Governor Snyder is on the Board of the water authority. He should be able to write an executive order that will end this nonsense.

Median household income in Flint, Michigan is $24,862. (click here) It is impossible for homeowners to keep up with water needs and pay for lead tainted water at the same time. There needs to be an executive order placing all tax liens on hold and an investigation to the hardship being caused by this aspect of this ongoing saga. 

May 5, 2017

By Oona Goodin-Smith

Flint, MI - A notice warning roughly 8,000 Flint residents (click here) of losing their homes if they do not make good on their water bills has sparked anger among residents and politicians alike.

They say they are being threatened to pay bills for water they cannot drink.

"I'm really flabbergasted," said Flint resident Timothy Abdul-Matin, who received the notice from the city's treasury department on Wednesday, May 3. "We have people who have made a conscious decision to switch over to this water source without proper treatment, and now they're threatening to kick us to the streets if we don't pay for it."

According to the letter Abdul-Matin received, the father and husband has until May 9 to pay nearly $200 in order to avoid a water shutoff and a tax lien placed on his home. He said he stopped paying his water bill in February.

"Of course I'm going to pay it, man, I've got a wife and kids," said Abdul-Matin. "But it really infuriated me. The mental agony that my kids have to go through, my kids knowing they have to drink bottled water, and now this. How could you threaten to make me pay for the water that's not consumable?"

In a statement, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver said she agreed with those "who have spoken out against this process."...

The weather has been unpredictable in Michigan, as the rest of the country. It is my plan to handle all personal business and know the extent I am in demand otherwise to prior commitments; and then dedicate attention to the Flint River. 

The first estimation about the river will be very unrefined and basically an assessment to know the equipment I'll need to succeed. That will probably be within the month. It is an interesting river from what I have gathered to date. 

I appreciate your interest and I support the City of Flint in it's needs and demands. It is my strong opinion the Flint River is incapable of being a water source today and in the past. Rivers have to be able to handle the 'hole in the water' created by intake pipes for residents needs in any city. 

Until later...

Rumor has it that the next great and stupendous executive order from President Trump will be to allow left hand turns on red lights.

I think legally this is considered incompetence. But, otherwise, it is called an Executive Order to satisfy political promises.

May 5, 2017
By Barbara Starr

Washington - When President Donald Trump (click here) signed an executive order promoting religious liberty on Thursday, he singled out the US military for preventing troops from receiving religious items....

...Pentagon officials are adamant there is no policy that prohibits members of the military from receiving religious items at military installations.

Military hospitals are considered the same as a military base, so security and patient privacy concerns require that any donation of any outside items by non-military groups be reviewed and distributed with chaplains overseeing religious matters. And no outside group can enter a hospital or a patients room without permission, according to defense officials....

This is also a security issue for the military. Soldiers are more than welcome to practice their religion and they have a right not to practice it at all. But, to ENFORCE the idea any religious group can enter the living space of a soldier uninvited is a military security issue.

..."In 2011, a local patient visitation policy was issued at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center that was written to prevent unsolicited proselytizing from religious groups, including the distribution of their religious items to patients who had not asked for them," the Pentagon said in a statement sent to CNN.

Were the Gideons insulted? Why is it that religious organizations can't accept the fact there are Americans, soldiers or not, that do not value their intrusion?

"Due to the wording of that policy, religious groups interpreted the policy to be an outright ban on visitation and distribution of religious items," the statement continued. "The policy was subsequently re-written to eliminate ambiguity, stating that, 'Patients determine their visitors.' "

President Trump and/or Jarad Kushner should have discussed this political issue with someone from the military that actually handles military policy. It is my guess such a person has an office in Washington, DC and not Kabul. 

Here again President Trump is out of step with the USA Constitution and still yet again his actions are going to result in lawsuits the US Justice Department has to litigate. Trump is piling on unconstitutional executive orders that the Justice Department will put on a shelf until they no longer can. It will delay justice and bring about a window of opportunity for his cronies to do as they please if there is no injunction.

Trump is either the most ridiculous man to sit in the White House without any concern for the efficient running of the government or he has a strategy to please all those that voted for him to insure his re-election in 2020. 

Sikor Natuan, (click here) the son of the local chief, holds two official portraits Prince Philip in front of the chief's hut in the remote village of Yaohnanen on Tanna in Vanuatu. This image was taken ahead of the Duke’s 90th birthday.

January 27, 2015

Mitchell Toy

...Members of the remote community, some 3600 km northeast of Australia, claim to sometimes hear the Duke’s voice and hope that he will one day return to hand out presents, as reported in Christian Science Monitor eight years ago....

Did you get that part? The tribe has been worshiping Prince Phillip since 1974 and the "Christian Science Monitor" backs them up with enthusiasm.

...Having seen the respect given to the Queen by French administrators, the Tannese believed Philip, her husband, was the returning mountain god.

A weird mix of Christian intervention, colonisation and the emergence of a “cargo cult” obsession is blamed for the tribespeople people now treasuring portraits of Philip — believing he is a spirit and making plans for his divine return.

The culture’s beliefs were further fanned by the Prince sending them a signed official photograph some years after the visit, then another portrait of him posing with traditional Tannese gear....

This is what the USA is in for with Trump breaking down the wall of church and state. This isn't the entire story, the tribe (bless there hearts) believes weather events are linked to the ups and downs of Prince Phillip. Sort of sounds like climate denial has been in full swing for a long time.

25 April 2015

...Followers of Vanuatu's Prince Philip Movement (click here) believe the Duke is descended from one of their spirit ancestors, and some are convinced the cyclone that ravaged the Pacific nation in March was nature's dramatic curtain-raiser to his arrival in 2016....

There is another storm headed to this tiny island and they are once again worried about 93 year old Duke Phillip and their future.

Mr Baylis said they may see it as an indication the Duke (click here) has reached a higher sacred status, similar to local 'taboo men' who are separated from others and subject to various restrictions.

"They told me that they see Philip's living in a Palace, surrounded by guards, and travelling in a car with darkened windows, as evidence of his taboo status," he said. "So they may well see his withdrawal from public duties as connected to that - having attained some higher rung of taboo, sacred status."

"Equally, they might think he is preparing to come 'back' to Tanna, in some form, spiritually or bodily."

"Equally, they might think he is preparing to come 'back' to Tanna, in some form, spiritually or bodily."

2011 pollution in what was once the water that supplied nations of Mayans.

Hydrogeology Journal, May 2011, Volume 19, Issue 3, pp 507–524

By Peter Bauer-Gottweini, Bibi, R.N. GondweGuillaume, E. Marin Mario Rebolledo-Vieyra Gonzalo Merediz-Alonso

The Yucatán Peninsula karst aquifer (click here) is one of the most extensive and spectacular karst aquifer systems on the planet. This transboundary aquifer system extends over an area of approximately 165,000  km2 in México, Guatemala and Belize. The Triassic to Holocene Yucatán limestone platform is located in the vicinity of the North American/Caribbean plate boundary and has been reshaped by a series of tectonic events over its long geologic history. At the end of the Cretaceous period, the Yucatán Peninsula was hit by a large asteroid, which formed the Chicxulub impact crater. The Yucatán Peninsula karst aquifer hosts large amounts of groundwater resources which maintain highly diverse groundwater-dependent ecosystems. Large parts of the aquifer are affected by seawater intrusion. Anthropogenic pollution of the aquifer has been increasing over the past few decades, owing to relentless economic development and population growth on the Peninsula. This review summarizes the state of knowledge on the Yucatán Peninsula karst aquifer and outlines the main challenges for hydrologic research and practical groundwater-resources management on the Peninsula.

An entire landscape developed after the meteor struck Earth and the dinosaurs died. These incredible caverns, if they can be called that provided life to a people that has left civilization with so many gifts.

Another geologic formation (click here) that characterizes the Yucatán Peninsula is the cenote (pronounced say-no-tay). This word is derived from the Mayan word, 'Dzonot' which means; sacred well. More specifically, the word cenote refers to a large natural sink hole whose limestone covering has caved in years ago to reveal the running stream below. While some of these structures are simply vertical shafts filled with water, others are composed of underwater passageways....

Development of land in so many countries, such as Mexico, is counter productive to the people and to the countries GDP. No one is going to Mexico to see the fires. 

In one place in the world where it was virtually impossible for fires to develop, human beings managed to make the conditions perfect for it. Amazing.

On April 25, 2017, (click here) the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP satellite acquired this natural-color image of widespread fire activity across the Yucatán Peninsula. Each red hot spot is an area where the thermal bands on the instrument detected temperatures higher than normal. For a false-color image of these fires, visit NOAA’s Environmental Visualization Laboratory.

What country is this? No cheating.

Getting seen by a doctor is usually easy (unless you live in a small town or somewhere particularly remote), and healthcare is quite affordable.

... residents and some work visa holders benefit from a public health system that is free or low cost thanks to heavy Government subsidies. Non-residents can also use healthcare services at a cost. ...residents can choose to take out medical insurance for private healthcare, although many...  do not opt for this additional cover. Non-residents should get medical insurance from their home country.

An informative video about the whole... ... health system has been created, and it explains what to expect, and how to get the healthcare you require. This video is presented in English, Hindi or Mandarin.

May 5, 2017

Madeline Anderson on her 110th birthday with Polish Ambassador Zbigniew Gniatkowski.

The oldest living New Zealander (click here) remembers her mother inviting a group of young men over for a meal before World War I, and was already 80 years old when the All Blacks first won the Rugby World Cup.

Madeline Anderson on Thursday marked a milestone even Hallmark doesn't make cards for - 110 years old, celebrated in the Upper Hutt home she's lived in for 68 years.

Born in Dunedin in 1907 when the country's population was not even one million, Anderson is believed to be our oldest living resident.

"It was even better than I expected. We had crowds of people here, and the place was full of cards and flowers," said the sprightly Mrs Anderson.

She was around when refrigerators were introduced into homes and the first plane flew across the Cook Strait....

It is rather amazing to realize small countries that are also democracies can take care of their population like this, but, they do.

New Zealand's (click here) comprehensive health system is built on Kiwis’ inbuilt need to see that everyone gets 'a fair go' in life....

The theocracy is being delivered.

May 4, 2017
By John Wagner and Sarah Pulliam Bailey

President Trump on Thursday (click here) signed an executive order aimed at making it easier for churches to participate in politics, seeking to deliver on a campaign pledge to a community that overwhelmingly backed in him in last year’s election.

The order, which Trump unveiled with great fanfare in a Rose Garden ceremony, was cheered by some conservative Christians but seen as a disappointment by others, who said it fell short of the broader changes they wanted to see as part of a highly anticipated measure on religious liberties.

The order, Trump said, removes the financial threat faced by tax-exempt churches from the Internal Revenue Service when pastors speak out on behalf of political candidates. But some experts said it amounts to a mostly symbolic gesture with little likelihood of changing how the agency polices the issue....

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

The First Amendment (click here) guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition.  It forbids Congress from both promoting one religion over others and also restricting an individual’s religious practices.  It guarantees freedom of expression by prohibiting Congress from restricting the press or the rights of individuals to speak freely.  It also guarantees the right of citizens to assemble peaceably and to petition their government....

Trump needs to be impeached. He is heading down a path of no return.

...One of Trump’s chief enemies (click here) in the Constitution is the right to free exercise of religion. This right clashes with his anti-Muslim hatred, which he seeks to codify by banning Muslim immigration, closing mosques and registering all Muslim Americans in a federal database. While some of this discrimination is more rightly considered a violation of the 14 th Amendment—which preserves the fundamental equal rights of all U.S. citizens regardless of race, religion, etc.—the threats to close mosques in particular also represent an infringement of the right to free exercise....

A President of the USA has a chief enemy in the US Constitution? An enemy? The USA Constitution is his enemy.

Just maybe the entire US Constitution is his enemy. He is a confused man. Very confused. The vow he took when inaugurated stated he would protect and uphold the US Constitution. He isn't.

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Where does it say there is an option in defending the US Constitution or to rewrite it to a President's liking in an executive order?

The Republican plan would not be possible if the Affordable Care Act wasn't passed.

House Republicans (click here) finalized their a health-care reform bill, about a month after they had to pull a similar bill from consideration for lack of support. The latest version of the American Health Care Act was opposed by all 193 Democrats opposed the bill and 20 Republicans — primarily moderates who thought the legislation rolls back health-care benefits too much....

They are building penalties into their plan that would create incentives for Americans to keep their plans.

There is a lot of conflicting states that creates gray areas. The hi-risk pools are suppose to keep their current insurance and if they don't they can be charged a much higher premium for the same coverage. 

Medicaid is a block grant. That is going to balance the state's budgets. The poor won't see much of it.

This kills the health care bill, "States would be allowed to change what qualifies as essential health benefits,"such as hospitals and the like. Congress does not have the authority to define health care. It is a professional standard set by decades of practice. 

The Planned Parenthood's funding freeze is discriminatory and victimizing. 

All this is going to the courts.

It doesn't look like SCHIP has been touched.

The fact the bill was never assessed by the GAO will raise a lot of questions in the courts. The medical profession will call this government corruption and overreach without any fiscal benefit known to the American people.

They are altering tax credits without any input from the GAO. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was before the GAO every time there was a change in the dynamics.

I am sure none of the taxes were removed, except, the individual mandate; YET; there are tax credits. The individual mandate AND it's fees/taxes is what maintained the ACA in the first place. The taxes allowed the entire bill to exist. Now that is going to be removed? There is no constitutional basis for the bill to continue to stand without the individual mandate and it's FEES/TAXES.

It will topple like a house of cards.

That is the first thing that will be put before the courts. It has to be. Without it, there is no law.

Can it be agreed that police killed Mr. Sterling? I think that is clear.

May 3, 2017
By Mark Berman and Wesley Lowery

...2. Some things were kept out of the report (click here) — but not kept secret

The Justice Department says that “particularly sensitive facts and evidence” are not being disclosed to maintain the integrity of a forthcoming state investigation.

However, attorneys for Sterling’s family announced at a news conference that federal investigators told them that Salamoni, before the shooting — when the officer first drew his gun and pointed it at Sterling’s head — told Sterling, “I’m going to kill you.”

That detail, which Sterling’s family’s attorney say was drawn from still-unreleased audio and video of the interaction, could be a factor in whether state prosecutors bring charges.

“It shows Officer Salamoni’s mindframe,” Chris Stewart, the lead attorney for the Sterling family, said in an interview. “He was just out there raging, to put a gun to someone’s head who isn’t doing anything. They weren’t wrestling or fighting yet.”

An attorney for Salamoni declined to discuss whether the officer made the threat....

The question is why was Mr. Sterling killed. This is not about his crime. Crimes are suppose to be tried in a court of law and not decided on the street by police officers. That is the problem in the Philippines and should be a real concern when it happens in the USA.

A gun is not a restraining device. That is something that occurs all to often. The gun is drawn and used inappropriately. In the case of Mr. Sterling it is completely obvious the gun was used inappropriately. A gun of a police officer should never be used to threaten a citizen to lie still. The job of the police officer, or in this case officers, is to restrain the suspect and arrest him. Guns are not a restraining device. There was absolutely no indication Mr. Sterling was anything but restrained. 

If Mr. Sterling was proving to be a problem to get into hand cuffs then the police have a microphone (in the case of most police departments) on their shoulder so BACK UP can be called. A gun is not a restraining device.

There is no reason for a police officer to shoot anyone if they are unarmed OR have been disarmed.

There is every reason to believe if a police officer is holding a gun to the head of someone restrained, especially with the fear of police running through the African American Community today, the suspect will struggle more in an attempt to get away.

I profoundly believe the federal authorities are dead "W"rong. The officer deliberately shot Mr. Sterling while he was adequately restrained. If an officer can remove his hand to find his gun, open the safety and kill a man; he could have called for back up from his shoulder microphone.

In the years of "W" we saw a new police procedure called, "barrage of bullets." Now, police are being exonerated for killing a man in cold blood and carrying out their own justice on the street.

The Trump White House is telling those that oppose the Republican ? health care ? bill to write amendments.

It is a strategy to get Republican legislators to "shut up and put up." If enough Republicans get their amendments through to pass the bill then the bill goes to the Senate. The Senate will modify it and there will be reconciliation.

There are no guarantees the best amendments will pass. Rep. Upton can place an amendment before the Congress and it won't pass necessarily. That means Upton won't vote for the bill, but, that doesn't mean the bill dies if his colleagues will vote for it because their amendments passed. There will probably be conflicting amendments passed just so the bill will pass. It will be a mess by the time it reaches the Senate. Who knows what the House or Senate will really pass as in the way of law. 

May 3, 2017
By Alan Fram

Washington — Michigan's Fred Upton, (click here) a respected moderate Republican lawmaker who had announced his opposition to the party’s health care bill said Tuesday he’s crafting an amendment with the backing of GOP leaders that could gain crucial support for the languishing measure.

Upton, R-St. Joseph, said the proposal would provide $8 billion over five years to help people with pre-existing medical conditions pay their costly insurance premiums. It comes with many party moderates opposing the high-priority legislation, even as GOP leaders press holdouts to back it and push it through the House before the chamber begins a week-long recess scheduled to start Friday.

Upton described the plan to the Associated Press late Tuesday, hours after he revealed he was opposing the bill because it weakened insurance protections President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul provides people with pre-existing illnesses. Republicans want to repeal much of that 2010 law....

The Upton proposal would provide $8 billion over five years. Then what? The assistance with coverage payments will end? The illnesses these folks suffer from won't end.

That is $1.6 billion per year. Is that necessary and/or sufficient. 

The Republicans need to run their mess through the GAO and get the facts straight.

Now it is back to killing civilians. There were three American soldiers injured, but, also 25 innocent civilians wounded.

That is a messed up MRAP. It did it's job, though. Tires or tracks would have met the same end. The turrets take care of the flat tires. I hate war.

Perhaps announcing the expected arrival of a convoy will provide a chance to clear traffic and people and prevent a chance for suicide bombers. Yes?

I think that is the right thing to do. I realize how unannounced arrivals can be viewed as a safer method, however, this clearly illustrates there is no such thing as an unannounced arrival. I would think that obvious.

There is no way of taming a government infrastructure if there are leaks, especially when the American presence is minimal and not part of the day to day activity of a government. In this case, the announced arrival brings with it an understanding of danger. In that, the procedure that brings these military machines into a civilian area is important enough. Clearing the area while procedures are carried out is far more safer in my opinion.

I think it was really poor insight and planning. Someone is getting lazy. The attack on the unarmed Afghan military should have been a clue to the increased hatred in the country. Someone is desperately trying to disrupt whatever peace exists in Afghanistan. 

IT IS NOT SAFE FOR AMERICANS ANYMORE! And from the looks of it, anyone else for that matter.

I would expect any supplies that were to be off loaded would be done so by Americans AFTER they checked the area as if a war zone and under attack. Americans need to carry out their activity in plain sight and with respect for the lives of civilians.

I thought the USA military was suppose to be good at urban warfare.

May 3, 2017
By Mujib Mashal and Fahim Abed

Kabul, Afghanistan — At least eight Afghan civilians (click here) were killed and three American soldiers wounded on Wednesday when a suicide bomber attacked an American military convoy during the morning rush hour in Kabul, officials said.

The explosion happened around the corner from one of the entrances of the heavily guarded United States Embassy at the center of the Afghan capital, as a convoy of American soldiers passed through.

Najib Danish, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said eight Afghans were killed and 25 wounded in the car bombing.

“All of them were civilians,” Mr. Danish said....

CNN is correct.

May 2, 2017
By Tara Golshan

...Donald Trump’s (click here) presidential campaign is revisiting a cherished pastime, picking a fight with the “fake news station” CNN.

On Tuesday morning, the president’s campaign blasted out an email denouncing CNN for refusing to run a Trump advertisement on the president’s first 100 days in office — a mark Trump hit on April 29. “FAKE NEWS STATION REFUSES TO RUN AD HIGHLIGHTING THE PRESIDENT'S FIRST 100 DAYS,” the email read.

“It is absolutely shameful to see the media blocking the positive message that President Trump is trying to share with the country,” Michael Glassner, the Trump campaign’s executive director, said in a statement. “It's clear that CNN is trying to silence our voice and censor our free speech because it doesn't fit their narrative."...

Unless the Federal Trade Commission has become as corrupt as the Trump campaign there is still a law requiring "Truth in advertising." All media in the USA should follow that policy without exception.

When consumers see or hear an advertisement, (click here) whether it’s on the Internet, radio or television, or anywhere else, federal law says that ad must be truthful, not misleading, and, when appropriate, backed by scientific evidence. The Federal Trade Commission enforces these truth-in-advertising laws, and it applies the same standards no matter where an ad appears – in newspapers and magazines, online, in the mail, or on billboards or buses. The FTC looks especially closely at advertising claims that can affect consumers’ health or their pocketbooks – claims about food, over-the-counter drugs, dietary supplements, alcohol, and tobacco and on conduct related to high-tech products and the Internet. The FTC also monitors and writes reports about ad industry practices regarding the marketing of alcohol and tobacco....

CNN is just as much a consumer of advertising than any other American. I would think they would have more interest in getting paid regardless of the ad, but, there are still shreds of decency left in the USA and this is one of them. 

The dream of fools.

This is the top of the world where currents converge and change with every minute that passes in a day. Where the sun heats currents in summer and makes them cold in winter.

As global warming (click here) melts sea ice across the Arctic, shipping routes once thought impossible — including directly over the North Pole — may open up by midcentury. But high costs may keep the new routes from being used right away.

There is a lot of water turbulence in the Arctic Ocean. I don't really see a  Super Panamax doing well. There will be a lot of free floating tennis shoes for those with that inclination.

But, the loss of life when ships lose their buoyancy as cargo slips and shifts will bring the world to a different resolve than today. That is the way of the world, learn the hard way, ie: global warming. Capitalism. It has no restraint, only greed to be tamed with reality.

The Groundhog never said there would be an option beyond six weeks.

May 3, 2017
8:00 AM EST
Intellicast Current Temperature Map (click here)

February 2, 2017

...According (click here) to the Groundhog Club's records, the various incarnations of Punxsutawney Phil have predicted 103 forecasts of more winter and 17 early springs. (There are nine years without any records, and even the Punxsutawney Area Chamber of Commerce, which keeps track of these things, doesn't know what happened to Phil during those years.) Data from the Stormfax Almanac's data shows that Phil's six-week prognostications have been correct about 39 percent of the time....

This is a real time satellite view of the USA water vapor cover. The hot air mass and cold air mass are mixing at the larger area of Kansas and Missouri.

3 May 2017
1130.18z 
Unisys Water Vapor Satellite of USA (click here for 12 hour loop - thank you)

Noted in the loop is rapid movement of the Arctic air flow. 

When air warms it takes up more space. The troposphere is a somewhat limited capacity so that air expansion happens within a somewhat closed envelope of air. More air, less space, movement is exaggerated and more dangerous.

May 3, 2017
1130.18z
UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite of the north and west hemisphere (click here for 12 hour loop - thank you)

It was a wedge tornado a mile wide. There was dearly little space to run to except underground.

This article is from "The Weather Channel." They do a great job at educating people and attempting to keep them safe. The survivors in this story followed their instincts. They were right. Their fear served them well.

May 2, 2017

By Sean Breslin

...Stevenson admitted she began to panic, (click here) stuck in an unfamiliar town with no idea where to go. She left the freeway on Exit 528 and stopped at the first building she saw off the exit – I-20 Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. The building was under construction for a planned expansion, and there were a few dozen vehicles for sale in the parking lot. In a matter of minutes, many of those cars would be pulverized and sent flying onto I-20.

"I headed toward the dealership thinking it was a gas station. I was so scared and didn't know what to do, but I saw the headlights of the other car that survived the tornado with me," Stevenson told weather.com. "Their headlights were like a beacon and they may have saved my life. I pulled in right behind the other car before wedging myself between the heavy scissor lift and the wall."

Knowing her only chance to survive would be if the car stayed on the ground, Stevenson got as low to the floor of her Honda Civic as she could and stayed on the phone with Zach. As she repeatedly yelled "I love you" into the phone, debris flew through the car and just above her head. The decision to get onto the floor of the vehicle saved her life....

May 2, 2017

By Scott Sistek

As former Lake Stevens resident Benjamin Jurkovich (click here) was deciding where to storm chase last weekend in the Midwest, he played a hunch and decided to head into eastern Texas.

He ended up being front and center to a mile-wide tornado that claimed the lives of five people and caused tremendous damage in Canton, Texas.

As he neared the town, already two relatively weak (by Texas) tornadoes had touched down in the vicinity, but then the major tornado would strike a short time later.

"I began heading southwest out of Canton to intercept," Jurkovich said. "The area I’d been tracking earlier was just to my northwest. A new area had formed to the southwest though, and was heading directly towards me and Canton, Texas."

He said he drove north to get out of that cell's way and then assessed the situation. It was a good decision....

                         

This is classic F-3 tornado damage.

My sincere sympathy to the families of those that were lost.

The reason these homes were not completely lost is because their walls are brick, otherwise, they would have been destroyed beyond recognition. Even with walls destroyed it is still an F3. I don't recognize the Enhanced Fajita Scale because it was created for insurance companies to cheat residents of their insurance monies. There is no such thing as a partial F3 tornado.

From what I can tell from the GOP health care bill, many people will be faced with large bills and bankruptcies will return to record highs again.

Health Care Savings Accounts are to help with deductibles and out of network costs. It is suppose to be an account that is tax free ahead of any tax filing. Such an account increase health care dollars by providing tax relief. These accounts were never intended to pay for everything. This opens up abuse by guesstimating a years expenses. That is not possible even with a. crystal ball.

They want to set up a special fund for the chronically ill to remove them from general pools. That probably needs to be done but it needs specifics. Who is this special pool? What qualifies a person to be included and who pays the premiums and what do those premiums amt  like? The bill is very sketchy.

Has the GAO scored this bill yet? People are going to lose insurance. It would be nice to pinpoint who they are and pinpoint how they will get care.

I also want a clear understanding of savings on premiums. It is only fair.

The more I think about it, the chronically ill will be a Medicare policy. Seniors already pay from $104.00 to $150.00 per month. It seems reasonable to have those with chronic problems to plan on the monthly premium everyone else pays.

"Death by a thousand cuts."

This is what has become a culture in the USA media. Lingchi methods are most often seen on "Game of Thrones" and "The Walking Dead." (click here) Then there were the moralizing Lingchi shows like CSI. I never watched them. They aren't good for a healthy mind.

This is what happened to Secretary Clinton's political career. She was brutalized in the media, the DNC emails hacked with Russia passing them on to Wikileaks and the last and final death blow came from "What's his name?" Oh, yeah, Comey. 

Secretary Clinton's candidacy was brutalized. Another woman candidate should expect the same thing.

Take a good look because this is one of the reasons there is a President Donald Trump. Oddly, the abuses are also on the Democratic agenda.

April 3, 2017
By Julia Edwards Ainsley

Washington (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (click here) announced steps on Monday to prevent the fraudulent use of H1B visas, used by employers to bring in specialized foreign workers temporarily, which appeared to fall short of President Donald Trump's campaign promises to overhaul the program.

A White House official said Trump may still do more on the program.

Trump had promised to end the lottery system for H1B visas, which gives each applicant an equal chance at 65,000 positions each year....

The American people are not in the mood to have elected officials state, "But, this does not effect American jobs."

August 24, 2014
By Nazuk Jain

H1B lottery process (click here) nothing but a random selection of H1B petitions for a fiscal year via a systemic algorithm. United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) started this lottery system back in 2008 when they received approximately 163,000 petitions for a cap subject number of 85,000 applications i.e. 65,000 regular quota  + 20,000 ADE Cap (Advanced Degree Exemption i.e. is available to those that graduate from a US universty/college with an Masters level or higher level degree)....

This programs do effect American jobs and it is a corrupt system that pays off election debt to companies that provide election monies. 

Say it after me, "The H1B Visa Program is corrupt."

One more time.

"The H1B Visa Program is corrupt."

Because it is very corrupt and panders to Wall Street companies that want to undermine the wages in the USA. Every time an H1B Visa recipient receives a job that pays less than expected by an American employee for the same job, it hurts more than one person; it hurts the country's working class.

CEOs across the spectrum of government corruption are not good CEOs. If the CEOs are relying on government programs to pad their bonus checks then they don't have the country's best interest at the center of their decision making. H1B Visas do not encourage long term stability with a company, it encourages dependency of both the worker and the company. Rather than working on a strong financial basis for any company, the Wall Street cronies count on government welfare to turn a profit. This is one of the ways they CHEAT the government, the people and their stockholders. 

The government is cheated because the taxes collected from employees with an H1B Visa is based on a lower wage. The income tax collected is lower, the company is making ends meet with such Visas and cheating their bottom line in a way that pays fair and equal taxes. These companies do not pay their normal tax rate, they pay a subsidized tax rate in addition to paying far less for labor.

The people are cheated because they have prepared for good paying jobs, have student loans in most instances and now they can't find a job. Not because the USA isn't producing more jobs, but, because of the fact the jobs are unavailable to Americans. That also hurts our economy. H1B Visa holders can also be working for a company in their homeland in addition to one in the USA. No one ever sees that money because they are paid in their homeland into a bank account there. So, their second job is performed in the USA, but, the income is never registered for income tax purposes.

October 2016

I don’t see why not. (click here) The US can control what goes on in the US. Your facts sound like none of it has to do with anything in the US. The US does not get to say what happens in other countries. If you are on your own time outside the H-1B job and the money comes from a foreign entity and the money does not even come into the US (not sure that would be essential either) it is none of US business. Maybe check the US tax code to see if the US tries to make some claim to tax revenue on it.

Interesting to think about. It would seem as though even H1B Visa holders can't make it on their salary either.

Oh, there is more than enforced poverty through the absence of work available to Americans in the USA. 

January 16, 2016

Currently, (click here) I am working in USA on H1B visa. I came to US in JAN 2015. So for income tax purpose, I am Non-Resident Indian for financial year 2015-16.

I have query regarding lottery winnings outside India. After reading income tax rules on web, I understood that if NRI wins lottery in USA, the lottery winnings can be transferred to Indian Bank account legally.

If I win lottery in April 2016 and permanently come back to India in Jun 2016, I think I will be considered Resident Indian for financial year 2016-17. In this case, will I be able to transfer lottery won in April 2016 to my Indian bank account? Will it be considered illegal?

If yes, that means, I will have to stay in US at least till Oct 1, 2016 so that my India stay will get reduced to less than 182 days and hence I will be considered NRI for FY 2016-17. The lottery won in April 2016 will be legal in this case. Please advise. Thank You!

And to bring the correct monies into the US Treasury costs the government real money.

May 2, 2017
By Janet Novack

...Why is the Internal Revenue Service (click here) reaching into the pocket of our newest citizens and resident aliens the moment they reach American soil?  The reason: the aliens are being caught in a net designed to catch significant tax abuse by U.S. citizens sheltering money in overseas bank accounts. The aggressive programs put in place to ferret out these hidden accounts have been generating billions of dollars for the Treasury Department, so there's been little incentive to tinker with them.

A July 2012 report from the Tax Justice Network estimated there's $21-$31 trillion secreted in offshore tax havens, but that's just a guess.  So far, the IRS has collected about $6.5 billion of this stash (in the form of back taxes, interest and penalties) from the 43,000 folks who have participated in its Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP), IRS Commissioner John A. Koskinen told the Senate Appropriations Committee last month.

Nobody knows how much of the uncollected portion of the cash cow is from innocent new citizens who were not aware of their tax liabilities.  But if left unchecked, the little-known practice of going after the assets that they have built up over a lifetime of living outside the U.S. could cause a brain drain of some of the most talented people who are helping to fuel our economy.

In fact, right now, our newest Americans can be fined up to 50% of the money they have overseas, if, after becoming U.S. resident taxpayers, they fail to file the right form. Worse still, neither they nor many of their accountants seem to know they need to submit a declaration of their foreign assets to the IRS....

American employed police officers/investigators have to go after abuses of the system now. The American people has to pay to stop systemic abuse by H1B Visa holders.

H1B Visa holders want more power. Imagine that, outsourcing jobs from within sovereign borders. Is that truly a sovereign right?

The H1B Visa holder is not suppose to work as a free lancer (It is unclear if working for a company from the homeland is considered free lancing.)  and if they work for another employer they are suppose to have an H1B Visa for each job held.

February 11, 2016
By Sam Harnett

...“It’s modern-day slavery, more or less,” Conda says. (click here)

Conda concedes that’s a bit of an overstatement. But he says it should be easier for H1B workers to become permanent residents so that they have more power in the workplace. He is writing to legislators and organizing with other foreign workers who he says are overlooked by politicians.

“None of the H1Bs are voters,” Conda says. “We’re hardly heard because we don’t matter at this point.”

One of the biggest advocates in the Indian community for overhauling the H1B visa is not a worker, but a tech businessman — Neeraj Gupta.

Like Conda, Gupta was also on an H1B once. He says worker abuse is the result of a bigger problem: The visa is no longer being used just to get top talent, but instead to outsource jobs....

The H1B Visa holder may or may not come from a democracy where people vote. For the majority, they seem to think they have a right to vote in the USA. They believe they have as much on the line as anyone else so they should be allowed to vote in the USA to improve their circumstances.

The prevalence of such outsourcing allows fraud to exist in what is coined "body shop." This foreign worker who is working under fraudulent practices states he is trapped and has to keep filing for new jobs that belong to Visa workers. Trapped. There is something called jail and deportation so he no longer is "trapped."

October 24, 2014
By Stephen Stock, Julie Putnam, Scott Pham and Jeremy Carroll

...Consulting firms recruit (click here) and then subcontract out skilled foreigners to major tech firms throughout the country and many in Silicon Valley.

Those who work for these third party firms that skirt the law often call them “body shops” and sometimes they get caught.

For example in August, 2014, a Cupertino man involved with one body shop pleaded guilty and was sentenced in US District Court to 19 felony counts of visa fraud where he admitted he knowingly applied for work visas for foreigners who had no job offers, filling out applications for fake jobs for a Silicon Valley tech firm.

However, some local workers say many don’t get caught. And the workers are the ones who suffer....

H1B Visa holders can apply for an H4B Visa for his spouse and children. There is nothing preventing spouses from working in the USA either. So there goes more jobs out of reach for Americans. Then while working lawfully in the USA the H1B Visa holder and his dependents can apply for permanent status. Oddly, the H1B Visa holder has to maintain a residence in his homeland even if his family is in the USA.

The practice is so lucrative universities are using H1B workers. PUBLIC universities are now employing foreign workers. They keep this up and there won't be Americans that can afford to go to the college.

But, it is also a strategy to destroy unions as well. Ya have to love this. Workers need a decent income to live in this country, be a member of the Middle Class and reach for the American dream. Wall Street and now universities it would seem are given all kinds of crony favors that allow them better profit margins or in the case of a public university, monies to spend differently.

Unions are there to protect Americans, yet they become an undesireable entity because Wall Street and now public entities want more money for bonuses and stockholders. THIS IS AN ARTIFICIAL WAY OF RENDERING PROFITS and budgets.

These practices, while legal, effect the entire economy because workers on unemployment are looking at impoverishment as their future. This is ridiculous. 

Unions are important organizations, especially when supporting AMERICANS in keeping their jobs. Ask the employees paying dues at a reduced rate because they are not members, but, simply employees how they feel about the unions when facing a mess like this. Those non-members are happy there is a power structure to push back because they can't. Yet, Governors and Congress continue to hack away at the strength of unions to end their existence in the USA.

UNIONS ARE VITAL TO A HEALTHY AMERICAN ECONOMY!

March 2, 2017
By Joe Millin

At the University of California's San Francisco campus, (click here) 79 IT employees lost their jobs this week, some of them after explaining to their replacements at Indian outsourcing firm HCL how to do their jobs.

The union representing the employees, University Professional and Technical Employees CWA Local 9119, says it's the first time a public university has offshored American IT jobs.

In a statement sent yesterday, UPTE-CWA says the layoffs could spread, since the HCL contract can be utilized by any of the 10 campuses in the University of California system, the nation's largest public university. "US taxes should be used to create jobs in the US, not in other countries," said Kurt Ho, a systems administrator who was quoted in the union's press release. Ho was required to train his replacement as a condition of getting his severance pay.

In its statement on the matter, UCSF says that it was pushed to hire outside contractors due to "increased demand for information technology and escalating costs for these services." The university says it will save more than $30 million by hiring HCL, after seeing IT costs nearly triple between 2011 and 2016, "driven by the introduction of the electronic medical record and increased digital connectivity."

The university says 49 UCSF employees were laid off, and it will eliminate another 48 jobs that are currently vacant or filled by contractors. "UCSF will not replace UCSF IT employees with H-1B visa holders, nor will HCL," the university wrote in a statement e-mailed to Ars....

These 79 workers WERE ALREADY QUALIFIED AND WORKING, yet a university can lay them off and destroy their jobs for the sole purpose of lowering costs.

This program is just "W"rong in that there is incentive for companies to use employees this way, while NEVER seeking to correct the shortage in the USA or advocating to government for the benefit of Americans to be educated to fill these jobs. It is permanent corruption in the USA.