Palm Beach County needs to sue the White House.

March 20, 2017
by Taylor Link

...Deutch (click here) is pushing for federal appropriators to address the growing costs, The Post reported. The unexpected costs that come with securing Mar-a-Lago has caused a budgetary crisis for Palm Beach County....

Mr. Trump may have to be personally sued to get the attention of the White House and the damage his visits are causing to the city and the economy. The merchants effected by his visits should file a lawsuit as well.

The Secret Service does not have to abide by any restraints on their activity to protect the President. If that means there are issues for Palm Beach County, then it has to be put before a judge for relief.

The elected Mayor and City Council can't simply look the other way or wait for some type of financial relief from the federal government if they are entering a crisis. The people of that county don't deserve higher taxes and a poorer economy because President Trump likes to visit his estate rather than the public housing provided by the country for him and his family.

If entertaining at Maralago is done for political purposes it is completely the cost of Mr. Trump and the RNC. The White House is the official residence of President Trump and is the official place for foreign dignitaries to conduct their visits. There is nothing in any law presiding over the White House that says 'occupancy optional.' 

I think someone needs to get to the bottom of this mess and deal with it and considering it is a crisis for Palm Beach County, do it soon.

And then there is this:


April 12, 2017
by Jose Lambiet

...But they had a field day (click here) with elements that could give members of the high-class club and foreign dignitaries some pause:

▪ Fish designed to be served raw or undercooked, the inspection report reads, had not undergone proper parasite destruction. Kitchen staffers were ordered to cook the fish immediately or throw it out.

▪ In two of the club’s coolers, inspectors found that raw meats that should be stored at 41 degrees were much too warm and potentially dangerous: chicken was 49 degrees, duck clocked in a 50 degrees and raw beef was 50 degrees. The winner? Ham at 57 degrees.

▪ The club was cited for not maintaining the coolers in proper working order and was ordered to have them emptied immediately and repaired.

The other violations weren’t so serious. Water at the sink where employees wash their hands was too cold to sanitize hands. And Mar-a-Lago was also written up for keeping rusted shelves inside walk-in coolers....

Maybe there is a reason Trump Steaks didn't sell well.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/restaurants/article144261894.html#storylink=cpy

I would say United needed to be investigated regarding the policies that lead to the assault of a passenger....

April 13, 2017

By Timothy Mclaughlin and Karen Pierog

The United Airlines passenger (click here) dragged from a plane in Chicago in an incident that sparked international outrage and turned into a corporate public relations nightmare suffered a concussion and broken nose and will likely sue, his attorney said on Thursday.

"For a long time airlines, United in particular, have bullied us," Thomas Demetrio told a news conference in Chicago, outlining the potential causes of action they may pursue against United and the city of Chicago.

"Will there be a lawsuit? Yeah, probably."...

...But, the Senate or House would accomplish nothing and would seek United's understanding, turning a very bad incident into a great need for control. If I thought for one minute the US Congress was capable of running an investigation that lead to the assault of this man I'd be happy to listen to it, but, it is not capable of protecting the American people so why bother.

They should not have hurt that man.

April 13, 2017

By Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Erin Cunningham

...The use of the GBU-43 (click here) in eastern Afghanistan comes less than a week after a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier was killed fighting in the same region. Army Staff Sgt. Mark R. De Alencar, 37, was mortally wounded by small-arms fire Saturday.

U.S. and Afghan forces have been fighting the Islamic State in Afghanistan since 2015. Special Operations forces from the Army’s Ranger battalions as well as the Green Berets have conducted numerous operations to push the militants out of their sanctuaries.

The Taliban, the insurgent group that has fought the United States and the Afghan government since 2001, also clashes with the Islamic State, though many of its members have defected to the terrorist group....

Some might call it revenge, but, more than likely it is a matter of ending the danger. The idea more US military would be coming home in a coffin isn't the way I see the USA involvement.

Daesh is tenacious. They were never going to surrender. They aren't capable of taking responsibility for the deaths they cause.

I don't know all the particulars the day Staff Sgt. De Alencar was killed, but, there are some times when the battlefield needs to be cleaned up. Evidently, it was necessary to clear out an infestation of tunnels.

...A spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan did not respond to a query regarding the bomb’s effects on its intended target, an Islamic State tunnel complex in Nangahar province....

...Achin is close to the border with Pakistan, which has long been used by militants to smuggle weapons and fighters between the two countries. The group has also targeted tribal elders and fighters it suspected of being loyal to the Taliban....

Daesh is a brutal regime. There is no counting on their loyalty to the people they claim as their own. They patrol the towns where they have had control and round up people they deem to be unholy for trial and execution.

I am sure the bomb was necessary because of the fighting conditions that took the life of Staff Sgt. De Alencar. I would be insulted if the USA military dropped such an ordinance for the purpose of revenge. That is not a priority or a strong military strategy.

The danger is using such a weapon is the killing of innocent people, but, the military has stated there were none. The Afghan - Pakistan border has always been turbulent. There was also the incident where 'friendly fire' killed something like 25 Pakistan soldiers. I am glad to hear this is not the case this time.           

Carolina Blue through and through.

To begin, I think Melania is great. She is a model and now seeks to fill the shoes of a First Lady. She is lovely. She is also strong and won't let her name be taken lightly in a lawsuit with the "Daily Mail." The amount of the settlement should make an impression on all tabloids. She can be a mover and a shaker when it comes to protections for celebrities. She was a celebrity before she was a wife and mother; she knows the territory.

At any rate, I don't know if the First Lady realized it or not, but, she was wearing Carolina Blue. Kindly note the blue line in the road is also Carolina Blue. The blue line started where the motorcade stopped and the President and First Lady got out to walk.

Noted the "Tiffany Blue" box is a different shade. I also thought it was most generous and an ice breaker by First Lady Elect Melania Trump to bring a gift to then First Lady Michelle Obama. It was most gracious and perhaps a new tradition.

I do have a criticism, in that, on a day when the USA was to unite and resolve differences for the country, the color Mrs. Trump wore was divisive. I knew as soon as I saw the suit it was a political statement aimed at the electorate. It was a statement that their White House would carry the values of the extremists in North Carolina.

Such a statement only emboldened a state where their Republican Governor lost his election because of his extremism in civil rights and practiced corruption and cronyism with his former employer and campaign contributor "Duke Power." The return to "The Old Guard" is something that has plagued Mr. Trump's administration and he has done little to end it or reverse it.

April 13, 2017
By Curtis M. Wong

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore (click here) is pumping the brakes on a controversial bill aimed at reinstating the state’s prior ban on same-sex marriage.

Filed Tuesday by four North Carolina House Republicans, House Bill 780 is also known as the “Uphold Historical Marriage Act.” If passed, the bill would allow the state’s government to defy the Supreme Court’s 2015 marriage equality ruling and prohibit same-sex couples from tying the knot.

Its sponsors are Republican Reps. Larry Pittman of Concord, Michael Speciale of New Bern, Carl Ford of Rowan County and Mike Clampitt of Bryson City, who are among the most conservative legislators in the state, The News & Observer pointed out.

Gov. Roy Cooper (D), who recently sparked the ire of LGBTQ rights activists for his support of a flawed “compromise” to the state’s “bathroom bill,” blasted the legislation Tuesday....

Additionally, North Carolina is removing children from their homes and placing them into adoption. This is not funny, it is based in religious bigotry and changes in status of married couples. There is a case in Guilford County where the children were removed from the home because of a divorce. The mother's lawyer is at a loss to understand what has occurred.

There is a case in Wilmington where the children were removed from a Wiccan home where the mother was bisexual. In this case, the parents had charges drummed up against them as human traffickers among other complaints regarding the children that made them look as though (at least through media) they were also trafficking their children. NONE OF IT WAS TRUE and the children are gone. There are many instances whereby the Social Worker was inappropriate and the judge once colluded with the Social Worker. It has been tragic and there are nine children involved, all Caucasian including twin infants, a boy and girl.

The point is North Carolina is growing more and more bold in their inappropriate values and their determination to create a "foreign state" within the USA's sovereign borders.

This is the United States of America whereby people stand up for their civil rights and demand equality and fair treatment UNDER THE LAW, not just because the social mores dictate it this week. There should be no racism, hatred or bigotry in the USA, especially in politics. We are all better than that.

I thought this was interesting. These are the current temperature maps of Alaska (above) and Michigan (to right).

The map below is from the Weather Underground. (click here) In case folks are doing a double take. This is average temperature behavior for Alaska these days. It is currently 51 degrees Fahrenheit at Valdez. 

It is called regulations.

April 12, 2017

By Cari Nierenberg

New York residents (click here) have benefited from rules that ban trans fat in restaurants: Rates of heart attack and stroke have dropped in New York counties where such bans have been enacted, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that starting three years after the effort to restrict the use of trans fats in eating establishments was introduced, the New York counties with these restrictions experienced a 6.2 percent reduction in hospital admissions for heart attacks and strokes, compared with New York counties without similar restrictions. 

This translates to 43 fewer heart attacks and strokes per 100,000 adult residents (ages 25 and older) in the New York counties with trans fat restrictions, according to the study published online today (April 12) in the journal JAMA Cardiology. [9 Disgusting Things That the FDA Allows in Your Food]...

I betcha the Snack Food Association and the Fast Food Industry are happy today. The future of the FDA under Trump is in a precarious state. Trump announced the plans to cut many employees from the federal government. It will slow the government and with agencies like the FDA it will increase a backlog that will cause hardship among Americans.

We live in a world where discovery that improves quality of life occurs at a rapid pace with well funded research. The Trump administration will return the USA to the dark ages of ignorance.

June 16, 2015
By Jen Christensen

...In 2007, New York City (click here) adopted a regulation that banned trans fat from restaurants, but some restaurants were already ahead of the legal changes.

Companies like McDonald's had stopped cooking their french fries in trans fat more than a decade ago. Their online menus say all their fried food is free of trans fat. Chick-fil-A removed all artificial trans fat from its menu in 2008.

Before it became a popular ingredient in processed and fast foods, trans fat was introduced into the American diet as early as 1911 in the form of shortening or hydrogenated vegetable oil, used for cooking and making pies.

Partially hydrogenated oil is formed when hydrogen is added to liquid oils to make solid fats, like shortening and margarine. It also increases the shelf life of food and enhances flavors.

American dietary guidelines recommended Americans keep their trans fat consumption "as low as possible."

Dr. Steven Nissen, the chair of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, praised the FDA for its "bold courage" and said it "deserves a lot of credit" for taking this "enormously important" move....

During the "W" years the USA added enormous numbers of private contractors for the security industry. After 911, "W" helped his lagging economics by throwing large amounts of money into a huge security industry. Trump doesn't want to end private industry attached to the federal government, he wants to shut down the federal government and throw everything into the private sector.

April 11, 2017
By John Fritze

...Asked specifically (click here) about the impact on Montgomery and Prince George's counties, home to the highest concentration of federal workers in the state, OMB director Mick Mulvaney said the administration would not be dissuaded by what he described as the concern of "special interest" groups....

The attack on federal employees involves race as well.

June 13, 2011
By Ed O'Keefe

The federal government employs (click here) a higher percentage of minorities when compared with the national workforce but is still employing a smaller percentage of Hispanics, according to a new government study.

The percentage of women in federal offices also dropped slightly year-to-year, according to the annual report on equal opportunity recruitment published Friday by the Office of Personnel Management.

In 2010, the percentage of minority federal workers grew 5 percent in 2010 to 647,588 employees, an increase of about 31,100 workers from the previous year. Minorities represent 33.8 percent of the federal workforce; just under 18 percent are black, 8 percent are Hispanic, 5.6 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, 1.8 percent American Indian/Alaska Native and less than 1 percent are classified as “Non-Hispanic/Multiracial.”

Whites make up 66.2 percent of federal workers, the report said....

The employees that have been employed by the federal government and nearing retirement should be given an incentive by the federal government to move on. The private sector does it and the federal government should do exactly the same thing.

I don't know what kind of fiscal numbers Trump is looking at, but, simply throwing federal workers out on the street without a consideration to their length and dedication to service is cruel. The draw down of the number of employees needs to be systematically and without disrespect to minority employees. 

The world of the "Hippie" has come of age.

By Michelle Rindels, Megan Messerly and Riley Snyder

After voters authorized recreational marijuana in November, (click here) Nevada lawmakers are discussing a raft of legislation to fill in the details of the new environment.

Here are some key themes running through 23 marijuana-related bills this session, and how they overlap with one another:

Marijuana taxation policy and ways to spend new revenue: SB181, SB302, SB341, SB379, AB463, SB487, SB508.

Easing or eliminating punishments for marijuana use: SB228, AB259, SB329, AB345, SB351, SB374, SB378, SB396, AB422.

Ensuring safe use of marijuana: AB135, SB166, SB277, SB329, SB344, SB378.

Reorganizing the regulatory environment around medical and recreational marijuana: SB302, SB329, SB375, AB422.

Marijuana research and economic development: SB236, SB329, SB341, SB396, SB416....                 

OMG, they are real.

April 12, 2017

By Kaila Hale-Stern

Hey, remember back (click here) in the halcyon days when Mitt Romney seemed like a bad Republican contender for President and he blundered by suggesting he had “binders full of women” candidates to hire? Remember when the Republican Presidential candidate got laughed at for trying too hard to hire women instead of publicly bragging about assaulting women, then winning the election?

I remember too. It seems so much like a dream. Anyway, it appears that Mittens wasn’t exaggerating. The binders were real, and The Boston Globe has them.

Per The Washington Post, reporters at The Boston Globe are in possession of Romney’s binders, which exist in the actual world and not merely in the land of make believe, as we suspected at the time. Need a refresher on that happened in 2012, when America was a more innocent place and Donald Trump simply a many-times-bankrupt businessman and celebrity judge on his own reality show?...

There is absolutely no reason to give up NATO and the safety of Ukraine in order to achieve a working relationship with Russia in the Middle East. President Obama already established that relationship. It should be continued. Introducing American troops to Syria is not required.

Nothing has changed with Russia and Trump. I am waiting for the installation of ExxonMobil to replace Gazprom as the Russian national petroleum company.

Dropping bombs on Syria was a campaign promise and "I am better than Obama." The 59 Tomahawk missiles were Trump politics with his constituency.

I think Eric Trump and not the press secretary says it all. Trump accuses Russia of a cover-up regarding chemical weapons in Syria, the cover-up is not just a method of Russia. This 'stage' Trump has set is one of the Master and not the Apprentice.

April 11, 2017
By Peter Baker

Washington — A week ago, (click here) President Trump was accused of being a tool for the Russians, an unwitting agent of influence, so full of admiration that he defended President Vladimir V. Putin against critics who called him a killer.

Now, Mr. Trump is in a diplomatic clash with Mr. Putin’s Russia, his administration accusing Moscow of trying to cover up a Syrian chemical weapons attack on civilians and his secretary of state delivering us-or-them ultimatums.

Even in a presidency marked by unpredictability, the head-spinning shift from coziness to confrontation has left Washington and other capitals with a case of geopolitical whiplash. The prospects of improving Russian-American relations were already slim given the atmosphere of suspicion stemming from Kremlin meddling in last year’s election, but the détente once envisioned by Mr. Trump has instead deteriorated into the latest cold war.

For Mr. Trump’s camp, the abrupt turnaround simply proved how false the conspiracy narrative was from the start. “If there was anything that Syria did, it was to validate the fact that there is no Russia tie,” said Eric Trump, the president’s son....

Trump acted autonomously and impatiently, no differently than "W" did with the UN regarding Iraq. It was important to his personal political aspirations and that of his cabal.

When Republicans buy into hate and financial ambition one can be sure there is an ego linked to decision making.

April 7, 2017
By Conor Friedersdorf

...If the United States (click here) is to increase our use of military force in Syria, we should follow the Constitution and seek the proper authorization from Congress. President Trump should make his case in front of the American people and allow their elected representatives to debate the benefits and risks of further Middle East intervention to our national security interests....

...“If Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the United States Constitution means anything, it means that the president must obtain congressional approval before taking us to war against a sovereign nation that has not attacked the U.S. or its allies and is not threatening to attack the U.S. or its allies,” declared National Review’s David French, who served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps during the Iraq War....

There is a huge difference between Syria and Iraq and that is the ability to commit genocide of small unique communities of ethnics. The USA Tomahawk missiles can wipe out genetics off the Earth forever. There is no way to know if Assad has already committed such genocide with his barrel bombs and yet validated gas strikes with all the death and destruction that has occurred. But, Assad has a redeeming fact, he is an ethnic minority and wants to protect those people more than life itself.

I might add, it is that uniqueness about al-Assad and his family's leadership that Vladimir Putin likes. Putin is in a very different place than the USA generals that struggle to come up with a real strategy for Syria and the Middle East for that matter. Russia likes stable states and in that exists Bashar al-Assad.

We saw such an ethnic community with the Yazidis and Obama's intervention to save them. I might add, this rescue occurred after a man in the USA fought to get the attention of President Obama to address the extreme danger the Yazidis community faced. There was NO USA general or strategist that called those dire circumstances to President Obama.

The Shia Crescent has always been classified as a terrorist group here and a terrorist group there because to identify the 'entire' of the Shia Crescent as a sovereign unto itself completely dispells USA policy. Basically, the USA has not got an idea of what they are doing when they engage in war in the Middle East. It has the "W"rong model for the Middle East. WWIII is the only expertise and the only excuse for killing at random in the Middle East for the USA.

Putin is the answer to the violence in Syria. Unfortunately that is true. Advocating for him to take a strategy to the UN Security Council that creates a power sharing government while ending the civil war is the best place for the USA. We need to advocate the end of Daesh and coordinate with Russia in the Middle East to succeed.

Sorry that doesn't fit the politics of Neocons. Too bad.

This is the article I read about Israel taking care of Syrians.

April 9, 2017
By Rachel Avraham

Over the weekend, (click here) 7 wounded Syrians arrived in Israel in critical condition among them a 2-year-old child. Israeli soldiers provided medical care and evacuated them to hospitals in Northern Israel.... 

...Among the wounded was a 2-year-old girl, who was critically injured in the head. Due to the immediate need to be evacuated to a hospital, the girl was evacuated together with her mother by helicopter. The rest of the wounded were evacuated to nearby hospitals in the northern part of the country....

There is always some kind of nonsense occurring at Israel's borders. Closing the access from the Sinai is necessary. Unfortunately. After the border was closed some Sinai militants fired rockets across the border. There were injuries. That is status quo.

10/4/2017
By Elad Benari

Israel updated its warning against travel (click here) to the Sinai Peninsula on Sunday, calling on Israelis already visiting to leave immediately.
The warning came after two church bombings, one in the city of Tanta and the other in Alexandria, killed at least 43 people, with the Islamic State (ISIS) group claiming responsibility.
"The fatal terrorist attacks which took place today reflect once again the terror capability of the Islamic State," the Israeli government anti-terror bureau said in a statement quoted by AFP.
"In light of the gravity of the threat, the anti-terror bureau advises Israelis currently in the Sinai to leave immediately and return to Israel," it added....

Destroying 20 Syrian aircraft is not all that.

Syria has missiles, by the way. Syria is not Iraq. It is an armed country, Iraq was disarmed of all missiles, except, Scud missiles that were only allowed to strike up to it's sovereign borders.

...The Syrian air force had some 365-385 combat aircraft (click here) when the fighting started. It is not clear how many are now active but a rough estimate is probably about 50 percent with very low sustainability against an active air attack, limited pilot training, and low daily sorties generation rates. It had no modern air defense fighters and operational readiness standards have almost certainly degraded. Syrian holdings of air defense fighters included 85 aircraft with aging avionics and which are very vulnerable to both IAF and U.S. fighters, air-to-air missiles, and air combat systems like the AWACs. These include: 50 obsolescent MiG-23MF/ML/UM Flogger, 35 export versions of the MiG-29A/U Fulcrum with limited computer and radar capabilities for look-shoot down and long range BVR combat. According to the IISS, a large number of these systems were not operational before the civil war: 30 MiG-25 Foxbats and 2 MiG-25U Foxbats....

If Syria states if there are more missile strikes, it means it. It may pick US military targets in the Mediterranean Sea. That is why Syria is an ally of Russia. Russia has a naval base there. The USA has naval vessels in Italy. This is not funny. Syria is not a joke.

April 7, 2017

Moscow: Russia's military Friday (click here) said a U.S. strike on a regime air base in Syria was ineffective but announced Syrian air defenses would be strengthened to shield the country's key infrastructure.

"To protect Syria's most sensitive infrastructure, a complex of measures will be implemented in the near future to strengthen and improve the effectiveness of the Syrian armed forces' air defense system," defense ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.

He added the strike had had an "extremely low" military impact, and fewer than half of the 59 reported U.S. missiles had actually found their target.

"Only 23 missiles reached the Syrian airbase," he said....

It seems to me Mr. Spicer is composing an Iraq War 2.0 story line. No one is speaking the truth. Israel has received refugees from Syria. They were very ill, including, children. Those refugees are being medically treated in Israel's hospitals by Israel's doctors. The media should be following the progress of those refugees. 

If I remember the reports correctly the refugees were survivors of gas exposure. These incidents should be included in the record at the UN Security Council.

Thank you Israel for the humanitarian effort.

This is an outrage!

This illegal shooting took place with an Opelika, Alabama (click here). Sessions is an Alabama native with no particular interest in proper police work. At one point one officer states to another, "So you stopped to protect him." (camera stop 7:21) Really?

This is the kind of treatment the American people have to look forward to with Sessions in the AG office.

April 4, 2017
By Jefferson Morley

It was no surprise when Attorney General Jeff Session (click here) announced his decision Monday to curb the Justice Department office which investigates and sometimes sues local police department for “a pattern or practice” of unconstitutional law enforcement....

 

The Full Pink Moon happens early morning on Tuesday at 2:08 am EST.

April 5, 2017

By Marcus Schneck

The Full Pink Moon (click here) will rise on Tuesday, April 11, but don't expect to see any unusual coloring on the lunar surface.

The full moon of April is the Pink Moon because that's one of the names given to it by Native Americans.

And, the name is more about an event right here on Earth than anything in the heavens. The full moon of April tends to occur as the pink flowers of wild ground phlox comes into bloom. It's one of the first wildflowers to bloom in the spring....

Phlox are perennials (click here) and a favorite choice among wildflowers. These plants sport many star-shaped, colorful flowers when in bloom. Because there are so many varieties, you can find a type of phlox for almost any garden. Phlox make great ground cover, and you can compliment them with other varieties of ground cover. They are easy to care for and low maintenance. Add some phlox to any bouquet for some nice fragrance....                        

The bleaching of Great Barrier Reef corals doubles in one year.

April 10, 2017
By Eoghan MacGuire

...Coral bleaching occurs (click here) when abnormal environmental conditions — such as heightened sea temperatures — push corals to expel tiny photosynthetic algae causing them to turn white.

The damage was recorded by the Australian Research Council's Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, which carried out separate studies over the past two years.

Its 2016 survey found the top third of the reef had experienced the most intense bleaching. But research completed last week recorded more damage along the 1,400 mile long reef's middle third....

April 10, 2017

By Russ Mitchell and Tracey Lien

For months, Tesla stock’s been on a bull run. (click here)

Now, it’s a stampede.

On Monday, investors sent the electric car maker’s market value into entirely new territory, briefly ripping past General Motors in market value, putting Tesla in first place among U.S. automakers.

It also raises the stakes for the company as it prepares to begin assembling its highly anticipated mass-market electric sedan, the Model 3, which is scheduled for release this summer or fall, or perhaps later. The propulsive rise in the company’s stock — up more than 70% since December — amps up the pressure on Tesla and its visionary chief executive, Elon Musk, to deliver near-flawless performance....

Careers/Jobs at Tesla (click here)

May 3, 2016

By Fred Lambert

As Tesla (click here) is looking to almost double its annual vehicle production every year for the next few years, it has to significantly increase its headcount, which currently stands at just over 15,000 employees. Now Tesla is reportedly set to go on a hiring spree this weekend to hire “hundreds” of “production assembly associates” at a “massive” job fair in Fremont, California, according to job listings.

Tesla recently confirmed that it is currently working on increasing its production plans to minimize the wait for the Model 3 following the storm of reservations it received for the $35,000 all-electric sedan – approaching 400,000 cars as of the latest update....

"The Highest Paying Jobs at Tesla Ranked by Salary" (click here)

The return to accessible college is happening. Congratulations Governor Cuomo. He did it. He actually did it.

April 10, 2017

By Mary Emily O'Hara

New York (click here) will be the only state in the country to offer universal public college tuition coverage for working- and middle-class residents after the program was included in the budget package approved Sunday night.

The state's Excelsior Scholarship program will be rolled out in tiers over the next three years, starting with full coverage of four-year college tuition this fall for students whose families make less than $100,000.

The income cap will increase to $110,000 in 2018 and $125,000 in 2019.

While states like California and Georgia have comprehensive grant and scholarship programs for four-year college as well, New York's is the nation's only truly universal program — with no requirements other than residency and income, and no caps on the amount of residents who can receive full tuition.

"With this budget, New York has the nation's first accessible college program. It's a different model," said Governor Andrew Cuomo Saturday in a statement. "Today, college is what high school was—it should always be an option even if you can't afford it."...

Alert, US Senator Bernie Sanders, it is happening!

The dragnet for Russian hackers is seeing results. They will probably run home to Mother Russia now to prevent extradition.

Ransomware? He was breaking the law and intimidating people for money. He is an international criminal regardless his activity.

April 10, 2017

...Pyotr Levashov (click here) was held in Barcelona on Friday and is remanded in custody.

Spanish police said Mr Levashov controlled a botnet called Kelihos, hacking information and installing malicious software in hundreds of thousands of computers.

The arrest was part of a "complex inquiry carried out in collaboration with the FBI", police said.

Mr Levashov is subject to a US international arrest warrant and a Spanish court will hear whether he can be extradited.

Much of his alleged activity involved ransomware - blocking a computer's access to certain information and demanding a ransom for its release.

Mr Levashov's wife Maria told Russian broadcaster RT that the arrest had been made in connection with allegations that Russians had hacked the US presidential election.

She said Spanish police had told her the arrest was in connection with "a virus which appears to have been created by my husband and is linked to [Donald] Trump's victory".

However, Agence France-Presse news agency quoted a source close to the matter in Washington as saying that Mr Levashov's detention was "not tied to anything involving allegations of Russian interference with the US election"....                  

No Palace intrigue here. Trump is rarely in the White House.

April 10, 2017
By Stephen A. Crockett, Jr.

...He’s been in office less than three months (click here) and he can’t stop vacationing; in fact, according to The Independent, President TrumPutin spent some $24 million vacationing in his first 10 weeks, which is about as much as President Barack Obama spent in two years....

...To put that in perspective, Obama averaged around $12.1 million a year during his presidency, or about $97 million during his two terms. If President TrumPutin keeps vacationing at this rate, he will surpass Obama’s eight-year total in a mere 10 months. But kids don’t need the Public Broadcasting Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency is being cut off at the knees. You would think, with this much vacationing, he’d at least have a decent tan....

No wonder he sends war machines into Syria; the PDB isn't making it to the golf course.

Indeed, Trump can't claim to be living in public housing. There aren't golf courses like that anywhere near public housing that I know of.