increasingly expressed considered personal failure closing years war told friends family failed convince superiors british government arab independence interests secret sykespicot agreement france britain according lawrence abject betrayal promises independence made arabs felt personally responsible crossed paths lawrence manner speaking weeks ago palmyra archeological unesco world heritage site across syrian desert northeast damascus recently liberated islamist jihadists read words plaque nothing scorching desolate land could look refreshingmoslem storytellers ascribe building palmyra jinn commandeered solomon frankly reluctant demure lawrences description since spoke words become clear tadmor arabic hebrew name palmyra referred torah tadmor syria another site lost sands palestine ever existed lawrence might alarmed learn words linking palmyra soloman misused zionist cheap land seeking interests claim palmyra syria part gods claimed gift lend legitimacy acquiring arab land ever expanding eretz israel misuse lawrences quote palmyra political purposes subject another syrian update lawrence crossed paths manner speaking may 15 six hour hiking climbing tour medieval fortress known krac des chevaliers castle kurds reportedly first inhabited area 11th century syrian arab army recaptured castle village alhosn rebel forces march 20 2014 rebels aka takfiri terrorists occupied nearby 10000 inhabitants village fortress preceding than18 months krac widely damaged military conflict including august 2012 july 2013 august 18 2013 excellent companion government guide day krac mohammad syrian army security commander 40 troops command stationed inside fortress keep anyone trying retake nighttime sneak attack told apparently history buff mohammads first comment starting ascend steep three floors medieval steps often gazing marvelous gothic ceilings made way quote else lawrence walking footsteps lawrence called fortress perhaps best preserved wholly admirable castle world castle forms fitting commentary account crusading buildings syria mohammad recited great surprise many historians agreed lawrence including hugh kennedy wrote defenses outer wall elaborate developed anywhere latin east whole structure brilliantly designed superbly built fighting machine crak des chevaliers considered one greatest best preserved castles world due unique architecture terms defense facilities building materials decorations 2006 inscribed unesco list world heritage sites along citadel saladin sister fort north lattakia among 400 well documented damaged destroyed antiquity sites syria less government control less available researchers krac des chevaliers viewed locals sort success story sure still standing major restoration project launched april following forts liberation well underway observer spoke fifteen fulltime restoration specialists plus volunteers work government officials including ministers culture tourism drop time time encourage praise work indeed june 1 krak des chevaliers reopening public event scheduled fortress amazing site soon available international tourists whether many tourists available time problematical hopefully conditions allow return soon one traveling companions day visit syrian tour operator hes willing help rebuild syrias second largest foreign exchange earner tourism brought syria 15 billion dollars 2010 less fortunate krak former picturesque village hosn road packed rebels completely flattened current conditions rival old city aleppo homs complete total destruction observer see one bird feral cat fly locals call village death two weeks ago four man unit mohammeds battalion krak discover two hold rebels hiding rubble killed spot 12 centuries invaders trying conquer itand number succeeding muslims took christians seventh century employing time tested surrender starve tactic damage widespread repaired observers purpose visiting krak detail damage caused 18 months fighting fortress notes widespread relatively modest damage krak des chevaliers noted observer may 15 includes limited following clear syrian public officials committed countrys 14 governorates complete restoration unmatched archeological sites soon world heritage sites liberated security conditions permit | 769 |
<p>On a gray November day in Moscow, the World Cup countdown clock shows just over 200 days to go until the football showpiece kicks off in Russia next summer.</p>
<p>Muscovites scurry past, while visitors to the capital stop to take selfies, not lingering for too long in the face of the biting wind.</p>
<p>Nearby are the red walls of the Kremlin, behind which the 2018 World Cup draw will take place on Friday, December 1&#160;– another step on the road to the main event in June.</p>
<p>The construction of gleaming new stadiums and infrastructure in the 11 host cities is largely on track, and Luzhniki Stadium – which will host the opening game on June 14 and final on July 15 – recently reopened after a $450 million renovation. &#160;</p>
<p>In total, Russia will spend around 678 billion rubles (US$11.5 billion) on making sure it is ready to welcome fans from around the world.&#160;</p>
<p>But what do Russians think of their role as World Cup hosts, given that many offer the refrain that theirs is a “nyefutbolnaya strana,” a “non-footballing” country? &#160;&#160;&#160;</p>
<p>UNDERACHIEVERS</p>
<p>Few would argue that Russia is a footballing superpower.</p>
<p>While the nation experienced success as part of the Soviet Union, notably winning the inaugural European Championship in 1960, since then Soviet and subsequently Russian teams have rarely challenged for major international honors.&#160;&#160; &#160;</p>
<p>Potential emergence as a serious force appeared fleetingly in 2008, when Russia excited many by sweeping into the European Championship semi-finals, beating the Dutch along the way before losing to eventual winners Spain.</p>
<p>However, any notion of a new dawn proved short-lived, and Russia has since failed to get out of the group stages at each of the last three major tournaments, including a humiliation at Euro 2016 when the team finished winless and bottom of its group.</p>
<p>The man in charge of that campaign, Leonid Slutsky, was the one who coined the “non-footballing” epithet to describe the country. On and off the pitch, Slutsky appears partly right, partly wrong.</p>
<p>Those who disagree with the former national team coach would point to the fact that football is acknowledged as the most popular sport in Russia.</p>
<p>There is also clearly a stronger association with the game than a number of past and future World Cup hosts. Russia 2018 will be the first time that the World Cup has been held in the eastern half of Europe, compared to 10 times in the western half of the continent. In that respect, it is long overdue to host the event.&#160;&#160;</p>
<p>But it also true that football is not nearly as deeply embedded in the Russian national psyche as it is in places such as South America or parts of Europe.</p>
<p>Beyond the hardcore support of club teams such as Spartak Moscow, their city rivals CSKA, or St. Petersburg’s Zenit, football seems to attract little more than passing interest in most of the population.</p>
<p>What’s more, little is expected from Stanislav Cherchesov’s Russian team at next year’s home tournament.</p>
<p>“I think Russia is a football country, we play football, it’s developing here,”&#160;says&#160;Sergey, an engineer from Kazan who is visiting the capital and is admiring the World Cup countdown clock near Red Square.</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t say we play well, but the future’s ahead, I hope for the best,”&#160;he adds.&#160;&#160;</p>
<p>“Objectively, we have hope of making it out of the group [at the World Cup] at least.”</p>
<p>Ekaterina, a vet from Sevastopol in Crimea who is visiting the capital with friends, buys into the “non-footballing country” moniker, but, as with many others, finds it hard to put her finger on why that’s the case.</p>
<p>“It’s difficult to say, honestly I don’t know why. Maybe it’s from the stereotypes we have that we aren’t a footballing country and everyone supports that view, and so we don’t believe it and the players themselves don’t believe it, I don’t know, we aren’t the strongest footballing country.”</p>
<p>PATRIOTIC ENDEAVOR</p>
<p>Ekaterina adds, however, that many see it as a national duty to back the team.&#160;</p>
<p>“We’re all patriots, so we’ll have strong belief in our team, that the guys can give more than 100 percent, there’s also a chance, the main thing is to believe and to try.”</p>
<p>That patriotism will be a driving force at next year’s event. Regardless of how well the Russian team does,&#160;many will see it as a matter of national pride to make the tournament a success.</p>
<p>“We need definitely need to show the level of the country, we can allow ourselves to show that we have good stadiums,” says Ekaterina when asked about the event and its estimated $11.5 billion cost. &#160;</p>
<p>“It’s worth it, for the national team, for the club teams that will use these stadiums. If we have the opportunity to do it [host the Word Cup], to show and to prove we can do it, then why not?”</p>
<p>Events of the magnitude of the World Cup are rarely confined to the sporting spotlight, and inevitably provoke debate around the politics and social situation in the host nation.&#160;&#160;</p>
<p>Russians are well aware of this, and will be keen to show theirs is a strong, stable nation that continues to emerge from the chaos of the 1990s and post-Soviet fallout – something represented by President Vladimir Putin on the global political stage.</p>
<p>Given the current political backdrop, Russians also know that outside detractors will be keen to jump on the slightest mishap.</p>
<p>The nation faced a similar situation with the Sochi Winter Olympic Games in 2014, where Russia showcased stunning infrastructure and left a significant legacy for the region, yet still managed to be <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-25830617" type="external">criticized</a> for not having enough partitions in the toilets.</p>
<p>As with Sochi, there have been accusations of corruption involving the construction of World Cup venues, and case of the recently-opened, but much-delayed St. Petersburg stadium is <a href="http://tass.ru/proisshestviya/4712805" type="external">particularly concerning</a>, with accusations more than 50 million rubles was embezzled by a local official during construction.&#160;&#160;</p>
<p>But outside of opposition political groups, most Russians appear willing to shrug off the price tag and allow others to pick apart the claims of&#160;corruption; instead, they will revel in putting on a party as the center of the footballing world for four weeks.&#160;&#160;</p>
<p>There is also confidence that the country will deliver, especially after a successful trial run with the 2017 Confederations Cup, which was <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/394997-confederations-cup-happy-fans/" type="external">widely praised</a> by the fans from the eight nations in attendance.</p>
<p>The tournament gave the organizers a chance to test crucial infrastructure and facilities on a smaller scale, and while there will undoubtedly be issues to iron out, such as the balance between the right level of security and encroachment on the overall fan experience, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino <a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/394933-fifa-infantino-presser-hooligans/" type="external">hailed</a> the event as “a great success”&#160;in organizational terms.&#160;</p>
<p>Attendances were also positive, including for games that didn’t feature Russia, with the Portugal-New Zealand game in St. Petersburg drawing over 56,000 fans. That indicates a broader well of interest in games that bodes well for the World Cup.&#160; &#160;</p>
<p>WE’LL WELCOME EVERYONE!</p>
<p>Another thing Russia has in its favor is the nation’s famed hospitality.&#160;&#160;</p>
<p>Successful World Cups are not just built on tangibles, and depend just as much on intangibles such as the generosity and spirit of the hosts.</p>
<p>Back at the World Cup countdown clock, Sergey says that is one area where Russia will excel when fans arrive next summer.</p>
<p>“Russians are hospitable people, welcoming people. We’ll welcome everyone!” he says enthusiastically. &#160;</p>
<p>Still, Russia will have to contend with the images of the appalling violence between Russian and English hooligans at the European Championships in France in 2016, which remain fresh in many people’s minds.</p>
<p>The threat of similar violence at Russia 2018 has been talked up in the foreign press, notably in <a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/381611-russian-pancake-festival-football-thug-fights/" type="external">the UK</a>.</p>
<p>That has not gone unnoticed, and Moscow police official Andrey Zakharov has offered reassurances that his force would guarantee the safety and security of fans, regardless of how many flock to the capital to watch games.&#160;</p>
<p>“It doesn’t really matter to us how many fans will come. As many as come, we are ready to ensure their security during the World Cup,”&#160;Zakharov <a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/406108-moscow-security-world-cup-police-chief/" type="external">said</a> back in October.</p>
<p>“It is definitely safe for British fans to come here… everything will be secure. There is nothing to be afraid of,” he added.</p>
<p>The authorities know that it is in no one’s interest to have images of the kind of clashes seen in France repeated in Russia, and have acted to draw up a <a href="http://tass.com/sport/971179" type="external">blacklist</a> of fans banned from games that already has almost 400 names on it.&#160;</p>
<p>At a more basic level, Russian supporters have also gone out of their way in recent months to welcome British fans visiting for European games.</p>
<p>Fans in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, which will host games for the World Cup, issued visiting Manchester United fans with special blankets for their Europa League game in March, emblazoned with the “Gentlefan, Russian Warm Welcome” slogan.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/380213-rostov-welcomes-manchester-united-blankets/" type="external">READ MORE:&#160;‘Treated us like rock stars!’ Man United awed by Russian fans welcoming British with blankets</a></p>
<p>That initiative was repeated when Manchester United and Liverpool fans visited Moscow for Champions League games in September.</p>
<p>While it may come across as a somewhat saccharine attempt at building bridges, it is a genuine one nonetheless, and presents how the vast majority of Russians will be approaching next year’s tournament.&#160;</p>
<p>“Non-footballing” country or not, in the end it matters little. Russian fans of the game will relish the world’s biggest fesitval of football coming to their country next summer, while others will simply take pride in hosting an event which will allow Russia to show both newfound confidence and age-old values.&#160;</p>
<p>by Liam Tyler for RT Sport</p> | false | 1 | gray november day moscow world cup countdown clock shows 200 days go football showpiece kicks russia next summer muscovites scurry past visitors capital stop take selfies lingering long face biting wind nearby red walls kremlin behind 2018 world cup draw take place friday december 1160 another step road main event june construction gleaming new stadiums infrastructure 11 host cities largely track luzhniki stadium host opening game june 14 final july 15 recently reopened 450 million renovation 160 total russia spend around 678 billion rubles us115 billion making sure ready welcome fans around world160 russians think role world cup hosts given many offer refrain nyefutbolnaya strana nonfootballing country 160160160 underachievers would argue russia footballing superpower nation experienced success part soviet union notably winning inaugural european championship 1960 since soviet subsequently russian teams rarely challenged major international honors160160 160 potential emergence serious force appeared fleetingly 2008 russia excited many sweeping european championship semifinals beating dutch along way losing eventual winners spain however notion new dawn proved shortlived russia since failed get group stages last three major tournaments including humiliation euro 2016 team finished winless bottom group man charge campaign leonid slutsky one coined nonfootballing epithet describe country pitch slutsky appears partly right partly wrong disagree former national team coach would point fact football acknowledged popular sport russia also clearly stronger association game number past future world cup hosts russia 2018 first time world cup held eastern half europe compared 10 times western half continent respect long overdue host event160160 also true football nearly deeply embedded russian national psyche places south america parts europe beyond hardcore support club teams spartak moscow city rivals cska st petersburgs zenit football seems attract little passing interest population whats little expected stanislav cherchesovs russian team next years home tournament think russia football country play football developing here160says160sergey engineer kazan visiting capital admiring world cup countdown clock near red square wouldnt say play well futures ahead hope best160he adds160160 objectively hope making group world cup least ekaterina vet sevastopol crimea visiting capital friends buys nonfootballing country moniker many others finds hard put finger thats case difficult say honestly dont know maybe stereotypes arent footballing country everyone supports view dont believe players dont believe dont know arent strongest footballing country patriotic endeavor ekaterina adds however many see national duty back team160 patriots well strong belief team guys give 100 percent theres also chance main thing believe try patriotism driving force next years event regardless well russian team does160many see matter national pride make tournament success need definitely need show level country allow show good stadiums says ekaterina asked event estimated 115 billion cost 160 worth national team club teams use stadiums opportunity host word cup show prove events magnitude world cup rarely confined sporting spotlight inevitably provoke debate around politics social situation host nation160160 russians well aware keen show strong stable nation continues emerge chaos 1990s postsoviet fallout something represented president vladimir putin global political stage given current political backdrop russians also know outside detractors keen jump slightest mishap nation faced similar situation sochi winter olympic games 2014 russia showcased stunning infrastructure left significant legacy region yet still managed criticized enough partitions toilets sochi accusations corruption involving construction world cup venues case recentlyopened muchdelayed st petersburg stadium particularly concerning accusations 50 million rubles embezzled local official construction160160 outside opposition political groups russians appear willing shrug price tag allow others pick apart claims of160corruption instead revel putting party center footballing world four weeks160160 also confidence country deliver especially successful trial run 2017 confederations cup widely praised fans eight nations attendance tournament gave organizers chance test crucial infrastructure facilities smaller scale undoubtedly issues iron balance right level security encroachment overall fan experience fifa chief gianni infantino hailed event great success160in organizational terms160 attendances also positive including games didnt feature russia portugalnew zealand game st petersburg drawing 56000 fans indicates broader well interest games bodes well world cup160 160 well welcome everyone another thing russia favor nations famed hospitality160160 successful world cups built tangibles depend much intangibles generosity spirit hosts back world cup countdown clock sergey says one area russia excel fans arrive next summer russians hospitable people welcoming people well welcome everyone says enthusiastically 160 still russia contend images appalling violence russian english hooligans european championships france 2016 remain fresh many peoples minds threat similar violence russia 2018 talked foreign press notably uk gone unnoticed moscow police official andrey zakharov offered reassurances force would guarantee safety security fans regardless many flock capital watch games160 doesnt really matter us many fans come many come ready ensure security world cup160zakharov said back october definitely safe british fans come everything secure nothing afraid added authorities know ones interest images kind clashes seen france repeated russia acted draw blacklist fans banned games already almost 400 names it160 basic level russian supporters also gone way recent months welcome british fans visiting european games fans southern city rostovondon host games world cup issued visiting manchester united fans special blankets europa league game march emblazoned gentlefan russian warm welcome slogan read more160treated us like rock stars man united awed russian fans welcoming british blankets initiative repeated manchester united liverpool fans visited moscow champions league games september may come across somewhat saccharine attempt building bridges genuine one nonetheless presents vast majority russians approaching next years tournament160 nonfootballing country end matters little russian fans game relish worlds biggest fesitval football coming country next summer others simply take pride hosting event allow russia show newfound confidence ageold values160 liam tyler rt sport | 911 |
<p>BUYERS: Jay-Z and BeyoncéLOCATION: East Hampton, NYPRICE: $25,925,000SIZE: (approx.) 12,000 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 7 full and 2 half bathrooms plus guesthouse with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathrooms</p>
<p>YOUR MAMA’S NOTES: Word on the real estate street in the Hamptons, via <a href="http://BEHIND%20HEDGES%20https://behindthehedges.com/beyonce-jay-z-hamptons/" type="external">Behind the Hedges</a>, is that money minting music industry cynosures Jay-Z and Beyoncé dropped $25.925 million on Pond House, a cedar-shingled “cottage” style mansion secreted down a long driveway on 2.1 elevated acres in East Hampton with a postcard-ready tree-framed view of Georgica Pond. The Gatsby-esque main residence measures in at around 12,000-square-feet with five bedrooms and seven full and two half bathrooms and an approximately 1,800-square-foot guesthouse, somewhat unusually positioned in what amounts to the front yard, provides another two bedrooms and one bathroom plus a lounge with vaulted ceiling and fireplace and a marble kitchen with designer stainless steel appliances.</p>
<p>Pretty, private and sumptuously appointed as Pond House may be, it was not, by any means, an easy sell. With more than 200-feet of pond frontage and a long border with a 17.5-acre nature preserve, the idyllic spread first popped up over the summer of 2009 with a preposterously pie-in-the-sky price of $39.5 million. The price was slashed to $34.995 million the following year and then chopped again in early 2012 to $29.995 million. With no takers, the price tag was lowered again over the summer of 2013 to $28.995 million and by the spring of 2016 a new listing broker was brought in and the price dropped its final $28.95 million.</p>
<p>The structure that originally stood on the serenely picturesque property was built over 100 years ago and was designed as an artist’s studio by high-society architect Stanford White. After the property sold in 2005 for $9.5 million it underwent a meticulous and carefully considered not to mention hugely costly transformation and expansion by luxury builder <a href="http://www.jeffreycolle.com/" type="external">Jeffery Collé</a> who went so far as to pick up and rotate the house 90 degrees so the wall of windows in the living room would face in a more westerly direction with a sunset view over the pond rather than to the north as it was originally sited.</p>
<p>Classic Hamptons architecture and artisanal craftsmanship meets modern-day creature comforts and state of the art technologies like radiant heated floors, geothermal air conditioning and a comprehensive home automation system. Interiors spaces are finished to a painstaking standard with quarter sawn white oak paneling with a hand-applied French chalk finish, hand-pegged Parquet de Versailles floorboards installed by French artisans, museum quality 18th-century Louis XV carved stone fireplaces and patina-matched bathrooms with hand-carved heated limestone and marble bathtubs carved by Italian craftsmen from single blocks of stone.</p>
<p>A relatively unassuming front door, accented with hand-crafted diamond pane leaded glass windows, opens to a grandly proportioned and fully paneled double-height foyer that leads to an even more grand living room with a 30-foot-high coffered ceiling, a two-story wall of windows and French doors, a second floor gallery with custom cast iron railing and not just one but two fireplaces with matching but not quite identical antique mantelpieces. The formal dining room features diamond-pane sash windows and shoulder-height wainscoting, the library is clad in antique black walnut paneling, and a vast great room — culinary kitchen, breakfast area and family room — is lined along two walls with floor-to-ceiling French doors and dominated by a massive carved stone fireplace. Behind the kitchen there’s a catering kitchen and a walk-in pantry; tucked up in to a finished section of the attic on the third floor there’s a bathroom and gigantic room suitable as a home theater, children’s play room or a fitness/yoga studio; and the 4,000-square-foot basement has 10-foot ceilings, a large laundry room and a three car garage.</p>
<p>One en suite guest bedroom is sequestered on the main floor and there are two more en suite family bedrooms on the upper floor along with a junior master suite with private sitting room and walk-in closet. Located in a separate wing of the upper floor, the master suite incorporates a sitting room or office and a roomy bedroom with antique fireplace and white-oak clad vaulted ceiling as well as a sleeping porch, two walk-in closets and a paneled bathroom with his and hers areas and a dry sauna.</p>
<p>A screened porch with reclaimed brick fireplace is a cozy spot to keep from being eaten alive by summertime mosquitoes and the back of the mansion opens through long banks of French doors to a broad, Turkish limestone-paved terrace with an outdoor grilling area and a 45-foot-long infinity edge swimming pool and spa. Beyond and below the elevated terrace and swimming pool, a great sweep of lawn slopes gently towards the pond’s edge.</p>
<p>Though the yacht chartering and private jet flying megastars getaway in the Hamptons is unquestionably grandiose and, by any financial standard, tremendously expensive, it’s real estate child’s play in comparison to the ultra-modern compound they just scooped up last month in Los Angeles for a mind-numbing <a href="http://variety.com/2017/dirt/real-estalker/jay-z-beyonce-bel-air-compound-1202538487/" type="external">$88 million</a>. Located on about two hillside acres in a prime pocket of Bel Air, the multi-structure compound comprises six boxy, glass-walled pavilions that together span around 30,000 square feet with a total of 8 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. Another 10,000-square-feet or so of outdoor living areas includes an outdoor lounge under a cantilevered roof, four outdoor swimming pools, a full-sized basketball court. There’s also a spa and wellness center, garaging for 15-cars and separate staff quarters.</p>
<p>The couple, who preside over a combined net worth the bean counters at Forbes estimate to be in the vicinity of <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2017/05/17/beyonce-and-jay-z-are-officially-a-billion-dollar-couple/#4513eb4a478e" type="external">$1.2 billion</a>, also maintains an 8,309-square-foot penthouse in a lower Manhattan’s Tribeca ‘hood purchased in 2004 for $6,850,000.</p>
<p>Listing photos: <a href="http://www.compass.com/" type="external">Compass</a> (via <a href="http://streeteasy.com/" type="external">Street Easy</a>)</p> | false | 1 | buyers jayz beyoncélocation east hampton nyprice 25925000size approx 12000 square feet 5 bedrooms 7 full 2 half bathrooms plus guesthouse 2 bedrooms 1 bathrooms mamas notes word real estate street hamptons via behind hedges money minting music industry cynosures jayz beyoncé dropped 25925 million pond house cedarshingled cottage style mansion secreted long driveway 21 elevated acres east hampton postcardready treeframed view georgica pond gatsbyesque main residence measures around 12000squarefeet five bedrooms seven full two half bathrooms approximately 1800squarefoot guesthouse somewhat unusually positioned amounts front yard provides another two bedrooms one bathroom plus lounge vaulted ceiling fireplace marble kitchen designer stainless steel appliances pretty private sumptuously appointed pond house may means easy sell 200feet pond frontage long border 175acre nature preserve idyllic spread first popped summer 2009 preposterously pieinthesky price 395 million price slashed 34995 million following year chopped early 2012 29995 million takers price tag lowered summer 2013 28995 million spring 2016 new listing broker brought price dropped final 2895 million structure originally stood serenely picturesque property built 100 years ago designed artists studio highsociety architect stanford white property sold 2005 95 million underwent meticulous carefully considered mention hugely costly transformation expansion luxury builder jeffery collé went far pick rotate house 90 degrees wall windows living room would face westerly direction sunset view pond rather north originally sited classic hamptons architecture artisanal craftsmanship meets modernday creature comforts state art technologies like radiant heated floors geothermal air conditioning comprehensive home automation system interiors spaces finished painstaking standard quarter sawn white oak paneling handapplied french chalk finish handpegged parquet de versailles floorboards installed french artisans museum quality 18thcentury louis xv carved stone fireplaces patinamatched bathrooms handcarved heated limestone marble bathtubs carved italian craftsmen single blocks stone relatively unassuming front door accented handcrafted diamond pane leaded glass windows opens grandly proportioned fully paneled doubleheight foyer leads even grand living room 30foothigh coffered ceiling twostory wall windows french doors second floor gallery custom cast iron railing one two fireplaces matching quite identical antique mantelpieces formal dining room features diamondpane sash windows shoulderheight wainscoting library clad antique black walnut paneling vast great room culinary kitchen breakfast area family room lined along two walls floortoceiling french doors dominated massive carved stone fireplace behind kitchen theres catering kitchen walkin pantry tucked finished section attic third floor theres bathroom gigantic room suitable home theater childrens play room fitnessyoga studio 4000squarefoot basement 10foot ceilings large laundry room three car garage one en suite guest bedroom sequestered main floor two en suite family bedrooms upper floor along junior master suite private sitting room walkin closet located separate wing upper floor master suite incorporates sitting room office roomy bedroom antique fireplace whiteoak clad vaulted ceiling well sleeping porch two walkin closets paneled bathroom areas dry sauna screened porch reclaimed brick fireplace cozy spot keep eaten alive summertime mosquitoes back mansion opens long banks french doors broad turkish limestonepaved terrace outdoor grilling area 45footlong infinity edge swimming pool spa beyond elevated terrace swimming pool great sweep lawn slopes gently towards ponds edge though yacht chartering private jet flying megastars getaway hamptons unquestionably grandiose financial standard tremendously expensive real estate childs play comparison ultramodern compound scooped last month los angeles mindnumbing 88 million located two hillside acres prime pocket bel air multistructure compound comprises six boxy glasswalled pavilions together span around 30000 square feet total 8 bedrooms 11 bathrooms another 10000squarefeet outdoor living areas includes outdoor lounge cantilevered roof four outdoor swimming pools fullsized basketball court theres also spa wellness center garaging 15cars separate staff quarters couple preside combined net worth bean counters forbes estimate vicinity 12 billion also maintains 8309squarefoot penthouse lower manhattans tribeca hood purchased 2004 6850000 listing photos compass via street easy | 612 |
<p>Although Washington and Ankara are members of the same military bloc and consider each other close partners, their bilateral relations have apparently faced a growing rift. RT takes a look at the main points of contention between the longstanding NATO allies.</p>
<p>US President Donald Trump has recently boasted that the US and Turkey are “the closest we’ve ever been” and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-turkey/trump-praises-turkeys-erdogan-as-a-friend-idUSKCN1BW2SJ" type="external">praised</a> Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a friend. However, the NATO partners seem to be far from agreement on several key issues and the flaws in their relations are only growing.</p>
<p>The first sore point in relations between the NATO allies, which then led to other rows, is the issue of US-based exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen. A former ally of Turkish President Erdogan, Gulen has founded own his faith-based social movement, also known as Hizmet, which has been designated a “terrorist organization” by Turkey.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/404890-erdogan-gulen-us-pastor-swap/" type="external" /></p>
<p>Ankara claims that the movement, and Gulen in particular, plotted Turkey’s 2016 failed coup and demands that Washington extradite him. More than one year has passed since the botched coup attempt, when more than 240 people were killed and over were 2,000 injured. In that time, the coup also triggered a massive crackdown by the Turkish authorities on the military and the media.</p>
<p>The US was hesitant to greenlight Turkey’s extradition demands, as they have not been supported with any substantial evidence. The cleric, who lives in Pennsylvania, <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2017/07/11/536011222/cleric-accused-of-plotting-turkish-coup-attempt-i-have-stood-against-all-coups" type="external">denies</a> any involvement in the coup events and says that he was against any attempt to seize power.</p>
<p>Ankara has, in the meantime, been arresting people it claims to have links with Gulen’s network. Thus, the US pastor Andrew Brunson was detained in Turkey on terrorism charges last October. The White House asked Ankara to return Brunson to the US in May, but in September Erdogan proposed a swap of the pastor for Gulen.</p>
<p>The spat deepened last week, when an employee of the US General Consulate in Istanbul, Metin Topuz, a Turkish citizen, was arrested by local law enforcement over alleged links to the exiled cleric. Topuz remains in custody, and Turkey issued a detention warrant for a second US consulate worker on Monday, according to Hurriyet newspaper.</p>
<p>The US mission in Turkey condemned the arrest and entirely suspended non-immigrant visa services at US diplomatic facilities in Turkey, citing security reasons.</p>
<p>Ankara <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/406070-turkey-suspends-visas-us/" type="external">retaliated</a> in less than 24 hours. On Sunday, the Turkish Embassy to the United States in its turn suspended all non-immigrant visa operations, using almost the same language in its statement, which cited concerns for the security of the Turkish mission.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/406113-turkey-detain-second-us-worker/" type="external">READ MORE: Turkey issues detention warrant for 2nd US consulate worker</a></p>
<p>Turkey’s justice minister, Abdulhamit Gul, expressed the hope that the US would revise its visa suspension decision. Meanwhile, he continued to justify the arrest of Topuz as an internal Turkish matter, Reuters reported, citing the minister’s interview to A Haber television.</p>
<p>Washington openly supports and supplies the Kurdish forces battling against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) on the ground in Iraq and Syria. Battling terrorism remains one of Trump’s key goals in the region, despite American presence being decried by Damascus and its allies as an illegal intervention.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/390232-us-arms-kurdish-islamic-state-raqqa/" type="external" /></p>
<p>Ankara has firmly <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/387834-turkey-kurds-us-support/" type="external">opposed</a> the arming of the Kurds, with the Turkish leader calling it a “mistake.” Turkey claims that the Kurdish forces are connected with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), an outlawed militant movement that waged a three-decade war against the Turkish government for the region’s independence.</p>
<p>The US is delivering arms and provides air support to the mainly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), including heavy machine guns, small arms and ammunition, to help them battle Islamic State near the terrorists’ de facto capital, Raqqa. The SDF includes the People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara perceives as terrorists, while the US considers them a key component of the ground force best suited for a siege of Raqqa.</p>
<p>While the US agrees with Turkey in designating the PKK as a terrorist group, it does not share the same view with Ankara over Kurdish forces in Syria or Iraq.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/387770-us-weapons-kurds-support/" type="external">READ MORE: US to send heavier weapons to Syrian Kurds and reassures NATO ally, Turkey – Pentagon</a></p>
<p>The spat over the Syrian Kurds resulted in a diplomatic row, when the Turkish foreign minister called for the <a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/388873-turkey-wants-us-envoy-removed/" type="external">removal</a> of the US presidential envoy for the US-led coalition against IS, Brett McGurk, accusing him of “supporting the PKK and YPG.”</p>
<p>The diplomatic spat was preceded by another spat in US-Turkish relations. In May, Turkish security officials accompanying Erdogan during his visit to Washington DC, were involved in a violent clash with a small group of pro-Kurdish protesters.</p>
<p>[embedded content]</p>
<p>US authorities eventually indicted 19 people, including 15 Turkish security officials, for the attack and Erdogan subsequently <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/401703-erdogan-blasts-bodyguards-indictment/" type="external">slammed</a> the decision.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/403947-erdogan-trump-apology-protest/" type="external">READ MORE: Erdogan says Trump apologized for indictment of Turkish staff over brawl… but did he?</a></p>
<p>Although the Turkish leader later claimed that Trump was allegedly “sorry” about the indictment, the statement was refuted by the White House.</p>
<p>The incident with Erdogan’s bodyguards led to Washington’s decision to withdraw from an arms deal with Ankara in September. The agreement was meant to allow the purchase of $1.2 million worth of firearms and ammunition from the US for Turkish security officials.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/403830-erdogan-us-terrorists-arms/" type="external" /></p>
<p>The move was decried by Erdogan, who accused Washington of arming Kurdish “terrorists” instead of its strategic partners.</p>
<p>“And when we are not able to acquire those weapons from the United States, why are you giving those weapons to terrorists? It’s a question that we ask our friends in the United States. And when these questions are not answered, we’re feeling sorry, as the strategic partners to the US,” Erdogan said in an interview with PBS in September.</p>
<p>After Ankara’s arms deal with the US broke down, Moscow received a deposit from Turkey for the purchase of its S-400 missile systems, Russia’s most advanced. The contract has been discussed since last year, but came into final stages only in September with both sides having confirmed the first payments.</p>
<p>Turkey wants to receive the first supplies before 2019, but the exact timing is still being discussed, <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/405023-russia-turkey-s400-systems/" type="external">according</a> to Vladimir Kozhin, a Russian presidential aide for military-technical cooperation.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Turkey’s NATO allies, including Washington, have criticized Ankara for choosing a Russian air defense system instead of one produced by NATO members, such as the US-made Patriot system. Patriot missile batteries used to be deployed on Turkish soil, but in 2015, the US, Germany and the Netherlands <a href="http://missiledefenseadvocacy.org/intl-cooperation/turkey/" type="external">withdrew</a> their systems, leaving only&#160;one Spanish Patriot battery in Turkish territory.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/397248-russia-turkey-s400-us-concern/" type="external">READ MORE: Turkey purchasing Russian S-400 air defense systems would concern Washington – Pentagon</a></p>
<p>Erdogan <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/404895-putin-erdogan-syria-visit/" type="external">rebuffed</a> his critics, however, saying that Ankara had no intention of waiting for the protection of its NATO allies and adding that Turkey had to “take care of [itself] in every security point.”</p> | false | 1 | although washington ankara members military bloc consider close partners bilateral relations apparently faced growing rift rt takes look main points contention longstanding nato allies us president donald trump recently boasted us turkey closest weve ever praised turkish president recep tayyip erdogan friend however nato partners seem far agreement several key issues flaws relations growing first sore point relations nato allies led rows issue usbased exiled turkish cleric fethullah gulen former ally turkish president erdogan gulen founded faithbased social movement also known hizmet designated terrorist organization turkey read ankara claims movement gulen particular plotted turkeys 2016 failed coup demands washington extradite one year passed since botched coup attempt 240 people killed 2000 injured time coup also triggered massive crackdown turkish authorities military media us hesitant greenlight turkeys extradition demands supported substantial evidence cleric lives pennsylvania denies involvement coup events says attempt seize power ankara meantime arresting people claims links gulens network thus us pastor andrew brunson detained turkey terrorism charges last october white house asked ankara return brunson us may september erdogan proposed swap pastor gulen spat deepened last week employee us general consulate istanbul metin topuz turkish citizen arrested local law enforcement alleged links exiled cleric topuz remains custody turkey issued detention warrant second us consulate worker monday according hurriyet newspaper us mission turkey condemned arrest entirely suspended nonimmigrant visa services us diplomatic facilities turkey citing security reasons ankara retaliated less 24 hours sunday turkish embassy united states turn suspended nonimmigrant visa operations using almost language statement cited concerns security turkish mission read turkey issues detention warrant 2nd us consulate worker turkeys justice minister abdulhamit gul expressed hope us would revise visa suspension decision meanwhile continued justify arrest topuz internal turkish matter reuters reported citing ministers interview haber television washington openly supports supplies kurdish forces battling islamic state formerly isisisil ground iraq syria battling terrorism remains one trumps key goals region despite american presence decried damascus allies illegal intervention read ankara firmly opposed arming kurds turkish leader calling mistake turkey claims kurdish forces connected kurdistan workers party pkk outlawed militant movement waged threedecade war turkish government regions independence us delivering arms provides air support mainly kurdish syrian democratic forces sdf including heavy machine guns small arms ammunition help battle islamic state near terrorists de facto capital raqqa sdf includes peoples protection units ypg ankara perceives terrorists us considers key component ground force best suited siege raqqa us agrees turkey designating pkk terrorist group share view ankara kurdish forces syria iraq read us send heavier weapons syrian kurds reassures nato ally turkey pentagon spat syrian kurds resulted diplomatic row turkish foreign minister called removal us presidential envoy usled coalition brett mcgurk accusing supporting pkk ypg diplomatic spat preceded another spat usturkish relations may turkish security officials accompanying erdogan visit washington dc involved violent clash small group prokurdish protesters embedded content us authorities eventually indicted 19 people including 15 turkish security officials attack erdogan subsequently slammed decision read erdogan says trump apologized indictment turkish staff brawl although turkish leader later claimed trump allegedly sorry indictment statement refuted white house incident erdogans bodyguards led washingtons decision withdraw arms deal ankara september agreement meant allow purchase 12 million worth firearms ammunition us turkish security officials read move decried erdogan accused washington arming kurdish terrorists instead strategic partners able acquire weapons united states giving weapons terrorists question ask friends united states questions answered feeling sorry strategic partners us erdogan said interview pbs september ankaras arms deal us broke moscow received deposit turkey purchase s400 missile systems russias advanced contract discussed since last year came final stages september sides confirmed first payments turkey wants receive first supplies 2019 exact timing still discussed according vladimir kozhin russian presidential aide militarytechnical cooperation meanwhile turkeys nato allies including washington criticized ankara choosing russian air defense system instead one produced nato members usmade patriot system patriot missile batteries used deployed turkish soil 2015 us germany netherlands withdrew systems leaving only160one spanish patriot battery turkish territory read turkey purchasing russian s400 air defense systems would concern washington pentagon erdogan rebuffed critics however saying ankara intention waiting protection nato allies adding turkey take care every security point | 685 |
<p>dignitatis humanae – the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on Religious Freedom – is frequently described as an expression of Christian personalism, because of its teaching that every human being has an inalienable right to immunity from state coercion in matters of religious conviction. As the declaration puts it, “the right to religious freedom has its foundation in the very dignity of the human person, as this dignity is known through the revealed Word of God and by reason itself.”</p>
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<p>Thus religious freedom, according to the Council Fathers, is not to be understood in subjectivist or voluntarist terms, but rather as a right arising from the “very nature” of the human person.</p>
<p>But dignitatis humanae also has what could be termed a “public meaning”: for the doctrine of religious freedom discloses important truths about the structure and operation of a rightly ordered political community. The state that honors the principle of religious freedom is by definition a limited state, which acknowledges its inherent incompetence in certain crucial spheres of life.</p>
<p>By reason of its “public meaning,” then, the Declaration on Religious Freedom is a defense of social pluralism as well as a defense of the rights of the person. This second dimension of the doctrine of religious freedom (which is, of course, rooted in the doctrine’s personalist dimension) has affected contemporary history in a dramatic way, giving dignitatis humanae a public edge that might not have been fully anticipated in 1965.</p>
<p>The pontificate of John Paul II has deepened and extended both the “interior” and “public” meanings of the Declaration on Religious Freedom. By his constant references to the declaration and his persistent stress on religious freedom as the first of human rights, the Holy Father has secured the position of dignitatis humanae in the tradition of the Church, against the claims of those who continue to regard the declaration as a fatal concession to secular modernity, liberal individualism, and/or religious indifferentism.</p>
<p>Moreover, religious freedom has become the centerpiece of the Holy Father’s defense of the universality of basic human rights, which the pope regards as essential to the very possibility of a genuine global dialogue about the human future. dignitatis humanae is also central to the Holy Father’s evolving social magisterium on the matter of democracy, which has been developed in a triptych of encyclicals that includes Centesimus Annus (1991), Veritatis Splendor (1993), and Evangelium Vitae (1995).</p>
<p>Why has dignitatis humanae loomed so large in the Holy Father’s thought? Surely the answer touches on the fact that the declaration reflects key concepts in the pope’s anthropology. If man’s nature is religious, the state must acknowledge that fact. By not acknowledging it, the state, in effect, redefines man as less than what he is. In a century in which false humanisms have wreaked havoc on humanity, the Christian humanism of John Paul II is a powerful antidote to the fear that seems to dominate the human encounter with “difference.” The pope’s humanism also provides a sure foundation for a mature hope that humanity remains capable, under grace, of building a civilization worthy of those made in the image and likeness of God.</p>
<p>The Thirty Years Since the Council</p>
<p>In the mid-1980s, I found myself in conversation with Sir Michael Howard, the distinguished English historian. In the course of our discussion, Sir Michael remarked that, in his view, there had been two great revolutions in the twentieth century. The first had taken place when Lenin’s Bolsheviks expropriated the Russian Revolution and began the world’s first experiment in totalitarianism. The second revolution was taking place even as we spoke: the transformation, as Sir Michael put it, of the Catholic Church from the last bastion of the ancien rÈgime to the world’s foremost institutional defender of basic human rights. A lot of history, the former Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford suggested, would be determined in the encounter between these two twentieth-century revolutions.</p>
<p>Serious historians are usually the first to decline the prognosticator’s mantle. But in this case, Sir Michael Howard had correctly identified one of the chief dynamics of the 1980s and early 1990s. As I have argued in The Final Revolution: The Resistance Church and the Collapse of Communism, the revolution of 1989 in East Central Europe took place because a revolution of conscience had transformed the moral-cultural condition of the countries of the old Warsaw Pact, especially key segments of the population in Poland and Czechoslovakia.</p>
<p>That revolution of conscience was, in turn, deeply influenced by the Catholic Church, and particularly by Pope John Paul II. Indeed, if we wish to pick a single date to mark the beginning of the end of European communism, we might well consider June 2, 1979. When the Holy Father, preaching to a million Poles in Warsaw’s Victory Square, invoked the great themes of dignitatis humanae by urging that Christ not be peremptorily “kept out of the history of man in any part of the globe, at any longitude or latitude of geography,” a great process of social and cultural transformation began. The public effects of that process would be visible the following year, when Solidarity was born at the Gdansk shipyard and set in motion the political dynamics that would, almost nine years later, result in the first free election in East Central Europe in more than forty years. The defense of religious freedom was thus instrumental in creating what Czech human rights activists would later call “the power of the powerless”: the distinctive form of nonviolent resistance that brought down the communist enterprise in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and the German Democratic Republic.</p>
<p>Why was the assertion of a basic human right to religious freedom so publicly potent? Why was the definition of that right by dignitatis humanae the crucial breakthrough to the Catholic human rights revolution that has transformed the politics, not only of East Central Europe, but of Chile, the Philippines, and other strikingly disparate venues? And why did that human rights revolution characteristically seek the establishment of democratic governments in place of authoritarian or totalitarian regimes?</p>
<p>The answer may lie in a further reflection on the “public meaning” of the right of religious freedom. As John Courtney Murray has argued, dignitatis humanae, along with Gaudium et Spes, marked a decisive turning point in Catholic political theory. In these two documents, Murray argued, the Church embraced the idea of the “juridical state,” or what we in the Anglo-American tradition would call “constitutionalism.” No longer would the state be understood to have plenipotentiary powers across the full range of social, economic, cultural, and political life. Rather, in these two conciliar documents, the Church endorsed the notion that the rightly ordered state had strictly limited and legally defined powers, having primarily to do with the protection of its citizens’ basic rights and the maintenance of the public order necessary for civil society’s pursuit of the common good.</p>
<p>This was not to suggest that liberal democracy as it had evolved in the West since 1776 was the only form of government compatible with “Catholic constitutionalism.” But empirical reality suggested that it was precisely in democracies that the Church’s freedom and the civil rights of citizens-understood-to-be-persons were best secured. Thus the Council’s definition of the right of religious freedom gave birth to a Catholic human rights revolution, which in turn was the principal dynamic driving the Church’s support for what Samuel Huntington has called the “third wave” of democratization. And the results are on display in the recent history of East Asia, Latin American, and East Central Europe.</p>
<p>Built around the core right of religious freedom, the Catholic human rights revolution also has had an impact on developed democracies. At the very least, it has had an impact on the developed democracy with which I am most familiar, namely, the United States of America.</p>
<p>In one of those ironies that so often mark moments of great historical change, it may well be that the crisis of communism at the end of the twentieth century is followed in the beginning of the twenty-first century by the crisis of democracy. The crisis of communism was, at bottom, an anthropological crisis: The communist project finally failed, not simply because communist economies could not compete in a post-industrial world, but because communism was built on a foundation of falsehoods about the human person, human community, human history, and human destiny.</p>
<p>Similarly, the crisis of democracy also will be anthropological in character. The institutions of democracy – elections, legislatures, and courts, the entire edifice we summarize under the rubric “the rule of law” – are not self-sustaining. Democracy is not a machine that will run of itself; a people lacking self-command cannot be a self-governing people. Rather, the institutions of democracy are dependent for their proper functioning on the virtues of a people, and those virtues are primarily nurtured and sustained, not by the state or by “politics” narrowly construed, but by civil society. The specter of the failed Weimar Republic reminds us that even the most elegantly constructed democratic superstructure cannot endure unless it is supported and sustained by an infrastructure of virtues and moral commitments.</p>
<p>In the American context, the crisis of democracy engages the debate between those who imagine the American democratic experiment as a republic of procedures, and those who think of American democracy as a substantive moral enterprise. The “proceduralists,” if we may call them that, typically think of freedom in purely instrumental terms. In their construction of public reality, religious conviction is but a “lifestyle choice” to be treated by law and public policy like any other expression of human volition. This position yields a concept of religious freedom as a pragmatic bargain, a useful tool for the management of plurality and difference.</p>
<p>The “substantivists,” on the other hand, argue that there is a teleological structure built into human freedom: Freedom is ordered to the truth and finds its fulfillment in goodness. On this latter understanding, religious freedom is a public moral accomplishment. The state that acknowledges and protects the inalienable right of religious freedom is a state that has acknowledged a fundamental truth about the human person. That acknowledgment, as we have seen, requires the state to adopt a “self-limiting ordinance,” a set of limits to the reach of its power.</p>
<p>Religious Freedom</p>
<p>But religious freedom is more than a barrier against the tendency of the modern state to extend its reach into virtually every corner of human life. Rather, religious freedom, protected in law and nurtured in civil society, gives rise to a robust public moral conversation about the oughts of a people’s common life. And in that conversation, which can at times be quite sharp, the citizens of a democracy grapple with the truth about freedom, which is that our freedom is given to us to enable our free pursuit of the truth and our free adherence to the truth.</p>
<p>As the Holy Father remarked at the United Nations in the fall of 1995, human beings have yet to learn how to cope with our fear of “the other,” our fear of “difference.” “Plurality” is another way to describe “difference.” And thus the question becomes: How can plurality, which is a sociological fact, be transformed into pluralism, the achievement of an ordered public conversation built around the question, “How ought we to live together?” Pluralism is a cultural accomplishment, in which, as John Courtney Murray once put it, “creeds [are] at war intelligibly.”</p>
<p>Democracy understood as a matter of procedures cannot “solve” the problem of plurality by transforming it into pluralism. Rather, the procedural republic will, sooner or later, “solve” the problem of plurality by imposing a monism, in the form of an “established” secularism or a state-sanctioned political (or ethnic, or national) ideology. Such a “solution” would, however, mark the end of democracy, for the imposition of a state-sanctioned ideology would require the state to assert full control over the “mediating” institutions of civil society; the old-fashioned word for this is totalitarianism. Less dramatically but no less ominously, the imposition of an “established” secularism in the United States would mean banishing from public life the source of those moral understandings that justify commitment to democratic persuasion and rejection of violent coercion in public affairs.</p>
<p>Thus, dignitatis humanae and the Catholic human rights revolution to which it gave birth have done more than remind the world of some important truths about the structure of public life and the limits of governmental power. Even more importantly, the Catholic human rights revolution has revitalized the idea of pluralism, giving it a richer moral and cultural content. By reminding us that freedom cannot be severed from the truth about the human person without doing grave damage to both individuals and to society, dignitatis humanae has challenged a world increasingly committed to the institutions of democracy to reclaim the classic understanding of democracy as a form of government built on a foundation of certain moral claims about the human person.</p>
<p>Democratic Consolidation</p>
<p>Those people we used to call dissidents in authoritarian or totalitarian regimes often said that what they wanted to achieve was a “normal” society. In the new democracies, it is understandable that the processes of economic and political reconstruction have dominated public life in the first stages of building a “normal” society. But the very core of democracy – in the morally serious, as distinguished from Jacobin, sense of the term is constituted by the claims that society exists prior to the state, and that the state exists to serve society, not vice versa. Absent these convictions we are left with the self-contradictory behaviors of so-called “people’s democracies.” Thus, in the new democracies, serious attention must be paid to what we might call the “multiple sovereignties” at play in the life of a “normal” democratic society.</p>
<p>Here we touch directly on the tangled knot of questions about the role(s) of religion in public life. Because each new democracy has its own distinctive history and culture, there is no one template for properly ordering the relationship between religious institutions and the state, or between religiously grounded moral conviction and public life. But reflection on both the Church’s doctrine and the experience of established democracies suggests certain “brackets” or “boundaries” for the ongoing debate about these issues.</p>
<p>The commitment of the Church to the “method of persuasion” (as defined, for example, in dignitatis humanae 1 and Redemptoris Missio 39) discloses one such “bracket”: The Church will not use the coercive power of the state to advance its evangelical mission. This boundary implies a certain separation between the institution of the Church and the institutions of the state. But the anthropology of dignitatis humanae and sound democratic theory tell us that, whatever else this “separation” may mean, the “separation of church and state” cannot mean the separation of religion from public life, or the proscription of religiously grounded moral argument from public life. Any political community that did construe the notion of separation in these terms would be involved in a profoundly undemocratic discrimination against citizens on the basis of religious belief.</p>
<p>dignitatis humanae itself suggests another bracket for the debate about democratic “normality”: because the state is simply incompetent in theological matters, the state’s basic function vis-ý-vis religious institutions and convictions is to protect the religious freedom of all its citizens. Thus what in American terms would be styled the “disestablishment” of religion is ordered, not to a “neutrality,” which inevitably devolves into state-sponsored and sanctioned secularism, but to the free exercise of religious conviction. The state declines the mantle of the sacred, not only because such a vesture ill-fits the state, but also in order to facilitate the public circumstances in which the free exercise of religion can flourish.</p>
<p>In both new democracies and old, the argument is frequently heard that publicly assertive religion necessarily results in social divisiveness, even violent conflict. History tells us that this concern is not without foundation. But division and conflict need not result from a robust engagement of religious conviction with public life if four other boundaries are observed:</p>
<p>1. The political process must be open to citizens of all religious persuasions such that, for purposes of access to the public square, the state neither offers rewards nor exacts penalties based on religious conviction or the lack thereof.</p>
<p>2. The Church must acknowledge the limits of its competence in political and economic life, and must maintain a principled nonpartisan stance vis-ý-vis electoral politics.</p>
<p>3. When they enter the public square, as is their democratic right, religious leaders and religious believers must make genuinely public moral arguments that can be engaged by fellow citizens, rather than sectarian or authoritarian claims.</p>
<p>4. Religious institutions must not be penalized in terms of access to public funds when they undertake public activities (such as education, health care, and social service) that serve genuinely public purposes.</p>
<p>Democratic public life within these boundaries will not always be placid; democratic “normality” means an ongoing dialogue about the oughts of a people’s common life, and that dialogue will not infrequently take the form of a serious argument. But if these boundaries are observed by both Church and state in the new democracies (as well as the old), that argument can yield a measure of wisdom in self-governance and can serve to build a community marked by what Jacques Maritain once called “civic friendship.”</p>
<p>The Universality of Human Rights</p>
<p>It is another historical irony that the “third wave” of democratization, which seemed to vindicate the notion of the universality of human rights amid the world’s cultural diversity, has been accompanied, at least in its latter stages, by a new assault on the notion of universality from East Asian autocrats, the world’s remaining communists, certain Islamic activists, and western deconstructionists and multiculturalists. On the surface, the new argument is that the universality of rights, as defined, for example, in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, was an act of western imperialism, imposed on other societies whose cultural traditions require a radically different understanding of the relationship of the individual to the community and the state. At a deeper level, the new attack on universality is an attack on the very idea of a common human nature.</p>
<p>No serious observer doubts that the new assault on the universality of human rights is driven in part by the desire of certain authoritarian or totalitarian regimes to legitimize their continuing hold on power. But prescinding from such exercises in hypocrisy, we still have to meet the argument that the dramatic diversity of the world’s cultures poses a sharp challenge to the idea of universal human rights. John Paul II took up this challenge at the United Nations:</p>
<p>If we make the effort to look at matters objectively, we can see that, transcending all the differences which distinguish individuals and peoples, there is a fundamental commonality. For different cultures are but different ways of facing the question of the meaning of personal existence. And it is precisely here that we find one source of the respect which is due to every culture and every nation: Every culture is an effort to ponder the mystery of the world and in particular of the human person; it is a way of giving expression to the transcendent dimension of human life. The heart of every culture is its approach to the greatest of all mysteries: the mystery of God.</p>
<p>The Holy Father then went on to argue that this profound human dynamic, observable in all cultures, discloses, upon careful reflection, the foundation of a universal structure of human rights rooted in a universal human nature:</p>
<p>Our respect for the culture of others is therefore rooted in our respect for each community’s attempt to answer the question of human life. And here we see how important it is to safeguard the fundamental right of freedom of religion and freedom of conscience, as the cornerstones of the structure of human rights and the foundation of every truly free society. No one is permitted to suppress those rights by using coercive power to impose an answer to the mystery of man.</p>
<p>We may be reasonably sure that this teaching will not lose its salience in the years ahead, not least as the cultures of the West interact more frequently with the cultures of the East.</p>
<p>Answering Dostoevsky</p>
<p>By ratifying a genuine development of doctrine within the Roman Catholic Church, dignitatis humanae altered the character of the Church’s encounter with the world. When the Church defends the fundamental human right of religious freedom, she is speaking, not in defense of her own “interests,” but on behalf of the integrity of humanity, of which the Church is the servant. In this sense, the Church’s defense of religious freedom since dignitatis humanae has been different than the medieval defense of the libertas ecclesiae against the threat of royal or imperial absolutism.</p>
<p>At the end of the second millennium, dignitatis humanae is Catholicism’s most compelling response to the enduring temptation of the Church, which was defined with great literary power by Fyodor Dostoevsky in “The Legend of the Grand Inquisitor.” The great temptation of the Church is to substitute its authority for human freedom. dignitatis humanae committed the Church to resist that temptation as a matter of doctrinal principle. Thus, on the threshold of the third millennium, dignitatis humanae freed the Church to be at one and the same time a more vigorous and a more “disinterested” actor in the world.</p>
<p>But that seems entirely appropriate for a Church whose Master came “not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”</p>
<p>George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. and holds EPPC’s William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies.</p> | false | 1 | dignitatis humanae second vatican councils declaration religious freedom frequently described expression christian personalism teaching every human inalienable right immunity state coercion matters religious conviction declaration puts right religious freedom foundation dignity human person dignity known revealed word god reason 160 thus religious freedom according council fathers understood subjectivist voluntarist terms rather right arising nature human person dignitatis humanae also could termed public meaning doctrine religious freedom discloses important truths structure operation rightly ordered political community state honors principle religious freedom definition limited state acknowledges inherent incompetence certain crucial spheres life reason public meaning declaration religious freedom defense social pluralism well defense rights person second dimension doctrine religious freedom course rooted doctrines personalist dimension affected contemporary history dramatic way giving dignitatis humanae public edge might fully anticipated 1965 pontificate john paul ii deepened extended interior public meanings declaration religious freedom constant references declaration persistent stress religious freedom first human rights holy father secured position dignitatis humanae tradition church claims continue regard declaration fatal concession secular modernity liberal individualism andor religious indifferentism moreover religious freedom become centerpiece holy fathers defense universality basic human rights pope regards essential possibility genuine global dialogue human future dignitatis humanae also central holy fathers evolving social magisterium matter democracy developed triptych encyclicals includes centesimus annus 1991 veritatis splendor 1993 evangelium vitae 1995 dignitatis humanae loomed large holy fathers thought surely answer touches fact declaration reflects key concepts popes anthropology mans nature religious state must acknowledge fact acknowledging state effect redefines man less century false humanisms wreaked havoc humanity christian humanism john paul ii powerful antidote fear seems dominate human encounter difference popes humanism also provides sure foundation mature hope humanity remains capable grace building civilization worthy made image likeness god thirty years since council mid1980s found conversation sir michael howard distinguished english historian course discussion sir michael remarked view two great revolutions twentieth century first taken place lenins bolsheviks expropriated russian revolution began worlds first experiment totalitarianism second revolution taking place even spoke transformation sir michael put catholic church last bastion ancien rÈgime worlds foremost institutional defender basic human rights lot history former regius professor modern history oxford suggested would determined encounter two twentiethcentury revolutions serious historians usually first decline prognosticators mantle case sir michael howard correctly identified one chief dynamics 1980s early 1990s argued final revolution resistance church collapse communism revolution 1989 east central europe took place revolution conscience transformed moralcultural condition countries old warsaw pact especially key segments population poland czechoslovakia revolution conscience turn deeply influenced catholic church particularly pope john paul ii indeed wish pick single date mark beginning end european communism might well consider june 2 1979 holy father preaching million poles warsaws victory square invoked great themes dignitatis humanae urging christ peremptorily kept history man part globe longitude latitude geography great process social cultural transformation began public effects process would visible following year solidarity born gdansk shipyard set motion political dynamics would almost nine years later result first free election east central europe forty years defense religious freedom thus instrumental creating czech human rights activists would later call power powerless distinctive form nonviolent resistance brought communist enterprise poland czechoslovakia hungary german democratic republic assertion basic human right religious freedom publicly potent definition right dignitatis humanae crucial breakthrough catholic human rights revolution transformed politics east central europe chile philippines strikingly disparate venues human rights revolution characteristically seek establishment democratic governments place authoritarian totalitarian regimes answer may lie reflection public meaning right religious freedom john courtney murray argued dignitatis humanae along gaudium et spes marked decisive turning point catholic political theory two documents murray argued church embraced idea juridical state angloamerican tradition would call constitutionalism longer would state understood plenipotentiary powers across full range social economic cultural political life rather two conciliar documents church endorsed notion rightly ordered state strictly limited legally defined powers primarily protection citizens basic rights maintenance public order necessary civil societys pursuit common good suggest liberal democracy evolved west since 1776 form government compatible catholic constitutionalism empirical reality suggested precisely democracies churchs freedom civil rights citizensunderstoodtobepersons best secured thus councils definition right religious freedom gave birth catholic human rights revolution turn principal dynamic driving churchs support samuel huntington called third wave democratization results display recent history east asia latin american east central europe built around core right religious freedom catholic human rights revolution also impact developed democracies least impact developed democracy familiar namely united states america one ironies often mark moments great historical change may well crisis communism end twentieth century followed beginning twentyfirst century crisis democracy crisis communism bottom anthropological crisis communist project finally failed simply communist economies could compete postindustrial world communism built foundation falsehoods human person human community human history human destiny similarly crisis democracy also anthropological character institutions democracy elections legislatures courts entire edifice summarize rubric rule law selfsustaining democracy machine run people lacking selfcommand selfgoverning people rather institutions democracy dependent proper functioning virtues people virtues primarily nurtured sustained state politics narrowly construed civil society specter failed weimar republic reminds us even elegantly constructed democratic superstructure endure unless supported sustained infrastructure virtues moral commitments american context crisis democracy engages debate imagine american democratic experiment republic procedures think american democracy substantive moral enterprise proceduralists may call typically think freedom purely instrumental terms construction public reality religious conviction lifestyle choice treated law public policy like expression human volition position yields concept religious freedom pragmatic bargain useful tool management plurality difference substantivists hand argue teleological structure built human freedom freedom ordered truth finds fulfillment goodness latter understanding religious freedom public moral accomplishment state acknowledges protects inalienable right religious freedom state acknowledged fundamental truth human person acknowledgment seen requires state adopt selflimiting ordinance set limits reach power religious freedom religious freedom barrier tendency modern state extend reach virtually every corner human life rather religious freedom protected law nurtured civil society gives rise robust public moral conversation oughts peoples common life conversation times quite sharp citizens democracy grapple truth freedom freedom given us enable free pursuit truth free adherence truth holy father remarked united nations fall 1995 human beings yet learn cope fear fear difference plurality another way describe difference thus question becomes plurality sociological fact transformed pluralism achievement ordered public conversation built around question ought live together pluralism cultural accomplishment john courtney murray put creeds war intelligibly democracy understood matter procedures solve problem plurality transforming pluralism rather procedural republic sooner later solve problem plurality imposing monism form established secularism statesanctioned political ethnic national ideology solution would however mark end democracy imposition statesanctioned ideology would require state assert full control mediating institutions civil society oldfashioned word totalitarianism less dramatically less ominously imposition established secularism united states would mean banishing public life source moral understandings justify commitment democratic persuasion rejection violent coercion public affairs thus dignitatis humanae catholic human rights revolution gave birth done remind world important truths structure public life limits governmental power even importantly catholic human rights revolution revitalized idea pluralism giving richer moral cultural content reminding us freedom severed truth human person without grave damage individuals society dignitatis humanae challenged world increasingly committed institutions democracy reclaim classic understanding democracy form government built foundation certain moral claims human person democratic consolidation people used call dissidents authoritarian totalitarian regimes often said wanted achieve normal society new democracies understandable processes economic political reconstruction dominated public life first stages building normal society core democracy morally serious distinguished jacobin sense term constituted claims society exists prior state state exists serve society vice versa absent convictions left selfcontradictory behaviors socalled peoples democracies thus new democracies serious attention must paid might call multiple sovereignties play life normal democratic society touch directly tangled knot questions roles religion public life new democracy distinctive history culture one template properly ordering relationship religious institutions state religiously grounded moral conviction public life reflection churchs doctrine experience established democracies suggests certain brackets boundaries ongoing debate issues commitment church method persuasion defined example dignitatis humanae 1 redemptoris missio 39 discloses one bracket church use coercive power state advance evangelical mission boundary implies certain separation institution church institutions state anthropology dignitatis humanae sound democratic theory tell us whatever else separation may mean separation church state mean separation religion public life proscription religiously grounded moral argument public life political community construe notion separation terms would involved profoundly undemocratic discrimination citizens basis religious belief dignitatis humanae suggests another bracket debate democratic normality state simply incompetent theological matters states basic function visývis religious institutions convictions protect religious freedom citizens thus american terms would styled disestablishment religion ordered neutrality inevitably devolves statesponsored sanctioned secularism free exercise religious conviction state declines mantle sacred vesture illfits state also order facilitate public circumstances free exercise religion flourish new democracies old argument frequently heard publicly assertive religion necessarily results social divisiveness even violent conflict history tells us concern without foundation division conflict need result robust engagement religious conviction public life four boundaries observed 1 political process must open citizens religious persuasions purposes access public square state neither offers rewards exacts penalties based religious conviction lack thereof 2 church must acknowledge limits competence political economic life must maintain principled nonpartisan stance visývis electoral politics 3 enter public square democratic right religious leaders religious believers must make genuinely public moral arguments engaged fellow citizens rather sectarian authoritarian claims 4 religious institutions must penalized terms access public funds undertake public activities education health care social service serve genuinely public purposes democratic public life within boundaries always placid democratic normality means ongoing dialogue oughts peoples common life dialogue infrequently take form serious argument boundaries observed church state new democracies well old argument yield measure wisdom selfgovernance serve build community marked jacques maritain called civic friendship universality human rights another historical irony third wave democratization seemed vindicate notion universality human rights amid worlds cultural diversity accompanied least latter stages new assault notion universality east asian autocrats worlds remaining communists certain islamic activists western deconstructionists multiculturalists surface new argument universality rights defined example 1948 universal declaration human rights act western imperialism imposed societies whose cultural traditions require radically different understanding relationship individual community state deeper level new attack universality attack idea common human nature serious observer doubts new assault universality human rights driven part desire certain authoritarian totalitarian regimes legitimize continuing hold power prescinding exercises hypocrisy still meet argument dramatic diversity worlds cultures poses sharp challenge idea universal human rights john paul ii took challenge united nations make effort look matters objectively see transcending differences distinguish individuals peoples fundamental commonality different cultures different ways facing question meaning personal existence precisely find one source respect due every culture every nation every culture effort ponder mystery world particular human person way giving expression transcendent dimension human life heart every culture approach greatest mysteries mystery god holy father went argue profound human dynamic observable cultures discloses upon careful reflection foundation universal structure human rights rooted universal human nature respect culture others therefore rooted respect communitys attempt answer question human life see important safeguard fundamental right freedom religion freedom conscience cornerstones structure human rights foundation every truly free society one permitted suppress rights using coercive power impose answer mystery man may reasonably sure teaching lose salience years ahead least cultures west interact frequently cultures east answering dostoevsky ratifying genuine development doctrine within roman catholic church dignitatis humanae altered character churchs encounter world church defends fundamental human right religious freedom speaking defense interests behalf integrity humanity church servant sense churchs defense religious freedom since dignitatis humanae different medieval defense libertas ecclesiae threat royal imperial absolutism end second millennium dignitatis humanae catholicisms compelling response enduring temptation church defined great literary power fyodor dostoevsky legend grand inquisitor great temptation church substitute authority human freedom dignitatis humanae committed church resist temptation matter doctrinal principle thus threshold third millennium dignitatis humanae freed church one time vigorous disinterested actor world seems entirely appropriate church whose master came served serve give life ransom many george weigel distinguished senior fellow ethics public policy center washington dc holds eppcs william e simon chair catholic studies | 1,974 |
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