Saturday, April 15, 2017
Treason
If I could defund the USA federal government by thirty percent each year, in three years I would be Russia with 50 post-soviet states.
It is why there would be nuclear war with Hillary Clinton as POTUS, but, not with Donald Trump.
It is a coup. And the stupid Republicans just might do it, as sheep, afraid of losing their next election.
Fifty autonomous states have no common treasury or military. Increased military spending is a faux face. A dissolved federal government has no capacity to defend a country. No one state would have the capacity to defend itself, with the exception of NC.
There are far too many Trump advisors, connected to Russia to be a coincidence. At the very least they were encouraged by Russia to be a part of Trump's administration. Influence peddlers for Russia.
It is why there would be nuclear war with Hillary Clinton as POTUS, but, not with Donald Trump.
It is a coup. And the stupid Republicans just might do it, as sheep, afraid of losing their next election.
Fifty autonomous states have no common treasury or military. Increased military spending is a faux face. A dissolved federal government has no capacity to defend a country. No one state would have the capacity to defend itself, with the exception of NC.
There are far too many Trump advisors, connected to Russia to be a coincidence. At the very least they were encouraged by Russia to be a part of Trump's administration. Influence peddlers for Russia.
Friday, April 14, 2017
The pipe refit will take up to three more years and many people in Flint are still using bottled water.
It is just a little hypocritical to being selling water to a Wall Street company when Michigan can't even provide healthy water for it's residents.
April 13, 2017
By Amy Biolchini
Big Rapids, MI - The Flint water crisis (click here) loomed large Wednesday night over a state public hearing where almost 500 people gathered to weigh in on whether Nestle should be able to draw more groundwater to bottle and sell.
"The injustice of this situation could not be starker," said Liz Kirkwood, executive director of For Love of Water (FLOW). "At the same time the people of Flint are forced to drink bottled water, the state is considering authorizing a water grab for a $200 fee."
Fifty-five people opposed the company's permit application during the public hearing, urging the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to protect the state's water instead of kowtowing to Nestle.
Passions were high during the three-and-a-half-hour-long event. The crowd at Ferris State's University Center in Big Rapids clapped often and several times erupted with chants...
Participants in providing water to Flint residents are referring them to the city to obtain their needs.
April 9, 2017
by Roberto Costa
Flint, MI - One water resource site (click here) will be closed to residents when the week begins in Flint.
The resource site at Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, 4805 N. Saginaw St., in the city's 3rd Ward, closed at 6 p.m. Friday, April 7 due to facility commitments and is set to reopen at noon Tuesday, April 11.
"The Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church continues to be an active partner during the Flint water emergency," said Capt. Chris Kelenske, Deputy State Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and commander of the MSP/EMHSD. "Our water resource sites are built on a relationship with our local partners. Sometimes our partners have commitments to their property and we must honor their requests."...
It is good to know Flint residents are not standing alone in regard to Nestle. Congressman Kildee is in their corner.
April 13, 2017
By Amy Biolchini
Grand Rapids, MI -- Congressman Dan Kildee (click here) sent a strongly worded letter to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Thursday opposing Nestle Ice Mountain's request to pump more groundwater out of a well near Evart.
"I support Nestle's desire to create jobs in Michigan, but not at the cost of damaging our environment and depleting our state's water resources," Kildee wrote in the letter.
U.S. Rep. Kildee, D-Flint Twp., said his constituents have urged him to oppose the permit request. A number of Flint residents attended a DEQ public hearing Wednesday, April 12, in Big Rapids to oppose Nestle's application....
Governor Terry Brandstad needs to pay income tax refunds rather than pad his Iowa Treasury.
By Chris Eger
Republican Gov. Terry Branstad (click here) signed two proposals on Thursday that bring a wide range of changes to Iowa’s gun laws including instituting “stand your ground” protections.
In all, Branstad signed some 14 pieces of legislation to include HF 517, an omnibus gun rights package, and HF 475, a popular measure expanding the use of straight-walled cartridge rifles to hunt deer.
Of the two, HF 517 was by far the more controversial in its passage and was subject to lengthy debate in the GOP-controlled legislature before passing the Iowa Senate 33-17 and House 57-36 earlier this month.
“Just signed HF517, making Iowa one of the most pro-2nd amendment states in the country,” Branstad posted to social media....
April 14, 2017
By Merrit Kennedy
A Michigan emergency room doctor (click here) has been charged with performing female genital mutilation on multiple girls of about the age of seven.
...FGM is practiced in dozens of countries, most commonly in Africa, but also in parts of the Middle East, Eastern Europe and South America. It is not restricted to members of a single faith; according to the U.N.'s Population Fund, it is practiced by some Muslim groups, "some Christians, Ethiopian Jews, and followers of certain traditional African religions." That's why the U.N. views it as a cultural practice, rather than a religious one.
By Merrit Kennedy
A Michigan emergency room doctor (click here) has been charged with performing female genital mutilation on multiple girls of about the age of seven.
The Department of Justice says it believes this is the first case brought under a federal law that criminalizes the practice, which is widely condemned as both harmful to the physical and mental health of women and girls and a violation of their human rights.
"Female genital mutilation constitutes a particularly brutal form of violence against women and girls. It is also a serious federal felony in the United States," Daniel Lemisch, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, said in a statement. "The practice has no place in modern society and those who perform FGM on minors will be held accountable under federal law."...
Local Child Protective Services personnel working with investigators then spoke with "multiple minor girls" who said Nagarwala had operated on their genitals....
Dr. Jumana Nagarwala was charged in Detroit Wednesday with mutilating the genitalia of young girls.
There are times when people ignorant of American law should be regarded as a danger to a child, however, the vast majority of Foster Parent cases are not of this context, they are children wrongly taken from their families and used for the purpose of economic gain of those that practice within it.
The Foster Parent system is huge and extremely expensive and at the end of it all are not children well adjusted and model citizens. The majority of Foster Children serve a jail term of some kind.
THE FOSTER PARENT SYSTEM IS BROKEN, except, for the people that earn their paychecks from it. The END PRODUCT of Foster Parenting is not worth the investment!
The families that become the victim of the USA Foster Parent system should be provided services to improve their circumstances. The majority of the children taken in the USA are from impoverished families. There is much to be said about the conditions the parents were living with in attempts to raise their children.
A real economy with jobs that pay a living wage will go a long way to ending the Foster Parent system with rare exceptions such as this.
Given the fact the majority of children are African American, the Foster Parent system is enforced racism with the result of a high population of imprisonment. The Foster Parent system should be dismantled and families given priority in raising their children.
The USA government needs to enforce the dignity of the American people of all races and religions and actually encourage labor unions and good paying jobs.
Dr. Jumana Nagarwala was charged in Detroit Wednesday with mutilating the genitalia of young girls.
There are times when people ignorant of American law should be regarded as a danger to a child, however, the vast majority of Foster Parent cases are not of this context, they are children wrongly taken from their families and used for the purpose of economic gain of those that practice within it.
The Foster Parent system is huge and extremely expensive and at the end of it all are not children well adjusted and model citizens. The majority of Foster Children serve a jail term of some kind.
THE FOSTER PARENT SYSTEM IS BROKEN, except, for the people that earn their paychecks from it. The END PRODUCT of Foster Parenting is not worth the investment!
The families that become the victim of the USA Foster Parent system should be provided services to improve their circumstances. The majority of the children taken in the USA are from impoverished families. There is much to be said about the conditions the parents were living with in attempts to raise their children.
A real economy with jobs that pay a living wage will go a long way to ending the Foster Parent system with rare exceptions such as this.
Given the fact the majority of children are African American, the Foster Parent system is enforced racism with the result of a high population of imprisonment. The Foster Parent system should be dismantled and families given priority in raising their children.
The USA government needs to enforce the dignity of the American people of all races and religions and actually encourage labor unions and good paying jobs.
It isn't really the White House visitor logs that is of interest, right? Trump is never there.
April 14, 2017
The Trump administration (click here) will not voluntarily disclose logs of visitors to the White House complex, it announced Friday, breaking with the practice started under former President Obama.
The Trump administration (click here) will not voluntarily disclose logs of visitors to the White House complex, it announced Friday, breaking with the practice started under former President Obama.
The White House cited “the grave national security risks and privacy concerns” of people who visit the White House, according to Time. Officials said that keeping the visitor logs private is necessary to protect President Trump’s ability to seek advice from people “with some discretion.”
A limited number of records of visitors to White House departments, such as the Office of Management and Budget, will be accessible through Freedom of Information Act requests. But most will not, including those that apply to the president and his senior staff....
Is the official visits to Maralago considered White House visits? If so, then the information should be forthcoming under the freedom of information act.
Trump is screaming national security. Even the bin Laden memo was redacted. How much security legitimizes such actions by the Oval Office. They are logs, not documents.
Is the official visits to Maralago considered White House visits? If so, then the information should be forthcoming under the freedom of information act.
Trump is screaming national security. Even the bin Laden memo was redacted. How much security legitimizes such actions by the Oval Office. They are logs, not documents.
Reconnaissance, please.
The USA military needs to conduct reconnaissance. Unless, of course, the idea propaganda can exist without the truth. Perhaps the USA military ignores ignores the truth as an important leading to the end of a deadly charismatic movement. Right now, the Taliban and Daesh are laughing at the USA. Does the enemy have a reason to laugh?
April 14, 2017
By James Griffiths, Barbara Starr and Angela Dewan,
Nicholson (click here) gave a vague response to a question by reporters on who exactly ordered or greenlighted the strike, saying only that he enjoyed a certain amount of "latitude" to make decisions in his chain of command.
Nicholson also confirmed the strike was carried out in coordination with Afghan officials, and said that the mission had conducted rigorous surveillance before, during and after the operation to prevent civilian deaths.
"Let me be clear -- we will not relent in our mission to fight alongside our Afghan comrades to destroy ISIS-K in 2017," he said, referring to ISIS' regional branch.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he approved of the strike and that it was designed to support Afghan forces and US forces conducting clearance operations in the region.
But former president Hamid Karzai accused the US of using Afghanistan as "a testing ground for new and dangerous weapons."
By James Griffiths, Barbara Starr and Angela Dewan,
Nicholson (click here) gave a vague response to a question by reporters on who exactly ordered or greenlighted the strike, saying only that he enjoyed a certain amount of "latitude" to make decisions in his chain of command.
Nicholson also confirmed the strike was carried out in coordination with Afghan officials, and said that the mission had conducted rigorous surveillance before, during and after the operation to prevent civilian deaths."Let me be clear -- we will not relent in our mission to fight alongside our Afghan comrades to destroy ISIS-K in 2017," he said, referring to ISIS' regional branch.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he approved of the strike and that it was designed to support Afghan forces and US forces conducting clearance operations in the region.
But former president Hamid Karzai accused the US of using Afghanistan as "a testing ground for new and dangerous weapons."
Thursday, April 13, 2017
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
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.
I would say United needed to be investigated regarding the policies that lead to the assault of a passenger....
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."...
"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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
It is called regulations.
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.
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.
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?...
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
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....
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.
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....
...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....
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