Trump's dialogue about low unemployment never addresses the impoverishment of those known as "The Working Poor."

May 22, 2018

...A collapse (click here) in the rate of union membership for private-sector employees — to 6.5 percent last year from the upper teens in the early 1980s — appears to have played a key role in holding down wages.

Washington - Despite an ultra-low 3.9 percent unemployment rate (click here), about one-third of U.S. adults faced financial insecurity last year and often struggled to pay unexpected expenses, a Federal Reserve survey found .

For three in 10 adults, their monthly incomes fluctuated - often because their work schedules changed at short notice - and that caused about one in ten Americans to miss some bill payments, according to the report released Tuesday. Forty percent of adults would have had to borrow money or sell something to pay an emergency expense of just $400.

The data suggests that financial security evades even many of those who are working. About one-third of U.S. adults relied on "gig" work or side jobs last year to bolster their incomes. Fewer than four of 10 Americans think their retirement savings are sufficient, and a quarter have none at all, the Fed survey found....

Additionally, there is far more reason for people to organize into unions for their employment, namely the recent Supreme Court ruling against class action suits. The Supreme Court treats class action suits as a nuisance and not a reality.

THE WORK PLACE is where unions exceed expectations. It has always been the focus of unions with demands that increase safety and at the same time increase employee attendance. I am sure the unions take any form of sexual harassment seriously and have taken it seriously. The woman worker has been most successful with union organizations where they lead as well.

May 28, 2018

...The consequences (click here) that follow the demise of employment-related class-action claims, moreover, include the following:

Claims may be too costly or time-consuming to pursue individually. As a result, employees will have little bargaining power against significant moneyed interests and repeat players.

Individual claims, decided in secret, rarely right wrongs that affect others; patterns of wrongdoing are hidden, and the public is kept in the dark.


Congress may have intended otherwise, but the reality is that arbitration, co-opted by companies, delivers costly, complex, time-consuming proceedings that not only intimidate individual claimants but also deny them procedural justice.

Additionally, Lilly Ledbetter has been accepted by some as a legitimate issue. It seems as though Starbucks is more than willing and seems to thrive on social structural change.

March 21, 2018
By Danielle Weiner-Bonner

..."This milestone is the result of years of work and commitment," said Lucy Helm, executive vice president and chief partner officer at Starbucks (SBUX), in a statement.

"We've worked hard for a couple of years now to ensure we can get there," Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson told CNN's Maggie Lake on Wednesday.

The coffee company added that it will now tell American job candidates the pay range for any position in an effort to increase transparency.

Helm explained that the company has been striving for pay equity for about decade. Last year, it was at 99.7% parity. Women make up about one-third of the company's executive team....

Another example of corporate mismanagement. Human beings have rights and some companies see those rights as a burden to profit. Employees for profit companies needs unions. It is just a fact of life.

May 29, 2018

Kansas City – Employees of the janitorial company (click here) Crystal Clear Enterprise based in Grandview are seeking class action status in a suit over allegations they were not paid for all hours worked in their 40-hour workweek.

Lead plaintiff Leslie S. Lemanske claims that from April 2017 and March 2018, she worked as an hourly, non-exempt employee as a site supervisor for the defendant but that she and others were consistently required to perform duties during their meal and break periods and not relieved from duty during those periods.

According to the complaint filed May 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, any employee who had a shift of four or more hours would automatically have 15 minutes deducted from their paid shift and anyone who worked longer than eight hours would have 45 minutes automatically deducted to account for "rest" and "meal" breaks.

Lemanske claims that under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Missouri law, rest periods of short duration - 5 to 20 minutes - must be counted as hours worked.

The suit states that "while 'bona fide meal periods are not worktime,' the employee must be completely relieved from duty for the purposes of eating regular meals."...

US Cities with shortest and longest average work weeks. By the way, shorter work weeks have been proven to be more productive.

14 May 2018
By Sarah Berger

...Financial website WalletHub (click here) recently analyzed data to determine the best large, U.S. cities to start a business in, comparing 182 cities, including 150 of the most populated U.S. cities plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state. Those cities were then evaluated on three dimensions — business environment, access to resources and business costs, using 19 relevant metrics....

Shortest: 

1. Burlington, Vermont: 33.5 hours

2. Tallahassee, Florida: 34.9 hours

3. Providence, Rhode Island: 36 hours

4. Missoula, Montana: 36.1 hours

5. Bridgeport, Connecticut: 36.2 hours

6. Madison, Wisconsin: 36.2 hours

Longest:

1. Anchorage, Alaska: 41 hours

2. Corpus Christi, Texas: 40.5 hours

3. Fayetteville, North Carolina, 40.5 hours

4. Casper, Wyoming: 40.4 hours

5. Irving, Texas: 40.3 hours

6. Plano, Texas: 40.3 hours

Removing children from their parents is genocide. Period. Stop.

The reason the Trump administration, National Guard, Border Patrol and civilian agencies provides is that the parents have broken the law. No, they haven't.

If all the problem with the Mexican - US Border is law enforcement the end to such immigration would have been solved a long time ago. The only exception to border crossings requiring imprisonment is drug trafficking.

THE PRACTICE of USA southern border crossings has a long history of humanitarian content. These folks at the border are not criminals. They are coming to the USA for humanitarian reasons. They are UNARMED and without illegal drugs or raw materials.

The issue is that Mexico and other countries south of the USA border have profound impoverishment. The problem is that if Mexico had an economy that supported the population this would not happen. No one is coming here on a lark. The history in this relationship with border crossers in long standing because nothing has occurred for CENTURIES in changing the economy of the countries south of the USA border.

ALSO, the notion that border crossings INTO SAFETY is a very valuable commodity in any place that occurs with our embassies. There is a clear understanding that crossing a country's border means a change in status to safety and A FUTURE. That definition internationally cannot change. It effects Americans as well as others that seek asylum or fear for their lives. There are Russians living in the UK that are there for one reason, their personal safety. They long for a return to Russia if the country becomes a place where personal safety has value. 

Using WORDS against the safety of human beings and instilling genocide is more illegal than can be undone. The USA knows the trauma of removing children from their parents and potential to permanent psychological damage. Basically, Trump and his henchmen/women are creating a huge problem that can be avoided by common sheltering of children with parents.

There are strong EXAMPLES of sheltering border crossers with their children in the history, recent history as well, in the USA. This is a hostile act by the Trump administration and all it's minions and should not be tolerated by anyone.

The wrongful use of American agencies to facilitate the removal of children from their parents is out of sync with their legislated purpose AND ARTIFICAL. Sessions cannot simply state the children are now parentless because they are in jail. THAT IS AN ARTIFICAL CREATED CIRCUMSTANCE that is not upheld by law.

None of these parents expected to lose their children with their border crossing. They brought their families with them to find better circumstances to their lives rather than have the children indoctrinated by drug cartels and/or killed because they won't. This is a humanitarian issue at the USA southern border, sustained or not, it is a humanitarian issue NOT A CRIMINAL ISSUE. These people did not come to the USA to break the law and cause the country harm. They are border crossers for EXTERMELY TYPICAL REASONS and they should be welcomed no different than other peaceful border crossers across the world.

The agencies receiving these children need to refuse them and demand they remain with their parents. They are being paid for the wrong reasons and are just as guilty as the rest of the structure supporting the genocide.

North Korea has a lot to learn from South Korea to come up to speed with something recognized as an economy.

Investment and a stable middle class will help build a real economy in North Korea. Credit cards should only become a real part of society with a stable middle class.

The middle class can work best in any burgeoning economy if it starts young with good educations and marketable skills. I think the young leader, Kim Jong Un, identifies with the young in North Korea. I think much of his desire to have a stronger economy will be to benefit the future. An immediate future is a big unrealistic. 

North Korea has to recognize that investment needs to occur to bring his people into the 21st century. And it needs to be an economy with real jobs, not simply a hook up to "Alibaba." Real jobs with real people earning a paycheck every week and going in wealth with savings and investment themselves.

I think the Koreas can build economies separately and then find common ground where the two countries can build a future together for their people.

May 29, 2018

“What I saw when I came to South Korea (click here) was overwhelming,” 19-year-old Pak Sool says while talking about what he experienced since fleeing the North.

“North and South Korea are totally different. I had no idea what a credit card was, and that’s used everyday here,” the Yeomyung school student said....

It is a great film about a great man.

He is a great patriot. His example clearly states, "Don't ever give up the USA. It is important to stand up for the country you love." 

I am not going to let go, Senator McCain. I don't have it in me to give up the USA for something a few power brokers want for the wrong reason."

I am not going to give up doing the right thing, for the country and the climate.

 

If the right wing didn't make excuse for Trump's poor judgement, he just might stop it.

There is no excuse for this. He is the Commander and Chief. The first and only priority today should be the soldiers, their families and the ceremony to honor their sacrifice. 

I would criticize his statement, but, to do so only does more dishonor to the day.

Memorial Day is about respect for the soldier and the sovereignty of the USA.

There is no sense to having days of commemoration if it isn't about the people it is supposed to honor.

Mr. Trump frequently states, "...I am President of the United States...," then act it.

It is Memorial Day weekend. Of course, the traditional Memorial Day is May 31st.

It is important to realize Memorial Day in the USA was born out of the need to heal a country after a civil war. There has never been an inclusive issue in the USA when it comes to healing the country. The South should feel no need to rise again. Those doors have already been closed and citizenship was never denied. 

It is time to bury White Supremacy in the USA and this is a good day to realize that.

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend with vacations or picnics or parades. For those Americans that are members of essential services and are unable to enjoy this federal holiday; we miss you. Next federal holiday trade-off with a peer.

The next country to be reviewed for it's participation to the Kyoto Protocol is Ireland. I will most likely cover that Tuesday. 

May 27, 2018

What is the meaning of Memorial Day, and how is this different from Veterans Day?...

...In early rural America, (click here) this duty was usually performed in late summer and was an occasion for family reunions and picnics. After the Civil War, America’s need for a secular, patriotic ceremony to honor its military dead became prominent, as monuments to fallen soldiers were erected and dedicated, and ceremonies centering on the decoration of soldiers’ graves were held in towns and cities throughout the nation.

After World War I, the day expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars....

No less than 25 places have been named in connection with the origin of Memorial Day, and states observed the holiday on different dates. In 1971, Memorial Day became a national holiday by an act of Congress; it is now celebrated on the last Monday in May.

Since it all started with the Civil War, you might want to brush up on your knowledge of this event by visiting the Library of Congress Civil War collection, which includes more than a thousand photographs....             

This is a shame. There is only one satellite working to provide UNISYS with weather data.

16 May 2018
1530:44z
UNISYS Water Vapor Hemisphere Satellite (click here for 12 hour loop)

It is complete and dangerous corruption. This is not the way the USA should be conducting itself. That is a single satellite swath.


25 May 2018
1530:44z
Unisys Water Vapor GOES East satellite (click here for 12 hour loop - thank you)

Families (click here) like the Robertsons’ want to spend time focusing on fun — not the hassle of a cancelled flight or lost suitcase. For over 55 years, Unisys has worked with airports to solve these problems globally. Our airline, air transport and airport clients rely on our solutions to enhance the passenger experience while ensuring safety and security. With our comprehensive airline, airport and air cargo offerings, Unisys soars above the competition because our industry expertise — combined with our strong modernization and cybersecurity capabilities — add up to a top-flight combination.

Having provided innovative IT solutions to 21 of the top 25 global airlines, we have honed our strategic approach with a set of solutions that connect and secure the complex transportation landscape from the traveler to the baggage/cargo and the background freight management logistics....

Immediately below is a picture of Fort Lauderdale Beach before Irma hit. 

The current picture of Fort Lauderdale Beach is below. They haven't recovered from last season yet.

May 25, 2018

Empty beaches and low-hanging clouds are shown, Friday, May 25, 2018, at Fort Lauderdale Beach in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A storm kicking up in the Caribbean Sea is threatening to bring heavy rainfall and flash floods to parts of Mexico, Cuba, Florida and the eastern U.S. Gulf Coast this weekend and possibly beyond.

MIAMI (AP) — A storm (click here) moving slowly through the Gulf of Mexico is threatening to bring heavy rainfall, storm surges, high winds, and flash floods to the U.S. Gulf Coast this holiday weekend.

Subtropical Storm Alberto - the first named storm of the 2018 hurricane season - roiled parts of coastal Mexico and Cuba with rip currents and dangerous surf before plodding northward Saturday.

Cuba maintained its tropical storm watch for the province of Pinar del Rio, while Mexico cancelled its watch for the resort-dotted coast of the Yucatan peninsula, where the storm brought heavy rain. There were no immediate reports of emergencies. In Cancun, local newspapers showed scenes of some streets flooded to mid-hubcap level.

In the U.S., a storm surge watch - meaning the possibility of life-threatening inundations from rising coastal waters moving inland - was issued for a stretch of coastline between Horseshoe Beach, Florida, and the mouth of the Mississippi River.

"The combination of storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline," the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Isolated tornadoes could erupt over the Florida Keys or southwestern Florida late Saturday....

The image to the left are the tornadoes recorded during the 2917 hurricane season. Not the traditional tornado season, but, this is a record number of hurricane season tornadoes.

The 2017 hurricane season produced the largest number of reported tornadoes spawned (click here)

Are US House members required to take urine drug screens?

I think Governors should take a urine drug screen every 30 days. Absolutely. They can be good examples to the Poor who receive food stamps.

That is amazing. A US House Representative that is an operative to Trump, actually raises funds by prostitution and cocaine parties.

The voters know this is happening? I doubt cocaine parties and prostitutes are covered under "Citizens United."

Nunes uses drug money to finance his campaign and he is still a congressman? What does Trump have on him?

There are just prostitutes every where, including, Moscow with trump.

May 23, 2018

In 2015, Alene Anase (click here) was asked by her employer Alpha Omega Winery to serve guests as part of a charity cruise on the San Francisco Bay.

But what she expected to be a routine shift serving wine turned into a nightmare, according to court documents.

The guests aboard the yacht that night — described in her 2016 lawsuit as 25 of the Napa Valley-based winery’s top investors, all men — were openly using what appeared to be cocaine and “drawing straws” for which sex worker to hire, according to the lawsuit.

Alpha Omega, which boasts "world-class wines in a convivial setting," settled with Anase for an undisclosed amount in Napa County Superior Court the same year. The winery is owned by Robin Baggett, a major benefactor of Cal Poly, and its investors include his friend Rep. Devin Nunes.

Anase alleges that on the Aug. 12, 2015 cruise she could hear sexual activity happening in the yacht’s bedrooms and witnessed men "fondling and suckling" sex workers' breasts — some who appeared to be “too young to consent." At least one of the several John Does listed as defendants allegedly suggested that Anase should also “provide services of a sexual nature."

But she couldn't just leave — she was on the water.

She called the winery seeking help, and a higher-up employee told her to "lie low" to avoid harassment, the lawsuit says.

When the cruise ended, the men “lined the prostitutes up on the deck of the yacht, reviewed out loud and in detail the sexual services performed and paid them in front of Plaintiff,” according to the lawsuit.

The cruise was auctioned off at a charity fundraiser, and the winning bidders aboard the yacht were “important investors in Alpha,” according to court documents....

Finally, a dialogue about the collateral damage on all the students that were injured or killed.

Mike Pence was once Governor of Indiana. To him guns are a political policy and not an issue of governance. Results speak louder than words.

These deaths are a direct result of laws that do not word. Governor Mike Pence never legislated to protect citizens so much as his cronies and their profits. Indiana lives did not matter. This is astounding. Three school shootings and nothing is ever done.

Pence could not legislate without the ALEC blueprints. Do not vote for people demanding legislative templates from ALEC. 

What ALEC has to say (click here)

Mike Pence and Guns (click here)

- Pence has consistently benefited from financial and political support from the gun lobby, receiving tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions and an “A” rating from the NRA.

- As a Member of Congress, Pence repeatedly sided with the gun lobby and voted for legislation that jeopardizes public safety.

- As Governor, Pence enacted a number of extreme gun policies supported by the gun lobby.

- The laws enacted by Governor Pence further undermined Indiana’s already weak gun laws – which pose a dire cost for other states

- On the campaign trail, Pence has defended Trump’s statements inciting violence against Hillary Clinton and other insensitive comments about gun violence in America.

May 25, 2018

The National cable-news (click here) shows didn’t air Friday’s media briefings about the latest school shooting. The attack in Noblesville, Ind., was the third in just the span of a week, after all. And only two people were shot. Good news, right?

Wrong. Wrong on so many levels. Wrong that we are becoming accustomed to a world in which our children are potential targets. Wrong that we should have to feel grateful only two people were shot. And wrong to believe those two people were the only victims Friday when a student at Noblesville West Middle School opened fire.

Asking for the public’s prayers, the Noblesville police public information officer powerfully made the point that collateral damage extended beyond the student and teacher who were wounded. The children who cowered in closets, tearfully texted their parents, raced down hallways — none of them should have to experience such a calamity. “A lot of kids . . . ” said Lt. Bruce Barnes, “are trying to make sense of this situation.”...

1999 - 2017 Foreign Adoptions in the USA.

Website (click here)

The country with the most USA adoptions is China with 80,162 children. The age and gender is noted in the illustrated facts.

The total children adopted in the USA from foreign countries is 271,831. 

During this period 1130 Mexican children were adopted. South of Mexico is Guatemala where many children come from for American adoptions, a total of 29,806. Then comes Columbia with 4558 adopted children. The least is Argentina which saw two of their children adopted and Uruguay only let one of their children leave their homeland for adoption in the USA.

In the Caribbean Sea the least is Cuba with only one and the most is Haiti with 4294 children. 

I am sure within those statistics are people that were married and adopted their spouses child(ren) and also children that may have come to live with grandparents. 

With 271831 adoptions over 18 years, that is an average of 15,101.72 children. Since children only come in one body and not fractions of one the average is 15,102 children per year.

There are rules:

Hague Convention Text (click here)

HAGUE CONVENTION ON PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND CO-OPERATION

IN RESPECT OF INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION

www.hcch.net

The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention) is an international agreement to establish safeguards to ensure that intercountry adoptions take place in the best interests of the child. The Convention entered into force for the United States in April 2008. The Hague Adoption Convention applies to adoptions between the United States and the other countries that have joined it. In this section, we provide the keys to understanding how to proceed with a Hague Convention Adoption.

Donald Trump's Border Guards, National Guard and any civilian agency involved in forced removal of children from their natural parents are braking international law. There is absolutely no permission of any country to remove children forcibly from their natural parents. That is a form of genocide.

Anyone that is a member of any armed forces, including the Border Patrol and National Guard PARTICIPATING in the forcible removal of ANY child from their parents is breaking the law and can be court marshaled and/or remanded to the Hague for disposition of their crimes.

Article II of the Genocide Convention (click here) contains a narrow definition of the crime of genocide, which includes two main elements:

1. A mental element: the "intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such"; and

2.A physical element, which includes the following five acts, enumerated exhaustively:

- Killing members of the group.

- Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group

- Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part

- Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group

- Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group

From the Joint Chiefs to the Border Patrol and National Guard and civilian agencies; are to cease and desist forcible removal of any child anywhere in the world or continue to be exposed to violations of international law. This is an INDIVIDUAL decision to participate and each and everyone involved in forcibly removing children from their parents are subject to international standards and prosecution.

I find it interesting that Russia is second only to China in presenting children for adoption during this period with 46,113 children. I assume all these adopted children have dual citizenship regardless of the American adoption.

According to RUSSIAN law, (click here) any child adopted from Russia is a citizen of Russia, regardless of any other citizenship he or she may have obtained. As a RUSSIAN citizen, he/she must travel to Russia on a Russian passport, per RUSSIAN law.

When you apply for a visa to travel to Russia, the consulate is *supposed* to advise the parents that the child must travel on their Russian passport and, of course, no visa is needed. There have been many people who have been able to obtain a visa for their Russian adopted children's US passport and have experienced no problems doing this, but, please bear in mind that RUSSIAN law requires the Russian passport. When travelling TO the United States, US LAW requires all US citizens to travel on their US passport.

This is only an issue when travelling to Russia with our kids. If you're not going to Russia, use the US passport. When/if your kids rescind their Russian citizenship, then they will be able to travel to Russia on their US passport, but they will also need *proof* from the Russian consulate that their Russian citizenship was rescinded.

Again, all this is PER RUSSIAN LAW. How it is actually enforced or applied will depend on the mood of the consulate officer or customs official. :)

In order to understand genocide and define it, there needs to be written records and facts. This is a long held understanding and REQUIRES no reinterpretation.

...Part of the difficulty of adoption (click here) and the reason why there is so much paperwork is that it has to be shown that the child to be adopted is in fact an orphan. It is an unfortunate and grim fact that without these procedures in place some people in developing countries might steal children simply to adopt them out to more well-off Americans for profit. This is one of the things that the Hague Convention is specifically concerned with preventing....

...People often wonder why adopt internationally at all? There are many different answers to that question. Some people say that it is easier to do than to adopt within the United States, and while this may be true in some instances, it is certainly not the case in all. Some make the argument that a person adopted from a developing country and raised in the United States will live a better life, but this point is easily argued against. Who's to say that they will be any more or less happy depending upon location? Whether or not they have parents to care for them is probably of greater concern. Some people have very personal experiences abroad and forge close attachments to the people in that country and want to help their residents. Probably one of the more popular reasons is that it is practically impossible for the birth parents to re-unite with the child, something that many adoptive parents consider a plus. Most of the time the birth parents have somehow died, so that in the future there is no risk of a dramatic, confounding or damaging re-emergence....

The children being forcibly removed from their parents at the USA southern border are NOT orphans. These children are citizens of their birth country. They are in legal limbo and I suggest their parents are being intimidated to relinquish any custody if that is taking place and if these children are not returned. The entire idea of destroying a natural family is extremely offensive to nature and the rule of law.

Who is an Orphan? (click here)

Under U.S. immigration law, an orphan is a foreign-born child who:

- does not have any parents because of the death or disappearance of, abandonment or desertion by, or separation or loss from, both parents

OR

-has a sole or surviving parent who is unable to care for the child, consistent with the local standards of the foreign sending country, and who has, in writing, irrevocably released the child for emigration and adoption

It is about White Supremacy as well: 

Pioneers of Genocide Studies (click here)
Editors: Samuel Totten and Steven Leonard Jacobs

...Among the contributors (click here) are experts in the Armenian, Bosnian, and Cambodian genocides, as well as the Holocaust against the Jewish people. The contributors are Rouben Adalian, M. Cherif Bassiouni, Israel W. Charney, Vahakn Dadrian, Helen Fein, Barbara Harff, David Hawk, Herbert Hirsch, Irving Louis Horowitz, Richard Hovannisian, Henry Huttenbach, Leo Kuper, Raphael Lemkin, James E. Mace, Eric Markusen, Robert Melson, R.J. Rummel, Roger W. Smith, Gregory H. Stanton, Ervin Staub, Colin Tatz, Yves Ternan, and the co-editors. The work represents a high watermark in the reflections and self-reflections on the comparative study of genocide.

Donald Trump is inviting war with violation of human rights at the southern border.

Trump is becoming too much of a problem globally.

He is screaming nuclear war with North Korea.

He is elevating Israeli ideology to a new high. The Arab countries are now faced with an inspired Israel backed by extremists in the Trump administration.

He is trying to convince Putin he is an ally and not an enemy so Putin will stay out of an aggression in the Midfle East.

And now this. 

The world is not going to put up with this level of human rights violations for the time remaing in his term. And that is only what we know about.

More issues with pipes.

May 25, 2018

Flint - Everyone (click here) connected to the city of Flint's water system is urged to filter and boil their water after a transmission main broke Friday.

The break occurred in a 24-inch main near the General Motors plant at 12th Street and Van Slyke Road. It caused a large-scale depressurization, which may have allowed bacteria into the system.

Rob Bincsik, Flint's director of public works, decided to issue the city-wide boil filtered water advisory as a precaution. The advisory covers the whole city, because officials aren't sure how far the depressurization spread.

“At this time the full area of depressurization is unknown, so we are issuing the boil water notice city wide,” said Bincsik.

The boil water advisory will remain in effect for at least 48 hours until two samples taken 24 hours apart and allowed to sit for 24 hours come back free of bacterial contamination. The earliest it would be lifted is Sunday.

“Bacteriological samples are being taken and if samples come back negative we expect to lift the boil water advisory after 24 hours,” Bincsik said....

Flint also needs a "Human Rights Commission." It exists in some cities and even small cities. It is usually a volunteer effort supported by the city for any activities that are necessary. But, an Ombudsman's Office is essential for Flint.

May 23, 2018
By Zahra Ahmad

Flint -- The Ombudsman's Office (click here) will be funded in the upcoming fiscal year, according to the Mayor Karen Weaver's proposed budget.

However, the office won't be filled until city leaders appoint an Ethics and Accountability Board.

The Ombudsman's Office was vacated in 2011 after former emergency manager Michael Brown axed both the Ombudsman's Office and the Flint Civil Service Commission.

However, voters reinstated the office when they approved a new city charter in 2017.

The mayor's proposed budget calls for $250,000 to fund the office.

"I certainly think there is a role needed for the ombudsman and it was clear the people wanted that," Fourth Ward Councilwoman Kate Fields said. "They want someone that they can go and place a complaint and have an unbiased investigation of any functioning department of the city government."....

Corporate America have Ombudsmen. I think it is more than appropriate for city and county governments to have them.

By Micheal Mills

...The United States Ombudsman Association** (USOA) (click here) has been making an effort to support the ombudsman concept by assisting jurisdictions in creating new ombudsman offices at all levels of government. In our effort to create new offices, we have recognized that we must have some flexibility and tolerance in the type of offices that will be condoned and supported. It was a conscious decision on the part of the USOA to permit and encourage executive ombudsman offices to join the USOA in addition to those offices established under the traditional legislative model. That decision, made some seven years ago after much debate, served to increase the size of the Association to where it could continue as a viable organization with the resources to support the creation of new offices. In making the decision to be more inclusive, the USOA did make clear that the preferred ombudsman model was the traditional legislative model designed along the parameters established by the International Bar Association....

I listened to Ms. McGowan speak earlier today...

...and she was still stating here is a backlash from the film industry toward her. Haven't these women suffered enough? If the film industry wants to recuperate from this very sad history, it needs to invite these women back to their capacity.

Last year the income to the industry dropped significantly. The American public is very disillusioned by all this. Today, I read where Morgan Freeman (click here) was accused of sexual harassment. He called it making them "feel uneasy. It doesn't get more disappointing than that.

The film industry cannot exile women that have come forward to report a crime. That is retribution and I am sure there are legal statues about it. If the film industry wants it's movie goers back, they need to put these women back to work and let them lead the industry and it's much needed respect for women.

May 25, 2018
By Evan Real

...Argento and McGowan (click here) are two of the more than 80 women who came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Weinstein. Ashley Judd, Mira Sorvino, Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow are also among the high-profile actresses who have come forward with stories about Weinstein's pattern of alleged abuse. Mira Sorvino shared her thoughts on Weinstein's arrest, tweeting: "Sending love to all my sisters today who stood up against a monster... so many emotions... I am proud of and grateful to you all." Actress and Weinstein accuser Daryl Hannah tweeted: "Without justice courage is weak.... may justice prevail."

Sean Young, who had claimed Weinstein exposed himself to her, said she knows of other men in Hollywood, but declined to name them. In a statement to THR, the Blade Runner star said: "That's one down and three to go. I know of at least three abusive men out in Hollywood who are still out there living there successful lives who I wouldn't dream of outing for fear of losing my life. If the entertainment business wants to clean up it's act, it will take an act of God."...                 

I wish President Moon Jae-in great success.

This is a real shame for the USA. Serving as a peacemaker is one of the world's greatest tasks. Perhaps in the future President Trump will have found his way back to the peace table as a partner with South Korea. 

May 24, 2018
By John Fritze and Gregory Korte

Washington — President Trump (click here) canceled a scheduled nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday, citing the "tremendous anger and open hostility" he said Kim displayed in recent statements.

In a letter to Kim, Trump described the decision to end negotiations over the June 12 meeting in Singapore as a "truly sad moment in history." The two countries were working for weeks toward a first-ever summit of a North Korean leader and a U.S. president.

"This is a tremendous setback for North Korea, and indeed a setback for the world," Trump said at the White House hours after the letter was released. "If and when Kim Jong Un chooses to engage in constructive dialogue and actions, I am waiting."

Trump said he spoke to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and allies in the region on Thursday and repeatedly indicated U.S. military forces were ready should North Korea engage in any "foolish or reckless acts." The prospect of a summit had significantly eased tensions between North Korea and the U.S. that had escalated last year....

This is progress. The closing and destruction of the North's single nuclear testing sight is significant. 

May 24, 2018

North Korea (click here) said it had fully demolished its only known nuclear test site on Thursday, with a series of planned detonations that put the facility beyond further use.

“The Nuclear Weapons Institute of the DPRK held a ceremony for completely dismantling the northern nuclear test ground on May 24… to ensure transparency of the discontinuance of nuclear test,” the institute said in an English language statement carried on the state-run KCNA news agency. DPRK is the abbreviated version of the country’s official name.

“Dismantling the nuclear test ground was done in such a way as to make all the tunnels of the test ground collapse by explosion and completely close the tunnel entrances, and at the same time, explode some guard facilities and observation posts on the site,” the statement added....

I will repeat, the final nuclear test at the sight was believed to be a hydrogen explosion. That particular explosion was enormous and provided for skepticism as the integrity of the test sight. Closing it was a wise thing to do.

Look, North Korea is a communist state. It has China and Russia to help protect it's people. That is not a minor statement. Both, China and Russia are permanent nuclear countries within the United Nations Security Council; there is no need for North Korea to experiment with such weapons of even stockpile them. Those funds are better spent on the citizens of North Korea.

It is just plain silly for North Korea to isolate itself with threats of nuclear weapons when resuming good relations with the South could bring about a better quality of life for the people of the North.

President Moon Jae-in is absolutely correct to continue to seek better relations with Kim Jong Un. Nothing has to change. North Korea should reflect on the fact South Korea has no nuclear weapon capacity. It trusts its allies to be prepared to defend it should adverse events present themselves.

It is time for Kim Jong Un to stop proliferating nuclear weapons, remove them from the peninsula and begin the process of building trust and economic relationships with South Korea. The people of both countries will be happier. It's that what leadership of any country should want?

There is simply no reason for North Korea to have nuclear weapons and should consider what life would be like for both sides of the DMZ if the weapons were decommissioned and sold to Russia or China. No one needs this, least of all the people of South Korea.