January 30, 2018
Italy, Texas (AP) — Officials say a 15-year-old girl (click here) shot at a North Texas high school is out of the hospital and back with her family a week after the shooting.
In social media postings, the Italy (IT’-lee) Independent School District says its students were told Monday that the girl is continuing her recovery with her family at an undisclosed location. The district says the family is optimistic about the girl’s recovery but asks for continued prayers for her.
Authorities have not released her name.
She was shot multiple times Jan. 22 in the Italy High School cafeteria. A 16-year-old boy who attended the school has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He remains in juvenile custody.
Italy is 42 miles (68 kilometers) south of Dallas and has about 1,900 residents.
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
It was a lone wolf attack. THERE ARE TOO MANY GUNS ON THE STREET.
December 24, 2017
By Julia Manchester
...El-Mofty (click here) allegedly opened fire on police officers in three different locations in the state's capital on Friday. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were reportedly investigating whether the shootings could be considered an act of terror.
Houlton said the attack in Pennsylvania and another case in which a suspect was arrested on terror-related money laundering charges “highlight the Trump administration’s concerns with extended family chain migration.”...
By Julia Manchester
...El-Mofty (click here) allegedly opened fire on police officers in three different locations in the state's capital on Friday. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were reportedly investigating whether the shootings could be considered an act of terror.
Houlton said the attack in Pennsylvania and another case in which a suspect was arrested on terror-related money laundering charges “highlight the Trump administration’s concerns with extended family chain migration.”...
Propaganda or no propaganda?
Invoking "Old Glory" as a unique agenda is irrelevant. Bringing up judges is to say something will change when legislation about the flag burning is challenged and defeated.
Trump is attempting to build nationalism. No different than Putin's Russia.
During the 1984 Republican National Convention, (click here) respondent Johnson participated in a political demonstration to protest the policies of the Reagan administration and some Dallas-based corporations. After a march through the city streets, Johnson burned an American flag while protesters chanted. No one was physically injured or threatened with injury, although several witnesses were seriously offended by the flag burning. Johnson was convicted of desecration of a venerated object in violation of a Texas statute, and a state court of appeals affirmed. However, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed, holding that the State, consistent with the First Amendment, could not punish Johnson for burning the flag in these circumstances...
We have seen this misinformation before. Whoever is advising him is making much out of nothing.
April 26, 2016
FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) CEO Marchionne: (click here) "We ran the optimization exercise with a very clear view of not losing one unit of sales for Ram and not losing one unit of sales for Jeep."
Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed Tuesday after months of speculation that the automaker plans to move production of its Ram pickups to Sterling Heights from Warren and move production of a Jeep SUV to Toluca, Mexico, from Belvidere, Ill....
July 28, 2016
By Brent Snavely and Matt Dolan
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (click here) plans to spend $1.49 billion to retool its Sterling Heights Assembly Plant so it can build the next-generation Ram 1500 pickup truck there after it stops producing the Chrysler 200.
The investment plans were disclosed today in Lansing when the Michigan Strategic Fund board approved a tax break valued at $11.38 million over a 15-year period to help secure the automaker's commitment. The board unanimously approved the request after about a 15 minute discussion....
I will tell you what is going on here. It is called a shell game to
"Make Trump look Great Always."
Chrysler is not doing anything differently. As a matter of fact Chrysler figured out it would cost less to improve the plant in Warren, Michigan opposed to Sterling Heights, Michigan.
There is absolutely nothing coming back from Mexico to the USA. Wall Street loves this guy. They showered every elected House and Senate member with campaign contributions to let them know Trump is the man they need to follow.
I hope the union has the bonus being issued by Chrysler in writing as they do the profit sharing plan, because, after all the lies are discovered the company might change it's mind about the bonus.
Wall Street CEOs are happier than pigs in shit. Maybe that is being harsh on pigs. The CEOs don't know what to do with all the money they have now that the tax structure is changed, so to prevent issues with exceptional profit margins, they are giving it away as a tax deduction.
Trump and the Republicans have instilled corruption systemically and no different than Roger Goodell, the CEOs are attempting to "shine everyone on." That is all this is. It is corruption of the government by Trump's financial professionals in his administration.
January 11, 2018
By Eric D. Lawrence
Detroit -- Citing President Trump's and Congress' new tax law, (click here) Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said Thursday that it's going to move some of its production back from Mexico.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will invest more than $1 billion to modernize the company's Warren Truck Plant in metro Detroit, adding 2,500 jobs and moving production of its Ram Heavy Duty trucks from Mexico.
The changeover is to be complete in 2020.
The company said that the new federal tax law made the shift possible. That legislation, signed into law in December, cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%.
Fiat Chrysler also announced $2,000 bonuses that will be paid in the second quarter of this year to 60,000 hourly and salaried employees in the U.S., excluding senior leadership. Those bonuses are to be in addition to any profit sharing or performance bonuses the employees would receive this year.
"These announcements reflect our ongoing commitment to our U.S. manufacturing footprint and the dedicated employees who have contributed to FCA's success," Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said in a statement. "It is only proper that our employees share in the savings generated by tax reform and that we openly acknowledge the resulting improvement in the U.S. business environment by investing in our industrial footprint accordingly."...
Is he still talking? Oh, the immigration law that doesn't apply to Russian Pregnancy Tourism.
My pet peive; the robbing of the poor of their children to serve the middle class and upper class. Don't do anything about poverty and the working poor, simply displace their children to 'great Americans' that want their children.
Trump made a huge error in bringing up Syria and the US Casualities there. We don't belong there and now Turkey is fighting the USA rebels.
January 30, 2018
By Jamie Dettmer
Turkey’s latest military incursion (click here) into northern Syria which it says is aimed at reining in Kurdish separatists will speed up the return of Syrian refugees to their homes, Turkish officials say. But Kurds are fearful Ankara plans to use the returnees to displace them and engineer a population shift.
Kurd officials say Ankara wants to re-shape the demographics of the borderlands in a bid to establish a “corridor of stability” populated by fewer Kurds and with Sunni Arab refugees currently in Turkey taking their place.
That would weaken the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara dubs an affiliate of Turkey’s outlawed Kurdish separatists, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)....
Turkey has a large number of refugees and there is a problem with violence because of it. There are currently at least 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey. But, Turkey has frequently attacked the Kurds because PKK is considered a terrorist organization. The Kurds have been instrumental in ending Daesh in the region. Turkey cannot start another war with the Kurds simply because it believes the refugee crisis will be ended.
Turkey should be grateful to the Kurds for the very fact they defeated Daesh without any help from Turkey.
Trump cannot stand the idea that South Korea and Japan might be burgeoning into peace talks with China and North Korea. Peace with North Korea is not on Trump's political agenda. He has a lot of generals in his administration that have known the Korean War and have a desire to continue the tensions. It is ludicrous for the USA to attempt to end any peace talks with North Korea. Trump is about his politics and that is exactly what his speech today has conducted.
The USA is in danger because of Trump's administration and election committee. That is the truth and it is not being addressed tonight. The country has lost many of the people that were within it's brain trust under this administration. That is dangerous. Trump is not a good president and is a problem for this country. The US House and Senate need to impeach.
Trump is attempting to build nationalism. No different than Putin's Russia.
During the 1984 Republican National Convention, (click here) respondent Johnson participated in a political demonstration to protest the policies of the Reagan administration and some Dallas-based corporations. After a march through the city streets, Johnson burned an American flag while protesters chanted. No one was physically injured or threatened with injury, although several witnesses were seriously offended by the flag burning. Johnson was convicted of desecration of a venerated object in violation of a Texas statute, and a state court of appeals affirmed. However, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed, holding that the State, consistent with the First Amendment, could not punish Johnson for burning the flag in these circumstances...
We have seen this misinformation before. Whoever is advising him is making much out of nothing.
April 26, 2016
FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) CEO Marchionne: (click here) "We ran the optimization exercise with a very clear view of not losing one unit of sales for Ram and not losing one unit of sales for Jeep."
Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed Tuesday after months of speculation that the automaker plans to move production of its Ram pickups to Sterling Heights from Warren and move production of a Jeep SUV to Toluca, Mexico, from Belvidere, Ill....
July 28, 2016
By Brent Snavely and Matt Dolan
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (click here) plans to spend $1.49 billion to retool its Sterling Heights Assembly Plant so it can build the next-generation Ram 1500 pickup truck there after it stops producing the Chrysler 200.
The investment plans were disclosed today in Lansing when the Michigan Strategic Fund board approved a tax break valued at $11.38 million over a 15-year period to help secure the automaker's commitment. The board unanimously approved the request after about a 15 minute discussion....
I will tell you what is going on here. It is called a shell game to
"Make Trump look Great Always."
Chrysler is not doing anything differently. As a matter of fact Chrysler figured out it would cost less to improve the plant in Warren, Michigan opposed to Sterling Heights, Michigan.
There is absolutely nothing coming back from Mexico to the USA. Wall Street loves this guy. They showered every elected House and Senate member with campaign contributions to let them know Trump is the man they need to follow.
I hope the union has the bonus being issued by Chrysler in writing as they do the profit sharing plan, because, after all the lies are discovered the company might change it's mind about the bonus.
Wall Street CEOs are happier than pigs in shit. Maybe that is being harsh on pigs. The CEOs don't know what to do with all the money they have now that the tax structure is changed, so to prevent issues with exceptional profit margins, they are giving it away as a tax deduction.
Trump and the Republicans have instilled corruption systemically and no different than Roger Goodell, the CEOs are attempting to "shine everyone on." That is all this is. It is corruption of the government by Trump's financial professionals in his administration.
January 11, 2018
By Eric D. Lawrence
Detroit -- Citing President Trump's and Congress' new tax law, (click here) Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said Thursday that it's going to move some of its production back from Mexico.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will invest more than $1 billion to modernize the company's Warren Truck Plant in metro Detroit, adding 2,500 jobs and moving production of its Ram Heavy Duty trucks from Mexico.
The changeover is to be complete in 2020.
The company said that the new federal tax law made the shift possible. That legislation, signed into law in December, cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%.
Fiat Chrysler also announced $2,000 bonuses that will be paid in the second quarter of this year to 60,000 hourly and salaried employees in the U.S., excluding senior leadership. Those bonuses are to be in addition to any profit sharing or performance bonuses the employees would receive this year.
"These announcements reflect our ongoing commitment to our U.S. manufacturing footprint and the dedicated employees who have contributed to FCA's success," Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said in a statement. "It is only proper that our employees share in the savings generated by tax reform and that we openly acknowledge the resulting improvement in the U.S. business environment by investing in our industrial footprint accordingly."...
Is he still talking? Oh, the immigration law that doesn't apply to Russian Pregnancy Tourism.
My pet peive; the robbing of the poor of their children to serve the middle class and upper class. Don't do anything about poverty and the working poor, simply displace their children to 'great Americans' that want their children.
Trump made a huge error in bringing up Syria and the US Casualities there. We don't belong there and now Turkey is fighting the USA rebels.
January 30, 2018
By Jamie Dettmer
Turkey’s latest military incursion (click here) into northern Syria which it says is aimed at reining in Kurdish separatists will speed up the return of Syrian refugees to their homes, Turkish officials say. But Kurds are fearful Ankara plans to use the returnees to displace them and engineer a population shift.
Kurd officials say Ankara wants to re-shape the demographics of the borderlands in a bid to establish a “corridor of stability” populated by fewer Kurds and with Sunni Arab refugees currently in Turkey taking their place.
That would weaken the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara dubs an affiliate of Turkey’s outlawed Kurdish separatists, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)....
Turkey has a large number of refugees and there is a problem with violence because of it. There are currently at least 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey. But, Turkey has frequently attacked the Kurds because PKK is considered a terrorist organization. The Kurds have been instrumental in ending Daesh in the region. Turkey cannot start another war with the Kurds simply because it believes the refugee crisis will be ended.
Turkey should be grateful to the Kurds for the very fact they defeated Daesh without any help from Turkey.
Trump cannot stand the idea that South Korea and Japan might be burgeoning into peace talks with China and North Korea. Peace with North Korea is not on Trump's political agenda. He has a lot of generals in his administration that have known the Korean War and have a desire to continue the tensions. It is ludicrous for the USA to attempt to end any peace talks with North Korea. Trump is about his politics and that is exactly what his speech today has conducted.
The USA is in danger because of Trump's administration and election committee. That is the truth and it is not being addressed tonight. The country has lost many of the people that were within it's brain trust under this administration. That is dangerous. Trump is not a good president and is a problem for this country. The US House and Senate need to impeach.
The trend in USA employment is headed downward.
The US Labor Department always discusses jobs added each month, but, there are significant job losses as well.
The wealth of Wall Street is not the picture of the country.
The picture in December of most any year is always better than any other month of the year because of the holidays. The overall view is different.
Another interesting measure is the labor force participation rate: which in the last quarter of 2017 shows chronic low rates.Predictions for 2018 are not much better. (click here)
Oddly enough, December 2017 didn't meet expectations. Nearly 25 percent below expections. The largest gain in employment was food service workers.
Non-farm (click here) payrolls in the US increased by 148K in December of 2017, below market expectations of a 190K. Solid gains were reported in construction, manufacturing and health care while retail trade continued to cut jobs.
In 2017, payroll employment growth totaled 2.1 million, compared with a gain of 2.2 million in 2016.
Employment in health care increased by 31,000 in December. Employment continued to trend up in ambulatory health care services (+15,000) and hospitals (+12,000). Health care added 300,000 jobs in 2017, compared with a gain of 379,000 jobs in 2016....
And were the jobs added high paying jobs? The blue lines are for the month of December and the gray lines are for the 2017 average.
Leisure and hospitality employment continued to trend up in December (+29,000), adding a total of 306,000 jobs in 2017. This industry accounted for 15 percent of all total nonfarm jobs added in 2017. Employment in food services and drinking places was little changed in December (+25,000). In 2017, employment in the industry increased by 249,000, after rising by 276,000 over the prior year. December 6, 2017
By Christopher Weber and Geoff Mulvhill
Los Angeles — The nation's homeless population increased this year (click here) for the first time since 2010, driven by a surge in the number of people living on the streets in Los Angeles and other West Coast cities.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released its annual Point in Time count Wednesday, a report that showed nearly 554,000 homeless people across the country during local tallies conducted in January. That figure is up nearly 1 percent from 2016.
Of that total, 193,000 people had no access to nightly shelter and instead were staying in vehicles, tents, the streets and other places considered uninhabitable. The unsheltered figure is up by more than 9 percent compared to two years ago.
Increases are higher in several West Coast cities, where the explosion in homelessness has prompted at least 10 city and county governments to declare states of emergency since 2015....
The 2017 family income numbers won't be in for a while yet, but, under President Obama 2016 was a record high.
Real income per capita measures the per person income. The household income reflects more than one wage earner.
...Current Average Income (click here)
The 2016 nominal median income per capita was $31,099. The mean income per capita was $46,550. The Census Bureau reports those in the Current Population Survey, Table PINC-01.
Real median household income was $59,039 in 2016. That's the first time income exceeded the 2007 level of $58,149. It's also slightly higher than the 2015 income of $57,230. The first increase since the Great Recession was in 2015. All are reported in 2016 dollars. The Census report household income in Table A-1.
The federal government uses the median household income to establish poverty levels. That determines eligibility for Obamacare subsidies and welfare programs.
Real median family income was $72,707 in 2016. That's higher than the 2007 peak of $71,024 (as measured in 206 dollars). It's also more than the 2015 level of $71,590. The government uses the family income for statistical purposes, such as reporting the poverty threshold....
This is the definition of household and family. Households can have other than a family living within them.
A family (click here) consists of two or more people (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption residing in the same housing unit. A household consists of all people who occupy a housing unit regardless of relationship. A household may consist of a person living alone or multiple unrelated individuals or families living together.
When an employee receives a raise, they expect to see it in their paychecks not their deductions.
This is interesting. Health care insurance is too expensive. The companies are pricing themselves out of business. There is no reason why large corporations such as these can't self-insure. They should.
Amazon had over a half of a million employees
JP Morgan Chase and Company has another quarter million employees
Berkshire Hathaway has over 350,000.
That is easily over a million people. I am confident the three corporations can find good health care options for their employees.
Illustrated in the graph above is the employee contribution for health care insurance. The wages are not keeping up with the cost of health care insurance subscription costs. While the country is looking toward increasing the minimum wage it only makes sense that prudent CEOs look to the final outcome for their employees as their wages increase.
I am not saying these companies pay minimum wage as Walmart does, but, just that as minimum wages increase other wages increase to keep pace with it. This decision is impressive and I look forward to hearing more about the final outcome and decisions.
January 30, 2018
By Mike Snider
The three companies announced Tuesday they are teaming up to explore "ways to address healthcare for their U.S. employees, with the aim of improving employee satisfaction and reducing costs," according to a news release about the venture.
An independent company, which "is free from profit-making incentives and constraints," they say, will initially tackle technological solutions to deliver "simplified, high-quality and transparent" health care to employees at a economical prices.
"Tackling the enormous challenges of healthcare and harnessing its full benefits are among the greatest issues facing society today," Jeff Bezos, Amazon's founder said in a statement. "By bringing together three of the world’s leading organizations into this new and innovative construct, the group hopes to draw on its combined capabilities and resources to take a fresh approach to these critical matters."...
CIA Director Pompeo Says Russia will influence the 2018 elections. "I haven't seen a significant decrease in their activity," he said.
I thought it the CIA Director's job to identify the people involved in subverting our government and end it. I find it very odd the CIA Director can't control the Russia subversives to the USA elections when the influence is online access and the USA has invested so heavily in internet monitoring.
Is Pompeo saying the multi-billion dollar complex to detect terrorist activity is a waste of time? I think Pompeo appreciates the effect of Russian influence in USA elections and looks the other way.
Why hasn't the activity ended or DECREASED since the very valid understanding the Russias effected the 2016 elections? As a CIA Director how can he state he is proud of an agency that can't even protect the integrity of foreign influence in our elections?
Pompeo has stated he has unleashed and unburdened the CIA. What the heck does that mean? What burden aren't they carrying anymore?
29 January 2018
The director of the CIA (click here) expects that Russia will target the US mid-term elections later this year.
Mike Pompeo told the BBC there had been no significant diminishing of Russian attempts at subversion in Europe and the US.
He also said North Korea may have the ability to strike the US with nuclear missiles "in a handful of months".
The US intelligence community has said that it believes Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election.
Mr Pompeo, who briefs the president most mornings, dismissed as "drivel" recent claims that US President Donald Trump was not up to the job.
The director's conference room on the seventh floor of the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia, is lined with pictures of former directors and the presidents they served.
And Mr Pompeo is clear about his vision for the CIA under President Trump....
Is Pompeo saying the multi-billion dollar complex to detect terrorist activity is a waste of time? I think Pompeo appreciates the effect of Russian influence in USA elections and looks the other way.
Why hasn't the activity ended or DECREASED since the very valid understanding the Russias effected the 2016 elections? As a CIA Director how can he state he is proud of an agency that can't even protect the integrity of foreign influence in our elections?
Pompeo has stated he has unleashed and unburdened the CIA. What the heck does that mean? What burden aren't they carrying anymore?
29 January 2018
The director of the CIA (click here) expects that Russia will target the US mid-term elections later this year.
Mike Pompeo told the BBC there had been no significant diminishing of Russian attempts at subversion in Europe and the US.
He also said North Korea may have the ability to strike the US with nuclear missiles "in a handful of months".
The US intelligence community has said that it believes Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election.
Mr Pompeo, who briefs the president most mornings, dismissed as "drivel" recent claims that US President Donald Trump was not up to the job.
The director's conference room on the seventh floor of the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia, is lined with pictures of former directors and the presidents they served.
And Mr Pompeo is clear about his vision for the CIA under President Trump....
Congratulations to USA Today for bringing forth an issue that is more than a PR problem.
This state level medical review should be happening in every state when any medical-surgical practice becomes this dangerous. When protocols are breached there are all kinds of problems, besides infection. At what point does a victim of such crimes become a threat and find themselves not only under the influence of unwanted, dangerous medication, but, have their life in jeopardy when waking up to the attack?
The Cleveland Clinic is a world class hospital. One incident such as this does not change that reality. What changes such a reputation are cover ups and administrations that treat these incidents as trivial. These victims are real and need to receive the dignity and ethical standards of the best of medicine and not the worst. Hiding problems destroys quality treatment.
This was a very dangerous reality. USA Today really did a great job at bringing the truth to light.
January 30, 2018
By Jayne O'Donnell
Surgeon Tomislav Mihaljevic, who started as Cleveland Clinic’s CEO Jan. 1, is also now chair of a “conduct review” committee established after the article was published to review “serious incidents of harassment and misconduct to ensure appropriate action is taken.” New committees are also developing policies on how to assess physicians’ conduct and govern the use of chaperones.
Williams was never charged with a crime in the cases of the two alleged rapes.
Chris Forshey, the medical board's investigations supervisor, interviewed a woman last week who suspects she could have been assaulted and asked to remain anonymous due to the nature of her allegation. Jennifer Davis, the woman's sister in law and a former Cleveland Clinic registered nurse, filed a medical board complaint on the alleged victim's behalf on Jan. 16....
Here is something real.
Greatest eclipse happens at the same instant worldwide, but our clocks say different times. Chart by Fred Espenak. (click here)
Is it the first Blue Moon total eclipse in 150 years, as some social media memes are now claiming? It is … if you’re not considering the whole world, but only the Americas.
I think Fred Espenak has the most important chart to the viewing of the "The Blue Total Eclipse Supermoon" will occur on January 31, 2018. The recent past has been a unique time for North America, especially the USA, with the total eclipse of the sun on August 21, 2017. So, tomorrow should be a really interesting event indeed. The best viewing is going to be the west coast of North America. No doubt California will make it fun.
Is it the first Blue Moon total eclipse in 150 years, as some social media memes are now claiming? It is … if you’re not considering the whole world, but only the Americas.
I think Fred Espenak has the most important chart to the viewing of the "The Blue Total Eclipse Supermoon" will occur on January 31, 2018. The recent past has been a unique time for North America, especially the USA, with the total eclipse of the sun on August 21, 2017. So, tomorrow should be a really interesting event indeed. The best viewing is going to be the west coast of North America. No doubt California will make it fun.
Advertisers for the Superbowl can easily ask for their money back.
Fire, Goodell!
NOW!
Why bother watching the Superbowl. The winner has already been decided and the rings are probably already engraved. Jerry Jones was right to oppose the renewing of a five year contract extension, which included Goodell's own private jet. Enough is never enough.
It is a very sad day in the USA to realize everything is about money and more of it. This is ridiculous.
NOW!
Why bother watching the Superbowl. The winner has already been decided and the rings are probably already engraved. Jerry Jones was right to oppose the renewing of a five year contract extension, which included Goodell's own private jet. Enough is never enough.
It is a very sad day in the USA to realize everything is about money and more of it. This is ridiculous.
Monday, January 29, 2018
It is pure, unadulterated corruption by the Republicans. They are playing politics.
I am not going to honor something this corrupt. It is a unilateral move to create political intrigue. Go straight to hell.
The typical Republican partisanship. They don't get it. This is not a dictatorship whereby people are not allowed to think. The USA is SUPPOSED TO BE a democracy where citizens are well informed and decide what the BREVITY of the facts are.
I am not a prized bull being lead around by the nose sniffing out the next political screw up.
January 29, 2018
By Erin Kelly
...The Republican majority (click here) voted to declassify and release its four-page memo, while all Democrats on the panel voted against it. Republicans, who hold the majority in Congress, also blocked the release of a counter memo written by Democrats, said Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the panel's senior Democrat....
...Schiff said he believes the White House will allow its release, despite objections from the Department of Justice that it contains classified information that could harm U.S. intelligence-gathering....
Dah. The memo needs to be presented to the Mueller investigation and US Justice which will provide the brevity of the documents AND information. This is nothing short of corruption for a political circus.
...Schiff said the committee's vote effectively puts the FBI and Department of Justice under investigation by the panel's GOP majority....
That is exactly correct AND the GOP majority does not have the right to prosecute. How perfect is that? So, this only amount to political bargaining. The facts are the facts and they cannot be created by some star chamber in the GOP majority.
With the retirement of FBI Deputy Director McCabe what does that say about the sovereignty of the USA. This is becoming dangerous, not just ridiculous. The Republicans are dissolving the brain trust for the sake of this politics. It is more worrisome.
Considering Russia showed up at the White House the very next day after Comey was fired, I really think Trump is taking directions from Putin. This is all a little too methodical to ignore.
January 29, 2018
Kevin Johnson and David Jackson
Washingon – FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, (click here) who has been a target of unrelenting criticism from President Trump and some Republican lawmakers, abruptly announced his resignation Monday, according to two government officials who were not authorized to comment publicly on personnel matters.
McCabe was expected to resign in March when he was eligible for retirement. But the bureau's second-in-command submitted his resignation more than a month early, one official said, adding that his accumulated leave time would allow him to qualify for full retirement benefits.
Prior to McCabe's announcement, the official said, FBI Director Christopher Wray raised the prospect of moving McCabe to another post within the bureau – out of the line of fire from the White House – but the deputy director ultimately decided to leave.
McCabe, who rose through the counter-terrorism and national security ranks, served as the agency's acting director this summer after Trump fired former director James Comey in May....
It is time for McConnell and Ryan to put their big boy pants on and conduct an impeachment. Trump, Jr. is right in the middle of all this mess.
The typical Republican partisanship. They don't get it. This is not a dictatorship whereby people are not allowed to think. The USA is SUPPOSED TO BE a democracy where citizens are well informed and decide what the BREVITY of the facts are.
I am not a prized bull being lead around by the nose sniffing out the next political screw up.
January 29, 2018
By Erin Kelly
...The Republican majority (click here) voted to declassify and release its four-page memo, while all Democrats on the panel voted against it. Republicans, who hold the majority in Congress, also blocked the release of a counter memo written by Democrats, said Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the panel's senior Democrat....
...Schiff said he believes the White House will allow its release, despite objections from the Department of Justice that it contains classified information that could harm U.S. intelligence-gathering....
Dah. The memo needs to be presented to the Mueller investigation and US Justice which will provide the brevity of the documents AND information. This is nothing short of corruption for a political circus.
...Schiff said the committee's vote effectively puts the FBI and Department of Justice under investigation by the panel's GOP majority....
That is exactly correct AND the GOP majority does not have the right to prosecute. How perfect is that? So, this only amount to political bargaining. The facts are the facts and they cannot be created by some star chamber in the GOP majority.
With the retirement of FBI Deputy Director McCabe what does that say about the sovereignty of the USA. This is becoming dangerous, not just ridiculous. The Republicans are dissolving the brain trust for the sake of this politics. It is more worrisome.
Considering Russia showed up at the White House the very next day after Comey was fired, I really think Trump is taking directions from Putin. This is all a little too methodical to ignore.
January 29, 2018
Kevin Johnson and David Jackson
Washingon – FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, (click here) who has been a target of unrelenting criticism from President Trump and some Republican lawmakers, abruptly announced his resignation Monday, according to two government officials who were not authorized to comment publicly on personnel matters.
McCabe was expected to resign in March when he was eligible for retirement. But the bureau's second-in-command submitted his resignation more than a month early, one official said, adding that his accumulated leave time would allow him to qualify for full retirement benefits.
Prior to McCabe's announcement, the official said, FBI Director Christopher Wray raised the prospect of moving McCabe to another post within the bureau – out of the line of fire from the White House – but the deputy director ultimately decided to leave.
McCabe, who rose through the counter-terrorism and national security ranks, served as the agency's acting director this summer after Trump fired former director James Comey in May....
It is time for McConnell and Ryan to put their big boy pants on and conduct an impeachment. Trump, Jr. is right in the middle of all this mess.
The people of Africa are quite used to walking long distances for water. That is useful, but, should not be the answer here.
Public projects to build desalination plants should be supported by lending institutions. They are a plus-plus in return on investment. The desalination plant provides water, adds water content to allow farming which increases water content in the air to return rainfall and it provides a perfectly healthy form of salt for sale. The salt can be iodized as well.
South Africa should consult with NOAA and NASA to determine the permanence of the weather pattern, but, it has been droughted for some time now and why not have the back up for any future issues, too. The World Bank should consider such plants as a healthy way of returning water to people and adding water content to air that is droughted to reverse it.
Returning water to droughted land through irrigation works. That is a guarantee. Irrigation has it's limits and drawbacks, but, not so much as drought. Expertise about irrigation's problems are available and The World Bank should have consultants within their expertise.
Irrigation for forests endangered by drought is possible as well. Such efforts need to take into account the steepness of the land in applying water recovery to land. We have witnessed in California, USA the sad reality of adding water to droughted lands. In places where the angle of the land is significant, there will result in landslides. Returning water vapor to droughted lands is more important than can be said when done properly.
I'll put it this way, the Syrian War would not have happened if the drought were addressed.
Returning water to droughted land through irrigation works. That is a guarantee. Irrigation has it's limits and drawbacks, but, not so much as drought. Expertise about irrigation's problems are available and The World Bank should have consultants within their expertise.
Irrigation for forests endangered by drought is possible as well. Such efforts need to take into account the steepness of the land in applying water recovery to land. We have witnessed in California, USA the sad reality of adding water to droughted lands. In places where the angle of the land is significant, there will result in landslides. Returning water vapor to droughted lands is more important than can be said when done properly.
I'll put it this way, the Syrian War would not have happened if the drought were addressed.
29 January 2018
Cape Town - Moody’s Investors Service (click here) published a research report on the water supply crisis in South Africa.
Daniel Mazibuko, a Moody’s Associate Analyst who is the author of the report made note that the water supply crisis will result in a credit negative for Cape Town. Moody’s rates the debt Baa3, the lowest investment level and which is equivalent with South Africa’s sovereign rating.
The report states that the Municipal water revenue contributed about 10 % ( R3.9bn) of Cape Town’s operating income in 2017. However, The City revenue will reduce when the city has to use spending to ensure supplies.
This will lead an increase expenditure on crisis management and water supply projects, Mazibuko said in the report. Mazkibuko added that two main industries that will be effected the most out of this crisis will be tourism and agriculture....
There are some computer programs that need to be declared illegal for security issues.
Programs such as "Strava" are too dangerous. Why are suicide bombers killing and maiming so many? Are there computer plans in the works that look for densely populated areas in order to carry out attacks? Any idiot could use this information for intelligence as well as "emotional support" in maintaining an exercise plan.
I see nothing wrong with a program such as "Peloton" which captures exercise enthusiasm in a stationary bike. There is nothing wrong with "Google Maps" when seeking directions that would normally be found on a paper map (which I keep in the car anyway in case there is a problem with the mobile tower). But, "Strava" takes things to a level that endangers the public as well as any military installation.
The program needs to be removed from the public domain. NOW!
Military instillations are mostly permanent. It doesn't matter if the running trails are from two years or less; the danger is still there. I suppose Paparazzi are some of it's best customers, but, this program is too dangerous.
The makers of the program have no moral values to protect people. They just don't. They only care about money and more and more of it. This is ridiculous. "Just agree to terms and conditions." No more.
"Strava" (click here)
I see nothing wrong with a program such as "Peloton" which captures exercise enthusiasm in a stationary bike. There is nothing wrong with "Google Maps" when seeking directions that would normally be found on a paper map (which I keep in the car anyway in case there is a problem with the mobile tower). But, "Strava" takes things to a level that endangers the public as well as any military installation.
The program needs to be removed from the public domain. NOW!
Military instillations are mostly permanent. It doesn't matter if the running trails are from two years or less; the danger is still there. I suppose Paparazzi are some of it's best customers, but, this program is too dangerous.
The makers of the program have no moral values to protect people. They just don't. They only care about money and more and more of it. This is ridiculous. "Just agree to terms and conditions." No more.
"Strava" (click here)
...He said (click here) he came across the map while browsing a cartography blog last week.
"I thought the best way to deal with it is to make the vulnerabilities known so they can be fixed. Someone would have noticed it at some point. I just happened to be the person who made the connection."...
It occurred to him that a large number of military personnel on active service had been publicly sharing their location data and realised that the highlighting of such exercises as regular jogging routes could be dangerous.
"I just looked at it and thought, 'oh hell, this should not be here - this is not good,'" he told the BBC.
"I thought the best way to deal with it is to make the vulnerabilities known so they can be fixed. Someone would have noticed it at some point. I just happened to be the person who made the connection."...
Hillary Clinton is amazing. The most important appearance she ever made.
January 28, 2018
By Brent D. Griffiths
"He had a longtime fear of being poisoned, one reason why he liked to eat at McDonald's — nobody knew he was coming and the food was safely premade," the former Democratic presidential candidate read from the book, before Grammy host James Corden told her she had the award "in the bag."
Along with Clinton, Corden's bit of searching for the best narrator of Wolff's book included Snoop Dogg, Cardi B, DJ Khaled and other stars.
"If Trump was not having his 6:30 dinner with Steve Bannon, then more to his liking he was in bed by that time with cheeseburger," "Bodak Yellow" singer Cardi B read. "Whaa, why am I reading this sh--. I can't believe this. I believe ... really this is he how lives his life?"...
Some people aren't afraid of their own IQ.
"Morning Papers"
The Rooster
"Okeydoke"
January 27, 2018
London: A 10-year-old Indian-origin boy in the UK (click here) has become the youngest applicant in a decade to achieve the highest score in the Mensa IQ test, (click here) beating geniuses like Albert Einstein, Hawking.
Mehul Garg, also known by his nickname Mahi, decided to take the test to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, 13-year-old Dhruv Garg, who had also scored the highest score of 162 last year.
“Mahi is fiercely competitive. His older brother had achieved the same score last year so he really wanted to prove that he is no less intelligent than his brother,” said his mother Divya Garg.
The pupil of Reading Boys Grammar School in Reading, southern England, scored the maximum score of 162 to become a member of Mensa, the High IQ Society.
His score is two points higher than Einstein and Hawking and places him in the top one per cent of people in the world who achieve this distinction.
“Mehul said the paper challenged his language skills, including analogies and definitions, and his sense of logic,” said his mother....
"Good Night, Moon"
12.0 day old moon
91.9 percent full
I thought this was a really cute article in anticipation of The Super Bowl. Dont' forget the Blue Moon eclipse (click here) and the some are calling it a cosmic trifecta (super blue blood moon - click here). It is that time of year and this year there is a lot going on.
January 27, 2018
By Chris Vaughan
Constellations (click here) have long been used to organize the night sky and capture our imaginations with their myths and legends. But only a limited number of constellations resemble their name, and the stars making up their dimmer elements are increasingly hard to see under light-polluted skies. Asterisms, on the other hand, are easy-to-see star patterns that add an element of fun to skywatching because they are so accessible to beginners. And you're free to imagine your own!
Just in time for next week's big game, one of the largest asterisms in the night sky, called the Winter Football, is perfectly positioned for viewing by just stepping outside and looking up.
In this edition of Mobile Stargazing, we'll tell you how to see the Winter Football and highlight a few other asterisms that are visible with unaided eyes, in binoculars and in small telescopes with the help of mobile astronomy apps.
Sunday, January 28, 2018
Environmental responsibility is not inhibiting growth or an economy.
Austria is a magnificent country. As of late it's concerns are more about the rise of the right wing political parties than any other issue.
The ranting of any USA President has a profound effect on the global dialogue. Recently, Austria has found the need to state it was also responsible for the Holocaust. The reason for such statements is the fact the political right wing has risen in popularity due to Trumps rantings. It is an issue for them. They, unfortuantely, have not followed the example of Germany and it's moral objection to such people within power. The people of Germany are more than watchful of such authoritarian regimes. The people of Austria are only beginning their awareness that in the year 2018 there are still White Supremacist lingerings in the world that can be just as dangerous.
But, other than that, Austria has maintained a wonderful population balance that provides a high quality of life for it's citizens. This has provided a very stable country that has been a magnificent example of caring for its forests to achieve status as a responsible country during Earth's climate crisis brought on by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases.
Austria is proof it is possible to live happy lives in a responsible manner that insures the future generations of their place on Earth. Austria is successful in every measure in providing quality of life, stablity for it's citizens, environmental mastery, responsible conservation and an economy that is more than impressive in this modern era.
Kindly remember that Austria has not been the hub of peace either. It has played violent parts in WWI and WWII. It isn't as though a military machine can't be tamed to honor and respect the land and future generations.
The environmental report of Austria includes anthropogenic greenhouse gases:
...Austria (click here) has achieved its climate change mitigation target under the Kyoto Protocol. The share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption has been rising continuously and amounted to as much as 32.2 % in 2012...
Every aspect of the environment is accounted for, including, air and water quality. Austria is a proud country today. How many can say that? The USA cannot.
One more thing. The 'idea' the Republicans carry as an economic standard, in that, population growth is necessary to provide economic GROWTH. "W"rong! When are the Republicans and Wall Street going to stop coveting a woman's uterus to insure profits in the USA?
The ranting of any USA President has a profound effect on the global dialogue. Recently, Austria has found the need to state it was also responsible for the Holocaust. The reason for such statements is the fact the political right wing has risen in popularity due to Trumps rantings. It is an issue for them. They, unfortuantely, have not followed the example of Germany and it's moral objection to such people within power. The people of Germany are more than watchful of such authoritarian regimes. The people of Austria are only beginning their awareness that in the year 2018 there are still White Supremacist lingerings in the world that can be just as dangerous.
But, other than that, Austria has maintained a wonderful population balance that provides a high quality of life for it's citizens. This has provided a very stable country that has been a magnificent example of caring for its forests to achieve status as a responsible country during Earth's climate crisis brought on by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases.
Austria is proof it is possible to live happy lives in a responsible manner that insures the future generations of their place on Earth. Austria is successful in every measure in providing quality of life, stablity for it's citizens, environmental mastery, responsible conservation and an economy that is more than impressive in this modern era.
Kindly remember that Austria has not been the hub of peace either. It has played violent parts in WWI and WWII. It isn't as though a military machine can't be tamed to honor and respect the land and future generations.
The environmental report of Austria includes anthropogenic greenhouse gases:
...Austria (click here) has achieved its climate change mitigation target under the Kyoto Protocol. The share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption has been rising continuously and amounted to as much as 32.2 % in 2012...
Every aspect of the environment is accounted for, including, air and water quality. Austria is a proud country today. How many can say that? The USA cannot.
One more thing. The 'idea' the Republicans carry as an economic standard, in that, population growth is necessary to provide economic GROWTH. "W"rong! When are the Republicans and Wall Street going to stop coveting a woman's uterus to insure profits in the USA?
Austria is not among the member states unable to sustain air quality.
Brussels, 19 January 2018
In a final push to find solutions (click here) to address the serious problem of air pollution in the European Union, Commissioner for Environment, Karmenu Vella has invited ministers from 9 Member States to convene in Brussels on Tuesday, 30 January.
The 9 Member States, namely the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and the United Kingdom, face infringement procedures for exceeding agreed air pollution limits. The meeting gives an opportunity to Member States to prove that additional adequate steps will be taken to redress the current situation without delay and comply with European law.
Commissioner Karmenu Vella said: "This meeting on air quality has been called for three reasons. To protect citizens. To clarify that if there is no improvement of air quality there are legal consequences. And to remind Member States that this step is at the end of a long, some would say too long, period of offers to help, advice given, and warnings made. Our first responsibility as the Commission is to the millions of Europeans - young and old, sick and healthy – who suffer from poor air quality. Parents of a child suffering from bronchitis or a daughter of someone with pulmonary disease want to see improvements in air quality as soon as possible. For them, action plans with a 10-12 year timescale or ineffective plans are useless."
As President Juncker underlined in his State of the Union address in 2016, the aim is to deliver a Europe thatprotects.Every year, more than 400,000 Europeans die prematurely as a consequence of poor air quality and many more suffer from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases caused by air pollution. In economic terms, bad air quality costs well over €20 billion a year to the European economy, due to increased medical costs and reduced workers' productivity....
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