You can watch ABC's special program (click here) 'The President and the People: A National Conversation' on ABC7 at 8 p.m. or right here:
Thursday, July 14, 2016
The Green Party comes alive. Bernie supporters have found a new home.
July 13, 2016
By Tom Cahill
Jill Stein, the presumptive Green Party presidential nominee, (click here) is seeing an unprecedented surge of energy for her campaign in the wake of Bernie Sanders’ endorsement of Hillary Clinton.
Stein, who is running her second presidential campaign in four years, said donations to her campaign have increased tenfold in just over 24 hours, obviously due to Bernie Sanders’ endorsement of Hillary Clinton and a resulting fallout from the Democratic Party.
Since Tuesday morning, the Green Party has received over $80,000 in contributions, over half of which comes from first-time donors, and half of which comes in the form of contributions under $50. Tellingly, about 615 of those contributions totalled $27, the exact number commonly trumpeted and solicited by the Sanders campaign during his revolutionary grassroots funding movement.
“There’s been an explosion of Berners coming in through every portal of the campaign, and it’s really exciting,” Stein told US Uncut in a phone interview. “There is so much courage out there to stand up to the marching orders handed down by the usual suspects.”...
Green Party presumptive nominee for President of the USA would also expand the "Whistleblower Law" and have a provision for pardons when information has proven to be valuable to the country.
July 14, 2016
By Tom Cahill
Edward Snowden, (click here) America’s #1 fugitive, would not only get a full pardon under a Jill Stein administration, but would get a promotion to one of the highest levels of government.
“[Snowden] has done an incredible service to our country at great cost to himself for having to live away from his family, his friends, his job, his network, to basically live as an expatriate,” Stein said during a livestreamed town hall with supporters on her Facebook page.
“I would say not only bring Snowden back, but bring him into my administration as a member of the Cabinet, because we need people who are part of our national security administration who are really, very patriotic,” Stein continued. “If we’re really going to protect American security, we also have to protect our Constitutional rights, and that includes our right to privacy.”
In addition to pardoning Snowden, the presumptive Green Party presidential nominee has also said she would grant full pardons to government whistleblower Chelsea Manning, who leaked what became known as the Afghan War Diary and Iraq War Logs, including the infamous “Collateral Murder” video of US helicopters killing journalists in Iraq to WikiLeaks.
Stein would have also pardoned John Kiriakou, a former CIA analyst who was the first to leak confirmation of waterboarding torture to the media and served 30 months in prison. Stein also said she would have pardoned Aaron Swartz, the MIT student and Reddit cofounder who leaked academic research to the public. However, Swartz committed suicide in 2013 after being threatened with 35 years in federal prison and $1 million in fines for the MIT information leak....
By Tom Cahill
Jill Stein, the presumptive Green Party presidential nominee, (click here) is seeing an unprecedented surge of energy for her campaign in the wake of Bernie Sanders’ endorsement of Hillary Clinton.
Stein, who is running her second presidential campaign in four years, said donations to her campaign have increased tenfold in just over 24 hours, obviously due to Bernie Sanders’ endorsement of Hillary Clinton and a resulting fallout from the Democratic Party.
Since Tuesday morning, the Green Party has received over $80,000 in contributions, over half of which comes from first-time donors, and half of which comes in the form of contributions under $50. Tellingly, about 615 of those contributions totalled $27, the exact number commonly trumpeted and solicited by the Sanders campaign during his revolutionary grassroots funding movement.
“There’s been an explosion of Berners coming in through every portal of the campaign, and it’s really exciting,” Stein told US Uncut in a phone interview. “There is so much courage out there to stand up to the marching orders handed down by the usual suspects.”...
Green Party presumptive nominee for President of the USA would also expand the "Whistleblower Law" and have a provision for pardons when information has proven to be valuable to the country.
July 14, 2016
By Tom Cahill
Edward Snowden, (click here) America’s #1 fugitive, would not only get a full pardon under a Jill Stein administration, but would get a promotion to one of the highest levels of government.
“[Snowden] has done an incredible service to our country at great cost to himself for having to live away from his family, his friends, his job, his network, to basically live as an expatriate,” Stein said during a livestreamed town hall with supporters on her Facebook page.
“I would say not only bring Snowden back, but bring him into my administration as a member of the Cabinet, because we need people who are part of our national security administration who are really, very patriotic,” Stein continued. “If we’re really going to protect American security, we also have to protect our Constitutional rights, and that includes our right to privacy.”
In addition to pardoning Snowden, the presumptive Green Party presidential nominee has also said she would grant full pardons to government whistleblower Chelsea Manning, who leaked what became known as the Afghan War Diary and Iraq War Logs, including the infamous “Collateral Murder” video of US helicopters killing journalists in Iraq to WikiLeaks.
Stein would have also pardoned John Kiriakou, a former CIA analyst who was the first to leak confirmation of waterboarding torture to the media and served 30 months in prison. Stein also said she would have pardoned Aaron Swartz, the MIT student and Reddit cofounder who leaked academic research to the public. However, Swartz committed suicide in 2013 after being threatened with 35 years in federal prison and $1 million in fines for the MIT information leak....
6:00 PM EST
US current temperature map (click here)
The Atlantic Hurricane season is fairly mute so far. But, the eastern Pacific is churning them out one after the other. This is a permanent shift in the climate. it is not to say there won't still be storms and some impressive storms in the Atlantic, but, the majority are not occurring in the eastern Pacific. Unfortunately, the last few years have not proven to be an improvement for southern Caifornia's drought.
The string of hurricanes in the eastern Pacific does work to control the heat on the North American continent. The heat would actually be far worse if the eastern Pacific wasn't this active. Hurricanes do heat the oceans which causes ice melt and sea level rise.
Usually, August and early September are the hottest because fo the season long exposure to direct solar rays. Expect the hottest summer on record. Do not under estimate what may becoming our way.
2130
UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite of the north and west hemisphere (click here for 12 hour loop-thank you)
Is the driver of the truck in France dead?
July 14, 2016
Krishnadev Calamur
What we know: (click here)
—There appear to be casualties in Nice, France, after a vehicle reportedly drove into the crowds celebrating Bastille Day.
It is important to report these violent occurrences, but, regardless of the cause, the people should be staged in areas where they are protected from trucks of any kind. Cars for that matter.
I am not waving a flag, but, New York City does a magnificent job in crowd control, closing streets and limiting any issue with backpacks, etc. The people have a great time because they are safe as well as joyful.
The French government loves their people and all these disastrous events are fairly new to their governments. There are too many dangers in our societies to think the worst is over. Protective barriers where people gather should be made safe from even a run away truck if that is what this is.
My sympathies to France and a completely terrible event on a day when celebration is a part of life.
Krishnadev Calamur
What we know: (click here)
—There appear to be casualties in Nice, France, after a vehicle reportedly drove into the crowds celebrating Bastille Day.
—We’re live-blogging the major updates. All updates are in Eastern Standard Time (GMT -5)....
The truck has not exploded. I would think bomb squads would be in the area preparing to examine the truck.
Beautiful cities should have designated areas where people can be safe and their city safe.
It is important to report these violent occurrences, but, regardless of the cause, the people should be staged in areas where they are protected from trucks of any kind. Cars for that matter.
I am not waving a flag, but, New York City does a magnificent job in crowd control, closing streets and limiting any issue with backpacks, etc. The people have a great time because they are safe as well as joyful.
My sympathies to France and a completely terrible event on a day when celebration is a part of life.
"The Vote" by each American defines its democracy.
The Dump Trump Movement (DTM) is typical Republican establishment. They attack the vote. They do it in the states with oppressive policies including Voter ID. Here it is again at the very nominating convention and the establishment is once again attacking the vote.
The DTM is removing the people that voted in the primaries from their decisions. There is only ONE run of primaries to nominate a Presidential nominee. This needs to be a real lesson for the entire country. The Republican establishment is as corrupt as it comes.
The Republican Establishment is corrupt to the core. The candidate that comes out of the Republican convention will completely disregard the voter and do as they please to provide profits to Wall Street cronies regardless of the damage to the middle class or poor. And there will be cuts to domestic policies that support the Working Poor and international policies that are suppose to empower women.
If Donald Trump is not the Republican nominee then people will be voting for Wall Street corruption.
Taking away the meaning of 'the vote' is not democracy. Think about it. Do Americans want corruption or their democracy?
The DTM is removing the people that voted in the primaries from their decisions. There is only ONE run of primaries to nominate a Presidential nominee. This needs to be a real lesson for the entire country. The Republican establishment is as corrupt as it comes.
The Republican Establishment is corrupt to the core. The candidate that comes out of the Republican convention will completely disregard the voter and do as they please to provide profits to Wall Street cronies regardless of the damage to the middle class or poor. And there will be cuts to domestic policies that support the Working Poor and international policies that are suppose to empower women.
If Donald Trump is not the Republican nominee then people will be voting for Wall Street corruption.
Taking away the meaning of 'the vote' is not democracy. Think about it. Do Americans want corruption or their democracy?
China refused shipments of GMO grain from the USA.
What was that about exporting USA agricultural products? Vilsack is about Monsanto. It would be completely unfair to state small family farms have not flourished under his leadership and I think his policies minimized the impact of the bird flu in the USA.
But, when thinking about TPP, there are real questions about his support of the ? free trade ? policies. Monsanto. TPP is all about Monsanto. The return of the small family American farm is about domestic sales and primarily local economies.
Washington, Oct. 5, 2015 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (click here) today made the following statement following the successful conclusion of negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership:
"An agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations provides a more level playing field in trade for American farmers. The agreement would eliminate or significantly reduce tariffs on our products and deter non-science based sanitary and phytosanitary barriers that have put American agriculture at a disadvantage in TPP countries in the past. Despite these past barriers, countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership currently account for up to 42 percent of all U.S. agricultural exports, totaling $63 billion. Thanks to this agreement and its removal of unfair trade barriers, American agricultural exports to the region will expand even further, particularly exports of meat, poultry, dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains, oilseeds, cotton and processed products.
"Increased demand for American agricultural products and expanded agricultural exports as a result of this agreement will support stronger commodity prices and increase farm income. Increased exports under TPP will create more good paying export-related jobs, further strengthening the rural economy. Today, agricultural trade supports more than 1 million jobs here at home and contributes a trade surplus year after year to our nation's economy. All of this activity benefits rural communities and keeps American agriculture on the cutting edge of global commerce. The TPP agreement will contribute to the future strength of American agriculture and helps to ensure that the historic agricultural trade gains achieved under President Obama since 2009 will continue....
I do not lie.
December 27, 2016
By Richard Lopez
China rejected two shipments (click here) -- almost 546,000 tons -- of U.S. dried distillers' grain, a corn byproduct, because it contained genetically modified material, state media reported Friday.
China's top food-quality watchdog rejected the two shipments because they contained MIR162, a special insect-resistant variety of maize developed by Syngenta, a Swiss maker of seeds and pesticides.
The first shipment, 545,000 tons, was rejected last week in Shanghai, state media said. The second shipment, 758 tons, was rejected Monday.
MIR162 is not on the Chinese government's short list of approved grains considered genetically modified organisms, or GMO....
Washington, Oct. 5, 2015 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (click here) today made the following statement following the successful conclusion of negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership:
"An agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations provides a more level playing field in trade for American farmers. The agreement would eliminate or significantly reduce tariffs on our products and deter non-science based sanitary and phytosanitary barriers that have put American agriculture at a disadvantage in TPP countries in the past. Despite these past barriers, countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership currently account for up to 42 percent of all U.S. agricultural exports, totaling $63 billion. Thanks to this agreement and its removal of unfair trade barriers, American agricultural exports to the region will expand even further, particularly exports of meat, poultry, dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains, oilseeds, cotton and processed products.
"Increased demand for American agricultural products and expanded agricultural exports as a result of this agreement will support stronger commodity prices and increase farm income. Increased exports under TPP will create more good paying export-related jobs, further strengthening the rural economy. Today, agricultural trade supports more than 1 million jobs here at home and contributes a trade surplus year after year to our nation's economy. All of this activity benefits rural communities and keeps American agriculture on the cutting edge of global commerce. The TPP agreement will contribute to the future strength of American agriculture and helps to ensure that the historic agricultural trade gains achieved under President Obama since 2009 will continue....
I do not lie.
December 27, 2016
By Richard Lopez
China rejected two shipments (click here) -- almost 546,000 tons -- of U.S. dried distillers' grain, a corn byproduct, because it contained genetically modified material, state media reported Friday.
China's top food-quality watchdog rejected the two shipments because they contained MIR162, a special insect-resistant variety of maize developed by Syngenta, a Swiss maker of seeds and pesticides.
The first shipment, 545,000 tons, was rejected last week in Shanghai, state media said. The second shipment, 758 tons, was rejected Monday.
MIR162 is not on the Chinese government's short list of approved grains considered genetically modified organisms, or GMO....
Legislators know this is wrong and acts against the middle class and poor.
Blatant, open, shameful corruption. This action by OUR government chooses to the victim that cannot counter the attack on their household's financial stability. The New York Times should be commended for bringing the truth forward. There peril within that truth. There will be a backlash against the New York Times. Or at least a backlash will be tried.
The financial institutions in the USA are corrupt to the core and the legislators Americans count on to protect them and improve their quality of life (the birthright of the USA of upward movement) is doing exactly the opposite. How does it feel to be violated by the man or woman elected to office? I know Americans will feel betrayed, but, the legislator won't. If anything the legislator is looking to more of the same and wealth that will sustain after they leave office including becoming a lobbyist in a year or two.
This is the American government. "AMERICANS FOR SALE."
The financial institutions in the USA are corrupt to the core and the legislators Americans count on to protect them and improve their quality of life (the birthright of the USA of upward movement) is doing exactly the opposite. How does it feel to be violated by the man or woman elected to office? I know Americans will feel betrayed, but, the legislator won't. If anything the legislator is looking to more of the same and wealth that will sustain after they leave office including becoming a lobbyist in a year or two.
This is the American government. "AMERICANS FOR SALE."
July 14, 2016
By Ben Protess, Jessica Silver Greenberg and Rachel Abrams
She is a lobbyist for one of the nation’s largest lenders.
That lender — controlled by the Fortress Investment Group, one of Wall Street’s most powerful private equity firms — wrote the bill. Months later, in 2014, the state’s legislators passed the law, making it easier to charge interest of 36 percent to borrowers living on the financial margins.
The political access in Arizona was just one component of a broader effort to loosen consumer protection laws, according to emails obtained through public records requests. In nine other states, Ms. Lundy’s client helped win legislative changes, persuading lawmakers that it needed to raise costs to stay in business and serve borrowers.
Since the 2008 financial crisis, Fortress and other private equity firms have rapidly expanded their influence, assuming a pervasive, if under-the-radar, role in daily American life, an investigation by The New York Times has found. Sophisticated political maneuvering — including winning government contracts, shaping public policy and deploying former public officials to press their case — is central to this growth....
These financial institutions are the ones that will profit the most from the TPP. They are collecting up monies with double fists; the exploitation of international trade and the working poor.
Got that?
These financial institutions know there will be impoverishment in the USA with the TPP and in the face of that truth exploit the impoverished anyway.
Got that?
Please understand the heartless and cruel mind of the CEO of a financial institution. It is all about money and NOT about responsible business practices that grows an economy and provides for quality of life of a country of people.
Got that?
Wall Street PLANS on the impoverishment to maintain their cash flow.
What company groaned when President Obama ended the reduction in SSI tax as the economy recovered from 2008 economic collapse? Was it a Fifth Avenue company store? No. It was Walmart.
Got that?
These financial institutions are the ones that will profit the most from the TPP. They are collecting up monies with double fists; the exploitation of international trade and the working poor.
Got that?
These financial institutions know there will be impoverishment in the USA with the TPP and in the face of that truth exploit the impoverished anyway.
Got that?
Please understand the heartless and cruel mind of the CEO of a financial institution. It is all about money and NOT about responsible business practices that grows an economy and provides for quality of life of a country of people.
Got that?
Wall Street PLANS on the impoverishment to maintain their cash flow.
What company groaned when President Obama ended the reduction in SSI tax as the economy recovered from 2008 economic collapse? Was it a Fifth Avenue company store? No. It was Walmart.
Got that?
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Have you ever seen this man. Case closed, but, never found.
Dan Cooper was believed to be in his forties in 1971, that would make him in his eighties today. He may be dead by now. Or. Maybe not.
By Rohan Smith
Only a handful of cases stump (click here) America's most experienced investigators. This is one of them.
In 1971, a well-groomed businessman-type boarded a Boeing 727 in Portland, Oregon. It was bound for Seattle, Washington, but the passenger had other plans.
Shortly after the Northwest Orient Airlines jet took off, the man calling himself Dan Cooper gestured to a flight attendant before handing her a napkin with a note scrawled in capital letters. On it were demands for $200,000 cash, four parachutes and his freedom.
The man, believed to be in his early 40s, told the woman he had a bomb. He showed her the inside of his briefcase where eight red cylinders were attached to a series of wires....
Wow, the ATF actually did something!
July 12, 2016
Did federal authorities (click here) in Louisiana manage to prevent another round of cop killing with the arrest of three people in Baton Rouge this week? WBRZ-TV is reporting that ATF agents, sheriff’s deputies, and police raided a home Monday and might have foiled a plan to kill officers at a protest over the police-involved shooting death of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge last week....
It was really scary, huh? But, nothing stops the big, tough and brave ATF.
Did I tell you? Right? Salvos of more to come. Please tell me the ATF had this figured out before I did.
Did federal authorities (click here) in Louisiana manage to prevent another round of cop killing with the arrest of three people in Baton Rouge this week? WBRZ-TV is reporting that ATF agents, sheriff’s deputies, and police raided a home Monday and might have foiled a plan to kill officers at a protest over the police-involved shooting death of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge last week....
It was really scary, huh? But, nothing stops the big, tough and brave ATF.
Did I tell you? Right? Salvos of more to come. Please tell me the ATF had this figured out before I did.
How can US Representative Keith Ellison (click here) state Paul Ryan is a great guy and I can work with him.
Really?
I have immense respect for Rep. Ellison. He is a model citizen. He worries about his district, the safety of citizens and speaks words needed to defend a minority religion in the USA. I don't know where the country would be without his words and willingness to speak out.
But.
Ryan?
Paul "No Clue" Ryan is part of the problem, not part of the solution.
I wish US Rep. Ellison would speak honestly, otherwise, the way I see it, his willingness to extend kind words to Paul "No Clue" Ryan is nothing more than go along to get along.
Paul Ryan has a very bad record on human rights, the budget, respect for President Obama. I would think after Orlando the US House would be moved to act against military style weapons.
Honestly, Rep. Ellison, Paul Ryan is more a hindrance to protect the people you speak for. He is not a nice man. He is not easy to work with. He is upholding the very danger American face from the free flow of guns in the USA. Please, stop it.
Really?
I have immense respect for Rep. Ellison. He is a model citizen. He worries about his district, the safety of citizens and speaks words needed to defend a minority religion in the USA. I don't know where the country would be without his words and willingness to speak out.
But.
Ryan?
Paul "No Clue" Ryan is part of the problem, not part of the solution.
I wish US Rep. Ellison would speak honestly, otherwise, the way I see it, his willingness to extend kind words to Paul "No Clue" Ryan is nothing more than go along to get along.
Paul Ryan has a very bad record on human rights, the budget, respect for President Obama. I would think after Orlando the US House would be moved to act against military style weapons.
Honestly, Rep. Ellison, Paul Ryan is more a hindrance to protect the people you speak for. He is not a nice man. He is not easy to work with. He is upholding the very danger American face from the free flow of guns in the USA. Please, stop it.
The Republican political platform is defined by pluralistic ignorance throughout.
Democratic Party candidates across the spectrum of government should be carrying this as a banner into the November elections.
Republicans are destroying the two party system.
Pluralistic ignorance is when a group of members reject a norm. They incorrectly assume that most others accept it. Supposedly, it is an unspoken truth or wish for a society to achieve.
Basically, the people creating the Republican platform live in isolation of reality and the norms and values of most of the country. This is a defeated platform. It is rejected by most if not all Americans, save this drafting committee that is completely laughable.
Political platforms can be extreme, but, for a country in turbulence and one leaders are trying to unite, this is not the way. This is pluralistic ignorance. There is a name for it.
July 12, 2016
By Jeremy W. Peters
Cleveland — Republicans moved on Tuesday (click here) toward adopting a staunchly conservative platform that takes a strict, traditionalist view of the family and child rearing, bars military women from combat, describes coal as a “clean” energy source and declares pornography a “public health crisis.”
Amazing. In most federal elections the military votes Republican, but, this year I think it is an open debate about the military vote. The military will vote for better benefits and quality of life for their families including support for caregivers when women or men are called into battle. The USA military today is different than eight years ago. Today, women in the military speak out about sexual assault and there are same sex marriages recognized. The issues today are about a changing paradigm in the military and one the country mostly embraces.
It is a platform that at times seems to channel the party’s presumptive presidential nominee, Donald J. Trump — calling to “destroy ISIS,” belittling President Obama as weak and accusing his administration of inviting attacks from adversaries.
Republicans are destroying the two party system.
Pluralistic ignorance is when a group of members reject a norm. They incorrectly assume that most others accept it. Supposedly, it is an unspoken truth or wish for a society to achieve.
Basically, the people creating the Republican platform live in isolation of reality and the norms and values of most of the country. This is a defeated platform. It is rejected by most if not all Americans, save this drafting committee that is completely laughable.
Political platforms can be extreme, but, for a country in turbulence and one leaders are trying to unite, this is not the way. This is pluralistic ignorance. There is a name for it.
July 12, 2016
By Jeremy W. Peters
Cleveland — Republicans moved on Tuesday (click here) toward adopting a staunchly conservative platform that takes a strict, traditionalist view of the family and child rearing, bars military women from combat, describes coal as a “clean” energy source and declares pornography a “public health crisis.”
Amazing. In most federal elections the military votes Republican, but, this year I think it is an open debate about the military vote. The military will vote for better benefits and quality of life for their families including support for caregivers when women or men are called into battle. The USA military today is different than eight years ago. Today, women in the military speak out about sexual assault and there are same sex marriages recognized. The issues today are about a changing paradigm in the military and one the country mostly embraces.
It is a platform that at times seems to channel the party’s presumptive presidential nominee, Donald J. Trump — calling to “destroy ISIS,” belittling President Obama as weak and accusing his administration of inviting attacks from adversaries.
But, the document positions itself far to the right of Mr. Trump’s beliefs in other places — and amounts to a rightward lurch even from the party’s hard-line platform in 2012 — especially as it addresses gay men, lesbians and transgender people.
As delegates debated in two marathon sessions here on Monday and Tuesday, they repeatedly rejected efforts by more moderate members of the platform committee to add language that would acknowledge or condemn anti-gay discrimination — something Mr. Trump has done himself....
The chairwoman for the platform committee was Virginia Fox from North Carolina. There is no description needed. North Carolina has grown to be among the most corrupted states in the country.
...Additional provisions included those that promoted state laws to limit which restrooms transgender people could use, nodded to “conversion therapy” for gays by saying that parents should be free to make medical decisions about their children without interference and stated that “natural marriage” between a man and a woman is most likely to result in offspring who do not become drug-addicted or otherwise damaged....
There is absolutely no research that upholds any of these positions, except, for that coming out of Dobson's "Focus on the Family." The entire Republican platform is pluralistic ignorance so that the followers of radio shows and FOX News will pay attention to the date of the election. It is all populous nonsense that damages the country and does nothing to unite it.
The chairwoman for the platform committee was Virginia Fox from North Carolina. There is no description needed. North Carolina has grown to be among the most corrupted states in the country.
...Additional provisions included those that promoted state laws to limit which restrooms transgender people could use, nodded to “conversion therapy” for gays by saying that parents should be free to make medical decisions about their children without interference and stated that “natural marriage” between a man and a woman is most likely to result in offspring who do not become drug-addicted or otherwise damaged....
There is absolutely no research that upholds any of these positions, except, for that coming out of Dobson's "Focus on the Family." The entire Republican platform is pluralistic ignorance so that the followers of radio shows and FOX News will pay attention to the date of the election. It is all populous nonsense that damages the country and does nothing to unite it.
Facial Recognition Technology is not perfected enough for police use.
July 2, 2016
By Robinson Meyer
Facebook has also been thinking about faces. (click here) Last summer, the company’s artificial intelligence team announced that its facial-recognition software passed key tests with near human-level accuracy. Last week, it presented a further development: Yann LeCun, the AI team’s director, boasted that a different algorithm could identify people 83 percent of the time even if their faces were not in the picture. The program instead works from a person’s hairdo, posture, and body type....
By Robinson Meyer
Facebook has also been thinking about faces. (click here) Last summer, the company’s artificial intelligence team announced that its facial-recognition software passed key tests with near human-level accuracy. Last week, it presented a further development: Yann LeCun, the AI team’s director, boasted that a different algorithm could identify people 83 percent of the time even if their faces were not in the picture. The program instead works from a person’s hairdo, posture, and body type....
Mike Pence, no different than Paul "No Clue" Ryan in 2012, needs a career saving event.
July 13, 2016
By Tony Cook, Chelsea Schneider, Jill Disis and Chris Sikich
A fiery (click here) Gov. Mike Pence praised Donald Trump and slammed Hillary Clinton during a rally in Westfield on Tuesday that was widely seen as an audition to become Trump’s running mate.
Trump made no announcement, but seemed to relish teasing his Indiana audience with the prospect....
...Others under consideration for the vice presidential slot have also joined Trump on the campaign trail in recent days, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who has compared the selection process to Trump’s reality TV show The Apprentice.
Those who attended the private fundraiser at the Columbia Club said Trump spoke highly of Pence. Indiana Senate leader David Long, a Fort Wayne Republican who attended the fundraiser, said that at one point Trump asked if Pence would be a good vice president and the crowd roared “Yes!”
Pence isn’t the only possible vice presidential pick who Trump has dropped hints about. At a rally in Ohio last week, he said Gingrich “will be involved with our government,” according to the Washington Post....
July 13, 2016
By Tony Cook, Chelsea Schneider, Jill Disis and Chris Sikich
A fiery (click here) Gov. Mike Pence praised Donald Trump and slammed Hillary Clinton during a rally in Westfield on Tuesday that was widely seen as an audition to become Trump’s running mate.
Trump made no announcement, but seemed to relish teasing his Indiana audience with the prospect....
...Others under consideration for the vice presidential slot have also joined Trump on the campaign trail in recent days, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who has compared the selection process to Trump’s reality TV show The Apprentice.
Those who attended the private fundraiser at the Columbia Club said Trump spoke highly of Pence. Indiana Senate leader David Long, a Fort Wayne Republican who attended the fundraiser, said that at one point Trump asked if Pence would be a good vice president and the crowd roared “Yes!”
Pence isn’t the only possible vice presidential pick who Trump has dropped hints about. At a rally in Ohio last week, he said Gingrich “will be involved with our government,” according to the Washington Post....
The climate crisis is not about believing. It is fact. It is very scary fact.
This is a heat wave of 123.8 F, not simply a daytime high.
By Gavin Fernando
A severe heatwave (click here to see video) has set off new records in India, so much so that the roads beneath pedestrians are literally melting like wet cement.
Literally.
In the footage above, pedestrians' footwear can be seen actually sinking into the tarmac as they walk due to how hot it is.
For farmers in particular, the effects have been widespread and devastating, worsening poverty and even prompting suicide.
The Indian government has estimated that as much as 25 per cent of the country - 330 million Indians - could be affected by the shortages.
Temperatures in the northern desert province of Rajasthan have soared to 51C (123.6 Fahrenheit), the highest in the country's recorded history, and the third-highest temperature ever documented on Earth....
Justice Ginsberg public comments makes it to New Zealand.
Some people believe if a case regarding Donald Trump in anyway makes it to the Supreme Court then Justice Ginsberg should recuse herself.
The Supreme Court is a lifetime appointment for the very reason politics doesn't effect their decisions. It is debatable that is the case, but, for a Supreme Court Justice to recuse themselves is a very serious issue.
In demanding Justice Ginsberg recuse herself is to say she is not able to separate her passions for political commentary from her decision making on the job. That is not an accurate depiction of Justice Ginsberg. She has been making public comment about politics for as long as she is a Justice. She speaks frequently to law students and less frequently to the public. She has a wonderful personality and is a pleasure to hear speak. I think she is a very competent Justice to the Supreme Court and should continue speaking freely at ever opportunity.
I have not always agreed with her decisions either, but, to censor her public life is completely wrong. It would set very bad precedent.
July 13, 2016
The Supreme Court is a lifetime appointment for the very reason politics doesn't effect their decisions. It is debatable that is the case, but, for a Supreme Court Justice to recuse themselves is a very serious issue.
In demanding Justice Ginsberg recuse herself is to say she is not able to separate her passions for political commentary from her decision making on the job. That is not an accurate depiction of Justice Ginsberg. She has been making public comment about politics for as long as she is a Justice. She speaks frequently to law students and less frequently to the public. She has a wonderful personality and is a pleasure to hear speak. I think she is a very competent Justice to the Supreme Court and should continue speaking freely at ever opportunity.
I have not always agreed with her decisions either, but, to censor her public life is completely wrong. It would set very bad precedent.
July 13, 2016
...She said her late husband (click here) would have said: "Now it is time for us to move to New Zealand".
She also told AP that she assumed Democrat Hillary Clinton would win the November election. The 83-year-old Ginsburg was nominated to the court in 1993 by President Bill Clinton.
Asked what would happen if Trump won instead, she said, "I don't want to think about that possibility, but if it should be, then everything is up for grabs."
Her comments were met with a wave of alarm by many judicial ethics experts, who called them surprising if not potentially recusal-worthy should a legal issue involving Trump come before the court....
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Dear President Obama, Stop minor violation traffic stops. From an American that is still alive.
President Obama, the deaths won't stop of you don't solve the problem. This is not negotiating an arms treaty, this is bad methodology and racial profiling. It needs to end. There is no middle ground. Too many have died already.
SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND SAVE LIVES!
Citizens can go to their local mayor and council and demand city ordinances that respect human life by ending minor violation stops by police. There is a better way of doing it with current or pending technology. No police officer ever will have to get out of their car and expose themselves to danger again.
Enough is enough.
Get it done, no one else will.
That was minor violation, not minor traffic violations. No stopping for cigarello theft, selling CDs or Lucys. End minor violation stops, including traffic issues.
SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND SAVE LIVES!
Citizens can go to their local mayor and council and demand city ordinances that respect human life by ending minor violation stops by police. There is a better way of doing it with current or pending technology. No police officer ever will have to get out of their car and expose themselves to danger again.
Enough is enough.
Get it done, no one else will.
That was minor violation, not minor traffic violations. No stopping for cigarello theft, selling CDs or Lucys. End minor violation stops, including traffic issues.
What a mess. There are vortices inside vortices. The southern hemisphere is getting some wicked weather.
Infrared Antarctica Satellite (click here)
12 July 2016
21 UTC
The Antarctica turbulence is NOT classic. The Southern Hemisphere needs to reassess the patterns that will effect their weather.
THIS IS NOT CLASSIC!!!!!
It may seem classic, but, the etiology of the severity of the weather needs to be reassessed.
THIS IS NOT CLASSIC !
July 13, 2016
821 AM
12 July 2016
21 UTC
The Antarctica turbulence is NOT classic. The Southern Hemisphere needs to reassess the patterns that will effect their weather.
THIS IS NOT CLASSIC!!!!!It may seem classic, but, the etiology of the severity of the weather needs to be reassessed.
THIS IS NOT CLASSIC !
July 13, 2016
821 AM
...The Bureau of Meteorology (click here) predicts today will have the worst of the weather, with temperatures close to zero expected across Victoria and strong winds and thunderstorms hitting coastal areas.
The cold air mass is a "classic Antarctic blast" that originated near the coast of Antarctica during the week, the Bureau said.
The State Emergency Service received more than 1000 calls following winds up to 100km/h that uprooted trees and caused widespread damage to property and roads.
SES duty officer Andrew Murton told the ABC the gusty conditions had played havoc across the state....
There is a real chance of increasing cold with each vortex that passes through Australia. The temperature may fall and rise slightly after the vortex passes through, but, the next will bring the cold with it and the rising temperature will stop to become cold again. As the temperatures rise, if it doesn't return to a reasonable temperature, there is a danger in that.
One of the problems people have to face is the fact they will experience weather very differently. One of the dangers in winter lies when vacillating temperatures increase the cold incrementally. People may get used to cold and not be prepared for severe cold or exposure.
The image above is from 21 hours ago when the severe weather came in on Australia. There is another one to the west that will approach as well. The vortexes currently are at a maximum and carry vortex within a vortex. Sort of like tornadoes do.
Cold is unforgiving and no one should under estimate it.
There is a real chance of increasing cold with each vortex that passes through Australia. The temperature may fall and rise slightly after the vortex passes through, but, the next will bring the cold with it and the rising temperature will stop to become cold again. As the temperatures rise, if it doesn't return to a reasonable temperature, there is a danger in that.
One of the problems people have to face is the fact they will experience weather very differently. One of the dangers in winter lies when vacillating temperatures increase the cold incrementally. People may get used to cold and not be prepared for severe cold or exposure.
The image above is from 21 hours ago when the severe weather came in on Australia. There is another one to the west that will approach as well. The vortexes currently are at a maximum and carry vortex within a vortex. Sort of like tornadoes do.
Cold is unforgiving and no one should under estimate it.
Typhoon Nepartak crossed Taiwan causing deaths and incredible damage.
Typhoon Nepartak went from a tropical storm to a category typhoon in 48 hours.
July 9. 2016
A powerful typhoon (click here) lost power after slamming into Taiwan's eastern coast, bringing ferocious winds and torrential rains to the area.
A powerful typhoon (click here) lost power after slamming into Taiwan's eastern coast, bringing ferocious winds and torrential rains to the area.
It has killed two people and injuring 66 others.
Planes and fishing boats were grounded, while more than 15,000 people were evacuated.
Typhoon Nepartak made landfall in Taitung county before weakening to a medium-strength typhoon, the island's Central Weather Bureau reported....
The typhoon was so intense the air turned blue with water.
Super typhoon Nepartak (click here for blue air video) made landfall in Taiwan early Friday, about 15 kilometers south of the eastern city of Taitung, tearing roofs off buildings, flipping cars and dumping rain across the island.
So far, three deaths and 142 injuries have been reported by the Taiwan Central Emergency Operations Center after the typhoon packed winds of up to 240 kph (150 mph).
The storm hammered the eastern coast of Taiwan with torrential rain and wind for several hours prior to arrival, with photos on social media showing cars destroyed by the onslaught....
A road is washed away in Minqing county, south-east China’s Fujian province, on Sunday in the wake of super typhoon Nepartak.
Photograph: Xinhua / Barcroft Images
11 July 2016
Nearly 2,000 homes (click here) destroyed as storm brings chaos to China’s south-eastern coast after hitting Taiwan....
Nepartak brought chaos to Taiwan on Friday, forcing more than 15,000 people to flee their homes as part of the island saw its strongest winds in over a century.
...The economic cost was estimated at 860m yuan (£99m).
Nepartak brought chaos to Taiwan on Friday, forcing more than 15,000 people to flee their homes as part of the island saw its strongest winds in over a century.
It had weakened into a tropical storm by the time it made landfall in Fujian on Saturday but still caused havoc, with pictures showing cars upended, buildings ripped apart and towns swamped in mud.
In Taiwan, Nepartak killed three people and injured more than 300, according to the island’s central emergency...
The killer cop said Philando Castile looked like someone wanted by police. That is an excuse and not a reason.
A woman and child was in that car!
You mean to tell me the killer cop never checked to see a man harassed by police? The killer cop decided Mr. Castile was too slick for cops and gave himself permission to carry out the death penalty?
This is BAD POLICE WORK!
Killer cops believe 'the myths' and prejudice. Who did Sandra Bland look like?
July 9, 2016
By Carla K. Johnson and Steve Karnowski
Minneapolis — When Philando Castile (click here) saw the flashing lights in his rearview mirror the night he got shot, it wasn’t unusual. He had been pulled over at least 52 times in recent years in and around the Twin Cities and given citations for minor offenses including speeding, driving without a muffler and not wearing a seat belt.
He was assessed at least $6,588 in fines and fees, although more than half of the total 86 violations were dismissed, court records show.
Was Castile an especially bad driver or just unlucky? Or was he targeted by officers who single out black motorists like him for such stops, as several of his family members have alleged?
The answer may never be known, but Castile’s stop for a broken tail light Wednesday ended with him fatally shot by a suburban St. Paul police officer, and Castile’s girlfriend livestreaming the chilling aftermath....
You mean to tell me the killer cop never checked to see a man harassed by police? The killer cop decided Mr. Castile was too slick for cops and gave himself permission to carry out the death penalty?
This is BAD POLICE WORK!
Killer cops believe 'the myths' and prejudice. Who did Sandra Bland look like?
July 9, 2016
By Carla K. Johnson and Steve Karnowski
Minneapolis — When Philando Castile (click here) saw the flashing lights in his rearview mirror the night he got shot, it wasn’t unusual. He had been pulled over at least 52 times in recent years in and around the Twin Cities and given citations for minor offenses including speeding, driving without a muffler and not wearing a seat belt.
He was assessed at least $6,588 in fines and fees, although more than half of the total 86 violations were dismissed, court records show.
Was Castile an especially bad driver or just unlucky? Or was he targeted by officers who single out black motorists like him for such stops, as several of his family members have alleged?
The answer may never be known, but Castile’s stop for a broken tail light Wednesday ended with him fatally shot by a suburban St. Paul police officer, and Castile’s girlfriend livestreaming the chilling aftermath....
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