January 6, 2017
By David E. Sangar
Washington — American intelligence officials (click here) have concluded that the president of Russia, Vladimir V. Putin, personally “ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election,” and turned from seeking to “denigrate” Hillary Clinton to developing “a clear preference for President-elect Trump.”...
...The report described a broad campaign that included covert operations, including cyberactivities and “trolling” on the internet of people who were viewed as opponents of Russia’s effort. While it accused Russian intelligence agencies of obtaining and maintaining “access to elements of multiple U.S. state or local electoral boards,” it concluded — as officials have publicly — that there was no evidence of tampering with the tallying of the vote on Nov. 8....
I am very worried. The campaigning Donald Trump is not the President Elect Donald Trump. He is reckless in his pursuit of power. He has proven he will do anything and then do as he pleases.
The USA has elected a President that is not the choice of the people. Secretary Clinton was elected by the people, not, Donald Trump. He continues to refuse to recognize the fact covert acts by Russia carried out a coup of the 2016 elections with ambitions even at the local level of governments.
The Congress has responsibility to investigate the lack of ethical standing of this President Elect when he hasn't revealed his taxes and how he has a relationship with Russia. It is a known fact The Trump Organization had an exclusive and secretive internet connection with Russia during the time there were sanctions. That is illegal.
The investigation needs to go forward and Congress needs to move on cyber attacks on political candidates. This is a very serious matter.
Stating that, Director Comey had an impact on the election of 2016. I want to know what that is all about, too. He had to know what he was doing when he continually reprimanded Secretary Clinton in public with the last attack on her character landed days before Americans voted.
The country is angry at the establishment. This is more to be angry about. Congress needs to correct the threat.
There are many more questions than there are answers currently. The country needs answers. I don't see any sanction being removed from Russia.
The President Elect will accumulate more and more distrust if he continues to build a relationship with Russia. He should be as appalled as the country is and bring enforcement to the current sanctions not reversing them.
The President Elect was gamed by Russian leadership. It is against the country's national security to return wealth to Russia. The sanctions are working. Obviously. Russia needs to return to Minsk II and mean it.
Friday, January 06, 2017
Thursday, January 05, 2017
"Rogue One" is a good film. It is a tribute to the soldiers of the rebellion that brought a secret to the rebel forces regardless of the overwhelming power of the Empire.
This is what a rebel and rebellion looks like. The sad reality is that rebels can exist for a long time before they realize their destiny is reached.
The Republican ideology.
If only.
If only the Republicans could put a real CEO in the Oval Office they could prove the USA could be made to make a profit.
If only.
There was a former CEO in the Oval Office. "W" was a former CEO. So was Cheney. They never made a profit, they increased the national deficit and national debt with two unpaid for wars.
There were profits being made though. The profits of the "W" and Cheney administration was Halliburton, the company Cheney managed before assigning himself as Vice President.
That type of profit it not unusual. Companies of any kind LOVE and CHERISH an opportunity to collect federal dollars no matter the source of those dollars. Even if war is killing people and sacrificing USA soldiers, the profits of USA corporations reign. Of course, the CEO has not been asked to be a USA soldier in order to collect the federal dollars, except, for one. Blackwater and Erik Prince made incredible money in Iraq.
So, what has happened to Eric Prince?
From Wiki:
Erik Dean Prince (born June 6, 1969) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and former U.S. Navy SEAL officer. Prince is best known for founding the government services and security company Blackwater USA. He served as its CEO until 2009 and later as chairman, until Blackwater Worldwide was sold in 2010 to a group of investors. Prince currently heads the private equity firm Frontier Resource Group and is chairman of Hong Kong-listed Frontier Services Group Ltd. He lives in both Middleburg, Virginia and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Indeed.
March 24, 2016
By Jeremy Scahill and Matthew Cole
Rik Prince, (click here) founder of the now-defunct mercenary firm Blackwater and current chairman of Frontier Services Group, is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and other federal agencies for attempting to broker military services to foreign governments and possible money laundering, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the case.
What began as an investigation into Prince’s attempts to sell defense services in Libya and other countries in Africa has widened to a probe of allegations that Prince received assistance from Chinese intelligence to set up an account for his Libya operations through the Bank of China. The Justice Department, which declined to comment for this article, is also seeking to uncover the precise nature of Prince’s relationship with Chinese intelligence.
Prince, through his lawyer, Victoria Toensing, said he has not been informed of a federal investigation and had not offered any defense services in Libya. Toensing called the money-laundering allegations “total bullshit.”...
If only the Republicans could put a real CEO in the Oval Office they could prove the USA could be made to make a profit.
If only.
There was a former CEO in the Oval Office. "W" was a former CEO. So was Cheney. They never made a profit, they increased the national deficit and national debt with two unpaid for wars.
There were profits being made though. The profits of the "W" and Cheney administration was Halliburton, the company Cheney managed before assigning himself as Vice President.
That type of profit it not unusual. Companies of any kind LOVE and CHERISH an opportunity to collect federal dollars no matter the source of those dollars. Even if war is killing people and sacrificing USA soldiers, the profits of USA corporations reign. Of course, the CEO has not been asked to be a USA soldier in order to collect the federal dollars, except, for one. Blackwater and Erik Prince made incredible money in Iraq.
So, what has happened to Eric Prince?
From Wiki:
Erik Dean Prince (born June 6, 1969) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and former U.S. Navy SEAL officer. Prince is best known for founding the government services and security company Blackwater USA. He served as its CEO until 2009 and later as chairman, until Blackwater Worldwide was sold in 2010 to a group of investors. Prince currently heads the private equity firm Frontier Resource Group and is chairman of Hong Kong-listed Frontier Services Group Ltd. He lives in both Middleburg, Virginia and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Indeed.
March 24, 2016
By Jeremy Scahill and Matthew Cole
Rik Prince, (click here) founder of the now-defunct mercenary firm Blackwater and current chairman of Frontier Services Group, is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and other federal agencies for attempting to broker military services to foreign governments and possible money laundering, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the case.
What began as an investigation into Prince’s attempts to sell defense services in Libya and other countries in Africa has widened to a probe of allegations that Prince received assistance from Chinese intelligence to set up an account for his Libya operations through the Bank of China. The Justice Department, which declined to comment for this article, is also seeking to uncover the precise nature of Prince’s relationship with Chinese intelligence.
Prince, through his lawyer, Victoria Toensing, said he has not been informed of a federal investigation and had not offered any defense services in Libya. Toensing called the money-laundering allegations “total bullshit.”...
James Woosley, Clinton's CIA Director is distancing himself from Donald Trump after being his advisor.
December 12, 2016
By Editor
James Woolsey: They have something called disinformation (click here) - dezinformatsiya - which is an interesting word because it basically means lie. And they have hundreds of thousands of people working on photoshopping photos, rewriting history. They've been doing this for a long time. They spend a lot of time and effort doing it. They do it with European political parties. But this dezinformatsiya stuff is very ugly, and they focus it on lots of different parts of the world....
I can't help believing that Mr. Woolsey was asked to back up Donald Trump in regard to the dissolving of the current intelligence agencies and he wouldn't.
dezinformatsiya
Hm.
That is not English. That is Russian. Who was Mr. Woolsey trying to impress?
Look, um, I don't believe dezinformatsiya is a secret. I am sure Russia knows dezinformatsiya is a misleading information. In case Mr. Woolsey forgot, President Putin is former KGB.
As far as I am concerned Donald Trump is CYAing. He has an excuse now should there be another attack of 911 dynamics. Donald Trump attempted to radically change the intelligence agencies in leadership and agents. The Republican Legislature didn't permit him to do this.
That is underhanded to say the least, but, the real reason Trump is seeking to end the leadership and agents of the USA intelligence is a matter of loyalty. When a Chief Executive Officer take over a corporation he/she likes to have allies and not people with their own agenda working for him/her. I think that is why Donald Trump would like to empty the intelligence agencies. It is a matter of loyalty.
Unfortunately, CIA agents and FBI agents don't grow in a garden. They become experts partly from their training, but, it is their experience that makes them priceless. It is impossible to simply empty the USA intelligence agencies without putting the country in danger. That is the problem with placing a CEO at the top of the federal government; they don't make decisions to benefit the people. CEOs like to place burdens on the people that purchase their product or service. CEOs make profit. The federal USA government is not in the business of making a profit. Not at all. The most dramatic demonstration of the error in that thinking is the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger.
The Challenger exploded because of the failure of O-rings in very cold weather. The Shuttle was never developed to make launches every two weeks There were scientists telling NASA there would be issues with the Shuttle O-rings should launches take place in cold weather. It wasn't a difficult observation to make, property of any metal or otherwise contracts under cold temperatures. YET, President Ronald Reagan administration vowed to make NASA profitable. Ronald Reagan was a Republican that drank the Cool-Aid. He believed the government was simply the largest corporation in the world. The launches every two weeks under Reagan was to create profitability.
Government is not interested in profit because it's specialty is governance to TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
The Shuttle program was using a reusable spaceship. IT WAS ALREADY CUTTING COSTS, but, producing no profits as a reusable spaceship. But, ideology was more important than the Shuttle Program.
The administration at NASA did remarkably well in sending up a Shuttle every two weeks. It was not the frequency of use that caused the explosion, it was the O-rings that failed in cold weather.
CEOs make horrible USA Presidents. That is a fact and not ideology.
See how one tiny mishap can spell disaster for one of the most complex machines ever engineered. (click here)
By Editor
James Woolsey: They have something called disinformation (click here) - dezinformatsiya - which is an interesting word because it basically means lie. And they have hundreds of thousands of people working on photoshopping photos, rewriting history. They've been doing this for a long time. They spend a lot of time and effort doing it. They do it with European political parties. But this dezinformatsiya stuff is very ugly, and they focus it on lots of different parts of the world....
I can't help believing that Mr. Woolsey was asked to back up Donald Trump in regard to the dissolving of the current intelligence agencies and he wouldn't.
dezinformatsiya
Hm.
That is not English. That is Russian. Who was Mr. Woolsey trying to impress?
Look, um, I don't believe dezinformatsiya is a secret. I am sure Russia knows dezinformatsiya is a misleading information. In case Mr. Woolsey forgot, President Putin is former KGB.
As far as I am concerned Donald Trump is CYAing. He has an excuse now should there be another attack of 911 dynamics. Donald Trump attempted to radically change the intelligence agencies in leadership and agents. The Republican Legislature didn't permit him to do this.
That is underhanded to say the least, but, the real reason Trump is seeking to end the leadership and agents of the USA intelligence is a matter of loyalty. When a Chief Executive Officer take over a corporation he/she likes to have allies and not people with their own agenda working for him/her. I think that is why Donald Trump would like to empty the intelligence agencies. It is a matter of loyalty.
Unfortunately, CIA agents and FBI agents don't grow in a garden. They become experts partly from their training, but, it is their experience that makes them priceless. It is impossible to simply empty the USA intelligence agencies without putting the country in danger. That is the problem with placing a CEO at the top of the federal government; they don't make decisions to benefit the people. CEOs like to place burdens on the people that purchase their product or service. CEOs make profit. The federal USA government is not in the business of making a profit. Not at all. The most dramatic demonstration of the error in that thinking is the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger.
The Challenger exploded because of the failure of O-rings in very cold weather. The Shuttle was never developed to make launches every two weeks There were scientists telling NASA there would be issues with the Shuttle O-rings should launches take place in cold weather. It wasn't a difficult observation to make, property of any metal or otherwise contracts under cold temperatures. YET, President Ronald Reagan administration vowed to make NASA profitable. Ronald Reagan was a Republican that drank the Cool-Aid. He believed the government was simply the largest corporation in the world. The launches every two weeks under Reagan was to create profitability.
Government is not interested in profit because it's specialty is governance to TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
The Shuttle program was using a reusable spaceship. IT WAS ALREADY CUTTING COSTS, but, producing no profits as a reusable spaceship. But, ideology was more important than the Shuttle Program.
The administration at NASA did remarkably well in sending up a Shuttle every two weeks. It was not the frequency of use that caused the explosion, it was the O-rings that failed in cold weather.
CEOs make horrible USA Presidents. That is a fact and not ideology.
See how one tiny mishap can spell disaster for one of the most complex machines ever engineered. (click here)
The discussions about the ACA are dense with misinformation. The misinformation can be linked for the most part with political speak.
The statements made by citizens on "Washington Journal" are about misinformation, improving but keeping the ACA, grateful for closing the "donut hole," mischief by insurance companies (bait and switch), political speak (deliberate misinformation) and the usual complaint about people on subsidies and how they should be on "Workfare (which is more misinformation - most people on subsidies are already working; ie: minimum wage and lack of unions).
Reports this year regarding the ACA shows increases in enrollment.
The Democrats could prove they are the answer to the shortfalls of the ACA. Formulate better policy for the American complaints. They could make strong arguments for improving the ACA and hang it around the neck of the GOP. The GOP do not have a clue, nor is their media any better. The idea the ACA needed improvements while keeping the aspects of the original LAW is not replacement.
The Democrats have always been "the people's party." They can prove they are the answer by highlighting the failure of Republicans to have an answer, except, to keep the ACA without an immediate answer to replace it.
The two states that have found the ACA good law without complaints and requests improvements are Kentucky and West Virginia. Hang the assault of the ACA around the neck of the GOP.
The Democratic politics should include the MISINFORMATION in their focus. Here again is confusion of the public, which is the GOP's politics, that were never necessary in the first place.
I find it very interesting that the people of a state such as West Virginia, which is transitioning into the 21st Century from old forms of energy, is finding the ACA important. The Democrats have been worried about transitioning economies of states dependent on energy sources, ie: Hillary Clinton. Realizing West Virginia is able to take of their people while rebuilding it's economy is a real hero's story for the Democrats.
President Obama has been the future of the USA in his administration for eight years. The RNC has no answer for the country, but, only have political speak that is REGRESSIVE.
The First Lady, Michelle has brought health as a focus in her change in school lunch programs and removing sugar from the diets of our youngest Americans. Between she and her spouse the health of Americans were enormously served.
The one area of the USA demographics that have failed in improving health were white men in their 50s. If one pays attention there is a strong influence of Republican political hubris in that failure. They eat without regard to important health concerns, including, smoking cigarettes and high fat diets. ie: Where did the idea of fried butter sticks come from? It is a problem that the Democrats can address as part of their political platform. At one time the country as a whole was very worried about cigarette smoking and high fat diets; the DNC should return to that platform and the lack of willingness of this population to change and deprive to a better longevity and quality of life.
The DNC also has a strong program in demanding enforcement of the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. There should be real political focus on the failure of Republican governors to protect their citizens health.
The current Vice President-Elect was elected to Indiana governor in 2012. He found the ACA's medicaid expansion helpful to his state.
In January 2015, (click here) the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved Indiana’s amendment of its § 1115 demonstration, the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP). The amended waiver implements the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Medicaid expansion by building on the prior HIP demonstration. Beginning February 1, 2015, the new demonstration will cover nearly all adults ages 19-64 with income from 0-138% of the federal poverty level (FPL, about $16,242 per year for an individual in 2015) – an estimated 350,000 beneficiaries....
Cancer statistics in Indiana in 2012 (click here) include "Have No Health Care Coverage" responsible for 20.9 percent of cancers.
General Index to Indiana Cancer Reports (click here)
Democrats should also note there is a difference between incidence of illness, ie: cancer, and deaths by illness.
With the ACA there will be more reporting of incidence of disease opposed to deaths of disease. The reason for this because the ACA demands annual health screenings. The ACA is saving American lives by finding disease such as cancer and treating it. Americans will have better longevity and QUALITY OF LIFE because of the ACA and it's annual preventive screenings.
The ACA and it's focus on prevention ALSO spurs medical research to find cures and treatments for disease. All and all the USA is beginning to experience better outcomes, including longevity and quality of life.
It is the pride of Democrats to point to the ACA and their dedication to Americans.
Money isn't everything if one is not around to enjoy it. The ACA supports intact families.
"Death Rate by State" (click here)
"Cancer Incidence by State (click here)
Reports this year regarding the ACA shows increases in enrollment.
The Democrats could prove they are the answer to the shortfalls of the ACA. Formulate better policy for the American complaints. They could make strong arguments for improving the ACA and hang it around the neck of the GOP. The GOP do not have a clue, nor is their media any better. The idea the ACA needed improvements while keeping the aspects of the original LAW is not replacement.
The Democrats have always been "the people's party." They can prove they are the answer by highlighting the failure of Republicans to have an answer, except, to keep the ACA without an immediate answer to replace it.
The two states that have found the ACA good law without complaints and requests improvements are Kentucky and West Virginia. Hang the assault of the ACA around the neck of the GOP.
The Democratic politics should include the MISINFORMATION in their focus. Here again is confusion of the public, which is the GOP's politics, that were never necessary in the first place.
I find it very interesting that the people of a state such as West Virginia, which is transitioning into the 21st Century from old forms of energy, is finding the ACA important. The Democrats have been worried about transitioning economies of states dependent on energy sources, ie: Hillary Clinton. Realizing West Virginia is able to take of their people while rebuilding it's economy is a real hero's story for the Democrats.
President Obama has been the future of the USA in his administration for eight years. The RNC has no answer for the country, but, only have political speak that is REGRESSIVE.
The First Lady, Michelle has brought health as a focus in her change in school lunch programs and removing sugar from the diets of our youngest Americans. Between she and her spouse the health of Americans were enormously served.
The one area of the USA demographics that have failed in improving health were white men in their 50s. If one pays attention there is a strong influence of Republican political hubris in that failure. They eat without regard to important health concerns, including, smoking cigarettes and high fat diets. ie: Where did the idea of fried butter sticks come from? It is a problem that the Democrats can address as part of their political platform. At one time the country as a whole was very worried about cigarette smoking and high fat diets; the DNC should return to that platform and the lack of willingness of this population to change and deprive to a better longevity and quality of life.
The DNC also has a strong program in demanding enforcement of the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. There should be real political focus on the failure of Republican governors to protect their citizens health.
The current Vice President-Elect was elected to Indiana governor in 2012. He found the ACA's medicaid expansion helpful to his state.
In January 2015, (click here) the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved Indiana’s amendment of its § 1115 demonstration, the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP). The amended waiver implements the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Medicaid expansion by building on the prior HIP demonstration. Beginning February 1, 2015, the new demonstration will cover nearly all adults ages 19-64 with income from 0-138% of the federal poverty level (FPL, about $16,242 per year for an individual in 2015) – an estimated 350,000 beneficiaries....
General Index to Indiana Cancer Reports (click here)
Democrats should also note there is a difference between incidence of illness, ie: cancer, and deaths by illness.
With the ACA there will be more reporting of incidence of disease opposed to deaths of disease. The reason for this because the ACA demands annual health screenings. The ACA is saving American lives by finding disease such as cancer and treating it. Americans will have better longevity and QUALITY OF LIFE because of the ACA and it's annual preventive screenings.
The ACA and it's focus on prevention ALSO spurs medical research to find cures and treatments for disease. All and all the USA is beginning to experience better outcomes, including longevity and quality of life.
It is the pride of Democrats to point to the ACA and their dedication to Americans.
Money isn't everything if one is not around to enjoy it. The ACA supports intact families.
"Death Rate by State" (click here)
"Cancer Incidence by State (click here)
Wednesday, January 04, 2017
What is being Jewish have to do with Chris Christi?
It seems to me the 'idea' the Kushners are Jewish is a bit much. It is completely irrelevant to the fact Charles Kushner was guilty as sin.
It seems to me Charles Kushner, his son and Donald Trump plays their Hebrew card a few times too often. I am not impressed.
Chris Christie is a Catholic. His prosecution of legitimate lawbreaker Charles Kushner was completely in line with the criminal justice system of the USA and he would have been completely remiss if he didn't prosecute Charles Kushner.
The Donald Trump camp is acting foolishly with petty superiority as if Chris Christie is having his career destroyed and his pride ground under Trump heel. BULLSHIT!
I have stated Donald Trump is a hubris candidate. The petty revenge by Donald Trump of Governor Chris Christie is below the integrity and dignity of the USA President. Chris Christie knows more about governance than most elected officials of the Republican Party. He played a vital role with Donald Trump in his run for the Presidency in his capacity of Republican Governors Association Chairperson.
Chris Christie needs to distance himself from the Tea Party. In the long run the pettiness of Donald Trump, his administration and his family are going to hurt everyone affiliated with them. The American people are not feeling as if petty hubris is valuable.
Chris Christie should find his footing and possibly return to private legal practice with a focus of a very nice wife and wonderful children. His opportunity will occur again. In complete honesty. Chris Christie needs to stay as far away from Donald Trump as possible.
The truth be known, Donald Trump's 'Bully Act' is a very distant second to the legitimate bully pulpit of Governor Chris Christie.
March 1, 2016
By Allison Kaplan Sommer
After dropping his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, (click here) New Jersey governor Chris Christie shocked the political world by endorsing Donald Trump – giving the maverick candidate his first real stamp of approval days before the crucial Super Tuesday race. It was a move that stunned and disappointed the anti-Trump GOP establishment, including Christie’s own friends and supporters.
Christie said he appreciated Trump “as a person, and as a friend,” and Trump, in turn described Christie as his “friend for many years” and a “spectacular governor.”...
...In Christie’s early career as a successful New Jersey U.S. attorney, he arrested and charged Jared’s father, Charles Kushner, with trying to foil an investigation into an alleged illicit activity through obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
The case reached telenovella proportions and grabbed national headlines after it was revealed that the elder Kushner hired a prostitute to entrap his brother-in-law and sent the tape to his sister, Esther, in an alleged effort to stop her from being a witness against him in a civil interfamily suit. The sleazy move seemed fit more for The Sopranos than for the religiously observant offspring of a family that is a pillar of New Jersey's Jewish philanthropic community.
Christie subsequently negotiated a plea agreement with Ivanka’s father-in-law in which Charles Kushner was sentenced to two years in federal prison in Alabama, though he was released in 2006 after just 14 months to spend the remainder of his sentence in a New Jersey halfway house....
It seems to me Charles Kushner, his son and Donald Trump plays their Hebrew card a few times too often. I am not impressed.
Chris Christie is a Catholic. His prosecution of legitimate lawbreaker Charles Kushner was completely in line with the criminal justice system of the USA and he would have been completely remiss if he didn't prosecute Charles Kushner.
The Donald Trump camp is acting foolishly with petty superiority as if Chris Christie is having his career destroyed and his pride ground under Trump heel. BULLSHIT!
I have stated Donald Trump is a hubris candidate. The petty revenge by Donald Trump of Governor Chris Christie is below the integrity and dignity of the USA President. Chris Christie knows more about governance than most elected officials of the Republican Party. He played a vital role with Donald Trump in his run for the Presidency in his capacity of Republican Governors Association Chairperson.
Chris Christie needs to distance himself from the Tea Party. In the long run the pettiness of Donald Trump, his administration and his family are going to hurt everyone affiliated with them. The American people are not feeling as if petty hubris is valuable.
Chris Christie should find his footing and possibly return to private legal practice with a focus of a very nice wife and wonderful children. His opportunity will occur again. In complete honesty. Chris Christie needs to stay as far away from Donald Trump as possible.
The truth be known, Donald Trump's 'Bully Act' is a very distant second to the legitimate bully pulpit of Governor Chris Christie.
March 1, 2016
By Allison Kaplan Sommer
After dropping his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, (click here) New Jersey governor Chris Christie shocked the political world by endorsing Donald Trump – giving the maverick candidate his first real stamp of approval days before the crucial Super Tuesday race. It was a move that stunned and disappointed the anti-Trump GOP establishment, including Christie’s own friends and supporters.
Christie said he appreciated Trump “as a person, and as a friend,” and Trump, in turn described Christie as his “friend for many years” and a “spectacular governor.”...
...In Christie’s early career as a successful New Jersey U.S. attorney, he arrested and charged Jared’s father, Charles Kushner, with trying to foil an investigation into an alleged illicit activity through obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
The case reached telenovella proportions and grabbed national headlines after it was revealed that the elder Kushner hired a prostitute to entrap his brother-in-law and sent the tape to his sister, Esther, in an alleged effort to stop her from being a witness against him in a civil interfamily suit. The sleazy move seemed fit more for The Sopranos than for the religiously observant offspring of a family that is a pillar of New Jersey's Jewish philanthropic community.
Christie subsequently negotiated a plea agreement with Ivanka’s father-in-law in which Charles Kushner was sentenced to two years in federal prison in Alabama, though he was released in 2006 after just 14 months to spend the remainder of his sentence in a New Jersey halfway house....
Donald Trump will lose the trust of the USA. "Donald Trump, you are fired !"
Donald Trump cannot simply throw out USA intelligence and replace it with an agency composed of Julian Assange and Russia.
Julian Assange was not elected and Russia is not a USA satellite. The relationship the current President Elect has with these power players is grossly inappropriate while I am convinced FBI Director Comey purposely put his thumb on the election scale. Donald Trump has a great gratitude to pay to Comey, but, I don't see throwing out the USA intelligence agencies is the answer.
Donald Trump is not instilling confidence in the country AND especially him.
January 4, 2017
By Scott Shane, Maggie Haberman and Julie Hirschfield Davis
President-elect Donald J. Trump (click here) appears to side with the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange over United States intelligence agencies, with Vice President-elect Mike Pence backing him up.
She’s hired: Omarosa Manigault gets a White House post, as do some notable Trump loyalists. But Mr. Trump is leaning on Republican veterans in the Oval Office’s top slots.
The president-elect finds something “very strange” about his intelligence briefing on Friday — even though the White House says it was always planned for Friday....
There are many instances I can list where I was more than annoyed at the performance of the USA intelligence agencies, however, to throw the baby out with the bath water is not what I call prudent.
Sorry, but, at this point Donald Trump does not have the insight or experience to throw the agencies out. There is a learning curve for intelligence agents as well as a newly elected President. That learning curve cannot be dismissed when a new President is taking office.
This rash approach is a worry no American can ignore. It is and has been my opinion when administrations are changing in the USA it is important to have the current DOD Secretary and Homeland Security Secretary remain for at least one year before they are replaced. It is a matter of the new President and his cabinet to come up to speed to protect the country and carry out national security.
As much as I find Comey necessary to replace, a new administration has to respect the agency and it's director for the service and loyalty to the country. They have done their jobs. There is no reason for them to be removed from their place in the national security structure. A year or two into the practice of the President would prove to have enough knowledge gathering and experience with these people to decide to remove them.
Julian Assange has created an incredible power machine that has removed the mystique of government. The people have come to understand their role better in their country to bring about the governance they are hoping for, but, to hold Mr. Assange as an ideal to the new intelligence is a bit much. Mr. Assange isn't even a USA citizen.
Whistleblowers take on a great deal of risk to bring a message to the public in hopes the electorate will move to change their outcome in elections. That is admirable and heroic, however, a stark revolution will bring about a great deal of instability in an economy and the peoples' own security.
Right now in the USA there is a greater danger in the country. Violence has increased. There is racism and hatred in ways no one expected when the primaries began. The country has changed it's character. It is a worry. To throw more fuel on that fire is not a matter of "let's go there and see what happens." Such profound destabilization allows huge holes for very dangers elements to begin a civil war.
Is that what Donald Trump wants? A civil war in the USA to satisfy his White Supremacists? It would seem to be the case. I think Americans need to reassess their place in this circus and begin a far more serious approach to the stability of their country.
Julian Assange was not elected and Russia is not a USA satellite. The relationship the current President Elect has with these power players is grossly inappropriate while I am convinced FBI Director Comey purposely put his thumb on the election scale. Donald Trump has a great gratitude to pay to Comey, but, I don't see throwing out the USA intelligence agencies is the answer.
Donald Trump is not instilling confidence in the country AND especially him.
January 4, 2017
By Scott Shane, Maggie Haberman and Julie Hirschfield Davis
President-elect Donald J. Trump (click here) appears to side with the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange over United States intelligence agencies, with Vice President-elect Mike Pence backing him up.
She’s hired: Omarosa Manigault gets a White House post, as do some notable Trump loyalists. But Mr. Trump is leaning on Republican veterans in the Oval Office’s top slots.
The president-elect finds something “very strange” about his intelligence briefing on Friday — even though the White House says it was always planned for Friday....
There are many instances I can list where I was more than annoyed at the performance of the USA intelligence agencies, however, to throw the baby out with the bath water is not what I call prudent.
Sorry, but, at this point Donald Trump does not have the insight or experience to throw the agencies out. There is a learning curve for intelligence agents as well as a newly elected President. That learning curve cannot be dismissed when a new President is taking office.
This rash approach is a worry no American can ignore. It is and has been my opinion when administrations are changing in the USA it is important to have the current DOD Secretary and Homeland Security Secretary remain for at least one year before they are replaced. It is a matter of the new President and his cabinet to come up to speed to protect the country and carry out national security.
As much as I find Comey necessary to replace, a new administration has to respect the agency and it's director for the service and loyalty to the country. They have done their jobs. There is no reason for them to be removed from their place in the national security structure. A year or two into the practice of the President would prove to have enough knowledge gathering and experience with these people to decide to remove them.
Julian Assange has created an incredible power machine that has removed the mystique of government. The people have come to understand their role better in their country to bring about the governance they are hoping for, but, to hold Mr. Assange as an ideal to the new intelligence is a bit much. Mr. Assange isn't even a USA citizen.
Whistleblowers take on a great deal of risk to bring a message to the public in hopes the electorate will move to change their outcome in elections. That is admirable and heroic, however, a stark revolution will bring about a great deal of instability in an economy and the peoples' own security.
Right now in the USA there is a greater danger in the country. Violence has increased. There is racism and hatred in ways no one expected when the primaries began. The country has changed it's character. It is a worry. To throw more fuel on that fire is not a matter of "let's go there and see what happens." Such profound destabilization allows huge holes for very dangers elements to begin a civil war.
Is that what Donald Trump wants? A civil war in the USA to satisfy his White Supremacists? It would seem to be the case. I think Americans need to reassess their place in this circus and begin a far more serious approach to the stability of their country.
By Harriet Alexander
Ivanka Trump (click here) and her husband Jared Kushner have completed a deal on a $5.5 million (£4.4m) home in Washington DC, as they prepare to move to the city to work in Donald Trump’s administration.
The six-bedroom, two-storey house is in the Kalorama district of the capital, and is only two streets away from the home President Barack Obama and his family will rent when they move out of the White House.
The Trump-Kushner property was built in 1923 but has been thoroughly renovated, and photos on the estate agent’s website show an elegant, light-filled home decorated in greys and beiges. The décor is similar to the Park Avenue apartment Ms Trump currently lives in with Mr Kushner and their three children in New York, which has been shown off in interior design magazines....
It would seem Ivanka is becoming comfortable with the idea of a career at the White House. Ivanka must have a great deal of interest in a political career. If she is going to play a role in the White House, her path will not be dissimilar than Hillary Clinton, both perhaps representing the State of New York.
January 4, 2016
...The house (click here) was previously owned by a Latvian-born financier with extensive investments in Russia and ties to a Russian opposition leader....
...The home was previously owned by Dan K. Rapoport and his wife, Irina, according to property records filed with the District of Columbia. Neither responded to emailed requests for comment....
It would seem Ivanka is becoming comfortable with the idea of a career at the White House. Ivanka must have a great deal of interest in a political career. If she is going to play a role in the White House, her path will not be dissimilar than Hillary Clinton, both perhaps representing the State of New York.
January 4, 2016
...The house (click here) was previously owned by a Latvian-born financier with extensive investments in Russia and ties to a Russian opposition leader....
...The home was previously owned by Dan K. Rapoport and his wife, Irina, according to property records filed with the District of Columbia. Neither responded to emailed requests for comment....
The Affordable Care Act provides for all Americans, not just the ones that want a menu of choices.
This news agency is based in California and so is the Kaiser Family Foundation that conducted the survey. California is among the states that have seen larger increases in their health care policies. If those with higher costs due to manipulations of doctors seeking greater wealth through the ACA still wants to keep the coverage, there can't be that much wrong with the ACA as it stands today.
The Democrats have to realize this health care law is near perfect, except for politicos. If the Republicans want to shot themselves in the foot, don't get in the way.
There has to be a "Single Payer" system that addresses the chronically ill. That would create a specialized insurance that amply takes care of them with excellent care and good "Doc Fixes."
That is all that has to happen and the higher costs to average Americans will come down.
December 1, 2016
By Tracy Seipel
...The new survey, (click here) conducted by the Menlo Park-based Kaiser Family Foundation in mid-November, found that 49 percent of the public want to keep the law or see it expanded, versus 43 percent who want lawmakers to eliminate or dial back the law, commonly called “Obamacare.”
The Democrats have to realize this health care law is near perfect, except for politicos. If the Republicans want to shot themselves in the foot, don't get in the way.
There has to be a "Single Payer" system that addresses the chronically ill. That would create a specialized insurance that amply takes care of them with excellent care and good "Doc Fixes."
That is all that has to happen and the higher costs to average Americans will come down.
December 1, 2016
By Tracy Seipel
...The new survey, (click here) conducted by the Menlo Park-based Kaiser Family Foundation in mid-November, found that 49 percent of the public want to keep the law or see it expanded, versus 43 percent who want lawmakers to eliminate or dial back the law, commonly called “Obamacare.”
On the campaign trail and again at a rally in Cincinnati on Thursday night, President-elect Donald Trump vowed to “repeal and replace” the law, which has insured 20 million Americans since 2014, many of them through an Obamacare provision that expanded Medicaid, the nation’s health care program for the poor.
Republicans, who now control both houses of the Congress, have voted dozens of times to repeal the Affordable Care Act since it was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010.
But post-election, according to the poll released Thursday, fewer Republican voters (52 percent) now say they want to see the law repealed, down from 69 percent in October. And 24 percent of Republicans now just want to see the law scaled back, up from 11 percent in October. The poll was taken after Trump told the Wall Street Journal and CBS’ “60 Minutes” three days after the election that he liked some key parts of the law....
President Obama was a successful Commander and Chief.
President Obama is humbled by the honor expressed to him by the USA military. The military and President Obama has had a special relationship in providing rights to all members of the military.
September 20, 2011
Today, the discriminatory law known as ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ (click here) is finally and formally repealed. As of today, patriotic Americans in uniform will no longer have to lie about who they are in order to serve the country they love. As of today, our armed forces will no longer lose the extraordinary skills and combat experience of so many gay and lesbian service members. And today, as Commander in Chief, I want those who were discharged under this law to know that your country deeply values your service....
December 3, 2015
Today, the Defense Department (click here) is taking another historic step forward by opening up the remaining 10 percent of military positions, including combat roles, to women. As Commander in Chief, I know that this change, like others before it, will again make our military even stronger. Our armed forces will draw on an even wider pool of talent. Women who can meet the high standards required will have new opportunities to serve. I know that, under the leadership of Secretary Carter and Chairman Dunford, our men and women in uniform will implement this transition -- as they have others -- in a responsible manner that maintains military readiness and the unparalleled professionalism and strength of our armed forces. Together, we're going to make sure our military remains the finest fighting force in the history of the world, worthy of all our patriots who serve -- men and women....
January 3, 2017
By Jeff Schogol
The Marine Corps (click here) will make history on Thursday when the first three female infantry Marines join their unit at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, officials said.
The women are headed to 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, where they will serve in the following infantry military occupational specialties: rifleman, machine gunner and mortar Marine, said 1st Lt. John McCombs, a spokesman for II Marine Expeditionary Force.
The battalion has a team of women leaders consisting of a logistics officer, motor transport officer and wire chief to support the female infantry Marines, McCombs said....
December 27, 2013
The day after Christmas, (click here) President Obama signed a defense bill with provisions to curb sexual assault in the U.S. military. Under the new law, anyone who engages in sexual assault will face dishonorable discharge, commanders are prevented from reversing jury decisions, legal assistance will be provided for victims, and “retaliation” against a victim will be punished.
The bill came in response to a Department of Defense report issued earlier this year, which claimed there were 26,000 victims of assault in the military in 2012. In the previous year, 19,000 assaults were disclosed from 2010. The numbers were not comprehensive, however, omitting additional accounts of sexual harassment, or “unwanted gender-related behavior.” The 26,000 figure also excludes quid-pro-quo intimidation, according to which victims are blackmailed into committing sexual acts in return for job security or career advancement. Repeated assaults are also discounted, as are assaults against civilians....
He ended the "W" forever war.
December 18, 2011
By Joseph Logan
The last convoy of U.S. soldiers pulled out of Iraq on Sunday, (click here) ending nearly nine years of war that cost almost 4,500 American and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives, and left a country grappling with political uncertainty.
President was the hero to the Yezidis of Iraq.
August 7, 2016
President Obama failed to end the presence of American troops in Afghanistan. The elections in Afghanistan in 2014 saw an increase in violence, including an assassination attempt on candidate Abdullah Abdullah. Three of his body guards were killed by suicide bombers. The armored vehicle was severely damaged. The Afghanistan elections of 2014 was the first time someone other than Karzai would lead the country.
October 15, 2015
In a brief statement from the Roosevelt Room in the White House, Mr. Obama said he continued to oppose the idea of “endless war.” But the president, who once traveled to Afghanistan to declare “the light of a new day on the horizon,” said Thursday that a longer-term American presence there was vital to the security of the United States and a country that is beset by the Taliban, their allies from Al Qaeda, and militants from the Islamic State....
May 4, 2011
By Bob Orr and Pat Milton
The raid on Osama bin Laden's Pakistan home produced what could be the biggest intelligence windfall since 9/11. (click here) Some of the most critical evidence was recovered from Osama bin Laden himself.
CBS News correspondent Bob Orr reports that after Navy SEALS scrambled away with the body of the al Qaeda leader, they made a startling discovery: Sewn inside bin Laden's clothing was cash, 500 Euros, and two phone numbers apparently intended to aid an escape.
Now, intelligence analysts are digging into those numbers, tracing previous calls to and from those phones, mapping out a network of terrorist communications.
CBS News national security analyst Juan Zarate says they could reveal who bin Laden was talking to, who he was directing, as well as other phone numbers linked to al Qaeda operatives.
The bin Laden compound gave up more evidence than U.S. officials had ever expected: At least five computers, a dozen hard drives, storage devices such as DVDs and thumb drives and more than one hundred computer disks. The SEALs also grabbed handwritten notes, weapons, and an assortment of personal items that could reveal key clues about other high-ranking al Qaeda leaders and potential plots. It appears everything was being brought to and from the compound by couriers....
I could go on including the fact, President Obama united the world in ending the charasmatic Daesh.
The Obama military saw drones that carried out some very heinous attacks with successes in ending the lives of international criminals engaged in terrorist activities.
But.
There were also innocent people killed by errors in the drone program. Besides weddings turned into blood baths of innocent people, perhaps the worst "Oops" of the drone program was an attack on a "Doctors without Borders" hospital.
If there is one area tarnished and in question is the fact President Obama signed off on a drone program that was merciless known to have killed innocent people, including the son of an American Imam.
September 20, 2011
Today, the discriminatory law known as ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ (click here) is finally and formally repealed. As of today, patriotic Americans in uniform will no longer have to lie about who they are in order to serve the country they love. As of today, our armed forces will no longer lose the extraordinary skills and combat experience of so many gay and lesbian service members. And today, as Commander in Chief, I want those who were discharged under this law to know that your country deeply values your service....
December 3, 2015
Today, the Defense Department (click here) is taking another historic step forward by opening up the remaining 10 percent of military positions, including combat roles, to women. As Commander in Chief, I know that this change, like others before it, will again make our military even stronger. Our armed forces will draw on an even wider pool of talent. Women who can meet the high standards required will have new opportunities to serve. I know that, under the leadership of Secretary Carter and Chairman Dunford, our men and women in uniform will implement this transition -- as they have others -- in a responsible manner that maintains military readiness and the unparalleled professionalism and strength of our armed forces. Together, we're going to make sure our military remains the finest fighting force in the history of the world, worthy of all our patriots who serve -- men and women....
By Jeff Schogol
The Marine Corps (click here) will make history on Thursday when the first three female infantry Marines join their unit at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, officials said.
The women are headed to 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, where they will serve in the following infantry military occupational specialties: rifleman, machine gunner and mortar Marine, said 1st Lt. John McCombs, a spokesman for II Marine Expeditionary Force.
The battalion has a team of women leaders consisting of a logistics officer, motor transport officer and wire chief to support the female infantry Marines, McCombs said....
December 27, 2013
The day after Christmas, (click here) President Obama signed a defense bill with provisions to curb sexual assault in the U.S. military. Under the new law, anyone who engages in sexual assault will face dishonorable discharge, commanders are prevented from reversing jury decisions, legal assistance will be provided for victims, and “retaliation” against a victim will be punished.
The bill came in response to a Department of Defense report issued earlier this year, which claimed there were 26,000 victims of assault in the military in 2012. In the previous year, 19,000 assaults were disclosed from 2010. The numbers were not comprehensive, however, omitting additional accounts of sexual harassment, or “unwanted gender-related behavior.” The 26,000 figure also excludes quid-pro-quo intimidation, according to which victims are blackmailed into committing sexual acts in return for job security or career advancement. Repeated assaults are also discounted, as are assaults against civilians....
He ended the "W" forever war.
December 18, 2011
By Joseph Logan
The last convoy of U.S. soldiers pulled out of Iraq on Sunday, (click here) ending nearly nine years of war that cost almost 4,500 American and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives, and left a country grappling with political uncertainty.
The war launched in March 2003 with missiles striking Baghdad to oust President Saddam Hussein closes with a fragile democracy still facing insurgents, sectarian tensions and the challenge of defining its place in an Arab region in turmoil.
As U.S. soldiers pulled out, Iraq's delicate power-sharing deal for , Sunni and Kurdish factions was already under pressure. The Shi'ite-led government asked parliament to fire the Sunni deputy prime minister, and security sources said the Sunni vice president faced an arrest warrant.
The final column of around 100 mostly U.S. military MRAP armoured vehicles carrying 500 U.S. troops trundled across the southern Iraq desert from their last base through the night and daybreak along an empty highway to the Kuwaiti border....
President Obama resolved to diplomatic solutions with Syria to end it's chemical weapons program. President Obama was accessible to prevent war and death of innocent people when diplomacy was successful.
On August 21, 2013, (click here) chemical weapons were used in the suburbs of Damascus, Syria. 1,429 people died, including 426 children. [1] As gruesome video footage of the victims' suffering circulated worldwide, heated debate over how the international community should respond ensued. Most agreed that the Syrian regime should not be able to use chemical weapons, in violation of international law, with impunity. For some, prominently including the U.S. and French governments, the appropriate response appeared to be the use of force. President Obama announced his administration's intent to use limited air strikes to deter further chemical weapons use, and to damage the regime's capabilities to perpetrate such attacks. Other countries, including Russia and China, strongly opposed military action, advocating a diplomatic solution....As U.S. soldiers pulled out, Iraq's delicate power-sharing deal for , Sunni and Kurdish factions was already under pressure. The Shi'ite-led government asked parliament to fire the Sunni deputy prime minister, and security sources said the Sunni vice president faced an arrest warrant.
The final column of around 100 mostly U.S. military MRAP armoured vehicles carrying 500 U.S. troops trundled across the southern Iraq desert from their last base through the night and daybreak along an empty highway to the Kuwaiti border....
President Obama resolved to diplomatic solutions with Syria to end it's chemical weapons program. President Obama was accessible to prevent war and death of innocent people when diplomacy was successful.
President was the hero to the Yezidis of Iraq.
August 7, 2016
The President: Good evening. (click here) Today I authorized two operations in Iraq -- targeted airstrikes to protect our American personnel, and a humanitarian effort to help save thousands of Iraqi civilians who are trapped on a mountain without food and water and facing almost certain death. Let me explain the actions we’re taking and why...
....Second, at the request of the Iraqi government -- we’ve begun operations to help save Iraqi civilians stranded on the mountain. As ISIL has marched across Iraq, it has waged a ruthless campaign against innocent Iraqis. And these terrorists have been especially barbaric towards religious minorities, including Christian and Yezidis, a small and ancient religious sect. Countless Iraqis have been displaced. And chilling reports describe ISIL militants rounding up families, conducting mass executions, and enslaving Yezidi women.
In recent days, Yezidi women, men and children from the area of Sinjar have fled for their lives. And thousands -- perhaps tens of thousands -- are now hiding high up on the mountain, with little but the clothes on their backs....
President Obama failed to end the presence of American troops in Afghanistan. The elections in Afghanistan in 2014 saw an increase in violence, including an assassination attempt on candidate Abdullah Abdullah. Three of his body guards were killed by suicide bombers. The armored vehicle was severely damaged. The Afghanistan elections of 2014 was the first time someone other than Karzai would lead the country.
October 15, 2015
By Matthew Rosenberg and Michael D. Shear
Washington — President Obama (click here) halted the withdrawal of American military forces from Afghanistan on Thursday, announcing that the United States will keep thousands of troops in the country through the end of his term in 2017 and indefinitely prolonging the American role in a war that has already lasted 14 years.
In a brief statement from the Roosevelt Room in the White House, Mr. Obama said he continued to oppose the idea of “endless war.” But the president, who once traveled to Afghanistan to declare “the light of a new day on the horizon,” said Thursday that a longer-term American presence there was vital to the security of the United States and a country that is beset by the Taliban, their allies from Al Qaeda, and militants from the Islamic State....
President Obama secured the death of Osama bin Laden.
By Bob Orr and Pat Milton
The raid on Osama bin Laden's Pakistan home produced what could be the biggest intelligence windfall since 9/11. (click here) Some of the most critical evidence was recovered from Osama bin Laden himself.
CBS News correspondent Bob Orr reports that after Navy SEALS scrambled away with the body of the al Qaeda leader, they made a startling discovery: Sewn inside bin Laden's clothing was cash, 500 Euros, and two phone numbers apparently intended to aid an escape.
Now, intelligence analysts are digging into those numbers, tracing previous calls to and from those phones, mapping out a network of terrorist communications.
CBS News national security analyst Juan Zarate says they could reveal who bin Laden was talking to, who he was directing, as well as other phone numbers linked to al Qaeda operatives.
The bin Laden compound gave up more evidence than U.S. officials had ever expected: At least five computers, a dozen hard drives, storage devices such as DVDs and thumb drives and more than one hundred computer disks. The SEALs also grabbed handwritten notes, weapons, and an assortment of personal items that could reveal key clues about other high-ranking al Qaeda leaders and potential plots. It appears everything was being brought to and from the compound by couriers....
The Obama military saw drones that carried out some very heinous attacks with successes in ending the lives of international criminals engaged in terrorist activities.
But.
There were also innocent people killed by errors in the drone program. Besides weddings turned into blood baths of innocent people, perhaps the worst "Oops" of the drone program was an attack on a "Doctors without Borders" hospital.
If there is one area tarnished and in question is the fact President Obama signed off on a drone program that was merciless known to have killed innocent people, including the son of an American Imam.
Monday, January 02, 2017
In 2016, the rich got richer. It happened in the Fourth Quarter.
January 3, 2017
In a year when populist voters reshaped power and politics (click here) across Europe and the US, the world's wealthiest people are ending 2016 with US$237 billion ($242b) more than they had at the start.
Triggered by disappointing economic data from China at the beginning, the UK's vote to leave the European Union in the middle and the election of billionaire Donald Trump at the end, the biggest fortunes on the planet whipsawed through US$4.8 trillion of daily net worth gains and losses during the year, rising 5.7 per cent to US$4.4 trillion by the end of December 27, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
The gains were led by Warren Buffett, who added US$11.8 billion during the year as his investment firm Berkshire Hathaway saw its airline and banking holdings soar after Trump's surprise victory on November 8. Buffett, who's pledged to give away most of his fortune to charity, donated Berkshire Hathaway stock valued at US$2.6 billion in July.
The US investor reclaimed his spot as the world's second-richest person two days after Trump's victory ignited a year-end rally that pushed Buffett's wealth up 19 per cent for the year to US$74.1 billion....
There will be two oil prices that will hurt OPEC.
In the closing months of 2016 OPEC held a meeting that set oil prices. Wall Street was happy, but, the meeting may prove to hurt OPEC countries. The non-OPEC oil producers will most likely be selling oil at a far lower price than OPEC because of the glut on the market. The non-OPEC countries can then draw in new customers and increase their market share, if they are able to produce sufficient quantities.
If OPEC continues to hold to the fixed price it will lose customers and force it into a fiscal emergency their as market share shrinks significantly.
The nominated USA Secretary of State will be engaging all the oil sources, including new supplies from Russia. Perhaps. The Arctic Ocean is still the Arctic Ocean. The Russian burgeoning oil supplies have yet to be realized.
When Russia begins it's partnership with Exxon that will increase the global supply and OPEC's oil will be less attractive to consumers. Basically, it will be a price and capacity war between OPEC and non-OPEC countries.
January 2, 2017
If OPEC continues to hold to the fixed price it will lose customers and force it into a fiscal emergency their as market share shrinks significantly.
The nominated USA Secretary of State will be engaging all the oil sources, including new supplies from Russia. Perhaps. The Arctic Ocean is still the Arctic Ocean. The Russian burgeoning oil supplies have yet to be realized.
When Russia begins it's partnership with Exxon that will increase the global supply and OPEC's oil will be less attractive to consumers. Basically, it will be a price and capacity war between OPEC and non-OPEC countries.
January 2, 2017
By Oil and Company News
...The OPEC-Russia deal’s vulnerabilities (click here) were evident before it was signed. A simple roll call of its parties showed that the agreement lacked four of the world’s 10 leading oil producers: China, Canada, Brazil, and the U.S.
Between them, these four produce one-third of the 10 leading producers’ output. That is besides the deal failing to recruit smaller, but still sizable, oil-producers Norway and Britain. Even more tellingly, when the deal was done, it turned out that OPEC member Indonesia had opted out.
Added up, the deal’s non-signatories represent a critical mass whose increased production as prices rise will compensate for a good portion of the quantities that OPEC and its partners have promised to remove from the markets.
This is besides that experience shows the deal’s signatories are likely to cheat each other.
As data compiled by Goldman Sachs and Commerzbank show, OPEC members have historically violated their own production caps steadily and systematically. Such a scenario is even more realistic now, because there are 11 non-OPEC parties to the deal besides Russia, from Bolivia to Brunei....
Teacher Unions should be conducting their own research and presenting it to their local Boards of Education.
Teachers are professionals that can bring greater understanding to local school boards through academic studies specific to local school boards. The state wide testing does not indicate local public school issues.
Through local specialization of testing the school board can make better decisions regarding it's budget and addressing trouble spots.
In eliminating state wide testing in public schools there will be better sourcing of education and more money to spend on local educational issues.
It is time for teacher's unions to improve the quality of education at the local level and end generalized conclusions that do not apply to all school districts.
Federal dollars to any state usually doesn't exceed 15 percent of the entire state budget.
“Charter schools started off as an innovative idea. They were designed as an entrepreneurial model that emphasized experimentation and innovation. The idea was to see what might be applied to public schools as a whole.”
December 24, 2016
By TJ Pyche and Brian Dusape
...“Parents have become much more interested (click here) in having a voice in where their child is educated,” said Eldridge, who calls herself a proponent of school choice, which ties into the growing popularity of charter schools.
One thing about charter schools that Eldridge said is important: school board governance.
“There is a lot to be said for a school board monitoring the situation in charter schools.”
A majority of the area’s the charter schools — 11 of the 20 — are in Alachua County. Marion County, the region’s largest county, has three; Putnam County has three; and Madison and Columbia counties each have one. Six of the region’s eleven counties do not have any charter schools.
Similar to the trend statewide, seven of the charter schools saw a drop in the school grade. Four charter schools, all in Alachua County, bumped up grades.
Charter schools in the area, as a whole, fared better: half of the charter schools received A or B grades, compared to 32 percent of traditional public schools.
A school is required to test 95 percent of its students to receive a grade, so two of the charter schools and five of the traditional public schools did not receive grades after not testing enough of students....
Through local specialization of testing the school board can make better decisions regarding it's budget and addressing trouble spots.
In eliminating state wide testing in public schools there will be better sourcing of education and more money to spend on local educational issues.
It is time for teacher's unions to improve the quality of education at the local level and end generalized conclusions that do not apply to all school districts.
Federal dollars to any state usually doesn't exceed 15 percent of the entire state budget.
“Charter schools started off as an innovative idea. They were designed as an entrepreneurial model that emphasized experimentation and innovation. The idea was to see what might be applied to public schools as a whole.”December 24, 2016
By TJ Pyche and Brian Dusape
...“Parents have become much more interested (click here) in having a voice in where their child is educated,” said Eldridge, who calls herself a proponent of school choice, which ties into the growing popularity of charter schools.
One thing about charter schools that Eldridge said is important: school board governance.
“There is a lot to be said for a school board monitoring the situation in charter schools.”
A majority of the area’s the charter schools — 11 of the 20 — are in Alachua County. Marion County, the region’s largest county, has three; Putnam County has three; and Madison and Columbia counties each have one. Six of the region’s eleven counties do not have any charter schools.
Similar to the trend statewide, seven of the charter schools saw a drop in the school grade. Four charter schools, all in Alachua County, bumped up grades.
Charter schools in the area, as a whole, fared better: half of the charter schools received A or B grades, compared to 32 percent of traditional public schools.
A school is required to test 95 percent of its students to receive a grade, so two of the charter schools and five of the traditional public schools did not receive grades after not testing enough of students....
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