We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Harbor Springs women reflect on Ukraine war after time with refugees Julie Bacon and Sujo Offield of Harbor Springs went to Poland in March to help refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. Ecuador's presidential election to have a runoff -Official TVE Lenin Moreno set for faceoff with Guillermo Lasso QUITO Petroleumworld.com 02 22 2017 Ecuador's presidential election will go to an April runoff between leftist government candidate Lenin Moreno and ex-banker Guillermo Lasso, the electoral body said on Tuesday, after a nail-biter first round over the weekend. Moreno needed 40 percent of valid votes and a 10 percentage-point difference over his nearest rival to win outright. He was the clear leader of Sunday's election, pocketing 39.21 percent of valid votes versus 28.34 percent for Lasso, with 95.3 percent of votes counted. With the Andean country on tenterhooks and the opposition protesting for prompt results, the electoral body said the results could not change although it was waiting for all ballots to be counted before officially proclaiming a second round. "No, it's not possible," electoral council president Juan Pablo Pozo told reporters, when asked if a runoff could be avoided. "But we have to wait for official results to be 100 percent." Opposition protesters had massed in front of the electoral council headquarters in mountainous capital Quito since Sunday to denounce what they say were fraud attempts. The government retorted they were inciting violence and urged patience. Ecuador's fragmented opposition is now expected to close ranks around Lasso in a runoff amid anger over an economic downturn and a series of corruption scandals, potentially ending a decade of leftist rule in Ecuador. Should Ecuador move to the right with a second-round victory for Lasso, it would follow on the heels of Argentina, Brazil and Peru which have all swerved away from the left as a China-led commodities boom ended. Lasso has campaigned on a platform to revive the economy, which is dependent on exports of oil, flowers and shrimp, by slashing taxes, fostering foreign investment and creating a million jobs in four years. He has also vowed to remove Wikileaks founder Julian Assange from the Ecuadorean embassy in London and denounce Venezuela's Socialist government. Some Lasso supporters honked their horns in Quito, but others were more cautious. "We can't celebrate until they've officially announced a second round," said Maria Isabel Pino, 36, in the coastal city of Guayaquil. LASSO VS. MORENO Still, some disillusioned Correa supporters see Lasso as an elitist who might slash social programs, and the ruling Country Alliance remains popular with many of the country's rural poor. "The second round will be tight," said pollster Blasco Penaherrera, who has not yet run any surveys about the runoff. Moreno, who is paraplegic since being shot during a robbery some two decades ago while he was out buying bread, on Tuesday expressed confidence he would become one of the world's rare disabled presidents. "Do you see me desperate? It's because we're going to win the elections just like we won the first round," said Moreno, who promises support for single mothers, the elderly, and disabled Ecuadoreans. Many Ecuadoreans link Lasso with the 1999 banking crisis when hundreds of thousands lost their savings and many migrated to Spain or the United States. "We don't want a corrupt banker as president," said Moreno supporter Tatiana Manosalvas, a 45 year-old taxi driver. "We can't return to our history of instability when the richest stole our money with impunity." Lasso has defended himself by saying the bank he ran for almost 20 years, Banco de Guayaquil, was solid and survived the meltdown. He says it is Ecuador's leftist government that is hiding corruption behind a false rhetoric of helping the poor. Bribery scandals at state oil company Petroecuador and Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht are indeed weighing on the ruling party. A fugitive former oil minister regularly accuses Moreno's running mate Jorge Glas, the former head of Strategic Sectors, of being "the ringleader" of a graft operation at Petroecuador. Glas has denied the accusations. Under pressure, Moreno has vowed "major surgery" to remove malfeasance and Glas has kept a low profile towards the end of the campaign. But corruption is now one of the top issues for Ecuadoreans alongside the economy and jobs. And after a decade of governance by mercurial president Rafael Correa, many in the country of 16 million say they are also tired of his confrontational style and alliances with Cuba and Venezuela. "This has to end, it's ended in Argentina, now it will end in Ecuador, and next up is Venezuela," said student Carlos Vallarino, 24, who voted for Lasso. Vegan eating has skyrocketed in popularity over the course of recent decades, with more than 1,400 plant-based restaurants opening all across the US. While Philadelphia is historically known for cheesesteaks, countless vegan restaurants now call the city home. This is The quickly shifting reality of live theater has been a way of life for Paige Price. The Philadelphia Theatre Company's newly appointed producing artistic director was one of Broadway's most durable dancers in Saturday Night Fever until a 2001 injury meant she would mainly be an actress. And in doing so at Theatre Aspen in 2007 during a production of The Last Five Years, she suddenly found herself acting as executive artistic director and getting the establishment out of debt. Plus taking a vice presidency with Actors' Equity Association. Her Philadelphia appointment - announced this week and succeeding the 35-year tenure of Sara Garonzik - means giving up spectacular Rocky Mountain scenery but having a near year-round, locally based audience and a theater with running water. You heard that right. "It was the fanciest theater tent you ever saw," says Price of her Aspen venue, "but it was definitely seasonal." Theater professionals hailed the appointment. "I have watched Paige's career progress from a Broadway leading lady and the national vice president of Actors' Equity Association, to the artistic director of the Theatre Aspen, where she totally transformed that struggling theater," said Todd Haimes, artistic director of New York's Roundabout Theatre. "I can't think of a more exciting choice to lead the Philadelphia Theatre Company...." In a phone interview Saturday, Price, 52, admitted that, with an appointment so recent (she's still doing the Aspen job through March 31), she has yet to develop a vision for going forward with Philadelphia Theatre Company, whose current season was developed under Garonzik. Price talked about honoring the past and revitalizing the brand, but in a less guarded moment said, "I'm looking forward to seeing what I can get away with." She feels a greater sense of mission in the wake of the November election - which has come with lots of questions around arts funding. "This is an opportunity to do some serious work that maybe has a bigger impact on the community and reaches into topics not often covered in summer theater," she said. "That's what's really appealing ... as well as to do serious work and reflect the voices of American artists. I'm aware of the artists in Philly. But my first marching order is to listen and learn." Then, in another unguarded moment, she said, "I'm shooting for the moon." She was credited with doing so in Aspen, though in a resort town that meant creating a first-class production of Les Miserables with extremely limited means. In Philadelphia, aiming high means keeping up with the artistically competitive smaller companies that have sometimes swept the Barrymore Awards. "They can be more nimble," she admitted, but added that her version of PTC won't be "your grandmother's theater." Such idealism also comes with a practical side. Having begun ballet lessons at age 3 while growing up in Middlesex, N.J., she knew by age 4 that she would have a life in the theater. During backstage moments, she was always curious how any given theatrical mechanism worked, who did what, and how much it cost. With her position in Actors' Equity (which she will relinquish), she learned how to negotiate contracts. She's aware that PTC has sometimes been used as a trial ground in collaborations that can involve other regional theaters, as well as New York producers. "But I would choose my partners carefully," she says. Perhaps most key - considering Philadelphia Theatre Company temporarily lost ownership of its Suzanne Roberts Theatre in 2015 due to financial shortfalls - is her fund-raising ability. In Aspen she increased revenue by 127 percent - while she was also keeping one foot in acting, having done the play Sex With Strangers at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts last year. "I wish I could say that I had a master plan. My mother always warned me about being jack-of-all-trades and master of none," said Price. "But who knew that not specializing would be so helpful." READ MORE: Chad Dion Lassiter I was fresh out of undergrad, coming from a historically black university, Johnson C. Smith University, when I went to the Million Man March in 1995. I thought that the call was necessary given what was happening at that time with the breakdown of the black family and police brutality against black men. There were Muslim women making salat for a peaceful journey, and there were Christian women anointing our heads with oil for protection. They were holding on to us, kissing us, and saying they loved us. A lot of people were fearful because they didn't know what to expect. Not because of us, but because of a government that has a history of tyranny and oppressive behavior toward blacks when they unite or speak truth to power. The march was an amazing moment, because it was black men of all faiths and non-faiths from all around the globe who were united in their humanity to transcend their communities and themselves. The message was manifold. It was about cleaning up our community, not standing in trash and talking trash. It was about economic justice, personal responsibility, accountability, a message of peace, self-determination, and a message of respecting the women in our community. What impacted me the most was seeing black and brown men hugging, high-fiving, and crying. Sharing their pain and vulnerability and their plans to change themselves and their communities. It was such a God-inspired moment. It was very inspiring against the backdrop of the media, which attempted to whitewash the numbers of attendees but also suggested that there would be conflict. This was a moment to atone to our communities, our families, and our children. Moreover, it was peaceful throughout. After the march, which wasn't given much credit, there was an increase in mentoring; you saw an increase in programs that dealt with instilling in boys and men a moral compass and dealt with value clarifications. More black and brown people were owning their own businesses. It was very surreal and very spiritual. I'm getting choked up just thinking about it. You saw brothas there with two sons, three sons, four sons. It was love on public display. I'll never forget heading to the Mall and women handing us water, Gatorade, nuts, and fruits, telling us they loved us. I don't know this sista from D.C., but she loves me. She sees my humanity. Share your Black Joy story: We want to hear from you. Click here for the details on how to share your story about Black Joy and read more stories from around Philadelphia. HARRISBURG Three weeks of state budget hearings began Tuesday with legislators scrutinizing Gov. Wolf's proposals to enact a new tax on natural gas drilling and raise the minimum wage. Members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees questioned officials with the state Independent Fiscal Office about the Democratic governor's calls to raise the minimum hourly wage to $12 from $7.25, the federal level, and his plan to impose a 6.5 percent severance tax on natural gas drilling, an industry that has provided an economic boost to pockets of the state. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Stan Saylor (R., York) said taxing a particular industry could lead to the loss of jobs to other states. "We have to keep in perspective our economy, what taxes we put in place and how it affects job creation here in the future," he said. "We have a spending problem, not a tax problem." Wolf this month proposed a $32.3 billion spending plan for the next fiscal year that would use expenditure cuts and agency consolidations to close much of Pennsylvania's budget shortfall, which current projections say could swell to more than $2.8 billion in the next fiscal year if not addressed. Unlike his past proposed budgets, the latest one does not call for increases in the state sales and personal income tax rates. Republican legislative leaders have criticized aspects of Wolf's plan like the natural gas severance tax, which he has called for before but in general have sounded more receptive than in previous years. Rep. Joe Markosek of Allegheny County, the ranking Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, even suggested Tuesday that Wolf's plan was like one a Republican might offer. "We are looking at a Republican-style budget proposal from a Democratic governor," he said. The possibility that actions by Congress to change the Affordable Care Act could affect the state budget came up when Rep. Stephen Kinsey (D., Phila.) asked if the office had looked at the issue. Deputy director Mark Ryan said that if the cost-sharing between the state and federal governments for people insured through Medicaid expansion were to be changed from a rate under the Affordable Care Act to the standard federal-state split, it would cost Pennsylvania about $2 billion more, if those people remained covered. The House panel also heard from the Department of Revenue and the Department of State, while the Senate Appropriations Committee heard from the Independent Fiscal Office and the Treasury. Both panels are expected to hear later this week from officials of the State System of Higher Education and the Attorney General's Office, among others. Budget negotiations typically intensify in June, ahead of the start of the state's fiscal year July 1. A former Cherry Hill lawyer accused of orchestrating a $13 million Ponzi scheme with his father pleaded not guilty Tuesday in federal court in Camden. Michael Kwasnik, 47, of North Miami Beach, Fla., and his father, William, 68, of Marlton, were indicted on charges of wire and mail fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. William Kwasnik also pleaded not guilty Tuesday before Judge Karen M. Williams. The alleged scheme targeted more than 40 clients of Michael Kwasnik's law firm between 2008 and 2011, when funds from the clients' trust accounts were diverted into accounts the Kwasniks controlled, authorities said. The Kwasniks spent at least $10 million of the stolen money on office leases, car payments, credit card payments, and the cost of defending themselves in various lawsuits, among other expenses, according to court documents. Richard Klineburger, Michael Kwasnik's attorney, said after Tuesday's hearing that his client was not a criminal and that this was a case of bad investments. "He never stole any money," Klineburger said. The Kwasniks appeared separately in front of Williams on Tuesday, acknowledged basic instructions and spoke little otherwise. The firms Michael Kwasnik operated have closed: Kwasnik, Rodio, Kanowitz & Buckley P.C. and its successor, Kwasnik, Kanowitz & Associates P.C. He had offices in Cherry Hill and Philadelphia. Prosecutors said Michael Kwasnik named himself his clients' trustee and told them to transfer money into their trust accounts. He and his father then laundered the money through entities they controlled including Abby Grant, a Cherry Hill insurance company William Kwasnik owned and spent it, authorities said. Michael Kwasnik's law license has been suspended in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He has faced similar charges in the past. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to money laundering charges for bilking a 96-year-old Cherry Hill widow out of $1.1 million. Jail time was limited to the five months he was held at the Camden County Jail after his arrest. In 2015, in a civil case, a judge ordered him and two other men to pay $14 million in restitution for running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded scores of elderly investors in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Clutch-type rear derailleur in long and mid-cage options. Mid-length levers and servo-wave actuation. The 6000 calipers accept XTR finned brake pads. Choose a two or three-ring crankset with XTR styling. Equally newsworthy was what was not included in the press release: No eleven speed for M6000, so it won't be cross-compatible with its pricier siblings. The basic Deore will remain a ten-speed transmission, and there is no mention of a one-by (single chainring) option. Instead, M6000 customers can choose from a number of two and three-chainring cranksets (no surprise there) paired with a new wide-range 11 by 42-tooth cassette, or Shimano's longstanding 11 by 32, 34, or 36-tooth cassettes. To assist OEM customers, Shimano will offer front changers with every possible cable and clamping arrangement. Side-swing front mech for the entry level Deore group. SLX One-By and a Wide-Range Cassette On the heels of the M6000 Deore ensemble, came the announcement that an SLX-level one-by drivetrain has finally been approved for production, and with an eleven--speed, 11 x 46-tooth, wide-range cassette - both of which will be released this Spring. The affordable one-by transmission, big-boy cassette and the concurrent release of XT-level wheelsets with Boost axle spacing reflect a large-scale adjustment in the Japanese parts maker's range, presumably, to pull alongside SRAM in the OEM market and to ensure that those customers have the proper tools to outfit mid-priced performance mountain bikes with tip-to-toe Shimano componentry. Entry Level Trail Pedal Shimano also added an SPD Trail pedal to its range that is reportedly priced to match the M6000 ensemble. The PDED500 pedal once again, puts one of Shimano's most-wanted products into the hands of entry-level riders. Expect to see the 500-level pedals on demo fleets world wide. No price was available at the time of the press release. Boost Wheelsets Wheels have gradually become a staple product for Shimano and, while wide rims are still on the horizon, to keep in step, their wheel range is now available in Boost-width as well as standard-width axles. Two new 29 and 27.5 Deore XT wheelsets have wider axle options - a 110x15mm e-thru front- and a 148x12mm rear-axle spacing. Shimano says that the new wheelsets increase stiffness. Also new are rear thru axle hubs (AX-MT700 and AX-MT500) with smaller housings and lighter weights that feature greater clearance for frames and brake calipers. Wheels have gradually become a staple product for Shimano and, while wide rims are still on the horizon, to keep in step, their wheel range is now available in Boost-width as well as standard-width axles. Two new 29 and 27.5 Deore XT wheelsets have wider axle options - a 110x15mm e-thru front- and a 148x12mm rear-axle spacing. Shimano says that the new wheelsets increase stiffness. Also new are rear thru axle hubs (AX-MT700 and AX-MT500) with smaller housings and lighter weights that feature greater clearance for frames and brake calipers. MENTIONS: Shimano's latest press release reminds us that, as much as we would all like to own a ten thousand dollar trail bike, many avid riders, and some first-time mountain bikers will be hitting the trails this season aboard far more modest steeds. The new M6000-level Deore component ensemble is targeted at the entry-level enthusiasts and cash strapped shredders who would much prefer XTR, but have not yet purchased a winning lottery ticket.Highlights of the new group are a clutch type Shadow plus rear derailleur, a four-arm XTR style crank spider, Centerlock brake rotors and hubs, and while the Servo-Wave brake levers and ICE-compatible calipers are modeled very close to the ergonomically pleasant XT and XTR stoppers, you'll have to pony up for the finned brake pads, because they are not standard fare. The star, named TRAPPIST-1, is a fairly inconspicuous star in our Milky Way. Small (8% the mass of the sun) and cold (half the temperature of the sun), it is a member of an ultra-cool dwarf population that represents 15% of the star population of our galaxy. In 2016, Gillon and his team detected the transit (i.e., the shadow of a planet passing between its host star and us) of three exoplanets at the inner edge of the habitable zone of their star. Energized and excited by this discovery, the team requested and received additional telescope time to follow up on this system during the second half of 2016. The NASA Spitzer telescope is one of the facilities they selected for an ambitious program that called for monitoring the TRAPPIST-1 system almost continuously for twenty days. Spitzer and other ground-based telescopes allowed the team to detect thirty-four transits, more than they had anticipated, suggesting the existence of additional exoplanets in the system. After an careful analysis, the data revealed the presence of seven Earth-sized exoplanets (named TRAPPIST 1b, c, d, e, f, g, and h) in orbit around this M-type star. Because their orbital periods are short (less than twelve days for planets b to g), several transits were detected during the campaign. Accurately measurements of those tiny events (0.6% dimming of the star) provide a wealth of information about the planets orbits, sizes, and even masses by measuring precisely the timings of the transits which are perturbed by the gravity of other planets. Chinese staff prepare to unload Bao Bao. [Photo/Xinhua] After a flight lasting almost 17 hours, an aircraft that left from Washington in the US with panda Bao Bao on board landed safely at Chengdu airport, in Southwestern China's Sichuan province, at 6:59 pm local time on Wednesday. Bao Bao, a 3-and-a-half-year-old female giant panda that had lived at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, left the United States on Tuesday afternoon, aboard a FedEx Panda Express 777F airplane. The 200-pound animal will spend one month in quarantine in a 100 square meter "apartment" for the returning overseas pandas in the Dujiangyan Panda Base, where she will be greeted by her new keepers from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda and get acclimatized to the accents of her new keepers and the local food. She may have the opportunity to meet her brother for the first time 12-year-old Tai Shan, who returned to China from the US in 2010. Both are the offspring of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian. The parents still reside at the zoo in Washington. It is not yet known whether Bao Bao will continue to live at the Dujiangyan center after her quarantine is over. She will eventually join the giant panda breeding program after the reaches the age at which pandas mate - between 5and 6 years old. Bao Bao, which translates to precious treasure, was born on Aug 23, 2013 through artificial insemination. At her naming ceremony when she turned 100 days old, Chinas first lady Peng Liyuan and then US first lady Michelle Obama sent video greetings. Under a bilateral agreement between the National Zoo and China, panda cubs born at the zoo to pandas on loan from China belong to China and should be returned to China before they reach the age of four so they can join the breeding program. When and how? NASA officials say the Clipper mission is still on track for a mid-2022 launch. Using a powerful boost from NASA's new heavy lift rocket, the Space Launch System, the Clipper would fly directly to Jupiter and arrive in 2025. Without SLS, the journey would take five years longer, and require flybys of Venus and Earth to reach the right trajectory. Flying past Venus means flying closer to the Sun. Flying closer to the Sun means extra heat shielding. And extra heat shielding means a heavier spacecraft. Though Congress has ordered NASA to use SLS for both the Clipper and lander missions, the agency is still keeping the extra heat shielding in the Clipper's design for nowjust in case anything derails development of the yet-to-be-flown rocket. Without SLS, the lander as currently designed might not be able to fly at all, according to the SDT report. That's because the spacecraft will be heavy. In addition to the lander itself, there are three other components: a carrier and relay stage, a de-orbit stage, and a descent stage. Officials aren't publicly saying how heavy the entire package might be, but it would currently require a deep space thruster burn and Earth gravity assist to put it on the correct path to Jupitereven with the added boost from SLS. The earliest the lander would launch is 2024 or 2025, putting it at Jupiter around 2030. Once in orbit around Jupiter, the lander spacecraft would spend 18 months slowly spiraling inward to Europa, swinging past Callisto and Ganymede on the way. At Europa, the carrier and relay orbiter would separate and act as a data relay satellite. The Clipper, ideally still operating in an extended mission, would be used as a backup relay. The lander would not have the capability to talk to Earth on its own. Remember the Curiosity spacecraft's seven minutes of terror, during which it plunged to the Martian surface in a harrowing process known as entry, descent and landing, or EDL? Since Europa has no atmosphere, and the descent begins in orbit, a new acronym is in play: DDL, which stands for de-orbit, descent and landing. First, the de-orbit stage will pull the descent stage and lander out of orbit. As the thruster-powered descent stage approaches the surface, it will perform the same skycrane maneuver that deposited Curiosity onto Mars, where a tether lowers the lander. The descent stage then cuts loose and flys away for an intentional crash-landing. Once the lander is safely on the surface, scientists will have to work fast to gather their data. The spacecraft is powered only by a 45-kilowatt-hour battery designed to last between 20 to 40 days. Why not find a way to stay longer? Because the carrier relay orbiter, which will be bathed in Jupiter's radiation, is expected to fail in just a single month. Awaiting the greenlight Federal fiscal year 2017 began back on October 1, 2016, but Congress has not yet passed a 2017 budget. As of now, with the notable exception of Orion and the Space Launch System, NASA is operating under 2016 funding levels. In 2016, Congress earmarked $175 million for the Clipper mission. In proposed 2017 spending bills, the House allocated $260 million to be used for both the Clipper and lander, while the Senate did not mention the missions at all. One source I spoke with said NASA is internally estimating a cost of $2 billion for the Clipper alone, and that doesn't include the cost of the Space Launch System, which could have have a price tag between $500 million and $1 billion, according to statements by various NASA officials. That means that despite the progress, there are a lot of hurdles to overcome before humanity gets a chance to search for life on Europa. But NASA missions have endured far worse; look no further than the 16-year struggle to get the New Horizons mission to Pluto on the launchpad. And in this case, the end result could be a confirmation of life beyond Earth. "Just imagine if that ends up being the case," Srinivasan said. "That's transformative, to be able to say that we lived in a time when that discovery was made." A man will spend at least 12 years in prison on third-degree murder, drunken driving, and other charges for a wrong-way crash that killed a western Pennsylvania police officer, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Clair Fink III, 33, was sentenced today by a Westmoreland County judge. Fink pleaded guilty in September in the head-on crash that killed Ligonier Township Police Lt. Eric Eslary in May 2015. The crash left Eslarys police dog, Blek, injured. Ligonier Township Police Lt. Eric Eslary was killed in a crash in May 2015 that injured his K-9. (Photo: Ligonier Township) Police said Fink and a co-worker had been drinking for hours in a work vehicle before winding up driving the wrong way on Route 30 -- a divided highway -- at around 1:45 a.m. on May 5. The van that he and the co-worker were in was cresting a hill when it slammed into Lt. Eslarys marked sport utility vehicle, killing the lieutenant and injuring his police dog. According to the affidavit filed in the case, Mr. Fink's blood-alcohol content at the time of the crash was 0.197, more than twice the legal limit in Pennsylvania. He also tested positive for marijuana, police said. Finks sentence is 12 to 30 years in prison. The third-degree murder charge, the most serious Fink faces, carried up to 40 years in prison. The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office received a donation of eight ballistic shields from a local Firehouse Subs restaurant. (Photo: Charlotte County SO) A Florida Firehouse Subs restaurant has donated over $10,000 worth of safety equipment to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office posted photos to Facebook Tuesday honoring the restaurant on Veteran's Boulevard at Tamiami Trail for donating eight ballistic shields, Fox 4 TV reports. Officers of the Northampton (MA) Police Department greet students arriving at school. They got the idea from a presentation at IACP, but have now ended the practice over concerns it might make some children uncomfortable. (Photo: Northampton PD/Facebook Northampton (MA) police officers are ending a program they "really enjoyed" after hearing concerns that it may have made certain children feel uncomfortable. Northampton officers got the idea for "High Five Friday" last fall, during the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in San Diego. The department said it was a free way to "positively engage" with youth in the community. "We loved the idea! We reached out to Superintendent Provost and asked him if he would support the program and if he would communicate with the four Northampton elementary school principals to see if they were interested in having us visit once a month on a Friday. Everyone was on board," police explained in a Facebook post. The program continued for several months, with the department posting photos from their visits. Although the department said it received great support on social media, concerns were raised during a recent school committee meeting. The chief faced questions about the long-term impact of the program and whether all children felt comfortable with the officers at their schools, WCVB TV reports. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print As concerned citizens all across the country flood town halls in Republican districts, Virginia GOP Congressman Dave Brat came up with what he thought was a genius plan hold his event a whopping 60 miles away from where most of his constituents live. The voters of Virginias 7th district werent having it. So many of Brats constituents showed up to the town hall that the street was lined with people hoping to attend the event, which was held at a restaurant in Blackstone. The beginning of a long line outside the town hall for Rep. Dave Brat in Blackstone, Va. pic.twitter.com/E1RTaRSNnU Patrick Wilson (@patrickmwilson) February 21, 2017 The venue quickly reached its full capacity roughly 200 people and many were forced to attend the event from the sidewalk just outside the building. Video: Lots of folks stuck outside of Dave Brat town hall theyre at capacity at around 200 ppl pic.twitter.com/eqm4Bdw87i Alexis Levinson (@alexis_levinson) February 22, 2017 One woman who stopped by Brats event said, according to her handmade sign, that she drove 165 miles to get there and, no, she wasnt paid to attend. Picture: No one paid her to be there: we the people pat YOU #davebrat #Blackstone pic.twitter.com/kpbbCZiOJF NastyGO (@gwenorel1) February 22, 2017 While many, many constituents showed up in hopes of getting inside and sharing their concerns, there were also large crowds of protesters outside the town hall expressing their displeasure with the Republican congressman: Protesters outside Rep. Dave Brat town hall in Blackstone, Va. pic.twitter.com/eE9U0lN6fS Patrick Wilson (@patrickmwilson) February 22, 2017 Let this be a lesson for other Republicans planning to make it difficult for their constituents to find them. Instead of dodging town halls or making it more difficult for folks to attend, just have some courage and face the people. Hiding from your constituents, after all, only motivates them more, as Congressman Brat found out on Tuesday. video video video Bao Bao, the beloved female panda born in Washington D.C., is heading to southwestern Chinese city Chengdu. Bao Bao has boarded her "Panda Express", a FedEx charted flight, accompanied by staff members and bamboos. Bao Bao, born in August 2013 at the Smithsonians National Zoo, is the offspring of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, who have lived at the zoo since 2000. Shellie Pick, a keeper of Bao Bao, has shared the joy of raising the three-year-old panda during an exclusive interview with China Daily in Washington. Let's take a closer look. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Sen. Joni Ernest had one public event today in Maquoketa, Iowa, and the Senator who as a candidate bragged of being cutting farmer and castrating Washington by cutting pork faced a political neutering by an anti-Trump crowd that chanted your last term, as she entered the event. Video by Iowa Starting Line of a crowd that they estimated as 80% anti-Trump: Given amount of people taking part in chants, I'd say 80% of people here for Ernst forum are anti-Trump pic.twitter.com/jDhUVFLSFM Iowa Starting Line (@IAStartingLine) February 21, 2017 Sen. Ernst being greeted with chants of your last term: Joni Ernst walks in to deafening chant of "Your Last Term!" that overpowers the applause pic.twitter.com/Wc9TKh31Cz Iowa Starting Line (@IAStartingLine) February 21, 2017 The event was supposed to be a veterans roundtable, but it turned into an expression of constituent outrage directed at the Trump supporting Senator from Iowa. After the veterans issues discussion, the focus of the event turned to Obamacare, where the Senator was booed for her position on repealing the ACA. After 45 minutes, Sen. Ernst ended the event, and the crowd erupted in anger: Crowd explodes in anger as Joni Ernst ends forum after about 45 minutes pic.twitter.com/gP59grAHE1 Iowa Starting Line (@IAStartingLine) February 21, 2017 Republican members of Congress who were not in office when the ACA was passed have no idea how to handle these events. Ernst was trying to lay low by not scheduling any town halls this week, but the crowd turned out to the public event on her schedule to give her an earful. The public outrage is real, and it is happening in red states all across the country. People understand that there is no replace in the Republican plan to repeal and replace the ACA. The outsider candidate who once ran this ad: Is now a Washington insider who is being held accountable for her positions. The shoe is firmly on the other foot, and Republicans cant hide from angry Americans who dont want to lose their health care. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Thousands of low-income Texans will still be able to receive access to cancer screenings, birth control and other important services after a federal judge on Tuesday ruled that the state cannot cut off Medicaid money to Planned Parenthood. According to the Associated Press, the decision by U.S. District Sam Sparks makes Texas the sixth state where federal courts have kept Planned Parenthood eligible for Medicaid reimbursements for non-abortion services. The GOP onslaught against the organization has been ongoing for years, but it intensified in recent years after anti-abortion activists secretly recorded and released videos they claimed were proof of wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood. However, as the AP notes, Investigations by 13 states into those videos have concluded without criminal charges, and Planned Parenthood officials have denied any wrongdoing. In his decision, Sparks slammed state leaders for limiting access to Planned Parenthood for low-income Texans based on non-existent wrongdoing by the organization. More from the AP report: Sparks decision preserves what Planned Parenthood says are cancer screenings, birth control access and other health services for nearly 11,000 low-income women at 30 clinics. Texas originally intended to boot Planned Parenthood in January but Sparks told the state to wait pending his ruling. Arkansas, Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi and Louisiana have also had similar efforts blocked. Sparks unsparing opinion excoriated Texas for not providing any evidence of Planned Parenthood wrongdoing and stalling on the ouster for nearly a year. A secretly recorded video, fake names, a grand jury indictment, congressional investigations these are the building blocks of a best-selling novel rather than a case concerning the interplay of federal and state authority through the Medicaid program, Sparks wrote. Yet, rather than a villain plotting to take over the world, the subject of this case is the State of Texass efforts to expel a group of health care providers from a social health care program for families and individuals with limited resources. Despite Sparks ruling in Texas, it remains to be seen what Donald Trump, who has proposed defunding Planned Parenthood and criminalizing abortion, will now do on a national scale as president. With control of both chambers of Congress and the scales of the U.S. Supreme Court also tipping in their favor, Republicans are only likely to step up their attacks on womens rights over the next at least two years. For now, though, thousands of women (and men) in Texas will still be able to receive access to vital health care services. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print President Trump took to Twitter to complain that liberal activism and organization at Republican Congressional town halls is making him sad. Trump tweeted: The so-called angry crowds in home districts of some Republicans are actually, in numerous cases, planned out by liberal activists. Sad! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2017 Trump tried to question the legitimacy of the crowds by referring to them as so-called angry crowds, which serves as a testament to just how strong President Trumps ability to deny reality really is. The crowds are angry, and they are definitely real. People dont like the direction that the country is moving in, and they are making their voices heard. President Trump also believes that there is something wrong with liberals organizing and participating in the political process. Trump still hasnt figured out that his constituency is every citizen of the United States. He is not only the president for those who voted for him. Trump also wants America to know that increased participation in the political process is making him sad. Yep, the President Of The United States wants fewer people involved in politics, because if more people get involved, it is going to take a lot more than 78,000 votes in three swing states for him to win reelection. Keep up what you are doing, America. Go to the town halls of your local representative and senators. Make your voices heard if for no other reason than your protests are bumming out Trump. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print The childish new president took to Twitter on Tuesday for his latest tirade, this time directing his anger at the flood of Americans attending Republican town halls urging the GOP not to repeal the Affordable Care Act. In his tweet, Trump said the so-called angry crowds are full of liberal activists. This isnt far off from earlier suggestions by the president that the avalanche of post-election protests is made up mostly of paid professionals. Tweet: The so-called angry crowds in home districts of some Republicans are actually, in numerous cases, planned out by liberal activists. Sad! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2017 With all due disrespect to the president, the people flooding these town halls in GOP districts are angry. There is nothing so-called about it. In many cases, these are people who rely on the Affordable Care Act for medication that, I dont know, keeps them alive. One gentleman in Iowa today explained it quite perfectly to Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, telling the Obamacare opponent that hes going to create one big death panel in this country if he repeals the health care law and pulls the rug out from under millions of Americans. Video: Did that man look like a savvy and well-connected political activist? No, hes a farmer in rural Iowa hoping that the new president and his spineless Republican henchmen in Congress dont make it harder for him to afford his medication and to live. Unfortunately, though, this is the type of childish lashing out we should expect from a thin-skinned president who has spent his first month in office demonstrating complete mental instability. Instead of concentrating his anger on Americans worried about losing life-saving insurance coverage, the president should direct it toward, say, Russia for waging a cyberattack against the United States or perhaps the wave of post-election hate crimes blowing up from coast to coast or maybe even at his own staff for running the most inept administration in modern history. But this is Donald, after all, and he is only passionate about praising those who love him and attacking those who hate him. There is no in between with our so-called president. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print *The following is an opinion column by R Muse* By now, it should be obvious that if anyone only ever only listened to liar-in-chief Donald Trump, they would firmly believe that the only terrorist threat to America was from adherents of Islam emigrating or traveling to America. It is too bad, too, because for the third time in a week another white domestic terrorist was arrested with nary a peep out of the Trump. In fact, the response from the Trump administration to the dangers from homegrown white terrorists has been as absent as their non-acknowledgment that a white terrorist attacked a Mosque in Canada and killed six Muslims during their prayer services. It is likely what Trump and Steve Bannon considered a righteous Christian taking their religious crusade to the Muslims while they were peacefully praying. The latest white supremacist, and ex-convict, to be arrested was Benjamin McDowell, an ex-felon, and avowed white power advocate. McDowell was arrested after buying a handgun and ammunition from an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Associated Press (AP) reported that law enforcement authorities began an investigation into McDowell in December after see him complaining on Facebook that his comrades in the white supremacist movement were all talk and no action. McDowell wanted to show his racist brethren how to take action and threatened a synagogue going so far as to tell an undercover FBI agent that he intended to launch a terror attack in the spirit of Dylann Roof according to Horry County Sheriffs Office in South Carolina. Dylann Roof was convicted, and sentenced to die, for murdering nine African Americans in their place of worship in another white supremacist terror attack incited by racism. Police had already been keeping track of McDowell after being released from prison specifically because he made connections with white supremacists while he was behind bars. The white supremacist even explained to the federal agent that in his racist mind, Screaming white power just wasnt going to get the job done. He indicated he desired a deeper response according to law enforcement officials. He also told the agent that he would be committing a terrorist attack outside of Horry County so he could get away without being caught, but he didnt give a specific time or place because he hadnt chosen his victims yet. However, he did tell the FBI agent that despite not having a specific target in mind that he might just shoot up a party of black people. I got the heart to do that s, but I dont have the good training McDowell told the undercover agent. The white terrorist had some particularly harsh words for members of the white supremacist movement that supported Trumps bigoted rhetoric, and candidacy, for not putting Trumps words into action and start feasting on the enemy that stole their heritage. He wrote: All they wanne (sic) do is stay loaded on drugs the Jews put here to destroy white man and they feast on the drugs. they should be Feasting on the enemy that stole their Heritage and their bloodline and trying to run us off of this Earth, if you aint got the heart to fight for Yahweh like dylann roof did, you need to shut the f up. Barely a week earlier, another white man describing himself as a White Racial Loyalist who belonged to a white separatist organization, The Georgia Church of Creativity, was arrested after law enforcement found traces of ricin in his car. The white racial loyalist, William Christopher Gibbs, showed up at a Georgia hospital complaining to the medical staff about being exposed to the deadly toxin ricin. A quick law enforcement investigation of Gibbs vehicle revealed ricin had been in the car prompting his arrest on state charges of reckless conduct and probation violation. Gibbs is currently being investigated by the FBI; likely to discover where the rest of the ricin is, and who the intended victims were. The FBI has plenty of reasons to be duly concerned because ricin was used by other Georgia white supremacists as recently as 2014. Two Georgia white supremacists were sentenced to 10 years in prison for hatching a plot to make ricin and disperse it against their perceived enemies. An investigation into the 2014 plot turned up a recording where one of the men talked about the pairs list of intended victims including government employees, politicians, and members of the media he said just had to die. At about the same time that Gibbs was being arrested, agents with the FBI and ATF arrested another white guy, Mark Charles Barnett, in Florida after he offered a confidential source (CS) $10,000 to place improvised explosive bombs in Target retail stores up and down the East Coast. Barnett had made and delivered, 10 bombs to the confidential source that explosive experts said were capable of causing property damage, serious injury, or death to nearby persons upon detonation. A follow-up search of Barnetts house by federal agents revealed components consistent with those used to create the explosive devices. It would be curious why Trump is not raging about the threat to Americans from white terrorists if he wasnt a racist and laser-focused on practitioners of Islam. One might tend to believe that three arrests of white terrorists intent on three separate acts of terror against other Americans would incite at least a passing comment from the Trump for all his bluster about protecting Americans from terror attacks that only he can prevent. But none of the arrests, or terror plots, involved Muslims or people with Arabic-sounding names; they were all white guys and at least two were avowed white supremacists and all were arrested in within one week. In any other administration that flurry of prevented terror activity would have elicited at least a passing comment by an occupant of the White House; if for no other reason than to praise the intelligence community and law enforcement for their due diligence in protecting innocent American lives. These incidents reveal exactly why Trump attacking the intelligence community, going so far as to call them Nazis and low-lifes, is beyond reprehensible; it is un-American. While the Trump is raging, threatening, raving and tweeting about the threat from Muslims, the IC and law enforcement are doing their jobs with due diligence and investigating and arresting white terrorists. All while Trump ignores the white supremacist threat, badmouths the intelligence community as Nazis and low lifes, and invents terror attacks by Muslims in America and overseas. **The above article includes news reports with commentary by R Muse** Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Its been a depressing few months after our country seemed to have elected a Russian Trojan Horse with an aversion to knowledge and an affinity for emotional tantrums better suited to a two year old. We looked around at our neighbors and family and wondered why and how they could have voted for this person, who has made our country a laughing stoke around the globe. But take heart. Heres a round up of patriots of whom you can be proud, storming town halls to demand answers from Obamacare to Russias influence over our election, courtesy of Bradd Jaffy of NBC News. Well start with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) looking all, Nope I dont do this thing were you people get to talk back. Angry constituent gives Mitch McConnell the what for, Jaffy wrote above this video. Angry constituent gives Mitch McConnell the what for pic.twitter.com/tyHseJVtqd Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) February 21, 2017 Angry constituents confront Chuck Grassley in Iowa: If it wasnt for Obamacare, we wouldnt be able to afford insurance! Jaffy wrote above this clip. Angry constituents confront Chuck Grassley in Iowa: If it wasnt for Obamacare, we wouldnt be able to afford insurance! pic.twitter.com/vrbhbOiBMM Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) February 21, 2017 Crowd erupts at Joni Ernst event in rural Iowa, Jaffy commented. Crowd erupts at Joni Ernst event in rural Iowa pic.twitter.com/cSd829Q4YC Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) February 22, 2017 Heres a patriot who screams back, You guys wasted a lot of money on Benghazi! Waste a little on Trump! Crowd asks Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) to investigate Trump/Russia. Wait for it, Jaffy teases. Crowd asks Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) to investigate Trump/Russia. Wait for it pic.twitter.com/4siV7A0cOR Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) February 22, 2017 In Chicago, an estimated 18,000 callers participated in a telephone town hall with Rep. Peter Roskam. This is but a small taste of what your U.S. congressional representatives and senators are facing around this country. Some people deal with it better than others. Republican Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota isnt going to be tolerating any of your free speech nonsense. If anyone shouts or chants at his town hall, he says will cancel the event. So there. Emmers behavior reeks of the Republican approach to the people, as Republican Senators Toomey and Cruz made it impossible for constituents to even call local offices to leave a message, when their D.C. phone systems were broken, perhaps due to an overwhelming number of calls. On the other side of the coin we have Senators like Democrat Cory Booker of New Jersey, whose staff have gone out of their way to try to make it easier for the people to share their opinions and thoughts, by being available on social media in addition to traditional contact methods. This might seem like a partisan thing, but as Jaffy pointed out, the angry about Obamacare guy is a pig farmer whom Grassley greets as an old friend. Paid protester? Not so much. Try these are real people with real problems, and they arent buying the Republican lies about Obamacare or excuses for letting Russia undermine our country via the Republican President. Republicans thought they could curl their lips at the people who pay their bills, but they are getting a lesson in accountability that has been a long time in coming. The smug contempt of assumed privilege isnt disappearing just yet, but give it time. American patriots are out in force, and they dont show any signs of weakening their objections and protests. The only real question left is why dont Republicans care one whit about this country, the integrity of our elections, an aggressive and antagonistic foreign power interfering in our election, and Donald Trumps clear connections to Russia. America first? Not by a long shot. The narrative of angry Americans demanding answers from cowardly, dodging Republicans is sticking because with winning elections comes accountability, and governing is not something this modern day Republican Party does well. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Protesters were waiting for Mitch McConnell outside of the Jeffersontown Chamber of Commerce luncheon, so Sen. McConnell showed his true colors by hiding from the protesters by sneaking into the building through a hotel back door. After last nights disastrous interaction that made national news with McConnell getting an earful from a constituent, the Senate Majority Leader opted for a different strategy on Wednesday: Mitch was a coward today. He completely avoided the protesters and sneaked in the back of the hotel. #Resist #Persist pic.twitter.com/0pCPw0urFO KY Democratic Party (@KyDems) February 22, 2017 Here are some pictures of the protesters: Here are some photos of the protestors. McConnell scheduled to speak at noon in front of J-Town Chamber of Commerce. pic.twitter.com/CC3CJLvHEE Justin Sayers (@_JustinSayers) February 22, 2017 McConnell is under fire for the Republican plan to take health care away from tens of millions of Americans. He is also facing a ton of heat from constituents who are demanding an investigation into Donald Trumps relationship with Russia. A true leader doesnt sneak in through the back door. Real leaders dont hide when they are faced with protesters. Sen. McConnell is in hiding because he knows that the Trump/GOP agenda is very unpopular. He cant defend it, so he is running away from those who want to confront him. Republicans cant run away from the rage of the American people. There will be no back door to hide from the ballot box in 2018. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print In a bit of heartening news after so much Trumpean darkness, a Muslim-led crowdfunding campaign to restore a vandalized Jewish cemetery near St. Louis where over 150 headstones were knocked over tripled its goal in just three days, reports Haaretz. You can see the damage done in this report by NBCs affiliate KSDK News in St. Louis: An up-close look at the damaged headstones at Chesed Shel Emeth, the historic Jewish cemetery in University City. @ksdknews pic.twitter.com/UNtBqSJxiO Kiya Edwards (@KSDKkiya) February 21, 2017 According to Haaretz: Over the weekend, more than 100 headstones were damaged at the historic Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery near St. Louis. The incident coincided with another wave of bomb threats against Jewish community centers across the United States. The crowd-funding campaign, launched by [Tarek] El-Messidi and [Linda] Sarsour, had set $20,000 as its goal. Within less than a day, it has already raised close to three times that sum from almost 2,000 donors. Any additional funding raised beyond the $20,000, before the campaign ends on March 21, will be used to finance repairs at other Jewish centers that have been vandalized during the recent wave of anti-Semitic attacks. The United States has seen an alarming rise in anti-Semitism and has a president who refuses to address the issue without talking about his electoral win. He has been widely condemned for his tepid response. The Anne Frank Center called his words Tuesday a Band-Aid on the cancer of anti-Semitism that has infected his own Administration. To say Trump addressed the problem of anti-Semitism would be an overstatement. Given his level of support from anti-Semitists and his employment of anti-Semite Steve Bannon as his chief advisor, he would find it difficult to denounce this frightening trend. El-Messidi founding director of Muslim non-profit CelebrateMercy told Haaretz about one message he received in response to his efforts: I knew we Jews needed to stand with Muslims. I never thought wed need you to stand with us. Bless you all. Well stand together to get through the darkness. Indeed. We must all stand together in the face of the rampant and reckless hate unleashed by the Trump administration and the anti-Semite at is beating heart, Steve Bannon. Trump claims he is the least anti-Semitic person in the world, but his every action (or inaction) belies that claim. The Muslim response, and that of the community itself, to this latest Trump-inspired anti-Semitic attack shows that the American people are not without the power to denounce hate and to respond to Trump in the most visible and self-affirming way possible. Photo: Screengrab from KSDK News St. Louis Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print A new Quinnipiac University poll shows that many of the factors that are necessary for the American public to support impeaching a president a now present in Donald Trumps poll numbers. According to the Quinnipiac poll, Trumps net approval rating has cratered to a new low of a net (-17). Only 38% of respondents approve of Trump, and 55% disapprove. Unpopularity alone does not justify impeachment. Trumps character and how he is viewed by the American people is the dry brush that is one lit match away from becoming a forest fire. Here are the numbers on Trumps character: 55 40 percent that he is not honest; 55 42 percent that he does not have good leadership skills; 53 44 percent that he does not care about average Americans; 63 33 percent that he is not level-headed; 64 32 percent that he is a strong person; 58 38 percent that he is intelligent; 60 37 percent that he does not share their values. Sixty-one percent of Americans dont think that they can trust Trump to do what is right. The one element that is missing from the impeachment equation is a scandal with a smoking gun. Congress is getting more and more interested in the question of Trumps potential collusion with Russia. However, there is no direct evidence to prove that Trump colluded with Russia. If evidence surfaces, Trumps bad poll numbers could plunge even more and reach impeachment territory. The only thing saving Trump is his popularity with Republicans. Because he is popular with the base, Republican members of Congress are unlikely to do a serious investigation of the President. If Democrats win back all or part of Congress in 2018, Trumps firewall vanishes. No president has been this close to impeachment this early in his term in the history of polling. Trumps character combined with the mood of the country is setting up a perfect storm for an epic political scandal that could result in impeachment. One presidential political scandal is all it would take to set the nation ablaze with talk of impeachment. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Donald Trump, who has declared bankruptcy six times, is threatening America by promising to clean up the nations finances. Video: The President said, What I am essentially inheriting is a mess. The finances of our country are a mess, but were going to clean them up. Trump then falsely claimed that he is saving billions of dollars on airplanes. The most laughable moment of Trumps remarks was his promise that he was not going to waste any more money. This is a president who has wasted tens of millions of taxpayer dollars on weekend trips to his private club in Florida, but he expects the American people to believe that he will not waste their money. Trump also said that he might have an Obamacare replacement plan by mid-March, Maybe mid to early March well be submitting something that I think people will be very impressed by. The hilarious part of President Trumps remarks was the idea that the American people should trust a man who has declared bankruptcy six times to clean up the nations finances. This is a man who cant even keep his own businesses out of the red. Trump has made his money by running up huge piles of debt and then declaring bankruptcy. From his border wall to his tax cut plan, Trump is planning on running up large deficits. President Trump wants to increase spending, and cut taxes. If Trump treats the country like he runs his businesses, the US should be ready to declare bankruptcy by 2019. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print John Schindler, a former NSA analyst, has become one of my go-to reads for takes on the intelligence communitys stance in regards to President Trump and his Russian connections. From Schindler, we learned before it was confirmed by others that the Intelligence Community (IC) was withholding information from the Trump White House, out of fear that the Kremlin had ears in the Situation Room. This was later confirmed by other sources, just as several of Schindlers other early takes have been. On Wednesday, Schindler dropped another tasty seed on the Trump Russia trail. Rebellion is brewing in Washington, Schindler warned of the spy war on the Trump administration. Contrary to Trumps claims that this is a partisan war, no, its partly about his repeated insults to their work but also, Behind closed doors, plenty of American intelligence experts believe that President Trump is the pawn of the Kremlin, wittingly or not The Russia angle is most troubling to the IC. Behind closed doors, plenty of American intelligence experts believe that President Trump is the pawn of the Kremlin, wittingly or not, and assess that its only a matter of time before unseemly Moscow ties are exposed and the White House enters unsurvivable political crisis, Schindler writes. Rebellion is brewing in Washington. The resignation of the CIAs spokesman, a career intelligence analyst, is a sign of how fragile IC morale has gotten under the new administration. Schindler seems to be referring to former intelligence analyst and National Security Council spokesman Edward Price, a man who has worked in the Central Intelligence Agency for more than a decade under both George W. Bush and Barack Obama, who quit the agency because of Donald Trump. This troubles people who arent knee-jerk Trump defenders, because a careerist is not a partisan position. It would be a relief if this were a partisan issue, but instead, it is a deeply threatening issue that has already undermined our democracy and made us a laughing stock around the globe. If President Trump keeps upping the ante in his war on the spies, he can expect more damaging leaks to reach the media, Schindler writes menacingly. Leaks happen in every administration, and Nixons ignominious fall ought to serve as a cautionary tale to any president who thinks he can find the right plumbers to fix the leaky faucet. Schindler warned of more leaks when Trump first took office and refused to back down on his denials about his connections to Russia. And the leaks came. Aside from the Russia issue, what we have here is a President who is so ignorant about diplomacy and relations with various factions of power that he thinks he can win a war with the intelligence community by insulting them and trying to remove all of their power to do their job. When spies in Washington leak to the media, they do so not out of any ideology, much less overt partisanship, but to protect bureaucratic turf and to settle personal scores, Schindler penned images of dark ominous clouds ahead. President Trump keeps lying about Russia and slamming the intelligence community while hes at it, because this has worked for him all of his life until now. Trump has always had the biggest, baddest, meanest lawyers and deepest pockets. He was able to thug his way out of most troubles, and if that didnt work, money did. But now Trump has met a thug who cant be bought off and isnt afraid of Trump lawyer thugs. A thug that collectively has more power than Trump can imagine, even as President. This isnt to suggest the Intelligence Community is really the thug here, but to put things in terms Trump can understand, they are the BMOC and Trump is the freshman with a huge ego and no reason for it. They will keep leaking if Trump keeps lying. They will rebel, and as Schindler notes, the result of an IC rebellion can be seen during the Nixon Administration. Trumps problem, in addition to his ignorance, is that he hasnt the courage to come clean and he is probably being held to his current denials by a Russian spy ship off of the coast of Connecticut. Or something. So there will be more leaks and more leaks, if this report is to be believed. Republicans in Congress will continue to ignore the warnings to jump ship, and soon enough, the Trump administrations unseemly ties to Russia just might explode in a very ugly way. A Nixonian way. A way that will not go away. . ( ) Nearly 13 percent of registered voters in South Carolina have already cast ballots for the 2022 general election after the state opened up no excuse early voting to all for the first time. More than 438,000 votes were in as of the end of Thursday, which was the 10th day of early voting, according to statistics from the South Carolina Election Commission. Read more13% in SC have already cast ballots with new early voting Charleston, SC (29403) Today Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. High 81F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Watchdog and Public Service reporter Thad Moore is a reporter on The Post and Couriers Watchdog and Public Service team and a graduate of the University of South Carolina. To share tips securely, reach Moore via ProtonMail at thadmoore@protonmail.com or on Signal at 843-214-6576. Emanuel AMEs former secretary is suing the church and the Rev. Norvel Goff for ending her employment after she questioned the handling of donations that poured into the church after a gunman killed nine worshippers. Read moreFormer secretary at Emanuel AME sues for unpaid wages Honesty isnt just the absence of lying, cheating, theft, etc. And it has to be more than telling the facts. It must include awareness of other people and respect for them. Read moreNorris Burkes: Spewing honesty 'ASIAN' = MUSLIM 99% OF THE TIME The politically correct term 'Asian' is used by the leftist UK media as a way to cast suspicion on a wider group of people and take some of the negative attention away from the group usually responsible for committing the heinous acts. A perfect example would be the Muslim grooming gang epidemic which are constantly referred to by the press and authorities as 'Asian' grooming gangs. It isn't people from China, Japan or any Far Eastern Asian place. Nor is it Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists,Christians Etc.... They are Muslims!!!! With fall in the air, cyclamen start peeking through the leaf litter, giving the woodland garden a splash of color when most plants have finished blooming. As those pink, white or magenta blooms unfurl and appear, it is a memorable sight to see. Read moreFall charmers and winter wonders Shuai Wang, owner, prepares a Beet Salad. Shuai Wang and Corrie Wachob moved from Manhattan, New York, to start their new restaurant six months ago. Their goal is to provide things that diners cant get anywhere else. Rejecting federal funding is an idea Republican lawmakers have floated from time to time as a way to limit federal influence of all kinds. Education advocates said they were concerned to hear Weaver resurfacing the debate. Read moreWeaver says SC should consider rejecting federal education funding Deanna Pan is an enterprise reporter for The Post and Courier, where she writes about education and other issues. She grew up in the suburbs of Cincinnati and graduated with a degree in English from Ohio State University in 2012. Permits for seismic surveying for oil and natural were denied in 2016 for the Southeast stretch of the Atlantic coast and the work permanently banned farther north. Industry companies are seeking to reverse those restrictions, a first step to potentially opening the waters for drilling and other industrialization of the areas. BOEM/Provided Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. The oft-told story of a frog perishing in a pot as the water slowly warms and then cooks him is not actually based in fact; the metaphor persists because it describes something that is true: We are less aware of change that occurs gradually than when it happens all at once. Read moreEditorial: Referendums based on slow evolution: Berkeley, Dorchester aren't so rural anymore WABASHA Cedric William Andow, 18, was found guilty Friday of two counts of burglary in the first degree and one count of felony theft in relation to the theft of 77 guns from the Millville Rod and Gun Shop on Sept. 2, 2016, according to a statement from the Wabasha County Attorney's office. The weeklong trial included testimony from Andow's associates, several of whom were charged and convicted separately, said Wabasha County Attorney Karrie Kelly. "The guns were stolen in the early morning hours of September 2, 2016," Kelly said. "By 10 p.m. that same day several of those guns were already being used in armed robberies." On Jan. 27, James Modzelewski, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told the Associated Press the robbery of Millville Rod and Gun Shop was one of the largest gun shop burglaries in Minnesota in recent years. Many of the guns are still missing. Kelly said the ongoing work of the Wabasha County Sheriff's Office helped bring about Friday's conviction. "Today, we are safer due to the firm resolve and patience of law enforcement," she said. Melissa Wickre, a teacher at Sunset Terrace Elementary School in Rochester, has learned to be mindful of approaching her students' desks from the side, rather than head-on. Why? Coming toward a student head-on amps up the stress, and feeling stressed or overwhelmed are two common causes for students' misbehavior, studies show. Taking new approaches to students figuratively, and even literally, as in Wickre's case are how teachers across the Rochester school district are addressing discipline inequities among different racial groups of students. A district-wide disparity in student disciplinary action was first revealed to the public in September 2015, by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights , though the district has known of the disparity for much longer. This year, teachers are learning new strategies through ENVoY , a non-verbal communication technique to influence students in the classroom. Wickre said it's the little things, like approaching students from the side, that make a big difference in the classroom atmopshere, and it reduces the number of office referrals. But while Sunset Terrace, some other elementary schools and the district's three high schools are seeing results from the training, overall discipline referral reports are still concerning. Middle schools are still struggling and the only subgroup that has seen a significant overall drop in discipline was white students. ADVERTISEMENT Overall, discipline referrals have slightly decreased from a year ago, according to district data. But referrals are up for student groups that the OCR report showed the most concern for, including Native American and black students, as well as Asian students. The most significant overall increase was for black students, with a 10 percent year-to-year increase in office referrals through winter break. Dozens of district efforts are underway to curb those disparities, and administrators are still hopeful they're working, but think results will just take more time. "I'm happy that we're seeing some results. We're not even close to where we need to be, but at least we're seeing a little progress," said Superintendent Michael Munoz. Munoz added that now the district knows where to look in each building to see changes. He added not every teacher in every school building has gone through professional development training for things such as ENVoY. District consistency Classroom misbehavior falls into two categories: "majors," or things that will get the student sent to the office, and "minors," things that are dealt with in the classroom. There is no district-wide policy establishing which behaviors fall into which category. While the district is hoping to create more consistent policies and treatment at specific schools, Munoz said there won't be an across-the-board policy because flexibility in classrooms is important when it comes to discipline. ADVERTISEMENT He added teachers are often in the best position to know what's going on with a student at home, and what may be disrupting learning or causing a student to act out in class. "There's got to be a little flexibility," Munoz said. "I don't just blow off the behavior, but I may deal with it a little bit differently that day because I know he's having a rough time." Munoz acknowledged that this can open up a grey area, but added, "I don't think you can just create a list of behaviors that if they happen, you're going to the office. I think you've got to be able to treat each situation based on the student. I need that flexibility to work with a child that's having a rough day." When will things turn around? Despite Munoz's words, some school board members felt progress wasn't as quick as it should be. "At what point can we expect to see, based on what we're doing, an overall reduction?" asked board member Gary Smith. While some schools are seeing decreases, others, like all the district's middle schools, are seeing spikes in office referrals, with more than 450 more than this time last year. All subgroups by race and ethnicity saw major increases, but most notably Hispanic students, a group that showed an 82 percent increase year-to-year. Hispanic students make up about 10 percent of the district's population, according to the Minnesota Department of Education . ADVERTISEMENT But, significant improvement was seen at the high school level, and at some of the district's elementary schools. At the high school level, discipline referrals dropped dramatically, to 493, down from 1,186, through winter break of last year. School board member Jean Marvin said she was supportive of the individual schools' approaches. "Every school has its own community and they're all working on different programs and different initiatives that seem to work for their neighborhood," Marvin said. "It's that ripple effect that people get other ideas about what they can do." But more than the numbers, Marvin said she'd like to hear more about the discussions going on in the individual buildings discussions that students and staff are having to build trust. "Data doesn't tell you everything, and I'm hoping in our buildings we're listening to students and staff so we know what we can do to help them," she added. ----- District equity efforts Here are a few of the things Rochester schools have done to address discipline inequities: Community Schools:At Gage and Riverside elementary schools and the Alternative Learning Center, the district has implemented a "community schools model," which are schools that act as a hub for meeting student and family needs, bringing together health and social services, youth and community development and community engagement, with the idea that the school will become the center of the community. The schools have a "family resource room" on site, stocked with food, clothing and other necessities. Curriculum updates: Math acceleration is now self-selected: Previously, teachers got to decide if students would take an accelerated path in math, not students can step up and decide for themselves. Partnering with equity specialists to provide professional development for teachers in culturally responsive teaching practices. Increased course offerings in which students can earn college credit, beginning in the 2017-18 school year. Many are targeted multilingual/ELL students, members of racial or ethnic minorities, first generation college-bound students and/or hose from families of low- to moderate-income. The addition of "AVID" to target "average" students : Rochester administrators are hoping the program holds the key to pulling more average students into top-level honors and AP classes, with the ultimate goal of preparing them for college. AVID, which stands for "advancement via individual determination," won't target those students struggling the most, rather it will set its sights on the middle-of-the-road students to hone the skills they'll need after high school. It will be offered next year in many sixth and ninth grade classrooms. Equity specialists: RPS has three equity specialists who focus on each of the three high schools and their respective "feeder schools." These individuals work with anywhere from 45 to 50-some students each week who have multiple discipline referrals, and try to cover things like conflict mediation. They also try to help students make connections with local businesses and those in the community that can act as mentors, so that students can build relationships in the community. They've also focused on college and career readiness with mock interviews and college visits. American Indian engagement and education:The district's American Indian liaison works with more than 146 students and their families to "build a bridge" between those families and the school district and to keep them engaged. They've held many community events, including a moccasin-making event. ----- By the numbers: Total office referrals 5,097 2016-17* 5,310 2015-16* Decrease: 4 percent White referrals down 22 percent, non-white referrals up 8 percent. Elementary office referrals 2,748 2016-17* 2,749 2015-16* Essentially unchanged White referrals down 23 percent, non-white referrals up 15 percent. Middle school office referrals 1,856 2016-17* 1,375 2015-16* Increase: 35 percent White referrals up 15 percent, non-white referrals up 47 percent. High school office referrals 493 2016-17* 1,186 2015-16* Decrease: 58 percent White referrals down 58 percent, non-white referrals down 59 percent. * Figures reflect office referrals each year from the start of the school year through winter break. Source: Rochester Public Schools Rochester Public Schools is scooping up the former site of Globe University/Minnesota School of Business in Rochester, after the regional for-profit college announced in December it would shutter all of its Minnesota locations . The district on Tuesday approved the building's purchase for $5.1 million, in hopes of consolidating most of the district's early childhood education classrooms into one site. The early learning school could open by next January. "We have been keeping our eye on this property for some time, and we did see it hit the market recently," said John Carlson, the district's director of finance. The 40,500-square foot building, at 2521 Pennington Drive Northwest, would become a Rochester school, he said. It would house 16 pre-kindergarten classes now located in the the district's elementary schools. The agreement was brought to the school board Feb. 7 in closed session, he said. ADVERTISEMENT After some back-and-forth with the seller, the asking price of $5.5 million was reduced to $5.1 million. The contract now includes a $25,000 deposit, with a contingency period through May 1, Carlson said, "so that we have the opportunity to do more due diligence, to make sure that it truly would meet our needs." The closing date is set for May 31. A finance presentation will be made to the school board March 21 for the cost of construction and renovation that would be done during the summer, he said. The district hopes that the school would open no later than January 2018. In April 2016, the district proposed renovations on the former Burr Oak School, to reopen it for early childhood education. In January, it opened as Mighty Oaks Early Learning School, but beyond the 10 classrooms there, the district has 17 others at its various elementary schools. The former Globe University/Minnesota School of Business site could house up to 16 of those classes, Carlson said, which is a priority because the district wants to "maximize the number of rooms available at the elementary schools for kindergarten through fifth grade." In September, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education revoked Globe University/Minnesota School of Business' license to operate at six Minnesota locations. A Hennepin County District Judge ordered the two schools to cease fraudulent practices and imposed unspecified penalties. More than 100 students attended school at the Rochester campus, as of September 2016. ADVERTISEMENT In early December, the U.S. Department of Education cut off the for-profit school's access to federal student loans; the college announced the decision to close all Minnesota campuses later that month. Olmsted County commissioners voiced support for maintaining the consolidated Rochester-Olmsted Planning Department but also indicated a desire for change following a presentation Tuesday. Commissioner Jim Bier, who serves on the Planning Administrative Services Committee that governs the department, said challenges lie ahead as planning demands increase. "More to the point, we are going to have some stresses," he said. "How are we going to split it and how are we going to pay for it?" The department is funded through permits, fees, grants and the county tax levy, According to Olmsted County Deputy Administrator Heidi Welsch, approximately 73 percent of the budget is covered by the county, while the workload is generally split equally between the city and county. The city accounts for an estimated 94 percent of the department's current planning workload, Welsch said, but the county is responsible for 98 percent of its environmental safety work and roughly three-fours of work related to the county's Geographic Information System. ADVERTISEMENT With the county having budget authority and approving all hires, Welsch cited a potential for conflicts with city officials as commissioners questioned some suggestions stemming from a third-party review last year. Last year, Planning Director Mitzi Baker outlined a potential staffing plan to address concerns cited in the review of the department. She proposed hiring three people this year, four in 2018 and possibly another two in the following year. None of the positions are in this year's budget. "I understand having an urban design planner, but the question comes down to who pays for it," said County Board Chairman Ken Brown, citing one of the 2018 requests. Funding options were on the agenda for a Planning Administrative Services Committee meeting planned for today, but the meeting was canceled due to weather concerns. The meeting will be rescheduled. In other business, the county board: Approved the acquisition of forfeited land by Rochester and Oronoco. Supported sponsoring the placement of the Zumbro Ridge Estates manufactured home park on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Project Priority List. Approved a 2017 Fair Board contract with changes that ban political advertising outside booths, adhere to the county's smoke-free workplace ordinance and require restoration of ground cover after grandstand events. The fair rental was increased from $17,778 last year to $21,000 this year. ADVERTISEMENT Approved a plat correction for River Highlands after a discrepancy discovered. MINNEAPOLIS Former longtime Minnesota Orchestra music director Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, who conducted major orchestras in England, Japan and other countries, died Tuesday after suffering a second stroke earlier this month, the orchestra said. He was 93. Skrowaczewski's family told Minnesota Orchestra president Kevin Smith that he died at a suburban Minneapolis hospital, according to an orchestra spokeswoman. An earlier stroke last fall ended Skrowaczewski's decades of conducting. Skrowaczewski's last concerts were with the Minnesota Orchestra in October 2016, conducting works by Anton Bruckner, his specialty. Skrowaczewski, pronounced skroh-vah-chehf-skee, led the Minnesota Orchestra for 19 years, starting in 1960, but served on its artistic staff for 56 years. During his tenure as music director, Skrowaczewski was instrumental in the creation of Orchestra Hall, the orchestra's home in downtown Minneapolis that opened in 1974. He also was a champion of new music, a celebrated composer and an advocate for the orchestra's union musicians during a 16-month lockout. "It is hard to express all that Maestro Skrowaczewski has meant to the Minnesota Orchestra," the orchestra said in a post on its Facebook page. "Although he traveled the world conducting major orchestras until just last year, he continued to make Minnesota his home across the decades." ADVERTISEMENT In a statement, Skowaczewski's management company, Intermusica of London, said he "commanded a rare position on the musical scene worldwide as both a renowned conductor and highly regarded composer." The company noted he collaborated with Shostakovich, Lutoslawski, Penderecki and Andrzej Panufnik. The native of Poland began studying the piano and violin at age 4. He composed his first symphonic work at 7 and gave his first public recital at 11. He won the International Competition for Conductors in Rome in 1956. Other posts include with the Halle Orchestra in Manchester, England, from 1984 to 1991, and the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony in Tokyo from 2007 to 2010. He also suffered a stroke in November 2016, which forced him to cancel upcoming appearances with the Dallas Symphony and other orchestras. A memorial service to celebrate Skrowaczewski's legacy is scheduled for March 28 at Orchestra Hall. For more than six years, it was nearly impossible to find a Republican talking about health care who didn't make use of the overly simplistic phrase, "Repeal and replace." And now, thanks to some healthy gerrymandering and President Donald Trump's coattails, those lawmakers have their chance to put those words into action. As they say, though, you should be careful what you wish for. Just weeks into Trump's presidency, congressional Republicans are struggling to make good on their years of pledging and, mostly, it's because they have no plan. Beyond lacking a plan, Republicans are also facing strong headwinds on repealing the law. ADVERTISEMENT Recent polls showed that support for the Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare or the ACA, jumped 6 percent following Trump's inauguration. Leaked audio from last month's congressional Republican policy retreat revealed just how much Republicans are struggling with this challenge. At the retreat, Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., told his colleagues: "We'd better be sure that we're prepared to live with the market we've created. Republicans will own that lock, stock and barrel, and we'll be judged in the election less than two years away." Here is the current situation: Under the imperfect Affordable Care Act, 20 million American adults have gained health care coverage. For many, this health insurance is the only they've ever had. These gains have nearly halved the uninsured rate, and the rate has dropped even more dramatically in states that expanded Medicaid coverage for moderate and middle-income families. Repeal of the ACA risks these important gains. The leaked audio also included the thoughts of Rep. Tom McArthur, R-N.J., who said, "If we do this too fast, we are in fact going to pull the rug out from under them." Stripping millions of families of health care is politically dangerous, and the states where the biggest reductions occurred are important to Republicans. Of the four states that have reduced their uninsured rates most, three strongly backed Trump and congressional Republicans. In fact, Arkansas, Kentucky and West Virginia only sent one Democrat to Congress across 13 congressional districts. These are also states that, battling a raging opioid epidemic, have benefited from the ACA's addiction treatment coverage requirement. ADVERTISEMENT Faced with this political reality, the rush is on for a new Republican plan. Key Republicans are already starting to run away from their "repeal and replace" rhetoric and instead are beginning to use another "R" word, one used by Democrats for years: "repair." Frustratingly, though, others have doubled down on their "repeal and replace" demand. What replacements do they have in mind? In 2014, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, then a ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee he now chairs, offered a proposal. In 2015, a revised Patient Choice, Affordability, Responsibility, and Empowerment Act was introduced. While other proposals are circulating, any path forward will likely run directly through this legislation. In order to pay for the bill, Republicans would make employer-provided health insurance a taxable benefit. If you, like the majority of Americans, get your insurance as a benefit from work, you would, as a result, have to pay taxes on it. This could mean a pretty hefty tax hike for middle-class families. An estimation from Ezekiel Emanuel, a noted bioethicist, shows that a family of four making $150,000 per year could pay an addition $1,500 in taxes. Through the leaked tapes, we know that some leaders are not happy with this plan. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said, "It sounds like we are going to be raising taxes on the middle class in order to pay for these new credits." ADVERTISEMENT Consequently, Republicans now find themselves solidly between a rock (raising taxes) and a hard place (backtracking on six-plus years of anti-ACA rhetoric.) If they would have worked across the aisle to repair the ACA, maybe they wouldn't be so trapped. As President Donald Trump has noted, a surefire way to restore the competitive edge America once enjoyed would involve cleaning out the executive branch's Augean stables from which heavy-handed regulations have been issued at an increasing pace for decades. Complying with regulations now costs individuals and businesses both large and small about $4 trillion every year, according to economists at George Mason University's Mercatus Center. That's about $13,000 per person. Money spent keeping records, hiring regulatory compliance officers, and dealing with the bureaucrats who promulgate and enforce these regulations which affect nearly every aspect of daily life is money not available for families to spend on their own needs. Indeed, it's money businesses don't have to invest in buildings, equipment and jobs. Regulations are like a tax on economic activity. And they're a regressive one, meaning they fall most heavily on low-income households and small businesses. Suppose a new safety regulation for cars and trucks requiring all new vehicles to be equipped with backup cameras, for example adds $500 to the cost of every vehicle sold. Most of the added cost will be passed onto consumers in the form of higher prices. ADVERTISEMENT Who is more hurt by the price increase: the government bureaucrat making $131,000 a year, or an apprentice electrician earning $30,000 annually? Most regulations are one-size-fits all. The anti-money laundering provisions of the Patriot Act, passed shortly after 9/11, required all financial institutions to adopt procedures and internal controls to prevent money from ending up in the hands of terrorist groups. Because the costs of complying with that law essentially were the same for a hometown bank as for a big Wall Street bank, some 3,000 small financial institutions were forced to shut their doors or merge with larger competitors over the following few years. So-called midnight regulations are another growing problem. That term refers to rules issued by an outgoing administration between Election Day and Inauguration Day. Every president since Ronald Reagan has signed executive orders requiring government agencies issuing major regulations to conduct cost-benefit analyses prior to finalizing them. Midnight regulations, however, are rushed through the review process and published without full consideration of their economic impacts. One shouldn't put much faith in regulations issued less hastily, as federal agencies routinely overstate the benefits and understate the costs of the rules they issue. A district court judge recently reprimanded the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to comply with a requirement that it estimate the number of jobs that would be lost as the result of new regulations. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy responded by saying producing such estimates is of "limited utility." ADVERTISEMENT To whom, one wonders? The EPA's proposed Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, or MATS, was sold as a public health measure that would cut mercury and acid gas emissions from coal mines and power plants. The rule, while promising annual benefits of $4-6 million, will cost electric utilities almost $10 billion per year a cost that will be passed on to customers. Unless cancelled, MATS will inflict deep economic pain on states like Wyoming, West Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Trump has called for a two-for-one policy requiring the elimination of two existing regulations for every new rule issued. Because not all rules impact the economy equally, the policy will require careful and thoughtful implementation. It's a good starting point. But there's much more to be done. Pruning back the regulatory state will go a long way toward energizing the economy. It is somehow reported as big news that President Trump denounced anti-Semitism yesterday. Was his attitude seriously in doubt? He is a proud supporter of Israel and vocal friend of Benjamin Netanyahu. His appointed ambassador to the United Nations is Nikki Haley, who is trying to right wrongs against Israel committed by the United Nations and, ahem, the Obama administration. His daughter converted to Judaism. He has Jewish grandchildren. In the Clintonian world of as-if, he may be the first Jewish President. To those who found President Obamas support of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Iranian regime indicative of nothing important, I can only put it this way for public consumption: Give me a break. Incidentally, the Jewish Community Center to which I belong in St. Paul was one of the 11 subjected to bomb threats on Monday. Even if those threats were empty, the vandalism perpetrated at the Jewish cemetery in University City, Missouri is real. And there seems to be something going on at main campus of the University of Minnesota as well. The synagogue to which I belong in St. Paul has found it necessary to retain officers from the St. Paul Police Department to hold down a spot at the entrance during our Saturday morning services. The security has an incidental benefit. It has allowed me to expand my circle of friends to include the two officers who regularly serve us. They are a blessed presence all by themselves. These incidents, however, are unrepresentative of the feelings of American citizens. As one can learn from the adjacent post on President Washington and the first Jewish congregation in the United States, Americas friendship to the Jewish people goes back a long way. It has deep historical roots. We are grateful. Norman Podhoretz speaks for me in his book My Love Affair with America. My point, however, and I do have one, is the recent Pew Research Poll asking more than 4,000 American respondents to rate religious groups on a feeling thermometer. Mark Oppenheimer reports that Jews elicit the warmest feelings of any religious group. Oppenheimer looks on the funny side as he examines the trends in the poll results. Examined by age cohorts, the trend is slightly unfavorable: Love for us Jews decreases with age. Oldsters, in the 65+ age group, really dig us, with 74 percent feeling the warmth, a number that declines among 50 to 64-year-olds (69 percent warming up to us Jews), then again among 30 to 49-year-olds (Jews still are tops, but with only 64 percent), and then bottoming out among those damned millennials (18-29), with only 62 percent of whom feel warmly toward usputting us behind Hindus and Catholics (tied at 64 percent) and their favorite group, Buddhists, totally overheating them at a hot 66 percent. (The survey did not ask how many of the respondents actually knew anything about Buddhism, or could tell it apart from like, you know, yoga.) Oppenheimer reminds me of Mose Allisons song Benediction (Thank God For Self-Love) when he considers Jewish attitudes to Jews: Perhaps the most cheering results in the survey? First, we Jews not only have the love of others but overwhelming self-love, too. Most people felt warmly toward their own religious group, but Jews felt warmest of all: A full 91 percent of Jews felt warmly toward Jews. Which is kind of a surprising result, at least to any Jew who has ever served on a synagogue board or had a relative. I particularly enjoyed this: Also, knowing a Jew correlates with liking a Jew: Of those who know a Jew, 72 percent feel warmly toward Judaisma number that lags behind only Buddhists, who earn warmies from three-quarters of all those who know a Buddhist. Tomato, to-mah-tolets call the whole thing Namaste. Thats funny, but there is seriously good news here. Weve discussed Stanley Kurtzs effort, in conjunction with the Goldwater Institute, to promote free speech on college campuses through the enactment of state legislation mandating it. Now, Stanley has a proposal that, if enacted, would do even more for campus free speech. Stanley wants federal legislation to make the protection of First Amendment rights a prerequisite of federal financial assistance to Americas colleges and universities. He presents his proposal and his reasons here, on NROs Corner. His proposal builds on the work of the National Association of Scholars. In my view, the presumption should be against the federal government using its financial leverage to tell colleges and universities what to do. Certainly, bureaucrats should be (but arent) loath to indulge in this practice. On the other hand, federal taxpayers cannot be expected to fund institutions that deny people their basic constitutional rights. The right of free speech is probably our most fundamental constitutional right and, until recently, the free exchange of ideas was considered an essential element of the college experience. Unfortunately, in the past several decades the academy has ceased to be a reliable defender of the First Amendment. We now face a free speech crisis on many, if not most, college campuses. Accordingly, the case for congressional action is strong. Actually, Stanley points out that the Higher Education Act (HEA), enacted in 1965 and last reauthorized in 2008, already affirms the importance of protecting student speech and association rights. Title I, Section 112 of HEA provides that no studentshould, on the basis of participation in protected speechbe subjected toofficial sanction, with protected speech defined as speech protected under the First and 14th amendments to the Constitution. However, Title I, Section 112 of HEA express only the sense of Congress. Stanley wants to give it teeth by adding enforcement mechanisms. The HEA is due to be reauthorized this year. This presents Congress with a great opportunity to restore the First Amendment on college campuses. Stanley concludes: The American taxpayer is under no obligation to subsidize speech codes, speaker disinvitations, or shout-downs. Its past time that Congress took steps to ensure that taxpayer dollars no long underwrite campus assaults on freedom of speech. Indeed, it is. Today is the anniversary of the birth of George Washington. Of all the great men of the revolutionary era to whom we owe our freedom, Washingtons greatness was the rarest and the most needed. At this remove in time, it is also the hardest to comprehend. Take, for example, Washingtons contribution to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Washingtons mere presence lent the undertaking and its handiwork the legitimacy that resulted in success. The conventions first order of business was the election of a presiding officer. Washington was the delegates unanimous choice. Presiding over the convention during that fateful summer, Washington said virtually nothing. In his excellent book on Washington, Richard Brookhiser notes: The esteem in which Washington was held affected his fellow delegates first of allWashington did not wield the power he possessed by speaking. Apart from his lecture on secrecy, Washington did not address the Convention between the first day and the last. The esteem in which he was held by his fellow citizens was similarly crucial to the implementation of the Constitution during his presidency. In 1790 Rhode Island became the thirteenth state to ratify the Constitution. To mark the occasion, President Washington made a ceremonial visit to Newport when Congress recessed in August. Newport welcomed Washington with open arms. In Newport on August 18, according to James Thomas Flexner, Washington completely fatigued the company by briskly walking, fortified by the wine and punch served in four different houses along his route, from nine in the morning until one in the afternoon. In anticipation of Washingtons visit to Newport, the members of Americas oldest Jewish congregation prepared a letter welcoming Washington for presentation to him at a public event on the morning of August 18. The letter was authorized by the congregations board and signed by its president, Moses Seixas. It is Washingtons magnificent letter responding to Seixas that that has become famous as one of the classic statements of religious toleration in America. The congregations letter to Washington is not so well known, although the most prominent line in Washingtons letter is an echo of the congregations letter to Washington. By far the most striking feature of the congregations letter is its expression of sheer gratitude to Washington himself and to America for the freedom and equal rights the congregants had attained as American citizens. Here is the congregations letter: Permit the children of the stock of Abraham to approach you with the most cordial affection and esteem for your person and merits ~~ and to join with our fellow citizens in welcoming you to NewPort. With pleasure we reflect on those days ~~ those days of difficulty, and danger, when the God of Israel, who delivered David from the peril of the sword, ~~ shielded Your head in the day of battle: ~~ and we rejoice to think, that the same Spirit, who rested in the Bosom of the greatly beloved Daniel enabling him to preside over the Provinces of the Babylonish Empire, rests and ever will rest, upon you, enabling you to discharge the arduous duties of Chief Magistrate in these States. Deprived as we heretofore have been of the invaluable rights of free Citizens, we now with a deep sense of gratitude to the Almighty disposer of all events behold a Government, erected by the Majesty of the People ~~ a Government, which to bigotry gives no sanction, to persecution no assistance ~~ but generously affording to all Liberty of conscience, and immunities of Citizenship: ~~ deeming every one, of whatever Nation, tongue, or language equal parts of the great governmental Machine: ~~ This so ample and extensive Federal Union whose basis is Philanthropy, Mutual confidence and Public Virtue, we cannot but acknowledge to be the work of the Great God, who ruleth in the Armies of Heaven, and among the Inhabitants of the Earth, doing whatever seemeth him good. For all these Blessings of civil and religious liberty which we enjoy under an equal benign administration, we desire to send up our thanks to the Ancient of Days, the great preserver of Men ~~ beseeching him, that the Angel who conducted our forefathers through the wilderness into the promised Land, may graciously conduct you through all the difficulties and dangers of this mortal life: ~~ And, when, like Joshua full of days and full of honour, you are gathered to your Fathers, may you be admitted into the Heavenly Paradise to partake of the water of life, and the tree of immortality. Done and Signed by order of the Hebrew Congregation in NewPort, Rhode Island August 17th 1790. Moses Seixas, Warden Today, as we contend with the contemporary equivalent of the Babylonish empire, let us send up our thanks to the Ancient of Days for this indispensable man. (First posted February 2006.) When the left sinks a Trump appointee, or the appointee sinks himself, the left doesnt necessarily win. The left wins only if the replacement is more appealing to it than the original guy. Unfortunately, Alex Acosta, the replacement for Andrew Puzder at the Department of Labor, is vastly more appealing to the left than Puzder was. The Acosta selection represents a win for the left and a defeat for conservatives. At first blush, this might seem an odd assertion. Acosta was a law clerk for the excellent Justice (then Judge) Alito. He was associated with two great conservative organizations the Federalist Society and the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He has the endorsement of Sen. Cruz, with whom he attended Harvard law School. At the same time, though, Acosta has been praised by AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka and by several large unions. Of Acostas selection, Trumka gushed, In one day, weve gone from a fast-food CEO who routinely violates labor law to a public servant with experience enforcing it. I put more weight in the reaction of the unionists than I do in Acostas conservative connections. Their enthusiasm is based on what Acosta did as a member of the National Labor Relations Board in the early 2000s. This seems more relevant than a clerkship years earlier, a friendship formed in law school, and organization memberships. But the most relevant consideration is Acostas record in the Justice Department under President Bush, first as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division and then as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. Sources say his record is not conservative. They say that during his time at DOJ, Acostas priority wasnt the advancement of the administrations policy goals. Rather, it was to stay on the good side of left-wing civil rights groups. Acosta sought to accomplish this primarily by meeting their demands to bring certain kinds of cases and by not bringing cases the left didnt like. But Acostas appeasement of the left seems to have gone further than that. Im told that in crunch time during the 2004 election, he was more accommodating to the Democrats than to the Republicans on voting issues with the potential to influence the outcome. Lets explore these charges. Acosta was in frequent contact with left-wing civil rights groups. If they complained that DOJ wasnt bringing enough of a certain kind of case say, discrimination claims based on disparate impact his typical response would be to order the bringing of two or three such cases. According to my information, the facts were not important. What mattered was raising the number of the particular category of cases that civil rights activists had expressed interest in. The Hispanic community had a strong interest in Executive Order 13166. Signed by President Clinton in August 2000, it requires federal agencies to examine the services they provide, identify any need for services to those with limited English proficiency (LEP), and develop and implement a system to provide those service. Acosta promised Latino organizations that he would issue favorable guidance for complying with the Order. When he encountered opposition in the Justice Department, Acosta said it was too late to oppose what he wanted because the White House had already signed off informally. Thus, the Justice Department signed off. According to my information, the White House had not signed off. Its possible that President Bush would have done so even without the Justice Departments concurrence. But Acosta successfully manipulated the situation to increase the likelihood of White House approval. Acosta was loath to bringing cases civil rights activists didnt like. The best example is the voting rights lawsuit against Ike Brown, the notorious African-American political boss of Noxubee County. Browns blatant violations of the Voting Rights Act are set forth in detail by a federal judge in this opinion. But the case that gave rise to the opinion probably wouldnt have been brought if Acosta had had his way. Im told that Acosta did not want to bring the case because he considered it too controversial. He insisted that no action against Brown be brought until after the 2004 election. After the election, he still opposed bringing the case, but was thwarted when Civil Rights Division attorneys went over his head. The result? A significant victory for DOJ and for voting rights. Now, lets turn to the 2004 election. Both sides in that bitter contest were deeply concerned about voting procedures. Republicans worried about voter fraud; Democrats worried about voter suppression. As the enforcer of the Voting Rights Act, the DOJs Civil Rights Division received many phone calls from civil rights groups and Democratic legislators on the one hand, and Republican legislators on the other. The legal issues raised were of vital partisan interest. My information is that, as the election drew close, Acosta stopped taking calls from Republican Senators. However, he continued to take them from the likes of Patrick Leahy, Ted Kennedy, and John Conyers. The pressure appears to have paid off. Im told that Acosta was not supportive of the Bush position on the casting of provisional ballots in Ohio, a key matter in that battle ground state. Naturally, Acostas stance in the 2004 election caused plenty of resentment among the political appointees in the Justice Department and within the Bush team generally. But Acosta had a golden ticket out of Main Justice. Alberto Gonzalez secured his appointment as United States Attorney for the Southern Florida. Such was the bitterness among Bush loyalists that, according to my information, when Harriet Miers announced his appointment as U.S. attorney at a meeting of her White House counsel staff, some staffers protested vehemently. Miers had to tell them it was a done deal and that, in effect, they should cool it. Why did Acosta behave the way he did at DOJ? Is he a liberal on the issues he dealt with or, having established good conservative credentials early in his career, was he trying to curry favor with the other side, perhaps in anticipation of a confirmation moment like the one that now has arrived? It doesnt matter. Either way, his service as Secretary of Labor would pose a large and obvious risk for conservatives. The Department of Labor plays a key role in areas of major interest to conservatives, especially immigration, wage and hour law, and civil rights. The left had its way, and then some, under Tom Perez, President Obamas Labor Secretary. Conservatives were counting on the new Secretary to reverse the many excesses of the past eight years. Acostas history of determination not to upset the left strongly suggests that our expectations will be dashed. On immigration, Acosta is a strong supporter of the kind of comprehensive immigration reform pushed by Sen. Marco Rubio and by Democrats. As PoliZette reports, he made this clear in remarks at a 2012 forum sponsored by the Hispanic Leadership Network Conference. Opponents of amnesty style reform are alarmed. Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation of American Immigration Reform, says that Acostas preferred policy kind of sounds like open borders. William Gheen, founder of the Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, says: Its very clear that this guy is from the amnesty side of the aisle. Its very unfortunate that someone like that would ever be considered for any position in the Trump administration. Gheen noted that Acosta has been backed in the past by the National Council of La Raza, a left-wing civil rights group. It endorsed him to head up the Civil Rights Division under President Bush. As discussed above, Acosta rewarded them. Acostas confirmation is virtually assured. Republicans wont block a Trump nominee, and Acostas record guarantees him sufficient support from Democrats. It will be imperative that the White House watch Acosta carefully to make sure he undoes Tom Perezs mischief and does none of his own. Unchecked, the Labor Department can undermine key elements of the Trump agenda. It is also crucial that the new head of the Civil Rights Division be a strong conservative, one with demonstrably solid views on the entire range of issues the division deals with, and one who can be counted on to stand up to civil rights activists both within and outside the department. Israeli warplanes on Wednesday hit arms depots near the Syrian capital Damascus, a monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, SOHR, said. The planes fired at least six rockets on the depots which were in the area of Qutaifa, north-east of Damascus. It was not immediately clear if the targeted sites belong to the Syrian army or its allied Lebanese Hezbollah movement, Rami Rahman, SOHR Head said. The reported airstrike resulted in successive explosions in Qutaifa, around 45 kilometres north east of Damascus, local sources said without reporting casualties. A Lebanese security official, who requested anonymity said that the raid targeted an arms shipment for Hezbollah. Pro-Iran Hezbollah has been fighting alongside the forces of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad since an anti-government uprising started in Syria in 2011. In January, the Syrian government accused Israel of mounting an air attack on the Mezzeh airbase west of Damascus. Israel rarely comments on such reports. On January 13, Syrias army accused Israel of firing rockets at a military air base in the capital, warning of repercussions for the strike, which hit just a few miles from the presidential palace. The attack on the Mezzeh military airport, a key base in Damascus, was one of the more powerful suspected Israeli strikes in recent months. Residents said they heard several explosions and saw smoke rise overhead. But it is unlikely that Syrian forces, which have repeatedly claimed their right to retaliation after such attacks, will act on the threat especially as the country is mired in a civil war now in its sixth year between President Bashar al-Assad and rebels seeking to oust him. An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment on the attack, following the countrys policy of neither confirming or denying such strikes. Israel has repeatedly struck inside Syrian territory in recent years to try to prevent weapon transfers to the Lebanese Shia militant group Hizbollah, which fought a war with Israel in 2006. Hezbollah, like Assad, is backed by Iran, which has been a major force fighting on Mr Assads side of the conflict. Syrias military command said the strikes took place after midnight and caused a fire in the Mezzeh base. The reported strike was the second of its kind in the past two months. Also in December, Syria blamed the Israeli military for another strike on the Mezzeh military airport in Damascus, causing explosions and fires. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said on Friday that the overnight strikes caused eight explosions and several casualties, but gave no further details. (dpa/NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook Nigerias Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, has vetoed four bills passed by the National Assembly and transmitted to the President for assent. The bills are Dangerous Drug Amendment Bill 2016; National Lottery Bill 2016; Currency Conversion Freezing Order Amendment Bill 2016; and Agricultural Guaranteed Credit Scheme Bill 2016. Senate President Bukola Saraki disclosed the development at the Senate plenary on Wednesday while reading Mr. Osinbajos letters separately conveying the refusal of assent to each of the bills. According to the letters as read by Mr. Saraki, the acting president refused to sign the bills into law due to do the wording and spirit of the bills. Specifically regarding the lottery bill, the concern was about pending litigation and the power of the National Assembly to legislate on the subject. The All Progressives Congress Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, protested Mr. Osinbajos presidential veto, arguing that, following the principle of separation of powers, the presidency has the duty of assenting to bills passed by the National Assembly or approach the judiciary for redress. But Mr. Saraki said the matter would be referred to the legal department of the National Assembly for advice. Nigerias presidential system allows checks and balance, which moderates the principle of separation of powers. In essence, Nigerias Constitution grants the president the power to withhold assent to a bill within thirty days of receipt. But upon presidential veto as exercised by Mr. Osinbajo, section 58(5) provides that such bill automatically becomes law if it is passed again by two-thirds majority of each of the chambers. It is not the first time a veto would be exercised. Last year, President Muhammadu Buhari refused to assent to the initial version of the 2016 Appropriation Bill passed by the National Assembly. Before Mr. Buhari, former President Goodluck Jonathan had at the twilight of his tenure in 2015 refused to assent to the Constitution Amendment Bill 2015 passed by the National Assembly, pointing to some anomalies. Meanwhile, Mr. Osinbajo had days ago signed seven bills into law. Editors Note: This post has been updated to reflect the actual number of bills vetoed by the Acting President. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, on Tuesday blamed budgetary appropriation constraints imposed by the National Assembly as reason for its inability remit N23.4 billion Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme, NESS fees since 2008. NESS fees are payments to pre-shipment inspection agents and monitoring and evaluation agents in respect of their supervision of crude oil and gas exports. With such payments, Clean Certificate of Inspections, CCI, are generated for exporters as permit to carry out export activities. At the end of each reconciliation, agreed NESS fees payable are signed off by stakeholders to close the transaction. But, Group Managing Director of NNPC, Maikanti Baru, said on Tuesday the fees payable by the corporation accumulated since 2008 due to budgetary appropriation constraints imposed by the National Assembly. Mr. Baru spoke while appearing before the Senate Joint Committee on Finance, Trade and Investment, Gas, Petroleum Upstream, Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, and Customs and Excise. He was represented by the Managing Director, NNPC Capital, Godwin Okonkwo, at the one-day investigative public hearing on Pre-Shipment Inspection of Export Activities in Nigeria. The National Assembly, he said, had always budgeted N20 million for NESS Fees, pointing out that NNPC lacked any legal right to remit any amount above the appropriated sum once it was exhausted. Mr. Baru said the NNPC was normally charged 0.15 per cent Free On Board, FOB, value of export as NESS fees for the export of crude oil and gas on behalf of the federal government. NESS budget is appropriated in the yearly National budget. NNPC-NAPIMS (National Petroleum Investment and Management Services) administers the budget and payments under the scheme. Crude Oil Marketing Division, COMD provides the lifting profiles and the actual price to compute the FOB export value, he said. Senate President Bukola Saraki who was represented by the Senate Majority Leader, Ahmed Lawan, said the Senate was committed to taking steps to promote transparency and accountability of all public and private institutions that transact business with or on behalf of the federal government. Mr. Saraki said Nigeria was facing a lot of challenges, adding that if the country was good for business, then the laws of the land must be obeyed, stressing that the Senate was in a hurry to move the country forward through legislation. This is an opportunity to open the books of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs to right the wrongs of the past, the Senate President said. On his part, the Joint Committee Chairman, John Enoh, noted that the investigative public hearing was to instil probity and transparency in the process of crude oil and gas exports in order to reduce leakages. He said that Section 11 of the Pre-shipment Inspection of Export Act made provision for repatriation of proceeds after 90 days, although most exporters of crude oil and gas were contravening the provisions. Mr. Enoh urged all stakeholders to make meaningful contributions towards the realization of the objectives of the Joint Senate Committee, noting that any submission targeted at misleading the Committee would be sanctioned. The Federal Government enacted the Pre-shipment Inspection of Export Act No. 10 of 1996 to ensure the exportation of quality goods through inspection of all export products, which gave rise to the Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme, NESS. Its responsibility was extended to cover crude oil and gas exports in 2008. Share this: Twitter Facebook Nigerias House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a resolution condemning the xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa. The lawmakers also urged the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to recall the countrys ambassador to South Africa ahead of a major anti-Nigerians rally planned for Friday. The resolution followed a motion by Rita Orji, a PDP member from Lagos State, who decried how Nigerians are being unjustly targeted in that country. Another lawmaker, Sergius Ogun, PDP-Edo State, said the poor treatment being meted to Nigerians was particularly troubling giving the role Nigeria played in ending the South African Apartheid regime. I want us as a House to condemn it and I also want our government to take a stand on it. How can we say that we are the giant of Africa when in other African countries, our citizens are being killed? he said. In her contribution, Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje, PDP-Abia State, said Nigeria should take extra-diplomatic measures in dealing with the latest deadly assaults because the the attacks on Nigerians in SA have persisted despite all diplomatic solutions explored by the government. Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, said it was time for all stakeholders to call a spade a spade. This isnt the first time this is happening. South Africans continue to kill Nigerians for no justifiable reason and this is completely unacceptable, Mr. Ogor, PDP-Delta State, said. He urged the South African government to take up its responsibility of securing live and properties within its borders. No fewer than 20 Nigerians were killed in xenophobic attacks in South Africa last year. The South African government has also condemned the attacks, saying it will introduce teaching of history in schools to help South Africans understand the roles Nigeria and other African countries played during the apartheid struggle. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Nigerian military has accused human rights organisation, Amnesty International (AI), of fabricating its latest report about extrajudicial killings and torture of 240 people in the countrys north-east and 177 pro-Biafran agitators. In a statement signed by acting director defence information, Rabe Abubakar, a brigadier general, the military described the report as a continuation of AIs series of spurious fabrications aimed at tarnishing the good image of the Nigerian military. Amnesty International has been relentless in its exposure of human rights abuses allegedly perpetrated by Nigerian soldiers in the countrys war against Boko Haram and the militarys ruthlessness in quelling protests in other parts of Nigeria. The organisations latest reports stated that 240 people including infants died in a dreaded military detention centre in Borno in 2016 while 177 pro-Biafran agitators were extra-judicially killed same year. At the military detention facility at Giwa barracks, Maiduguri, cells were overcrowded. Diseases, dehydration and starvation was rife. At least, 240 detainees died during the year. Bodies were secretly buried in Maiduguris cemetery by the Borno State Environmental Protection Agency staff. Among the dead were, at least, 29 children and babies, aged between newborn and five years. On the killings of pro-Biafra agitators, the report alleged that, Since January, in response to the continued agitation by pro-Biafra campaigners, security forces arbitrarily arrested and killed, at least, 100 members and supporters of the group, Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. Some of those arrested were subjected to enforced disappearance. On February 9, soldiers and police officers shot at about 200 IPOB members, who had gathered for a prayer meeting at the National High School in Aba, Abia State. Video footage showed soldiers shooting at peaceful and unarmed IPOB members; at least, 17 people were killed and scores injured. However, the military, like it has repeatedly done in the past, denied the claims contained in the report saying they were contrived lies orchestrated to blackmail and ridicule the Nigerian Armed Forces. Mr. Abubakar said AI is in the habit of encouraging activities of non-state actors who take up arms against the state, killing, maiming and destroying public property. In as much as the Nigerian military acknowledges and respects the views and constructive criticism of individuals, groups or even international organisations including Amnesty International, it will not fall for nor accept the deliberate falsehood that have no bearing with the fact or reality on ground. The truth is that the Nigerian military has always been open in its operations and do not hide its activities from the probing eye of the public. Amnesty International chose to bandy fabricated reports and concocted stories instead of seeking clarifications from the relevant authorities. It smacks of mischief for the AI to insist on publishing unverified and unsubstantiated report as it is only them that knows why it embark on such dishonourable venture over a period of time, he said. The Nigerian military rejects this AI reports in its entirety and appeals to all well meaning Nigerians to disregard the report and discountenance its contents as they were meant to paint Nigeria in bad light. We reassure our citizens of our commitment to terminate these myriads of security challenges facing our country, mindless of unfounded reports and cheap blackmail by AI, he added. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Deputy Speaker of Borno House of Assembly, Danlami Kubo, said on Tuesday that his state governor, Kashim Shettima, should be the next man to rule Nigeria at the end of President Muhammadu Buharis tenure. The lawmaker said moves were being made to see that the candidacy of Mr. Shettima is accepted when the time comes for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to get President Buharis successor. He was not specific on whether his wish for Mr. Shettima to succeed Buhari would be in 2019 or beyond. The Borno governor has also not declared any intention to run for president, while Mr. Buhari has not declared if he would seek a second term or not. Mr. Kubo, who has represented Shani constituency of Borno in the State House of Assembly since 2007, heads the assemblys Women Affairs committee. He made this declaration during the flag-off of a three day entrepreneurial training for 10,000 selected widows and displaced women, which was organised by the federal government. The lawmaker told the crowd that Borno State has continued to enjoy much patronage from the federal government because of the good leadership qualities of Mr. Shettima. We are more than serious about this project, he said. Our governor has been very exemplary in his stewardship especially of a state that is faced with the daunting challenges of insurgency. It is only few people that could remain calm and focused as chief executive of a state at a time when more than half of his state was being taken over by Boko Haram, millions of people displaced, thousands killed and properties worth billions of naira destroyed. And these are happening all through his tenure. And that did not make him shy away from his primary responsibility as well as other national responsibilities. The lawmaker said Mr. Shettimas emergence as chairman of the 19 northern governors forum was an icing on his cake of eligibility to succeed President Buhari. Even as the chairman of the northern governors forum, His Excellency Governor Shettima has continued to shine as a true leader. Since he became the chairman of the NGF, the forum has been more organised and transformed. And this means that if he is given the opportunity to lead this country, he would do so effectively. Besides, from his achievements in Borno state speaks volume. He has never for once abdicated his roles even for once. He said if given the chance to lead Nigeria, Mr. Shettima would not discriminate against anyone. Kashim Shettima has no kind of negative biases at all. He is a man that can unite this country and take it beyond the heights that out able President Buhari is taking us to now. He has shown us in Borno state that both Christians and Muslims are one; and he does that during all the festive seasons by visiting the Muslims and even the Christians in southern Borno during the Christmas time. That is the kind of leader we want to succeed our father, President Buhari. The Borno legislator also wanted more women involved in the states politics. He said as the chairman of the House committee on women affairs, he has been mobilising his colleagues and party leaders across the state to allow more women emerge as council chairmen in the coming council elections in the state. Honestly, the population of women in Borno State is more than that of the men, he said. Even the ratio of women that turn out to cast votes in most elections are higher than that of the men. As a matter of fact, 75 per cent of voters, especially in the rural areas are women. The lawmaker said despite womens population, it was unfair there was no female council chairman or lawmaker in the state. I have been doing it on personal level and now I am involving my other 27 colleagues in the state house of assembly, and they have all agreed to join me in this campaign. That is the only way we could better empower our women folks, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook Two Germans have been kidnapped in Kaduna, North-west Nigeria, the police have said. The Germans are said to be archaeologists engaged in an escalation work at Jajela, a village in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The Kaduna police spokesperson, Aliyu Usman, told PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday evening that the two Germans were abducted at the excavation site on Wednesday morning. The case was reported by locals and we have swung into action to rescue them, he said. The names of the victims have not been ascertained, but the police spokesperson said special operatives have been deployed to rescue them. So far, there has been no ransom demand or contact from the abductors, Mr Usman, an assistant superintendent of police, said. Unfortunately the victims did not go to site with the policemen attached to them for security, he added. Details later. Share this: Twitter Facebook Discussing succession at a time President Muhammadu Buhari is attending to his health is nothing less than insanity, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno has said. The governor was reacting to a call by the Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Danlami Kubo, that Mr. Shettima succeed Mr. Buhari as president. The governor, who is currently in Oslo, Norway, for a humanitarian conference on Nigeria and Lake Chad, spoke through his spokesperson, Isa Gusau. Mr. Shettima said he was angered by the lawmakers comment and it doesnt represent his views in anyway. He came (to Norway) so that donors do not get a wrong signal that would show the Borno State Government being less committed to those making donations to support citizens of the State, Mr. Gusau said. I received a Google alert of the story credited to a lawmaker in Borno State over issue of succession. Governor Kashim Shettima was deeply angered by that report and he has tried reaching the lawmaker to clarify if he granted that interview or he was misrepresented. In the meantime, Governor Shettima feels it would amount to moral insanity for any Nigerian to be discussing issues of succession at a time a very popular, highly experienced and capable sitting president is managing his health. In the message sent to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Gusau then quoted the governor condemning the call. We have a sitting President, a popular one that we are all proud of for working more than anyone would have done in fighting the Boko Haram insurgency which is our number one problem in our state, the north-east and the Northern region, Mr. Shettima said. How can anyone in his right thinking be talking about succession when a cherished President is dealing with his health? It would amount to moral insanity for anyone to be discussing succession of President Buhari at this time. What has gone wrong with our moral values? Has politics taken over our sanity? What is most precious to me is to have Boko Haram brought to an end and I dont think anyone would have done better than what President Buhari is doing for us. This call does not represent the slightest of my thoughts. The Borno governor said he believed that from Nigerias democratic history, people who emerged president were those invited to vie for the position. only a mad man blindly aspires to be Nigerias President if history is anything to go by. From 1979 to date, nobody with aspiration for the presidency has achieved it. President Shagari was invited to contest without aspiration in 1979; President Obasanjo was invited to contest without aspiration in 1999; President Umaru Musa YarAdua was invited to contest without aspiration in 2007; President Jonathan who eventually succeeded YarAdua, was also invited to become Vice President without aspiration. Even President Buhari with his electrifying popularity didnt win the presidency in his 2003, 2007 and 2011 aspirations until in 2015 when he was invited to contest. This is the complexity of Nigerias politics and any person with the slightest wisdom must learn from history and face his business of the day. The Borno Governor indicated his willingness to support the re-election of Mr. Buhari as president in 2019. Insha Allah, President Buhari will be fine and will be popularly re-elected to positively change Nigeria forever, he said. He added that his greatest wish is that the person succeeding me as the next governor of Borno State doesnt inherit the Boko Haram crisis like I inherited the crisis in 2011 and my other wish is that Borno is rebuilt before whoever is taking over from me at Allahs appointed time. I am not the ungrateful and not the blindly ambitious type and I thank Allah for his grace and pray that I succeed in positively reversing the Borno story, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday made a phone call to the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, to thank the people of the state who had gathered to pray for the quick recovery of the president, an official said. The governor, who organised the special prayer gathering at Government House, Kano, asked the president how he was feeling as soon as he picked the call. Im much better now and I thank you for the prayers and indeed the entire Nigerians, Mr. Buhari said in a call placed on speakerphone near the halls microphone and heard by everyone in the hall. Governor Ganduje then told the President that he was being overhead by those offering prayers for him, to which Mr. Buhari responded by expressing happiness and gratitude. Mr. Buhari has been in the UK for over 30 days for health reasons. His spokesperson recently said the president was asked to take a bed rest based on results of some medical tests conducted. The presidency has not given any date for Mr. Buharis return. The Kano government sponsored Wednesdays special prayers including the recitation of the Quran for the speedy recovery of the president. The event, which was conducted at the Africa House of the Government House, drew Islamic clerics from different sects including Izalat, Tijjaniyya and Qaddiriyya. Before the commencement of the recitation of the Quran, the clerics offered special prayers, saying it is imperative for everyone to pray for the president. Aminudeen Abubakar, the State Commandant of the Hisbah, said while offering his prayers that regardless of ones religion, a leader deserves his followers prayers. Kabirullah Kabara, the leader of Qaddiriyya, said they would continue to pray till the president fully recovers. Among those present during the prayers were the states deputy governor, Hafiz Abubakar, commissioners, state lawmakers and party stalwarts. Governor Ganduje said President Buhari needs the prayers of Nigerians for quick recovery. Mr. Ganduje said the fight against corruption started by the president was gaining momentum. Share this: Twitter Facebook The International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, in collaboration with the Public and Private Development Centre, PPDC, is embarking on a project to build the capacity of Nigerian journalists to scrutinise budgetary and procurement issues, in order to create more transparency and accountability in the public sector. The project is made possible by a three-year grant from the Macarthur Foundation aimed at promoting accountability and transparency and helping in the fight against corruption in Nigeria. The Director of the ICIR, Dayo Aiyetan, in a statement said the primary objective of the project is to help equip journalists in Nigeria with modern knowledge of investigative journalism as well as help cash strapped newsrooms to undertake critical watchdog reporting that can make government accountable to the people. He said that the projects focus on budgetary, procurement and contracting processes is informed by the reality that most of the looting of government kitty is done during contracting and procurement processes. Todays investigative journalism is driven by technology and not sweat or legwork. We want to equip journalists with knowledge and skills that would enable them properly scrutinise and report activities of government, particularly the contracting processes through which money meant for development is stolen. The project is divided into two phases, and would involve providing training for up to 30 (15 Abuja based and 15 from other parts of the country) Nigerian journalists over a three-year period. The workshops to be held in Abuja would build participants skills in investigative journalism, data journalism and infographics, procurement law, tracking and monitoring, among others. Participating journalists will also undergo an internship with the PPDC, during which they will earn practical skills in tracking, monitoring and analysing contracts and procurement processes. The project will also provide funds for the journalists to work with the ICIR and appointed mentors to undertake investigative reporting projects on critical sectors of the economy, with particular focus on procurement and contracting processes. The first phase of the project scheduled to commence in April, is open to practicing journalists in print, electronic and new/digital media who are based in Abuja. Freelance reporters who are interested in investigative journalism can also partake in the project as long as they have a guarantee of getting their reports published in a news outlet Editors of newspapers would also be asked to nominate candidates for the project but nominees have to go through a screening process to qualify. Interested journalists are asked to visit www.icirnigeria.org to apply. Nominations for the training will be accepted until February 28. Share this: Twitter Facebook Lecturers of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, have suspended their months long strike after a meeting Tuesday. The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, in the school ended its strike after receiving a letter of commitment on how Oyo and Osun state governments intend to fund the university, its chapter chairman said. The chairman, Biodun Olaniran, said the decision was informed after appraisal of the current situation on campus. He however said the union would not hesitate to return to strike if the government fails again on the promise of funding the school. After consideration of all issues, we have decided to immediately suspend the strike and return to work with immediate effect, he said. Students reacted with elation to the news. Congratulations to all LAUTECH students, at some point I didnt know how to ask for money from home, they kept asking me what I am doing in school, a student, Busari Azeezat, said. The LAUTECH chapter of ASUU went on strike in June 2016. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, says the Federal Government is targeting the production of seven million tonnes of rice by 2018. Briefing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Mr. Ogbeh said that the target, which would be achieved by the second quarter of 2018, was to meet the national consumption rate. I think we have attained the level of being one of the largest producers of rice, even though many people are still in doubt about that. So, for those who say it is not true, I think they need to take another look. I have been in Vietnam, the same kind of rice plantation you see there is what you see in Nigeria. The only thing we need to add is the milling capacity, which we are increasing, he said. The minister, however, attributed the current hike in price of rice to the increase in the peoples demand for the produce. Mr. Ogbeh said that the country was feeding more than 193 million citizens as well as 100 million others in West and North Africa. Nobody argues the fact that trucks come in from Ghana, Burkina Faso, Niger Republic, Chad, Mali, to Funtua in Katsina to load our grains, he said. On rice milling, the minister said that the Federal Government recently advertised no fewer than 100 rice mills for sale and distribution to farmers. Mr. Ogbeh said that this would assist rice farmers to boost their production, while reducing the price of the produce and boosting the food security of the country. Our milling capacity is still not up to speed but we want to improve. Some of the mills, which will mainly go to cooperatives, will do 10 tonnes a day, some 20 tonnes, some 50 tonnes and some 100 tonnes. The terms of sale and distribution of the mills to communities and farmers will be very generous, he said. Mr. Ogbeh said that the states that were currently producing rice included Adamawa, Kebbi, Kano, Ebonyi, Katsina, Jigawa, Taraba, Anambra, Enugu and Benue. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook UNICEF on Wednesday said it spent about N6.1 billion to procure Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food, RUTF, to treat severely malnourished children in Jigawa from 2009 to date. Abdulai Kaikai, the UNICEF Chief, Bauchi Field Office, said this at an advocacy meeting with stakeholders on the management of severe acute malnutrition in the state. Mr. Kaikai said that within the period under review, 280,980 severely malnourished children were treated with RUTF and 55,094 lives had been saved. In 2016 alone, about 74,630 cases of severely malnourished children were treated. According to him, this is made possible by the support and contributions from donors like Department for International Development (DFID) and the Children Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF). The UNICEF official said that 12 local government councils that had Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) in their areas had been contributing N24,000 monthly to purchase RUTF for malnourished children. He called on the local councils to review their contributions because of the high exchange rate and increasing prices of commodities. He said that the prices of RUTF had tripled hence affecting the quantity supplied, and this had increased the number of severely malnourished children. When the current MoU was signed, CMAM had only 46,107 children but the number had increased to 74,630 children as at December 2016. What it means is that currently, more than 75 per cent of the children do not have access to this life-saving interventions, which are very essential to the treatment of severe acute malnutrition Mr. Kaikai said. Earlier in his address, Kabir Ibrahim, the Executive Secretary, State Primary Health-Care, said that it was unacceptable that 60 per cent of their children were stunted due to malnutrition. Mr. Ibrahim, who was represented by a director in the agency, Shehu Sambo, said that it was worrisome that his state was leading in terms of severe acute malnutrition in the country. If this ugly development is not well tackled, such affected children will not be able to compete educationally as well as have job opportunities. I urge all stakeholders in the meeting to play their roles in changing the trend in the state, the executive secretary said. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, arraigned Bala Tangalu before Justice A. B. Mohammed of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Jabi, Abuja on a 2-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N2.5 million. Mr. Tangalu, a self-styled native doctor, also known as Babalawo, was arrested following a petition by one Dozie Ugonna, who alleged that he was scammed of over N2.5 million by the accused and his cohorts. According to the petitioner, the money was meant for the purchase of materials to neutralize some harmful charms purportedly contained in a carton filled with United States dollars. The offence is contrary to Section 8 (a) and punishable under Section 8 (C) and 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006. The accused person pleaded not guilty to the charge. Upon his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Elizabeth Alabi, asked the court to fix a date for trial and remand the accused in prison custody pending trial. She urged the court to consider the weight of the offence, which according to her carries a minimum of seven year jail term. However, counsel to the accused, Yusuf Abdullahi, told the court he had a pending bail application before the court. He added that the accused had been granted administrative bail by the EFCC which he had not breached and urged the court to adopt same bail condition. Justice Mohammed granted bail to the accused in the sum of N2 million with two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be a civil servant or a community leader. The case has been adjourned to March 20, 2017 for trial. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Senate has observed that the fight against corruption in Nigeria may be scuttled by the growing underfunding of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria. The Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes, Chukwuka Utazi, who raised the concern during the budget defence of ICPC at the National Assembly Complex noted that poor budgetary allocation to the Commission would hinder ICPC from attaining its set targets. He said, If we want to fight corruption, we must fund the fight. You want to fight corruption without funding? It wont work. Agencies like ICPC need to get into the consciousness of Nigerians. They need to do enlightenment and educate the people on the ills of corruption. This will help us to look at the cause which is less expensive than what we are doing now by running after the corrupt. Mr. Utazi assured ICPC that the Senate would ensure improved budgetary allocation to the Commission. His words, There must be a total overturn in the budgetary process. We will make a case that you get what you deserve to do your work. We have done that for others before, so we will do it again. We are going to see what the Committee will do. We will engage the relevant people concerned including our colleagues from the House of Representatives to look at the paltry sums being given to you. Earlier, the Chairman of ICPC, Ekpo Nta, lamented that inadequate funding was hindering the performance of the Commission. He told the Committee that some operations of the commission were delayed and others left unexecuted in 2016 because of insufficient funds even while they were captured in the budget. The ICPC had submitted a budget proposal of N5.8 billion for 2017 to the National Assembly. Share this: Twitter Facebook ExxonMobil Corporation on Wednesday denied reports that it has embarked on fresh retrenchment exercise of 89 additional workers in its workforce. Ogechukwu Udeagha, ExxonMobils Media and Communications Manager, told PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview that no retrenchment exercise took place at the company. I can assure you that there is absolutely no truth to the claim, he told our correspondent Wednesday afternoon. Earlier on Tuesday, the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, had reported that a fresh retrenchment exercise that allegedly affected 60 regular workers and 29 contract staff was carried out at the companys Qua Iboe Terminal in Akwa Ibom State. But the companys spokesperson, Mr. Udeagha, said the report is mischievous and untrue. The journalist is just being mischievous, he told PREMIUM TIMES. Similarly, Paul Eboigbe, the Chairman of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, ExxonMobil branch, told our correspondent that the report is not true. To the best of my knowledge, that is not true, he said in a telephone interview on Wednesday. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, had in December 2016 directed oil companies operating in the country to suspend all actions aimed at reducing their workforce, to stem the crisis in the industry. We have asked the oil companies to suspend all actions geared towards reduction of staffing until we have taken a first quarter analysis of the impact of what government has done to reverse the trend in the industry, Mr. Kachikwu had said. The Minister had equally maintained that he was optimistic that efforts by government, with the launch of a new funding mechanism for the joint venture operations, would boost the momentum of operations in the industry. Mr. Kachikwu was reacting to the crisis rocking the petroleum industry following threats by unions to embark on strike and shut down international oil companies, IOCs. Earlier, the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and PENGASSAN had on October 26, 2016 threatened to go on strike over alleged plans by the IOCs to sack 3,000 of their members. The unions had also issued a 21-day ultimatum to the federal government calling for a halt to the sacking of their members by the IOCs. Similarly, aggrieved workers of ExxonMobil had in December 2016 shut down the companys corporate head office in Lagos in protest over the attempt by the company to sack over 150 workers. The protesting workers had accused the company of flagrant violation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act by deploying expatriates to take over jobs for which there is local capacity. The Chairman of the ExxonMobil Branch of PENGASSAN, Mr. Eboigbe, who confirmed the closure of the companys Lagos office, had accused the management of sacking its members, while negotiations were still ongoing. But in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, Mr. Eboigbe said there was no new case of retrenchment of staff at the company. The retrenchment exercise the company embarked upon last year is still lingering; the union is still resisting it, he told PREMIUM TIMES. Maybe the report is referring to the old exerciseand even, although they are at home, those affected in the last exercise are still on the companys payroll. So, to the best of my knowledge, there is no new case of retrenchment, he added. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA, said on Wednesday that income generated from its various investments significantly grew from N26.36 billion in 2015 to about N142.5 billion (about 440.6 per cent) as at September 2016. The Managing Director of the agency, Uche Orji, who presented a review of the agencys 2016 performance and the outlook on projects for 2017, said apart from about N57 billion realized during the year as total operating income from investments, additional N36.6 billion came from net foreign exchange and other fee income and N330.3 million as share of profit of investment. The consolidated statement of comprehensive income for the period ending September 30, 2016 approved by the NSIA Governing Council during its meeting Thursday last week showed significant reduction in total operating management and administrative expenses from N2.33million to N1.43 billion. Total assets grew from N213.67billion in 2015 to over N413.63 billion during the year under review, Mr. Orji said. We went through a phase of massive capital accumulation, investing in 17 countries around the world. So, 2016 was a very interesting year for the NSIA. Our strategic investment focus for 2017 would be on massive domestic infrastructure projects that would add value to both the economy and the people, he added. During the year, Mr. Orji said NSIA was also funds managers for various government agencies, including $350 million for Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader, and $100 million for the Debt Management Office. Besides, he said since May 2015, NSIA has been doing business with 25 per cent of the federal government portion of the stabilisation fund, an amount that generated accumulated returns on investment of about N8.94 billion at about 11 per cent. He said the agency had deployed 40 per cent of the fund dedicated to infrastructure development for the provision of facilities in key sectors of the economy, including agriculture, healthcare, waterways, autoroads, power and real estates. In 2017, the NSIA boss said areas of investment would be expanded to cover infrastructure development in the midstream sector of the oil and gas industry, including gas pipelines, oil and gas storage processing and refining facilities, as well as water resources projects. Other initiatives the agency intends to focus attention on during the year, he said, would be e-government processes and automation to boost efficiency in the services of government agencies and departments in the country. One project that would attract a special attention of the agency, Mr. Orji said, was NSIAs involvement in the running of fertilizer blending plants in the country to help deliver fertilizer to farmers profitably at about 30-40 per cent below the current price farmers pay per bag without subsidy. At the moment, farmers pay as much as N8,000 for a 50 kilogramme bag of fertiliser. But, Mr. Orji said NSIA plans to bring an end to subsidy in the supply of fertiliser and ensure that the price would crash to an affordable level of about N5,500 per bag. Already, he said 11 fertilizer blending plants were functional and another was being expected in various locations across the country, including three in Kaduna, Plateau, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Kano, Lagos, Katsina, Niger, Jigawa and Kebbi states. Mr. Orji said the imported raw materials for the production of fertilizer, which have since arrived the country, were being distributed to the blending plants, while shipping also started last week, to Jigawa and Kebbi states. Our objective is to ensure farmers receive fertilizers on time at a reasonable price without subsidy. The target of the programme to be launched next week by the President is to deliver one million metric tons of NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer this wet season. People have been importing full blended fertilizer into the country. But, we need to import only 34 per cent of the total volume we consume, because about 66 per cent is already available in Nigeria. All that we need to do is to ensure that rather than importing everything, we import what we dont have and get what we have locally, by reviving all the blending plants. NSIA is also working with the Nigeria Customs Service to create a single window for import and export system to generate revenue, while a $200 million agricultural fund is to be established in the country. Under the Fund, rice farming and milling projects would be undertaken to ensure 70 per cent of the production were kept for local food security and 30 per cent for export. Editors Note: This story has updated to correct the percentile rise of Nigerias sovereign wealth. Share this: Twitter Facebook The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Tuesday, said contrary to reports, it did not register the Indian garri that was reportedly being sold in the Nigerian market. The agencys Director, Special Duties and Media, Abubakar Jimoh, said this in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, noting that there had been false reports that the agency registered the brand. Nigerians had expressed concerns over the weekend when it was reported that Indian-packaged garri was being sold in the country. The garri was packed in a 500g bag, which had the picture of a lady and an inscription, TRS, on it. It also had a price tag of N450, according to reports. NAFDAC said it immediately commenced investigations into the alleged importation of the Indian garri. The agency also cautioned Nigerians against consumption of the product. Similarly, the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, spoke on the development in a statement on his verified twitter handle, noting that 26 packets of the product were seized for analysis by NAFDAC after regulatory officials visited the supermarket in Ikoyi on Monday. While speaking with PREMIUM TIMES Tuesday evening, Mr. Jimoh said that preliminary investigations revealed that the product was produced in UK, shipped to Ghana and now being sold in Nigeria. He, however, said that the agency did not register the product as being insinuated. Let me make it clear again that NAFDAC did not register any garri, he told PREMIUM TIMES. We have collected samples of the product and sent them for screening, he added. Explaining further, Mr. Jimoh said NAFDAC couldnt have registered the imported Indian-garri because the agency understood the implication of such a decision on the local production market and the general Nigerian economy. We are not just safeguarding public health, we also ensure the growth of the Nigerian production industry and facilitate the federal governments efforts at fixing the economy, he noted. The NAFDAC spokesperson said investigation is ongoing on the product and the agency would reveal the outcome of its findings once the investigations are concluded. The (Acting) Director-General of NAFDAC, Mrs. Yetunde Oni, would address the press once the result is out, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Nigerian Government on Wednesday approved the construction of the Cameroon-Nigeria border link bridge as part of its efforts to strengthen the bilateral ties between the two countries. The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who briefed State House Correspondents shortly after the meeting of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, presided by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, said the construction would gulp $38 million, while $9 million would be for consultancy. We presented a memo to construct the Cameroon-Nigeria border link bridge, at Ikot Efiom under the African Development Bank support, for improving relationship between Cameroon and Nigeria post the ICJ judgment over Bakassi; and council approved that bridge. Its part of the link road between Enugu -Abakaliki way which is already completed and part of the larger Lagos-Mumbasa Highway. $38 million is for the construction contract and $9 million for the consultancy and this was done under ADB procurement guidelines, Mr. Fashola said. The Minister, who was flanked by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, and his counterpart in the Environment, Amina Mohammed, said the council also approved the construction of Kaduna-Eastern bypass highway at the cost of N32 billion. We also presented a memo for the resuscitation and completion of the Kaduna Eastern bypass highway, which was started in 2002 and was initially planned to have been completed within three years; but 15 years after, it remains uncompleted. Council also approved this, and it is a 50 kilometre highway and dual carriage way with nine bridges over rivers and rail crossings there. The project was first awarded in 2002 at N16 billion, we have had to get approval for N22 billion verbatim and so that takes that project cost now to N32 billion. The contractor was paid N5.5 billion in 2002; if we had paid the contractor N11 billion then when exchange rate was N109 it would have cost us $96 million. If you multiply $96 million today even at official rate of N305 is now N29 billion, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook Security operatives on Wednesday arrested Babatunde Gbadamosi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, after he honoured a verbal invitation, his wife said. The law enforcement agency that arrested Mr. Gbadamosi and official reasons for the action were not yet confirmed as at 7:00 p.m., but Sade Gbadamosi told PREMIUM TIMES her husband was arrested by the State Security Service, SSS, for his fierce anti-government views. PREMIUM TIMES could not independently confirm that SSS executed Mr. Gbadamosis arrest. The agencys refusal to appoint a spokesperson running close to two years made it impossible to get clarification about the development. A spokesperson for the police in Lagos did not immediately respond to requests for commentsWednesday night. But Mrs. Gbadamosi said her husband was detained shortly after his arrival at the Lagos field office of the secret police around 11:00 a.m. Wednesday. He was transferred to Abuja about two hours later, she said. The politician was there to honour a verbal invitation he received from SSS officers who stormed his residence in Eleko Beach Tuesday, but were prevented from gaining access because they allegedly did not show a valid warrant of arrest, Mrs. Gbadamosi said. They came yesterday. No warrant. So I did not let them into the estate. I told them he will come today instead. So we went. Immediate arrest without charges and he was then bundled to Abuja, Mrs. Gbadamosi told this newspaper in a brief exchange on instant messaging platform, WhatsApp. No freedom of speech, she said. Mr. Gbadamosi, a PDP governorship aspirant in Lagos, had gained recognition as a vocal voice of opposition to Muhammadu Buhari administration, often joining voices with Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti and ex-minister Femi Fani-Kayode to rail against Mr. Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress. Hours before his arrest while he was going to the SSS field office in Lagos, he put up an update on his Facebook page, to warn of his possible detention for an extensive period. Yesterday, six men from the SSS came to deliver a verbal invitation for me to attend their office at CMD Road, Shangisha today. I have packed a day bad, just in case they decided to add me to the exclusive club of detained opposition voices. The struggle to free Nigeria from the clutches of tyranny and corruption must continue, with or without me. I fear no man, only God the Creator, he wrote. His wife reaffirmed that six men were at their residence on Tuesday. She said her husband might have been arrested over a video he posted on the Internet to vent his opposition to the Central Banks foreign exchange policies. A particular video went viral. Talking about forex hanky pankies, Mrs. Gbadamosi said. PREMIUM TIMES did not see the video. Mrs. Gbadamosi said she will be in Abuja Wednesday night with her husbands lawyers to seek access to him in SSS custody. Share this: Twitter Facebook Abdullahi Gabia, a Kaduna based television presenter, has died at the age of 44. Late Mr. Gabia was a presenter of a popular television human interest Hausa programme Gari Ya Waye, and a comedy programme, Mu Shakata on Desmims Independent Television DITV/Alheri radio, Kaduna. He died at about 5 p.m. on Wednesday at Garkuwa hospital in Kaduna after an illness. Television stations in Kaduna have been broadcasting special programmes and condolence messages for the deceased. The journalist was buried at about 7:20 p.m. at Kawo burial ground, according to Islamic rites. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Akwa Ibom State government says it has set December 31 as deadline to realise its target to double its garri and rice production capacities. The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Sufficiency, Charles Udo-Inyang, who said this in Abuja, said the State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, was anxious to see the price of garri, one of Nigerias staple foods, reduced by at least 50 per cent before the end of December. Mr. Udo-Inyang, who was speaking at a reception organised in his honour by friends, relations and well-wishers to celebrate his appointment, said the state government also has the ambition of doubling the rice production capacity from the current 15 tons per annum to 30 tons before the end of the year. The state governor, Udom Emmanuel, is very passionate about developing the agricultural sector in the state. His ambition is to see Akwa Ibom State not become the premier destination for garri and rice production in West African sub-region, but also other major food crops in the country in the near future, he said. The soil in Akwa Ibom is very fertile for agriculture. The ambition of the state governor is to see that his government takes advantage of that to grow cassava to reduce the price of garri by at least 50 per cent before the end of the year, the Commissioner said. To achieve the target, he said the state government was embarking on a programme to develop cassava plantations around the state, while also ensuring the cultivation of other staple food crops that grow well in the state. He said already the state government was establishing cassava mills in various locations across the state to handle the processing of the commodity for exports, adding that several off-takers were already waiting to buy up the harvested crops from producers. The Commissioner, who said the state government was also interested in growing grains like maize, said off-takers like Lever Brothers were ready to pay in advance for supplies ahead of production. Other areas he said the state government hoped to develop into a foreign exchange earner, were in the cultivation of tree crops like cocoa and coconut for exports to the West Africa sub-region. The dream of the government is for the state to become a major coconut producer and exporter in the West African sub-region. Already, the state is investing massively in the establishment a coconut plantations and refineries to refine the commodity for exports, the commissioner said. Share this: Twitter Facebook Some civil society groups led by the Transparency Initiative Nigeria, TIN, on Tuesday urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to probe a former bursar of the University of Calabar, Peter Agi. Mr. Agi was suspended in August last year by the school management under allegations of fraud, forgery and threat to life. TIN said following its examination of the crisis rocking the second generation institution, it has unearthed a series of malpractices traceable to the former bursar at the root of the crisis. The group said it had written to the EFCC to investigate Mr. Agi and we hope that this time they will rise up to the task. Briefing journalists in Abuja, the groups spokesperson, Adodo Solomon, alleged that Mr. Agis lack of financial transparency had stalled major construction projects in the university. The group also accused Mr Agi, who was appointed in 2010, of corrupt enrichment and random abuse of the University rules, appropriation/procurement processes and lack of transparency. To our utter dismay, we further gathered from contractors, that Mr. Peter Agi was in the habit of sitting on funds approved for payment to contractors and this stalled major construction projects which should have further etched the University up the ladder of academic glory and acclaim. The Joint Council/Senate Committee Investigation report further revealed that Mr. Peter Agi compromised the University of Calabar fees payment portal and in the process, over Two Hundred Million naira remains untraced till date. Furthermore, in an attempt to conserve and divert funds, Mr. Agi deprived several departments of the university of funds needed for procurement of critical equipment and projects, thus these deprived departments failed to meet the NUC standards for accreditation. We call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to immediately begin to look into these allegations in tandem with the commitment of the Buhari administration to fight corruption and restore sanity in our public service, Mr. Solomon said. However, the bursar, Mr. Agi has denied the allegations levelled against him. Speaking through a group, Concerned Students and Senior Staff Association, he claimed that those against him saw him as a threat to their corrupt acts following his insistence on due process and adherence to guidelines of the universitys financial system. But TIN said various media campaign against the administration of the Vice Chancellor of the University, Zana Akpagu, who is the first alumnus to hold the position, could be traced to the former bursar. The police have confirmed that Mr. Agi is being investigated over financial dealings involving his office. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Ayodeji Daramola, has called on the police authorities to immediately beef up security at the courts in the wake of arson attacks on courts in some parts of the country. The judge made the call on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti, while receiving the Commissioner of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, in his office. Apparently worried by lasts week burning down of a high court in Ilesa by hoodlums, and attacks in Imo and Kogi states, the judge called for a synergy between the prisons service and the police for enhanced security especially when hardened criminals were brought to court. He said the prison officers lacked capacity to effectively secure the prison without the assistance of the police, noting that the cases of jail break were rampant because of poor cooperation between the two agencies. Mr. Daramola said he was asked by his colleague judges to urge the commissioner to provide better security in courts in the light of attacks on courts in other states. We really need police protection. Please help us in this regard. It is not only the police that criminals look at with disdain. They also look at us with disdain as well, the judge said. Things have not been the same between the police and the prison authority since they started carrying arms. The Prison people must allow the police to assist them. Mr. Inalegwu, in his response, condemned the attacks on courts, stressing the need for all stakeholders in the security sector and the judicial officers to brainstorm and fashion out security model that could protect courts. If the police arrest, they cannot keep suspect for too long. They need the judiciary to prosecute the suspects. So judiciary is not only the hope of the common man, but the hope of the police, he said. When I arrived Ekiti State, I was briefed about the number of conviction that the police has secured. I was very impressed about it your Lordship. We usually asked the prison people to alert us when they are taking hardened criminals to the court, but we dont get to know about it. We have written to the Comptroller of Prison about this. We are going to look at the operations of our Judges Protection Unit and do something about it if we discovered that there are issues. Share this: Twitter Facebook Governors of states in Nigerias South-West have agreed to come together to fashion out policies and programmes to reposition the zone for accelerated development. The Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, disclosed on Wednesday at the South-West Governance Innovation Conference of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, DAWN, Commission held in Abeokuta. Mr. Amosun said the governors have agreed to work together irrespective of their political differences to develop the zone pointing out that no part can be greater than the whole. For the South Western region to get it right, we must as a matter of importance and urgency give priority to quality education, agriculture that would lead to massive industrialisation and infrastructure development as well as adequate security, the host governor emphasised. Mr. Amosun, who said all the governors have resolved to achieve meaningful development, advised that each state should explore its areas of comparative advantage to develop the region. He stated that his administration had taken steps to improve the standard of living in Ogun State. I have taken Ogun State out of the apron of Federal Government and made it self-sustaining without waiting for funds from the federal government before it can operate, Mr. Amosun stated. Share this: Twitter Facebook ( Read 8572 Times) Source : 10 All-Time Popular Government Jobs in IndiaBrief InformationGovernment jobs in India serve as the most reputed and valuable jobs in India even if someone works in the low-grade post. Most of the Indian parents push their child to pursue their career in government sector rather than opting for the private sector.Every government jobs are associated with a large list of perks which makes these jobs popular among students. However it is not easy to get government jobs, aspirants have to work hard to cross the hurdle of exams and huge competition for limited seats.Many people struggle for years to get a foothold in government sector as hardly any student grab them in one chance.Government jobs are considered as the most secured job as it offers lifetime job security, and once a candidate grabs a government job, they wont have to worry about losing their job in tough market times.There are myths that government jobs dont pay well but this wrong there are jobs that pay more than top notch private sector companies. Many students work hard not only for the benefits of government jobs but also honor and authorities associated with those posts.Another advantage of a government job is a pension, which is not available in any private sector jobs and this single factor has grabbed the attention of a lot of students.Hardly there is any student in India, who is not attracted to Government jobs and prefer private sector over them. Every year, a lot of exams are conducted for various positions in the government sector, but not all of them are popular among students. There are many sites like Sure Recruitment where you can find such government jobs.To encourage students to join public sector companies, the government is increasing the vacancies in different offices so that lot of eligible students can achieve their dream. Many students start preparing for Government Recruitment Exams after passing out from school.10 Popular Government JobsAlthough many students prepare for Government recruitment exams, but there are students who often wonder that what are the popular government jobs in India which will give stability in life. Then following names of some traditional government job can help them to solve their query:1. Civil Services Government jobs in civil services are considered as the most upright and also popular position one can achieve. Civil services mostly include IAS, IPS, IFS and they are highly popular mainly because of the prestige and honor associated with those tags.Apart from popularity, these jobs are one of the highest paid jobs in India and unmatched to any position in any private company. Responsibility is another factor which makes this post popular among students.2. Public Sector A public sector company is another popular job that incurs huge number candidates during the recruitment process. Companies like BHEL, ONGC, SAIL, HAL, and many other reputed enterprises are most demanded companies mainly due to the benefits provided these companies to their employees. Although the entrance exams are tough, but they recruit a lot of eligible candidates.3. State Public Service Commission This is another highly reputed and popular government jobs in India. State public service includes position like RTO, MRO, and Tahsildar who enjoy a large number of benefits as well as huge salary offered by state government.4. Government University Professor or Lecturer Professor and lecturer position in Government University always stays on high demand among teachers. The job pressure is low, but perks and salary are huge. The best part of this job is that teachers can encourage young minds to achieve their dream.5. Defense Services Defense service is a very risk job, but the perks and honor associated with a job make admired among aspirants. Defense services include jobs Army, Air Force, Coastal Guard and Navy. There are endless benefits for this job, but most of the aspirants join this service for the honor and respect.6. Government Scientist Working in ISRO, ISI, and DRDO as a scientist is a highly reputable job, and the government offers handsome salary package which is far better than private sectors.7. NTPC Jobs The recruitment process for NTPC is tough, but this factor hasnt dampened its popularity among students. A lot of students work very hard to grab a position in National Thermal Power Corporation Limited who is the major power production company in India.8. Bank Probationary Officer Bank PO is one of the most popular jobs in India and every year lakhs of students appear for the exams of IBPS. The salary package and benefits are kind of interesting but the work pressure is low.9. Railway Engineer Many engineering students aspire to have a job in the railway sector, and it also serves as one of the best career options.10. Governmental Doctors This is another popular governmental job that is highly popular among students perusing their career in medical field. The demand for this job always stays high, but benefits and salary is also top notch. UPPER TOWNSHIP Officials in this rural township are exploring new ways to bring in businesses and property-tax ratables, and maybe even a hotel. The Township Committee on Monday may approve the creation of an economic development advisory commission, which Upper Township Business Association President Blanche Adams hopes will put incentives out to get businesses in. They can see who we want to attract, she said. If we have a vacancy, lets fill it with something that is needed in the township. Susan Adelizzi-Schmidt, who is set to chair the commission, said it will focus on developing a vision statement in its first year, which will likely include a hotel. If we had a really nice property, that could be a place where people could stay overnight, enjoy what the township has to offer, she said. In addition to being a resident, Adelizzi-Schmidt operates Suasion Communications Group in Somers Point, which helped that city market the area to attract second homeowners and new businesses. The township hopes new businesses will generate increased tax revenue and partially offset local property taxes. While residents have always paid school and county taxes, they only began paying a local purpose tax in 2011 a result, at least partially, of flat aid from the state in the form of energy tax receipts generated from hosting the BL England coal plant. According to the municipal budget, the energy tax receipts from 2015 were $6.2 million, the same from 2010. Township Mayor Rich Palombo said there are some challenges to attracting businesses to the rural township, which has 10 different unincorporated communities known as villages. Several years ago, the township was able to use state Department of Transportation grant money to designate town centers in Marmora, Tuckahoe and Seaville. Adams said the designations brought in businesses such as ShopRite, which opened in 2009 in Marmora. That whole shopping center has been a boon, said Adams, vice president of marketing and communication for Thomas Heist Insurance, which has an office there. In addition to ShopRite, a section of Tuckahoe Road houses several small businesses, including the Village Kitchen at Wayside Village. Heather Harolds family has owned and operated the restaurant for 40 years. I think this has always been the little hub of the township, Harold said. Weve seen it grow immensely. On Route 9, a Dollar General made its home in a portion of the former South Shore auto center, but the remainder of the complex is empty. Nearby, a Verizon office that closed several years ago has not been filled. At a recent Township Committee meeting, Palombo declined an idea to turn the Verizon building into an emergency management office, noting that the building is a vital part of the development in the area. Much like the designated town centers, the stretch of Roosevelt Boulevard between Exit 25 and Route 9 has a few vacant storefronts interspersed with active businesses. MIDDLE TOWNSHIP Several years ago, the Household of Ruth Cemetery, a local burial ground, was overgrown and in serious risk of being lost to history. But about 2009, residents banded together to clean up and restore the cemetery, which is the oldest in Whitesboro, a small rural town within Middle Township founded in 1903. It was a victory for locals struggling to preserve Whitesboros history as a refuge for African Americans from Cape May and the South even as the makeup of the town has changed significantly over the years. The land was purchased by a group of black investors led by George Henry White, of North Carolina, an African American congressman at the start of the 20th century. He was joined by other prominent investors such as educator Booker T. Washington and poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar. It came at a time of racial backlash in Cape May and the introduction of Jim Crow laws and violent mobs targeting African Americans in the South. This was a planned Negro town, said Shirley Green, founder of the Whitesboro Historical Foundation. Really, I just think that was really awesome. Whitesboro has even gained national attention for its history. A small exhibit dedicated to White and the town was featured at the recently opened National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., according to Bernie Blanks, president of Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro. However, locally, preserving Whitesboros history and passing it on to future generations in the town is a challenge. Economic forces, such as high off-season unemployment in Cape May County and high rents, have driven some to seek opportunities elsewhere. There are far fewer African American original families here, Green said, adding that many have moved to areas with more job prospects. Whitesboros population is 2,205 and 37.1 percent of the residents are black, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. For perspective, Cape May Countys African American population is about 5 percent. When I grew up back in the 40s and 50s, it certainly was a town of all African Americans, said Blanks, 73. Its not an all-black town, and thats OK. Im not sure it was always expected to remain an all-black town, anyway. The Concerned Citizens group runs various initiatives targeting young people, including a scholarship program and an after-school program. But Blanks and Green both said they are worried young people, faced with poor economic prospects in the area, will leave Whitesboro. In my opinion, the economy of Cape May County is such, being tourism-driven, that it doesnt have the type of year-round employment that would attract young people to stay here, Blanks said. Im not sure if I see that changing. Green thinks history might repeat itself. African Americans settled in Whitesboro after being forced out of Cape May and areas of the south, particularly North Carolina. Now, black residents are being pushed out of Whitesboro by high taxes, unemployment and the countys focus on a seasonal economy, Green said. When I look at some of the history, sometimes it makes me feel not much has changed, she said. Even as the town changes, Blanks said Whitesboros history specifically, the discrimination and oppression that led to its founding in the first place needs to be taught to children in the area. Young people probably wouldnt have a feel of understanding that, if you dont have history to present it to them, he said. Stockton art Professor Wendell White, whose book Small Towns, Black Lives looked at historically black communities in South Jersey, said if the history vanishes it could have an impact on the way history is told perhaps by ignoring some of the more uncomfortable parts. Some of the communities exist as a result of segregation and oppression, White said. It doesnt always reflect positively on the history of the white community, he said. But preserving a small towns history can difficult, White added. It takes money, he said. I think that the other part of it is that it requires a person of real energy, skill and talent. Whitesboro has seen an influx of money in the past. In 2008, Oprah Winfrey donated $1 million to the Concerned Citizens scholarship fund. Stedman Graham, an author, speaker, educator and Winfreys longtime partner, grew up in the town and is the executive director of the community group. And Greens museum on Route 9, though temporarily closed due to structural issues, is an attempt to present the towns history through documents, artifacts and even some exhibits she made herself. People used to visit all the time, Green said. But, in the meantime, we have a lot of people who are looking for this (history). I know its not a lot, but I want to help the children. Cara McCollum was 8 years old when she gave a quarter to her Methodist Church in her hometown of Forrest City, Arkansas. The child was prepared to give whatever it was she had to children less fortunate than herself. She seemed to have been born with a drive to make change for the better. But that mission was cut short one year ago Wednesday, when McCollum, then 24, died of injuries suffered in a crash on a highway in Salem County. On the anniversary of her death Wednesday, Caras parents remember her as the caring, ambitious and humorous light of their lives. She always thought she could be doing more, said her mother, Maureen McCollum. By age 10, Cara had started a miniature business with neighborhood friends that consisted of selling dog biscuits to raise funds for their local humane society. They called their club P.A.L.S. Pets and Animal Lovers Society. The tiny crew even went to City Council with their concerns. Cara thrived through adolescence and continued to look for ways to give herself a platform to make a positive impact on those around her. She excelled in school and made her way to New Jersey to study at Princeton University, where she graduated in 2015. In 2013, Cara found a new way to be heard. She won the title of Miss Island Resort, which led to the Miss New Jersey competition. The Miss New Jersey organization remembers Cara having an it factor that gave her an edge among her competition, winning her the title of Miss New Jersey 2014. Her platform was giving the gift of reading. Thats why she got involved in doing a pageant. She thought that would be a way for people to listen, Maureen McCollum said. Until the end, she was thinking of how she could make a difference. With her title of Miss New Jersey, she did just that. Cara used her platform to continue a project that gave books to children on their birthday. After the Miss America Competition, Cara turned her attention to her professional life. In 2015, she accepted a position as a lead anchor at SNJ Today, a Millville-based broadcast company that was starting a newscast in the wake of the closing of NBC affiliate WMGM-TV 40. With her focus now on her career, Cara was becoming a well-known personality. But Feb. 15, 2016, was a particularly brutal winter night with treacherous driving conditions. That night, Cara had cautioned others to drive safely when she left the studio. On her way home, her car spun off Route 55 in Pittsgrove Township, Salem County, striking a tree. Cara suffered head injuries in the crash. She died a week later, surrounded by family, at Cooper University Hospital in Camden. Even in death, Cara gave one last gift to others: She was an organ donor. Despite fatal crashes, Route 55 safe, data show A former Miss New Jersey was killed in a crash on Route 55 this year. So was a prison inmate As Miss New Jersey, Cara had touted a book program that gave children books on their birthday. Now, her family and friends keep Caras memory alive by growing that initiative in Arkansas and South Jersey. Rick and Maureen McCollum said the book initiative started with giving 2,500 books in Arkansas and increased to 9,000 last year. The McCollums said they have a saying in their family: Bloom where you are planted. Though Cara felt at times her small town wasnt quite big enough to hold all of her ambition, her mother said, she supplemented her time in Arkansas by fitting in as much as possible: summers studying all across the United States, dance, voice, drama and piano classes and horseback riding. She wanted to experience everything, Maureen said. She told me about maybe getting involved in politics. She needed to make changes for the better. Now Cara lives on through her brother, Derick, Maureen said. Cara was quite sassy the spark and spunk of our family, she said. She and her brother were a lot alike, yet different. Both very smart, talented and competitive. She was English, he was math. He played classical music, she played jazz. Rick and Maureen said certain things will always remind them of their daughter: daffodils, daisies, the songs she sang or played on the piano. Maureen wears a heart necklace with her signature, including xoxo the way Cara signed most things to her family. Mike Frankel, of SNJ today, said at her memorial service that you will see Cara wherever you go. Her light will be so bright it will be blinding. Her light is still shining, Maureen said. Cara will be remembered by friends as the perfect storm of glamour, poise, humor and sass. Its really still hard to believe that shes not here, said Lindsey Giannini, Miss New Jersey 2015. There are so many times something funny will happen and I want to text her. We shared this really incredible experience in being Miss New Jersey, and I miss having that with her. It still feels really fresh. When asked what Cara would say to her family, hometown and South Jersey if she were here today, Rick and Maureen said their daughter would urge others to follow their dreams. Maureen said they were comforted by the words of the priest who prayed with them as Cara passed. He was a friend of Caras boyfriend, NBC 10s Keith Jones, and left the family with a phrase they still hold onto. Its not the years in your life but the life in your years and Cara lived life, Maureen said. Cara was a gift, her mother said, and although we miss her terribly, we were truly blessed to have her the short time we did. Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson is warning local mayors that taxes will go up if the county does not receive the 13.5 percent share of the PILOT bill that was promised in April. On Tuesday, Levinson sent a letter to all the mayors in the county, except Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian, laying out three possible scenarios that will affect tax rates in the county depending on how the city decides to split up the PILOT money. If the county receives 13.5 percent of the $120 million annual PILOT payment and the casino assessed value is removed from the countys tax base, the general purpose tax will increase by 3.9 cents per $100 of equalized value. If the county only gets 10.3 percent of the PILOT money, which is what the city has proposed, and the assessed value of the casinos are removed from the tax base, then the general purpose tax will increase by 5 cents. A look at the first 100 days of the Atantic City state takeover ATLANTIC CITY Through 97 days, the state had little to show for its takeover of the citys The only way taxes will decrease is if the county gets the 13.5 percent and the casinos are kept in the county tax base, Levinson said in the letter. The difference between the county getting 10.3 percent and 13.5 percent of the PILOT money is about $40 million over the 10 year lifespan of the PILOT bill. As you are well-aware, the money received from the PILOT is to be used for tax relief for the other 22 municipalities and Atlantic Citys noncasino taxpayers whose taxes, unlike the casinos, will not be frozen for the next 10 years, the letter reads. The fight over the PILOT money has been a major issue for the county. In April, Gov. Chris Christie hosted a press conference with Levinson promising the county would get the 13.5 percent. Its in the legislation. Its part of the bill, Christie said during the press conference. Unlike dealing with (Mayor Guardian), Denny knows that if I say its going to happen, then its going to happen. Blatstein buys Atlantic City properties for nearly $6 million ATLANTIC CITY The city has sold Bart Blatstein two Boardwalk properties near his Showboat The 13.5 percent was not in the final legislation that was passed by the Assembly. The legislation says the state, in its discretion, could determine a specific percentage of the PILOT payment to the county. A state spokeswoman declined to comment. The county has repaid Atlantic City millions in back taxes owed to the casinos before the PILOT legislation was passed. This year, the county will give the city another $12.6 million, bringing the overall total to more than $65 million. For years, Atlantic City over-assessed its casino properties to meet its budgetary obligations, Levinson said. And for years, Atlantic County has been forced to refund monies to the city as a result of this irresponsible practice. Last month, the Atlantic County Mayors Association unanimously passed a resolution supporting the countys fight to get the 13.5 percent. Several mayors said they would not have supported the bill if they knew the state and city werent going to give them the percentage that was promised. Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian did not participate in the vote. BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP State Police have charged a Buena Regional High School teacher with engaging in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old female student. William J. Jacobs, 32, of Folsom, was taken into custody Tuesday morning by the U.S. Marshals Service in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Detectives from Troop A were investigating Jacobs be-tween November 2016 and January 2017. State Police said Jacobs met with the unidentified student on more than one occasion for sex. Investigators also found several hundred electronic messages between the two. According to State Police, when Jacobs became aware of the investigation, he told the victim not to cooperate with authorities. He was charged with official misconduct, sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child, tampering with a witness and obstruction of justice. He is at the Broward County Correctional Facility pending extradition to New Jersey. Jacobs will be prosecuted by the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office. State Police said the Buena Regional School District cooperated during the investigation. The Buena Board of Education did not comment on Jacobs arrest. BRIDGETON Authorities are investigating the fifth alleged suicide at the Cumberland County jail since July 2014. Deputy county Administrator Kimberly Wood said the death occurred Monday night. Wood wouldnt identify the victim and said she didnt have details surrounding the death. She said the appropriate authorities are doing the investigating. Its a terrible thing, Wood said. We are going to do our best to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. The other reported suicides involved Millville resident Alissa Allen, Vineland residents David Hennis and Robert Lewis, and Bridgeton resident Jon Watson. They died after being found hanged in the facility. Their families have all filed federal civil rights lawsuits against the county. Family member charged in lawsuits that jail staff was negligent in providing everything from adequate inmate supervision to medical attention. Allen hanged herself in March 2015 shortly after being admitted to the jail on charges related to drugs and not wearing a seatbelt, authorities said. Lewis was found hanging from a bed sheet in a jail room in October 2015 while being held on robbery-related charges, authorities said. Watson was found hanging in his jail cell in June, according to law enforcement officials, while Hennis was found hanging in an infirmary holding cell in July 2014. In June, a pair of advocacy groups dedicated to social and religious justice asked the state to investigate alleged official misconduct linked in part to the deaths of Watson, Allen and Lewis. The Peoples Organization for Progress and the American Friends Service Committee alleged the misconduct involves jail corrections officers, supervisors and medical personnel who committed actions that reflect an apparently toxic culture at the facility. Casey, Jacqueline (Facciolli), Anna Lynn, Lily Katherine, - 31, 6, 1, All of Morris, Oklahoma. Were taken from us suddenly on Monday, February 6, 2017. Jackie was born on November 4, 1985 in Somers Point, she resided in Egg Harbor Twp. and was a graduate of EHTHS in 2004. She moved to Oklahoma in 2009 where she attended OSU to pursue a culinary degree. Jackie worked at the RV Ranch in Okmulgee as a Chief. She loved Art, Music, Cooking and video games, her smile and laugh were contagious and everyone she met loved her. She lit up a room with her smile and was definitely one of a kind. She loved her two beautiful babies more than life. Jackie gave birth to her first daughter, Anna Lynn Casey on October 19, 2010 in Oklahoma. Anna attended Morris Elementary School, she was in Kindergarten. She loved and adored her baby sister, her friends, Hello Kitty, the color red and anything glittery. She loved to give big hugs, had her mother's beautiful smile, amazing personality and sense of style. Jackie gave birth to her second daughter, Lily Katherine Casey on September 28, 2015 also in Oklahoma, Lily was a beautiful little snuggle bear who loved her big sister and Mommy. Lily was following in her mommy's footsteps loving video games and Star Wars. She had just learned to walk and was always smiling. The three were survived by their Mother/Grandmother, Lisa Facciolli (Miller); Sister/Aunt, Jennifer Lamb (Facciolli); Brother-In-Law/Uncle John Lamb Jr.; Nephew/Niece/Cousin, Finn and Maggie Lamb; Grandmother/Great Grandmother, Eleanor Miller and numerous Aunts, Uncles, cousins, friends and loved ones. Jackie, Anna, and Lily were predeceased in death by Father/Grandfather, Michael J. Facciolli Jr.; Grandfather/Great Grandfather, John F. (Jack) Miller; Grandparents/Great Grandparents, Michael J. Facciolli Sr. and Anna (Nance) Brennan; Uncles, Joseph (Joe) Miller and Michael Strehle. In lieu of flowers Donations may be made in memory of the Casey Girls to "A Place for Us Atlantic County Woman's Center" 417 W Jefferson Ave, Linwood, NJ 08221, and/or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. A visitation will be held on Saturday, February 25th from 12-2pm, with a memorial service to follow at the George H Wimberg Funeral Home, 1707 New Road, Linwood, NJ 08221. Condolences may be extended to the family at ghwimberg.com There are lots of reasons to like the tentative plan by Lower Township to develop an aquatic center at the Cape May Airport. The township Recreation Department has been exploring the possibility for five years, and this month the council approved a feasibility study for the project. Thats the kind of measured, deliberate approach a municipality should take to nonemergency actions the most likely to allow the township to reach its goal of building the center without raising taxes to do so. Mayor Erik Simonsen said residents are tired of leaving town for what the aquatic center would provide. The high school swim team has to train at the U.S. Coast Guard base in Cape May. Senior citizens said they were using a Cape May elementary school pool until it closed a few years ago. The strongest reason for the center, though, was voiced by the mayor and Township Manager Jim Ridgway. Simonsen said that, with the township bordering the ocean and the bay, swimming is an essential skill for youngsters to learn. Ridgway said, We feel our younger people should be taught how to swim at the younger grades. That was great to hear. One sad aspect of being newspaper journalists at the Jersey Shore is knowing that every year well have to report on at least several tragic drowning deaths. The worst is when children are the victims. The mayor reassuringly stated the aquatic center would serve all ages, abilities and disabilities. Wed like to suggest that an outreach effort be made to ensure it serves all ethnicities as well. On these pages last week, a commentary by Ebony Rosemond made a convincing case that the stereotype of blacks disliking swimming still is contributing to disproportionate drowning deaths among black children. If anything, the situation seems to be worsening. The Press of Atlantic City has promoted understanding and action on this issue for many years. In 2009 we reported and editorialized on studies showing black children twice as likely (60 percent) as white children to lack swimming skills, and drowning at three times the rate. Rosemond, the founder of Black Kids Swim, said the lack of swimming skills among blacks is up to 70 percent now, and black kids drown at 5.5 times the rate of other children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Atlantic City School District has long been a leader in teaching all children to swim, which has helped improve safety on the citys massive free beach. Several years ago, a former lifeguard on that beach who taught in the program, state Sen. Jim Whelan, had the district cut his hours and pay by about a third so swimming could still be taught despite a budget crunch. Aquatic centers are an excellent way to learn water safety before venturing into the far-more-challenging ocean. We hope Lower Township is able to continue this crucial shore tradition and takes the opportunity to ensure swimming instruction reaches all children. For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. LION, starring Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman and Oscar-nominated actor Dev Patel , is based on the true story of Saroo Brierley. At the age of five, Brierley was separated from his brother in a train station and ultimately was forced to survive on the streets of Calcutta before being adopted by an Australian family. Later, as a grown man, played by Patel, he used Google Earth to reunite with his biological family in India. LION is considered a leading contender for the 2017 Best Picture Oscar, and actors Patel and Kidman have both received Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominations this year. In addition, Australian screenwriter Luke Davies was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. In citing the work, Ambassador Maura Harty, ICMEC President and CEO, said: "The compelling film not only tells Saroo Brierley's story, but it also captures the tragic pain and loss suffered by missing children and their families anywhere in the world. We are grateful that Harvey Weinstein and LION unsparingly, but eloquently, helps raise awareness of this critical issue." Facebook has long been an active and engaged partner, supporting ICMEC's global training programs, and recently introducing emergency child alert response systems to help locate children around the world. "Facebook could not be more proud of our longtime partnership with the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children," says Emily Vacher, Facebook's Director of Trust and Safety. "Two years ago, in partnership with ICMEC, we were excited to announce that we would begin distributing missing child alerts on Facebook in several countries around the globe - empowering the Facebook community to aid in reuniting missing children with their families. We look forward to many more years of collaborative efforts to help reunite families and protect children around the world." Proceeds from this fundraising gala will be directly invested in The Global Impact Fund. For ticket information, please visit the event website at gala.icmec.org. About ICMEC The International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children is a private 501(c)(3) non-governmental, nonprofit organization. For more than 16 years, ICMEC has been a leader in identifying gaps in the global community's ability to protect children from abduction, sexual abuse and exploitation, and expertly assembling the people, resources and tools needed to fill those gaps. ICMEC focuses on programs that have an impact on addressing the issues surrounding missing children, child abduction, child sexual abuse and exploitation. Press Contacts: Kriskey Lane Communications Susan Kriskey, susan@kriskeylane.com Marni Lane, marni@kriskeylane.com 917-836-5250 Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/470936/ICMEC_Emily_Vacher_Luke_Davies_and_Maura_Harty.jpg Related Links http://www.icmec.org SOURCE International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children LONDON, February 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kigali Farms grows high quality mushrooms for the regional markets and supports over 1,700 smallholder producers. AgDevCo's investment allows Kigali Farms to complete the construction of a new production facility in Rwanda. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151215/295904LOGO ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/470272/Kigali_Farms_mushrooms.jpg ) AgDevCo, a social impact agribusiness investor, announced a $0.45m debt investment into a Rwandan mushroom grower. The company, Kigali Farms, is completing a modern button mushroom production facility in Musanze District in the shadow of the Volcanoes National Park. The first batches of button mushrooms are hitting supermarket shelves and restaurant tables in Kigali. AgDevCo's investment allows Kigali Farms to meet strong local demand from retailers, hotels and conference centres, and drive regional export sales. AgDevCo will also support Kigali Farms' award-winning outgrower programme, which reaches 1,700 smallholders who grow oyster mushrooms. The company sells growing kits and offers a minimum price guarantee to buy the mushrooms, although many growers choose to sell their nutritious harvest within their communities. Kigali Farms is aiming to develop a range of soups and other mushroom-based processed foods, for which it sees a burgeoning opportunity. Laurent Demunyck, founder and CEO of Kigali Farms said: "Our new button mushroom facility positions us to be the leading mushroom supplier outside of South Africa. We are delighted to be bringing top chefs a quality ingredient they have been yearning for. At the same time, we are driven to make oyster mushrooms a source of protein for thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of smallholder farmers." Chris Isaac, AgDevCo's Director who led the transaction said: "We believe Rwanda can be a regional leader in quality processed food products, tapping into growing demand in East Africa. Kigali Farms is a great example of a market-focused company committed to technical excellence with a business model which delivers strong social impact." ABOUT AGDEVCO AgDevCo is a social impact investor incorporated in the UK. AgDevCo invests patient capital in the form of debt and equity into early-stage agribusinesses in sub-Saharan Africa. AgDevCo's mission is to reduce poverty and improve food security. AgDevCo has invested over USD90 million in 59 agribusinesses to date, connecting tens of thousands of farmers to markets and supporting c.4,000 jobs. AgDevCo plans to invest a further USD 8 million into Rwandan agricultural SMEs over the next four years, with financial backing from the UK's Department of International Development (DFID). For more information: Chris Isaac cisaac@agdevco.com +44-20-7539-2650 SOURCE AgDevCo KOWLOON BAY, Hong Kong, February 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- - By 2020, more than one out of two connected devices will have an IoT security attack Bureau Veritas, leader in testing, inspection/audit, advisory and certification services for the Smartworld, has announced they will be demonstrating their new, and they claim, disruptive, approach to product cybersecurity testing at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain on Stand #1F50 in Hall 1 at the following times: Monday , 27 th February , 2017 : 4p.m. - 5p.m. : Tuesday , 28 th February , 2017 : 11a.m. - 12p.m. : Wednesday , 1 st March , 2017 : 4:30p.m. - 5:30p.m. ( followed by drinks reception to 7p.m. ) : ( ) Thursday, 2nd March, 2017: 11a.m. - 12p.m. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151216/296440LOGO ) Co-presenting will be Bureau Veritas' research partners, CEA-Leti, who will be introducing, and demonstrating, the automated testing of a products physical interface security features (not only the software) thanks to their innovative scanning and fuzzing techniques. Bureau Veritas claim the time taken to scan and identify threats and weaknesses will be significantly reduced, speeding up time to market for the latest IoT devices. The level of protection will also be enhanced thanks to the digitalization of simulated attacks. Interested Mobile World Congress visitors can join the presentations, part of Bureau Veritas' Industry Insight Series, with attendees benefitting from a copy of CEA Tech's white paper, "Automated and Remote Security Fuzz Testing Tool for IoT Devices." On top of this, visitors to the session held on Wednesday 1st March, 2017 will additionally gain the chance to discuss their own product cybersecurity challenges with the Bureau Veritas and CEA specialists over a drinks reception on the stand between 5:30p.m. to 7p.m. To express an interest in attending one of the sessions, visitors can register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BV-MWC2017-BCN. For those that are not able to attend, Bureau Veritas is offering e-copies of the materials post show. Philippe Sissoko, Director of Operations for Bureau Veritas' Electrical & Electronic Business Line, EMEA Region commented, "Cyber-attacks are about to become more aggressive and complex, especially within the IoT market area. It is estimated that by 2020, around 50 billion connected objects will be launched into markets, and more than one out of two devices will have an IoT security attack. CEA and Bureau Veritas have enjoyed a successful partnership in delivering innovative solutions to the TIC marketplace for many years. Most recently, we have been working to automate product cybersecurity testing, currently a manual process often taking many weeks, and sometimes months. We firmly believe our solution will disrupt the cybersecurity testing marketplace. Not only are we reducing the testing time to a matter of days, we are also improving the security protection thanks to the focus on the safety critical wireless/wired interfaces, our digitalization approach and the massive reference database of cyber-attacks that CEA maintain and update on an ongoing basis." # END # About Mobile World Congress Held between 27 February and 2 March and organized by the GSMA, the annual event provides a venue for over 100,000 industry players and over 2,000 exhibitors from all over the world to gather, network, exchange ideas and showcase cutting-edge technologies and the most innovative products & solutions. Website: https://www.mobileworldcongress.com/ About Bureau Veritas Bureau Veritas is a global leader in testing, inspection and certification services. Founded in 1828, the group has more than 68,400 employees in about 1,400 offices and laboratories around the world. Bureau Veritas helps its clients to improve their performances by offering innovative services and solutions in order to ensure that their products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environment protection and social responsibility. Website: www.bureauveritas.com Bureau Veritas' Consumer Products Services division is a leading global quality assurance and sustainability provider for the global consumer product and retail markets. It offers an array of specialized services including testing, inspections, certification, audits and engineering services for a wide range of consumer products. These products include soft goods; electrical and electronic products; smartworld products and services including wireless and mobile devices; automotive equipment; hard goods; toys and juvenile products; premiums; food products as well as health, beauty, cosmetics, and household products. Website: www.bureauveritas.com/cps About CEA-Leti Leti is an institute of CEA, a French research-and-technology organization with activities in energy, IT, healthcare, defence and security. Leti is focused on creating value and innovation through technology transfer to its industrial partners. It specializes in nanotechnologies and their applications, from wireless devices and systems, to biology, healthcare and photonics. NEMS and MEMS are at the core of its activities. In addition to Leti's 1,700 employees, there are more than 250 students involved in research activities, which makes Leti a mainspring of innovation expertise. Leti's portfolio of 2,800 patents helps strengthen the competitiveness of its industrial partners. CEA-Leti maintains a leadership position in cybersecurity covering: Cryptography Characterization Communication and secure protocols Software security System architecture for security Security evaluation of systems and components Big Data and data analysis; behavior analysis; data mining Sensor (capacitive, pressure, etc.) systems and integration Website: http://www-leti.cea.fr/en News Contact Chris Baird +852-2494-1013 chris.baird@hk.bureauveritas.com SOURCE Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services SOFIA, Bulgaria, FRANKFURT, Germany and LONDON, February 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The construction of a new landmark office building in Business Park Sofia (BPS) will secure its continued position as the largest business office park in Central and Eastern Europe At the same time, KPMG IT Service and Bulpros Consulting each signed respective five-year leases with BPS for its newest building; these transactions constitute some of the largest lease dealings on the Sofia office market during 2016. Arco Real Property Holdings, a joint venture between Arco Capital and Deutsche Asset Management's DB Private Equity & Private Markets group, has decided to develop and construct a new office building in BPS. The investment volume for this new building will be around EUR 30 million. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/470199/Arco_Capital_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/470196/Arco_Capital_1.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/470197/Arco_Capital_2.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/470198/Arco_Capital_Atrium.jpg ) The construction of the Class "A" building, which shall be known as Building 15, is being directed by leading German construction management company Lindner Immobilien Management. The construction of the building has commenced and is expected to be completed at the end of 2018. Building 15 shall offer a total of 20,800 square metres of leasable space, with five levels designed for office use, retail units on the ground floor, and two underground parking levels with a total of 260 parking spaces. Most importantly, the building has already been substantially pre-let to major international tenants. KPMG IT Service and Bulpros Consulting will initially occupy the vast majority of the building which is being developed specially for their requirements. Additional tenants will be able to let smaller areas of the building from around 200 to 3000 square metres. As of today, Building 15 has been 80 percent pre-let. Like all new investments made by Arco Capital, this building will be planned and constructed as a green building in adherence to strict sustainability criteria. "The greenfield investment is looking to receive a LEED Gold or higher certification, and this was a consideration throughout the entire planning and designing process," Christo Moskov, General Manager of BPS said. "We are happy that after eight years we can expand BPS. The new building will fit the high expectations of international tenants looking for state of the art office buildings in the Sofia CBD," according to Moskov. Its open space office floors with areas of 3,050 square metres, combined with a large structural span, provide flexibility to tenants of various requirements. The open atrium in the inner part of the building and the open park which will be designed on the roof top of the building will allow tenants to have more recreational space while enjoying the natural surroundings. The increased demand for high quality office spaces located in a friendly and safe urban development has required an expanded vision for BPS, the largest business park in Central and Eastern Europe, and a leading business location with its multifunctional high-tech infrastructure. The office market appears to be well short of supply for class "A" schemes. "The vacancy rate at BPS has been less than 1% for the past 18 months; it has never been so low," Moskov said. "The overall market has picked up through an increase in re-letting and new leasing activities," Moskov explained in his summary of market conditions. "Take up has grown significantly, and CBD pre-leases are becoming a trend. In the past few years, new office buildings were either almost fully rented through pre-leases or by the first few months after opening, at the latest," Moskov commented. Arco Capital's real estate arm manages approximately 200,000 square metres of built up area and more than 150 tenants, making it one of the largest property managers in the CEE region. "These leasing transactions coupled with the construction of our newest building, demonstrates BPS's strong position as the leading real estate player in the Sofia, Bulgaria and regional office market. They are also fully in line with our overall strategy of being opportunistic as to new investments and further improving cash flows through active asset management" said Moskov. Notes to Editors: Business Park Sofia (http://www.businesspark-sofia.com) is the largest office park in Central and Eastern Europe and was the first business park in Bulgaria. The facility accommodates some of the most successful businesses in diverse industries. The park is designed to provide efficiency, flexibility and convenience to corporate tenants of any size and scope. It is a genuine multifunctional high-tech business park, which combines essential business components and related sectors in a vibrant and sustainable community. SOURCE Arco Capital, Business Park Sofia DUBLIN, Feb 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Autoliv 77GHz Multi Mode Radar: Technology Analysis" report to their offering. Autoliv, one of the leading automotive radar system supplier, has developed a new radar configuration. No more need to install two radar systems, one for Long Range and another for Middle Range, the 77GHz Multi Mode Radar combines both. By expanding the detection area of the radar, Autoliv provides a significant cost reduction in safety equipment. The system integrates two electronic boards including Texas instrument Microcontroller and Automotive Vision Processor. The RF board is manufactured with an asymmetric structure using Hybrid PTFE/FR4 substrate and is equipped with planar antennas. Infineon 77GHZ SiGe Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMIC) are used as High-Frequency transmitter and receiver. The RF dies are packaged in the last version of the eWLB, the Fan-Out Wafer Level Package developed and manufactured by Infineon. The Transmitter and Receiver are associated to a Dual Power Amplifier and to a Wave Form Generator from Infineon. Based on a complete teardown analysis of the Autoliv Multi Mode Radar, the report provides the bill-of-material (BOM) and the manufacturing cost of the Radar Sensor. Key Topics Covered: Overview/Introduction - Executive Summary - Company Profile & Main Features - Reverse Costing Methodology Physical Analysis - Global View of the Radar - Views and Dimensions of the Radar - Radar Teardown - Electronic Boards - MCU Board - Global View - High Definition Photo - Components Markings & Identification - RF Board - Global View - High Definition Photo - Components Markings & Identification - RF Chipset Analysis - Comparison with Bosch MMR1 and Delphi RACam Cost Analysis - RF Board Cross Section and EDX Analysis - Estimation of the cost of the PCBs - BOM Cost - MCU Board - BOM Cost - RF Board - BOM Cost - Housing - Material Cost Breakdown - Accessing the Added Value (AV) cost - MCU Board Manufacturing Flow - RF Board Manufacturing Flow - Details of the Housing Assembly & Functional Test Costs - Added Value Cost Breakdown - Manufacturing Cost Breakdown Estimated Price Analysis Estimation of the Manufacturing Price For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/sjsms2/autoliv_77ghz Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com SOURCE Research and Markets PORTLAND, Oregon and PUNE, India, February 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report published by Allied Market Research titled, "Data Protection as a Service (DPaaS) Market-Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecasts, 2014-2022," projects the DPaaS market size to reach $28,878 million by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 31.5% from 2016 to 2022. Private cloud deployment model generated the largest DPaaS market share in 2015 while hybrid cloud sub-segment is expected to register fastest growth during the forecast period 2016-2022. North America is expected to be the largest market over the forecast period. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140911/647229 ) Summary of the Data Protection as a Service (DPaaS) Market Report can be accessed at :https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/data-protection-as-a-service-market Increasing data loss concerns, rise in need for backups & archives, and governance, risk & compliance are expected to drive the growth of global data protection as a service market. In addition, increasing demand for cloud-based disaster recovery & backup for virtual machines and integration of backup & recovery services have increased significantly and are expected to provide lucrative opportunities for market growth. However, high costs and complexities in cloud deployment limit the DPaaS market growth. "In 2015, private cloud accounted for the maximum revenue share in the overall DPaaS market as it is much safer than public cloud. In addition, hybrid cloud is expected to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period as many companies plan to make hybrid cloud a crucial part of their IT strategies", states Seapee Bajaj, Lead Analyst, Software & Services at AMR. The STaaS service type dominated the global market in 2015 due to. Furthermore, DRaaS is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 32.6% during the forecast period owing to increased need to improve data security, protection of data in disaster, and assurance of seamless & continuous business operations. Large enterprises are the leading end users in the market and are projected to continue their dominance over the forecast period. However, SMEs will witness the fastest growth over the forecast period owing to the increasing number of SMEs across the globe and deployment of cost-effective solutions. North America is the most lucrative market as compared to others with diverse industry verticals implementing DPaaS at a greater extent. Furthermore, it is projected to generate the highest market revenue over the forecast period with predominant deployments in the large enterprises. In addition, Asia-Pacific is estimated to grow at the fastest pace owing to heavy investments by the governments into infrastructural activities for effective data protection. Key Findings of Data Protection as a Service Market: Private cloud deployment model is expected to exhibit a significant growth in the DPaaS industry STaaS generated the highest revenue among other service types pertaining to reduced data storage costs and increased implementation by SMEs Large enterprises dominate the global DPaaS market followed by SMEs Asia-Pacific is projected to exhibit a substantial growth during the forecast period The key players in the global DPaaS market include IBM Corporation, Amazon Web Services, Inc., HP Development Company, L.P., Commvault Systems, Inc., EMC Corporation, VMware, Inc., Quantum Corporation, Asigra, Inc., Veritas Technologies, and Cisco Systems. Summary of similar reports can be viewed at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/information-&-communication-technology-&-media/software-and-services-market-report About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: Dhananjay Potle 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 (U.S. & Canada) E-mail: sales@alliedmarketresearch.com Website: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com SOURCE Allied Market Research LONDON, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Europe is beset by an under-performing financial services industry and mounting dissatisfaction among consumers, due to the large installed base of legacy systems, incumbents' resistance to change, and unfavourable regulations. The region is ripe for a FinTech explosion as Millennials enter the workforce and demand convenience, as well as nimble and personalised services. This new ecosystem will be particularly conducive for start-ups to launch digital-only, mobile-only services for tech-savvy consumers, compelling incumbents to look at new business models and sign partnerships with start-ups to stay competitive. "With the rising demand for new channels, user-friendly interfaces and device-agnostic services, incumbents can no longer depend on large, siloed, expensive IT set-ups to serve customers," said Frost & Sullivan Digital Transformation Research Analyst Deepali Sathe. "The use of blockchain, data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, Internet of Things and cloud has altered the way financial services are delivered and consumed. The result is improved efficiency, cost effectiveness and greater satisfaction among FinTech consumers." FinTech in Europe, 2016, part of Frost & Sullivan's Digital Identification Growth Partnership Subscription, finds that many European countries with high Internet penetration and ease-of-doing-business indices are aware of the impact of FinTech. Advanced technologies will become mainstream within five years, as adoption increases across the region. Click on the following link for complimentary access to more information on this analysis and to register for a Growth Strategy Dialogue, a free interactive briefing with Frost & Sullivan's thought leaders: https://goo.gl/6SdBrp While technology adoption is clearly the way forward for the European financial services sector, the lack of clarity on regulators' perspectives on FinTech and fears of data security are impeding growth. Post-recession consumer trust is at an all-time low as the last downturn was the result of fraudulent deals by regulators across the world, which increased the cost of operations for banks and other financial companies. Nevertheless, Europe enjoys high demand from consumers and benefits from the presence of the financial services hubLondon. With Brexit, many other countries are promoting alternative locations and providing attractive deals to start-ups with a competitive structure, but it will be awhile before they match the UK's strong infrastructure and ecosystem. "Following the focus on advanced FinTech solutions, the segment that is likely to experience the most disruptions is payment," noted Sathe. "Once consumers become familiar with online payment options, the presence of large tech players such as Apple and Google will further drive the growth of the payments segment." About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion Contact: Anna Zanchi Corporate Communications Europe P: +39.02.4851 6133 E: anna.zanchi@frost.com http://www.frost.com Related Links http://www.frost.com SOURCE Frost & Sullivan LONDON, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ansell Healthcare Products LLC and Ansell (UK) Ltd, wholly owned subsidiaries of Ansell Ltd., a global leader in protection solutions, today announced they filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare (UK) Ltd for their distribution of the "Durex RealFeel" condom. The action, filed in the High Court in London, follows similar lawsuits against Reckitt Benckiser in Australia and the US and alleges infringement of Ansell's European Patent number 2 280 618 which is entitled "Dip-formed Synthetic Polyisoprene Latex Articles with Improved Intraparticle and Interparticle Crosslinks." This lawsuit against Reckitt Benckiser marks the third patent infringement suit filed by Ansell against Reckitt Benckiser over the last three years. As part of a global strategy to safeguard its valuable intellectual property and protect its highly-innovative non-latex SKYN condom product line, Ansell Ltd and Ansell Healthcare Products LLC filed a first patent infringement suit against Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare Australia Pty Limited and Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare (UK) Ltd in the New South Wales District Registry of the Federal Court of Australia in November 2014. A decision from the Australian Court is expected later this year. In addition, in October 2015, Ansell Healthcare Products LLC filed a second patent infringement suit against Reckitt Benckiser LLC in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. Ansell is requesting a permanent injunction to stop Reckitt Benckiser from infringing European Patent (UK) number 2 280 618. In particular, Ansell's claim will seek an injunction to stop Reckitt Benckiser from engaging in any of the following activities in the UK during the term of that patent, without the consent of Ansell: Importing the Durex RealFeel product into the UK. Selling, supplying or otherwise disposing of the Durex RealFeel product in the UK; and Offering to sell, supply or otherwise dispose of the Durex RealFeel product in the UK. In addition, Ansell is seeking: Damages, including lost profits, costs (attorney fees), interest and further relief as the Court deems just and proper. "Ansell is a global leader in the development and commercialization of condoms and surgical gloves utilizing patented polyisoprene technology," says Bill Reilly, Senior Vice President and Corporate General Counsel at Ansell. "The Company has made significant R&D investments in this technology and related patents and this lawsuit seeks to protect these investments." Ansell is represented in the UK law suit by Kempner and Partners LLP. About Ansell Ansell is a world leader in providing superior health and safety protection solutions that enhance human well-being. With operations in North America, Latin America/Caribbean, EMEA and Asia, Ansell employs nearly 15,000 people worldwide and holds leading positions in the personal protective equipment and medical gloves market, as well as in the sexual health and well-being category worldwide. Ansell operates in four main business segments: Industrial, Medical, Single Use and Sexual Wellness. Information on Ansell and its products can be found at www.ansell.com. Ansell, and TM are trademarks owned by Ansell Limited or one of its affiliates. US Patented and US and non-US Patents Pending: www.ansell.com/patentmarking 2017 Ansell Limited. All Rights Reserved. For more information: Ansell News Bureau news@ansell.com + 1 732 345 2167 Related Links http://www.ansell.com SOURCE Ansell Doubles Subscription Sales Year-over-Year Surpasses 35,000 Global Business Customers and 40,000 Gateways Sold NEW YORK and PETACH TIKVAH, Israel, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CTERA Networks today announced that it achieved record bookings in 2016 as global enterprise demand for secure file services continues to grow. The company extended its period of hypergrowth by doubling its subscription sales in 2016 versus 2015, and reaching 35,000 business customers and over 40,000 cloud storage gateways sold. With the only cyber-hardened and completely unified platform that addresses the full range of enterprise file services, CTERA continues to drive customer traction across Fortune 100 enterprises, global government organizations, and leading service providers that increasingly seek to modernize their data infrastructure. Massive data breaches exposed in 2016 at public cloud services providers like Yahoo! and Dropbox, along with the unrelenting growth of unstructured data, are driving unprecedented demand for a private and secure approach to enterprise file services. CTERA enables organizations to modernize their file sharing and data protection agenda with a single platform that can be securely deployed from behind the firewall on any private or virtual private cloud infrastructure, thereby avoiding all of the data privacy and security complications otherwise associated with public cloud SaaS solutions. CTERA's 2016 business highlights include: Customer Traction CTERA continued to add premier customers to its worldwide community, including strategic projects with government organizations such as the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the State of Texas. Other notable customer wins or expanded engagements included The Santander Group, Live Nation, The Carlyle Group, Henry Schein, Learfield Communications, The Korte Company, and many others. Product Enhancements In April CTERA introduced a refreshed cloud storage gateway portfolio , including a new virtual appliance to enable enterprises to utilize existing hardware and enable larger capacities. The updated gateway portfolio delivers reduced TCO, increased capacity at the edge, and on-demand deployment of file and data protection services. including a new virtual appliance to enable enterprises to utilize existing hardware and enable larger capacities. The updated gateway portfolio delivers reduced TCO, increased capacity at the edge, and on-demand deployment of file and data protection services. In June CTERA introduced military-grade mutual authentication with support for smart cards/client certificates, as developed as part of its work with the U.S. DoD. The CTERA platform now enables end-users to mutually authenticate themselves using government-issued Common Access Cards (CAC), providing assurance that only intended DoD users can access and share files. In July CTERA introduced new cloud data management capabilities that enable IT organizations to migrate data across any data center and cloud infrastructure, optimize storage infrastructure costs through intelligent file management, and simplify user access to enterprise data through new identity management integrations. Strategic Partnerships CTERA continued to expand its strategic partnerships in 2016 with leading global cloud and object storage providers, including AWS, Dell EMC, HPE, IBM, NetApp, and Western Digital, and grew existing business with cloud service providers such as Telefonica, Orange, Deutsche Telecom, Swisscom, Telecom Italia, and Bezeq. In October CTERA was recognized as a featured partner of IBM Cloud Object Storage, marking the launch of a new reseller agreement enabling IBM cloud sellers worldwide to offer an integrated solution based on IBM Cloud Object Storage and CTERA's file services platform. Funding In September CTERA closed a $25 million funding round, bringing its total amount of investment to $70 million. The funding allows CTERA to deliver best-in-class products, support and service to an even broader collection of forward-thinking enterprise customers that are modernizing their data infrastructures. Industry Recognition CTERA was recognized in 2016 by a number of independent experts and industry awards, and was referenced by Gartner in over 15 reports, including the IT Market Clock for the Digital Workplace, 2016, which listed CTERA as a Selected Vendor for Enterprise File Synchronization and Sharing. About CTERA Trusted by Fortune 100, government organizations and leading service providers, CTERA provides the only cyber-hardened and completely unified file sharing and data protection platform that allows enterprise IT to address the full continuum of global file services from the cloud of their choice. CTERA is leading the digital transformation of enterprises to cloud-enabled file services, with millions of users and more than 40,000 cloud storage gateways sold to date. To learn more, visit www.ctera.com. CONTACT: Skye McIvor, 1-781-966-4169, skye@inkhouse.com Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/357489/ctera_networks_logo_Logo.jpg Related Links http://www.ctera.com SOURCE CTERA Networks PORTLAND, Oregon and PUNE, India, February 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, "Global Household Induction Cooktops Market by Type, Mode of Sale, and Geography: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecasts, 2014-2022," the household induction cooktops market size was valued at $9,160 million in 2015 and is projected to reach $13,538 million by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2016 to 2022. Europe is expected to be the leading contributor to the global household induction cooktops market followed by Asia-Pacific and LAMEA. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140911/647229 ) Summary of the Household Induction Cooktops Market can be accessed at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/household-induction-cooktops-market Growth in acceptance of innovative cooking technologies, smart kitchen appliances and energy efficient solutions primarily drive the market. In addition, the health and safety benefits provided by the adoption of induction cooktops further supplements the market growth. Factors such as rise in disposable income of consumers and increase in price of fuels used for conventional cooking such as gas and electricity encourages the adoption of energy efficient cooking solutions, thus propelling the household induction cooktops industry growth. However, need for specialized cookware is likely to hamper the market growth as the cost incurred in investing in induction supported cookware is high for the first time purchasers. Growth in popularity of modular kitchens and preference for optimized cooking solutions layout, rise in number of working women, and increase in government emphasis on energy efficient cooking appliances are expected to provide numerous growth opportunities for the global household induction cooktops market. In 2015, built-in induction cooktops segment accounted for the maximum revenue shares in the overall household induction cooktops industry. This is due to the rise in trend of integration of kitchen appliances. As a result, many vendors have started offering built-in induction cooktops along with built-in ovens. In addition, the demand for built-in induction cooktops from European and Asia-Pacific countries is expected to have a positive impact on the household induction cooktops market growth as these regions have large kitchen spaces. Moreover, the free-standing & portable induction cooktops segment is expected to witness the fastest growth at CAGR of 6.4% during the forecast period. The market is expected to grow, owing to the technological advancements such as, manual menu control option & resistance to voltage fluctuation, availability in single or double zones, portability of the cooktop, and others. The retail sales channel dominated the global household induction cooktops market with 87% share in 2015 and is projected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. In addition, customer can have better interaction with the salesperson and can physically see the product specifications and features. However, online sales channel is anticipated to grow at a highest CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast period (2016-2022). The growth of online sales channel would be driven by convenience, and services such as free delivery and installation of the induction cooktops. According to Deepankar Bose, Manager, Consumer Goods at Allied Market Research, "The household induction cooktops market in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period, owing to growth in urbanization, improving living standards of the consumers, and introduction of energy-efficient induction cooktops that could help minimize utility bills. Furthermore, continuous economic development in countries such as India, China, and Australia are expected to provide numerous growth opportunities to the market." Europe accounted for the major share of the global household induction cooktops market in 2015, and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period, owing to demand for easy to maintain household electric cooking appliances, such as induction cooktops and enhanced consumer awareness. Asia-Pacific is estimated to grow at the highest rate due to increase in the adoption of energy-efficient electrical cooking appliances, booming demand for modular kitchen designs, and extensive economic growth in China, Japan, Singapore, and India. Key findings of the study: In 2015, built-in induction cooktops accounted for the maximum revenue, and is projected to grow at a notable CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast period. France possessed the largest customer base in Europe household induction cooktops market in 2015, and is anticipated to dominate the market throughout the forecast period. possessed the largest customer base in household induction cooktops market in 2015, and is anticipated to dominate the market throughout the forecast period. Online mode of sale segment is expected to grow at a highest CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast period. Japan is the major shareholder in the Asia-Pacific household induction cooktop market, accounting for more than 25% share in 2015. The key players profiled in the household induction cooktops market include LG Electronics, Inc., Whirlpool Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Koninklijke Philips N.V., TTK Prestige Ltd, Sub-Zero Group, Inc., Electrolux Group, Robert Bosch GmbH, Miele Group, and SMEG S.p.A. Market players have adopted various strategies such as product launch, acquisition, collaboration, and partnership to expand their foothold in the market. For instance, in November 2016, SMEG S.p.A. introduced a sleek range of cooktops equipped with advanced features and technology that serve best for the consumers living in houses with compact kitchens featuring premium benchtop space. Summary of Similar Reports can be accessed at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/consumer-goods/consumer-electronics-market-report About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions". AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. The data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact Pankaj Kumar 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States Direct: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-(800)-792-5285 (U.S. & Canada) Fax: +1-(855)-550-5975 E-mail: sales@alliedmarketresearch.com SOURCE Allied Market Research Since 2014, two collections have been born from the partnership between Hublot, Italia Independent and Lapo Elkann. This time the magic of this wildly creative team was unleashed on the Classic Fusion model. Its name seems to have predestined it for this new special edition: there has never been such a fine example of the fusion of the 'classic' and innovation. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/470761/Classic_Fusion_Chronograph_Italia_Independent.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/470763/Mariano_Rubinacci_Luca_Rubinacci_Lapo_Elkann_Ricardo_Guadalupe.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/470762/Lapo_Elkann_Classic_Fusion_Italia_Independent.jpg ) "As a creator, I have always put customisation and bespoke designs, which for me represent real luxury, at the heart of my different projects. It is with this in mind that I conceive and design unique objects, which meet my tastes and requirements, but also satisfy my clients. I like the fact that they become truly mine and that they are distinctive, and this is the case for the Classic Fusion Italia Independent collection." Lapo Elkann, Founder and Artistic Director of Italia Independent This was a task that was made-to-measure (no pun intended) for Lapo Elkann who is frequently named "the most elegant man in the world" and who has made bespoke designs and customisation his signature. He brought Ferrari's 'Tailor Made' programme to life, and he is continuing and expanding upon the concept with Garage Italia Customs; cars, boats, planes and helicopters, with a unique level of customisation, personalisation and innovative creativity for the whole mobility industry. Lapo also applies this same expertise to the creations that he designs for Hublot and Italia Independent. The "sartoria Rubinacci" was not chosen at random: the House of Rubinacci holds the most beautiful collection of fabrics in its archives. It was here, in the more than 60,000 square metres of precious houndstooth, tweeds and other cloths that Hublot and Lapo Elkann found a collection of tartans-squared coloured wool weaves from the seventies-that they brought back to life by including them in the Classic Fusion as a chronograph. The dial and straps have therefore been made using these precious fabrics to offer this range of 45 mm timekeepers an end result that is the epitome of elegance. "La vera sprezzatura!" Link to download the press releases and pictures: http://j.mp/2lQIcXD HUBLOT S.A. Ch. de la Vuarpilliere 33, CP2464 CH-1260 Nyon 2 Switzerland T +41(0)22-990-90-00 SOURCE HUBLOT CHENNAI and HAMBURG, Germany, February 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Indivumed, GmbH (Indivumed), a world leader in precision oncology headquartered in Hamburg, Germany and The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), the country's premier academic research institution, announced today a collaboration to support the first Indian national cancer data base and biobank for use in precision cancer research. IITM and Indivumed signed an agreement with an initial three-year term. The collaboration will include collection of many types of cancer, such as lung, breast, colorectal and pancreatic, to name a few. Initially physicians and patients residing within the state of Tamil Nadu with an approximate population of more than 78 million will be provided the opportunity to participate, with the hopes to expand the collection throughout the country. IITM will join a worldwide network of clinical and research institutions within Germany, Poland and the United States, enabling researchers to access a multi-national biobank of specimens and annotated clinical data collected and preserved under Indivumed unique scientific standards. "Partnering with IITM is an exciting expansion of the Indivumed mission to impact precision medicine in cancer on a global scale," said Hartmut Juhl, MD, founder and CEO of Indivumed. "With world class scientists and state-of-the-art technology, IITM is well positioned to advance cancer research. Our institutions have a shared commitment to attaining individualized cancer diagnosis and treatment for every patient based on reliable clinical data and molecularly intact biospecimens," Juhl went on to say. Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT Madras said of this collaboration, "Indivumed is a world leader in tissue collection and preservation and will drive meaningful innovation for physicians, patients and researchers. By participating in the Indivumed research network, we will join with the global scientific community to fight cancer and have access to a critical mass of biological samples and clinical data for use in unique clinical research for our community. IITM is committed to being on the cutting-edge of precision medicine for personalized cancer treatment." "The collection and preservation of human tissue is vital to enable the most impactful medical research," commented Dr. S. Mahalingam, Professor in the Department of Biotechnology at the Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences and Faculty-in-charge of National Cancer Tissue Biobank. "Importantly", Mahalingam said, "The partnership with Indivumed will provide our team access to its internationally leading biobanking standards, enabling the preservation of the molecular profile of cancer patients to allow for a better understanding of the interaction between genetic changes (DNA mutations) and cell biology, an essential ingredient to developing targeted cancer therapies." About IIT Madras (http://www.iitm.ac.in) IIT Madras is one among the foremost institutes of national importance in higher technological education, basic and applied research. In 1956, the German Government offered technical assistance for establishing an institute of higher education in engineering in India. The first Indo-German agreement in Bonn, West Germany for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Technology at Madras was signed in 1959. IIT Madras is a residential institute with nearly 600 faculty, 9000 students and more than 1500 administrative & supporting staff and is a self-contained campus located in a beautiful wooded land of about 250 hectares. It has established itself as a premier centre for teaching, research and industrial consultancy in the country. The Institute has sixteen academic/research departments and many national as well as international advanced research centres/facilities in various disciplines of engineering and pure sciences. IIT Madras jointly with the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India established the first National Cancer Tissue Biobank facility. A faculty of international repute, a brilliant student community, excellent technical & supporting staff and an effective administration have all contributed to the pre-eminent status of IIT Madras. The campus is located in the city of Chennai, previously known as Madras. Chennai is the state capital of Tamil Nadu, a southern state in India. IITM has been ranked #1 amongst research and teaching institutions in Engineering in the India Rankings 2016 released by the National Institutional Ranking Framework, Ministry of Human Resources Development, Govt. of India- https://www.nirfindia.org/engg Join IIT Madras on Facebook: ReachIITM; on Twitter: @ReachIITM About Indivumed: INDIVUMED, an ISO certified global oncology research company based in Hamburg, Germany, has established the world's leading Cancer Database and biobank, retaining unique patterns of biomolecules such as RNA, DNA, and proteins as they existed in the human body. This Cancer Database makes possible multi-omics capabilities that will allow for characterization of samples and data such as whole genome gene expression analysis, expression analysis of cancer relevant proteins, expression analysis of cancer relevant phosphoproteins and bioinformatic solutions for integrating molecular, biological and clinical information. Indivumed's products and services allow for in-depth understanding of the underlying mechanisms of a patient's cancer, addressing important demands in translational research and molecular diagnostics to support implementation of personalized healthcare. For more information, please visit http://www.indivumed.com CONTACT FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES Indivumed GmbH Hartmut Juhl, MD Founder and Chief Executive Officer Tel.: +49/40 - 41 33-83-0 E-mail: press@indivumed.com IIT Madras: Bhavani Giddu Footprint Global Communications Cell: +91-9999500262 Email: bhavani.giddu@footprintglobal.com Palak Sakhuja Footprint Global Communications Cell: +91-9582338333 Email: palak.sakhuja@footprintglobal.com SOURCE Indivumed GmbH One pivotal, added feature to this year's program will be the Investment Forum. By invitation only, the Forum will bring together investors, investment banking professionals, private equity firms, pharma manufacturers and all involved stakeholders to spur new ventures in the pharmaceutical sector in Indonesia and the region. Contact the Organizer to secure your invitation to attend the Forum and to access the Investors Lounge - a special meeting area dedicated to business talks - open every day at CPhI South East Asia 2017. In fact, there are more than 200 drug makers in Indonesia, most of which produce only low-margin generics. While they control 95% of the market by volume, they only have a combined 75% share in value terms. At the same time, a much smaller number of companies operating in the country has been able to capture more profits by investing in innovative R&D and the development of higher-value products, often in partnership with international companies, in particular from Korea, Japan, and China. An example is Kalbe Farma, Indonesia's largest pharmaceutical company, which is shifting from being a maker of generic drugs to a high-tech pharma developer. Last year Kalbe agreed to establish a 60:40 joint venture with South Korean biotechnology company Genexine and initially invest 130 billion rupiah ($9.1 million) to develop biopharmaceutical products. Significantly, a lack of generic substitutes in these fields in Indonesia implies no government-set price ceilings, and therefore these products offer higher margins. GP Farmasi, the Indonesian industry association, projects investment in the pharmacy sector to reach Rp 215 trillion (US$15.34 billion) by 2025. The sector itself had potentials worth up to Rp 700 trillion, which consisted of Rp 450 trillion for the domestic market and Rp 250 trillion in exports, by 2025. IPMG members - including Novartis, Merck, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Pfizer - have invested more than USD $1 billion in Indonesia's pharmaceutical industry over the past few years, particularity for the construction of factories and clinical research (source: AmCham Indonesia). One of their members, Bayer, in 2016 alone invested EUR8.1 million in the expansion of its factory in Cimanggis (West Java). This factory produces multivitamins and medicines, about 75% of which is exported to 26 countries. Such activities are taking place while Indonesian President Joko Widodo is pushing its universal health care program to cover the country's projected population of 270 million by 2019, a leap from the 170 million currently covered. This year for the first time, government expenditures on health care reached the legally mandated 5% of the state budget. Health care spending is expected to grow 12% every year through 2020. Tailored to suit this fast changing industry, the 6th edition of CPhI South East Asia taking place during 22-24 March 2017 in Jakarta provides the must-attend trade exhibition where the regional pharma industry meets to leverage connections, knowledge and insight to spur business. Sign up now to attend! Government supporters: Ministry of Health, Ministry of Industry, Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board, National Agency for Drug and Food Control Trade and Professional Organization Supporters : Indonesian Pharmaceutical Association (GP Farmasi Indonesia), Pharma Materials Management Club (PMMC), International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group (IPMG), International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), Indonesian Pharmacists Association (IAI) Regional Supporters: Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore (PSS), Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PReMA) -- Thailand, Malaysian Association of Pharmaceutical Suppliers. The CPhI series of events drives growth and innovation in the global pharmaceutical industry, with leading exhibitions and online communities covering every step of the supply chain from drug discovery to finished dosage. More than 100,000 visitors meet over 6,000 exhibitors at events in Europe, China, India, Japan, South East Asia, Russia, Brazil, Istanbul and Korea every year to exchange ideas, form alliances and conduct business on an international scale. Contact: Ivan Ferrari Phone: +62-21-2930-5959 Email: ivan.ferrari@ubm.com Related Links http://www.cphi.com/sea SOURCE CPhI SEA TOKYO, February 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A landmark conference in Tokyo highlights growing support internationally for the right, now adopted in more than 80 countries An event in Tokyo this week brings together some of Japan's most prominent visual artists and academics, and the organisations representing creators globally and in Japan, in a landmark show of support for the resale royalty right for visual artists. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/470365/CISAC_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/470367/CISAC_Infographic.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/470366/Gadi_ORON.jpg ) The conference, hosted by Waseda University Research Center for Legal Studies for Intellectual Property (RCLIP) and co-hosted by CISAC, will highlight the growing international momentum for adoption of the right, which gives artists a share in the proceeds of the sale of their works by auction houses and galleries. Japan's copyright experts will outline a proposed draft law prepared by Waseda that would introduce the right in Japan. A CISAC delegation is also presenting the case for Japan's adoption of the right to the government, at a meeting with the Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Japan, home to a world-leading cultural sector and with an important influence internationally, is one of a small number of major art markets where the right is not yet implemented. Gadi Oron, Director-General of CISAC, said: "The events in Japan this week are important signs of the growing international momentum towards adoption of the resale right. More than 80 countries have adopted the right so far, helped by a steady raising of awareness of its vital importance to artists. Apart from its legal justifications, the resale right brings fairness, respect to creators, economic benefits and transparency to the art market. That is why there is such strong support for it from the artist community and from a growing list of governments around the world". The visual artists' resale right ensures that creators receive a percentage of the resale price when their works of art are resold by an auction house or an art gallery. It plays a significant role in allowing artists to derive a fair return from their work. In the countries where the right exists, it helps generate total royalty collections of some US$50 million globally for artists, amounting to 25% of total global visual arts collections, according to CISAC's recent collections report published in November 2016. About CISAC CISAC - the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers - is the world's leading network of authors' societies (also referred to as Collective Management Organisations, or CMOs). http://www.cisac.org SOURCE CISAC DUBLIN, Feb. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Philippines Seed Industry Outlook to 2021 - Rising Government Support to Improve Agriculture Sector with Demand for Hybrid Seed to Foster Growth" report to their offering. The report covers market size, segmentation on the basis of hybrid and non-hybrid seeds and vegetable & non-vegetable seeds. The report also covers market in different aspects such as import and export of seeds, market share of major players by different seeds and company profiles for major players in Philippines seed market. The report provides detailed overview on future outlook & projections with analyst recommendations for the industry. This report helps readers to identify the ongoing trends in the industry and anticipated growth in future depending upon changing industry dynamics in coming years. The report is useful for seed manufacturers, seed coating companies, fertilizers companies, pesticides and crop protection chemical companies, agricultural department and ministries and other stakeholders to align their market centric strategies according to ongoing and expected trends in the future. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Appendix 3. Philippines Seed Market Genesis and Current Scenario 4. Value Chain Analysis in Philippines Seed Sector 5. Philippines Seed Market Size 6. Philippines Seed Market Segmentation 7. Trade Scenario for Philippines Seed Market 8. Pricing Analysis for Different Seeds in Philippines 9. SWOT Analysis in Philippines Seed Market 10. Trends and Developments in Philippines Seed Market 11. Government Role and Regulations in Philippines Seed Market 12. Major Developments for Different Seeds in Philippines 13. Issues and Challenges in Philippines Seed Market 14. Market Share of Major Players in Philippines Seed Market, 2016 15. Company Profiles for Major Players in Philippines Seed Market 16. Philippines Seed Market Future Outlook and Projections 17. Macroeconomic Factors affecting Philippines Seed Market Companies Mentioned - Allied Botanical Corporation - Bayer Crop Science - East West Seeds - Kaneko Seeds - Monsanto - Pioneer Hi-Bred - SL Agritech - Syngenta For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/nb249m/philippines_seed Media Contact: Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com SOURCE Research and Markets AMSTERDAM, February 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Developed in collaboration with leading hospitals worldwide , Philips Azurion is an innovative image - guided therapy platform that allows clinicians to easily and confidently perform a wide range of routine and complex procedures, helping them to optimize interventional lab performance and provide superior care Azurion is powered by ConnectOS, Philips' newly developed operating system to optimize system integration which features an easy-to-use intuitive user interface combined with real-time information on multiple work spots within the interventional lab Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a leader in health technology, today announced the global launch of Azurion, its next generation image-guided therapy platform, which forms the new core of its integrated solutions portfolio for the fast growing image-guided therapy market. As a leader in this market, Philips offers integrated solutions comprising interventional imaging technologies and planning and navigation software combined with interventional devices - including catheters for diagnosis and therapy - and a broad range of services, all aimed at helping clinicians to provide superior care at predictable costs. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/470877/Azurion_Therapy.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/470878/Azurion1.jpg ) Following the acquisition of Volcano in 2015, via which Philips has become a leader in advanced catheters for diagnosis and therapy, the company is now further cementing its overall leadership in the EUR 5 billion image-guided therapy market with one of its largest global product launches in recent years. Philips' Azurion image-guided therapy platform for interventional labs is the result of a multi-year development program conducted in close collaboration with leading clinicians in the field. This next generation platform features a state-of-the-art ergonomic design with an easy-to-use intuitive user interface, enabling clinicians to swiftly and confidently perform a wide range of routine and complex procedures in the interventional lab. With the rapid growth of image-guided therapy procedures, hospitals and health systems are increasingly faced with the need to control costs, while improving their standards of care. Azurion has been designed to address these challenges and is equipped with new workflow options and performance dashboards, as well as an upcoming range of productivity improvement services. Azurion is Philips' next generation image-guided therapy platform and the new core of its integrated solutions portfolio. Azurion supports a full range of configurations across a broad spectrum of image-guided therapy procedures. These include configurations for high volume routine procedures and flexible configurations for advanced procedures. Harnessing vital procedural information from various sources, such as imaging systems, interventional devices, navigation tools and patient health records, Azurion provides interventional staff members with the control and information they need to perform procedures efficiently. The Azurion platform also features over 1,000 new components, including an enhanced flat-panel detector, and Philips' newly developed ConnectOS operating system for the seamless integration of real-time information from all relevant technologies in the interventional lab. All of these components work together to deliver high image quality at ultra-low X-ray dose and real-time image processing on multiple work spots within the interventional lab. Parallel working enables the team of clinicians to complete different tasks simultaneously in the interventional lab, saving valuable time without compromising quality of care. Azurion features procedure cards that allow clinicians to pre-program routine tasks and user preferences, helping to minimize preparation errors and further reducing preparation and procedure time. Philips has pioneered a steady stream of innovations in planning and navigation software for areas such as vascular surgery (e.g. VesselNavigator), interventional cardiology (e.g. EchoNavigator), interventional oncology (e.g. EmboGuide), and interventional neuroradiology (e.g. AneurysmFlow). All these advanced interventional tools integrate seamlessly into the Azurion platform to support the clinical workflow. Driven by their benefits for patients and care providers, minimally-invasive therapies, such as the catheter-based treatment of certain tumors, aneurysms, obstructed blood vessels, heart rhythm disorders and defective heart valves, continue to grow fast. In addition to reduced patient trauma and shorter recovery times, such procedures also have the benefit of allowing the treatment of patients who would not be able to withstand the trauma of open surgery. However, during such procedures, clinicians cannot directly see and feel the organs they are working on. Effective imaging, measurement and navigation technologies are therefore key to guiding minimally-invasive procedures. At the heart of the interventional lab, these technologies allow identification and visualization of target organs and tissues, the operation of interventional devices, and the placement of implants, leading to improved chances of therapy success. "For over 30 years, we've pioneered minimally-invasive treatments that help our patients get back to their daily lives," said Barry T. Katzen, MD, founder and Chief Medical Executive of the Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Baptist Health South Florida (U.S.). "The imaging environment is critical to perform such procedures efficiently and effectively. As an interventionalist, we want to be in the cockpit, similar to a pilot in an airplane, where we have control of everything we need and have all the relevant functions at our finger tips. Philips' next generation image-guided therapy platform just takes it to a whole other level and allows interventionalists to accomplish the procedures quicker and more efficiently, which benefits the patient." "As a leader in image-guided therapy, we have been driving continuous innovation to address rising patient volumes and increased procedure complexity," said Bert van Meurs, Business Leader Image Guided Therapy at Philips. "Hundreds of Philips developers, engineers and designers and dozens of our clinical partners across the world have collaborated to completely redesign the heart of our portfolio. With the launch of our new Azurion platform, which was designed to optimize system integration and lab performance, we can deliver new turnkey solutions that support our customers in maintaining high standards of quality and patient care at predictable costs." "We are on an exciting journey to strengthen the Tampere Heart Hospital's position as a Northern European center of excellence for cardiac care," said Aki Haukilahti, Executive Vice President and CFO of Heart Hospital, Tampere University Hospital (Finland). "As part of our long-term strategic partnership with Philips, we have collaborated on a turnkey solution based on the new Azurion product family. With this solution, Philips provides us with advanced technologies and an excellent user experience, combined with services for guaranteed uptime, seamless integration into our hospital workflows, staff training and education, and enhancement of our productivity. This enables our staff to fully focus on what they do best - providing superior care to our patients." Click on this link or type http://www.philips.com/azurion in your internet browser to visit the Philips Azurion website. About Royal Philips Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips' health technology portfolio generated 2016 sales of EUR 17.4 billion and employs approximately 71,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at http://www.philips.com/newscenter. SOURCE Royal Philips LE HAVRE, France, February 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Safran Nacelles has strengthened its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) expertise with the creation of an MRO Center of Excellence at the company's Pont-Audemer facility in France's Normandy region. Expanding on the existing MRO industrial resources in Pont-Audemer's current facilities, this new Center of Excellence brings numerous advantages to customers that utilize and maintain the product line of jet engine nacelles produced by Safran Nacelles - which covers aircraft from business jets and regional airliners to the largest mainline jetliners. The new Center of Excellence's responsibilities include: managing the global network of Safran Nacelles' MRO facilities; serving as the operational reference in terms of repair procedures and industrialization; overseeing the company's MRO-related research and technology activities; as well as advancing its overall competence in repair methods and engineering. The MRO Center of Excellence's expertise covers complete engine nacelle systems, including complex structural repairs, line replaceable units (LRUs), engine subassemblies, outlet guide vanes (OGV) and on-site support. "This latest enhancement of our MRO capabilities provides benefits for customers through increased reactivity, greater technical proficiency, improved workflow and even stronger ties to the resources of Safran Nacelles as a world-leading nacelle manufacturer," said CEO Jean-Paul Alary. "It also will improve our responsiveness as a provider of choice for maintenance, repair and overhaul services worldwide." The new MRO organization leverages Safran Nacelles' expertise as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) in being fully ready, anywhere in the world, to support the complete nacelle system it supplies for the Airbus A320neo jetliner. With the creation of Safran Nacelles' MRO Center of Excellence, Jean-Hugues Cousin has been named as Managing Director. He has the additional responsibility for leading the company's global MRO network - which includes the Pont-Audemer facility, along with Safran Nacelles Services Americas in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; and the Dubai-based Aerostructures Middle East Services (AMES), a joint venture of Safran Nacelles and Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance. Safran is a leading international high-technology group with three core businesses: Aerospace (propulsion and equipment), Defence and Security. Operating worldwide, the Group has 70,000 employees and generated sales of 17.4 billion euros in 2015. Safran is listed on Euronext Paris and is part of the CAC40 index, as well as the Euro Stoxx 50 European index. Safran Nacelles is the world's second leading supplier of aircraft engine nacelles, with more than 17,000 in service, logging over 100,000 flight-hours per day. It supplies nacelles and components for all segments of the aviation market, from business and regional jets to mainline commercial jets. For more information: http://www.safran-group.com and www.safran-nacelles.com / Follow @Safran and @SafranNacelles on Twitter SOURCE Safran Nacelles Automotive Navigation Solution Providers Broadening Range of Services to Deal with Automakers' Increasing Focus on Brought-in Navigation Solutions and Autonomous Driving BOSTON, Feb. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Providers of automotive navigation solutions and location-based services are grappling with a marketplace where automakers are integrating brought-in navigation apps with in-dash systems. Over the long run, however, the need for built-in navigation in vehicles with future autonomous driving capabilities means many providers will continue to play an important role in the years to come. The Strategy Analytics Automotive Infotainment & Telematics service report, "Automotive Navigation Solution Providers Overview," provides forecasts for hybrid navigation (built-in navigation software with cloud-based capabilities) as well as smartphone-enabled navigation; showing growth in both categories as automakers strive to strike a balance between giving vehicle owners use of the navigation apps they use on their mobile devices while simultaneously laying the groundwork for a future where autonomous vehicles will require hybrid navigation in order to communicate routing information and current location to vehicle occupants. This report profiles a number of companies in the automotive navigation and location-based services, including HERE, TomTom, NNG, Mapbox, INRIX, and others as well as the impact that tech giants, such as Apple and Google, are having on this market segment and will have in the years to come. "In the short term, brought-in navigation applications that can be used via in-dash infotainment systems due to the widespread use automakers' use of smartphone integration platforms, such as Google's Android Auto and Apple's CarPlay, will lead to pressure on traditional navigation solution providers," said Greg Basich, Senior Analyst with Strategy Analytics' Automotive Infotainment & Telematics service. "Over the long run, however, there is still a definite need for built-in navigation with cloud-based capabilities as the industry moves toward a future where autonomous and shared vehicles are common." "Many traditional navigation solution providers are focused on developing predictive, contextually aware navigation solutions in order to enhance their current value proposition," said Richard Robinson, Director of Strategy Analytics' Automotive Infotainment & Telematics service. "They are also focused on developing a range of solutions for autonomous driving, though in the context of infotainment, the vision is for navigation that provides critical location, traffic condition, and routing information in both manual and autonomous driving modes." For more information about this report, use this link or visit Strategy Analytics' website to find out more about the company's Automotive Infotainment & Telematics service. About Strategy Analytics Strategy Analytics, Inc. provides the competitive edge with advisory services, consulting and actionable market intelligence for emerging technology, mobile and wireless, digital consumer and automotive electronics companies. With offices in North America, Europe and Asia, Strategy Analytics delivers insights for enterprise success. www.StrategyAnalytics.com US Contact: Greg Basich, gbasich@strategyanalytics.com European Contact: Richard Robinson, rrobinson@strategyanalytics.com Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130207/NE56457LOGO-b Related Links http://www.strategyanalytics.com SOURCE Strategy Analytics SANTA CLARA, Calif. and SYDNEY, February 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Award-winning Mortgage Technology Company is Also a Featured Exhibitor Tavant Technologies, Silicon Valley-based innovative mortgage technology company, announced today that it has been invited to speak and exhibit at the seventh annual Australian Mortgage Innovation Summit, February 23 - 24, 2017 at Sydney. Tavant will showcase its disruptive digital mortgage solutions that will enable the 'one-minute mortgage' experience. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150306/732869 ) Sarvesh Mahesh, Tavant's CEO, has been invited to speak at the conference. Mahesh will speak during the panel on 'Speed to Yes,' providing insights on the digital mortgage landscape. Tavant will provide an exclusive preview of its digital-lending platform, Tavant VLOX. VLOX transforms the labor-intensive, paper saturated, compliance-laden loan fulfilment process into an efficient digital data flow. "We are excited to be in Sydney for one of the largest mortgage conferences in Australia. Tavant is leading the digital transformation wave, and we are happy to bring our 17+ years of expertise to the Australian market," said Vibhor Mishra, Global Head of Marketing, Tavant Technologies. Call +61-1300-137-439 or email bizdev@tavant.com to schedule a meeting with our experts. About Tavant Technologies Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Tavant Technologies is a specialized software solutions and services provider that provides impactful results to its customers across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Founded in 2000, the company employs over 2000 people and is a recognized top employer. As a key solutions provider to the Consumer Lending industry, Tavant has demonstrated expertise in helping mortgage firms convert more leads, cut costs and retain borrowers. Find Tavant Technologies on LinkedIn and on Twitter Media Contact: Vibhor Mishra Tavant Technologies +61-1300-137-439 vibhor.mishra@tavant.com www.tavant.com.au SOURCE Tavant Technologies ALBANY, New York, February 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The top three players leading the global automated microscopy market are Olympus Corporation, Nikon Corporation, and Leica Microsystems. Collectively these companies held a share or 75% in the overall market in 2015. The oligopolistic market is likely to witness tremendous product innovation through result-oriented research and development activities and mergers and acquisitions. Several players are also expected to focus on expanding their business to emerging economies as the spending capacities in these nations is on the rise. The research report states that the global automated microscopy market stood at US$3.86 bn in 2015 and is expected to climb to a valuation of US$8.05 bn by the end of 2024. Between the forecast years of 2016 and 2024, the global market is projected to surge at a CAGR of 8.5% due to rapid technological advancements. Download PDF brochure for this Report: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=7153 Asia Pacific Emerges as Leading Region as Investments in Research and Development Increase In terms of application, the global market is segmented into medical diagnostics, nanotechnology, material science, life science, and semiconductors. Of these, the flourishing life sciences industry is expected to make a generous contribution to the global market in the coming years. Despite a minor slump, the life sciences segment is projected to acquire a share of 27.9% in the global market by the end of 2024. In terms of geography, the global automated microscopy market is segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. Analysts anticipate that the Asia Pacific automated microscopy market will lead the pack between 2016 and 2024. The growing investments in research and development, developing healthcare infrastructure, and low labor cost are some of the factors that are likely to contribute to the emergence of this regional market. The report states that Asia Pacific automated microscopy market will acquire a share of 38.1% by the end of 2024. Browse Press Release: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/automated-microscopy-market.htm Semiconductor Industry to Provide Significant Scope for Growth to Global Market The increasing investments in nanotechnology have boosted the demand for advanced and high-resolution microscopes as they crucial for studying materials at molecular, macromolecular, and atomic level. The widening applications of material sciences, life sciences, and semiconductor are all expected to augment the demand for automated microscopes in the coming years. The increasing importance of research and development activities and usage of advanced microscopes by the precision manufacturing industries are also expected to boost the global market. The emergence of the semiconductor industry in several developing nations is also projected to benefit the global market in the coming years. Instrumentation Complexities to Hamper Market Growth The global market is likely to be hampered by the instrumentation complexities that have to be addressed before using automated microscopes. If the special and complex sample preparation techniques are not met with, samples get structurally altered when viewed through microscopes. The market is also likely to be restrained by the premium pricing and operating cost of advanced microscopy. This review is based on Transparency Market Research's report, titled "Automated Microscopy Market (Product - Optical Microscope (Inverted Microscope, Stereomicroscopes, Phase Contrast Microscopes, Fluorescence Microscopes, Confocal Scanning Microscopes, and Near Field Scanning Microscopes), Electron Microscope (Transmission Microscopes and Scanning Electron Microscopes), and Scanning Probe Microscope (Scanning Tunneling Microscopes and Atomic Force Microscopes); Application - Medical Diagnostic, Nanotechnology, Material Science, Life Science, and Semiconductors) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2016-2024." The global Automated Microscopy market has been segmented into: Global Automated Microscopy Market: Product Type Optical Microscope Inverted Microscope Stereomicroscopes Phase Contrast Microscopes Fluorescence Microscopes Confocal Scanning Microscopes Near Field Scanning Microscopes Others Electron Microscope Transmission Electron microscopes (TEM) Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM) Scanning Probe Microscope Scanning Tunneling Microscopes Atomic Force Microscopes Global Automated Microscopy Market: By Application Medical Diagnostics Nanotechnology Material Science Life Science Semiconductors Global Automated Microscopy Market: By Geography North America U.S. Rest of North America Europe U.K. France Italy Germany Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China India Japan Rest of Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa (MEA) UAE South Africa Rest of MEA Latin America (LATAM) Brazil Rest of LATAM Top Most Research Reports by TMR: Healthcare Natural Language Processing (NLP) Market : http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/healthcare-natural-language-processing-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/healthcare-natural-language-processing-market.html Online Gambling and Betting Market: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/online-gambling-betting.html About Us Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The company's exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. TMR's data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports. US Office Contact Transparency Market Research 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207 Tel: +1-518-618-1030 USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Transparencymarketresearch SOURCE Transparency Market Research TORONTO, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Contratulations to the winners of the 7th Annual CFA Society Toronto & Hillsdale Canadian Investment Research Award. The award winning paper "Dominance of Hybrid Contratum Strategies over Momentum and Contrarian Strategies: Half a Century of Evidence" was submitted by Dr. Kobana Abukari, Assistant Professor of Finance at Laurentian University, and Dr. Isaac Otchere, Professor of Finance at the Sprott School of Business, Carleton University. "The authors have discovered that a hybrid of short term momentum and long term reversal strategies offers superior rewards than either one in isolation. Their findings are robust over 50 years of testing in Canada and contribute to the solid base of evidence for the success of multiple time horizon investment strategies," said Chris Guthrie, CFA, President and CEO, Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. CFA Society Toronto and Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. will award a $10,000 prize to the winners on 23 February 2017 at CFA Society Toronto's Annual Awards Reception. The research paper was selected by a panel of judges from among 11 very competitive papers submitted by academics from top business schools in the world as well as practitioners of leading investment firms in Canada. "At its roots, Hillsdale believes in and supports applied investment research and this year's winning paper reflects our beliefs. We are very proud to be working with CFA Society Toronto and appreciate the high caliber of submissions that were received," said Harry Marmer, CFA, Executive Vice President, Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. The abstract of the paper: "We evaluated several investment strategies using data on over 3,500 stocks from 1956 to 2015 and find that hybrid investment strategies ranked as contrarian strategies (over the long term) but held as momentum strategies (over the medium term), what we call contratum strategies, outperform traditional momentum and contrarian strategies. The top performing strategy, a contratum strategy ranked over 60 months and held over 3 months, earned a statistically significant continuously compounded monthly return to a hedged portfolio (of losers minus winners) of about 1.1%. In contrast, a traditional momentum strategy generated significant returns of 0.5% per month for a hedged portfolio of winners minus losers, while a traditional contrarian strategy generated a significant hedged portfolio return of 0.7% per month. Our results are robust across size groups, risk, economic states, and sub-periods. Thus, the performance of the momentum, contrarian and hybrid contratum strategies are not crowded out by documented anomalies such as the size effect, January effect or macroeconomic factors. Since it is possible to identify, ex-ante, the losers and winners of the hybrid investment strategies based on past returns, our results can be used as part of a replicable investment strategy." "We are excited about our study because with investors' desire to outperform the market showing no signs of abating, our findings that hybrid contratum investment strategies dominate the widely-implemented momentum and contrarian strategies provide another avenue for investors to consider. Also, with investment horizons decreasing, the shorter holding periods of contratum strategies could make them more appealing to investors across the spectrum." said Dr. Kobana Abukari and Dr. Isaac Otchere. To view a copy of the paper click here. Note to editors: Dr. Kobana Abukari will give a brief overview of their findings at the Awards Reception, at approximately 5:45pm on February 23rd. The event is open to the media who can register by emailing [email protected] and interviews are available upon request by emailing [email protected]. The Awards Reception will be held from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at TMX Broadcast Centre, TMX Gallery, The Exchange Tower, 130 King Street West, Toronto ON. About Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. Founded in 1996, Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. is one of Canada's premier investment boutiques, managing over $1.6 billion in equities and absolute return strategies for institutional and private wealth investors. Hillsdale's proprietary investment process utilizes the best of fundamental, quantitative and capital market research. With over 20 years of experience in disciplined active investment management, Hillsdale is committed to producing the highest quality investment strategies for its clients. For more information, please refer to www.hillsdaleinv.com. About CFA Society Toronto CFA Society Toronto supports the professional and business development of over 9,000 CFA charterholders in Toronto, making it the largest society of CFA charterholders, globally. We provide members with a local perspective on a global designation, including: educational programs, sponsored events, job postings, quarterly newsletters, a comprehensive affinity program and networking opportunities. A not-for-profit organization, CFA Society Toronto is affiliated with CFA Institute, the global body that administers the Chartered Financial Analyst curriculum and sets voluntary, ethics-based performance-reporting standards for the investment industry. CFA Society Toronto's members are leaders in ethics in the financial community. For more information, please refer to www.cfatoronto.ca. SOURCE CFA Society Toronto Related Links http://www.cfatoronto.ca PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This year, over 500 music schools from 47 states will participate in the third annual Teach Music America Week by offering a complimentary music lesson to new students. Teach Music America Week was founded by the Keep Music Alive organization as a way to inspire musicians and music schools across the country to offer one free 30-minute lesson to new students. All interested music students (children and adults) are also encouraged to seek out a participating music school or musician. Keep Music Alive 500+ Music Schools to Offer Free Music Lesson for Teach Music America Week - March 20-26 Teach Music America Week is celebrated during the third week of March to coincide with National Music in Our Schools Month (MIOSM). Some of largest music school chains in the country will be participating in Teach Music America Week this year, including the Guitar Center, Music & Arts and the legendary School of Rock. Vincent James, founder of Keep Music Alive, states: "Music education helps children develop confidence, patience, and social skills as well as improve their academics. It has also been demonstrated to provide many benefits to adults who take up an instrument later in life. Sometimes the biggest hurdle in doing something is just getting started; with Teach Music America Week, we are hoping to give birth to a multitude of new musicians who will continue playing music long after the month of March is over." Keep Music Alive is an organization dedicated to promoting the value of music in our world: educationally, therapeutically and overall making us a happier society. To help spread this message it has founded Kids Music Day, celebrated the first Friday in October and Teach Music America Week in March. It has also published the book "88+ Ways Music Can Change Your Life," featuring over 150 inspirational music stories from musicians, music teachers and music fans from around the world including a number of celebrities. Fifty percent of the proceeds from "88+ Ways Music" are donated to organizations that provide instruments and music instruction to schools and communities in need. Current beneficiaries include Guitars in the Classroom, Spirit of Harmony and Mr. Hollands Opus Foundation. For more information on Teach Music America Week and Keep Music Alive, please visit www.TeachMusicAmerica.org, www.KeepMusicAlive.org or contact Vincent James at (610) 874-6312 or [email protected]. SOURCE Keep Music Alive The winning recipe - Smoky Chili Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Kahlua Milk Frosting & Vanilla Milk Drizzle - was created by Merry Graham, a Southern California award-winning home cook and published author. Her recipe combines Dutch cocoa, ancho chili, brewed coffee, Kahlua and milk for a decadent dessert. The competition was hosted by the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB), creator of the iconic got milk? and Toma Leche campaigns, which invited California-based culinary artists to submit on-trend recipes featuring milk. Notable influencers who participated in the campaign include Shirley Chung, a season 11 finalist and current contestant on Season 14 of Bravo's popular show, Top Chef, and Napa-foodie Ethan Speizer, founder and executive chef at late-night pop-up Nuri Napa. Chef Chung contributed a Milk-Braised Napa Cabbage recipe that incorporates Virginia cured ham, ginger, Goji berries, a reflection of her "modern American cooking with Chinese soul" philosophy. Napa-notable Ethan Speizer contributed a traditional-style Milk-Braised Lamb Neck recipe that incorporates an array of spices and herbs such as bouquet garni and Shisho gremolata. "The start of a new year inspires an openness to try something new, especially in the kitchen," said Steve James, CMPB Executive Director. "We're excited to showcase new culinary creations that demonstrate milk's central role in expected food trends for 2017." To view the recipe ideas created exclusively for got milk?/ Toma Leche and a fun instructional video featuring Shirley Chung, visit: www.gotmilk.com, www.tomaleche.com and follow got milk? via social media on Facebook/ Twitter @gotmilk and Instagram @officialgotmilk. About the CMPB The California Milk Processor Board was established in 1993 to make milk more competitive and increase milk consumption in California. Awareness of "got milk?" is over 90% nationally and it is considered one of the most important and successful campaigns in history. The "got milk?" trademark is a federally registered trademark and service mark that was licensed by the National Dairy Board in 1995 for use in its advertising, including their long-running "Milk Mustache" campaign. The CMPB's Spanish-language campaign began in 1994 using the tagline "Familia, Amor y Leche" (Family, Love and Milk). The "toma leche" (Drink Milk) campaign replaced it in 2006, in order to better align the English and Spanish language work. The CMPB is funded by all California milk processors and is an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. SOURCE California Milk Processor Board Related Links http://www.gotmilk.com WINOOSKI, Vt., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has published the 4th Edition of Bright Futures, Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents, as well as the 2017 Periodicity Schedule. PCC will be the first pediatric-specific EHR vendor to offer Bright Futures embedded directly into the EHR solution at no additional cost to clients. Recognized as the blueprint for health supervision visits, Bright Futures protocols are an essential part of pediatric care. This resource provides key background information and recommendations for themes critical to healthy child development, along with well-child supervision standards for 31 age-based visits, from newborn through 21 years. The 4th Edition of Bright Futures features 12 Health Promotion Themes, including these 3 new topics: Lifelong health for families and communities Health for children and youth with special health care needs The healthy and safe use of social media Dr. Joseph Hagan Jr, MD, FAAP, one of the editors of Bright Futures says, "The AAP's Periodicity Table tells people what should be done at every visit. Bright Futures seeks to tell people how to do it, and more importantly, how to do it well. We're really excited about the 4th Edition because it has a number of updates in it, especially regarding evidence." Dr. Hagan goes on to share, "In primary care and preventive medicine, there is a great interest in standardizing what people are told based on evidence. The problem is that there has not always been a lot of evidence for preventive services for children. In the 2008 Bright Futures 3rd Edition there were only 3 evidence-based preventive statements. There is a lot more evidence in this new 4th edition. I would urge people to look at the 'Evidence and Rationale' chapter. That is what will drive PCC to help them to set up their visits to follow current guidelines." Chip Hart, Director of Pediatric Solutions at PCC says, "Bright Futures is the Gold Standard for pediatric care, and we couldn't consider ourselves to be a pediatric EHR vendor and consultant and not have those resources embedded in the very framework of what we do." About PCC PCC (Physician's Computer Company) is a privately held, independent software solutions firm with over 30 years of industry experience working exclusively to meet the needs of independent pediatricians nationwide. Since 1983, we have built tools, provided consulting, and offered support to pediatric practices who seek to improve the health of their patients and improve their bottom lines. PCC knows the value of having control over our own future, and our commitment to helping pediatricians stay independent is the driving force behind everything we do. Contact Information Bettina Dold, PCC Director of Marketing 800-722-7708 / [email protected] Visit us at: www.pcc.com SOURCE PCC (Physician's Computer Company) Related Links http://www.pcc.com "All over the country, Missouri is known as the Show Me state. I feel like we as Missourians need to step up and show the country that we can prevent suicide. I started advocating for my brother, Richard Lewis, who took his own life on November 12, 2003. But I now advocate for everyone who is struggling with suicide or mental health conditions," said Becca Pamperl , resident of Columbia, Missouri and AFSP advocate. Ms. Pamperl is part of a larger national movement of AFSP volunteer advocates who will be visiting 35 state capitols across the United States in spring 2017 to bring best practices in suicide prevention to state legislators. The Higher Education Suicide Prevention Polices SB 52 This law would require each public institution of higher education to develop and implement a policy to advise students and staff on available suicide prevention programs and resources, both on and off campus, including crisis intervention and hotline services, local mental health and counseling services, multimedia apps, and student educational, outreach, and postvention plans. The law would also make it a requirement for public institutions of higher education to provide all incoming students with information on depression and suicide prevention resources available to students, including on the websites run by the schools. The Jason Flatt Act of 2017 HB 862 If passed, the Jason Flatt Act of 2017 would make it a requirement that by July 1, 2018, each school board would have to adopt a policy for youth suicide awareness and prevention, including how the district will provide for the training and education of its district employees. Also, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education would have to develop a model policy that districts could choose to adopt. The Jason Flatt Act Relating to School Policy HB 844 If enacted, HB844 would make it a requirement that all districts offer and include at least two hours of in-service training for all practicing teachers in suicide prevention. This training would count as two contact hours of professional development under the existing law. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary education will also develop guidelines for training or professional development in youth suicide awareness and prevention. Suicide in Missouri Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death overall in Missouri. For people aged 10-24 in Utah, it is the third leading cause of death. For those aged 25-34, it is the second leading cause of death. On average one person dies by suicide every 8 hours in the state. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide. AFSP celebrates 30 years of service to the suicide prevention movement. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Related Links http://www.afsp.org NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC today announced that Dr. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of Latvia (1999-2007), will keynote its gala to launch the AJC Central Europe office on Monday, March 27, at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw. The gala evening is the centerpiece of a larger mission to Warsaw to mark the opening of AJC Central Europe, for which over 130 AJC leaders will travel to Poland and the six other countries the office covers. Nearly 500 government officials, diplomats, and members of the media from across Europe are expected to attend the marquee event. The office was made possible by the generosity of John Shapiro, AJC's President, and his wife, Dr. Shonni Silverberg. "We couldn't be more thrilled that President Vike-Freiberga will keynote our gala," said AJC CEO David Harris. "She has been a dear friend of AJC since she first visited our headquarters in 1999 the beginning of a longstanding partnership." From her leadership over two terms as Latvia's president to her current post as president of the Club of Madrid, the world's largest forum of former heads of state and government, President Vike-Freiberga has championed the highest ideals of democracy, human rights, and the democratic transformation in Central and Eastern Europe. "We salute her dedication to Latvia's democratic journey and entry into the European Union, as well as her steadfast friendship with the Jewish people, commitment to strengthening relations with Israel, and devotion to the search for historical truth about the fate of Latvia's Jewish community during the Nazi period, ninety percent of which was exterminated," said Harris. In testament to our friendship and shared values, AJC honored the president in 2007 with its prestigious Madeline and Bruce Ramer Award for Diplomatic Excellence. Upon accepting the award, the president stated: "For the next 100 years of AJC's existence, my solemn wish is that the Jewish people will see fulfilled the dreams they carry in their hearts to achieve peace for Israel." In the same year, President Vike-Freiberga presented Harris with The Order of the Three Stars Commander Class for his contribution to facilitating cooperation between Latvia and the U.S. AJC was an early and persistent voice in calling on the U.S. government to recognize the Baltic States' independence in 1991, and, later, to support their accession to NATO in 2002. Indeed, it was the first and only Jewish organization to do so. Establishing a permanent regional office in Warsaw builds upon those decades of programming initiatives, and enables the organization to deepen its engagement with the significant countries of Central Europe. SOURCE American Jewish Committee Related Links http://www.ajc.org PASADENA, Calif., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE) announced today that it is commencing an underwritten public offering, subject to market conditions, of senior notes. Goldman, Sachs & Co., Mizuho Securities USA Inc., Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., Evercore Group L.L.C. and TD Securities (USA) LLC will act as joint book-running managers in connection with the public offering. The notes will be unsecured obligations of the Company and fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Alexandria Real Estate Equities, L.P., an indirectly 100% owned subsidiary of the Company. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes and for the reduction of the outstanding balance on its unsecured senior line of credit. The Company may then also borrow from time to time under its unsecured senior line of credit to provide funds for general working capital and other general corporate purposes. General corporate purposes may include the reduction of the outstanding balances under its unsecured senior bank term loans, repayment of other debt, redemption of preferred stock and selective development or redevelopment of properties. Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. is an urban office REIT uniquely focused on collaborative life science and technology campuses in AAA innovation cluster locations. Founded in 1994, Alexandria pioneered this niche and has since established a significant market presence in key locations, including Greater Boston, San Francisco, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland, and Research Triangle Park. The notes will be offered pursuant to an effective registration statement on Form S-3 that was previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Company's notes, nor shall there be any sale of the notes in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state. Copies of the prospectus supplement relating to this offering, when available, may be obtained by contacting: Goldman, Sachs & Co., Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, telephone: 866-471-2526 or by emailing [email protected]; Mizuho Securities USA Inc. at 320 Park Avenue, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10022, Attn: Debt Capital Markets, telephone: 866-271-7403; or Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. at 250 Vesey Street, New York, NY 10281, Attn: Debt Capital Markets, telephone: 800-372-3930. This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's offering of notes and its intended use of the proceeds. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's present intent, beliefs or expectations, but forward-looking statements are not guaranteed to occur and may not occur. Actual results may differ materially from those contained in or implied by the Company's forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties detailed in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update this information. For more discussion relating to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the Company's forward-looking statements, and risks and uncertainties to the Company's business in general, please refer to the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent annual report on Form 10-K. SOURCE Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. Related Links http://www.are.com KINGSPORT, Tenn., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alpha Natural Resources Holdings, Inc. and ANR, Inc. announce outstanding safety performance for 2016, with five affiliate operations in West Virginia honored for safety achievements by the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health Safety and Training. The five Alpha affiliates received the Mountaineer Guardian Safety Award, presented to selected mines and mining-related entities that meet strict safety criteria. It recognizes organizations with fatality-free operations, superior internal safety programs, cooperative teaming with authorities and minimal safety violations. In addition, inspectors with the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health Safety and Training may nominate mines and facilities for the awards. Republic Energy LLC's Republic Surface Mine in Fayette County has been honored with the Barton B. Lay, Jr. Milestones of Safety Award, one of only two operations to receive the WVMHS&T's most prestigious award, and the second time in four years that Republic has been so honored. The following operations in West Virginia also received the Mountaineer Guardian award: Underground Operations Aracoma Coal Company Alma Mine Brooks Run South Mining, LLC Wyoming #2 Mine Preparation Plants and Loadouts Kepler Processing Company, LLC Kepler No. 1 Prep. Plant Spartan Mining, LLC Trace Transport Barton B Lay, Jr. Award Milestones of Safety Award Surface Mine Republic Energy, LLC Republic Surface Mine Two of the operations are multiple winners of the Mountaineer Guardian Safety Award. Aracoma Alma and Wyoming #2 have been honored two of the last three years, and the Kepler No. 1 Prep Plant has won two years in a row. "We are proud of the safety achievements of our miners," said Brian Keaton, Alpha's Senior Vice President of Safety and Health. "Safety is a value year-round, and getting our employees home safely is paramount, so it is gratifying to see these employees honored for the focus and attention they place on the safety of their fellow employees." All of these Alpha-affiliated operations received recognition at the Mountaineer Guardian Luncheon during the 44th annual West Virginia Mining Symposium February 22 in Charleston, W.Va. The West Virginia Office of Miners' Health Safety and Training and the West Virginia Coal Association sponsor the awards to promote safety in West Virginia coal mines and facilities. About Alpha Natural Resources Holdings, Inc. and ANR, Inc. Alpha Natural Resources Holdings, Inc. and ANR, Inc. have affiliate mining operations in West Virginia and Kentucky, supplying metallurgical coal to the steel industry and thermal coal to generate power. Alpha has offices in Kingsport, Tennessee, and Julian, West Virginia, which support 19 active mining operations. Alpha is committed to being a leader in mine safety and an environmental steward in the communities where its affiliates operate. For more information, visit Alpha's website (www.alphanr.com). SOURCE Alpha Natural Resources Related Links http://alphanr.com NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Appboy, the leading global lifecycle engagement platform for marketing, growth, and engagement teams today announced its partnership with PlaceIQ, the company building a new model of consumer behavior with location data and insights. Together, both companies increased mobile engagement for Urban Outfitters, a leading youth-focused retail brand, by using real world behavior to support smarter delivery of consumer messages within its brand-owned app. Using PlaceIQ's dynamic audience filters in concert with Appboy's powerful cross-channel messaging and optimization capabilities, Urban Outfitters boosted customer conversions by 75 percent and increased related revenue by 146 percent. Appboy and PlaceIQ technologies enabled Urban Outfitters to better contextualize their marketing messaging. "Our goal is to provide better experiences for our audience in this competitive landscape," said Andrew Rauch, Sr. Director, Global Digital Marketing at Urban Outfitters. "Our data enriched by PlaceIQ in Appboy's mobile messaging and testing platform has helped with this goal. Effectively communicating with users through this location-specific marketing led to a 146 percent increase in campaign revenue." "PlaceIQ continues to help innovative brands succeed by delivering best-in-class location data, in order to grant a better understanding of the consumer journey," said Duncan McCall, CEO and co-founder at PlaceIQ. "Location-aware insights have become a great enabler of decisions across media, marketing and business functions, as well as a core component in driving benefits like significant visitation lift and purchases at brick and mortar locations. Insights from location data can also be a powerful driver for online retail sales as well. By using location data for audience insights, Urban Outfitters was able to craft and deliver a resonant campaign that resulted in tangible sales results. We are excited to continue our partnership with AppBoy to help brands connect with customers in meaningful ways." Mobile devices continue to proliferate and act as a connection between the physical and digital world, allowing for better personalization and more actionable messaging. The rise of mobile has made it easier to deliver campaigns to customers based on in-app and web preferences allowing marketers to better understand and engage users. By partnering with Appboy and PlaceIQ, Urban Outfitters was able to develop a full scale campaign that included: Dynamic audience filters. To further target their outreach, Urban Outfitters used PlaceIQ's support for dynamic audience filtersbased on real-world location information and other Appboy datato deliver messages based on visitation and behavior outside the app. For example, using push notifications to promote party dresses exclusively to female audiences who frequent bars and nightlife locations. To further target their outreach, Urban Outfitters used PlaceIQ's support for dynamic audience filtersbased on real-world location information and other Appboy datato deliver messages based on visitation and behavior outside the app. For example, using push notifications to promote party dresses exclusively to female audiences who frequent bars and nightlife locations. Emoji messaging. In order to make their messaging more eye-catching and engaging to the demographics targeted by the campaign, Urban Outfitters included emojis in their push notifications, to heighten the fun, light-hearted tone. Appboy recently found that open rates for iOS and Android push notifications containing emojis have increased by 210% and 1,063%, respectively, year over year. In order to make their messaging more eye-catching and engaging to the demographics targeted by the campaign, Urban Outfitters included emojis in their push notifications, to heighten the fun, light-hearted tone. Appboy recently found that open rates for iOS and Android push notifications containing emojis have increased by 210% and 1,063%, respectively, year over year. Deep linking. To provide users with a smoother experience and increase the chances that messaging led to conversions, Urban Outfitters took advantage of Appboy's support for mobile deep linking to send users right to the relevant page within the app when they tapped the message. To provide users with a smoother experience and increase the chances that messaging led to conversions, Urban Outfitters took advantage of Appboy's support for mobile deep linking to send users right to the relevant page within the app when they tapped the message. Conversion events. To ensure accurate monitoring of the impact of promotional campaigns, Urban Outfitters used Appboy's Conversion Events feature to track when the push notifications sent as part of this outreach resulted in a purchase. To ensure accurate monitoring of the impact of promotional campaigns, Urban Outfitters used Appboy's Conversion Events feature to track when the push notifications sent as part of this outreach resulted in a purchase. Message testing. Appboy's message testing capabilities were used to evaluate separate versions of the campaignone sent to the targeted PlaceIQ Audience, and one sent to female users who had previously expressed interest in dresses. "One of the base premises of Appboy is that you can have better relationships with your customers if you have better conversations with them," said Bill Magnuson, CEO and Co-Founder of Appboy. "One-size-fits-all approaches don't work when you're trying to enrich relationships. If someone interrupts your day to send a marketing message, it needs to deliver value. An impersonal push notification is like a telemarketer calling during dinner. No one likes it. With the Appboy/PlaceIQ integration, our clients gain access to a detailed understanding of locations and customer activity to avoid these marketing faux pasmaking the outreach more connected to the customer and giving the brand more respect." About Appboy Appboy is the leading lifecycle engagement platform for marketing, growth, and engagement teams. We exist to help marketers seize the opportunities created by the challenges of today's mobile economy. That means we built the world's best intelligent CRM so marketers can connect human-to-human, at scale, with their customers, driving deep engagement and ROI. The center of our platform is the holistic user profile that offers a single view of the customer. Our robust audience segmentation and advanced multichannel messaging allow brands to use the data from these user profiles to create and automate highly personalized marketing campaigns, and build meaningful dialogues with their audiences across devices and channels. Thousands of global marketers use Appboy to connect with nearly 700 million monthly active users, with 10 billion messages processed through our platform each month. We help brands like Domino's, ABC News, Capital One, Opera, SoundCloud, and Urban Outfitters to better engage, retain, and monetize their customers. Appboy is venture backed with over 140 employees and offices in New York, San Francisco, and London. Learn more at Appboy.com. About PlaceIQ For brands seeking to understand consumer behavior, PlaceIQ connects physical and digital activities across time, space and mobile devices to uncover opportunities to learn and connect with audiences. PlaceIQ is a powerful, location-based audience and insights platform that organizes a wide variety of consumer activity data around a targeted precise location base map at massive scale. PlaceIQ uses its detailed understanding of location and consumer activity to reach a targeted audience, and also to derive powerful insights about consumer behavior to inform market and business strategies for national brands. The company is headquartered in New York City and has offices in Palo Alto, Chicago and Detroit. Follow us on Twitter @PlaceIQ and like us on Facebook: PlaceIQ. About Urban Outfitters, Inc. Urban Outfitters, Inc. is an innovative specialty retail company which offers a variety of lifestyle merchandise to highly defined customer niches through 240 Urban Outfitters stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe, catalogs and websites; 218 Anthropologie Group stores in the United States, Canada and Europe, catalogs and websites; 114 Free People stores in the United States and Canada, catalogs and websites; and Free People wholesale, which sells its product to approximately 1,800 specialty stores and select department stores worldwide, as of January 31, 2016. SOURCE PlaceIQ Related Links http://www.placeiq.com PLAYA VISTA, Calif., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Belkin, market leader in mobile accessories, today announced Jon Roepke, director of product management for Belkin's Education division, will serve as a mentor at this year's SXSWedu conference, taking place March 6-9 in Austin. "For nearly five years, Belkin Education has been bridging the gap between technology and practical implementation in the classroom, providing educators with a better way to integrate new tools to enhance overall learning," said Jon Roepke, director of product management for Belkin Education. "SXSWedu is at the forefront of innovation in education. I'm honored to be a mentor and look forward to interacting with and learning from members of our community in Austin." Belkin Education solutions are designed to enrich student and educator experiences with technology in the modern classroom. Belkin Education recently partnered with the California State PORTS (Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students) distance-learning program to leverage Belkin's technology to offer students, especially in lower-income schools, virtual field trip experiences in their classrooms. State park indoor studios and ranger vehicles, such as the PORTS' EduGator, are equipped with Belkin's Tablet Stage, an adjustable platform that turns any tablet into an interactive presentation tool. The mentor program at SXSWedu facilitates one-on-one meetings between experienced professionals and engaged attendees. From classroom teachers and esteemed professors, to industry insiders and CEOs, the mentors at SXSWedu offer an eclectic mix of perspectives to conference attendees who are given the opportunity to sign up for a 10-minute, one-on-one meeting with a mentor. The SXSWedu mentor sign up platform is now opened to interested individuals to schedule meetings with mentors: http://social.sxswedu.com/sessions/new About SXSWedu The SXSWedu Conference & Festival fosters and celebrates innovations in learning by hosting a diverse and energetic community of stakeholders across a variety of backgrounds in education. The annual four-day event affords registrants open access to engaging sessions, immersive workshops, interactive learning experiences, film screenings, early-stage startups, business opportunities and networking. Through collaboration, creativity and social action, SXSWedu empowers its global community to Connect. Discover. Impact. SXSWedu is a component of the South by Southwest family of conferences and festivals. Join the passionate and innovative community at SXSWedu, March 6-9, 2017 in Austin, Texas. For more information, please visit http://sxswedu.com. About Belkin Education Belkin Education, a division of Belkin International, offers technology solutions for classroom environments worldwide. Through hands-on research, spending time in classrooms and frequent interaction with teachers, Belkin Education defines and develops solutions for digital learning environments. Belkin's award-winning education product suite focuses on enabling the seamless integration of technology in the classroom to enhance every learning experience. Belkin solutions address collaboration, protection and connectivity and features the Tablet Stage and Belkin Stage app, Air Shield Protective Case for Chromebooks and Universal HDMI to VGA Adapter kit with Audio. For more on how our technology enables a next-gen learning environment, click here. SOURCE Belkin Education Related Links http://www.belkin.com ATLANTA, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today PGi, the world's largest dedicated provider of collaboration software and services, and BICS, a leading international communications enabler, announced that they have conducted their first Voice over LTE (VoLTE) High Definition (HD) audio conference call. The VoLTE conference call was powered by PGi's mobile collaboration exchange which connects an operator's IMS based VoLTE service to PGi's cloud-enabled IP conferencing infrastructure and enables mobile operators to host crystal-clear, HD conference calls. BICS' IPX VoLTE Hub has been instrumental in bridging the HD VoLTE calls originating from the mobile operator's network to PGi's mobile collaboration exchange. With more than one in three operators investing in LTE-advanced system deployments and one in three conference call attendees using a mobile phone, the mobile collaboration exchange allows mobile operators to seamlessly deliver low-bandwidth, high-quality audio conference calls over an LTE network. BICS' IPX VoLTE Hub is enabling international VoLTE calls providing enhanced quality of experience to end-users and assisting mobile operators to realize the All IP migration. IPX VoLTE Hub is empowered with the best in class protocol normalisation and media transcoding capabilities, which are vital in maintaining the E2E HD sound quality of VoLTE voice calls. Jorn Vercamert, VP Communication Solutions at BICS commented: "More and more enterprises are moving their communication services to the cloud. BICS has visualized the importance of mobility and cloud virtual numbers so as to equip workers with the tools that provide flexibility and collaboration on the go. This is particularly important for knowledge workers that travel frequently or work remotely, rather than being chained to their desks. By partnering with PGi, BICS has facilitated a higher-quality, faster and more reliable calling experience, which is crucial in today's competitive and fast-moving business landscape. Businesses can build value-added services and improve customer satisfaction, trusting the connectivity and interoperability services provided by international communication providers like BICS." Pat Harper, CTO of PGi stated, "PGi is proud of its legacy as a cloud innovator and is thrilled to work with carriers to continue to grow our offerings with our mobile collaboration exchange. While we know and understand that business is conducted on a global scale, we also know that mobile networks are not always compatible globally. Together with BICS, our mobile-first, cloud collaboration approach is standardizing the way that mobile operators can connect to PGi's audio conferencing capabilities and offer a better experience for their enterprise and end-users alike. PGi is utilizing BICS' secure global network infrastructure and its advanced capabilities to offer a superior audio conferencing experience." Divya Ghai Wakankar, Head of Innovation and VoLTE Product Management at BICS stated, "At BICS, we have a track record of innovative solutions that enhance the end-user experience. With the BICS IPX VoLTE solution and our Cloud numbers offering we are excited to provide best-in-class support to the business voice customers. Together, BICS and PGi have spawned a new beginning of HD business voice experience for the global workforce." All trademarks referred to in this release are the property of their respective owners. About Premiere Global Services, Inc. PGi PGi is the world's largest dedicated provider of collaboration software and services. For more than 25 years, our broad portfolio of products has served the end-to-end collaboration needs of enterprises. Accessible anywhere, anytime and on any device, PGi's award-winning collaboration solutions drive productivity and teamwork for approximately 50,000 customers around the world. To learn more, visit us at pgi.com. About BICS BICS is recognized in the wholesale communications market as a top global voice carrier and the leading provider of mobile data services. We aim at bridging the telecom world with the new unconventional communication providers worldwide. Our innovative suite of solutions for Voice, Messaging, Data & Connectivity, Business Intelligence & Analytics, Fraud & Security, Roaming, Global IoT and Asset Monetization are designed to bring value to our customers' businesses. BICS is headquartered in Brussels with regional offices in Bern, Dubai, Madrid, New York, San Francisco and Singapore. We also have a satellite office in Beijing and local representation in Accra, Cape Town, Miami, Montevideo, Quito, Nairobi and Toronto. For more information visit www.bics.com Media Contacts: Kayla Reed PGi, Senior Manager, Public Relations & Social Media E [email protected] | P +1 404.262.8513 BICS media contact: Jen Atkinson Babel PR for BICS, Campaign Manager E [email protected] | P +44 020 7434 5550 SOURCE PGi Related Links http://www.pgi.com CARLSBAD, California and BARCELONA, Spain, February 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The eleventh annual BIO-Europe Spring international partnering conference will be held in Barcelona, Spain March 20-22, 2017 at the CCIB Convention Centre Barcelona. Produced by EBD Group, the event is co-hosted by Biocat, the organization that coordinates and promotes the healthcare and life sciences sector in Catalonia. The BIO-Europe Spring conference is expected to draw more than 2,400 life sciences industry executives from over 1,400 companies, and facilitate 12,500 one-to-one partnering meetings with 3,500+ posted licensing opportunities. "I attend mostly because this is where you come if you really want to meet European pharma companies and other participants in the pharma market," said Charles Yeomans, President and CEO at Trigemina, Inc. in the San Francisco Bay Area. According to Biocat CEO Albert Barbera, the Bio Region of Catalonia "has more pharmaceutical companies per capita than any country in Europe, except Belgium, and is ranked fourth among European countries in terms of biotechnology companies per inhabitant and third for medical technology companies." In addition to partnering and networking opportunities, the event will feature more than 120 company presentations and educational sessions that will explore the issues facing the industry, offer insight for best practices, and pinpoint the trends to watch for in the future. The opening keynote plenary discussion, "Innovation in an Uncertain World," will be held on Monday, March 20, and will feature speakers Geno Germano, President, Intrexon Corporation, and John Oyler, Founder and CEO, BeiGene. Moderator Alex Lash, National Biotechnology Editor, XConomy, will address how to run a biotech company in unsteady financial, political and regulatory times. The session will cover pricing, valuing R&D, and managing staff, resource allocation, and cross-border collaboration in a global marketplace. The main agenda for the educational workshops kicks off on Monday, March 20 with a discussion on "Clinical Trials In Early Stage Oncology Development." Moderator Edward Garmey, Partner and Oncology Drug Development Consultant at Alacrita Consulting, will delve into the topic along with Carlos Buesa, CEO, Oryzon; Carlos Lopez, Business Development Manager, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology; Sonal Patel, VP, Oncology Scientific Innovation, Johnson & Johnson Innovation; Gemma Sala, Head, Clinical Trials Office for Phase I Trials, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology/Barcelona Clinical Trials Platform; and Robert Wasserman, Chief Medical Officer, Northern Biologics. On Monday afternoon, attendees are invited to explore "Commercializing Cell and Gene Therapies," and examine how the new business models for clinical development and manufacturing in cell and gene therapies requires strategic partnerships among researchers, manufacturers and payers to fully realize the commercial opportunities. While Europe is home to many of the biggest pharmaceutical companies and academic researchers, the US has nurtured biotech entrepreneurs and formed dynamic clusters in cities such as in Boston and San Francisco. During a session called "Stirring the entrepreneurial pot in Europe"on Tuesday, March 21, industry journalist Luke Timmerman, founder and editor of Timmerman Report, will be examining what is happening in various European hotspots at the intersection of academia and entrepreneurship, and where this activity will take the industry in five to 10 years. "I'm looking forward to exploring Europe's entrepreneurial ecosystem and how it's changing," said Timmerman. "Europe has a lot of terrific science and is home to great biopharmaceutical companies, but you don't tend to hear as much about its biotech startups." Additional topics that will be explored during the overall conference sessions include research and development strategies, pipeline management, microbiome partnering, rare diseases, immuno-oncology, pricing, and collaboration management. Pharma companies attending include: AbbVie, Amgen, Astellas Pharma, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Lilly, Merck, MSD, Novartis, Roche, Pfizer, Sanofi, Servier, and more. For more information about BIO-Europe Spring and to register to attend the event, visit the BIO-Europe Spring website. Additional links and information: Follow BIO-Europe Spring 2017 on Twitter: @EBDGroup (hashtag: #BIOEuropeSpring). Online Press Kit service for BIO-Europe Spring 2017 is available from Virtual Press Office/PR Newswire to enhance your public relations efforts. About EBD Group EBD Group is the leading partnering firm for the global life science industry. Since 1993, biotech, pharma and medical device companies have leveraged EBD Group's partnering conferences, technology and services to identify business opportunities and develop strategic relationships essential to their success. EBD Group's conferences are run with the support of leading corporations and international trade associations and include: BIO-Europe and BIO-Europe Spring, Europe's largest life science partnering conferences, supported by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) largest life science partnering conferences, supported by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) BioPharm America, the fastest growing partnering event in North America Biotech Showcase, a unique forum in San Francisco for presenting to investors and business development executives, co-produced with Demy-Colton for presenting to investors and business development executives, co-produced with Demy-Colton BioEquity Europe, the investor conference co-organized with BioCentury Publications and BIO ChinaBio Partnering Forum, the first dedicated biotech/pharma partnering conference in China , co-produced with ChinaBio Group , co-produced with ChinaBio Group Biolatam, facilitating partnering among global life sciences executives in Latin America's vibrant life science hubs vibrant life science hubs Cell & Gene Exchange, a partnering forum focused on the patient community in cell and gene therapy sectors, co-produced with Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM). EBD Group's sophisticated web-based partnering service, partneringONE, is used as the partnering engine at numerous third-party events around the world, and partnering360 is the open online community of life science dealmakers that enhances partnering experiences throughout the year. Tune into EBD Group's Insight for timely coverage of news that influences the business strategies of the life science industry. EBD Group is an Informa company. Informa is the largest publicly-owned organizer of exhibitions, conferences and training in the world. EBD Group has offices in the USA and Europe. For more information please visit www.ebdgroup.com. Contact: Erin Righetti EBD Group +1-760-930-0500 [email protected] SOURCE EBD Group VALENCIA, Calif., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bioness, Inc., the leading provider of cutting edge, clinically supported rehabilitation therapies, today announced the first series of successful StimRouter Neuromodulation System implantations in Europe at Radboud University Medical Center (Nijmegen, Netherlands), South Victoria University (Cork, Ireland), and Kliniek Park Leopold Chirec (Brussels, Belgium). With the successful launch continuing, Bioness plans to further support clinicians across the continent who are looking to support patients seeking minimally-invasive, long-term pain relief. Erkan Kurt, MD (The Netherlands), Dominic Hegarty, MD (Ireland), and Jean Pierre van Buyten, MD (Belgium) implanted the StimRouter to manage chronic pain conditions originating from varied peripheral neuralgias. With an estimated 100 million Europeans suffering from chronic pain, there has never been a greater need for innovative pain management options. "For many years we have had limited solutions to help our patients manage their debilitating pain," shared Dominic Hegarty, MD, a trained Interventional Neuromodulation and Pain Management Specialist. "I'm very pleased to be able to provide the best neuromodulation options for my patients. I am confident that the StimRouter technology will be suitable for a greater range of patients in the future." "The StimRouter promises to be a breakthrough in neurostimulation because it is a much smaller device to implant and therefore easier to target pain at its origin," stated Jean Pierre van Buyten, MD, an internationally renowned Pain Anesthesiologist. "Another advantage is that it minimizes cost and recovery time when compared to other more invasive treatments." "Peripheral neuropathy is a very common and often painful disorder. As a neurosurgeon with more than 20 years of neuromodulation experience, the StimRouter provides a unique opportunity to deliver patients relief from chronic pain, especially among those with peripheral nerve damage and scar tissue around the targeted nerve," explained Erkan Kurt, MD. "Where percutaneous implantation might be a difficult procedure, the StimRouter is a small device that takes a minimally invasive approach that is easy to perform. Another great advantage is the transdermal electrical stimulation which makes implantation of an implantable pulse generator unnecessary." As a minimally invasive device designed to reduce pain by specifically targeting the affected peripheral nerve, the StimRouter is intended to be a cost-effective and long-term alternative to immobilization, injections, and prescription opioids. The implant procedure is usually completed in less than 30 minutes and uses only local anesthesia. "As we continue to see impressive clinical results in the US and now Europe we are excited to further our mission of supporting clinicians looking to improve the lives of patients," said Todd Cushman, President and CEO of Bioness. "Patients and their loved ones are looking for true relief from the downward spiral of chronic pain. With greater awareness of opioid addiction, alternative choices which deliver life improving results are needed. We are thrilled to be bringing expanded treatment options to those who care for patients." StimRouter was the first FDA cleared minimally-invasive, long-term, minimally invasive neuromodulation medical device indicated to treat chronic pain of a peripheral nerve origin. The StimRouter System then received CE mark in February of 2014 and the Company began expanding its focus into the European Union. The patient controlled medical device is an adjunct to other modes of therapy and is being well received by patients and clinicians alike. The StimRouter is currently being implanted at prestigious clinical institutions across the United States to treat chronic peripheral nerve pain, with specific focus on the following conditions or areas: Axillary nerve (e.g. post-stroke shoulder pain) Ulnar nerve (e.g. cubital tunnel syndrome) Suprascapular Superior Cluneal nerve (e.g. lower back neuralgia) Genicular nerve Median nerve Peroneal nerves For more information on the StimRouter as well as videos of real patients sharing their StimRouter experience, please visit www.stimrouter.com. About StimRouter Neuromodulation System StimRouter is cleared by the FDA to treat chronic pain of peripheral nerve origin. StimRouter is a minimally invasive neuromodulation medical device consisting of a thin, implanted lead with conductive electrode, external pulse transmitter (EPT), and hand-held wireless patient programmer. Electrical signals are transmitted transdermally from the EPT through the electrode, down the lead to the target nerve. StimRouter is programmed at the direction of the physician to meet patient requirements but is controlled by the patient to address the patients specific, changing pain management needs. About Bioness, Inc. Bioness is the leading provider of innovative technologies helping people regain mobility and independence. Bioness solutions include implantable and external neuromodulation systems, robotic systems and software based therapy programs providing functional and therapeutic benefits for individuals affected by pain, central nervous system disorders and orthopedic injuries. Currently, Bioness offers six medical devices within its commercial portfolio which are distributed and sold on five continents and in over 25 countries worldwide. Bioness innovations have been implemented in the most prestigious and well-respected institutions around the globe with 17 of the top 20 rehabilitation hospitals in the United States currently using one or more Bioness solution. Bioness has a singular focus on aiding large, underserved customer groups with innovative, evidence-based solutions and we will continue to develop and make commercially available new products that address the growing and changing needs of our customers. Individual results vary. Consult with a qualified physician to determine if this product is right for you. Contraindications, adverse reactions and precautions are available online at www.bioness.com. Media Relations Contact Information Next Step Communications [email protected] 781.326.1741 StimRouter and Bioness are trademarks of Bioness, Inc. | www.bioness.com | Rx Only | Additional information about StimRouter can be found at www.stimrouter.com SOURCE Bioness, Inc. Related Links http://www.bioness.com WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2017/calphalon-recalls-cutlery-knives Recall Summary Name of Product: Contemporary Cutlery knives Hazard: The blade on Contemporary Cutlery knives can break during use, posing a laceration hazard. Remedy: Replace Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled cutlery and contact Calphalon for a replacement cutlery product. Consumer Contact: Calphalon at 800-809-7267 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.calphalon.com and click on "Calphalon Contemporary Cutlery Recall Information" for more information. Recall Details Units: About 2 million (in addition, about 7,000 were sold in Canada) Description: This recall involves Calphalon Contemporary Cutlery carving, chef, paring, santoku and utility knives sold individually and in sets made between August 2008 and March 2016. The following models are included in the recall: Product Item Item Number Calphalon Contemporary Cutlery 4.5" Parer KNR10045C Calphalon Contemporary Cutlery 7" Santoku KNR0007C Calphalon Contemporary Cutlery Contemporary Paring Knife Set 1821332 Calphalon Contemporary Cutlery 5" Santoku KNR0005C Calphalon Contemporary Cutlery 8" Chef Knife KNR4008C Calphalon Contemporary Cutlery Fruit/Vegetable Set - 3.5" parer & 6" utility KNSR002C Calphalon Contemporary Cutlery Carving Set - 6" fork & 8" slicer KNSR0102C Calphalon Contemporary Cutlery 21-piece set 3" parer, 5" boning knife, 5" santoku, 5" tomato/bagel knife, 6" fork, 6" utility, 7" santoku, 8" bread, 8" chef's knife, 8" slicer, 10" steel, kitchen shears, 8 steak knives, and knife block 1808009 Calphalon Contemporary Cutlery 17-piece set 4" parer, 6" utility, 7" santoku, 8" bread, 8" chef's knife, 8" slicer, 10" steel, kitchen shears, 8 steak knives, and knife block 1808008 Calphalon Contemporary SharpIN Cutlery 14-piece set 4.5" Parer, 6" Utility, 8" Bread, 8" Chef's Knife, 8 Steak Knives, Kitchen Shears, Sharpening Knife Block 1922890 Calphalon Contemporary SharpIN Cutlery 15-piece set 4.5" Parer, 6" Utility, 7" Santoku, 8" Bread, 8" Chef's Knife, 8 Steak Knives, Kitchen Shears, Sharpening Knife Block 1922971 Calphalon Contemporary SharpIN Cutlery 18-piece set 4.5" Parer, 5" Boning, 5.5" Tomato, 6" Utility, 7" Santoku, 8" Bread, 8" Chef's Knife, 8" Slicer, 8 Steak Knives, Kitchen Shears, Sharpening Knife Block 1932810 Calphalon Contemporary SharpIN Cutlery 20-piece set 4.5" Parer, 5" Boning, 5" Santoku, 5.5" Tomato, 6" Fork, 6" Utility, 7" Santoku, 8" Bread, 8" Chef's Knife, 8" Slicer, 8 Steak Knives, Kitchen Shears, Sharpening Knife Block 1922976 Incidents/Injuries: Calphalon has received 27 reports of finger or hand lacerations; including four injuries requiring stitches. In addition, the firm has received about 3,150 reports of broken knives. Sold at: J.C. Penney, Kohl's, Macy's and other stores nationwide and online at www.Amazon.com from September 2008 through December 2016. The recalled knives were sold from September 2008 through December 2016 for $25 for a single knife to $300 for a knife block set. Manufacturer: Calphalon Corp., of Atlanta, Ga. Manufactured in: China Note: Health Canada's press release is available at: http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2017/62184r-eng.php About U.S. CPSC: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household chemicals contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years. Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 or teletypewriter at 301-595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @USCPSC or by subscribing to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters. CPSC Consumer Information Hotline Contact us at this toll-free number if you have questions about a recall: 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054) Times: 8 a.m. 5:30 p.m. ET; Messages can be left anytime Call to get product safety and other agency information and to report unsafe products. Media Contact Please use the phone numbers below for all media requests. Phone: 301-504-7908 Spanish: 301-504-7800 SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Related Links http://www.cpsc.gov HOUSTON, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CARBO Ceramics Inc. (NYSE: CRR) announced today that Ernesto Bautista, III, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and Mark Thomas, Director, Investor Relations, will participate in the 17th Annual Energy Conference, hosted by Simmons & Company International, Energy Specialists of Piper Jaffray. The conference will be held March 1-3, 2017, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Las Vegas. Mr. Bautista and Mr. Thomas will be hosting one-on-one meetings on Thursday, March 2nd. Management's updated investor presentation will be made available on the corporate website www.carboceramics.com under the Investors section. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120503/MM00528LOGO About CARBO CARBO (NYSE: CRR) is a global technology company that provides products and services to the oil and gas and industrial markets to enhance value for its clients. CARBO Oilfield Technologies - is a global leader that provides engineered solutions in its Design, Build, and Optimize the Frac technology businesses, delivering important value to E&P operators by increasing well production and EUR. Oilfield Technologies is the world's largest producer of high quality ceramic proppant, provides one of the industry's most widely used fracture simulation software, has proprietary technology that provides fracture diagnostics and production assurance, and offers consulting services for fracture design and completion optimization. The Company also provides a range of technology solutions for spill prevention and containment. Its products and services are sold to operators of oil and natural gas wells and to oilfield service companies for use in the hydraulic fracturing of natural gas and oil wells. CARBO Industrial Technologies - is a leading provider of high-performance industrial ceramic media products that are engineered to increase process efficiency, improve end-product quality and reduce operating costs. Its products and services are primarily sold to industrial companies that work in manufacturing and mineral processing. For more information, please visit www.carboceramics.com. Investor Contact: Mark Thomas, Director, Investor Relations (281) 921-6400 SOURCE CARBO Ceramics Inc. Related Links http://www.carboceramics.com HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrity fashion activist Ivan Bitton, whose private showroom styles more celebrities than any organization in Hollywood and also represents a world record 270 high fashion emerging designers, is now setting a new tone in the Los Angeles culture, by celebrating the very core fashion culture of Los Angeles: the "Red Carpet culture." Paris has haute couture; New York has street style, Los Angeles has red carpets. Red Carpet Arrival The Los Angeles "award season" is becoming one of the most significant fashion events ever and now showcases hundreds of new designers every year on Hollywood celebrities who are the biggest media platforms around. From the MTV awards to the Oscars , the range of fashion aesthetics is huge, but no matter what, it has to be larger than life, always pushing the fashion envelope on the rest of the world. Ivan Bitton set the tone of a new era in the fashion culture by hosting an incredibly novel type of fashion show under a gigantic glass dome at the very top of a skyscraper in the heart of downtown. Champagne and hors d'oeuvres were abound, many celebrities and some of the most famous celebrity stylists were present. 300 lucky guests were treated to a very unconventional fashion show which included model and TV star Darius Mccrary from the hit show Star on Fox and showcasing pieces from over 70 designers which have been used on red carpet this award season. Apparel news describes the event as "reminiscent of the days when fashion shows were about the style of fashion..." A styling feast for the ages and the beginning of a whole new exciting way of showcasing emerging designers all styled together from shoes to bags, jewelry to clothes on the same model. Some of the celebrities included Tamron Hall, Darius Mccrary, and Ivan Bitton. With one result every 4 hours, we have more fashion placements on celebrities than any PR organization in the world! Ivan Bitton Style House 5619 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles,CA 90028 1. 323 217 5377 For All Press Inquires: Contact: Ivan Bitton Media/ Audra Cheek Phone: 818-314-4640 Email: [email protected] Related Images image1.png image2.jpg image3.jpg Related Links Apparel News Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFKSrU4a3RY This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE Ivan Bitton Style House MONROE, La., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) today announced it has expanded its global strategic collaboration with VMware to deepen the level of software-defined data center (SDDC) technologies available to enterprise customers. This collaboration will help preserve and enhance customer investments in on-premises data centers and extend strategic workloads and applications to the cloud. Customers will also be able to leverage VMware's technologies with CenturyLink's portfolio of network, managed hosting and cloud solutions. "More companies are looking for service provider expertise in managing public and private cloud solutions in various hybrid IT models," said Bill Corbin, senior vice president of strategic partner alliances and channel operations, CenturyLink. "The expansion of our long-standing relationship with VMware benefits our customers through further enhancements to our cloud portfolio with deeper integration of VMware technologies." CenturyLink and VMware have brought innovative solutions to the market to benefit business customers: The CenturyLink Cloud is one of the largest VMware vSphere-based multi-tenant cloud environments in the world, delivering performance, usability, connectivity and manageability benefits to organizations. The CenturyLink Dedicated Cloud Compute (DCC) service is one of the largest vSphere-based private cloud service offerings in the world, enabling modular scalability and architecture flexibility to customers seeking secure, auditable infrastructure as a service that can be tuned to enterprise workloads like SAP. This service will soon include software-defined data center (SDDC) features based on VMware NSX, VMware vSAN and VMware Cloud Foundation technologies. CenturyLink has included VMware vCloud Air as part of its multi-cloud offerings since its launch in 2013. CenturyLink's ElasticBox application management framework includes adaptors for VMware vCenter, vCloud Director and vCloud Air, which enables CenturyLink's customers to receive services anywhere they need them. CenturyLink's public and private cloud service offerings will be a showcase platform in the VMware vCloud Air Network cloud provider ecosystem. "As business leaders map out a path to the cloud, they want simplicity, security and choice in how they consume and leverage IT services," said Geoff Waters, vice president, Global Service Provider Channel, VMware. "With a robust set of organizations utilizing VMware technologies, customers can benefit even further from CenturyLink's expertise in building, managing and securing cloud environments across critical workloads, hybrid infrastructure, and vital network links." CenturyLink manages more than 75,000 virtual machines for enterprise customers, deployed in 14 countries in a globally consistent operating model. CenturyLink is one of the largest VMware vCloud Air Network service providers hosting and managing VMware infrastructure in the world. About CenturyLink CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a global communications, hosting, cloud and IT services company enabling millions of customers to transform their businesses and their lives through innovative technology solutions. CenturyLink offers network and data systems management, Big Data analytics and IT consulting, and operates more than 55 data centers in North America, Europe and Asia. The company provides broadband, voice, video, data and managed services over a robust 250,000-route-mile U.S. fiber network and a 300,000-route-mile international transport network. Visit CenturyLink for more information. VMware, NSX, Cloud Foundation, vSphere, vSAN, vCloud, vCloud Air, vCenter, vCloud Director, and vCloud Air Network are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies. SOURCE CenturyLink, Inc. Related Links http://www.centurylink.com FORT MYERS, Fla., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Chico's FAS, Inc. (NYSE: CHS) today announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.0825 per share of its common stock, a 3.1% increase over the March 2016 dividend rate. This represents the seventh annual increase since the dividend was established in 2010. The dividend is payable on March 27, 2017 to Chico's FAS shareholders of record at the close of business on March 13, 2017. ABOUT CHICO'S FAS, INC. The Company, through its brands Chico's, White House Black Market and Soma, is a leading omni-channel specialty retailer of women's private branded, sophisticated, casual-to-dressy clothing, intimates, and complementary accessories. As of January 28, 2017, the Company operated 1,501 stores in the US and Canada and sold merchandise through franchise locations in Mexico. The Company's merchandise is also available at www.chicos.com, www.whbm.com and www.soma.com. For more detailed information on Chico's FAS, Inc., please go to our corporate website at www.chicosfas.com. Executive Contact: Jennifer Powers Vice President Investor Relations Chico's FAS, Inc. (239) 346-4199 SOURCE Chico's FAS, Inc. Related Links http://www.chicos.com LOS ANGELES, February 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ChineseInvestors.com (OTCQB: CIIX ) (the "Company"), the premier financial information website for Chinese-speaking investors in both the U.S. and China, today announced that its management team will be presenting at the SeeThruEquity Conference on February 22, 2017.at 1:30 p.m. at the W Hotel in South Beach, Miami. The Company will also be holding meetings with investors on February 23rd and 24th, in Miami and Boca Raton with the team from WallStreet Research. Copies of the Company's materials, are available at the CIIX website http://www.ChineseInvestors.com . The WallStreet Research Corporate Profile is available at http://www.WallStreetResearch.org. About ChineseInvestors.com Founded in 1999, ChineseInvestors.com, Inc., (OTCQB: CIIX), headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in New York City and Shanghai China, provides a wide range of products, services, and information for the global Chinese speaking population including (a) real-time market commentary, analysis, and educational related services in Chinese language character sets (traditional and simplified); (b) support services to various partners; (c) consultative services to smaller private companies considering becoming a public company; and (d) advertising and public relation related support services; http://www.Chinesefn.com. The Company is now expanding into retail and online sales of hemp-based CBD products via its new website: http://www.ChineseCBDoil.com. Information on CIIX can be found at http://www.ChineseInvestors.com. About WallStreet Research WallStreet Research ("WSR") is a prominent research boutique led by Mr. Alan Stone, Managing Director of Alan Stone & Company, LLC (ASC). The firm specializes in the microcap and small cap investment arena, looking for emerging growth companies with strong management, unique or proprietary technology, significant market potential, financial strength, and outstanding long-term earnings growth possibilities. WallStreet Research is ranked Number One on the Google, Yahoo and Bing Search engines. Information on WallStreet Research can be found at http://www.WallStreetResearch.org About the SeeThruEquity Conference SeeThruEquity is the host of acclaimed investor conferences that are the ultimate event for publicly traded companies with market capitalizations less than $1 billion. Headquartered in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, SeeThruEquity is a equity research firm focused on micro and small cap stocks. The firm covers companies across a variety of sectors including technology and healthcare, energy, basic materials and special situations. The Conference is expected to bring leading companies and numerous microcap focused investors, sponsors and industry professionals to the one-day event. Contact / Source: ChineseInvestors.com Inc. Warren Wang, CEO 14 Wall Street, 20th Floor New York, NY 10005 Email: [email protected] http://www.Chinesefn.com http://www.ChineseCBDoil.com Alan Klitenic, Director of Investor Relations [email protected] +1-(214)636-2548 WallStreet Research Alan Stone, +1-310-444-3940 [email protected] Barbara Blake, +1-415-419-4239 [email protected] http://www.WallStreetResearch.org http://www.SouthFloridaInvestmentForum.com http://www.SouthernCaliforniaInvestmentForum.com http://www.SmallCapConference.org SOURCE ChineseInvestors.com Inc SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- United States Citcon, an integrated mobile payment and marketing platform to connect global merchants with Chinese travelers, announces partnership with WeChat, China's leading mobile social communications service with 846 million active users run by Tencent Holdings. As the first payment partner of WeChat in North America, Citcon will enable millions of businesses to accept WeChat Pay, one of China's most popular mobile payment methods. Now merchants will be able to accept WeChat Pay via Citcon's smart mobile point-of-sale (mPOS), easy-to-integrate API and software products and optimize growth both online and offline, with an easy and affordable rate compared to credit card processing. In addition to the convenient payment solutions, merchants will also be able to manage business performance and customer insights, run marketing campaigns, guides users to merchants' e-commerce stores while saving their shopping preferences for future visits and manage lifetime customer loyalty programs. "We're excited to work with WeChat, and bring such a powerful platform to businesses in North America," said Chuck Huang, Founder and CEO of Citcon, "WeChat's experience is unrivaled in China. It touches everything in millions of consumers' daily life to introduce a cash-free society. By accepting WeChat Pay through Citcon, merchants are able to tap into the fast-growing mobile payments market and capitalize on the huge market opportunity presented by Chinese consumers." Weee! is a Silicon Valley-based startup building a mobile commerce platform that enables local communities to buy together through messaging apps. Talking about the partnership with Citcon to accept WeChat Pay, Larry Liu, Founder and CEO of Weee! said, "Weee! serves hundreds of thousands of customers in more than 40 metropolitan areas in the US and Canada, and most of our businesses are happening on mobile platform. Citcon's solution is a perfect fit for our business. Having the ability to accept WeChat Pay through Citcon significantly improves our user experience online and offline, and optimizes our business growth." For four consecutive years, China has been the world number one outbound tourism country, accounting for over 13% of the total tourism revenue globally. United States has been one of the most popular destinations for Chinese travelers. In 2020, five million Chinese travelers are expected to spend $80 billion in the United States. Mobile payments is the new frontier of commerce and China is leading this trend. By providing an integrated and easy-to-use mobile payment and cross-border marketing solution, Citcon is creating a future that takes payment to the next level and empowers global merchants to connect with millions of Chinese consumers. For business inquiries, please contact 1-888-254-4887 or [email protected] About Citcon With headquarters in Silicon Valley, Citcon is an integrated mobile payment and marketing platform that connects global merchants with Chinese consumers. As the first authorized payment partner of WeChat Pay, Alipay and UnionPay in North America, in addition to other key payment platforms including Visa, MasterCard and American Express, Citcon brings mobile payment to the next level, enabling businesses to connect with customers beyond the payment experience. With our extensive experience and deep expertise in Chinese outbound travel market, mobile payment, cross-border ecommerce and cross-border marketing, Citcon is the one-stop solution for global businesses to reach millions of Chinese travelers and domestic consumers. Citcon's founding team comes from Visa, PayPal, eBay, Uber, Groupon and Yelp. Citcon is backed by leading Silicon Valley venture capital firms and received strategic investments from leading technology and financial service companies in China. For more information, please go to www.citcon-inc.com About WeChat WeChat envisions and innovates new ways for people to connect, communicate and share. A mobile social communication app designed for smartphone users, WeChat is one of the world's fastest growing social apps with hundreds of millions of users internationally. WeChat empowers users in fun and dynamic ways, by bringing together messaging, social communication and games in one seamless, interactive experience, with comprehensive privacy and security settings that can be tailored as needed. WeChat provides a central point of control for users to share voice, photos, videos, and text messages across their entire social eco-system. Through Official Accounts, WeChat allows brands to deliver rich and high-touch appealing content experiences to engage with and grow their communities. WeChat is available free to download on Android, iOS, Windows operating system, web version and Mac for desktop version. Evelyn Yang Citcon 408-6562536 [email protected] SOURCE Citcon Related Links http://www.citcon-inc.com Classroom instruction is already underway in the HQRA, including the mapping of the bottom of the quarries. The ROV has an HD camera, grabber arm, temperature sensor, depth sensor and a size laser. Students in the Advanced Research, Analysis and Application class are working on an assignment that uses the vehicle to gather data and samples from the Lemont Quarries. According to Lemont High School science teacher Erin Horan, the samples will be analyzed by the students, who will then make the data public by posting it on a YouTube channel. "We will be using the ROV at both HQRA cleanup projects and during class time to inform the community on cause and effects issues inside the quarries," said Horan. CITGO has been funding semiannual projects within the HQRA since the fall of 2014, when approximately 200 volunteers cleaned three acres of land and harvested native species' seeds for replanting the following spring. CITGO volunteers have returned to the HQRA for similar removal and planting events during both 2015 and 2016. Located just half a mile east of downtown Lemont, the HQRA is situated among thousands of acres of forest preserves, including more than 65 miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as access to fishing and boating along the I & M Canal and the Consumers, Great Lakes and Icebox Quarries. Other community environmental initiatives sponsored by the CITGO Lemont Refinery include the Mid Coast Cleanup at the 41st Beach in Chicago and a Semiannual Household Hazardous Waste Collection. In addition, the CITGO Lemont Refinery is the founding sponsor of Project Infinite Green, which is an after-school program in Lemont that encourages STEM exploration by taking students on a journey of U.S. energy sources both traditional and renewable energy, environmental stewardship, climate change, public policy and business plan formation. About the CITGO Lemont Refinery For over 90 years, CITGO Lemont Refinery has employed more than 750 Chicago area residents on a full-time and contract basis in support of the local economy. In addition to producing high quality fuels for a large portion of the network of nearly 5,500 locally-owned CITGO stations across the country, Lemont Refinery employees also make a major positive impact on the community. Each year, more than 2,500 volunteer hours and thousands of dollars are given in support of community programs such as Muscular Dystrophy Association, United Way and a variety of environmental and preservation programs. Operations at the Lemont Refinery began in 1925 with a major expansion, doubling the facility, in 1933. Over the years, new units were added to meet the demand for a better quality of gas for automobiles, aviation fuel for WWII, and the production of asphalt. Petroleos de Venezuela, PDVSA, acquired 100% ownership of the refinery in 1997 and began operations as CITGO Lemont Refinery. For more information, visit www.citgorefining.com/Lemont. About CITGO CITGO, based in Houston, is a refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The company is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. For more information, visit www.CITGO.com. SOURCE CITGO Petroleum Corporation Related Links http://www.CITGO.com KALISPELL, Mont., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ClassOne Technology (www.classone.com), manufacturer of cost-efficient wet processing equipment for 200mm substrates has just announced a new company-wide initiative to reduce costs of operation (CoO) in copper plating processes. ClassOne's Solstice Plating System "From the beginning, our mission has been to bring more advanced and lower priced plating capabilities to all the emerging markets who work with smaller wafers," said ClassOne Technology President, Kevin Witt. "Our Solstice systems are already the industry's most affordable tools for 200mm plating. Now we want to enable economies on the cost of ownership side, as well perhaps reducing those expenses by as much as 25 to 30%. And that's our goal in this initiative." The company explained that it sees potential for shrinking Cu plating CoO by reducing chemical consumption, extending the life of consumables and equipment parts, increasing and optimizing throughput, and enhancing chamber performance, among other areas. Company representatives stated that they are working toward innovative ways to increase efficiencies, minimize waste, streamline operation and optimize performance in each of the copper plating processes. "Copper plating is an extremely hot area of interest right now in a great many emerging markets," said Witt. "That's why ClassOne focuses serious attention on it. We want to continue to be the go-to guys for absolutely everything having to do with copper plating on smaller wafers." "And that's why you'll be seeing more new copper-related announcements coming from ClassOne in the coming weeks and months," he added. ClassOne Technology offers a selection of new wet processing tools specifically designed for users of 75mm to 200mm wafers. These include three different models of Solstice electroplating systems for production and development as well as the Trident families of Spin-Rinse-Dryers and Spray Solvent Tools. All are priced at less than half of what similarly configured systems from the larger manufacturers would cost which is why the ClassOne lines are often described as delivering "Advanced Wet Processing for the Rest of Us." For additional information about ClassOne Technology or any of its budget-friendly wet processing tools, visit www.classone.com. About ClassOne Technology ClassOne Technology (www.classone.com/) develops and delivers innovative new wet-chemical equipment solutions especially for the cost-conscious users of 200mm and smaller substrates, users who traditionally have been underserved by the larger equipment manufacturers. ClassOne's products include electroplating, spin rinse drying and spray solvent tools. Based in Kalispell, Montana, ClassOne Technology is built upon decades of experience from industry veterans who continue the tradition of delivering first-class quality and performance at an affordable price. ClassOne Technology is a sister company to ClassOne Equipment (ClassOneEquipment.com), long respected as the industry's premier provider of refurbished processing tools, with over 2,500 systems installed worldwide. For more information, contact: Byron Exarcos ClassOne Technology 109 Cooperative Way Kalispell, MT 59901 United States tel: +1 (678) 772-9086 email: [email protected] Solstice and Trident are registered trademarks of ClassOne Technology. SOURCE ClassOne Technology Related Links http://www.classone.com NEW YORK, Feb. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Collaborative Robot Market: Overview Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04711310-summary/view-report.html This report offers strategic analysis of the global collaborative robot market, and the market growth forecast for the period 2016 to 2024. The scope of the report contains competitive analysis of various market segments based on the payloads, application and industries of the collaborative robot market across different geographic segments. ollaborative robots are designed to help human beings as a guide in specific tasks. In general robots are designed and programmed to operate autonomously wherein collaborative robots operate simultaneously with humans. Lightweight of the collaborative robots is one of the important factor due to which growth of collaborative robotic market is likely to increase. Collaborative robots are the type of industrial robots that are grabbing more demand due to their collaborative nature with human and allows human to work side by side with these robots safely. Collaborative robots are light in weight, easy to assemble and can work side by side with human without hampering the safety of the human. These robots are flexible in nature that allows to handle repetitive and short run tasks along with ergonomically difficult tasks. Due to the nature of these robots, they are used in home labs, offices, farms, hospitals, warehouses, thereby allowing the robots to help in carrying out the job in a better way. Global Collaborative Robot Market: Drivers and Trends With the increasing numbers of manufacturing sectors the demand of robotics is escalating. Since collaborative robots are the lightweight and flexible robots that work side by side with human safely, increases the demand of collaborative robots in manufacturing industries especially SME (Small Manufacturing Enterprise). This robotic technology is likely to optimize to support responsive production methodologies. Operators can swiftly program robotic movements based on logical process steps and using intuitive tools, with no programming experience. Global Collaborative Robot Market: Segmentation The collaborative robot market is bifurcated based on payload into up to 5 Kg, 6 10 Kg and above 10 Kg. Among these segments 6 10 Kg accounted for the highest revenue share during the forecast period. They are used in operating heavier tasks that weigh up 10 Kg like palletizing, packaging, pick and place and assembling. This type of robots helps in saving time on production lines where distance is a factor. Moreover, on the basis of application, the collaborative robot market is segmented into packaging, material handling, quality testing, assembling, machine tending, welding and others. Material handling segment accounted for the highest market share in the global collaborative robot market. These robots helps in controlling and storing of materials in distribution centers, warehouses and also used for disposal. On the basis of industries the market is bifurcated into automotive, food and beverage, aerospace, plastic and polymers, metals and machining and others. Global Collaborative Robot Market: Regional Outlook To support in strategic decision making, the report also embraces competitive profiling of leading players in the industry, their market share in different regions of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Latin America. Asia Pacific held the highest market of collaborative robot globally. Presence of numerous number of industries and need for automation is driving the demand of Collaborative Robot market in Asia Pacific region. Additionally, several business strategies adopted by key players has also been deliberated in the report. The market attractiveness analysis is included in the report provide understanding into industry competition and market dynamics. The report also provides breakdown and review of several factors affecting the market growth, which are appropriately defined as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. These causes regulate innumerable existing trends and their effect on market growth. In all, the report includes a complete analysis of the global collaborative robot market, and provides an estimation of progress for the period 2015 to 2024, considering the various factors affecting the market. The market has been segmented as follows: Collaborative Robot Market, by Payloads: Up to 5 Kg 6 -10 Kg Above 10 Kg Collaborative Robot Market, by Application: Packaging Material Handling Quality testing Assembly Machine Tending Welding Others Collaborative Robot Market, by Industry: Automotive Food and beverage Aerospace Plastic and Polymers Metals and Machining Others Collaborative Robot Market, by Geography North America U.S. Canada Rest of North America Europe U.K. Germany France Italy Rest of Europe Asia Pacific India China Japan Rest of Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia Rest of Middle East and Africa Latin America Brazil Rest of Latin America Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04711310-summary/view-report.html About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. http://www.reportlinker.com __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The technology company Continental was honored as one of FORTUNE magazine's "Most Admired Companies" for 2017, ranking among the Top 5 in the motor vehicle parts category. FORTUNE magazine recognized the company for excellence in areas like product & service quality, use of corporate assets, financial soundness quality of management and social responsibility. Continental currently employs more than 220,000 people in 55 countries. "Being named as one of FORTUNE's 'Most Admired Companies' is not only a great honor, but a direct result of the great work and commitment of our teams around the world," said Samir Salman, CEO of Continental North America. "Every day, we are actively involved in shaping the future of mobility, working with partners and customers around the world. This recognition from FORTUNE highlights that our values-driven management style as well as our sustainable business model not only translate into economic success, but are also recognized externally." Along with this prestigious recognition, Continental was also recently named one of "America's Best Employers" by Forbes magazine for two consecutive years and recognized as one of "Chicago's Best and Brightest Companies to Work For" by the National Association for Business Resources. These recognitions are a testament to Continental's constant commitment to creating a progressive workplace environment for its employees worldwide. FORTUNE surveyed some 3,800 executives, analysts, directors, and experts from different industries and used the data to select the "Most Admired Companies." Participants were asked to rate companies from their own industries on factors ranging from global competitiveness and innovation to social responsibility and quality of management. To be included in the list, a company must score among the top half of their industry. For more information on the FORTUNE "Most Admired Companies" visit www.fortune.com. Continental develops intelligent technologies for transporting people and their goods. As a reliable partner, the international automotive supplier, tire manufacturer, and industrial partner provides sustainable, safe, comfortable, individual, and affordable solutions. In 2016, the corporation generated sales of around 40.5 billion with its five divisions, Chassis & Safety, Interior, Powertrain, Tire, and ContiTech. Continental currently employs more than 220,000 people in 55 countries. For the latest Continental news and information, follow us on: Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ContiPress Twitter: www.Twitter.com/ContiPressNA SOURCE Continental Related Links http://www.continental-corporation.com NEW YORK, Feb. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cryptococcosis Market: Overview Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04711315-summary/view-report.html This report on the global cryptococcosis market analyzes the current and future scenario of the global market. Cryptococcosis disease burden is rising due to increase in susceptible patient population such as HIV-infected patients, solid organ transplantation recipients, and other immunosuppressive hosts. In addition, the huge patient base in Sub-Saharan countries fuels the growth of the cryptococcosis market. For instance, According to CDC, it is estimated that around 1 million cryptococcal meningitis cases occurs globally. Also, it is also seen that cryptococcosis mortality burden is very high which results in around 625,000 deaths every year. In addition, rise in private and public funding for creating awareness, and favorable regulatory scenario for new product launch are boosting the growth of the global cryptococcosis market. The cryptococcosis market report comprises an elaborate executive summary, which includes market snapshot that provides information about various segments. It also provides information and data analysis of the global market with respect to the segments based on treatment, distribution channel, and geography. A detailed qualitative analysis of drivers and restraints, and opportunities has been provided in the market overview section. Additionally, the section comprises clinical trial analysis and key industry event analysis to help understand the competitive landscape in the market. This section also provides market attractiveness analysis in terms of geography and market share analysis by key players, thus presenting a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the global cryptococcosis market. Global Cryptococcosis Market: Scope of the Study Based on treatment, the market is segmented into Amphotericin B, Flucytosine, Fluconazole, and other antifungals. Amphotericin B further segmented into Amphocin, Fungizone and other products. Flucytosine further segmented into Ancobon and other products. Fluconazole includes Diflucan and other products. In treatment type, Flucytosine was the largest segment of the global cryptococcosis market in terms of revenue in 2015, driven by its increasing adoption in U.S. The market segments have been analyzed based on cost-effectiveness of the drugs, prevalence of the diseases, and growing diagnosis rate of cryptococcosis across the globe. The market size and forecast for each of these segments have been provided for the period from 2014 to 2024, along with their respective CAGRs for the forecast period from 2016 to 2024, considering 2015 as the base year. Based on distribution channel, the global cryptococcosis market is segmented as hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, drug store, and mail order pharmacies. Retail pharmacy was the largest segment of the global market in terms of revenue in 2015 and is expected to continue to dominate the market by 2024, which is attributed to the increasing contribution of long term medication required for cryptococcosis treatment. Online purchase of drugs has been highly popular in most of the developed economies such as the U.S. and Japan. Geographically, the global cryptococcosis market has been categorized into five major regions and the key countries in the respective region: North America (U.S. and Canada), Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (India, Japan, China, Australia and Rest of Asia Pacific), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America) and Middle East & Africa (South Africa, GCC Countries, and Rest of Middle East & Africa). Global Cryptococcosis Market: Competitive Landscape The report also profiles major players in the global cryptococcosis market based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, SWOT analysis, and recent developments. Major players profiled in this report include Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Janssen Biotech, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson), Abbott Laboratories, Novartis AG, Pfizer, Inc., Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Glenmark Pharmaceuticals and Sigmapharm Laboratories LLC. The global cryptococcosis market has been segmented as given below: Global Cryptococcosis Market, by Treatment, Amphotericin B Amphocin Fungizone Other Flucytosine Ancobon Other Fluconazole Diflucan Other Others (Voriconazole, surgery treatment, etc.) Global Cryptococcosis Market, by Distribution Channel Hospital Pharmacies Retail Pharmacies Drug Store Mail Order Pharmacies Other Global Cryptococcosis market, by Region North America U.S. Canada Middle East & Africa GCC Countries South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa Europe Germany U.K. France Italy Spain Rest of Europe Asia Pacific India China Japan Australia & New Zealand Rest of Asia Pacific Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04711315-summary/view-report.html About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. http://www.reportlinker.com __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com CHICAGO, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cybersecurity remains a top business priority as cyber incidents and data breaches carry the threat of significant operational and reputational damage for all organizations. A new report from the Internal Audit Foundation (IAF) and Crowe Horwath offers a look at the next step in the evolution of cybersecurity strategy by examining the growing use of security operation centers and security intelligence centers. "Next Steps: Beyond Response to Anticipation" is based in part on a survey of chief audit executives conducted by The Institute of Internal Auditors' (IIA) Audit Executive Center and Crowe. The survey found that more than a third of respondents are turning to security operation centers, formal and informal, as part of their cybersecurity strategies. "It is logical and encouraging that models to address the pervasive and potentially devastating threat of cyberattacks are evolving," said IIA President and CEO Richard F. Chambers, CIA, QIAL, CGAP, CCSA, CRMA. "The creation of formal security operation centers allows for holistic, proactive approaches to cybersecurity in which all parts of the organization, including the internal audit function, can support the battle against data breaches." To conduct the survey, Crowe personnel interviewed information security executives from organizations across the globe. The interviews confirmed a growing number of organizations recognize that "100 percent protection 100 percent of the time" is not achievable. It is then that an organization's cybersecurity strategies can "shift from a defensive posture to a more offensive and proactive one that focuses on learning about how certain threats operate, how their effects can be limited or mitigated, and how the incident response time (from identification to remediation) can be accelerated," according to the report. The report identifies the common terminology, frameworks, metrics and tools used in the security operation centers and examines how these can evolve further into security intelligence centers. "There is room for internal audit to get more engaged in the evaluation of security operations," said Raj Chaudhary, CGEIT, CRISC, Crowe Risk Consulting principal. "Over time, advanced analytics capabilities will allow companies to become more proactive in preventing events that could negatively impact business operations." The report is available through the Internal Audit Foundation. Its principal authors, Chaudhary and Dave McKnight, CISSP, of Crowe, will participate in a session on cybersecurity intelligence at The IIA's upcoming General Audit Management (GAM) Conference, March 20-22, in Orlando, Florida. The authors will host a webinar "Cyberattacks: Go Beyond Response to Anticipation" from noon to 1 p.m. on April 4. About the Internal Audit Foundation The Internal Audit Foundation (Foundation) is the donor-supported arm of The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). The nonprofit Foundation conducts groundbreaking research and scholarly publishing, offers essential career development and thought leadership products through The IIA Bookstore, and works with colleges and universities through the Internal Auditing Education Partnership (IAEP) program to enlighten the next generation of internal auditors. For more information, visit www.theiia.org or www.theiia.org/foundation. About The IIA The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) is the internal audit profession's most widely recognized advocate, educator, and provider of standards, guidance, and certifications. Established in 1941, The IIA today serves more than 185,000 members from more than 170 countries and territories. The association's global headquarters are in Lake Mary, Fla. For more information, visit www.TheIIA.org. About Crowe Horwath Crowe Horwath Global Risk Consulting (Holdings) Limited and its subsidiaries ("Crowe Horwath") use their deep industry expertise to provide governance, risk and compliance services. Crowe Horwath serves clients worldwide as an independent member of Crowe Horwath International, one of the largest global accounting networks in the world. The Crowe Horwath International network consists of more than 200 independent accounting and advisory services firms in more than 130 countries around the world. SOURCE Crowe Horwath LLP Related Links http://www.crowehorwath.com TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Team8, Israel's leading cybersecurity think tank and venture creation foundry, announced today that David DeWalt, former CEO and Chairman of McAfee and FireEye, is joining Team8's Board of Directors. Mr. DeWalt also joined Team8's industrial security portfolio company, Claroty, as Chairman of the Board. Widely recognized as one of the most successful business leaders in the cybersecurity industry, Mr. DeWalt brings more than 25 years of experience in the cybersecurity sector. In addition to the executive roles he held at McAfee and FireEye, he also served as Chairman of Mandiant, Vice Chairman of ForgeRock and ForeScout Technologies, led the sale of McAfee, Documentum, and Eventus, and has acquired more than 50 companies over the course of his career. He was also appointed by the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, to the National Security Technology Council (NSTAC). "Team8's innovative and bold venture creation platform brings together the very best cyber R&D talent and leadership to create game-changing companies that I believe will have a tremendous impact on the cybersecurity market," said DeWalt. "Their first two companies, illusive networks and Claroty, are true pioneers in their respective fields and I am excited to be taking an active part in their future." "David is a pioneer in the cybersecurity industry and we are excited to welcome him to Team8's board of directors," said Nadav Zafrir, Team8's co-founder and CEO. "Having David join our board is a tremendous vote of confidence in our ability to develop leading cyber companies and we believe his strong experience building global businesses will be extremely valuable as Team8's portfolio companies continue to scale up in the US, Europe and Asia." In addition to DeWalt, Team8's Board of Directors includes well-known investors and cybersecurity professionals, including David Cowan, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners and one of Silicon Valley's most active cybersecurity investors; Ray Rothrock, CEO of RedSeal and long-time cyber investor and Check Point board member; Yuval Shachar, General Partner and co-founder of Marker LLC; and Dror Berman, Managing Founding Partner of Eric Schmidt's Innovation Endeavors. Since its establishment in 2014, Team8 has announced the launch of two companies, illusive networks and Claroty, with several more companies currently operating in stealth. illusive networks specializes in deception technology used to detect targeted attacks, while Claroty's industrial security platform secures and optimizes critical industrial infrastructure sites such as power grids, steel mills, chemical, food and beverage sites and oil refineries. Recently, Claroty announced Mr. DeWalt as Chairman of the Board. Team8 has raised collectively with its portfolio companies more than $92M in funding, employs 185 people in Israel, US, UK and Singapore and intends to hire 100 additional employees in 2017. It is backed by Microsoft, Cisco, Qualcomm, AT&T, Accenture, Nokia, Temasek, Mitsui, Bessemer Venture Partners, Eric Schmidt's Innovation Endeavors and Marker LLC. About Team8: Team8, Israel's most prestigious cybersecurity think tank and venture creation foundry, develops disruptive companies that challenge the biggest problems in cybersecurity today. The Team8 innovation process combines a research team with intimate knowledge of both offensive and defensive aspects of cybersecurity, access to the best cyber talent, and a global syndicate that provides access to customers, partners and key influencers. Team8 was founded by leading cybersecurity experts Nadav Zafrir, Israel Grimberg and Liran Grinberg, all with deep ties to Israel's famous IDF Technology & Intelligence Unit 8200. It is backed by Microsoft, Cisco, Qualcomm, AT&T, Accenture, Nokia, Temasek, Mitsui, Bessemer Venture Partners, Eric Schmidt's Innovation Endeavors and Marker LLC. For more information on Team8, please visit http://www.team8.vc. http://www.team8.vc/ Media Contact: Matthew Krieger, GKPR for Team8 [email protected] +972-54-467-6950 SOURCE Team8 Related Links http://team8.vc SHREVEPORT, La., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dickey's Barbecue Pit opens their newest Shreveport location this Thursday with a weekend filled with specials on Dickey's delicious, slow-smoked barbecue. On Thursday, February 23, the new location will offer a free Big Yellow Cup with an in-store purchase of $5 or more. On Saturday, February 25, the new location will feature $3 Pulled Pork Sandwiches to guests. As always at every Dickey's Barbecue Pit location, Kids Eat Free every Sunday with the purchase of an adult dine-in meal of $10 or more. To join Dickey's Big Yellow Cup Club and receive members-only specials and discounts, click here. "The Dickey's Barbecue Pit family congratulates Matthew and Catherine Long on opening their third Dickey's location," says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. "Dickey's Barbecue Pit is a family-owned business and we are always proud when current Owner/Operators open new locations with us." Guests of the new Shreveport location can enjoy: Thursday, February 23 Guests will receive a free Big Yellow Cup with a purchase of $5 or more. Saturday, February 25 The new location will offer $3 Pulled Pork Sandwiches. Kids Eat Free Sunday Kids Eat Free every Sunday with every purchase of an adult dine-in meal of $10 or more. Husband and wife duo, Matthew and Catherine Long will open their third Dickey's Barbecue Pit location in the Shreveport area. The Longs are experts when it comes to smoking delicious, Texas-style barbecue and they are excited to embark on their next adventure by opening their newest location. "This is a great area and the community is greatly looking forward to us opening a new Dickey's Barbecue Pit here," says Catherine Long. "We are excited to have the opportunity to serve our community Dickey's pit-smoked barbecue." Residents of Shreveport can find their newest Dickey's location at 7503 Youree Dr. Suite 300 Shreveport, LA 71105. The phone number is 318-217-6070. Find Dickey's Barbecue Pit on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. About Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., the nation's largest barbecue chain was founded in 1941 by Travis Dickey. Today, all meats are still slow smoked on-site in each restaurant. The Dallas-based family-run barbecue franchise offers eight signature meats, seven savory sides, tangy barbecue sauce and free kids' meals every Sunday. The fast-casual concept has expanded to nearly 600 locations in 44 states. In 2016, Dickey's won first place on Fast Casual's "Top 100 Movers and Shakers" list. Dickey's Barbecue Pit has also been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine, Franchise Times, and Nation's Restaurant News. For more information on Dickey's awards, visit www.dickeys.com Media Contact: Michelle George / Callie Head [email protected] / [email protected] SOURCE Dickey's Barbecue Related Links http://www.dickeys.com NORTH CANTON, Ohio, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Diebold Nixdorf (NYSE:DBD) announced today that Andy W. Mattes, chief executive officer, will participate in the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in San Francisco on Wed., March 1, 2017 at 12:20 p.m. PT (3:20 p.m. ET). Mattes will discuss company's "Connected Commerce" strategy, its multi-year business integration roadmap, and corresponding financial targets. He will also be available to meet with institutional investors. A live audio webcast of the event can be accessed on Diebold Nixdorf's investor relations website, http://investors.dieboldnixdorf.com/. A replay of the broadcast will also be available on this site. About Diebold Nixdorf Diebold Nixdorf is a world leader in enabling connected commerce for millions of consumers each day across the financial and retail industries. Its software-defined solutions bridge the physical and digital worlds of cash and consumer transactions conveniently, securely and efficiently. As an innovation partner for nearly all of the world's top 100 financial institutions and a majority of the top 25 global retailers, Diebold Nixdorf delivers unparalleled services and technology that are essential to evolve in an 'always on' and changing consumer landscape. Diebold Nixdorf has a presence in more than 130 countries with approximately 25,000 employees worldwide. The organization maintains corporate offices in North Canton, Ohio, USA and Paderborn, Germany. Shares are traded on the New York and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges under the symbol 'DBD'. Visit www.DieboldNixdorf.com for more information. SOURCE Diebold Nixdorf Related Links http://www.diebold.com (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/471092/Dr__Harold_Lancer.jpg ) With over three decades of dermatological experience, Dr Lancer is one of the few practicing dermatologists with a skincare line, proving that daily interaction with patients is what separates his approach and allows him to continue to evolve one of the world's most distinguished skincare lines. Unsurprisingly, Dr Lancer has a global patient base of over 30,000 people, including some of the worlds' most famous faces, including Beyonce, Margot Robbie, Victoria Beckham, Michelle Williams and Kim Kardashian among others, all of whom trust in his expertise, cutting edge technology, and of course, are devotees to the Lancer skincare line. This award is a testament to Dr Lancer's unique skin care philosophy and it's this approach which has earnt him the position of 'the globes go to doctor' whether it's beauty enhancement or more serious skin conditions. Focusing on 'believable beauty' and the power of both nutrition and skincare is fundamental to Dr Lancer's success with every patient receiving a bespoke experience. Dr Lancer commented on his success, saying, "I'm thrilled to have been honored at The Hollywood Beauty Awards. My patients are always my first priority and I'm passionate about changing the way people think about their skin. The Lancer brand is going from strength to strength and I'm proud to say that you haven't even seen the best of it yet. I'm very excited to continue to develop the brand and my practice in 2017 and I am humbled by being awarded with The Beauty Enhancement Award." About Dr. Lancer: Originally from Montreal, Canada, Dr. Lancer spent his youth in Connecticut, received his undergraduate education from the University of California, San Diego, and then his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He later completed a Plastic Surgery fellowship at the Tel Hashomer Hospital in Tel Aviv, followed by a residency in London at St. John's Hospital for Diseases of the Skin. He returned to Southern California where he received his board certification in dermatology in 1983 and began his Beverly Hills practice. SOURCE The Press Office of Dr Lancer SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Edmunds, the leading car shopping and information platform, today announced its fifth annual Five Star Dealer Awards, honoring 817 dealerships across the country. The Five Star Dealer Awards are presented to a select group of car dealers who earned the highest overall rating for customer satisfaction in Edmunds' dealer sales ratings. "Today's car shoppers are incredibly savvy, and we know that more than 70 percent of them read dealer reviews before deciding where to buy their next vehicle," said Avi Steinlauf, CEO of Edmunds. "Programs such as the Five Star Dealer Awards that recognize excellent customer service can make a real difference to dealers looking to stand out from the competition. We celebrate these exceptional dealers and congratulate them for going above and beyond for their customers." In order to be eligible, dealers must participate in the Edmunds Dealer Partner program and must have earned an overall sales rating of five stars on a minimum of 20 reviews on Edmunds.com over the past year. Additionally, they must have maintained at least a 4.5-star average over the past two years to be recognized. To find the full list of 2017 Five Star Dealers, visit Edmunds' all-new Dealer Center. Dealerships are broken down by region, making it easy to find local Five Star Dealers. Car shoppers can look up the reviews and ratings for any dealer in their area on the "Find a Dealer" page on Edmunds.com. Winning dealerships are distinguished by the Five Star Dealer badge. About Edmunds Edmunds is the leading car information and shopping platform, helping millions of visitors each month find their perfect car. With products like Edmunds Your Price, Your Lease and Used+, shoppers can buy smarter with instant, upfront prices for cars and trucks currently for sale at more than 13,000 dealer franchises across the U.S. Edmunds' in-house team of unbiased car shopping experts provide industry-leading vehicle reviews and shopping tips, as well as welcome all car shopping questions to the free Shopper Advice line at 1-855-782-4711, via email at [email protected], via text at ED411 and on Twitter and Facebook. The company is regarded as one of America's best workplaces by Fortune and Great Places to Work. Edmunds is based in Santa Monica, California, and has a satellite office in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Contact: Leah Polk Edmunds Public Relations Edmunds.com Media Hotline: 310-309-4900 [email protected] SOURCE Edmunds Related Links http://www.edmunds.com LOS ANGELES, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF)'s 25th annual Academy Awards Viewing Party to be held on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at West Hollywood Park, Sir Elton John and David Furnish will introduce Open Road and Survival Pictures new film The Promise which tells the story of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey at the outset of World War I. Written by Terry George and Robin Swicord and directed by Terry George (Hotel Rwanda), The Promise stars Oscar Issac, Christian Bale, and Charlotte Le Bon. "We have only to look at the horrific HIV/AIDS outbreak that followed in the wake of the Rwandan genocide in the mid-1990s to understand the direct connection between human rights atrocities and public health crises like the AIDS epidemic," said EJAF Founder Elton John. "Through our friendships with the Manoukian family and producer Dr. Eric Esrailian from UCLA, David and I became more personally aware of the Armenian Genocide and its timely relevance to social issues today. The film's theme #KeepThePromise can be interpreted as keeping the promise to remember and learn from the atrocities of the past, as well as keeping the promise to end AIDS. At EJAF, we are committed to #KeepThePromise and raise awareness about this powerful film that uses classic storytelling to inspire people to take action today. We are honored to share the important timing of our Oscar-night event to introduce people to The Promise." In addition to sharing EJAF's vision for championing human rights, The Promise team at Survival Pictures has taken the unprecedented step of making the commitment to donate all proceeds from the film to nonprofit organizations including EJAF and other human rights and humanitarian groups. As part of this commitment and to inspire Party guests to give generously, Survival Pictures will match the pledges guests make to EJAF via text and live auction purchases made during EJAF's Academy Awards Viewing Party with the goal of making this a record-setting evening. "Such giving has never happened with a film of this scale, we wanted the world to know about it, and we are incredibly grateful," said EJAF Chairman David Furnish. "We are honored to announce this generosity, thanks to the late philanthropist and humanitarian Kirk Kerkorian, on the eve of EJAF's 25th annual Academy Awards Viewing Party. Not only is The Promise committing to support EJAF's work, but matching funds will be provided to inspire donors even more throughout the event and live auction." Survival Pictures has also developed a social impact campaign for The Promise to help educate the global public about the genocides and mass atrocities of the 20th and 21st centuries, the discussion about the legal definition of genocide, and historical denialism. The impact campaign will inform and inspire people to take action so they become part of the anti-genocide movement led by human rights organizations like EJAF as well as change-makers dedicated to ending crimes against humanity and bringing perpetrators to justice. The film sets a love story in the midst of the growing unrest in 1914 Turkey leading up to the horrors of the Armenian Genocide. As the Great War looms, the mighty Ottoman Empire is crumbling. Constantinople, the once vibrant, multicultural capital on the shores of the Bosporus, is about to be consumed by chaos. Michael Boghosian (Oscar Isaac), arrives in the cosmopolitan hub as a medical student determined to bring modern medicine back to Siroun, his ancestral village in Southern Turkey where Turkish Muslims and Armenian Christians have lived side by side for centuries. Photo-journalist Chris Myers (Christian Bale), has come here only partly to cover geo-politics. He is mesmerized by his love for Ana (Charlotte Le Bon), an Armenian artist he has accompanied from Paris after the sudden death of her father. When Michael meets Ana, their shared Armenian heritage sparks an attraction that explodes into a romantic rivalry between the two men. As the Turks form an alliance with Germany and the Empire turns violently against its own ethnic minorities, their conflicting passions must be deferred while they join forces to survive even as events threaten to overwhelm them. Promises are made and promises are broken. The one promise that must be kept is to live on and tell the story. "The Armenian Genocide must, of course, never be forgotten and should be recognized, but our current headlines show that the same patterns of human rights violations are being replicated in too many parts of the world today," said producer Dr. Eric Esrailian. "We are honored to have the support of Elton, David, and the entire EJAF family, and by joining forces, we can help the people in the world who need assistance right now." ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION At EJAF, we believe AIDS can be beaten. We act on that belief by raising funds for evidence-based programs and policies, and also by speaking out with honesty and compassion about the realities of people's lives. Sir Elton John created EJAF almost 25 years ago, first in the United States in 1992 and then in the United Kingdom in 1993. Through hard work and with the help of our network of kind and generous friends and supporters, the two foundations together have raised more than $385 million over the past quarter century to combat stigma, prevent infections, provide treatment and services, and motivate governments to end AIDS. The U.S. foundation focuses its efforts on programs in the United States, the Americas, and the Caribbean, while the U.K. foundation funds HIV-related work in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Join us in speaking out, taking action, and contributing to our efforts to achieve a world without AIDS. For more information, please visit www.ejaf.org. American Airlines is the official airline of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. SURVIVAL PICTURES Survival Pictures is a production company dedicated to telling stories of perseverance, endurance, and the inextinguishable fire of the human spirit. The company, co-managed by Eric Esrailian and Anthony Mandekic, was humbly and discreetly started years ago by Kirk Kerkorian -- who wanted this company and its first project to speak to his core values. SOURCE Elton John AIDS Foundation Related Links http://www.ejaf.org AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Businesses in Mexico, China and India are increasingly turning to information technology to power successful growth, reveals new global research from Epicor Software Corporation, a global provider of industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth. Around three quarters of Chinese and Indian firms (74% and 73% respectively) and 63% of Mexican firms cited IT investment as important, compared to a global figure of 54%. View interactive infographic here: gettinggrowth.co.uk Overall, the research figures indicate that many of the world's businesses, particularly those in established economies, do not 'get growth' in the same way as their emerging market peers and risk falling behind 'grow getter' businesses in emerging markets. These businesses demonstrate a strong motivation to invest in technology to empower their organization. 'Grow getter' businesses are those that take advantage of macro-economic factors, such as low cost skilled labor and a healthy GDP. They use technology to expand into new markets and locations swiftly, without having to invest in high labor costs, and they have the processes in place to adapt their product ranges to match consumer demand. Businesses in Mexico, India and China are the most likely to be growing in terms of geographic reach and overseas sales. India takes the lead, with 75% of businesses reporting overseas growth (63% in Mexico and 63% in China), compared to the US where 59% of businesses reported no further growth or a decline in growth overseas (47% of UK businesses reported the same). India and Mexico are also the most likely to have grown their product ranges in the last 12 months with more than three quarters (82% and 76% respectively) of all businesses reporting growth here, compared to the global average of 61%. Hong Kong and Singapore were among the least likely to achieve this, with only 45-46% of businesses in both countries reporting any product range growth. India, again, leads the global charge in profit growth with 80% of businesses reporting growth, compared to just 34% in Singapore. Despite sales and turnover generally increasing across the globe (65% of businesses grew their sales/turnover in the last 12 months), only around half (48%) of the businesses around the globe are meeting this increase in productivity with a larger workforce. With technology making it easier than ever before to communicate there are more opportunities to expand into new regions and markets rapidly. However, the survey shows that high growth businesses tend to be the only ones that are significantly expanding operations overseas. Of the businesses questioned, 65% of those experiencing very high growth were also experiencing significant growth overseas (compared to an average 14% overall). Kathy Crusco, chief operating and financial officer at Epicor commented, "Business leaders around the world can learn from the experience of 'grow getter' businesses in emerging economies such as India and Mexico. These 'grow getter' companies have invested in technology to empower their workforces, drive efficiencies, increase agility, and increase their profit margins, as a result. They use technology to adapt quickly to change and demand, allowing them to drive expansion into new markets, and establish processes to adapt their product ranges to match consumer demand." Crusco continued, "While macro-economic factors can often not be avoided, getting bogged down in legacy systems can. This study builds a resounding business case for investment in IT systems that support and enable business growth and help businesses navigate economic and political challenges as they arise. Given our history in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software this is something that Epicor has been passionate about for a long time. With intelligent, next-generation enterprise solutions in place, it becomes possible for businesses to be more confident in delivering their growth strategies." The research, conducted by Morar Consulting on behalf of Epicor, questioned 2,450 business decision makers and employees in businesses in 12 countries across the globe, about their growth performance in the last 12 months. For further information on the research, go to: www.epicor.com/newsroom/global-trends-for-high-growth. About Epicor Software Corporation Epicor Software Corporation drives business growth. We provide flexible, industry-specific software designed around the needs of our manufacturing, distribution, retail, and service industry customers. More than 40 years of experience with our customers' unique business processes and operational requirements are built into every solutionin the cloud or on premises. With this deep understanding of your industry, Epicor solutions manage complexity, increase efficiency, and free up resources so you can focus on growth. For more information, connect with Epicor or visit www.epicor.com. Epicor and the Epicor logo are trademarks of Epicor Software Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. Other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners. The product and service offerings depicted in this document are produced by Epicor Software Corporation. Contact: Lisa Preuss Senior Director, Corporate Communications Epicor Software Corporation +1 949 585 4235 [email protected] SOURCE Epicor Software Corporation Related Links http://www.epicor.com SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Securing creative office space just got a lot easier for growing companies and enterprises alike. LiquidSpace, the leading network for flexible workspace solutions, announced today the national launch of its altSpace program, a flexible office solution for growing teams of 10-200 employees. altSpace combines curated office fit-outs with LiquidSpace-approved landlord and partner spaces, enabling companies to move into a new office tailored for their team within 60 days and stay as long as they like on flexible terms. The altSpace program is now available in major markets across the US, including the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Dallas, Washington D.C., and beyond. "The national rollout of altSpace is an important milestone for LiquidSpace and we are proud to be working with leaders in the architecture and design community. We reimagined what office spaces can be for growing teams because we weren't satisfied with the status quo," said Mark Gilbreath, founder and CEO of LiquidSpace. "We recognized that growing companies often don't have the time or the capital to commit to expensive fit-outs or long term leases, but still want a cool place to work with the flexibility to move on when they grow. We also realized that landlords and building owners are often in the same boat with the need to fill empty offices, but without the expense and risk of speculative fit-outs. After proving out the model with both startup and large enterprise customers and with multiple landlord partners, we are excited today to expand the altSpace program into major markets across the country." altSpace reimagines how creative offices are designed, delivered and occupied. Whether you are a startup or simply need to move as fast as one, tapping into altSpace is simple. Select a location and a design, book it online and move in within days, no lease, no hassle. "Our corporate clients are increasingly looking for flexibility in their real estate portfolios. The cost efficiencies, term flexibility, rapid time to market and great design that altSpace offers are an exciting and unique option for us to present," said Dan Harvey, Vice Chairman, CBRE. "LiquidSpace continues to modernize the commercial real estate industry with its technology-driven model." Companies can choose from three altSpace designs, crafted by altSpace design partner BVN Architecture, supporting varied work styles and offering a range of wellness features. Corporate tailored altSpace solutions are also available, for companies with bespoke requirements in multiple locations. Each altSpace kit-of-parts is modular, utilitarian and adaptable, featuring contemporary furnishings from altSpace furniture partner Allsteel, and altSpace exclusive custom elements. "altSpace has created a new way to provide companies with high performance workplace environments. It lets us support the flexible office needs of our existing large customers and provides us a new channel to introduce Allsteel to fast growing startups," said Brandon Sieben, President, Allsteel. For building owners and landlords, altSpace is a hassle-free way to turn empty property into a high performing asset. With configurations available for spaces ranging from 1,000-20,000 square feet, altSpace turns any unoccupied space into a move-in ready workplace with the potential to attract new tenants. As Mark Rose, Chairman/CEO of Avison Young explains, "altSpace is a terrific and creative new solution for the CRE industry. Not only does it address the growing demand for flexibility that we see from our occupier clients, it gives our landlord partners the means to generate more revenue from their assets." Building owners and landlord partners in the LiquidSpace network can become certified altSpace landlords, providing a new option for how to market and utilize their available spaces. Landlords can offer prospective tenants options for curated modern workplace designs with space visualizations to help merchandise their online listings. The altSpace program's SpecZeroTM TI standard is designed to minimize construction costs, permitting and build time, helping landlords eliminate the waste of traditional costly fit outs. "Our focus is to leverage innovative technology solutions that increase our visibility and convert our vacancies more effectively", said Chad Cook, Founder of Quadrant Investment Properties. "Working with LiquidSpace and the altSpace program, we landed a world-class technology company as a tenant, faster and with less overhead than a traditional leasing model." The altSpace program was developed by LiquidSpace in partnership with passionate architects, furniture designers and real estate professionals including BVN Architecture, Allsteel, The Swig Company, Tidal Living, FME Architects, and Izzy+. About LiquidSpace LiquidSpace is the largest, real-time network for office space where startups, growing teams and service providers can connect with real estate owners, operators and private businesses that have space to share. Its platform transforms the entire commercial real estate process by successfully bringing each member of the supply chain together into one cohesive, productive network. LiquidSpace's online tools streamline communication among network members and simplify the discovery and transaction of office space, including an entirely reimagined legal framework that eliminates the cost and complexities of traditional leasing. Office space is now yours with a click. Pay by the month. No lease, no hassle. LiquidSpace is backed by leading investors and partners including Greylock Partners, Floodgate Fund, Shasta Ventures, Robertson Stephens, GPT Group, Black Diamond Ventures, Lucas Venture Group, Steelcase, CBRE and Avison Young. www.liquidspace.com About Allsteel Since 1912, Allsteel Inc. has offered a world-class, comprehensive range of workplace products and solutions. We simplify the office planning process by helping our customers align their workplace strategy with their business strategy. The result is fit-to-business solutions that deliver meaningful change in a way that works for them today, as well as tomorrow. Headquartered in Muscatine, IA, the company has showrooms in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. For additional information, visit www.allsteeloffice.com or follow Allsteel on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest or YouTube. SOURCE LiquidSpace Related Links https://liquidspace.com (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140527/10098680 ) "Customer data analytics is a key technology enabler for digital transformation. At MWC, we will demonstrate how our products are used by Telcos and other enterprises for digital customer engagement and digital services, generating sustained measurable economic value," said Mr. Pravin Vijay, Vice President-Marketing, Flytxt. Flytxt's products support smarter and faster decision making through the use of machine learning models, smart visualisations and interactive data analysis. Intuitive UI-driven business workflows and features like plug-and-play data ingestion and secured APIs allow seamless integration into the enterprise infrastructure and processes with ease. Flytxt, with its advanced analytics technology and software products, enabling services, best practices and partner ecosystem, has consistently delivered up to 7% measurable economic value to 100+ customers including leading telcos, financial institutions and global brands. Visit our booth at Hall 5, Booth 5J76 for live demonstrations on how our products help Telcos to: Ingest data from diverse sources and derive actionable customer insights faster with pre-packaged and self-serve analytics Ensure personalised digital experience across omni-channel customer journeys Improve customer responsiveness with AI-powered engagement across touch points like Self-care app and Chatbots Launch digital services like mobile advertising and market research leveraging the power of customer insights and APIs. About Flytxt: Flytxt provides customer data analytics software products and services to enterprises, helping them to accelerate their digital transformation journey and generate sustained measurable economic value. Digital customer engagement and digital services solutions powered by Flytxt's products help telcos and other enterprises to drive superior customer experience across digital touch points as well as increase revenues, optimise margins, and enhance customer loyalty. The company serves more than 100 customers including some of the largest telcos, financial institutions and global brands across 40 countries, analysing data of more than 600 million mobile consumers. The company has its headquarters in The Netherlands, offices in Dubai and India and regional presence in Paris, London, Singapore, Nairobi, and Mexico City. Contact: Naeem Shaikh Corporate Communication Flytxt [email protected] SOURCE Flytxt DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In a first-of-its-kind Title IX retaliation case, a former member of the Board of Trustees of Drake University filed a lawsuit against the school and its officials today for retaliating against him after he spoke out against the University's improper conduct, including the wrongful sexual assault investigation of his disabled son. The plaintiff is being represented by prominent Title IX campus assault due process attorney Andrew Miltenberg. According to the complaint filed in federal court in the Southern District of Iowa, Drake University openly discriminated against and targeted its disabled students and, together with its Board of Trustees, instituted a concerted attack on all those who dared speak out for the rights of Drake University's students, including the plaintiff, Tom Rossley. The lawsuit describes how Mr. Rossley experienced first-hand Drake University's wrongful treatment of disabled students when the school maliciously withheld necessary accommodations from his disabled son. As a result of his advocacy for his son and Drake University students, the Board, with the support of the University President, removed Mr. Rossley from the Board of Trustees. Rossley, a well-respected member of the Drake University community, also filed a Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC") against the school, which was cross-filed with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. "While engaging in a biased and unlawful Title IX investigation of Mr. Rossley's disabled son, the officials at Drake University purposefully ignored and failed to investigate the student's numerous pleas for help after he was sexually assaulted by a female student," said Miltenberg, who has represented dozens of accused male students at colleges and universities. "My client made numerous efforts to address the heinous violations of his disabled son's rights to school officials and the Board of Trustees. Instead of remedying the school's numerous unlawful actions, they instead instituted an immediate attack on Mr. Rossley and effectively silenced and covered up his complaints, to the direct detriment of his family, career, and Drake University's students." Among the charges against Drake University and its Board of Trustees include: violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, breach of fiduciary responsibilities, and breach of contract. The plaintiff's son also filed a lawsuit against Drake University in federal court in December, charging that the school violated Title IX equal protection clause, his rights to due process, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The case state's that the University wrongfully expelled the student and refused to investigate his simultaneous charge that his female accuser sexually assaulted him on the same night of the alleged incidenteven considering her own admission that she initiated in sexual conduct without his consent. Additionally, the University failed to properly accommodate the student's ADHD, anxiety, and language-based learning disabilities during the disciplinary process, despite the fact that Drake University is home to the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement, which lists advocacy for people with disabilities as one of its primary areas of focus. According to the lawsuit, officials at Drake University took advantage of the student's language-based disability in order to railroad him out of the University. Lawsuits Cite US Department of Education "Dear Colleague Letter" Directive Both lawsuits contend that Drake's violation of Title IX was strongly influenced by a directive of the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which encourages male gender bias and violation of due process rights during sexual misconduct investigations. According to the complaint, the U.S. Department of Education issued in 2011 what has become known as the "Dear Colleague" letter to every college and university receiving federal funding, addressing their obligation under Title IX to respond to claims of sexual harassment and sexual violence. The 19-page "Dear Colleague" letter contains guidance and directives on how schools are to address sexual assault and misconduct to comply with the Department's view of Title IX. Among other things, the "Dear Colleague" letter dictated that schools use a lower burden of proof -- the "preponderance of the evidence" standard, rather than the "clear and convincing standard." "As a result of the U.S. Department of Education's unlawful directive, there has been a surge in colleges and universities mishandling investigations and wrongfully prosecuting male students for fear of losing federal funding," Miltenberg said. "These directives have resulted in a clear disregard for the due process rights of male college students and have created a culture of male-gender bias on campuses throughout the country." Miltenberg, a partner with Nesenoff and Miltenberg, LLP based in New York City, is currently engaged in several groundbreaking Title IX cases representing male students at Brown University, Columbia University, Georgia Tech and Colgate among others. For more information, visit www.nmllplaw.com SOURCE Nesenoff and Miltenberg, LLP Related Links http://www.nmllplaw.com Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim brought together two maestros from divergent musical worlds in a serene sigh of sun-dappled bossa-nova. In evening studio sessions at Hollywood's Western Recorders between January 30 and February 1, 1967, Sinatra breathed new life into the album's 10 songs, accompanied vocally on four by Jobim, who also played guitar on the album. The album's tracks include seven Jobim originals and three American Songbook classics, delicately arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman with a studio orchestra, and produced by Sonny Burke. "I haven't sung so soft since I had the laryngitis," joked Sinatra during their first evening together in the studio, easing into the hushed swing of the sessions. Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim ascended Billboard 's albums chart in April 1967, peaking at No.19 and remaining on the chart for 28 weeks. The 50th Anniversary Edition's CD and digital formats include two bonus tracks: A medley of "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars"/"Change Partners"/"I Concentrate on You"/"The Girl from Ipanema" from A Man And His Music + Ella + Jobim, and a previously unreleased studio session of "The Girl from Ipanema" from January 31, 1967. Preorder Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim (50th Anniversary Edition): https://UMe.lnk.to/SinatraJobim50PHY Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim (50th Anniversary Edition) CD / Digital 1. The Girl from Ipanema 6. If You Never Come to Me 2. Dindi 7. How Insensitive 3. Change Partners 8. I Concentrate on You 4. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars 9. Baubles, Bangles and Beads 5. Meditation 10. Once I Loved BONUS TRACKS 11. Sinatra-Jobim Medley: Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars/Change Partners/I Concentrate on You/The Girl from Ipanema (from A Man And His Music + Ella + Jobim) 12. The Girl from Ipanema (previously unreleased studio session from January 31, 1967) 180g Vinyl LP / Limited Edition Blue Vinyl LP SIDE 1 SIDE 2 1. The Girl from Ipanema 1. If You Never Come to Me 2. Dindi 2. How Insensitive 3. Change Partners 3. I Concentrate on You 4. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars 4. Baubles, Bangles and Beads 5. Meditation 5. Once I Loved About Frank Sinatra Throughout his six-decade career, Frank Sinatra performed on more than 1,400 recordings and was awarded 31 gold, nine platinum, three double platinum, and one triple platinum album by the Recording Industry Association of America. Sinatra demonstrated a remarkable ability to appeal to every generation and continues to do so; his artistry still influences many of today's music superstars. The Oscar winner also appeared in more than 60 films and produced eight motion pictures. Sinatra was awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards from The Recording Academy, The Screen Actors Guild and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as the Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Today, he remains a legend and an inspiration around the world for his contributions to culture and the arts. For more information about Frank Sinatra, visit sinatra.com. facebook.com/sinatra twitter.com/franksinatra instagram.com/sinatra 100.sinatra.com SOURCE UMe Related Links http://www.universalmusicenterprises.com SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Elite cybersecurity companies from around the world met in San Francisco to honor the industry's premier leaders at the 13th annual 2017 Global Excellence Awards, hosted by Info Security Products Guide. While global tech brands were nominated and competed for recognition in a variety of categories, one of the most prestigious honors went to 802 Secure President, Garry Drummond who was named CEO of the Year. 802 Secure received four other awards (in gold, silver and bronze categories) that brought recognition to their leading product, P25CleanRF. This product was a Gold Winner for NERC / FERC CIP Compliance, a highlight for 802 Secure's team, who are also developing additional product features for protecting nuclear and critical infrastructure from radio frequency cyber-attacks. P25CleanRF has been of interest to Law Enforcement agencies for use in protecting mission critical communications between First Responders dispatchers, incident commanders, safety officers and other emergency response agencies, including fire and police. Garry Drummond, CEO, is thrilled at the response from the market, "I am thankful to my team for their hard work and dedication as we lead this product into global markets. The P25CleanRF was awarded as one of the 2017 Security Products and Solutions for Government and that doesn't come easy. We have traction with State and Local Government, as well as Federal Agencies because our solutions provide visibility into invisible radio frequency attack vectors, like jamming." Over 50 judges were present from various backgrounds and industries where each nominee and finalist was scored based on 12-month performance. While scoring is based on a variety of factors that include technical benefits to the market, finalists are selected and awarded based on achievements beyond the industry norm (true excellence). 802 Secure develops signal intelligent technology for securing the Internet of Things (IoT) by using software defined radios and big data analytics to detect and assess wireless risks across the broader RF spectrum. The Silicon Valley based company is best known for developing two leading, world-class technologies, cloud-based AirShieldSM and P25CleanRFSM proactive 24x7 cybersecurity monitoring of First Responder P25 Controlled Radio Networks. For more information on this product, visit www.802secure.com To schedule an interview, please contact Lauren Burgoyne Injected Media [email protected] SOURCE 802 Secure, Inc. Related Links http://www.802secure.com NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Betterment for Business, the technology-led 401(k) provider that aims to deliver better retirement outcomes and personalized advice, today announced that John Casey has joined its Board of Advisors. Bringing nearly 20 years of experience in the employee benefits space to Betterment for Business, Casey is currently Director, Global Benefits at Google. Casey joined Google in 2010 and currently leads the global benefits team where his main areas of focus include driving the financial benefits strategy and managing Google's 401(k) and deferred compensation plans. A key part of his strategy is to use a data-driven approach to optimize the effectiveness, efficiency and user experience of the employee benefit programs. "At Google, we focus on optimizing the effectiveness and user experience of our employee benefit programs," said Casey, Director, Global Benefits at Google, "and Betterment for Business' mission and product align with these values. I'm looking forward to working with a company that empowers employers to provide their employees with better outcomes and unbiased, actionable and personalized advice." Prior to Google, Casey was partner at Mercer where he led their international benefits group for the west coast of the United States. With a significant track record of evaluating benefit providers, Casey believes that, "Betterment for Business is poised for continued growth with mid-sized professional service and technology companies in the 401(k) industry and I look forward to lending my guidance and expertise." Betterment for Business' Board of Advisors now consists of four members whose deep industry expertise and commitment to acting in their clients' best interests play an important role in advising the company's growth and strategy. The company's Board of Advisors also includes Ray Kanner, Thomas E. Clark, Jr. and Stig Nybo. "We are honored to have John join the Betterment for Business team," said Cynthia Loh, General Manager of Betterment for Business. "John will further strengthen our board's breadth of talent and expertise, bringing invaluable benefits. As Betterment for Business begins its second year of operation, the deep-rooted financial experience of our Board of Advisors will continue to guide us in our quest to be the trusted 401(k) service for plan sponsors and participants." To learn more about Betterment for Business, please visit www.bettermentforbusiness.com. About Betterment for Business Betterment for Business is a 401(k) service built from the ground up with the needs of the modern employee in mind. It's selected by progressive employers who want to offer their employees tailored, unbiased and actionable financial advice that will help them create a more secure future. Betterment for Business is powered by Betterment's proprietary, smart technology that automates and optimizes asset allocation to enhance financial wellness. As a fiduciary that is independent of the funds it invests in, Betterment believes that everyone has the fundamental right to expert, unbiased financial advice. Headquartered in New York City and created by the largest independent robo-advisor, Betterment for Business is used by leading employers like Casper and Boxed. For more information, visit www.bettermentforbusiness.com. Investing in securities involves risks, and there is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities. Determination of largest independent robo-advisor reflects Betterment LLC's distinction of having highest number of assets under management, based on Betterment's review of assets self-reported in the SEC's Form ADV, across Betterment's survey of independent robo-advisor investing services as of July 11, 2016. As used here, "independent" means that a robo-advisor has no affiliation with the financial products it recommends to its clients. 401(k) plan administration services provided by Betterment for Business LLC. Investment advice to plans and plan participants provided by Betterment LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser. Brokerage services provided to clients of Betterment LLC by Betterment Securities, an SEC registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Betterment LLC and Betterment Securities are affiliates of Betterment for Business LLC. Media Contacts: Jen Kaye Version 2.0 on behalf of Betterment for Business 617-426-2222 [email protected] Arielle Sobel PR Manager Betterment for Business [email protected] SOURCE Betterment for Business Related Links https://www.bettermentforbusiness.com ATLANTA, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GP PRO announced that it will recommit a total of $75,000 to Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) through GP PRO's "Make it Better" 2017 campaign. Donations will support WWP as it connects warriors with one another, their community, and with life-changing programs and services. WWP serves warriors with programs targeting mental and physical health, career and benefits counseling, and support for the most severely wounded. Through its "Make it Better" 2017 campaign, GP PRO is again committing a total of $75,000 to Wounded Warrior Project(R) (WWP). Donations will support WWP as it connects warriors with one another, their community, and with life-changing programs and services. The relationship with WWP continues to build on the one previously established by Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products, which has donated more than $2 million since 2012. Georgia-Pacific also supports veterans by employing them as an integral part of its workforce of 35,000 people. GP PRO will donate one large sum in 2017, which is slightly different from last year's approach. "We donated proceeds from select wiper sales as well as other products routinely used in the industrial sector," said Don Wolfe, senior category director for wipers at GP PRO. "Our wipers are built on attributes like strength and reliability. It was an honor to support a cause which stands for the same." John Strom, senior vice president of marketing for GP PRO, said, "The industrial sector employs about two million veterans. So, it's great to be able to provide many of them with exceptional products to make their day-to-day easier, and then also know that some of the proceeds of those products benefit soldiers wounded in combat." "Our resilient warriors are able to reach their goals when given a chance and the right tools to succeed," said Gary Corless, chief development officer at WWP. "Because of the generous support of Georgia-Pacific, we're able to connect our warriors with critically important services that empower them to live their lives independently, on their own terms." For more information about GP PRO and our "Make it Better" campaign visit gppro.com/woundedwarriorproject. About Wounded Warrior Project We Connect, Serve, and Empower The mission of Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP connects wounded warriors and their families to valuable resources and one another, serves them through a variety of free programs and services, and empowers them to live life on their own terms. In FY 2015, more than $262 million went to our life-saving free programs, a 38 percent increase in spend from FY 2014. This is the third consecutive year that the amount of money spent on programs for warriors has increased. Program spend represented 75 percent of our total expenses, while 21 percent went to fundraising, and 4 percent to administrative fees. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org. About GP PRO GP PRO manufactures and sells well-known brands like Brawny Industrial, enMotion, Compact, Angel Soft Professional Series and food service brands including Dixie, SmartStock and PerfecTouch. A division of Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products, GP PRO designs products to meet the specific restroom, food service and break room needs for a wide range of industrial and manufacturing facilities but also for commercial facilities in office building, healthcare, food service, high traffic, lodging, retail and education sectors. SOURCE GP PRO LOS ANGELES, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Heal, the app for on-demand doctor house calls, today announced the Company is moving the needle towards changing the broken healthcare system through the transformative power of on-demand doctor house calls. In two years, Heal has driven more than $5.9 million in healthcare savings costs, reduced unnecessary prescription antibiotic usage by more than 50 percent, raised $52 million in funding, and reduced non-emergency trips to the ER/Urgent care by 62 percent for its patients and partners. Additionally, Heal has delivered 16,000 patient house call visits, and plans to grow that number exponentially through its availability in select cities within Florida, Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania, by the end of 2017. "In February 2015, we saw our first Heal patient ever," said Nick Desai, CEO and co-founder at Heal. "With visionary investors and a world-class team, we are excited to more fully realize our mission of striving to make healthcare more effective, intuitive, and affordable for all." Recently, Heal hired Former General Manager of Mobile Apps at Amazon, Rish Tandon, to serve as the Company's CTO; and Bhavini Soneji, the former Director of Engineering at Snap Inc., to serve as Heal's SVP of Engineering. "I joined Heal to create purposeful innovation that will make the Heal experience even more proactive, precise and powerful," said Bhavini Sonjei, SVP of engineering at Heal. "Together with Rish, we are eager to re-invent the system of healthcare as we know it." "With this recent addition of Rish and Bhavini, we're creating a formidable technology team which indicates Heal being a place to be if you truly want to change the world," continued Desai. Founded by Nick Desai and Dr. Renee Dua, Heal is more than just convenient house callsits larger mission is to transform the broken healthcare system. By freeing doctors from the burden of seeing 40 patients a day, as many need to, Heal gives doctors more time to take care of fewer patients. This leads to a better system for doctors, better health outcomes for patients, and lower costs for the larger healthcare system. Heal and its investors, including Fidelity ContraFund, Thomas Tull, Jim Breyer, the Ellison Family, Lionel Richie, Dr. Paul Jacobs, and others, are eager to realize the full potential of its aim to improve healthcare in a positive way, not only for patients, but for doctors and payers alike. About Heal: Heal is transforming healthcare with unhurried house calls through empowered, qualified doctors doing what they love, and purposeful innovations that enable you to spend less time getting well and more time being well. We are making healthcare a more personal experience, and a more efficient doctor's office by delivering true care with resolute compassion. Through the touch of an app or a click on our site, a highly-vetted, qualified medical doctor will arrive at your door, twelve hours a day, 365 days a year. Heal is in-network with all major PPO insurance companies, as well as Medicare. We hope to create a more efficient doctor's office, in the privacy of your own home or office, because we know that happy doctors deliver the best care and a great patient/doctor relationship improves outcomes! For more information please visit http://www.heal.com/. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram PRESS CONTACT: Nicole Rodrigues NRPR Group (650) 8155069 [email protected] Related Links App Store Download Link Android Download Link Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQQ5Ib2Lsxw This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE Heal Related Links http://www.heal.com All dollar amounts are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated. TORONTO, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - IAMGOLD Corporation ("IAMGOLD" or "the Company") today announced its 2016 year-end mineral reserve and resource statement. (See attached table for more details.) Total attributable proven and probable gold reserves increased by 1% from 7.7 million ounces of gold at the end of 2015 to 7.8 million ounces at the end of 2016. The addition of 108,000 ounces was primarily due to the increase in reserves at Westwood and Essakane, partially offset by depletion during the year given the Company's attributable gold production of 813,000 ounces. There was no change in the $1,200 per ounce gold price assumption for estimating mineral reserves at the Company's owned and operated mines. Significant factors that contributed to the revised reserves estimate included: At Westwood , the net addition of 448,000 ounces of reserves, converted from resources that resulted from additional infill drilling and modeling, and , the net addition of 448,000 ounces of reserves, converted from resources that resulted from additional infill drilling and modeling, and The positive impact of changes in the mine design approach and economic parameters at Essakane (331,000 ounces), which offset most of the mine's depletion (2016 attributable production of 377,000 ounces). Total attributable measured and indicated gold resources (inclusive of reserves) decreased overall by 0.6% or 150,000 ounces to 23.3 million ounces of gold at the end of 2016. There was also no change in the gold price assumption for estimating mineral resources at Essakane and Rosebel ($1,500 per ounce) or at Westwood ($1,200 per ounce). Significant factors that contributed to the revised resources estimate included: At Westwood , measured and indicated resources increased by 447,000 ounces as the 2016 delineation and valuation drilling triggered a significant resources conversion from inferred to indicated and measured resources, which also drove the conversion of resources to reserves, , measured and indicated resources increased by 447,000 ounces as the 2016 delineation and valuation drilling triggered a significant resources conversion from inferred to indicated and measured resources, which also drove the conversion of resources to reserves, At Essakane, measured and indicated resources declined by 367,000 ounces mainly due to depletion, partially offset by cost improvements which allowed more ounces to be economically viable and therefore to be included in the resource model, as well as the discovery of more ounces at the Falagountou deposit, At Rosebel, measured and indicated resources declined by 278,000 ounces mainly due to depletion as no material changes were made to the resources model in 2016, however, the implementation of a new estimation methodology is ongoing and a new resources estimate is expected to be completed in 2017, and The resources estimates at the Cote Gold, Boto, Siribaya and Pitangui Gold projects remained unchanged from 2015. As at December 31, 2016, the Company also had attributable inferred resources of 6.1 million ounces. Steve Letwin, President and CEO of IAMGOLD, commented, "In 2016, we identified and advanced high potential targets throughout our project pipeline, including areas surrounding our existing operations and at our advanced exploration projects. The results from this work were most evident at Westwood where we were able to increase reserves year over year by 75%, and where we expect to accelerate the conversion of resource to reserves as we extend our underground development and open up new drill sites. I thank Westwood for their excellent work to increase their reserves and resources, thank Essakane for improving their mine design and costs and congratulate the Exploration and Project Development teams for building such a strong pipeline of projects to support our growth story well beyond 2020." Mr. Letwin continued, "We expect 2017 to be an exciting year for exploration as we are on track at Rosebel to declare a maiden resource at Saramacca and to tap into the saddles between our existing pits, expand our footprint at the Falagountou satellite pit to feed our Essakane mine, and target initial resource estimates at Monster Lake in Quebec and Eastern Borosi in Nicaragua. In addition the pre-feasibility study for our Cote Gold project, which is expected by the end of the second quarter 2017, could lead to an additional amount of mineral reserves resulting from the conversion of the project's indicated resources." Notes to Investors Regarding the Use of Resources Cautionary Note to Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured and Indicated Resources This news release uses the terms "measured resources" and "indicated resources". We advise investors that while those terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") does not recognize them. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. Cautionary Note to Investors Concerning Estimates of Inferred Resources This news release also uses the term "inferred resources". We advise investors that while this term is recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the SEC does not recognize it. "Inferred resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that part or all of an inferred resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable. Scientific and Technical Disclosure IAMGOLD is reporting mineral resource and reserve estimates in accordance with the CIM guidelines for the estimation, classification and reporting of resources and reserves. Note: Mineral reserves and mineral resources for IAMGOLD's gold mines for the 2016 year-end statement were estimated using a $1,200 per ounce gold price (unless otherwise indicated in the notes in Table 1) for mineral reserves and a $1,500 per ounce price for mineral resources (unless otherwise indicated in the notes in Table 1). For open pit operations, gold resources are constrained within an economic pit shell. Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors The SEC limits disclosure for U.S. reporting purposes to mineral deposits that a company can economically and legally extract or produce. IAMGOLD uses certain terms in this news release, such as "measured," "indicated," or "inferred," which may not be consistent with the reserve definitions established by the SEC. U.S. investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in the IAMGOLD Annual Reports on Forms 40-F. You can review and obtain copies of these filings from the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml or by contacting the Investor Relations department. The Canadian Securities Administrators' National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") requires mining companies to disclose reserves and resources using the subcategories of "proven" reserves, "probable" reserves, "measured" resources, "indicated" resources and "inferred" resources. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not demonstrate economic viability. A mineral reserve is the economically mineable part of a measured or indicated mineral resource demonstrated by at least a preliminary feasibility study. This study must include adequate information on mining, processing, metallurgical, economic and other relevant factors that demonstrate, at the time of reporting, that economic extraction can be justified. A mineral reserve includes diluting materials and allows for losses that may occur when the material is mined. A proven mineral reserve is the economically mineable part of a measured mineral resource demonstrated by at least a preliminary feasibility study. A probable mineral reserve is the economically mineable part of an indicated, and in some circumstances, a measured mineral resource demonstrated by at least a preliminary feasibility study. A mineral resource is a concentration or occurrence of natural, solid, inorganic material, or natural, solid fossilized organic material including base and precious metals in or on the Earth's crust in such form and quantity and of such a grade or quality that it has reasonable prospects for economic extraction. The location, quantity, grade, geological characteristics and continuity of a mineral resource are known, estimated or interpreted from specific geological evidence and knowledge. A measured mineral resource is that part of a mineral resource for which quantity, grade or quality, densities, shape and physical characteristics are so well established that they can be estimated with confidence sufficient to allow the appropriate application of technical and economic parameters, to support production planning and evaluation of the economic viability of the deposit. The estimate is based on detailed and reliable exploration, sampling and testing information gathered through appropriate techniques from locations such as outcrops, trenches, pits, workings and drill holes that are spaced closely enough to confirm both geological and grade continuity. An indicated mineral resource is that part of a mineral resource for which quantity, grade or quality, densities, shape and physical characteristics can be estimated with a level of confidence sufficient to allow the appropriate application of technical and economic parameters, to support mine planning and evaluation of the economic viability of the deposit. The estimate is based on detailed and reliable exploration and testing information gathered through appropriate techniques from locations such as outcrops, trenches, pits, workings and drill holes that are spaced closely enough for geological and grade continuity to be reasonably assumed. An inferred mineral resource is that part of a mineral resource for which quantity and grade or quality can be estimated on the basis of geological evidence and limited sampling and reasonably assumed, but not verified, geological and grade continuity. The estimate is based on limited information and sampling gathered through appropriate techniques from locations such as outcrops, trenches, pits, workings and drill holes. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Investors are cautioned not to assume that part or all of an inferred resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable. A feasibility study is a comprehensive technical and economic study of the selected development option for a mineral project that includes appropriately detailed assessments of realistically assumed mining, processing, metallurgical, economic, marketing, legal, environmental, social and governmental considerations together with any other relevant operational factors and detailed financial analysis, that are necessary to demonstrate at the time of reporting that extraction is reasonably justified (economically mineable). The results of the study may reasonably serve as the basis for a final decision by a proponent or financial institution to proceed with, or finance, the development of the project. The confidence level of the study will be higher than that of a Pre-Feasibility Study. A Pre-Feasibility Study is a comprehensive study of a range of options for the technical and economic viability of a mineral project that has advanced to a stage where a preferred mining method, in the case of underground mining, or the pit configuration, in the case of an open pit, is established and an effective method of mineral processing is determined. It includes a financial analysis based on reasonable assumptions on mining, processing, metallurgical, economic, marketing, legal, environmental, social and governmental considerations and the evaluation of any other relevant factors which are sufficient for a qualified person, acting reasonably, to determine if all or part of the Mineral Resource may be classified as a Mineral Reserve. Gold Technical Information and Qualified Person/Quality Control Notes The mineral resource estimates contained in this news release have been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). The "Qualified Person" responsible for the supervision of the preparation and review of all resource and reserve estimates for IAMGOLD is Lise Chenard, Eng., Director, Mining Geology. Lise has worked in the mining industry for more than 30 years, mainly in operations, project development and consulting. She joined IAMGOLD in April 2013 and acquired her knowledge of the Company's operations and projects through site visits, information reviews and ongoing communication and oversight of mine site technical service teams or consultants responsible for resource and reserve modeling and estimation. She is considered a "Qualified Person" for the purposes of NI 43-101 with respect to the mineralization being reported on. The technical information has been included herein with the consent and prior review of the above noted Qualified Person. The Qualified person has verified the data disclosed, and data underlying the information or opinions contained herein. Forward Looking Statement This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding expected, estimated or planned gold production, cash costs, margin expansion, capital expenditures and exploration expenditures and statements regarding the estimation of mineral resources, exploration results, potential mineralization, potential mineral resources and mineral reserves) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, failure to meet expected, estimated or planned gold production, cash costs, margin expansion, capital expenditures and exploration expenditures and failure to establish estimated mineral resources, the possibility that future exploration results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, changes in world gold markets and other risks disclosed in IAMGOLD's most recent Form 40-F/Annual Information Form on file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement. About IAMGOLD IAMGOLD (www.iamgold.com) is a mid-tier mining company with four operating gold mines on three continents. A solid base of strategic assets in North and South America and West Africa is complemented by development and exploration projects and continued assessment of accretive acquisition opportunities. IAMGOLD is in a strong financial position with extensive management and operational expertise. Please note: This entire news release may be accessed via fax, e-mail, IAMGOLD's website at www.iamgold.com and through CNW Group's website at www.newswire.ca . All material information on IAMGOLD can be found at www.sedar.com or at www.sec.gov. Si vous desirez obtenir la version francaise de ce communique, veuillez consulter le http://www.iamgold.com/French/accueil/default.aspx Mineral Reserves and Resources of Gold Operations As at December 31, 2016 MINERAL RESERVES AND RESOURCES (1) (2) (3) GOLD OPERATIONS Tonnes (000s) Grade (g/t) Ounces Contained (000s) Attributable Contained Ounces (000s) Rosebel (4), Suriname (95%) Proven Reserves 53,047 1.0 1,751 1,663 Probable Reserves 9,357 1.1 327 311 Subtotal 62,404 1.0 2,078 1,974 Measured Resources 129,262 1.0 4,026 3,825 Indicated Resources 60,768 1.0 1,999 1,899 Inferred Resources 22,307 0.9 633 601 Essakane (5), Burkina Faso (90%) Probable Reserves 89,676 1.1 3,311 2,980 Subtotal 89,676 1.1 3,311 2,980 Indicated Resources 124,760 1.2 4,617 4,155 Inferred Resources 13,807 1.1 488 439 Westwood (6), Canada (100%) Proven Reserves 971 8.1 254 254 Probable Reserves 2,714 9.1 792 792 Subtotal 3,685 8.8 1,046 1,046 Measured Resources 652 12.9 271 271 Indicated Resources 2,079 13.7 915 915 Inferred Resources 6,343 10.9 2,223 2,223 Sadiola (7), Mali (41%) Proven Reserves 23 2.4 2 1 Probable Reserves 77,120 1.8 4,383 1,797 Subtotal 77,143 1.8 4,385 1,798 Measured Resources 23 2.4 2 1 Indicated Resources 126,652 1.7 7,099 2,910 Inferred Resources 19,082 1.7 1,036 425 Cote Gold (8), Canada (92.5%) Indicated Resources 289,183 0.9 8,354 7,727 Inferred Resources 66,894 0.6 1,174 1,086 Boto Gold (9), Senegal (100%) Indicated Resources 27,670 1.8 1,563 1,563 Inferred Resources 2,922 1.3 125 125 Pitangui (10), Brazil (100%) Inferred Resources 4,252 5.0 679 679 Diakha-Siribaya (11), Mali (50%) Indicated Resources 2,102 1.9 129 64 Inferred Resources 19,816 1.7 1,092 546 TOTAL Proven & Probable Reserves 232,909 1.4 10,820 7,798 Measured and Indicated Resources 763,151 1.2 28,974 23,331 Inferred Resources 155,423 1.5 7,450 6,124 (1) Measured and indicated resources are inclusive of proven and probable reserves. (2) In mining operations, measured and indicated resources that are not mineral reserves are considered uneconomic at the price used for reserve estimations but are deemed to have a reasonable prospect of economic extraction. (3) Although "measured resources", "indicated resources" and "inferred resources" are categories of mineralization that are recognized and required to be disclosed under Canadian regulations, the SEC does not recognize them. Disclosure of contained ounces is permitted under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC generally permits resources to be reported only as in place tonnage and grade. See "Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors". (4) Rosebel mineral reserves have been estimated as of December 31, 2016 using a $1,200/oz gold price and mineral resources have been estimated as of December 31, 2016 using a $1,500/oz gold price and have been estimated in accordance with NI 43-101. (5) Essakane mineral reserves have been estimated as of December 31, 2016 using a $1,200/oz gold price and mineral resources have been estimated as of December 31, 2016 using a $1,500/oz gold price and have been estimated in accordance with NI 43-101. (6) Westwood mineral reserves have been estimated as of December 31, 2016 using a $1,200/oz gold price and mineral resources have been estimated as of December 31, 2016 using a 6.0 g/t Au cut-off over a minimum width of 2 metres and have been estimated in accordance with NI 43-101. (7) Mineral reserves at Sadiola have been estimated as of December 31, 2016 using an average of $1,100/oz gold price and mineral resources have been estimated as of December 31, 2016 using a $1,400/oz gold price and have been estimated in accordance with JORC code. (8) Cote Gold mineral resources have been estimated as of December 31, 2015 using a $1,500/oz gold price and have been estimated in accordance with NI 43-101. (9) Boto Gold mineral resources have been estimated as of December 31, 2015 using a $1,500/oz gold price and have been estimated in accordance with NI 43-101. (10) Pitangui mineral resources have been estimated as of December 31, 2015 using a $1,500/oz gold price and have been estimated in accordance with NI 43-101. (11) Diakha-Siribaya mineral resources have been estimated as of December 31, 2015 using a $1,500/oz gold price and have been estimated in accordance with NI 43-101. SOURCE IAMGOLD Corporation Related Links http://www.iamgold.com CHENNAI and HAMBURG, Germany, February 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Indivumed, GmbH (Indivumed), a world leader in precision oncology headquartered in Hamburg, Germany and The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), the country's premier academic research institution, announced today a collaboration to support the first Indian national cancer data base and biobank for use in precision cancer research. IITM and Indivumed signed an agreement with an initial three-year term. The collaboration will include collection of many types of cancer, such as lung, breast, colorectal and pancreatic, to name a few. Initially physicians and patients residing within the state of Tamil Nadu with an approximate population of more than 78 million will be provided the opportunity to participate, with the hopes to expand the collection throughout the country. IITM will join a worldwide network of clinical and research institutions within Germany, Poland and the United States, enabling researchers to access a multi-national biobank of specimens and annotated clinical data collected and preserved under Indivumed unique scientific standards. "Partnering with IITM is an exciting expansion of the Indivumed mission to impact precision medicine in cancer on a global scale," said Hartmut Juhl, MD, founder and CEO of Indivumed. "With world class scientists and state-of-the-art technology, IITM is well positioned to advance cancer research. Our institutions have a shared commitment to attaining individualized cancer diagnosis and treatment for every patient based on reliable clinical data and molecularly intact biospecimens," Juhl went on to say. Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT Madras said of this collaboration, "Indivumed is a world leader in tissue collection and preservation and will drive meaningful innovation for physicians, patients and researchers. By participating in the Indivumed research network, we will join with the global scientific community to fight cancer and have access to a critical mass of biological samples and clinical data for use in unique clinical research for our community. IITM is committed to being on the cutting-edge of precision medicine for personalized cancer treatment." "The collection and preservation of human tissue is vital to enable the most impactful medical research," commented Dr. S. Mahalingam, Professor in the Department of Biotechnology at the Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences and Faculty-in-charge of National Cancer Tissue Biobank. "Importantly", Mahalingam said, "The partnership with Indivumed will provide our team access to its internationally leading biobanking standards, enabling the preservation of the molecular profile of cancer patients to allow for a better understanding of the interaction between genetic changes (DNA mutations) and cell biology, an essential ingredient to developing targeted cancer therapies." About IIT Madras (http://www.iitm.ac.in) IIT Madras is one among the foremost institutes of national importance in higher technological education, basic and applied research. In 1956, the German Government offered technical assistance for establishing an institute of higher education in engineering in India. The first Indo-German agreement in Bonn, West Germany for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Technology at Madras was signed in 1959. IIT Madras is a residential institute with nearly 600 faculty, 9000 students and more than 1500 administrative & supporting staff and is a self-contained campus located in a beautiful wooded land of about 250 hectares. It has established itself as a premier centre for teaching, research and industrial consultancy in the country. The Institute has sixteen academic/research departments and many national as well as international advanced research centres/facilities in various disciplines of engineering and pure sciences. IIT Madras jointly with the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India established the first National Cancer Tissue Biobank facility. A faculty of international repute, a brilliant student community, excellent technical & supporting staff and an effective administration have all contributed to the pre-eminent status of IIT Madras. The campus is located in the city of Chennai, previously known as Madras. Chennai is the state capital of Tamil Nadu, a southern state in India. IITM has been ranked #1 amongst research and teaching institutions in Engineering in the India Rankings 2016 released by the National Institutional Ranking Framework, Ministry of Human Resources Development, Govt. of India- https://www.nirfindia.org/engg Join IIT Madras on Facebook: ReachIITM; on Twitter: @ReachIITM About Indivumed: INDIVUMED, an ISO certified global oncology research company based in Hamburg, Germany, has established the world's leading Cancer Database and biobank, retaining unique patterns of biomolecules such as RNA, DNA, and proteins as they existed in the human body. This Cancer Database makes possible multi-omics capabilities that will allow for characterization of samples and data such as whole genome gene expression analysis, expression analysis of cancer relevant proteins, expression analysis of cancer relevant phosphoproteins and bioinformatic solutions for integrating molecular, biological and clinical information. Indivumed's products and services allow for in-depth understanding of the underlying mechanisms of a patient's cancer, addressing important demands in translational research and molecular diagnostics to support implementation of personalized healthcare. For more information, please visit http://www.indivumed.com CONTACT FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES Indivumed GmbH Hartmut Juhl, MD Founder and Chief Executive Officer Tel.: +49/40 - 41 33-83-0 E-mail: [email protected] IIT Madras: Bhavani Giddu Footprint Global Communications Cell: +91-9999500262 Email: [email protected] Palak Sakhuja Footprint Global Communications Cell: +91-9582338333 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Indivumed GmbH DENVER, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Denver's first construction co-working community is pleased to announce its much anticipated Grand Opening on Friday, February 24th, 2017. After several months of design and construction, Tradecraft Industries is changing the once isolated industry and bringing the co-working mentality that thrives in tech and startup space to construction. Tc creates a space for its members to network, grow, and build relationships with others in similar trades. "Construction is a dog eat dog world, Tc is built to give its members bigger teeth," commented Bryce Ballew, the visionary founder of Tradecraft Industries. The beautifully conceived space has now taken on its finishing touches and is ready to be revealed to the Denver community. By bringing together great minds in the industry, Tradecraft Industries is shifting the perspective of all those involved by emphasizing the need for community and collaboration with expansion and growth as the pillar foundations for success. "Tc was designed and built for the construction professional to further advance their business in ways that were previously only obtained through hard-knocks," remarked Ballew. The Tradecraft Main Entrance Tradecraft Industries founder Bryce Ballew, 34, conceptualized Tradecraft in 2012 when he ventured out on his own as a commercial CM/GC after more than 12 years of experience. In the years that followed, co-working spaces and small business incubators became booming business, while the construction industry lacked a progressive approach to supporting and encouraging small business growth and large business innovation. Ballew partnered with Denver based Live Forward Ventures to create a pathway for design and construction businesses to scale, grow and collaborate rather than operate in the different silos where they currently reside. "Tradecraft has a diverse variety of solutions for businesses of all sizes. From networking and continuing education to mailing addresses and storage, this combines a nuts-and-bolts approach with a C-suite touch." The response to Tradecraft and its progressive approach to business has been overwhelmingly positive. "When you're doing something this new in an industry, it naturally attracts the right kind of people to build the community we envisioned," expressed Director of Operations, Sarah Battani. Offices, memberships, and storage units have been sold and Tc has built a progressive, collaborative community within the trades as well as a professional network that will offer expertise to members. The building's details are clearly crafted with the members in mind. Utilizing an intentional industrial look with a sleek and modern finish, it gives the ambience of an industrial workshop, but with a unique modern touch. This approach summarizes Tradecraft's ethos; promote the pillars of what construction business was founded on integrity, grit, and hard work while bringing in a new flavor of efficiency, networking, and optimized business solutions. The space is located at 6145 Broadway in Denver, CO 80216 and is currently scheduling tours. For more information, check out their website at www.tradecraft.industries. Media contact: Sarah Battani [email protected] 303-870-2892 SOURCE Tradecraft Industries Related Links http://www.tradecraft.industries SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Internal Affairs Unit of the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) / Community Care Licensing Health Department (CCLD) has launched an administrative investigation into misconduct by CCLD officials during a January 10, 2017 site visit to a children's recovery home, an adolescent mental health treatment center operated by Sovereign Health, a national behavioral health system. The investigation was launched in response to a complaint submitted by Sovereign to CDSS Director, Will Lightbourne. The complaint details the outrageous conduct of CCLD staff who brought an armed, unnamed individual to the facility that houses children recovering from trauma. The gun wielding individual, who wore no badge or other form of identification and refused to give his name, stalked the grounds of the facility openly carrying a firearm. During the visit, CCLD Licensing Program Manager, Shelly Grace and Licensing Program Analyst, Marisol Lopez, refused to name the armed intruder and stood by as he bullied the staff and belligerently ordered the facility's Medical Director into a room while refusing to allow the Facility Administrator to enter. In the complaint, board member Seth Zajac protested that: "The children's recovery home is a sanctuary for children with mental illness and for children recovering from trauma." Mr. Zajac went on to say: "These actions by CCLD's staff are despicable . It was dangerous . Sending a gun wielding individual to the children's recovery home in civilian clothing who refused to identify himself interferes with our staff's ability to identify a potential active shooter. And it was illegal : Health and Safety Code Section 1533 requires staff to properly identify themselves before entering the licensed children's recovery home." The blatant, ethical, procedural and legal violations didn't end with the site visit. The complaint also reveals that Ms. Grace and Ms. Lopez intentionally falsified the required site visit reporting documents by deliberately omitting any mention of the armed individual in their official site report. CCLD's actions stand in stark contrast to the fact that the children's recovery center has long maintained Gold Seal accreditation from the Joint Commission, the nation's oldest and most respected healthcare accrediting body. These recent incidents and CCLD's history of licensing irregularities have compelled Sovereign Health to call for an independent investigation by the California State Senate. Licensing irregularities were the foundation of another State Senate investigation. In 2012, the California Senate published a report: Rogue Rehabs: State failed to police drug and alcohol homes, with deadly results. Sovereign Health says it is high time for the Senate to investigate CCLD's "rogue regulators." In its call for action, Sovereign Health has asked the State Senate to protect the people of California by holding CCLD accountable for its egregious behavior and correct a licensing process that is corrupt and out-of-control. And as Mr. Zajac stated in Sovereign Health's complaint, CCLD's actions serve as a prime example of what needs to change. "This disgusting conduct was entirely unnecessary, unprecedented and unlawful. This disgusting conduct must never happen again." About Sovereign Health Sovereign Health's mission is to provide a broad spectrum of high-quality behavioral health treatment services for adults and adolescents, including support services for family members. One factor that differentiates Sovereign from other treatment providers has been the company's ability to offer separate mental health and addiction or dual diagnosis treatment programs at its facilities. For more information, visit www.sovhealth.com. SOURCE Sovereign Health Related Links http://www.sovhealth.com MEMPHIS, Tenn., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- International Paper (NYSE: IP) announced the following senior leadership changes. Thomas J. Plath has been elected by the board of directors to become Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Global Citizenship, effective March 1, 2017. Mr. Plath joined International Paper in 1991, serving most recently as Vice President, Human Resources, Global Businesses. The company also announced the retirement of Thomas G. Kadien, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Government Relations and Global Citizenship. Mr. Kadien joined the company in 1978 and will retire effective June 30, 2017. "For nearly four decades, Tom Kadien has left an indelible mark on International Paper, not only as a leader but as a colleague and friend. We wish him the very best in retirement," said Mark Sutton, Chairman and CEO. "Tom Plath will lead our efforts to continue to attract, engage and develop our colleagues around the world. Tom will be an excellent addition to our senior leadership team." About International Paper International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a leading global producer of renewable fiber-based packaging, pulp and paper products with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, Europe, North Africa, Asia and Russia. We produce packaging products that protect and promote goods, and enable world-wide commerce; pulp for diapers, tissue and other personal hygiene products that promote health and wellness; papers that facilitate education and communication; and paper bags, cups and food containers that provide convenience and portability. We are headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., and employ approximately 55,000 colleagues located in more than 24 countries. Net sales for 2016 were $21 billion. For more information about International Paper, our products and global citizenship efforts, please visit internationalpaper.com. SOURCE International Paper Related Links http://www.internationalpaper.com PITTSBURGH, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United Steelworkers (USW) released the following statement today after the U.S. International Trade Commission, by a vote of 3 to 2, denied relief from dumped and subsidized Chinese truck and bus tires to workers. While the Department of Commerce in late January found that the subject tires were subsidized at margins ranging from 20.98 to 63.34 percent and that dumping had occurred at rates ranging from 9 to 22.57 percent, a majority of the voting commissioners failed to see the injury that had been inflicted. "The ITC Commissioners made a huge mistake," said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. "While the Department of Commerce identified subsidies of up to more than 60 percent and dumping of up to almost 23 percent, the ITC failed to support relief for the injured workers. That simply ignores the facts and the harm that Chinese unfairly-traded exports have caused the workers. "The size of the margins clearly indicated the serious nature of the problem, but our law separates the facts from the determination of whether injury has occurred. For too long, that has jeopardized the jobs of workers across the country that make high quality products. Our members can compete against companies, but not countries. That's exactly what happens when it comes to competing against China. "The injury that the workers making truck and bus tires have experienced is tragic. Massive subsidies and dumping must be challenged," said Gerard. "China continues to ramp up capacity throughout the tire sector, seeking to sell here at any price. It is time for the government to step in so that workers do not have to continue to shoulder the burden of failed trade agreements and policies," said USW International Vice President Tom Conway. "Workers are demanding that our government stand up for their interests." "For many years we have fought Chinese companies targeting the U.S. market and American workers with unfair practices," said USW International Secretary-Treasurer Stan Johnson. "Our members in the tire sector have stood their ground and fought like hell to stop China's dumping and subsidies. Today, workers making truck and bus tires have been left holding the short end of the stick. We will look to the Congress and the new Administration to determine whether other steps can be taken to save these vital family-supportive jobs." "The fight for these jobs is far from over," said Johnson. The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service and public sectors. For more information: http://www.usw.org/. CONTACT: Holly Hart (202)778-4384, [email protected] SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW) Related Links http://www.usw.org Dr. Yegian previously was a senior vice president for Programs and Policy at the Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA). Prior to the IHA, she co-directed the American Institutes for Research's (AIR) Health Policy and Research Group, where she was responsible for strategic planning for the group, leading multiple proposals and projects on topics including the consumer use of quality and cost information for decision-making and health insurance exchanges. Dr. Yegian also spent 13 years with the California HealthCare Foundation, where she worked to improve the state's financing and delivery systems for health care. She earned a bachelor's degree in human biology from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in health services and policy analysis from the University of California - Berkeley. "We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Yegian to our company," said Richard Fish, chief executive officer of Brown & Toland Physicians. "As the healthcare industry continues to transform both in the Bay Area and on a national level, having an experienced leader like Dr. Yegian on our team will enhance our company's position in the market. She also will help us achieve our goals of providing our doctors with the services and programs they need to provide the best care possible to their patients." About Brown & Toland Physicians Brown & Toland Physicians is a leading network of independent doctors focused on delivering personalized, high quality, and affordable healthcare to the San Francisco Bay Area. Its network of 1,500 physicians, serving more than 300,000 HMO and PPO patients, is dedicated to improving care through patient-centered programs, use of healthcare technology, and population health management strategies. The group has succeeded in improving quality outcomes and reducing medical costs across multiple accountable care populations. Brown & Toland collaborates with leading hospitals and health providers to provide local and convenient care in the Bay Area. To learn more, visit www.brownandtoland.com. SOURCE Brown & Toland Physicians Related Links http://www.brownandtoland.com SEATTLE, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kineta, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the translational development of novel immune modulating therapies, today announced that KCP-400 (RgIA4), a potent antagonist of the 910 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), demonstrates robust chronic pain relief and disease modifying effects in preclinical pain models. The study also establishes the 910 nAChR as a new, non-opioid target for the treatment of chronic pain. The findings were reported online in the February 20th issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. KCP-400 is derived from the venom of the Conus regius, a small cone snail native to the Caribbean Sea that uses a venomous punch to paralyze and kill its prey. "Nature has evolved molecules that are extremely sophisticated and can have unexpected applications," said Dr. Baldomero Olivera, professor in biology at the University of Utah and co-author of the study. "We were interested in using venoms to understand different pathways in the nervous system." Using chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in rodents, researchers from Kineta and the University of Utah, showed that 910 nAChRs play a key role in the progression of CIPN and that KCP-400 is an effective compound to block this target. The observed pain relief continued for 72 hours after the compound was injected, indicating that KCP-400 may provide sustained relief of chronic pain. "KCP-400's target, the 910 nAChR, represents a mechanistically distinct approach to modify the disease course of chronic pain", said Dr. Shawn Iadonato, CEO of Kineta and co-author of the study. "KCP-400 blocks pain signaling at the site of nerve injury producing analgesic, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Additionally, since KCP-400 is peripherally acting, we do not anticipate that it will have the central nervous system-related side effects associated with opioid therapies." Public health officials have called the current opioid epidemic the worst drug crisis in American history, killing more than 90 people every day. "There is a tremendous unmet medical need for new chronic pain therapies that are differentiated from currently available treatment options", said Dr. Iadonato. "We believe that KCP-400, with its novel characteristics, may have a significant and positive impact for patients and their families. Kineta is conducting ongoing preclinical safety and efficacy studies of KCP-400 in many forms of chronic pain and plans to advance to Phase 1 human clinical trials in mid-2018. Click here to view the study: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2017/02/17/1621433114.abstract The study was conducted by Kineta in collaboration with colleagues from University of Utah, University of Florence, Italy, A.T. Still University, University of Mississippi Medical Center and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City. This work was supported by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs through the FY13 DOD USAMRMC Broad Agency Announcement under Award No. W81XWH-15-2-0057. Kineta, Inc. is an emerging and sustainable biotech company that fills a void in the biopharmaceutical industry by efficiently advancing therapies from discovery to clinical proof of concept. We actively collaborate with a broad array of private, government and industry partners to advance our innovative research in chronic pain, immuno-oncology and infectious diseases. Kineta has established and is expanding on a diverse pipeline of novel life improving therapies that address critical unmet patient needs. For more information on Kineta, Inc. visit our website, www.Kinetabio.com KCP-400 is a first in class 910 nAChR antagonist with a novel mechanism of action. It is a highly potent synthetic peptide that is derived from the venom of a cone snail. KCP-400 is a non-opioid that has demonstrated robust analgesic, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects across multiple preclinical chronic pain models. It is well tolerated with no observed toxicities in short-term studies in animals. NOTICE: This document contains certain forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding Kineta's plans for pre-clinical and clinical studies, regulatory filings, and anticipated drug effects in human subjects. You are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties inherent in Kineta's business which could significantly affect expected results, including without limitation progress of drug development, ability to raise capital to fund drug development, clinical testing and regulatory approval, developments in raw material and personnel costs, and legislative, fiscal, and other regulatory measures. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and Kineta undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the issuance of this press release. Contact Jacques Bouchy [email protected] (206) 378-0400 SOURCE Kineta, Inc. Related Links http://www.kinetabio.com Adduci and Azucena join SVP Account Director Annette Fonte as the business leads at LAPIZ tasked with reimagining the role of account managers in the agency. LAPIZ will decentralize the role of account director to develop business units within teams throughout the agency. Adduci currently oversees LAPIZ accounts including Kraft, UnitedHealthcare and Mexico Board of Tourism. He has been building global brands for clients like Charmin, Bounty and Gain for more than 25 years, and has won multiple industry-leading awards including three Cannes Lions. Azucena oversees the Allstate business and has been a critical player in the growth of the agency's relationship with Advance Auto Parts. He has seen the transformation of the agency over the years first hand, creating work for clients including Coca-Cola and General Motors. About LAPIZ Established in 1999, LAPIZ is a marketing agency that uses outside perspectives to challenge established beliefs and create the unexpected. LAPIZ work has consistently been recognized in top creative and effectiveness international awards shows including several Cannes Lions, Clios and EFFIES. Part of the Leo Burnett Group, LAPIZ works with some of the world's most valuable brands including Advance Auto Parts, Allstate, Purina, Mexico Board of Tourism, Marshalls and Kraft. LAPIZ Contact: Michael Cowen 312.220.3953 [email protected] SOURCE LAPIZ ATLANTA, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA) is celebrating a huge milestone this week as they reach over 100 Support Groups nationwide! This accomplishment speaks volumes for the organization because LBDA is extending it's reach and capacity to further help those in need of support and services. LBDA's passion and commitment to spreading awareness has enabled them to grow their support group base exponentially. The objective of each group is to provide support efforts for caregivers and those with Lewy body dementias. These individuals can access tools, resources, and communicate with others who have similar situations. "The LBD caregivers group helps members face the future, whatever it may bring" shares Paul Smith, a Support Group Facilitator based in Illinois. The majority of LBDA's support groups are led by volunteers who are trained by the organization. Training ensures that facilitators are knowledgeable in the LBD disease process, and are able to provide a safe, welcoming environment for group members to feel comfortable sharing personal experiences and learn from one another. "Providing support and compassion for all those affected by Lewy is core to our mission at LBDA . It has taken us a while to get to this point but we are very excited by all the opportunities that are around us as we continue to grow," Mike Koehler, CEO. There is only more anticipated growth on the horizon as LBDA continues to spearhead the fight against LBD! For a comprehensive list of all LBDA support groups visit https://www.lbda.org/lbd-local-support-groups About the Lewy Body Dementia Association: The Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA) is the nation's leading authority on Lewy body dementias (LBD) and is dedicated to continuous outreach, education, research, and support for those affected with LBD and their families. LBD is a progressive brain disease that affects thinking, movement, behavior, and impacts 1.4 million people in the United States. SOURCE Lewy Body Dementia Association Related Links http://www.lbda.org (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140929/708770 ) The pivotal prospective, multi-center, multi-national, randomized, IDE clinical trial, compares patients undergoing colorectal anastomosis with and without LifeSeal. The LifeSeal Surgical Sealant is a unique gastrointestinal (GI) sealant specifically designed to provide reinforcement and minimize staple-line leakage. It is the only GI sealant CE marked in Europe to help reduce leaks as an adjunct to sutures or staples. "LifeBond achieved several milestones in 2016. To begin, the FDA granted permission to the company to commence the LifeSeal IDE study as part of the EAP (Expedited Access Pathway) program. We are deeply appreciative of the FDA's responsiveness and designation of LifeSeal as part of the EAP program, as well as the medical community's strong support and participation in validating LifeSeal's clinical value," said LifeBond CEO Gideon Sturlesi. "We began our pivotal study initially in Europe, to build on the completion of a successful CE study, and then recently expanded to multiple centers in the US. Last year also marked the start of the commercialization of LifeSeal in Europe. We have established strong momentum clinically and commercially, and we intend to build on this in the coming year and beyond." "LifeBond's team is committed to bringing LifeSeal and other high quality surgical tools to the market, and to providing surgeons worldwide with access to easy-to-use solutions for reducing leaks in GI surgery. We are very pleased with LifeBond's progress clinically and commercially, and are confident that LifeSeal is the first of a number of novel products the company will introduce in the next few years," said Ittai Harel, Managing General Partner at Pitango. About LifeBond LifeBond, a 2016 Frost & Sullivan 2016 European New Product Innovation Award winner, is a leader in the development and manufacturing of bio-surgical medical devices for tissue repair intended to improve patient outcomes and support the body's natural healing process. The company's devices have the potential to fill a long list of unmet surgical needs. LifeBond's LifeSeal surgical sealant is designed to provide staple-line reinforcement in GI surgery. Reducing leakage has the potential to save patient lives, improve patient recovery, and avoid re-admissions and repeated surgeries. LifeSeal has a CE marking for sale in the European Union (EU). In the US, LifeSeal is available only for use as experimental device in the approved IDE study. LifeBond's LifeMesh, a self-fixating hernia mesh, is in pre-clinical development. Other pipeline products include tissue adhesives and absorbable hemostats. LifeMesh is an investigational device and has not yet been approved for sale in the US or in any other market. For more information please visit http://www.life-bond.com. Certain statements made throughout this press release that are not historical facts contain forward-looking statements regarding the Company's future plans, objectives and expected performance. Any such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable, but are subject to a wide range of risks and uncertainties and, therefore, there can be no assurance that actual results may not differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Press Contact: Marjie Hadad MH Communications +972-54-536-5220 [email protected] SOURCE LifeBond SHANGHAI, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- LERRI Solar, a world leading monocrystalline solar module manufacturer headquartered in Xi'an, China, has been named a Tier One supplier by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). BNEF's classification is based on demonstrating significant non-recourse project finance deals that have successfully closed. i.e., becoming a Tier One company, per BNEF, requires a significant track record of commercial acceptance by investment institutions. Furthermore, per BNEF, "...one of the characteristics of a tier 1 manufacturer is transparency and good data availability." BNEF provides its list of Tier One producers, updated quarterly, to companies who subscribe to BNEF's Solar Insight Service. According to Mr. Richard For, LONGi-LERRI Solar's Head of Overseas Business, "We are pleased to kick off 2017 with being named a Tier One module supplier by the prestigious Bloomberg organization. This is another milestone for the LONGi-LERRI Group and demonstrates market acceptance of our high quality and high efficiency monocrystalline modules." Based on manufacturing capacity, LERRI Solar ranks in the top quarter of all manufacturers on BNEF's Tier One list. About LERRI Solar LERRI Solar is a world-leading manufacturer of high-efficiency mono-crystalline solar cells and modules. The company was founded in 2007 and subsequently acquired by the LONGi Group in 2014. The LONGi Group is the largest supplier of mono-crystalline silicon wafers in the world, with total assets above $1.7 billion and capacity of 7.5GW (as of end-2016). LONGi-LERRI Solar has been selected as a "Top Runner" - a classification by the Government of China bestowed on a select few PV manufacturers that meet strict standards for module efficiency and power. LONGi-LERRI Solar qualified by producing modules from high efficiency monocrystalline silicon solar cells. LONGi-LERRI Solar shipped approximately 2.5GW of module products in 2016, more than double from the prior year. LONGi-LERRI Solar is a wholly owned subsidiary of the LONGi Group, the world's largest producer of monocrystalline silicon wafers for the solar industry. In addition to its China operations, LONGi will soon commence new facilities in Malaysia and India, with vertically integrated production of photovoltaic wafers, cells and modules. Contact Press/Investors/Analysts: Richard For Vice President LONGi-LERRI Solar [email protected] Website: www.LERRI.com SOURCE LONGi Solar Related Links http://www.LERRI.com NEW YORK, Feb. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lubricants Market for Off-road Sector: Overview Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04711318-summary/view-report.html Lubricants diminish friction because they eliminate the contact resistance between two solid surfaces or objects. Examples of lubricants are engine oil, gear oil, transmission fluid, greases, coolants, bearing oil, brake fluid, etc. North America is anticipated to be a major consumer of lubricants due to presence of large number of off road vehicles in the region. Growing demand for lubricants in the construction and mining industry in Asia Pacific is anticipated to affect the lubricants market in terms of lubricant consumption. Engine oil, as the name suggests, is used to avoid friction and corrosion in engine of a vehicle. Gear oil and transmission fluid are used by gear box and axles of a vehicle. In some types of vehicles, separate gear oil and transmission fluid are not required. Single lubricant is used in gear box of the vehicle in place of them. Global Lubricants Market for Off-road Sector: Scope of the Report This study analyzes, estimates, and forecasts the global lubricants market for off-road sector in terms of volume (kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) from 2015 to 2024. Market numbers given in the report describe the demand for global lubricants, but not production or supply. The global lubricants report also analyzes several driving and restraining factors and their impact on the market during the forecast period. The report provides comprehensive analysis of the global lubricants by key source, grade, product and end use. It segments the market into key source that include mineral oil, synthetic and biobased. It further segments the market into key grades that include single grade and multi grade. Additionally, the report segments the market into key products (engine oil, transmission fluids, hydraulic fluids, gear oil, grease and others and key end users (construction, agriculture & farming, mining, material handling and others). The report also segments the lubricants market for off-road sector based on major geographies into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Besides the report comprises 12 unique country-specific analysis. Global Lubricants Market for Off-road Sector: Research Methodology Based on source and grade, the report analyzes the attractiveness of each segment with the help of an attractiveness tool. The study consist of value chain analysis, which offers a better understanding of key companies in the supply chain from raw material manufacturers to end-users. Additionally, the study examines market competition through Porter's Five Forces Analysis. Primary research represents the majority of our research efforts, complemented by extensive secondary research. We reviewed key players' product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents for competitive analysis and market understanding. Secondary research also includes a search of technical writing, recent trade, Internet sources, and statistical data from government websites, trade associations, and agencies. This has proven to be the most consistent, effective, and productive approach for procuring precise market data, recognizing business opportunities, and understanding industry participants' perceptions. Secondary research sources that are typically referred to include broker reports, corporation websites, external patented databases, financial reports, stockholder presentations, Securities & Exchange Commission filings, proprietary databases and relevant patent and regulatory databases, national government documents, statistical databases, and market reports, news articles, press releases, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market. Secondary sources referred for this study include Chemical Week Magazine, ICIS Chemical Business Magazine, Hoover's, Factiva, and company presentations. Key Players Mentioned in this Report are: The report includes an overview of the market share of key companies in the global lubricants market for off-road sector. Market share of companies has been derived on the basis of production by manufacturers of lubricants. Key market players profiled in the study include Royal Dutch Shell plc, ExxonMobil Corporation, BP Global, Total S.A., Phillips 66, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Halron Lubricants Inc., Topaz Energy Group Limited, Chevron USA Inc, Fuchs Petrolub SE, Castrol Limited, BRB International and Lukoil Lubricants Company. The report segments the global lubricants market for off-road sector as follows: Global Lubricants Market for Off-road Sector Source Analysis Mineral Oil-basedSyntheticBio-based Global Lubricants Market for Off-road Sector Grade Analysis SingleMulti Global Lubricants Market for Off-road Sector Product Analysis Engine oil Transmission fluids Hydraulic fluids Gear oil Grease Others Global Lubricants Market for Off-road Sector End Use Analysis Construction Agriculture & Farming Mining Material Handling Others Global Lubricants Market for Off-road Sector Regional Analysis North America U.S. Canada Europe UK Italy Spain France Germany Rest of EU Asia Pacific China India Japan ASEAN Rest of APAC Latin America Brazil Rest of Latin America (LATAM) Middle East & Africa GCC South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa (MEA) Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04711318-summary/view-report.html About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. http://www.reportlinker.com Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com CHICAGO, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- IES Abroad, a leading not-for-profit organization providing access to 125+ study abroad and internship programs in more than 35 cities around the world, announced today that seven U.S. college students have been recognized as part of its inaugural Global Citizen of the Year Awards. This is the first student-focused, study abroad honor of its kind. The IES Abroad Global Citizen of the Year Award recognizes students who: Studied on a 2016 IES Abroad program Impacted their community abroad through academic, philanthropic or personal efforts Learned about themselves through cross-cultural interactions Will apply, or are applying, skills and knowledge learned abroad to continually bring global perspectives to their communities IES Abroad received 54 inspiring submissions from its students across more than 40 different U.S. colleges. Honored students for the Global Citizen of the Year Award include: Winner | IES Abroad Global Citizen of the Year Sydni Williams | MadridLanguage & Area Studies, Academic Year 2016-17 | University of Michigan Finalists: Hannah Dallman | Cape TownUniversity of Cape Town , Spring 2016 | Gettysburg College | Cape TownUniversity of , Spring 2016 | John Luke Hawkins | Cape TownUniversity of Cape Town , Fall 2016 | Hope College | Cape TownUniversity of , Fall 2016 | Reed Foster | Buenos AiresAdvanced Spanish Immersion, Fall 2016 | Occidental College Honorable Mentions: Ileana Exaras | ViennaMusic, Spring 2016 | Lehigh University Sophia Iosue | European Society & Culture, Fall 2016 | Harvard University | European Society & Culture, Fall 2016 | Alice Woods | Customized Program in Cape Town , Spring 2015, Spring 2016 | University of Miami Global Citizen of the Year, Sydni Williams is a sophomore studying Neuroscience, Spanish Language and Writing at the University of Michigan. Currently studying abroad for the 2016-17 academic year with IES Abroad in Madrid, Williams' interned [through IES Abroad] at the Social Services Center of Los Yebenes in Madrid. She gained valuable hands-on experience mentoring and tutoring low-income students. Reflecting on her internship she realized how many other students in the world live with the same struggle, even those in her hometown of Detroit. "I have made it my life goal to continuously contribute to my community by making sure that youth are not denied their right to an excellent education," said Williams. Williams will return to the U.S. this summer to be a servant leader intern with the Children's Defense Fund Freedom School. She plans to continue to help inner-city youth and start a non-profit that will give youth who've made mistakes and faced criminal charges a second chance to succeed. Sydni Williams will receive a $1,000 prize. "These student are the future leaders of our global economy," said Dr. Mary M. Dwyer, President and CEO of IES Abroad. "It's imperative that we encourage students to embrace cultures distinct from their own and to view the world through a different lens." SOURCE IES Abroad Related Links http://www.iesabroad.org CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Retired Navy Commander Michael J. Adams, who served as a top legal adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and as a national security point person on cyber threats, has joined McGuireWoods as a partner in Charlotte. As a member of the firm's Data Privacy and Security Team, Adams will advise clients on cybersecurity issues in a wide range of industries. Since 2013, Adams advised the chairman and Joint Chiefs on legal matters affecting military operations, including cybersecurity, privacy, information governance and technology issues. He developed a legal and policy framework to combat emerging cyber threats and served as a key military adviser during significant U.S. cyber events, including the 2014 hacking of Sony Pictures by North Korea. Adams previously was deputy general counsel for U.S. Pacific Command, where he served as a special adviser on cybersecurity and sensitive technical operations. In that role, he helped design a cyber architecture and command structure unique to forces in the Pacific theater. Adams, who has practiced law for 20 years, was a line officer, engineer and navigator aboard two U.S. warships before transitioning to the Judge Advocate General's Corps. He served as a legal adviser for U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan and deployed six times to Afghanistan and once to Iraq, receiving the Defense Superior Service Medal and Bronze Star. He also earned the Maj. Gen. William F. Garrison Award for exceptionally meritorious service in advancing the rule of law in the Special Operations Forces community. Adams graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, earned his J.D. at Georgetown University Law Center and an LL.M. at Harvard Law School. In 2015, he co-taught a Harvard Law national security law course that focused on maritime and territorial disputes in the East and South China seas. "Mike has provided vital legal counsel to top military commanders and combat forces at a time of heightened tensions around the world," said Andrew Konia, chair of McGuireWoods' Data Privacy and Security Industry Team. "His in-depth, technical understanding of current and emerging risks, particularly for critical infrastructure, will add tremendous value for our clients in multiple industries." Scott Vaughn, managing partner of the firm's Charlotte office, added, "Mike has served his country with distinction as a decorated naval officer and attorney at the highest levels of our armed forces and we are proud to have someone with his talent and experience on our team at McGuireWoods." "I look forward to using my government experience in data privacy and security to address the critical concerns of our clients around the globe," Adams said. "McGuireWoods has a well-established reputation for excellence and client service, and I can't think of a better place to build my practice." McGuireWoods' global Data Privacy and Security Team works with clients to protect the integrity of their systems; develop programs to harness, manage and protect their information; and navigate post-breach investigative and remediation requirements. Fourteen team members hold certifications from the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Lawyers provide regular updates on privacy and security issues on the firm's Password Protected blog. McGuireWoods LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers in 23 offices worldwide. It ranks among the top 10 law firms in the Financial Times' prestigious North America Innovative Lawyers report. The firm has been recognized 11 times on BTI Consulting's "Client Service A-Team" elite firms singled out for client service excellence based on unprompted feedback from clients in major companies. Its full-service public affairs arm, McGuireWoods Consulting LLC, offers infrastructure and economic development, strategic communications and grassroots advocacy, and government relations solutions. For more information, visit www.mcguirewoods.com. SOURCE McGuireWoods LLP Related Links https://www.mcguirewoods.com/ SAINT LOUIS, Mo., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mid America Freight Logistics, LLC (Mid America) has announced a major advancement in its proprietary Transportation Management Software (TMS). Starting today, Mid America will be offering its truckload carrier partners, shippers and other transportation service providers the ability to provide location, estimated speed, and other transit data through their mobile device without having to download an app. Operations Department of Mid America Logistics' corporate office in Saint Louis, Missouri. Operators utilizing proprietary TMS technology to enable "App-less" tracking. Unlike other mobile tracking solutions requiring a download of an application, Mid America's technology only requires a truck driver to reply "Yes" to a text message. The location enabled phone or smart phone sends updates back to Mid America's servers. The data is run through proprietary algorithms, alongside traffic and weather information to optimize routing, measure transit times, and predict for its clients and vendors when delays may occur. One of Mid America's Managing Partners, Martin Brading stated, "Mid America's app-less tracking solution promotes efficiencies not only within our internal business model, but with our drivers and carriers, maximizing all stakeholder's ability to deliver as efficiently as possible." The software utilizes geofencing to know the shipment has reached its destination, at which point the tracking ceases and delivery is confirmed. Beyond tracking shipments, the data will also be used to promote driver safety. By calculating average speed and Hours of Service (HOS), the new functionality allows Mid America to ensure compliance with transportation laws, and enhance the Drivers experience by minimizing distractions and interruptions. Brading went on to say, "Oftentimes the Third-party Logistics industry delegates safety to the drivers and carriers, whereas Mid America's new app-less solution was designed with the driver's safety as the priority." ABOUT MID AMERICA LOGISTICS Mid America Logistics is one of the fastest growing technology enabled logistics companies in North America providing full truckload, less-than-truckload and transportation technology services to Fortune 500 clients in the retail, CPG, Industrial and agriculture industries. Based in Saint Louis Missouri near the Fenton Logistics Park, Mid America has a mission statement of being the easiest company to work with in the industry, with plans to open new operations centers throughout the United States. Mid America's website is www.midamlogistics.com. Media Contact: Jason Rauschelbach Phone: 636-529-8252 Email: [email protected] Related Images image1.jpg image2.jpg image3.png This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE Mid America Freight Logistics, LLC PHOENIX, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mosaic451, a bespoke cybersecurity services provider and consultancy, announced today that the company was awarded a master agreement by The Organization for Educational Technology and Curriculum (OETC) to provide cybersecurity services including monitoring, management and administration of security devices and software. Mosaic451 awarded master agreement by The Organization for Educational Technology and Curriculum (OETC) to provide cybersecurity services to its members. The master agreement allows Mosaic451 to provide Networking Equipment, Network Security, Network as a Service and Security as a Service to the OETC and over 1,000 of its K-20 member institutions. The initial contract is 3 years in length, with three (1) year extensions totaling 6 years in duration. All OETC members may select Mosaic451 for the listed security products and services without going to bid for the next 6 years. "We're extremely proud to work with the OETC and its members to secure the critical infrastructure of educational institutions," said Mosaic451 Principal and Co-Founder Mike Baker. "Mosaic451 is dedicated to providing superior security services by combining the best technology with the deep industry knowledge of our engineers and analysts to create tailored solutions for each client and we can think of no better application of our skills that in helping secure our schools and our children." The Organization for Educational Technology and Curriculum (OETC) awarded Mosaic451 the master agreement after an extensive evaluation process that included assessments of the company's core competencies, value, unique and effective approach to security management, and historic success. Of the 15 contracts awarded, most vendors were selected to provide products and services from a few manufacturers, while Mosaic was selected for a total of 11 security products including its own Mosaic451 Security as a Service (MSSP) and Mosaic451 Network as a Service. Providing Security in Education The OETC has selected Mosaic451 to provide Networking Equipment, Network Security, Network as a Service and Security as a Service for products from the following manufacturers: Carbon Black Checkpoint Crowdstrike Fortinet Infoblox Netskope Palo Alto Networks Tanium Zerto In addition, Mosaic451 was also selected to provide its own Mosaic451 Security as a Service (MSSP) and Mosaic451 Network as a Service. Mosaic451's products and services are already used in securing some of the very electricity operations that bring energy to many of the OETC members in the Pacific Northwest. In addition, the company already has extensive experience protecting the critical infrastructure for 5th largest school district in the U.S., responsible for 340,000 students and 40,000 employees. Mosaic451 recognizes that while adoption of advanced and emerging technology is an important part of sound security strategy, no amount of technology can secure an environment without a strong foundation of smart, experienced, operationally minded humans to design, operate, and optimize the technology. Mosaic451's Hybrid solution combines 24/7 off-site monitoring with dedicated on-site personnel that act as a full security operations team to provide the most comprehensive level of information security. Mosaic451 is SBA 8(a) Certified, MBE Certified, and WBE Certified. Learn more about Mosaic451 at www.mosaic451.com. About Mosaic451 Headquartered in Arizona, Mosaic451 is a bespoke cyber security service provider and consultancy with expertise in building, operating and defending some of the most highly-secure networks in North America. Its Mosaic Hybrid is an industry first solution, providing monitoring service through its operations centers as well as specialized staff onsite during business hours to work alongside clients' in house technology and security staff. This hybrid model gives Mosaic451 the unique ability to empower security analysts to provide advanced data analysis and determine threat vectors, threat actors, and intelligent root causes for every incident. Mosaic451 aggregates and empowers intelligent humans in the service of information security and IT operations excellence for our clients. For more information, visit www.mosaic451.com. Media Contact: Lisa Wang, [email protected], 1-888-317-4687 ext. 703 SOURCE Mosaic451 Related Links http://www.mosaic451.com NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This past weekend, 11 Jewish Community Centers across the country were victims of bomb threats, bringing the total to 69 hate crimes targeting 54 Jewish Community Centers in 27 states since January, according to news reports. We call on the Federal Bureau of Investigation and state and local law enforcement to aggressively pursue investigations of these crimes and provide the public with updates on the status of their investigations. "The bomb threats to the Jewish Community Centers add to a disturbing trend in similar crimes against people of faith, and it is a grave concern for all Americans," said Council Co-Chair Farooq Kathwari. On Monday, more than 100 headstones were overturned at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery in St Louis. Last month, a mosque in Victoria, Texas, was burned and an Islamic Center in Davis, California, was vandalized. "These crimes against cemeteries and houses of worship cannot be tolerated and we expect them to be investigated and prosecuted," said Council Co-Chair Stanley M. Bergman. The Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council is committed as a national coalition of American Muslims and American Jews to work with federal, state, and local officials to uphold the principles of religious freedom upon which this country was founded and ensure that our country reverses this rise in crimes directed at people of faith. SOURCE The Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council TUSTIN, Calif., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- New American Funding, a national mortgage banker, announced today that it is continuing its Eastern expansion with the grand opening of a new location in Huntersville, North Carolina. The branch will celebrate with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, March 2nd, 2017, at 11:30 A.M. EST. This full-service branch is located at 9525 Birkdale Crossing Drive, Suite 306, Huntersville, North Carolina. It will meet the residential mortgage needs of local consumers and Real Estate Agents who are facilitating home loans in the region, offering a variety of purchase and refinance options. The growing Charlotte housing market presented a prime opportunity for the mortgage lender to open its second branch in the area. New American Funding has enlisted Jay Kerber, a mortgage industry veteran, to serve as Huntersville Branch Manager. Kerber brings nearly 20 years of experience to the position and is a multi-year winner of the Five Star Mortgage Professionals Award, an elite recognition for individuals who provide quality services to their clients. Kerber looks forward to diligently working with clients, making himself available to them seven days a week. "It's an honor to be chosen to expand New American Funding's brand in the North Carolina market," said Kerber. "New American Funding is a dynamic mortgage company that has experienced tremendous growth across the country. They are absolutely passionate about providing a customer-centric lending experience and have achieved their tremendous success by building a strong corporate culture that's second to none. Their focus is always on giving back to the communities and clients they serve." New American Funding plans to provide Huntersville with the same industry-leading closing times, award-winning services, and high-level customer support that has become a hallmark at its other national locations. For more information about the grand opening celebration from 11:30 A.M. 2:00 P.M., please contact Jay Kerber at (704) 733-7092 or [email protected]. About New American Funding New American Funding is a Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae Direct Seller/Servicer, FHA Direct Endorsement and VA Automatic mortgage lender. The company is licensed in 48 states, has 130+ branch locations, and offers a variety of home loan options, including: Conventional, FHA, Cash Out, Fixed Rate and Adjustable Rate Mortgages, VA, HARP 2.0, Jumbo, and Reverse Mortgages. RELATED LINKS http://www.newamericanagent.com/ https://www.facebook.com/New-American-Funding-Huntersville-NC-222558588170166/ https://www.facebook.com/newamericanfunding https://twitter.com/newamericanteam SOURCE New American Funding Related Links http://www.newamericanfunding.com SUNRISE, Fla., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rainbow Light (http://www.rainbowlight.com), the leading manufacturer and pioneer of whole food-based vitamins, today announced the launch of Rainbow Light Vibrance - a new premium line of non-GMO Project Verified multivitamins, specifically formulated with a foundation of organic fruits and vegetables to meet the unique health needs of millennials. The new Rainbow Light Vibrance line was developed after the brand invested in extensive psychographic research of America's largest generation, recruiting a global market intelligence firm to conduct an exhaustive quantitative research study on millennials' lifestyles. This comprehensive research revealed the generational lifestyles that shape the way millennials live. Equipped with this granular data, the brand formulated Rainbow Light Vibrance to meet Gen Yers' unique nutritional supplementation needs. "We discovered a number of factors that contribute to the way millennials live, which ultimately influence their nutritional needs for maintaining optimal health and wellness," states Michele McRae, BS, CN, senior director of research and development at Wellnext, the parent company of Rainbow Light. "These insights enabled us to formulate targeted whole-food based multivitamins that address nutritional needs unique to millennials' lifestyles. Rainbow Light Vibrance provides custom-tailored nutritional blends of clinically researched ingredients that millennials need to meet the demands of life." The Rainbow Light Vibrance line features eight different key multivitamins for Gen Y women, men, moms-to-be, and teens: Women's Multivitamin plus Balance and Energy. Women's Multivitamin plus Stress Support. Men's Multivitamin plus Energy and Vitality. Men's Multivitamin plus Stress Support. Prenatal Multivitamin plus Energy Support. Prenatal Multivitamin plus Immune Support. Teen Girl's Multivitamin with Healthy Skin Support. Young Men's Multivitamin with Healthy Skin Support. Rainbow Light's focus on research, science, and innovation has pioneered the natural products space. Since its founding in 1981, the brand has developed such first-to-market supplements as the first whole food-based multivitamin (1984), the first whole food-based one-per-day multivitamin (1995), the first vitamins formulated with probiotics and enzymes (1995), and the first age-specific prenatal for moms mid 30s or older (2013). Today, it continues to lead the natural products space with the launch of Rainbow Light Vibrance. The Rainbow Light name originates from its very first productthe superfood spirulina, a single-cell algae with soft cell walls, making it easy to digest. While testing spirulina's nutritional content with a microscope, the brand discovered it refracts a rainbow; each color identifying a different nutritional component. Inspired by nature, viewed through the lens of science, the Rainbow Light brand was born. Today, spirulina is a base ingredient found in most of Rainbow Light's scientifically developed formulas. Rainbow Light ensures the integrity, quality, potency, and safety of all its ingredients and formulas via third-party testing, auditing, reporting, and certification. Its products contain no artificial preservatives, colors, flavors or sweeteners, and are vegetarian and allergen-free. From sourcing raw materials to production to finished goods testing, the brand maintains top quality assurance and control practices at every stage of its manufacturing. The Rainbow Light Vibrance line is available for purchase online or at natural food stores and specialty retailers nationwide. For more information on Rainbow Light and their complete catalogue of products, visit http://www.rainbowlight.com. About Rainbow Light Rainbow Light is a leading manufacturer and pioneer of whole food-based vitamins. Each formulation is research-backed to deliver optimal health benefits with a customized blend of superfood concentrates, organic, non-GMO spirulina and herbal extracts. Plant enzymes, probiotics and botanicals are added to enhance digestion and nutrient absorption. Through the Rainbow Light 1% for Global Good donation program, every customer is a partner in ending under-nutrition. Each product sale helps provide life-changing prenatal supplements to mothers and babies around the world creating positive ripple effects for generations to come. Rainbow Light is a leader in environmental responsibility. Its 100% upcycled Eco Guard packaging keeps millions of plastic bottles from oceans and natural habitats every year. To learn more, visit http://www.rainbowlight.com or follow the brand on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/RainbowLight). About Wellnext Headquartered in Sunrise, Florida, Wellnext LLC, family of brands delivers research-backed nutritional supplements for every consumer life stage. Anchor brands within the Wellnext portfolio include Nature's Products Inc. (NPI), a GMP-certified manufacturer with 30 years of leadership in supplement manufacturing, Rainbow Light, Champion Performance, and Natural Vitality, among many other leading brands. Guided by three generations of family heritage, Wellnext is committed to the highest standards of corporate social responsibility, including product quality and purity testing, sustainability practices, and corporate giving programs, to help foster a vibrant state of health in families everywhere. For more information, visit http://www.wellnexthealth.com. SOURCE Rainbow Light Related Links https://www.rainbowlight.com NEW YORK and EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands, February 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Nextnine, a leading provider of top-down operational technology (OT) security management solutions for connected industrial control system (ICS) environments, and SecurityMatters, a provider of industrial cyber resilience network monitoring solutions, today jointly announced an OEM partnership between the two companies. As part of this OEM partnership, Nextnine has integrated the SilentDefense technology from SecurityMatters into its ICS Shield solution. ICS Shield is a full-fledged OT security management solution that protects all remote field assets from a single security and operations center, empowering industrial enterprises to implement connected operations, while minimizing security vulnerabilities. The solution automates the deployment and enforcement of operational-wide security policies with a focus on discovering a complete inventory of all operational assets, detecting anomalies and inefficiencies as well as establishing a unified framework for fully authenticated, authorized and audited secure remote access according to granular policies. In addition, ICS Shield facilitates the cyber-hardening of the industrial network with security essentials, including patching, antivirus protection, log collection, compliance reporting and more. The integration of the SilentDefense technology into ICS Shield adds continuous, state-of-the art network monitoring capabilities and provides augmented passive discovery and the detection of anomalies and inefficiencies. SilentDefense is an advanced OT network monitoring technology that ensures that the underlying networks of cyber resilient industrial environments are healthy and threat-free. This technology improves the ability of ICS Shield to learn and validate network communication patterns and process operations with in-depth analysis of industrial protocols as well as identify rogue and malfunctioning devices, intrusions and attacks. "A complete and accurate asset inventory is the logical starting point for defining and executing an effective OT security strategy plan," explained Shmulik Aran, CEO of Nextine. "Our technology partnership with SecurityMatters enables us to deliver a unique solution combining passive and active discovery techniques with deep industrial protocol anomalies and inefficiencies detection and analysis. The integration of SecurityMatters' technology into ICS Shield constitutes the only field proven and most comprehensive solution in the market." "Our work with Nextnine allows asset owners, vendors and service providers to securely access assets and promptly remediate any potentially disruptive incidents once an anomaly has been detected by SilentDefense," said Damiano Bolzoni, CEO of SecurityMatters. "With over 6,000 installations at plants around the world, Nextnine's solution is clearly two and three steps ahead of the many new vendors that have recently entered the OT and industrial security space and the company has built over the years an impressive network of prominent MSSP, system integrator and automation vendor partners". About Nextnine Nextnine is a leading provider of top-down OT security management solutions for complex multi-vendor and multi-site ICS environments. Empowering industrial organizations to benefit from integrated OT/IT operations while minimizing security vulnerabilities, Nextnine's ICS Shield is a field-proven solution for protecting multi-site, remote field assets from a single security and operations center. Using ICS Shield, industrial operators automate the deployment and enforcement of plant-wide policies that improve security governance and compliance, while saving OT and IT resources. Nextnine solutions have been deployed by systems integrators, Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) and the largest automation vendors at thousands of industrial plants installations worldwide. Serving the oil and gas, mineral, mining, materials, pharmaceutical, medical, maritime, packaging, pulp & paper, utility, chemicals and food sectors, Nextnine delivers unrivaled visibility, reliability and compliance for connected industrial operations. For more information, please visit http://www.nextnine.com. About Security Matters SecurityMatters is an international company with over 15 years of research and field experience focused on industrial cyber resilience. Dedicated to delivering total visibility to the OT network, SecurityMatters provides critical infrastructure and industrial automation companies with best-of-class industrial cyber resilience technology. For more information visit http://www.secmatters.com. Press Contacts Tony Miller +1-617-418-3024 [email protected] SOURCE Nextnine GETINGE, Sweden, Feb 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The shareholders of Getinge AB (publ) are hereby invited to attend the Annual General Meeting (the "AGM") to be held on Wednesday 29 March 2017 at 2.00 p.m. CET, in Kongresshallen, Hotel Tylosand, Halmstad, Sweden. Right to Attend Shareholders who wish to attend the AGM must: be recorded in the share register kept by Euroclear Sweden AB (the Swedish Central Securities Depository), on Thursday 23 March 2017, and notify the company of their intention to attend the AGM by Thursday 23 March 2017, preferably before 4.00 p.m. CET. In order to participate in the AGM, shareholders with nominee-registered shares should request their bank or broker to have the shares temporarily owner-registered with Euroclear Sweden AB by Thursday 23 March 2017. Therefore, shareholders are requested to notify their nominees in due time before the said date. Notice of Attendance Notice of attendance shall be made in writing to Getinge AB, "AGM", P.O. Box 7841, SE-103 98 Stockholm, Sweden, or by telephone +46 10 335 08 18, or on the company's website, www.getingegroup.com. The notice of attendance shall state name, personal (or corporate) identity number, shareholding, telephone number and name of advisor, if any. An entrance card to be shown when registering for the AGM will be sent in confirmation of the notice of attendance. Shareholders represented by proxy should submit a power of attorney to the company before the AGM. A proxy form is available at the company and on the company's website, www.getingegroup.com. Representatives of a legal entity shall present a copy of the certificate of registration or similar document of authorisation. Proposal for Agenda Opening of the Meeting Election of Chairman of the Meeting Preparation and approval of the voting list Approval of the agenda Election of person(s) to approve the minutes Determination of compliance with the rules of convocation Presentation of (a) the Annual Report and the Auditor's Report (b) the Consolidated Accounts and the Group Auditor's Report (c) the statement by the auditor on the compliance of the Guidelines for Remuneration to Senior Executives applicable since the last AGM (d) the Board's proposal for distribution of the company's profit and the Board's reasoned statement thereon Report on the work of the Board of Directors, including the work and functions of the Remuneration Committee and the Audit Committee The CEO's report Resolution regarding adoption of the Income Statement and the Balance Sheet as well as the Consolidated Income Statement and the Consolidated Balance Sheet Resolution regarding dispositions in respect of the Company's profit according to the adopted Balance Sheet and determination of record date for dividend Resolution regarding discharge from liability for the Board of Directors and the CEOs Resolution regarding amendment of the Articles of Association Establishment of the number of board members and auditors Establishment of fees to the Board of Directors (including fees for work in Committees) and the auditor Election of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Board a. re-election of Carl Bennet ; b. re-election of Johan Bygge c. re-election of Cecilia Daun Wennborg; d. re-election of Johan Malmquist ; e. re-election of Malin Persson ; f. re-election of Johan Stern ; g. new election of Barbro Friden; h. new election of Dan Frohm ; i. new election of Sofia Hasselberg ; j. new election of Mattias Perjos; and k. re-election of Carl Bennet as Chairman of the Board Election of auditor Resolution regarding Guidelines for Remuneration to Senior Executives Closing of the Meeting Proposals by the Nomination Committee (item 2 And 14-17) At the AGM in 2005, principles for the establishment of a Nomination Committee were adopted, entailing that the Nomination Committee shall consist of the Chairman of the Board, representatives of each of the company's five largest shareholders per 31 August each year and one representative of the minor shareholders. The Nomination Committee in respect of the 2017 AGM consists of Carl Bennet (Carl Bennet AB), Carita Lundberg Markow (Folksam), Ossian Ekdahl (Forsta AP-fonden), Per Colleen (Fjarde AP-fonden), Cecilia Marlow (Nordea) and Viveka Ekberg as representative of the minor shareholders. The Nomination Committee has proposed the following: Chairman of the AGM: The Chairman of the Board, Carl Bennet, shall be elected Chairman of the AGM. Board of Directors: The number of board members elected by the General Meeting shall be ten with no deputy members. As board members, re-election shall be made of Carl Bennet, Johan Bygge, Cecilia Daun Wennborg, Johan Malmquist, Malin Persson and Johan Stern. Barbro Friden, Dan Frohm, Sofia Hasselberg and Mattias Perjos shall be elected new members of the Board. Carola Lemne and Maths Wahlstrom have declined re-election. Carl Bennet shall be re-elected as Chairman of the Board. Board members proposed for new election: Barbro Friden, born 1956 and holds an M.D. from Umea University. Barbo Friden has extensive experience as a hospital director and is a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology with a subspecialty in reproductive medicine. Barbro Friden is currently CEO of Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Ajman, United Arab Emirates since 2016. Previously she was hospital director of Sahlgrenska University Hospital (2012-2016), division director of Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital (2008-2012), operations director of Fertilitetscentrum AB in Stockholm and Goteborg (2005-2008), and also operations director and member of the hospital management of the clinic Women's and Children's Health in Varberg, Sweden (2002-2005). Barbro Friden is a board member in Vitrolife AB (publ) and the Swedish Sea Rescue Society. Dan Frohm, born 1981 and has a M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and Management from Linkoping University. Dan Frohm is an experienced advisor for global technology companies on a variety of strategic and operational improvement topics. He recently worked as Senior Manager and Practice Head of Technology, Media and Telecom (TMT) at the management consultancy Applied Value LLC based in New York. Sofia Hasselberg, born 1983, is a licenced physician who holds an M.D. from Uppsala University. Since 2011, Sofia Hasselberg works as a Management Consultant at McKinsey & Company, where she in her role as Engagement Manager provides strategic, operational and organizational advice to players across the full healthcare value chain. As a physician, Sofia Hasselberg worked at the Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden (2008-2011), where she earned her licence to practice medicine. Mattias Perjos, born 1972 and has a M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and Management from Lulea University of Technology. Mattias Perjos is incoming CEO and President of Getinge and currently holds the role as CEO of Coesia Industrial Process Solutions (IPS) as well as Managing Director of Coesia International (2012-2017). Mattias Perjos has previously held a number of leading international positions within FlexLink (1997-2012) including the role of CEO from 2006. Board and committee fees: Board fees, excluding remuneration for committee work, shall amount to a total of SEK 5,750,000 of which, unchanged, SEK 1,150,000 to the Chairman and, unchanged, SEK 575,000 to each of the other board members elected by the General Meeting who are not employees of Getinge Group. Work in the Audit Committee shall, unchanged, be compensated with SEK 240,000 to the Chairman and SEK 120,000 to each of the other members. Work in the Remuneration Committee shall, unchanged, be compensated with SEK 125,000 to the Chairman and SEK 92,000 to each of the other members. Auditor: The registered auditing company Ohrlings PricewaterhouseCoopers AB shall be re-elected for the period until the end of the AGM 2018, in accordance with the recommendation of the Audit Committee. Fees to the auditor shall be paid in accordance with approved invoices. Dividend (item 11) The Board and the CEO have proposed that a dividend of SEK 2.00 per share be declared. As record date for the dividend the Board proposes Friday 31 March 2017. If the AGM resolves in accordance with the proposal, the dividend is expected to be distributed by Euroclear Sweden AB starting Wednesday 5 April 2017. The Board's Proposal Regarding Amendment of the Articles Of Association (item 13) In respect of the proposal of the Nomination Committee that the number of board members elected at the AGM shall be ten, the Board of Directors proposes the following amendment of 7 of the Articles of Association. Present wording Proposed wording 7 7 The Board of Directors The Board of Directors shall, in addition to any members who, pursuant to Swedish law, may be appointed other than by a General Meeting of the Company, comprise no fewer than three and no more than nine members with a maximum of nine deputy members. [] The Board of Directors The Board of Directors shall, in addition to any members who, pursuant to Swedish law, may be appointed other than by a General Meeting of the Company, comprise no fewer than three and no more than ten members with a maximum of ten deputy members. [] The resolution requires support of shareholders representing at least two-thirds of both the votes cast and the shares represented at the Meeting. The Board's Proposal Regarding Guidelines for Remuneration to Senior Executives (item 18) The Board proposes that the AGM resolves upon guidelines for remuneration to senior executives principally entailing the following. Remuneration and other terms and conditions of employment for senior executives shall be based on market conditions and be competitive in all markets where Getinge operates, to ensure that competent and skilful employees can be attracted, motivated and retained. The total remuneration to senior executives shall comprise basic salary, variable remuneration, pensions and other benefits. The variable remuneration shall be limited and connected to predetermined and measurable criteria elaborated with the purpose to promote the long-term added value of the company. In addition to the variable remuneration, approved share or share-related incentive programs may occasionally be implemented. The Board shall retain the right to deviate from the guidelines if motivated by particular reasons on an individual basis. Documents and Other Information Financial statements, Auditor's Report and other documents pursuant to item 7, the Board's reasoned statement under item 11 and the complete proposal for the resolutions under item 13 and 18 will be available at the company and on the company's website, www.getingegroup.com, as from Wednesday 8 March 2017 at the latest and will be sent to shareholders upon request. Copies will also be available at the AGM. The Board and the CEO shall at the AGM, if any shareholder so requests and the Board believes that it can be done without significant harm to the company, provide information regarding circumstances that may affect the assessment of an item on the agenda, circumstances that can affect the assessment of the company's or its subsidiaries' financial position and the company's relation to other companies within the Group. The total number of shares in the company amounts to 238,323,377, whereof 15,940,050 shares of series A and 222,383,327 shares of series B. The total number of votes in the company amounts to 381,783,827. The Board of Directors of Getinge AB (publ) For further information, please contact: Kornelia Rasmussen Head of Group Communications Tel. 010-335 58 10 Email: [email protected] Lars Mattsson Investor Relations Tel. 010-335 00 48 Email: [email protected] Getinge Group is a leading global provider of innovative solutions for operating rooms, intensive-care units, hospital wards, sterilization departments, elderly care and for life science companies and institutions. Getinge's unique customer offering mirrors the hospital's organization and value chain, and the solutions are used before, during and after the patients' hospital stay. Based on first-hand experience and close partnerships, Getinge provides innovative healthcare solutions that improve every-day life for people, today and tomorrow. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/getinge-group/r/notice-of-annual-general-meeting-in-getinge-ab,c2195281 The following files are available for download: http://mb.cision.com/Main/942/2195281/632750.pdf Notice of Annual General Meeting in Getinge AB 2017 SOURCE Getinge Group Related Links http://www.getingegroup.com FAIRFAX, Va., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Olio2go.com announces participation in the 2017 Flos Olei and Ultimate Guide to Italian Wine Tasting Event taking place at the Mayflower Hotel on March 1, 2017 in Washington, DC. Olio2go.com will also host a series of events and activities starting on February 25 through March 2 to celebrate Flos Olei organized by Marco Oreggia. There will be plenty of opportunities to meet with Italian producers of premium Italian extra virgin olive oil. More information on this event can be found at http://www.olio2go.com/flosolei.aspx. Flos Olei 2017 "This is the first time Flos Olei will take place in Washington, DC and we are excited that Marco Oreggia decided to hold this special event here in DC. There are many Italian olive oil aficionados in the DC Metro Area and we are proud to offer many of these exclusive Italian olive oils at Olio2go.com," said Luanne O'Loughlin, Manager of Olio2go. "Our additional events allows these Italian olive oil fans to meet with producers including Filippo Alampi of Fattoria Ramerino and Simone di Gaetano of Oliveto Fonte di Foiano. It will be lots of fun!" "Olio2go is instrumental in promoting premium Italian olive oil producers and I am happy to have them participate in Flos Olei," says Marco Oreggia. "Thanks to Olio2go for making premium Italian extra virgin olive oil available to US consumers through Olio2go.com." ABOUT OLIO2GO LLC Olio2go was founded in 2000 and is the leading online retailer for gourmet Italian olive oil, balsamic vinegar and other Italian specialties. Based in Fairfax, Virginia, Olio2go imports, distributes, and sells directly to consumers and other stores. The company's mission is to find the very best olive oils produced in Italy and offer these for sale to the public. Olio2go.com provides information about olive oil to aid consumers in appreciating the differences in the regions from which these oils come, and in the ways that the olive oils enhance food. Media Contact: Luanne Savino O'Loughlin Olio2go LLC 703-876-4666 [email protected] For more information, visit http://www.olio2go.com SOURCE Olio2go Related Links http://www.olio2go.com TBWA will form a new TBWA UK Group, which will consist of Lucky Generals and TBWA\London, upon the acquisition of Lucky Generals. Lucky Generals and TBWA\London will continue to operate as two separate brands within the new group. The structure exemplifies TBWA's unique approach to developing a global advertising collective of connected, yet distinct, agencies. It has parallels with the group's approach in Germany, where TBWA and HEIMAT successfully operate a similar two-pronged strategy. Troy Ruhanen, President and CEO of TBWA Worldwide said, "Lucky Generals' vision, a creative company for people on a mission, is completely aligned with our own: a radically open creative collective. They are relentlessly creative and innovative, with a focus on disruptive work, platforms and businesses. What Helen, Andy, Danny and their teams have built in a short period of time is remarkable. I cannot think of a better addition to the family." Helen Calcraft, founding partner of Lucky Generals, added "We have been fortunate enough to have had conversations with many international groups, but Omnicom and TBWA Worldwide were the only ones to understand our desire for autonomy perhaps because entrepreneurialism, disruption and creativity are hardwired into their DNA. We already feel like we've established a great personal connection with the team. This deal will allow us to preserve our unique culture, build our brand and grow. Most important, with the support of Omnicom and TBWA, we will be able to better deliver on our clients' needs in the UK and around the globe. We're delighted to join such an entrepreneurial group and keep doing all the things we love, on a bigger scale, with some new friends." The acquisition comes as Lucky Generals has experienced a period of substantial growth over the last two years. Founded in 2013, Lucky Generals has been shortlisted for Campaign's Agency of the Year for the last two years. It was also named Marketing's "New Thinking Agency of the Year" and The Drum's "Ballsiest Agency of the Year." Its clients include Amazon, Paddy Power, Betfair, Hostelworld and Unilever. About TBWA Worldwide TBWA is The Disruption Company: the cultural engine for 21st century business. We use trademarked Disruption methodologies to create a unique space in culture for our clients' brands. We are a top 10 global advertising agency collective with 11,300 employees across 305 offices in 98 countries. TBWA brands include Auditoire, Digital Arts Network (DAN), eg+ worldwide, The Integer Group, TBWA\Media Arts Lab and TBWA\WorldHealth. Global clients include adidas, Airbnb, Apple, Gatorade, Henkel, McDonald's, Michelin, Nissan, Pernod Ricard, Merck, Standard Chartered Bank, Singapore Airlines and Vichy. About Omnicom Group Inc. Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries. SOURCE TBWA Worldwide Related Links tbwaraad.com LONDON, February 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MuLondon Shows Off New Brand Identity For Their Skin Care Range With Updated Packaging, Highlighting Seals Of Approval: The Soil Association, 1% For The Planet And Certified B Corporation MuLondon, the premier producer of artisan organic skin care products, is proud to present a fresh new brand identity. The understated look has been carefully chosen to reflect the company values: clean, simple, modern and honest. Based in London, MuLondon has been helping customers in the UK and the rest of the world to better skin since 2008. The independent skin care company does this naturally, through simple and mild, yet effective cruelty-free and vegan formulas based on time-proven herbal ingredients. MuLondon moisturisers, such as the rich and healing 'Marigold, Frankincense & Myrrh', are now packed in luxurious, heavy-duty glass jars with white lids. MuLondon cleansers, like the lush and fragrant 'Rose, Rosehip & Rosemary', come in semi-transparent foamer bottles with frosted caps. To top it off, the range is adorned with new matte-laminated labels. MuLondon's new brand identity has been created by Marcos Dos Santos Lisboa, an award-winning international designer. The packaging incorporates large areas of white space and clean, simple lines with dashes of colour. Each MuLondon formula has specific characteristics and unique fragrance and healing properties, reflected in the colours which have been carefully chosen for each of the products. "Simplicity and purity were the main ingredients I used to reflect the new brand identity for MuLondon. The aim was to develop a new visual perception of MuLondon, based on its organic origin, respect for nature and expertise. During the creation process, Paul Cezanne's explorations of geometric simplification and optical phenomena were my references. The result is a graphic abstraction inspired by nature: a flower field, an ingredient, a fragrance. Additionally, the careful choice of colours was instrumental in capturing the true essence and personality of each product. My desire was to summarise the excellence and the love that is in each jar, giving every MuLondon customer a unique experience." - Marcos Dos Santos Lisboa. Cristina Colli, a professional photographer and visual storytelling artist who specialises in still life, has created gorgeous new lifestyle photos for MuLondon. Her images beautifully represent the story, values and energy of the company. "I love working with ethical brands passionate about their values and the quality of their products, so I jumped at the opportunity to be part of MuLondon's re-branding. Flowers and plants are my favourite subjects, and my artistic vision was in line with MuLondon's, so it felt very natural to create images for the brand. I enjoyed every minute of our collaboration, from the initial brainstorming to the actual styling and photography. Each image tells the story of the natural ingredients used for the featured product, and I loved working with such a variety of colours and textures - a wonderful mix of simple and exotic that I found really inspiring." - Cristina Colli, http://www.cristinacolli.com. Along with the new look, MuLondon is presenting its latest achievements in the form of three highly coveted seals of approval: The Soil Association Organic, 1% For The Planet and Certified B Corporation. The Soil Association: MuLondon has used certified organic ingredients since its inception. Now the finished products are also approved by The Soil Association, the UK's leading organic certifier. 1% For The Planet: By joining 1% For The Planet, MuLondon has pledged to donate at least 1% of its total sales to environmental non-profits. Certified B Corporation: MuLondon is the first UK skin care company to be certified, and joins the ranks of many high-profile corporations, who all use business as a force for good, with a triple bottom line: people, planet and profit. "I am incredibly proud to announce the new look for MuLondon. We have worked very hard on creating something that feels modern and is true to our core values. It's an honour to have had the expertise of creative people like our designer and photographer. Marcos Dos Santos Lisboa created our beautiful new brand identity, product labels and marketing materials with the utmost attention to detail, beauty and harmony. Our lifestyle photographer Cristina Colli really connected with our vision and created stunning images for all MuLondon products and ingredients in their natural setting, surrounded by and immersed in magical plant life. We have arrived and are ready to rock our new look!" - Boris Zatezic, Founder & CEO at MuLondon. For more information about MuLondon and to experience the company's new and refreshed website, please visit http://www.MuLondon.com . About MuLondon MuLondon brings joy and balance with its award-winning skin care range from London, inspired by traditional herbalism. Pure natural essential oils and herbal extracts are used to divinely scent and gently preserve the certified organic ingredients. MuLondon products include such luxurious essences as 'Marigold, Frankincense & Myrrh' and 'Rose, Rosehip & Rosemary'. The range is certified organic by The Soil Association, cruelty-free by The Leaping Bunny and registered vegan by The Vegan Society. MuLondon is a member of 1% For The Planet and is a Certified B Corporation. Contact: Boris Zatezic, Founder & CEO Address: MuLondon, 64C Evelyn Street, London SE8 5DD, United Kingdom Website: http://www.MuLondon.com Email: http://www.MuLondon.com/contact SOURCE MuLondon WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, national business groups representing the range and breadth of clean energy companies in the United States cheered government statistics showing their industries support more than 3 million American jobs equal to the employment of retail stores across the country, and twice as many jobs as involved in construction of buildings. This is based on 2016 data recently released by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in its second annual U.S. Energy and Employment Report. DOE does not offer a definition of "clean energy," and the trade associations representing different portions of the industry have their own ways of defining what "clean energy" represents. But the groups all agree that, in the aggregate, these jobs add up to more than 3 million nationwide. The groups made the announcement on the same day they organized a national social media campaign, encouraging companies and workers to share their employment stories. The purpose of the social media event was to draw attention to these growing industries, which offer good-paying jobs ranging from equipment installation and maintenance to sales and information technology many of them jobs that cannot be automated or moved abroad. Organizers of the #CleanEnergyJobs campaign include Advanced Energy Economy, American Council on Renewable Energy, AJW (representing Energy Service Companies), Alliance to Save Energy, American Wind Energy Association, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, Energy Storage Association, and Solar Energy Industries Association. "Today, our organizations, member companies, and their workers are celebrating all the people who make up the clean energy industries and the positive impact that we have on the U.S. economy," said Graham Richard, CEO of Advanced Energy Economy. "We are excited to bring visibility to our share of the more than 3 million people that work today in advanced energy across our nation." "People often don't realize that energy efficiency is such a huge jobs creator," said Alliance to Save Energy President Kateri Callahan. "It supports about three times as many jobs as the mining industry and unlike that sector it is growing and creating good-paying jobs like weatherizing homes and manufacturing high-efficiency appliances or building materials. And the best news is there's just enormous opportunity to expand this work and create more jobs with smart efficiency policies and incentives." "These impressive employment numbers highlight the tremendous importance of America's renewable energy sector, which attracted nearly $100 billion in investment over the last two years, as a national economic driver," said Gregory Wetstone, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Council On Renewable Energy. "We look forward to working with our members, policymakers, and allies to ensure that the American people have increasing opportunities to work, save, and prosper through renewable power." "Wind energy has now created over 100,000 jobs that rural and Rust Belt America need, including more than 25,000 manufacturing jobs in 43 states," said Tom Kiernan, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association. "According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, wind turbine technician is now the fastest-growing job description in America." "The contributions of clean energy jobs to the country's economy are significant and expanding," said Lisa Jacobson, President of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy. "The trend lines are clear: energy efficiency, natural gas and renewable energy are creating well-paying jobs and benefitting American consumers, American businesses and American manufacturers. And that adds up to one conclusion: clean energy wins for America." "In setting a record for new electric generating capacity, the solar energy industry added one in every 50 new jobs in the economy last year and now employs 260,000 people in America," said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. "These jobs pay well, they support local economies and they fuel American innovation." According to the Department of Energy's U.S. Energy and Employment Report, the "clean energy" sector supported more than 3 million U.S. jobs in 2016, including: Nearly 2.2 million workers making buildings, appliances and other products more energy efficient, saving money for families and businesses. workers making buildings, appliances and other products more energy efficient, saving money for families and businesses. More than 600,000 workers involved with clean power generation, including biomass, biogas, fuel cells, geothermal, hydropower, nuclear, natural gas, solar, waste-to-energy, and wind. workers involved with clean power generation, including biomass, biogas, fuel cells, geothermal, hydropower, nuclear, natural gas, solar, waste-to-energy, and wind. 100,000 workers in advanced grid technologies, including energy storage, and another 100,000 workers in biofuels. workers in advanced grid technologies, including energy storage, and another workers in biofuels. In addition, advanced transportation, including hybrid, electric, and fuel cell vehicles, support 200,000 more jobs. These jobs are made possible by the growth of markets for clean energy products and services in this country. According to Advanced Energy Economy's Advanced Energy Now 2016 Market Report, total U.S. revenue from the wide range of advanced energy goods and services was $200 billion in 2015, more than pharmaceutical manufacturing in this country. Investment over the past 10 years in zero-carbon electricity generation has totaled $507 billion, with $59 billion invested last year alone, according to the 2017 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook, published by the Business Council for Sustainable Energy. The wind industry gets American-made turbine parts from more than 500 factories in 43 states. AWEA recently highlighted the growing number of jobs throughout the economy that are wind-powered, releasing its latest quarterly results at a General Motors factory near Dallas that builds 1,200 SUVs a day and will soon buy all its electricity from wind farms. GTM Research and SEIA published a preliminary report last week showing that the solar industry in 2016 nearly doubled its previous record by installing 14,626 megawatts of generating capacity. This flood of new business helps to explain why The Solar Foundation found that the industry added 51,000 American jobs last year alone. LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAN ENERGY INDUSTRY GROUPS: Advanced Energy Economy at www.aee.net American Council on Renewable Energy at www.acore.org AJW (representing Energy Service Companies) at ajw-inc.com Alliance to Save Energy at www.ase.org American Wind Energy Association at windworksforamerica.awea.org The Business Council for Sustainable Energy at www.bcse.org Energy Storage Association at energystorage.org Solar Energy Industries Association at www.seia.org MEDIA CONTACTS: AEE, Monique Hanis, [email protected], 202-391-0884 ACORE, Anna Hahnemann, [email protected], 202-777-7548 AJW, Michael Goo, [email protected], 202-296-8086 ASE, Ben Evans, [email protected], 202-530-2222 AWEA, Evan Vaughan, [email protected], 202-383-2508 BCSE, Laura Tierney, [email protected], 202-785-0507 ESA, Matt Roberts, [email protected], 202-580-6282 SEIA, Alexandra Hobson, [email protected], 202-556-2886 See this statement online here. SOURCE Advanced Energy Economy Related Links http://www.aee.net NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- After a career that has spanned four and half decades of service in the organized construction industry, Paul J' O'Brien announced, at the January 19th meeting of the Building Contractors Association Board of Directors meeting, his retirement as managing director. The Board unanimously voted to appoint assistant managing director John O'Hare to succeed O'Brien as managing director, effective Wednesday, February 15th. "I want to thank the Board of Directors and the members of the BCA for affording me the privilege of serving as managing director," said O'Brien. "The support, friendship and kindness you have shown me over the years are something I will always treasure. It has been the honor of a lifetime to have played a small role in seeing that New York remains the building and economic capital of the world," said O'Brien. "One of my proudest achievements is the continuing bond between the contractors and the members of the New York City building trades union, insuring that this city remains the leader and envy of the world." "Paul O'Brien is a giant in our industry," said Ralph Thompson, BCA president and the executive vice president for field operations at F.J. Sciame Construction. "The BCA's preeminent role in New York City's organized construction industry and the respect it has throughout the industry, as well throughout the halls of government is in no small part due to the quiet dignified manner in which Paul O'Brien has conducted himself. We all owe him a debt of gratitude and thanks that can never truly be repaid," said Thompson. In selecting John O'Hare to serve as the next managing director the BCA, the organization has chosen an 18-year veteran of the association, who while serving as assistant managing director, has been involved in all aspects of the BCA's operation. "John O'Hare has spent the last 18 years working side by side with Paul O'Brien growing and moving the BCA forward," said Ralph Thompson. "Selecting John as the new managing director is a win-win for the BCA, in that we get someone who knows and respects the organizational history and mission of the BCA, while also bringing youth and vitality to the organization," said Thompson. "I am honored that the Board has entrusted me with this responsibility," said O'Hare. "Following in the footsteps of Paul O'Brien is a daunting and humbling experience. But for the last 18 years I have been fortunate to be able to watch and learn from him. Paul O'Brien leaves big shoes to fill, but I know with the support of the Board of Directors and the members of the BCA, we will continue to thrive and increase opportunities for all the members of the organized construction industry," said O'Hare. O'Hare, 49, was born and raised in New Jersey, where he lives today with his wife, Maureen and their two daughters, Juliet & Charlotte. While attending school John was a member of Laborers Local 23 where he worked on various construction projects as a super, estimator and project manager. John attended New York University, studying construction management; the Cornell University School of Industrial & Labor Relations; and holds a degree in electronics engineering. Since its establishment in 1933, the primary purpose of the Building Contractors Association has been to provide negotiation and administration of collective bargaining agreements with the Building Trades Unions. Currently the BCA negotiates and finalizes agreements throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties. An experienced and knowledgeable staff administers these contracts and answers inquiries, and provides support on various issues and topics concerning the organized construction industry. The BCA enjoys the reputation of being the most successful, influential and respected association in the organizing construction industry. With over 180 members, ranging from some of the largest construction companies in the world, to small multi-generational family operations, the BCA plays a role in virtually every major private or public construction project that takes place in New York City. SOURCE Building Contractors Association (BCA) BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Whirlpool Corporation announces the sale of its remaining manufacturing building and surrounding land in Fort Smith Arkansas to an affiliate of Milwaukee-based Phoenix Investors. It will be the first Arkansas project for the real estate group and will include a complete renovation of the former Whirlpool Complex suitable for use by warehousing, industrial or manufacturing companies. Phoenix Investors' portfolio totals approximately 17 million square feet across 22 states. Over the last three years Phoenix Investors has acquired six former Whirlpool plants as part of its core business of revitalizing former manufacturing facilities throughout the United States. Ultimately, this strategy leads to positively transforming communities and restarting the economic engine in the communities in which Phoenix operates. "Phoenix Investors is a company that understands the opportunities that exist in the Fort Smith, Arkansas marketplace," said Jeff Noel vice president Communications and Public Affairs of Whirlpool Corporation. "Officials with Phoenix Investors are looking forward to working directly with Tim Allen and his team of local economic development professionals along with members of the Arkansas Economic Development Corporation, and leaders of the City of Fort Smith." "Our core focus and competency lies in restoring legacy industrial properties back to their original greatness," said Frank Crivello executive vice president, Phoenix Investors. "We will bring quality companies and jobs back into the former Whirlpool complex. We already have a list of prospects. We look forward to working with local, regional, and state partners to fulfill our vision for the former Whirlpool complex and surrounding acreage that takes full advantage of the dynamic opportunities that exist in Fort Smith. The infrastructure improvements near the facility, strong community leadership, and a great local workforce are key ingredients we look for in a redevelopment project." About Whirlpool Corporation Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is the number one major appliance manufacturer in the world, with approximately $21 billion in annual sales, 93,000 employees and 70 manufacturing and technology research centers in 2016. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul, Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, Jenn-Air, Indesit and other major brand names in nearly every country throughout the world. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com, or find us on Twitter at @WhirlpoolCorp. SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation Related Links http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PortfolioScience announced today that it has been featured as one of the "10 Best Hedge Fund Software Providers 2017" in the special edition of Capital Markets CIO Outlook magazine. "We are delighted to have PortfolioScience in our annual ranking list of 10 Best Hedge Fund Software Providers 2017," said Andy White, Managing Editor of Capital Markets CIO Outlook magazine. PortfolioScience creates turn-key risk management systems for institutional financial services, allowing them to provide their clients with portfolio risk analysis services virtually. PortfolioScience's RiskAPI System is an on-demand, dynamic risk management software that allows hedge funds to quickly and easily run risk analysis calculations on positions and portfolios. About PortfolioScience PortfolioScience specializes in risk management technology for financial institutions, investment services, financial advisors and hedge funds. The company's products allow fund managers, traders and investors alike to access powerful risk analytics capabilities on demand. The company was founded in 2000 and serves the clients spanning across brokerage, fund administrator, hedge fund and mutual fund industries. For more info, visit: www.portfolioscience.com About Capital Markets CIO Outlook Capital Markets CIO Outlook is a print magazine published from Fremont, California. It features the viewpoints of CIO's, IT-VP's, CFO's and other decision makers sharing their insights and perspectives on the Capital Market. And, it stands out to be one of the best publishing house from the rest of the crowd that provides the latest trends in Capital Markets arena. For more info, visit: www.capitalmarketsciooutlook.com Media Contact: Jessica Kim 212-260-9694 [email protected] SOURCE PortfolioScience Related Links http://www.portfolioscience.com BUENOS AIRES, Argentina and NEW YORK, N.Y., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rapsodia, a leading lifestyle and women's apparel brand in Latin America, today announced a significant growth capital investment by L Catterton, the largest consumer-focused private equity firm in the world. Through this partnership, both L Catterton and current shareholder Grupo de Narvaez plan to accelerate the expansion of the Rapsodia brand across Latin America and internationally. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Established in 1999 by Josefina Helguera, Sol Acuna, and Francisco de Narvaez, Rapsodia is a premium hippie-chic inspired womenswear label. With the vast majority of its nearly 1,000 employees women, Rapsodia is a beloved and growing women's lifestyle brand. Rapsodia currently operates 90 stores across six Latin American countriesArgentina, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, Colombia, and Paraguay. The brand goes beyond apparel, with accessories, footwear and girls, home and lingerie products. With a broad and loyal customer base, Rapsodia has a significant opportunity for growth. Rapsodia will continue to be led by its management team, with the inspiration of its co-founders, and will maintain the support of Grupo de Narvaez. Sol Acuna, Co-Founder of Rapsodia, said, "The partnership with L Catterton is a recognition of the tremendous efforts and hard work of the Rapsodia team since our founding. We are excited to build on our accomplishments with L Catterton and go global with our brand." Josefina Helguera, Co-Founder of Rapsodia, added, "We started Rapsodia with one small store in the Las Canitas neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Working together with Francisco, we took the brand to another level, and have assembled a talented, world-class team that has driven Rapsodia's success." "L Catterton's investment demonstrates their confidence in the Rapsodia brand, and everything it represents about the creative talents of Argentina and its textile industry," said Francisco de Narvaez, President of Grupo de Narvaez. "This partnership offers Rapsodia a significant opportunity for further growth, while remaining faithful to its essence and style, marked by professionalism, creativity, inspiration, leadership, and teamwork. With L Catterton's extensive consumer expertise and track record of supporting the success of powerful global brands, we will be able to take Rapsodia to a new level. Together, we will expand our brand across Latin America and globally, further innovate our product lines, and increase job opportunities throughout the region by allowing the Argentine textile industry to become international." "Rapsodia is one of the most admired and fastest-growing brands in Argentina," said Dirk Donath, Managing Partner, L Catterton Latin America. "With a strong brand identity, broad product line, loyal customer following, and highly talented management team, Rapsodia is well positioned to meet the increasing demand for premium retail offerings in Latin American markets and beyond. We are thrilled to partner with Francisco and the outstanding Rapsodia team to further develop and expand the brand across Latin America and internationally." "We see tremendous potential in Rapsodia, which has proven to be one of the few apparel brands in Latin America that has been highly successful across multiple markets," said Julio Babecki, Partner, L Catterton Latin America. "Rapsodia's core foundation of quality, creativity and authenticity has enabled the brand to connect meaningfully with today's women across the region. We are truly excited about this opportunity and look forward to continuing to build the brand's success." Rapsodia is the first investment by the L Catterton Latin America fund in Argentina. This investment is the fund's fourth in Latin America, and the most pan-regional to date. The fund has made previous investments in Bodytech, a leading health and fitness player in Latin America, Grupo St. Marche, one of the most innovative food retailers in Brazil, and Espacolaser, Brazil's leader in laser hair removal. The investment in Rapsodia builds on L Catterton's investments in leading retail and lifestyle brands globally, including Restoration Hardware, Pepe Jeans and Hackett, Sandro&Maje, El Ganso, Ba&sh, Charles & Keith, the Miami Design District, John Hardy, and Frederic Fekkai, among others. The transaction is subject to completion of certain closing conditions. About Rapsodia Rapsodia was founded in 1999, in Buenos Aires, by Josefina Helguera, Sol Acuna and Francisco de Narvaez. The first store outside Buenos Aires was opened in 2005, while 2006 marked the beginning of the brand's expansion in the region with stores in Chile and Mexico. Rapsodia currently operates in six Latin American countries Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Colombia, and Mexico through 90 points of sale and four product lines: Women, Intimates, Girls, and Home. The brand is characterized by a boho-chic, romantic style. It offers an eclectic product portfolio that amalgamates innumerable patterns and a varied range of colors and textures. Each collection is inspired in differ rent cultures and decades, art, music, and world travel, all of which have undoubtedly forged its super feminine, adventurous and free identity. To find out more, visit http://www.rapsodia.com.ar. About L Catterton L Catterton, formed in 2016 through the partnership of Catterton, LVMH and Groupe Arnault, is the largest consumer-focused private equity firm in the world, operating multiple funds out of seventeen offices across five continents. Since its founding in 1989, Catterton has leveraged its category insight, strategic and operating skills, and network of industry contacts to establish one of the strongest private equity investment track records in the middle market. L Catterton builds on this heritage and the strong track record of LVMH and Groupe Arnault's existing European and Asian private equity and real estate operations, conducted under the L Capital and L Real Estate franchises. L Catterton invests in all major consumer segments, including: Food and Beverage, Retail and Restaurants, Beauty and Wellness, Fashion and Accessories, Consumer Products and Services, Consumer Health, and Media and Marketing Services, as well as real estate projects anchored by luxury retail. L Catterton's investments include: Steiner Leisure, Groupo St. Marche, Bodytech, El Ganso, Hopdoddy, PIADA Italian Street Food, Mendocino Farms, CHOPT Creative Salad Company, Bruxie, Protein Bar, Snap Kitchen, Peloton, Restoration Hardware, CorePower Yoga, Sweaty Betty, Outback Steakhouse, Plum Organics, Noodles & Company, Vroom, Frederic Fekkai, PIRCH, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Wellness pet food, Nature's Variety pet food, Kettle Foods, Odwalla, P.F. Chang's, Ba&sh, Sandro & Maje, CellularLine, Vicini / Zanotti, Cigierre, Gant, Nutrition and Sante, Pepe Jeans & Hackett, 2XU, Charles & Keith, Marubi, Bateel, Sasseur, Emperor Watch and Jewelry, Miami Design District and G6 in Ginza - Tokyo, to name a few. More information about L Catterton can be found at www.lcatterton.com. Rapsodia Contacts: Laura Muchnik / Cristian Marchiaro Muchnik +5411-5199-3030 L Catterton Contacts: Andi Rose / Andrew Squire / Julie Oakes Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher 212-355-4449 SOURCE L Catterton FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Las Olas Capital Advisors (lasolascap.com) gained Raymond N. Catone as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer. He will be helping to oversee and continue the growth plans at this Fort Lauderdale-based Registered Investment Advisor firm. He will also be a member of the Las Olas Capital Advisors Investment Committee. Raymond joins the team with over 24 years of experience within the Financial Services Industry having worked at Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers, and Barclays prior to his time at Citibank. Raymond is joining Las Olas Capital Advisors during a period of a growth. "The timing of Raymond coming on board is perfect as Las Olas Capital Advisors continues to grow and needs a Senior Executive to oversee the infrastructure," remarks Las Olas Capital Advisors' Founder, Paul Tanner. "I am very excited to be joining Las Olas Capital Advisors in this capacity and contributing to their aggressive growth strategy. We have a very accommodative model for our clients, focusing on the preservation, management and growth of their wealth," comments Ray. The addition of Raymond marks a commitment to innovation and growth for this year and a half year old business. The company is already seeing the benefit of this addition to Senior Management through increased integration of all available resources in the Independent Sector of Wealth Management. About Las Olas Capital Advisors Las Olas Capital Advisors is a registered investment advisor (RIA) firm based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with additional offices in Tampa and New York. The team has over 50 years of combined experience and each person at the firm understands that business is developed through relationships built on trust and confidence. Securities and Insurance Products: * Are Not FDIC Insured * Are Not Bank Guaranteed * May Lose Value* Investment Advisory services offered through Las Olas Capital Advisors, LLC, a SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Securities services offered through Capital Guardian LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Capital Guardian, LLC and Las Olas Capital Advisors, LLC are not affiliated companies. Las Olas Capital Advisors, LLC does not provide legal, accounting or tax advice. Las Olas Venture Capital is under common ownership and control, which includes personnel and office space. Activities are conducted separate and independent of Las Olas Capital Advisors. Melissa Stephenson Las Olas Capital Advisors 954-289-4693 [email protected] SOURCE Las Olas Capital Advisors Related Links http://lasolascap.com SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- RizePoint, the leading provider of brand, quality, and safety management software, today unveiled a new ratings dashboard. The ratings dashboard is the latest addition to the RizePoint suite of pre-built Management Dashboards that provide visibility into quality, safety, and brand audit data for some of the world's largest foodservice and hospitality brands. The ratings dashboard allows quality assurance and operations managers to view historical trends. This allows users to see scoring distributions based upon pre-defined rating groups, such as pass/fail, grade A-F, or other identifiers. "RizePoint frees quality assurance and operations managers from reporting hassles, and empowers them to focus on continuous improvement informed by easy-to-read data," said Frank Maylett, president and CEO of RizePoint. "With RizePoint's management consoleincluding the new ratings dashboardquality, safety, and brand data become a guiding document of best practices across the business." The RizePoint dashboard suite brings visibility to key business information. Regional managers are able to validate high-level quality assurance within RizePoint dashboards and are able to drill down into specific issues. For example, a quality assurance or operations manager can utilize the ratings dashboard to identify locations with poor performance and drive any necessary improvements. This update to the RizePoint enterprise compliance SaaS solution also includes: A Mobile Auditor thermocouple integration with the Cooper-Atkins Blue2 Instrument that allows auditors to collect temperature data reliably A growing number of available API calls to manage integrations with the RizePoint system Additional active home page features that integrate video and images to increase visibility and enhance cross-functional team communication A new ability to attach files, including images, when creating a new Independent Action Plan so that action can be quickly taken on issues identified outside of audits RizePoint At-a-Glance RizePoint mobile and cloud-based software helps organizations improve the quality, safety, and sustainability of their products, services, and facilities. RizePoint's software is used by 5 of the top 8 hospitality brands and 5 of the top 8 food service brands. RizePoint serves more than 387,000 users in 120 countries and territories, speaking 40 languages: 105,000 food service restaurants 27,000 hotels and resort properties 13,000 grocery and retail stores About RizePoint RizePointformerly Steton Technology Groupis the global leader in software solutions that proactively safeguard enterprise compliancefor both internally imposed standards and externally imposed regulations. RizePoint software builds and protects brand equity by enabling a consistent customer experience. Our customers gather better data, see necessary actions earlier, and act faster to correct issues before they become costly liabilities. Considered the industry standard for food service, hospitality, and retail, RizePoint mobile and cloud-based solutions serve nearly 2 million audits with 200 million questions answered annually. RizePoint is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information, visit RizePoint.com. Press Inquiries: Whitney McCarthy 801.285.9827 [email protected] SOURCE RizePoint Related Links http://www.rizepoint.com SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- RizePoint, the leading provider of brand, quality, and safety management software, today launched an integration between Mobile Auditor and the Cooper-Atkins Blue2 Instrument that seamlessly uploads line check temperature data. This new pairing enables food safety teams to gather temperature data reliablyupholding quality standards and mitigating risk. Thermocouple integration is now available to more than 387,000 corporate and third-party auditors who use Mobile Auditor. "Our food service clients are committed to the safety of raw and prepared foods," said Frank Maylett, president and CEO of RizePoint. "Thermocouple integration is one more way that we're transforming a paper-and-pencil process to a more effective way of gathering data and protecting brand reputations." RizePoint provides an end-to-end solution to modernize inspections in fast-casual and quick-service restaurants, fresh-prepared foods, and grocery storesensuring a safe customer experience. With Mobile Auditor, auditors can: Conduct line checks with Cooper-Atkins Blue2 thermocouple device Perform audits using smartphones, tablets, or web browsers Use offline access wherever connections are a concern Submit corrective action recommendations with video and image markup Sync audit results for immediate use Save and share audit results before completion Start scheduled audits with just one click About Mobile Auditor RizePoint Mobile Auditor streamlines remote location assessments. Inspection teams see immediate assessment results in the cloud-based RizePoint Management Console, replacing the long, manual upload process. Capture data easily using powerful form navigation that leads auditors through the process Convert negative assessment results into immediate corrective action recommendations RizePoint At-a-Glance RizePoint mobile and cloud-based software helps organizations improve the quality, safety, and sustainability of their products, services, and facilities. RizePoint's software is used by 5 of the top 8 hospitality brands and 5 of the top 8 food service brands. RizePoint serves more than 387,000 users in 120 countries and territories, speaking 40 languages: 105,000 food service restaurants 27,000 hotels and resort properties 13,000 grocery and retail stores About RizePoint RizePointformerly Steton Technology Groupis the global leader in software solutions that proactively safeguard enterprise compliancefor both internally imposed standards and externally imposed regulations. RizePoint software builds and protects brand equity by enabling a consistent customer experience. Our customers gather better data, see necessary actions earlier, and act faster to correct issues before they become costly liabilities. Considered the industry standard for food service, hospitality, and retail, RizePoint mobile and cloud-based solutions serve nearly 2 million audits with 200 million questions answered annually. RizePoint is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information, visit RizePoint.com. About Cooper-Atkins Located in Middlefield, CT, Cooper-Atkins Corporation is a leading manufacturer of quality time, temperature and humidity instruments, with focus on the Foodservice, Industrial HVAC and Healthcare markets both domestically and abroad. Cooper-Atkins Corporation is proud to be a Woman-Owned business, certified by the National Women's Business Enterprise Certification (WBENC) as well as an ISO 9001:2008 certified company. For inquiries and to contact a distributor near you, please call Cooper-Atkins support at: Main (860) 347-2256, Option 2, or visit http://www.cooper-atkins.com/ Press Inquiries: Whitney McCarthy 801.285.9827 [email protected] SOURCE RizePoint Related Links http://www.rizepoint.com Name % of voting rights if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold % of voting rights through financial instruments if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold Ray Chambers School of Business 1964 Ray Chambers cofounded a successful private equity firm before embarking on a second career in philanthropy and as a United Nations special envoy. His work has had a profound impact on global health initiatives and on the cultural, educational, and economic life of his hometown of Newark, New Jersey. Alice Lazzarini Graduate School of New Brunswick 1976, 1996 Alice Lazzarini is a renowned medical researcher and the author of Both Sides Now: A Journey from Researcher to Patient. During the mid-1990s, she codiscovered the first gene mutation linked to familial Parkinsonism, changing the paradigm of Parkinson's research. Richard Weeks School of Engineering 1950 Richard Weeks is chair of Weeks Marine, Inc., one of the leading marine construction firms in North America. The company handles projects throughout North and South America, from inland waterways to offshore sites in the Pacific and the Atlantic. SY Lau Rutgers Business SchoolNewark and New Brunswick 2004 SY Lau is a leader in the development of China's flourishing internet industry. He is senior executive vice present of Tencent Holdings Limited, the fourth-largest internet company in the world, and president of its Online Media Group. "The Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni celebrates Rutgers graduates who move our society forward in life-changing ways," said Donna Thornton, vice president for alumni relations, annual giving and communications. "This year's honorees make all of us in the university community proud to be scarlet forever." The black-tie event will be hosted at the Hyatt Regency in downtown New Brunswick, New Jersey. More information about the event and the inductees can be found on the event website. About the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni Established in 1987, the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni recognizes alumni who, through their superlative achievements in professional and civic life, have brought honor to themselves and to the university. Only 228 graduates have been inducted into the Hall of Distinguished Alumni in Rutgers' history. Notable members include chef and restaurateur Mario Batali, late actor James Gandolfini, author Janet Evanovich, NBC news anchor Natalie Morales, late actor and humanitarian Paul Robeson, Nobel Prize winners Selman Waksman and Milton Friedman, and five former New Jersey governors. About the Rutgers University Alumni Association The Rutgers University Alumni Association (RUAA) is a powerful network of more than 486,000 living Rutgers alumni. Membership is free for life and includes exclusive access to an amazing array of national, local, and university benefits. EDITOR'S NOTE: Headshots, full biographies, and multimedia of the honorees and the awards ceremony are available for media use. Complete details are available on the event website. Please contact Britt Boehm from the Rutgers University Alumni Association at 848-932-2243 or by email at [email protected] to request any materials. Contact: Britt Boehm Rutgers University Alumni Association [email protected] 848-932-2243 SOURCE Rutgers University Alumni Association OSAKA, Japan, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SEKISUI HOUSE, LTD. and Woodside Homes today announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement under which SEKISUI HOUSE will acquire 100% ownership of Woodside Homes. SEKISUI HOUSE, LTD, Japan's largest homebuilder and leading diversified developer, will complete the transaction through one of its wholly-owned US subsidiaries. Woodside Homes is one of America's top 30 homebuilders having built more than 40,000 homes across the US, with current operations in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. The acquisition of Woodside Homes is part of SEKISUI HOUSE's long-term growth strategy to diversify its business portfolio and create operating synergies within its other operating platforms. "There is a natural alignment between our companies -- both sharing the same philosophy of creating environmentally sound communities and fulfilling the housing industry's responsibility to future generations. Woodside Homes is an important growth platform for our North America homebuilding operations," said Isami Wada, Chairman, Representative Director & CEO, SEKISUI HOUSE. Joel Shine, Chief Executive Officer of Woodside Homes, remarks "We're thrilled with the opportunity to join forces with SEKISUI HOUSE. The acquisition provides the opportunity for us to continue to build homes with lasting value, integrity and quality while providing excellent service and earning the trust and respect of customers who seek the most from their homeownership experience." Woodside Homes' company name, executive team and daily operations will remain the same. SEKISUI HOUSE will provide shared technologies and economic resources in support of Woodside Homes' growth. Both parties will exchange creative ideas and techniques to create value and address the many and varied needs of the individual homeowner and the broader homebuilding market. Closing is scheduled to occur at the end of February 2017. Since its founding in 1960, SEKISUI HOUSE has developed housing-related businesses that have come to lead the housing industry by creating environment, economic, social, and homeowner value. NORTH AMERICA SEKISUI HOUSE, LLC (NASH) was established by SEKISUI HOUSE in 2010 as a wholly-owned US subsidiary and its portfolio includes more than 30 active suburban master-planned communities and 20 urban-infill and transit-oriented developments. The acquisition of Woodside Homes firmly establishes SEKISUI HOUSE as a market leader in the US in homebuilding and the development of master-planned communities, mixed-use, multifamily and condominium properties. Representation for this successful transaction was provided by Hearthstone and Morrison & Foerster for SEKISUI HOUSE and Moelis & Company and Milbank, Tweed, Hadley, & McCloy for Woodside Homes and Richards Kibbe & Orbe LLP for the representative of the selling equity holders of Woodside Homes. About SEKISUI HOUSE, LTD. SEKISUI HOUSE, LTD is the largest homebuilder and one of the leading diversified developers in Japan. SEKISUI HOUSE is managing its US operations through its subsidiaries in the US. The US operations include the development of master-planned communities, mixed-use, multifamily apartment, and condominium properties throughout the US. http://www.sekisuihouse.co.jp/english/index.html About Woodside Homes: Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Woodside Homes is a privately held company and one of America's top 30 homebuilders. The company has built more than 40,000 homes across the US, with current operations in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah -- earning the trust and confidence of families who seek the very most from their homeownership experience. www.woodsidehomes.com Stephanie Orton Lynch Executive Vice President | Delucchi Plus 703.405.0728 | [email protected] SOURCE SEKISUI HOUSE, LTD. Related Links https://www.sekisuihouse.co.jp/english HOUSTON, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Shell announced today that they are finalizing Indoor EMV deployment with over 11,000 of their sites fully Indoor EMV operational. EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) is the global standard for cards payments using payment cards with an embedded computer chip and special authentication technology designed to reduce fraud. Almost 80 percent of the Shell-branded retail network is now fully Indoor EMV compliant with the remainder expected by spring 2017. "The Vantage platform has afforded sites faster and easier deployment of Indoor EMV software while significantly minimizing site downtime and eliminating the need for a technician's visit," said Craig Schneider, Vice President and General Manager Marketing, Shell Americas Fuel Sales and Marketing. "We are confident that we will experience the same success with our Outdoor EMV program." As full deployment of Indoor EMV approaches, Shell is shifting focus to delivering Outdoor EMV on their network. Shell is fully committed to ensuring all Shell-branded sites are EMV hardware and software ready in advance of the October 2020 liability shift date. Development of the Outdoor EMV software solution is currently in progress with a pilot planned for late 2017. Shell continues to encourage sites to become EMV hardware ready with new dispensers or upgraded retrofit kits. EMV hardware equipment is available for Shell Wholesalers (and dealers) through Wayne Fueling Systems and Gilbarco Veeder-Root. Shell and Wayne are offering a Direct Purchase Program for both new dispensers and retrofit kits, and Gilbarco is providing dispenser and retrofit kits through their distributors. "We're excited to bring our Wholesalers and Retailers a high value dispenser program that will help lower their EMV investment costs," said Juan Kemp, General Manager Operations, Shell Americas Fuel Sales and Marketing. "Our top priority is to continue delivering programs and technology that protect the Shell brand and lead to better customer experiences." Additional details of the Outdoor EMV program will be announced in Q2 2017. About Shell Shell Oil Company is an affiliate of the Royal Dutch Shell plc, a global group of energy and petrochemical companies with operations in more than 70 countries. In the U.S., Shell operates in 50 states and employs more than 20,000 people working to help tackle the challenges of the new energy future. The Shell downstream organization manages a portfolio of top-quality brands, including the No. 1 selling premium gasoline, Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Premium Gasoline, No. 1 selling gasoline, Shell Nitrogen Enriched Gasolines, and Pennzoil, the most trusted motor oil brand in America. Cautionary Note The companies in which Royal Dutch Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this release "Shell", "Shell group" and "Royal Dutch Shell" are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" are also used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies. ''Subsidiaries'', "Shell subsidiaries" and "Shell companies" as used in this release refer to companies over which Royal Dutch Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. Entities and unincorporated arrangements over which Shell has joint control are generally referred to "joint ventures" and "joint operations" respectively. Entities over which Shell has significant influence but neither control nor joint control are referred to as "associates". The term "Shell interest" is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in a venture, partnership or company, after exclusion of all third-party interest. This release contains forward-looking statements concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Royal Dutch Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Royal Dutch Shell to market risks and statements expressing management's expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as ''anticipate'', ''believe'', ''could'', ''estimate'', ''expect'', ''goals'', ''intend'', ''may'', ''objectives'', ''outlook'', ''plan'', ''probably'', ''project'', ''risks'', "schedule", ''seek'', ''should'', ''target'', ''will'' and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Royal Dutch Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this release, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell's products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; and (m) changes in trading conditions. All forward-looking statements contained in this release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Royal Dutch Shell's 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2015 (available at www.shell.com/investor and www.sec.gov ). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward looking statements contained in this release and should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this release, 22 February 2017. Neither Royal Dutch Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this release. We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this release that United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. U.S. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov. SOURCE Shell Oil Company Related Links http://www.shellus.com Sierra shareholders overwhelmingly vote to spin out of Northern Peru Properties into Cautivo Mining Spin out of properties reduces concession maintenance cost to Sierra Metals and allows for accelerated exploration to enhance value for Sierra shareholders TORONTO, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Sierra Metals Inc. (TSX: SMT) (BVL: SMT) ("Sierra Metals" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that shareholders have overwhelmingly voted at a special meeting of shareholders on February 16, 2017, to spin-out (the "Spin-out") to existing shareholders its 100% owned Las Lomas Project, into a new public entity called Cautivo Mining Inc. ("Cautivo") by approving a reduction in the capital of the common shares of Sierra Metals for the capital assigned to Cautivo Mining. The final voting results were 99.94% voting in favour of the capital reduction. On the completion of the Spin-out, Cautivo who are the developer of the properties' main asset will be its indirect interest in the Las Lomas Project (the "Las Lomas Project") consisting of approximately 32,000 hectares of greenfield exploration properties located in northern Peru. Mark Brennan, President and CEO of Sierra Metals commented: "Sierra Metals is committed to an ongoing program of maximizing value for Sierra shareholders. After completing an extensive review of the Company's assets in Peru, Sierra Metals decided to spin-out to existing shareholders its 100% owned Las Lomas Project. The Las Lomas Project is not considered to be part of the Company's core focus and management, as well as the Board of Directors, believe the value of the Las Lomas Project is not being fully reflected in the current share price of Sierra Metals. The Spin out of properties reduces concession maintenance cost to Sierra Metals and allow for the accelerated exploration and development of properties by Cautivo Mining and thus enhancing value for Sierra shareholders." On January 12th, Sierra Metals wholly-owned subsidiary, Cautivo Mining Inc. who are the developers of the properties, filed a preliminary prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities for the purpose of qualifying the distribution by Sierra Metals to holders of Sierra's common shares of all of the issued and outstanding common shares in the capital of Cautivo as a return of capital and to effect a rights offering under which recipients of Cautivo Shares will be entitled to purchase additional Cautivo shares. The exercise price for the rights offering will be determined prior to the filing of Cautivo's final prospectus. The effect of the distribution and the rights offering will be to spin-out Cautivo as a standalone public company and to capitalize Cautivo to enable it to pursue its business plan. Certain details of the distribution and the rights offering, including the number of Cautivo shares to be received by shareholders of the Company for each Sierra share held, the number of rights to be distributed, the subscription price for Cautivo shares under the rights offering, the total size of the rights offering and the timing of the distribution and the rights offering have not been finalized. These details will be contained in the final prospectus. Complete details of the distribution and the rights offering, including the tax treatment of the distribution, will also be contained in the final prospectus which will be sent to each holder of Sierra shares and will be made accessible on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under Cautivo's profile. Quality Control All technical data contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Gordon Babcock, P.Eng., Chief Operating Officer and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Sierra Metals Sierra Metals Inc. is Canadian based growing polymetallic mining company with production from its Yauricocha Mine in Peru, and its Bolivar and Cusi Mines in Mexico. The company recently completed a very successful operational improvements program at it Yauricocha mine and is now focused on completing a similar program at its Mexican operations to increase production volume, recoveries and modernize operations. Sierra continues to grow its mineral resources with several exciting brownfield opportunities such as the Esperanza Zone at the Yauricocha Mine which went from first discovery to mining in less than one year. The Company has several other brownfield exploration opportunities at all three Mines in Peru and Mexico within or very close to the existing mines which its actively exploring and hopes to daylight in the short-term. The company has large land packages at all three Mines with several regional highly prospective targets providing longer term exploration upside and mineral resource growth potential. The Company's shares trade on the Lima Stock Exchange (Bolsa de Valores de Lima) and on the TSX under the symbol "SMT". Forward-Looking Statements Except for statements of historical fact contained herein, the information in this press release may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities law. Statements containing forward-looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Company's plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations or beliefs as to future events or results. These statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements unless required by securities laws applicable to the Company. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in filings by the Company with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com. Continue to watch our progress at: Web: www.sierrametals.com Twitter: sierrametals Facebook: SierraMetalsInc LinkedIn: Sierra Metals Inc SOURCE Sierra Metals Inc. Related Links www.sierrametals.com Trading Symbol: TSX: SVM VANCOUVER, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Silvercorp Metals Inc. ("Silvercorp" or the "Company") (TSX: SVM) announces that the company will attend the BMO 26th Capital Markets Annual Global Metals & Mining Conference from February 26 to March 1, 2017 in Hollywood, Florida. A PDF of the slide presentation will be available on the Company's website at http://silvercorpmetals.com. Silvercorp Metals Inc. will also attend and present at the PDAC 2017 International Convention in Toronto, Canada, on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, at 2:00p.m. (ET). A PDF of the slide presentation will be available on the Company's website at http://silvercorpmetals.com. Silvercorp will also be at Booth #2223A in the Investor Exchange at the PDAC Convention from Sunday through Monday, March 5-6, 2017. About Silvercorp Metals Inc. Silvercorp is a low-cost silver-producing Canadian mining company with multiple mines in China. The Company's vision is to deliver shareholder value by focusing on the acquisition of under developed projects with resource potential and the ability to grow organically. For more information, please visit our website at www.silvercorpmetals.com SOURCE Silvercorp Metals Inc Related Links www.silvercorpmetals.com WASHINGTON and Northfield, Ill., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the American Society of Hematology (ASH) today published an evidence-based guideline that addresses the initial work-up of acute leukemia. The guideline was published in an early online edition of the Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. "Initial Diagnostic Work-up of Acute Leukemia: Guideline from the College of American Pathologists and the American Society of Hematology" defines the recommended clinical information and laboratory testing needed for proper diagnosis, with the goal of optimal prognosis, of pediatric and adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and mixed-phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL). By relying on this guideline, hematologists, oncologists, pathologists, allied clinicians, and patient advocacy groups can better ensure that each patient receives the most accurate diagnostic testing and subsequent care. "The laboratory testing to diagnose acute leukemia and inform treatment is increasingly complex, making this guideline essential," explains Daniel A. Arber, M.D., University of Chicago School of Medicine, who served as the CAP representative co-chair for the guideline. "New gene mutations and protein expressions have been described over the last decade in all types of acute leukemiaand many of them impact diagnosis or inform prognosis." Most notably, the guideline underscores the essential steps to coordinate and communicate across clinical teams, specifying information that must be sharedparticularly among treating physicians and pathologistsfor optimal patient outcomes, and to avoid unnecessary duplicative testing. By identifying the best timing and setting for recommended tests, the guideline also provides structured, baseline recommendations to manage molecular testing. "With its multidisciplinary perspective, this guideline reflects contemporary, integrated cancer care, and therefore, it will also help providers realize efficiencies in test management," said ASH guideline co-chair James W. Vardiman, M.D., the University of Chicago School of Medicine. Drs. Arber and Vardiman led an interdisciplinary team of hematologists, and hematopathologists. This panel systematically sought and reviewed published evidence to answer six questions for the initial diagnosis of the specified range of acute leukemias, including of ambiguous lineage: 1) What clinical and laboratory information should be available? 2) What samples and specimen types should be evaluated? 3) What tests are required for all patients during the initial evaluation? 4) What tests are required for only a subset of patients? 5) Where should laboratory testing be performed? 6) How should the results be reported? In addition to the full guideline, the recommendations will also be available in a printed pocket guide and digitally in the ASH Pocket Guides app. Given the incidence of leukemia, the new CAP/ASH guideline holds promise for broad clinical reach and positive patient impact. Every three minutes, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with blood cancer, and nearly 176,000 new cases are expected this year. Of these, an estimated 35 percent will be a type of leukemia, according to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. About the American Society of Hematology (ASH) The American Society of Hematology (www.hematology.org) is the world's largest professional society concerned with the causes and treatment of blood disorders. Its mission is to further the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting blood, bone marrow, and the immunologic, hemostatic, and vascular systems by promoting research, clinical care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology. The official journal of ASH is Blood (www.bloodjournal.org), the most cited peer-reviewed publication in the field, which is available weekly in print and online. In 2016, ASH launched Blood Advances (www.bloodadvances.org), an online, peer-reviewed open-access journal. About the College of American Pathologists (CAP) As the world's largest organization of board-certified pathologists and leading provider of laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing programs, the CAP serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. For more information, READ THE CAP ANNUAL REPORT at cap.org. SOURCE College of American Pathologists Related Links http://www.cap.org NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Research shows states and districts are expanding Advanced Placement access and success for public high school students, including efforts to secure funding for low-income students via new funding sources. The AP Program Results: Class of 2016 released today shows an increase in both the participation and passing rates for the high school graduating class of 2016. The data show the number of public high school students taking at least one AP Exam has almost doubled in 10 years from 645,000 for the class of 2006 to 1.1 million students in the class of 2016. Since 2006, the percentage of U.S. students taking AP classes and then earning a score of 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam has grown by 7.6 points from 14.3% to 21.9% of public high school graduates. "There is a widespread belief in education that it is impossible to expand access while maintaining high performance. The AP Program tells a different story," said David Coleman, president and CEO of the College Board. "Across the country AP participation rates are rising, as are passing rates for AP Exams. State and district leaders who have acted decisively to increase AP access are seeing those efforts pay off for students." State legislators are also making it easier for students to earn college credit by implementing statewide AP credit policies. So far, 22 states, encompassing more than 60% of the U.S. population, currently apply statewide AP credit policies, so students and families have a guarantee that the state's public colleges and universities will award college credit for qualifying AP Exam scores. An independent researcher from the American Enterprise Institute, Nat Malkus, has called the rise in AP participation and performance "the rarest kind of success in public education." His data show that in 2012, about 90% of all students attended a school that offered at least one AP course, and that rate was similar for black, Hispanic, Asian, and white students. Students who have the opportunity to take part in challenging AP courses develop skills they'll need for college and potentially save money and time by earning college credit. Research shows students who succeed on AP Exams are more likely to earn higher GPAs in college, take more classes in their discipline, and graduate college on time. For the first time, Massachusetts led the nation in AP results, achieving the highest percentage of public high school graduates scoring a 3 or higher on an AP Exam in 2016. After leading the nation every year since 2009, Maryland this year had the second highest percentage of public high school graduates that scored a 3 or higher on an AP Exam. And Nevada had both the largest three-year increase and a one-year increase in the percentage of public high school graduates scoring 3 or higher on an AP Exam. Top 10 States with the Highest Percentage of 2016 Public High School Graduates Succeeding on AP Exams : Massachusetts 31.0 Maryland 30.4 Connecticut 30.1 Florida 29.5 California 28.5 Virginia 28.3 New York 27.3 Colorado 26.9 New Jersey 26.5 Illinois 25.1 Reaching All Students with AP Computer Science Principles The College Board launched a new course in the fall of 2016, AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP), with the goal of creating leaders in computer science and giving those who are traditionally underrepresented in the computer science field tools and opportunities to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). As of the 20162017 school year, AP CSP is offered in more than 2,500 schools, making this the largest AP course launch ever. Many states and districts are taking the lead in making computer science a priority for their high school students. At the end of last year, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval announced that every school district in his state will offer AP Computer Science Principles beginning in the 20172018 school year. Data show that many students who are likely to do well on an AP Exam in computer science or other STEM subject don't go on to take the exam in high school. For example, out of all students in the class of 2016 whose scores on the PSAT/NMSQT showed they would likely do well on the AP Computer Science A Exam, less than 9% took the exam. Among the rural students and female students in that group, less than 5% took the exam. AP CSP was built to appeal to students who have the potential to succeed in a college-level computer science class but who might not believe that computer scienceor STEM courses in generalare for them. For rural students, especially, AP CSP offers a way to get familiar with the foundational concepts of computer science. AP CSP classes can be led by teachers from a variety of backgrounds, which allows more rural schools to offer the course. "In all 50 states, the number of job openings that require computing skills far exceeds the number of qualified graduates," said Trevor Packer, the College Board senior vice president responsible for the AP Program "We believe all students deserve to attend a high school that provides coursework like AP Computer Science Principles, a class designed to prepare students for the incredible career opportunities of our century." What's the Future of AP Exams Funding? Since 1998, the federal government has joined the College Board in reducing the cost of AP Exams for low-income students. In 1999, over 45,000 low-income students used a combination of federal funding and College Board fee reductions to eliminate or greatly reduce the AP Exam fee; in 2016, more than 450,000 did. The College Board offers eligible low-income students a $31 fee reduction per exam. Due to a change in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states and districts can't access funds through the AP Test Fee Program because funding is no longer earmarked exclusively for AP Exam fees . States and districts need to proactively dedicate funding under ESSA Title IV and Title I, or under their own education budgets, to cover the exam fees and provide AP courses not currently offered. Several states have already responded to the federal funding changes. In November 2016, the Texas Education Agency announced that in addition to the $30 state subsidy it provides for funding each AP Exam taken by low-income students, it will use its ESSA Title IV-A federal funds to maintain fee assistance for over 200,000 students. The Texas Education Agency is currently working with districts and state charter schools to create a cost-sharing strategy for future funding of AP Exams taken by low-income students. Declaring that "all students should have equal access to the benefit of Advanced Placement," Kentucky Commissioner of Education Stephen L. Pruitt announced in December 2016 that his department would use state funds to cover the loss of dedicated federal funding for low-income students' AP Exams. The Kentucky Department of Education stated it was making this commitment so that "schools will continue to provide Kentucky's [low-income] students with the opportunity to take rigorous AP courses that prepare them to excel in their future college and career choices." "There are more than 500,000 low-income students sitting in AP classes now who are affected by the federal funding changes," said Trevor Packer, senior vice president of AP and Instruction. "These students have embraced the challenge of advanced coursework, doing the extra work AP classes require, so we urge states and districts to partner with the College Board to subsidize the fees for these students, ensuring access to the college credit these low-income students have been working so hard to secure for themselves." More than ever, low-income students are participating and experiencing success in AP, making the funding of AP Exams under ESSA grant programs an essential part of creating equal access for all students going forward. For more information about the 2016 AP Program Results: Class of 2016, please click here. About the College Board The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is made up of over 6,000 of the world's leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college successincluding the SAT and the Advanced Placement Program. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators, and schools. For further information, visit collegeboard.org. SOURCE The College Board Related Links http://collegeboard.org "While it is very rewarding to be in the business of helping women and men look and feel their best, Stitch Fix's offering felt incomplete without being able to serve a more comprehensive range of women's sizes. Our Plus team invested a lot of time and resources in order to bring the same great client experience to life and we're thrilled to be able to offer a personalized styling service that is a broader reflection of American women today," said Katrina Lake, Founder and CEO of Stitch Fix. "We are thrilled to expand our service for everybody and every body tall or petite, size 2 or size 24, bold or reserved, starting a new job, starting a family or starting fresh. We will now deliver personalized style that gives every woman, regardless of shape, taste or budget, the style she is looking for through a convenient, personalized shopping experience." To understand the needs of its Plus clients, Stitch Fix created a dedicated fit team comprised of trained stylists who specialize in the plus sector, focusing on sizing, fit, customer pain points and product development. In addition, Stitch Fix created the Curvy Style Council, which includes three leading plus-size style bloggers Allison Teng, Kristine Thompson and Alexandra Thomas who lent their thought leadership in the space and provided real-time feedback on product fit, trends, brand partners and product assortment. "Like everyone, this woman wants to look and feel great! We're excited to help her find the right, stylish product she loves. With our Plus fit team and Curvy Style Council committed to ensuring consistency in fit and more than 200 specifically-trained plus stylists, Stitch Fix Plus will continue to revolutionize the shopping experience for women," shared Lake. The Stitch Fix Plus assortment was created in partnership with top Plus brands and new vendors to develop the best product mix consistent with the fit, style and quality of Stitch Fix's broad assortment. Stitch Fix Plus will offer a range of styles from more than 90 broad-based recognizable and smaller up-and-coming brands including City Chic, Eloquii, Kiyonna, Junarose Slink Jeans and Universal Standard, as well as exclusive brands including Market & Spruce, Pixley and 41Hawthorn. The contemporary and popular plus retailer, Eloquii, will be available in Stitch Fix Plus's assortment. "The opportunity to experience fashion should not be limited by a woman's size. Our partnership with Stitch Fix offers us an opportunity to introduce our brand to even more women throughout the U.S. We're excited to continue to move the fashion industry forward and we're proud to partner with Stitch Fix as they add sizes 14 and beyond," said Mariah Chase, CEO of Eloquii. Sizes will include 14W-24W, 1X-3X, in addition to existing women's sizes of 0-16, XS-XXL, maternity, petite and multiple lengths of pants and denim to accommodate varying heights. Stitch Fix Plus will be seamlessly incorporated into the existing brand and site experience. Women simply visit StitchFix.com, sign up and fill out a Style Profile to share their size and style preferences. A personal stylist, specifically trained on how to style Plus sizes, selects five items of apparel, footwear, and accessories that best fit a client's unique taste, budget, lifestyle and special requests. The items are shipped right to her door, where she can try on her Fix in the comfort of her own home and buy what she wants and send the rest back with free shipping both ways and free exchanges. On February 27, 2017 Stitch Fix will begin styling plus clients. Interested clients can sign up for the waitlist now at www.stitchfix.com and follow us on our Blog, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. About Stitch Fix: Stitch Fix is the world's leading online personal styling service tailored to your taste, budget and lifestyle that helps both men and women discover the apparel and accessories that they love. Apparel and accessories range from $20 - $400 per item and include many beloved brands such as Ella Moss, Joie, Splendid, Trina Turk, Penguin and Scotch & Soda, as well as hundreds of smaller, boutique labels. Clients simply fill out an online style profile and Stitch Fix personal stylists handpick a selection of five clothing items and accessories that best fit each client's taste, budget and lifestyle. Clients keep what they love and easily return the rest. Founded in 2011 by CEO Katrina Lake, Stitch Fix is headquartered in San Francisco, California and employs 5,300 people across the country, including 3,000 stylists who are employees of Stitch Fix, as well as 75 data scientists. For more information about Stitch Fix, please visit http://www.stitchfix.com. SOURCE Stitch Fix Related Links http://www.stitchfix.com LONDON, Feb. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Regional competition to heat up the global storage area network market in the next 10 years The worldwide boom in IT has redefined many industries and built the base of many budding economies spread across the globe. IT based technologies such as SAN (storage area network) have immensely helped small and medium scale entrepreneurs. The inbuilt capabilities such as shared storage, centralised control and flexibility to share capacity between multiple hosts is creating a broader market acceptance of the product within the small and medium scale business entities present in the global market. The surged spending on ICT is probably going to buckle up the global storage area network market. An influx of funds has been injected into the ICT sector, mushrooming in some of the developing economies of the world such as Asia, MEA and Latin America. This factor is expected to play the role of a catalyst in the hike of the global storage area network market revenues. Revenue growth of the global storage area network market is predicted to soar in the APEJ region. APEJ is estimated to register a robust Y-O-Y growth and expand at a CAGR of 4.8%. The major booming economies of the APEJ region such as India and China are fuelling the growth of the APEJ SAN market. India is expected to climb the ladder of growth and record a CAGR of 5.3% within the period of forecast. But the dragon economy of China is expected to dominate the market scene till the end of 2026. The APEJ region is an emerging contender in the global SAN market, backed by extensive investments done by public cloud service providers in order to improve their network infrastructure. North America will continue to maintain its lead within the period of assessment The North America SAN market, which was valued close to US$ 5 Bn in 2015 will continue its growth lap till the end of 2026. North America will account for more than 30% revenue share of the global storage area network market. As the region is populated with cloud service providers and several big companies that provide seamless data services, the market for storage area networks is massively increasing in this part of the globe. One of the major economies of this region the U.S is anticipated to play a significant role in the development of this regional market. Market anatomy: Storage Area Network market (North America) The key players of the global storage area network market such as CISCO extracted a lion's share of revenue from the markets fragmented across the North America region. The North America region contributed more than 60% of their revenue in 2015. NetApp, Inc. another major shareholder in the global storage area network market fished out more than 50% of the revenue share from the North America market in 2015. The unparalleled importance of the North America region in the global market arena of storage area networks is soaring and as predicted North America will continue to rule the global storage area network market till the end of the forecast period. The hardware segment of the North America SAN market is expected to dominate the market till the end of 2026. At the same time the software segment is assessed to be the most attractive segment in terms of revenue within the North America region and it is predicted to record a CAGR of 4.0% by the end of the foreseen period. The conventional SAN segment will showcase better output in the North America region, but in terms of revenue the virtual SAN segment will attract more attention. The FibreChannel technology segment is likely to rule the North America SAN market along with the BFSI end user segment. In terms of revenue, the large enterprises and IT and telecommunication segments are expected to remain the most attractive within the period of forecast. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4715249/ About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers http://www.reportbuyer.com For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: www.reportbuyer.com SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com BRATISLAVA, Slovakia, February 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sharp to reinforce a leading role within European audio-visual market Skytec UMC today announced the successful closing of the share transfer agreement with Sharp Corporation resulting in Sharp Corporation acquiring a majority 56.7 % stake in Skytec UMC Ltd. The result is the establishment of a new subsidiary with the objective to promote the manufacturing and sale of Sharp branded audio-visual products in Europe. The two companies combine their competences to create a powerful electronics business under the known Sharp brand. "We are convinced that combining the brand image and innovation capability of Sharp and our knowledge of the European market, product requirements and our customer contacts, we set the path to become one of the major players in the European TV market," underlines Aslan Khabliev, CEO at Skytec UMC Ltd. Skytec UMC provides a well-established infrastructure from manufacturing to sales, after sales service and marketing of TV devices in Europe. Since licensing the Sharp brand in Europe in 2015, Skytec UMC has shown convincing sales figures, successful localizing and selling top-of-the range TV sets at the best price point. The current Skytec UMC organization remains entirely operative with Aslan Khabliev as CEO and is even going to be expanded to allow for further growth of the TV business under the Sharp brand. Furthermore the company continues to produce television sets under the "Blaupunkt" brand as well as private label televisions. Skytec UMC's fully owned plant in Poland will become part of the new Sharp subsidiary. Sharp, pioneer in flat panel TVs and market leader in Japan, adds its innovation power to the new organization, while Foxconn Technology Group, the strategic alliance partner of Sharp Corporation, provides extremely cost effective manufacturing and major purchasing power. Press Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Universal Media Corporation TROY, Mich., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SunTel Services a complete provider of services for unified communication networks to businesses throughout Michigan and across the country welcomes Cathy Murray as Manager of Human Resources and Administration. Murray will be responsible for all aspects of human resources, facilities management, and employee relations. She joins SunTel from Sodecia located in Center Line, Michigan. Sodecia is a worldwide, full- service provider in the automotive industry. It was there that Murray was responsible for a three shift operational plan, including labor relations for three unions, benefits open enrollment, 401K administration, and onboarding and training of new employees amongst other duties. At SunTel, she will utilize her 15+ years of experience and handle OSHA training, fleet management and updating company policies. "I am so excited to be a SunTel team member," said Cathy Murray. "This great opportunity will not only allow me to utilize my skills, education, and knowledge to assist all employees but to also grow in various aspects I haven't worked in before." Gary Jackson, President of SunTel Services, states "Cathy is a great fit for the SunTel family and her vast knowledge and experience in human resources management will be a great asset to us." About SunTel Services SunTel Services has provided complete life cycle services for unified communication services as a Michigan based company since 1986. With more than 1,000 customers and over 2,500 installations, SunTel offers a wide breadth of expertise and product offerings to customers across the automotive, manufacturing, government, healthcare, education, finance, professional services and technology sectors. With certifications in all critical network services, SunTel offers service programs up to and including management of customer networks. The company holds key partnerships and certifications with industry technology leaders, such as Adtran, APC, Avaya, Blue Coat Systems, Check Point, Citrix, Cisco, Dell, Fortinet, HP, Infoblox, Juniper Networks, Microsoft, Mitel, Polycom, Pulse Secure and VMware. SunTel serves the global communication system requirements of international companies through offices in Troy, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids and Traverse City. Learn more at http://www.suntel.com. SOURCE SunTel Services Related Links http://www.suntel.com TORONTO, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Symbility Solutions Inc. ("Symbility" or the "Corporation") (TSX.V: SY), a global software company focused on modernizing the insurance industry, is pleased to announce fiscal 2017 Guidance. In 2017, the Corporation estimates that it will generate revenue in the range of $40 million to $42 million. This revenue growth is expected to generate Adjusted EBITDA1 in the range of $2 million to $3 million. The Corporation also expects to have positive cash flow. "The momentum we created in 2016 saw Symbility sign some significant new contracts in North America and Europe; plus, entry into Australia, which lead to revenue growth beyond our original expectations," commented James Swayze, CEO of Symbility Solutions. "Considering our continued expansion in pipeline opportunities and the ongoing momentum in our sales cycles, we are confident that we can maintain our revenue growth rate in this range while generating sufficient operational leverage to achieve a positive Adjusted EBITDA margin." 1 Adjusted EBITDA is a non-IFRS measure and is calculated as earnings before interest income, taxes, depreciation and amortization, impairment losses, stock-based compensation, and other non-recurring gains or losses including transaction costs related to acquisition and restructuring cost. Management believes Adjusted EBITDA is a useful measure that facilitates period-to-period operating comparisons. Adjusted EBITDA does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and is not necessarily comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net earnings (loss) prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by IASB. All other financial measures referenced herein have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards unless stated otherwise. CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This press release may contain forward-looking statements with respect to the Corporation, its products and operations and the contemplated financing. These statements generally can be identified by use of forward looking words such as "may", "will", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intends", "believe" or "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. The actual results and performance of the Corporation discussed herein could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include, among other things, general economic and market factors, competition, changes in government regulations, and the factors described under "Risk Factors" in the Management's Discussion and Analysis and Annual Information Form of the Corporation which are available at www.sedar.com. The cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements attributable to the Corporation and persons acting on their behalf. Unless otherwise stated, all forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and the Corporation has no obligation to update such statements. ABOUT SYMBILITY Symbility (TSX.V: SY) believes in creating world-class experiences that simplify business and improve lives. With a history in modernizing insurance claims solutions for the property and health industries, Symbility has established itself as a partner that puts security, efficiency and customer experience first. Symbility PROPERTY brings smarter thinking to property insurance. Symbility HEALTH helps benefits professionals build their brands and businesses. Our strategic services team, Symbility INTERSECT empowers a variety of businesses with smarter mobile and IoT product development strategy, design thinking and engineering excellence. With our three segments pushing industries forward, Symbility proves that change for the better is entirely possible. symbilitysolutions.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. All trade names are the property of their respective owners. SOURCE Symbility Solutions Inc. Related Links www.symbilitysolutions.com BOSTON, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SysAid, a leading provider of help desk and IT service management (ITSM) solutions, has announced that the company has been named a "Master" in the January 2017 FrontRunners for Help Desk Software. The quadrant, published by Software AdviceTM, a Gartner company, counts SysAid among the most capable and valuable Help Desk systems for small businesses. "We're pleased that our users have, once again, placed SysAid among the top performing Help Desk solutions," said Sarah Lahav, CEO of SysAid. "Our customers range from startups to Fortune 500 enterprises and continue to be our guides in this market. Their needs, feedback, and experiences have driven the direction of SysAid since day one. Supporting them, and the wider IT community, is at the heart of everything we do." The FrontRunners analysis is a data-driven assessment identifying products in the Help Desk software market that offer the best capability and value for small businesses. The data comes from verified user reviews collected at three Gartner Digital Markets sites: softwareadvice.com, capterra.com, and getapp.com. The FrontRunners capability score takes into account user ratings of the product's functionality, ease of use, and customer support. It also considers how products compare to each other in terms of functionality and integrations. The value score counts user ratings of satisfaction, relative pricing, and the likelihood that users will recommend the product. Each product's market presence, total user reviews, and prevalence in Google search contribute to the value score as well. In total, SysAid received 36 reviews across Gartner Digital Markets sites. Multiple reviewers commented on SysAid's good value, powerful functionality, and ease of implementation, use, and maintenance. Several reviewers mentioned service, noting, for instance, that "the service after [the] sale is very good" and that the company offers "Excellent support." One reviewer commended SysAid for being the "Most helpful international company [I've] ever dealt with," reporting that "requests are resolved pronto, user requested features are evaluated and implemented where practical." Visit FrontRunners for Help Desk Software to see the quadrant and read more SysAid reviews. To learn more about SysAid's ITSM, service desk, and help desk software solutions, please visit www.sysaid.com. About SysAid Technologies Founded in 2002, SysAid Technologies Ltd. partners with IT professionals to make their work easier. The company provides IT service management (ITSM) solutions to more than 10,000 customers in 140 countries. From small businesses to Fortune 500 enterprises, IT departments use SysAid to deliver better service. Available in 42 languages as a cloud-based or on-premises solution, SysAid combines all the essential IT tools in one simple and clever platform. For more information, please visit www.sysaid.com. -Join more than 180,000 IT professionals in the SysAid Community -Follow SysAid on Twitter @Joe_the_IT_Guy and @SysAid SOURCE SysAid Technologies Related Links http://www.sysaid.com LONDON, Feb. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the most technologically advanced and innovation driven countries in the Asian continent. Total population of the country was recorded to be approximately 23 million in 2015, and has emerged as one of the fastest developing economies in the region. However, demand for automobiles declined significantly in the country over the past few years, which caused a negative impact on the tire market in Taiwan. Over the last few years, major automobile manufacturers in Taiwan have also been increasing their focus on exports of automobiles to other countries. Moreover, presence of number of tire manufacturing companies in the country have further fueled tire exports over the past few years, wherein passenger car tire accounted for largest share in tire exports from Taiwan. Furthermore, increasing production of tires, coupled with rising sales of automobiles and growing demand for tires from the replacement tire segment are further expected to drive Taiwan tire market during the forecast period. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4368346/ According to TechSci Research report, "Taiwan Tire Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2011 - 2021'', tire market in Taiwan is projected to surpass USD1.2 billion by 2021, owing to rising production of automobiles and growing demand for tires from replacement tire segment in the country. Taiwan tire market was dominated by two-wheeler tire segment over the past few years, and this segment is further expected to continue its dominance in the coming years as well, owing to expanding two-wheeler fleet size and rising sale of two-wheelers in Taiwan. Northern region is the highest demand generating region for tires in the country on account of presence of prominent cities like Taipei City, New Taipei City, Yilan County, Taoyuan County, Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, Keelung City and Hsinchu City in the region. "Taiwan Tire Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2011 - 2021" discusses the following aspects of the tire market in Taiwan: - Taiwan Tire Market Size, Share & Forecast - Segmental Analysis By Vehicle Type (Two-Wheeler, Passenger Car, Light Commercial Vehicle, Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicle, and OTR), By Demand Category (OEM Vs Replacement) - Regional Analysis Northern, Central, Southern, Island region - Policy & Regulatory Landscape - Changing Market Trends and Emerging Opportunities - Competitive Landscape and Strategic Recommendations Why You Should Buy This Report? - To gain an in-depth understanding of tire market in Taiwan - To identify the on-going trends and segment wise anticipated growth in the coming years - To help industry consultants, tire companies and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies - To obtain research based business decision and add weight to presentations and marketing material - To avail 10% customization in the report without any extra charges and get the research data or trends added in the report as per the buyer's specific needs Report Methodology The information contained in this report is based on both primary and secondary sources. Primary research included interviews with tire companies, distributors and industry experts. Secondary research included an exhaustive search of relevant publications like company annual reports, financial reports and proprietary databases. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4368346/ About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers http://www.reportbuyer.com For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: www.reportbuyer.com SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com NEW YORK and MUMBAI, India, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS) a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, today announced that it has been officially certified as a 'Top Employer in North America 2017' by the Top Employers Institute, an independent organization that certifies employers around the world for excellence in creating a total work environment for their employees. This is the third consecutive year TCS has been certified in the U.S. and the second consecutive year for TCS in Canada. The Top Employers certification is awarded to a select group of employers who provide excellent employee conditions, nurture and develop talent throughout all levels of the organization and strive to continuously optimize employment practices. TCS was recognized as an exceptional performer across nine categories: Talent Strategy, Workforce Planning, On-Boarding, Learning and Development, Performance Management, Leadership Development, Career and Succession Management, Compensation and Benefits, and Culture. "TCS is proud to be certified as a Top Employer in North America for three consecutive years," said Sury Kant, President, North America, UK and Europe, TCS. "We have a deep commitment toward providing the best programs to retain, engage and enable our employees to learn and grow." "Optimal employee conditions ensure that people can develop themselves personally and professionally," said David Plink, CEO of the Top Employers Institute. "Our comprehensive research concluded that Tata Consultancy Services provides an outstanding employment environment and offers a wide range of creative initiatives, from secondary benefits and working conditions, to performance-management programs that are well thought out, and truly aligned with the culture of their company." Established in 1991, the Top Employers certification is designed to identify and recognize the world's leading organizations in the field of HR management and employee conditions. The award certification is based on an industry-leading research methodology, conducted by the Top Employers Institute. About the Top Employers Institute The Top Employers Institute globally certifies excellence in the conditions that employers create for their people. Optimal employee conditions ensure that people develop themselves personally and professionally. This in turn enables companies to grow and to develop, always. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company has recognized Top Employers around the world since 1991. The company is now active in more than 100 countries and in six regions: North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Almost 1,100 Top Employers were successfully certified in 2016. About Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS) Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that delivers real results to global business, ensuring a level of certainty no other firm can match. TCS offers a consulting-led, integrated portfolio of IT, BPS, infrastructure, engineering and assurance services. This is delivered through its unique Global Network Delivery Model, recognized as the benchmark of excellence in software development. A part of the Tata group, India's largest industrial conglomerate, TCS has over 378,000 of the world's best-trained consultants in 45 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $16.5 billion for year ended March 31, 2016 and is listed on the BSE (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) and the NSE (National Stock Exchange) in India. For more information, visit us at www.tcs.com. To stay up-to-date on TCS news in North America, follow @TCS_NA. For TCS global news, follow @TCS_News. SOURCE Tata Consultancy Services Related Links http://www.tcs.com SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- An increase in drilling activities as a result of oil price recovery, will drive the growth of the global downhole tools market. However, stringent regulatory processes, oil price volatilely, and harsh environments are heightening the need for judicious and efficient equipment to reduce operator costs and maximize profits. Access to massive unconventional resources in North America, South America and parts of Asia is driving exploration and production (E&P). The Global Downhole Tools Market, Forecast to 2022 insight is part of Frost & Sullivan's Oil & Gas Growth Partnership Subscription and provides an in-depth evaluation of all the downhole tools segments, including downhole tubulars, drilling tools, wellbore cleanup tools, downhole communication tools, and support tools. Market revenue forecasts, drivers and restraints, technology advancements, competitors and market dynamics are assessed in detail. Click on the following link for complimentary access to more information on this analysis or to register for a Growth Strategy Dialogue, a free interactive briefing with Frost & Sullivan's thought leaders: http://frost.ly/1cn "Technologically improved downhole tools ensure greater penetration, real-time analysis, heightened performance and increased productivity that translate into significant capital cost savings, reduced well downtime, and increased well life expectancy," said Frost & Sullivan Energy & Environment Industry Analyst Rasholeen Nakra. "While North America continues to lead the downhole tools market with advanced technology in multi-well horizontal drilling and production, the Asia-Pacific Region and Middle East will be key markets as these regions continue to explore large untapped oil and gas reserves." The total market is estimated to increase at a CAGR of 5.8 percent from 2015 to 2022, reaching $5.44 billion by 2022. The drilling tools segment is expected to grow at a higher CAGR of 6.6 percent from 2015 to 2022 due to a shale gas boom in the United States and high oil and gas demand globally. "The downhole tools market is mature, with a mix of participants of different sizes and expertise. The top five participants constitute 69.5 percent of the total market share in downhole tools," noted Nakra. "In order to remain competitive in a volatile market, key players such as Schlumberger, Halliburton, Baker Hughes, and National Oilwell Varco (NOV) consider merger and acquisition strategies." About Frost & Sullivan's Oil & Gas Team Global Downhole Tools Market, Forecast to 2022 is part of the Oil & Gas Growth Partnership Subscription. Related studies include Malaysia Oil and Gas Services Sector Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Opportunities Forecast to 2025, Oil and Gas and Petrochemicals Market Update, Assessment of Global Liquefied Natural Gas Market, Strategic Analysis of Global Heavy-oil and Bitumen Market, and many more. All studies in the subscription provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion Global Downhole Tools Market, Forecast to 2022 NF06-14 Contact: Jaylon Brinkley Corporate Communications North America P: (210) 247.2481 F: (210) 348.1003 E: [email protected] http://www.frost.com SOURCE Frost & Sullivan Related Links http://www.frost.com Jury secretary Manuel Arellano describes Acemoglu as "outstanding in his ability to combine a prolific output of exceptional quality in diverse research fields, with major contributions in each, with an approach that is at once empirical and theoretical." The new laureate, he continues, "has helped elucidate the determinants of long-term economic development, with particular emphasis on the important role played by institutions and social organization. Acemoglu's novel contribution was to deploy a strategy that led him to empirical evidence identifying the causal effect of institutions on development." His research has opened up a whole new field where researchers can measure and quantify the impact of the institutional model on a society's development at different scales. Growth economics explores the question of why some countries are richer than others. A research field brought to prominence from the 1950s onwards by the work of Robert Solow, the 1987 Nobel Laureate and one of Acemoglu's nominators, it nonetheless had to contend with a lack of consensus over the determinants of growth, and a dearth of empirical evidence to support the contesting theories. Solow himself in his nomination statement cites Acemoglu's Introduction to Modern Economic Growth (2009), now a standard work of reference setting out tools, models and background knowledge for researchers in the field. But it was before this, in 2001, that Acemoglu published "The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation," with professors Simon Johnson and James Robinson. In this paper, the authors took issue with the dominant current of geographical determinism, producing empirical evidence of institutions' causal role in economic growth. Their evidentiary starting point was settler mortality: in colonies with a greater chance of survival, settlers sought to replicate the governance institutions of their home countries, and this eventually set their economies on a trajectory of stronger, more sustained growth. For instance, comparing Nigeria and Chile in 1995, they concluded that with institutions similar to Chile's, the income of Nigeria would have increased seven fold. Acemoglu employs a broad definition of institution, extending to "all the formal and informal rules that govern human interaction," from labor legislation to property and contract rights (legal certainty), by way of transaction costs, infrastructures or the education system as a means to spread out opportunity. In 2012, he published Why Nations Fail. The Origins of Power, Poverty and Prosperity, again with James Robinson, in which the two men developed the concept of inclusive and extractive institutions. As Acemoglu defines them, "inclusive institutions provide incentives for investment and innovation and they provide a level playing field so that the majority of a nation's population can deploy their talent. These economic institutions generate prosperity. But most societies are ruled by extractive institutions, which create insecure property rights, don't allow contracts, discourage innovation and technology adoption, and most importantly, create a very tilted playing field, advantaging a small segment of society, and sometimes even coercing people to work at low wages in occupations they shouldn't be in, and banning them from occupations they wish to enter." On the question of how a society can get from an extractive to an inclusive institutional framework, Acemoglu says that "there is no easy way, but summarizing our research briefly, we have also found no other way of ensuring long-run prosperity for a nation than striving towards achieving inclusive institutions." It is possible for an economy in the grip of extractive institutions to experience vigorous growth for a time, but "long-run, sustained economic growth needs technological change, innovation and creativity, and all those things flourish under inclusive economic institutions." Angus Deaton, also a nominator and Nobel laureate in 2015, explains that Acemoglu's leadership in this field relies on "a mixture of deep historical analysis, research into politics, and a range of imaginative econometric investigations." The jury also makes mention of Acemoglu's incisive analyses of labor market differences, showing, for instance, "how directed technical change can explain a number of puzzling observations such as the concomitant increases in the wages of skilled workers and their supply." It might seem counterintuitive that a growing supply of skilled workers would serve to increase rather than lower their wages, but Acemoglu showed that with the right technology complement, the resulting advance in productivity permits an accompanying advance in wages. He has recently been drawn to analysis of the linkage between new technologies and the economy, with particular regard to network interactions. Daron Acemoglu bio notes Daron Acemoglu (Istanbul, Turkey, 1967) graduated from the University of York (United Kingdom) in 1989 then went on to earn a PhD in 1992 from the London School of Economics, where he stayed on teaching for a year. In 1993, he joined the faculty at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he is currently Elizabeth and James Killian Professor of Economics. He has authored around 120 papers in leading international publications like the American Economic Review, Journal of Political Economy or Review of Economic Studies, as well as four books. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the European Economic Association and the Econometric Society, at the age of just forty he was appointed editor of the society's journal Econometrica. His multiple distinctions include the 2005 John Bates Clark Medal, which the American Economic Association then bestowed biennially on the most outstanding U.S. economist under forty. About the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards The BBVA Foundation has as its core objectives the promotion of scientific knowledge, the transmission to society of scientific and technological culture, and the recognition of talent and excellence across a broad spectrum of disciplines, from science to the arts and humanities. The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards were established in 2008 to recognize outstanding contributions in a range of scientific, technological and artistic areas, along with knowledge-based responses to the central challenges of our times. The areas covered by the Frontiers Awards are congruent with the knowledge map of the 21st century, in terms of the disciplines they address and their assertion of the value of cross-disciplinary interaction. Their eight categories include classical areas like Basic Sciences and Biomedicine, and other, more recent areas characteristic of our time, ranging from Information and Communication Technologies, Ecology and Conservation Biology, Climate Change and Economics, Finance and Management to Development Cooperation and the innovative artistic realm that is Contemporary Music. The BBVA Foundation is aided in the organization of the awards by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the country's premier public research agency. As well as designating each jury chair, the CSIC is responsible for appointing the technical evaluation committees that undertake an initial assessment of the candidates put forward by numerous institutions across the world, and draw up a reasoned shortlist for the consideration of the juries. Economics, Finance and Management jury and technical committee The jury in this category was chaired by Eric S. Maskin, Nobel Laureate in Economics and Adams University Professor at Harvard University (United States), with Manuel Arellano, Professor of Econometrics in the Center for Monetary and Financial Studies (CEMFI) of Banco de Espana (Spain), acting as secretary. Remaining members were Pinelopi Goldberg, William K. Lanman, Jr. Professor of Economics at Yale University (United States); Andreu Mas-Colell, Professor of Economics at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona (Spain); Lucrezia Reichlin, Professor of Economics at the London Business School (United Kingdom); and Jean Tirole, Nobel Laureate in Economics and Chairman of the Foundation Jean-Jacques Laffont at Toulouse School of Economics (France). The CSIC technical committee was coordinated by Ana Guerrero, the Council's Deputy Vice President for Scientific and Technical Areas, and formed by: Jose Luis Oviedo, Tenured Researcher at the Institute of Public Goods and Policies (IPP); Francisco Javier Sanz Canada, Tenured Researcher at the Institute of Economics, Geography and Demography (IEGD); Esther Hauk, Research Scientist at the Institute for Economic Analysis (IAE); Laura Beatriz Mayoral Santamaria, Research Scientist at the Institute for Economic Analysis (IAE); and Jose Antonio Berenguer Sanchez, Coordinator of the CSIC Humanities and Social Sciences Area and Research Scientist at the Institute of Languages and Cultures of the Mediterranean and the Middle East (ILC). Calendar of upcoming award announcements Development Cooperation Tuesday, February 28, 2017 Previous awardee in this category The Economics, Finance and Management award in last year's edition went to Robert B. Wilson for his research on auctions, electricity pricing and reputation, and his analysis of strategic interactions when economic agents have limited and different information about their environment. Five of the 79 winners in earlier editions of the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards have gone on to win the Nobel Prize. Shinya Yamanaka, the 2010 Biomedicine laureate, won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2012; Robert J. Lefkowitz, awardee in the same Frontiers category in 2009, won the Chemistry Nobel in 2012. In Economics, Finance and Management, three Frontiers laureates were later honored with the Nobel: Lars Peter Hansen, winner of the Frontiers Award in 2010 and the Nobel Prize in 2013; Jean Tirole, Frontiers laureate in 2008 and Nobel laureate in 2014; and Angus Deaton, 2011 Frontiers laureate and Nobel laureate in 2015. LAUREATE'S FIRST DECLARATIONS AND IMAGES A video recording of the new laureate's first interview on receiving news of the award is available from the Atlas FTP with the following coordinates: Server: 5.40.40.61 Username: agenciaatlas5 Password: premios The name of the video is: "PREMIO ECONOMIA" In the event of connection difficulties, please contact Alejandro Martin at Atlas: Mobile: +34 639 16 58 61 E-mail: [email protected] For more information, contact the BBVA Foundation Department of Communication and Institutional Relations (+34 91 374 5210/+34 91 374 3139/+34 91 374 8173, [email protected]) or visit www.fbbva.es SOURCE BBVA Foundation LONDON, Feb. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Timetric's 'The Insurance Industry in Mozambique, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2020' report provides a detailed analysis of the Mozambican insurance industry. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/1172010/ It provides key performance indicators such as written premium, incurred loss, loss ratio, commissions and expenses, total assets, total investment income and retentions during the review (20112015) and forecast periods (20152020). The report also gives a comprehensive overview of the Mozambican economy and demographics, and provides detailed information on the competitive landscape in the country. It also includes analysis of the impact of natural hazards on the insurance industry. The report brings together Timetric's research, modeling and analysis expertise, giving insurers access to information on segment dynamics and competitive advantages, and profiles of insurers operating in the country. The report also includes details of insurance regulations and recent changes in the regulatory structure. Summary Timetric's 'The Insurance Industry in Mozambique, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2020' report provides in-depth market analysis, information and insights into the Mozambican insurance industry, including: - An overview of the Mozambican insurance industry - The Mozambican insurance industry's growth prospects by segment and category - A comprehensive overview of the Mozambican economy and demographics - The detailed competitive landscape in the Mozambican insurance industry - Details of regulatory policy applicable to the Mozambican insurance industry - Analysis of natural hazards in the Mozambican insurance industry Scope This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the insurance industry in Mozambique: - It provides historical values for the Mozambican insurance industry for the report's 20112015 review period, and projected figures for the 20152020 forecast period. - It offers a detailed analysis of the key segments in the Mozambican insurance industry, with market forecasts to 2020. - It covers an exhaustive list of parameters, including written premium, incurred loss, loss ratio, combined ratio, total assets, total investment income and retentions. - It profiles the top insurance companies in Mozambique, and highlights recent developments. - It covers the economic and demographic structure of Mozambique. - It analyzes the impact of natural hazards in the Mozambican insurance industry. Reasons To Buy - Make strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data related to the Mozambican insurance industry, and each segment and category within it. - Understand the demand-side dynamics, key market trends and growth opportunities in the Mozambican insurance industry. - Assess the competitive dynamics in the Mozambican insurance industry. - Identify growth opportunities and market dynamics in key segments. - Gain insights into key regulations governing the Mozambican insurance industry, and their impact on companies and the industry's future. Key Highlights - According to the Finscope Consumer Survey, in 2014 only 24.0% of adults in urban areas had access to formal financial services. - The life segment accounted for 18.0% of the industry's gross written premium in 2015. - The personal accident and health segment accounted for 10.3% of the industry's gross written premium in 2015. - As of 2015, there were 18 operational insurance companies, of which four were composite, three were life and 11 were non-life insurers. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/1172010/ About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers http://www.reportbuyer.com For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: www.reportbuyer.com SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Luzzatto Company, Inc. (TLC), a Santa Monica-based real estate investment firm, announced that Asher Luzzatto has joined the firm as Vice President & General Counsel. In his new role, Luzzatto will focus on all aspects of TLC operations, including acquisitions, investor relations, asset management, financing, and development. He will also oversee all of TLC's in-house legal work. Prior to joining TLC, Mr. Luzzatto was an attorney at Pircher, Nichols & Meeks, one of the premiere real estate law firms in the United States. His practice focused on complex real estate transactions, with an emphasis on the representation of private equity funds and other institutional investors in the acquisition, disposition, financing and leasing of commercial real estate assets. Mr. Luzzatto is also the owner and founder of Hyperslow, a wellness complex in Miracle Mile. Mr. Luzzatto has a B.A. from University of California, Los Angeles and a J.D. from The University of Chicago Law School. "We're delighted welcome Asher to our team," said Marc Luzzatto, President of TLC. "He's ready to make an immediate impact in our office and drive the firm forward as we look to accelerate the pace of our acquisitions and continue our legacy of generating above-market returns on our investments." About TLC TLC is a Santa Monica, Calif. private equity firm that invests nationwide in real estate and real estate-related debt with existing investments in ten states. TLC acquires properties through its equity fund as well as through existing ventures and partnerships with high net worth individuals and institutional investors. For more information, please visit: www.luzzattocompany.com. Contact: Marc Luzzatto at The Luzzatto Company 310.829.7181 [email protected] Related Links Company Website This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE The Luzzatto Company, Inc. MISGAV, Israel and SINGAPORE, February 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Trendlines Group Ltd. (the "Company" and together with its subsidiaries and associated companies, "Trendlines" or the "Group") an Israeli company focused on developing technology-based companies in the medical and agricultural fields, announced its financial year ended 31 December 2016 financial results ("FY2016"). (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/467300/The_Trendlines_Group_Logo.jpg ) 2016 Highlights: 10 new portfolio companies established Fair Value of Portfolio: US$83.7 million (FY2015: US$84.4 million ) (FY2015: ) Total current assets: US$17.3 million (FY2015: US$24.0 million ) (FY2015: ) Trendlines Labs revenue almost triples to US$1.14 million (FY2015: US$0.4 million ) (FY2015: ) Sale of E.T.View Medical Ltd. ("ETView") US$13.6 million ; proceeds to Trendlines of US$3.6 million and a net gain of US$2.1 million ; proceeds to Trendlines of and a net gain of Net loss: US$6.6 million (FY2015: US$3.6 million ) FY2016 Financial Results: For FY2016, Total Income was US$0.1 million, compared to US$9.9 million in FY2015. The decrease in Total Income primarily reflects the US$8.0 million loss from the change in the fair value ("Portfolio Value") of Trendlines' portfolio companies, which compares to a net gain of approximately US$5.0 million in FY2015. The loss was partly offset by a US$2.1 million gain from the sale of ETView held by Trendlines under the equity method, and a strong rise in revenues from Trendlines Labs, which rose to US$1.14 million from US$0.4 million in the financial year ended 31 December 2015 ("FY2015"). Operating, general and administrative expenses were US$8.7 million in FY2016, compared to US$6.7 million in FY2015. Operating, general and administrative expenses were US$2.0 million higher in FY2016, mainly due to an increase in employment costs due to recruitment of new high level employees as part of the Company expansion, and listing expenses as a public company. Net loss for FY2016 was approximately US$6.6 million, compared to a loss of US$3.6 million in FY2015. Current assets were US$17.3 million as at 31 December 2016, compared to US$24.0 million as at 31 December 2015. The fair value of portfolio companies was US$83.7 million as at 31 December 2016. This compares with a portfolio value of approximately US$84.4 million as at 31 December 2015. Commenting on corporate developments during 2016, Chairman and CEO Steve Rhodes said, "In 2016, Trendlines succeeded in achieving significant goals that we set for ourselves and our investors. The accomplishment of these objectives has set the stage for strong portfolio expansion in 2017 and beyond. Early in the year, the Israel Innovation Authority renewed our incubator license for an additional eight years and approved our request to include both medical and agricultural technology investments in the renewed license. We started 10 new companies, bringing the total number of portfolio companies, net of write-offs, to 46. Seventeen of our portfolio companies raised a total of US$20 million in follow-on capital in 2016. We have successfully grown Trendlines Labs from a unit producing revenues of $0.4 million in 2015, to a unit working with multinationals in Europe, Asia and North America, producing 2016 revenues of $1.14 million. Regarding the Group's international expansion and Trendlines' growing partnership network, Chairman and CEO Todd Dollinger said "2016 was a year of meaningful milestones for Trendlines. Most obvious among our 2016 achievements was the establishment of Trendlines Medical Singapore, our first incubator outside of Israel. We are very pleased with the support we have received both from B. Braun in its role as an active minority shareholder and from SPRING Singapore, the enterprise development agency of the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry, which awarded a S$2.2 million grant to the new incubator. Mr. Dollinger continued, "Partnering with multinational corporations has been a key element of the Trendlines success at many levels and our partnerships with multinational corporations deepened significantly during 2016. In addition to the investment by B. Braun in Trendlines Medical Singapore, B. Braun also invested in two of our portfolio companies, ApiFix and Gordian Surgical and is now working actively with our team at Trendlines Labs. Another major European partner, Bayer AG, joined with Trendlines in April 2016 to form and invest US$10 million in the Bayer Trendlines Ag Innovation Fund to invest in Trendlines portfolio companies. In addition to Bayer and B. Braun, we have agreements in place with other multinationals in Asia and the U.S., including one for which our Labs' division developed a device which is one of the leading products for that industry giant." We look forward to growing our work with our partners and international investors in 2017. We invite the investment community to our Company Showcase in Israel on March 29, 2017, where there will be an opportunity to hear presentations from nine of our portfolio companies and visit with the Trendlines' team." For full financial information, please see our announcement: Unaudited Financial Statement and Dividend Announcement for the Financial Year Ended 31 December 2016 About The Trendlines Group Ltd. Trendlines is an innovation commercialization company that invents, discovers, invests in, and incubates innovation-based medical and agricultural technologies to fulfill its mission to improve the human condition. As intensely hands-on investors, Trendlines is involved in all aspects of its portfolio companies from technology development to business building. Trendlines' shares are traded on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX: 42T) and in the United States as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR) on the OTCQX International (OTCQX: TRNLY). Forward Looking Statement Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the Company's actual operating results to be materially different from any historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to statements that explicitly describe these risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements that contain terms such as "believes," "belief," "expects," "expect," "intends," "intend," "anticipate," "anticipates," "plans," "plan," to be uncertain and forward looking. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investor Contact Information: Israel Judith Kleinman Director, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications [email protected] +972.72.260.7000 SOURCE The Trendlines Group Ltd. OTT providers with Electronic Program Guides Freecast and Pluto TV Smart TV manufacturers Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Philips, Opera TV, Sharp, Sony, and others Streaming Devices Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV "We pride ourselves on being early adopters of emerging technology and we recognize there's ongoing evolutionary change in how consumers access weather content," said Pierre Morrissette, President & CEO of Pelmorex Media Inc., parent company of The Weather Network. "That's why we're building multiplatform experiences for consumers who are moving toward new platforms and prefer the interaction and personalization available with TV Apps and OTT services." TV Apps and live streaming offerings from The Weather Network help users with their planning and safety needs. The services provide comprehensive local weather information for cities around the world along with maps, warnings & alerts, user generated content, and a large collection of on-demand video content. The Weather Network's TV apps are designed for the 10-foot viewing experience and offer unlimited favorite saved city selections, satellite and radar images and interactive traffic flow maps for the continental US. "We have been and continue to be a pioneer in the field of TV apps and live-streaming as The Weather Network was one of the first to launch interactive TV over satellite and over cable through Videoway technology in 1991. The continual evolution and growth of our TV apps and streaming services shows just how committed we are to be a leader in the space," said Naomi Lipowski, Director of TV Apps and Emerging Technology for The Weather Network. "It's personalized and on-demand, which is the way of the future." The Weather Network is continually innovating throughout the organization to deliver the most up to date weather forecasts and information, ensuring it fulfils the promise of providing your weather when it really matters. About The Weather Network Celebrating 28 years, The Weather Network is a leading multi-platform provider of weather related information. It is a division of the parent company Pelmorex Media Inc., which offers multi-platform weather information via leading brands such as The Weather Network (US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, India), MeteoMedia (Canada, France), Eltiempo.es (Spain), Clima (LATAM, Hispanic US) and Wetterplus.de (Germany). Pelmorex also operates Canada's National Alerting Aggregation and Dissemination System (Alert Ready) which distributes emergency alerts issued by authorized government agencies. SOURCE The Weather Network This event marks the first time WNET will release an archival film via Facebook. "We are privileged to have a broad archive of noteworthy film content from throughout our 54-year history," says WNET President and CEO Neal Shapiro, "And Facebook Live can serve as yet another way to broaden the channels we use to reach the public with high-quality, informative and free content." In Take this Hammer, author and activist James Baldwin meets with members of the local African-American community in San Francisco in the spring of 1963. He is escorted by Youth For Service's Executive Director Orville Luster and is intent on discovering "the real situation of Negroes in the city, as opposed to the image San Francisco would like to present." Excerpts from Take this Hammer appear in the Academy Award-Nominated film, I Am Not your Negro, a film by Raoul Peck, Remi Grellety and Hebert Peck that explores Baldwin's plans to write a biography of Malcom X, Medgar Evers and Martin Luther King, Jr. Join the livestream of Take This Hammer on Friday, February 24 at 8 PM here: https://www.facebook.com/thirteenwnet/videos/10154089637265059/. It will be available for viewing for one-week. About WNET WNET is America's flagship PBS station and parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21 . WNET also operates NJTV, the statewide public media network in New Jersey. Through its broadcast channels, three cable services (KidsThirteen, Create and World) and online streaming sites, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to more than five million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS NewsHour Weekend, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings. WNET's groundbreaking series for children and young adults include Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase as well as Mission US, the award-winning interactive history game. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJTV News with Mary Alice Williams and MetroFocus, the daily multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. In addition, WNET produces online-only programming including the award-winning series about gender, First Person, and an intergenerational look at tech and pop culture, The Chatterbox with Kevin and Grandma Lill. In 2015, THIRTEEN launched Passport, an online streaming service which allows members to see new and archival THIRTEEN and PBS programming anytime, anywhere: www.thirteen.org/passport. Press Materials: thirteen.org/pressroom Website: wnet.org Facebook: ThirteenWNET / WLIW21 / NJTV Twitter: @WNET / @ThirteenWNET / @WLIW21 / @NJTVonline SOURCE WNET New York Public Media Related Links http://www.wnet.org PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ThoughtSpot, the leader in search-driven analytics for the enterprise, today announced that Gartner, Inc. has recognized ThoughtSpot as a new entrant in the 2017 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Business Intelligence and Analytics Platforms report. ThoughtSpot sees its debut in the Magic Quadrant as a reflection of the market's increasing demand for search-driven analytics. According to Gartner, "The business intelligence and analytics platform market's shift from IT-led reporting to modern business-led analytics is now mainstream." As part of the analyst firm's planning assumptions, Gartner also states, "By 2020, 50% of analytic queries will be generated using search, natural-language processing or voice, or will be autogenerated." Furthermore, "Modern BI tools that can support greater accessibility, agility and analytical insight while also maintaining ease of use (but at enterprise scale and trust for complex and large datasets) will drive and dominate new buying." In addition, according to Gartner's 2016 Hype Cycle for Business Intelligence and Analytics, "Search-based data discovery technology can help drive adoption by users resistant to or intimidated by using traditional BI and analytics interfaces for interacting with data, but who are quite comfortable using a search engine to find the information they need." "Two years ago ThoughtSpot introduced a radically different approach to analytics," said Ajeet Singh, co-founder and CEO of ThoughtSpot. "We are excited to make our first appearance on the Gartner MQ this year for our search-driven analytics solution. ThoughtSpot's momentum signifies the market's strong appetite for this next generation of analytics technology that goes beyond visualizations. Our Relational Search platform is comprised of several layers of fundamental innovation and is built from the ground up with a singular mission - to deliver access to data at 'human-scale' and enable anyone to analyze their data in seconds." ThoughtSpot has created the world's most advanced yet easy-to-use number crunching machine powered by Relational Search. ThoughtSpot's new breed of BI architecture and in-memory calculation engine makes it easy to analyze billions of rows of data across multiple data sources, while delivering sub-second performance and enterprise-wide governance. As a result, non-technical business people can search to find answers to their data questions fast while BI and Analytics teams have cut down their reporting backlogs by 90%. ThoughtSpot's Relational Search can also be embedded within custom apps or portals to deliver self-service insights to users beyond the enterprise. ThoughtSpot vastly expands the reach of business intelligence as anyone can now be their own data analyst. Leading Fortune 500 brands in retail, financial services, telecom and healthcare are turning to ThoughtSpot to help every employee make fast data-driven decisions to drive innovation and accelerate growth. A full copy of the Gartner report is available at: http://go.thoughtspot.com/gartner-analyst-report-2017-magic-quadrant.html. 1Gartner, Inc., "Magic Quadrant for Business Intelligence and Analytics Platforms," by Rita L. Sallam, Cindi Howson, Carlie J. Idoine, Thomas W. Oestreich, James Laurence Richardson, Joao Tapadinhas, February 16, 2017. 2Gartner, Inc., "Hype Cycle for Business Intelligence and Analytics, 2016," by Kurt Schlegel, July 25, 2016. Gartner Disclaimer Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. About ThoughtSpot ThoughtSpot is a next generation analytics platform powered by the World's first Relational Search engine. ThoughtSpot's search-driven analytics lets business people build reports and dashboards in seconds. ThoughtSpot's new breed of BI architecture and in-memory calculation engine was built from the ground up to make it easy to analyze billions of rows of data across multiple data sources, while delivering sub-second performance and enterprise-wide governance. ThoughtSpot connects with any on-premise, cloud, big data, or desktop data source and deploys 85% faster than legacy technologies. With ThoughSpot, BI & Analytics teams have cut their reporting backlogs by over 90% and enabled thousands of daily decisions throughout their organizations. ThoughtSpot has built the world's most advanced, yet easy-to-use number-crunching machine with a singular mission - to deliver access to data and insights at "human scale." For more information please visit thoughtspot.com. SOURCE ThoughtSpot Related Links http://thoughtspot.com DALLAS, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The US country boasts some of the top universities in the world, making it a destination of choice when studying internationally. American universities have seen a 40% increase in the number of international students choosing to study in the US. In 2016, the international student population exceeded one million. Top Three Reasons To Use University Express Mail Service These students come from all over the world to study various majors, ranging from STEM majors to business majors. They will be making America their home, at least until they graduate. After graduating, however, international students only have 60 days before they must return back to their home country. If they wish to gain some work experience in the US they can with Optional Practical Training (OPT), a 12-month working period granted to F-1 students. Students can complete OPT either before graduation or after. In order to apply to OPT, students must have completed nine or more months of education at a US university. They only have a total of 12 authorized months that they can complete. Students can apply for OPT up to 90 days prior to graduating for a post-graduation OPT. There are several steps and a lot of paperwork to fill out when applying for OPT, all of which takes time. Students submit OPT applications to their schools International Student Services office. This process can take 1-2 weeks. After the students receive their documents and OPT package, they need to fill out the forms and ship the documents to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office. Students are recommended to start the OPT process early because it can take the USCIS several months to process the application. There are only two USCIS locations that accept OPT applications: Phoenix and Dallas. The state the student resides in will determine which location they will send the paperwork to. Because time is sensitive, students may want to consider expediting the process. eShipGlobal's University Express Mail Service (UEMS), a trusted shipping service used by over 800 universities, has recently updated their system to making it even easier to ship OPT applications. The UEMS system is completely free to sign up and the process is simple. Once signed in they click the OPT/Send to USCIS option and follow the steps. The USCIS addresses are already loaded into the system, so students just need to select the location they need to send their OPT to. Students can ship using trusting shipping carriers like UPS and FedEx, while saving money through the use of eShipGlobal's discounted shipping rates. There is only a 150-day time frame in which students have to complete the OPT process. UEMS's new streamlined process for shipping OPT applications hopes to help students save not only money, but also time. About eShipGlobal: eShipGlobal is dedicated to serving the global community by providing solutions that simplify and enhance the shipment of goods. Their software shipping solutions make it easier for universities, research labs, and businesses to better manage their shipping while saving time and money. Media Contact: Saul Severe Phone: 972.518.1775 Email: [email protected] Related Images image1.png image2.png Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spVeUOzQ7GY This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com. SOURCE eShipGlobal Inc Related Links http://study.eshipglobal.com SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Togo's Eateries, LLC, the "West Coast Original" known for its big, fresh and meaty sandwiches, has named Glenn Lunde Chief Concept Officer (CCO). Lunde joins Togo's with more than 25 years of experience in the restaurant and retail business. He will lead marketing, brand strategy, and concept development for Togo's. "Glenn has a proven track record of building national franchises into sustainable, profitable operators that achieve long-term success. He will be a valuable leader for our brand repositioning and concept development efforts," said Tony Gioia, CEO at Togo's. "I envision Glenn's role expanding over time, and it is my pleasure to welcome Glenn to the Togo's family." A C-level marketing executive for the past 15 years, Lunde has led restaurant and retail franchises through turnaround situations, market expansions, and profitable growth. Before joining Togo's, Lunde served as CMO at Grocery Outlet, a $1.8 billion grocery retailer with over 270 locations, each run by an independent owner-operator. Prior to that, he was CCO at Einstein Noah's Restaurant Group, a 900-unit company where he led menu architecture, culinary innovation, store design, and marketing efforts. Earlier in his career, Lunde served as CMO of Panda Restaurant Group for more than seven years. His leadership in brand, menu, and concept innovation development helped grow the restaurant chain from 779 units to over 1,500 units, yielding nearly $2.0 billion in annual sales. He also served as CMO of Round Table Pizza and VP of Marketing at Taco Bell. He worked on numerous projects that continue to be a foundation of those businesses today. "As a Bay Area native, I've been a huge Togo's fan for decades, and I believe the brand has a ton of untapped potential," said Lunde. "I am excited to work with the Togo's corporate team and franchisees on identifying, testing, and pursuing new opportunities to grow our business and thrill customers." About Togo's Eateries, LLC Togo's was founded in 1971 by a young college student with a large appetite and little money looking to make sandwiches the way he liked them big, fresh and meaty. Keeping in the spirit of the original, Togo's products are still made with only the highest quality ingredients; including fresh-baked Artisan breads, hand sliced premium pastrami, turkey and roast beef, as well as Hass avocados and cheeses. Togo's proprietary brand of old-fashioned Pastrami, 98 percent fat-free slow-roasted turkey, and Togo's all natural chicken set the brand apart from other sandwich shops. With more than 300 locations open and under development throughout the West, Togo's is a franchise-based business that offers online ordering and catering services. For more information, call 877.718.6467 or visit www.togosfranchise.com. For general information on Togo's Eateries, LLC., please visit www.togos.com. SOURCE Togos Eateries, LLC Related Links http://www.togos.com NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- HomeAid America, a building industry charity and one of the nation's largest builders of housing for the homeless, has announced that TRI Pointe Group will continue in the non-profit's Corporate Partnership program as a leading national sponsor in 2017. TRI Pointe Group is a family of six premium regional homebuilders and one of the top 10 largest public homebuilders in the United States, based on equity market capitalization. Quadrant Homes Care Kit Day for Teen Feed HomeAid America CEO Peter Simons said, "TRI Pointe and its family of homebuilders have been supporters of HomeAid across the country for several years, building projects for the homeless, volunteering in community outreach activities, and providing needed funding locally. Their support for HomeAid America as Corporate Partners is critical to help us support our chapters and create new ones to continue our ongoing effort on behalf of the building industry to help end homelessness in this country." TRI Pointe will continue to be represented on the HomeAid America Board by John Monacci, Executive Vice President of Winchester Homes, a member of TRI Pointe Group in the Washington DC Area and who also sits on HomeAid Northern Virginia's chapter Board. TRI Pointe Group's other homebuilding companies are active with HomeAid in its markets in Arizona as Maracay Homes, in California and Las Vegas as Pardee Homes, in Seattle as Quadrant Homes, in California and Colorado as TRI Pointe Homes, and in Houston as Trendmaker Homes. "We're honored to continue our involvement with HomeAid to lend a hand and give back to our communities in a meaningful way," said Linda Mamet, Vice President of Corporate Marketing at TRI Pointe Group. "Moving into 2017, we'll continue to look for opportunities to get all our team members involved with HomeAid at both the national and local chapter levels." The team members from TRI Pointe Group's family of builders have helped numerous HomeAid chapters across the country over the past year. Working with HomeAid Northern Virginia (HANV) and Final Salute, Winchester Homes is serving as the builder captain to renovate a home that provides housing for female veterans and their minor children who are struggling with homelessness or military transition. Trendmaker Homes recently helped with the construction of the Greater Houston Builders Association (GHBA) Benefit Home. Trendmaker donated construction management for the new home in the Meridiana master planned community. It is currently on the market for sale with proceeds benefiting HomeAid Houston, among others. Working with HomeAid Southern Nevada, Pardee Homes Las Vegas served as builder captain for an extensive three-week renovation of Catholic Charities Men's Night Shelter, which houses an average of 500 men each night, 365 days a year. Pardee Homes also served as builder captain for a remodel of Family to Family Connection's two suites inside Cambridge Community Center in Las Vegas. Quadrant Homes along with other sales and marketing leaders from across TRI Pointe Group participated in a community outreach Care Kit Day to assemble and donate more than 600 CareKits for Teen Feed, a local homeless youth service provider in Seattle's University District. Quadrant Homes Vice President of Land Acquisition and HomeAid Puget Sound Board member Pete Nichols also helped organize a model home furniture sale with proceeds benefiting the Puget Sound chapter. Maracay Homes also held a community outreach Care Kit Day to benefit Sojourner Center, a service provider that houses and helps women and children affected by domestic violence in the Phoenix area. More than 30 Maracay team members, led by President Andy Warren, assembled and donated 400 Care Kits to Sojourner Center. TRI Pointe Group partnered with HomeAid Orange County to prepare 200 sack lunches to distribute to the homeless at the Santa Ana Civic Center. They also prepared 200 hygiene kits and employee-donated clothes that went to Isaiah House, a woman's homeless shelter in Santa Ana, Calif. TRI Pointe Group Vice President Mike McMillan sits on HomeAid Orange County's Board of Directors and is also on the leadership committee overseeing the Family CareCenter project. Anticipated to open in Fall 2017, Family CareCenter will provide emergency housing and services for homeless families and children in Orange County. TRI Pointe Homes Southern California participates annually in HomeAid Essentials Drive, which collects and provides diapers to thousands of homeless families in Orange County. In 2016, TRI Pointe Homes raised support for 34,670 diapers. Additionally, TRI Pointe Homes is a Corporate Partner of HomeAid Inland Empire. Pardee Homes Los Angeles/Ventura Project Manager Greg Ray is a member of the Board of Directors for the newly formed HomeAid Los Angeles chapter. ABOUT HOMEAID AMERICA HomeAid is a leading national non-profit provider of housing for homeless families and individuals, founded in Southern California in 1989. Through the generosity of builders, their trades and their suppliers, HomeAid has completed over 470 housing projects nationwide at a value of more than $210 million, of which nearly 50 percent has been donated by the building industry. HomeAid currently has 70 additional projects in development across the country. Over the years, HomeAid has added nearly 9,000 beds in facilities helping the homeless, housing over 270,000 people. HomeAid works through a network of 17 active chapters in 12 states across the country. For more information about HomeAid, call 1-888-3HOMEAID or visit www.homeaid.org. ABOUT TRI POINTE GROUP Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TRI Pointe Group is a family of premium regional homebuilders that design, build, and sell homes in major U.S. markets. As one of the top 10 largest public homebuilding companies by market capitalization in the United States, TRI Pointe Group combines the resources, operational sophistication, and leadership of a national organization with the regional insights, community ties, and agility of local homebuilders. The TRI Pointe Group family includes Maracay Homes in Arizona, Pardee Homes in California and Nevada, Quadrant Homes in Washington, Trendmaker Homes in Texas, TRI Pointe Homes in California and Colorado, and Winchester Homes in the Washington, D.C. area. TRI Pointe Group was recognized as 2014 Developer of the Year and 2015 Builder of the Year. For more information, please visit www.TriPointeGroup.com. Press Contacts: HomeAid America: Peter Simons, CEO 720-490-1900 [email protected] TRI Pointe Group: Carol Ruiz [email protected] SOURCE HomeAid America WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Mercury, a leading global, bipartisan public strategy firm, announced today the addition of Bryan Lanza, Communications Director for President Donald J. Trump's Transition Team. Lanza, who served as Deputy Communications Director for the Trump-Pence campaign prior to his leading role with the new administration, joins Mercury as a Managing Director in the Washington, DC office. "Washington has been radically transformed in just the first few weeks of the Trump administration," said Vin Weber, Mercury Partner and leader of the firm's Washington, DC operation. "Nowhere is this change more evident than in the growing significance of communications and the means by which it is employed. With critical communications roles throughout the campaign and installation of the new administration, Bryan keenly understands the nuances of this sea change. He is best in class, and rounds out Mercury's unique public affairs expertise to deliver results in this new environment. We're excited to welcome him to the firm." Lanza joins a robust communications capability at Mercury with deep ties to conservative media including: Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio, Senior Counselor to the firm, as well as media strategy specialists Dan Bank and Dan Wilson. Lanza's addition is the latest in a series of hires of leading Republican political strategists across Mercury's offices, including: former U.S. Senator David Vitter, Al Simpson, former Chief of Staff to new OMB Director Mick Mulvaney, Brian Swensen, Deputy Campaign Manager for Marco Rubio's successful re-election bid and Andrea Bozek, former Communications Director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). The 2017 growth to date underscores Mercury's commitment to build a first-class, bipartisan consultancy comprised of accomplished leaders across the arenas of media, business, politics and policy. "Mercury, with its top-tier talent and robust policy and public affairs operations, was the ideal next step for me after an incredible and incomparable experience working with President Trump and his team," said Lanza. "I am excited to return to my roots in strategy, and help clients across every sector navigate opportunities as the administration and Congress outline their policy priorities." Lanza has worked closely with President Trump and White House leadership throughout the 2016 election cycle, inauguration and transition periods. In his role with the transition team, Lanza worked with Cabinet nominees and Ambassador appointees, helping to prepare them for confirmation hearings. He served as Deputy Communications Director for the Trump-Pence campaign, helping to craft strategy and messaging for the campaign, in addition to media relations oversight and surrogate management. Lanza's work with the Trump White House is preceded by a sterling reputation as a key adviser in conservative politics and policy. Prior to his time with the Trump-Pence campaign, Lanza was the Communications Director for Citizens United, where he worked closely with the group's President David Bossie on strategy and messaging, as well as managing the organization's media relations. His policy experience includes chief of staff tenures at the California State Senate and Assembly where he specialized in agriculture, heath and transportation policy, and was involved in a number of key statewide initiatives and budget negotiations. Lanza's career also includes work in public affairs strategy with Townsend Public Affairs from 2013-2014, and as President of Lanza Strategies from 1999-2007, prior to his years working in the California legislature. Given his west coast roots and deep experience in state politics and policy, Lanza will be servicing clients across Mercury's U.S. and international offices. Lanza joined Mercury on February 15, 2017. About Mercury Mercury is a high-stakes, bipartisan public strategy firm. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services that includes federal government relations, international affairs, digital influence, public opinion research, media strategy and a bipartisan grassroots mobilization network in all 50 states. Our firm is not just led by top talent we distinguish ourselves by having senior talent deeply engaged in each project from start to finish, a promise we keep to clients. The firm has an established global presence, with U.S. offices in Washington, DC, New York, California, New Jersey, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Tennessee, as well as international offices in London and Mexico City. Mercury is a part of the Omnicom Public Relations Group. About Omnicom Public Relations Group Omnicom Public Relations Group is a global collective of three of the top global public relations agencies worldwide and specialist agencies in areas including public affairs, marketing to women, fashion, public health and corporate social responsibility. It encompasses more than 6,000 public relations professionals in more than 330 offices worldwide who provide their expertise to companies, government agencies, NGOs and nonprofits across a wide range of industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group delivers for clients through a relentless focus on talent, continuous pursuit of innovation and a culture steeped in collaboration. Omnicom Public Relations Group is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. that includes more than 200 companies in a wide range of marketing disciplines including advertising, public relations, healthcare, customer relationship management, events, promotional marketing, branding and research. SOURCE Mercury Related Links http://www.mercuryllc.com Nolan, a former federal prosecutor and a distinguished leader of the bar, has developed a market-leading, national commercial litigation practice building on more than three decades of litigation work in California. A fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, he has been involved in many significant commercial trials in Los Angeles and New York for a generation. His diverse practice includes the full range of complex civil litigation matters. Nolan has also successfully represented clients in complex criminal and US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement matters. Hamilton is an accomplished litigator of securities and complex disputes. He has served as a lead trial lawyer in a range of high-stakes disputes, representing public and private companies and their senior executives at trial and in securities class actions and shareholder derivative actions. Hamilton has also successfully led significant matters for financial institutions and investment funds in both the private equity and hedge fund industries. Hamilton frequently counsels clients on litigation and regulatory proceedings initiated by the SEC and other government agencies. As part of his broad securities regulation experience, he represents special committees of boards of directors in internal investigations. "We're extremely pleased to welcome both a seasoned trial lawyer and one of the sharpest young litigators in the state," said Jeffrey Greenberg, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins' Los Angeles and Century City offices. "Tom and Josh are both dynamic and experienced trial litigators who represent the determined and insightful counsel our litigation team offers clients." Jamie Wine, global Chair of the firm's Litigation & Trial Department, said: "The arrival of these two top-notch trial lawyers which follows Marvin Putnam joining the firm's Century City office marks another milestone in the continuing growth of our practice. Tom and Josh will complement our team well, offering keen commercial instincts, tested courtroom tenacity, impeccable judgment and sound negotiation skills." Marvin Putnam, local Co-chair of the firm's Litigation & Trial Department, added: "We're building a litigation force to be reckoned with in Southern California to add to our elite US practice. Tom and Josh add further depth and dynamism to the firm's trial-ready team at a time of rapid market change. We have the wind at our back and are excited by the opportunities to build the unequalled, market-leading practice in Southern California and nationally." Nolan said: "I am delighted to be joining Latham & Watkins' exceptional team of litigators who consistently demonstrate the highest level of client service and who are fierce and accomplished advocates for their clients. With a dynamic and growing local litigation presence, the firm provides an ideal platform for me to continue to collaborate with talented colleagues across practices and offices who combine best-in-class legal acumen and business savvy." Hamilton said: "I am excited to be joining Latham's phenomenal trial litigation team. I was particularly attracted to the firm's collaborative culture and look forward to further building my practice in step with the securities and complex commercial litigation teams in California and nationally." Nolan joins Latham & Watkins from Skadden in Los Angeles. He received his undergraduate degree and his JD from Loyola University. Hamilton joins Latham & Watkins from Paul Hastings in Los Angeles. He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and his law degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law. About Latham & Watkins Latham & Watkins is a global law firm with approximately 2,200 lawyers in its offices located in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States, including: Barcelona, Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Century City, Chicago, Dubai, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Munich, New York, Orange County, Paris, Riyadh, Rome, San Diego, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. For more information on Latham & Watkins, please visit the website at www.lw.com. Notes to Editors 1 Latham & Watkins operates as a limited liability partnership worldwide with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in the United Kingdom, France and Italy and affiliated partnerships conducting the practice in Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. Latham & Watkins operates in Seoul as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins practices in Saudi Arabia in association with the Law Office of Salman M. Al-Sudairi. Contacts Jeffrey Greenberg, Office Managing Partner, Los Angeles and Century City, [email protected], +1.213.891.8080 Jamie Wine, global Chair, Litigation & Trial Department, [email protected], +212.906.2904 Marvin Putnam, local Co-chair, Litigation & Trial Department, [email protected], +1.424.653.5588 SOURCE Latham & Watkins LLP Related Links http://www.lw.com SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Continental Who's Who recognizes Vanessa Gonzalez, CMS, CHt, FIBH, as a Pinnacle Lifetime Member in recognition of her contributions to the Hypnotherapy field. Gonzalez brings expertise in all areas of hypnotherapy as well as physical and emotional well-being to her own practice, Vanessa Gonzalez Hypnotherapy. She has owned and operated the practice successfully for the past nine months and takes a particular interest in working with pregnant women. "I specialize in Medical Hypnotherapy which is an effective adjunct to conventional medical treatment," Gonzalez said. "I believe that we have the power within us to create a truly happy, healthy and fulfilling life." Gonzalez earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Montclair University. She is affiliated with the International Board of Hypnotherapy and is a member of the National Association of Professional Women. She is certified in Past Life Regression Therapy and Natal Regression Therapy. "Hypnotherapy is a positive, life-changing tool and a gateway to living a more joyful life," Gonzalez said. "As a Medical Hypnotherapist, my client's goal becomes my goal. Physical and emotional healing can be achieved through hypnosis." Gonzalez cites freedom from traumas and phobias, managing physical pain, weight loss, preparing for childbirth and eliminating asthma as just a few benefits of Hypnotherapy. She offers free consultations to any new, potential clients. When not working, Gonzalez devotes her time to Operation Smile. She enjoys quality family time as well as spending the precious moments with her dog. Gonzalez dedicates this recognition to her parents, Alejandro and Olexis, and thanks them for their love and support. For more information, visit https://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/name/Vanessa+Gonzalez+Hypnotherapy_San+Francisco_California_275011 Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com PROVO, Utah, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- VitalSmarts, a TwentyEighty, Inc. company and an innovator in corporate training and leadership development, today announced that the award-winning Crucial Conversations Training course is now available online in a completely on-demand, asynchronous learning experience designed to reach the modern learner. While Crucial Conversations Online teaches the same award-winning content as the classroom course, it turns traditional online training on its head by harnessing the latest instructional design behind modern learning to deliver a flexible, social and interactive experience that translates into real behavior change. Flexible Users can learn when it's most convenient and at their own speed. All users need is an internet connection and a computer, smart phone or tablet. Users can learn when it's most convenient and at their own speed. All users need is an internet connection and a computer, smart phone or tablet. Engaging Users learn through self-paced activities focused on observing and recognizing the skills and then applying those skills to a crucial conversation of their own. They earn badges for completing these activities. Skills are taught in bite-sized modules via a variety of learning tools including videos, quizzes, articles, journaling, discussion forums and video practice sessions. Users learn through self-paced activities focused on observing and recognizing the skills and then applying those skills to a crucial conversation of their own. They earn badges for completing these activities. Skills are taught in bite-sized modules via a variety of learning tools including videos, quizzes, articles, journaling, discussion forums and video practice sessions. Social Users learn in cohorts and interact socially by liking, commenting and sharing feedback with their learning partners. They also observe members of their cohort putting their skills into action when they upload videos for feedback and review. Crucial Conversations Online is already on its way to leading the industry in online learning solutions. In November 2016, the course was named The Best Soft Skills Solution at DemoFest, part of eLearning Guild's 2016 DevLearn conference. "We are excited to deliver the next generation of Crucial Conversations Training," said Andrew Shimberg, CEO at VitalSmarts. "We're confident this award-winning online training modality will not only appeal to the modern learner, but offer our client organizations the ability to more easily train an entire workforce in the dialogue skills demonstrated by top performers. To date, more than one million people have graduated from Crucial Conversations. We believe Crucial Conversations Online will help us reach millions more." Crucial Conversations Online is ideal for modern learners who have limited travel budgets, who work in remote locations, or who simply want to access training in the location of their choice and in shorter intervals. In addition to flexibility, beta participants indicate that Crucial Conversations Online delivers an effective, engaging, and fast-paced learning experience. "Crucial Conversations Online is very organized, simple to work through and engaging," said beta participant Kelli Klecan. "Learning was effortless and I believe retention of each lesson will be just as high, or perhaps even higher, online than in the classroom." Crucial Conversations Online has ten hours of total instructional time that can be delivered all at once (completely self-paced) or in a time-released format over four weeks (users have three months of unlimited access). Regardless of delivery preference, the lessons and skills are offered on-demand and allow users to dive into both required and additional learning content at their own speed and ability leveldelivering skills in the moment when the user needs them most. To learn more about Crucial Conversations Online, visit vitalsmarts.com/crucialconversationsonline. About VitalSmarts Named a Top 20 Leadership Training Company, VitalSmarts is home to the award-winning Crucial Conversations, Crucial Accountability, and Influencer Training and New York Times bestselling books of the same titles. When used in combination, these courses enable organizations to achieve new levels of performance by changing employee behavior. VitalSmarts has consulted with more than 300 of the Fortune 500 companies and trained more than 1.8 million people worldwide. www.vitalsmarts.com SOURCE VitalSmarts Related Links http://www.vitalsmarts.com The study, now in its 28 th year, examines problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of 2014 model-year vehicles. Overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality. The study covers 177 specific problems grouped into eight major vehicle categories. The study finds that the 10 top-selling 2014 model-year vehicles average 134 PP100, which is significantly better than the industry average of 156 PP100. Two perennial best sellersthe Ford F-150 and the Toyota Camryalso lead their segments in the VDS this year. "We find buyers are increasingly avoiding models with poor reputations for dependability, so manufacturers can't afford to let quality slip, particularly on their best sellers," said Dave Sargent, vice president, global automotive at J.D. Power. "While many expensive and niche vehicles do have excellent quality, the fact is that most consumers are shopping in the high-volume mainstream segments. The good news is that consumers don't have to spend a lot of money to get a very dependable vehicle." J.D. Power finds that in addition to impacting purchase decisions and brand loyalty, better long-term quality is a key factor in contributing to higher residual values for vehicles. For example, J.D. Power estimates that Toyotathe highest-ranked non-premium brand in the studyhas a residual values benefit of more than $750 per vehicle, compared with the average brand. This translates into a benefit of more than $1.3 billion for the 2014 model year alone. "In the current industry environment of record levels of leasing and long-term loans, higher residual values allow automakers to provide more competitive deals to buyers," said Jonathan Banks, vice president of vehicle analysis and analytics at J.D. Power. "This creates the opportunity to achieve higher market share and/or elevated profit margins." Highest-Ranked Nameplates and Models Lexus and Porsche tie to rank highest in vehicle dependability among all nameplates, with a score of 110 PP100. This is the sixth consecutive year of Lexus topping the nameplate rankings in the VDS. Toyota (123 PP100) follows in the rankings, moving up one rank position from 2016. (123 PP100) follows in the rankings, moving up one rank position from 2016. Following Toyota in the rankings are Buick (126 PP100) and Mercedes-Benz (131 PP100). (126 PP100) and (131 PP100). Hyundai (133 PP100) is the most improved nameplate in the study, improving by 25 PP100 from 2016. At sixth position (up from 19 th in 2016), this is Hyundai's best-ever ranking in the VDS. (133 PP100) is the most improved nameplate in the study, improving by 25 PP100 from 2016. At sixth position (up from 19 in 2016), this is Hyundai's best-ever ranking in the VDS. Other notable improvements include Dodge and Ford, which both improve by 21 PP100 from 2016, and Land Rover, which improves by 20 PP100. Toyota Motor Corporation models receive 10 of the 18 segment awards, representing the highest number of awards ever received by an individual corporation in the study. These awardees are Lexus ES; Lexus GS; Lexus RX; Toyota Avalon; Toyota Camry; Toyota FJ Cruiser; Toyota Prius; Toyota Prius v; Toyota Sienna; and Toyota Venza. The Toyota Camry has the lowest PP100 score industry-wide. General Motors models receive four segment awards for the Chevrolet Camaro; Chevrolet Sonic; Chevrolet Silverado HD; and Chevrolet Tahoe. Other models receiving segment awards in the study are the Ford F-150; Honda Ridgeline; Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class; and Volkswagen Tiguan. Other Key Findings Continuing increases in technology-related problems have contributed to dependability worsening in the industry for a second consecutive year. The industry average of 156 PP100 is a 4 PP100 increase from 2016. The Audio/Communication/Entertainment/Navigation (ACEN) category continues to be the most problematic area, accounting for 22% of all problems reportedup from 20% last year. For a third consecutive year, the problems most reported by owners are Bluetooth pairing/connectivity and built-in voice recognition misinterpreting commands. New to the top 10 list of problems reported in 2017 is battery failure. In fact, 44% more owners report a battery failure this year than in 2016. Batteries are the most frequently replaced component not related to normal wear and tear in 3-year-old vehicles at 6.1%up 1.3 percentage points from 2016. The 2017 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from 35,186 original owners of 2014 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. The study was fielded from October through December 2016. Find more detailed information on vehicle dependability, as well as model photos and specs, at www.jdpower.com/dependability. J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. Those capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, J.D. Power is headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., and has offices serving North/South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. Media Relations Contacts Geno Effler; Costa Mesa, Calif.; 714-621-6224; [email protected] Monica Favorite; Westlake Village, Calif.; 805-418-8883; [email protected] About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/about-us/press-release-info SOURCE J.D. Power Related Links http://www.jdpower.com ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Iraqi Children Foundation (ICF) will host its 5th Annual "In Their Shoes" 5K run/walk on May 20, 2017 at the US Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia. The 5K will benefit Iraq's most vulnerable: orphans, street children, and kids displaced by ISIS. ICF is honored to recognize three Young Ambassadors from Iraq, who will walk in solidarity for the children in their home country. Teeba (15) and Humoody (14) suffered traumatic and life-changing injuries as a result of war. Ala'a (22) was abandoned as a little boy because of his cerebral palsy. Funding from the 5K will empower ICF to give hope to Iraqi children who are vulnerable to abuse, neglect, and recruitment by extremists and human traffickers. It will provide education, legal protection, rescue from the streets, access to food and medical care, psychosocial and financial support, and childhood joys such as toys. ICF Advisor Barbara Marlowe, said: "As Teeba's American mom, I am proud of her resilience and heart for other kids in Iraq who have suffered like she has. The 5K is a great opportunity for Teeba to lend her voice as a champion for Iraqi kids." According to UNICEF, "Iraq is now one of the most dangerous places in the world for children." ISIS violence in Iraq has displaced more than 1 million children, compounding the crisis already facing 800,000+ children identified as orphans after the previous decade of war. Alexandria City Mayor Allison Silberberg will be joined on the Honorary Committee by Ambassador Ali Alhakim Iraqi Ambassador to the UN; General David Petraeus (US Army, Ret.) and Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan; former Iraqi Ambassadors Lukman Faily and Samir Sumaida'ie; former US Ambassadors James Jeffrey, Richard Schmierer, William Taylor and Ron Neumann; Shameem Rassam AlHurra TV; Janice Chance and Kelly Swanson Gold Star Mothers; and Dr. Jeremy Kohomban The Children's Village. Founded in 2007 by two Americans working in Iraq, ICF brings awareness to the crisis facing Iraq's children. Join us as we run/walk for a day "in the shoes" of some of Iraq's most vulnerable. Register here. For sponsorship opportunities: [email protected]. Those unable to attend are invited to donate. Media Contact: Kristin Roach [email protected] SOURCE Iraqi Children Foundation CHICAGO, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Zekelman Industries announced that it has acquired American Tube Manufacturing, Inc., based in Birmingham, Alabama. Through this acquisition, Zekelman Industries and its Atlas Tube operating division will expand their presence into the southeastern region of the United States in the structural tubing market. American Tube will continue to operate under their brand and identity and will become part of the Atlas Tube division. "American Tube is a perfect complement to our Atlas Tube division and will enable Zekelman Industries to provide improved customer service and an enhanced structural tube product offering to customers in the southeast," said Tom Muth, president of the structural tube product divisions for Zekelman Industries. Rucker Durkee from American Tube said: "We are thrilled to become part of Zekelman Industries. Zekelman's history of operational excellence and support will expand our ability to better service our customers." "At Zekelman Industries, we are constantly exploring how we can improve operations and better service our customers. Bringing American Tube into our family is an example of that continued focus and determination. The team at American Tube is excellent at what they do, and we are excited to begin this next chapter with them," said Barry Zekelman, executive chairman and chief executive officer of Zekelman Industries. For more information about Zekelman Industries, please visit zekelman.com About Zekelman Industries Zekelman Industries includes the operating divisions of Atlas Tube, Picoma, Energex Tube, Sharon Tube, Wheatland Tube, Z Modular and Western Tube & Conduit Corporation. Zekelman Industries delivers a broad range of industrial solutions that build its customers' success. About American Tube Manufacturing, Inc. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, American Tube Manufacturing, Inc. is a leading producer of round, square, and rectangle shaped hollow structural sections (HSS) for the southeastern region of the United States. SOURCE Zekelman Industries Related Links http://www.zekelman.com If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here United Nations, Feb 16 : The UN chief has warned US President Donald Trump against abandoning the idea of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying there is "no alternative". It came after Trump went against decades of US policy, saying he would back whatever formula led to peace. Palestinians reacted with alarm to the possibility that the US could drop support for Palestinian statehood. The last round of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks broke down in 2014, BBC reported on Thursday. Speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, President Trump promised to deliver a "great" peace deal. But he said both sides must compromise. "So I'm looking at two states and one state," he said. "And I like the one that both parties like." Following the press conference, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged the international community to do everything it could to bring about a two-state solution. He said there was no other option for resolving the conflict. A "two-state" solution to the decades-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is the declared goal of their leaders and the international community. It is the shorthand for a final settlement that would see the creation of an independent state of Palestine within pre-1967 ceasefire lines in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, living peacefully alongside Israel. When he was asked about a two-state solution, Netanyahu said he wanted to focus on "substance" and not "labels". Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, meanwhile, said he remained committed to the goal. He also seized upon Trump's comments urging Netanyahu to "hold back on settlements for a little bit". New Delhi, Feb 17 : Delhi High Court on Friday directed Delhi Police to immediately ensure safety to app-based taxi service providers Ola and Uber, observing that recently there was violent protest by agitating taxi drivers in the national capital. Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw directed Delhi Traffic Police to ensure that drivers or owners who want to ply and have contract with Ola and Uber are not stopped or blocked. The court also directed police to ensure that incidents like damaging of vehicles do not happen. The court was hearing a plea by app-based taxi service providers against the strike called by taxi drivers unions, Sarvodaya Driver Association of Delhi (SDAD) and Rajdhani Tourist Drivers' Union. The court also criticised the violent protest by app-based taxi drivers and said the two drivers' unions cannot demand anything from plaintiffs except by peaceful commercial negotiations. The court asked the unions to create a peaceful atmosphere and listed the matter for further hearing on February 28. "The Delhi High Court's order today (Friday) reaffirmed that no one can engage in violence or prevent drivers who wish to drive using apps like Uber from doing so. We're dismayed that violence and intimidation of drivers has continued, despite a court order on February 13 prohibiting such actions," an Uber spokesperson said in a statement. The Uber spokesperson added that continued disruptions will harm drivers looking to earn an honest living, and riders looking to move around Delhi. "We're also grateful that the court has directed the police to take appropriate action to stop this cycle of intimidation," the spokesperson said. Uber, in its plea, has accused the two drivers' unions of blocking cabs of drivers who had not joined the strike. Since February 10, hundreds of app-based taxi drivers have been on strike in Delhi-NCR over several financial issues with app-based taxi service providers Ola and Uber. Chandigarh, Feb 18 : The Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government in Haryana on Saturday announced compensation to those injured during the 2016 Jat agitation. Violence during the February 2016 agitation left 30 people dead and over 200 injured. Government and private properties worth hundreds of crores were also damaged. The Chief Minister announced the compensation here a day ahead of the Jat community's next move, who have called for 'Balidan Diwas' (sacrifice day) to mark the first anniversary of the violence on Sunday. "It has been decided to release compensation to the innocent persons who sustained injuries during the 2016 Jat reservation agitation," a state government spokesman said quoting Khattar. "While any person who sustained a bullet injury will be paid Rs one lakh, those who suffered a fracture otherwise will be paid Rs 50,000. The amount of compensation will be Rs 25,000 for those who sustained any other minor injuries," the spokesman added. The compensation amount would be paid out of the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and the Deputy Commissioners have been directed to immediately release the payment, he added. Of the 30 people who were killed in the violence, the Haryana government has given jobs and compensation to the kin of 17 of them. The remaining 13 have been classified as rioters. The Jat leadership is demanding compensation for all those who died and those injured in the violence. Agitating Jat leaders on Friday turned down an offer from the Khattar government for dialogue. All eyes were now on the future course of the agitation that the Jat leadership will take on Sunday (February 19). The Jat agitation, which started on January 29, continued for the 21st day on Saturday with no breakthrough in sight over acceptance of their demands by the Haryana government. All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (Aijass) president Yashpal Malik accused Khattar and his government of not taking the agitation seriously. He, however, added that the Jats will continue to protest peacefully. The Haryana government on Friday deputed senior IAS officers "to guide and support" Deputy Commissioners in eight districts in view of the ongoing Jat protests. Their demands include reservation for Jats; jobs to the next of kin of those killed in the 2016 violence; compensation to those injured; withdrawal of cases against the Jats and action against officers who were involved. Jammu, Feb 19 : Firing exchanges continued well past midnight after Pakistan Rangers violated ceasefire at the International Border in Ramgarh sector of Jammu region, a BSF official said on Sunday. According to the Border Security Force official here, the Pakistani side at around 11.30 p.m. on Saturday resorted to unprovoked firing at S. M. Pura and Fathwal border outposts in Samba district. They used small arms and automatics, the official said. "The troops of 62 battalion of the BSF retaliated effectively. The firing exchanges continued till 12.15 a.m. on Sunday." "No casualty or damage has been reported from our side," he said. New Delhi, Feb 21 : Indian-born Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on Tuesday met Union IT and Electronics Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad here. The details of the meeting and the talks were yet to emerge but Nadella, after visiting Bengaluru on Monday, was scheduled to call on the minister before heading to address "Future Decoded" --Microsoft's two-day flagship technology and business conference in Mumbai that kicked off on Tuesday. The conference is a platform that brings together 1,500 business and government decision-makers to engage in conversations on how technology will transform all aspects of our work and life. Earlier, leading e-commerce major Flipkart on Monday tied up with global software major Microsoft to use its Azure Cloud platform for boosting its e-tail sales. The strategic partnership was announced by Satya Nadella on his maiden visit to Bengaluru after he took over the reins of the world's largest software product firm in February 2014. "At Microsoft, we aim to empower every Indian and every Indian organisation with technology through strategic partnerships with innovative firms like Flipkart," said Nadella on the occasion. As a public cloud computing platform, Azure provides a range of services, including analytics, storage and networking on network of computers (cloud). "By combining our public cloud platform and AI (Artificial Intelligence) capabilities with Flipkart's services and data assets, we will enable the e-tailor to accelerate its digital transformation and deliver new customer experiences," said Nadella. New Delhi, Feb 21 : Union IT and Electronics Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday met Indian-born CEO of Microsoft Satya Nadella and urged him to consider the use of Microsoft's innovative technology in the upcoming DigiGaon (Digital Village) initiative. "Had a good &productive meeting with @satyanadella. He deeply appreciated the success of ongoing #DigitalIndia program, which is transformative," the minister tweeted after talks with Nadella here. "Requested @satyanadella to consider the use of their innovative technology in the proposed Digigaon (Digital Village) initiative," Prasad added. In the Union Budget for the 2017-18 Fiscal, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced that a DigiGaon initiative will be launched for the provision of telemedicine, education and skills with the help of digital technology. "It was fantastic to spend time with Minister Prasad, talking about the great progress India is making with IndiaStack and Digital India," Nadella said. IndiaStack is a set of application programming interface (APIs) that allows governments, businesses, startups and developers to utilise an unique digital infrastructure to solve India's problems towards "presence-less, paperless, and cashless service delivery". "For us at Microsoft, our mission is to empower every Indian and every Indian organisation to be able to achieve more and with the policies of the Government of India. We are excited to contribute to help take advantage of Digital India," Nadella said in a video posted by Prasad on his Twitter account. On Wednesday, Nadella will address "Future Decoded" -- Microsoft's two-day flagship technology and business conference that started off in Mumbai on Tuesday. The conference is a platform that brings together 1,500 business and government decision-makers to engage in conversations on how technology will transform all aspects of our work and life. Earlier on Monday, leading e-commerce major Flipkart tied up with the global software major Microsoft to use its Azure Cloud platform for boosting its e-tail sales. The strategic partnership was announced by Satya Nadella on his maiden visit to Bengaluru after he took over the reins of the world's largest software product firm in February 2014. "At Microsoft, we aim to empower every Indian and every Indian organisation with technology through strategic partnerships with innovative firms like Flipkart," said Nadella on the occasion. As a public cloud computing platform, Azure provides a range of services, including analytics, storage and networking on network of computers (cloud). "By combining our public cloud platform and AI (Artificial Intelligence) capabilities with Flipkart's services and data assets, we will enable the e-tailor to accelerate its digital transformation and deliver new customer experiences," said Nadella. Shimla, Feb 22 : As the population of the western tragopan, a brilliantly-coloured Asian pheasant species, hovers on the brink of extinction globally, Himachal Pradesh is engaged in breeding its state bird in captivity. The world's only breeding centre in Sarahan town, located some 160 km from this state capital, has 26 breeding birds. Five chicks were born in 2016. "Currently, we have 12 female and 14 male western tragopans," breeding centre biologist Lakshmi Narasimha told IANS. The pheasantry is jointly funded by the Central Zoo Authority and the wildlife wing of the state Forest Department. The western tragopan is listed in the Red Data Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a compendium of species facing extinction. It is the least-studied bird in the world owing to the tough topography of its habitat and being a shy bird. The first breeding in the centre, which was earlier used as a rehabilitation centre for rescued wild birds, was way back in 2005 when a western tragopan was bred in captivity for the first time in the world. Subsequently, the Sarahan pheasantry was designated as a western tragopan conservation breeding centre in 2007. John Corder of the World Pheasants Association was consulted on the overall management of the birds. Narasimha said in the past five years, 23 chicks have been born in the pheasantry and five natural deaths of the newly-born were reported during this period. Ornithologists say the western tragopan, belonging to the family Phasianidae that also includes the peafowl and the red jungle fowl, is found in the northwestern Himalayan region of India and Pakistan. In India, its habitat is at an elevation of 2,400m to 3,600m in the Kashmir region of Jammu and Kashmir and Kullu and Shimla districts of Himachal Pradesh. It has also been reported in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. In the eastern Himalayas, the western tragopan is replaced by the satyr tragopan. Wildlife experts attribute their downfall to habitat degradation, hunting and extensive grazing of the forest by livestock. The Daranghati Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the proximity to the Sarahan breeding centre, and the Great Himalayan National Park in Kullu district, are the potential western tragopan habitats. "Our preliminary estimation in the Daranghati sanctuary indicates that it holds a good population of the western tragopan. We even have the reported presence of the Himalayan serrow (goat-antelope), a near threatened species, and the musk deer during surveys carried out by the Sarahan wildlife division," Narasimha said. In 2010, western tragopan conservation efforts suffered a big setback with three adult birds dying within a month in the Sarahan pheasantry. Post-mortem findings confirmed E. coli bacteria as the cause of death. The infection had severely affected the organs of the nine surviving pairs, including the reproductive system. After a gap of two years, all the surviving pairs multiplied and seven chicks were born in 2012. Jennifer R.B. Miller, who surveyed the Great Himalayan National Park in April-May 2008 during a US Fulbright Student Research Scholarship, said the population of three pheasant species -- western tragopan, koklas and Himalayan monal -- in the park have grown since surveyed in the late 1990s. "The relative abundance of all three pheasant species was significantly higher (in 2008) than in previous surveys," said Miller in her paper titled 'Himalayan pheasants in the Great Himalayan National Park' published in the Indian Birds journal in 2010. For estimating the population of the western tragopan, as with other pheasant species, specialised techniques are needed. One of the standard census techniques is recording its call counts at a specified times and locations. From March-end till mid-June, the male tragopan gives a loud chorus before dawn during the breeding season. In the estimation, every male call is counted, which gives an index of the population in a specified area. "We have western tragopans living for up to 14 years in captivity. We know that breeding is slow at this stage, but all the signs are that within five-six years we will be breeding large numbers of birds each year," Narasimha said. As for the inbreeding problems being faced by other captive species in India, Narasimha said: "All tragopans are ringed and micro-chipped on arrival and at the time of birth at the centre. A key requirement is to have an adequate founder population so that there is a sufficient genetic resource to manage this issue." "We are maintaining a studbook, a definitive record of each bird, any pairing, breeding attempts, and offspring so that we can carefully manage the birds and avoid close relatives from being put together in future. This is a part of our genetic management," he explained. Narasimha is quite confident about the survival of the western tragopans in nature after being bred in captivity. "There will be pre-release phases to ensure the birds smoothly transit from captivity to the wild." Like the highly-endangered cheer pheasant birds, which are also being bred in captivity in the state, the wildlife wing plans to also release the western tragopan captive-bred birds into the wild. (Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in) New York, Feb 22 : Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of President Donald Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton, attended with her two-year-old daughter Charlotte an anti-Trump rally here to show solidarity with the Muslim community. Clinton on Sunday joined hundreds of protesters to attend the rally in Times Square here, The Hill magazine reported. She wrote on Twitter that the event was the first protest by Charlotte. "Thank you to all who organised #IAmMuslimToo today (Sunday) -- Charlotte's first protest rally. #NoBanNoWallNoRaids," Clinton tweeted. The event featured speakers including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, mogul Russel Simmons, who is a former friend of Trump, actress Susan Sarandon, and several prominent activists. "We are here to show middle America our beautiful signs and through our beautiful actions and intention, that they have been misled," Simmons said. "We are here unified because of Trump. We want to thank him for bringing us together." The rally came after Trump signed an executive order temporarily barring visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US. The order also put a temporary halt on the acceptance of refugees and an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees. The Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday issued revised memos after the order was halted by federal courts. Mumbai, Feb 22 : Microsoft on Wednesday launched Skype Lite, an exclusive "Made for India" app to provide seamless experience in messaging, audio and video calling even at lower bandwidths. "Packed in a 13MB file, the new app is available only for Android devices and is especially designed to save data," Satya Nadella, Indian-born CEO of Microsoft, told the media at the company's "Future Decoded" event here. The lightweight app supports Indian languages including Gujarati, Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu. "Skype Lite" has data-friendly features such as "tracking data usage" which tells a user about how much data was used. It also categorises the internet usage into two sections -- the amount of mobile data or Wifi used while using the app. With these new features, the app lets a user to share multimedia files without downloading them to the device. Microsoft also introduced a dark theme for the new app making it easy for users to work in the night without having much strain in the eyes. "Skype Lite" is an all-in-one app and has functionalities such as integrated calling and SMS by which a user can make it the default calling and messaging app. To make it easier for a user to differentiate between important and junk SMSs, Microsoft has used the artificial intelligence (AI) that segregates normal text messages, Skype messages and promotional texts under three different categories. "Skype Lite" has an integrated camera app with it and added fun bots with a conversational interface that runs on Microsoft's AI technology. The bots, for example, can recognise a selfie and tell about a person's age and his/her character using the algorithms and artificial learning. "Future Decoded" -- Microsoft's two-day flagship technology and business conference -- is a platform that brings together 1,500 business and government decision-makers to engage in conversations on how technology will transform all aspects of our work and life. United Nations, Feb 22 : US ambassador to UN Nikki Haley has said the US will not compromise on its support for the European Union and NATO in its quest to improve relations with Russia. "The US thinks it's possible to have a better relationship with Russia. After all, we confront many of the same threats," Haley said on Tuesday at a meeting of the UN Security Council. She singled out Russia over its attempts to "destabilise" Ukraine, adding: "Greater cooperation with Russia cannot come at the expense of the security of our European friends and allies." According to Channel News Asia, the remarks came as European leaders are seeking reassurance after President Donald Trump applauded Britain's decision to leave the EU, criticised NATO members over burden-sharing and praised Russian President Vladimir Putin. White House Chief Strategist Stephen K. Bannon is an ardent supporter of nationalist movements throughout the continent which promote a breakdown of the EU. Over the weekend in Brussels, Vice President Mike Pence said the US was committed to both the EU and NATO. Enlarging NATO has been a major bone of contention with Russia, which sees any expansion of the military alliance in eastern Europe as a policy of containment directed against Moscow. Aizawl, Feb 22 : Two decades after it got Union cabinet approval, a 60 MW project in Mizoram will see the light of day in June making the hilly state the third power-surplus state in northeast India after Sikkim and Tripura. Farmers' agitations and administrative hurdles delayed the commissioning of the power plant, the biggest in Mizoram, which shares a border with Myanmar (510 km) and Bangladesh (318 km). State-run North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), a "Mini Ratna" company under the Union Ministry of Power, will be commissioning the hydro-electric project along the Tuirial river in Aizawl district. "The first unit would start generation in June and the second unit in September," NEEPCO general manager P.K. Bora told IANS. "The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) cleared the project on July 7, 1998. The project was conceptualised in 1994. NEEPCO has so far invested Rs 1,100 crore on the project." After the project work started, the locals launched a massive agitation due to submerging of their standing crops and farmland under the reservoir that would be created. "The project work came to total stop on June 9, 2004, due to the stir launched by the newly-formed Tuirial Crop Compensation Claimant Association, claiming compensation for the standing crops in the riverine reserve forest," Bora said. "After the Union Power Ministry, NEEPCO and the Mizoram government jointly negotiated with the agitators, work resumed in 2011 after seven years of stoppage." Till June 2004, 30 per cent of the project work and 95 per cent of the design and engineering work had been completed. The NEEPCO official said that though the company has invested Rs 1,100 crore so far due to delay and price escalation, the original sanctioned cost was Rs 369 crore. With a population of just 1.1 million, Mizoram's current demand of electricity is only 85 MW and this is being met by state's mini power projects and availability of its share of power from central sector projects. Thus, the additional power is likely to be supplied to the regional or national grid. Sikkim is self-sufficient at 95.70 MW while Tripura, whose daily need is 272 MW, is self-reliant in electricity. Since March last year Tripura is supplying 100 MW of power to Bangladesh and is ready to provide an additional 100 MW if the central government permits it to do so. (Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in) Los Angeles, Feb 22 : Actor-filmmaker George Clooney has branded US President Donald Trump a "Hollywood elitist" and a "demagogue". In an interview with French channel Canal+, Clooney said that Meryl Streep "had every right to speak up" at the Golden Globes against Trump, reports hollywoodreporter.com. "When Meryl spoke, everyone on that one side said, 'Well that's elitist Hollywood speaking.' Donald Trump has 22 acting credits in television. He collects $120,000 a year in his Screen Actors Guild pension fund. He is a Hollywood elitist," Clooney said. Clooney went on to slam Tump's chief strategist, Steve Bannon. "Steve Bannon is a failed film writer and director. That's the truth. That's what he's done. He wrote a Shakespearean rap musical about the Los Angeles riots that he couldn't get made. He made a lot of money off Seinfeld. He's elitist Hollywood, I mean, that's the reality," he said. The actor also called for journalists to continue to hold Trump's "feet to the fire". "We have a demagogue in the White House. We need the Fourth Estate, which is journalists, to hold his feet to the fire," Clooney said. "They didn't do a very good job during the campaign and they haven't done a particularly good job yet, but those things will change," he added. Washington, Feb 22 : A federal judge in Texas has ruled that the state can't cut off funding for reproductive healthcare group Planned Parenthood over secretly recorded videos taken by anti-abortion activists in 2015, which critics said were misleading. "A secretly recorded video, fake names, a grand jury indictment, Congressional investigations -- these are the building blocks of a best-selling novel rather than a case concerning the interplay of federal and state authority through the Medicaid programme," US District Judge Sam Sparks wrote in an order on Tuesday. "Yet, rather than a villain plotting to take over the world, the subject of this case is the State of Texas's efforts to expel a group of healthcare providers from a social health care programme for families and individuals with limited resources," wrote the judge who was appointed by Republican former President George H.W. Bush. Planned Parenthood had repeatedly denied that it did anything wrong or illegal. Sparks made the comments in an order granting a preliminary injunction preventing the Texas Health and Human Services Commission from ending Medicaid agreements with the healthcare group, NBC News reported. Sparks wrote that the commission relied on "unsubstantiated and indeterminate allegations" about a "willingness" to violate ethical standards and that it had produced no evidence of any actual violation. The commission issued an initial notice of termination of Medicaid contracts following the release of the videos in 2015, which critics said was heavily edited and misleading. Investigations into the videos by 13 states have concluded without criminal charges, and Planned Parenthood officials have denied any wrongdoing. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, called Sparks' ruling "disappointing" and vowed to appeal. In announcing the judge's decision on Twitter, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas said its "doors [are] still open to low-income Texans who count on us for healthcare". Ranchi, Feb 22 : Opposition parties as well as some Ministers in Jharkhand have opposed the Raghubar Das government's move to sell liquor through its own outlets to generate revenue. According to sources, three Ministers have opposed the government move to sell liquor when the issue came during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Jharkhand Urban Development Minister C.P. Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Saryu Rai and Water Resources Minister and alliance partner All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) legislator Chadra Prakash Chaudhary opposed the cabinet noting of selling of liquor by the state government. "The state government's image will be dented after the cabinet approves the proposal," Saryu Rai reportedly said in the cabinet meeting. Minister C.P. Singh is reported to have asked, "What is the guarantee that the state will generate more resources by running liquor shops." The Jharkhand cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposal of the excise department that the state government would sell liquor in the state. "The Jharkhand cabinet meeting on Tuesday gave its approval of selling liquor by the state government. Jharkhand State Beverages Corporation Ltd will sell the liquor from August 1," Avinash Kumar, state Excise Secretary, told reporters. The Jharkhand government has taken the decision to generate more resources through selling liquor. The district administrations have been asked to find shops and make arrangements to sell the liquor. However, liquor shop owners are protesting the state government move. In Jharkhand there are more than 1,400 liquor shops and after the state government decision more than 5,000 people will become jobless. Opposition parties have also criticized the state government move. "The Jharkhand government will buy land for industrialists and sell liquor. What kind of state government is this which is not bothered about the people of the state," Hemant Soren, former Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), executive president told reporters. "(BJP President) Amit Shah during his campaign in Uttar Pradesh boasted of getting river of milk, and now in Jharkhand the BJP-led state government will sell liquor for money. The Prime Minister appreciated Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for banning liquor. Why is he silent at the Raghubar Das government's move to sell liquor," Alok Dubey, General Secretary of Jharkhand Congress, told IANS. Kolkata, Feb 22 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday pulled up city-based private hospitals for "unethical" money-making practices and announced the formation of a regulatory commission to monitor their activities. The Trinamool Congress supremo berated hospital managements for excess billing and medical negligence and called upon them to show a "humane" side. Banerjee met the top brass of private hospitals (that have 100-plus bed capacity) at Town Hall with a roster of grievances of the public against them, including turning away emergency patients. "We are setting up a West Bengal Health Regulatory Commission headed by an ex-chief justice or judge and experts. It will have representation of the public, the physicians and the hospitals as well. There will comprehensive monitoring from billing to performance," she said. The Commission will submit a report every month. She also said the West Bengal Clinical Act will be amended and will be made stronger. While admonishing the hospital authorities, Banerjee advised citizens to refrain from taking law into their own hands, referring to the vandalism at CMRI hospital where relatives of a patient and locals ransacked the hospital accusing it of wrong treatment and demanding money without taking care of critical patients. The incident triggered the meeting where all senior Bengal health services officials were present. "I appeal to the public to not take law into their own hands. One (doctor) can make a mistake but that does not make everybody a culprit," she said, requesting physicians to stand by the kin of the deceased and display empathy. Banerjee also informed the hospital officials that a survey had been carried out recently following which as many as 70 hospitals were slapped showcause notices. "Out of 2088 healthcare facilities, we have surveyed 942 places and 70 have been showcaused. Thirty-three licenses have been cancelled. We had been getting complaints for a long time and it's not that we didn't do anything," she said. She vowed to clamp down on "unethical" practices. "There is absence of cleanliness and coordination. There is excess billing and some patients are being admitted to ICUs or put on ventilator when these options are not required in their cases. "Doctors are forcing patients to go for expensive tests and treatments for small issues. Doctors are not to be blamed. They are being forced to bend to the will of hospital authorities and go for pricier treatment for commissions," a stern Banerjee said. "I will not allow private hospitals to extort money from patients. Have you ever thought how a poor man will pay bills in lakhs (of rupees)? Some people have to sell away every thing to get access to the dead body of a relative. I have reports on unethical practices being carried out at hospitals," she said. Banerjee also put forth peeves by foreign patients who complain about absence of beds and high treatment cost. "There are patients in Bengal from Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan as well as north-eastern states and Odisha. We have to be humane. Let's be frank, we should aim for convenience of the people. "If you feel that you need 100 per cent profit rather than 20 per cent, then it becomes a factory," she said. She individually questioned the hospital officials and gave a patient hearing to their responses. Banerjee recommended e-prescriptions and e-records to be made compulsory. Opening up fair price diagnostics and medicine facilities and budget sections were also discussed. Child trafficking and organ donation rackets also figured on the agenda. Prominent establishments like Apollo Gleneagles and Belle View were on her radar for excess billing. Taking stock of the functioning of these hospitals, Banerjee stressed on affordable healthcare, simplicity of service, transparency in action and offering services with a smile, noting it is the prerogative of the patient to choose either state-run or private healthcare services. She said "27,000 beds have been increased in the government hospitals in the last few years. Four lakh people have been registered under the Swastha Sathi programme and government hospitals have also started e-prescriptions. Wherever necessary we give free services, but the state government can't offer all facilities and that is why private hospitals are needed." New Delhi, Feb 22 : In a move towards developing the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem in India, IT industry's representative organisation Nasscom on Wednesday signed an MoU with the IoT Acceleration Consortium (ITAC)-Japan. Under the MoU, Nasscom and ITAC-Japan will collaborate to address digital technology shifts and accelerate IoT adoption at a global level across the industry. "It is imperative that there is global effort towards accelerating IoT in every sector, this partnership will be another key milestone in building this robust ecosystem of collaboration and open new avenues," said K.S. Viswanathan, Vice President (Industry Initiatives), Nasscom. Both Nasscom and ITAC-Japan will share information on the ecosystem, new practices and technological developments. The IoT market in India is expected to reach $15 billion by 2020 accounting for nearly five per cent of the total global market and the worldwide IoT market is poised to be a $328 billion market by 2020. Kabul, Feb 22 : At least three persons lost their lives and 22 others were injured on Wednesday as a motorbike bomb struck a bazaar in Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan, a provincial government spokesman said. The explosion took place in Jani Khil district, spokesman Mohammad Rahman Ayaz said. "A terrorist planted an explosive device into the cavities of a motorbike and detonated it in the bazaar of Jani Khil district today around 1 p.m., killing three persons on the spot and injuring 22 others," Ayaz told Xinhua news agency. Some of the injured persons were in critical conditions, the official added. All the victims of the blast were civilians, he said. The provincial government spokesman blamed the Taliban for the attack, but the armed outfit has yet to claim responsibility. Srinagar, Feb 22 : A court in the Kashmir Valley on Wednesday suspended the bail order of hardliner separatist leader Masrat Alam. Lodged in Sumbal police station in north Kashmir's Bandipora district, Alam was granted bail by the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Bandipora recently. But the state government contested the move in the District and Sessions Court of Bandipora, which ordered that the bail given to Alam would remain suspended till February 27. Seen as the perpetrator of 2010 summer unrest in the valley, Alam was arrested in July 2010 and has since been kept under detention by the authorities. Over 120 people were killed in the 2010 unrest in bloody clashes between protesters and the security forces. Kolkata, Feb 22 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday publicly lashed out at the privately run Medica Superspecialty Hospital here for its alleged role in kidney racket, ordering it to check the practice. The hospital, however, denied the charge. "Has the kidney racket stopped at your hospital," she questioned one of the representatives of the hospital during an open meeting of the state government with the managements of city-based private hospitals at the Town Hall. "There was no such racket," claimed the official in the presence of a large posse of media persons with some news channels covering the interaction live. But Banerjee persisted. "There was a police inquiry. Centre had sent us a document. The matter had gone to court... since there was no law.... you went scot-free. "The law has to be drafted in a different way. I know the case," Banerjee then turned to state Director of Health Services B.R. Satpathy and asked him to come up with a new legislation. The Chief Minister also asked city Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, who was present at the meeting, to look into the matter. "My point is to not let such rackets continue. I do not want any child or kidney racket in the future," she said, overruling the hospital representative who tried to counter her politely. New Delhi, Feb 22 : Delhi Congress on Wednesday extended its support to Ola-Uber drivers' union "Sarvodaya Drivers", saying "the party is with them in their fight for justice". Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Ajay Maken held a detailed discussion with the union's representatives about "exploitation" of the drivers by companies like Ola and Uber and assured them of his party's support, a statement said. "The Ola-Uber drivers should form a co-operative society and start a separate mobile phone App to do their business, in which the Delhi Congress will help them," the statement quoted him as saying. The Congress leader said the drivers should be given financial aid so that they can become independent, and the money they earn stays in the country. New Delhi, Feb 22 : Authorities on Wednesday raided Delhi's iconic Kake Da Hotel after an unverified video showed a cook kneading dough with his feet. The restaurant denied the charge. The Delhi government's Food Safety Department raided the 86-year-old eatery in the heart of the capital and took away food samples. An official said the samples were being sent to a laboratory for examination. "Any further action will be taken after a report from the laboratory," the official said after a team led by Deputy Food Safety Commissioner Pawan Kamra inspected the restaurant. The official said a tandoor was found at the restaurant in the open on the rooftop in violation of food safety norms. In the video apparently recorded on a mobile phone, a man is seen standing in a huge bowl allegedly containing flour. The man is seen stomping as if he is making dough out of flour and water as the camera shifts to Kake Da Hotel's banner. The veracity of the video could not be verified. A restaurant official said the man in the video was washing clothes and not kneading dough. "He was washing his own clothes," a man claiming to be the cashier of Kake Da Hotel told IANS. One of the restaurant's tandoor cook also said the man was washing clothes. Opened in 1931, Kake Da Hotel - known to old-timers as Kake Da Dhaba - has been a food lover's paradise for its desi ghee soaked Punjabi cuisine, especially non-vegetarian delights. The eatery, located in Connaught Place, has a patronage that has passed on from one generation to another. Ankara, Feb 22 : Turkey on Wednesday lifted a ban on female officers wearing the veil in the country's armed forces, the local media reported. Women serving in the armed forces "will be able to cover their heads" under their caps or berets so long as the headscarf is "the same colour as the uniform and without pattern", said a new Defence Ministry regulation. The move applies to female officers working in the General Staff and command headquarters and branches, the state-run Anadolu news agency said. The lift on the ban will come into effect once the regulation is announced in the Official Gazette, according to the Turkish media. Speaking to Turkish reporters at his office in Ankara, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said he believed the removal of the ban was "very positive", pro-government daily Yeni Safak said. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has long pressed for the removal of restrictions on women wearing the headscarf in the officially secular state. Turkey lifted a ban on the wearing of headscarves on university campuses in 2010. It allowed female students to wear the garment in state institutions from 2013 and in high school in 2014. In August 2016, AKP government lifted the ban on headscarves in the police force. Turkish military has long been known as the "protector of secularism" in the country and worked against efforts to lift the headscarf ban in the public sector for decades. Agartala, Feb 22 : In the absence of a recognised Leader of Opposition in the Tripura Assembly, the issue of appointment of Lokayukta has been hanging fire in the state since last December, forcing the Left Front government to amend the existing act. According to the Tripura Lokayukta Act, 2008, the Chief Minister, in consultation with the Assembly Speaker and the Leader of Opposition, would advise the Governor to appoint the Lokayukta to deal with complaints of corruption. "The five-year term of Lokayukta Pradip Kumar Sarkar (a former judge of the Gujarat and Gauhati high courts) ended on December 16 last year. In the absence of a recognised opposition leader in the state assembly, the post has been lying vacant since then," an official of the Law Department said. He said: "To overcome the situation, a bill was passed on Wednesday in the state assembly, amending the existing act to make provision that leader of the single-largest opposition party in the absence of the designated opposition leader would be the member of the three-member Lokayukta Selection Committee." In the 60-member Tripura Assembly, the Communist Party of India-Marxist-led Left Front has 51 members, while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has six members and the Congress three. Six MLAs, led by former Leader of Opposition Sudip Roy Barman, quit the Congress on April 7 last year and joined the TMC on June 7 in protest against the Congress's alliance with the Left parties ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections in April-May last year. Another Congress MLA Jitendra Sarkar resigned from the House in July last year and re-joined the CPI-M, reducing the Congress's strength to only three. According to constitutional experts, to get recognition as the opposition party, their strength must be equal to the quorum of the House, which is 10 per cent of the total strength of the House. New Delhi, Feb 22 : Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday inspected three mid-day meal kitchens in north Delhi and collected food samples which he sent for examination to a laboratory. A government official said Jain, along with the officials of health and food safety departments, visited kitchens in Burari and Jagatpur areas of north Delhi where mid-day meal for the nearby schools is prepared. "The team took food samples and send them to laboratory for examination. Such inspections will continue till February 24," the official A dead rat was found in a midday meal served at the Government Boys Senior Secondary School in Deoli area on February 16, after which at least nine students were hospitalised. Jain's inspection came after Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday ordered that all 33 mid-day meal kitchens should be inspected by senior officers. During the inspection, Jain said: "Annually, we collect around 2,000 food samples of mid-day meal for examination, but now we have set up a target of collecting and testing annually 20,000 mid-day meal samples." Kolkata, Feb 22 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday gave an unprecedented public tongue lashing to city-based private hospitals for "unethical" money-making practices and announced the formation of a regulatory commission to monitor their activities. A stern Banerjee berated hospital managements for excess billing and medical negligence and called upon them to show a "humane" side. Banerjee met the top brass of private hospitals (that have 100-plus bed capacity) at Town Hall with a roster of grievances of the public against them, including turning away emergency patients and refusing to release dead bodies if the families fail to cough up the bills. "We are setting up a West Bengal Health Regulatory Commission headed by an ex-Chief Justice or judge and experts. It will have representation of the public, the physicians and the hospitals as well. There will be comprehensive monitoring from billing to performance," she said in the presence of a large posse of media persons with some news channels covering the interaction live. The Commission will submit a report every month. She also said the West Bengal Clinical Act will be amended and strengthened. Leaving the management representatives stunned and often fumbling for words, Banerjee called them one after another and underscored the specific complaints against them. Medica Superspecialty Hospital representative had the most difficult time. "Has the kidney racket stopped at your hospital?" Banerjee asked the Medica official, who denied the charge, but the Chief Minister was unimpressed. "There was a police inquiry. Centre had sent us a document. The matter had gone to court... since there was no law.... you went scot free," she said, prodding a senior health official and the city Police Commissioner to get going about the legislation. At times, Banerjee instructed the senior bureaucrats to read out specific allegations against the hospitals and asked the managements to respond. But while admonishing the hospital authorities, she advised citizens to refrain from taking law into their own hands, referring to the vandalism at CMRI hospital where relatives of a patient and locals ransacked the premises accusing it of wrong treatment and demanding money without taking care of critical patients. The incident triggered the meeting where senior ministers, top bureaucrats including Chief Secretary Basudeb Banerjee, all high-level Bengal Health Department officials, Director General of Police Surajit Kar Purkayastha and city Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar were present. Banerjee also informed the hospital officials that a survey had been carried out recently following which as many as 70 hospitals were slapped showcause notices. "Out of 2,088 healthcare facilities, we have surveyed 942 places and 70 have been showcaused. 33 licenses have been cancelled. We had been getting complaints for a long time and it's not that we didn't do anything," she said. She vowed to clamp down on "unethical" practices. "There is absence of cleanliness and coordination. Some patients are being admitted to ICUs or put on ventilator when these options are not required in their cases. "Doctors are forcing patients to go for expensive tests and treatments for small issues. Doctors are not to be blamed. They are being forced to bend to the will of hospital authorities and go for pricier treatment for commissions," she said. "I will not allow private hospitals to extort money from patients. Have you ever thought how a poor man will pay bills in lakhs (of rupees)?" she asked. Banerjee also put forth peeves by foreign patients who complain about absence of beds and high treatment cost. "There are patients in Bengal from Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan as well as northeastern states and Odisha. We have to be humane. Let's be frank, we should aim for convenience of the people. "If you feel that you need 100 per cent profit rather than 20 per cent, then it becomes a factory," she said. Banerjee recommended e-prescriptions and e-records be made compulsory. Opening up fair price diagnostics and medicine facilities and budget sections were also discussed. Prominent establishments like Apollo Gleneagles and Belle Vue were on her radar for excess billing. Diplomat MFT addresses the needs of customers with FTP servers that need automation capabilities without requiring a full-blown migration to a new MFT solution. James Lewis, Managing Director at Pro2col Coviant Software has entered into a partnership agreement with Pro2col to offer Diplomat Managed File Transfer products. Pro2col is an independent consultancy specializing in Managed File Transfer solutions headquartered in London. Our partnership with Coviant Software brings us another MFT solution that helps our clients choose the best technology for their file transfer project, both now and in the future, says James Lewis, Managing Director at Pro2col. Diplomat MFT offers an automation layer that can be transparently added to existing file transfer environments. In particular, Diplomat MFT addresses the needs of customers with FTP servers that need automation capabilities without requiring a full-blown migration to a new MFT solution. Pro2col combines a deep understanding of their clients file transfer needs with expertise across many Managed File Transfer solutions. We are happy to have a partnership with such a key MFT player in the UK. says Pam Reid, CEO at Coviant Software. About Coviant Software Coviant Software has been a trusted provider of secure file transfer and OpenPGP encryption solutions for over 10 years. Coviant Software delivers Managed File Transfer solutions to improve the productivity of file transfer administrators. About Pro2col Pro2col is an independent consultancy specializing in Managed File Transfer solutions. Since 2003, Pro2col helped businesses select, implement and support Managed File Transfer solutions, to automate workflows, secure data and achieve compliance. PR News will hold its annual Measurement Conference, which includes the Social Media Boot Camp on April 20-21 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., where attendees will learn the newest best practices in measuring social media engagement and tying PR to the bottom line. The full-day boot camp on social media is designed for PR, marketing and social media professionals and will focus on the ins and outs of the top social platforms and what it takes to succeed in this multimedia digital space. Early Bird rates ends March 31 and government/nonprofit rates are available. More Information At the PR News Measurement Conference, youll hear from thought leaders at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Porter Novelli, Marriott International, Amtrak and Paine Publishing as they'll walk attendees through the steps of creating a measurement dashboard all the way through to tying PR metrics to sales figures. Sessions for the PR News Measurement Conference, which includes the Social Media Boot Camp include: Measurement Dashboards That Communicate PR's Business Value How to Buy Smart on Facebookand Reach Your Audience Organically When Buying Isnt an Option How to Measure Media Coverage and Tie It to Organizational Goals Case Studies: What Success on Twitter Really Looks Like How to Choose Between Snapchat and Instagram Stories Case Study: PR Measurement at Work in the Real World Measuring Social: How to Measure Your Impact Across Social Media Platforms Presented by PR News, the industry's most trusted PR and marketing brand, these events will fill up quickly so register today. Thank you to our event sponsor, BurrellesLuce. To become a sponsor, contact Fay Shapiro at fshapiro(at)accessintel(dot)com. For questions regarding registration, contact Jessica Placencia at jplacencia(at)accessintel(dot)com. PR News is a go-to resource that serves the communications and marketing community at corporations, agencies and nonprofits. For more information, please visit http://www.prnewsonline.com. Most healthcare practices don't realize how much money they're leaving on the table. Practice owners that don't have an organized approach to managing inventory can lose hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year. Management of supply inventory in a healthcare practice is directly linked to the profitability of the business. But many practices often relegate this task to the bottom of the "to do" list. A new white paper written by the staff at Preferred Therapy Providers, Inc and available on their website, reveals how healthcare business owners can easily manage medical inventory supply and add more profitability to the bottom line. The white paper, "More Revenue: How to Manage Medical Office Supply Inventory, Eliminate Waste, and Reduce Costs" covers the steps to more efficient supply management. "Most healthcare practices don't realize how much money they're leaving on the table," said Steven Allred, PT, President of Preferred Therapy Providers, Inc. "Practice owners that don't have an organized approach to managing inventory can lose hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year. With the current fluctuations in the healthcare industry, there's no room for inefficiencies that can contribute to negative cash flow. This white paper is part of our continuing commitment to find ways to help private practice owners in healthcare thrive." Healthcare practices are businesses and must perform the services they offer while managing productivity, costs and profitability. Devoting the proper amount of time on revenue generating tasks such as patient intake or treating as many patients as possible can be reduced or wasted when systems and processes in the practice are haphazard. With a little planning and organizing of medical supply inventory, unnecessary costs and wasted precious time can be avoided. This white paper covers several topics including how to establish a purchasing policy, how to budget for supplies, how to develop an easy ordering system and how to source and negotiate discounts with vendors. Download a complimentary copy of the white paper by visiting the Resources section of Preferred's website. About Preferred Therapy Providers, Inc. Founded in 1992, Preferred Therapy Providers, Inc. began in the southwest and has since grown to be one of the largest, centrally managed contract procurement services in the country. Preferred contracts with a variety of payers on both the national and local level including group health and workers compensation, working with fully and self insured payers. The professional contracting team has over fifty years of combined experience. Preferred also collaborates with a select handful of partners who understand how to reduce costs and streamline efficiencies for private practices. These programs are value-added benefits of membership in Preferred's network. # # # Kids and teens should feel safe at school. Im proud that we can partner with the state of Oregon on the SafeOregon program. Oregon has taken incredible steps to ensure the safety of their students. Sprigeo CEO and Founder, Joe Bruzzese. Sprigeo (http://www.sprigeo.com) is pleased to have been selected by the Oregon State Police as the primary vendor for SafeOregon, a new school safety tip line program available to all public K-12 schools in Oregon at no cost to use. SafeOregon requires schools to complete a sign-up process in order for students to use. Sprigeo provides tip-line services and school safety resources to over 4,500 schools across 29 states in an ongoing effort to promote school safety. Over the past 6 years, Sprigeo has been fortunate to have built relationships with school leaders and nationally recognized experts that have shared strategies and expertise with their growing network of school districts. Sprigeo CEO and Founder, Joe Bruzzese shared, Kids and teens should feel safe at school. Im proud that we can partner with the state of Oregon on the SafeOregon program. Oregon has taken incredible steps to ensure the safety of their students. SafeOregon is a way for students, staff or other members of the public to anonymously report and share confidential information of a threat or a potential threat to student safety. Trained staff are available 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year reached through a phone call, text message, mobile application or website. The main goal of SafeOregon is to intervene at the earliest possible point in the life of a young person who is struggling, helping them when they need it, before the situation turns into a tragedy. SafeOregon is designed to encourage Oregon students to share and respond to anything that threatens their safety or the safety of others, anything that makes a student feel unsafe or if a student knows someone who feels unsafe. Here are a few examples: safety threats, violence, threats of violence, fights, drugs, alcohol, weapons, bullying or friends that talk about hurting themselves, harassment, intimidation, cyber bullying, or self-harm. Jodi Sherwood, Oregon State Police SafeOregon Project Manager quote: Sprigeo has a proven solution, easily scalable to fit Oregons need for a statewide approach. We are pleased to work with a vendor who has taken the time to understand the different needs of our state and work with us on the opportunities to improve school safety in a bolder, more proactive way helping our students achieve success. Tips can be submitted 24/7/365 through the SafeOregon.com web portal, by e-mail to tip(at)safeoregon(dot)com, through the SafeOregon mobile application (available for android or iOS device), or by calling or texting 844-472-3367. Tips are promptly analyzed and routed for the most appropriate follow up and urgency. This may be to school officials, law enforcement, community mental health programs or other appropriate local or state agencies. Tip Line staff make sure follow-up is noted and recorded. SafeOregon the school safety tip line became Law through HB 4075 (2016), as a result of recommendations from the Oregon Task Force on School Safety charged with improving safety and security at schools across the state. The task force was established by House Bill 4087, bringing together representatives from police, fire, school administration, teachers, school boards and service districts, along with the Governors education and public safety policy advisors, and legislators. The task force is chaired by Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts and Dr. David Novotney Willamette Education Service District. For more information, visit http://www.safeoregon.com. The resource page has more information for students, parents and for schools to sign-up. Students are encouraged to talk to their school administration about making SafeOregon available in their school. Additionally: It is a violation of ORS165.570 to improperly use the SafeOregon system. Our Revolution Abroad supports Keith Ellison for DNC Chair because his grassroots vision and organizing track record are what are needed now to revitalize our Democratic Party and win back our country for the hard-working majority of the American people. Our Revolution Abroad (ORA) today announced its enthusiastic endorsement of Rep. Keith Ellison for Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in the DNC Chair election set to take place Feb. 23-26 in Atlanta. ORA representatives are urging progressive Democrats worldwide to lobby Democrats Abroad (DA) DNC reps to cast their ballots for Rep. Keith Ellison and his grassroots 3,143-county organizing strategy to revitalize the Democratic Party. Our Revolution Abroad urges Keith Ellisons supporters to speak out now and to send a signal to the DNC by endorsing Keith in this survey in the next 24 hours: http://bit.ly/2l5vO8l At 69%, an overwhelming majority of Democrats Abroad supported the progressive candidacy of Sen. Bernie Sanders in the DA Global Primary held a little over a year ago in February 2016. Our Revolution Abroad (ORA, http://www.OurRevolutionAbroad.org) is now forming as the global affiliate of Our Revolution in the United States, representing the progressive views of the overwhelming majority of Democrats living and working overseas. Our Revolution Abroad proudly supports Rep. Keith Ellison to chair the DNC," said Travis Mooney, an ORA co-founder and country coordinator for Our Revolution UK. "His grassroots vision and organizing track record are what our Democratic Party needs to revitalize itself, and to restore economic and social justice as core principles. Keith's leadership is what we need now to win back our country for the hard-working majority of the American people. Keiths grassroots 3,143-county organizing strategy is the only way forward for our Democratic Party following the Nov. 8th election, said Alex Gonzalez, an ORA co-founder and country coordinator for Our Revolution Japan. Keiths leadership is vital to the partys future as we seek to reclaim hundreds of seats lost in State Legislatures since 2008, win back Governorships in traditionally Democratic States and get ready to take back the U.S. House and Senate from the billionaire class and radical conservatives that now run our government. By electing Rep. Keith Ellison as Chair of the DNC, we will send a clear message of support to people all across America who are concerned about threats to their healthcare as well as to their basic Constitutional rights from the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress, said Karen Olson, an ORA co-founder and country coordinator for Our Revolution Switzerland. With Keith at the helm of the DNC, we as Democrats will organize from the ground-up in every community nationwide to defend the rights, safety and well-being of all Americans and to take back our government in the name of social and economic justice for all. All Progressive Democrats living abroad who support Keith Ellison: now is the time to lobby your DA DNC reps to vote for Keith Ellison for DNC Chair via this quick three-minute online survey: http://bit.ly/2l5vO8l Results for the Democrats Abroad 2016 Global Presidential Primary are available here: http://www.democratsabroad.org/global_presidential_primary_results About Our Revolution Abroad Our Revolution Abroad (ORA) began forming as a grassroots effort by a group of progressive Democratic activists around the world in late-2016 in the wake of the worldwide support for the presidential campaign of. Sen. Bernie Sanders. The global affiliate of Our Revolution, the movement Bernie Sanders founded to fight to transform America and advance the progressive values on which he campaigned, ORA has a growing presence in dozens of countries worldwide and represents the progressive views of a clear majority of tens of thousands of Democratic voters living and working abroad. For more information, visit: http://www.OurRevolutionAbroad.org. Specialty Technical Consultants Specialty Technical Publishers (STP) and Specialty Technical Consultants (STC) announce the availability of the newly updated International Audit Protocol Consortium (IAPC) EHS audit protocol for Ireland. Leading companies around the world use IAPC EHS audit protocols to understand the scope of their EHS regulatory obligations and rapidly collect, share, archive, and export audit findings in a cost effective manner. IAPC EHS audit protocols are now prepared by STC in partnership with STP and continue to focus on those national (plus, in some cases, regional or provincial) EHS requirements that have site-specific application for manufacturing operations. As a leading EHS management consulting firm with a global network of experienced EHS teaming partners, STC has indepth knowledge and technical expertise of local/regional EHS requirements. STP and STC maintain leading-edge EHS audit protocols for more than 30 jurisdictions. The protocol documents are written in English and are available in MS Word, Adobe Acrobat and Excel formats, as well as through STPs web-based portal or can be integrated into an existing company platform. Using the protocols custom templates and advanced functionality features, auditors can easily track audit findings and manage data over time to improve compliance, risk management and safety performance. In addition, STPs formatting is compatible with leading risk management and sustainability platform providers. Highlights of selected legislation covered in the newly updated protocol include: "European Union (Energy Efficiency) Regulations 2013 [S.I. 426 of 2014]" were added to the General Environmental section of the Protocol. These regulations set forth requirements for energy audits including developing a program for certified energy auditors. "European Union (Sulphur Content of Heavy Fuel Oil and Gas Oil) Regulations 2014 [S.I. No. 273 of 2014],2 was added to the protocol and gives effect to "Council Directive 1999/32/EC2" relating to a reduction in the sulfur content of certain liquid fuels. The full provisions of the "1999 Directive," including amendments are transposed under these "Regulations. Council Directive 1999/32/EC" has been repealed and replaced by "Directive (EU) 2016/802;" however, the "2014 Regulations" still reference the "1999 Directive." The "2014 Regulations" also repeal and replace the "Sulphur Content of Heavy Fuel Oil, Gas Oil, and Marine Fuels Regulations, 2008." "Directive (EU) 2016/802 of the European Parliament and of the "Council of 11 May 2016 Relating to a Reduction in the Sulphur Content of Certain Liquid Fuels" repealed and replaced "Council Directive 1999/32/EC;" however, Ireland legislation still references the "1999 Directive." As a result, the "1999 Directive" is cited in the protocol to provide the definitions of terms used in the "European Union (Sulphur Content of Heavy Fuel Oil and Gas Oil) Regulations 2014." "Regulation (EU) No 517/2014 of the European Parliament and of the "Council of 16 April 2014 on Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases and Repealing (EC) No 842/2006" replaced and repealed "Regulation (EC) No 842/2006" with effect from 1 January 2015. References to "Regulation (EC) No 842/2006" in the protocol shall be construed as references to this "Regulation" and read in accordance with the correlation table in Annex VIII. At the time of this update, this Regulation had not yet been transposed into the relevant National legislation which references "Regulation (EC) No 842/2006;" therefore, both regulations are binding. "European Union (Packaging) Regulations, 2014 [S.I. No. 282 of 2014]" replaced the "Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations 2007," as amended. These "Regulations" transpose "Directive 94/62/EC on Packaging and Packaging Waste," as amended, and establish requirements for producers who supply packaging to the Irish market. The "Regulations" also provide for limits on the concentration levels of certain heavy metals in packaging. "European Union (Radioactive Substances in Drinking Water) Regulations 2016 [S.I. No. 160/2016]" establish a new regime for the protection of groundwater from radioactive substances. Irish Water and local authorities are required to monitor water supplies that are suspected to contain radioactive substances. "European Union (Simple Pressure Vessels) Regulations, 2016 [S.I. No. 227 of 2016]" were added to the protocol to implement "Council Directive 2014/29/EU of 26 February 2016," as amended by "Council Directive 90/488/EEC of 17 September 1990," on the harmonization of the laws of the Member States relating to simple pressure vessels. "Council Directive 2014/29/EU" was also added to the protocol. "Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Electromagnetic Fields) Regulations 2016 [S.I. 339 of 2016]" were added to the protocol. The "Regulations" give effect to "Council Directive 2013/35/ EU" implementing minimum health and safety standards for exposure to risks arising from electromagnetic fields. For more information on all International EHS audit protocols offered by STP and STC click here. About Specialty Technical Publishers Specialty Technical Publishers (STP) produces technical resource guides covering environmental, health & safety, transportation, accounting, business practices, standards and law, offering comprehensive guidance on key compliance and regulatory issues. STP is a division of Glacier Media Inc., a Canadian information communications company that provides primary and essential information in print, electronic and online media. Glaciers Business and Professional Information Group publishes directories, technical manuals, research and development materials, medical education, electronic databases, investment information and specialty websites. About Specialty Technical Consultants Specialty Technical Consultants, Inc. (STC) is a specialized management consulting firm working to enhance environmental health and safety (EHS) performance. Through its consulting services, STC partners with clients to strengthen management systems' design and implementation, and identifies needs and implements solutions to meet business objectives. Services provided include: EHS compliance support; risk assessment; EHS auditing; corporate responsibility and sustainability; EHS management systems development and implementation; EHS regulatory information tools; and EHS training. STC is certified as a Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Womens Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and the Supplier Clearinghouse for the California Public Utilities Commission, and as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program. . Integrating Genomic information in the EHR is crucial for making genomics part of everyday medical care and helping to improve healthcare quality and outcomes. Dr. Andrew Ury, ActX CEO (PRWEB) February 22, 2017 -- Precision Medicine is coming to Vancouver, WA, where The Vancouver Clinic, a large multi-specialty provider, has decided to adopt ActX Genomic Decision Support. ActX will enable The Vancouver Clinics 250 providers to use genomics in everyday patient care by integrating clinically actionable insights within the Epic workflow. For patients who choose to have this testing, their providers will be able to better personalize medication and screening choices based on each persons individual genetic profile. The Vancouver Clinics decision to offer genomic screening is an important step toward their mission to excel at innovative patient-focused, quality-proven care. The ability to use a patients individual genomic information as we care for them, and to consider this as we make treatment decisions about the use of medication, will make a powerful difference in our ability to give people the very best care available. We are very excited to bring these cutting-edge tools to our patients, says Marcia Sparling, M.D., Medical Director for Operations and IT at The Vancouver Clinic. This is an evolving area of medicine, and this tool will only become more powerful with time. With the implementation of ActX, patients will be able to obtain testing, and those results show up in the electronic health record, allowing The Vancouver Clinic providers to use genomics to personalize therapies and manage hereditary risks. Every time their provider orders medication through EpicCare, ActX will alert them in real time about potential adverse reactions, drug efficacy or dosing issues based on the patient's genetics. Evidence-based decision support will also help providers take proactive steps toward minimizing actionable hereditary conditions. This functionality will allow providers to better understand the potential clinical implications of genomic findings and tailor their patient's care accordingly. The genomic information is optimized for clinical use through close integration with The Vancouver Clinic's Electronic Health Record, which is provided by Epic. Genomic alerts and profiles are built into the provider's normal workflow, giving them the information they need, where they need it. We are very excited to work with The Vancouver Clinic and Epic to bring genomic decision support to The Vancouver Clinic, says Dr. Andrew Ury, ActX CEO. Integrating this information with the EHR is crucial for making genomics part of everyday medical care and helping to improve healthcare quality and outcomes. To learn more about ActX, visit http://www.actx.com. To learn more about The Vancouver Clinic, visit http://www.tvc.org. About ActX: ActX is the industry leader in EHR-integrated Precision Medicine. Our service helps physicians make better decisions about medical treatment, using a patients genetic information to guide therapy. Integrated into a physicians electronic health record workflow, ActX analyzes the patients genetic information in real time. To take the next step toward Precision Medicine, visit http://www.actx.com, email info(at)actx(dot)com or call 888-998-2289. About The Vancouver Clinic: The Vancouver Clinic (TVC) has served residents of Southwest Washington since 1936, and is the largest private multi-specialty clinic in Clark County with over 250 providers and 1,100 staff. TVC operates five clinics across Vancouver, Battle Ground and Washougal, and provides 40 medical specialties. Its mission is to be the best in the Northwest for patient-focused, quality-proven care. Our agreement with BDO reinforces that Qvinci is providing tomorrows tools to todays accountant. Qvinci Software today announced that it has been chosen as a preferred provider by BDO USA, LLP, one of the nations leading accounting and consulting firms. Under the agreement, BDO will use Qvinci for Accountants to enhance the technology platform of BDODrive, the firms cloud-based solution for outsourced financial management, accounting services and business intelligence. According to Qvinci Softwares CEO Brad Adams, BDO USAs selection of Qvinci further solidifies the companys position as the industry standard for automating the templating and authoring of reports, financial consolidation and benchmarking. Our agreement with BDO reinforces that Qvinci is providing tomorrows tools to todays accountant. As a company, we take pride in our ability to provide ERP-like functionality to accountants without the high price tag or complexity, Adams said. Regardless of a firms size, Qvinci for Accountants increases collectable billable hours, automates and standardizes client reporting, and optimizes efficiencies by eliminating redundant tasks and bottlenecks. Qvincis patented, cloud-based solution allows firms to provide their clients with high value services including benchmarking, KPIs and dynamic custom reporting in a fraction of the time. The ability to customize financial reporting for our clients is key for our business. This financial reporting tool allows for consolidation with multi location companies. Qvinci is a welcomed part of the overall BDODrive solution, said Kelly Johnson, Partner and National Practice Leader for Business Services & Outsourcing. BDODrive is an integrated, scalable solution for financial management, accounting services and business intelligence that fundamentally improves upon the traditional concept of business outsourcing. Leveraging leading-edge cloud technology and security, BDODrive provides clients with a real-time, mobile view of their businesss performance that enables them to operate more efficiently and effectively. Some of the key features delivered through BDODrive include accounting and financial management, online payments, auto bank feeds and reconciliation, business data analytics, secure document management and customized reporting of key performance indicators delivered in real-time with 24/7 mobile access. Most important, all of these features are enhanced by the active involvement of experienced BDO professionals who assist clients in identifying opportunities and mitigating risk. For more information, go to BDODrive. _ _ _ _ _ About Qvinci Software: Qvinci is the #1 rated reporting app in the Intuit App Store and is ProAdvisor recommended. Developing and provisioning key enablement technologies is integral to Qvincis long-term strategy of providing state-of-the-art solutions to the accounting, franchise and multi-unit industries. Our patented technology supports a wide range of accounting file types including all versions of QuickBooks, Xero, MYOB and Excel. Set-up is quick and easy. Impact is immediate. For more information, visit Qvinci for Accountants, attend an overview webinar or call 844-422-5037. About BDO USA: BDO is the brand name for BDO USA, LLP, a U.S. professional services firm providing assurance, tax, financial advisory and consulting services to a wide range of publicly traded and privately held companies. For more than 100 years, BDO has provided quality service through the active involvement of experienced and committed professionals. The firm serves clients through more than 60 offices and more than 400 independent alliance firm locations nationwide. As an independent Member Firm of BDO International Limited, BDO serves multi-national clients through a global network of more than 1,300 offices in over 150 countries. BDO USA, LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership, is the U.S. member of BDO International Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, and forms part of the international BDO network of independent member firms. BDO is the brand name for the BDO network and for each of the BDO Member Firms. For more information, please visit: bdo.com. Home Trends & Design "We want our furniture to be a healthy addition to your home." Dallas Market Center and ART announced the winners of the 28th annual ARTS Awards during a gala event held Friday, January 20 at the Hilton Anatole hotel and attended by 650 guests. The ARTS Awards is the premier international awards program for the home industry honoring manufacturers, retailers, designers, and sales representatives and is held each January during the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market. Awards were presented across major industry categories including manufacturing, retail, design, and sales as well as two special leadership and achievement awards. Home Trends & Design was nominated in the Accent Furniture category for a second year running. Accent furniture continues to grow each year for HTD, and theyre proud to represent the category as an ARTS Award Winner. Terri Cravey accepted the award on behalf of co-founders Hank Cravey and Dhaval Lodhavia. We want our furniture to be a healthy addition to your home, said Mrs. Cravey. Home Trends & Design, who is a founding member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council and creator of the Mango Foundation, has its eye on the environment using eco-friendly finishes, construction techniques such as mortise and tenon joinery that reduce the need for glues, and reclaimed materials. Winning an ARTS Award is an outstanding accomplishment, and we send our congratulations to the winners, Cindy Morris president and CEO of Dallas Market Center said. There are so many outstanding individuals and companies that continue to creatively shape the home industry, and it is our honor to recognize them for their inspiring leadership. At this years ARTS Awards twenty industry leaders, style experts, and celebrity designers presented the awards including Kelli Ellis, Libby Langdon, Jason Harris, Caroline Hipple, and Jan Barboglio. Also in attendance were the ARTS Awards judges, the ARTS Awards committee members from ART, and members of the ARTS Awards nominating panel. By recognizing industry innovation and leadership, we hope to encourage growth and ingenuity within the community, Sharon Davis, executive director of ART, said. The ARTS Awards are an excellent way to honor and inspire those who work so diligently to advance the home industry. In addition, honoring two business legends serves as an inspiration to the next generation. For a complete list of the 28th ARTS Awards Winners, please click here. The 28th annual ARTS Awards are sponsored by enLIGHTenment, Gifts & Decorative Accessories, Giftware News, HFN, Home Fashion Forecast, Home & Textiles Today, Home Accents Today, Interior Design Society, Lyon Credit Services, Residential Lighting and the Sustainable Furnishings Council. About Home Trends & Design Home Trends & Design is an Austin-based furniture manufacturer that is committed to preserving the environment through the use of sustainable hardwoods, reclaimed materials and eco-friendly finishing techniques. All of HTDs products are handcrafted from solid wood to create a home furnishings collection that represents some of the most beautiful, carefully constructed pieces on the market today. For more information, please visit htddirect.com. About ART ART is the creative home furnishings network representing manufacturers, retailers, representatives and other individuals and companies interested in promoting and enhancing the market position of the home furnishings industry. Each year ART sponsors programs such as the ART conference, regional educational seminars, the ART card and the ARTS Awards. The ART website is available at accessoriesresourceteam.org. About the ARTS Awards The ARTS Awards is the premier international awards program dedicated to the home industry. Up to 27 categories exist under the headings Manufacturer, Retailer, Product Designer, Interior Designer, Sales Representative, Rising Star, Green, Legendary Leadership and Academy of Achievement. Anyone in the industry can nominate including manufacturers, retailers, sales representatives, designers, suppliers, consultants and other industry professionals. Academy of Achievement, Rising Star and Legendary Leadership honorees are selected by an ARTS Awards committee each year. Companies that have won an ARTS Award five times are inducted into the Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame members are: Beatriz Ball Collection, Arteriors Home, BJs Home Accents, C.S. Wo & Sons, Distinctive Designs International Inc., Feizy Rugs, Fine Art Lamps, Global Views, Natural Decorations Inc., Palecek, Paragon, Schonbek Worldwide Lighting, and Seasonal Living. The ART website is available at dallasmarketcenter.com/artsawards. Historically, African American/Black students have had limited access to higher education in the field of medicine. Doctors On Board provides students with their first critically important steps towards managing their journey to becoming doctors. Past News Releases RSS Physicians Medical Forum (PMF) aims to expand the pipeline and the number of African American/Black students who want to become physicians. PMF also provides a network of support that encourages medical students and residents to pursue their careers as physicians in the Oakland/San Francisco Northern California, Bay Area. PMFs mission is to improve the delivery of culturally competent medical care to better meet the healthcare needs of the community-at-large. To that end, on Saturday, March 18th, the non-profit organization will host its Seven Annual "Doctors On Board Pipeline Program (DOB), a day-long, tuition-free, information-filled series of workshops on admissions, exam prep, writing personal statements and mastering interviewing skills, and mentoring sessions with physicians that inspire the growth of African American/Black, Native American and other underrepresented minority students to attend medical schools and residency programs. Stalfana A. Bello, M.P.A., Physicians Medical Forum Executive Director, stated, "The Doctors On Board Pipeline Program is a one of a kind program that pulls together major resources to focus students on becoming physicians. The beauty of DOB is that almost all of the students will be the First Generation in their families to become doctors or pharmacists." Dr. Albert L. Brooks, PMF President and Chief of Medical Services at Washington Hospital Healthcare System in Fremont, CA said, Historically, African American/Black students have had limited access to higher education in the field of medicine. This remains to be a startling truth, even today. Doctors On Board provides students with their first critically important steps towards successfully managing their exciting journey to becoming doctors. Many of Northern California's most prominent physicians from medical schools in Northern California and nationwide, from Kaiser Permanente, the Sinkler Miller Medical Association and the Students National Medical Association (SNMA) Chapters from UCSF, UC Davis and Stanford Schools of Medicine and others will provide students with an innovative opportunity to explore varied facets of medicine and provide information about medical school preparation, specialties field, and life as a physician. Physicians Medical Forum is supported by The California Wellness Foundation, Kaiser Foundation Hospital Fund for Community Benefit Programs at the East Bay Community Foundation, San Francisco Foundation, Wells Fargo, and the National Medical Fellowships. Segments of the DOB Program will include: Workshop on admissions, financial aid, SAT and MCAT Prep Information Workshop on Writing the Best Personal Statements and Outstanding Interview Skills Speed Mentoring Session with more than 50 physicians and medical student of varying specialties from throughout the Northern California Bay Area Networking/mentoring luncheon with doctors, residents and medical students Mock Primary Care Clinics with real patients Mock Suture/Surgery Clinic Training Session Suture Knot Tying Basic Skills Training Workshop for parents and families of future doctors Students will be awarded Certificates of Completion followed by a reception (at the end of program) Students who wish to take part in this innovative, inter-active, one-day program may learn more and register by visiting http://www.PMFMD.com. Student Applications may be submitted online no later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, March 3, 2017. Parents, guardians and adult family member of students who are accepted into the program may also register at the website to attend the workshop, Guide to Parents/Family of Future Doctors. WHO: Physicians Medical Forum (PMF) WHAT: Doctors On Board Pipeline Program (Pre-medical Pipeline School Conference) WHEN: Saturday, March 18, 2016 | 6:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Registration & breakfast (6:30 A.M. 7:30 A.M.); Workshops, mentoring, lunch, mock clinics (7:30 A.M.-4:00 P.M.); Workshop: Guide for Parents/Family of Future Doctors (2:00 - 4:00 P.M.); Certificate of Completion Award Ceremony and Reception (4:00 - 5:00 P.M.) WHERE: Claremont A Fairmont Hotel | 41 Tunnel Road, Berkeley, CA Leading physicians, faculty, residents, medical students and business professionals will instruct, mentor and network with the program's student participants. They will include representatives from the PMF Board of Directors, Kaiser Permanente, Sinkler Miller Medical Association (SMMA), Student National Medical Association (SNMA), UCSF, UC Davis, and Stanford Schools of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Well Fargo, UCSF Office of Diversity and Outreach, Sutter Health, Washington Hospital Healthcare System, Highland Hospital and San Francisco General Hospital, US Navy Medical Service Corps (partial list). ABOUT PHYSICIANS MEDICAL FORUM (PMF): The Physicians Medical Forum is an Oakland, CA-based non-profit 501(c)(3) whose mission is to encourage recruitment and retention of African American/Black physicians to eliminate health disparities; improve access to care; and maintain diversity within the profession, thereby, improving the quality of healthcare for the community overall. PMF programs and initiatives include: Community Health Ambassadors Internship Program; Doctors Rock Workshop Series on Mentoring, Exam Prep, Interview/Personal Statement Skills Clinics; Physicians mentoring and networking events, studies on physicians retention and recruitment; Visiting Elective/Visiting Clerkship Resident Scholarships, physician education and development; providing scholarships for medical students and residents; networking with legislators and medical organizations; and community outreach programs. EDITORS: The following Doctors On Board Pipeline Program participants are immediately available for pre-event interviews: Stalfana A. Bello, M.P.A, PMF Executive Director & Conference Coordinator Albert L. Brooks, M.D., PMF President Warren J. Strudwick, M.D., PMF Chief Financial Officer J. Renee Navarro, PharmD., M.D., Vice-Chancellor, UCSF School of Medicine, PMF Board Sandra R. Weatherby, M.D., Internal Medicine, Kaiser Permanente Italo Brown, M.D., M.P.H., Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY Justin McCummings, MEd. GME & Office of Physician Recruitment, Boston Medical Center To arrange interviews, contact: Stalfana A. Bello, M.P.A. | 510.562.5560 | bhpubrel(at)aol(dot)com PHYSICIANS MEDICAL FORUM 2201 Broadway, Suite 212 Oakland, CA 94612 510.562-5560 p http://www.pmfmd.com Corra Group is based in El Segundo, California," said Corra Group Co-Founder, Gordon Basichis. "With clients in the information security and defense industries, we want to offer the best service for employment screening." Corra Group attended the recent RSA Cybersecurity Conference, in San Francisco, California. The Conference featured 15 keynote presentations, more than 700 speakers across 500+ sessions and more than 550 companies on the expo floors, all dealing with information security and cybersecurity. Corra Group has clients in the information security and cybersecurity space, said Corra Group Co-Founder, Gordon Basichis. Being headquartered in California, and especially in El Segundo, California, one of the central business centers for defense, aerospace, and advanced technology, it is imperative we stay up on the latest innovations in this expanding industrial space. Some of the companies exhibiting at the show are our neighbors here in Southern California, said Basichis. Some of the entities at the show are iconic entities in the American corporate environment, while others are newcomers to this industry. As a background checking company that provides both employment screening and the due diligence process, we are always looking to engage prospective clients. Basichis pointed out that Corra Group offers a full spectrum of background checks that are relevant to the technology and defense industries. He noted that Corra Group services companies on a national and global level. One of our specialties is helping employers fulfill their compliance mandates with employment screening packages for government contracts. We have a thorough understanding of the background checks an employer requires to qualify for federal and state contracts where the job itself contains sensitive and critical information. It is no secret that we are in a volatile environment where there is a near-constant rise in threats to our sensitive data, arising from everything from ransomware to data theft, said Basichis. As such, cybersecurity will continue to expand and with it we will most likely see quantum leaps in machine learning, which more than likely will dramatically change our world. It is but one of the reasons Corra Group obtains a comprehensive understanding of this space, the advances being made, including the latest tactics, the need for intelligence sharing, and the key focal point in the coming year. Basichis noted that it is no mystery this years RSA conference had record crowds of some forty-three thousand people. I dont think there is any company anymore that isnt touched in some way by threats to its information, said Basichis. This is our present and this will be our future. This is why Corra Group will be a key provide of background checks to this industry. BACKGROUND: Corra operates as Corra Group and Corra Global Research and specializes in employment screening and corporate research and due diligence. It is one of the few companies that will answer the phone. You can review the website at http://www.corragroup.com. Bucks Locavore ~ Buy Local Event 2017 Patrick Kennedy of Superior Woodcraft says, Its important to become informed about the local independent businesses in your community. These local independent businesses are the backbone of our communities. Doylestown, PA-February 21, 2017-The business community is invited to attend a unique networking opportunity hosted by Superior Woodcraft. The 8th annual event, celebrates and promotes independent, locally owned businesses in and around Bucks County, PA featuring over 35 of the regions top food and beverage purveyors. Superior Woodcraft, Inc., nationally-acclaimed custom cabinetmaker once again hosts this exceptional networking event showcasing locally produced products from in and around Bucks County, Pa. Over seven hundred guests are expected to gather at Superior Woodcraft on Thursday, February 23rd, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Attendance is free and open to the public, all businesses as well as media organizations. Guests attending the Bucks Locavore Event will relish in amazing cuisine inside a historical factory building where custom cabinets are handcrafted. Business owners are invited to come network and strengthen their business partnerships while learning more about the exceptional quality and diversity of locally available goods, products and services. Over thirty five local producers will be offering scrumptious samples of their products, including Bills Best BBQ, Board Room Spirits, Buckingham Valley Vineyard, Bucks County Brewery, Bucks County Cookie Co., Bucks County Preserves, Castle Valley Mill, Confection Perfection, Corporate Source Catering, Crooked Eye Brewery, Dont Worry BEE Healthy, Doylestown Brewing Co., Doylestown Food Market, Fulper Farms, Graziano Products, Hewn Spirits, Homestead Coffee Roasters, Just Food, Karamoor Estate Vineyard, Lauries Chocolates, Locavore, Masey and Leigh, McCaffreys, Ninas Waffles & Ice Cream, Offbeat Gourmet, Olive Oil Etc., One Sweet Baker, Perfect Day Coffee, Qs Cookies, Rose Bank Winery, Saucy Sues, Sole Kambucha, Sweetahs, Sweet Victory Gluten & Dairy Free Treats, The Brown Soap Company, The Market at Del Val/Shady Brook, Wrightstown Farmers Market, Wycombe Vineyard Superior Woodcraft is committed to keeping the local economy strong by hosting the Bucks Locavore event each year. Patrick Kennedy of Superior Woodcraft says, Its important to become informed about the local independent businesses in your community. These local independent businesses are the backbone of our communities. In many different ways local businesses enrich our daily lives. The success and quality of our communities is directly tied to the success of local business. The Bucks Locavore ~ Buy Local event strives to bring this message to the forefront of everyones mind. The Bucks Locavore ~ Buy Local event offers awareness to the community of what's available to them in their own backyard. By sampling and ultimately purchasing these goods it reminds people how crucial it is to reinvest in the local economy in order to see the infrastructure and public assets continue to thrive and in turn, makes our community a better place to live. By participating and attending the event it benefits consumers, producers and everyone who lives in and around Bucks County. About Superior Woodcraft, Inc. Superior Woodcraft, in Doylestown, PA, designs and handcrafts heirloom-quality cabinetry for the whole home with sustainable methods and materials, providing beauty, utility and peace of mind. Family owned and operated since 1967. http://www.superiorwoodcraft.com Contact: Mr. Patrick Kennedy pkennedy(at)superiorwoodcraft(dot)com Superior Woodcraft, Inc. 160 N. Hamilton Street Doylestown, PA 18901 215-348-9942 For more information or to RSVP, visit us on Facebook- Bucks Locavore We take great pride in our people and culture and are truly honored to be recognized as having one of the best company cultures in America. Informz, Inc., was recently ranked on Entrepreneur's Top Company Cultures list, a comprehensive ranking of U.S.-based businesses exhibiting high-performance cultures created in partnership with culture management software and service provider CultureIQ. The Top Company Cultures list has placed Informz as 34th in the medium-sized company category. Informz is recognized for creating an exceptional culture that drives employee engagement, exceeds employee expectations and directly impacts company success. We take great pride in our people and culture and are truly honored to be recognized as having one of the best company cultures in America by Entrepreneur and CultureIQ, said Joe Tyler, CEO of Informz. Building a great company culture takes hard work and dedication to fostering an environment of continuous feedback, creating a sense of community, and collaborating towards a common goal of driving great results for our customers. Informz cultivates a fun, professional, and friendly environment where employees are passionate about the Informz mission: to turn all clients into Superfans. With bagel Mondays and pizza Fridays, monthly parties, employee recognition programs, annual two-on-one meetings with CEO Joe Tyler and COO Terry Nawrot, and a comprehensive benefits program, employee satisfaction is a top priority for senior management. "Great company cultures dont happen on their own. Theyre the result of great leadership, and a conscious effort to make everyone on a team feel engaged and important, says Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur. The honorees on our 2017 list are proof that strong cultures make even stronger companies. Entrepreneurs at all levels can draw inspiration from them. The full list, presenting a total of 153 companies categorized as small, medium-sized or large companieswith 25-49 employees, 50-99 employees and more than 100 employees respectively is available on Entrepreneur.com. Core insights, behaviors and attributes that have helped to shape the high-performing cultures presented by the top companies are shared alongside practices to help other companies develop their own workplace environments. The rankings for all companies were determined using CultureIQ's methodology for measuring high-performance cultures. Employees at each company received a survey of multiple-choice questions and the answers were used to assess a company's strength across 10 core components of culturecollaboration, innovation and communication to name a few. The companies with the highest scores became the Top Company Culture list in ranking order. To be considered for the ranking, a company must have at least 25 employees, have been founded before Jan. 1, 2015 and be headquartered in the U.S. To view Informz in the full ranking, visit entm.ag/TopCultures About Informz http://www.informz.com Informz is a leading provider of digital marketing solutions to the association and nonprofit industries. The Informz solution provides customers with the tools and expertise to easily and cost-effectively promote their brands, stay in touch, generate and analyze data about their markets, manage information about their members and constituents, and receive valuable feedback to refine future action. The Informz portfolio of solutions includes email marketing, marketing automation and consulting services. For more information, visit http://www.informz.com, follow us on Twitter at @Informz and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/Informz. ABOUT ENTREPRENEUR MEDIA INC. For nearly 40 years, Entrepreneur Media Inc. has been serving the entrepreneurial community providing comprehensive coverage of business and personal success through original content and events. Entrepreneur magazine, Entrepreneur.com and publishing imprint Entrepreneur Press provide solutions, information, inspiration and education read by millions of entrepreneurs and small business owners worldwide. To learn more, visit entrepreneur.com. Follow us on Twitter at @Entrepreneur and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/entmagazine. About CultureIQ CultureIQ is a platform that enables organizations to make positive, measurable changes to their culture, and a community that connects peers and experts around the topic of culture. The CultureIQ platform helps companies actively manage their culture through an ongoing process of collecting, understanding and responding to internal feedback to drive employee engagement, retention and success. Based in New York City, CultureIQ was founded in 2013 by Greg Besner, an adjunct professor at New York University Stern School of Business and one of the original investors in Zappos.com. CultureIQ is backed by a group of notable investors including Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Founder Collective and Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsiehs VTF Capital. For more information, visit http://www.cultureiq.com, follow us on Twitter at @CultureIQ and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/CultureIQ. ### The Libman Company, an American manufacturer of household and commercial cleaning products, has donated over four thousand of its products to 83 non-profit organizations across the country including 46 Pets for the Elderly partner animal shelters, all the American Cancer Societys 36 Hope Lodges, and the Eastern Illinois Food Bank. The donation is just one of many the company makes throughout the year to charities and non-profit organizations that can benefit from the companys many cleaning products. We are extremely grateful to Libman for their generous donation to our participating shelters. Of course, it is critical to keep the shelters clean for the health and well-being of the animals, staff and visitors and we value Libmans generosity, said Susan Kurowski, executive director at the Pets for the Elderly Foundation. We are so grateful to Libman for providing this generous donation, said Susan Brinkley, director, Hope Lodge Expansion & Operations. There is never a charge to the patient to stay at one of the Societys Lodges but it does take resources to keep the Lodges operating and donations like Libmans help us to continue to provide a nurturing, comfortable environment for patients during their stay. Not having to worry about lodging allows them to focus on what is most importantfighting cancer, said Brinkley. Libmans donations offer our clients access to great products that they often forgo since they operate on limited budgets, said Kristen Bosch, VP of development and community partnerships. Were so grateful to Libman for their continued generosity to Eastern Illinois Foodbank. We recognize the numerous organizations that are positively impacting the lives of humans and animals every day, said Andrew Libman, president of The Libman Company. These organizations are valued as an integral part of their communities and we are proud to support them, said Libman. About the Pets for the Elderly Foundation The Pets for the Elderly Foundation is an organization that assists with the cost of adoption of a companion animal by a senior citizen - thus reducing the number of animals in shelters and providing companionship, health and happiness to senior citizens. Pets for the Elderly works with 46 participating animal shelters across the U.S. About Hope Lodge Last year Hope Lodge facilities across the country provided more than 456,000 nights of free lodging, saving cancer patients an estimated $37 million in hotel expenses. Altogether these facilities nationwide serve about 24,000 patients and their caregivers yearly. Hope Lodge locations vary in size, but each Lodge offers a private bath and sleeping accommodations for two (one guest undergoing cancer treatment and one caregiver). There are also community dining, laundry, kitchen and recreational areas. About Eastern Illinois Food Bank The Eastern Illinois Food Bank is a Springfield-based regional, non-profit food distributor serving 150 agencies in 21 counties in central Illinois. The Eastern Illinois Foodbank collects food from manufacturers, grocery stores, individuals and others to efficiently distribute food resources to food pantries, soup kitchens, and residential programs. It distributes more than 9 million pounds of food annually. About the Libman Company The Libman Company is a family-owned company that has been making quality cleaning tools since 1896. The company manufactures products from brooms and mops to more specialized tools for kitchen and bathroom cleaning and industrial uses. Libman proudly manufactures most of their products in the United States, including the companys well-known Wonder Mop. For more information about the Libman Company, please visit http://www.libman.com. The first-ever National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day is being celebrated throughout the country today, as organizations, advocates, and individuals join together to increase recognition about the risks of heart valve disease (HVD) and improve detection and treatment access to ultimately save lives. Today we mark a nationwide movement to raise awareness about a disease that has not received the attention it demands. Considering that heart valve disease affects more than five million Americans, public awareness of the condition is shockingly low. A recent survey from the Alliance for Aging Research found that three out of four adults know little to nothing about valve disease, says Susan Peschin, MHS, Alliance for Aging Research president and CEO. The good news is that, while heart valve disease can be serious, innovative treatment saves lives and enables most patients to enjoy significant improvements in their quality of life. In this case, education and awareness have the potential to make a tremendous difference. National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day activities begin with a 12 noon EST briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Expert speakers include: Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., director, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, and Joseph E. Bavaria, M.D., former president, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. It will be moderated by Peschin. The briefing will also be live-streamed here. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons is honored to partner with the Alliance for Aging Research on the first-ever National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day, says Bavaria. This collaboration represents an annual opportunity to provide potentially life-saving information to millions of patients with heart valve disease. Educating patients about the signs and symptoms of valve diseasesuch as persistent shortness of breath or dizzinesswill help open new conversations with primary care doctors and lead to earlier treatments. The briefing also features Dennis and Ann Dobkowski, American Heart Association Heart Valve Ambassadors. They will share their personal experience with the condition. We are so excited to come out and speak on Capitol Hill about our story, says Dennis. National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day offers a forum to encourage people to be aware about the dangers of heart valve disease. People often have symptoms like I had and think it is connected to old age. But they can be the warning signs for heart valve disease. We want people to listen to their heart and get it checked out with their doctor. It could be life-saving. In my case, it was, and every new day is a gift for me. The days activities conclude with a Twitter chat on heart valve disease at 4 p.m. EST. The chat can be followed at #ValveDiseaseDay. National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day centers around four key messages: Listen to your body. HVD, which disrupts blood flow in the heart by affecting how a valve opens or closes, is not always serious, but can lead to major complications, including death. It can often be detected when a health care professional, while listening to the heart, hears a heart murmur. Follow-up testing may be needed to confirm the diagnosis. Know your risk factors. Age is the greatest risk factor for HVD. Unfortunately, the symptoms older adults with heart valve disease experience are too often dismissed as a normal part of aging. One in eight people ages 75 and older are estimated to have moderate to severe HVD. If someone has had a previous heart condition, they could be at higher risk for valve disease. Get your heart checked regularly. During regular check-ups, doctors often detect the early warning signs of HVD. Valve disease can usually be successfully treated with valve repair and replacement in patients of all ages. Spread the word and raise awareness. Through education efforts such as National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day, strides can be made against the disease. The campaign was initiated by the Alliance for Aging Research and has been joined by 20 national partners. It is also supported by a resolution (H.Res.146) introduced by U.S. Rep. Tony Cardenas. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has listed the awareness day on its National Health Observances Calendar. National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day offers a website at ValveDiseaseDay.org, along with a Twitter page, @ValveDiseaseDay. A video news release giving more information about National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day can be viewed and downloaded here. The Alliances activities around National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day were conducted with unrestricted educational support from Edwards Lifesciences Foundation. About the Alliance for Aging Research The Alliance for Aging Research is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the pace of scientific discoveries and their application in order to vastly improve the universal human experience of aging and health. The Alliance was founded in 1986 in Washington, D.C., and has since become a valued advocacy organization and a respected influential voice with policymakers. Visit http://www.agingresearch.org for more information. ### "These international companies showcase the wide range of remote job opportunities available around the world that now exist for job seekers," said Sara Sutton Fell, Founder and CEO of FlexJobs February 22, 2017 To help job seekers tap into the global job market, FlexJobs has identified the top ten international companies to watch for remote jobs in 2017. These companies are internationally-headquartered in countries such as Australia, China, Germany, India, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and are included on FlexJobs Top 100 Companies to Watch for Remote Jobs in 2017 list. This list was based on an analysis of over 47,000 companies and their telecommuting job posting histories in the FlexJobs database during 2016. A forecast of employment trends by the World Economic Forum called flexible work, including virtual teams, "one of the biggest drivers of transformation" in the workplace. Advances in technology have made many jobs compatible with remote work, and knowledge workers are increasingly comfortable working from a variety of locations. Over the past decade, a rising number of young professionals in particular have leveraged technology to work remotely and live a nomadic lifestyle. These international companies showcase the wide range of remote job opportunities available around the world that now exist for job seekers, said Sara Sutton Fell, Founder and CEO of FlexJobs. With 100 percent telecommuting the most desirable form of flexible work, and the digital nomad population growing in popularity, smart companies are seizing the changing workplace landscape by making strategic hiring decisions that leverages this interest in remote work. Millennials and other groups that value mobility and work flexibility will continue driving this trend, and forward-thinking companies that integrate remote jobs into their workforce will gain access to talent from around the world. The ten companies below span industries, including computer and IT, education, healthcare, travel and others, and hire for a variety of positions, such as financial analyst, online teacher, biostatician and travel consultant. 1. Allergan Headquarters: Dublin, Ireland A global pharmaceutical company, Allergan develops, manufactures, and commercializes medical devices and biologic products. Medical Science Liaison Regional Pharmcovigilance Director Business Development Manager 2. Appen Headquarters: Chatswood, Australia Appen serves a global clientele with search, text, and speech technologies, including voice recognition and social media services. Social Media Evaluator Linguist Consultant - Lao Social Media Evaluator 3. BCD Travel Headquarters: Utrecht, Netherlands BCD Travel is a travel consultant company that helps individual travelers, procurement managers, and executives meet travel and leisure goals. Corporate Travel Consultant Meeting Coordinator Groups Director Global Business Solutions and Technology Strategy 4. Cactus Communications Headquarters: Mumbai, India Cactus Communications offers solutions including writing and editing services for clients in the academic, pharmaceutical, and medical device sectors. Simplified Chinese to English Translator Freelance Writing - Medicine 5. Eaton Headquarters: Dublin, Ireland Eaton is a global power management company specializing in energy-efficient solutions in electricity, mechanics, hydraulics, automotive, and hybrid power sectors, among others. Director, Architecture, Internet of Things Area Sales Manager Rail Sales Engineer - Electrical Products 6. hibu Headquarters: Reading, United Kingdom hibu is a digital marketing and advertising company specializing in website development and management, SEO, print and digital directories, and social media campaign management, among other services. Account Representative - Outside Sales Advertising Consultant 7. Real Staffing Headquarters: London, United Kingdom Real Staffing provides staffing and recruitment solutions to the biotech, pharmaceutical, healthcare IT, and medical device sectors. Network Security Specialist Biostatistician Technical Writer 8. SAP Headquarters: Walldorf, Germany An enterprise application software company, SAP specializes in business intelligence, analytics, sustainability, and innovation. Customer Engagement Executive Portfolio and Solutioning, Senior Consultant Cloud Solution Architect, Principal 9. VIPKID Headquarters: Beijing, China A provider of English language learning services, VIPKID works to offer the American elementary school experience to students in China. Online ESL Teacher 10. Worldpay Headquarters: London, United Kingdom Worldpay provides global payment processing on-site, online, and via mobile devices. Bank Alliance Account Executive Financial Analyst Corporate Business Sales Executive Job seekers can also visit Remote.co to see additional international companies, such as Canonical, DVMelite and Envato currently hiring remote workers. For more information, please visit https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/top-international-companies-for-remote-jobs/ or contact Kathy Gardner at kgardner(at)flexjobs(dot)com. About FlexJobs FlexJobs is the leading online service for professionals seeking telecommuting, flexible schedule, part-time, and freelance jobs. With flexible job listings in over 50 career categories, and opportunities ranging from entry-level to executive and freelance to full-time, FlexJobs offers job seekers a safe, easy, and efficient way to find professional and legitimate flexible job listings. Having helped over two million people in their job searches, FlexJobs has appeared on CNN, CNBC and Marketplace Money and in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, TIME, Forbes, Fortune, Fast Company and hundreds of other trusted media outlets. FlexJobs' Founder & CEO Sara Sutton Fell has also launched two additional partner sites, Remote.co and 1 Million for Work Flexibility, to help provide education and awareness about the viability and benefits of remote working and work flexibility. Sutton Fell is also the creator of The TRaD* Works Conference (*Telecommuting, Remote, & Distributed), dedicated to helping companies leverage the benefits of telecommuting, remote and distributed teams. TAKE Supply Chain (TSC), a division of TAKE Solutions Ltd., today announced that it has formally launched the TAKE Digital Supply Chain Initiative in partnership with Nick Vyas, Executive Director and Professor of Clinical Data Science and Operations, USC Marshall Center for Global Supply Chain Management. This joint research project aims to evaluate the impact of key emerging technologies identified by Gartner at its 2016 Supply Chain Conference in Phoenix. Through this initiative graduate students at the USC Marshall Center for Global Supply Chain Management will apply Six Sigma practices and techniques to determine if and how transformative new technologies such as Blockchain, Augmented Reality, Predictive Analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT), Digital Supplier Networks, and Conversation Based User Interfaces can be effectively applied to remove data silos across supply chain organizations. In todays world, supply chains typically rely on multiple technology systems to manage their procurement processes, warehouses, logistics, and enterprise resource planning processes in addition to the manual, or paper-based, business processes. These are typically spread across multiple functional and geographic silos. Despite attempts at system convergence, these silos still do not share information well, and that continues to challenge supply chain performance and efficiency, explained Steve Rice, director, product group at TAKE Supply Chain. However, at TSC we believe that these information silos can be removed via the Digital Supply Chain initiative to provide full data transparency and real-time accessibility across entire operations, thus improving agility and cost effectiveness of entire supply chains as market economics change. Throughout the duration of the project, USC students will evaluate whether or not these emerging technologies are potentially transformative and how they can drive improved collaboration and decision making across supply chain environments. At the conclusion of this project, TAKE will introduce a new Digital Supply Chain Roadmap that aligns with the USC teams findings. The company will then commit a set of global resources to the development of globally relevant solutions that will deliver increased accuracy, visibility and responsiveness across its customers supply chains. For 20 years, TAKE has been on the cutting-edge of supply chain innovation and we have a clear understanding of the challenges facing global supply chains today. We are excited to partner with the USC Marshall Center for Global Supply Chain Management to prove the viability of emerging technologies. Were confident this project will help us quickly define new solutions to address our customers supply chain challenges, added Brad Huff, executive vice president and general manager, TAKE Supply Chain. Girls in Tech logo In introducing a TED-style of presentation, were excited to help conference participants learn practical skills to further their careers in technology, said Adriana Gascoigne, Founder and CEO of Girls in Tech. Girls in Tech, a global non-profit dedicated to eradicating gender disparity in technology, today announced the return of Catalyst Conference to San Francisco on June 20 - 22. The 40+ speakers will aim to educate and engage -- in a practical manner -- with conference attendees on topics including trends, design thinking, science, leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation, venture capital, politics, and diversity. Attendees of previous sold-out Catalyst Conferences have been Venture Capitalists, tech entrepreneurs and employees, journalists, and students. In introducing a TED-style of presentation, were excited to help conference participants learn practical skills to further their careers in technology, said Adriana Gascoigne, Founder and CEO of Girls in Tech. A key difference with Catalyst will be the accessibility of the conference, which will be in San Francisco and cost only $199, if you buy your ticket early -- a fraction of the cost of similar conferences. While the conference is big, it will also be intimate and interactive, with candid presentations from diverse leaders. The three-day Catalyst Conference will be held at Bespoke in San Francisco and expects over 1,000 attendees. Other speakers include, Heidi Roizen, Operating Partner at Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Connie Guglielmo, Editor-in-Chief of CNET, Lisa Falzone, CEO of Revel Systems, and Nidhi Gupta, VP of Engineering of Hired. The format will be split into keynotes, workshops, fireside chats, and networking events. "At Box, we have a shared interest with Girls in Tech's mission of ending gender disparity across the technology industry," said Aaron Levie, cofounder and CEO of Box. "I'm delighted to join the impressive lineup of speakers at this year's Catalyst Conference in San Francisco's backyard to help empower women who are passionate about tech to advance their careers in STEM fields." The last time Catalyst Conference was in San Francisco was in 2012. Catalyst Conference is sponsored by Cisco, Automattic, RocketSpace, LoopUp, and Athena Alliance. More info about Catalyst, including speakers, agenda, and tickets, can be found here: http://catalystsf.girlsintech.org/ About Girls in Tech Girls in Tech (GIT) is a global non-profit focused on the engagement, education and empowerment of girls and women who are passionate about technology. Adriana Gascoigne founded GIT in 2007 to create a support framework to help women advance their careers in STEM fields. GIT aims to accelerate the growth of innovative women entering into the high-tech industry and building startups. GIT achieves this through the creation of proprietary, innovative programming and strategic global partnerships. With headquarters in San Francisco and more than 50,000 members located around the globe, GIT relies on volunteer efforts to lead each of the 60 local chapters. Programming and events vary by chapter based on local interests and needs. GIT is not just for professional women. It exists for anyone with an interest in technology, startups and providing women with a platform for growth. But GIT operates with the spirit of the girl within all of usfearless, lively and determined. For the latest updates, read GITs blog or follow them on Facebook or Twitter. Contact: Kevin Leu kevin.leu(at)girlsintech(dot)org Susan Shaffer wants to share the rewards of art by sharing with as many other women as possible. The Franklin County Visitors Bureau invites the public to celebrate five years of business with Joyful Arts Studio, 21 East Baltimore Street in Greencastle. As year number five concludes on March 9, 2017, Susan Shaffer, the owner of Joyful Arts Studio, is still as passionate about art and its ability to bring joy to life as when she opened the art studio and gallery. Joyful Arts Studio is truly a labor of love for Shaffer, and it is personal, too. I believe art transformed my life by giving me self-confidence, self-esteem, and helping me learn to love myself, she says. With such a powerful impact on her own life, Shaffer wants to share the rewards of art by sharing with as many other women as possible. It is this foundation coupled with a nurturing environment that carries Joyful Arts Studio into year six. Join Joyful Arts Studio on Friday, March 10, from 1 PM to 6 PM, and Saturday, March 11, from 10 AM to 4 PM, for a Student Art Exhibit with an artist reception from 1 PM to 4 PM. Relax and enjoy the creativity of others, make a memory in the photo booth, and sign the Joys and Gratitude Journal. The public is invited to view the artwork and vote for the Peoples Choice Award as they imagine what adding art to their own life will do. Joyful Arts Studio, which is non-franchise and independently owned, offers a variety of original classes year-round. Some are simply an evening art project, like the upcoming Creating Your Way to JOY! On Friday, February 24. Others are month-long, exploring art theory. Theory classes accept a variety of levels because one-on-one instruction gives an individualized opportunity to learn and grow. Instruction covers a variety of mediums, such as watercolor, oil, acrylic, pencil drawing, batik silk scarf, wine glass painting, pencil drawing, and mixed media. For more on upcoming classes, visit http://www.joyfulartstudio.com. Joyful Arts Studio offers youth classes, also. The Franklin County Visitors Bureau invites all to explore Franklin County PA and enjoy the trails of history, arts and architecture, recreation, natural beauty, fresh foods and the warm hospitality of communities like Chambersburg, Greencastle, Mercersburg, Shippensburg, and Waynesboro. Franklin County PA is located just north of the Mason Dixon Line and is an easy drive to Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. Discover more. Plan a visit soon at ExploreFranklinCountyPA.com or by contacting 866.646.8060. Netcapital, the private securities platform, today launched its comprehensive fundraising and investing platform. The platform blends key infrastructure inspired by public markets with the flexibility of internet fundraising, providing growing companies with the tools they need to rocket through the funding process and helping investors stay engaged. Using Netcapitals standardized process, entrepreneurs can avoid the drudgery of fundraising and focus on the excitement they are creating, while investors can join in with a few clicks and invest as little as $99. Thanks to changes in regulation that took effect in 2016, entrepreneurs may now advertise certain offerings over the internet and accept investments from non-accredited investors. Netcapitals scalable technology helps entrepreneurs leverage their personal network to unlock this new source of funding from friends, family, customers, and followers. In addition, entrepreneurs can reach a broad network of accredited investors to close larger sums. Netcapital streamlines their experience with easy access to legal agreements, documents for due diligence, and an e-commerce-like purchase process. After pounding the pavement to scrape together seed rounds for a couple of companies, I knew there had to be a better way, said Jason Frishman, Founder and CEO of Netcapital. When there wasnt, I knew we had to build it. Netcapitals comprehensive platform offers entrepreneurs everything they need to raise capital at any stage of the growth process by bringing together several partners and services, including: Automated completion of SEC forms and legal documents, reducing the need for major legal fees in typical circumstances An SEC and FINRA registered funding portal to facilitate 4(a)(6) offerings for companies raising a friends-and-family or seed round Broker-dealer relationships to facilitate multiple types of offerings, including simultaneous 4(a)(6) and 506(c) offerings, for multimillion-dollar fundraising An escrow service to make sure funds are dealt with fairly and safely A transfer agent to manage the new class of securities, removing some burden from entrepreneurs and improving recordkeeping for investors A custodian to hold securities and exercise voting rights for investors, streamlining investor relations for companies Netcapital is backed by a wide range of tech entrepreneurs and business leaders that bring together the best of finance and innovation, including: Jason Robins, co-founder and CEO of DraftKings, Ivan Seidenberg, former chairman and CEO of Verizon, Alan Matthews, founder and chairman of Rapid7, and James Schmidt, former manager of the $4B John Hancock Financial Industries Fund. Netcapital appeals to me because Ive had firsthand experience with the passion and support that comes from an engaged user base, and Ive seen how that excitement translates into funding, said Jason Robins, co-founder and CEO of DraftKings and advisor to Netcapital. I think we could have had just as much success raising money from the fans at the bar as the VCs in the conference room. Companies interested in selling securities, and investors interested in buying private securities, can learn more by visiting Netcapital.com. About Netcapital Netcapital is a private securities platform that brings together entrepreneurs and investors. For entrepreneurs, Netcapital reduces the complexity and cost of issuing shares, fundraising, and collaborating with investors. For investors, Netcapital provides deal flow and tools to track investments. Through relationships with a funding portal, broker-dealers, a transfer agent, and a custodian, Netcapital provides services to private markets that are inspired by public markets. For more information, visit https://netcapital.com or follow on Twitter, @netcapital. In this press release, Netcapital refers to Netcapital.com, a web site operated by Netcapital Systems, LLC, which is neither a funding portal nor a broker-dealer. Sections of the web site are operated by Netcapital Funding Portal, Inc., which conducts all 4(a)(6) offerings as a funding portal registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and as a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Sections of the web site are operated by Livingston Securities, LLC, which conducts all 506(c) offerings as a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and as a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. None of these companies provide investment advice or make investment recommendations; nothing shared in this press release nor posted to the web site should be construed as such. Consequence Media and PopMatters Join Forces Consequence Media, LLC, an independent digital media company, is excited to announce a partnership with acclaimed international pop cultural publication PopMatters. PopMatters (http://popmatters.com/) joins Consequence Media's (http://consequencemedia.com/) digital properties that serve more than 6.5 million unique visitors monthly. Additionally, Consequence Media will leverage PopMatters passionate followers in establishing unique experiential activations. I have long thought that independent media companies needed to start teaming up with each other to be able to compete in an increasingly corporatized media landscape. We are impressed with Consequence Medias growth and excellence in delivering compelling advertising solutions to clients. Naturally, we thought Consequence Media would be a perfect fit, says Sarah Zupko, CEO and Publisher of PopMatters Media. Quality, high-brow writing is an increasing rarity in pop culture/music journalism, which is why were so excited to be partnering with PopMatters. For 17 years and counting, Sarah and her team have set a high standard for cultural criticism and analysis. Their coverage verticals focusing on books, video games, and the visual arts also fill a void missing from Consequence Medias stable of publishers, adds Rick Cantinella, president of Consequence Media. About Consequence Media Consequence Media connects brands to the world's premiere independent publishers in music, film, gaming, and pop culture, as well as a highly engaged audience of influential millennials. Our publishers including Consequence of Sound, YourEDM, The Hard Times, PopMatters and The Quietus, among others continue to deliver award-winning branded and experiential activations, critically acclaimed content, exclusive scoops, and cutting-edge video. About PopMatters Media PopMatters is an international magazine of cultural criticism that essays the pop culture that matters. Its scope is broadly cast on all things pop culture and it is the largest site that bridges academic and popular writing. PopMatters provides in-depth reviews, engaging interviews, and essays in areas such as music, film, television, books, games, theatre, visual arts, comics and more. PopMatters is independently women-owned and operated. Since 1999, PopMatters has been providing smart readers with sharp, entertaining writing on a wide range of topics in popular culture, offering a refuge from the usual hype and gossip. Displaced women in Sangaya Camp, Dikwa, northeast Nigeria. Photo credit: Mercy Corps The only way we will break this vicious cycle is by responding quickly to urgent needs in order to save lives. At the same time, we must support longer-term programs that can reduce vulnerability and prevent conflict Ahead of this weeks Humanitarian Conference on Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region taking place in Oslo, Norway, the global organization Mercy Corps urges governments to commit funding to meet humanitarian needs and tackle underlying causes of conflict. The United Nations appeal for the region in 2017 is $1.5 billion to fund assistance to more than 10 million people across the Lake Chad region, including more than 500,000 children expected to suffer from severe malnourishment this year. The Lake Chad Basin, with Nigeria at its epicenter, is currently experiencing one of the worlds largest overlooked humanitarian crises, resulting from chronic underdevelopment and grievances that have created a self-perpetuating cycle of insecurity, violence and poverty, says Iveta Ouvry, Mercy Corps Country Director in Nigeria. The only way we will break this vicious cycle is by responding quickly to urgent needs in order to save lives. At the same time, we must support longer-term programs that can reduce vulnerability and prevent conflict. Mercy Corps provides vital assistance such as food vouchers, cash, non-food items and water and hygiene support to tens of thousands of people across northeast Nigeria. In a recent assessment conducted in Dikwa and Ngala, two towns in northern Borno State hosting more than 120,000 displaced people, Mercy Corps found that food continues to be the main need, compounded by fuel shortages that limit many families to cooking only one meal a day. Mercy Corps will begin food distributions in Dikwa in the coming weeks. The assessment, conducted over a two-day period in January, also found that latrines are in short supply, causing people to resort to open defecation with limited access to water and soap for handwashing. Bathing also takes place in the open and usually at night, creating huge safety concerns for women and children. To tackle underlying drivers of the crisis, Mercy Corps is also working in Borno State to reduce youth vulnerability to radicalization, based on recommendations from its 2016 two-part report examining factors behind youth participation in Boko Haram. Read Mercy Corps' brief for conference attendees here. Join us and support Mercy Corps work in the Lake Chad region and elsewhere in the world. El Silencio Lodge & Spa Being recognized as an exceptional destination that showcases the best of Costa Ricas hospitality is a cherished honor. Forbes Travel Guide today unveiled its annual Star Rating list, naming El Silencio Lodge & Spa as a new Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Hotel. El Silencio Lodge & Spa will be showcased with all of the Star Rating recipients on ForbesTravelGuide.com. El Silencio Lodge & Spa showcases Costa Ricas unique cloud forest landscapes, underscoring a deep connection to nature and culture through engaging experiences and heartfelt hospitality. Trimmed by two national parks, it features a private nature reserve dotted with waterfalls. Two restaurants, a spa, an organic mini-farm, a thrilling zip-line and rappelling course, and select accommodations create a natural wonderland to savor and explore. Our team receives the news with sincere enthusiasm. Being recognized as an exceptional destination that showcases the best of Costa Ricas hospitality is a cherished honor, commented Karin Zurcher, Owner of El Silencio Lodge & Spa. As an independent property, we are thrilled to welcome travelers who seek unique experiences of distinct authenticity. By engaging visitors with caring hospitality and a deep connection to the land, we hope to create precious memories of love, laughter, and awe. El Silencio Lodge & Spa is the latest addition to the luxury travel ratings that have been the gold standard in the hospitality industry since 1958. We are delighted to recognize the 2017 Star Rating recipients, an exceptional collection of hotels, restaurants and spas that demonstrates a strong culture of service, said Gerard J. Inzerillo, Chief Executive Officer of Forbes Travel Guide. In an online environment of confusion and clutter, Forbes Travel Guide is the most trusted source of information to assist guests in making informed decisions, Inzerillo said. These properties, the largest and most global group in the companys history, achieve an impeccable standard of excellence in hospitality, underscoring our overall mission of positively contributing to the international tourism industry as well as individual hotel experience. We are proud to congratulate everyone associated with the prestigious properties recognized today. For a detailed explanation of how Forbes Travel Guide compiles its Star ratings, visit http://www.forbestravelguide.com/about/ratings. Connect with Forbes Travel Guide: Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ForbesTravelGuide Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ForbesInspector Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ForbesTravelGuide Connect with El Silencio Lodge & Spa: Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ElSilencioLodge Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ElSilencioLodge Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ElSilencioLodge About Forbes Travel Guide: Forbes Travel Guide is the originator of the prestigious Five-Star Rating system, and has provided the travel industrys most comprehensive ratings and reviews of hotels, restaurants and spas since 1958. Forbes Travel Guide has a team of expert inspectors who anonymously evaluate properties against up to 800 rigorous and objective standards in 162 destinations across 42 countries. Forbes Travel Guide is the most prestigious standard for luxury hospitality worldwide. For more information about Forbes Travel Guide, visit http://www.forbestravelguide.com. About El Silencio Lodge & Spa El Silencio Lodge & Spa is an inspired wellness retreat set in Costa Ricas pristine central volcanic region. Surrounded by emerald cloud forests and mystical waterfalls, it offers a seamless natural immersion experience that showcases the signature elements of Costa Ricas rural traditions, colorful culture, farm-to-table dining, and enthralling natural landscapes. For more information visit: http://www.elsilenciolodge.com # # # # Garrett Derderian Garretts experience sorting through New York Citys vast housing data and applying meaningful annotation is a unique skill set that fits in perfectly with our long-term vision. Stribling & Associates, a premier New York residential brokerage, announces that Garrett Derderian has joined the firm as Director of Data & Reporting. In his new role, Derderian will oversee Striblings proprietary data platform, integrating the most current, accurate, and relevant information for Stribling agents and their customers. Additionally, he will author a series of monthly, quarterly, and annual State of the Market reports analyzing comparative data for New York Citys residential market. Garretts experience sorting through New York Citys vast housing data and applying meaningful annotation is a unique skill set that fits in perfectly with our long-term vision, said Elizabeth Ann Stribling-Kivlan, President, Stribling & Associates. Im confident that Garretts contributions, coupled with the expertise of our more than 300 exceptional agents and staff, will further solidify Striblings position as an industry leader. Prior to joining Stribling, Derderian was a research analyst at both Douglas Elliman Development Marketing and Compass, where he created and authored market reports, outlined data trends, and generated statistics for the NYC residential market. He also worked in data research in the NYC commercial market at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank. Most recently, Derderian worked in Capital Markets at Lloyd Jones Capital. I am excited to join Stribling, one of New Yorks preeminent legacy real estate firms, during this great time of growth for the company, said Derderian. This is a wonderful opportunity to build a new and innovative data reporting system while working alongside some of the most talented people in the industry. Derderian will be based out of Striblings Upper East Side flagship at 924 Madison Avenue. About Stribling: Stribling & Associates, Ltd. is a premier residential real estate firm with over 300 agents throughout three locations in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn. As one of the most renowned brokerages in New York, Stribling uses its respected expertise in the current market to provide individualized services to both buyers and sellers. Stribling agents specialize in the sale of luxury townhouses and cooperative and condominium apartments. The companys philosophy is based on professional, personalized services coupled with exceptional knowledge of key residential market trends. Stribling Private Brokerage specializes in the discreet marketing of properties over $5 million and commands a prominent market share in that sector of Manhattan residential real estate. Stribling Marketing Associates, one of NYCs most successful development marketing firms, specializes in consulting, marketing and sales of new developments and conversions. The City of Hamburg, Germany and its partners present Reeperbahn Hamburgers at SXSW 2017, a series of events organized in the spirit of the Reeperbahn Festival bringing together a collaboration of music, film and digital technology. A total of six tech start-ups will be participating in the March events hosted in Austin. Additionally, executives from three leading Hamburg tech companies will be speaking on two SXSW panels during SXSW Interactive. Many start-ups from Hamburg have long since become international players InnoGames, Facelift, Mytaxi and XING to name a few, said Matthias Beer, project manager of media relations at Hamburg Marketing. With Spherie, we previously brought a very successful start-up to SXSW. This year we are thrilled to travel with six amazing start-ups to Austin. As a place known for its internationality and tolerance, we are also happy that Harald Neidhard from the Hamburg-based start-up MLOVE will be on an official SXSW panel to show how tech can help solve social challenges. Start-ups from Hamburg: Six start-ups from Hamburg will be showcasing new innovations in the areas of sports, medical and visual technologies, as well as market research and BaaS: Baqend makes the world's fastest web and app platform available to the public. PuttView revolutionizes how golfers practice putting with AR technology. Appinio provides the fastest market research tool worldwide. Picalike offers 1 billion product recommendations monthly based on visual similarity and machine learning. LifeTime lets users keep track of medical files on their smartphone and allows on-demand sharing to ensure the best treatment possible. NUWIEL is a smart, e-powered bicycle trailer that automatically follows a bicycle and provides enhanced safety through an integrated braking system. (Recently NUWIEL received third place at the Food+City Challenge in Austin, and it will participate at Smart City Day on Sunday, March 12 during SXSW.) Reeperbahn Hamburgers: In addition to presenting these start-ups, Hamburg will host several networking events during SXSW, where entrepreneurs, investors and media can connect. TexConnect will bring together top professionals in the entrepreneur and tech space with key investors and media on Saturday, March 11 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Reeperbahn Hamburgers (c/o Downtown Burgers, 503 East Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, TX 7870). Two Reeperbahn Hamburgers receptions will be exclusively available to SXSW badge holders who are interested in meeting with representatives from Hamburgs digital industries. This event will be held on Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Reeperbahn Hamburgers. A reception for professionals from the music industry will also be held on Wednesday, March 15 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the same location. Badge holders will have the opportunity to meet with leaders from Hamburgs music industry. The Digital Media Women Day on March 13 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Reeperbahn Hamburgers will provide an international platform to discuss, deliberate and create visibility around digital leadership and ideas that matter most to women. Digital Media Women (#DMW) is a network of women in tech and media from Germany, founded in Hamburg. Music Cities Mixer, presented by Music Cities Network and the cities of Aarhus, Groningen, Hamburg and Sydney, will be a musical mash-up of these international hotspots discussing the future of music across the globe on March 16 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Downtown Burgers. Recommended panels at SXSW: In addition to these events, four Hamburg start-up executives will be speaking on two SXSW panels. Harald Neidhardt from MLOVE Inc. will be moderating the panel Tech for Good: Solutions for the Refugee Crisis, in which participants will discuss how technology and communities can be used to create solutions for the greater good. Arne Kittler with XING and Ina Feistritzer and Martin Recke with SinnerSchrader will be speaking on The Product People Shift panel to discuss why todays society is experiencing a shift to product and product thinking, to people and human-centered design, and to the product personnel who make all this magic happen. Hamburg facilitates a vibrant start-up ecosystem, and we look forward to showcasing some highly innovative technologies coming out of our city, Matthias Beer said. We would also like to take the opportunity to invite start-ups, entrepreneurs and investors to join us in September at the Reeperbahn Festival, Europe's largest club festival and one of the most important international events for the music and digital industries. More information and RSVP on Hamburg at SXSW: http://www.hamburg-business.com/ About Reeperbahn, St. Pauli and Hamburg: Hamburg a hub for creative industries and a city on the waterfront is the most dynamic economic region in northern Europe. Hamburg is the advertising and media capital of Germany and the favorite working place for creative minds, artists, musicians, game designers and major industry leaders such as Facebook and Google. The Hanseatic city is one of the top locations in Europe for start-ups. As the center of the country's music industry, it attracts both artists and music business professionals and hosts one of the three biggest and most important music business events in Europe, with around 35,000 visitors: the Reeperbahn Festival from September 2023, 2017. The citys wide variety of high culture provides a stimulating environment and excellent opportunities for creative spirits and start-ups. The legendary clubs on the infamous Reeperbahn have been seen as springboards to fame: the Beatles were not the only ones to have their breakthrough here. Most of the young music scene is based in the districts of Altona and St. Pauli home to the Reeperbahn. Hamburgs position as one of the most dynamic economic regions in Europe is rooted in a mix of economic potential and a high standard of living. Many start-ups from Hamburg successfully developed into international companies, including InnoGames, Bigpoint, Facelift, Goodgame Studios, Jimdo, mytaxi, and XING. Start-ups such as Dreamlines, Kreditech, Stuffle and Sonormed continue to write this success story. Further information on partners, activities and events at SXSW, visit: http://www.hamburg-business.com/ A new study by Hear the World Foundation reports that nearly half of Americans feel that they have difficulty hearing Forty-five percent of American respondents feel that they have difficulty hearing and 72 percent of those report that family members or friends have also commented about their poor hearing. However, only 13 percent of those who think they suffer from hearing loss wear hearing aids. One reason, suggested by 89 percent of American respondents, is that they dont want to publicly acknowledge their hearing loss. This and further facts were revealed in an international study, How the world hears by the Hear the World Foundation. The ear is our most powerful sensory organ: Used 24 hours a day, the ear can recognize up to 400,000 sounds and process some 50 sensations every second twice as many as our eyes do. Unfortunately, the ears importance is often neglected in our visually orientated word. By publishing the study How the world hears, the Hear the World Foundation aims to increase public awareness and emphasize the importance of good hearing while also sharing tips on how people can protect their hearing. The most significant results for the U.S. at a glance: Self-assessed awareness of hearing loss: Around half (45 percent) of those surveyed think that they have difficulty hearing occasionally. Of those, 58 percent think they have mild hearing loss, 34 percent think they have moderate hearing loss and three percent think they have severe hearing loss. Awareness raised by family and friends: For those who recognize they have trouble hearing, 72 percent have heard remarks from family members and friends about their poor hearing. This was true for only 11 percent of respondents who were sure their hearing was good. Hearing tests: 36 percent of respondents have had their hearing tested within the last five years. Few wear hearing aids: Only 13 percent of the Americans surveyed, who think they suffer from hearing loss, actually wear hearing aids. A possible reason: 89 percent of respondents believe, at least somewhat, that people decide against hearing aids because they dont want to publicly acknowledge their hearing loss. Thirty-six percent are convinced this is a reason. Hearing loss often untreated motivation from family can help These study results show that even when family and friends of someone with hearing loss notice and comment about their poor hearing, very few people decide to use hearing aids. "The process from initial awareness to treatment of a hearing loss requires time. Family members and friends can play an important role in it, by accompanying the person affected by hearing loss through the process. Our experience shows that people with hearing loss, who have the support of their loved ones, more often decide to wear hearing aids and are happier with this decision, said Dr. Prof. Jerry L. Northern, Professor Emeritus at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Advisory Board member of the Hear the World Foundation. In addition to the person affected, family members and friends are benefiting from the decision to wear hearing aids, which is reflected in the Hear the World Foundation's study "Hearing is living". Seventy eight percent of respondents wearing hearing aids said that the activities in the circle of friends have changed positively, and 73 percent say the relationship with their family members has improved since they are wearing hearing aids. Tips to protect hearing: Do not turn music up too loud: noise levels below 85 dB are considered safe for our hearing. If you listen to music through audio devices, do not turn it up any louder than 60 percent of the maximum volume. Listen to music through headphones that fit well and block out background noise, as this will enable you to enjoy music at a low volume even in noisy surroundings. Wear earplugs at concerts and clubs and in other noisy environments. They can reduce the noise level by 5 to 45 dB. Use smartphone apps to measure the level of background noise to which you are exposing your ears. To give your ears a rest, make a conscious effort to take acoustic breaks and turn off all noise sources. Have your hearing regularly checked by a hearing care professional. About the study From September to November 2015, the market research organization Research Now asked 1,000 women and men aged between 16 and 55 in Germany, Switzerland, the USA, Brazil, and China about the issues of hearing and hearing loss for the How the World Hears study. About the Hear the World Foundation By supporting the charitable Hear the World Foundation, Sonova is campaigning for equal opportunities and a better quality of life for people with hearing loss. As a leading provider of hearing care solutions, Sonova fosters social responsibility and contributes towards a world where everyone has the chance to enjoy good hearing. For instance, the Hear the World Foundation supports disadvantaged people with hearing loss around the world and gets involved in prevention. It focuses particularly on projects for children with hearing loss, to enable them to develop at the appropriate rate for their age. Since its establishment in 2006 the Swiss foundation supported over 80 projects in 39 countries and thus helped thousands of people to hear better. More than 100 celebrity ambassadors, including celebrities such as Cindy Crawford, Placido Domingo, Annie Lennox and Sting champion the Hear the World Foundation. http://www.hear-the-world.com/en The infographic in high resolution to download you find here: https://www.hear-the-world.com/images/press/downloads/htw_infografik_wie_bitte3.png Further knowledge about hearing and hearing loss you find here: http://www.hear-the-world.com/en/knowledge/overview-knowledge For any further information please contact: Hear the World Foundation Louise Kaben E-Mail: louise(dot)kaben(at)hear-the-world(dot)com Tel: +41 58 928 01 01 US Public Relations Beth Fichtel E-mail: brgelbert(dot)yahoo(dot)com Phone: +1 (914) 588-2695 Cassandra Hegarty E-mail: cassandra(dot)hegarty(at)gmail(dot)com Phone: +1 (917) 653-4038 Which Wich Superior Sandwiches has announced its new partnership with Kentucky-based Houchens Industries, one of the largest employee-owned companies in the nation, to expand its footprint into new territory. The sandwich shops will soon emerge inside a number of Houchens upscale neighborhood markets, Crossroads IGA. Houchens, which began in 1917 with a small grocery store, now boasts 18,000 employees and is dedicated to growth and purchasing businesses in the food industry. Crossroads IGA is the freshest and most unique addition the Houchens family of brands. Crossroads is the ultimate market concentrating on high quality perishables, freshly prepared meals to go and grocery essentials delivered with unparalleled customer service. Under the 15-unit agreement with Which Wich, restaurants will be developed within Crossroads locations throughout the country, five of which are expected to open within the next year. We are looking for companies that are well run, have a profitable history and have the mindset that they want to be part of something that is good for everyone, said Houchens Senior Management. The Which Wich concept matches the vision at Houchens and both companies are excited about the opportunity to partner. According to Houchens, consumers today are searching for a more customized, quality product with a broad menu offering that services multiple day parts. While the company distinctively meets those demands, Which Wich was additionally chosen for Crossroads IGA based on its superior product, unique customer experience, a world class franchise support system and culture that puts people first. The Houchens Industries business model aligns perfectly with our core value of delivering superior products and a superior in-store experience to our guests, said Which Wich Manager of Franchise Development AJ Schuler. As we continue to grow our footprint into the non-traditional space, finding great innovative partners like Houchens is crucial to our long term development strategy. Which Wich currently has locations in 40 states and 11 countries. New territories remain available across the United States with a heavy focus on the addition of new locations in Chicago, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Washington D.C./Baltimore. The brand is also focused on international expansion as it closes out its strongest year of growth yet, with new openings scheduled in Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. ABOUT WHICH WICH: Which Wich Superior Sandwiches was founded in Dallas in late 2003 by restaurant entrepreneur, Jeff Sinelli. The national sandwich franchise chain is best known for its customizable sandwiches, creative ordering system, and personalized sandwich bag. In 2014, QSR named Which Wich one of their "2014 Best Franchise Deals" and Forbes listed Which Wich as one of their 2014 30 Best Franchises To Buy. Which Wich is also the recipient of the 2015 Nations Restaurant News MenuMasters Healthful Innovations award. Which Wich currently has 400 locations open or in development in 38 states and 10 countries. For more information, visit http://www.whichwich.com. ProMIS Neurosciences (ProMIS or the Company), a company focused on discovery and development of precision treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, today announced it has issued a scientific white paper entitled Results from recent Alzheimers disease trials validate the ProMIS approach. This is one of a series of commentaries from ProMISs scientific team offering insight into the Companys product portfolio and Alzheimers disease (AD) science in the popular press. The white paper discusses the recent late-stage clinical trial failures of Eli Lillys solanezumab, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) mainly targeting Amyloid beta (A monomers, and Mercks verubecestat, a small molecule BACE inhibitor that blocks the cleavage of amyloid precursor protein, thereby significantly reducing the formation of A monomers in the brain. Commenting on the results of the failed clinical trials, Dr. Johanne Kaplan, ProMIS Chief Development Officer stated, Both approaches, which mainly target A monomers failed to show clinically significant cognitive benefit as they failed to engage toxic A oligomers, which propagate in a prion-like manner and are the primary drivers of neurodegeneration and cognitive decline in AD patients. Conversely, Biogens monoclonal antibody aducanumab, which binds A oligomers and plaque, reduced cognitive decline in a Phase 1b trial. Binding to plaque however, was associated with dose-dependent toxicity (brain edema, or ARIA-E), which limits the therapeutic window for this antibody. The white paper concludes that human clinical data to date are supportive of the ProMIS approach of selectively targeting soluble toxic A oligomers. We believe our approach will lead to best in class therapy as selectively targeting the toxic prion-like A oligomers maximizes efficacy by avoiding off target binding to non-pathogenic A monomers, and decreases the risk of edema and vascular adverse events associated with plaque binding, stated Dr. Elliot Goldstein, ProMIS President & CEO. About ProMIS Neurosciences, Inc. The mission of ProMIS Neurosciences is to discover and develop precision medicine therapeutics for effective treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimers disease and ALS. ProMIS Neurosciences proprietary target discovery engine is based on the use of two, complementary techniques. The Company applies its thermodynamic, computational discovery platformProMIS and Collective Coordinates to predict novel targets known as Disease Specific Epitopes (DSEs) on the molecular surface of misfolded proteins. Using this unique "precision medicine" approach, ProMIS Neurosciences is developing novel antibody therapeutics and specific companion diagnostics for Alzheimers disease and ALS. The company has also developed two proprietary technologies to specifically identify very low levels of misfolded proteins in a biological sample. In addition, ProMIS Neurosciences owns a portfolio of therapeutic and diagnostic patents relating to misfolded SOD1 in ALS, and currently has a preclinical monoclonal antibody therapeutic against this target. The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This information release may contain certain forward-looking information. Such information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by statements herein, and therefore these statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. All forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to it as well as other factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified by the Company in its public securities filings, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For further information, and to access the white paper, please consult the Company's website at: http://www.promisneurosciences.com Follow us on Twitter Like us on LinkedIn NATIONAL Equicom Abby Garfunkel Tel. 403-218-2887 agarfunkel(at)national(dot)ca or contact Dr. Elliot Goldstein President and Chief Executive Officer, ProMIS Neurosciences Inc. Tel. 415 341-5783 Elliot.goldstein(at)promisneurosciences(dot)com Landis, Before and After Landis is the perfect example of the types of stories we are creating. The site sees more and more traffic every day and we want to find homes for as many pets as we possibly can! Ryan Vayo, Founder/CEO Past News Releases RSS Newest Pet Adoption Site,... Meet Landis, the first adoption through mycomPETibility.com - the first algorithmic pet adoption website designed to match adopters with the perfect pet waiting in a shelter/rescue either nearby or throughout the US. Landis was a case of serious neglect. He is also a shining example of what happens when we put these pets in the perfect home, not just any home. Landis is the perfect example of the types of stories we are creating. We have over 10,000 shelters/rescues pre-approved on our site and encourage adoption organizations to sign up at http://www.shelter.mycomPETibility.com. The site sees more and more traffic every day and we want to find homes for as many pets as we possibly can! Ryan Vayo, Founder/CEO Pets like Landis are why MycomPETibility.com was founded. Landis was 40 lbs, under developed, and malnourished when he was rescued by Second Chance Rescue in NY. Like too many pets he was afraid of the world, needed extensive care including mental and physical rehab, and needed a home that could spend the time and energy to nurse him back. Today Landis stands proud at 85 lbs, still thinks he is a lap dog, and spends his days with his new family that includes a brother and sister (both adopted greyhounds). Landis, aside from being an inspirational story that fortunately has a very happy ending, is a great example of what happens when you let our algorithm-based pet adoption system help your animals find their Fur-Ever home. Ventiv Technology announced that Peter Yang has joined the company as chief information officer, effective immediately. The announcement was made by Bill Diaz, chief executive officer of Ventiv Technology. In his role as chief information officer, Yang will be responsible for overseeing the DevOps of the company architectire, development, data tools, and hosting. Peter is a deeply technical and hands-on manager, says Diaz. He can roll up his sleeves to perform architectural design, code reviews, and help solve the most challenging application issues. I am deeply confident his RMIS/claims domain expertise will provide tremendous value to Ventiv. Prior to beginning work at Ventiv, Yang spent four years as chief technology officer at FIS Insurance, leading development operations across a wide range of products across life & annuity, health insurance, property & casuality and financials. Prior to FIS, he spent 13 years holding engineering leadership roles at Marsh ClearSight. His expertise lies in building effective teams and architecting scalable, secure, cloud-friendly and high-performing enterprise applications and data/BI solutions. I like the vision the team at Ventiv has and I am very excited to be a part of it, says Yang. Im confident in our companys dedication to delivering innovative and effective business solutions to our clients. Yang holds a B.E. in biomedical engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and an M.S./PhD in computer science and hearing science from Vanderbuilt University. Thanks to timely coordination and quick work by the installer, the project was finished with time to spare. When it came time to restore the main floor entrance and lobby of a new healthcare contact center in Georgia, PENETRON Specialty Products (PSP) provided the solution. Januarys grand opening presented the gleaming results. One of the nations largest healthcare systems recently invested $51 million to purchase and renovate the 185,000 square-foot office complex, which was also designed to meet LEED requirements for certification as a green building. When the general contractor, McCarthy Building Companies, needed to restore the main floor entrance, they asked Baker Paint and Flooring, a floor preparation contractor, for recommendations. Bakers Project Manager, Mike Portwood said, The existing floors in the building entrance and the main lobby urgently needed to be repaired and resurfaced prior to the installation of the final tile flooring. These areas are intensely high-traffic, adds Bob Baumeister, PSP Product Specialist. They chose our LEVELINE self-leveling underlayment, along with our PRIMER STX100, for optimal adhesion in the areas adjacent to the entrance. RENEW WS concrete resurfacer was used for the decorative topping in the lobby. As the PSP distributor for the Atlanta market, Building Restoration Products quickly delivered the material, thanks to a large inventory of PSP flooring products. Owner Matt Lawler noted, Thanks to timely coordination and quick work by the installer, the project was finished with time to spare. With national contact centers already in operation in California, Colorado, Hawaii and Maryland, this new center will serve more than 10 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia, including approximately 300,000 members in Georgia. The PENETRON Group is a leading manufacturer of specialty construction products for concrete waterproofing, concrete repairs and floor preparation systems. The Group operates through a global network, offering support to the design and construction community through its regional offices, representatives and distribution channels. For more information on PENETRON waterproofing solutions, please visit penetron(dot)com or Facebook(dot)com/ThePenetronGroup, email CRDept(at)penetron(dot)com, or contact the Corporate Relations Department at 631-941-9700. Mr. Ciruli is the Director of the Crossley Center for Public Opinion Research at the University of Denvers Josef Korbel School of International Studies. He is an adjunct professor teaching public opinion and foreign policy. The Crossley Center conducts research and presents live and virtual programs on foreign policy, politics, public policy and public opinion. Mr. Ciruli holds a law degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and a bachelors degree cum laude in political science from UCLA. He is a member of the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), and is the past-president of the Pacific Chapter of AAPOR (PAPOR). Mr. Ciruli is a board member of the Social Science Foundation of the University of Denver Josef Korbel School of International Studies and past-president of the Georgetown Law Alumni Board and the Denver Athletic Club. The Trump administration plans to revamp and rename President Obamas former Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Working Group by changing the focus strictly to combatting Islamism and changing the groups name to something along the lines of Countering Radical Islamic Extremism. Daniel Pipes, President of the Middle East Forum, along with Chrisopher C. Hull, President of Issue Management, Inc, have crafted a comprehensive plan (available here) for a White House Commission on Radical Islam to use. Gregg Roman, Director of Middle East Forum, is available to discuss this plan and how the new focus on Islamism diverts from the groups agenda under the Obama administration. The comprehensive plan recommends that the overall goal of the Commission should be to bring the American people together around a common understanding of the adversarys nature, how it can be defeated, and specifics to accomplish this objective. The authors suggestions for the commission include: Structure- To be successful, all its members must be selected by the president. power to subpoena documents, compel testimony, and grant immunity. Personnel- A diverse mix of experts, elected officials, law enforcement and military officials along with Muslim reformers and victims of radical Islam should be included. Mandate- The commission should expand on Trumps commitment to explain the core convictions of Islamists to expose their networks, and develop new protocols for law enforcement. practices; and assess how political correctness impedes an honest appraisal of radical Islam. Implementation- For the commissions work to be relevant, it must coordinate with federal agencies, About Middle East Forum: The Middle East Forum is dedicated to promoting American interests in the Middle East and protecting the West from Middle Eastern threats. It does so through intellectual, activist, and philanthropic efforts. Toronto hospitals busy entrance corridor fitted with Three Boon Edam revolving doors The Boon Edam revolving doors are the best solution, given our space and property limitations. They have cut our wind tunnel effect by 60-70%, the revolving doors are the biggest factor in that improvement. Tony Khouri, VP, Facilities/Capital Development Past News Releases RSS Boon Edam Inc., a global leader in security entrances and architectural revolving doors, today announced that Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto has achieved success in reducing wind tunnel issues within its high-volume, three entrance public corridor into the hospitals main entrance. Dor-Control Craftsmen, Ltd. installed the entrances and oversees on-going maintenance needs. Sinai Health System is comprised of Mount Sinai Hospital, Joseph & Wolf Lebovic Health Complex; Bridgepoint Active Healthcare; Circle of Care; the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, and is a full affiliate of the University of Toronto. Toronto is known for its cold and blustery winter months. Prior to February 2016, Mt. Sinai Hospital employees, patients, and visitors often had to endure freezing wind tunnel conditions within a street level entrance corridor linking University and Murray Streets. Wind conditions could be so severe that employees using a smaller, employee-designated swinging entrance at times could not manually open that door. On the hospitals main floor, explained Tony Khouri, Vice President, Facilities and Capital Development, there is a long corridor between University and Murray Streets. Formerly, we had double sliding doors at each entrance, and because of the high foot traffic we had lots of problems with blasts of cold air running up and down the corridor. The corridor not only connects the two streets to the main entrance of the hospital, it also has retail and other shops located along its length. The hospital engaged an expert about renovating the entrances, and the consultant recommended installing revolving doors to stop the infiltration of air. In a competitive bid process, Boon Edam revolving doors were selected. Throughput was an issue, Compared to other hospitals, we have a high number of users for these entrances, averaging 1000 per hour, said Khouri. Mt. Sinai installed a 16 diameter, dual-wing Duotour at Murray St., the larger of the two main entrances. This entrance is more accessible for patients arriving or leaving by car, and can accommodate wheel chairs and patients on stretchers. The smaller entrance, University St., is accessed up a flight of stairs and has been fitted with a 12 diameter, two-wing Duotour. Both entrances also maintain one set of push-button activated sliding doors alongside the revolving doors to conform with the Ontario Disabilities Act and for emergency egress. A third, 8 diameter, four-wing, BoonAssist TQ manual revolving door is installed at the employee entrance, thereby eliminating the stuck door problem when it was a manual swinging door. The Boon Edam Duotour is a high capacity, automatic revolving door. When an entry needs to channel the flow of visitors in high numbers at peak times, or those accompanied by carts, wheelchairs or hospital gurneys, the Duotour two-wing automatic revolving door is often the solution. Due to the relatively large size of its two compartments compared to 3- or 4-wing doors, the Duotour can channel a high capacity of traffic while having a fairly small footprint. We try to monitor the sliding door use as much as possible, but we still have some gusting issues, said Khouri. "The revolving doors are the best solution, given our space and property limitations, and these entrances have cut our wind tunnel effect by 60-70 percent. I believe that the revolving doors are the biggest factor in that improvement. The Boon Edam revolving doors are of good quality, theyre superior to regular doors, and they are helping us achieve our entrance and comfort goals. Dor-Control Craftsmen Dor-Control Craftsmens 50 years of world-class experience in the industry enabled us to partner with Boon Edam to create a solution uniquely tailored to the needs of Mount Sinai Hospital. Our knowledge and expertise allows us to appreciate each unique business challenge and to support our clients with the most efficient solutions for all types of entrances. Our commitment to Mount Sinai Hospital, and to healthcare facilities across the globe, ensures the continuous performance, safety and convenience of its entrances, commented Michael Manocchio, Sales Manager, Dor-Control Craftsmen Ltd. For Further Information, Please Contact: Tracie Thomas Marketing Manager T 910 814 8239 E tracie.thomas(at)boonedam(dot)com For Media Queries, Please Contact Bruce Doneff Public Relations T 843 476 3022 E doneff(at)verizon(dot)net About Royal Boon Edam With work environments becoming increasingly global and dynamic, the smart, safe entry has become the center of activity in and around many buildings. Royal Boon Edam is a global market leader in reliable entry solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, with 140 years of experience in engineering quality, we have gained extensive expertise in managing the transit of people through office buildings, airports, healthcare facilities, hotels and many other types of buildings. We are focused on providing an optimal, sustainable experience for our clients and their clients. By working together with you, our client, we help determine the exact requirements for the entry point in and around your building. You can find more news about Boon Edam on http://www.boonedam.us/news. A cylindrical pipeline used for treating large brain aneurysms is just as effective on smaller and sometimes harder to reach ones, according to the results of a clinical trial announced Wednesday. The studys findings were presented at the International Stroke Conference in Houston by Ricardo A. Hanel, MD, PhD, neurovascular surgeon with Baptist Health and Lyerly Neurosurgery and director of the Baptist Neurological Institute. Eric Sauvageau, MD, neurovascular surgeon and director of the Baptist Stroke & Cerebrovascular Center, was also a co-author and co-investigator on the study. This study shows the benefit of this breakthrough technology for smaller aneurysms. It demonstrates that the Pipeline Embolization Device is a safe and effective way of dealing with under 12 millimeter aneurysms, Dr. Hanel said. The good thing about the pipeline device is once the aneurysm is closed off and treated, the patient is cured, which is very empowering. The Pipeline is likely more durable and, in the hands of experienced operators like the ones in the study, has low complication rates, he added. A cerebral aneurysm (also known as an intracranial aneurysm) is a weak or thin spot on a blood vessel in the brain that balloons out and fills with blood. The Pipeline, a braided cylindrical mesh known as a flow diverter, is inserted through a microcatheter into an artery in the groin. The device is then threaded through the body to the brain to slow the flow of blood into the aneurysm and allow the diseased vessel to heal. The Pipeline is currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for adults with large aneurysms (which are greater than 12 mm). The results of the clinical trial could open up the procedure for use on patients with small- and medium-sized, wide-necked, unruptured aneurysms, which make up the majority of the cases. "This study confirms that flow diversion is a valid alternative to complement our existing techniques to fix brain aneurysms, Dr. Sauvageau said. PATIENTS GRATEFUL TO BE ALIVE Twenty-two sites in the United States and one in Canada participated in the PREMIER study and 141 patients, including 21 from Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville, which had the highest number enrolled. The study found that a high rate of aneurysms were completely healed at the one-year follow up, with no cases of recurrence. There were also no incidents of aneurysms rupturing one year after the procedure. These results will be submitted to the FDA for review. Dana Bean, of Fernandina Beach, was one of the first to participate in the study; Kristine Meyer, from Mandarin, was the last. Both had successful treatment and surgery at the Baptist Neurological Institute and the Stroke & Cerebrovascular Center at Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville and Lyerly Neurosurgery. Bean, now 54, had lived with a small, hard-to-reach brain aneurysm for six years. It was in the exact spot as the aneurysm that took her mothers life when Bean was just 6. Her mother collapsed on the playground, as Bean and her brothers played nearby. An ambulance came and she never saw her mother again. She used to wake up in the middle of the night worrying that her aneurysm would burst. In 2014, she became just the second person in the world to be part of the Pipeline clinical trial. At her two-year follow up this past fall, Bean described life without the aneurysm. Before I worried about dying or being a burden to other people, she said. I wanted to be here for graduations, weddings and new babies and the future. Now that Im cured, I know to seize every day. I live every day to the fullest and Im excited about the future. The 42-year-old Meyer worried that her brain aneurysm would burst while driving in her car, with her young children in the back seat. She had the Pipeline procedure in November 2015. Last October, she learned that her aneurysm was gone after shrinking over time. That was the best Thanksgiving gift I could have received. I dont have to live with that fear anymore of what could go wrong, Meyer said. More than a year earlier, she had been experiencing numbness in her arm, dizziness and headaches, which led to the discovery of her aneurysm. My equilibrium was off, which wasnt the norm for me. I felt like something was wrong, Meyer said. The aneurysm was in a difficult location behind her eye and nose, and Meyer said she didnt want to risk any complications from other more invasive brain surgeries. Using the Pipeline, Dr. Hanel was able to reach the aneurysm and redirect the blood flow away from the aneurysm. The commercial real estate broker was home the next day and was back to work in just two weeks. Dr. Hanel really took time explaining the procedure and answering questions with not only me, but my husband and mother. We never felt rushed, Meyer said. I was excited I had the opportunity to participate [in the study], otherwise I would have had to live with it and not know if and/or when it was going to rupture. For more information on Baptist Health and Lyerly Neurosurgery, go to lyerlyneuro.com. ### About Baptist Health Baptist Health is a faith-based, mission-driven system in Northeast Florida comprised of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville; Baptist Medical Center Beaches; Baptist Medical Center Nassau; Baptist Medical Center South; Baptist Clay Medical Campus and Wolfson Childrens Hospital the regions only childrens hospital. All Baptist Health hospitals, along with Baptist Home Health Care, have achieved Magnet status for excellence in patient care. Baptist Health is part of Coastal Community Health, a regional affiliation between Baptist Health, Flagler Hospital and Southeast Georgia Health System forming a highly integrated hospital network focused on significant initiatives designed to enhance the quality and value of care provided to our contiguous communities. Baptist Health has the areas only dedicated heart hospital; orthopedic institute; womens services; neurological institute, including comprehensive neurosurgical services, a comprehensive stroke center and three primary stroke centers; a Bariatric Center of Excellence; a full range of psychology and psychiatry services; urgent care services; and primary and specialty care physicians offices throughout Northeast Florida. Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center is a regional destination for multidisciplinary cancer care which is clinically integrated with MD Anderson Cancer Center, the internationally renowned cancer treatment and research institution in Houston. For more details, visit baptistjax.com. Stratford School students learn the fundamentals of coding, engineering and design as part of their regular curriculum. We know that balancing science, technology, engineering and mathematics with visual/performing arts and social sciences produces outstanding students who are able to succeed and thrive in a changing world. From a light switch in a small, rural village to the transportation systems in a sprawling city, engineers have a fingerprint on nearly all aspects of life. As we move further into the 21st Century, how do we prepare the next generation of engineers? Students and educators at Stratford School are celebrating engineers and the many contributions they make to society during DiscoverEs Engineers Week February 19 to 25. The schools 23 locations and nearly 6,000 students will celebrate by spending nearly 20,000 hours on engineering coursework and projects during the week. As engineering, science, healthcare and technology jobs increase significantly in the coming decades, its vital that we develop creative problem-solving, critical thinking and collaboration skills in our students, says Monisha Gupta, senior director of Curriculum and Instruction at Stratford. We know that balancing science, technology, engineering and mathematics with visual/performing arts and social sciences produces outstanding students who are able to succeed and thrive in a changing world. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Labor, 65 percent of todays grade school students will eventually hold jobs that have yet to be invented. Collaboration, critical thinking, communication and creativity skills will be essential skills for these new jobs. Stratfords proven STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) curriculum introduces critical thinking, real-life problem solving, and innovation to students beginning in preschool through eighth grade, says Gupta. This encourages our students to begin asking the right questions and identifying and analyzing possible solutions, in addition to building a base of fundamental knowledge in core subjects. Stratford teaches engineering in its STEAM curriculum throughout the entire year. Examples of student classroom projects include creating roadways and control systems that alleviate traffic jams, constructing blood vessels and heart lung models, designing artificial limbs and constructing cities of the future that use less energy and produce less waste. Activities are happening across Stratfords campuses in the Bay Area. Contact us for details and to set up times. Convenient locations include: Fremont - Kindergarten through 8th Grade 5301 Curtis Street Fremont, CA 94538 Pleasanton - Preschool through 5th Grade 4576 Willow Road Pleasanton, CA 94588 San Francisco - Preschool through 8th Grade 301 De Montfort Avenue San Francisco, CA 94112 Santa Clara - Preschool through 5th Grade 890 Pomeroy Avenue Santa Clara, CA 95051 Sunnyvale - Sunnyvale Raynor Middle School 1500 Partridge Ave Sunnyvale, CA 94087 This year, three Stratford teams won numerous awards in the 2017 Future City regional competition sponsored by DiscoverE. One of the three award-winning Stratford teams has been invited to present their Future City concept to leaders of the City of Oakland on March 17. Engineers Week runs February 19 to 25, 2017. Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, Engineers Week celebrates how engineers make a difference in the world by bringing it to life for kids, educators and parents. For more information about Engineers Week, please visit http://www.discovere.org. ### About Stratford School Established in 1999, Stratford School is a leading independent private school founded on the belief that education is a significant influence in the life of a child. Stratford offers an accelerated curriculum from preschool through eighth grade with an emphasis in the areas of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) that incorporates music, physical education, foreign language, and social skills development. Stratfords goal is to prepare and mentor students for admission to competitive high schools and colleges. All students are provided the necessary tools to excel, and are encouraged to participate actively in leadership, community service, and extracurricular activities. Visit http://www.stratfordschools.com for more information. Miami-Dade County single-family home sales, median prices and dollar volume increased year-over-year in January, according to a new report by the MIAMI Association of REALTORS (MIAMI) and the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) system. Led by a significant surge in traditional sales and transactions for properties listed from $200,000 to $600,000, Miami single-family home sales rose 4.4 percent last month. Median sale prices ($310,000) and dollar volume ($397 million) expanded 14.8 percent and 7.1 percent, respectively. Miami real estate opened 2017 with strong sales for single-family homes, said Christopher Zoller, the 2017 MIAMI chairman of the board. Now that the uncertainty of the election is over, home buyers are coming off the sidelines. There is high demand for homes priced from $200K to $600K. As reflected in our January statistics, we are also seeing Miami single-family home sales for properties from $600K to $1 million showing strong gains. More home buyers are taking advantage of current mortgage rates, which despite their increases are still at historic lows. According to Freddie Mac, the average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage is 4.15 percent. Single-Family Home Sales Rise Total existing Miami-Dade County residential sales which posted a record year in 2013 and near record years in 2014 and 2015 decreased 3.3 percent year-over-year from 1,790 to 1,731. Single-family home sales rose 4.4 percent year-over-year from 821 in January 2016 to 857 last month. The Miami single-family homes market is coming off a 2016 in which it posted the third-most annual sales in county history. Existing condo sales which are competing with a robust new construction market decreased 9.8 percent year-over-year, from 969 transactions to 874. Sales for mid-market Miami single-family homes, or properties listed from $200,000 to $600,000, increased 22.5 percent in January, from 476 to 583. Homes sold in the $200K to $600K range represent 33.7 percent of total Miami single-family home sales. Sales for Miami single-family homes listed from $600,000 to $1 million increased 62.3 percent in January, from 53 to 86. Miami single-family traditional sales also posted gains, jumping 19.3 percent from last year. This growth in traditional sales, from 612 to 730 transactions, is great news for the local market. Total sales volume for all properties accounted for $702.3 million last month, a 5.2 percent decrease from the $740.5 million sales volume a year ago. These sales do not include Miamis multi-billion dollar new construction condo market. Median Prices Rise for All Properties Miami-Dade County single-family home prices jumped 14.8 percent in January 2017, increasing from $270,000 to $310,000. Miami single-family home prices have now risen for 62 consecutive months, a streak spanning more than five years. Existing condos increased 8.4 percent, from $205,000 to $222,250. Condo prices have increased in 66 of the last 68 months. Despite the rise in prices, Miami real estate remains a major bargain. A condominium in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach cost $170,000 in 2016 Q3, according to the National Association of REALTORS (NAR). The average cost of a 120 square meter apartment in 2016 in the prime inner city areas of London ($4.1 million), Hong Kong ($3.1 million), and New York ($2.2 million) were at least ten times higher, according to Global Property Guide. Miami Distressed Sales Continue to Decline Total Miami distressed sales declined 44.7 percent year-over-year, from 398 to 220 last month. Only 12.7 percent of all closed residential sales in Miami were distressed last month, including REO (bank-owned properties) and short sales, compared to 22.2 percent in January 2016. In 2009, distressed sales comprised 70 percent of Miami sales. Short sales and REOs accounted for 2.9 and 9.8 percent, respectively, of total Miami sales in January 2017. Short sale transactions dropped 35.4 percent year-over-year while REOs fell 47.0 percent. Nationally, distressed sales accounted for 7 percent of all sales in January, down from 9 percent a year ago. Miami Real Estate Selling Fast and Close to List Price The median number of days between listing and contract dates for Miami single-family home sales was 61 days, a 27.1 percent increase from 48 days last year. The median number of days between the listing date and closing date for single-family properties decreased 1.7 percent to 113 days. For condos, the median time to contract increased 13.3 percent to 85 days. The median number of days between the listing date and closing date increased 4.8 percent to 131 days. The median percent of original list price received for single-family homes decreased 1.0 percent to 94.5 percent. The median percent of original list price received for existing condominiums decreased 0.5 percent to 93.4 percent. Lack of Condo Financing Continues to Impact Sales In addition to competing sales from new construction units, the lack of access to mortgage loans continues to impact existing condominiums. Of the 9,307 condominium buildings in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, only 12 are approved for Federal Housing Administration loans, down from 29 last year, according to statistics from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and FHA. National and State Statistics Nationally, total existing-home sales expanded 3.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.69 million in January from an upwardly revised 5.51 million in December 2016, according to NAR. January's sales pace is 3.8 percent higher than a year ago (5.48 million) and surpasses November 2016 (5.60 million) as the strongest since February 2007 (5.79 million). Statewide closed sales of existing single-family homes totaled 16,779 last month, up 5.2 percent from January 2016, according to Florida Realtors. Statewide condo closed sales totaled 7,209 last month, up 6.2 percent compared to January 2016. The national median existing-home price for all housing types in January was $228,900, up 7.1 percent from January 2016 ($213,700). January's price increase was the fastest since last January (8.1 percent) and marks the 59th consecutive month of year-over-year gains. The statewide median sales price for single-family existing homes last month was $220,000, up 10.1 percent from the previous year, according to Florida Realtors. The statewide median price for townhouse-condo properties in January was $161,000, up 6.6 percent over the year-ago figure. January marked the 62nd month in a row that statewide median prices for both sectors rose year-over-year. Miamis Cash Buyers Represent Nearly Double the National Figure Miami cash transactions comprised 43.4 percent of January total closed sales, compared to 52.7 percent last year. Miami cash transactions are more than double the national figure of 23 percent. Miamis high percentage of cash sales reflects South Floridas ability to attract a diverse number of international home buyers, who tend to purchase properties in all cash. Condominiums comprise a large portion of Miamis cash purchases as 59.5 percent of condo closings were made in cash in January compared to 27.1 percent of single-family home sales. Balanced Market for Single-Family Homes, Buyers Market for Condos Inventory of single-family homes increased 5.2 percent in January from 6,262 active listings last year to 6,590 last month. Condominium inventory increased 13.8 percent to 13,284 from 15,111 listings during the same period in 2016. Single-family homes have a 6.0-month supply, which indicates a balanced market. Existing condominiums have a 13.4-month supply, which indicates a buyers market. A balanced market between buyers and sellers offers between six and nine months supply of inventory. Total active listings at the end of January increased 11.0 percent year-over-year, from 19,546 to 21,701. Active listings remain about 60 percent below 2008 levels when sales bottomed. New listings of Miami single-family homes decreased 3.0 percent, from 1,816 to 1,871. New listings of condominiums decreased 3.8 percent, from 2,742 to 2,637. Nationally, total housing inventory at the end of January rose 2.4 percent to 1.69 million existing homes available for sale, but is still 7.1 percent lower than a year ago (1.82 million) and has fallen year-over-year for 20 straight months. New Construction Market Update Most Miami preconstruction condo developers require a 50-percent cash deposit on new units. The deposit is not only one of the highest in the United States but is significantly higher than the 20 percent required during the last real estate cycle. The large cash deposits show how committed Miamis preconstruction condo buyers are to the local market. Sixty-four condo towers with 6,760 units have been completed in Miami-Dade County east of I-95 in the last five years since the start of 2011, according to a Jan. 23 report from preconstruction condo projects website Cranespotters.com and MIAMI. To access January 2017 Miami-Dade Statistical Reports, visit http://www.SFMarketIntel.com Note: Statistics in this news release may vary depending on reporting dates. MIAMI reports exact statistics directly from its MLS system. About the MIAMI Association of REALTORS The MIAMI Association of REALTORS was chartered by the National Association of Realtors in 1920 and is celebrating 97 years of service to Realtors, the buying and selling public, and the communities in South Florida. Comprised of six organizations, the Residential Association, the Realtors Commercial Alliance, the Broward Council, the Jupiter Tequesta Hobe Sound (JTHS) Council, the Young Professionals Network (YPN) Council and the award-winning International Council, it represents nearly 45,000 real estate professionals in all aspects of real estate sales, marketing, and brokerage. It is the largest local Realtor association in the U.S., and has official partnerships with 160 international organizations worldwide. MIAMIs official website is http://www.miamire.com ### Jahana Hayes As a teacher, I strive to facilitate learning in a way that engages students by connecting on a personal level and stimulating academic growth, while simultaneously producing conscientious and productive members of society. Jahana Hayes The Daniel Trust Foundation, a leading youth development nonprofit organization, is pleased to announce that Jahana Hayes, 2016 National Teacher of The Year, will provide the keynote address at The 2017 Daniel Trust Awards, the Foundations annual awards dinner. Sponsored by Praxair, Inc., The Daniel Trust Awards will be hosted on Friday, June 2, 2017 at the Bridgeport Holiday Inn from 6PM-9PM. At the dinner, 12 high school seniors will be awarded the Foundations college scholarship and will have the opportunity to honor 12 teachers who have made a big difference in their lives. As the 2016 National Teacher of The Year, Jahana Hayes travels the nation and the world advocating and representing the 3.5 million teachers in the United States. Last year, President Barack Obama honored Jahana at a White House ceremony. Jahana has appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, CBS This Morning and Face The Nation. Jahana Hayes personal story and advocacy for young people and educators make her a great role model for our scholarship recipients and teacher honorees, said Daniel Trust, Founder and CEO of The Daniel Trust Foundation. We are honored to welcome her as our keynote speaker at this years Daniel Trust Awards. Jahanas students describe her enthusiasm for her work as infectious. Over the last decade, she has taught World History, Roots of American Citizenship, U.S. History, Civics & Geography, and African-American History. She earned a bachelors degree from Southern Connecticut State University, a masters from the University of St. Joseph and a certificate of advanced study from the University of Bridgeport. About The Daniel Trust Foundation The Daniel Trust Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization that invests in and supports students from low-income communities with their educational and career needs and honors teachers who are making a difference in the lives of their students and communities in which they teach. The foundation accomplishes its mission through 3-targeted programs towards the needs of the community. These programs are: (1) a mentoring program for high school juniors and seniors, (2) a college scholarship program for graduates of the mentoring program and (3) a teacher recognition program. To sponsor or register for the 2017 Daniel Trust Awards, please visit http://www.DanielTrustFoundation.org. Book by Melanie Mitchell: Complexity: A Guided Tour The sciences of complexity have forced us to reexamine long-held assumptions about the way the world works, in disciplines ranging from genetics to economics, from insect colonies to human social networks. Cyon Research announced today that Melanie Mitchell, an expert in complex systems, will give the Friday keynote at COFES 2017: The Congress On the Future of Engineering Software. COFES 2017 is being held in Scottsdale, Arizona, April 6-9 at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort. This year at COFES 2017, attendees will take a deep dive into Complexity and Transformation. The growth of complexity is presenting businesses with new and difficult challenges from the constantly changing business environment to conflicting requirements of more complex products that must be delivered more simply to the customer. New phenomena result from complexity, often requiring consideration of things that were not previously an issue. Rather than focus on how to design complex systems from scratch, COFES 2017 will challenge attendees to focus on interventions that can transform existing systems to mitigate the effects of complexity. In her keynote "An Introduction to Complexity" Mitchell will take participants on a tour of the sciences of complexity, a broad set of efforts that seek to explain how large-scale complex, organized, and adaptive behavior can emerge from simple interactions among a myriad of individual components. Based on her work at the Santa Fe Institute, Mitchell brings clarity to the workings of complexity across a broad range of biological, technological, and social phenomena. The sciences of complexity have forced us to reexamine long-held assumptions about the way the world works, in disciplines ranging from genetics to economics, from insect colonies to human social networks, Mitchell explains. "My talk will explore some of the important lessons we have learned from complex systems thinking. Your first encounter with the emerging science of complexity will alter your world view, said Michael Tardif, Managing Partner, Building Informatics. Melanie Mitchell and her peers are only the second generation of scientists to undertake the daunting task of understanding the world as it is, rather than trying to fit it into predefined theorems. One day, the history of science will be taught as B.C. (before complexity) and A.C. (after complexity). Dr. Mitchells COFES 2017 keynote is your chance to bear witness to and become a part of this seminal moment in the history of science. (Building Informatics empowers building owners to optimize the financial and operational performance of their real property assets throughout their lifecycle). Melanie Mitchell is an intellectual leader in the field of complex adaptive systems and one of the most effective communicators of complex systems ideas to scientists, engineers, and the public at large, said C. C. Wood, External Professor, Former Vice President Santa Fe Institute. Melanie is the prize-winning author of Complexity: A Guided Tour (Oxford, 2009) and a gifted teacher, having founded and led the Santa Fe Institutes Complexity Explorer series of online courses. Like it or not, increasing complexity in the systems we engineer, build, and sell is a fact of modern technological life, and COFES attendees will benefit significantly from Melanies perspectives. (The Santa Fe Institute is the world headquarters for complexity science, operated as an independent, not-for-profit research and education center located in Santa Fe, New Mexico). We live in a complex world, but our brains are wired for simplicity, said Brad Holtz, president and CEO of Cyon Research Corporation. When confronted with logarithmic growth, we are constantly surprised because our innate expectation that the world follows linear projections consistently leads us to the wrong conclusions. Similarly, the complexness and interconnectivity of our world continues to baffle us. Melanies talk will help us understand not just why, but also how to think. Which is what COFES is all about. About Mitchell Melanie Mitchell is Professor of Computer Science at Portland State University and External Professor and Member of the Science Board at the Santa Fe Institute. She attended Brown University, where she majored in mathematics and did research in astronomy. She also attended the University of Michigan, where she received a Ph.D. in computer science. Her dissertation, in collaboration with her advisor Douglas Hofstadter, was the development of Copycat, a computer program that makes analogies. She has held faculty or professional positions at the University of Michigan, the Santa Fe Institute, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the OGI School of Science and Engineering, and Portland State University. She is the author or editor of five books and over 80 scholarly papers in the fields of artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and complex systems. Her most recent book, Complexity: A Guided Tour, won the 2010 Phi Beta Kappa Science Book Award. About COFES Now in its 18th year, COFES is the annual, invitation-only event for the design and engineering software industry. Widely recognized as a think-tank event, COFES (cofes.com) gathers design and engineering software leaders (vendors, users, press, and analysts) together to discuss the role engineering technology will play in the future survival and success of business. COFES is renowned for hosting leading keynote visionaries that provide a new perspective to the future of the industry. The by-invitation-only COFES is a Cyon Research event. Apply for an invitation at apply.cofes.com. About Cyon Research Cyon Research Corporation is a think-tank providing key information, research, analysis, and consulting to its clients worldwide. COFES (The Congress on the Future of Engineering Software) and ASSESS (Analysis, Simulation, and Systems Engineering Software Strategies) are Cyon Research's primary events. cyonresearch.com. J. Randall Gladden, also known as Randy At each event I encourage attendees to dispel the myths circulating about the current economic condition Fans will have three new opportunities to connect with trusted advisor, author, and public speaker, J. Randall Gladden and upcoming events. Heres your chance to connect with Randy and learn how to fulfill Gods purpose by living to your fullest potential. Randy will be speaking at Parkland Chapel in Farmington, MO this weekend, February 25, 2017. He will be meeting with the church leaders on Saturday morning, and you are in the area Randy is speaking at both the 9:00 am and 10:30 am CT services. There will be time to connect with him both Saturday and Sunday after the services. Randy will then travel to Branson, MO on Sunday night, February 26 for a meeting with a group of ministry leaders on Monday morning. Your other opportunity to catch Randy live will be as the main speaker at The Church of God in Christ Conference in Fairbanks, AK on Friday night March 24, 2017 and again Saturday morning March 25. The most rewarding part of my work is when I get a chance to travel to different cities across the country and around the world to share how embracing positive attributes of the economy can help manifest Gods plan for their future, said J. Randall Gladden. At each event I encourage attendees to dispel the myths circulating about the current economic condition, continued Gladden. I want to equip them with skills and strategies to experience financial success so that they have the greatest opportunity for personal and financial growth. In addition to those dates listed above, Randy will be traveling quite a bit in the coming months. To connect with Randy or have him speak at your church or organization please visit http://www.lordgladden.com. ABOUT J. RANDALL GLADDEN J. Randall Gladden (Randy) engages, enlightens and challenges audiences across the world to live to their fullest potential by reminding them God created them for a purpose. Randys decades of experience as a wealth adviser have led him to an asset strategy blending moral values with economic realities; he calls this Legacy Wealth. He lives daily to fulfill his God-given mandate to encourage, equip and empower those in the Church to transform their world. Randy also serves as a university guest lecturer, syndicated media commentator and strategic advisor to businesses and ministries internationally. Additionally, he owns several businesses; one recently was named the small business of the year in the State of Washington. Randy has been married to his wife Elsie for 13 years and together they have two sons, Jack and Alex. When Randy is not traveling to work with clients abroad, the family resides in Southern California. Tom Perkins, European Director, Pennside Partners ... an integral part of our plans to expand our European presence Pharma and biotech consulting firm Pennside Partners, Ltd., announced the addition of Tom Perkins as European director. Operating from Pennsides Zurich headquarters, Pennside Partners, GmbH, Mr. Perkins brings 14 years of pharmaceutical consulting experience to Pennside. Perkins joins Pennside after more than a decade with leading market research firm, GfK. He began his pharma career first as an intern at V2 (acquired by GfK) during his studies at St. Josephs University (Philadelphia, PA, United States). He then quickly advanced through the organization to become a Division Manager of GfKs Swiss arm based in Basel, Switzerland, where he was the key account manager for one of GfKs top clients. Perkins brings vast expertise in respiratory conditions (COPD, PAH, Cystic Fibrosis) and previous experience in oncology and hematology. In his last 3 years with GfK, Perkins ran launch tracking for a major respiratory player. Previously, he was the project leader for the largest primary market research program ever conducted in Type 2 Diabetes wherein over 6,000 physicians and 10,000 patients from 26 countries provided insights on physician communication and marketing. Publications regarding this Diabetes project will be forthcoming in 2017. We are excited to have Tom join our team. He will be an integral part of our plans to expand our European presence while continuing to provide excellent service to our existing client base, said Tom Penrice, VP and Co-Founder of Pennside Partners. Our recent staff additions as well as the opening of our Manchester, UK area office in May of 2016 demonstrate our commitment to delivering the highest quality business development support, strategy, and competitive intelligence services to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries on a global scale. For more information you may contact Pennside Partners at 1-610-372-7000 or consult[at]pennside[dot]com. Pennsides Zurich office is located at Balsberg, Balz Zimmermann Strasse 7, CH-8058 Zurich-Flughafen, Switzerland and can be reached at +41 79 372 7070 or via the company website listed below. About Pennside Partners Pennside Partners, Ltd., is a leading business development consulting firm serving the global pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device sectors for more than 25 years, with offices in Wyomissing, PA, USA, Alderley Edge, UK, and Zurich, Switzerland. Their mission is to help pharma and biotech clients rapidly formulate winning strategies and tactics by providing the industrys most accurate business intelligence and actionable market insight through their worldwide team of industry professionals. Find them at http://www.pennside.com. Veteran Services at FPS Promoting positive paths to growth, well-being and long-term success for Veterans and their families. FPS is a nonprofit mental health agency that has served military veterans who suffer from combat-related PTSD. Established in 1977, our organization was at the forefront in working with veterans with PTSD-related symptoms. During the Vietnam-era, the challenges of military returning to civilian life were evident and served as the catalyst for the establishing the agency. Run by veteran's for veterans, the treatment model is different than that of a traditional mental health facility. The counselors have all served in conflicts ranging from Vietnam to Iraq. Upon returning to civilian life, each pursued an education in the mental health field. For more than a decade, our organization has been sustained by a grant from the state of New Jersey. This grant allows our counselors to see veterans at no charge, once they qualify for services. The program has been very successful and the number of veterans seen has multiplied many times over since its inception. In order to sustain and grow these services in 2017 and beyond, a key focus will be on grant seeking, fundraising and the pursuit of both individual and corporate donations. The name change will allow for more continuity and alignment within the veteran community, as a means to convey our goals and mission. Veteran Services at FPS is part of Family & Psychological Services, which offers mental health services to civilians in a behavioral health setting. Left To Right- Tiffany Barber, Chris Lester, Sarah Via, David Johnson, Chris Owens, Michael Huff, Jim Cowell, and John Eiler We see nothing but immense growth for Southern Trust Mortgage in 2017." said Jerry Flowers, STM CEO and President. Southern Trust Mortgage, a full-service mortgage lender, announced today the opening of a branch office in Mechanicsville, Virginia (NMLS #2921). Mechanicsville is the latest to join the company's eighteen branches along the East Coast, making it the seventh office in Virginia. The office will be led by Branch Manager, Chris Owens - NMLS# 211851. We see nothing but immense growth for Southern Trust Mortgage in 2017. Adding another branch will allow us to better serve the state of Virginia and assist home buyers with one of the most important decisions they will make in their life. We take pride in our diverse mortgage product offerings and one-of-a-kind customer service," said Jerry Flowers, STM CEO and President. Southern Trust Mortgage was founded in 1998 and is a DIRECT lender. As a direct lender, they control every step of the mortgage process, from pre-qualification to in-house underwriting, through funding. The Mechanicsville branch is located at 9207 Chamberlayne Rd, Mechanicsville, Virginia 23116. If you are in the market for a new home or would like to contact a loan officer, please visit http://www.southerntrust.com. Ken Witte - Starkey Mortgage, Tim Shipskie - CORE Homebuilders, Cassie Shipskie , Tamra Wade - Tamra Wade and Partners, Brian Milbrett - CORE Homebuilders, JoAnn MacHamer - Tamra Wade and Partners The Greater Atlanta community is very supportive of Starkey Mortgage and this is a way we can give back to those in our community who are in need," said Ken Witte, Atlanta Central branch manager at Starkey Mortgage. Starkey Mortgage, a nationally recognized residential mortgage company, presented a $1000 check through Starkey Mortgages Community Connection program to HomeAid Atlanta during the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Associations Installation and Awards Program. Starkeys Community Connection program provides a way for the company to contribute to charitable organizations in the communities it serves. All non-profit and not-for-profit groups that have a current 501(c)(3) status are eligible. These groups can be local, national or international and can include youth, school, education, health, environmental and animal programs. Our team is excited to support HomeAid Atlantas Closing Campaign program. We believe this will be the first of many donations to assist HomeAid in building new lives for Atlanta's homeless families and individuals, said Ken Witte, Atlanta Central branch manager at Starkey Mortgage. The Greater Atlanta community is very supportive of Starkey Mortgage and this is a way we can give back to those in our community who are in need. Core Homebuilders has also committed to match any donations the Starkey Mortgage Community Connection program makes to HomeAid Atlanta on a monthly basis. Mandy Crater, executive director of HomeAid Atlanta said, We are thankful for Starkey Mortgages and Core Homebuilders ongoing commitment to HomeAid Atlanta and our cause to help the estimated 7,500 people in Metro Atlanta experiencing homelessness on any given night, 40 percent who are women and children. About HomeAid Atlanta HomeAid Atlanta, founded in 2001, is a nonprofit organization that builds new lives for homeless families and individuals through housing and community outreach. HomeAid works in partnership with the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, as well as community building industry organizations, to assist people experiencing homelessness. To date, HomeAid Atlanta has completed over 76 housing, remodel and care day projects at locations that serve victims of domestic violence, teen mothers, and more. Learn more at http://www.homeaidatlanta.org. About CORE Homebuilders Based in Historic Buford GA, CORE Homebuilders is built on a commitment to operational excellence, predictable quality, and customer service unmatched in the industry. CORE began building homes in the Atlanta area in 2012. Years of experience with both local and national builders coupled with a passion to be better, led to creating a different kind of homebuilder. While new as a name brand, CORE boasts a unique blend of skills and knowledge that balance tried and true building techniques with new technology and products. Partnering with an award winning, nationally experienced architect and professional designer combined with a dedication to technology and quality control throughout the building process ensures a home that homeowners will be delighted to live in for years to come. http://www.corehomebuilders.com About WR Starkey Mortgage, LLP. Starkey Mortgage (WR Starkey Mortgage, LLP NMLSR# 2146), is a nationally recognized residential mortgage company intent on providing exceptional, individualized service and maintaining supportive, lasting relationships with borrowers, Realtors, and builders. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, Starkey Mortgage opened its doors in March 2000 and offers home purchase, refinance and renovation loans with offices throughout Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Texas. (http://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). Developing a reputation for quality and excellence in the mortgage industry, Starkey Mortgage has been recognized by National Professional Mortgage Magazine as a Top Mortgage Employer: 2016, Mortgage Executive Magazine as a Top 100 Mortgage Company: 2011-2016 and as a Top 50 Company to Work For in America: 2014 - 2015. http://www.starkeymortgage.com Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East Cookies What are cookies ? How do we use cookies? How to control cookies? Managing cookies in your browser see what cookies you have got and delete them on an individual basis block third party cookies block cookies from particular sites block all cookies from being set delete all cookies when you close your browser X A cookie is a small text file that a website saves on your computer or mobile device when you visit the site. 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News From Bulgaria Azerbaijan Confirmed Engagement to Deliver 1 bn cub. m of Gas Baku is interested in taking part in the extension of Bulgaria AUTHOR: publics.bg Bulgarian interim energy minister Nikolay Pavlov during his visit in Baku Bulgarian Ministry of Energy Azerbaijans energy minister Natig Aliyev has confirmed to the Bulgarian interim energy minister Nikolay Pavlov Bakus engagement to deliver 1 bn. cub. m of natural gas per year to Bulgaria. The announcement was made by the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy following a meeting on Wednesday between the two in the Azerbaijani capital. Aliev and Pavlov discussed the development of the bilateral relations in the energy sector, with Pavlov set to attend the third ministerial meeting on the Southern Gas Corridor on Thursday. The Bulgarian delegation also comprises the CEOs of the Bulgarian Energy Holdings and its gas subsidiaries Bulgargaz and Bulgartransgaz. Aliev however stressed that the requirement for the delivery of these quantities is the realization of the Greece- Bulgaria gas interconnector (IGB). Currently there is intense preparation work on the tender procedure for the construction of the IGB, so that the actual construction work could kick off in 2018, minister Pavlov said. He said that the project is financially secured . It has so far received EUR 45 m of gratuitous funding under the European Energy Programme for Recovery and a EUR 110 m state guarantee, the latter poised to secure a credit line from the EBRD and the EIB. The Bulgarian energy ministry said that there are also efforts to get additional grants from the European structural and investment funds. Minister Pavlov said that Azerbaijani companies AGSC and SOCAR have assisted for accomplishment of the contract for gas delivery from Shah Deniz II gas field. The contract was concluded between AGSC and Bulgargaz. The [Bulgarian] Ministry of Energy, Bulgargaz, and the Bulgarian Energy Holding, as a stakeholder in the IGB, we showed sufficient guarantees and we managed to persuade our partners from AGSC that the Bulgarian state is firmly involved in the construction of the IGB in due time, minister Pavlov said. He added that he could see a partnership between the two countries in terms of the Balkan gas hub project, adding that Bulgaria developed the concept of the gas hub with the European Commission and that the project was among the European projects of common interest. Pavlov said that this would allow for the transport of Azerbaijani natural gas via the Bulgarian gas infrastructure. He also invited experienced Azeri companies to take part in the tender for 3D seismic research on the extension of Bulgarias sole underground gas storage at Chiren. Azerbaijans gas sources are real, as are the possibilities to increase production. I think that we could be interested in the planned gas projects in Bulgaria. We are ready to take part. We count, most of all, to take part in the project for the gas storage, Natig Aliyev said, adding that Baku believed the IGB project would be finished on time. He called Bulgaria a leader in the Southern Gas Corridor today, adding that the Balkan gas hub was an interesting project and that Azerbaijan expects that its gas could access other European countries, such as Romania, via Bulgaria. The two ministers supported the idea of a future Bulgaria-Azerbaijan meeting to broaden their energy cooperation. Malin Persson Giolitos English language debut, Quicksand, is the story of an 18-year-old girl accused in a horrific school shooting. Despite President Donald Trumps comments at his Feb. 18th rally in Florida, there have been no terrorist attacks in Sweden, and no school shootings to date, even though the country boasts a sizeable per capita immigrant population. But while life for the most part in this Scandinavian country is peaceful, Sweden, like its Nordic neighbors, is a hotbed of crime. . . writing, that is. With a population of well under ten million, the country has a disproportionate number of authors writing in that genre (theres also a disproportionate number of billionaires but thats another story). The success of the Millennium Trilogy author Stieg Larsson is credited with starting it all in 2005 with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. But this March, with the publication by Other Press of English language debut novel Quicksand by Malin Persson Giolito, a new talent arrives. Quicksand, about a school shooting in Stockholms wealthiest suburb, was voted Best Swedish Crime Novel of 2016 and has topped Swedens sales charts and critic lists. Quicksand recounts the trial of the accused school shooter, Maja Norberg. And Persson Giolito has the pedigree: shes the oldest daughter of Swedish crime writer G.W. Persson, and in her career as a lawyer at a large corporate firm, she learned her way around a courtroom. At her lunch at the Swedish Embassy in New York hosted by the Swedish Consul General, Persson Giolito was enthusiastic when she said, I love the law and I love the courtroom. She also generously praises her collaboration with translator Rachel Willson-Broyles. Not only did Willson-Broyles translate the book from Swedish to English but Persson Giolito credits her with ably capturing the voice of Maja, a just-turned 18-year-old charged with the shootings that killed her boyfriend, her best friend, her teacher and other students. When I read the first draft, it was so moving, says Persson Giolito in the interview at the office of her publisher following the embassy lunch. It was my novel but in translation, I saw it with completely different eyes, as if I were reading it for the first time. Her awe quickly morphed into incredulity. Oh my God, this is good, was her initial reaction. She laughs, remembering thinking, Am I this good? The former lawyer turned full-time writer who lives in Brussels with her husband and three daughters manages to turn a book set during a courtroom trial into a surprising page-turner. The book has sold more than 90,000 copies in Swedenthe most of any of her four previous booksand her readers, she says, range in age from 16 to 98. The 408-page novel opens on the first day of the trial with chapters alternating courtroom scenes with the compelling back-stories of the rich entitled students and the events that conspired to make them the victims of a mass-murder. Persson Giolito consciously mixes in a heavy dose of contemporary social issues. The book addresses class and immigration, race and racism, criminal justice and conviction by media, wealth and leisure, love and obsession. And thats not all: the story examines loyalty and codependence, innocence and guilt, and, for all the helicopter moms and dads in the audience-what is owed by a parent to a child. I want to tell stories in a context, says Persson Giolito. The books trial, led by defense attorney Peder Sander, is an accurate portrayal of the proceedings within the Swedish justice system. In previous novels, Persson Giolitos used a female lawyer schooled in criminal justice as her protagonist. For this book, used a teenage narrator. She also wrote in first person for the first time. And, she broke rules beyond her own dicta: A school shooter is almost always a white male, not necessarily from a marginalized environment, she says. Maja is a 100% honest narrator. She wants to tell the truth, Persson Giolito says. Maja gives voice to the helplessness we feel right now, whether its Syria, ISIS, or the repairman who doesnt show up for the job. Readers can relate to the helplessness Maja feels. Its like quicksand, Persson Giolito says, evoking the title. You cant move without going deeper into the situation. Persson Giolito had other reasons for changing her narrator to a disaffected young person; Maja resembles a favorite character from the authors own teenage years: Holden Caulfield. I read Catcher in the Rye 30 times. I related to him as a deeply depressed funny teenager. He formed the teen me, she says. Like her protagonist and Holden Caulfield, Persson Giolito went to an upscale prep school. Literature was her first love, but she took an introductory law course, which she loved. At the same time I hated literature studies: the snobbery of it and the absolute meaningless of it. Her father, a criminologist, confirmed her change in career direction. He told me that nobody can live by reading alone, she remembers. Persson Giolito had a stunning start to her law career, recruited following graduation by the largest Nordic law firm. I was the golden child of the firm until I had my first child, she says. By the time she was pregnant with her third child, she was fired, shortly before Christmas. It was a shock, she says, but by New Years, she was contemplating her annual and often repetitive resolutions: lose ten pounds, exercise more, write a novel. She figured if not now, when, and knocked out her first book in less than nine months. She delivered the manuscript the day her daughter was born. The writing had gone fast, perhaps because she wrote what she knew: a novel about a female lawyer who is fired while pregnant. It got a lot of press, and everybody knew which law firm it was. They had to hire crisis management for six months. Of this initial success, she says: Who wants to be an angry bitch? But I was good at being revengeful. Now she spends her days at home writing full time from 9am to 4pm. She only stops to meet her children at the bus stop and to walk the dog. The day of this interview, following her U.S. book tour, she was headed back to Brussels to begin a fifth book. Shes already decided that the protagonist will be a character she knows well: Peder Sanders from Quicksand. And, like her other novels, it will be set in present time. Shes not quite sure what the plot will be but she says she doesnt rule out the topic of terrorism. After all, its been in the news a lot lately. Or, at least the fake news. Literati, a new subscription service for childrens books based in Austin, Tex., which debuted last November, has just begun fulfilling orders. The online service, unveiled at the Texas Book Festival, charges a recurring $9.95 membership fee for five curated titles a month. Jessica Ewing, Literati's CEO, said the company promises parents "developmentally age-appropriate books" for children from newborns to age eight. Customers, who receive five titles per delivery, can keep the books for a week and then either purchase them or return them. Discounts are offered on an escalating scale: 10% off the purchase of one book, 15% off two books, 20% off three books, 25% off four books and 30% off five books. We are operating like Trunk Club and similar try-before-you-buy services, said Ewing, a former Google executive who moved to Austin to become a writer. Each monthly shipment is organized around a themeJanuary was, for example, science and innovation"and each box includes a unique piece of childrens illustration done specifically for the club. According to Ewing, the company carries a mix of backlist and new titles with special attention paid to books that are "lesser known classics... books that we think may be overlooked, but are really diamonds in the rough. Recent examples include When Pigasso Met Mootisse by Nina Laden (Chronicle), Illuminature by Rachel Williams, illustrated by Carnovsky (Wide Eyed Editions), and Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis, illustrated by Gilbert Ford (HMH). The company also has an eye on giving back. The company is testing whether it can set up a system through which the children who use its service can donate their unwanted books. Ewing is also looking into the possibility of getting books to foster children who don't have a personal library. "There are a lot of ways that we can impact the world through what we do, Ewing said. For now, though, Ewing admitted that the priority is making her business work. Part of the appeal of our subscription model is that it takes the frustration out of shopping for books," she said, as well as "the uncertainty of not knowing whether or not a book will be age-appropriate." She added that she thinks the service will especially appeal to parents who "don't want their children catered to by an algorithm on Amazon." PEN America has announced the winners of the majority of its 2017 Literary Awards, which include novelist, essayist, and critic Aleksandar Hemon for his oral history of Bosnian migrants, How Did You Get Here?: Tales of Displacement, and novelist Helen Oyeyemi for her debut story collection, What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours. "As global and national political discourse turn toward exclusion, PEN America continues to uphold the humanities' place in fostering coherent dialogue," PEN America president Andrew Solomon said in a statement. "Many of this year's honored books explore the social themes that are at the surface of our nation's consciousness. The PEN America Literary Awards grant us a critical opportunity to recognize the literary excellence of these works and to celebrate the varied experiences of their creators." Winners of the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award, the PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature, the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction, and the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay will be announced live at the 2017 PEN America Literary Awards Ceremony. The ceremony, to be hosted by comedian Aasif Mandvi, will be held on March 27 at The New School's John L. Tishman Auditorium in Manhattan. The 2017 awards will confer 23 distinct awards, fellowships, grants, and prizes, totaling to nearly $315,000. PEN America established its Literary Awards program in 1963. Right thinking leads to right action, Buddhism teaches. And while Buddhism is best known in the West as a path to inner change, and it has no social justice teachings per se, a number of books show how Buddhist principles can prompt activism on issues such as racism, poverty, and xenophobia. The spike in titles related to social issues arrives amid a steady demand for books on Buddhism, but the audience may be shifting, according to Monkfish publisher Paul Cohen. We believe Buddhism has an even greater appeal to millennials than previous generations due to its simpatico nature with sciencesomething many other religions are still struggling with, he said. Daniel Aitken, publisher of Buddhist-specialty press Wisdom Publications, also sees a solid audience for Buddhist ideas, especially in todays political and cultural climate. Any type of major change brings with it a sense of uncertainty and readers will naturally look to the wisdom found in these kinds of books, he says. Buddhist ideas of interdependence and impermanence, in particular, can offer not only comfort during these times, but also methods for skillfully approaching difficult situations. Rather than offering specific steps or programs, five booksthree new and two in new editionsfocus on how transforming hearts and minds can lead to social change. That begins with seeing others not as the other, but as our collective selves, authors argue. Interconnected: Embracing Life in Our Global Society By Ogyen Trinley Dorje (Wisdom, Feb.) Tibetan Buddhist monk Dorje builds a case that all humans, in spite of differences, are related and reliant on each other. He writes, Along with the Internet, we should develop an Innernet... by cultivating a universal sense of connectedness. He adds, Minority communities in every society are subjected to prejudice and abuse at the hands of other communities. By actively cultivating positive feelings toward all others universally, we can find the resolve to seek out ways to end such suffering. Friendship as Freedom: Mindful Practices for Resisting Oppression and Building Community By Kate Johnson (Parallax Press, Oct.) Johnson, who teaches yoga and meditation in NYC public schools, draws on Buddhist teachings and on her experience as a biracial child growing up in Chicago to encourage readers to form relationships that bridge differences in faith, race, gender, sexual orientation, and physical ability. Friendships might contribute to political shifts that lean towards justice, she writes. If we are to build stronger social justice movements we are going to have to learn to trust each other. This will only happen one relationship at a time. Grassroots Zen: Community and Practice in the Twenty-First Century Perle Besserman and Manfred Steger (Monkfish, Apr.) Although Zen Buddhism has an esoteric image, cofounders of the Princeton Area Zen Group Besserman and Steger show how the meditation cushion can be a launching pad for activism. They write, "Grassroots Zen is not an isolated metaphysical practice cut off from the world; it integrates meditation and daily life in the busy marketplace beyond the monastery. The unity of being experienced in Zen meditation must be expressed in the world as openness, nonviolence, compassion, friendship, and democracy." Monkfish publisher Cohen says Grassroots Zena substantially revised, expanded, and updated edition of the 2001 edition from Tuttleemphasizes gender equality and envisions a socially engaged Buddhism where zazen [meditation practice] is integrated each day with work, family, and social obligations. Cohen decided to publish a new edition because we're seeing a whole new generation of spiritual seekers who are more worldly and sophisticated than the seekers of the 60s and 70s, and they are looking for more integrated spiritual approaches. Why the Dalai Lama is a Socialist: Buddhism, Socialism and the Compassionate Society By Terry Gibbs (Zed Books, dist. by U. of Chicago Press, Mar.) Canadian social scientist Gibbs connects Buddhism to social justice by comparing it to socialist traditions. Gibbs writes that both Buddhism and socialism help human beings become aware of our delusions, including the belief we are separate from each other. Our interdependence, or interbeing, means that our wealth creation and our consumption habits have global dimensions for human beings, other animals and nature, Gibbs writes. Both Buddhism and socialism recognize this interdependence andsuggest that rather than living on auto pilot, we could more intentionally work to create the future we want. In this, it becomes clear that what we do in the realm of our day-to-day lives as parents, teachers, plumbers or musicians is incredibly important. March will see the release of Lies We Believe About Godthe first work of nonfiction by bestselling author of The Shack William Paul Young, as well as a collection of writings by James Martin, the Jesuit priest well-known for serving as the official chaplain of the Colbert Nation on Comedy Centrals The Colbert Report. Nonfiction March 1 This Is Our Time by Trevin Wax (B&H, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-4336-4847-2) Washington Post and Christianity Today contributor Wax aims to help readers see through myths of society and the truth of the gospel by examining common beliefs and practices, such as cell phone use. Reimagining Exodus by David Zaslow (Paraclete, $17.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-61261-780-0) explores the Exodus as a link between Judaism and Christianity, and looks at how the story of freedom can offer hope in the face of modern-day struggles. The Reckless Way of Love by Dorothy Day (Plough, $8 paper, ISBN 978-0-87486-792-3) collects lessons from Catholic convert and social activist Day on how to seek Jesus and follow his example and teachings. March 3 Getting Past Perfect by Kate Wicker (Ave Maria, $ 14.95 paper, ISBN 978-1-5947-1716-1). Journalist and the creator of CatholicMom.com Wicker offers a portrait of Catholic womanhood to help mothers overcome unrealistic expectations. March 7 Lies We Believe About God by Wm. Paul Young (Atria, $, ISBN 978-1-5011-0139-7). Young presents personal anecdotes and stories about the compassion readers felt after reading The Shack in order to demonstrate a new way to address issues such as sin, religion, hell, politics, identity, creation, human rights, and Gods love. Misfit Faith by Jason J. Stellman (Convergent, $24, 978-0-8041-4062-1). Former Protestant pastor Stellman explores what it means to be a mixed-up Catholic in the 21st century through theological insights and personal experiences. Long Days of Small Things by Catherine McNiel (NavPress, $14.99 paper, 978-1-63146-643-4) features spiritual practices that can be done in the sacred mundane or every mothering moment. Boundless Heart: The Buddhas Path of Kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity by Christina Feldman (Shambhala, $16.95 paper, ISBN 978-1-61180-373-0). Feldman, a teacher with the Insight Meditation Society, walks readers through a course in the Buddhist practice of the brahma viharas, or heavenly abodes. Only Love Today by Rachel Macy Stafford (Zondervan, $22.99; ISBN 978-0-310-34674-6) is a devotional from the author of Hands Free Mama that centers on the four seasons and encourages readers to let go of distractions. March 8 Sefer ha-Bahir by Geoffrey W. Dennis (Llewellyn, $29, 978-0-7387-4921-1) is a collection of 51 teachings from Sefer ha-Bahir, an anonymous mystical work attributed to a 1st-century rabbinic sage. March 14 The Dawn of Christianity by Robert J. Hutchinson (Thomas Nelson, $24.99, ISBN 978-0-7180-7942-0) features known accounts of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus in narrative form. March 15 Daniel Rudd by Gary B. Agee (Liturgical Press, $14.95, ISBN 978-0-8146-4525-3). Agee, teacher at the School of Theology and Christian Ministry at Anderson University, looks at the life and work of Rudd, an African-American journalist and activist who was born into slavery but was inspired to fight for liberty and justice through his Catholic faith. March 16 James Martin: Essential Writings by James Martin (Orbis, $22, ISBN 978-1-62698-213-0) collects writings by Catholic priest and spiritual writer Martin from sources including books and essays on prayer, depression, sexuality, and more. March 20 A Call From Heaven by Josie Varga (New Page Books, $15.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-63265-081-8) examines anecdotes and research on deathbed spiritual phenomena, making a case that we do not die alone and that we all will be guided to the other side. March 21 The First Love Story by Bruce Feiler (Penguin Press, $28, ISBN 978-1-59420-681-8) columnist for the New York Times Feiler visits four continents while tracing the story of Adam and Eve and argues that theirs was a model for a healthy, long-term, and resilient relationship. March 24 Wendell Berry and the Given Life by Ragan Sutterfield (Franciscan Media, $22.99; ISBN 978-1-63253-122-3). Naturalist Sutterfield explores Christian teachings of humility and creation through Wendell Berrys vision of creaturely life or of humans who rely on the earth. March 27 Origins of the Sphinx by Robert M. Schoch, Robert Bauval (Inner Traditions/Bear & Company, $24.95 paper, 978-1-62055-525-5). Egyptologists Schoch and Bauval examine the evidence (seismic studies, archeoastrological alignments, and more) and argue that the Great Sphinx of Giza is thousands of years older than believed, indicating the existence of an early civilization before the end of the last ice age. March 28 The Face of Water by Sarah Ruden (Pantheon, $26.95, ISBN 978-0-307-90856-8). Scholar and translator of classical literature Ruden reassesses the language and translation of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, to reveal poetry, drama, and humor. Fiction March 1 The Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan (B&H, $14.99, 978-1-4336-4993-6) is the latest edition of the allegory to Christian life originally published in 1678. It features questions at the end of each chapter. March 21 A Lady in Disguise by Sandra Byrd (Howard, $15.99, 978-1-4767-1793-7). Gillian Young makes a new start as a costume designer at a renowned theater following the mysterious death of her father. Grace and the Preacher by Kim Vogel Sawyer (WaterBrook, $14.99, 978-1-60142-902-5). A man desperate for a second chance finds romance through a false identity. March 27 A Trail of Crumbs by Susie Finkbeiner (Kregel, $14.99, 978-0-8254-4446-3) follows Pearl and her family who are forced out of their Oklahoma home and into an uncertain future. Amid reports of declining church attendance in the U.S. today, religion publishers are addressing a major factor that drives congregants awaynegative experiences with clergy members or other parishioners. In 2015, the Pew Research Center surveyed over 35,000 American adults and reported a decline in the number of people who say they regularly go to religious services. Pew followed up in 2016 with a study on how Americans choose a new church and why, finding that 11% of adults have left a congregation due to a disagreement with clerics or fellow churchgoers. On the heels of those findings, new books suggest a need for resources on how to cope with disagreements between congregants and their churches, as well as more serious problems such as mistreatment and rejection occurring within houses of worship. Each title includes examples of painful experiences and different ways to find healing in the church again. Hurting in the Church: A Way Forward for Wounded Catholics By Fr. Thomas Berg (Our Sunday Visitor, Feb.) Father Berg, professor of moral theology at St. Josephs Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y., addresses the issue of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, drawing on his painful experience and sharing the stories of others. He makes a case that not only is healing possible, but that wounds can help build stronger Christians and better disciples. Healing Spiritual Wounds: Reconnecting with a Loving God After Experiencing a Hurtful Church By Carol Howard Merritt (HarperOne, Feb.) Presbyterian pastor Merritt presents a plan to help those who have suffered from sexism, homophobia, or manipulative religious politics in their churches. She writes that the first step toward healing is to separate God from the wounds inflicted in his name and find a way to hold on to the sweetness and wholeness and healing the spiritual life can bring. Wounded in the Church: Hope Beyond the Pain By Chris Hayward and Ray Beeson (Whitaker House, Mar.) Veteran ministry leaders Hayward and Beeson collect accounts of Christians who have been rejected, abused, or frightened by members of their church or church leaders. The book offers examples and tips for how to help people learn to grieve abuse, leave unhealthy attitudes and patterns, and regain trust in the church. Debut Italian Thriller Attracts European Pubs Longing for Blood by Dario Correnti, which sold to Italian publisher Giunti Editore after a four-way auction, has now made its way to other houses in Europe. The thriller, slated to be published in Italy in early 2018, has also sold to Penguin Verlag (Germany) and Grijalbo (Spain), with all rights being controlled by Italian based Piergiorgio Nicolazzini Literary Agency (PNLA). In the novel, a Northern Italy town is rocked when it becomes the site of a series of gruesome murders. The two journalists investigating the crimes think the killer is copying the first known Italian serial killer. Bestselling Vatican Expose Makes Rounds Francesca Chaouqui's In the Name of Pietro, which was published on February 7 by Sperling & Kupfer (Italy), has been sold in Albania, Slovenia and Serbia. The book, which is now a bestseller in Italy, is being handled by Vicki Satlow, who controls all rights. Chaouqui was part of Pope Francis commission to clean up the Vaticans financial affairs, and found she was the only one on the committee who actually wanted reform. She was later accused of leaking documents. The book is a first person account of her time in the Vatican. South African Novel Continues to Rack Up Sales Evening Primrose by Kopano Matlwa, the new title for Period Pain (which we initially reported on last month), has recently sold to btb Verlag (Germany) and Catedral (for Spanish and Catalan rights). The book, which is handled for foreign rights by Pontas Literary & Film Agency, is about a young woman who fulfills her childhood dream to become a doctor, only to find that the reality of her job, working at a state-run hospital in South Africa, does not match what she envisioned. The book was originally published in South Africa by Jacana Media. American YA Novel Hits Foreign Rights Milestone See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng, which publishes this month in the U.S. and Germany, has now been sold in over 20 territories. We originally reported on it in 2015, and Jessica Craig at Barcelona-based Craig Literary controls all foreign rights. In the book, 11-year-old Alex comes to idolize the famous Carl Sagan after his father dies. Italian Novel Moves to Greece & Spain The new novel by Antonella Lattanzi, A Dark Story, has sold to Psichogios in Greece and Roja y Negra/Penguin Random House in Spain. Mondadori is publishing the book in Italy next month. Italys Maletesta Agency controls all rights to the novel, and said there is also film interest in the project. The title revolves around the disappearance of a man with a secret family who abused his wife; it explores who might be responsible for his vanishing. MOLINE Despite a slumping farm economy, John Deere shareholders got good news Wednesday at their annual meeting. That includes a strong stock price and commitment from the company to remain based in Moline. Following chairman/CEO Sam Allen's prepared remarks in the auditorium of Deere's world headquarters, the first stockholder question asked if the 180-year-old ag-equipment giant may abandon its longtime home for Chicago as Boeing and ADM have done, and competitor Caterpillar plans to do. "At John Deere, we feel very strongly that this is our home; we want to stay here," said Mr. Allen, who's been with the company 41 of his 63 years. "We want to work with the community to make it a better community, to continue to attract talent." "The other thing it does here, we can go three or four miles out of town and connect with our customers," he said. "We think there's a lot of inherent advantages. As long as I'm around, there's absolutely no chance we will move away from here." Archer Daniels Midland, formerly based in Decatur, Ill., moved its HQ to Chicago in 2014, and Peoria-based Cat announced Jan. 31 it would move its main offices to the city. Deere headquartered in Moline since 1848 has 8,700 employees in the Quad-Cities, and 56,767 worldwide. That is down from 67,044 three years ago, when Deere saw record sales of $37.8 billion and net income of $3.54 billion. Since the U.S. farm economy has slowed, starting in 2014, the maker of farm, construction, forestry, and turf equipment, parts and power systems has had sales plunge by $10 billion and profit by half. Deere closed the fiscal year ending Oct. 30, 2016 with sales of $26.6 billion and profits of $1.5 billion. But Mr. Allen noted the company is weathering the downturn much better than the farm crisis of the 1980s, with a broader product portfolio, more advanced technology to serve needs, and investments in the future. "John Deere is widely known for signature products like large tractors and combines," the CEO said. "Last year, however, sales of large farm machinery made up not three-fourths of our sales, or even half but right around one-third. And remember, we still had one of our 10 best years." Deere's businesses apart from large ag equipment (like parts, financial services, forestry and turf) "don't necessarily move in lockstep with the broader cycles for farm and construction machinery," Mr. Allen said. Looking ahead, the "worst may be over for our key markets," he said, but 2017 "looks like another difficult year," with profits in line with last year, he said. Last week, Deere reported that first-quarter sales were up 2 percent compared to the previous year, and forecast worldwide sales of agriculture and turf equipment increasing 3 percent for fiscal year 2017. Ag-equipment sales in the U.S. and Canada are expected to be down 5 to 10 percent, with weakness in the livestock sector and low crop prices affecting both large and small equipment, the company said. Deere's ability to operate profitably across business cycles also reflects "the steady advances we've made managing assets in a disciplined way and keeping a tight rein on costs," Mr. Allen said Wednesday. That includes reducing administrative expenses (things like travel and advertising) and holding steady on research and development spending, he noted. "The investment community has taken note of our success establishing a wider range of revenue sources and a more durable business model," Mr. Allen said, citing Deere stock surging to record highs in recent months. Year-end stock price rose from $78 per share in 2015 to $88.30 in 2016, and Wednesday morning, Deere's stock opened at $109.53. That reflects investors' "long-term view" of the company's health, spokesman Ken Golden said following the meeting. "We have to feed more people and build more roads," he said, noting Deere's niche in serving global demand for grain and estimated population growth of 2.3 billion more people worldwide by 2050. Agricultural output "will have to double over the first half of the century to keep pace with demand," Mr. Allen said. "And it will need to happen with no more land and even less labor and water." Deere continues to focus on quality and innovation, with stronger commitment to after-market products and services, and advanced technology like precision farming, he said. Deere also emphasizes its commitment to being a good corporate citizen as last year it made charitable contributions of $31 million worldwide, and U.S. employees alone gave more than 160,000 hours of volunteer time, Mr. Allen said. The current chairman lauded late CEO Hans Becherer (who died in October) for embodying that commitment with "a sense of purpose that goes deeper than the bottom line." Mr. Allen praised both Mr. Becherer (who served from 1962 to 2000) and the late CEO Robert Hanson (who died in May, and served Deere from 1950 to 1990) in a tribute before his formal remarks. That tribute is part of the 2016 annual report, which can be found at deere.com. Injuries that took a man to the hospital in Kewanee and then to OSF Saint Francis in Peoria resulted in a finding of probable cause for a felony battery charge in Henry County Circuit Court on Tuesday. Stanley E. Scott, 44, was charged Feb. 10 with Class 3 felony aggravated battery following an incident the night before at The End Zone bar in Kewanee, in which he allegedly struck a man during an argument about his pool handicap. Kewanee Police Officer Andrew Kingdon testified he spoke with the injured man after he got out of the hospital Feb. 19 and learned he had broken bones in his neck and other injuries. Witnesses said he hit head on the pool table as he fell, according to the officer. Judge Ted Kutsunis found probable cause to believe a felony was committed and also denied a motion to reduce bond from $25,000 to $15,000. He cited Mr. Scott's two prior domestic battery charges, his felony probation on a separate charge, his being in a bar in violation of that probation and the nature of the injuries. Any time you have broken vertebrae in the neck, this court considers it to be a very, very serious situation, he said. A March 21 pretrial hearing was set. A Davenport man was sentenced to 63 months, or over 5 years, in prison last week in connection with three Davenport bank robberies in 2015. Terrance L. Hicks, 41, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa to attempted bank robbery and bank robbery, according to court documents. In exchange for his plea, prosecutors dismissed one count of attempted bank larceny and one count of attempted bank robbery. Following his prison term Mr. Hicks will serve three years of supervised release. He is ordered to pay $200 for special assessments. According to an affidavit filed against Mr. Hicks: On Oct. 24 at about 10:06 a.m., a man dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt entered Northwest Bank & Trust at 1454 West Locust St. He approached a teller and handed a note demanding "10 grand" and "no dye bags or security buttons." The teller yelled for another teller and Mr. Hicks said "nevermind" and left the bank. The bank teller and Mr. Hicks' probation officer later identified the man as Mr. Hicks. The same day around 12:53 p.m. a man in a black sweatshirt entered Wells Fargo Bank at 1618 Main St. He approached a teller and handed the teller a note demanding "3 grand" and "no dye bags or buttons." The teller relinquished $3,000 in 50- and 100-dollar bills. The man then left the bank on foot. The bank teller later identified the man as Mr. Hicks. On Nov. 10 at about 4:22 p.m. a man wearing a black sweatshirt, a dark ball cap, sunglasses a black backpack and gloves entered the same Wells Fargo Bank. An off-duty police officer in uniform was at the bank. When the man saw the police officer, he walked away. The police officer recognized Mr. Hicks from two bank robberies in 2003. The officer followed Mr. Hicks and arrested him. At the time Mr. Hicks had a warrant for his arrest for probation violation. The officer found on Mr. Hicks' person a note that said, "5 grand now no dye bags or security buttons." DAVENPORT Out of concern for finding unbiased jurors, a Scott County judge is considering moving the Stanley Liggins murder trial from Davenport to somewhere else in Iowa. Mr. Liggins, who is to be tried a third time in the murder of Jennifer Lewis, is in court this week as both his attorneys and prosecutors file motions in advance of the trial set for May 22. On the night of September 17, 1990, Jennifer's burning body was found on the outskirts of the playground of Jefferson Elementary School in Davenport. An autopsy of the 9-year-old Rock Island girl found that she had been sexually assaulted, strangled, doused with gasoline and set on fire. While the homicide occurred nearly 27 years ago, it remains vivid in many Quad-Citians minds, Assistant Iowa Public Defender Miguel Puentes said. Patricia Duffy, president of PMR Research, testified her firm surveyed 400 Scott County residents to determine to what extent members of the community have formed opinions on the case. She said 55 percent of those surveyed were aware of the crime and 27 percent said they have already formed an opinion on whether or not Liggins is guilty. Mr. Puentes noted the case has been covered extensively by all the community's newspapers as well as its television stations. He added that the podcast "Suspect Convictions," which launched last month has further contaminated the potential jury pool by reporting information that the defense does not want jurors to know. Among the information reported by "Suspect Convictions" that might not be admitted in court are that Liggins has prior convictions for armed robbery and aggravated sexual abuse and that he was acquitted of murder in a prison stabbing in a Mississippi prison. "Suspect Convictions" is a joint endeavor between WVIK-FM public radio and Reeder Reporting LLC. The podcast has been ranked as high as No. 2 on iTunes and has been downloaded about 1.5 million times since it was launched Jan. 9. Assistant Scott County Attorney Julie Walton noted the podcast is international in nature and would be a factor to be considered in jury selection anywhere. "Presumably, if we were having a trial in Tokyo, we would have to ask about it, she said. Ms. Walton added the survey, which was commissioned by the defense, failed to ask those who said they had an opinion about whether or not Liggins' is guilty whether they could set those opinions aside and keep an open mind if instructed by a judge. But Mr. Puentes said feedback provided to PMR Research pollsters showed strong opinions on the case among residents of Scott County. Among the responses cited by Puentes were: "He should have been shot a longtime ago." "He needs to stay where he is. Quit wasting our time and taxpayer dollars." "Two juries have already rendered a verdict, and he does not deserve a new trial." Chief Judge Marlita A. Greve said that if she were to rule that the trial is to be moved, it would need to be done quickly so that courtroom space can be found elsewhere. She did not set a date for her ruling Assistant Scott County Public Defender Derek Jones suggested that the trial be moved to Des Moines, Waterloo or Cedar Rapids. Greve instructed County Attorney Mike Walton to provide her with suggestions as well. Liggins was convicted of the murder in 1993 by a Scott County jury. That conviction was overturned by the Iowa Supreme Court on the grounds that testimony regarding Liggins' alleged involvement in the Quad-Cities illegal drug trade unduly prejudiced jurors against him. The high court also was concerned that pretrial news coverage may have made it difficult to find unbiased jurors in the Quad-Cities. In 1995, he was tried again and convicted by a Dubuque County, Iowa, jury after a change of venue was granted. In 2013, the Iowa Appellate Court ruled that Liggins was denied a fair trial because prosecutors didn't reveal that a key witness was a paid police informant in unrelated cases. The court also found that more than 70 police reports were not turned over to the defense. ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) A Rockford man has been sentenced to prison in another case after serving a decade behind bars for a homicide he was later acquitted of committing. The Rockford Register Star reports 36-year-old Anthony Ross was sentenced Tuesday to 11 years and three months in federal prison for firearms and drug counts. The father of six said during sentencing that he couldn't find a better-paying job to support his family after he was released from prison. He said he let frustration "overpower and cloud my judgment." CHICAGO (AP) A three-year prison sentence has been handed a man who pleaded guilty to wire fraud for a scheme to defraud foreign investors into backing a convention complex by Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Anshoo Sethi of Chicago admitted to using fraudulent documents to raise millions from mostly Chinese investors who believed they'd get U.S. residency in return. The case involves the EB-5 visa program, which allows foreign investors green cards. The 33-year-old Sethi pleaded guilty in January 2016 to a wire fraud count alleging he lied to about 290 Chinese nationals who bankrolled the $145 million project. During sentencing, U.S. District Judge John Lee told Sethi he took advantage of hundreds of people for personal gain. In addition to the prison term, Lee ordered Sethi to pay $8.8 million in restitution to his victims. After 25 minutes of occasionally heated debate, the Rock Island County Forest Preserve Commission voted down a document partly intended to encourage commissioners to be on their best behavior on the grounds that it doesn't fit well with an elected body. The Commissioner Creed and Code of Conduct under consideration were meant to establish "high ethical standards" for commission decision-making and were modeled on language endorsed by the Illinois Association of Park Districts, commission President Kai Swanson said. The Commissioner Creed included such items as: ** "Make no disparaging remarks in or out of meeting about fellow commissioners." ** "Respect the opinion and decision of fellow commissioners." ** "Recognize the integrity of my fellow commissioners and the merit of their work." And, in the Code of Conduct: ** "When outside of commission meetings, avoid making individual pronouncements and public conjectures about agency matters not yet decided by the board." Mr. Swanson called the creed and code of conduct an "aspirational document," with no enforcement provisions but offering important guidelines nonetheless. "There is a lot of scrutiny being placed on local government in Rock Island County, and it's my opinion that the more we do to publicly pivot toward good governance, integrity and ethics, the better served we are," Mr. Swanson said. The commission voted down a very similar document last month, and it came back on Tuesday with wording changed to reflect that the forest preserve district has a "director" and not a "superintendent" and other changes from the original IAPD language. However, commission member Don Johnston, D-Moline, said those changes weren't enough to make the document palatable. Other park districts in the state are not elected bodies like the Forest Preserve Commission, he said. The language of the IAPD documents are not appropriate for elected bodies, he said. The commission has the same membership as the Rock Island County Board and oversees county-owned recreational facilities. "This is something that looks to me belongs in a boys and girls club rather than an elected body," Mr. Johnston said. "... It's obvious that this is a very poorly written or copied document. It doesn't apply to an elected body as this commission is. I think it should be at least revised." The commission did delete two provisions of the creed, including one that stipulated that commissioners "remain politically nonpartisan on commission issues." "I wonder how that works as far as us being a partisan board," commission member Mia Mayberry, D-Rock Island, said. She also raised concerns about the provision that "commission members avoid making individual pronouncements and public conjectures" about matters not yet decided, but that provision remained in. After the commission voted down the revised Commissioner Creed and Code of Conduct, by a vote of 8 to 13, supporter Rodney Simmer, R-Rock Island, reacted angrily. "I think you're pushing this off," Dr. Simmer told the commision. "It's something that's a creed; it is nothing too crazy. You've voted a lot more crazy stuff through here and never talked about it for more than two minutes." Mr. Johnston responded that Dr. Simmer had just gone against a provision in the failed creed. "If we'd passed this, you're not supposed to criticize the final decisions of the commission, which I think he just did," Mr. Johnston said. Before the proposal comes back, commission member Richard H. "Quijas" Brunk, D-Moline, said it should be fully reviewed by the county state's attorney's office. A review has started, Forest Preserve Director Jeff Craver said, but hasn't been finished because of the office's heavy caseload. Mr. Craver said the language of the document has been vetted by the IAPD's legal counsel. Rock Island County State's Attorney John McGehee said the commission could go ahead and vote on the document. "It's up to you," he said. Though the document has no enforcement provisions, Mr. Brunk said a full opinion from Mr. McGehee's office would be important for a reconsideration. The document, he said, "is a template for how we're supposed to move forward and how we conduct ourselves here" and needs a full review. Immigration is a hot-button issue today, but a new partnership between WQPT-TV and Hola America News will avoid politics in focusing on Moline's Floreciente neighborhood. "This project, we're putting politics aside," Tar Macias, founder/director of Hola America Media Group, said Tuesday of the new Vibrant Neighborhoods project, which he's coordinating. "The angle we're taking with this project, we want to show how Floreciente became a gateway for the new Americans the Swedish, Belgian, Greek, Mexican," he said, noting past and present immigrants often have been blamed for societal ills. "They didn't destroy America; they didn't destroy the Quad-Cities. They built the Quad-Cities," Mr. Macias said. "In retrospect, you can see how that xenophobic aspect was based on ignorance. In reality, if it wasn't for those Swedish immigrants, those Belgian immigrants, John Deere wouldn't be where it is." Floreciente which means "blooming" in Spanish is the northwest gateway to Moline and the first of many Q-C neighborhoods to be featured by WQPT (the area PBS station) in this new initiative. It's funded by Global Communities, a nonprofit which works in more than 20 countries to bring about "sustainable changes that improve the lives and livelihoods of the vulnerable," according to WQPT. Funded locally by the John Deere Foundation, Global Communities is working in Floreciente to organize and educate residents and business owners to take part in decisions affecting their neighborhood. Deere chose this area for the program because of its proximity to two John Deere facilities, the WQPT release said. The first 18-month initiative will include screenings and discussions and taped interviews with stakeholders in the neighborhood that will be broadcast on WQPT and available through WQPT and Hola America social media. We are pleased to be working with Global Communities in their community revitalization program, WQPT general manager Mary Pruess said. What we hope to achieve through this program is to provide a wider visibility of the Floreciente neighborhood to the greater Quad-Cities area, help facilitate community change, and to help tell their story." Now a heavily Hispanic neighborhood, Floreciente is still a gateway for many people from different backgrounds setting roots in the Quad-Cities, and its one of the most culturally rich neighborhoods in the area," said Mr. Macias, 43, who moved from Mexico to his grandfather's house across from the former Ericsson School 30 years ago with his family. Today, he lives in East Moline. That school building, at 335 5th Ave., Moline, is now the Esperanza Center and will host the project's first screening from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, along with Mexican food. A 17-minute documentary about a dropout-prevention program in San Antonio will be shown, followed by a moderated discussion in English and Spanish. WQPT will film short videos (2-3 minutes) starting in April (with a total of 12), to address the history of the Floreciente neighborhood, education, business, religion and culture. They will be shown in rotation throughout WQPT's regular schedule, marketing director Lora Adams said Tuesday. "The idea came from Mary Pruess. One of the things we're wanting to do at QPT is to shine and focus a light on the area we live in," Ms. Adams said. "We're hoping Floreciente is just the beginning of many. We all don't know about the history of these neighborhoods. I'm from Chicago, where every neighborhood is really defined. I think the same thing is here." "It's an opportunity for people to learn more about our history," she said. The old Ericsson School (closed in 2015) was named for Swedish inventor John Ericsson. "This is a great project," Mr. Macias said. "I think it's the right time to do. Nowadays, we need something to bring us together. I hope people will feel pride in the neighborhoods of the Quad-Cities." The biggest misconception of the area is that it's dangerous, he said, noting if people don't know about something, they tend to have a negative opinion of it. Mr. Macias founded Hola America (holaamericanews.com and holaiowa.com), a free bilingual newspaper, 17 years ago, expanding into all of Iowa two years ago. The print publications come out once a month, and it has a growing social-media presence, he said. Vibrant Neighborhoods will include an initial online survey about public perception and understanding of Floreciente and another toward the end of the initiative, Ms. Adams said. For more information, visit globalfloreciente.org. WASHINGTON (AP) The Trump administration is revoking U.S. transgender guidelines, stepping into an emotional national issue and stripping students of federal protections to use bathrooms and locker rooms matching gender identities that differ from their birth certificates. The administration is coming down on the side of states' rights, revoking federal guidelines that had been issued by the Obama administration. Without the Obama directive, it will be up to states and school districts to interpret federal anti-discrimination law and determine whether students should have access to restrooms in accordance with their expressed gender identity and not just their biological sex. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Wednesday the current directive, issued last August, is confusing and hard to implement. An official with knowledge of the plans told The Associated Press that anti-bullying safeguards would not be affected by the change. That official was not authorized to speak publicly about the plans and did so on condition of anonymity. Spicer did not say when the Trump administration action might actually come. A federal judge in Texas put a temporary hold on the Obama guidance soon after it was issued after 13 states sued. Even without that hold, the guidance carried no force of law. But transgender rights advocates say it was useful and necessary to protect students from discrimination. Opponents argue it was federal overreach and violated the safety and privacy of all other students. "The president has made it clear throughout the campaign that he is a firm believer in states' rights and that certain issues like this are not best dealt with at the federal level," Spicer said. Conservative activists hailed the change, saying the Obama directives were illegal and violated the rights of fixed-gender students, especially girls who did not feel safe changing clothes or using restrooms next to anatomical males. "Our daughters should never be forced to share private, intimate spaces with male classmates, even if those young men are struggling with these issues," said Vicki Wilson, a member of Students and Parents for Privacy. "It violates their right to privacy and harms their dignity." However, the reversal is a setback for transgender rights groups, which had been urging Trump to keep the guidelines in place. Advocates say federal law will still prohibit discrimination against students based on their gender or sexual orientation. Still, they say lifting the Obama directive puts children in harm's way. "Reversing this guidance tells trans kids that it's OK with the Trump administration and the Department of Education for them to be abused and harassed at school for being trans," said American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. Spicer denied media reports that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who has been criticized for her stance on LGBT issues, had opposed the change but was overruled by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whose agency was also involved in the process. Spicer said any disagreement was merely over wording and timing. "There is no daylight between anybody," Spicer said, adding that DeVos was "100 percent" on board with the decision. The Obama administration's guidance was based on its determination that Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education, also applies to gender identity. While not legally binding, the guidance sent a warning that schools could lose funding if they did not comply. Republicans have pushed back, arguing that the federal effort was an example of Obama administration meddling in state and local matters. Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick equated it to blackmail and said his state was ready to forfeit federal education money rather than comply. The Trump administration's decision to revoke the guidelines was first reported by The Washington Post. Legal experts said the change in position could impact pending court cases involving the federal sex discrimination law, including a case to be heard by the Supreme Court in March, involving a Gavin Grimm, a transgender teen who was denied bathroom access in Virginia. The justices could decide not to hear the case and direct lower courts to decide that issue. In a phone interview with the AP, Grimm said of the Trump action: "It's not positive. It has the possibility of hurting transgender students and transgender people. We're going to keep fighting like we have been and keep fighting for the right thing." Fifteen states have explicit protections for transgender students in their state laws, and many individual school districts in other states have adopted policies that cover such students on the basis of their gender identity, said Sarah Warbelow, legal director of the Human Rights Campaign. Just one state, North Carolina, has enacted a law restricting access to bathrooms in government-owned buildings to the sex that appears on a person's birth certificate. Lawmakers in more than 10 states are considering similar legislation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. OXON HILL, Md. (AP) For the past eight years, thousands of conservative activists have descended on Washington each spring with dreams of putting a Republican in the White House. They finally have one, but they are not sure he's really conservative. With Donald Trump's presidential victory, the future of the conservative movement has become entwined with an unconventional New York businessman better known for his deal-making than any ideological principles. It's an uneasy marriage of political convenience at best. Some conservatives worry whether they can trust their new president to follow decades of orthodoxy on issues like international affairs, small government, abortion and opposition to expanded legal protections for LGBT Americans and what it means for their movement if he doesn't. "Donald Trump may have come to the Republican Party in an unconventional and circuitous route, but the fact is that we now need him to succeed lest the larger conservative project fails," said evangelical leader Ralph Reed, who mobilized his organization to campaign for Trump during the campaign. "Our success is inextricably tied to his success." Trump is to address the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday morning. Vice President Mike Pence is to speak Thursday, as are White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and senior adviser Steve Bannon. Speaking Thursday morning, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway thanked the conservatives for helping elect Trump. As conservatives met for their first big sessions Thursday at the gathering in Oxon Hill, Maryland, a Washington suburb, they heard a stream of familiar conservative rhetoric. A panel of GOP governors urged Washington Republicans, who control the levers of power for the first time in a decade, to deliver the results that Republican governors have brought to their states. "The victory is not on Nov. 8. That is an assignment for change and real reform," said Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, urging Trump and his allies in Congress to make good on promises to repeal "Obamacare," enact tax reform, and cut the federal budget. "As governors, as activists, engaged citizens, we need to hold all elected leaders accountable for results in this cycle right now. We may not get this same opportunity again. We can't squander it." Social conservatives were thrilled by a Wednesday night decision to reverse an Obama-era directive that said transgender students should be allowed to use public school bathrooms and locker rooms matching their chosen gender identity. Trump has a somewhat tortured history with CPAC, an annual convention that's part ideological pep talk, part political boot camp for activists. Over the past six years, he's been both booed and cheered. He's rejected speaking slots and galvanized attendees with big promises of economic growth and electoral victory. At times, he has seemed to delight in taunting them. "I'm a conservative, but don't forget: This is called the Republican Party, not the Conservative Party," he said in a May interview on ABC's "This Week." The tensions between Trump's brand of populist politics and conservative ideology will be on full display at the three-day conference, which features panels like "Conservatives: Where we come from, where we are and where we are going" and "The Alt-Right Ain't Right At All." Along with Trump come his supporters, including the populists, party newcomers and nationalists that have long existed on the fringes of conservativism and have gotten new voice during the early days of his administration. Pro-Brexit British politician Nigel Farage will speak a few hours after Trump. Organizers invited provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos after protesters at the University of California at Berkeley succeeded in stopping his appearance on campus. But the former editor at Breitbart News, the website previously run by Bannon, was disinvited this week after video clips surfaced in which he appeared to defend sexual relationships between men and boys as young as 13. Trump "is giving rise to a conservative voice that for the first time in a long time unabashedly, unapologetically puts America first," said Republican strategist Hogan Gidley. "That 'America First' moniker can very well shape this country, but also the electorate and the Republican Party and conservative movement for decades." Trump's early moves including a flurry of executive orders and his nomination of federal Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court have cheered conservatives. They've also applauded his Cabinet picks, which include some of the most conservative members of Congress. The ACU awarded his team a 91.52 percent conservative rating 28 points higher than Ronald Reagan and well above George H.W. Bush who received a 78.15 rating. But key items on the conservative wish list remain shrouded in uncertainty. The effort to repeal President Barack Obama's health care law is not moving as quickly as many hoped, and Republicans also have yet to coalesce around revamping the nation's tax code. No proposals have surfaced to pursue Trump's campaign promises to build a border wall with Mexico that could cost $15 billion or more or to buttress the nation's infrastructure with a $1 trillion plan. Conservatives fear that those plans could result in massive amounts of new spending and that Trump's penchant for deal-making could leave them on the wrong side of the transaction. "There is wariness," said Tim Phillips, president of Koch brothers-backed Americans for Prosperity. But with a Republican-controlled Congress, others believe there's no way to lose. "He sits in a room with Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan. Is there a bad a deal to be made with those three in the room?" asked veteran anti-tax activist Grover Norquist. "A deal between those three will, I think, always make me happy." DACHAU, Germany (AP) The wrought iron gate to the Nazis' Dachau concentration camp, which prompted an international outcry when it was stolen more than two years ago, has been returned to the German memorial site. The gate, bearing the slogan "Arbeit macht frei," ("Work sets you free"), was located in Norway's western Bergen area after authorities received an anonymous tip late last year. "We had almost given up hope and a replica had been made and installed at the original place," Gabriele Hammermann, the head of the memorial site, said as the gate was returned Wednesday. The theft of the gate "was one of the worst attacks on the Dachau camp memorial," she said, adding that it remains very important to survivors that authorities continue the investigation into who stole the gate. The theft in November 2014 was viewed by many as a desecration, as the cynical inscription has become a central symbol for the ordeal of the Nazi prisoners who had to walk past the gate every day on their way to slave labor work. Israel's Yad Vashem memorial labeled the theft as "an offensive attack on the memory of the Holocaust." The gate was found under a tarpaulin at a parking lot in Ytre Arna, a settlement north of Bergen, Norway's second-largest city. The gate will not be returned to its original position, where the replica now stands, but will become part of the permanent exhibition, where it will be kept inside an air-conditioned glass cabinet equipped with an alarm system. Measuring 190 by 95 centimeters (75 by 37 inches), the gate originally was set into a larger gate at the camp's entrance. It will first be shown to the public on April 30, the anniversary of the liberation 72 years ago by American forces. The concentration camp near Munich was established by the Nazis in 1933. More than 200,000 people from across Europe were held at Dachau, and more than 40,000 prisoners died there. It was the second time in recent years that a Nazi camp gate was targeted by thieves. In December 2009, the "Arbeit macht frei" sign that spanned the main gate of the Auschwitz death camp, built by the Nazis in occupied Poland, was stolen. Police found it three days later cut into pieces in a forest on the other side of Poland. A Swedish man with a neo-Nazi past was found guilty of instigating that theft and was jailed in his homeland. Five Poles also were convicted of involvement and imprisoned. Just after one of the most unusual presidential elections in our history, we learned of opposition to the candidacy papers of our local officials in Moline. Mayoral candidate Stephanie Acri was one candidate who failed to number signature pages on her petition. Fortunately, Ms. Acri and other contenders continued their fight and launched a write-in campaign, assuring a primary election. Stephanie Acri was determined! She changed direction, solved the problem, and remained determined to fight for whats right. Thats the kind of mayor we need to lead Moline. Acri has exhibited strong leadership as alderman-at-large, maintained a successful business and serves on multiple boards and committees throughout the Quad Cities. She wants the best for Moline and has exhibited her knowledge and support of local businesses and residents of Moline. She watched over our finances as alderman-at large for the last six years and helped turn around unfavorable budget practices. I appointed Stephanie Acri to a vacant aldermanic seat in 2011. She didnt disappoint! She won citywide election in 2013. Excellent research and problem solving skills, and a willingness to listen to constituents has served us all well. Times are tough, and decisions hard. Thats why I support Stephanie Acri for Mayor of Moline. Acri has the skills, experience and leadership to lead Moline to a prosperous future. I fully endorse Stephanie Acri for mayor and I hope you will join me in writing in Stephanie Acri in Tuesday's primary election. Don Welvaert, former mayor of Moline Go To The Polls And Pull The Lever We hope everyone turns out to pull the lever next Tuesday (Nov. 8). Actually, new voters wont know what we are talking about, as the... Letters To The Editor Street Closure Dangers Neighbors, Friends, Citizens of NYC/QUEENS: Many may not know that NYC has decided to close off miles of streets to cars in... Christine Schaefer Bio Operations Still Improving (and Dancing) Despite Budget Cuts The effect of the Baldrige Award 15 years later Rss Send Article (Must Login Author Archive Last month, 2001 Baldrige Award-winning University of Wisconsin-Stout hosted a lively campus engagement session. (See for yourself via this video of the live-streamed event, which kicked off with dancing.) The university holds the You Said... We Did sessions each January to demonstrate its responsiveness to the input of its employees and students. The same week, UW-Stout released news highlighting the ongoing impact of the Baldrige Award and excellence framework on its values and practices. Like what you're reading? Log in or create FREE account to continue Enter your Quality Digest username OR email address. Enter your Quality Digest password. By logging in you agree to receive communication from Quality Digest. Privacy Policy Remember me Create a FREE account Forgot My Password Quality Digest does not charge readers for its content. We believe that industry news is important for you to do your job, and Quality Digest supports businesses of all types. However, someone has to pay for this content. And thats where advertising comes in. Most people consider ads a nuisance, but they do serve a useful function besides allowing media companies to stay afloat. They keep you aware of new products and services relevant to your industry. All ads in Quality Digest apply directly to products and services that most of our readers need. You wont see automobile or health supplement ads. Our PROMISE: Quality Digest only displays static ads that never overlay or cover up content. They never get in your way. They are there for you to read, or not. So please consider turning off your ad blocker for our site. Thanks, Quality Digest Discuss About The Author Christine Schaefer Christine Schaefer joined the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program in 2005, after nearly 15 years in nonprofit publishing, largely editing education-related periodicals and books. As an education team member, Schaefer writes, edits, and serves in other capacities at Baldrige including public outreach, the Baldrige Award process, and volunteer training. She has served as the editing team leader and a work group member on the Baldrige staff. Schaefer has a bachelors degree in interdisciplinary political and social thought from the University of Virginia and a masters degree from Georgetown University. G'day! It's Murray here. I've put together a little quiz to test your musical knowledge. Think you can score top marks in Murray's Magic Music Quiz? Give it a go now! The ABC is failing to meet its charter obligations, according to Hands Off RN Music, members of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) and ABC Friends. In a statement issued to Radio Today this morning, they also said senior management are not listening to staff or the stations audience. A joint protest outside ABC in Ultimo is expected to get underway shortly after midday today. It will call on the ABC Board to ensure Radio National is managed by people who are genuinely committed to public broadcasting. ABC senior management has failed to acknowledge the devastating blow they have delivered to Australias music culture and diversity as a result of these cuts, made without industry or artist consultation, said Ruth Hazelton, spokesperson for community group Hands Off RN Music. ABC have been contacted but declined to comment. Musicians including Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, Archie Roach, philanthropist and patron of the arts in Australia Janet Holmes a Court, Music Australia and APRA AMCOS are included among 23,000 petition signatures collected by the Save RN Music group. Managing Director of the ABC, Michelle Guthrie did not brief board members before announcing in November that ABC would ditch the magazine-style science program Catalyst, along with all but one of Radio Nationals music programs and end shortwave transmission in the NT. Last November, ABC radio broadcaster Robyn Williams famously called ABC management morally and spiritually bankrupt. Senior Management has failed to acknowledge the impact this decision has had on rural and regional audiences with its premature reliance on digital formats, said Hazelton in a statement released today. We believe management is using the digital strategy as a smokescreen for crude cost-cutting. It has drastically underestimated community outrage. Protesters today will also call for the ABC Board to not sign off on Guthries restructure plans, which were set to be announced this month. According to The Guardian, an early version of the restructure noted the demotion for the heads of news (Gaven Morris), radio (Michael Mason) and television (Richard Finlayson). CPSUs ABC Section Secretary Sinddy Ealy said, Hardworking ABC staff have raised concerns with their bosses about the impact of cuts and illogical changes, but they seem to have fallen on deaf ears. The ABC Executive needs to start listening to staff and the community about whats needed for the ABC. The protesters have said they will lobby the cuts until the ABC Executive starts listening to the people they are there to serve. Updates to follow. Following a spate of derailments and other accidents, Indias railways minister Mr Suresh Prabhu announced plans last month to seek the assistance of overseas railways as part of IRs drive to improve operational safety through technological upgrades. Earlier this month, IR signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Italian State Railways (FS) and a similar agreement with Korean national train operator Korail is also being negotiated. The pact with Japan includes a cooperation programme in the areas of rail welding, rail inspection, track circuits and automatic inspection technology. A paucity of funding has led to the deferral of safety-critical works, including maintenance of track and structures. A 2015 IR white paper concedes the backlog in the track renewal programme had reached 4500km. In his budget speech this year, finance minister Mr Arun Jaitley announced the formation of the Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (Rail Safety Fund) with a budget of Rs 1 trillion ($US 16.1bn) over a five-year period. The Delhi - Mumbai and the Delhi - Howrah lines - the busiest sections on the Grand Trunk routes will be taken up first under the technology upgrade plan, a Railway Board official said. Global tenders for such programmes will be floated this year and it is being proposed that these should be awarded under the Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) model. Telefonica has reached an agreement with KKR Group for the sale of 40% of its global telecoms infrastructure company Telxius Telecom for 1,275 million. Under the agreement, subject to regulatory approvals, Telefonica and the US investment firm will partner to develop and grow Telxius.The Telefonica unit owns and operates a portfolio of nearly 16,000 telecoms towers in five countries and manages an international network with approximately 65,000km of submarine fibre optic cables, of which around 31,000km are owned by Telxius.Following the deal, the Spanish telco will remain the anchor client for Telxius tower and cable businesses and will keep a majority stake and operational control of Telxius which it will continue to include into its accounts.The sale is part of Telefonicas strategy to optimise its asset portfolio and allocation of capital, and complements its plan for debt reduction.Our vision for Telxius is to capitalise on the exponential increase in data traffic forecast for the coming years by offering a first-class network in Europe and the Americas, said Guillermo Ansaldo, chairman of Telxius, adding: We believe KRKRs solid track record on the infrastructure business will help us achieving our common goals.We are confident that the exploding demand for mobile data, driven by the rise in 4K and virtual reality content, together with the need for reliable internet infrastructure, will help drive strong growth in the business," added Jesus Olmos, global co-head of infrastructure and head of Spain at KKR.Telefonica attempted to carry out the IPO of Telxius in 2016 , but backed out just before the company was to go public. Russian Supreme Court vacates sentence of opposition activist Dadin, orders his release MOSCOW, February 22 (RAPSI) The Russian Supreme Courts Presidium on Wednesday overturned a 2.5-year prison sentence given to activist Ildar Dadin for numerous violations of protest laws and ruled to release him, RAPSI reports from the courtroom. The court held that criminal proceedings against Dadin should be dismissed because of the absence of elements of a crime in his actions. The activist has a right to rehabilitation, according to the courts ruling. Earlier, Deputy Prosecutor General Leonid Korzhinek asked the court to reverse guilty verdict, drop criminal proceedings against Dadin and recognize his right to rehabilitation. Dadin is the first person convicted under the Criminal Codes Article on repeated violations committed during rallies. On February 10, Russias Constitutional Court held that Dadins case must be reviewed. However, the contested Article of Russias Criminal Code was declared not contradictory to the Constitution. Dadin was convicted and sentenced on December 7, 2015. Initially he received a 3-year prison term. The Moscow City Court later reduced the sentence to 2.5 years. According to case papers, Dadin was arrested five times during rallies held between August 2014 and January 2015. Administrative proceedings were instituted against Dadin in all cases and he was fined. A criminal case was opened against him for participating in four meetings. Dadins wife Anastasia Zotova wrote on Facebook in early November that her husband had been beaten and received murder threats when transferred to a penal colony in Karelia. The Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) launched a probe into the allegations. Later, the FSIN announced that independent medical commission from a local hospital had not found injuries on Dadins body. On November 24, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) during a plenary session expressed concern over the welfare of Dadin and called on Russia to immediately release him. MEPs insisted on a thorough and transparent independent investigation into the situation with Dadin who had complained on a number of occasions of prison conditions and torture. In early January, Zotova wrote on Facebook that Dadin was transferred from a prison in Karelia to Altai. Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muiznieks, said on Twitter that he welcomes the ruling of Russia's Supreme Court. Spokesman of Russian President Dmitry Peskov told journalists that "this is a decision by the Supreme Court and it is necessary to respect any court rulings, all the more so, judgements by the Supreme Court." President Putin introduces fines for failure to block sites with banned information MOSCOW, February 22 (RAPSI) Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law introducing fines of up to 100,000 rubles (about $1,700) for Internet providers failed to restrict access to websites which distribute prohibited information, according to the official website of legal information. The blacklist of websites was launched in Russia on November 1, 2012. The respective law envisages that websites may be blacklisted by the Federal Service for Drug Control, the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Protection and Welfare (suicide-related content) and the Federal Agency for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (child pornography). Starting February 1, 2014, the register also includes websites promoting extremism and mass riots. In 2016, the State Duma passed an initiative allowing to restrict access to websites containing information about potentially dangerous psychoactive substances potentially dangerous psychoactive substances. According to the legislation, providers must block web pages containing prohibited content within 24 hours after their blacklisting. However, the law did not fix penalties for failure to restrict access to prohibited information spread online. Under the signed legislation, adjusting the Code of Administrative Offences, such violations would result in fines ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 rubles ($50-83) for officials, from 10,000 to 30,000 rubles ($167-500) for businessmen and from 50,000 to 100,000 rubles ($834-1,700) for companies. Moscow Court to review appeal against sentence for Russian nationalist Potkin MOSCOW, February 22 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko) The Moscow City Court will review an appeal filed by Russian nationalist Alexander Potkin, who was found guilty of embezzlement and organization of an extremist movement, against his sentence, RAPSI learnt from the courts press-service on Wednesday. In August 2106, the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow sentenced Potkin to 7.5 years in prison and fined him 600,000 rubles ($9,700). Moreover, the court granted a 4.9 billion-ruble lawsuit ($79.3 million) filed by the injured party against Potkin. According to the indictment, Mukhtar Ablyazov, former chairman of the bank, who allegedly wanted to destabilize the constitutional order in Kazakhstan, asked Potkin to help him with organizing an extremist group. Potkin allegedly agreed and used funds embezzled from BTA Bank to spread the nationalist ideology in Kazakhstan. Potkin has pleaded not guilty. Potkin (also known as Belov) was arrested on October 15, 2014 at the Hotel Intourist Kolomenskoe in Moscow on charges related to the embezzlement of $5 billion from BTA Bank. At the time of the arrest, Potkin allegedly had documents on him that effectively tied him to the embezzlement. On December 20, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) awarded 2,500 in compensation to Potkin for withdrawal of his complaint over long stay in detention from the court. Excerpted from "On Wave and Wing: The 100 Year Quest to Perfect the Aircraft Carrier". In December 1941, the aircraft carrier burst upon the world stage in a twentieth century version of Shock and Awe. Literally overnight the flattop leapt into the global spotlight with the stunning Pearl Harbor attack. Thus, the carrier resembled the proverbial country-western musician who worked twenty years to become an overnight sensation. The U.S. and Japanese navies had commissioned their first carriers in 1922, beginning two decades of perfecting ships, aircraft, and operating doctrine. But the global leader was the British Royal Navy, which initiated the carrier to combat in World War I. In 1917 the battle cruiser HMS Furious was converted to operate Sopwith biplanes, and the next year she launched what a future generation would call a power projection mission against a German Zeppelin base. Actually, the aircraft carriers origins predated the Great War. In November 1910, pioneer flyer Eugene Ely of the Glenn Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor company demonstrated the potential of ship-based aircraft by taking off from a platform rigged on a U.S. Navy cruiser. Two months later he plunked his pusher down on the improvised deck of another warship, dragged to a stop by hooks that snagged ropes stretched across the platform. The captain of USS Birmingham declared Elys feat the most important landing since the dove returned to Noahs ark. Both ships were anchored, and neither stunt was repeated. But the seed had been planted; it germinated, sprouted, and cropped. During the 1920s and 1930s ships and aircraft evolved, forming an increasingly potent binary. Fabric-covered biplanes gave way to all-metal monoplanes with greater speed, range, and ordnance capability. When World War II erupted in 1939 the Royal Navy was confronted with enemies in the Atlantic and the Mediterraneanand potentially in the Pacific. Though possessing the worlds most powerful fleet, Britain had to allocate its ships according to geo-strategic need. Thus, in November 1940 HMS Illustrious launched 21 obsolescent Swordfish biplanes to attack the powerful Italian fleet in Taranto Harbor. The nocturnal attack was a spectacular success, sinking or sidelining three enemy battleships. The naval balance in the Middle Sea had shiftedovernight. Historians still argue the influence of Taranto on Japanese plans for Hawaii, but the similarities are obvious. Carriers defined the Pacific War: in fact, only flattops could have launched the attack against Hawaii in December 1941. The Imperial Navy showed the world the way to naval supremacy by grouping six carriers into a unified striking forcesomething that no one else had remotely approached. When the smoke cleared on December 8, the worlds greatest ocean became a giant chessboard with squares defined by degrees of latitude and longitude. With Americas naval kingsbattleshipssidelined, the mobile, long-range queens carried the fight. Over the next four years aircraft carriers were essential to both navies. Four major carrier battles were fought in 1942, providing America essential victories at Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal. Midway in June proved decisive: U.S. carrier planes sank all four Japanese carriers engaged with one American flattop lost. Following that, Japan never regained the strategic initiative. A new generation of U.S. carriers spearheaded the Central Pacific offensive of 1943-45. With new aircraft on their decks, Essex and Independence class ships enabled nearly every amphibious operation of the Pacific War. Their victory off the Mariana Islands in June 1944 ended the Imperial Navy as an offensive arm and provided roosts for General Curtis LeMays firebirds as B-29s began searing Japanese urban-industrial areas. Meanwhile, carriers proved vital in the Atlantic. U.S. and British escort carrierssmall, slow ships operating specially-trained antisubmarine squadrons, helped defeat Admiral Karl Doenitzs U-boats. The mission largely was accomplished by May 1943, clearing the transatlantic convoy routes that enabled the D-Day landings thirteen months later. Since then, the carrier has never lost its prominence on the worlds oceans. But new threats arose in unchartered realms. Only five years after V-J Day, when America possessed 99 carriers of all types, a mere fifteen were in commission. When General Quarters sounded in Korea, just five were assigned to the Pacific Fleet. For the next three years U.S. and British carriers launched an endless succession of strike and interdiction sorties against Communist forces. During the critical weeks of summer 1950, tailhook aircraft were essential to staving off total defeat for the South Korean and American armies. Compressed into the shrinking Pusan pocket, with almost no Air Force units remaining on the peninsula, allied ground forces could not have survived without naval aviation. Subsequently blue airplanes helped offset the enormous disparity of ground forces when Chinas quilted masses spilled south of the Yalu. Long story short: aircraft carriers helped save the Republic of Korea. Throughout the Cold War, carriers stood sentry on the periphery of the Soviet empire, a capability that Russia still cannot match. Naval aviators logged more than half the sorties over North Vietnam, and however misdirected Mr. Johnsons War, tailhookers were always there, always ready on arrival. Since then, carriers have launched jets in an immense variety of seas and missions, including Britains Sea Harriers that enabled retaking the Falklands in 1982. Subsequently, sea-based airpower has been felt repeatedly in Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Syria. War at sea is nearly extinct, and there can never be another Midway, let alone a Leyte Gulf. But for territorial independence and oceanic power projection, the carrier remains unrivaled as Americas world-spanning ace card. In a recent article in The Daily Beast, Joel Kotkin argues that millennials battered by capitalism could be the future red generation. Unfortunately for those yearning for the United States to look like Venezuela, the reality couldn't be further from the truth millennials will be among the most radical, free market capitalists the world has ever seen. The evidence supporting this claim is exceedingly obvious millennials, every day, vote against Big Government with their money. And why wouldn't they? Does anyone really believe that a generation demanding services which are fast, cheap, and convenient will have any tolerance for the slow ineptitude synonymous with government programs? Not a chance. China exports more to the US than the US exports to China, and that makes Donald Trump furious. But with the Communist Party's 19th Congress set to take place in Beijing this year, Chinese leaders are unlikely to yield to US pressure. As if on cue, riots broke out in a heavily immigrant suburb of Stockholm as soon as the media mocked President Donald Trump for a vague warning about immigration-related problems in Sweden.At a campaign rally over the weekend, Trump issued forth with a mystifyingly ominous statement. You look, he declared, at what's happening last night in Sweden. What? Had the president invented a nonexistent terror attack? As it turned out, the reference was to a segment on Sweden he had watched on the Fox News show Tucker Carlson Tonight the previous night, rather than to any specific event in the Nordic country.The ensuing discussion quickly took on the character of much of the debate in the early Trump years a blunderbuss president matched against a snotty and hyperventilating press, with a legitimate issue lurking underneath.By welcoming a historic number of asylum-seekers proportionate to its population, Sweden has indeed embarked on a vast social experiment that wasn't well thought out and isn't going very well. The unrest in the Stockholm suburb of Rinkeby after police made an arrest the other night underscored the problems inherent in Sweden's immigration surge.Sweden's admirable humanitarianism is outstripping its capacity to absorb newcomers. Nothing if not an earnest and well-meaning society, Sweden has always accepted more than its share of refugees. Immigration was already at elevated levels before the latest influx into Europe from the Middle East, which prompted Sweden to try to see and raise the reckless open-borders policy of German chancellor Angela Merkel.Sweden welcomed more than 160,000 asylum-seekers in 2015, including nearly 40,000 in October of that year alone. For a country of fewer than 10 million, this was almost equal to 2 percent of the population in one year. The flow doubled the number of asylum-seekers at the height of the Balkans crisis in 1992.The foreign-born proportion of the Swedish population was 18 percent in 2016, double that of 1990. As of 2015, the most common county of origin for the foreign-born was Finland, which makes sense as it is a neighboring Scandinavian country. Next are Iraq and Syria.Predictably, it isn't easy to integrate people who don't know the language, aren't highly skilled, and come from a foreign culture. Sweden's economic policies don't help. As a report of the Migration Policy Institute put it politely, Sweden is an interesting case because the state is committed to fostering large-scale immigration despite huge integration challenges in the labor market.There is a stark gap in the labor-force-participation rate between the native born (82 percent) and the foreign born (57 percent). As the Migration Policy Institute points out, Sweden is an advanced economy with relatively few low-skills jobs to begin with. On top of this, high minimum wages and stringent labor protections make it harder for marginal workers to find employment, while social assistance discourages the unemployed from getting work. None of this is a formula for assimilation or social tranquility. In a piece for The Spectator, Swedish journalist Tove Lifvendahl writes, A parallel society is emerging where the state's monopoly on law and order is being challenged.And the fiscal cost is high. According to Swedish economist Tino Sanandaji, the country spends 1.5 percent of its GDP on the asylum-seekers, more than on its defense budget. Sweden is spending twice the entire budget of the United Nations High Commissioner responsible for refugees worldwide. Pressed for housing, Sweden has spent as much on sheltering 3,000 people in tents as it would cost to care for 100,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan.It is little wonder that Sweden, where so recently it was forbidden to question the open-handed orthodoxy on immigration, has now clamped down on its borders. Sweden is a unique case, but clearly one of the lessons of its recent experience is, Don't try this at home. Rich Lowry is the editor of National Review. He can be reached via e-mail: comments.lowry@nationalreview.com. 2017 King Features Syndicate Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate Property details: Please note that iVacay LLC is not affiliated with nor does it represent the resort described in this item ad. Please read entire ad! If you have any questions, please e-mail us before placing a bid. (Due to West Virginia guidelines on purchasing Real Estate; West Virginia Residents will not be able to participate in this Auction) HOLIDAY INN LAS VEGAS DESERT CLUB Las Vegas, Nevada Lush desert palm trees adorn the entrance to Desert Club Resort, inviting you to surrender to the luxurious charms ... Price: $ 1 Seller State of Residence: Texas State/Province: Nevada City: Las Vegas Number of Bedrooms: 1 Location: , Las Vegas, Nevada You will be redirected to eBay Nearby 1 By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 02/21/2017 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. star Christina El Moussa is shedding some light on why her marriage to Tarek El Moussa crumbled and ended in divorce."We went through a lot in a short amount of time," Christina told People in an interview almost one year after separating from Tarek, although the pair didn't publicly announce their split until December 2016.The last several years have been tough for Christina and Tarek since launched in 2013 on HGTV. Tarek underwent radiation treatment for thyroid cancer that year, while Christina reportedly began a grueling struggle to get pregnant via in vitro fertilization and suffered a miscarriage in 2014.Once the couple welcomed their son Brayden, now 18 months, Christina went back to work four weeks after giving birth due to business pressures."It was too soon for me," Christina told People. "I was overwhelmed. The tension between me and Tarek was high."The relationship went downhill from there, as Christina revealed, "We weren't able to properly communicate anymore. It got to the point where we weren't even driving to set together."In a statement Christina and Tarek released late last year when announcing their decision to call it quits, they cited an "unfortunate misunderstanding " from May 2016 as one of the reasons.At that time, police were called to the family's home because Tarek allegedly fled the house in a fit of rage with a gun. Police were warned about "a possibly suicidal male," but Tarek insisted he was just blowing off some steam and took a gun with him as a form of protection against rattlesnakes and other dangers. No charges were filed and both individuals have insisted there was no violence that day."Like any couple, we had our share of issues," Christina admitted, clarifying however that their marital problems sparked long before that incident.Due to the buildup of years of a strained romance, Christina confessed to People she felt relief once they confirmed their split in December."I think the separation process begins long before people actually separate," Christina said. "So by the time we officially did, I felt like a weight was lifted off me."Tarek officially filed for divorce on January 9 amid rumors of infidelity and drama on the set of , but the couple has maintained a desire to continue working together and raise their children amicably in a healthy environment."Tarek and I don't discuss each other's personal lives," said Christina, who was recently photographed with her rumored boyfriend Gary Anderson, a contractor who once worked for her family."It is what it is and we are going through a divorce and eventually we will be dating other people. I'm happy for him and whatever steps he takes in his life and I just hope he's happy."Christina, in fact, insisted it's "invigorating" to know she's "starting over" and creating her "own destiny" right now with solo projects in addition to her show with Tarek, .Brayden and their daughter Taylor, 6, also remain the couple's focus."We're just normal, nice people who, you know, want to be the best parents and coworkers that we can be," Christina said during a Tuesday appearance on Good Morning America."Our kids are amazing... and transitioning well. Tarek and I are friends and we have a lot of support from our family. The kids are doing great." , We're sorry, this article is not currently available Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Accused securities scammer Martin Shkreli's co-defendant said Shkreli is a serial liar who "is guilty of committing fraud" and is creating a media "circus" to distract jurors from the evidence against him. In scathing new court filings seeking to be tried separately from Shkreli, the former corporate lawyer for Shkreli's company claims the pharma bro's chronic lies included misleading his own business lawyers and also said he used them as unwitting "pawns" in his "fraudulent schemes." In addition, Shkreli, 33, has a long-term pattern and practice of blaming others for his own misconduct, according to criminal defense lawyers for his co-defendant, Evan Greebel. Those lawyers go on to say that the "bizarre, one-of-a-kind spectacle" that Shkreli has created since his arrest which includes trolling Hillary Clinton, journalists, women, celebrities and government officials is an intentional effort to "become more polarizing" among the public and potential jurors for his trial so that he will win acquittal. "Nothing has been able to stop and nothing will be able to stop Mr. Shkreli from trying to turn this trial into a circus as part of a deliberate strategy to obtain jury nullification rather than have the jury focus on and carefully consider the evidence," said the filing by Greebel's lawyers. The term jury nullification refers to when jurors acquit a defendant even when they believe he is guilty of charged crimes. The sensational allegations are contained in documents filed in federal court in Brooklyn, New York. The two men face an upcoming trial in that court on charges they conspired to loot a drug company that Shkreli founded, Retrophin (RTRX), out of millions of dollars, in part to pay off investors that Shkreli was accused of defrauding at hedge funds that he ran. Shkreli's lawyer Benjamin Brafman also has filed a new motion to sever the trials, citing the dueling versions of reality offered by the two men. In that new motion, Brafman wrote that "Martin Shkreli maintains his complete innocence." Story continues "The evidence will show that he did not defraud, steal, lie, or cheat anyone out of money, and that he devoted his best efforts to bringing value to his investors," Brafman wrote. Brafman said that Greebel's argument about being misled by Shkreli is "patently unfounded and flatly contradicted by the written communications between Shkreli and Greebel as well as other evidence." Greebel's defense, according to Brafman, is "unfortunate, disingenuous and unfounded." Brafman told CNBC in a statement, "We believe that it would be quite impossible for either Defendant to get a fair trial if tried together." "As for Greebel's efforts to try and distance himself from Martin's legal issues, the fact is that Greebel and his firm billed Martin almost $10 million for legal advice during the very period in question," Brafman said in an email. "If not giving him counsel, he should return the money!" The accusations in the pending criminal case are unrelated to the controversy that first brought Shkreli national notoriety: his having hiked the price of an antiparasite drug by more than 5,000 percent after acquiring it for his other company, Turing Pharmaceuticals. Greebel is accused of two criminal counts: conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Shkreli is accused of those counts, as well as six others. Shkreli has pleaded not guilty to the charges, as has Greebel. Greebel's filing notes that the two men disagree about whether Greebel was Shkreli's lawyer as Shkreli claims or solely counsel for Retrophin, as Greebel says. Shkreli's criminal defense lawyers said they will, at trial, mount a so-called reliance on counsel defense. That means Shkreli will claim he is innocent because his alleged criminal actions were committed after his own civil lawyers told them they were legal. In his filing for Shkreli, Brafman noted the large legal fees paid Evan Greebel and his law firm, and also says that Shkreli spoke and emailed with Greebel and other lawyers "virtually every day, often dozens of times per day," on every topic facing Shkreli's business. The filing cited "tens of thousands of emails" between Shkreli and Greebel. "Greebel provided legal advice and insight to Shkreli, which Shkreli followed faithfully," Brafman wrote. "Because Shkreli relied closely on his experienced legal counsel and other attorneys at the firm, Shkreli has a valid 'reliance on counsel' defense." In their own new legal filing, Greebel's lawyers argue that having him tried with Shkreli would seriously compromise his right to a fair trial, particularly since the two men "have mutually antagonistic and irreconcilable defenses." The filing said that because of those dueling defenses, "there will be no realistic way for a jury to find both defendants not guilty." "We will be arguing to the jury that, among other things, Mr. Shkreli is guilty of committing fraud and that Mr. Greebel is not guilty of the charges against him," wrote Greebel's lawyer Reed Brodsky. In a related document, Brodsky wrote, "United States v. Martin Shkreli and Evan Greebel is the quintessential case that requires severance." "We will present strong evidence that Mr. Shkreli repeatedly lied to, misled, and omitted material information from Mr. Greebel and other attorneys at Katten Muchin Rosenman," Brodsky wrote, reffering to Greebel's former law firm. "Indeed, we will demonstrate that Mr. Greebel was an unknowing pawn in a fraud about which Mr. Greebel was unaware," Brodsky wrote. "We will also demonstrate ... that Mr. Shkreli is seeking to have Mr. Greebel found responsible for his own misconduct in the same way that, over the years, he has repeatedly shifted the blame for himself to anyone and everyone around him." The filing said that Greebel's lawyers will also argue that Shkreli told third-parties that he had obtained legal advice from Greebel and other lawyers at Katten Muchin when he actually had not received any such counsel. The filing lists several examples of Shkreli allegedly lying, including one instance in which Shkreli told Greebel that a former Retrophin director was making an "equity investment" in the company, when in fact that man was making a loan to Retrophin. Brodsky also wrote that, "If asked whether during the period from 2011 through 2014, how Mr. Greebel has come to learn that Mr. Shkreli lied to him, I anticipate that Mr. Greebel would answer that he discovered these lies from his review of documents produced in discovery in this case that he had never seen before prior to the charges filed against him." The filing for Greebel's motion for severance notes that he comes "from a long line of attorneys going back at least three generations, including his father and grandfather." "He is a family man, husband, and father of three young children," the filing said. "The dichotomy between the charged codefendants is stark." The filing said that Shkreli has a "plan of creating chaos to distract the jury's attention away from the evidence and obtain jury nullification." "Unlike any other case that we have been able to identify in history, Mr. Shkreli has a stated plan corroborated by his repeated post-arrest actions to disrupt the criminal trial, instill confusion, taint the jury, and apparently seek jury nullification," court documents argue. Greebel's lawyers argue that because of Shkreli's notoriety, as well as his post-arrest actions and statements, "Mr. Greebel will be deprived of his right to a fair trial." Their filing argues that while Shkreli has an "extraordinary amount of negative notoriety," Greebel "has absolutely no notoriety." The filing notes that Shkreli, in a Financial Times interview last November, admitted to having a plan "to make the case 'more polarizing and popular' by creating a circus-like atmosphere and encouraging hostile publicity." "And he admitted that his goal is to create the same kind of chaos that surrounded the OJ Simpson, Casey Anthony and Sean 'P Diddy' [C]ombs trials to obtain an acquittal as the defendants did in those cases," the filing said. The Financial Times quoted Shkreli as saying, "I have this fringe theory that I've sort of stress-tested a little bit the more polarizing and popular a case is, the more likely an acquittal," the filing noted. After citing the Simpson, Anthony, and Combs' acquittals, Shkreli said, "What's fascinating for all these cases? They were all widely seen to be guilty," the filing noted. Greebel's lawyers argued in their filing that "as part of his calculated effort to become 'more polarizing,' Mr. Shkreli has engaged and continues to engage an almost-daily, if not hourly, basis in deeply offensive attacks on women, the media, public figures and government officials." An attached exhibit, the filing noted, identifies about "75 examples of news articles, social media reports and video and audio recordings" that reflect "Shkreli's ongoing and deliberate efforts since his arrest to spread hate and hostility." The filing said that Shkreli's attacks "on women have been extreme, hostile, and unrelenting." Among them, the filing noted, is Shkreli saying on an online live-stream two days after his arrests that "he would let pop star Taylor Swift listen to an unreleased Wu-Tang Clan album he owns 'in exchange for sexual favors.' " Shkreli also tweeted on Election Day last fall that he was the "new right-wing boyfriend" of pop star Katy Perry after she tweeted that she was going to cry about the presidential election results. "Most recently, Mr. Shkreli sexually harassed a married Teen Vogue writer, inviting her to attend the presidential inauguration with him and flooding his Twitter feed with engineered photographs of them together on which he emblazoned ' 'Till Death Do Us Part,' " the filing said. Shkreli has also "taunted Stephen Colbert with a homophobic slur," and taunted and heckled Hillary Clinton outside her daughter's home after she became ill at a Sept. 11 memorial event last year. In his own filings, Shkreli's lawyer Brafman painted a picture of Shkreli as a child of "working-class Albanian parents," who was "raised in a modest Brooklyn apartment." While attending Hunter College High School, "his brilliance and ambition were obvious," the filing said. The filing goes on to say that while working in a mail room of a hedge fund founded by CNBC's Jim Cramer "[Shkreli] showed a knack for understanding biotech stocks," and had earlier "taught himself the complex chemistry and biology necessary to learn why certain drugs are effective and why others fail." We recently received an announcement describing the newly released BNTI Arms Battle Rifle. Chambered in .308, the new long gun is being built specifically for export to Nigerian and other African military, law enforcement and security forces units. BNTI is partnered with Armalite Inc. and several other companies and maintains a headquarters in Florida, but they are apparently a jointly US-Nigerian owned company based in Abuja. BNTI builds a number of weapon platforms in addition to their battle rifle; among semi-auto and select-fire rifles ranging from 9mm to 7.62 x 39mm. Nigeria's relationship with the United States has grown much closer in the last two years, after a change in regime tentatively promised an end to human rights violations. Since the election of President Muhammadu Buhari the United States has been providing assistance to Nigeria in several ways via the U.S.-Nigeria Binational Commission. Significant among those is security, as Nigerian security forces become more involved in operations against the extremist group Boko Haram (previously AFRICOM preferred to work with the militaries of neighboring Chad, Cameroon, and Niger). The development of BNTI weapons for export, and the intention to eventually begin manufacturing in African facilities, is likely a part of the goal to develop local infrastructure and manufacturing. In fact, not too long ago Nigerian Senate President Bukola Saraki initiated a program called the Made in Nigeria challenge. Anyway, here's what we know about it. BNTI ARMS LLC, in Jacksonville, Florida, is the U.S. headquarters for the manufacture of small arms intended for export to vetted African Armed Forces, Police and Para-Military units. BNTI is pleased to unveil its new .308 BNTI ARMS Battle Rifle. Our USA made firearms are of the highest quality and we build each firearm with the knowledge that it needs to be reliable, durable, and accurate as it will be saving lives and defending the freedom and way of life of the countries and people who depend on it, said Jim Pledger, President of BNTI ARMS. The new BNTI ARMS .308 Battle Rifle's performance-driven design is engineered for extreme durability and reliability. From the precision-machined MIL-Spec forged lower and upper to the MIL-Spec lower parts kit, the rifle is filled with premium features not found in comparable rifles. BNTI ARMS rifles will deliver the accuracy, reliability and durability expected by militaries and American gun owners. BNTI ARMS .308 BATTLE RIFLE Specifications: * Precision machined MIL-Spec forged 7075-T6 matched upper/lower receiver set with integral QD's * Receiver MIL-A-8625, Type III, Class 2 hard coat anodized (Cerakote colors optional) * 16.5 Match Grade 416R stainless steel barrel with 1:10 twist * VX308 Flash Hider BCP or Odin Works * 13.5 KMod Rail by Battle Arms Development * 90ambidextrous safety selector * CMC flatbow * 4.5 lb. trigger * Magpul ACS stock * Multiple Cerakote options available Broadcast Journalist, Joy Osiagwu interviewed the BNTI Arms staff at the 2017 SHOT Show. See the video here. About BNTI ARMS LLC in their own words. With its U.S. office in Jacksonville, Florida, and sales office in Abuja Nigeria, BNTI ARMS is dedicated to developing state-of-the-art technology and providing quality performance firearms for the Nigerian and other vetted African Military, Police and Para-military units, as well as for its U.S. markets. You can find them online right here. Industry News. What are you seeing here? Just as the tagline reads industry news. This is a product (or service) announcement. It is not an endorsement. It is not a review. It is not an advertisement. Posts on RECOILweb.com labeled as Industry News are advisory notifications only. Information contained therein is likely provided by the individual manufacturer (or service provider), provided to RW and passed along to our readers as a notification only. Such articles do not represent our tacit approval, nor (unless labeled SPONSORED) were they paid for. RECOIL publishes not just for a fraction of the gun-owning community, but all of it. Individual editorial staff member opinions are not the sole arbiter of what news we present. What one person derides, another will extol. One of RECOIL's responsibilities is to inform readers of new products or services from manufacturers, training organizations, and the like. RECOIL readers have made it very clear this is something they want to see, and frequently. Some of those products will be chosen for further coverage or evaluation. Some will not. Some may have great promise or potential. Others will do nothing but prove the old adage, A fool and his money are soon parted. Readers should form their own conclusions, if appropriate. Rest assured if a member of the RECOIL staff is providing an opinion, you will know about it. If you are aware of a new technology, product, or service you think is worth us passing along, reach out to [email protected] with details. The Athens-Clarke County Police Department was one of multiple entities involved in the arrest of nine individuals involved in a child sex investigation. All nine were arrested in Clarke County. (File/Staff) TCS, Infosys and others are banking on automation to protect their turf in the US, but building a successful revenue model around it may prove difficult President Donald Trumps proposed Bill on raising the minimum salaries of H1-B visa holders, if it goes through, is likely to raise the cost of Indian IT companies, which have so far built their business by focusing on the cost end of the spectrum. The US accounts for nearly 60 per cent of the software export business for Indian players and the changes in the offing could make a big dent in their revenues. Although Indian software firms have onsite presence, their business model is skewed towards pushing work offshore where they can leverage the cost advantage to deliver value to clients. However, as Indian companies work out a strategy to deal with these changes, some believe more than the visa norms, it is the tardiness in automating their IT processes that could accelerate the demise of their business model. The countrys two largest IT firms, TCS and Infosys, have said they plan to tackle the growing move towards protectionism with a combination of more local hiring and virtual technologies, which may be difficult to legislate against. This plan, however, may fail to bear fruit if IT companies are not able to make substantial headway in achieving automation quickly before the contracts go for rebid. Over the next two years, the IT industry is expected to see a reduction in orders for traditional services. A lot of the traditional service work orders will be replaced by automation. In fact, automation of technology services may potentially take out 30-40 per cent of the traditional pie from Indian companies. This clearly says that they have to catch up fast with global peers in increasing digital technology footprint, says Pareekh Jain of HfS Research India, a technology researcher. There is a sense of urgency among Indian companies. Infosys Chief Executive Vishal Sikka reiterated the need for faster shift to digital during a call with investors on Monday. Even though Infosys is among the earliest advocates of embracing automation and artificial intelligence, traditional services continue to earn four out of five dollars for the company. It (automation) may not be now, but in two, four or ten years. We have to eliminate our own work, improve productivity, deploy the improved productivity to innovation, said Sikka, while quoting a report from HFS Research which says India will see the biggest impact on jobs due to automation. Stepping up investment Global companies are investing billions of dollars in digital transformation. BNP Paribas, among Europes largest banking firms, says it would invest Euro 3 billion over three years in digital technologies as it looks to engage with young and technology-savvy customers. While higher demand for automation from businesses across major markets is throwing up newer opportunities, Indian companies are still not geared towards it, say analysts. One of the things that may pose a challenge over the next couple of years is the slow progress made by Indian companies in digital technology compared with their global peers like Accenture and IBM, says Jain. The protectionist headwinds blowing globally could set them back further. In India, as is the case globally, there is a shortage of trained engineers to work on large digital projects. Such projects typically need engineers and analysts to work with customers on-site. Such projects start small but the engagement with customers is deeper and strategic with involvement of top leaders of the client. However, as the US tightens its visa norms, companies wont be able to build their capabilities swiftly by shifting resources abroad. Some, though, also doubt the sustainability of a business model built around automation. The very antithesis of the traditional global IT services model is to counter with offering design to reduce the reliance on manual labour... The challenge here is the whole revenue model is tied to savings through headcount elimination and the generation of licence fees for bots. While automation would be very hard for the likes of Trump to legislate against, it is also very hard for service providers to construct revenue models around it, says Phil Fersht, chief executive at HfS Research, in his blog post titled Four golden rules to save Indian IT industry from Trump. According to Fersht, the revenue upside in automation is tied to consulting and helping clients figure out what is possible - which is why the likes of Accenture, EY and Deloitte are leading this space. In a wait-and-watch mode While Indian firms are optimistic of growth returning, the numbers say otherwise. Industry body Nasscom expects exports to grow 8-10 per cent this year. But even this could be difficult to achieve as TCS, Wipro and Infosys, the top three players, are expected to report single digit growth for the year. They are facing pricing pressure on traditional services, while growth rate in new businesses is not offsetting the decline. The overall macroeconomic environment does not seem to have turned completely in favour of Indian IT service providers since the slowdown in spending after Brexit and the US elections. Two major sectors, oil & gas and telecom, have still not renewed investments in technology. Mayuresh Joshi of Angel Broking suggests having a longish view on IT stocks, and advises fresh investors to either wait for a better entry point or let clarity emerge on the ongoing issues before taking a plunge into IT stocks. The valuations of large-cap IT companies look attractive, but the uncertainty over Brexit issue in the UK and H1B visa issue in the US will be the two headwinds in the short-term. The IT companies are looking at mitigating the risk but the real impact will be visible when the US Bill actually turns into a law, Joshi says. Photograph: Lucas Jackson/Reuters 'Right time, right place, right business and I could see I was the right person. It was a now or never moment in a sense. If I didnt do it then, then when? There is little point in entering a business as an entrepreneur when someone else has proven the concept.' BJP leader Yashwant Sinha's son started ReNew Power during the UPA II government to focus on clean energy. Big business in India suffers from a perception problem. Few believe that you can achieve success and create huge wealth in India if you do things the ethical and correct way. Sumant Sinha, son of former finance minister Yashwant Sinha, is out to prove the contrary. As he goes about trying to build the largest renewable energy company in the country -- ReNew Power -- what drives him most is his desire to prove he can do it cleanly. But clean energy is not his only goal. Hes aiming to be the biggest solar power generator in India. When Sinha started his company, the UPA II government was focused on clean energy. But the NDA-led government has set unimaginable targets for renewable energy. And Sinhas plunge into renewable power has moved into a much higher trajectory than hed imagined. The commissioned assets of the company in the past six years are 1,400 MW (wind 1,050 MW and solar 350 MW). Sinha says hed like to keep his market share in solar energy at 8-10 per cent. A powerful magnet After a career spanning industries and continents for 11 years, in April 2002, Sinha came back to India and joined Kumar Mangalam Birla as his chief financial officer in Mumbai, and worked with the Birlas for close to six years. His spearheading the groups retail business was his first experience of running a business hands on. In 2008 he was approached by Suzlon to join as CFO. He did, and a month after he joined, the 2008 financial crisis struck, destroying Suzlons business model. I found myself moving from the frying pan to the fire, says Sinha, who after a very intense work life at the Birla group had hoped for a slightly easier assignment. He had no time to breathe for 15 months. Tulsi Tanti decided to come back full on and Sinha decided it was time for him to call it a day. Sinha noticed there was a change in the renewable energy sector, which had been primarily wind-driven till then, thanks to tax breaks given by government. Jewellers, film actors and all manner of entities had entered the wind turbine space ... But the government had introduced a policy to attract IPPs in the Indian space too and more serious players were entering this sector. Politics is no less certain When he quit Suzlon, Sinha found himself at the crossroads. He had achieved financial stability and could consider entering politics, like his father had done in the 1980s and his brother was considering the same thing at around the same juncture. But he could also see the huge opportunity in the energy sector. With things easing up after the financial crisis, he also noticed that a lot of private equity capital was available. Right time, right place, right business and I could see I was the right person. It was a now or never moment in a sense. If I didnt do it then, then when? There is little point in entering a business as an entrepreneur when someone else has proven the concept, says he. He also felt he could perhaps make a bigger contribution to the country by getting into the clean energy space than by being in politics. A ReNewed birth In 2010-11, he invested his own money and started building a pipeline of projects before he raised funds. Goldman Sachs was looking at the renewable energy sector in India after it had successfully funded, scaled up and exited a wind platform in the US a few years earlier. They committed $200 million to Sinhas business during June-September 2011. If Goldman at the time had invested in someone else or come back and said no, maybe I would have been in politics! says Sinha. With 640 employees, his company has raised $650 million (including Goldman increasing its own commitment from $200 million to $370 million). $1.7 billion has been raised as debt. He says new possibilities constantly emerge and the goalposts keep moving -- when his firm had 500 MW, 1,000 MW looked impossible. Now he is looking at three times that. Hes also looking at which countries he could expand into and perhaps other clean businesses. Let me say I feel much more in control. Images: Courtesy, ReNew Power. Now that an elected chief minister is at the helm, it is high time the Centre initiate discussions to appoint a full-time governor at the earliest, given that the state is set to face some challenging times, says N Sathiya Moorthy. Image: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami being presenting a floral bouquet by Governor CH Vidyasagar Rao after the the swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan in Chennai on February 16, 2017. Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo. With acting Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao returning to his gubernatorial base in Mumbai after last weeks high drama, both inside and outside the state assembly in Chennai, the question arises as to when -- and not if -- Tamil Nadu would get a full-time gubernatorial assignee. This is because almost since the hospitalisation of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in September last year, and more so after the sudden exit and subsequent retraction of her party-chosen successor O Panneerselvam, or OPS, the role of the governor became more crucial than ever in the past, and an acting governor, operating mostly out of the state, was seen as a part of the problem(s), and not as the constitutionally-mandated provider of timely solution(s). Suffice to recall that on the afternoon when OPS quit and proposed ruling AIADMK general secretary, V K Sasikala, as his successor, Rao was flying out of Coimbatore to New Delhi, for attending a private function. From there, he moved on to Mumbai, where he either stayed in the Raj Bhavan or attended to some prior engagements, none of which, it would seem, was as critical and serious as the evolving political situation in Tamil Nadu. The question thus arises that if only Rao had flown in to Chennai, instead of Delhi on that crucial Sunday afternoon, would outgoing chief minister OPS have confided in the acting governor that his resignation and hence subsequent proposal of Sasikalas name in his place were not of his own volition, as implied in the relevant provisions of the Constitution? The Constitution mandates that ministerial resignations have to be in ones own hand, implying that even if only a finger-print and not a signature, the governor would have to assure himself that it was not done under coercion or duress. As subsequent events proved, OPSs resignation, and its not-so-delayed acceptance, caused the subsequent developments, starting with his claims to forced resignation nearly 48 hours later. Before returning to Mumbai, Rao received delegations of ruling AIADMK under the new CM, Edappadi K Palaniswami, a DMK team of Rajya Sabha members, and a third one led by AIADMK rebels (for want of a better phrase) and outgoing CM Panneer. In their meetings with the governor, the three delegations gave him an account of their perceptions of the trust vote that the governor had ordered in order for Palaniswami to prove his majority on the floor of the House, as ordained by the Supreme Court in the S R Bommai case verdict in 1994. Fair enough, the Bommai verdict also stated that the speaker was the boss inside the assembly, but given the circumstances the court had not considered possible in 1994, could Rao have directed Speaker P Dhanapal to consider a secret vote as a real possibility? Likewise, could Rao have directed the speaker to permit an independent observer or observers, nominated by the Raj Bhavan to report back to him after the vote? If these issues were flagged before the court, and if the nations highest judiciary did not approve of his ways, then he would still be seen by the Tamil Nadu voter as having erred on the right side. Governor Rao is a knowledgeable politician, from undivided Andhra Pradesh. A BJP parliamentarian and an RSS pracharak in his earlier avatar, he had served as minister of state at the Centre in the Vajpayee-led NDA government. A part of his innings as MoS was spent in the Union home ministry, which is concerned with the role, activities and reports of state governors, especially on occasions such as this. This, and Raos knowledge of the Constitution as a lawyer, should have prepared him well for his present job. So should the long hospitalisation of then chief minister Jayalalithaa have alerted him to the possibilities of the kind. In recent times, he would have also followed the gubernatorial career of one-time party colleague, Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa, who would not quit as Arunachal Pradesh governor even after the Supreme Court had castigated him for his conduct over defection-induced change of government in the sensitive north-eastern state. Today, in the absence of an independent observer report, the governor would still have to rely, technically, on the speakers verdict and communication. The Centre and the President, if they were to act on his report, if its adverse to the speakers communication and the Palaniswami government, all three would have to explain their conduct even more to the Supreme Court. After all, the Bommai verdict clearly mandates that any dissolution of the assembly and/or dismissal of a state government would suo motu be taken up for early hearing and disposal by the Supreme Court. The court verdict would be final and binding on all parties concerned, the SC had declared in the Bommai judgment. All this does not mean that Governor Rao did not do his part well. But a full-time governor would have glued his ears to the ground, full-time, and not be distracted by gubernatorial commitments in his parent state, or otherwise, too. Today, there are more problems for the Palaniswami government and the Sasikala faction of the ruling AIADMK than is acknowledged. The government has to present the Budget for 2017-18 soon and get it passed by March 31 in the assembly. There are also other issues, bills and resolutions that would come up before the assembly for debate and vote, almost on a daily basis. The controversy surrounding the trust vote has brought all non-Sasikala faction parties and groups on the same side. This means, with the DMKs 89 MLAs, and those of the Congress allys eight and IUMLs one, the OPS factions 11 legislators may vote against the government, whatever the issue, whatever the occasion. The bonhomie that the DMK-led Opposition had displayed since the May 2016 elections, despite being spurned repeatedly by the Jayalalithaa government but was acknowledged with grace by the OPS leadership, cannot be expected any more. In effect, all of it would mean that the anti-government parties would together have a total of 109 MLAs in a House with an effective strength of 233 (following the vacancy created by Jayas death). That would mean that the opposition would require only 117 votes, to send the Palaniswami team packing, even with the Speakers casting vote. They would thus have to look at eight more MLAs to cross over, even as the OPS faction should be guarding its own flock against poaching before the official faction gets down to the business of seeking the disqualification of select rebels. Indications are that the DMK, if offered the mandatory chance of forming a government, should the Panaliswami team lose a floor test of any kind, might opt out, and seek fresh elections to the assembly. It could happen as early as a year, if not less. Even otherwise, with periodic polls due in the next five years -- local government elections in 2017, Lok Sabha polls in 2019 and that for the state assembly in 2021 -- neither of them can hope to face any of them without the MGR-Jaya Two Leaves symbol. The two AIADMK factions may thus have to consider re-unification as a possibility. As the OPS camp has started pointing out belatedly and not when their leader Panneer was proposing Sasikalas name for the party general secretarys post after Jayas exit, the position can be filled only through a vote by all 1.5-crore registered members. Its another matter that neither MGR, nor Jaya in their time, was elected to the post this way. Nor were MGRs nominated replacements in V R Nedunchezhiyan, or V Ragavanandam, whenever. However, possibly anticipating trouble of the kind on a future date, the Sasi camp is believed to have obtained the signatures of many, if not a majority, of registered members of the party with proof of identification at the local levels, after the party general council had unanimously elected her as the party boss, on the resolution moved by OPS, already CM. The question would thus arise if a person who had been CM could claim to have been forced into proposing Sasis name for two different positions, one of them mandated by the nations Constitution, with such casualness unbecoming of an incumbent chief minister of a fairly large and mainstream state. If perceptions, especially in the social media, were to prove right, and the OPS camp, possibly with some assistance now from Jayas niece J Deepa, were to prove right, then the Sasi faction, as is identified at least as of now, may have a tough time retaining the Two Leaves symbol. That could be among the clinching issues in the coming days, weeks and months, for a long drawn-out legal battle before the Election Commission first and possibly in the Supreme Court later on could cause further tremors in the party, at times within the state assembly, too. Independent of all this could be the upcoming presidential polls in July, where the split AIADMK in the two Houses of Parliament with the second highest total of 49 MPs, and their counterparts in the state assembly with the pre-split total of 135 would matter the most -- and not just for the factions or the state alone, but for the national parties and their strategists, from multiple directions. A clearer picture on that score could emerge after the results of the ongoing five-state assembly polls are known on March 11. All of it could well demand that Tamil Nadu gets a new governor at the earliest, and he too has enough time to study the ground situation and is seized of the possibilities and probabilities, without getting caught, as if unawares. Whats more, unlike when Rao had to take additional charge when incumbent K Rosaiah retired, today the State has a CM with whom the Centre could hold the conventional consultations before naming a new governor. Of course, a lot on this score again would depend on what Rao has to report to the Centre and the President, if at all he has any, after the trust vote, where CM Palaniswami won the vote, though not necessarily the trust of the state. Independent of what acting governor Rao can and would do, the Centre may have to actively consider the appointment of a full-time gubernatorial tenant for the sprawling Raj Bhavan in Chennai. Though there was/is no constitutional bar on the Centre/President appointing a governor only in consultation with the state government, represented by the chief minister, successive PMs have followed the convention, though with rare exceptions. In the case of TN, CM Jaya was hospitalised for long, yes, but that did not deter acting governor Rao to direct senior-most minister OPS to chair cabinet meetings and look after the portfolios under her care. Even after Jayas death and OPS had been sworn in CM in a midnight function in the Raj Bhavan, the Centre was not known to have taken any initiative for the appointment of a full-time governor for the state, through mutual consultations or whatever. N Sathiya Moorthy, veteran journalist and political analyst, is Director, Observer Research Foundation, Chennai Chapter. 'We provided more electricity during Diwali vis-a-vis Eid because there is no load on electricity during Diwali.' IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses an election rally in Fatehpur, UP, February 19, 2017. Photograph: PTI Photo 'Gaon mein agar kabristan banta hai, to gaon mein shamshaan bhi banana chahiye. Agar Ramzan mein bijli milti hai, toh Diwali mein bhi milni chahiye. Agar Holi mein bijli milti hai, to Eid par bhi bijli milni chahiye. Bhedbhav nahin hona chahiye (If a village gets a graveyard, it should get a cremation ground too. If there is electricity during Ramzan, there should be electricity during Diwali too. If there is electricity during Holi, there should be electricity during Eid too. There should not be any discrimination).' --Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, February 19. Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf spoke to Shailendra Dubey, chairman, All India Power Engineers Federation, to ascertain the truth about electricity supply in UP. Can you tell us about the criteria when distributing electricity during festivals in Uttar Pradesh? The effort during every festival in Uttar Pradesh is to provide maximum electricity. This is not new, but is being followed for the last 20 years. Now the festival of Diwali is held during the last week of October or the first week of November, when the demand for electricity is less. There is no load of air-conditioning or heaters because the weather is pleasant. We have surplus electricity during Diwali. Also, during Diwali, factories are shut for three days and so are most offices. Therefore, there is no problem to give electricity to people during Diwali. What about electricity distribution during Eid vis-a-vis Diwali in 2016? On July 6, 2016, people were celebrating Eid. On that day, we supplied 13,500 MW electricity and during the Diwali week -- from October 28 to November 1 -- we supplied electricity for 24 hours to all urban and rural areas to the tune of 15,600 MW. So, it is but natural that we provided more electricity during Diwali vis-a-vis Eid because there is no load on electricity during Diwali. However, I must add that politics should be kept away from this subject because electricity must not become a victim of votes and money. This is a highly technical field and it should be left to the technicians. 18,000 mw The electricity demand in UP during the summer. What is the daily demand for electricity in the state and how much of it is met? During the summers in Uttar Pradesh, the demand for electricity is about 16,000 MW and in winters, the demand is around 13,000 MW. During Eid, the demand was for 15,000 MW, but we could not fulfill that and we could only give 13,000 MW of electricity. In the coming summer, we feel the demand would be around 18,000 MW. How does your department decide and prioritise the distribution of electricity during festivals? Diwali is the festival of lights and therefore we give maximum electricity on this day. After that we have Navratri when Durga Puja is held and then the month of Ramzan. During other festivals like Bakri Eid or Holi, we try to give maximum electricity. We also highlight in newspapers that electricity will be given to full capacity on festive days. Does your department take these decisions independently or does the state government weigh in on it? We are an independent authority, but during festivals, the central government too plays a role. There are central government power plants and every state has a quota of electricity from which they can withdraw electricity. When we need more electricity it is the central government that can distribute it according to its discretion. But I will reiterate again, Diwali is at a time when the demand for electricity in northern India is low. People do not use their rotating fans because the weather is pleasant and we do not face that much electricity load too. IMAGE: In India, 80 million homes and 300 million people do not have electricity. Photograph: Kamal Kishore KK/CP/Reuters Do you mean to say that if Eid occurred in the months of October and November, you wojld be able to supply more electricity? Yes. We will be able to give more power for Eid too if that were the case. The distribution of electricity has got nothing to do with politics, but with the weather. If the weather is pleasant, then automatically there will be less consumption of electricity. And it is just that Diwali comes at a time when the weather is pleasant in northern India. If a festival occurs during December, then the demand for power is more. But three festivals -- Holi, Dusherra and Diwali -- occur at a time when it is neither hot nor cold. When you heard the prime minister's remark, did you feel it was a political statement? It was 100 per cent a political statement. Therefore, I have come out in the open and given the actual data. We have got 20 years of data and you will find that always there is more power supply during Diwali than Eid because Diwali comes at a time when there is no demand for electricity. What is the demand for electricity in Uttar Pradesh and how much is the shortfall? There is less shortage of electricity in Uttar Pradesh now. On many days we have more electricity and less demand. We have 24 hours power supply in places like Lucknow and Noida. In residential areas, too, if there is a power cut, then that is due to some local fault. So are we producing more electricity? Today in India the generation capacity of electricity is 3 lakh MW and the demand is 1.5 lakh MW. So demand itself is less. Like in Uttar Pradesh, in peak summer, the demand is 18,000 MW. Uttar Pradesh generates 5,000 MW. From the Centre, we get 6,000 MW and another 5,000 MW we get from the private sector in UP. So the total is 16,000 MW. And to fill the gap of 2,000 MW we buy power from other private companies. We have got 20 years of data and you will find that there is more power supply during Diwali than Eid because it comes at a time when there is no demand for electricity What is the reason of the shortage of electricity in summers then? The shortage is because of bad inter-state relations. The inter-state electricity grid is not working to its full capacity. Like, there is sufficient electricity in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, but we cannot draw that electricity into Uttar Pradesh. The formation corridor is overloaded. The Power Grid Corporation of the central government is working on it and also the state power companies are working on it, but it will take few years to solve this problem. Many villages in India don't have electricity. There is a difference here. There is electricity in the villages, but there is no electricity in the homes of villagers. The definition of the central government is that if there is an electricity pole in the village, then that village has electricity. But the question is, how many homes in that village have electricity? This is a worrisome situation. In India today, there are 8 crore homes which have no electricity and that population comes to around 30 crore people. Why has electricity not reached these people? We have been raising these questions time and again to the state governments and central governments, that we have the generating capacity, but still cannot distribute electricity. It is an unfortunate situation. In many states, power stations are shutting down because there is no demand for electricity. In Uttar Pradesh, we shut down a 2,500 MW power plant. In Gujarat, a 5,000 MW power plant was shut down and the same is the case of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab because there is no demand. 300 million Indians Number of Indians who have no electricity How can there be no demand when people don't have electricity in their homes? The answer is simple. People don't have electricity connections in their home. So when they have no electricity connections, then how can we have demand? So who is responsible for bringing electricity to people's homes? It is the government's job. Therefore, I said earlier, there should not be any electricity politics, it should not be played and politicians should steer clear of this issue. These are technical issues and should be solved technically. Does it mean that while India produces enough electricity, the cable lines to people's homes have not been laid by the government? The answer is that is not the priority of the government. Could it be that the people may not be able to pay the electricity bill which is why they don't want it, so it is not just a distribution problem? Till the time we do not strengthen the distribution network of electricity, 30 crore people will live without electricity in India. Don't your raise these issues with the ministers? We do raise these issues when we meet them. We feel the answer to this is that there should be no politics on electricity. Only then can this problem be solved. THE RACE IN UP Don't miss the features in the Related Links below... 'Parents have to -- whether they like it or not -- save up Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 60 lakhs per daughter for her wedding.' 'If someone is earning up to Rs 10,000 a month and has three daughters, how will he manage?' 'Somehow, somewhere, there has to be a cap on this kind of expenditure.' *IMAGE: NRI businessman Ravi Pillai spent Rs 55 crore on his daughter Dr Arathi Ravi Pillai's wedding to Kochi doctor Adithya Vishnu. The bride accessorised her look with diamonds, a whole lot of them! Photograph: Kind courtesy Facebook Her wedding, 23 years ago, was a grand affair that involved a chartered flight and a guest list estimated somewhere between 250,000 to 300,000 people. So when Ranjeet Ranjan, the Congress MP from Supaul in Bihar, introduced a bill in Parliament aiming to curtail the lavishness of Indian weddings, she obviously ran into a storm. The private member's bill, which was submitted in Parliament last July, is once again the focus of attention because it was approved by President Pranab Mukherjee and now returns to Parliament for discussion. Among other things, the bill aims to" Curtail wasteful expenditure by limiting expenses to Rs 5 lakhs each for the bride's and groom's families. Set up a welfare fund to which families will have to contribute 10 per cent of the wedding expenses if it crosses the Rs 5 lakh limit. This fund will be used to facilitate the wedding of girls from poor families. Make wastage of food at weddings a criminal offence. Limit the number of invitees and the number of dishes served at a wedding. Ensure the registration of the wedding within 60 days. The penalties include imprisonment and fines. You can read the bill in English here and in Hindi here. Ranjan counters the criticism saying that a wedding -- especially getting a girl married -- is unnecessarily back-breaking for a family and such financial catastrophes -- brought on by societal pressures -- urgently need to be curtailed. The MP tells Rediff.com's Savera R Someshwar that, at 43, she should be allowed to correct the mistakes of the past. *IMAGE: Politician, producer and philanthropist Dr T Subbarami Reddy's grandson Keshav -- GVK group CEO G V Sanjay Reddy and Pinky Reddy's only son -- wed Veena, a chemical engineering graduate, in a grand wedding ceremony recemtly. Here the newly weds are greeted by movie superstars Rajinikanth and Amitabh Bachchan and Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan. Could you explain the thought process behind The Marriages (Compulsory Registration and Prevention of Wasteful Expenditure) Bill, 2016, which has now received the President's approval? If you look at Bihar or Uttar Pradesh, getting your daughter married to a peon means you have to give cash of Rs 30 lakhs to Rs 35 lakhs. If you want to get your daughter married to an IAS officer, you have to give Rs 1 crore. If you go to Punjab, where I hail from, cash mein tilak nahi hota hai (the money that is given by the bride's family to the groom's family during the tilak ceremony, which can be considered as an engagement), but there is a lot of sho-sha. Dikhawa hai (ostentaiousness). A wedding puts a lot of pressure on the middle class. You may have educated your daughter; she may be a very talented child, but there is no getting away from the fact that you will have to spend a certain amount of money on her wedding. Parents have to -- whether they like it or not -- save up Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 60 lakhs per daughter for her wedding. If someone is earning up to Rs 10,000 a month and has three daughters, how will he manage? Somehow, somewhere, there has to be a cap on this kind of expenditure. Isn't this because of the mindset we have and the social pressure we face in India? Of course. Nowadays, people are willing to spend Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000 on a wedding invitation card just to impress society. In a country where there are so many poor people who cannot afford two square meals a day, you are willing to spend Rs 20 lakhs to Rs 30 lakhs on one meal for the baraatis (guests from the groom's side). There are so many dishes served; can people each so much? So much food is wasted at these functions; I have seen it myself in many weddings that I have attended. The desire for one-upmanship only makes matters worse; your wedding has to be better, your menu have more food, your location must be glitzier, your jewellery must be more expensive... It just goes on and on. I've also noticed parents want their girls to marry into a family that is financially better than their own; aur sukhi rahen (let her be happier). So they take on the huge pressure of financing a wedding they can't afford. Sometimes, the boy's family will say if you cannot afford it, we will spend for the wedding. Don't you think in such cases the girl's mother will regret the fact that they could not get their daughter married off in the style that was expected? They feel that their daughter will have to compromise, muhje jukhna pad raha hai (we have to bow our head). We give a lot of importance to Western culture and follow it in many ways, so why don't we follow it when it comes to marriages? One of my sisters lives in London. One of her daughters is an engineer and she wants to get married. The boy and the girl will pool their finances together, consider what they can afford and plan their wedding. In India, by the time we reach the age of 50 or 60, we have educated our children and helped them stand on their own feet. The money remaining with the parents should be used for their retirement so that they can live comfortably. Instead, they are willing to sacrifice everything for two days of sho-sha that will soon disappear from everyone's memory. A lot of people sell their land, mortgage their house, take a loan, just for do din ka status (to be able to show off their status for two days)... If you have that kind of money, empower your daughter and son-in-law financially instead of indulging in food wastage or noise pollution. It is my opinion that these changes should be made, there has to be some kind of level playing field. I have got a good response for my bill. At least, because of my bill, a discussion has started on this matter. How will the bill help? I have mentioned three specific things under my bill: Food wastage Wasteful expenditure Compulsory registration of the wedding You must have seen many such cases in Punjab where the boys get married here and go abroad, where they get married again. The marriage here has not been registered, so the girl's life is shattered. *IMAGE: At her wedding, Brahmani Reddy, controversial mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy's daughter, was dressed in a red Kanjeevaram sari that reportedly cost Rs 17 crore. Photograph: Kind courtesy Babu Reddy M/Facebook Don't you think the biggest expense in a marriage is dowry? Should that be rooted out of the system first? Yes. But that is a different matter and we are going to come up with a plan for that as well. Here, my main focus was wastage of food, wasteful expenditure and registration of the marriage. There has been a lot of criticism because you too had a lavish wedding. Yahan aati hai politics (this is where politics enters the picture). I was 19 years old when I got married (February 6, 1994); 23 years have passed since then. If I no longer want to do what I had done so many years ago, is it a crime? Is it wrong to change? My parents are middle class people. At the very most, we must have spent Rs 1 lakh at my wedding. I was only person in the chartered plane that went from Patna to Purnea (one of the charges against her is that a plane ferried guests to the wedding location). Yes, I have said that 2 to 3 lakh people attended our wedding reception. You have to understand that rural area mein shaadi hui thi (My wedding took place in a rural area). We were married in the Purnea gurudwara, which is a very small gurdwara. There was no special lunch-wunch. From my side, a maximum of 50 people must have attended the wedding. We ate in the hall itself and then, in the night, there was a bhoj (a low cost communal meal) instead of the typical wedding feast. Someone brought yoghurt, someone brought rice. The bhoj may have cost Rs 5 lakhs to Rs 8 lakhs. My husband (controversial three-time MP Pappu Yadav) was the MP of Purnea. Ours was an inter-caste marriage -- I belonged to Punjab, he was from Bihar. This increased the curiosity level in his constituency. Gaaon mein bada attraction tha ke kisko leke aaye (There was a great amount of interest in the bride). People from all the nearby villages had come for the wedding. There is a great difference between a royal wedding and people coming to see the bride because the groom is popular. In fact, I still tease my husband that 'Aapne shaadi kahan ki thi? (When did you marry me?). Our wedding was like a rally. And people don't come to a rally to eat... dekhne aate hain (they come to see). If people want to stretch that, they are most welcome to do so. I don't care. How old are your children? What if they or their in-laws/partners want a lavish wedding? Let me tell you a story. Four years ago, we had gone to Punjab for a family wedding. There is a lot of dhikawa (showing off) in Punjabi weddings. My son, a 17 year old then, told me, 'Mamma, itni taam-jaam mere mein mat karma (Mom, keep my wedding simple). Instead put the money the bank. We can use it to travel. If you see typical politicians' weddings, the newly weds are sidelined as all the attention is focused on the VIP guests. My children do not like this. As young as they are -- (her daughter is 13) -- they say please do not invite any VIP. This inspires me. Last week, someone asked me how I could ride such an expensive bike I replied that I could probably afford it because I don't have to worry about buying gold or saving money for my children's weddings. Touch wood, I am raising my children to be independent, to stand on their own feet. *IMAGE: A scene from the film Band Baaja Baaraat. "There is a lot of dikhawa in Punjabi weddings," says Ranjeet Ranjan, who is looking to rein in wedding expenditure. Why have the same budget for rural and urban areas? Things are much more expensive in urban areas. Of course. But a wedding in the rural area does not cost Rs 10 lakhs. The idea behind a cap on expenses is that people begin to fear the law -- kanoon ka yeh dar baithe -- that we should not spend so much money unnecessarily. In the village, you can have a feast for Rs 2 lakhs -- you'll be able to feed 1,000 people with dal, rice, vegetables, a sweet dish and people will be satisfied. But even in the village, if you are getting your daughter married to a teacher, you have to give dowry. My complaint is against that. I want that capped. We should have stringent laws so that people are frightened and think twice before following the dowry system or having a grand wedding because of societal pressures. I want youngsters to come forward and refuse to follow this system because it is against the law. I could be wrong. But should such things not be discussed? We need to find a solution to this problem. What about limit on the number of guests? People are questioning how a wedding can be financed in Rs 5 lakhs. Well, if you invite a limited number of guests, if you keep a limited variety of food, your expenses are definitely bound to reduce. If you are looking at the nitty-gritty to such an extent -- you not only decide the budget of a wedding but also the number of guests that can be invited and the number of dishes -- will you also decide how much can be spent on the bridal outfits and the jewellery? If there is a discussion on the bill, all these issues will be raised. If you read my bill, you will see that jewellery, decoration, cars, clothes, horse drawn carts, helicopters, planes... I have raised every point. If this becomes a law, then you'll have to restrict your expenses in every direction. Businessmen, politicians and film stars have the most ostentatious weddings. How will you stop that? And the middle class wants to imitate what they do. I have seen it happen and seen parents who have not been able to recover from the financial strain. The crorepati may say he has the money so he is doing it. One of the clauses in my bill is that they must not publicise such weddings because the impact is not very good. We get starry eyed about Bollywood very easily. So when such extravagant dreams settle in their eyes, children forget about the difficulties the parents have encountered in order to tackle the daily necessities. Parents, after all, are parents. They would like to fulfil their children's dreams. We Indian parents spend our earnings on fulfilling our children's dreams. These people are wealthy, have the right connections and wield a lot of influence. How will you make them obey the law? It is a problem. Even if Parliament increases the amount that can be spent on a wedding to Rs 20 lakhs, the people who are spending Rs 100 crores on a wedding will have to donate Rs 10 crores to the fund that will be created for the marriage of poor girls. At the same time, they will not want their lavish weddings highlighted by the media. Since there is a cap, they will worry that they will be faced with an inquiry. Two things will get sorted here. One, they will spend less because they will have to give a percentage to the BPL fund. Secondly, if the media does not hype their weddings so much, those who dream of unnecessarily having similarly lavish weddings will not feel inspired to do so. Destination weddings won't be advertised so much. Kullam-khulla saaj-sajawat mein rukawat lagni chahiye, lagegi (Ostentatiousness needs to be controlled and it will be). *IMAGE: Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover included all the traditional ceremonies, including the mehendi and the sangeet in their wedding celebrations. Photograph: Pradeep Bandekar It may a good idea to avoid ostentatious weddings, but don't you think that is a matter of personal choice? Should the government try to control a private citizen's life to such an extent? No doubt, lekin yaar jab pani sar se oopar chala jaaye na (but when the situation crosses a certain limit)... Take child marriage, for example; it is a family matter, isn't it? But it is also a huge social problem. Similarly, weddings -- I am including the dowry problem here as well -- are a huge burden for more than 70 per cent of India. Girls are burnt to death because of this, countless marriages are broken... Why are uniforms compulsory in school? Because you don't want the rich-poor divide there. This is the same kind of thought process that we need to see in our marriages as well. Why are people like the Reddy brothers spending Rs 500 crores on a wedding? The invitations sent to VIPs by the late Jayalalithaa are said to have cost Rs 10,000 each. I feel that some kind of limitations need to be set. Even if this is successfully implemented, how will you ensure that the 10 per cent contributed to the marriages of girls from poor families actually reaches them and is not siphoned off elsewhere? We would like a fund to be created for poor children. In order to ensure the money actually reaches then, the administration should be involved through the DM (district magistrate) and the money directly given for wedding expenses. That way, I feel there will be 95 per cent transparency in this issue. The process should be similar to what happens when a patient from our constituency needs to go to a big government hospital like AIIMS and the expenses are taken are of by the government. There are documents to be submitted before the approval happens and the payment is made directly to the hospital. Will there be changes to the bill? This is a private member's bill and, when it comes forward for discussion, there will be a lot of changes. For example, I felt that the parents of the boy and the girl should not spend more than Rs 5 lakhs each. If they spend more than that, the income tax department should be given the order to ensure that 10 per cent of the excess amount should be deposited in a fund that will be used to finance the weddings of girls from poor families. That amount may be increased by Parliament. *IMAGE: Neil Nitin Mukesh, the latest movie star to get hitched, had a wedding in Rajasthan and a reception in Mumbai, attended by many Bollywood stars. Photograph: Pradeep Bandekar Apparently, six bills to curb wedding expenses have been introduced over the years, but none of them have been passed -- four have lapsed and two are pending. See, many private members' bills have been presented but, in the last three years, only two have been approved by the President -- one transgender bill and this one. It is a positive sign. It shows that the government also wants to discuss this bill. How much of a success rate do private members' bills have? It is totally dependent on the government. If the bill appeals to the government, it can amend and approve it. If the government is not interested in the bill, it will not be taken up. Is it not true that very few private members' bills become the law? Yes, it is very rare. Very rare. How hopeful are you that your bill will become the law? Look, my main aim is to ensure this matter is discussed. It should happen in the media, it should happen in Parliament. Secondly, if the government says it is waging a war against black money, then it should pass this bill. Then it will be clear how fair this government is. So much black money is used in weddings. The media keeps says politicians do not work; they just indulge in politics. There are many such bills that an MP feels should come before the people and should be worked upon. So if someone is ignoring politics and bringing about such a bill, the government should ask its MPs to freely discuss this bill. If that happens, I am 100 per cent sure this bill will be passed because, even in Parliament, 80 per cent of the people are middle class. They understand the kind of problems a family faces. It is unfortunate that we get mired in politics -- whether this bill is passed or not unfortunately becomes a matter of politics. I feel positive about this bill because not every bill gets this kind of response from the electronic and print media, nor does it get this kind of response from the people. It is clear this is a problem that affects everyone and people want a solution. I feel the government is looking into this as well, so let's see what happens. Is it true that your bill is a replica of the bill introduced by Mr Akhilesh Das Gupta in the Rajya Sabha in 2011? I have no idea about Akhileshji. As an MP, you think about various issues. You make your personal assistant write it down so that you are reminded that this is an issue you want to do something about. We are not experts on this; so we call in experts and discuss the issue with them. We tell them we want to present a bill on this subject and find out how we can go about it. When did you start work on the bill and when was it presented? I submitted the bill in Parliament in the July session. When did it receive Presidential approval? Just a few days ago. I was in my constituency when it happened. When do you expect it to be taken up in Parliament and when do you expect it to become a law? It has been approved by the President, so it should be taken up in this (the Budget) session. If a private member's bill is taken up, the first one will be mine. It has already been listed. We don't know when it will be called for discussion. If approved, it depends on the government as to how long it will take to become a law. It could be six months; it could be a year. Pakistan is the only country in the world which banned lavish weddings. Is this the pattern you would like to follow? Yes, they can have four pakwan (dishes) and limited number of guests. We can do more than that. *All images published only for representational purposes. Do take a look at the INTERESTING FEATURES in the RELATED LINKS below. A man who had gone to withdraw money at an ATM in Sangam Vihar in New Delhi allegedly ended up getting four notes of Rs 2,000 with Children Bank of India written on them, police said on Wednesday. Rohit Kumar, who works as a customer care executive at a call centre in Chhatarpur, had gone to withdraw cash from the State Bank of India ATM in Sangam Vihar on February 6. He got four notes of Rs 2,000 which had Churan label written on them in place of the official watermark. Meanwhile, SBI issued a statement saying that they have a robust system in place for monitoring the quality of notes, adding that the investigation in the matter is underway. Police said all the notes were found as children playing notes, which are available at toy shops. A case under sections 406 (Punishment for criminal breach of trust), 409 (Criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent) and 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at Sangam Vihar police station, they said. Mohammed Isha, custodian of the Brinks India Pvt Ltd, who works for the SBI ATM has been zeroed in and his liability has been fixed by the bank as he was the custodian at the time of the incident, said a senior police officer. Although Isha has denied his involvement in the incident, he is being questioned, police said. The notes also had PK written on them in place of the RBI stamp and the top left corner had Bharatiya Manoranjan Bank written instead of Reserve Bank of India. Kumar told police that he had Rs 8,425.85 in his account and wanted to withdraw Rs 8,000, but the notes dispensed by the ATM bore the words, I give 2,000 coupons to the holder. He also brought the matter to the notice of a security guard posted at the ATM and later approached the police. A sub-inspector was sent to the ATM to withdraw money. He also received a note that had Children Bank of India written on it. The official also questioned others who were present near the ATM, but they expressed ignorance about the fact that the ATM was dispensing such kind of notes. Till now, there have been no other complaints. Probably, only a few notes were changed. We have to identify at which point the real notes were exchanged, the officer added. The Lahore High Court will on Wednesday hear the petitions filed by Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed and four others challenging their house arrest. Hafiz Saeed, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdur Rehman Abid, Qazi Kashif Hussain and Abdullah Ubaid challenged their detention through senior advocate A K Dogar. Earlier, the LHC had dismissed a petition filed by a senior advocate Erum Sajjad Gull on 'technical' ground observing the petitioner had not furnished the impugned notification of Saeed's detention. The government on January 30 had put Saeed and four other leaders of JuD and Falah-e-Insaniat under house arrest in Lahore under the country's anti-terrorism act. In their petition, Saeed and four others said the government in light of Interior Ministry's order detained them for a period of 90 days (with effect from January 30) in exercise of powers under section 11-EEE(1) of Anti Terrorism Act 1997. They said Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had claimed that the government was fulfilling its obligations under United Nations Security Council's resolutions. "The government has proved that the Pakistan is a servile and a dependent nation. We have been serving the country like iconic social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi for the last many years," they said. The petitioners said the US had clearly told Islamabad that in case of not following the advice to take action against JuD it (Pakistan) may face sanctions. Previously, the petitioners said the government had used the same UNSC resolution for detain Hafiz Saeed and a full bench of LHC had set him free. "The government has no evidence that we are a 'risk' to security of Pakistan and merely on the basis of the UNSC resolutions our liberty cannot be curtailed," the petitioners said and prayed to the court to declare the government order being mala fides without jurisdiction and void the fundamental right to their life and liberty and ordered for their liberty. Saeed, who is carrying a $10 million bounty on his head, was also put under house arrest after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack but he was freed by Lahore High Court in 2009. 'Initially, most people willingly stood for hours in queues to withdraw cash because they believed that after 50 days, black money would come out, some big men would be punished and perhaps jailed. Again, nothing happened.' 'Now the talk is that small people have been punished while the rich and the powerful have got away.' 'The RSS is not going out of its way to counter the view. Let the BJP explain.' Radhika Ramaseshan reports from UP. What is uniformly noticeable among Bharatiya Janata Party voters and supporters was their defensiveness each time the notebandi issue cropped up. The BJP's local offices, which in 2014 brimmed with people prematurely celebrating Narendra Modi's victory before counting, were muted. A young party official of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh provenance in Rampur, who had his nose to the grindstone when the Lok Sabha polls were underway, admitted he "lost interest" this time. "I have nothing to say to our voters when they pose uncomfortable questions on demonetisation. I am packing my bags and taking a vacation in my village." The RSS official's main worry was demonetisation had begun to "chip away" at Prime Minister Modi's image. "Modiji has invested much personal and political capital in it, but people ask me, 'Does he not understand our hardships? Why did he make us suffer?'" In Moradabad, a senior RSS functionary stressed the Centre did not seize the opportunities to mediate and mitigate people's "distress." "On December 31, we eagerly awaited the PM's televised speech, believing he would announce or hint at certain remedies. Nothing came. Then the Budget arrived. Farmers expected a loan waiver, small traders looked forward to some relief. There was nothing." "Initially, most people willingly stood for hours in queues to withdraw cash because they believed that after 50 days, black money would come out, some big men would be punished and perhaps jailed. Again, nothing happened." "Now the talk is that small people have been punished while the rich and the powerful have got away. The RSS is not going out of its way to counter the view. Let the BJP explain," he said. The RSS functionary said he tried to tell the BJP's central leaders to stop the income tax department from sending "indiscriminate" notices, seeking explanations for the bank deposits made after November 8 within a stipulated time. "I said this is outright harassment. If the PM wanted to do it, he should have waited till the elections were over." Some BJP votaries held the bureaucracy and not the political executive culpable for the fallout of the note ban. Rasik Deep Singh, in the construction business in Saharanpur, said, "The masses are not educated enough to appreciate the long-term benefits of Modiji's move. Each time I listen to him, I get back my moral strength." Compounding the BJP's problems were two other factors: Delhi's 'interference' at the cost of sidelining Uttar Pradesh leaders and complaints against Lok Sabha members. In Rampur, for instance, the recall value of incumbent MP Naipal Singh was abysmally low. People remembered Rajendra Sharma, who won on a BJP ticket in 1991 and thought he was their representative. In Moradabad, the BJP and the RSS sounded furious with the MP, Sarvesh Kumar Singh, for 'lobbying' and getting a ticket for his son, Sushant Singh, for the Barhapur assembly seat. "Genuine claims were overlooked to accommodate the MP's son. The state BJP is working to get him defeated," a local functionary said. In Bijnor, the opinion about the MP, Kunwar Bhartendra Singh, was he "preferred to live in his bungalow in Mussoorie" and surface during an election, "holding a peepal sapling in one hand and patting a calf with the other to win Hindu votes." The only MP who was commended was Kanwar Singh Tanwar of Amroha. He reportedly spends his weekends in the town, supervising health services and organising mass marriages for the poor. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Vijay Shankhnad rally in support of Bharatiya Janata Party candidates in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, February 16, 2017. Photograph: Sandeep Pal At 24, she had lost her purpose in life. What was missing in my life was purpose, so, I bought a wall map and 8 entrepreneurial books to start the flow of curiosity and perception. One of the books, she bought was the The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau. Fast forward three years later, this girl has entered the history books by becoming the fastest person to visit every country in the world. She is also the first woman to visit every sovereign nation. Meet Cassie de Pecol, a 27-year-old traveller from Connecticut, United States, who visited 196 countries in 18-and-a-half months. Here is her journey in images. All photographs courtesy: @expedition_196/Cassie de Pecol/Instagram IMAGE: To say that Cassie de Pecol is an avid traveller, would be an understatement. She started 'Expedition 196' on her 25th birthday. Photograph: @unmaderhyme/Instagram Cassie left for her world tour in July 2015, and on February 2, 2016 she visited Yemen, the 196th and final country on her list. Her entire journey around the world took 18 months and 26 days, smashing the previous record of three years and three months. She began her epic journey -- dubbed Expedition 196 -- on her 25th birthday and charted her entire journey on social media. IMAGE: Planning to visit 196 countries in record time would need a lot of planning. Cassie, who has visited places such as Taiwan, Kosovo and Palestine, describes herself as a world traveller, explorer, environmental activist, womens rights and peace activist, educator, triathlete, and entrepreneur. IMAGE: Cassie went through 5 passports while undertaking this one-of-a-kind journey. Talk about #braggingrights! Previously working in the corporate world, Cassie said she couldnt travel the world without a purpose. So, she acted as peace ambassador for the International Institute of Peace Through Tourism and Skal International during her journey. IMAGE: If you think that Cassie's trip around the world was about picturesque landscapes and living the high life, think again. In Vanuatu, one of the countries, on her list, in an attempt to raise awareness about the environment, she helped in rescuing turtles. "I hope that this trip will have made a significant difference in our world, enough to provide me with the opportunity to speak at universities and for the documentary to be used as an educational tool in high school and university classes. I also hope that I can help young girls to see their full potential and not limit themselves to what society says they should do." IMAGE: Can you guess the location? That's Samuel's Fortress, Ohrid in Macedonia. Her work involved meeting with university tourism students to discuss responsible tourism and economics. In addition, she worked with Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation to collect water samples to test for the presence of micro plastics. She also met with students, local government representatives, and tourism ministers. She gave presentations on sustainable tourism, urging hospitality thats energy-efficient, relies on local food production, and respects local culture and heritage. IMAGE: Take in this splendid view of Bryce Canyon, in Utah, America. She travelled the breadth of America mostly by road. Asked about how she was received by other countries, Cassie said it wasnt a walk in the park. In fact, while speaking to CNN about her trip, she said that she was in tears when a North Korean soldier gripped her hand in the hardest handshake shed ever felt. Were going to destroy you, America, he said. She recalled telling the North Korean guard about her mission: She was there to show that, even if their governments couldnt be friends, the two of them didnt have to be enemies. I just like to show that we can be friends and we can kind of coexist, De Pecol said. IMAGE: This waterfall was just too breathtaking to resist, wrote Cassie on her Instagram page while travelling through Croatia. FUN FACT Before Cassie, the record holder for the fastest man to travel the world was held by Michigan native Yili Liu for travelling the world in three years and three months. IMAGE: Genuine freedom! Her journey will make everyone's bucket list. Another difficult aspect of the expedition was trying to secure visas. There have been cases when I post on my Facebook, Hi I need help getting into Libya or I need help getting into Syria, and at that point its kind of trusting in the unknown, trusting in people, she said. IMAGE: Along her journey, Cassie also witnessed strange and unusual architecture, which she spoke of on her Instagram page. Here is an example of the unusual sights she saw: An outdoor museum of folk architecture in a village on the outskirts of Kiev called Pyrohiv, that showcased real houses and thatched huts dating back to the early to mid 19th century. Wouldn't we like such a history lesson. But, shes a tough cookie. Since turning 16, the blue-eyed blonde has been participating in triathlons and also knows the Israeli form of self defence known as Krav Maga. IMAGE: 50 shades of blue! Cassie in Palau. For those who don't know where that is, Palau is a part of the Micronesia region in the western Pacific Ocean. If you love clear waters, this should be your next travel destination. Palau is also the place where Cassie took to the road. And this wasnt Cassies first tour either. She visited 25 counties by herself, stretching $2,000 as far as it could go, and even slept in train stations. Multiple times during the expedition, De Pecol was detained by authorities who suspected she was a journalist, spy or drug smuggler. In Peru, her taxi was robbed at knife-point. IMAGE: With views like these, we are surprised that Cassie only spent two to five days in each country. For those who want to know, this is New Zealand. When asked why she set out on this one-of-a-excursion, she said, Since school, Ive had this desire to visit every country in the world, intrigued to learn more about every culture, natural habitat, and religion. In America, we are lucky to have such a vast melting pot of cultures and people from all over the world who make the country what it is today. I wanted to learn about where these people came from, more specifically, where I came from, with my ancestors originating from Europe. IMAGE: Cassie at the Benagil Sea Cave in Portugal. Through her trip, Cassie also got to tick off several destinations from her bucket list. I wondered what existed outside of North America and what it was like. Going to every country was for me a personal quest to learn as much as I could about our world, stepping outside my comfort zone and becoming comfortable in the unknown, while also aiming to leave a legacy behind. In order to fund her journey, Cassie saved $10,000 (Rs 6 lakh) in babysitting money. She acquired the rest of her $198,000 (Rs 1.3 crore) budget through sponsors. De Pecol also exchanged promotional coverage for stays at eco-hotels around the world. IMAGE: Making friends, meeting new people is one of the reasons she travelled extensively. Here's Cassie with a cow (oh so cute) in Liechtenstein Once she set out on her journey, Cassie spent two to five days in each country. According to her, she experienced the lows when she was at airports, or in countries she felt unsafe to run (you can guess shes a runner from this statement alone). IMAGE: Lake Bled is picture perfection. With its emerald-green lake, Lake Bled is a marvel in Slovenia. Throughout her journey, De Pecol boarded over 255 flights, planted trees in over 50 countries and went through five passports. IMAGE: Cassie doesn't go anywhere without her camera. High up on the roofs of buildings in Bosnia to waters in Indonesia, her camera is her one permanent companion. And what about the criticism she faced about her travel. Some critics say she spent too short a time in each place to have meaningful experiences. IMAGE: Cassie documented her journey on Instagram, which quickly notched up followers in the thousands. In St Petersburg, Russia, she came across the candy cane church and she couldn't help but take a snap for history's sake. Others accuse her of only being in it to chase the record -- and money. This is what she wrote on Instagram, responding to her critics. IMAGE: She travelled alone for 567 days, but Cassie wasn't lonely. She made friends, such as this cutie patootie in Greece, who she named Mykonos. Its not okay to let others opinions (good + bad) shape who you are and who you aim to become, but I encourage you to let their words fuel you to pursue a life for yourself that you could have never in your wildest dreams have imagined. IMAGE: Cassie in Uzbekistan! Its always been a desire of mine to inspire others that would in turn, inspire myself to create and grow positively in the right direction. My motto has always been, I want to live an iconic lifestyle where I do what I want, when I want, and inspire those along the way. IMAGE: Cassie in UAE having some fun with falcons in the desert. The negativity I get from this expedition is vast, and while Ill never know why Ive been criticised for my hard work and dedication to make even just a small, positive change in our world or how I travel for that matter, this negativity contradictory, only fuels me to do bigger things and reach higher in order to craft something more vast and impactful to positively enhance our world, while leaving a great legacy behind. IMAGE: Cassie at Petra in Jordan. Petra is a famous archaeological site in Jordan's southwestern desert. Accessed via a narrow canyon called Al Siq, it contains tombs and temples carved into pink sandstone cliffs, earning its nickname, the "Rose City." Thankfully, the judgements that Ive read have really fueled me to start several major projects that Ive recently started working on. I often wonder that if I never received this criticism from others, Id never be driven enough to change our world for the better... and hopefully one day I wont rely on these judgements to make these great forward movements in life, but for now, its worked well enough. Never define your value as a person based off what people tell you about who you are or what you do. Own your life, own your values, own your morals and never let anyone dictate your decisions or frame who you are or who they think you should be. It is your life and no one has a surefire solution to a successful and winning outcome, but you. IMAGE: When Cassie travelled to Ethiopia, she met this beautiful, young woman who was making true and authentic Ethiopian coffee. She says on Instagram, "I sat with her for awhile and despite our language barrier, we managed to connect on many things. The world is magical if you practice patience and understanding." So, I encourage you to use not only fear but negativity and criticism from others as embers to your flame. It is only then, once you let all those opinions go, and watch those embers burn to flame, your truth and your story will flourish and youll be boasting with confidence as to where youre headed. Choose your hard. Next up, De Pecol plans to visit Antarctica. But before that, she will race in an Olympic Triathlon in San Diego next month, and in June she will teach a course in how to secure funding to travel the world. IMAGE: "After a 1 hour and 15 minute fast paced uphill trek, I arrived at Paro Taktsang, Bhutan. The pilgrimage was like something out of Avatar, a dream to trek, through low hanging clouds with a harrowing drop at any given moment on either side. Prayer flags swayed through the pines, prayer wheels spinning in the breeze, and tsa-tsas (ashes of the dead) wedged between crevices of stone. Passing over a bridge and waterfall and up the last flight of stairs, I entered one of the chambers where I was completely alone. Tip-toeing past the glowing butter candles and sacred relics, I kneeled on a rug, cracked open an aged window and rested my head on the windowsill to reflect and admire the massive 2,000ft plunge into the vast Himalayan valley below, as clouds swiftly passed. Without my phone or camera equipment, I was able to consciously enjoy this moment in peace." IMAGE: Cassie also travelled to Pakistan. It's interesting that she wrote about her journey to this country extensively. This is what she said, "The way I prefer to travel is to leave all preconceptions at the door and walk in with a completely open mind. A great example of this practice surfaced during my stay in Pakistan. People were scared for me when I told them I was going, although I personally looked at the opportunity as both a privilege and unique adventure. Having been to places such as Afghanistan, Somalia and North Korea, alone for example, I had zero worries about entering Pakistan and just knew it would exceed my expectations in the best way possible. What we hear in the media can be so degrading and devastating, but this shouldn't deter us from experiencing that country first hand. By using tourism as a means for peace, we have the ability to open our eyes to the truth when we experience these places through our own perceptions while learning directly from the local people. Once we realize the common denominator of humanity, we'll judge less, and accept more. We will be more open to the kindness of people around the world and that most people just want peace, too." IMAGE: Cassie's final country on her list was Yemen and it didn't disappoint! She took in the local culture and the yummy food. IMAGE: With images like these (this one in Bali) on her Instagram feed, it's no wonder that they soon became viral. Shurhozelie Liezietsu on Wednesday took oath as the new chief minister of Nagaland heading a 12-member Democratic Alliance of Nagaland ministry. Liezietsu, who succeeded T R Zeliang, was administered oath of office and secrecy by Governor P B Acharya at a function in Raj Bhavan in Kohima. Eleven other ministers also took oath with 81-year-old Liezietsu. They were Kiyanilie Peseyie, Yanthungo Patton, P Longon, C Kipili Sangtam, C L John, Yitachu, Paiwang Konyak, Vikheho Swu, Chotisuh Sazo, Imkong L Imchen and G Kaito Aye. Imkong L Imchen and G Kaito Aye are the new faces in the ministry. Liezietsu is not a member of the Nagaland Legislative assembly and he will have to get elected within six months from taking office. Earlier, Liezietsu was unanimously elected as the leader of Democratic Alliance of Nagaland legislature party at its meeting on Monday which was attended by 59 legislators. Nagaland has a 60-member assembly. Liezietsu, also the NPF President, succeeds T R Zeliang who stepped down on Sunday amidst protests by various tribal organisations against the state governments decision to reserve 33 per cent seats for women in urban local body elections. Liezietsu had been member of the Nagaland Legislative assembly for eight terms and had not contested the 2013 assembly elections. He is also chairman of the ruling DAN alliance. In an interview with PTI, the Bharatiya Janata Party president backs Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his 'shamshaan' and 'kabristaan' comments with numbers. Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Wednesday ruled out any post-poll alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party or any other party in the event of a hung assembly in Uttar Pradesh, confident that the party will get a "full majority". As UP gears up for the fourth phase of the seven-phase assembly elections on Thursday, Shah, 52 , also said that the BJP not naming a chief ministerial candidate was part of the party's poll "strategy". "Kisi se bhi haath milane ka dur-dur tak koi swaal nahin uthatha (there is no question by far of joining hands with any party)," he said when asked during a wide-ranging interview to PTI if the BJP would be willing to ally with the BSP or any other party to form a government in the politically crucial state if it fell short of a majority. The comments by Shah come against the backdrop of some poll surveys and political experts projecting a hung assembly in UP given that all the three players -- the Samajwadi Party-Congress, the BSP and the BJP -- have a robust set-up and a loyal social base in the state. Shah, who has campaigned extensively in UP, acknowledges the importance of the poll outcome in the state to 2019 Lok Sabha polls but at the same time he feels that the results would be even more crucial for the country's development. There is 'trikoniay muqablaa (triangular contest) in Punjab, so it is difficult to make a guess who will win Working hard to recreate the magic of 2014 that gave BJP 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the face of stiff competition from the SP-Congress alliance and Mayawati's BSP, the BJP strongman answered a wide range of questions on the elections in UP and four other states and their importance to the party as well as to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has also campaigned intensely in the country's biggest state. Shah expressed confidence that his party will form the next government in UP, Uttarakhand and Goa with "full majority" but is unwilling to make a prediction about Punjab, noting that it was a triangular contest there involving the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. "In Goa, Uttarakhand and UP, we will form governments with full majority. There is 'trikoniay muqablaa (triangular contest) in Punjab, so it is difficult to make a guess who will win," he added. Shah replied in the negative when asked whether the BJP saw a disadvantage in not naming a chief ministerial face in UP when the last-minute SP-Congress alliance had named the incumbent Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav while Mayawati was the BSP's clear choice. He said that not naming a CM candidate was party's "strategy". He refused to get into specifics of whether a central leader like Home Minister Rajnath Singh or any of the state leaders would be chosen to be the chief minister if the party wins. He restricted himself to stating that the choice would be made by the elected MLAs and the high-powered BJP parliamentary board. Shah rejected the Congress charge that the prime minister had sought to inject communal colour into the campaign a few days ago by talking about allocation of state land for 'shamshaan' (cremation ground) and 'kabristaan' (graveyard). "Critics and media both should see the data", he said, claiming that Rs 1,200 crore had been spent in UP on graveyards while only half that amount had been given for cremation grounds despite a population ratio of 80-20 (between Hindus and Muslims). The BJP chief also accused the party's political opponents of indulging in "politics of appeasement" and said that the BJP was called communal for raising such issues. "They (the SP) are communal by indulging in politics of appeasement. Why this issue is not raised in Gujarat (where there is no such discrimination). Absolutely, they have a communal attitude in their policies," he said and added that when the BJP raises the issue then the party is called communal. In UP, elections are being held for as many as 403 constituencies in seven phases. The last phase is on March 8. The counting in UP as well as in other four states -- Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur -- will take place on March 11. Asked if the outcome of the current elections was a referendum on demonetisation, which has caused hardship to the people, Shah said, "If media or the opposition wants to treat UP outcome as a referendum on demonetisation decision, then the BJP has no objection, we will welcome that. "There are many issues in UP. Demonetisation was not a decision of UP government. It is the central government's decision." Talking about funding of political parties, he indicated that the BJP was working on a "roadmap" to accept financial contributions only by cheque and digitally by June. Regarding demands that political parties be subject to Right to Information, Shah said that only the financial funding of any political party should come under the ambit of RTI and not other details like number of cars etc. On who is BJPs main opponent -- BSP or SP?, Shah said, "In first two phases, we had competition with the BSP and in third, it was with the SP. These parties may put up competition in selected seats but the BJP has strong presence in all the constituencies. Shah also exuded confidence that the party will clinch 130 seats out of 209 constituencies which went to polls in the first three phases in Uttar Pradesh. "On March 11 at 1 pm in UP you will see a (BJP) government (in UP).. After the three phases, I am looking at more than 130 seats," he said when asked about the feedback he has received on the polling pattern so far. Photographs: PTI Photo China and India on Wednesday held their upgraded strategic dialogue to shore up bilateral ties amid hectic parleys to resolve differences over Beijing's reluctance to support India's bid for Nuclear Suppliers Group membership as well as a United Nations ban on JeM chief Masood Azhar. Just before the dialogue, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Welcoming Jaishankar, co-chair of the dialogue, Wang said China and India are two major developing countries and emerging markets besides important nations in the world. "We have to have frequent meetings," he said, referring to high-level talks held by officials from both sides on critical issues before Wednesday's dialogue. The official-level meetings made very good foundation for the "successful strategic dialogue", he said, adding that the Chinese side attaches importance to "this reconstituted dialogue". "I am certain by raising the level of this strategic dialogue the two sides will be able to enhance their strategic communication, reduce misunderstanding and build more trust and deepen our strategic cooperation," Wang said. "This way we can better tap into the potential of our bilateral relations and live up to our responsibilities" for the regional stability. In his response, Jaishankar said, "This is the first time that the restructured strategic dialogue is taking place". "This shows that our relationship today has gone well beyond bilateral manifestations," he said. Stating that the two countries are members of G20, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), BRICS and the East Asia Summit, he said this will "allow us to find more common ground on more issues". Later, Jaishankar along with China's Executive Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui held the strategic dialogue. In his opening remarks at the dialogue, Jaishankar said, "We have truly transcended the bilateral dimension of our relations. What happens between India and China has both great global and regional significance. "Our assessment coming in is that our bilateral relations have really acquired a very steady momentum over many years. Our leadership-level meetings have been taking place regularly and our economic engagement is growing. We are seeing cooperation on many international issues and our border areas have maintained peace and tranquility," he said. "Overall the closer development partnership has been unfolding," he said. Apparently referring to differences, Jaishankar said, "there are natural issues which neighbours have" and it is the responsibility of both the countries to address them. Zhang said "I expect that we discuss the full range of issues that are important to our countries". Several top officials from both sides, including those in-charge of nuclear disarmament issues, were present at the talks. The talks were being held in the backdrop of vocal differences between the two countries on a host of issues including India's concern over the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Beijing's reluctance to back India's application to join the NSG and the UN ban on Azhar. The strategic dialogue was upgraded during Chinese Foreign Minister Yi's visit to New Delhi last year. China has deputed Zhang, also the head of the influential Communist Party of China committee of the Chinese Foreign Ministry to co-chair the talks. Ahead of Wednesday's talks Jaishankar, who formerly worked as Indias Ambassador to China, met China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi on Tuesday and held talks with him on the critical issues bedevilling the bilateral ties. Photographs: Indian Embassy in China/Twitter By Tim Hepher and Cyril Altmeyer PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus called on Wednesday for new talks with European governments to ease "heavy penalties" for delays to its A400M military aircraft, after taking a fresh 1.2 billion euro (1 billion) charge for Europe's largest defence project. The appeal comes seven years after Airbus won what at the time was regarded as a definitive 3.5 billion euro bailout for the delayed project, plagued from the start by political wrangling over the choice of new European engines. Airbus said recent problems with engine gearboxes and delays in supplying defensive aids had led to severe penalties, bureaucratic arguments and cash being held back by governments. "We cannot go on like that. This is unacceptable and puts a huge burden on Airbus and we need to do something about it," Chief Executive Tom Enders said. The A400M was ordered in 2003 by seven NATO nations -- Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Britain and Turkey -- to grant Europe an independent military transport capability. An unusual fixed-price contract worth 20 billion euros reflected efforts by Airbus at the time to win a major military contract to add to its growing jetliner business. But it foundered over problems with the West's largest turboprop engines, which were to be supplied by a European consortium instead of Airbus's preference for a Canadian supplier, as well as tight deadlines for military hardware. Speaking after reporting lower 2016 profits, Enders argued Airbus was still paying for the "original sin" of striking an unrealistic deal 14 years ago, despite having reset the programme with the 2010 bailout deal. The pan-European agency representing the buyers was not available for comment. But Germany, the largest A400M buyer which has been most critical of the project, expressed little immediate appetite to help Airbus cope with the latest issues. "It is important that the manufacturer resolves the current problems in the programme," a defence ministry spokesman said. Tobias Lindner, a Green lawmaker and member of the German parliament's budget committee, urged the government to press for "a new and resilient" agreement without reducing penalties. CALL FOR REASSURANCE Enders, who is said to privately regret not cancelling the project before the bailout in 2010, declined to say if Airbus would threaten to stop building the plane. Airbus shares fell about 1 percent on news of the 1.2 billion euro charge, which brings the total amount it has written off on the A400M towards 7 billion euros. Raymond James analyst Harry Breach wrote that Airbus needed to reassure investors the stream of charges was nearing an end. Several others questioned how easily Airbus would be able to strike a new A400M deal in the midst of budget austerity, French and German elections and political distractions in a group of nations dealing with Brexit and conflict in Syria. "I am not sure that the states will agree to put their hands in their pockets once again," said Chloe Lemarie, director of aerospace and defence research at Mainfirst Bank in Paris. The A400M overshadowed a narrower-than-expected drop in 2016 core earnings as Airbus delivered a record 688 jetliners. Core operating income fell 4 percent to 3.955 billion euros on revenues up 3 percent. Analysts had expected a 7 percent drop in core profit due to weaker pricing of old models. Airbus said bottlenecks in the supply chain for its A350 jet had improved, but called for a "huge effort" from engine maker Pratt & Whitney to ease delays in A320neo output. It predicted more than 700 jetliner deliveries in 2017. It did not give a formal target for orders but executives say they will lag deliveries for the first time since 2009 as the aircraft market slows. (Additional erporting by Andrea Shalal and Sabine Siebold in Berlin; editing by Keith Weir) Trial of Gaddafi regime a 'missed opportunity for justice' UN human rights chief Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 21 February 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Trial of Gaddafi regime a 'missed opportunity for justice' UN human rights chief, 21 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58ad53d8d.html [accessed 6 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 21 February 2017 - Pointing out that the recent trial in Libya of members of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's regime fell short of international fair-trial standards, the United Nations human rights wing and the UN mission in the North African country called on authorities to address flaws identified in a new report. In the report issued today, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) also recognized the challenge of trying former members of the regime, especially amid armed conflict and political polarization, but noted that the trial raised concerns such as serious violations of due process, including prolonged periods of incommunicado detention for the defendants amid allegations of torture which were not properly investigated. Holding perpetrators responsible for violations is vitally important but accountability should be the result of due process and a fair trial, said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein in a news release detailing the report's findings on the trial proceedings that examined violations of human rights during the 2011 civil uprising that toppled the long-time Libyan leader's regime. This trial was a missed opportunity for justice and for the Libyan people to have the chance to confront and reflect on the conduct of the former regime. Of the 37 members of the former regime under trial including Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, and former Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmudi six defendants were sentenced to death; eight given life sentences; 15 others jail terms of five to 12 years; four were acquitted on all charges; and one was referred to a mental health institution. UNSMIL and OHCHR closely monitored the case from the pre-trial phase through the court proceedings, which began in March 2014, to the verdict in July 2015. They also interviewed many of the defendants and their relatives and lawyers, reviewed the case dossier and judgement, and had extensive discussions with Libyan officials and Libyan and international experts. A joint UN report on the trial of 37 former members of the Gaddafi regime says was unfair and fell short of international standards. The report cites flaws in the judicial process of the 37 suspects accused of committing crimes during the 2011 uprising and armed conflict. They noted that the public prosecutor's office, in particular, provided documentation and was available for discussion of the trial throughout the process. However, they also said that the defendants' lawyers complained repeatedly of difficulties in meeting defendants in private and accessing documentation. The right to defence was also undermined by the fact that no prosecution witnesses were called to testify in court the prosecution's case was only briefly presented during the court sessions and the court restricted each defendant to two witnesses, noted the news release. In addition, the Libyan judicial system does not allow for a full appeal but only cassation a review focused on points of law only. [We urge] the Court of Cassation to take into full account the due process violations identified in the report and provide effective remedies, pending the adoption of reforms needed to bring Libyan trials into full compliance with international standards, the two UN entities noted. Among other specific recommendations, the report also called for a review of the Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure to ensure all crimes are clearly defined, access to lawyers during interrogation is guaranteed and other fair trial safeguards are strengthened. The report also said the Libyan authorities should also ensure the surrender of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi to the International Criminal Court (ICC), in compliance with Libya's international obligations. UN refugee agency focuses on sheltering displaced as Iraqi offensive moves to west Mosul Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 22 February 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN refugee agency focuses on sheltering displaced as Iraqi offensive moves to west Mosul, 22 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58ad548a4.html [accessed 6 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 21 February 2017 - The United Nations refugee agency is focusing efforts on camp construction in and around the Iraqi city of Mosul, where renewed fighting could displace up to 250,000 people. With the predicted exodus of up to a quarter of a million people, it will be impossible to accommodate such large numbers on existing land, said Matthew Saltmarsh, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at the regular press briefing in Geneva. Almost 217,000 people have fled from the eastern sections of Mosul since the military offensive to oust Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) terrorists began on 17 October 2016. About 160,000 remain displaced while others have returned to their homes in the now Government-controlled areas. The spokesperson said UNHCR has eight camps open or completed at present, and one under construction. We are planning for the start of work at another site in Hamam Al Alil, south of Mosul, he said. The Iraqi Government has decided, initially, to transport people displaced from western Mosul to camps in the east while new capacity is being added in the south. UNHCR has been asked to support a new site at Hamam Al-Alil, 20 km south of Mosul. It is expected that many of those fleeing western Mosul will reach there on foot. This site will provide shelter for up to 60,000 people. According to reports and testimonies, conditions in the densely-populated west of the city are worsening, and hence concerns are mounting for the well-being of civilians. There are shortages of food, water, fuel and medicine. Half of all food shops have closed and most people can only access untreated water. Food prices are skyrocketing and there are reports of families burning furniture, clothing and plastic to stay warm. Mr. Saltmarsh said that during the battle for eastern Mosul, the protection of civilians was prioritized in military planning and activities, and UNHCR hopes this principle will continue to be upheld. However, he added, the new battle will be different as the city's west is densely populated, with many narrow streets, and fighting will be street by street. Armed groups have built a network of tunnels. Insecurity and recent suicide attacks in eastern Mosul have resulted in some families who had opted to return to their homes coming back to the camps in search of safety, he said. 'Time running out' for 1.4 million children in 'man-made' crises in Africa, Yemen UNICEF Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 21 February 2017 Cite as UN News Service, 'Time running out' for 1.4 million children in 'man-made' crises in Africa, Yemen UNICEF, 21 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58ad54c74.html [accessed 6 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Almost 1.4 million children are at imminent risk of death due to severe acute malnutrition this year, as famine threatens in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen, warned the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), urging prompt action to save them. We can still save many lives. The severe malnutrition and looming famine are largely man-made, said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake in a news release issued by the UN agency today. Our common humanity demands faster action, he underscored. According to UNICEF, as many as 462,000 children in Yemen where a conflict has been raging for the past two years are currently suffering from severe acute malnutrition. This figure has risen nearly 200 per cent since 2014. Similarly, in conflict affected parts of northeast Nigeria, including Adamawa, Borno and Yobi, the number of children with severe acute malnutrition is expected to reach 450,000. According to a famine early warning system, the famine likely occurred in some previously inaccessible areas of Borno, and it is likely ongoing, and will continue, in other areas which remain beyond humanitarian reach. Furthermore, in Somalia, droughts threaten an already fragile population battered by decades of conflict: almost half the population (6.2 million people) faces acute food insecurity and is in need of urgent relief, 185,000 among them children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. There are fears that the number could rise to 270,000 in the next few months. In South Sudan, a famine was recently declared in parts of the country, adding to a humanitarian situation already complicated due to poverty and insecurity. Over 270,000 children are severely malnourished in the country and the total number of food insecure people across the country is expected to rise once the lean season sets in. In its response, UNICEF, working with partners, has been providing therapeutic treatment to 220,000 severely malnourished children in Nigeria, over 200,000 in both South Sudan and Somalia, and 320,000 children in Yemen. However, more action is urgently needed. Time is running out, said Mr. Lake. We must not repeat the tragedy of the 2011 famine in the Horn of Africa. Yemen's brutal two-year conflict forcing displaced to return home amid persisting risks UN Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 21 February 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Yemen's brutal two-year conflict forcing displaced to return home amid persisting risks UN, 21 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58ad55504.html [accessed 6 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The complex crisis in Yemen continues to deepen, with United Nations agencies reporting today that perhaps one million people who had fled for safety are returning to their homes mainly due to a lack of access to income and basic services in the areas of displacement, warning that returnees often find the situation just as bad. It's testament to how catastrophic the situation in Yemen has become, that those displaced by the conflict are now returning home because life in the areas to which they had fled for safety is just as abysmal as in the areas from which they fled, said Ayman Gharaibeh, the Representative for Yemen of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in a joint press release issued with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). These returns cannot be viewed as sustainable, Mr. Gharaibeh added, explaining that people often return to homes that have been damaged and to areas lacking essential services, and are often forced to flee again. A multi-sectoral location assessment report released today, and a periodically updated population movement tracking report published last month, show that there are currently two million internally displaced people (IDPs) across Yemen and one million IDP returnees. As conditions across the country further deteriorate, many more IDPs are contemplating a return home, where challenging security and socio-economic conditions persist. About 40 per cent of key informants indicate that IDPs now intend to return home within the next three months. The reports highlight a lack of access to income and basic services in areas of displacement as the main reasons for pushing IDPs to return to the areas of their origin. All but of Yemen's governorates now affected by devastating conflict Mr. Gharaibeh noted that all of Yemen's governorates, with the exception of the island of Socotra, have been affected by conflict. The overwhelming majority of Yemen's one million IDP returnees have returned to Aden, Amanat Al Asimah, Taizz, Lahj and Shabwah, which have been particularly impacted by hostilities and insecurity, he explained. Yemen's local communities are also under intense strain with alarming scarcities of food and insufficient access to water and sanitation services. Some 84 per cent of Yemen's two million IDPs have been displaced for more than a year and scarce resources are increasingly overstretched. IOM and all partners must scale up their response to support those newly displaced as well as those whose displacement is becoming increasingly protracted with shifting needs, said IOM Yemen's Chief of Mission, Laurent De Boeck. Weapons must fall silent to avert famine In a separate statement, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, warned against the impact of increased fighting along Yemen's west coast on the food crisis. I urgently call on all parties to the conflict and on those that have influence over the parties to facilitate the rapid entry of critical life-saving food staples into all Yemeni ports, he said, noting that over 17 million people are frequently forced to skip meals and seven million Yeminis do not know where their next meal will come from and are ever closer to starvation. Moreover, the availability of food in markets and the food pipeline are at imminent risk. Food shortages are widespread, food and fuel prices are rising, there are disruptions to agricultural production, and purchasing power is plummeting, especially brought about by the lack of salary payments in the public sector for over six months. And given that the country is 80-90 per cent dependent on imported food staples, he said he is compelled to raise the alarm, as such factors, if left unabated, could combine to accelerate the onset of famine. The best means to prevent famine in Yemen is for weapons to fall silent across the country and for the parties to the conflict to return to the negotiating table, he said. UN agencies support nationwide polio immunization campaign Meanwhile, a nationwide polio immunization campaign was launched yesterday in Yemen by national health authorities with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), aiming to immunize about five million children under the age of five. More than 40,000 health workers are taking part in the three-day campaign. WHO is working closely with UNICEF and health authorities to keep Yemen polio-free. The threat of virus importation is serious and this campaign aims to curb any possible return of the virus to Yemen, said WHO Acting Representative in Yemen, Nevio Zagaria. This is the first polio immunization campaign since April 2016. The security situation in Yemen has limited accessibility of many parts of the country, leaving many children at risk of vaccine-preventable diseases. The Humanitarian Fallout from Cameroon's Struggle Against Boko Haram Publisher International Crisis Group (ICG) Publication Date 21 February 2017 Cite as International Crisis Group (ICG), The Humanitarian Fallout from Cameroon's Struggle Against Boko Haram, 21 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58ad56694.html [accessed 6 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Cameroon has been fighting the Boko Haram jihadist group in its Far North region for the last three years. The conflict has killed nearly 1,600 people in Cameroon alone and has led to a humanitarian crisis in what was already one of the country's most impoverished and least-educated regions. As donors and experts convene on 24 February at the Oslo Humanitarian Conference on Nigeria and the Lake Chad basin, the international community must find ways to improve overcrowded refugee camps and mitigate growing problems for the local population. The Far North now hosts 87,000 of Cameroon's over 360,000 refugees, 191,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) and 36,000 Cameroonian returnees. Overall, including local Cameroonians, an estimated 1.6 million people in the Far North now need urgent humanitarian assistance, more than half of 2.9 million people who share the same plight throughout the country. The government, preoccupied with its military campaign against Boko Haram, has done little to support affected civilians. International agencies and NGOs have taken welcome steps to meet the needs of refugees, and to a lesser extent IDPs, even if these efforts have been underfunded and sometimes insufficiently coordinated. Earlier and much better-funded attention to the wider problems of displacement will make that response more effective, more sustainable and better able to prevent conflict recurring. Minawao camp: the visible tip of the humanitarian crisis Opened in July 2013 in the Far North's Mayo Tsanga department, Minawao camp hosts Nigerians fleeing Boko Haram atrocities. Initially it hosted 18,000 refugees. Now 60,000 people live there, three times its official capacity. Each week 150 more people arrive and 60 babies are born. It now covers a sprawling 623 hectares, as the authorities decided to expand the camp rather than set up a second site in the Mayo Danay department, as proposed by the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in 2015. When Crisis Group conducted research in Minawao in January, assistance was being given by ten NGOs and UN agencies. In 2013, the refugees' situation was dire, due to a lack of government experience with refugees and an absence of international attention and funding. Since then, things have gradually improved, especially in education. Some 68 per cent of children go to school in the camp, far above the Far North's 46 per cent education rate average, but still below the 84 per cent national average. Germany has helped some who finish high school in the camp to attend universities in Buea or Yaounde. In last year's First School Leaving Certificate Examination (a Cameroonian test taken between the ages of eleven and thirteen), Minawao camp students, taught by Anglophone Cameroonian teachers, ranked first in the entire Mayo Tsanaga department. However, because of funding shortfalls, humanitarian assistance still covers only about one third of the urgent needs in the Far North. As a result, key problems remain, including shortages of food, water, healthcare assistance, school equipment and social activities. The work of NGOs and religious leaders has also reduced initial communal and religious tensions caused by the crisis. But problems have emerged recently between established and newly arrived refugees. The former often suspect the latter of being Boko Haram sympathisers. "How did they manage to stay in Boko Haram-controlled areas for more than a year if they were not sympathisers? Why do they only leave their place and seek asylum now, when Boko Haram is weakened?", one refugee asked us. These suspicions explain why the earlier refugees are reluctant to allow new ones to join their 184 strong camp security group, or the camp's nine committees dealing with issues like the environment, water, youth and women's needs. Such suspicions take little account of the complex route many new arrivals have taken to get to the camp. Most of those who arrived recently were already in Cameroon, living either in the border towns or with Cameroonian families. Very few have come directly from Nigeria, and many among them were previously in Nigerian IDP camps. "We were told by our friends and families that refugees are better looked after here than in IDP camps in our country", one refugee said. Other newly arrived refugees told Crisis Group they moved to Minawao due to scarcity of resources in other parts of Cameroon. "My in-laws' family in Mozogo (in Mayo Tsanaga) was no longer able to feed us and our four children. We had no access to land and no NGO support, so we decided to move in Minawao", says recent arrival Yacoubou, a Nigerian from Balavrasa in the Gwoza local government area. The prefect, or head civilian administrator, of Mayo Tsanaga noted: "most new refugees have already been living in Cameroon for a year or more". Tensions are also surfacing between new arrivals and local people. Between 2015 and 2016, Cameroonians from the town of Zamai near Minawao camp accused refugees of destroying their trees for firewood. The spokesman and elected president of the Central Committee of refugees told Crisis Group: "We need that for cooking and build[ing] our shelters". After the UNHCR and Plan International mediated between the refugees and the Zamai traditional chief, the cutting of trees now appears to have been solved with compensation given to the local community, including through the replanting of 30,000 trees. The displacement crisis beyond the camps Despite needing far greater resources as ever more people arrive seeking refuge, Minawao offers the best humanitarian assistance in the region. It benefits from international aid, partly as a result of concern generated by visits from the former UNHCR head Antonio Guterres, in March 2016, quickly followed by then U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power in April. But not only refugees need help. More than 1.6 million are in urgent need of food aid in Cameroon's Far North, where even before the crisis three of the region's four million inhabitants lived under the poverty line. Some of the 30,000 unregistered refugees and most IDPs live in host communities, not in camps. Those host communities have to share what they have with them and lack the funds and support to do so. Few of the 191,000 IDPs receive help from the government, which relies on the international community to deal with the humanitarian aspects of the conflict while it focuses on the military response. In Gassama, Labado and several other villages, the army has pushed inhabitants out of their homes to secure areas round their bases, but without giving any support or making plans for their return. International NGOs and UN agencies see IDPs primarily as a national problem and would prefer to follow and support a policy led by the government. In Logone et Chari department, the northern tip of the region that hosts half of Cameroon's IDPs, security is a major problem for the provision of aid, according to several international NGO and INGO heads of delegation. The result is that very few INGOs work in Logone et Chari, and it has received less assistance than the two other affected departments. Lacking food, shelter and revenues, IDPs struggle to send their children to school, as, unlike refugees, they have to pay school fees. In Tourou, Hile Alifa, Makary and Kousseri, several families told Crisis Group they cannot pay and their children are working in markets. Djene Abouga, the president of a women's association in Kousseri, said some girls have turned to prostitution or begun relationships with much older local men. Since 2014, the government has urged public school directors to be lenient toward those who could not immediately pay fees. Now more IDP children are going to school, but they still face problems. According to Abbo Mahamat, a primary school head in Kousseri, "the IDP's children are still traumatised, they are sometimes violent, fighting with other children, they have the lowest results of the school, and it is difficult for them to integrate with other children". Assiata, a teacher in the same school, confirms: "I have 80 children in my classroom, including seven IDP children, none of the IDP children have got over eight out of 20 average marks, while the other children get between eleven and seventeen". On this point, the regional education ministry delegate in Maroua told Crisis Group: "This is a general situation in the region. UNICEF has organised trainings for some school directors on how to deal with traumatised children, they have also distributed books to some of them. We hope things will change". The story of Maimouna, a 32-year-old Kanuri woman from Fotokol on the Nigerian border, illustrates the desperate plight of IDPs, but also how things have improved for some. She fled with her five children in August 2014 after Boko Haram killed her husband and burned her house. Pregnant, she walked 40km over two days with her children, without eating, until a government truck picked them up. When they arrived in Kousseri, they were accused by locals of supporting Boko Haram and had no family support. Her first son, Issa, now fifteen, remembers not even thinking about their father, but about how to eat and sleep. A local woman then offered them work, for food, some livestock and 5,000 CFA (9 euros) per month. The situation improved again when WFP arrived in Kousseri and gave Maimouna material for a shelter and then some food each month. The family was full of praise for the WFP. Maimouna's first two boys have gone back to school, and are doing exceptionally well for a displaced family. They are helped by Maimouna's good education, which was cut short when she married aged sixteen. But the other children, Aminatou, Nafissatou, Ali, and the last one Boukar are not going to school as she cannot afford school fees and books for all six. Asked what she expected from the government and the NGOs, Maimouna replied she wanted her children to go to school up to the end of high school, and that she needed a sewing machine, costing 70,000 CFA (110 euros). Families hosting IDPs, already suffering from poverty, have opened their doors to extended family or friends. But the conflict and the closure of the border with Nigeria have made things worse. Tensions between IDPs and locals have spread everywhere, especially over access to land and water. In 2015, the WFP started giving rice to some host families. While this has eased some tensions, local communities often still resent IDPs and consider that they get favourable treatment. For a wider, more sustainable and more locally rooted response These stories of displacement, local tensions and missed education are part of the devastation wrought by the Boko Haram conflict, impacting on health, the economy, social relations, local politics and the role of women. The government has done little to support those affected. President Biya allocated $10 million to an emergency fund in 2014, mainly for rehabilitation of schools, and he has set aside some discretionary funds for vigilante committees and gifts of foods and cooking oil for the IDPs. Even though most IDPs want to return home, they have had very little help to rebuild their livelihoods. Much more needs to be done, with a special focus on helping IDPs return to areas that are now safer, but where the local economy has been devastated. National and international responses need to shift from a humanitarian-centred approach to longer-term development that can make people more resilient and help ensure a more sustainable peace. The improvement in the international response in 2016 now needs to move on to focus on sustainability and local ownership. Local researchers, civil society leaders and traditional chiefs worry that NGOs have done little to incorporate qualified people from the north into their response teams, preferring instead southern Cameroonians or mainly African expatriates. This risks creating resentment among locals who already feel disempowered as two largely external forces (Boko Haram and the national army) fight it out on their soil. Accelerating sustainable recovery and development is all the more vital as humanitarian funds are limited and Cameroon, like other central African countries, faces numerous challenges. The East region is host to 276,000 refugees, mainly from Central African Republic, and is at risk of being neglected. At the same time as opening offices in the Far North, several NGOs have closed their offices in the East, while some UN agencies like the WFP have reduced their staff and funding. Improved international coordination is also needed. Between July 2015 and March 2016, citing security reasons, the Cameroonian government expelled more than 40,000 Nigerian refugees, to the consternation of Nigeria and the UNHCR. In December 2016, it restarted such repatriations of Nigerians. Nigeria, Cameroon, and UNHCR have drawn up a tripartite agreement for a peaceful repatriation of Nigerian refugees from outside Minawao camp. But Nigeria has not yet signed, claiming it does not have the funds to deal with returnees. Nationally or internationally, the response to the chaos caused in Cameroon by Boko Haram needs to be stronger and more joined-up, not only to alleviate suffering, but to start to forge a more secure future for all in the region. Russia: Government vs. Rights Groups Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 21 February 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Russia: Government vs. Rights Groups, 21 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58ad595d4.html [accessed 6 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. For the past four years, the Kremlin has sought to stigmatize criticism or alternative views of government policy as disloyal, foreign-sponsored, or even traitorous. It is part of a sweeping crackdown to silence critical voices that has included new legal restrictions on the internet, on freedom of expression, on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and on other fundamental freedoms. Association of NGOs in Defense of Voters' Rights "Golos" (Moscow) June 5, 2014 Regional Public Association in Defense of Democratic Rights and Freedoms "Golos" (Moscow) June 5, 2014 Center for Social Policy and Gender Studies (Saratov) June 5, 2014 (the organization was shut down May 22, 2015) Women of Don (Rostov region) June 5, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended February 29, 2016) Kostroma Center for Support of Public Initiatives (Kostroma) June 5, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended June 19, 2015) Interregional Human Rights Association "Agora" (Kazan) July 21, 2014 (the organization was shut down December 29, 2016) Regional public organization "Ecozaschita! Womens' Council" (Kaliningrad) July 21, 2014 Public Verdict Foundation (Moscow) July 21, 2014 Human Rights Center "Memorial" (Moscow) July 21, 2014 Lawyers for Constitutional Rights and Freedoms / JURIX (Moscow) July 21, 2014 (the organization was shut down May 26, 2015) Soldiers' Mothers (Saint Petersburg) August 28, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended October 23, 2015) Freedom of Information Foundation / Institute for Information Freedom Development August 28, 2014 PIR Center September 3, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended February 24, 2016) Association "Partnership for Development" (Saratov) October 2, 2014 (the organization was shut down November 6, 2015) "News Agency MEMO.RU" (Moscow) November 20, 2014 Regional Press Institute (St. Petersburg) November 20, 2014 Moscow School of Civic Education December 9, 2014 Rakurs, Arkhangelsk regional non-governmental LGBT organization December 15, 2014 All-Russian movement "For Human Rights" December 22, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended December 30, 2015) Human Rights Center (Kaliningrad) December 25, 2014 Krasnodar Regional Social Organization of University Alumni December 25, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended April 22, 2016) Regional social organization "Public Commission for Academic Sakharov's Heritage Preservation" December 25, 2014 Resource Human Rights Center (St. Petersburg) December 30, 2014 (the organization was shut down November 3, 2015) Regional Public Organization "Man and the Law" (Republic of Mari El) December 30, 2014 Center for Social Development "Vozrozhdeniye" (Pskov) December 30, 2014 (the organization was shut down January 31, 2017) Public Human Rights Organization "Civil Control" (St. Petersburg) December 30, 2014 The League of Women Voters (St. Petersburg) December 30, 2014 (the organization was shut down May 22, 2015) Free Press Support Foundation December 30, 2014 Interregional Non-Governmental Organization "The Committee Against Torture" January 16, 2015 (the organization was shut down September 13, 2016) Educational Center "Memorial" (Sverdlov region) January 16, 2015 Autonomous non-profit human rights organization "Youth Center for Consulting and Training" January 20, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended July 22, 2015) "Information Bureau of the Nordic Council of Ministers in St. Petersburg" January 20, 2015 Jewish regional branch of the Russian public organization "Municipal Academy" January 26, 2015 (the organization was shut down May 22, 2015) The noncommercial partnership "Press Development Institute - Siberia" January 30, 2015 Center for social, psychological and legal help to victims of discrimination and homophobia "Maximum" (Murmansk) February 4, 2015 (the organization was shut down October 28, 2015) Interregional public fund for civil society development "Golos-Povolzhye" (Samara) February 6, 2015 Interregional charity organization "Siberian Environmental Center" (Novosibirsk) February 12, 2015 Center for Civic Analysis and Independent Research / GRANI (Perm) February 13, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended June 19, 2015) Municipal public organization "Samara Center for Gender Studies" (Samara) February 16, 2015 Regional Fund "Center for Defense of Mass Media Rights" (Voronezh) February 26, 2015 Regional Charitable Social Foundation "For nature" (Chelyabinsk) March 6, 2015 Regional Ecological Social Movement "For nature" (Chelyabinsk) March 6, 2015 Humanist Youth Movement (Murmansk) March 13, 2015 (the organization was shut down August 25, 2015) Regional Social Organization for Contribution to Harmonization of Interethnic Relations "Azerbaijan" March 13, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended July 22, 2016) Regional Social Environmental Organization "Bellona-Murmansk" March 19, 2015 (the organization was shut down October 16, 2015) "Educational Center for Environment and Security" (Samara) March 20, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended October 8, 2015) Foundation "Migration XXI Century" March 27, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended November 25, 2016) Eco-logika (Rostov) April 3, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended March 30, 2016) Transparency International Russia - April 7, 2015 Social Environmental Organization "Planeta Nadezhd" April 15, 2015 Foundation for Consumers' Rights Defense (Novosibirsk) April 17, 2015 (the organization was shut down May 12, 2016) Civic Assistance Committee April 20, 2015 Foundation 19/29 - Foundation for Support of Investigative Journalism April 24, 2015 Commemorative Centre of History of Political Repressions "Perm - 36" April 29, 2015 (the organization was shut down August 18, 2016) Women's League (Kaliningrad ) April 29, 2015 (the organization was shut down December 16, 2015) Legal Expert Partnership "Soyuz " May 7, 2015 (the organization was shut down 25 August 2015) Center for Development of Non-Commerical Organizations May 13, 2015 Club of Accountants and Auditors of Non-Commercial Organizations May 13, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended March 30, 2016) Informational Bureau of the Council of Ministers of Northern Countries (Kaliningrad) May 13, 2015 Sutyajnik (Yekaterinburg) May 15, 2015 Human Rights Academy (Yekaterinburg) May 15, 2015 Ecological Center "Dront" (Nizhny Novgorod) May 22, 2015 The non-profit organization "Liberal Mission" Scientific Foundation of Theoretical and Applied Research May 25, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended September 11, 2015) The non-profit Dynasty Foundation May 25, 2015 Union of Employers (Tula region) May 28, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended December 13, 2016) Youth organization "Nuori Karjala/Young Karelia" June 19, 2015 (the organization was shut down March 25, 2016) Siberian Center for Support of Social Initiatives June 19, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended September 21, 2016) Interregional Social Foundation for Peace in the South and in the Northern Caucasus June 19, 2015 Informational Center "Free Inform" June 22, 2015 (the organization was shut down June 21, 2016) Center for Independent Sociological Studies (St. Petersburg) June 22, 2015 Regional Organization for Population and Development June 23, 2015 Geblerov Ecological Societ (Barnaul) June 23, 2015 Association "Legal Basis" (Yekaterinburg) July 3, 2015 Interregional Non-governmental Organization "Northern Environmental Coalition" (Petrozavodsk) July 8, 2015 (the organization was shut down December 1, 2015) Komi Human Rights Commission "Memorial" (Syktyvkar) July 21, 2015 Altai Regional Public Fund for 21st Century Altai (Barnaul) July 22, 2015 (the organization was shut down March 28, 2016) Interregional Public Foundation for Civil Society Development "GOLOS-Ural" (Chelyabinsk region) July 22, 2015 SREDA Foundation July 28, 2015 Non-governmental environmental organization "Green World" (Nizhny Novgorod) July 29, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended October 28, 2016) Civic Action Foundation (Perm) August 5, 2015 Alliance of Funds of Local Communities of the Perm territory August 11, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended October 26, 2016) Kabardino-Balkaria Human Rights Center regional branch of the "For Human Rights" All-Russian movement (Nalchik) August 18, 2015 (the organization was shut down November 6, 2015) The Human Rights Center of the Chechen Republic (Grozny) August 21, 2015 Interregional Social Ecological Foundation "ISAR-Siberia" (Novosibirsk) August 26, 2015 Perm Regional Human Rights Center (Perm) September 3, 2015 Siberia's lifeline (Novosibirsk) September 3, 2015 Golos Foundation in Support of Democracy September 4, 2015 (the organization was shut down June 21, 2016) Jewish Cultural Center "Hesed-Teshuva" (Ryazan) September 11, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended December 13, 2016) Sakhalin Environment Watch (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk) September 18, 2015 Yasavey Manzara Information and Research Center (Naryan-Mar) September 23, 2015 (the organization was shut down June 15, 2016) Consumer Rights and Environment Protection Association "Princip" (Moscow region) October 5, 2015 Far East Center for the Development of Civil Initiatives and Social Partnership (Vladivostok) October 13, 2015 Russian Research Center for Human Rights October 20, 2015 Women of the Don (Rostov region) October 27, 2015 Friends of the Siberian Forests (Krasnoyarsk) October 28, 2015 (the organization was shut down December 6, 2016) Photography Club "Sobytiye" (Omsk) October 28, 2015 (the organization was shut down December 16, 2015) Research and Information Center "Memorial" (St. Petersburg) November 6, 2015 Baikal Environmental Wave (Irkutsk) November 10, 2015 (the organization was shut down August 1, 2016) Glasnost Defense Foundation November 19, 2015 Human Rights Institute November 20, 2015 Center for Support of Indigenous Peoples of the North November 27, 2015 Green World (Leningrad region) December 2, 2015 Mashr (Republic of Ingushetia) December 8, 2015 Woman's World (Kaliningrad) December 11, 2015 Panorama Information and Research Center (Moscow) December 18, 2015 Dauria Ecological Center (Chita) December 30, 2015 (the organization was shut down September 1, 2016) Yekaterinburg Memorial Society (Yekaterinburg) December 30, 2015 Bureau of Public Investigations (Nizhny Novgorod) January 14, 2016 Committee for the Prevention of Torture (Orenburg) January 14, 2016 Institute of Forecasting and Resolving of Political Conflicts (Nizhny Novgorod) January 22, 2016 Ryazan Historical, Educational and Human Rights Center "Memorial" (Ryazan) February 1, 2016 Society of Assistance to Social Protection of Citizens "Peterburgskaya EGIDA" (Saint Petersburg) February 2, 2016 (the organization was shut down April 26, 2016) Center for Health and Social Support "SIBALT" (Omsk) February 15, 2016 Chelyabinsk Regional Organ of Public Independent Action "Ural Human Rights Group" (Chelyabinsk) February 15, 2016 Women of Eurasia (Chelyabinsk) February 15, 2016 Ural Democratic Foundation (Chelyabinsk) February 15, 2016 Legal and Social Support Charitable Foundation "Sphere" (Saint Petersburg) March 1, 2016 Centre for Civic Education and Human Rights (Perm) March 3, 2016 The International Development Fund for Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation "Batani" (Moscow) March 11, 2016 Center for Social and Labor Rights (Moscow) March 21, 2016 Arkhar (Gorno-Altaysk) April 5, 2016 (the organization was shut down October 6, 2016) Publishing House "Valentin Manuylov" April 15, 2016 Tengri School of Soul ecology (Altay) - May 17, 2016 Hanse Buero / Information Bureau of Schleswig-Holstein in Kaliningrad (Kaliningrad) - May 24, 2016 (the organization was shut down December 30, 2016) Krasnoyarsk Regional Public Organization Agency of public initiatives (Krasnoyarsk) - May 27, 2016 ("foreign agent" status was suspended September 21, 2016) Saratov Regional Public Organization "Socium" (Engels) - May 30, 2016 Perm regional non-governmental organization "Perm Civil Chamber" (Perm) - June 9, 2016 ("foreign agent" status was suspended September 21, 2016) Regional non-governmental organization Integration center "Migration and Law" (Moscow) - June 16, 2016 Non-Profit Partnership "ESVERO" (Moscow) - June 22, 2016 Andrey Rylkov Foundation for Health and Social Justice (Moscow) - June 29, 2016 Altai regional sport and patriotic youth public organization "Arctica" (Biysk) - July 6, 2016 ("foreign agent" status was suspended February 8, 2017) Autonomous non-governmental organization "Free Word" (Pskov) - July 13, 2016 The Institute of Economic Analysis (Moscow) - July 22, 2016 Penza regional youth civic organization for prevention of negative phenomena among youth "Panacea" (Kuznetsk) - August 15, 2016 (the organization was shut down December 8, 2016) Samara regional, civic organization "American alumni club" (Samara) - August 26, 2016 Autonomous non-for-profit organization "Publishing house 'Park Gagarina'" (Samara) - August 31, 2016 Levada Analytical Center (Moscow) - September 5, 2016 Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (Maikop) - September 13, 2016 Autonomous non-for-profit human rights organization "Draftee's school" (Chelyabinsk) - September 21, 2016 Foundation for support of civil freedoms "Legal mission" (Chelyabinsk) - September 21, 2016 International Historical, Educational, Human Rights And Charitable Society Memorial (Moscow) - October 4, 2016 Sverdlovsk regional non-profit foundation "Health Era" (Ekaterinburg) - October 11, 2016 Chapaevsk non-profit organization "Chapaevsk city medical personnel association" (Chapaevsk) - October 21, 2016 Regional charity foundation "Samarskaya gubernia" (Samara) - November 2, 2016 Non-profit partnership "Internet Community" (Samara) - December 13, 2016 Autonomous non-profit organization for social support "Project April" (Tolyatti) - December 19, 2016 ANNA Centre for the prevention of violence (Moscow) - December 26, 2016 Southern Human Rights Centre (Sochi) - December 26, 2016 Sverdlovsk branch of the International Historical, Educational, Human Rights And Charitable Society Memorial (Ekaterinburg) - December 29, 2016 SOVA Center for Information and Analysis (Moscow) - December 30, 2016 Sverdlovsk civic organization for assistance to legal migration "Nelegalov.Net [No Illegals]" (Ekaterinburg) - January 10, 2017 Environmental human rights center Bellona (Saint Petersburg) - January 16, 2017 Youth civic organization "Pro-movement" (Altay region) - January 25, 2017 Kaliningrad regional civic organization "Society for German culture and Russian Germans Eintracht - Soglasie" (Kaliningrad) - January 31, 2017 Foundation for development assistance to mass communication and legal education "Tak-Tak-Tak" (Novosibirsk) - February 20, 2017 And the four NGOs which registered voluntarily: Non-commercial Partnership "Supporting Competition in the CIS Countries" June 27, 2013 "The Union of Young Political Scientists", KarachayCherkess Republican Youth Social Organization December 15, 2014 Regional Social Movement "Novgorod Women's Parliament" (Veliky Novgorod) March 6, 2015 Center of Independent Researchers of the Altai Republic June 10, 2015 Leader of at least 1 NGO faces criminal charges personally: Women of Don (Rostov region) - criminal proceeding is in process. Chair Valentina Cherevatenko faces up to two years in prison for "malicious evasion of the duty to file the documents required for inclusion in the register of nonprofit organizations performing the functions of a foreign agent." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Syria: Make Human Rights Priority of Geneva Talks Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 21 February 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Syria: Make Human Rights Priority of Geneva Talks, 21 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58ad599f4.html [accessed 6 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Achieving respect and promotion for human rights during any transition and post-conflict will require key legislative and constitutional amendments to enshrine rights protection in law, the groups said. This should include a constitutional amendment that states that all ratified international treaties and law are binding in Syria. The transformation of Syria into a state that respects human rights and upholds the rule of law should be a Syrian-led process, with transparent reform following local consultations. "One of the main goals of the Geneva talks should be putting an end to the violations against Syrians who have faced bombing, chemical attacks, starvation, illegal detention, and more horrors," said Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "To be meaningful, any peace plan should bolster a ceasefire agreement with the respect for human rights." Other countries attending the UN-led meetings in Geneva should use their influence over the warring Syrian factions to ensure that the basic human rights of Syrians are on the agenda. The UN special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has explained that the agenda at the talks will mirror the objectives outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2254 from December 2015. In the resolution, the Security Council expressed its support for establishing inclusive and non-sectarian governance, the drafting of a new constitution, and free and fair elections. It emphasized the need for "a ceasefire monitoring, verification and reporting mechanism"; called on the parties to facilitate the unhindered delivery of aid and the release of anyone held arbitrarily; and demanded an end to attacks on civilians and civilian objects and the indiscriminate use of weapons. End to Unlawful Attacks While the parties to the negotiations are striving to negotiate peace, any transition agreement should make explicit that the parties to the conflict will adhere to the laws of war in any ongoing fighting. Any agreement should include a commitment by Syrian government and Russian forces to immediately stop using indiscriminate weapons such as cluster munitions and incendiary weapons and to end indiscriminate attacks on populated civilian areas and other unlawful attacks. Opposition forces should also agree to end indiscriminate and other unlawful attacks, including with car bombs and mortar strikes on civilian areas under government control. The US-led coalition should take necessary precautions to minimize harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure and should ensure that credible reports of civilian casualties are effectively and impartially investigated and publicly reported on. Despite a ceasefire in late December 2016, unlawful attacks continue, including in Wadi Barada in the Damascus countryside, Idlib, and other parts of the country. In the early morning hours of February 1, an airstrike hit the Syrian Arab Red Crescent building in Idlib, injuring the center's director and badly damaging the building. On February 10, UNICEF reported that at least 20 children had been killed in violence in Idlib, al-Zahraa, and al-Waer neighborhoods in Homs, and in Eastern Ghouta, in the Damascus countryside. In light of the Syrian government's repeated war crimes and widespread and systematic human rights violations, including the unlawful use of weapons, all states, including those involved in the negotiations, should make a commitment to stop transferring all arms, related equipment, and logistical support to the Syrian government until the abuses stop and responsible parties are held to account. States should also stop providing such support to armed opposition groups that have been found responsible for widespread or systematic human rights abuses or war crimes. The US-led coalition should take fully into account that the Russia-Syria coalition has repeatedly committed war crimes under the guise of fighting terrorism, and that any cooperation with Russia in the fight against the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) in Syria should ensure that it is not complicit in such crimes. Humanitarian Access and Safe Evacuation of Civilians Under international humanitarian law, all parties to an armed conflict are obligated to facilitate rapid and unimpeded aid to all civilians in need and allow civilians to freely leave an area under siege. Starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare is prohibited. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian (OCHA), 4.9 million people live in besieged or hard-to-reach areas in Syria. These areas suffer from bombing and inadequate aid, nutrition, water, and medical care. The siege of civilian areas by government and pro-government forces and by armed opposition groups and blocking of aid delivery has continued despite the ceasefire. Conditions in areas besieged by government and pro-government forces have rapidly deteriorated, forcing civilians to leave these areas. According to OCHA, 4 million people in Damascus and its environs were cut off from drinking water from then-opposition-controlled Wadi Barada and Ain-el-Fijah "due to deliberate targeting resulting in the damaged infrastructure." Bellingcat, a citizen investigative journalist group that investigated the damage to the water supply found that "the most likely scenario is that the regime was responsible for the damage to the spring structure." The civilian population in Damascus was without clean water for weeks while the parties exchanged accusations and negotiated a deal for repairing the supply line. In February 2014, the UN Security Council passed resolution 2139 to guarantee the delivery of aid, calling on all sides in the Syrian war to facilitate humanitarian access to all parts of Syria. In light of the Syrian government's failure to comply, the council passed resolution 2165 on July 14, 2014, authorizing UN agencies and their implementing partners to deliver aid across four borders not controlled by Syria's government in addition to those already in use. Resolution 2165 was renewed in December 2016 until January 10, 2018. Despite the Syrian government's persistent non-compliance with the UN Security Council's resolutions on immediate aid delivery, the council has not taken any further measures, despite affirming that it would in resolution 2165. On December 5, Russia once again used its veto to block UN Security Council action on Syria. The draft resolution would have called for a seven-day pause in hostilities in Aleppo and demanded safe access to provide aid. Concerned governments should push both the Syrian government and opposition delegations to make an immediate commitment to allow all civilians who wish to leave besieged areas to do so and to allow immediate access for aid to come in across border and conflict lines, without impediment. All parties to the conflict should commit to ensuring that any evacuations of civilians are conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law. UN and other institutions should be given access to monitor and report on evacuations. Evacuations of civilians should be voluntary and to places of their choosing, and both those that choose to remain or to flee should be protected. Justice On December 21, 2016, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution establishing a unit to assist in the investigation of serious crimes committed in Syria since 2011, which will help pave the way to justice after years of unchecked atrocities. Countries that voted for this unprecedented resolution should support the investigative unit, including by contributing financial resources to its work. This and other documentation efforts, including by the UN Commission of Inquiry, will be vital to future domestic and international accountability processes. These initiatives may help build some momentum for justice as well as send a strong message to Syrian victims that serious crimes committed against them won't go unanswered. The parties to the conflict, including the Syrian government, should make a commitment to cooperate with the investigative unit and the UN Commission of Inquiry. The international community should continue to work to lay the groundwork for a concrete and credible justice process for the long-term. Governments that supported efforts to give the International Criminal Court (ICC) a mandate in Syria should remain committed to seeking justice for victims, whether in the UN Security Council, UN General Assembly, UN Human Rights Council, or through other avenues, including the use of universal jurisdiction. Other countries should make clear that justice is an essential component of any future peace including at any negotiations in Geneva. Proposals to grant immunity to anyone implicated in serious crimes should be rejected. The parties should also make a commitment to review and amend any provision in Syrian law that grants immunity to security forces and to carry out broader reforms to equip the country's justice system to address serious crimes alongside other tribunals, including potentially the ICC. Broader truth-seeking mechanisms and programs for ensuring reparation for victims and families, and vetting to bar perpetrators from official positions will also be needed. Any agreement should include a commitment by the negotiating parties to a national commission with a mandate to reveal the fate of the disappeared and to investigate torture, extrajudicial executions, and other serious human rights violations. Security Sector Reform and Release of Detainees Since the beginning of the uprising in Syria, security forces have arbitrarily arrested, unlawfully detained, forcibly disappeared, and ill-treated, tortured, and killed thousands of people, using an extensive network of detention facilities throughout the country. Those arrested include peaceful protesters, human rights defenders, and activists involved in organizing, filming, and reporting on protests as well as journalists, aid providers, lawyers, and doctors. Any transitional plan needs to include a commitment to establish an independent vetting mechanism for current and potential senior security officials. Any against whom there is evidence suggesting their involvement in crimes under international law and other serious human rights abuses should be suspended from their positions or prevented from taking up new security positions pending a full investigation. Wherever there is sufficient admissible evidence of responsibility for international crimes, suspects should be prosecuted in fair trials. Syria's multiple security agencies should also be required to report to and be accountable to any transitional government. The parties should agree to institutional reforms aimed at ensuring that the human rights violations of the past will not be repeated. A large number of peaceful protesters, and political and humanitarian activists remain in incommunicado detention while others have faced trial, some of them before military and counterterrorism courts, for exercising their rights. Armed opposition groups, mainly in opposition-held territory in northern Syria, have also arbitrarily detained people, including journalists, aid workers, and activists who have criticized them. Any agreement should include a commitment to release political detainees, journalists, aid workers, and human rights activists in their custody and to grant independent monitors access to detention facilities and to all those deprived of their liberty. One effective way to ensure these steps would be to create an independent commission to review cases of those detained, monitor their treatment in detention, and ensure their release. To properly pursue its mission, the commission should be granted access to all detention facilities. The parties should also make a commitment to repeal or reform laws that criminalize the exercise of the rights to peaceful expression, assembly, and association, including the July 2012 counterterrorism law, which criminalizes nonviolent activism and opposition to the government. An explicit commitment should be made to not detain or prosecute aid workers who were operating in opposition-held territory, including those who provided medical assistance to the sick, injured, or wounded whether civilians or fighters in accordance with the laws of war. The parties should also commit to enshrining in Syrian law all the basic protections and safeguards for detainees guaranteed by international law, including the prohibition of arbitrary detention, the obligation to inform a person who is arrested of the reasons, and the obligation to provide detainees with an opportunity to challenge the lawfulness of detention by a court. Those deprived of their liberty, regardless of where they are held, should have regular access to lawyers, family members, and medics. Signatory Organizations 11.11.11 Al Kawakibi Organization for Human Rights Amnesty International Association for Peace, Justice and Documentation Assyrian Human Rights Network Bridge of Peace Syria Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies Christian Aid Democratic Republic Studies Center EuroMed Rights FIDH - International Federation for Human Rights Fraternity Foundation For Human Rights Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect Helen Bamber Foundation Human Appeal Human Rights Guardian Human Rights Watch IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation Justice for Life Organization Middle East and North Africa Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies Non-Violence Network in the Arab Countries Permanent Peace Movement Physicians for Human Rights Refugees International Souria Houria Syria Charity Syrian Center For Legal Studies and Researches Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression Syrian Center for Statistics and Research Syrian Institute for Justice Syrian League for Citizenship Syrian Network for Human Rights Syrians for Truth and Justice The Day After The Violations Documentation Center in Syria (VDC) Trocaire UOSSM International URNAMMU Vision GRAM-International Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Journalists threatened for covering violence in Kasai-Central province Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 21 February 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Journalists threatened for covering violence in Kasai-Central province, 21 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58ad5a2c60.html [accessed 6 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is concerned about death threats against journalists covering massacres by the Kamuina Nsapu rebel militia and by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) in the southern province of Kasai-Central. A shocking video of FARDC soldiers massacring a group of people armed with no more than sticks and slingshots is the latest evidence of the violence by soldiers and local self-defence groups that has been under way in this region for the past several months. Apparently filmed by a soldier, the video began circulating on social networks a few days ago and has made it impossible to continue denying that massacres are taking place. Referring to the violence was previously almost impossible for journalists and even now continues to lead to immediate threats. At least four journalists in or near Kananga, the provincial capital, were threatened last week and two of them had to flee the region. At the same time, the government has joined in the attempts to discourage coverage of the violence. Information minister Lambert Mende questioned the video's authenticity and suggested that the FARDC had been guilty of no more than "excesses." "We ask all parties to the conflict to respect the right of journalist to investigate and inform the Congolese public and the world about the atrocities in Kasai-Central," RSF's Clea Kahn-Sriber said. "Journalists are key witnesses and must be able to work freely. They must be free to cover and condemn the massacres that are taking place with complete impunity." Journalist in Danger, RSF's local partner organization, issued a press release on 13 February condemning threats against two journalists in the region. One was Sosthene Kambidi of Kananga-based Radio Television Chretienne (RTC), who was followed and threatened by soldiers for referring in his reporting to a massacre of around 30 people by members of the Kamuina Nsapu militia. The other was Fabrice Mfwamba of Radio Communautaire Moyo, a community radio station based in Tshimbulu, a town 160 km south of Kananga that is the epicentre of the violence. After covering an FARDC operation against the militia, he was threatened by some of its members, who accused him of collaborating with the FARDC. There have been more threats since that press release. Andre Kambala of Radio Okapi, a UN radio station, was verbally attacked by the head of the provincial office of the General Directorate for Migration (DGM) for referring to the violence. Berry Mulanda of Dibaya Tabala, a Tshimbulu-based community radio station, was threatened with beheading by local militiamen. The militia is named after Kamuina Nsapu, the traditional chief in the Tshimbulu region, who disputed the authority of President Joseph Kabila's government and was killed in a clash with police officers on 12 August 2016. Since then, his followers have taken up arms against the security forces with renewed enthusiasm and reports of massacres have been growing. Several countries including the Vatican have condemned the Kasai-Central violence and have urged the Congolese government to investigate it. Although two more videos have emerged in the past few days, the government continues to dispute the authenticity of the evidence and use its sovereignty as a pretext for rejecting the outside world's calls for justice. The media are coming under growing pressure as the opposition, civil society and international observers criticize the government for its lack of goodwill in the ongoing negotiations for the creation of a transitional government. Local FM retransmission of Radio France Internationale's broadcasts has meanwhile been suspended in Kinshasa for more than four months. The Democratic Republic of Congo is ranked 152nd out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index. Islamists assail woman journalist over column on public health Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 22 February 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Islamists assail woman journalist over column on public health, 22 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58ad5aa84.html [accessed 6 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is alarmed to learn that radical Islamists have been threatening and attacking the journalist Shamael Al-Nur in the media ever since she denounced the government's public health policies in a column in the independent newspaper El Tayar on 2 February. Her Islamist critics have even accused her of apostasy, which is punishable by death under the Sharia law in force in Sudan since 1983. Headlined "The Virtue Mania" and alluding to the fact that less than 3% of Sudan's budget is allocated to health and education, Al-Nur's column said: "Islamic regimes are preoccupied with matters of virtue, women's dress, appearance, more than health and education issues." "It is easy to cut spending on health in the state budget, but it is very difficult for the Ministry of Health to distribute condoms," the article concluded. Those leading the verbal offensive against Al-Nur include Mustafa Al-Tayeb, the editor of the newspaper El-Sina and uncle of President Omar Al-Bashir. He likened her to a "worm" and said she had to be prevented from corrupting the country's values. A radical imam who supports Al-Qaeda, Mohamed Ali al-Gazouli, attacked her in the same newspaper on 16 February and urged his followers the next day to "get up to protect your religion." He also threatened to bring a judicial complaint against her accusing her of apostasy. "The publication of this kind of threat in the newspapers is unacceptable and clearly shows the arbitrary to which media freedom is submitted in Sudan," said Clea Kahn-Sriber, the head of RSF's Africa desk. "After the media were banned from discussing economic reforms and the conflict in Darfur, will it now be impossible for women to talk about their health? And yet publicly threatening a journalist seems to pose no problem! We urge the authorities to do what is necessary to protect Al-Nur and the rest of Al-Tayar's personnel and to condemn these calls for hate and violence." Al-Nur has filed a complaint against Al-Tayeb, accusing him of inciting hatred and extremism. El Tayar has stood by Al-Nur, requesting police protection for her. But, to RSF's knowledge, no protective measures have so far been taken. Faisal ElBagir, the coordinator of the Journalists Association for Human Rights (JAHR), attributed the virulence of the response to Al-Nur's column to her sex. "If a man had written this column, he would not have gotten such a fierce reaction," he said. Al Tayar has paid a high price of being outspoken. The authorities have often confiscated entire issues as they came off the press and its editor, Osman Mirghani, was beaten unconscious in July 2014 after referring to the normalization of relations with Israel during a radio debate. Al Tayar has paid a high price of being outspoken. The authorities have often confiscated entire issues as they came off the press and its editor, Osman Mirghani, was beaten unconscious in July 2014 after referring to the normalization of relations with Israel during a radio debate. The security services closed the newspaper in December 2015 after it criticized the finance ministry in an editorial. In May 2014, it was suspended again for four months without any grounds being given. Sudan is ranked near the bottom of RSF's2016 World Press Freedom Index (174th out of 180 countries) and President Al-Bashir is on RSF's 2016 list of press freedom predators. Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Regional Risks to Somalia's Moment of Hope Publisher International Crisis Group (ICG) Publication Date 22 February 2017 Cite as International Crisis Group (ICG), The Regional Risks to Somalia's Moment of Hope, 22 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58ad7e734.html [accessed 6 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The election of Somalia's new President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo offers the country's international partners a new opportunity to step up efforts in advancing peace and stability in Somalia as well as the wider Horn of Africa. Yet the hopes of a stable future for war-torn Somalia may be short lived if the fraught regional dynamic, in particular the mistrust felt by regional powers Ethiopia and Kenya, are not effectively addressed. Farmajo's near-landslide election victory on 8 February is without parallel. Although the eruptions of joy across the Somali-speaking Horn and the shared jubilation of citizens and soldiers in Mogadishu is rightly giving way to more sober assessments, the view that a seismic shift has occurred will be difficult to ignore. Ensuring that this election ushers in a new dawn, and that Farmajo's new-found political capital is well invested, a renewed diplomatic engagement by partners on numerous fronts will be required to support national-level reform and ease regional anxieties. The upcoming London Conference on Somalia, now expected in early May, represents an opportunity to do just that. A Popular Mandate Many hope that Farmajo's credibility and popular support can be channelled productively. The national reconciliation talks, aimed at healing deep wounds from the civil war that broke out in 1991, have stalled and Farmajo's strong mandate may be what is necessary to resuscitate them. Although the entire indirect election process was extremely corrupt, Somalis have completed a relatively credible presidential election that has resulted in a peaceful transfer of power. Farmajo's cross-clan support - the strongest platform for any Somali president - is a rare demonstration of unity in the ethnically homogenous but clan-fractured country. The mandate is indispensable for making critical progress on multiple fronts, particularly on reconciliation, addressing corruption and finalising the constitution. A number of factors worked in Farmajo's favour and helped seal his remarkable victory. First, Farmajo tapped into a growing antipathy to the dominance of the Abgal, a Hawiye sub-clan that gave the country its last two presidents. Frustration among other clans was also directed at the implicit agreement between the Abgal/Hawiye and Majerteen/Darod clans that allowed them to control and share both the presidential and prime ministerial seats. Farmajo's victory was also helped by former President Hassan Sheikh's decision to support the re-election of Mohamed Osman Jawari of the Digil/Mirifle clan as parliamentary speaker cost him the Digil/Mirifle vote. This tactical support was intended to scupper Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan's presidential campaign, since it is an unwritten rule that the president and speaker cannot hail from the same clan. This fuelled Digil/Mirifle resentment, who ended up coming together during the presidential election rounds to vote against Hassan Sheikh. Second, Farmajo is also well liked among diaspora and youth. More than 125 of Somalia's 283 MPs and senators are from the diaspora and 165 MPs and senators are under 35 years of age. In addition, approximately 30 per cent of the newly elected MPs are also affiliated with Islamist-leaning groups, including Salafi movements and the Muslim Brotherhood (excluding Hasan Sheikh's Damal Jadid). These have been, for some time, against the previous president's perceived closeness with Ethiopia and its meddling in Somali political affairs. Third, Farmajo benefitted from a huge wave of nationalistic fervour and a widely-shared perception he could be the right person to build a robust Somali National Army (SNA), speed up the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)'s exit, stabilise security, curb interventions by neighbouring countries, and protect Somalia's dignity and sovereignty. High Expectations Farmajo's immediate task will be to manage the inordinately high expectations. Unless he takes some early steps toward fulfilling his pledges of rebuilding security forces and state institutions, tackling corruption and unifying the country, dissatisfaction could trigger a serious public backlash. A further immediate impediment to Farmajo's proposed domestic agenda stems from the entrenched elites. Clan leaderships comprise a form of a very corrupt "deep state" that often operate against the interests of the people. Some believe this network cut short Farmajo's tenure as prime minister in 2011. Meaningful progress will be unlikely unless these factions are controlled through a mixture of co-option and coercion. The elections also highlighted the extent to which covert foreign funding of politicians fuelled allegations of clientalism and has impeded Somalia's democratic transformation. Regional countries, and the Arab states of the Gulf in particular, were widely alleged to be giving cash to the top five presidential candidates. Managing competing foreign interests in future presidential elections and reducing the corrupting influence of illicit foreign funding must be a priority for the Farmajo government. One potential institutional solution would be to formalise the Integrity Commission, set up just days before the presidential elections with the aim of curbing bribery. Regional Mistrust On a regional and international level, Farmajo's stated intent to reshape his country's foreign policy could prove a daunting challenge, not least because his victory stemmed in part from his campaign image as a staunch nationalist opposed to foreign meddling - especially by Ethiopia and Kenya. As head of state, he will need to move with extra caution to navigate regional politics and ease the anxieties of these powerful neighbours who are suspicious of his brand of politics. Growing tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia (over Nile waters, the Grand Renaissance Dam and South Sudan) could potentially spill over into Somalia and complicate matters for Farmajo. The speed with which Cairo has moved to embrace the new Somali president is bound to increase Ethiopia's anxieties at the growing Arab influence in the country. The resurgent Somali nationalism that Farmajo is said to embody is causing particular concern in Ethiopia, which could become an equal, if not greater, challenge to the new president. Ethiopia and Somalia are historical rivals and Addis Ababa has intervened repeatedly in its eastern neighbour since the central government collapsed in the early 1990s. In 2006, Ethiopia moved swiftly to dislodge the popular Union of Islamic Court (UIC) Islamist government that had managed to restore peace in Somalia during its brief six-month reign. Addis saw the UIC's anti-Ethiopian posturing and Somali nationalist rhetoric in support of a "greater Somalia" that incorporates Somali inhabited areas in neighbouring countries as a threat and acted accordingly. If Farmajo adopts a similarly antagonistic posture - as his popular "nationalist" constituency demands - then Addis will quickly act to undermine the new regime in Mogadishu, regardless of the progress made in Somalia's domestic struggles. He will need to move slowly in relation to Ethiopia and Kenya - which shares many of Ethiopia's concerns about Somali nationalism, given the large Somali population there - and reaching out to emphasise the shared interest between the new president and these countries in stabilising Somalia. The new president seems to be sensitive to these concerns and has sent emissaries to Nairobi and Addis Ababa with messages of goodwill and reassurances. This is hugely positive and ought to be sustained and supported by the international community. Still, there are signs that regional tensions may worsen. Pro-Farmajo social media activists posted a picture of an Ethiopian senior official at the election venue captioned "Ethiopia shattered by the poll outcome". Such taunts were disseminated widely across the Somali-speaking Horn and diaspora. Farmajo's broad domestic popularity is unlikely to protect him from Somalia's fragile relationships with its neighbours, and an Ethiopia that senses its interests and influence to be in jeopardy will almost certainly be a spoiler for Farmajo's agenda of reform. The African Union's Role Somalia's recent election marks another important milestone in the country: the tenth anniversary of the regional peacekeeping force AMISOM. In this time, the internationally supported mission has helped state forces in their fight against Al-Shabaab militants, provided and delivered humanitarian aid, and trained the Somali security forces. Yet the mission's resource and management challenges remain unaddressed, which hamper AMISOM's peacekeeping capabilities. The African Union (AU) must tackle the dysfunction, national rivalries and frictions among the troop-contributing countries: Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti. Such tensions hinder AMISOM's military effectiveness in fighting Al-Shabaab and add to the incoherence surrounding the planned exit from Somalia envisioned to begin in 2018. A hasty pullout would be catastrophic for Somalia and the region. Since AMISOM's deployment, Al-Shabaab has been significantly degraded but remains a lethal force with the capacity to continue destabilising the country for years to come. While Farmajo served as prime minister, Al-Shabaab lost significant territory and was ultimately forced to withdraw from the capital. With a stable government in place and Farmajo at the helm, greater effort can be made to coordinate between regional peacekeepers and national security forces to step up the campaign against Al-Shabaab and other militants, especially since a local group declaring affiliation to Islamic State briefly seized a patch of Somalia's coastland late last year. Since the election, there has been cause for cautious optimism as reports were circulated by several Somali news sources this week that a significant dissident faction of Al-Shabaab led by Mukhtar Robow Abu Mansur was considering surrendering to the new Somali government, in recognition of Farmajo's huge popularity. This would be a great boost for the new administration, and all efforts must be made to help the new government peel away elements of the militants amenable to a peaceful settlement. No less important, the AU and other international partners must encourage the new government to focus on national reconciliation. Malaysia: Convicted for Showing a Film Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 21 February 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Malaysia: Convicted for Showing a Film, 21 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58adb10b4.html [accessed 6 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. A Malaysian court's conviction of rights activist Lena Hendry for her role in showing a documentary film violates her right to freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said today. On February 21, 2017, a Kuala Lumpur court found Hendry guilty of organizing a private screening of the award-winning human rights documentary, "No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka," without censorship board approval nearly four years ago. She will be sentenced on March 22, and faces fines and up to three years in prison. "It's an outrageous assault on basic free expression that Lena Hendry could go to prison for helping to show a documentary film," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director. "This prosecution is part of the Malaysian government's disturbing pattern of harassment and intimidation of those seeking to raise public awareness of human rights issues." Hendry, a former staff member of the human rights group Pusat KOMAS, was convicted under section 6 of Malaysia's Film Censorship Act, which prohibits the "circulation, distribution, display, production, sale, hire" or "possession" of any film, whether imported or domestically produced, without first obtaining approval from the government-appointed Board of Censors. Malaysia's highest court rejected a constitutional challenge to the law in September 2015. A magistrate acquitted her of the charge in March 2016, finding that the government had failed to make a basic case showing her guilt. On September 21, 2016, the High Court reversed Hendry's acquittal and ordered a resumption of the case after the government appealed. Bringing criminal penalties for possessing or privately showing a film without government approval violates freedom of expression by imposing a disproportionate burden on a fundamental right. The Film Censorship Act is rarely invoked, and Pusat KOMAS regularly screens films on politics, human rights, culture, and other issues without censorship board approval, with admission by pre-registration only. The prosecution in this case appears to have been motivated by the Malaysian government's desire to appease Sri Lankan embassy officials, who had publicly demanded that the film not be shown and visited the venue on the day of the film's showing to urge the venue's managers to cancel the event. "No Fire Zone" tells the story of war crimes committed in the last months of Sri Lanka's civil war in 2009, including Sri Lankan army shelling that indiscriminately killed thousands of civilians and the extrajudicial executions of captured fighters and supporters of the secessionist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. "The Film Censorship Act violates rights by giving the government the power to arbitrarily suppress films it doesn't want Malaysians to see, and to prosecute those who dare to show them," Robertson said. "Malaysia should scrap this draconian law's criminal penalties, revise it to comply with international rights standards, and allow Malaysian citizens to view films of their choosing." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Conviction of three peaceful protestors condemned Publisher International Federation for Human Rights Publication Date 22 February 2017 Cite as International Federation for Human Rights, Conviction of three peaceful protestors condemned, 22 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58adb1be4.html [accessed 6 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Today's unfair conviction of three peaceful protestors marks the latest setback for the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and the right to freedom of opinion and expression in Singapore, FIDH said today. The Singapore Supreme Court upheld the conviction of activist and blogger Ms. Han Hui Hui (25) and fined her SGD3,100 (US$2,179) under Article 290 of the Criminal Code (causing a public nuisance) and Regulation 23(2)(b) of the Parks and Trees Regulations. The court also upheld the conviction of Mr. Koh Yew Beng (61) and Ms. Low Wai Choo (57) and fined them SGD450 (US$316) each. Ms. Han was immediately detained and faces 34 days in prison for her failure to pay her fine. The charges against the three stemmed from their participation in a peaceful demonstration organized by Ms. Han at Hong Lim Park's Speakers' Corner on 27 September 2014. The demonstration called for transparency in the Singaporean government's management of its Central Provident Fund (CPF). During today's proceedings, Ms. Han, Mr. Koh, and Ms. Low represented themselves in court as they were not provided with any form of legal representation or legal aid prior to the hearing. On 27 June 2016, a Singapore court fined Ms. Han SGD3,100 (US$2,179) for organizing an 'illegal demonstration' and causing a public nuisance. The court also fined Mr. Koh and Ms. Low SGD450 (US$316) each for causing a public nuisance. According to Article 45(1)(e) of Singapore's constitution, any individual subject to a fine in excess of SGD2,000 (US$1,406) is barred from standing for election for five years. Three other participants involved in the demonstration pleaded guilty or had their charges dropped after making a public apology. Ms. Han has been repeatedly denied permission by Singapore's National Parks Board (NParks) to hold events at Hong Lim Park's Speakers' Corner. In the latest denial of her right to peaceful assembly and her right to freedom of opinion and expression, on 16 November 2016, NParks rejected an application made by Ms. Han to organize and speak at an event for Human Rights Day on 10 December. During Singapore's second Universal Periodic Review (UPR), held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 27 January 2016, Singapore received six recommendations that urged the government to ensure the realization of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly. The government delegation responded by justifying the severe restrictions on the exercise of this right to ensure "society's need for order and stability." These criteria fall short of internationally accepted standards, which require that any restrictions to the right to freedom of peaceful assembly be necessary and proportionate. International standards also stress the principle that a peaceful assembly should be presumed lawful and not constituting a threat to public order. Fact check: What's true, what's not in Indiana candidates' election ads IndyStar fact checked claims in some of the latest TV ads so voters know which claims are based in truth ahead of election day Scott Pruitt, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), speaks to employees of the agency in Washington, U.S., February 21, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A trade association representing General Motors Co (GM.N), Toyota Motor Corp , Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) and nine other automakers on Tuesday asked new Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt to withdraw an Obama administration decision to lock in vehicle emission rules through 2025. On Jan. 13, then-EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy finalized a determination that landmark fuel efficiency rules instituted by President Barack Obama should be finalized through 2025, a bid to maintain a key part of his administration's climate legacy. Mitch Bainwol, president and chief executive of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said in a letter to Pruitt the decision was "the product of egregious procedural and substantive defects" and is "riddled with indefensible assumptions, inadequate analysis and a failure to engage with contrary evidence." Automakers have argued that the rules could result in the loss of up to 1 million jobs because consumers could be less willing to buy the more fuel efficient vehicles since their engineering will result in higher price tags. The EPA had until April 2018 to decide whether the 2025 standards were feasible but in November moved up its decision to Jan. 13, just before Obama left office. Separately, the Association of Global Automakers, a trade group representing Honda Motor Co , Nissan Motor Co Ltd , Hyundai Motor Co and others, said late Tuesday it had formally petitioned the EPA to withdraw the determination. The group argued in a separate letter to Pruitt Tuesday reviewed by Reuters that "EPA opted for political expediency" and "jammed through a final determination in the waning days of the lame-duck administration." EPA spokeswoman Julia Valentine said the agency is reviewing the letter and declined to comment further. Pruitt told a Senate panel earlier he will review the Obama administration's decision. The auto group requests follow a separate letter to President Donald Trump earlier this month from the chief executives of GM, Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, along with the top North American executives at Toyota, VW, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan and others urging Trump to revisit the decision. Story continues Automakers say the rules impose significant costs and are out of step with consumer preferences. Environmentalists say the rules are working, saving drivers thousands in fuel costs and should not be changed. In 2011, Obama announced an agreement with automakers to raise fuel efficiency standards to 54.5 miles per gallon. This, the administration said, would save motorists $1.7 trillion in fuel costs over the life of the vehicles but cost the auto industry about $200 billion over 13 years. The EPA said in July that because Americans were buying fewer cars and more SUVs and trucks, it estimated the fleet will average 50.8 mpg to 52.6 mpg in 2025. McCarthy could not be reached Tuesday but said in her determination in January the rules are "feasible, practical and appropriate" and in "the best interests of the auto industry." (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Lisa Shumaker) Prime Minister Hun Sen ratcheted up his rhetoric against his opponents on Wednesday, hinting that he might deploy military force against any political party that attempts to wrest power away from the Cambodian strong man. Some individuals dared to claim that in 2018 we would be crushed because we wouldnt recognize the election results, he said. They predicted that in 2018 they could win, and if we dont hand over power to them, they will crush us. How can this happen if the troops are in my hand? Hun Sens remarks during Wednesdays commencement exercise at the National Institute of Education in Phnom Penh came as he and the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) are pushing new rules through parliament that would give the government vast power over political parties. National elections in Cambodia are scheduled for 2018, while local commune elections will be held in June of this year. Among the amendments to Cambodias law on political parties that Hun Sen and the CPP are seeking is one that would bar anyone convicted in Cambodian courts from holding a political partys top office. The culprit law would also dissolve any party whose president is convicted of a crime and would enable the government to seize the partys property. Cambodian courts are notorious for their lack of independence. Opposition politicians often find themselves before Hun Sens pliant courts on various charges. If the changes are approved by the Cambodian Senate and signed by Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni, as expected, the amendments would also give the Cambodian Supreme Court the power to dissolve a party caught committing a list of vague offenses. The Interior Ministry would also be empowered to indefinitely suspend a party for similarly vague reasons. Transition of power During his remarks, Hun Sen also took a swipe at Sam Rainsy, who was president of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) until he resigned in an effort to preserve the CNRP. You declare the results now while the election has yet to be held, and then you keep talking about winning and change, he said. Yes, you can change. Change from staying freely outside to being in jail! Sam Rainsy has been living in France since 2015 to avoid arrest in a defamation case brought by former Foreign Minister Hor Namhong in 2008. In October, Hun Sen ordered police, immigration, and aviation authorities to "use all ways and means" to prevent the opposition leader from returning to the country. In December 2016, Sam Rainsy wrote on his Facebook page: In 2018, the CNRP will form a new and legitimate government, and what will remain from Hun Sens CPP will just be a bunch of rebels who will be crushed by the legitimate government commanding the national armed forces with the support of the international community on the basis of the 1991 Paris Peace Agreements. The agreements ended the Cambodia-Vietnam War and established modern Cambodia after years of rule by the bloody Khmer Rouge and an occupation by Vietnam. CNRP spokesman Yim Sovann told RFA that the CNRP doesnt want a war, but a peaceful transition of power. If we win the election it means that we have strong support from the people in the whole country, he said. That strong support is a foundation toward a peaceful power transfer, like what countries usually do. Other countries weigh in The latest salvo in the political battle comes as foreign governments, including those which helped war-torn Cambodia rebuild 20 years ago, decried the proposed party law changes. The U.S. Embassy said it was "deeply concerned" that the amendments were passed with little consultation or public debate. "Any government action to ban or restrict parties under the new amendments would constitute a significant setback for Cambodia's political development and would seriously call into question the legitimacy of the upcoming elections," the American mission said. It called on Hun Sens government to ensure that the elections this year and next "are free, open, and transparent, and that all political parties have the opportunity to compete on an equal basis." Any government action to ban or restrict parties under the new amendments would constitute a significant setback for Cambodias political development and would seriously call into question the legitimacy of the upcoming elections, the U.S. embassy said. Australia and the European Union also questioned the wisdom of the party law changes. The Australian Government encourages the Cambodian Government to ensure credible and transparent elections by maintaining political space for all voices and views to be heard, the embassy told RFA's Khmer service. The EU mission in Phnom Penh questioned how the changes would affect the long-term stability of the country, saying the changes would potentially allow for arbitrary restrictions of political party activities or for their dissolution. It added: Such actions against opposition parties would call into question the legitimacy of the coming elections. Other countries should stay out Hun Sen chastised the foreign nations, particularly the United States, saying that Cambodian affairs should be left up to the Khmers. All foreigners should understand that the Khmer story should be solved by Khmers, he said. It is true that I need your aid. It is true that I need to do business with you and need cooperation with you. However, I have never interfered in your internal affairs. Hun Sen accused Washington of being hypocritical, noting the bombing campaign in Cambodia during the Vietnam War. When you bombed my country and you killed my people, did you ever think about human rights? he said. This Cambodian law which has been passed by the National Assembly is not a law to kill the people like you used to kill Cambodian people. Reported for RFA's Khmer Service by Moniroth Morm. Translated by Sovannarith Keo and Sarada Taing. Written in English by Brooks Boliek. Former Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang was jailed for 20 months by a court in the former British colony that found him guilty of failing to disclose significant conflicts of interest while in office. The city's High Court jailed Tsang after it found him guilty of concealing a property deal with businessman Bill Wong from the Executive Council (ExCo), the chief executive's cabinet, as it deliberated whether or not to grant him a license to run a digital radio channel. Tsang, 72, known for his debonair manner and trademark bow tie, was found guilty of misconduct in public office, and will be the most senior public servant to be jailed in the city's history. "Never in my judicial career have I seen a man falling from such a height," High Court justice Andrew Chan told the court as he passed sentence. The sentencing came after Tsang was found guilty by a nine-person jury on . The court found that he had deliberately concealed private rental negotiations with property tycoon Bill Wong while ExCo discussed and approved a digital broadcasting license for Wong's now-defunct Wave Media shortly before his retirement in 2012. Tsang, who was chief executive for seven years from 2005, still faces a retrial on a corruption charge linked to a free renovation of his Shenzhen penthouse apartment provided by Wong. Justice Chan said the offense was particular serious owing to Tsang's high-ranking position in government, and his breach of public trust, as he had "deliberately concealed" his dealings with Wong. But he reduced the sentence by 10 months in recognition of Tsang's dedication to public service spanning more than four decades. After the sentencing, Tsang was escorted in handcuffs to the court from hospital where he'd been staying since night after experiencing breathing difficulties and chest pains. 'A very dark day' His wife Selina Tsang told reporters: " is a very dark day. I and the family feel extremely disappointed and upset by the sentence passed by the court ." "Donald and I have been under constant pressure in the past five years, and have been the targets of extreme harassment, so we are very sad about 's outcome," she said. "But we will face it with strength and courage, and we will be appealing," she added. Earlier, Tsang had written in a newspaper column ahead of the sentencing that he had been honored to have served Hong Kong. "In life, a lot of things are out of our control. But serving Hong Kong was my choice," he wrote, adding: "No matter what the result of the trial is, I have no regrets." Lawmaker Starry Lee, who chairs the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB), said she hoped Tsang's jailing would act as a deterrent to other people in public office. "I believe that this sentence with have a very large deterrent effect, and the whole affair has been a wake-up call and a learning process for public officials," Lee said. "As for Donald Tsang ... he put a lot of effort into serving Hong Kong and brought in a lot of measures and policies to help local people, so we feel sad about this sentence," she said. Tsang's conviction is the latest in a string of scandals surrounding powerful people in Hong Kong that have undermined the city's reputation as relatively graft-free. Tsang's former second-in-command Rafael Hui was jailed for seven-and-a-half years in 2014 on bribery charges linked to his relationship with regional property giant Hung Kai. Reported by Lam Kwok-lap for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Chen Pan for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Disgruntled veterans of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) are shown in an earlier protest in Beijing, Feb. 22, 2017. Thousands of People's Liberation Army (PLA) veterans protested outside the disciplinary arm of the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing on Wednesday over pensions, healthcare and other demobilization benefits they said were promised but not delivered. Wearing their uniforms from units and division across the PLA's three services, the veterans lined the streets outside the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), calling on President Xi Jinping to address their grievances. "We have suffered injustice for our country for the past 20 or 30 years," a veteran protester in uniform addressed the protesters, who were drawn up in ranks as if on parade, according to video footage of the protests seen by RFA. "Because of [an] illegal regulation, we have been left in poverty and hardship," he told the crowd. "We have no jobs, no income, no status and nowhere to live." "We are non-people, and now we are being targeted for stability maintenance," he said. "We are the tragedy of the People's Republic, and a shameful entry in its history," he said. Outside the CCDI The protesters also shouted slogans and sang military songs, watched by ranks of uniformed police officers who appeared not to be trying to disperse the crowd. "Look at them," a protester filming the demonstration says on camera. "The place is packed with people, so many of them ... We are outside the CCDI." The demonstration is the largest in the Chinese capital since a mass demonstration on Oct. 11 shocked the authorities, who ordered provincial chiefs to Beijing to begin escorting the disgruntled protesters home. The October protests outside the party's military arm also highlighted a failure to deliver promised pension, medical and social security benefits to demobilized PLA soldiers, regarded by Beijing as one of the country's most politically sensitive groups. While officials from the Central Military Commission (CMC) ordered provincial and city leaders to Beijing to address the crisis, the veterans say promises that changes would begin to be implemented from Jan. 1 had not been kept. A veteran surnamed Jiang said that four months on, local officials, far from trying to help the veterans, have done everything in their power to prevent another protest in Beijing. "Not one person in local government has approached us to resolve these issues," Jiang said. "The online petitioning system is set up to mess people around and fool them that something is happening." "Our demands still haven't been met," he said. Jiang said that repeated petitioning trips to Beijing had resulted in more detentions by police, in spite of there being a strong legal basis for their claims. Clause 3 of the Military Pensions Priority Regulations requires governments to ensure that the standard of living and social situation of demobilized PLA soldiers doesn't fall below the average. "The standard of living of veterans shouldn't dip below that of the locality where they live," Jiang said. He said the veterans are protesting at the continuing failure to implement national policy at a local level. PLA veterans protest outside provincial government offices in southwestern China's Sichuan province, Feb. 22, 2017. Photo courtesy of a protester Looking for a ringleader Not all veterans made it as far as Beijing, however. Officers manning a checkpoint at Liulihe on the outskirts of Beijing beat up four veterans from the eastern province of Shandong, one of whom received treatment in hospital for head injuries, after stopping them from entering the capital early on Wednesday morning, veterans told RFA. The group was stopped by regular police and members of the People's Armed Police and prevented from going any further, sources said. Another group of veterans from the northern mining city of Taiyuan, Shanxi province, were detained in the Aiminjie No. 39 military hospital, while veterans from Datong and Luliang were detained at a local police station. Police were keen to find a "ringleader" for the protests, but veterans insisted that there was no top-down leadership, sources said. On Tuesday, more than 150 veterans from the northeastern province of Heilongjiang were stopped by police en route to Beijing, and taken to the complaints office in the provincial capital Harbin, protesters said. "They've brought us all here to the Harbin complaints office in three big buses," a protester said from the scene. A veteran surnamed Zhou said he expects the Beijing protests to continue until China's annual parliamentary session in early March. And a veteran from the southwestern province of Sichuan surnamed Huang said a group of veterans had also gathered outside government offices in the provincial capital Chengdu on Wednesday. "At the Sichuan protests, a lot of the veterans were given jobs on demobilization in [state-owned] companies but lost them again when they were laid off," Huang said. "Those given redundancy payments included platoon and company commanders and deputy commanders, battalion-ranking cadres," he said. Massive cordon around Beijing Authorities in Beijing have thrown a massive security cordon around the capital ahead of the annual meetings of the National People's Congress (NPC) and its advisory body starting on March 3, rights activists told RFA. Hangzhou-based rights activist Zou Wei said police had called him and asked to take him on a forced 'vacation' out of town ahead of the meetings. "This is definitely linked to the parliamentary sessions," Zou said. "They will let me come back again when they are over." He said petitioner Liang Liwan is now incommunicado after she refused to sign a pledge not to lodge complaints or petitions during the parliamentary sessions. "Petitioners and people lodging complaints are a big headache for the authorities," Zou said. "Now, the police have come up with these letters that are basically designed to stop you from petitioning." Fellow petitioner Fan Yonggen said the letters are part of a nationwide "stability maintenance" system designed to limit or prevent public expressions of discontent. Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Lok-to for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. By Fabian Cambero SANTIAGO (Reuters) - BHP Billiton's decision this week to give up its legal right to replace striking workers at the Escondida copper mine in Chile is a move aimed at sacrificing some output to undermine the union's position, analysts said Wednesday. The strike began on Feb 9, after workers voted overwhelmingly to reject a wage contract offer by BHP Billiton . That led BHP to say it would not be able to meet contractual commitments, driving the copper price up on supply concerns. BHP made a surprise announcement on Tuesday, saying it would not seek to exercise its right to replace the 2,500 striking workers after 15 days - which would have been this Friday. Instead, it said it would wait at least 30 days. The company said this was to assure the safety of its workers but industry experts say it was a strategic move that puts the ball in the union's court. After 30 days, workers can individually exit the strike and accept the company's offer, weakening the union's position. Juan Carlos Guajardo, an industry veteran and consultant at Plusmining, said the delay would ease tension after day 15 of the strike, when the company could have brought in temporary workers if it had sought to. "By delaying to day 30 it prevents the risk of days 15 to 30 being violent, something which could provoke the workers," said Guajardo. "On day 30 the invitation to leave the strike will therefore be better received." Previous strikes in Chile have seen clashes with striking miners trying to prevent temporary workers entering the mine. Camped out under burning daytime sunshine and cold nights in the Atacama Desert next to the mine, workers' enthusiasm for the strike may begin to crack, although the union insists its members remain united. "The guys are relaxed, they're okay, some are heading to town to rest and next week they will come back with more energy for however long it takes," said union spokesman Carlos Allendes. Escondida in northern Chile is by far the world's largest copper mine. At usual output rates, some 40,000 tonnes of copper has been taken out of supply during the strike to date - equivalent to the annual production of a mid-sized mine. A government-mediated attempt at restarting talks foundered on Monday, with the two sides far apart on issues such as benefits for new workers and shift changes. Both sides say they remain open to dialogue but firm in their positions. Despite Monday's failure, the government has said it will continue to push to get the two sides back at the negotiating table. Other miners - including those at Chile's no.2 mine, Anglo American and Glencore's Collahuasi, which has contract talks due later this year - will be watching carefully. (Reporting by Fabian Cambero; Writing by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Alistair Bell) Diplomatic fallout from the alleged assassination in Malaysia of North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns half-brother is testing long-standing bilateral relations and raising questions about whether Kuala Lumpur will cut off ties with Pyongyang. Some analysts speculate that Malaysia could expel North Korean diplomats in Kuala Lumpur if Pyongyang refuses to hand over a diplomat sought by police for questioning over the killing of Kim Jong Nam. I dont expect the relationship to be severed, but a form of downgrade looks inevitable at this stage. I suspect the Malaysian authorities are looking into implementing international sanctions with greater vigor, Shahriman Lockman, a senior analyst at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia (ISIS), told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Malaysia already has recalled its ambassador from Pyongyang after government sources in the United States and South Korea alleged North Korean agents were behind the assassination of Kim Jong Nam at a Kuala Lumpur area airport on Feb. 13. At a news conference in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, Malaysian Police Chief Khalid Abu Bakar said he could not confirm whether Pyongyang had carried out the assassination, but he said, what is clear is that those involved are North Koreans. He announced that authorities had asked the embassy on Wednesday to hand over Second Secretary Hyon Kwang Song and North Korean state-airline employee Kim Uk Il both of whom are believed to be in Malaysia and wanted in connection with the case. Malaysia must take into account all the aspects before taking further action. The worst-case scenario is we can cut diplomatic ties with North Korea. However, it is too early to predict this, Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani, a professor of international relations at Universiti Utara Malaysia, told BenarNews last week before a bilateral row broke out. Bilateral trade The two Asian countries established diplomatic relations in 1973 and Malaysia remains one of North Koreas relatively few trading partners despite the communist states international isolation through sanctions over its illegal nuclear weapons program and ballistic missile tests. The volume of bilateral trade in 2015 was relatively small totaling nearly 23 million ringgit (U.S. $5 million), according to The Star. Malaysia exports rubber, palm oil and petroleum to North Korea, which sends iron, steel and chemical products to the Southeast Asian nation, the newspaper reported. North Koreans and Malaysians also are able to visit their respective countries without a visa. Those ties have taken a hit since a war of words erupted in the past five days between the North Korean ambassador to Kuala Lumpur and Malaysias government over how local authorities have handled an investigation into the death of Kim Jong Nam. Although North Korea has not yet matched Malaysia by recalling its ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian government might be compelled to pressure Pyongyang into handing over the diplomat, according to Shahriman. It could do this, he said, by invoking a provision of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2321 that allows member-states to reduce the number if staff at [North Korean] diplomatic missions and consular posts in other words, expel some of Pyongyangs embassy personnel. If North Korea doesnt lift the diplomatic immunity of one of their diplomats whos being sought by Malaysian police in connection with Kim Jong Nams assassination, Malaysia would probably find it compelling to invoke such kinds of provisions, Shahriman said. Angry words Bilateral ties have been somewhat hurt within the past week, particularly following comments made by Pyongyang envoy Kang Chol, said Hoo Chiew Ping, a North Korea policy analyst at the National University of Malaysia. Amid a refusal by Malaysian officials to hand over Kim Jong Nams remains to North Korea without a post-mortem and their insistence that his next-of-kin give the authorities DNA samples as part of their investigation, the ambassador publicly accused Malaysian authorities of conducting an unprofessional investigation and colluding with Seoul over Kim Jong Nams killing. In his public comments, however, the ambassador never referred to the dead man as Kim Jong Nam, the estranged older sibling of North Koreas leader. The envoy identified the dead man as Kim Chol, a holder of a North Korean diplomatic passport. But his reaction is understandable due to the need to express the North Korean regimes position on the issue: their need to secure a dead North Korean national, despite refusing to acknowledge [to whom] the body belongs or [whether the person is] related to the regimes leader, Kim Jong Un, Hoo told BenarNews. If the North Korean ambassador does not say anything that is in line with the regimes expectations or even slightly recognizing Kim Chol as Kim Jong Nam, his life could be in danger, she told BenarNews. Azmi Hassan, a Malaysian professor of geo-politics, said Kuala Lumpur so far had demonstrated that it was giving higher priority to solving the case, even if this meant pushing the limits of its 44-year-old bilateral ties with Pyongyang. But when the inspector general of police named a suspect who is a diplomat of the embassy, it shows Malaysias determination to find out the culprit without any regard to diplomatic relations, Azmi told BenarNews. When the sovereignty of a country is challenged, diplomatic interests becomes less important. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Locals examine the front of a Chinese passenger bus that was shot by unidentified gunmen in northern Laos, March 23, 2016. One Lao soldier was killed and another was injured during a shooting on a bus traveling on Highway 13 North in Vientiane provinces Nam Ken village last week, causing authorities to beef up security in the area. What prompted the Feb. 16 shooting is unclear. Authorities first believed it was the work of bandits, but one official said the shooting was an alcohol-fueled accident. One man was a little intoxicated, and played with his gun, a Luang Prabang public works and transportation official told RFAs Lao Service on condition of anonymity. The others tried to stop him, but he would not listen, the official said. They fought for the gun which later accidentally fired. According to local officials and social media posts, a man dressed in a military uniform boarded the bus bound for the capital of Vientiane from the north central city of Luang Prabang at an unscheduled stop Thursday evening. The man sat near some other soldiers on the bus before shooting and killing one soldier, injuring the other and terrifying the passengers. The bus stopped and the man disappeared into the forest that lines the highway, a critical transportation route in the mountainous, landlocked country. After the shooting, Luang Prabang authorities banned buses from taking on passengers at unscheduled stops. Buses are now allowed to pick up passengers only at main points on the line. While the Luang Prabang official described the shooting as an accident, a Kasi district official told RFA the authorities have reinforced the military garrison there, and have launched an investigation. A history of shootings A spate of shootings in Vientiane province, north-central Xaisomboun province, and Luang Prabang by unidentified armed groups in 2016 raised concerns for Lao officials and led to an increased military presence in the areas. While most of the shootings occurred on public buses, a Lao soldier was killed in a shootout with unidentified armed forces along a new road between Vientiane and Luang Prabang provinces on May 6, 2016. In March, a bus shooting by unknown assailants left one Chinese national dead and six others wounded on the stretch of road between Tham and Houasan villages in Kasy. Another attack in on a public bus traveling along Route 13 North in Kasy in January 2016 injured one of about a dozen passengers, but caused no deaths. Military and police officials in Vientiane province have arrested 30 people suspected of being involved in the Kasy bus shooting. A shooting in Phoukhoun district of Luang Prabang province in early March killed a Chinese man and injured three other Chinese nationals, all of whom worked for a logging company clearing land for the Nam Ngum 3 hydropower dam project. On the same day as the shooting near the dam, gunmen mounted two separate attacks on a public bus and a truck traveling along Route 13 North in Phoukhoun, injuring five people. An exchange of gunfire between a Lao anti-government resistance group and local troops in Xaisomboun in November 2016 left three government soldiers dead, a retired Lao soldier close to a high-ranking officer in the Ministry of Defense told RFA at the time. A month later, more than a dozen attackers shot two motorcyclists in the provinces Anouvong district, killing one and injuring the other, and two people were injured when their beer truck was fired upon. Lao authorities blamed the shootings on bandits and deployed fast-moving, special armed units to patrol villages and towns to prevent unrest and crime in those provinces. Economic harm While the reports of shootings declined after the patrols were deployed and local authorities said the situation there improved after patrols, the attacks took their toll on the tourist trade. According to the official government news agency, Khao San Pathet Lao (KPL), the number of tourists who arrived in Laos last year dropped by 10 percent over 2015. Quoting government agencies, KPL reported that 4.2 million people visited Laos in 2016, down from the 4.68 million who visited last year. The officials blamed the drop in visitors on the lack of security along the Route 13 North between the town of Vang Vieng and the popular tourist city of Luang Prabang. Australia, Canada, the EU, and the U.S. have issued warnings this year to their citizens to avoid traveling on Highway 13 and the new road from the Kasi junction to the Road 4 junction between Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng/ Global Affairs Canada advises against all travel to Xaisomboun Province and portions of Road 13 and the new road between Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang due to the tense security situation and recent random shooting incidents, the Canadian government warned. The U.S. embassy in Vientiane warned American citizens to avoid all non-essential travel on portions of Highway 13, the new road from the Kasi junction to the Road 4 junction between Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng, and all of Xaisomboun Province. U.S. embassy personnel are restricted from traveling to these areas due to reports of violence, the embassy said. Reported and translated by RFA's Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Brooks Boliek. Boxes of humanitarian aid from Malaysia are unloaded in Sittwe, capital of western Myanmar's Rakhine state, Feb. 21, 2017. Humanitarian aid sent by Malaysia for refugees in Myanmars beleaguered Rakhine state arrived in the state capital on Tuesday and will be distributed to both ethnic Rakhine people and Rohingya Muslims in three townships. Malaysia has delivered hundreds of tons of food and other necessities, including rice, instant noodles, clothing, shoes, and hygiene kits, via the ship Nautical Aliya which arrived in Thilawa Port in Yangon region last week. The items were loaded onto military ships that delivered them to Sittwe, capital of western Myanmars Rakhine state. From there they will be given to people in Sittwe as well as in Pauktaw and Myebon townships, Myanmar officials said. The boat also offloaded food, medicine and other supplies at the port of Chittagong in neighboring Bangladesh for Rohingya refugees now living in camps scattered across Coxs Bazar after they fled a violent crackdown in the northern part of Rakhine state. Myanmar army soldiers and police locked down the area after a deadly attack on three border guard posts on Oct. 9, which authorities blamed on Rohingya militants. The United Nations estimates that more than 1,000 people died and about 73,000 Rohingya fled to safety in Bangladesh during a security sweep of northern Rakhine. The U.N.s human rights office has said that killings, arbitrary arrests, and rapes carried out by security forces in the region indicated the very likely commission of crimes against humanity. The Myanmar government initially tried to block the ship from entering the countrys waters, saying that the Muslim organization behind the effort had not obtained official permission to land in Myanmar. The government later declined Malaysias application to deliver aid to Sittwe and surrounding areas where many Rohingya have settled and instead issued clearance only for the port in Yangon. The government also required that the supplies be delivered to both ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya living in the region. Amnesty issues annual report In a related development, London-based Amnesty International said in its latest annual report issued Wednesday that the state of human rights in Myanmar has seen no improvements despite a new civilian-led government coming to power at the end of March 2016. The report noted that this is especially the case in Rakhine state where the situation of the stateless minority Rohingya group deteriorated significantly during the security operation after the border guard post attacks. The response collectively punished the entire Rohingya community in northern Rakhine state, and the conduct of the security forces may have amounted to crimes against humanity, the report said. The government issued blanket denials that security forces had carried out human rights violations, it said. An investigation commission established by the government in December lacked credibility as it was headed by a former army general and its members included the chief of police. The government led by Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi has denied nearly all the abuse allegations. A national-level commission investigating reports of abuse of the Rohingya detailed in the U.N.s Feb. 3 report has said that its findings differ from those of the U.N., and that people interviewed could not corroborate accounts of violence. Meanwhile, Myanmars security forces are probing the deaths of eight Rohingya in custody who were among the nearly 600 arrested during the crackdown, Agence France-Presse reported. Buddhists call the Rohingya Bengalis because they consider them illegal migrants from neighboring Bangladesh. The Myanmar government has denied them citizenship, though many have lived in Myanmar for generations. Tens of thousands of Myanmars 1.1 million Rohingya have lived in internally displaced persons camps since being displaced by communal violence with majority Buddhists in 2012. The Rohingya are denied basic rights, freedom of movement, and access to social services and education. Bangladesh meanwhile has refused to grant the Rohingya who live there in camps refugee status because it considers them citizens of Myanmar. Reported by Min Thein Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Montenegro's former prime minister accused Russia of seeking to destabilize the Balkans following a thwarted attempt to overthrow Podgorica's pro-Western government. Milo Djukanovic, who stepped down after an alleged plot emerged on election day in October aimed at preventing the small Balkan country from joining NATO, said that pro-Moscow groups "harnessed a lot of destructive material toward Montenegro" in that coup attempt. Montenegro is now "in the line" of Moscow's attempts to expand its influence in the Balkans, and pro-Russian opposition parties are ready to use "bloodshed and a coup" to install a pro-Kremlin government, Djukanovic said on February 21 in an address to Socialist Democratic Party youth in Niksic. "A new, puppet government would only serve the interest of Moscow, which wants to send a message to Europe and NATO that they cannot expand in the Balkans without its consent," said Djukanovic, who engineered his country's bid to join NATO. Russia has frequently criticized the enlargement of NATO -- which now includes the three Baltic states and several former Warsaw Pact nations -- and does not want any more countries to join the alliance. The former Yugoslav republics were never part of the Soviet bloc and all of them have sought to join the European Union. Of that group, only Montenegro is seeking to join NATO, however. The Western military alliance has approved Montenegros membership application, and earlier this month, Germany and France became the latest of the 24 members to approve its entry into the 28-member bloc. Only approvals from Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United States are still pending. Although there was some doubt in the United States about the new administrations attitude on the issue, a key Senate committee voted to support Montenegros bid on January 11. Top U.S. senators Bob Corker and John McCain have predicted the full Senate would approve the bid soon. Speaking in neighboring Kosovo, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, General Curtis M. Scaparrotti, voiced his concern "about ways that Russia has influence in the region that is not as helpful at times, particularly in the media with disinformation and political influence." "The stability of the western Balkans is of critical importance for NATO because security and stability in this region is important to the security and stability of Europe, a Europe that's whole, free and at peace," he said. Montenegrin prosecutors have accused Russia and its secret service operatives of plotting the election-day coup attempt that included alleged plans to kill Djukanovic and take over parliament. Some 20 people -- including two Russians -- have been accused of taking part. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied involvement in the plot. But it has openly supported nationalist parties and groups opposed to Montenegro's NATO membership. With reporting by AP and Kurir News Agency Religious scholars say the fundamentalist Salafi movement of Islam, widely practiced in Saudi Arabia, is gaining ground in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyz officials have responded by banning several groups they identify as Salafi extremists and prosecuting clerics accused of promoting radical ideas. But the size of the movement and its influence remain unclear, as does the exact government policy to address it. (Mametbek Myrzabaev and Alisher Mutalipov, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service) Pakistan's border with Afghanistan remained closed at the Torkham crossing for a sixth consecutive day. On February 21, Pakistani officials temporarily opened the border to allow two corpses to be taken across for funerals. They also allowed a bride to cross for her wedding in Afghanistan, where the groom had been waiting for four days. (RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal) Bodyguards of Afghan Vice President Rashid Dostum who are wanted over allegations of torture and abuse have been questioned by the authorities after weeks of refusing to cooperate, officials say. Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on February 22 that seven bodyguards were being questioned by officials of the Attorney General's Office. It wasn't immediately clear if the seven bodyguards were willingly cooperating with the authorities. Dostum, a powerful ethnic Uzbek warlord with decades of experience in Afghanistan's turbulent politics, faces accusations that he ordered members of his personal militia to seize and detain Ahmad Ishchi, a former ally. Dostum has denied the accusations. Ishchi says he was severely beaten and sexually abused for days, prompting demands from Western allies of the government for an investigation and trial. The case has caused embarrassment to President Ashraf Ghani, who has faced heavy pressure from Western allies to act against his unruly vice president. Dostum's powerful position within Afghanistan's Uzbek community has made it difficult to replace him. The bodyguards' questioning comes after days of rising tensions within Ghani's fragile national-unity government. Armed troops blocked the streets around Dostum's Kabul residence, apparently to try to force him to hand the men over. However, Dostum's chief of staff Babur Farhamand said it was not clear why security forces had been stationed around the vice president's heavily fortified residence. Based on reporting by Reuters and Tolonews.com Amnesty International says human rights around the world are under threat because of politicians who are using "toxic, dehumanizing" rhetoric against ethnic or religious minorities in order to strengthen their political powers. In the watchdog's annual report, titled The State Of The World's Human Rights, Amnesty International Secretary-General Salil Shetty on February 22 said "divisive fear-mongering has become a dangerous force in world affairs" -- creating a more divisive, more dangerous world. "The global trend of angrier and more divisive politics was exemplified by [U.S. President] Donald Trump's poisonous campaign rhetoric, but political leaders in various parts of the world also wagered their future power on narratives of fear, blame, and division," Shetty said. Shetty named Trump, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte among an increasing number of politicians who call themselves "anti-establishment" and wield "a toxic agenda that hounds, scapegoats, and dehumanizes entire groups of people." Amnesty's report says "us versus them" political rhetoric in the United States and Europe has been fueled by the global refugee crisis. It says that, internationally, "hate rhetoric" has reached its worst level in politics since the 1930s and is "fueling a global pushback against human rights" which leaves a "global response to mass atrocities perilously weak." The report predicts that 2017 will see "ongoing crises exacerbated by a debilitating absence of human rights leadership on a chaotic world stage." Shetty said "2017 needs human rights heroes" to combat hateful political rhetoric that has unleashed "the dark side of human nature" and increasingly impacts government policies. "In 2016, governments turned a blind eye to war crimes, pushed through deals that undermine the right to claim asylum, passed laws that violate free expressionjustified torture and mass surveillance, and extended draconian police powers," he said. Amnesty's report includes a survey of 159 countries and territories in an exercise to show how people have been suffering from conflict, displacement, discrimination, or repression. Here is what the Amnesty International's latest report had to say about the human rights situation in RFE/RL broadcast countries. Iran Amnesty says Iranian authorities heavily suppressed the rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly, and religious belief. It says peaceful critics of the government were arrested and imprisoned after "grossly unfair trials before Revolutionary Courts." It says torture and other ill-treatment of detainees was widespread and committed with impunity by Iranian authorities. The death penalty was used extensively by authorities with hundreds of executions carried out -- some in public. The rights group notes that "floggings, amputations, and other cruel punishments" continue to be used in Iran. It says religious and ethnic minorities faced discrimination and persecution while women and girls faced "pervasive violence and discrimination." Russia Amnesty International says Russian President Vladimir Putin continued to "surf the wave of popularity generated by Russia's excursions in Ukraine" and its "resurgent" international influence. Meanwhile, the rights group says, Putin continued to undermine civil society within Russia. The Amnesty report says restrictions on freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly increased in Russia during 2016. Prosecutions of antigovernment protesters raised concerns about fair trial standards. Individuals were charged under antiextremism legislation for criticizing state policy and publicly displaying or possessing alleged extremist materials. Also noted was the initiation of the first criminal prosecution of a nongovernmental organization for failure to comply with Russia's "foreign agents" law. NGOs can be declared "foreign agents" by Russia's Justice Ministry, after a court's approval, if they are deemed by the ministry to be engaged in "political activity" and have received some funding from abroad. The report notes international criticism over allegations of war crimes by Russian forces in Syria -- including the alleged intentional bombing of hospitals by Russian warplanes. It says serious human rights violations continued to be reported in connection with security operations in the North Caucasus. That includes critics of authorities in Chechnya facing physical attacks by nonstate actors, as well as prosecution by authorities. A nonstate actor is an individual or organization that has significant political influence but is not allied to any particular country or state. Human rights activists in the North Caucasus were harassed by non-state actors. The International Criminal Court continued an investigation of crimes allegedly committed by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula. Ukraine Amnesty International notes that sporadic low-scale fighting continued in eastern Ukraine during 2016, and that both sides violated an internationally brokered cease-fire deal. It says impunity continued for both Ukrainian government troops and pro-Russia separatist fighters who have violated international humanitarian law by committing war crimes like torture. It says government forces and separatists unlawfully detained suspected supporters of the other side and used them in prisoner exchanges. Independent media and activists were blocked from working freely in separatist controlled parts of eastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, Amnesty says media seen by authorities in Kyiv as pro-Russian faced harassment in government-controlled areas. In Russian-annexed Crimea, the report says Russian-installed authorities continued their campaign to eliminate pro-Ukrainian dissent. It said those authorities increasingly used Russian antiextremism and antiterrorism laws to prosecute dozens of people seen as being opposed to Moscow's annexation of the region. Belarus Amnesty says the Belarusian government kept severe restrictions in place against the rights to freedom of expression, of association, and peaceful assembly. It notes that the government in Minsk continued to refuse to cooperation with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in Belarus during 2016. The report says at least four people were executed and four sentenced to death in Belarus. Central Asia Amnesty says that repression of dissent, critical opinions, and political opposition could be described as the norm across most Central Asian republics. It says those problems remain serious in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan and were "not noticeably worse" in 2016 than in previous years. It says "torture in detention centers and prisons continued to be pervasive" in Uzbekistan, where forced labor was also widely used. Although Turkmenistan launched a so-called National Human Rights Action Plan in April, 2016, Amnesty says there was no improvement in the rights situation, and the country remained closed to independent human rights monitors. In Tajikistan and Kazakhstan, the rights group reported a "marked deterioration." It notes that Kazakhstan used criminal laws against leaders of nongovernment groups for the first time in 2016. The report also highlights the arrests of hundreds of people who took part in protests against a new land code. Amnesty says Tajikistan's "crackdown in the wake of the targeting of the banned opposition Islamic Renaissance party of Tajikistan" was "significant." The report also notes a five-year-decree that gives Tajikistan's government the right to "regulate and control" all television and radio broadcasts through the State Broadcasting Committee. In Kyrgyzstan, Amnesty's report says "the perpetrators of torture and of violence against women enjoyed impunity" during 2016. It also says Kyrgyz authorities "continued to make no genuine effort to effectively investigate the June 2010 violence in Osh and Jalal-Abad." Moldova Amnesty says police in Moldova occasionally used unnecessary or excessive force against street protesters during the past year. It says high profile criminal cases have raised concerns about unfair trials, including selective justice. The report notes that there was no progress on addressing structural causes of impunity for torture and other ill-treatment. It also points to laws that allow forced detention and nonconsensual treatment to people with disabilities in psychiatric facilities -- including forced abortions. Armenia Amnesty says police used "excessive force" to suppress largely peaceful demonstrations in Yerevan in July -- with hundreds of people arbitrarily arrested. It documented many cases where Armenians complained that they were injured, beaten, or ill-treated while in police custody. Torture and other ill-treatment by police and in detention facilities continued to be widely reported. Azerbaijan Amnesty International described Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev as a "long-established" strongman who strengthened his grip on power through a constitutional amendment extending presidential terms. The report says Azerbaijan continued to repress opposition activists, human rights groups, and independent media. Although some political prisoners in Azerbaijan were released in 2016, Amnesty notes that at least 14 remained in prison at the end of 2016. It says most human rights organizations in Azerbaijan that previously were shut down were unable to resume their work. Amnesty notes that reprisals against independent journalists and activists continued -- and human rights monitors were blocked from entering the country. Torture and other ill-treatment was widely reported along with arbitrary arrests of government critics. Some released political prisoners and journalists were banned from traveling abroad and most were prevented from continuing their work. Georgia Amnesty says concerns remain about the lack of judicial independence and political interference in the courts after a series of rulings favored the Georgian government in high-profile cases. New cases of torture and other ill-treatment by police were reported. The economic and social rights of local residents were negatively impacted by continued border fencing along Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Afghanistan According to Amnesty International, widespread human rights violations and abuses resulted from Afghanistan's intensifying conflict with the Taliban, so-called Islamic State (IS) fighters, and other extremists. Thousands of civilians were killed, displaced or injured in the violence. Armed militants were responsible for the majority of civilian casualties, but pro-government forces also killed and injured civilians. Amnesty says insecurity restricted access to education, health care, and other services for many Afghans. Violence continued against women and girls -- with a reported increase in armed groups publicly executing and lashing women. The report says human rights defenders and journalists continued to be threatened by state and nonstate actors. Pakistan Amnesty says that. despite a new law in Punjab to protect women from violence, so-called "honor" killings continue in Pakistan. Its latest rights report says militant extremists caused hundreds of casualties in 2016 by intentionally targeting civilians, including government employees. Meanwhile, in Karachi, Amnesty says paramilitary Rangers violated human rights with almost total impunity. It said executions that have continued in Pakistan often were carried out after "unfair trials." It also says rights activists and journalists continued to face threats and abuse from both Pakistani security forces and militant groups. The report charges that religious minorities faced discrimination from state and nonstate actors in Pakistan. It says other minorities faced discriminatory violations of their economic and social rights. For poor women and rural residents, Amnesty says access to quality health care remained limited. Bosnia-Herzegovina Despite the passage of new antidiscrimination laws, Amnesty's latest rights report says, vulnerable minorities faced widespread discrimination in Bosnia-Herzegovina during 2016. Attacks and threats against journalists and media freedom also continued. Access to justice and reparations for civilian victims of the 1992-1995 war remained limited. Macedonia Amnesty International says prosecutions after revelations in 2015 about high-level corruption were slowed by political infighting while witness protection was limited. It says Roma faced discrimination that limited their basic rights and access to services. Refugees and migrants faced detention in poor facilities within Macedonia or were routinely pushed back at the border with Greece, the report said. BRUSSELS -- European Union ambassadors have agreed to endorse visa liberalization for Georgia, a key step toward visa-free travel for Georgians to the Schengen zone. Meeting in Brussels on February 22, the ambassadors from EU member states also agreed to endorse a visa-suspension mechanism, which has been drafted as a condition for the implementation of visa-liberalization agreements for Georgia and Ukraine. It is now expected that ministers from all 28 EU member states will rubber-stamp both items, most likely on February 27. EU diplomats have told RFE/RL that they believe Georgians will be able to travel to Schengen Area countries by the end of March and that the suspension mechanism will enter into force at the same time. The European Commission recommended visa-free travel for Georgian citizens in December 2015, but the proposal first met with skepticism among some EU members -- most notably Germany, which voiced concern over crimes allegedly committed there by Georgian criminal gangs. The European Parliament overwhelmingly backed visa liberalization for Georgia in a vote earlier this month. Last week it endorsed the suspension mechanism, which is designed to ensure that visa-free arrangements can be suspended quickly in certain cases, such as an upsurge in baseless asylum applications or imminent security threats posed by third-country nationals. Diplomats will meet in Brussels on February 28 to discuss visa liberalization for Ukraine. EU diplomats expect that visa liberalization for Ukraine will enter into force in June. 16 Following the May 2005 Andijon massacre, Isroiljon Kholdorov spoke to international media about mass graves in Andijon. Uzbek authorities later kidnapped him in 2005 from neighboring Kyrgyzstan, where he had fled for safety, brought him back to Uzbekistan and imprisoned him. He is serving a 10-year sentence, but his relatives fear his sentence could be further extended. Odebrecht Peru protest Pedro Pablo Kuczynski Humala A giant corruption scandal that started with Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht has now engulfed several Latin American governments. The total tally of known bribes totals in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Yet most Americans, distracted by constant rhetoric from their new president about bad hombres trying to cross the Mexican border, are woefully unaware the debacle is even taking place. Unlike the Panama Papers, whose revelations got considerable media coverage in the United States, this scandal has fallen through the cracks even though these are the real bad hombres Trump should be worried about. "This is corruption on a global scale, with Odebrecht being the hub of a wide-reaching network," says Monica de Bolle, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (where I previously worked) and a former economist at the International Monetary Fund. So in the interest of public information, heres a breakdown of how a bribery probe uncovered a pit of corruption so deep it presents an ongoing threat to political stability in the region. Earlier this month, Perus President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski asked US President Donald Trump during a phone call to deport the countrys fugitive ex-president Alejandro Toledo. A Peruvian judge has issued an international arrest warrant for Toledo, who denies he took $20 million in bribes from Odebrecht. Now construction contracts all around Latin America are under scrutiny, and scores of other politicians turned out to have been complicit or are under suspicion. The Odebrecht scandal comes on the heels of Brazils Car-Wash investigation of kickback schemes at the state-run oil firm Petrobras. That probe has led to charges against nearly 250 people and the arrest, trial and conviction of some of the Brazils most prominent businessmen and political figures. Story continues The firm struck a December agreement with the US Justice Department to pay a world record $3.5 billion fine after admitting it paid $788 million in bribes to score major construction contracts in 12 countries. In Colombia, prosecutors have alleged Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos campaign received $1 million in potentially illegal contributions from Odebrecht. Argentinas top spy, an ally of President Mauricio Macri, is also under investigation. "I think there could be a lot more damage -- it has already ensnared Colombia and Peru," said de Bolle. "Odebrecht is Brazil's largest construction company, but it also has a massive oil and gas operation, and is present in much of South America, as well as Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa." A tangled web indeed. How it all unravels is anyone's guess. NOW WATCH: People with these personality traits have more and better sex More From Business Insider Over the past five years, Iranian officials and state media have touted the "indigenous" ingenuity in the Islamic republic's mass-produced Mohajer-6 combat drone, which Russia has deployed in its war against Ukraine. But a new investigation by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, has found that electronic components underpinning Tehran's production of the Mohajer-6 are far from homegrown. The Mohajer-6 drones contain components produced by companies from the United States and the European Union, both of which have sanctions restricting the export to Iran of such technology that can be used for both civilian and military purposes dual-use technology. The presence of these components in the Mohajer-6 does not mean their producers are in violation of U.S. or EU sanctions, and RFE/RL does not have evidence that this is the case. The investigation also found Mohajer-6 components produced in China, including a real-time mini-camera made by a Hong Kong firm that said it was "very sorry" that its products were being used in war. At least one major foreign-produced component of the Mohajer-6 has previously been identified by reporters in a Mohajer-6 recovered from the battlefield by the Ukrainian military: an engine made by the Austrian manufacturer BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG, a subsidiary of the Canadian company Bombardier Recreational Products. But Ukrainian intelligence assesses that the Iranian combat drone contains components from nearly three dozen different technology companies based in North America, the EU, Japan, and Taiwan, the Schemes investigation has found. A majority of these companies are based in the United States. A Schemes reporter who personally inspected the foreign-made drone parts identified components produced by at least 15 of these manufacturers. These include parts made by the U.S. technology firm Texas Instruments, which said in a statement that it does not sell into Russia or Iran and complies with applicable laws and regulations. To identify these components, Schemes reporters examined parts of the Mohajer-6 drone that the Ukrainian military shot down over the Black Sea near the Mykolayiv region coastal town of Ochakiv. They also reviewed Ukrainian intelligence records on the sources of these components. The drone also contains a microchip bearing the logo of a California technology company and a thermal-imaging camera that Ukrainian intelligence says may have been produced by a firm based in Oregon or China. Both Western officials and experts on illicit technology transfers say Iran has built a broad, global procurement network using front companies and other proxies in third countries to obtain dual-use technology from the United States and the EU. "Exporters will look at the request coming from the [United Arab Emirates] or another third country, and they'll think that they're selling to an end user based there, when really the end user is in Iran," Daniel Salisbury, a senior research fellow with the Department of War Studies at King's College London, told RFE/RL. In September, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions specifically targeting Iranian companies that Washington links to the production and transfer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Russia for deployment in its war on Ukraine. Fighting rages with no sign of an end more than eight months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an unprovoked invasion on February 24. "Non-Iranian, non-Russian entities should also exercise great caution to avoid supporting either the development of Iranian UAVs or their transfer, or sale of any military equipment to Russia for use against Ukraine," U.S. Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement announcing the sanctions. Chinese Cameras, California Chips Development of the Mohajer-6, the latest model in a series of drones Tehran has used since the 1980s Iran-Iraq War, began in 2017, while mass production began the following year. During a ceremony commemorating the Islamic Revolution, then-Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami said that the new tactical drone could perform surveillance, reconnaissance, as well as help destroy targets. Hatami extolled what he described as the drones domestic design, a portrayal echoed in later reports by Iranian media. "The homegrown drone was made through cooperation among the army, Defense Ministry, and Quds Aviation Industries," the English-language Tehran Times quoted an Iranian military official as saying in July 2019. The dismantling of the Mohajer-6 drone recovered by the Ukrainian military shows that the UAV is packed with foreign components. One of these parts is a bright-orange real-time mini-camera produced by the Hong Kong-based company RunCam Technology. Documents seen by Schemes show that Ukrainian intelligence has also identified RunCam as the producer of the camera, which likely assists in remote guidance of the drone. Founded in 2013, RunCam is involved in the development and production of so-called "first-person-view" real-time cameras. "Our users are our friends," the company's website states. The site says that RunCam has two authorized Iranian dealers. Reached by Schemes for comment about the use of its camera in the Iranian drone deployed by Russia in its war on Ukraine, RunCam said in an e-mailed response: "We are very sorry to know that RunCam's products were used in warfare. RunCam is specialized in producing products for model aircraft hobby. We never contact any customer related to military." The provenance of the Mohajer-6 drone-s thermal-imaging camera is more difficult to determine. A Ukrainian intelligence assessment reviewed by Schemes indicates it could be the Ventus Hot model produced by Sierra-Olympic Technologies, based in the U.S. state of Oregon, but that it also resembles a cheaper analog available for sale by the Chinese company Qingdao Thundsea Marine Technology. Qingdao Thundsea Marine Technology said in an e-mailed statement that the company did not "have any business with Iran," because "it will affect our business." The company said it specializes in marine services and is not involved in manufacturing. It also said that it did not have a single successful order for its online advertisement of the thermal-imaging camera resembling the one recovered from the Iranian drone. Sierra-Olympic Technologies did not respond to a request for comment on the possible use of its thermal-imaging cameras in Iranian combat drones in time for publication. Microchips recovered from the drone also featured the logos of the California-based company Linear Technology Corporation and its parent company, the Massachusetts-based semiconductor company Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI). ADI did not respond to an e-mailed request for comment on the possible use of its technology in the Iranian combat drone. Schemes reporters also observed among the components of the Iranian drone a voltage step-down converter produced by Texas Instruments. The company said in an e-mailed statement that it "does not sell into Russia, Belarus, or Iran." "TI complies with applicable laws and regulations in the countries where we operate, and does not support or condone the use of our products in applications they weren't designed for," Texas Instruments said. Schemes reporters also saw several components produced by the California-based technology manufacturer Xilinx, whose parent company is the multinational semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), also based in California. According to Ukrainian intelligence, one of these Xilinx components was integrated into a video data-link module located in the wing of the Mohajer-6 that helped carry out attack missions. "This module transmits information from the board to the missile head. That is, guidance for the missile. With the help of this module, it was possible to guide the missile to the target," a Ukrainian military intelligence representative told Schemes. AMD did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. 'No Authorization' Previous media reports about the components of the Mohajer-6 drone, including by CNN, have shown evidence that its engine was produced by the Austrian manufacturer BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG, whose parent company is the Quebec-based Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP). The Canadian company responded to the reports on October 21, saying in a statement that it "has not authorized and has not given any authorization to its distributors to supply military UAV manufacturers in Iran or Russia." "As soon as we were made aware of this situation, we started an investigation to determine the source of the engines," BRP said. . But Schemes reporters found that the authorized Rotax distributor listed on the Austrian manufacturer's website advertised itself as a Rotax aircraft engines distributor for Iran as recently as December 2020. The distributor, the Italian company Luciano Sorlini S.p.a., has posted multiple magazine advertisements on its websites in which it describes itself as a Rotax distributor for numerous countries. Prior to January 2021, Iran was listed among these countries. The Rotax website also lists a Tehran-based company -- MahtaWing -- as an official service center for its engines. The company, known in Persian as Mahtabal, conducts repairs of Rotax engines, including the Rotax 912 iS, the engine that was found in the Mohajer-6 combat drone recovered in Ukraine. BRP said in an e-mailed statement on November 4 that while Luciano Sorlini S.p.a. is the appointed distributor of Rotax aircraft engines in Iran, "since 2019, no Rotax engines have been sold in Iran, and we will not sell any engines to Iran moving forward." The Canadian company said it had "internal controls" that "significantly" restrict the sale of its products for military purposes. "For example, the sale of any BRP product to operators with any military activity in Iran, Turkey, and Russia is strictly prohibited," BRP said. "We conduct our business in compliance with all EU, Canadian, and U.S. applicable regulations." BRP described the Iranian company MahtaWing as a "local service center" that "offers maintenance services for previously sold aircraft engines." Shahriar Siami of RFE/RL's Radio Farda contributed to this report. The spiritual leader of Iran's Sunnis has written to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to express concern over "rumors" of a secret order for the speedy execution of Sunni prisoners convicted of drug trafficking. Molavi Abdolhamid, the Friday Prayers leader of the southeastern city of Zahedan in the restive Sistan-Baluchistan Province, calls in his letter to Khamenei for "wise and fatherly" intervention into the issue. Abdolhamid, who's been outspoken about the rights of Sunnis and the discrimination they face in Iran, appears to be referring to a recent report by a news site close to the country's reformist politicians that is making the rounds on social media. The report issued earlier this week by Amadnews.com claims that the head of Iran's hard-line judiciary has ordered Sunni prisoners convicted of drug smuggling to be executed as soon as possible so they won't be subject to a parliament bill that proposes the elimination of the death penalty for prisoners convicted of drug-related offenses. The report said that at least 50 Sunni prisoners could be executed as a result of the alleged secret order. Officials have not publicly commented on the report. "Regardless of its accuracy, the rumor has resulted in worry and concern among Sunnis," says the letter, parts of which were published on Abdolhamid's website. Sunnis -- who constitute between 4 and 8 percent of Iran's 83 million people -- make up a disproportionately larger proportion of the death-row population due to their presence in several rural border areas where drug routes are often located and communities are often impoverished. The parliament's bill is an attempt to reduce the large number of executions in Iran one of the highest rates in the world -- where drug traffickers account for the majority of those hanged. Iranian laws call for the death penalty for the trafficking or possession of as little as 30 grams of drugs such as heroin or cocaine. Critics have said the extensive use of the death penalty has done little to stop drug use and trafficking in the country, which is on a major transit route for drugs smuggled from Afghanistan to Europe. Iranian lawmaker Hassan Nowruzi said in November that 5,000 people between the ages of 20 and 30 were on death row in Iran for drug offenses. He said the majority of them were first-time offenders. Lawmakers supporting the draft bill reducing death sentences for drug smugglers have said capital punishment should be abolished for those who become involved in drug trafficking out of desperation and poverty. But hard-liners in the judiciary appear to be resistant to the bill that is currently being considered by parliamentary committees. The head of the judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani, defended the body's "tough stance" on the proposed change to the law in comments published in September. "In some cases, including drug trafficking, we're forced to act quickly, openly, and decisively," he said, while adding that the judges should not delay the implementation of sentences. He said that in some cases "alternative punishments" could replace the death penalty while respecting "some conditions," but added that "the death penalty cannot be ruled out." At least 977 people were put to death in Iran in 2015, mainly for drug-related crimes, according to a report by London-based Amnesty International. Many Sunnis are reportedly among those executed, though exact numbers are not available. Iranian Vice President Shahindokht Molaverdi came under fire from officials in March when she said that all of the men in one village in the province of Sistan-Baluchistan, which is home to a large Sunni population, had been executed for drug-related offenses. The man who carried out a suicide car-bombing at an Iraqi military post in the city of Mosul last week was a British citizen who had been released from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in 2004, Western security sources have said. News agencies reported on February 22 that the Islamic State (IS) militant who carried out the attack was Abu-Zakariya al-Britani, a British citizen formerly known as Ronald Fiddler. One Iraqi soldier was killed and four were wounded in the Mosul attack. IS sources released a photograph of Britani taken shortly before the attack, and Western security sources said it was "highly likely" that Britani was the attacker. Originally from Manchester, Britani converted to Islam when he was in his 20s. He was detained by U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2002 and sent to Guantanamo. He was released in 2004 after lobbying by the government of British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Daily Mail reported that Britani was awarded $1.25 million in compensation by the British government in 2010 for alleged mistreatment while he was in U.S. custody. The British government has acknowledged that payments were made, but has not provided details because of confidentiality agreements. Britani later travelled to Syria and fought with the IS extremist organization. Based on reporting by Reuters and AP Ukraine has called for reform of the United Nations Security Council's structure to prevent Russia from using its veto power on the council to obstruct actions involving the conflict in eastern Ukraine. "We need urgently to reform the Security Council in order to remove the veto power abuses," said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, who chaired a meeting of the council on unresolved conflicts in Europe on February 21. A provision of the council's charter requires that "a party to a dispute shall abstain from voting" when the council acts, but it has been "blatantly ignored," he said. Russia used its power, for example, to block an initiative to set up an international tribunal to prosecute those responsible for downing Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in 2015 over the war zone in eastern Ukraine, killing hundreds of people. The council should be able to address "bloody conflicts" regardless of whether one of the parties involved is a permanent council member with veto power, Klimkin said. "It is imperative that clear proceedings are introduced for the proper implementation" of the council's abstention requirement, he said. Russia, which maintains that it has no troops in Ukraine despite evidence to the contrary, has previously rejected as unacceptable any curbs on its veto power. Based on reporting by Union Information Agency and TASS BISHKEK -- The last Kyrgyz "Hero of the Soviet Union" has died at the age of 88, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports. Major General Dair Asanov was awarded his title on October 1943 for heroic acts during World War II, known in the former Soviet Union as the Great Patriotic War. From 1985 until 1996 Asanov headed a national military lyceum in Bishkek, which was named in his honor in 2005. The Kyrgyz government press service told RFE/RL that a special commission will be formed to ensure an honorable funeral service for Asanov. A total of 75 Kyrgyz citizens were awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union title for their exemplary service during World War II. The Associated Press is reporting that medical examiners who performed an autopsy on Russia's ambassador to the United Nations say they need more tests to determine how and why he fell ill and later died. Vitaly Churkin, Russia's UN envoy since 2006, died on February 20 at age 64. New York city medical examiners said they need further toxicology and other tests that can take weeks. While the examiner investigates deaths that occur by criminal violence, accident, and suicide, most of the deaths they investigate are not suspicious in nature. Churkin's case was referred to the medical examiner's office by the hospital. Moscow has not given a date for Churkin's funeral. U.S. President Donald Trump sent his condolences on February 21, calling Churkin "an accomplished diplomat." "While American officials sometimes disagreed with their Russian counterparts, Ambassador Churkin played a crucial role in working with the United States on a number of key issues to advance global security," Trump said. Based on reporting by AP There are new steel threads on the old Silk Road. RFE/RL's Tajik Service, known locally as Ozodi, just reported that Uzbekistan has completed construction of the Angren-Pap railway line. It's quite a feat for Uzbekistan, especially as it was built much faster than original estimates. But it is symbolically also a sad reminder of the direction in which the five Central Asian states are heading. The Angren-Pap connects the Tashkent area with Uzbekistan's eastern Ferghana Valley region. The line is 123.1 kilometers long; some 2,100 meters of new bridges were constructed and two tunnels, one of which is 19.1 kilometers long, were built. The project cost some $1.9 billion, some of which came from loans from the World Bank and Islamic Bank of Reconstruction and Development. The reason for building the line? So Uzbek trains no longer need to transit through Tajikistan. The governments of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan -- or more specifically the presidents of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan -- are not on good terms and haven't been for about 20 years. The borders established during Soviet times left a spur of Tajikistan jutting up into Uzbekistan, partially dividing Uzbekistan's section of the Ferghana Valley from the rest of the country. During the Soviet days, the train between Margilan, in eastern Uzbekistan, and Tashkent went by way of Khujand, Tajikistan. This line continued running after the collapse of the Soviet Union. That is how I usually traveled between the Uzbek capital and Ferghana Valley in 1992. Gradually, passenger trains have been phased out. RFE/RL's Tajik Service spoke with Tolibboy Ashurov, a representative of Tajikistan's Sughd region, where Khujand is located, who said that even cargo trains have reduced service. In the past, "up to 4 million tons [of cargo] a year" of Uzbek freight passed through Sughd region, Ashurov said. "The transit of Uzbek goods brought some $28 million annually to Tajikistan's state coffers, but in recent years the volume of transit has dropped sharply," he added. The new railway clearly benefits Uzbekistan. But conversely, it puts Tajikistan in a horrible situation. For one thing, Angren-Pap removes one of the few aspects of Uzbek-Tajik relations that really required some level of cooperation between the two governments since Uzbekistan needed the old line through Tajikistan to ship goods. Without this small bargaining chip, Dushanbe has no leverage to convince Tashkent to allow trains to reach Tajikistan, and all trains to or from Tajikistan must pass through Uzbekistan's territory. That's already been a problem, for instance when Tajikistan was having construction material shipped by rail for use in building hydropower plants (HPPs). Tashkent objects to Tajikistan building HPPs on rivers that flow into Uzbekistan. Uzbek customs officials stopped and searched trains bound for Tajikistan; those with construction materials were turned back. These delays in railway traffic through Uzbekistan also led to food and fuel shortages in Tajikistan. Sign Of The Times So one could view the Angren-Pap line as an example of a failure of the Uzbek and Tajik governments to reach some agreement that could have kept the old line working smoothly and saved Uzbekistan nearly $2 billion. It stings a little worse realizing Uzbekistan originally planned for the project to take five years to complete but Tashkent pressed for the railway line to be completed faster and in the end it took just a bit more than two years. This situation cannot be blamed solely on Uzbekistan. It is a failure that other Central Asian governments share. Tajikistan started construction of its own railway to bypass Uzbekistan in 2008. Turkmenistan completed a new line in 2011 that was built to bypass Uzbek territory but that was after Uzbekistan constructed a new railway to avoid Turkmen territory in 2009. Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran just launched a railway (North-South Transport Corridor) linking the three countries in December 2014. But that is the only railway line built in post-Soviet Central Asia that actually connects two Central Asian countries. All the other railways built since late 1991 were built to other countries (Kazakhstan-China, Turkmenistan-Iran, and Uzbekistan-Afghanistan) or to avoid having to transit a neighbor's territory. It says something about relations between the five Central Asian countries. Ozodi's Abdullo Ashurov and Farruh Yusupov of RFE/RL's Uzbek Service contributed to this report Turkmen journalist and RFE/RL contributor Khudayberdy Allashov and his mother, Kurbantach Arazmedova, have been released from custody after spending 2 1/2 months in detention. Sources in Turkmenistan told RFE/RL on February 22 that Allashov and his mother were released on February 15 after a court convicted them of possessing chewing tobacco and handed each a three-year suspended prison sentence. Both are currently at home in the northern city of Koneurgench and under police surveillance. They are not allowed to use any communication tools, the sources told RFE/RL. Allashov and his mother were arrested in December. Although chewing tobacco is illegal in the Central Asian country, the practice of using it is extremely widespread. The arrest came weeks after another RFE/RL correspondent, Soltan Achilova, was attacked. In November 2016, officials threatened to enforce a suspended jail sentence against a third RFE/RL correspondent, Rovshan Yazmukhamedov. In 2105, another RFE/RL contributor, Saparmamed Nepeskuliev, was sentenced to three years in prison on drug charges. RFE/RL President Thomas Kent said, "We are thrilled that Khudayberdy is out of prison, but remain deeply concerned about our colleague Saparmamed Nepeskuliev," an RFE/RL contributor who has been held virtually incommunicado since July 2015. "Turkmenistan has taken an important step," Kent said. "Now the government has an opportunity to establish a new standard by releasing Saparmamed and ending its unjust campaign against independent journalism." Turkmenistan is ranked 178th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' (RSF) World Press Freedom Index. "We urge the country's foreign partners to press Turkmenistan to deliver serious human rights reforms and to uphold the right to freedom of expression," the Paris-based RSF said in a February 10 statement. The Presidium of Russia's Supreme Court has set aside the conviction of political activist Ildar Dadin on charges of participating in multiple unsanctioned protests and has ordered his release from custody. The presidium on February 22 ordered the case against Dadin closed. Dadin, who has been listed by Russian and international organizations as a political prisoner, was serving a 2 1/2-year prison sentence after being convicted under a controversial law that criminalizes participation in more than one unsanctioned protest in a 180-day period. He participated in the presidium's hearing by video-link from prison. Deputy Prosecutor-General Leonid Korzhinek told the hearing that Dadin's conviction should be voided because there was a lack of evidence that a crime had been committed. Dadin's wife, Anastasia Zotova, told Dozhd TV that her husband would be released when the court's order was conveyed in writing to the prison where he is being held. "If it is done by electronic mail, he could be released within the hour," she said. "If they send it by ordinary mail, it usually takes two weeks." Open Letter On February 10, the Constitutional Court upheld the law itself but ordered a review of Dadin's case, saying the application of the law should be determined by "the real scale of public danger" presented by the defendant's actions. Dadin was convicted in December 2015 and served more than one year of his sentence. His lawyers said on February 22 that they have not yet decided whether they will seek compensation from the government. Dadin, the only person in Russia who has been convicted under the law, last year wrote an open letter alleging that he and other prisoners had been beaten and tortured at a prison in the Karelia region. He was later transferred to a prison in the Altai region. The decision of the Presidium of the Supreme Court is final. Opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, who has announced his candidacy for the 2018 presidential election, said on Twitter that "it is important to remember that [Dadin], an innocent man, was held for a year and a half in prison and tortured." Zotova told Dozhd TV that she welcomed the court's decision but was worried her husband might be rearrested shortly after his release. Zotova credited international attention concerning the case as playing a crucial role in the Russian courts' decisions, saying that a similar thing happened when the Russian government agreed to release Ukrainian military aviator Nadia Savchenko last May. With reporting by TASS, RIA Novosti, Dozhd TV, and Snob.ru Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has expressed satisfaction with Moscow's military campaign in Syria and says it has been a good test of new weapons and special-forces units. In a speech to the lower house of parliament on February 22, Shoigu said that 162 new Russian weapons systems had been tested in Syria and that "only 10" failed to perform up to expectations. Shoigu told the State Duma that 1,760 combat missions had been flown in Syria since Russia launched a campaign of air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad's government in September 2015. He said that "nearly 90 percent" of Russia's military pilots had gained combat experience in Syria. Western governments have criticized the Russian air campaign, saying that it has largely targeted rebels rather than Islamic State (IS) militants and has caused substantial civilian casualties. Russia has given Assad's government crucial military and diplomatic support throughout the six-year war in Syria, which has killed some 300,000 people and driven many more from their homes. The Russian air campaign has helped turn the tide of the conflict in favor of Assad, whose forces were under severe pressure and losing ground at the time. Shoigu also said the mission by Russia's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, to the eastern Mediterranean was a success despite the loss of two fighter jets. He said the experience would help avoid "mistakes" in the future. He said Russia's special forces "have demonstrated their considerable efficiency" in the conflict and "played a key role in liquidating terrorists, destroying important enemy facilities, and directing air strikes." The exact number of Russian troops in Syria has not been made public, but experts put the figure at around 4,000. Shoigu did not discuss casualties in Syria, which represents Moscow's biggest military campaign abroad since the Soviet war in Afghanistan in 1979-88. Asked by lawmakers about "information warfare" and "counterpropaganda," Shoigu said that "information-operations troops have been set up." "Propaganda should be smart, intelligent, and efficient," he told the Duma. The Russian campaign in Syria, where the United States leads a coalition conducting air strikes targeting IS extremists, has added to tensions with the West following Moscow's seizure of Crimea in 2014 and support for separatists fighting Ukrainian government forces in eastern Ukraine. Western governments say Russia is also using propaganda, cyberattacks, and other methods to interfere in politics and increase its influence abroad. U.S. intelligence agencies said in January that they have concluded that Russia used hacking, leaks, and other methods to interfere in the U.S. presidential election in November. With reporting by Interfax, TASS, and AP The Russian authorities in the annexed Ukrainian region of Crimea have sentenced 10 Crimean Tatars to five days of administrative arrest after convicting them of holding an illegal public gathering. The decision came late on February 21 after the defendants were arrested earlier the same day while taking photographs and videos of a search conducted by Russian police in the home of Crimean Tatar activist and lawyer Marlen Mustafayev. Mustafayev was sentenced to 11 days of administrative arrest on the same charges as the 10 other detainees. Mustafayev's wife told RFE/RL that police confiscated her husband's computer and some books. No explanations were given, she says. The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group reported that the defendants were not afforded legal representation. Russia has been sharply criticized by international rights groups and Western governments for its treatment of Crimea's indigenous Turkic-speaking, mainly Muslim Crimean Tatar population since Moscow illegally annexed the Ukrainian region in March 2014. Arrests, disappearances, and killings of Crimean Tatars have been reported, and Crimean Tatar self-government organizations have been declared illegal. Lawmakers in Russia's North Caucasus region of Ingushetia have approved in the first reading a bill that bans the glorification of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's legacy. Ingushetia's parliament speaker Zelimkhan Yevloyev said that the bill approved on February 22 bans the raising of monuments and busts of Stalin, as well as naming cities, towns, villages and streets after him. The bill also bans justifying or glorifying Stalin's actions, as well as displaying his portraits in public places or official premises. The bill was approved a day before the 73rd anniversary of the deportation of Ingush and Chechens from the North Caucasus. From February 23 to March 9, 1944, Soviet authorities deported almost all Ingush and Chechens -- an estimated 650,000 people -- to Central Asia, claiming they were collaborating with Nazi Germany. As many as half of the deportees died either on the journey or due to the harsh conditions in which they were forced to live. In 1957, the survivors were allowed to return to the North Caucasus. Polls conducted by the Levada Center independent national pollster in January showed that almost 50 percent of Russians view Stalin favorably -- the highest number in the last 16 years. There are about 20 monuments honoring Stalin across Russia. Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax A lawyer for Russian opposition political activist Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr. has filed request to prosecutors asking them to open a criminal case on suspicion of attempted murder. In the request, which he posted on Facebook on February 22, Lawyer Vadim Prokhorov asks prosecutors to look into the recent suspicious illness that Kara-Murza believes might have been caused by poisoning. Kara-Murza, 35, fell ill in Moscow on February 2 and spent several days in a medically induced coma. He was released from the hospital on February 19 and is undergoing rehabilitation abroad. Kara-Murza's symptoms were almost identical to those he suffered in a near-fatal illness in 2015 that he believes was deliberate poisoning in retaliation for his political activities. Russian prosecutors rejected a request to open a criminal case in connection with the 2015 incident. Kara-Murza is a veteran liberal political activist and was a friend of Boris Nemtsov, a prominent opposition politician who was shot dead near the Kremlin in February 2015. Kara-Murza lobbied actively in the United States for the passage of the Magnitsky Act, which imposes targeted sanctions on Russian officials believed to have been involved in human rights abuses. Russia has embraced the buzzword "fake news" to dismiss coverage it considers unfair or flat-out wrong -- even as Western governments accuse Moscow of exploiting false and misleading news for political gain. Now it's launched a project aimed at refuting reports it deems "false." The Foreign Ministry this week unveiled a new section on its official website highlighting what it calls "examples of publications spreading false information about Russia." So far, only five media outlets have landed in the ministry's crosshairs: NBC News, The Telegraph, The New York Times, and Bloomberg. Even the significantly lower-profile Santa Monica Observer, a website in California, attracted the ministry's scolding. The ministry has kept its debunking efforts to a minimum. In each instance, it provides a brief description of the subject matter and a one-sentence rejection that reads, "This material is used to spread information that does not correspond to reality." Each entry also features a screenshot of the article in question decorated with a red stamp reading, "Fake." All but one of the articles targeted by the ministry are based on either unidentified government sources or on public statements by political figures. At times, however, the Russian initiative appears to be shooting the messenger. For example, the Bloomberg article centers on accusations by the campaign chief of Emmanuel Macron, a pro-European candidate in France's presidential election, that Russian hackers are targeting the politician. U.S. intelligence has concluded that Russia orchestrated a hack-and-leak campaign that aimed to help President Donald Trump win the White House election in November. It also assessed that the Kremlin deployed propaganda "to Russian and international audiences" as part of the campaign. Moscow denies the allegations. The Bloomberg piece picked up the comments from France 2 Television, which has not been dinged by the ministry's "Fake News" page. The Bloomberg story also includes a denial from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The New York Times piece highlighted by the ministry alleges that "Russia has secretly deployed a new cruise missile that American officials say violates a landmark arms control meeting." The report cites a "senior official who did not provide further details and requested anonymity to discuss recent intelligence reports about the missile" and did not indicate that the paper sought comment from Russia. Two days after that report, the Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying it remained in compliance with the treaty and accusing Washington of violating the accord. The most tendentious article featured in the ministry's "refutations" section is the February 22 piece published by the Santa Monica Observer. The article leans on theories by "conspiracists on Twitter" and posits that the death of Vitaly Churkin, Moscow's envoy to the United Nations, this week came amid "suspicious circumstances." There has been no suggestion from U.S. authorities that foul play may have been involved in Churkin's death, reportedly due to a heart attack, in New York on February 20. The Santa Monica site itself appears to have a history of publishing dubious, or patently false, news reports. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters in Moscow on February 22 that Moscow was turning the tables on the West, where officials and media outlets have repeatedly accused Russia and Kremlin-loyal media of peddling falsehoods. "Let's swap the roles for a change -- then you'll see for yourselves how tough it is to prove your case," Zakharova said. The issue of "fake news" took on greater urgency during last year's U.S. presidential election campaign. Spurious reports alleging ballot-box stuffing, underground child-sex-trafficking rings, the pope's endorsement of Trump, and other incredible stories dogged Democrat Hillary Clinton's campaign, and led to an explosion of fact-checking news sites and other organizations trying to debunk rumors before they spread. Some researchers have documented how social-media sites like Facebook allowed unverified news to circulate unchecked, with others concluding that it had a noticeable effect on voters' opinions of candidates. Since his inauguration on January 20, Trump himself has repeatedly dismissed critical media reports -- including those about alleged ties between his associates and Russia -- as "fake news." Russia's defense minister says a replica of the German Reichstag will be built at a military-theme park outside Moscow so that young cadets can emulate their Red Army forebears who seized the iconic building in the 1945 Soviet offensive on Nazi Berlin. Sergei Shoigu said on February 22 that the ministry would build the scaled model at Patriot Park, which the Russian military opened west of Moscow in 2015 in order to "foster civic education, create an attractive image of the armed forces, and develop a feeling of love and respect for the Motherland." "Not full-size. So that our young cadets can storm a specific building," he was quoted by the state-run TASS news agency as telling federal lawmakers in Moscow, referring to members of a military youth group founded in 2015 under his ministry. Shoigu denied in September that the organization was aimed at "militarizing the country." The Soviet Red Army's 756th regiment was the first to seize the Reichstag building in 1945 during the Battle of Berlin. A staged photograph of Soviet soldiers raising the hammer-and-sickle flag above the building after it was seized remains one of the most iconic photographs to emerge from World War II, known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War. Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has prioritized military modernization and supported youth-cadet movements. With reporting by TASS and Izvestia The world is becoming ever more tumultuous. But amid the general storm one country can be relied upon to maintain a sanguine -- and sanguinary -- course: Vladimir Putin's Russia. The Russian president has, with stolid determination, taken advantage of the world's focus on the political upheaval in Europe and the United States to quietly advance his foreign-policy agenda. On January 29, after months of (relative) quiet in Ukraine, separatist forces backed by Russia launched a large attack against the city of Avdiyivka, just north of Donetsk airport in the country's east. At least four Ukrainian soldiers were killed in a single day, and the entire Ukrainian military was put on alert across the front. Since then, increased fighting and heavy casualties has again shaken faith that a cease-fire, and a permanent peace, can be established. Putin's main foreign-policy goal is clearly the destabilization of Ukraine -- and he continues to do so while barely provoking a squeak of protest from the international community. And it appears that foreign-policy goal No. 2, Russian interference in Syria, is escalating, too. It was almost a year ago, following a series of defeats for Western-backed rebel groups in Syria, that Putin declared that "the objectives [that were] set for the Defense Ministry to be generally accomplished" in Syria. He would, he further announced, be withdrawing the "main part" of the Russian expeditionary force that had been deployed to the country to prop up Moscow's client, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and to protect its naval facility at Tartus. The vow to withdraw proved premature, as Russia actually increased its presence and ramped up its bombing of Syria's rebels and civilians alike with an almost gleeful abandonment. But, on December 29, 2016, coinciding with a Russian and Turkish-brokered cease-fire following the recapture of Aleppo, Putin again ordered Russian forces to leave the region. Again the time seemed ripe. Following the regime's recapture of the rebel stronghold of Aleppo and several other key victories it was clear that Assad would not be overthrown; the rebels would not win. For Moscow it was "Mission Accomplished." The beginning of 2017 accordingly saw what appeared to be a genuine withdrawal from the Mediterranean of a naval group led by the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, announced that "in accordance with the decision of the supreme commander of the Russian armed forces, Vladimir Putin, the Russian Defense Ministry is beginning the reduction of the armed deployment to Syria." However, right away there were signs that once again Russia was not pulling back from Syria. Shortly after that, two U.S. officials told Fox News that Russia had deployed four new fighter jets, the Su-25 (similar to the U.S. Air Force's A-10), which is used for close air support and has reinforced armor to protect them from ground fire. Russian air strikes, it seems, are not going to be stopping any time soon. Permanent Stalemate The escalation is not particularly large but it is significant. As Jonathan Spyer, director of the Rubin Center for Research on International Affairs who has reported extensively from Syria and Iraq, tells RFE/RL: "Russia is there to defend the Assad regime and ensure its continuation, and it can be expected to ensure sufficient forces to achieve this goal. Russia's presence ensures that rebel victory is no longer a possibility in the Syrian war. At the same time, Russia's end goal may well not be the forcible reunification of the entire country by Assad/Iran, but rather a semi-frozen conflict in which the regime survives." A semi-frozen conflict -- words that echo in both Syria and Ukraine. Any idea that Assad could regain all of Syria is absurd to the point of fantasy. But this bothers his backers Iran and Russia not one whit. Both would be happy to see a loose, truncated "Assadistan" that secures Iran's land bridge to Hizballah in Lebanon, through which it can better fight Israel by proxy for geopolitical mastery of the Middle East. Russia, meanwhile, will be satisfied with securing its naval facility and proving to the world and its own people that it can protect its client; that it is the only superpower capable of winning wars in the Middle East; and that it alone is "fighting terrorism," while positioning itself as the primary peace broker. The message will be heard, as unequivocal as it is loud: Moscow is a global player once more. The narrative does not need to be true. Because of course Russia's stated aim -- that it entered the Syrian conflict to fight jihadism, notably in its most virulent manifestation, the Islamic State (IS) group, is largely a lie. The "global war" on jihadism is perhaps the great military trope of our age. And it is both a trope that withstands scrutiny and a war that needs fighting -- unyieldingly and relentlessly. It also, however, provides the perfect cloak for a state with imperial ambitions within which to envelope itself. As Spyer further notes, Russia has done little to fight IS. Indeed, most of its efforts have been directed against more mainstream Syrian rebel groups fighting Assad. The primary ground partners of the Western coalition in the war against IS are the Syrian Defense Forces, which is essentially an offshoot of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), plus a few others. In truth, neither the Russians, nor Assad, nor the Iranians, nor their Sunni rebel enemies are majorly involved in the war on terror in Syria. A 'Superpower' Returns Nonetheless, Russia's strongman will brag about how he was able to bring disparate groups to the negotiating table to seek a permanent peace. A deal will be (or has already been) cut between Turkey, Iran, the Syrian government, and perhaps even the Trump administration in the United States. In Ukraine, Russia brags that it has pushed for a diplomatic solution to that crisis through the Minsk peace process. Even if Russia were to find permanent diplomatic solutions, either in eastern Ukraine or in the Middle East, it would be only finding solutions to problems it played a leading role in creating. With a declining economy and a population in desperate need of placation, Russia's global ambitions will almost certainly grow unchecked for the foreseeable future. Yet as the geopolitical wheels turn it is highly likely that Russia may see improved relations with the United States and several major European powers, a reward for "fixing" these crises. This is bad news for global stability and for the liberal, Western system that has largely upheld the international order since World War II, as it only encourages Russia's crimes. But most immediately it is bad news for the people of Syria, whose suffering seems set to continue. For them, the only foreseeable future is one of more misery -- and more death. David Patrikarakos is a contributing editor at The Daily Beast and the author of Nuclear Iran: The Birth Of An Atomic State. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, the Guardian, Politico, Foreign Policy, The Spectator, The New Republic, The New Statesman, and many others. The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL. Police in Tajikistan say security forces have closed in on a former defense official who is believed to be hiding in a mountainous area following deadly attacks in and around the capital, Dushanbe. The Interior Ministry said on September 5 that an "operation to apprehend and neutralize" Abduhalim Nazarzoda and his supporters was under way in the Romit Gorge, some 150 kilometers east of Dushanbe. Authorities accuse Nazarzoda of leading the September 4 gun attacks and clashes that killed nine police officers and wounded six others in Dushanbe and the Vahdat district. Police say security forces have killed 13 members of the "terrorist group" and arrested 32 others. More than 500 weapons as well as ammunition and several vehicles were seized from the group during the operation, a police statement said. Nazarzoda's 43-year-old brother, Mirzohayot Nazarov, allegedly also a member of the group, had voluntarily surrendered himself to government forces in Romit, police said. Police said they had given Nazarzoda and his remaining seven or eight supporters an ultimatum to surrender. Earlier on September 5, police officials said 150 additional troops had been deployed to Romit. RFE/RL correspondents at the scene said at least three military helicopters were flying over the area. Hours after the September 4 attacks, President Emomali Rahmon dismissed Nazarzoda as deputy defense minister "for committing a crime." Nazarzoda, 51, had served as deputy defense minister since January 2014. He had joined the security forces in June 1997 when the government and the opposition signed a peace accord to end the five-year civil war. Meanwhile, the recently banned Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan rejected claims that Nazarzoda was a member of the Islamic party. The party said on September 5 that according to Tajik law, employees of law enforcement agencies and members of the armed forces are not allowed to join political parties. The party expressed concern over the attacks and described them as "internal problems of the law enforcement agencies." The Interior Ministry has also said the attack in Vahdat was not connected to the beating of Umar Bobojonov, the 23-year-old victim of an alleged police beating who died from his injuries in the Vahdat hospital late on September 4. Relatives and friends of Bobojonov, a Vahdat native, say he was targeted by police on August 28 because of his beard. Bobojonov's case sparked outrage in Vahdat, where dozens of people gathered outside the hospital on August 31 to demand the authorities arrest the culprits. ON MY MIND The more Finland and Sweden cooperate with NATO, the more the security equation in the Baltic region changes. Specifically, the Baltic states become much more defensible in the face of potential Russian aggression. And this, of course, hasn't escaped the Kremlin's notice. Speaking at a joint press conference this week with Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the non-aligned status of the two Scandinavian countries was vital to the "stability of the Baltic region and Europe in general." I guess that depends on what your definition of stability is. Now, as usual, a bit of translation is required to understand exactly what Lavrov means. Because in Moscow-speak, the "stability of the Baltic region" means Russia's continued ability to harass and threaten the Baltic states. But from the vantage point of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, the stability of the Baltic region -- i.e. their security -- is only enhanced by Sweden and Finland collaborating more closely with NATO. IN THE NEWS The Presidium of Russia's Supreme Court has set aside the conviction of political activist Ildar Dadin on charges of participating in multiple unsanctioned protests and has ordered his release from custody. Russia has reacted cautiously to U.S. President Donald Trump's appointment of Army Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster as his national security adviser. Montenegro's former prime minister has accused Russia of seeking to destabilize the Balkans following a thwarted attempt to overthrow the country's pro-Western government. The head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has said there are still "significant" violations of the cease-fire in Ukraine and "no evidence" that either side is withdrawing heavy weapons from the front line as agreed last week. Ukraine's president has called for new sanctions against Russia over its decision to recognize passports issued by separatist authorities in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine has called for reform of the United Nations Security Council's structure to prevent Russia from using its veto power on the council to obstruct actions involving the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Russia has successfully launched an unmanned Soyuz cargo rocket on a mission to supply the International Space Station. The Associated Press is reporting that medical examiners who performed an autopsy on Russia's ambassador to the United Nations say they need more tests to determine how and why he fell ill and later died. Moscow and Kyiv are at odds over a statement issued by the UN Security Council mourning the February 20 death of Russia's long-time envoy to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin. Ukraine's top prosecutor says his office is investigating a previously obscure lawmaker on suspicion of treason after he presented associates of President Donald Trump with a controversial peace plan for Ukraine and Russia. The Russian authorities in the annexed Ukrainian region of Crimea have sentenced 11 Crimean Tatars to administrative arrest after convicting them of holding an illegal public gathering. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said the military neutrality of Sweden and Finland is fundamental to the security of the Baltic region. An Austrian court has approved the extradition of Ukrainian tycoon Dmytro Firtash to the United States to face bribery allegations, overturning an earlier ruling that had said the U.S. request was politically motivated. WHAT I'M READING The Incredible Shrinking Foreign Minister In a piece for BNE Intellinews, Mark Galeotti, a senior research fellow at the Institute of International Relations in Prague, looks at the diminished role of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "Russian Foreign Minister [Sergei] Lavrov, long a fixture -- indeed, legend -- in global diplomacy, has been looking testy of late, and much less in command," Galeotti writes. "Since Crimea, he has essentially been excluded from the inner circle setting foreign policy and is instead relegated to the role of articulating and defending an increasingly untenable and incredible official line. The sight of him being openly mocked by his peers at the 2015 Munich Conference was in many ways the beginning of the end." Weaponizing Huntington David Batashvili, a former member of Georgia's National Security Council, has a piece in The Hill on how Russia has "weaponized" the ideas of Samuel Huntington, author of the influential essay and book The Clash Of Civilizations. "Russians usually dont make direct references to Huntington," Batashvili writes. "But they use the notion of civilizational conflict extensively...The arguments employed by Russias information warriors today are the same that were used 15 years ago: Islam is the enemy; the decadent West is doomed and on its way to be replaced by the Muslims, just like the Roman civilization was replaced by the barbarians; modern democracy cannot deal with these challenges; the Western political elites have betrayed their populations, dooming them to be destroyed." Why Ukraine Needs A Cultural Revolution Writing in Republic.ru, Vladimir Pastukhov, a visiting fellow at Oxford University's St. Anthony's College, argues that Ukraine's political culture has survived the Euromaidan and the war -- and this needs to change. Hearts And Minds Writing in Foreign Policy, Samuel Greene, director of the Russia Institute at King's College London, argues that Europe needs a hearts and minds policy in Russia. This Shouldn't Be So Difficult Chatham House's John Lough argues that it shouldn't be so hard for the West to handle Russia. Putin The Man, Putin The Myth Keith Gessen has a piece in The Guardian on "the many myths of Vladimir Putin." Lessons From The Past Jeffrey Gedmin, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, has a piece, The KGB And Me, recalling his time in communist East Germany, the tactics the KGB and the Stasi used there to compromise foreigners, and why they are relevant today. Trump, Russia, And The Republicans In her column for Politico, Susan Glasser asks whether U.S. Republicans will break with Trump over Russia. The Costs Of War The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement on the anniversary of Russian troops entering Ukraine summarizing the costs of three years of war. Georgia's Options In Abkhazia Lolita Brayman, an immigration attorney specializing in refugee and asylum law, and Jason Pack, a researcher of World History at Cambridge University, have a piece in New Eastern Europe on Georgia's options in the pro-Moscow separatist region of Abkhazia. Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged heavy artillery fire in multiple locations, officials in both countries said, as Russian-appointed officials continued evacuating people from the west bank of the Dnieper River amid a mounting Ukrainian counteroffensive. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. Ukraine's national grid operator, meanwhile, said on November 5 that it would increase rolling blackouts in Kyiv and seven other regions as the countrys national grid remained severely damaged by weeks of Russian air strikes. Electricity consumption is rising across Ukraine as the weather turns colder, and energy providers have raced to do repairs, ordering planned power cuts to avoid overloads. Ukraines General Staff said that its troops thwarted Russian attacks a day earlier in the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The military also claimed that Ukrainian air defenses shot down multiple Russian and Iranian drones and two Kalibr cruise missiles. The claim could not be immediately verified. The head of the Vynnytsya region, Serhiy Borzov, said the central region was hit overnight by Russian kamikaze drones. Russian troops have been actively using Iranian drones in recent weeks to attack critical civilian and infrastructure objectives. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the fiercest fighting over the last week had taken place around Bakhmut and Soledar in Donetsk and that Ukrainian forces are holding their positions there and elsewhere. He also spoke of "good gains" in the south, praising infantry and artillery brigades for destroying enemy equipment, Russian manpower. The claims of battlefield success could not be independently verified. Ukrainian forces have been mounting a slow, incremental counteroffensive in the southern Kherson region for weeks now, moving closer to directly threatening the Dnieper River port of Kherson, which was captured early after Russias February invasion. In response, Russian authorities have been evacuating civilians and military troops to the opposite bank of the Dnieper. Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russia-installed administration in the Kherson region, announced a 24-hour curfew on November 4, saying it was necessary to defend it from an expected Ukrainian attack. The Russian military said "more than 5,000 civilians" were being evacuated daily to the east bank of the river. And Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 4 called for civilians to be moved out from Kherson. Those who live in Kherson must now be removed from the zone of the most dangerous hostilities, Putin said in remarks broadcast on state television. The civilian population should not suffer from shelling, from the offensive, counteroffensive, and other measures related to military operations. Russias Defense Ministry said on November 5 that troops had repelled Ukrainian attacks in in the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson regions. In the Kherson region, which the Kremlin last month declared had been annexed, authorities reported the heaviest artillery fire in days. Ukrainian officials have likened the departures of Kherson residents to Soviet-style deportations, though its unclear to what extent the departures are forced or voluntary. Russian officials said people were being moved to safety from the path of the Ukrainian advance. Ukraines counteroffensives in Kherson and the northern Kharkiv region have been powered in large part by powerful Western weaponry. On November 4, the U.S. Defense Department announced another $400 million shipment of weapons and other equipment, including refurbished tanks, surface-to-air missiles, new coastal defense boats, and other items. The announcement came around the same time that the U.S. national-security adviser, Jake Sullivan, made an unannounced visit to Kyiv to meet with top Ukrainian officials. At a news conference later, Sullivan sought again to calm Ukrainian jitters about whether U.S. weapons would continue after the upcoming midterm U.S. congressional elections. Polls show that Republicans are poised to take control of one, or possibly both, chambers of Congress, and a small but vocal number of Republicans have voiced misgivings about the amount and duration of U.S. aid for Ukraine. There will be no wavering, Sullivan said at a news conference. Im confident U.S. support for Ukraine will be unwavering and unflinching. Asked about the prospect of peace talks with Russia, Sullivan repeated what U.S. officials have said in the past: "Nothing is discussed about Ukraine without Ukraine." "For me, the main question about these negotiations is what a just peace looks like and how it can be achieved, Sullivan said. If you look at Russian accusations, Russian actions, in particular regarding the annexation of [Ukrainian] territories, it does not really encourage negotiations. With reporting by RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service, Reuters, dpa, and AP Kazakhstan says neighboring Turkmenistan has temporarily closed the two countries common border, citing security reasons. Officials from Kazakhstan's western Manghystau region that borders Turkmenistan say the border has been closed since August 4. The officials quoted Turkmen officials as saying the measure was to last five days. Residents of the Manghystau region are allowed to visit Turkmenistan's Balkan region without a visa for a period of five days. It is Ashgabat's second closure of the Turkmen-Kazakh border recently. On July 20, Turkmenistan closed the border for five days, also citing security reasons. It is unclear if border closures by Ashgabat are related to a pair of deadly attacks on police stations in Kazakhstan in June-July that officials have blamed on terrorists. Based on reporting by KazTAG and Interfax The head of Turkmenistans presidential administration, Shamukhammet Durdylyev, and officials at the Ashgabat mayors office are probably very nervous these days. Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov reprimanded them at a cabinet session on April 15. A presidential reprimand is the vocational equivalent of a death sentence in Turkmenistan in the best of times, and these are far from the best of times. Turkmenistan, which mainly exports natural gas, is experiencing difficult economic times as are all the countries in Central Asia. Added to that are concerns about increased fighting just over the border in Afghanistan, something the Turkmen government has been very reluctant to address publicly. Someone needs to take the blame for these mounting problems, but in Turkmenistan the president is not only all-powerful, he is infallible. It is never the fault of the top man. So its been open season on officials this year, more so than ever before. The illustrious Dr. Luca Anceschi and I were going back and forth on Twitter about these dismissals not long ago and we agreed to keep track of who and how many officials were being sacked. So Dr. Anceschi, to use a poker term, Ill open. Palvan Taganov had been the deputy prime minister in charge of the presidential apparatus and the cabinet of ministers since September 2013. Berdymukhammedov sacked Taganov on February 5 this year, telling the fallen official, Work discipline has weakened at the ministries and departments under your supervision. Cases of bribe-taking have been observed among top level officials, especially in the structures of the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations. And since public humiliation has long been part of dismissals in Turkmenistan, Berdymukhammedov added, You can get out right now. Taganov was reportedly arrested a few days later. His replacement was Durdylyev, the reprimanded official at the start of this article. And those top level officials in the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Relations? Deputy Minister of Trade and Foreign Relations Resulmyrat Meredov was fired on February 2, before Taganov. Minister of Trade and Foreign Relations Bayar Abaev was fired on April 8 along with Economy and Development Minister Yoldosh Sheripov, and the head of the tax agency Shatlyk Khummedov. Strangely, Berdymukhammedov then said the economy had done well in the first quarter of 2016. On March 2, Minister of National Security Guychgeldi Khojaberdiev asked to be excused from his position for health reasons, though there were already rumors he was about to be dismissed after Berdymukhammedov criticized his work in early January. He had only been in the position since October 2015, after serving as head of Berdymukhammedov's personal security service. Berdymukhammedov agreed to Khojaberdievs request, then dismissed Border Guard Service chief General Myrat Islamov, and reprimanded deputy Interior Minister Yazdurdy Soyegov and chairman of the State Migration Service Meylis Nobatov. In early January, Berdymukhammedov sacked Labor and Social Protection Minister Bekmyrat Shamyradov and relieved Minister of Industry Saparmurat Orazmyradov in connection with the latters transfer to another [unnamed] post. During that same round of dismissals, Oil and Gas Minister Muhammetnur Halylev was also relieved of his post and the governor of Lebap Province was fired. Justice Minister Begmyrat Muhamedov was reprimanded in mid-January but has not been sacked yet. Among other officials who have been fired this year are head of the state statistics agency Akmyrat Mammedov (March), Deputy Prime Minister for Cultural Affairs Maysa Yazmukhammedova (April), Ashgabat Deputy Mayor G. Garaev (April), the Ashgabat police chief (February), and 12 district heads (January). Among those with the Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads are Minister of Community Services Kakageldi Gurbanov, Ashgabat Mayor Myratniyaz Abilov, and the Ashgabat prosecutor-general -- all reprimanded in February -- and the head of the counternarcotics agency, the head of state TV, radio and cinematography, and the head of the state certification agency -- all reprimanded in January. And those are only the higher-ranking officials. Hundreds of other employees, maybe more, of ministries and state agencies and services have been fired also. And this all happened in the first 110 days of this year. There are more than 250 days left. Muhammad Tahir and Toymyrat Bugaev of RFE/RL's Turkmen Service contributed to this report KYIV -- Thousands of activists have marched in Kyiv to honor protesters who were killed during the pro-European Maidan demonstrations in 2013-14 and to challenge the government. The so-called March of National Dignity was organized by three nationalist parties -- Svoboda (Freedom), the National Corps, and Right Sector. Activists gathered on Kyiv's central Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) early on February 22 and began marching toward parliament, where they planned to announce their demands to lawmakers, the cabinet, and President Petro Poroshenko. Organizers have said their demands include calls for full investigations of the deadly dispersal of demonstrators in Kyiv in February 2014 and the immediate cancellation of all trade with Russia, which demonstrators called "the aggressor country." Hundreds of police officers were on the scene. They also plan to demand a halt to all economic ties with the portions of eastern Ukraine that are currently controlled by Russia-backed separatists. KYIV -- Two U.S. lawmakers say the time has come for the United States to supply Ukraine with lethal weapons to better defend itself against Moscow-backed separatists, saying that a "confrontational" Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no sign of easing the pressure on Kyiv. In an interview in Kyiv on February 22, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (Democrat-Illinois) told RFE/RL that the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where government forces have been fighting the separatists for nearly three years, has "reached a point now where we have to be honest." "What [the Russians] continue to do in eastern Ukraine, in Donetsk, gives no indication they're backing off," he said. "We have to give to Ukraine the tools and weapons they need to protect their own people." Durbin -- who is the second-most-senior Democrat in the Senate and sits on the Senate Judiciary, Appropriations, and Rules Committees -- noted the reluctance of former President Barack Obama's administration to provide Kyiv with lethal aid for fear of escalating the conflict. The United States has provided nonlethal assistance, including military training. But now, Durbin said, "We have to look at the reality." "Putin continues to be confrontational," he added. Among other things, Durbin cited Putin's recent order formally accepting "passports" and identity documents issued by the separatists who control parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine. "That says to me he has no plans of leaving [Ukraine] soon," he said. Russia denies involvement in the war in eastern Ukraine, despite what Kyiv and Western countries say is overwhelming evidence that Moscow whipped up separatist sentiment in 2014 and has sent substantial numbers of troops and weapons across the border to support separatist forces. U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (Democrat-Illinois), who spoke to RFE/RL along with Durbin, said that lethal arms were necessary "because it is a new world and there's new technology out there, and [the Ukrainians] are competing against an advanced force." Durbin and Quigley, each of whom stopped in Ukraine while on separate tours through Eastern Europe and the Baltics to voice support for the regions, said they were not satisfied with President Donald Trump's position on Ukraine. Quigley described Trump's stance on Ukraine as "somewhat schizophrenic," adding that the president's position "depends who you are listening to and what you are watching." Senior U.S. officials including Vice President Mike Pence and Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, have both recently delivered strong statements of support for Ukraine and called out Russia for its aggression here. Trump has spoken admiringly of Putin and said he hopes badly strained relations with Moscow will improve, and suggested during the campaign that he would consider lifting sanctions Obama imposed on Russia over its interference in Ukraine. Since his inauguration on January 20, he has said little about Ukraine beyond a tweet saying: "Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia?" Durbin said Trump's administration was delivering "two different messages." "We have the tweets of the president in conflict with statements made by the secretary of defense, the vice president, the secretary of state, the ambassador to the United Nations," he said. He added, "We have to have consistency of message so the world knows our values and what we're prepared to stand up for." On February 21, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called for Western states to toughen sanctions against Russia in response to Putin's order recognizing separatist-issued documents, which the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said was "incompatible" with the goals of the tenuous peace deal known as the Minsk agreements. Durbin and Quigley said they would appeal to Congress, where they said there was bipartisan support for helping Ukraine, to do so. Durbin praised Ukraine's fighting forces for their "extraordinary courage on the lines resisting this Russian invasion" and lauded the government in Kyiv, which he said was making progress on crucial reforms. "There is still much work to be done," he said. "We hope they have equal commitments to stop the Russians in the east and to stop corruption in the rest of their nation." An Uzbek journalist widely seen as a political prisoner has walked free after nearly 18 years behind bars. Journalist Muhammad Bekjon, 63, told RFE/RL by telephone that he had been released on February 22 upon completion of his sentence. "It's been just a half an hour since I was released from the penal colony," Bekjon said. "I am fine. Just tired. My hair has become completely white in these 18 years." His daughter, Inna Begzhanova, posted on Facebook that his family had not seen or spoken with him during the entire time he was in prison. "Today we heard his voice for the first time," she wrote. "It definitely feels unreal." The Reporters Without Borders nongovernmental organization had listed Bekjon as "one of the world's longest-held journalists." Bekjon was editor in chief of the opposition Erk (Freedom) newspaper until he was forced to flee abroad in 1994. The newspaper was published by the opposition Erk party led by Bekjon's brother, Muhammad Solih. Solih had to flee Uzbekistan for Azerbaijan in 1993 and later settled in Turkey. In 1999, Bekjon was kidnapped in Kyiv, Ukraine, and brought to Tashkent, where he was convicted of being involved in an alleged terrorist attack targeting then-President Islam Karimov. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, a term that was later reduced by three years. Bekjon denied the allegations and denounced them as politically motivated. In 2011, just one month before his release, his prison term was prolonged by four years and eight months for alleged "violations of the penal colony's regulations." Other Prominent Prisoner Releases Uzbek strongman Karimov died in 2016. His successor, President Shavkat Mirziyaev, has been releasing political prisoners, which has been seen as part of a policy of gradually reducing authoritarian control in the county. Pioneering Uzbek banker Rustam Usmonov, 69, who was widely viewed as a political prisoner, was released on February 15 after serving 19 years in prison. The Kyrgyzstan-born Usmonov became the owner of Uzbekistan's first private bank, Rustambank, in the wake of the 1991 collapse of the communist Soviet Union. He was one of the leading tycoons in Uzbekistan at the time. He was convicted of extortion and illegal currency-exchange operations and sentenced to 14 years in prison in 1998. In 2012, his prison term was prolonged by five years for what the authorities said was "bad behavior while in custody." Relatives and rights groups say Usmonov's imprisonment was politically motivated. In November, former lawmaker Samandar Qoqonov, 72, was released after serving 23 years in prison. Qoqonov, dubbed by his supporters "Uzbekistans longest-held political prisoner," was arrested in July 1993. His supporters say the embezzlement case against him was politically motivated. In October, Qoqonov's prison term was prolonged by another three years and five days due to "violations of the penitentiarys internal regulations," but that ruling was revoked days later. The release of the three men was a significant departure from the common Uzbek practice of extending prison terms in political cases. Uzbekistan's Central Bank is expected to introduce a new 10,000-som banknote "in the nearest future" to make everyday cash payments easier. A spokesperson for the bank told RFE/RL on February 21 that Uzbek lawmakers had approved the introduction of the new largest-denomination banknote the previous day. It will be worth about $3, according to the official exchange rate, or $1.60 on the black market. The parliamentary resolution, however, does not say exactly when the new bill will come into circulation. Currently, the largest-denomination banknote in Uzbekistan is worth 5,000 soms and was introduced in July 2013. Uzbek economist Tohir Sobirov told RFE/RL that it may be necessary to introduce 50,000- and 100,000-som banknotes to really address the cash-payments problem. Zum Auftakt der Ausgabe informiert Simon Arch , Marketing Director AEG ID , in der Cover Story uber die Digitalisierung des Produktlebenszyklus mit passiver RFID Technologie. die neueste Ausgabe von RFID im Blick ist gespickt mit Innovationen, Use Cases und Success Stories rund um die Themen Logistik, Supply Chain, Smart City und Wireless IoT Technologien. Vorherige Ausgaben RFID & Wireless IoT Technologien und Anwendungen Das Fachmagazin RFID im Blick kombiniert Wireless IoT-Know-how von Branchen-Insidern, Forschern und Entwicklern in Technologieartikeln mit exklusiven Use-Case-Stories direkt berichtet von den Anwendern. Der inhaltliche Fokus wechselt von in jeder Ausgabe und setzt technologische Entwicklungen und Use Cases aus den Sektoren Automotive-Industrie, industrielle Produktion, Logistik und Supply Chain, Handel, Medizinindustrie, Consumer IoT und weiteren umfassend in Szene. Das betrachtetet Losungsspektrum deckt die wichtigsten Technologien im wireless IoT ab: RFID, NFC, BLE, LPWAN, IWLAN, Mobilfunk von GSM bis 5G, Sensornetzwerke... und vieles mehr! Ein Groteil der Beitrage wird von unserer technologisch und journalistisch versierten Redaktion uber exklusive Interviews und Vor-Ort-Gesprache erarbeitet. By Lisandra Paraguassu BRASILIA, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Brazil's Forjas Taurus SA , the largest weapons maker in Latin America, shipped guns to the son of a known arms trafficker in July 2015, three months after the United Nations imposed an arms embargo on his allies in Yemen's civil war, according to a U.N. report released last week. The U.N. document cited and expanded upon a Reuters report in September that detailed the charges in Brazil against former executives at Taurus who allegedly shipped handguns in 2013 to Fares Mohammed Hassan Mana'a, a Yemeni arms smuggler sanctioned for dealings around the Horn of Africa for more than a decade. U.N. experts on the conflict in Yemen said an investigation turned up several red flags in the sale of the handguns, which were registered for use in Djibouti but allegedly destined for black markets in the region. Authorities in Saudi Arabia seized an arms shipment in November 2015 before it got to Djibouti, on suspicion the arms were bound for Houthi forces fighting a Saudi-backed coalition in Yemen, according to the report. "Had Taurus ... exercised due diligence then they would have identified aspects of this arms purchase that were suspicious in relation to the targeted arms embargo on Yemen, and could have stopped the shipment," wrote the experts. Responding to the U.N. report, the gun maker told Reuters in an email that the transaction followed all protocols required by Brazilian and international law, and the company halted any further shipments involving Djibouti after learning of concerns about the deal. "Taurus had no grounds to distrust the buyers," it said. The U.N. report questioned why an end-user certificate from Djibouti cleared the transfer of up to 80,000 pistols to the Ministry of Defense, when the country's armed forces consist of just 16,000 active personnel and 9,500 reservists. Investigators also said the company listed as importer on the certificate appeared on none of the shipping, financial or legal documentation for the arms transfer. Instead, the report said, Taurus worked with Itkan Corporation for General Trading, a Yemeni firm owned by Adeeb Mana'a, son of the arms trafficker. Story continues The transfer was "designed to circumvent normal security and customs controls," the UN report concluded. The U.N. experts said they could not find a valid address for Itkan in Djibouti, nor did the government there respond to a request for the company's registration and banking details. Brazil's Defense Ministry and Djibouti's Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment about the U.N. report. The Mana'a family and Itkan Corp could not be reached for comment. Taurus told Reuters it did not know why Itkan had been selected as an intermediary for the shipment in Djibouti and it was unaware at the time of restrictions against the company or its owner. Taurus also said it had not taken part in any efforts to evade security controls and has since reinforced internal controls to avoid similar situations. Taurus noted that the April 2015 Yemen arms embargo was not implemented in Brazilian law until July 2016. (Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Writing and additional reporting by Brad Haynes; Editing by Toni Reinhold) A United Kingdom-based equipment company that supplies Rolls-Royce North America is opening a facility in Hanover County that is expected to employ 10 people, with the potential for future growth. Pryor Technology Inc. has leased a 5,000-square-foot production site at 303 Ashcake Road in the Hanover Business Center, the Greater Richmond Partnership announced on Wednesday. The company makes equipment and software that its customers, such as aerospace and automotive companies, use to mark components that need to be traceable. A major customer is Rolls-Royce, a British company that opened an aircraft components manufacturing plant in Prince George County in 2011. Pryor Technology has been exporting its equipment to the U.S. for more than 30 years and expects that the new facility in Hanover will improve its customer service, said Alastair Morris, the companys vice president, in a statement. They will move either one or two people over from the U.K., and everybody else will be hired stateside, said Barry Matherly, president and CEO of the Greater Richmond Partnership, a regional economic development organization. The expectation is that Pryor will grow and add more jobs as Rolls-Royce does, he said. Matherly first met with company representatives in February 2015 during a trip to the U.K. to promote the Richmond region to companies there. Company officials visited the Richmond region in April to look at real estate options. The company considered several other states for a location, according to the Greater Richmond Partnership. Founded in 1849 in Sheffield, England, Pryor also has operations in France and India. Hanover County Economic Development worked with John Carpin, Malcolm Randolph and Jimmy Martin with CBRE|Richmond to complete the deal for the lease with Baker Properties. Richmonds Planning Commission unanimously advanced Bombolini Pastas request to open a distillery and tasting room in its Fan District storefront. As planned, it would not be a large venture: Only a 512-square-foot portion of the building would be dedicated to distilling, along with another small retail area for tastings, according to the companys application for a special-use permit. No one spoke at Tuesdays public hearing, but Bombolini submitted a petition of support signed by more than 200 people. Additionally, the Uptown Association, the neighborhoods civic group, provided a letter of support. One person submitted a letter opposing the distillery, citing the possibility of explosions and fumes. Jeff Geiger, a lawyer representing Bombolini, said the pasta company plans to operate a state-of-the-art steam distillery system monitored by a computer with safety features. In other action, the commission declined to weigh in on a dispute over the unexpected removal of about a dozen trees in the ongoing renovation of Monroe Park. The panels chairman took a similar stance to the position voiced by the citys Urban Design Committee this month when it was faced with similar concerns: that enforcement issues are outside the commissions purview. Richmond City Councilman Parker C. Agelasto and several residents of nearby Oregon Hill have asked the committees to take a stand against a new tree-removal plan that was put forward only after trees not slated for removal in the initial plan had already been cut down. Architects working on the project have said the plan was changed because of the amount of time that elapsed between its 2009 approval and the beginning of construction last year. The latest storms hitting California have caused flooding, levee breaks, sinkholes and concerns about the state's dam safety. Rain continued in some areas Tuesday even as a new storm was forecast to bring more rain next weekend. The storms were the result of what's known as atmospheric rivers, which produced floods up and down the state and heavy winds that led to several weather-related deaths. There also have been broken levees and other stresses to the state's aging flood-control systems. "You've got some levee breaks here and there but you always have those when you get heavy flooding," said Doug Carlson, a spokesman for the California Department of Water Resources. "The infrastructure itself is not compromised in a significant way, except for the Oroville [Dam spillway] problem." Even so, money that could have been used to modernize the state's water infrastructure and build more water storage has been held up due to red tape at the state level that requires a lengthy regulatory and bidding process. In 2014, California voters approved a water bond (known as Proposition One) that authorized about $7.45 billion in spending, but as of this week $7.39 billion had not been issued, the state Treasurer's office told CNBC on Tuesday. (The state clarified late Tuesday it is relying on commercial paper notes to get cash for Proposition One projects until a decision is made to sell bonds to pay off the notes.) The state is still finalizing regulations for the water storage portion of the Proposition One state water funds and there's no firm date for when the first projects will be completed since several additional hurdles remain. "It is a long process to go through," concedes Joe Yun, interim manager of the California Water Commission's water storage investment program. "The regulations had to include a lot of different things." The state water commission has control specifically over about $2.7 billion worth of Proposition One funds, or what's known as Chapter 8 money for water storage projects that improve the operation of the state water system. Regulations were adopted in December 2016 for the Chapter 8 money and currently those rules are going through a review process before the state solicits applications for water projects. Story continues Some lawmakers have been critical of the delays in putting the water bond money to work. "Incredibly, the 2014 Water Bond was passed three years ago but there still isn't a single project listed on the state website to use the funds," said State Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach, California). "It has been over two months since Proposition One money could be spent and still not one project is shovel ready." Allen added: "With Jerry Brown's constant calls for 'shower cops' and telling Californians to kill their lawns one would think that the state would have broken ground January 1st. Instead of our state fixing our water system and capturing more of this valuable rainfall from the recent historic storms, Californians are now watching our dams crumble and trillions of gallons of water go down the drain thanks to Jerry Brown's inexcusable record of inaction." CNBC reached out to Gov. Jerry Brown's office for comment. The governor's office forwarded a request for comment to the California Natural Resources Agency. Agency spokesperson Nancy Vogel said it's inaccurate to suggest the Proposition One water bond money authorized by voters isn't being spent. She said in an emailed response there are funds being spent on projects around the state to make California's "water systems more resilient and reliable and help restore important ecosystems." Still, she confirms the Chapter 8 money hasn't been awarded for projects. "Through a competitive process, the [California Water] Commission intends to award early funding for permitting and environmental documentation in 2018." Meantime, repairs at Oroville Dam could exceed $200 million and it's still unclear if the federal government will help with the bill. The state has been repairing the damaged emergency spillway at the Northern California reservoir and also has to address the erosion problem on the dam's primary spillway. The Oroville reservoir fell to 50 feet below its elevation capacity early Monday after water outflows since last week helped lower the lake's levels. The reservoir, the state's second largest, is expected to rise due to the rains but officials say it remains at safe levels from a flood-control standpoint. Precipitation levels in the state's Northern and the San Joaquin Valley regions are now more than 200 percent of normal for the water year to date. San Francisco topped its average rainfall for a full season as of Tuesday morning, coming after the latest series of powerful winter storms. And lingering showers were forecast for the Bay area into the evening, according to the National Weather Service. Also, many of the state's reservoirs are far and above their historical averages for this time of year. Shasta Lake, the largest single reservoir in California, is at 127 percent of its average capacity, and three reservoirs in the state were at more than 100 percent of capacity as of noon Tuesday Antelope, Englebright and Pardee. The Don Pedro Reservoir in Stanislaus County reached 830 feet elevation Monday, activating its spillway for the first time in 20 years. The reservoir remained at 828 feet Tuesday morning, with outflows continuing to go into the Tuolumne River and raising concerns of flooding in Modesto. "They are trying to operate in a non-damaging stage to the town of Modesto," Mitch Russo, intelligence chief with the California Department of Water Resources' flood-operations center said Tuesday. Lake Comanche, which is about 70 miles northwest of Don Pedro Reservoir, also was quickly filling up and could spill Wednesday, according to Russo. Russo said no flooding was expected due to Comanche since the water outflows are not likely to exceed the current levels from the facility's hydropower facility. "They will back up off the powerhouse to zero and then let the spill occur," he said. To the east, there were low-lying areas along the Coyote Creek in San Jose that were flooded and the city's fire and police were helping trapped residents with evacuations Tuesday. And further south, areas along the Carmel River in Monterey County experienced overflowing that led to evacuations. In Central California, a levee breach in the town of Manteca in San Joaquin County forced the evacuation of several hundred people Monday night. It was still in effect Tuesday morning as crews worked to repair a levee on the San Joaquin River as rain continued to fall. As for Southern California, Friday's intense storm dropped as much as 6 inches of rain in 24 hours in some areas and precipitation continued well into the holiday weekend. Tuesday also produced light rain in some areas of the region. Major L.A.-area freeways and streets experienced flooding from Friday storm and crews over the weekend were still struggling to remove trees downed from the heavy winds. Fire crews also rescued motorists along flooded streets in several L.A. areas, including Sun Valley. One death in the L.A. area was blamed on electric wires falling during heavy winds from the storm and another fatality occurred about 80 miles northeast in the Victorville area when a motorist became trapped during a flash flood. A 30-foot sinkhole appeared in L.A. community of Studio City that swallowed two cars Friday night. Officials blamed it on a sewer line problem. Finally, a mudslide in Santa Barbara caused Amtrak rail service to be suspended Saturday morning between San Luis Obispo and L.A. Story updated to include response from California Natural Resources Agency, which commented on behalf of Gov. Jerry Brown's Office. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoneys office said late Tuesday that the mayor had accepted the resignation of an executive assistant with a criminal record after it became public that the man had been found guilty of a probation violation for sending threatening text messages. On Monday, Stoney said he hired Steven Hammond Jr., who was convicted of embezzling $240,000 from the state in 2015, because he believes in redemption. But Stoney said Tuesday that he was not aware Hammond was called back before U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. in February 2016 after telling the mother of his children in a series of text messages that he was headed to her house and, The next time I see you, Im going to punch you in your (expletive) face. Federal court documents show that the woman obtained an emergency protection order against Hammond in January 2016 after Hammond sent the messages and called her 42 times over the course of about 40 minutes. At a subsequent hearing last February, Hammond pleaded guilty to the violation. In a statement released by Stoneys office, Hammond apologized to Stoney for not being more forthcoming: I have made mistakes in my past that I am not proud of, and the words I used in the disagreement with the mother of my daughters are inexcusable, he said. Thats not who I am today. Stoneys press secretary, Jim Nolan, said in a statement Tuesday that Stoney was disappointed by the revelation. There is never an excuse, no matter the circumstances, for threatening violence, Nolan said. The mayors office described the executive assistant position, which it said paid about $45,000 annually, as primarily clerical. Hammond often accompanied Stoney to public events in the role and took notes for the mayor. Stoney had defended his decision to hire Hammond while he was still on probation for stealing money intended for substance abuse education. At the time, Hammond was working as a program coordinator at the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Stoney, who in his prior position as secretary of the commonwealth was a champion of felons rights restoration, worked throughout his public service career to advance the idea of restorative justice, Nolan said Monday. And Steves hiring demonstrates that he practices what he preaches. The woman to whom he sent the threatening text messages, Kia Clarke, declined to speak to a reporter, but in an email said she has forgiven him and called him a great father. As most relationships encounter challenging times, we have also had our own in the past, she said. We work well together as co-parents, and are working to have a better relationship for the sake of our girls. Steven has made his share of mistakes as we all have, but each day hes working toward being a better person. According to a transcript of the probation violation hearing, Gibney expressed surprise at seeing Hammond back in court, though neither he nor the prosecutor handling the case seemed to consider Hammonds violation to be a serious transgression. I have got to say, you know, you came in here for your sentencing, you had half the political leadership of Henrico County here for you, he said, referencing the high-profile support Hammond received from Henrico Board of Supervisors member Tyrone Nelson, Del. Lamont Bagby and University of Virginia Rector George K. Martin. And I have got to say that I cut you an enormous break on this case. Absolutely enormous. I mean, you stole a couple hundred thousand dollars, wasnt it? So I did not expect to see you back. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett characterized the messages as mildly threatening and suggested Hammond get a suspended sentence. Essentially, we would just ask the court to give Mr. Hammond a very stern talking to, Garnett said. Gibney agreed, telling Hammond that sending threatening messages is really not a good idea to do in the short run or the long run. Its not good in the short run because you wind up here doing things like this, he said. And it is not good in the long run because you and your former girlfriend, or whatever, have, you know, dozens of years that you are going to be together at baptisms and birthdays and all that kind of thing, and you need to bite your tongue. At the same hearing, Hammond had the restitution he was sentenced to pay on the $240,000 he embezzled reduced from $150 per month to $50 because he was struggling to make ends meet working part time as a legislative aide for Bagby and part time in the stockroom of a shoe store. Gibney told Hammond, who according to court records filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection this past November, that he needed to find a better job. Why dont you see if Mr. Bagby can help you find a better job? Gibney said. Bagby said this week that he was among those who recommended Hammond to Stoney. The Court of Appeals of Virginia has reversed a decision in the case of a Roanoke man who was ordered to serve six decades in prison, ruling that his right to a speedy trial was violated. Just over two years ago, in October 2014, Raymond Louis Harvey Jr. was charged with shooting Jason Stockton outside a northwest Roanoke convenience store. Stockton was shot in the back and survived, but the slug splintered pieces from his spine. He suffered damage to the nerves in his lower body, and to his liver and colon. At a trial the following summer, jurors found 38-year-old Harvey guilty of attempted murder, aggravated malicious wounding and two firearms offenses. He was sentenced to 63 years. Earlier that year, the trial had been formally continued on two occasions from February until April by agreement from both sides, and then again from April to June 12 at the prosecution's request. During the April hearing, defense attorney Sarah Timmers objected on the record to the continuance. Yet later in the hearing Timmers also seemed to agree with Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney John McNeil's statements to the judge about the new trial date. She said "yes" as McNeil told the court they'd settled on a June 12 date and said "yes" again after he stated that day would fall within the five-month statutory limit for a speedy trial. On June 5, 2015, however, a week before the trial, Timmers filed a motion to dismiss the indictments against Harvey, claiming he had been denied his right to a speedy trial under the Sixth Amendment. Judge Clifford Weckstein heard arguments about the timing, reviewed the recording of the April hearing and ultimately denied Timmers' motion. In October 2016, Harvey's new attorney, Suzanne Moushegian, presented oral arguments regarding that motion before a three-judge panel of the appeals court. This week, Judge Rossie Alston issued a 16-page opinion on the matter. He said he found Timmers' "yes" statements "vague and unstructured" and said their exact interpretation could not be verified. But citing Timmers' on-the-record objections, he also determined that Harvey "did not waive his right to a speedy trial." "We hold that the trial court's denial of appellant's motion to dismiss the indictments was reversible error," Alston wrote in his Feb. 21 opinion. "We hold appellant's convictions violated the speedy trial statute and we reverse." One of the three judges took an opposing position. Judge Robert Humphreys submitted a short dissenting opinion, allowing that a speedy trial is the responsibility of the Commonwealth and the circuit court and not the defendant or his counsel, but finding that Timmers' "'random yeses' were anything but random and, indeed, constituted affirmative acknowledgments that [she] concurred." He later added: By agreeing with the Commonwealths factual assertion that the suggested trial date was within the statutory time limit, Harvey acquiesced in the error he now complains of and therefore has waived appellate consideration of that error on appeal. The office of Virginia's attorney general has 14 days from the date of the opinion to request a re-hearing, or 30 days to appeal to the state supreme court. It was unclear Wednesday what course if any the state will take. "Even though this is a phenomenal result, it's not really 'game over' for the attorney general," Moushegian said. She said she currently does not intend to seek an appeal bond for Harvey, who is being held at Buckingham Correctional Center in Dillwyn. She said she sent him a letter this week informing him of the change in his case. (Corrects FEB 21 story sourced to media report after bank says is thinking of making Germany a hub for sales and trading in the EU, not its European headquarters for investment banking) FRANKFURT, Feb 21 (Reuters) - U.S. bank Citigroup may choose Frankfurt to become its hub for sales and trading in the European Union, the lender said on Wednesday, adding it may move "a couple of hundred" jobs outside of London after Brexit. The comments were in response to an article in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), which said Citigroup was considering moving jobs outside of London, quoting James Cowles, Citi's Chief Executive Officer for Europe, the Middle East & Africa (EMEA). The bank will be making a decision in the first half of this year, the paper said. "Germany is among our favourites," Cowles was quoted as saying. He also said the professionalism of regulator Bafin and the availability of highly qualified staff added to Frankfurt's attractiveness. Britain's decision to leave the European Union will likely make it harder to do pan-European business out of London, Cowles was quoted as telling the newspaper. In Frankfurt, Citi has around 370 employees, FAZ said. (Reporting by Edward Taylor; Editing by Jane Merriman) A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 22, 2017 / Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) will be the opening keynote March 6 at the Third Annual California Cannabis Business Expo, March 5-8 at the Sheraton Marina, San Diego. An opening night reception will be held March 5 for Rohrabacher, who has been a staunch supporter of legal cannabis. On Feb. 8 Rohrabacher introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives designed to resolve the conflict between state and federal marijuana laws and would allow states to determine their own marijuana policies. Known as the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act, it exempts individuals and entities from certain provisions of the Controlled Substances Act if they are acting in compliance with state marijuana laws. This is the third time that Rohrabacher has introduced the bill. Twenty of his colleagues in the House, including seven Republicans, co-sponsored the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act of 2015, which was introduced in the 114th Congress. "Congressman Rohrabacher has been a staunch supporter of legal cannabis and we're delighted to welcome him to our event," said Randy Shipley, MJIC Media President. "We look forward to hearing his thoughts on the future of the industry." Rohrabacher will be introduced by NORML founder and cannabis activist Keith Stroup at the 1:00 PM session on March 6. About MJIC MJIC is a diversified cannabis holding company, leading the industry in defining legal cannabis operations by developing compliant products, systems and programs for licensing, design and construction, operational best practices and expert financial and regulatory consulting designed to position MJIC distribution businesses for lawful and efficient operations. MJIC then packages and markets these systems and services to the entire supply chain. The MJIC Distribution subsidiary is a municipally licensed distribution company, positioned for state licensure and state wide operations, including brand and product development selling for and to growers, manufacturers and dispensaries. MJIC media operations markets its partners and clients through MJIC media events, and deploys recognized industry leaders in trade shows, magazines and its online assets such as www.marijuanaindex.com for the total compliance experience. For more information, visit www.mjic.com. Story continues Media Contact: Kristin Fox kristin@mjic.com 708-267-2584 SOURCE: MJIC, Inc. A Chevron gas station sign is seen in Del Mar, California, in this April 25, 2013 file photo. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo By Chen Aizhu and Ruma Paul BEIJING/DHAKA (Reuters) - China's state-run Zhenhua Oil has signed a preliminary deal with Chevron (CVX.N) to buy the U.S. oil major's natural gas fields in Bangladesh that are worth about $2 billion, two Beijing-based Chinese oil executives said. Zhenhua is a subsidiary of China's defense industry conglomerate NORINCO. A completed deal would mark China's first major energy investment in the South Asian country, where Beijing is competing with New Delhi and Tokyo for influence. Bangladesh, though, holds the right of first refusal on the assets and could block the transaction. The country, via its national oil company Petrobangla, is keen to buy the gas fields and is talking to international banks to raise financing, according to a banking source familiar with the process. Bangladesh is in the process of hiring global energy consultant Wood Mackenzie to assess the fields' reserves before placing a formal bid to buy the assets, two Bangladesh sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The Bangladesh sources said they were not aware of Zhenhua Oil's competing interest in the Chevron fields. "As this project is in the process of commercial discussions, we can't comment based on our company policy," said Zhang Xiaodi, Zhenhua Oil's spokesman. Zhenhua Oil is a small oil and gas explorer that despite its connections to China's defense industry is dwarfed in comparison to state energy giants PetroChina and Sinopec . It is trying to formalize its deal with Chevron by June, after the two companies signed a preliminary pact in January, the two senior oil executives told Reuters. Zhenhua will partner with China Reform Holdings Corp Ltd, an investment vehicle under the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC). Zhenhua will hold 60 percent of the deal and China Reform 40 percent, the two executives said. The executives declined to be named as these discussions were not public. Chevron, in an e-mailed statement, confirmed that it was in commercial discussions on its Bangladesh assets, but would not comment further as a matter of policy. Story continues Chevron had said in October 2015 that it planned to sell about $10 billion worth of assets by 2017 including geothermal projects in Indonesia and the Philippines and gas fields in Bangladesh amid a prolonged slump in energy prices. Bangladesh knows that Chevron is in talk with global companies, but has no specific knowledge about Zhenhua's interest, said Nasrul Hamid, state minister for power, energy and mineral resources. "This is Chevron's matter. We'll not interrupt but we are supposed to get the first priority," he said when asked if Bangladesh would try to block the China deal. "We will place a formal bid only if the project is viable," Hamid said. Chevron sells the entire output from its three gas fields - Bibiyana, Jalalabad and Moulavi Bazar, which account for more than half of Bangladesh's total gas output - to state energy firm Petrobangla under a production sharing contract. ZHENHUA BEAT OUT CHINA RIVAL With output and revenue slashed by low oil prices for the last nearly three years, China's state energy firms are under pressure to step up efforts to boost reserves and profits as Brent crude (LCOc1) stabilizes around $55 a barrel. Zhenhua Oil appears to have outrivaled competing bidders by partnering with the state investment vehicle China Reform, the Chinese executives said. Geo-Jade Petroleum Corp , an independent Chinese oil and gas explorer, was a close competitor with a bid at $2.3 billion, said one of the executives. "Possibly because Zhenhua is a state-owned company and has the backing of China Reform, that's why it was picked by Chevron," said the executive. Zhenhua Oil has oil and gas operations in Iraq, Kazakhstan, Syria, Myanmar and Egypt. If the Bangladesh deal materializes, it would hand the Chinese firm 16 million tonnes a year of oil equivalent output, including natural gas and condensate, a scale that would make it China's fourth-largest oil and gas producer, the two Chinese executives said. (Additional reporting by Anshuman Daga in SINGAPORE) In February, the International Grown Diamond Association (IGDA) has lived to be exactly one year old. However, there is no much fanfare audible - this modest jubilee has been slipped over by the industry media, regrettably. Because the birth of the IGDA has undoubtedly opened a new chapter in the history of the traditional diamond market. Maybe - the last chapter. It is highly unlikely that today we can have doubts about the objectives set by this organization. The IGDAs website in its Education section tells the visitor - with disarming candor of an old soldier - that natural diamonds (as opposed to synthetic) mean destroyed environment, child and slave labor, blood diamonds, etc. Ah, you say the Kimberley Process? Please be so kind to view this link: The Kimberley Process is a 'perfect cover story' for blood diamonds... So, it can be said that the IGDAs marketing experts have set themselves a well-defined task aimed at destroying the positive informational shell surrounding natural diamonds. We better be under no illusions - it is not about dividing the "spheres of influence and not about creating any special market niche for synthetic diamonds, but it is about imparting a negative consumption value to natural diamonds. The consumer must feel aversion to natural diamonds and prefer synthetics instead. This is it - nothing personal, just business. Almost simultaneously with the IGDA creation, there occurred a mutiny in the ranks of the traditional diamond industry. The Civil Society Coalition (CSC) headed by Partnership Africa Canada decided to boycott the Kimberley Process because of its inefficiency, that is its inability to deal with conflict diamonds, child and slave labor, environmental destruction, etc. Wow, what an amusing coincidence! This synced execution of extravaganza has unwittingly made the writer of this article turn his thoughts back to the already distant 2005, when a small real-life experiment was carried out over the eloquent representatives of the civil society in the diamond industry with the sole purpose of education. In that year, Russia chaired the Kimberley Process and Moscow was eagerly visited by the representatives of Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada. The awareness level of these non-governmental co-founding fathers of the Kimberley Process regarding the most scrupulous aspects of the diamond business caused genuine admiration, because it was obviously not a product of analysis based on open sources or investigative journalism. And since preventive public and corporate agencies, while providing information to human rights activists, always expect reciprocity, it was extremely interesting to determine the footing of this reciprocity. In May 2005, during our meeting with the staff of Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada we discussed the problem of rough diamond trafficking from several European countries to Armenia and further to the unrecognized "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic," where there were established diamond cutting factories. The facts of gross violation of the Kimberley Process spirit and letter were evident: rough diamonds were quite deliberately supplied to the zone of armed conflict and were involved in commercial operations, the proceeds from which were used by one of the conflicting parties. The representatives of Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada displayed undeniable interest towards the subject under discussion (hitherto completely unknown to them). And in November 2005, a report was published under the title Making it Work: Why the Kimberley Process Must Do More to Stop Conflict Diamonds, where the data on the supply of rough diamonds into the zone of the Karabakh armed conflict were confirmed in the chapter, Weaknesses in the internal controls of diamond cutting and polishing centres. Armenia. However, the report on Armenia was fundamentally different from the African studies of Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada, as it was entirely based on open sources and had absolutely no consequences. It was clear that the Armenian issues (unlike those African) were of no interest to the presumed influential informal partner of these human rights organizations. It remains only to add that Armenia is a consumer and not a producer of rough diamonds. And the assumption that the Kimberley Process, and especially its members represented by non-governmental organizations, were used as a tool of market regulation, can be considered as proven. Of course, I am far from thinking that such organizations like Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada are someone's pocket NGOs created and funded purposefully for specific tasks. This process is much more flexible and versatile. But the manipulation of such organizations is possible, without any doubt. In the meantime, it should be noted that the entire body of negative information about natural diamonds used today by the IGDA for direct promotion of synthetics is created by non-governmental organizations, which are currently functioning (or functioned in the past) within the Kimberley Process. Any expansion of the definition of "conflict diamonds," any accusation against the diamond industry of its inability to cope with humanitarian, environmental or anti-terrorism issues will be used for exactly the same purpose. Immediately and efficiently. Sergey Goryainov, Rough&Polished De Beers rough diamond production dropped 5 percent to 27.3 million carats in 2016 compared with 28.7 million carats in 2015, according to preliminary results for the year released by Anglo American. However, its total revenue increased by 30 percent to $6.1 billion in 2016 from $4.7 billion in 2015, driven by higher rough diamond sales, which increased by 37 percent to $5.6 billion from $4.1 billion, a year earlier. This, Anglo said, was attributable to a 50 percent increase in consolidated sales volumes to 30.0 million carats from 19.9 million carats in 2015, partly offset by a 10 percent decrease in the average realised rough diamond price to $187 per carat from $207 per carat in 2015. The diversified mining group, which has an 85 percent stake in De Beers, said the drop in production was a reflection of a decision taken in 2015 to reduce production in response to prevailing trading conditions. Debswana, a joint venture between De Beers and Botswana, was said to have maintained production at close to the previous years levels, with output of 20.5 million carats. It produced 20.4 million carats in 2015. Anglo said production at Namdeb Holdings eased 11 percent to 1.6 million carats from 1.8 million carats, a year earlier, with reduced output at Debmarine Namibia and lower grades at Namdebs land operations. Output also decreased by 9 percent to 4.2 million carats in South Africa from 4.7 million carats in 2015 mainly due to the early completion of the sale of Kimberley Mines in January 2016, partly offset by an increase of 12 percent at Venetia. It said construction of the Venetia Underground mine continued to progress, with the underground operation expected to become the mines principal source of ore from 2023. De Beers diamond output also dropped 45 percent in Canada to 1.0 million carats in 2016 from 1.9 million carats in 2015 owing to Snap Lake being placed onto care and maintenance in December 2015. Production at Victor fell 7 percent to 600 000 carats while development of the Gahcho Kue project was completed on schedule, with the ramp-up to commercial production expected to be reached during the first quarter of 2017, said Anglo. Anglo also said that macro-economic conditions underpinning consumer demand for diamonds remained broadly stable in aggregate, with the US expected to continue to be the main driver of global growth in 2017. The extent of global growth will, however, be dependent upon a number of macro-economic factors, including the new administration in the US, the strength of the US dollar impacting consumer demand, economic performance in China, the effects of Indian demonetisation, and sentiment following the main US and Chinese New Year retail season, it said. With midstream stocks having returned to more typical levels in 2016, rough diamond demand is expected to normalise in 2017, reflecting underlying consumer and retail demand. Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished Petra Diamonds said its first half revenue for the fiscal year 2017 leaped 48 percent to $228.5 million compared with $154.0 million, a year earlier. The increase in revenue helped its half earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rise to $87.1 million from $48.5 million. Petras adjusted net profit after tax was also up 348 percent to $28.2 million from $6.3 million during the same period last year. It said production jumped 24 percent to 2,02 million carats during the period under review compared with 1,62 million carats, a year earlier. Petra has achieved strong operational and financial results for H1 FY 2017, owing to the increased contribution of undiluted ore and continued stabilisation in market conditions, said company chief executive Johan Dippenaar. the team is highly committed to maintaining momentum and continuing to achieve operating efficiencies throughout the ramp up of each project in order to accomplish our stated goal of (about) 5.3 million carats by FY 2019, whilst upholding safety as our number one priority. Meanwhile, Petra said the execution of the groups underground expansion projects at Finsch and Cullinan continued as expected during the period under consideration. It said both projects delivered initial production during the period, in line with earlier guidance, and both projects remained on track to deliver about 1 million tonnes each in fiscal year 2017. The group was also on track to deliver full year production of between 4.4 and 4.6 million carats, but was mindful of the potential to be towards the bottom end of this range, due influencing factors associated with the new Cullinan plant. Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished North Arrow Minerals Inc. announced it has closed the acquisition of remaining interests in the Qilalugaq and Pikoo diamond projects in Canada. Stornoway Diamond Corporation has passed over the remaining interests in the projects to North Arrow, which now holds 100% interests in both projects. Under terms of the property purchase agreement, North Arrow acquired Stornoway's approximate 18% interest in the Qilalugaq Project and approximate 15% interest in the Pikoo Project in exchange for 2,000,000 common shares of North Arrow. As additional consideration, Stornoway will retain 0.5% and 1.0% gross overriding royalties on diamonds and 0.5% and 1.0% net smelter returns royalties on base and precious metals mined from the Qilalugaq and Pikoo Projects. Theodor Lisovoy, Rough&Polished, Moscow (Rapaport) - President Trump's trade policy is based on his principles of America First and Reciprocity. The big idea is that U.S. purchasing power is valuable and the U.S. should get something for it. America must use its market power to ensure fair reciprocal benefits from trade partners. Those who do not reciprocate, should not be given free access to our markets. Previous administrations sought to expand international trade by freely opening U.S. markets to groups of multinational trade partners. By exporting jobs and prosperity, America hoped to buy world peace and increase foreign demand for sophisticated American products. While this may have worked for many years, the current reality is that America is getting a bad deal. Countries like China are not reciprocating and cooperating. They take us for granted. America exports jobs and prosperity to China. In return we get strategic military threats in the form of aircraft carriers, fake islands and claims to the South China Sea. Should we be supporting those who stand against us? Shouldnt we use our market power to demand reciprocal relationships that support strategic America First interests? Trade policy gets more important as it interacts with domestic policy. Free trade is not free when it costs American jobs. While cheap imports may feel good, they destroy our ability to recycle U.S. prosperity through jobs that multiply demand. America First means American jobs must sometimes come before cheap imports even if it means higher prices. So trade policy is not just about trade. Its about jobs, prosperity, prices, national security, and a host of other social, economic and political factors. Optimizing trade policy requires Presidential management with firm decisions about priority and balance. Trade policy must be centralized and coordinated in the face of powerful competing interests. A successful outcome requires the establishment, communication and enforcement of President Trump's high principles of America First and Reciprocity. Martin Rapaport Chairman RAPAPORT Addendum: Multinational Trade Agreements President Trumps bilateral trade policies may conflict with existing multinational trade agreements. Such agreements require everybody to agree with everybody about everything. They destroy our ability to create effective bilateral trade agreements that optimize the value of our market power. Its time for the U.S, to review the benefit of multinational trade agreements and U.S. membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Office of Sen. Mike Crapo Legislation has been introduced into the U.S. Senate that would make permanent a tax credit used to repair and upgrade shortline and regional railroads. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) introduced the Building Rail Access for Customers and the Economy (BRACE) Act, S.407, on Feb. 16. The bills cosponsors include Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bob Casey (D-PA), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Ron Wyden (D-OR). The shortline railroad track maintenance credit, also known to as the 45G tax credit, provides shortline and regional railroads a 50-cent tax credit for every dollar spent on railroad track maintenance, up to $3,500 per mile of track owned or leased by the railroad. The BRACE Acts introduction to the Senate follows a similar effort that began in the U.S. House of Representatives in January when H.R. 721 was introduced by Representatives Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Rodney Davis (R-IL) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL). Sen. Crapo referenced the success of the tax credit in helping spur a rail expansion project in Idaho. Last fall, I visited with Watco Companies in Burley and Boise and saw, in person, how important shortline railroads are to companies here in Idaho, added Crapo. Companies like Watco and its rail partners employ more than 150 Idahoans. Thanks to legislation like the BRACE Act, that number will increase as added shipments are utilized. Sen. Stabenow noted the importance of shortline railroads in helping to grow Michigans economy. I have met with farmers across the state about the problems with our rail system which they rely on to get their products to market, said Stabenow. This legislation will help make sure that Michigan has the railroad infrastructure in place to continue to grow our agriculture economy, export more products and create new jobs. ASLRRA says the tax credit has enabled shortline railroads to increase their infrastructure investment by 180 percent from its inception in 2004 through 2015. The association notes the capital-intensive nature of the industry and says 45G has been instrumental in allowing shortlines to invest a large percentage of their earnings (24 to 35 percent) in track and bridge rehabilitation. The tax credit has been active since 2004, going through a series of five short-term extensions-many times being extended retroactively. The most recent extension of the credit expired Dec. 31, 2016. In 2016, the BRACE Act was introduced to make the credit permanent and received a majority of sponsors in both the House and Senate during the 114th Congress. Sens. Crapo and Stabenow recognize that the uncertainty of periodic extensions causes private investment to decline, limits investments in safety and customer service and provides uncertainty to businesses, farmers and employers that cannot be globally competitive without freight rail. German conglomerate Bayer AG (BAYZF.PK,BAYRY.PK,BYR.L) reported that its fourth-quarter net income declined 26.1 percent to 453 million euros from 613 million euros in the year-ago period. Earnings per share decreased to 0.53 euros from 0.74 euros last year. However, core earnings per share from continuing operations rose to 1.19 euros from 1.08 euros last year. Group sales increased 4.7 percent in the quarter to 11.82 billion euros from 11.29 billion euros a year ago. EBITDA before special items improved 13.7 percent to 2.18 billion euros. However, EBIT decreased 14.3 percent to 789 million euros. Looking ahead, Bayer said it targets further growth in both sales and earnings in 2017. The company intends to increase its fiscal 2017 core earnings per share from continuing operations by a mid-single-digit percentage, but noted that only 64 percent of Covestro will be reflected for the full year 2017. Full-year sales of the Bayer Group including Covestro are projected to increase to more than 49 billion euros. This corresponds to a low- to mid-single-digit percentage increase on a currency- and portfolio-adjusted basis. EBITDA before special items is forecast to grow by a mid-single-digit percentage. In 2017, Covestro is expecting an increase in sales and EBITDA before special items that is level with or higher than the previous year. Bayer said it is also making good progress with refinancing the agreed acquisition of Monsanto Co (MON). The company has successfully implemented both the acquisition financing of $57 billion and the first equity measure in the amount of 4 billion euros. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Crude oil futures edged lower Wednesday morning ahead of U.S. inventories data that may show storage facilities are brimming. The American Petroleum Institute releases industry figures today, while the EIA is out with official numbers tomorrow morning. U.S inventories have soared to record highs over the past few weeks. Still, oil prices have crept a bit higher as OPEC officials indicating progress toward full implementation of the cartel's supply quota plan. "At the end of the day we are confident that all members with no exception will implement their obligation 100%," OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo said Tuesday. WTI light sweet crude oil for was down 30 cents at $53.95 a barrel, having finished at a yearly high in the previous session. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Market Analysis US President Donald Trump has renounced escalating acts of anti-Semitism in the country, and stressed the need to fight bigotry, intolerance and hatred in all of its very ugly forms. After touring the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. Tuesday, the president said the anti-Semitic threats targeting the Jewish community and community centers in the US are horrible and are painful, and a very sad reminder of the work that still must be done to root out hate and prejudice and evil. He recalled a quote from Spottswood Rice, a runaway slave who joined the Union Army, that he believed that his fellow African Americans always looked to the United States as the promised land of universal freedom. "Today and every day of my presidency, I pledge to do everything I can to continue that promise of freedom for African Americans and for every American," said Trump, who is the second sitting President to visit the museum. Trump's condemnation of the anti-Semitic attacks came hours after Hillary Clinton called on the President to speak out against recent incidents. "JCC threats, cemetery desecration & online attacks are so troubling & they need to be stopped. Everyone must speak out, starting w/ @POTUS," Clinton tweeted. Monday, 11 Jewish community centers (JCCs) in the United States received bomb threats over telephone, all of which were turned out to be hoax. It was the latest in a wave of bomb threats started in January. In all, 54 JCCs in 27 states and one Canadian province have received 69 bomb threats. David Posner, director of strategic performance at JCC Association of North America, said the Jewish community in the US is concerned about the anti-Semitism behind these threats, which the FBI is investigating. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News Canada based Maple Leaf Foods Inc. Wednesday said it has reached a definitive agreement with Brynwood Partner VI L.P. for the acquisition of Lightlife Foods Inc. The deal would be worth $140 million plus other costs. Light is a brand in U.S. for refrigerated plant based protein foods. Maple Leaf said the acquisition will be accretive to its earnings in 2017. On completion of the acquisition, Lightlife foods will become a subsidiary of Maple Leaf, a consumer protein company with several brands such as Maple Leaf Prime, Schneiders, Country Naturals, Mina, Davour. The Mississauga, Ontario based company has more than 11,000 staff members. The acquisition, using Maple Leaf's cash on hand, will be completed in March. Michael McCain, president and CEO of Maple Leaf said, "Consumers are increasingly looking to diversify their protein consumption, including plant-based options. The acquisition of Lightlife provides Maple Leaf with a leading market position and brand in the United States in a category that is outpacing growth in the broader packaged foods sector. We will expand our presence through investment in brand building, innovation and leveraging our respective capabilities." In 2016, Lightlife had a market share of 38 percent in the U.S. plant protein market with total sales of around $40 million. They have facilities in Turners Falls, Massachusetts with around 100 people. In the third quarter, Maple Leaf has recorded 70 percent growth in net earnings to C$31.8 million from C$18.7 million. Sales for the quarter improved 4.1 percent to C$852.1 million from C$818.8 million a year ago. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Naga People's Front (NPF) supremo Shurhozelie Liezietsu was on Wednesday sworn in as the 17th Chief Minister of Nagaland following the resignation of T.R. Zeliang. Governor P.B. Acharya administered the oath of office and secrecy to the 81-year-old veteran leader and an 11-member council of ministers at the Raj Bhavan. Paiwang Konyak, a BJP legislator and minister in the Zeliang ministry, was also inducted as cabinet minister. Zeliang resigned on Sunday night, bowing to the demands of protesting tribal groups who were opposed to his move to hold civic polls with 33 per cent reservation for women. The NPF is the major constituent of the opposition-less Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) coalition government with 48 legislators in the 60-member Nagaland assembly. Eight independents and four Bharatiya Janata Party legislators are part of the DAN government. Shurhozelie is not a member of the 60-member Nagaland assembly. He was elected eight times to the assembly from Northern Angami assembly constituency. But he did not contest the 2013 election and paved way for his son Khriehu Leizietsu. Khriehu was inducted as parliamentary secretary of youth resources and sports, Music Task Force and state lottery in the Zeliang government. Khriehu is likely to vacate his seat for his father to contest the by-election after six months. Assembly Speaker Chotisuh Sazo has been elevated to the rank of a cabinet minister. Besides Sazo, Shurhozelie inducted former Home Minister Imkong Imchen and G. Kaito Aye as cabinet ministers replacing Public Health Engineering Minister Tokheho Yepthomi, National Highways Minister Nuklutoshi and Forest, Environment & Climate Change Minister, Neikiesalie Nicky Kire. Among those who have been retained as cabinet ministers from the previous Zeliang ministry are Y. Patton, Kiyanillie Peseyie, P. Longon, C. Kipili Sangtam, C.L. John, Yitachu, Paiwang Konyak, and Y. Vikheho Swu. Initially, the NPF legislators had plans to elect Nagaland's lone Lok Sabha member, Neiphiu Rio, as their legislature party leader. In 2015, Rio had made attempts to oust Zeliang but the NPF had last year suspended him and former Home Minister Imkong Imchen from the party for anti-party activities. On Tuesday, the NPF supremo revoked Imchen's suspension from the party after the latter tendered "unconditional apology for his misconduct and anti-party activities". Shurhozelie has authored 42 books on poetry, novels, history, drama, translations. Several of his books are part of the syllabus in Nagaland University. He was conferred an honorary D. Litt. by the Nagaland University in 2003. The CBI has arrested Chhattisgarh IAS officer B.L. Agrawal and two other private persons for helping him in paying Rs 1.5 crore bribe to settle a case being investigated by the agency against him, an official said on Tuesday. The arrested persons were on Tuesday produced before Patiala House court in Delhi that sent them to five-day Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody. The CBI on Monday arrested Agrawal, a 1988-batch IAS officer currently posted as the Principal Secretary (Higher Education) in Chhattisgarh government, his brother-in-law Anand Agrawal and a private person Bhagwan Singh, a resident of Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh. The agency on February 18 registered an FIR against Agrawal, Singh, a Hyderabad-based private person Syed Burhanuddin and others under relevant sections of criminal conspiracy and Prevention of Corruption Act. The CBI said that the IAS officer had agreed to pay Rs 1.5 crore to Burhanuddin as gratification for helping him in a case being investigated by the agency. "B.L. Agrawal first approached Singh over the issue, who arranged his meeting with Burhanuddin on February 11 in Delhi. Burhanuddin told the Chhattisgarh officer that he works in the Prime Minister's Office and would easily settle the matter in his favour in lieu of Rs 1.5 crore gratification," a CBI officer said. The officer said that Burhanuddin also assured Agrawal that he would get the case transferred from the CBI to the Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing. "The public servant sent an amount of Rs 45 lakh on different dates between February 12 and 16 for its onward transmission through hawala. One Raipur-based hawala operator Sanjay Taparia and others were used as channels for the movement of the amount," said the officer. The CBI earlier conducted searches on the premises of the accused and hawala operators at Raipur, Hyderabad, Delhi and Greater Noida and recovered Rs 20 lakh. Opposition parties as well as some Ministers in Jharkhand have opposed the Raghubar Das government's move to sell liquor through its own outlets to generate revenue. According to sources, three Ministers have opposed the government move to sell liquor when the issue came during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. Jharkhand Urban Development Minister C.P. Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Saryu Rai and Water Resources Minister and alliance partner All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) legislator Chadra Prakash Chaudhary opposed the cabinet noting of selling of liquor by the state government. "The state government's image will be dented after the cabinet approves the proposal," Saryu Rai reportedly said in the cabinet meeting. Minister C.P. Singh is reported to have asked, "What is the guarantee that the state will generate more resources by running liquor shops." The Jharkhand cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposal of the excise department that the state government would sell liquor in the state. "The Jharkhand cabinet meeting on Tuesday gave its approval of selling liquor by the state government. Jharkhand State Beverages Corporation Ltd will sell the liquor from August 1," Avinash Kumar, state Excise Secretary, told reporters. The Jharkhand government has taken the decision to generate more resources through selling liquor. The district administrations have been asked to find shops and make arrangements to sell the liquor. However, liquor shop owners are protesting the state government move. In Jharkhand there are more than 1,400 liquor shops and after the state government decision more than 5,000 people will become jobless. Opposition parties have also criticized the state government move. "The Jharkhand government will buy land for industrialists and sell liquor. What kind of state government is this which is not bothered about the people of the state," Hemant Soren, former Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), executive president told reporters. "(BJP President) Amit Shah during his campaign in Uttar Pradesh boasted of getting river of milk, and now in Jharkhand the BJP-led state government will sell liquor for money. The Prime Minister appreciated Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for banning liquor. Why is he silent at the Raghubar Das government's move to sell liquor," Alok Dubey, General Secretary of Jharkhand Congress, told . At least seven people were killed and 12 wounded on Tuesday in a car bomb explosion at a crowded street in Iraqi capital Baghdad, a police source said. The attack occurred in the evening when a booby-trapped car detonated at the Amal-Shaabi thoroughfare in the predominantly Sunni neighbourhood of Ameriyah in western Baghdad, media quoted the source as saying on condition of anonymity. The massive explosion destroyed several nearby shops and many stalls, along with damaging several nearby civilian cars and buildings, the source said. The toll could rise as ambulances, police and civilian vehicles were evacuating the victims to the city's hospitals and medical centres, the source added. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the Islamic State (IS) militant group, in most cases, is responsible for such attacks targeting crowded areas, including markets, cafes and mosques across Iraq. Terrorist acts, violence and armed conflicts killed 382 Iraqis and wounded 908 others in January across Iraq, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq said. The attacks came as the Iraqi security forces backed by anti-IS international coalition are carrying out a major offensive to drive out the IS militants from its last major stronghold in Iraq's northern city of Mosul. The Malaysian police are seeking a senior official at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur in connection with the killing of Kim Jong-nam, media reported on Wednesday. Three North Korean suspects were being sought, in addition to the previously announced suspects, and were believed still to be in the country, media quoted Malaysian Police Chief Khalid Abu Bakar as saying. One is the second secretary in the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, whom he named as Hyon Kwang Song. Kim, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, died last week in a possible poison attack at Kuala Lumpur airport. North Korea has demanded that Kim's body be returned to them, and has angrily objected to Malaysia conducting an autopsy on the body, the report added. Malaysia has cited the need to carry out an investigation as Kim died on its soil. Both countries had enjoyed close relations, which have since become strained over the incident. Salina working to make its parks fully accessible As Salina looks to update and improve its parks, it's doing so with ADA in mind as it seeks to make the parks and recreation system more accessible. Gender Stereotyping was explored in the Year 8 class of Vaiala Beach School this week following the Monday February 20th observance of U.N World Day of Social Justice. Using classroom ideas printed in the Newspapers in Education section of the Samoa Observer, the students proved that gender stereotyping is still very common. The students had to draw a picture of different professions and then include a symbol that went with that profession, for example Hairdresser = Scissors, Pilot = Plane. They then had to quickly write a persons name that they thought went with that occupation. This was the interesting part. When we shared the names, very clear patterns came out. For example 100% of the students associated a Surgeon with being a male nearly all thought a Nurse would be female. Again it was all of the students who thought pilots, scientist and plumbers would be jobs that men would do and jobs that were mostly associated with being female were the hairdresser and teacher. The activity prompted an interesting discussion in the class about how these pre-conceived ideas we have can influence career opportunities in the future. The U.N World Day of Social Justice was a great opportunity to talk about Social Justice in Samoa and in the world and what we want for the future. LOS ANGELES (AP) A man who destroyed Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been sentenced to three years of probation for vandalism. An attorney for James Otis says he pleaded no contest to the felony Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. Attorney Mieke ter Poorten says Otis agreed to pay $4,400 for the damage and attorney's fees and perform 20 days of community labor. Otis used a sledgehammer and pickax to deface the star about a week before Trump was elected president. Otis said he originally planned to the steal the star, sell it and give money to the 11 women who had said Trump groped them. The star was for Trump's work on the reality show "The Apprentice." It has since been repaired. Dear Tai Peta, Thank you for enlightening me about Samoas repayment of its debts. I now know. My bad. I took a term of economics at a local institution which shall remain nameless and this is what I learnt - there is no such thing as free lunch in this world. In applying this truism to Samoa, sooner or later Samoa will pay because we cant continue forever to ask for these loans to be written off. Perhaps I was too literal when I said that Samoa would be repossessed. I seem to recall the number of countries which kept defaulting on their loans and these countries went bankrupt and the international financial institutions stepped in and restructure these economies in order for the loans to be repaid. Greece is the most recent case in point. Do you want your beloved Samoa to go through that sort of pain and suffering with the Samoan tala devalued to basically nothing. Repossession takes many different forms: for example, Samoa being strongly persuaded (coerced) to vote with the Chinese in international fora where we have a voice. Climate change negotiations is a case in point. China and Samoas views on climate change are miles apart but when it comes to voting Samoa would vote with China. Why? Work it out for yourself and then you know the meaning of the word repossessed. Think of fishing rights in our territorial waters. It is not hard to imagine a situation where China might gently persuade (NOT) Samoa to offer fishing licences to fleets of fishing boats belonging to the friends of China. Can we say no to that? Work that out for yourself and then you start to know the meaning of repossession. A letter from a palagi talked about land set aside for the Chinese. If that is not repossession then I dont know the meaning of that word. The other thing I learnt from my term of economics is that everything has an opportunity cost. Those loans coming to Samoa could have been spent by the Chinese on its own people or somewhere else where it can earn a return. So, unless the Chinese have this feeling of great satisfaction in losing its taxpayers money to Samoa, then I humbly suggest that you reconsider the meaning of the word repossessed and re-read those ABC Australia articles. Have a great day mate. Vai Autu Authorities in Samoa have taken a major step in the fight against financially -motivated crime and terrorist financing. It follows the release of the National Policy on Anti-money Laundering and Counter Terrorist Financing (A.M.L./C.T.F.) together with the National Strategy on A.M.L./C.T.F. According to a statement issued by the Central Bank of Samoa yesterday, the step is a milestone in the governments progress in this endeavor. Money laundering is the process of making money, or assets, obtained illegally appear as though they came from a legitimate source. It is a crucial process for criminals if they wish to enjoy the fruits of their crimes unbothered by the police or taxman, the statement reads. The lifeblood of terrorism is money, and, while individual attacks often dont cost a great deal, the support networks that assist, facilitate and inspire such attacks require significant sums. Disrupting the funding of terrorist networks has proven an effective method of reducing the incidence and impact of terrorism worldwide. The statement continues: As Samoa increasingly plays a role in the international trade and financial system, so the requirement to ensure that our banks, lawyers and financial systems are not misused by international criminals and terrorists also increases. Furthermore, as the sophistication of the financial system increases, so do the opportunities for local criminals to launder their ill-gotten gains, emboldening them to commit further crime. The National A.M.L/C.T.F. Policy is the high-level document that enunciates the means by which these multiple threats will be addressed. The National Strategy, in concert with the Policy, describes the concrete steps that will be taken over the next four years to both bring Samoa further into line with international A.M.L./C.T.F. requirements and to address unique local challenges. For the people of Samoa, these documents describe the means by which the government and local authorities are addressing the everyday harm caused by fraud, corruption, drug offending, tax evasion and organised crime groups. They also describe the steps being taken to ensure that the international community do not, in future, feel the need to sanction Samoa for perceived inadequacies in our A.M.L/C.T.F. systems. The National AML/CTF Strategy and Policy are accessible on the Central Bank Website at: http://www.cbs.gov.ws/index.php/banking-system/amlfiu/national-policy/ http://www.cbs.gov.ws/index.php/banking-system/amlfiu/national-strategy-2016/ A businessman has had enough of what he described as the Electric Power Corporations pathetic excuses. Yesterday, a fed up Tauiliili Joseph Fruean, contacted the Samoa Observer to vent his frustrations after going without electricity for a few days. On Monday, Tauiliili who runs an accommodation business at Lelata, had waited for E.P.C. to remove some tree branches from the electrical lines which had killed his power supply. They never showed up. Tauilili said it was only after they were told the Samoa Observer reporter was on her way they showed up. When the Samoa Observer arrived, the E.P.C. team was already there. But Tauiliili was beyond madness. He was furious about how long it had taken to do what should have otherwise taken only a few minutes. When the power was knocked out, Tauiliili said they had guests. My power is off, he told the E.P.C. team. I have fourteen guests at this accommodation. So if the food and everything in the fridge becomes bad, are you going to pay for it? Tauiliili said he had warned the E.P.C. about the tree branches. The first time E.P.C. came here, I told them to cut down those trees that are close to the power lines and they said not to worry about it. Now look at what has happened. The businessman is sad saying many people suffer because of this attitude. If I wasnt doing any work right now, I wouldve gone and seen the Minister. Im a hard working person so I need things like these to be done right. Tauiliili said his children contacted E.P.C. on Monday and no one bothered to turn up. He said if he didnt tell them that he was calling the Samoa Observer, they wouldnt have shown up yesterday. They removed the tree branches before the Samoa Observer arrived for photos. Your service is very bad, said Tauiliili. Your corporation bought 25 new cars to do these services but youre still the worst. For any work, common sense is required. Thats why Tofilau (Eti Alesana) said to use your common sense. This is where you use your common sense. The businessman was even more frustrated with the excuses he was given. Dont talk to me about how you had to do whoevers work first and writing reports about this, he said. Just fix these power lines. Our power is off. If this were the Minister or any of your family members, you wouldve done it straight away. And dont tell me that you wouldnt do it for the Minister because you know you will get fired if you dont do it. When E.P.C. representatives who were there were asked for a comment, they said they are only responsible for clearing power lines. They said a different team is responsible for cutting down trees that come in contact with power lines. One more village has moved to ban the establishment of foreign-owned businesses on their customary lands in a bid to protect the business prospects of their future generations. This time, the district of Siumu, which is made up of four sub-villages, has agreed to the ban. This was confirmed by the Tuua of the Village, Tuuu Faasee, in a telephone interview with the Samoa Observer yesterday. The district had a meeting two weeks ago and we all agreed that no foreign-owned business will be allowed to be set up in Siumu, he said. Its not just the Chinese businesses, this goes for all foreign-owned businesses. Tuuu explained that the decision followed an incident where the village found out after the fact that a Chinese-owned shop was being set up. The shop is at Saaga one of the sub-villages of Siumu, he said. They are selling Chinese products in their shop so we have informed them about the decision of the district and they agreed that they will slowly remove it. Asked if he the decision is not harsh given the rising cost of living, Tuuu said it is about protecting the future of the village. Its okay for the time being but in the long run and the future of our children its not okay, he said. Our children are growing up and they are being well educated. Some of them have scholarships overseas so in the future when they come back and want to build a business of their own, where will they go? If we allow foreign businesses now to be set up, our children will not be able to have access to the lands when they grew up because the foreigners have taken them all. Thats why the matai and faipule of the district decided that this is the best time to put a stop to it before it becomes a problem in the future. Not only will our children not be able to get any space to set up their businesses, but foreign businesses will take all the money. So what we want is for the people of not only in Siumu but the district to help each other by building their own businesses and helping each other out. Tuuu went on to say that the local businesses of the district had a meeting on Wednesday with the family at Saaga with regards to the business there. We had a final meeting and we signed an agreement to uphold the new law and the family has also agreed that they will be removing the Chinese stuff from their business, he said. Nobody object to the issue because they all agreed that this is for the betterment of our children not for us. So everything is good now and thats what the district has agreed on. Siumus decision followed the Salelologa Village Councils decision to ban any new Chinese-owned business being set up on the villages customary land. The decision was confirmed by the Mayor of Sapulu, Tuilimu Manuele Paletasala. The ban only covers customary land under the guidance of the Village Council of Salelologa. But we are also mindful that a lot of the lands in Salelologa is under the government and the ban does not cover those lands. But within the whole village of Salelologa (aai o Salelologa), no Chinese owned business is allowed to be set up any more. We want to encourage our own Samoan people to set their businesses up in Salelologa. Students of the Samoa Shipping Corporations Maritime Academy celebrated sweet success on Tuesday. At the E.F.K.S Hall, twenty students received certificates for onboard deck rating and onboard engine rating. The graduates had completed a one-year-course, which looked at the theory and practical side of their work. Penetekoso Lauano was named the Overall Top Deck student while Charles Faletutulu was the Overall Onboard Engine top student. Mr. Lauano was a grateful young man. He said they have had to overcome a lot to be where they are today. This is the beginning of another chapter for us, he said. Were looking forward to working hard for a better Samoa especially for our families. This is not the end; well continue to look for opportunities in the future to further our studies on maritime if any doors open for us. But there was more at the graduation. Seventy-two Samoa Shipping Corporation seafarers were awarded certificates on Able Bodied Seafarer (22), Able Bodied Engineering (5), Tanker Familiarisation (55) and International ship and Port Security (7). General Manager of Samoa Shipping Corporation, Papalii Willie Nansen, congratulated all the students. List of the graduates; Certificate Level III in Onboard Deck Rating Penetekoso Lauano Prince Mamaia Eliezar Ioane Laasia Sagapolutele Molesi Talavou Nifooti Atonio, Ierome Ah Siu Vitoria Malotutoatasi Samuel Neemia Misikopa Asalele Faaiva Seuteva Iosefa Enari Certificate Level III in On-board Engineering Rating Charles Faletutulu Ioane Seve Iosefa Lauaki Nikonia Lauaki Junior Ma Chong Neetia Maiava Taimata Kaisa Maselino Sauleone WASHINGTON (AP) China's surprising suspension of North Korean coal imports puts pressure not only on Pyongyang, but also on President Donald Trump. The question for him: Should the U.S. respond with new North Korea negotiations? Years of failed efforts to stem North Korea's nuclear and missile programs have followed a usual pattern. The United States seeks tougher action from China, the North's traditional ally. Beijing urges U.S. diplomatic engagement. But China's move this weekend appears to change the dynamic, addressing the long-standing American demand, one Trump has vociferously repeated. If enforced, the loss of coal revenue could tighten the screws on leader Kim Jong Un after his government's acceleration of nuclear and missile tests this last year. China rarely makes concessions for free, and will want Trump to respond in kind. "If China is squeezing North Korea, it is for one purpose and one purpose only: to offer a cooperative gesture to the incoming Trump administration in return for an initiative on negotiations," said Stephan Haggard, a North Korea expert at the University of California, San Diego. Beijing indicated such a strategy was in play. Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the country wants parallel negotiations on nuclear matters and a formal peace treaty to replace the armistice ending the 1950-53 Korean War a longstanding North Korean request. Washington has said the North's nuclear weapons program must be settled first. Meanwhile, the newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party, Global Times, published a pair of editorials Wednesday calling for aid-for-disarmament talks to restart. They've been on ice since 2009. Any breakthrough would almost surely require U.S.-Chinese cooperation. Kim has shown little interest in relinquishing his nation's nuclear deterrent as he closes in on a weapon capable of targeting mainland America, and Sino-American disputes over the best approach to dealing with the confounding North Korean leader have hamstrung international diplomatic efforts. Trump has vowed to "deal with" North Korea, without saying how. His administration is conducting a broad-ranging policy review, including how to make sanctions bite. Negotiations haven't been ruled out, said a U.S. official, who wasn't authorized to discuss internal deliberations and demanded anonymity. China's decision on coal could change the U.S. calculus, even if the official said the U.S. was still gauging what the change might mean. Beijing has a mixed track record of policing its trade with North Korea. North Korea's coal exports to China totaled $1.2 billion last year, according to Chinese customs, representing more than a third of the North's total export income. Geng, the Chinese spokesman, explained China's decision by saying the coal imports this year already "approximated" a $400 million annual cap set by the U.N. Security Council. But China has exploited loopholes in the past, raising questions about alternative motivations. These could include embarrassment over the apparent assassination of Kim Jong Nam, the North Korean leader's exiled, half-brother who was spending much of his time in China. Or, a pre-emptive effort to forestall a new U.S.-South Korean missile defense system. Regardless of motive, "enforcement will be the key," said Joseph DeThomas, a former U.S. diplomat who advised the Obama administration on sanctions. DeThomas, now a professor at Pennsylvania State University, said China's suspension could cost Pyongyang hundreds of millions of dollars in much-needed hard currency. But Troy Stangarone, senior director at the Washington-based Korea Economic Institute, questioned how significant the economic impact would be. Official Chinese figures don't account for services and illicit border trade between the countries, he said. China has long resisted applying severe economic pressure on North Korea. While it opposes the North's pursuit of nuclear weapons, Beijing fears any policies that might lead to an influx of North Koreans into China or a U.S.-allied, unified Korea emerging on the Chinese border. In any case, questions will now be asked of the Trump administration. As a presidential candidate, Trump expressed a willingness to speak with Kim a politically risky move given North Korea's history of reneging on past agreements. President Barack Obama refused to re-engage without a commitment from the North to pursue denuclearization, cranking up sanctions while waiting. The approach failed to stop Pyongyang's rapid advances in weapons development. Trump will need to come up with a strategy soon. A high-profile North Korean defector reported that Kim wants to finish an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland in the next year. It's unclear what, if anything, Trump can offer Kim to bargain over a nuclear program he likely sees as essential to the survival of his totalitarian regime. Stangarone said the question for Kim becomes this: "Can he weather whatever storm is coming and finish the program and make this fait accompli?" GENOA, Italy (Reuters) - A Genoa court said on Wednesday it had sentenced Giovanni Berneschi, the 79-year-old former chairman of local bank Banca Carige (CRGI.MI), to eight years and two months in jail for fraud, criminal association and money laundering. Berneschi was ousted from his job in September 2013 after 20 years as Carige's chairman in a management overhaul imposed by the Bank of Italy following audits that revealed poor lending practices, a large derivatives exposure and questionable accounting methods. Carige, long seen as one of the weak links in Italy's battered banking system, is preparing a new business plan after European Central Bank supervisors told it to cut its problem loans. In Italy, defendants are allowed two appeals and are considered innocent until the final court ruling is delivered, a process which can take years and is regularly cut short by the statute of limitations, which limits the amount of time a magistrate can pursue a case. Pending the final ruling, the jail sentence is suspended. But the Genoa court said it had put Berneschi under probation. "All that was left for them to do was to shoot me," he told reporters on his way out of the court. Carige's shares have fallen sharply in the past couple of years because of uncertainty over whether the bank will need to seek more capital after raising a total of 1.6 billion euros($1.68 billion) in two successive share sales in 2014 and 2015. Carige has said in the past it considered itself a damaged party and it is expected to seek damages from its former chairman. The bank had no comment on the ruling. (Reporting by Paola Balsomini; writing by Valentina Za. Editing by Jane Merriman) Donald Trump was out of bounds when he called the media the enemy of the people, former White House press secretary Ari Fleisher said Tuesday, but the former spokesman for George W. Bush said too many members of the news media have not given the new president a fair shake. Hes been hostile to the press and the press returns the favor, said Fleisher in an interview with the Union-Tribune. Fleisher was in San Diego to deliver a speech at the National Ethanol Conference at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Writing on Twitter last week, Trump called the New York Times, NBC News, CBS News and CNN the FAKE NEWS media and called them the enemy of the American People. Advertisement Fleisher condemned the presidents tweet. I can be a pretty tough media critic myself but the press is not the enemy of anybody, Fleisher said. They can be inaccurate, they can be biased, but I dont like that type of language. We have enough strife in this country. The press is not our enemy. But at the same time, Fleisher said, I really do think the press is out of touch with the voters who elected Donald Trump, the kind of people who are open-minded about him, and I wish the press would open their eyes more and see theres another part of America. During his speech Tuesday, Fleisher ran through a list of signals the media, pollsters and pundits missed during the 2016 campaign that ended up with Trump winning critical states such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. Fleisher cited figures showing that while Hillary Clinton won voters aged 18-29 by 19 points, Trump won voters aged 45-64 by 8 points. And while voters who are single voted for Clinton by an 18-point margin, Trump won married voters by 8 points. Although Trump lost the popular vote, he edged out a victory in the Electoral College just as Fleishers former boss, George W. Bush, did in the 2000 election. I think the press just doesnt get Donald Trump, Fleisher said. And Donald Trump doesnt care, which makes it even more hostile, back and forth. Since taking the Oval Office, Trump has not cut back on using his Twitter account, even though some of the tweets have angered allies, infuriated opponents and sometimes veered into tangents, such as Nordstrom dropping his daughter Ivankas product line. So should Trump ditch his Twitter feed? No, said Fleisher. I think Donald Trump has figured out how to communicate with voters. And his gut and intuition have worked very well for him, frankly Through Twitter he can successfully go around the press and theres nothing wrong with that. Fleisher took to Twitter himself on Monday, saying the press too often plays into the hands of Trump and media critics. He cited a tweet from NBC News that said, President Trump reaches 32 days, wont be shortest U.S. president as far as tenure. Did they tweet a similar thing about Barack Obamas 32nd day? Fleisher said. Or George W. Bush? This is part of the hostility the press has for Donald Trump. Fleisher said he did not support Trump during the primaries but backed him when Trump won the Indiana primary, making him the inevitable GOP nominee. But as the campaign wore on, he lost me. He just said too many things I thought were offensive and rude and harmful, so I ended up not voting for president, which really hurt because I dont believe in not voting. Fleisher said he cast his ballot for every other race but left the presidential ballot blank. Right after the November election, a spokesman for George W. and Laura Bush told the Wall Street Journal the couple did not vote for Trump or Clinton. The spokesman did not say whether they voted for a third-party or write-in candidate. A spokesman for George H.W. Bush did not reveal which candidate the 41st president voted for but, in a Facebook post last September, former Maryland lieutenant governor and daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, posted a picture of the elder Bush, saying he was voting for Clinton. Fleisher said that while Trump is battling the media, he is still talking to reporters, citing long interviews Trump had with the New York Times, 60 Minutes, the Today Show and the Wall Street Journal and his news conference last week, which ran one hour and 20 minutes. My goodness, the press should be delighted to have a president who is as accessible as he is, Fleisher said. Donald Trump is making the press great again. Hes making the press profitable again. Contrary to jabs from Trump about the New York Times failing, the newspaper says that in aftermath of Trumps election, subscriptions increased tenfold compared with the previous year. Fleisher said the new administration has had their share of stumbles and I dont like some of (Trumps) rhetorical style but the former Republican press aide who now runs a media company based in New York said, I want him to be successful. Fleishers speech came one day after Presidents Day, in which another series of anti-Trump protesters gathered in a number of cities for Not My President Day demonstrations. Hes doing the things he said he was going to do, Fleisher said, Which makes his supporters happy and ticks off those who dont like him. Business rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski The Grossmont Healthcare District has given a $10,000 grant to an nonprofit group based in El Cajon that assists Middle Eastern refugees and immigrants with cultural assimilation and health education. The district that serves East County awarded the money earlier this month to License to Freedom to support its community outreach efforts, particularly in relation to the cultural adjustment to American healthcare norms. License to Freedom promotes nonviolence through education, self-sufficiency and advocacy for refugee and immigrant survivors of domestic abuse and relationship abuse. Advertisement The groups outreach as outlined in the grant will include providing health education classes taught in Arabic by refugee healthcare workers, pastors and social workers. Classes will be held at churches, parks and community centers. The classes will cover basic information about the United States health care system, emphasizing services at nearby community clinics and urgent care centers instead of hospital emergency rooms. Dilkhwaz Ahmed, executive director of License to Freedom, said classes will also teach hospital emergency room protocol, a necessary component. If a family member goes to an emergency room, it is the custom of Middle Eastern community for the entire family to show up in support, Ahmed said. But this can put a strain on the facility because American privacy regulations do not accommodate this cultural practice. Funds will also support advertisements in Arabic newspapers, radio programs and social media channels. Ahmed said some of East Countys recent refugees are from Syria. According to data from the county Health and Human Services Agency, San Diego County saw a 64 percent increase in refugee arrivals in October and November of 2016 compared with the same months in 2015. Ahmed, a Kurdish immigrant with a background in psychology, founded License to Freedom in 2002. It became a nonprofit in 2004. Ahmed, a womens rights activist in Iraq, has helped more than 3,000 adult survivors and child victims of domestic violence since coming to the United States in 2002. The Grossmont Healthcare District is a public agency that supports various health-related community programs and services in East County. Its five-member board represents more than 500,000 people residing within the districts 750 square miles. Santee resident Marcie Sale has conquered many of the hiking trails in San Diego County. The 60-year-old recently completed the Five-Peak Challenge in Mission Trails Regional Park, and she has been looking for more hiking adventures in the region. Several weeks ago, Sale came upon a county website promoting a new trail in Lakeside. Last Thursday, she joined a group of about three dozen people, including county Supervisor Dianne Jacob, near El Monte County Park for the grand opening of the Helix Flume Trail. Advertisement I dont like to go hiking by myself, so this was a great hike with other people on the trail, Sale said. I like the challenge of this one, and Ill be back out again. The single-track, dog-friendly, 0.8-mile trail starts near the historic El Monte Pump Station along El Monte Road. It is steep with several switchbacks on the way up to sweeping views of Lake Jennings, El Cajon Mountain and El Monte Valley. The Helix Flume Trail follows the route of a redwood flume completed in 1889 to deliver water 35 miles from the Cuyamaca Mountains to a reservoir in La Mesa. The El Monte Pump Station was built in 1898 to push groundwater from the El Monte Valley up the hill and into the flume for delivery to La Mesa. Heavy with coastal sage scrub, the trail follows the path of the historic water flume east where it connects to existing trails around Lake Jennings Campground and other open space areas. The path ventures along land owned by the Helix Water District. There are shady areas and a parking area at the base of the trail in the 14000 block of El Monte Road. The trail does not connect to a separate flume path that climbs above El Monte County Park, which is about a mile away. Property between the two trails is privately owned. Colorful flowers line the Helix Flume Trail (Karen Pearlman/San Diego Union-Tribune) The Helix Flume Trail is part of the San Diego River Trail, a route that is planned to allow hikers, cyclists and equestrians to travel uninterrupted along trails near waterways from the mountains hear Julian to where the San Diego River ends in Ocean Beach. The San Diego River Conservancy and other conservation groups continue to work to connect the 52-mile trail. An easement made it possible for the Department of Parks and Recreation to construct the trail, with help from the departments trails crew, the California Conservation Corps and workers from Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility. The trail will be managed by Park and Recreation staff, including Charles Gailband from nearby El Monte County Park. A lot more people are hiking these days, Gailband said. Its becoming more and more popular. If you go along Highway 67, you can look and see how many people are going up Iron Mountain and Mount Woodson. This is a beginner hike because it is a smaller area, he said. But it has a great payoff with beautiful views of the surrounding area. La Mesa residents John Robbins, 72, and his son, Michael, 46, hiked the trail with the group. They agreed the steep climb was tough, but promised they would be back. Ive been meaning to start hiking again, the elder Robbins said. This was a good workout, more vertical than I usually like, but Im glad I did it and got it under my 44-inch belt. Trail hours are from 7 a.m. to sunset every day, You can take a virtual hike of the Helix Flume Trail here: https://www.youtube.com/embed/-jVtqWlybSc Trenching the railroad tracks through downtown Carlsbad could cost as much as $335 million but could also benefit the city by as much as $22 billion over the next century, a new study shows. The economic benefits would include lives saved, jobs created, increased sales tax revenue and higher property values, according to the study, completed in January by San Diego-based consulting firm T.Y. Lin International at the request of city officials. It is kind of an expensive plan, but it has so many positives, said Councilman Mark Packard, who represents Carlsbad on the North County Transit District board. There are economic benefits, social benefits, health benefits. Advertisement As much as 80 percent of the construction costs are expected to be covered by the state and federal government, Packard said Monday. Carlsbad and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) would share the remaining costs. Lowering the tracks is one of the citys long-term goals, something unlikely to be accomplished for 10 years or more. A lot of people say 20 years, Packard said, though hed like to see the project completed as soon as possible. My goal is the six-year plan. The report looks at the costs and feasibility of placing the tracks below street level as part of the planned construction of a second set of railroad tracks through downtown Carlsbad. The transit district and SANDAG are double-tracking the entire coastal rail route from San Diego to Orange County, and one of the next segments to be completed will go from Cassidy Street in Oceanside to Tamarack Avenue in Carlsbad. To me the big thing is safety, Carlsbad Councilman Michael Schumacher said in an interview Monday. Roughly one person each year dies on the tracks in Carlsbad, he said, and train traffic is expected to double over the next 20 years. The double tracks are coming one way or another, Schumacher said. Now is the time to do it. The trench study examined two alternatives to leaving the tracks at street level. One, called the short trench alternative, would put the double-tracked railroad in a trench from the Carlsbad Boulevard/Highway 101 overpass south to the northern end of Tamarack Avenue. The other, the long trench alternative, would lower the tracks from the 101 overpass to the Agua Hedionda Lagoon railroad bridge. Both alternatives would increase the number of east-west crossings and make the beach area more accessible to residents of the Village and Barrio neighborhoods. The long trench makes the most sense because it provides the most crossings and is best for the overall health of the community, Packard said. Solana Beach is the only other city in San Diego County to have lowered its railroad tracks, and there have been no reports of fatalities or injuries there since the project was completed in 1999. Carlsbad has had 18 fatalities on the tracks since 1998, the report states. Without lowering the tracks, fatalities are likely to increase, along with noise and traffic congestion at existing railroad crossings. Below-grade crossings not only reduce train noise, they reduce or eliminate the need for the train to sound its horn. Also, theres no need for vehicles to stop at grade-separated crossings, and the city plans to build additional crossings for vehicles and pedestrians. The study estimates the total construction costs at $62 million to double-track the at-grade crossing, $224 million for the short-trench alternative, and $335 million for the long-trench alternative. A minimum vertical clearance of 26 feet above the tracks was included in the study. However, the Transit District recently indicated the minimum clearance of 24 feet would be acceptable, which would reduce costs by $8 million for the short trench, or $14 million for the long trench. Construction of either trench would require a temporary shoofly track to be built so trains could continue to run during construction. The temporary track would go through the transit center parking lot east of the tracks and would require relocation of the historic Santa Fe Depot between Grand Avenue and Carlsbad Village Drive. philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @phildiehl Last year, the San Diego rock band Wavves made headlines by announcing it was dis-inviting supporters of then presidential candidate Donald J. Trump along with racists, homophobes, anyone who blames rape victims and anyone who has gone out of (their) way to defend police in America from attending shows on its upcoming summer tour. While it remains unclear how many of the above groups are or were fans of Wavves, the noise-embracing slacker-punk band now hopes to making headlines anew. On Tuesday, Wavves leader Nathan Williams took to his Twitter page to announce that he and his band recently commissioned a Los Angeles artist to design several images for anti-Trump billboards. In a series of tweets, Williams, 30, wrote Tuesday: Advertisement How is everyone today? alright everyone its story time!!!! We are looking to crowdsource a billboard anywhere in the USA to host these images. If you can help please write to info@ghostramp.com. We are living in a time where our president is so narcissistic that he can be baited by the media like the child he is. Recently as most of you know Trump and his cabinet have been cutting funding for many causes that are very important to us. (For the record, President Trump has not yet cut funding to any government agencies, although he has vowed to do so in some instances.) The Tuesday tweets by Williams continued: So we commissioned Johnny Ryan to design a billboard in Los Angeles but no one weve found has been willing to run the images. We want to use his ugliness to grab attention and use it for something good. There may be a good reason no billboard company appears willing to run the images shown on Wavves proposed anti-Trump billboards. As depicted on Wavves Twitter page, one of the images shows a baby-sized President Trump, dressed in a suit and tie, being breastfed by Trump senior adviser and Breitbart News executive chairman Steve Bannon. Another depicts a male character with a guitar who at least somewhat resembles Williams urinating over a border wall on to President Trump. Williams promises that the billboards should they ever come to pass will raise money for five Wavves-endorsed organizations: the Southern Poverty Law Center; the American Civil Liberties Union; the National Immigration Law Center; 350.0rg; and Planned Parenthood. He tweeted: We will put a URL on the billboard where donations can be made to important causes that need our funds. We only represent ourselves and no other organizations but we do want to help raise money where it is most needed. We want Trump to see this. Go to https://ghostramp.com to donate to 5 different causes that matter to us. We also donating 20% of our Ghost Ramp sales for a month. Headed by Williams, Ghost Ramp is the record label for which Wavves records and through which it sells such merchandise as T-shirts. By coincidence, Wavves has a new album its sixth due out this spring on Ghost Ramp. Earlier this month, Williams and his marketing-savvy brother, Joel, released a Whack-A-Mole-styled video game called Kill the Alt-Reich. It allows players to bash white supremacists from the comfort of their phone or computer. Williams became an Internet sensation in 2009, after having an on-stage meltdown at the Primavera music festival in Barcelona, Spain. Apparently frustrated with the audio quality at the festival, he launched into a torrent of profanities, threw a shoe at the audience and poured beer on his soon-to-be-former drummer. Williams later blamed the incident on what he described as the interesting decision to take a combination of drugs, pills and alcohol prior to his Primavera performance. Wavves is scheduled to begin a spring concert tour in Texas on April 21, the first in a series of its shows as the opening act for the Poway-bred pop-punk trio blink-182. That tour does not include a San Diego stop. Twitter @georgevarga george.varga@sduniontribune.com The U.S. military remains a nimble and powerful deterrent against global dangers, but it must do more to retain its lethal edge. That was the predominate message during the first day of the West 2017 gathering of the nations top brass and security experts at the downtown San Diego Convention Center. To ensure Americas beacon of light continues to shine, even into the farthest and darkest corners of the world, we must continue to evolve the innovative capabilities that allow the good to overcome evil, Navy Adm. Harry Harris Jr., the U.S. Pacific Command leader, said in a speech Tuesday afternoon. Our country must retain credible combat power in concert with like-minded allies and partners, to preserve unimpeded access to all the shared domains sea, air, land, space and cyber. And the time to act is now, for I believe were approaching an inflection point in history, he added. Were certainly not approaching the end of history. Freedom, justice and a rules-based international order hang in the balance. And the scale wont tip of its own accord, or simply because good people wish it so. Advertisement Co-sponsored by the nonprofits U.S. Naval Institute and AFCEA International, the annual West confab kicked off with a morning speech by retired Navy Adm. James Stavridis. It then featured sessions throughout the afternoon that drew Naval Warfare commander Rear Adm. Timothy Szymanski and Pacific Fleet Submarine Force commander Rear Adm. Frederick Fritz Roegge, plus many of the highest-ranking officers of the Marine Corps and Coast Guard. More than 300 of the nations top defense contractors, high-tech firms and universities joined them, making the event one of the largest collections of military and industrial minds on the planet. The conference is set to continue through Thursday. Tuesdays discussions, both formal and those whispered in the convention centers corridors, took place as President Donald Trumps administration strives to get its sea legs, tensions rise in Europe following ongoing Russian-backed incursions in Ukraine and disputes simmer between China and Americas allies over territorial claims in the South China Sea. Appearing by a videoconferencing link from Boston following a trip to the Munich Security Conference, Stavridis warned that Americas NATO allies fret about what appear to be inconsistencies in the Trump administrations foreign policy, including a denunciation of Russias meddling in Ukraine alongside a flirtation with (Russian President) Vladimir Putin out of the White House. Stavridis, the former Supreme Commander Allied Forces Europe, said it was hard to accept at face value Trumps insistence that his administration is working like a well-oiled machine, but he urged the presidents critics to give him some space to tinker with his staff and maybe itll start running better. Once reported to be on presidential candidate Hillary Clintons short list for vice president, Stavridis met with Trump in New York on Dec. 8, fueling rumors that he would join retired flag officers such as the Marine four-stars James Mattis and John Kelly in the Republicans administration. But that didnt happen. Echoing key portions of Stavridis address Tuesday, Pacific Commands Harris said American forces must continue to train to fight wars overseas. He pointed to challenges such as ongoing atomic weapons and ballistic missile tests by North Korea strongman Kim Jung-Un. Allied and partner nations will hear this message and hopefully be reassured that the U.S. commitment to the Naval region in the Pacific will be as strong as ever. And America is looking at new ways to maintain the rules-based security order, and theyd be right, Harris said. And potential adversaries, upon hearing this message, should recognize that their propagandized attempts to sell Americas decline is a bunch of hooey. Military Videos On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal cprine@sduniontribune.com The group gathered at Inglewood City Hall family members, activists and clergy to express frustration about a shooting still shrouded in mystery. A year ago, Inglewood police officers shot and killed a couple they said appeared to be unconscious in their car in the early morning darkness. Twenty bullets pierced Kisha Michael and Marquintan Sandlin. But since the Feb. 21, 2016, shooting, the Inglewood Police Department has not released a timeline of events that led to the controversial shooting of Michael, 31, and Sandlin, 32. It has not explained why five officers unleashed a barrage of bullets into the car, or whether Michael or Sandlin threatened the officers. Advertisement Michael, a mother of three boys, died at the scene. Sandlin, a father of four girls, died later in a hospital. On Tuesday, a group that included the couples relatives gathered outside Inglewoods City Hall to express dissatisfaction with the investigation and what it calls the lack of transparency from the Police Department and city officials. The 50 people planned to voice their concerns at the council meeting, but it was canceled. The dead cant fight, said Michaels twin sister, Trisha. So its the responsibility of the living to fight for them and thats what were doing. Members of Michaels and Sandlins families tried to deliver a letter to Mayor James T. Butts, demanding that he provide a status report, release all recordings from the morning of the shooting, terminate the officers and recommend charges to the district attorney, and provide a fund for the seven surviving children. Kema Decatur, the deputy to the city manager, told the family that Butts was attending a meeting off-site and that she would forward the letter to him. They really just need closure. They need healing and they need justice, Priest Francisco Garcia of Holy Faith Episcopal Church in Inglewood told Decatur. And they need answers. Family members, activists and clergy march to express their frustration about a shooting still shrouded in mystery. The Los Angeles County district attorneys office said that Inglewood police forwarded the case for review in November. Greg Risling, the district attorneys office spokesman, said that the investigation remains under review. In a statement issued Tuesday by Butts spokeswoman Jasmyne Cannick, the mayor said that Inglewood Police Department is also running a confidential internal investigation into the police shooting, which should be completed within 30 days. Any disciplinary action taken as a result of that internal investigation would remain confidential according to Californias public safety officers bill of rights, the statement said. I have confidence in the Chief of Police to take whatever actions are warranted by the departments investigation in accordance with due process, Butts said in the statement. I continue to send my prayers and heartfelt condolences to the family members of Ms. Michael and Mr. Sandlin. The five officers involved in the shooting Michael Jaen, Richard Parcella, Jason Cantrell, Sean Reidy and Andrew Cohen remain city employees, Butts said. For now, the few details of what happened that night are gleaned from an Inglewood Police Department statement and the autopsy reports conducted by the L.A. County coroners office. According to those accounts, police approached Michael and Sandlin in a car at Manchester Boulevard and Inglewood Avenue shortly after 3 a.m. The couple appeared unconscious and Michael, who sat in the passenger seat, had a gun on her lap, authorities said. An autopsy report reviewed by The Times said only that there was an unknown exchange between police and the decedents before officers fired several rounds into the car. Police have never said whether Michael or Sandlin pointed the handgun at them. Days after the shooting, Butts told NBC4 in a televised interview that officers retreated, isolated the vehicle and spent about 45 minutes attempting to rouse the occupants and to de-escalate the situation. Butts would not corroborate that account to a Times reporter. Any timeline that has been given was based upon preliminary information in an attempt to provide basic information, he said in an email. The autopsy report shows that Michaels blood alcohol content was 0.185%, more than twice the legal blood alcohol content limit for driving. She sat in the passenger seat. Traces of methamphetamine, which the coroners report said can be used to treat attention deficit disorder and obesity, were found in her blood. Sandlins blood alcohol content was 0.13%, over the legal driving limit. No drugs were found in his system. Attorney Milton Grimes, who filed a civil lawsuit on behalf Michaels family, said that he received a discovery file in December from the city that left more questions than answers. Its the weirdest report Ive ever seen, he said. I have no information on what her actions or words were. Theres a big valley between the unspecified exchange and the shooting. After group members delivered the letter to the mayor, they marched across Manchester Boulevard to Inglewood Avenue, where they chanted, grieved and prayed. angel.jennings@latimes.com Twitter: @AngelJennings A Georgia Tech dean who is one of the nations most prominent African American engineers and has been lauded for recruiting more minorities into science and technical fields was selected Tuesday to become the next chancellor of UC Davis. University of California President Janet Napolitano announced that she had chosen Gary May, a UC Berkeley alumnus who heads Georgia Techs College of Engineering, as the seventh chancellor of UC Davis. He would be the 10-campus UC systems only African American chancellor. May would replace Linda Katehi, who resigned last year after a UC investigation into allegations of conflicts of interest found that she violated multiple university policies and misled her superiors, the public and the media. Advertisement In a statement, Napolitano praised May as a dynamic leader and an accomplished scholar and engineer with a passion for helping others succeed. The UC Board of Regents will vote on the appointment during a special meeting Thursday at UCLA. If approved, May will take over Aug. 1 from interim Chancellor Ralph Hexter. May said he was excited by UC Davis commitment to quality education and research, diversity, faculty support and public service. These values speak to my spirit, and I cannot wait to join the campus community, he said in a statement. Ari Kelman, a UC Davis history professor who led the search committees faculty subcommittee, said May was both dynamic and humble, with a strong sense of public mission and breadth as both an effective administrator and a dedicated teacher and mentor. The committee vetted more than 500 potential candidates, and May offered the desired qualities of vision and leadership, extraordinary scholarship and integrity, a proven commitment to diversity and an ability to relate to students, faculty and staff, Kelman said. Its a huge get for us, Kelman said in an interview. Its hard to convey what a giant he is. Alex T. Lee, UC Davis student body president, said he was optimistic that May would work to rebuild trust with students disillusioned by Katehi and to protect those feeling vulnerable under President Trump particularly immigrants, Muslims and LGBT students. May, 52, a native of St. Louis, has been at Georgia Tech for nearly three decades. As the engineering colleges chief academic officer, he leads more than 400 faculty members and 13,000 students. Georgia Techs College of Engineering graduates more engineers than any other college in the United States. May received his bachelors in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech in 1985 and his masters and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from UC Berkeley in 1988 and 1991, respectively. In 2010 he was named Berkeleys outstanding electrical engineering alumnus. His research specialty is computer-aided manufacturing of integrated circuits. He has written more than 200 technical publications, contributed to 15 books and holds a patent in the field. At Georgia Tech, May landed a $3-million grant from the National Science Foundation to create an undergraduate research program in engineering and science to help more underrepresented minority students pursue a graduate degree. Three-fourths of undergraduates in that program went on to pursue graduate degrees. He also launched a program that helped 433 underrepresented minorities earn doctorates in science or engineering at Georgia Tech the most in the nation. The efforts prompted President Obama to award May the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring in 2015. In my classes and early in my career, it always concerned me how few people like me there were, May said in a statement. By that I dont mean smart or determined or curious people. I mean African Americans, and people of color in general, and also women. Thats when I became interested in finding ways to ensure equal access to education and opportunity. We need to nurture talent, for the good of the individual and for the benefit of us all. Star Trek, Lego and Erector sets, comic books and science fiction sparked Mays early interest in the STEM fields, according to a UC statement. May is married to LeShelle R. May, a senior manager of software development at CNN. They have two daughters, Simone and Jordan. teresa.watanabe@latimes.com Twitter: @teresawatanabe UPDATES: 5:20 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with comments about the choice of Gary May as chancellor. This article was originally published at 12:20 p.m. The owner of two San Diego County Postal Annex businesses is accused of partnering with a Mexican drug trafficking organization to package and ship addictive prescription drugs to customers across the country, according to charges filed in federal court in San Diego. Since his March arrest, Lakhwinder Victor Singh has fought the charges; his former employee, Alejandro Nava, recently pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. Navas guilty plea and motions filed in the case provide further details of the investigation. Advertisement Singhs attorney declined to discuss the case. The investigation began in 2013, after federal agents identified a drug courier who was using a shipping facility in National City to move drugs, according to court documents. The courier was arrested at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in December 2013 with several packages of prescription drugs and began to work with authorities in exchange for not being prosecuted. The courier told investigators about Singhs operation, which was being run out of a Postal Plus Annex in San Diego and a Postal Annex in Lemon Grove. Singh bought his first Postal Annex in 2001, according to a motion filed by his attorney, Robert Boyce. Singh also bought a strip mall in 2014 for $1.6 million, paying the $707,000 down payment in cash, prosecutors said. The source told investigators that the pills came from a drug trafficking group in Mexico run by Bernardo Garcia, who allegedly dealt in drugs such as oxycodone, Xanax, methadone, amphetamine and Ritalin. Authorities have not revealed any further information about Garcia, including his whereabouts or whether he is the target of an investigation. Customers would place online orders, and the traffickers would prepackage the purchase and hire a courier to smuggle the drugs into the United States, according to court records. Meanwhile, Garcia would email the shipping information to Singh so pre-printed labels could be made. The courier would deliver the drugs to one of the Postal Annexes, and Singh and Nava would package and ship the orders across the country, prosecutors said. The source met with Singh and Nava on March 13, 2014, in a meeting that was monitored by authorities. According to prosecutors, Singh said the organization had brought 20 packages of drugs the day before and that shipments usually occurred two or three times a week. He also provided the source advice, such as packing the pills flat and not bulky to better avoid detection by law enforcement, prosecutors said. In 2015, agents had another courier under watch. On one trip, she was observed crossing into the United States from Mexico and arriving at one of Singhs businesses. Fifteen minutes later, he left with two large mail bins and dropped them off at a post office. Investigators intercepted four flat rate parcel envelopes and found a variety of prescription drugs inside. The sender address was a bogus location. The courier was arrested in August 2015 after a large number of pills were found on her as she crossed at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. She pleaded guilty to importing drugs and was sentenced to 10 months in prison. On March 9, 2016, Nava was arrested at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, and Singh was arrested after investigators searched one postal annex and his home. Agents found a baggie of about 120 generic Xanax pills in a drawer under a cash register as well as pre-printed shipping labels, according to court records. When interviewed by agents, Singh initially denied knowledge of pharmaceuticals but later admitted to knowing that he was shipping medicines, according to court documents. Besides being charged with conspiracy to distribute drugs, Singh is also accused of structuring $3.9 million in bank deposits from 2011 to 2014 in amounts less than $10,000 to avoid bank reporting requirements. kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com Davis writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune San Jose city officials declared a local emergency after streets became flooded as water levels rose along Coyote Creek. San Jose firefighters traversed flooded streets in rafts, rescuing residents trapped in their homes and in trees in the Rock Springs neighborhood. Those who walked through dirty floodwaters were hosed off and decontaminated, officials said. Officials issued mandatory evacuations for 300 homes in the neighborhood, where water was waist-high in some streets, said city spokesman David Vossbrink. At least 40 people were evacuated to an overnight shelter. We havent really had anything quite like this before, he said. Advertisement The last time San Jose experienced severe flooding was about 20 years ago, Vossbrink said. The creek runs for 30 miles through San Jose, he said. Flooding varies from street to street because of the changing topography in each neighborhood, Vossbrink said. Its really a complex hydrological issue, he said. However, water levels should start receding by midnight, Vossbrink said. After the water retreats, officials will go door to door to assess damage to homes, city buildings and other facilities, he said. The Anderson Dam in Santa Clara County reached capacity Saturday about 5 a.m., according to the California Department of Water Resources. But it wasnt until a downpour Sunday night and Monday morning that water began flowing over its wall and into Coyote Creek. The flow of water into the dam peaked Tuesday afternoon, department spokeswoman Maggie Macias said. Coyote Creek then flooded lanes on the 101 Freeway and triggered evacuations in low-lying areas. The water started to seep in the driveway, and then it started to creep up into the front door. It kept getting worse and worse, Alex Hilario, who walked in knee-high water to get to his car and leave the area, told the Associated Press. We didnt get a chance to get anything out, Hilario said. Bobby Lee, 15, said he was rescued with his brother and parents, who took clothes, electronics and some photos from their home in a neighborhood that ended up littered with submerged cars. This is like once in a lifetime, Lee told the AP. Earlier Tuesday, firefighters rescued five people stranded by flooding at a homeless camp along the same creek in San Jose. The San Jose Mercury News placed the total number of rescues at about 200. The Associated Press contributed to this report. New details about President Trumps immigration crackdown have heightened fears among people in this country illegally, with some saying they are now preparing for the possibility of deportation. The Trump administration swept aside nearly all restrictions Tuesday on targeting for removal the 11 million people in the U.S. illegally, a vast expansion of the federal governments deportation priorities as the president pursues his promised crackdown on illegal immigration. In a pair of memos, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly instructed immigration officers to widen the net and set the stage for hiring thousands more enforcement agents as he moved to implement the executive order on illegal immigration that Trump signed during his first week in office. Advertisement The memos were reverberating on the streets of Southern California and beyond. On a cool, breezy morning, Cristina Reyes, 33, of Lynwood, sat quietly under a small palm tree as she watched her 17-month-old daughter, Carolina, walking around a patch of green grass. A mother of three, she told her daughter to come back and tried to trick her by telling her that the Lynwood Trolley was coming and she would miss it. On any given day, Reyes said she would have been driving, but last year, someone stole her car. It wasnt brand-new or anything like that. It was old and beat up, but it helped getting around, she said. My husband and I were looking at buying a new one, but then we started hearing about the immigration stuff and we realized that if we get deported, it would just be a waste of money. Reyes had never thought of such things before. She never second-guessed walking out of her home to go to the store or even purchasing items like furniture they may end up losing at any given moment. At first, I wasnt too concerned about it, to be honest, she said. But now, I worry. I told my husband, Lets be prepared. Lets just save our money in case they end up sending us back. We can at least have something to start with. Reyes and her husband left their home in Puebla, Mexico, and entered the United States illegally in 2005. Coming here was very difficult, but we did it for a better life, she said. I was pregnant with my first son, and we wanted something better for him. She has had two children since then. The oldest is 10, and her other son is 3. She said if they get deported, she hopes they can bring their children. All of this is very infuriating and stressful, she said. You cant even walk anywhere without fearing you may get caught and deported. It bothers me I have to think about all of this, she said. Going back would be hard. It would be hard for the children because theyll have to adapt to changes. Obdulia Duran, 59, of Paramount, sat quietly on a bench outside of St. Francis Medical Center. She had come to visit Aurelio Solis, 67, who is married to Durans husbands cousin. She said Solis has diabetes and his kidneys are starting to fail. Hes been in the hospital for eight days. I was just thinking what would happen if I get deported, said Duran, who is in the country illegally. What would happen to him? Duran said she pays half of the $630 monthly rent. If she were to be deported, Solis would end up homeless. He joked hed sleep at the park or in his car, she said, starting to cry. Its not funny. Hed probably die. Hes not looking so good. On top of the immigration problems and Solis health, she worries she wont be able to provide for her family back home. She came from Mexico to the United States in 2001. She said she came to the country to pay for her daughters college education and to save money to build a house for her and her husband, who is in his early 60s and retired. She also provides money to the family to buy food and other items for her granddaughters. Im not afraid if I actually get deported, she said. Sooner or later, Im going back home. But I worry for everybody else, she added. I think the immigration laws are unfair. I think its unfair immigration officers just grab people and dont let them at least get their things, she said. I want to at least be given three months so I can send stuff back home. I worked for it. I find it unfair and sad for the children who were just born but whose parents are undocumented, for the children who go back with their parents who have been deported. They have to adapt and live in a country thats really not theirs. She said she never thought immigration issues would get this bad in the United States. She also didnt think Trump would win the election. I never saw any of this coming, she said. Its really just a sad thing. Ana Ariola Mendez, 76, chatted with another woman about the new guidelines while selling cigarettes on a quiet stretch of South Alvarado Street in Westlake. Trump is saying hes going to pick up everyone, whether theyre criminals or not, she said, clutching three packets of Camels in one hand. Mendez said she used to sell diced fruit but got tired of getting tickets and having her food thrown away. Shes glad Los Angeles decriminalized street vendors but worries about the rest of the country. Theyre going to be left with Americans, who dont like to work, she said, only half-joking. Though Mendez, a legal resident, thinks no immigrant is safe anymore, she said she refuses to be scared. Im not bothering anyone. Ricardo Cortez, who is in the country without legal status, had an inkling of what may come after Trump won the presidency. Cortez, who moved to the United States from Mexico City 30 years ago, said threats of deportation always existed especially under President Obama, who removed 2.5 million foreigners. But this time is different, he said. He watched pedestrian traffic on 4th Street in downtown Santa Ana the pulse of Orange Countys Mexican American community. With what he signed, now were all vulnerable, Cortez said, looking around. The bad ones and the good ones who are here just trying to work. Cortez said hes not fearful, but definitely is nervous, about what may come next. He said he carries around this low-simmering anxiety. We all had this false notion that we would always be embraced by the United States, Cortez said. Most of us dont have a Plan B. We only thought of the American dream. He owns a travel agency and clothing store on 4th Street in Santa Ana, but said he never had the opportunity to legalize his status, despite a desire to do so. Now, it would be very difficult to become a legal resident, he said, because he was caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border without authorization in 2006 during a visit to see family. The 54-year-old said he doesnt know what hell do if he gets swept up by immigration officials and removed from a place hes called home for most of his life. Hell fight to stay, he insists. If he loses, he may sell his businesses, buy a vehicle and eke out a living as a taxi driver in Mexico. I would have to start from zero again, in Mexico, he said. At my age, itll be difficult. But what worries him most is being so far away from his 26-year-old son and 3-year-old grandson both U.S.-born citizens who live in Orange County. He has grown children in Mexico, too. I left my children when they were very young in Mexico, he said. I cant imagine now leaving the U.S. and leaving my young child, again my young grandson. It would be very difficult. Veronica Coban, 35, was walking with her son, 5-year-old Jaden, and carrying her 1-year-old daughter, Allison. She had just paid the electricity and gas bills. I havent been out in almost a week, she said. Ive been afraid to come out. The other day, my friend said [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] came knocking at her door. She didnt open it, but that made me anxious. Coban has been in the country for 11 years. She said her husband is also in the country illegally. She doesnt work. Her husband collects metal to recycle. She said she immediately became upset after hearing about Tuesdays new immigration enforcement. If [the president] wants us out of this country, fine, she said, describing Trump profanely. Deport me, but at least deport me and my family so were together. I really wish I could find the right words to tell the president how I really feel, she said. Sergio Aguilar, 48, of East L.A. played a snare drum and sang loudly in Spanish inside El Gallo Giro, a Mexican restaurant: No need to worry. Yesterdays gone and we made it through another day. Aguilar came to the United States with the dream of becoming a successful musician. He came legally under a work visa, but it expired years ago and he stayed in the country illegally. I have not documents, he said. Im not worried though. Im a musician. Ill find work wherever I go. Aguilar said he wasnt surprised by Tuesdays immigration announcement. Not one bit surprised, he said. " It was bound to happen, but again, Im not worried. The worst thing is we all go back home to Mexico. Ill be going back with my fellow companions. He said he has no beef with the government and has no criminal history. He can do whatever he wants, he said of Trump. He said a lot people in the area are afraid. He is constantly hearing about la migra, shorthand for immigration officials. I hear la migra is here, la migra is there and la migra is over there, he said. Too many people are scared and anxious. Not me. Ill tell you what, Ill call la migra myself and tell them to come, and Ill wait right here for them. ruben.vives@latimes.com andrea.castillo@latimes.com cindy.carcamo@latimes.com ALSO: Day without immigrants: Some say they cant afford to walk out, but thousands do Half the candidates in L.A.'s latest congressional race have their own immigrant story. With Trump, this contest is personal White House denies report Trump is considering using National Guard troops for immigration roundups UPDATES: 3 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Sergio Aguilar. 2 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Veronica Coban. 12:45 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from immigrants from Santa Ana. This article was originally published at 12:35 p.m. The gang member accused of killing a Whittier police officer Monday has cycled in and out of jail for repeatedly violating the terms of his release, records show. L.A. County sheriffs homicide Capt. Steve Katz on Tuesday identified the suspect as Michael C. Mejia, 26, a career criminal with a history of drugs and violence. Mejia has a history of control problems, Katz said. Mejia is suspected of killing Whittier Police Officer Keith Boyer and wounding another officer in a shootout following a crash involving a stolen vehicle. Advertisement Court records show that Mejia was sentenced in 2010 to four years in state prison for robbery and was convicted in July 2014 of grand theft auto and attempting to steal a vehicle. He was given another two-year sentence. Mejia, who was shot by officers in the deadly gunfight that claimed Boyers life and left Officer Patrick Hazell wounded, has been arrested and jailed for short stints several times since July. State officials said he was on probation and under the supervision of the L.A. County Probation Department. Mejia was sent to state prison in December 2010 after being sentenced to two years for the robbery with a special enhancement of an additional two years for being a gang member. That four-year sentence was reduced by up to 15% for good behavior a standard practice. The judge gave Mejia 302 days for time already served in jail. Mejia was paroled on Jan. 26, 2014. He returned to prison on July 30, 2014, on new charges of grand theft auto and vehicle theft. He was sentenced to serve two two-year terms concurrently. He was discharged from Pelican Bay State Prison on April 19, 2016. In July, he violated terms of his release and got 10 days in jail. He was arrested again in September after authorities moved to revoke his community supervision. He was arrested in January for again violating the terms of his release and sentenced to a combined 40 days in jail. But he was out again after 10 days, records show. Then, Feb. 2 he was arrested by East L.A. sheriffs deputies for violating his release terms and flash incarcerated. Mejia was sentenced to 10 days and released Feb. 11. On Monday, before his run-in with Whittier police, he allegedly went on a deadly rampage that began at an East L.A. home, where authorities suspect Mejia in the fatal shooting of a man believed to be his 46-year-old cousin, Roy Torres. Mejia then allegedly stole his car. Mejia has not been formally booked in the murders and is being held on a probation violation. Nicole Nishida, a sheriffs spokeswoman, said the probation violation is the murder of Boyer and attempted murder of Hazell. Nishida said Mejia can be held 10 days for such a violation without being formally booked. The move is designed to allow detectives more time to investigate the killing. If he is officially booked with murder and attempted murder, prosecutors would have 48 hours to charge him. Mejia remains hospitalized and is being treated for a gunshot wound, sheriffs officials said. Whittier Police Chief Jeff Piper said Mejia is an example of how statewide efforts to reduce incarceration of certain criminals can have tragic consequences. We need to wake up. Enough is enough, Piper said at an emotional news conference Monday, the day Boyer was killed. This is a senseless, senseless tragedy that did not need to be. Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell pointed to three measures enacted in the last seven years Propositions 47 and 57 and Assembly Bill 109 that he said have led to the release of too many criminals without creating a proper safety net of mental health, drug rehabilitation and other services. Were putting people back on the street that arent ready to be back on the street, McDonnell said. He said the county jail system he runs, the largest in the nation, has become a default state prison. Sheriffs officials have long criticized Proposition 47, which was approved by voters in 2014 and downgraded some drug and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. They say AB 109 which moved state prisoners to local lockups has pushed lower-level offenders out of custody and onto the streets, offering little deterrent against committing new crimes. 1 / 21 Los Angeles County firefighters salute as a hearse carrying slain Whittier Police Officer Keith Boyer arrives at Rose Hill Memorial Park in Whittier on Feb. 21, 2017. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 21 Whittier Police Officer Richard Jensen is comforted by other officers at Rose Hill Memorial Park. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 21 Toni Rodriguez offers prayers at a makeshift memorial for Officer Keith Boyer in front of the police station. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 21 People visit a make shift memorial for slain Whittier police officer, Keith Boyer, in front of police station to pay their respects. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 21 Abisai Espinales, with her dog, Mila, stops to pray at the make shift memorial for slain Whittier police officer Keith Boyer in front of police station. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 21 Vietnam veteran Frank Ventura salutes to pay his respects at the makeshift memorial for slain Whittier police officer Keith Boyer. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 21 Whittier Police Chief Jeff Piper, right, and other law enforcement personnel escort the body of a slain Whittier police officer from UC Irvine Medical Center. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) 8 / 21 The body of a slain Whittier police officer is escorted from UC Irvine Medical Center to a van to be driven to the coroners. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) 9 / 21 Brianna Michaud, left, and her mother Cherylynn Michaud pray at a vigil for slain Whittier police officer Keith Boyer. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) 10 / 21 Whittier Chief of Police Jeff Piper tears up and is comforted by Whittier Mayor Joe Vinatieri while speaking at a vigil. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) 11 / 21 Kim Williams, center, bows her head during a prayer at a vigil for slain Whittier police officer Keith Boyer. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) 12 / 21 Joanne Carrel holds a black and white American flag by a picture of slain Whittier police officer Keith Boyer during a vigil at the Whittier police station. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) 13 / 21 Marta Hernandez, who has a son who works at the Whittier Police Department, hugs Corporeal Jessi Pollnow after the press conference. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 21 Whittier Police Department officers standby during a press conference about the death of Officer Keith Boyer. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 21 Whittier Police Department Chief Jeff A. Piper pauses while speaking at a press conference about the death of Officer Keith Boyer. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 21 The Honor Guard stands at the memorial for fallen officers at the Whittier Police Department before a press conference. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 21 Flowers are left for Officer Keith Boyer at the Whittier Police Department. Boyer was killed and a second injured in a shootout with a gang member. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 21 Fire personnel salute as the body of a slain Whittier police officer is driven from UC Irvine Medical Center to the coroners. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) 19 / 21 Fire personnel salute as the body of a slain Whittier police officer is driven from UC Irvine Medical Center to the coroners. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) 20 / 21 Investigators comb the scene on Mar Vista Street in Whittier after one police officer was killed and another injured while responding to a traffic collision. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) 21 / 21 Whittier Police investigate the scene of an officer-involved shooting in the area of Mar Vista Street and Colima Road. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) Proposition 57, which passed last year, changed Californias three strikes rule and made sentencing more flexible, allowing some prisoners who wouldnt normally have been eligible for early parole to be considered for release. In Los Angeles County, the jail population has decreased, from 18,500 inmates just before Proposition 47 passed to about 16,500 inmates in November. Narcotics arrests have dropped, with busy police officers deciding that the time needed to process a case is not worth it. The result, some law enforcement officials say, is that more criminals are now on the streets instead of in jail and are not receiving the drug and mental health treatment the measure had promised. Without the threat of a felony prosecution, they say, defendants are less likely to choose treatment as an alternative to serving time. But supporters of Proposition 47 dispute the theory that crime increases are connected to the measure. Misdemeanors can still result in sentences of up to a year in jail, and it is up to police officers and prosecutors to enforce those penalties, Michael Romano, a lecturer at Stanford Law School, told the Los Angeles Times in December. The idea that Proposition 47 has been responsible for an increase in crime in California over the past year or two is fake news, as far as Im concerned, he said. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials, while extending their condolences, said that Mejia was never released early from state prison. This individual served his full state prison terms as defined by law, said Jeffrey Callison, assistant secretary at the corrections department. None of the states recent criminal justice reforms including AB 109, Proposition 47 or Proposition 57 impacted when this individual was released from state prison. Proposition 57, for example, which was passed by voters in November, has not even been implemented yet. Callison said AB 109 did not impact the time Mejia served, but did affect his post-release supervision in April 2016, which put monitoring in the hands of the Los Angeles County Probation Department. The countys chief probation officer, Terri McDonald, confirmed that office was supervising Mejia, but declined to provide details. He was under probation supervision pursuant to AB 109, McDonald said. We are reviewing the conditions of his supervision since being released from state prison in April 2016. However, as this is an active criminal and internal investigation, we cannot discuss any specifics but we will conduct a comprehensive post incident review. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families in this senseless homicide. richard.winton@latimes.com Twitter: @LAcrimes Times staff writer Cindy Chang contributed to this report. ALSO: Slain Whittier officer, best of the best, was thinking about retiring, chief says Gunman who killed Whittier officer had fatally shot cousin hours earlier, police say A routine traffic stop ends with Whittier police in a gunfight for their lives, leaving one veteran officer dead UPDATES: 5:25 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details from sheriffs officials about the status of Michael C. Mejia, information about his criminal record and and information from corrections and probation officials. This article was originally published at 1:15 p.m. A mental competency trial has been rescheduled in the case of a man accused of attacking several homeless men in San Diego last year, three of whom were killed, and an elderly woman who was fatally beaten. The trial for Jon David Guerrero, 40, is now set for March 20, in San Diego Superior Court to determine whether he is capable of understanding the court proceedings and assisting in his own defense. Guerrero has not yet been arraigned on murder and attempted murder charges. His court appearances up to this point have dealt with whether he is fit for trial. Advertisement Guerrero, a Coronado native with a history of mental illness, is accused of attacking five homeless men over a 12-day period in July. He was arrested last summer after officers in Golden Hill found the last victim screaming in pain. Angelo DeNardo, 53, was the first victim. His body was found early July 3 under a freeway bridge in Bay Park. A railroad spike had been driven into his head and chest. He was then lit on fire, a prosecutor said. Another man, Manuel Mason, 61, was found injured in the Midway District on July 4. He had a railroad spike driven into his sinus cavity. He survived his injuries but was blinded. The body of Shawn Mitchell Longley, 41, was found in Ocean Beach on July 4. Dionicio Derek Vahidy, 23, was injured on July 6 but died days later. Michael Papadelis, 55, was found screaming and bloodied on July 15. He survived. Investigators revealed recently that Guerrero is also suspected of killing Molly Simons, 83, in a North Park alley off Arizona Street near University Avenue the morning of July 13 two days before he was arrested. Simons lived with her husband in San Diego. Guerrero was last in court on Feb. 1, when a judge set a tentative date for the competency trial as requested by the defense. Before that, he had been under treatment at Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino County, where he was to remain until his mental competency was restored and the criminal case could resume. PREVIOUS A man accused of killing three homeless men and injuring two others is mentally incompetent to stand trial, a San Diego judge ruled Friday. Jon David Guerrero, 39, is being sent to a state hospital in San Bernardino County until his doctors determin dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @danalittlefield The Department of Homeland Securitys blueprint for cracking down on unauthorized immigrants as ordered by President Donald Trump calls for more arrests and deportations and wider latitude for an increased number of immigration agents. How that plays out in San Diego County is uncertain. But the release of two memos Tuesday detailing how Homeland Security will enact the changes rattled immigrant communities and activists on both sides of the border, heartened supporters of tougher immigration enforcement and left questions on how new resources will be deployed. In a conference call with reporters in the afternoon, DHS officials tried to allay fears of a wave of mass deportations, cautioning the agencies dont have the personnel or resources for such an effort yet. Advertisement That didnt ease fears of immigration rights groups in San Diego. Christian Ramirez, human rights director for Alliance San Diego, said many of the policies had been in place under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. These are policies that were proven to be very disruptive, to be inefficient and are creating a whole lot of panic in communities, Ramirez said. What we expect to see is things like Border Patrol boarding public transportation, things like (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) conducting work site raids to go after unlawful employers and employees. Peter Nunez, a former U.S. attorney for San Diego and chairman of the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, D.C., said the Trump administration is reaffirming that this is the law thats on the books and were going to enforce it, which is contrary to whats been happening during the past eight years. Nunez, whose group advocates for stronger immigration controls, said the new policies should send a strong message. I hope it tells illegal aliens everywhere that this is a whole new world, he said. No one gets a free pass. The two DHS memos detail how the agency will enforce the aggressive approach to illegal immigration Trump outlined in two Jan. 25 executive orders. The memos include a call to expand a federal program that allows local law enforcement to act as federal immigration officers investigating, arresting and detaining immigration violators. The program, known as the 287(g) program, after the section of immigration law that authorizes it, was dormant for years under Obamas policies. One memo notes 32 law enforcement agencies in 16 states have formal 287(g) agreements, and it says the heads of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection should engage immediately with all willing and qualified law enforcement jurisdictions to sign such agreements. San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said he would not take that step. Im not asking my deputies to do immigration enforcement. We will not enter into that, he said. Gore said, as he has in the past, that his department already cooperates extensively with federal immigration authorities in the county jails, through task forces and in other ways. That kind of cooperation has worked and will continue, he said. I dont want my patrol deputies perceived in the community as immigration officers, he said. If we do that, if we turn this whole community into a subculture that is afraid to report crimes, we make this whole community less safe. San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman issued a statement noting her departments cooperation with federal authorities. While not specifically addressing if the city would enter into a 287(g) agreement, she reiterated long-standing department policy that immigration enforcement is a federal matter after someone is arrested and jailed. The San Diego Police Department does not check the immigration status of victims and witnesses of crimes to encourage all people to come forward, confident in the knowledge their report will be investigated thoroughly and professionally, Zimmerman said. 1 / 30 This is the view looking west from the Andrade/Algodones port of entry area. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 30 A Border Patrol patrol boat heads north on the Colorado River where the fence ends between Arizona and California. The river is the border for a small part of the way. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 30 View looking west with existing fence slicing through the Imperial sand dunes. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 30 View looking southwest with existing fence slicing though Imperial Sand Dunes. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 30 Construction equipment just north of the existing border fence at the Imperial sand dunes between Andrade and Calexico. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 30 Existing border fence fighting the drifting sand at the Imperial sand dunes area. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 7 / 30 Agricultural fields on the Mexico side of the border almost touching existing fence just south of Gordons Well. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 / 30 Once out of the sand dunes the existing fence heads west towards Calexico. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 9 / 30 A Border Patrol unit on post just north of the border fence east of Calexico. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 10 / 30 The Mexicali-Calexico East border crossing. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 11 / 30 This is the main Mexicali/Calexico crossing for pedestrians and passenger vehicles with its landmark water tower high above it. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 12 / 30 West of Calexico the tall fence ends and drive through barriers are placed along the border depending on the topography. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 13 / 30 West of Calexico/Mexicali the border continues with barriers to prevent vehicle drive throughs up to the mountains. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 14 / 30 An international boundary marker west of Calexico/Mexicali. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 15 / 30 This is the most rugged part of the border between Arizona and the Pacific. It is roughly the section south of Montezuma grade on the U.S. Side and north of La Rumorosa on the south side, and Jacumba on the west and the mountains west of Calexico. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 16 / 30 This is where the existing border fence picks up again, east of Jacumba. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 17 / 30 Between Jacumba and Tecate terrain seems to dictate where the current border fence is located. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 18 / 30 An incomplete section of the existing fence south of Campo between Jacumba and Tecate. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 19 / 30 This is the Tecate border crossing with the inbound traffic to the U.S. on the left and southbound traffic in to Mexico on the right. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 20 / 30 The existing fence already built between Tecate and Jacumba. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 21 / 30 This is a very steep section of the fence built on the south side of Otay mountain between Tecate and Otay. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 22 / 30 This is a very steep section of the fence built on the south side of Otay mountain between Tecate and Otay. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 23 / 30 Border Patrol agents with observation equipment positioned on a hillside looking in to Mexico on the east side of Otay. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 24 / 30 Trucks from Mexico stream in to the U.S. through the Otay Mesa commercial port of entry. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 25 / 30 This is the Otay Mesa Port of Entry for passenger vehicles and pedestrians. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 26 / 30 This is the new privately funded Cross Border Express terminal that lets travelers park in the U.S and cross to Abelardo Rodriguez International Airport in Mexico. It has been a big success since its opening 14 months ago. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 27 / 30 This is the San Ysidro Port of Entry that connects Tijuana with San Diego. It is claimed to be the busiest land port in the world. The construction at the bottom is the new pedestrian crossing facility. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 28 / 30 The Tijuana river flows to the U.S. just past the curve on the bottom of the photo. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 29 / 30 The triple fence is visible in this section: two visible on the south side of the river and one on the north side, the bottom of the photo, along the roadway. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 30 / 30 This is where the fence ends, at the Pacific Ocean in the Las Playas section of Tijuana which is the northwestern most point in Mexico. The Bullring by the Sea is visible as is the working light house. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) The DHS memos also call for expeditiously hiring 10,000 ICE officers and 5,000 Border Patrol agents, giving them expanded powers to arrest and deport illegal immigrants. Its unclear how many of those Border Patrol agents would end up in San Diego. Shawn Moran, vice president of the National Border Patrol Council union that represent agents, said the total hiring will likely be close to 6,500 agents. That is because the Border Patrol is down some 1,500 agents from a budgeted workforce of 21,730 agents, he said. Moran said the union is suggesting 1,500 agents newly hired be sent to the northern border with Canada, increasing staff there by 50 percent. The balance would be spread across the Southwest border with Mexico. How soon that would happen is unclear. Last fall the inspector general for DHS issued a report that said the agencies in the massive department are slow to fill the ranks noting that it took nine months to hire a single Border Patrol agent. The agency can move faster, Moran said, but the union does not want a repeat of errors from the last massive hiring spree under the George W. Bush administration. The agency nearly doubled in size, but it lowered hiring standards, cut training at the academy, and suffered through a wave of corruption arrests and convictions. We dont want to be cutting corners, Moran said. We want to make sure we have good candidates, that we do a background check on them before they are put into the field and not after. DHS also is calling for more detention facilities, both short-term and long-term. But doing so will require money and time. In a statement, ICE said it has already increased detention space nationwide by 1,000 beds, but far more will be needed to house what will likely be thousands more detainees. The agency said a list of potential locations for detention facilities along the Southwest border is under review. In San Diego, ICE has an immigration jail in Otay Mesa that has 1,204 beds. A second facility in Calexico in Imperial County has 782 beds. In Tijuana, the fear for several months has been that the city will see a dramatic increase in deportees under Trumps policies. What are we going to do when thousands of people start coming? Many of these people have been away for 25 or 30 years, said the Rev. Patrick Murphy, director of the Casa del Migrante in Tijuana, a 150-bed migrant shelter. I dont think the Mexican government is prepared at all. They keep saying, Were prepared. But we havent even had a meeting to say what would be the plan of action if large numbers of people start getting deported. Twitter: @gregmoran greg.moran@sduniontribune.com Trustees in the San Diego Unified School District are trying to address an estimated $124 million budget deficit with the least amount of disruption, and learned this week it may be easier said than done. Superintendent Cindy Marten has vowed that cuts to the districts $1.3 billion 2017-18 budget would come first from the top and wouldnt affect classroom size or vital programs. Advertisement In all, however, the district plans to eliminate 850 positions, including 137 elementary PE teachers. On Tuesday, the board faced a packed auditorium of employees, parents, students and community members objecting to the planned cuts, which would include arts instructors, police, counselors, library clerks, food service workers, custodians and occupational therapy specialists and their assistants. Cuts also would be made to licensed mental health clinicians and dozens of noon duty assistants, Head Start employees and library assistants, plus workers in many other positions. Lindsay Burningham, president of the San Diego Education Association, was among the speakers against the plan. As details of the districts proposed slash-and-burn cuts to our programs across the SDEA bargaining unit have emerged, I found myself in shock, she said. These layoffs are based on a hypothetical worst-case scenario budget that wont be revisited until May or June. We know there are better ways to resolve the budget challenges, such as retirement incentives, natural attrition, reducing administrative costs and full-fledged efforts to reduce declining enrollment. Burningham also said the SDEA would file a complaint of unfair labor practices with the the Public Employee Relations Board if the district sends layoff notices to pre-time elementary teachers rather than waiting for when the bargaining unit returns to the negotiation table in April or May. In closed session before the meeting, the board authorized layoff notices to 79 certificated administrations, including central office administrators, vice principals and principals who have been receiving support or are on special assignment. The board also voted to release all temporarily certificated employees at the end of the school year. Besides those actions, Tuesdays meeting was not to vote on the bulk of the proposed position eliminations, but to present details about the budget solutions. A vote on the proposed cuts is scheduled for Feb. 28. The board did unanimously vote to create an early retirement plan, cut Martens salary by 5.6 percent for a reduction of $15,400 from her current $275,000 salary and cut their own annual compensation of $18,000 by 5.4 percent. With a number of employees already planning a retirement this year and more expected to take the early retirement incentive, its unclear how many layoff notices the district would have to issue to meet the reduction goal. Under state law, the district must notify by March 15 all certificated employees who may lose their jobs this year. The layoffs may be rescinded later because the notification deadline is months before the adoption of the final state budget, which could have more money for education than predicted. San Diego Schools Police Officers Association President Dana Ellis said the proposed cuts amounted to 25 percent of her departments budget and included all community services officers. The agenda item showing reductions in the department listed 10 officers, including one detective. These eliminations are not in alignment with the districts philosophy of restorative practices, she said. These cuts will significantly impact school security and classroom safety. Ellis said officers are needed to supervise students during lunch and at the end of school and for traffic issues. It is a proven fact that if students dont feel safe, they dont attend school, she said. Several certified occupational therapy assistants spokes at the meeting asking to save the 10 positions of their field that were being eliminated. COTAs provide federally mandated occupational therapy services to special educational students, some stressed to the board. An arts teacher from Clairemont High said she had been two told weeks ago that her position was being eliminated, the same week the music department also was eliminated. Ann Marie Haney, co-chair of the Community Council for Music in the Schools, also appealed to the board to save its music programs she has seen grown. We need to work together and come up with a solution so we dont lose these teachers, and we have a lot to lose, she said. Youve done so well. Trustees did not discuss the proposed budget solutions after public testimony concluded. gary.warth@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @GaryWarthUT 760-529-4939 Hundreds of people gathered in downtown San Diego on Tuesday evening to call for a massive transition to clean power in the fight against climate change. The event was the most recent in a groundswell of local political demonstrations following the election of President Donald Trump. Held outside the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building, the demonstration included speakers from organizations such as Sierra Club San Diego, SanDiego350, the Environmental Health Coalition and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 569. Keynote speaker Wesley Clark Jr., who helped organize military veterans in support of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, repeatedly called on the crowd to go beyond attending rallies and join a broader political movement. Advertisement We have all the technology we need right now to solve this (climate change) problem. What we lack is the political will to do it, he said. Id ask everybody here to get involved, he added. Donate your time. Donate your money. Inspired by a national campaign called Climate Mobilization, a La Jolla couple coordinated the rally around an online pledge to vote only for candidates who support an overhaul of the countrys energy system on the scale of the American World War II home-front mobilization. This needs to build so that theres an undeniable consensus that the government needs to take action, said Nancy Casady, 75, who put together the event with her husband. We want people to tell their friends and come to the next rally until we have 30,000 predictably in San Diego demanding the government respond. The couple has been putting together demonstrations under the banner of the San Diego Climate Mobilization Coalition for two years, drawing in dozens to nearly 350 people at a time. Similar efforts are going on in other cities nationwide, including in New York, Portland, Oregon and Sacramento. After passing out fliers at the local Womens March in January which drew as many as 40,000 people to downtown San Diego the Casadys started to see an uptick in interest. Tuesdays event drew about 500 people, according to the San Diego Police Department. Everybody in this town wants to have a march right now, said Derek Casady, 81. Were organizing people who want to get the word out. Turnout may have also have received a boost because of Fridays Senate confirmation of Scott Pruitt to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As the Oklahoma attorney general, Pruitt routinely sued the agency and called for its dismantling. Further enraging green groups and their supporters, Trump is preparing executive orders aimed at nixing Obama-era environmental regulations. Trump has signaled a desire to do away with limits on greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants, as well as the Waters of the United States rules that restrict development along certain wetlands, rivers, streams and other bodies of water. San Diego County has seen a string of protests over the past month from supporters of Planned Parenthood to the Indivisible movement, which has organized progressive voters around electoral politics much the same ways as the Tea Party did for conservatives. On Saturday, more than 4,000 people attended an immigrants rights march in the rain. Similar events around the country started after Trump signed an executive order suspending immigration from several predominantly Muslim countries. Environmentalists are attempting to seize on this energy. A March for Science has been scheduled for April 22, Earth Day, and the Peoples Climate March is set for April 29. Both will be held in Washington, D.C., with parallel events in San Diego and other cities coast to coast. We cannot abandon the day-to-day, door-to-door organizing that we do in our communities, but we do need to raise the profile of these issues to the general public, said Diane Takvorian, executive director of the Environmental Health Coalition, who spoke at Tuesdays event. And I think these rallies give us the opportunity to do that. Many people at the rally said they recently became more involved in politics. Dana Goodrow said she has been attending more demonstrations and calling elected officials since Trump was elected. Climate change is real, and we have an administration thats denying it, she said, and I think its going to cause major problems for everybody. Jack Hawroth said Tuesday was the first political rally hes ever attended. I think its very important that we make a stand because the politicians arent just going to do it on their own, he said. Still, its unclear whether the climate activists will be able to overcome years of counter-efforts by the fossil fuel industry, conservative think tanks and Tea Party voters, said Carl Luna, director of the University of San Diegos Institute for Civil Civic Engagement. What they need to fight is a 40-year narrative that government is the enemy of the people rather than the representative of the people, Luna said. And then they have to convince congressmen and elected officials that votes that they need to get are now at stake. According to a recent survey conducted by Yale and George Mason universities, about 66 percent of all registered voters 79 percent of Democrats and 51 percent of Republicans said the U.S. should reduce its greenhouse emissions regardless of what action other countries take. The survey also found that half of Trump voters said they thought transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy would improve economic growth or have no impact on it. While theres a significant amount of support for policies aimed at curbing global warming even among conservatives, those voters are not well organized, said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of Yale Universitys program on climate change communication. What we have yet to see is, do they coalesce and organize to the point where they have real political muscle where they can deliver votes to the point where politicians are afraid of them in the same way theyre afraid of the NRA, Leiserowitz said. Twitter: @jemersmith Phone: (619) 293-2234 Email: joshua.smith@sduniontribune.com Carlsbad will have more sand on its beaches next summer thanks to a dredging project set to begin next month at the Agua Hedionda Lagoon. Every few years, the owners of the Encina Power Station have to dredge the lagoons outer basin to keep sand from blocking the flow of ocean water needed to cool the plants steam generators. The project has several other benefits as well, said David Knox, a spokesman for plant owner NRG Energy Inc. Advertisement For instance, it helps shore up Carlsbad beaches, which if not replenished become narrower and covered with rocks. The dredging puts sand back on the beach so that beachgoers have a nice, sandy spot to place their towels, said Kasia Trojanowska, Carlsbads parks planner. About 500,000 cubic yards of sand will be pulled from the bottom of the lagoon. About half that sand will go to a stretch of the beach between the intake and outlet jetties just outside the lagoon. The remaining sand will be split between the beach at Tamarack and Oak avenues and the shoreline just south of the lagoon. In addition to cooling the plant, the dredging is key to maintaining the tidal circulation within the lagoon, which is important for the recreational, commercial and biological uses of the lagoon, Knox said. Though the outcome is a boon for visitors, the process isnt always pleasant. During the months-long project, a dredge barge similar to a tug boat sucks sand from the bottom of the lagoon like a large vacuum cleaner. The sand, which looks like black ooze, is then carried to the beach through large, 20-inch-diameter black pipes. The equipment leaves large mounds of the black goo an odorous concoction rich with nutrients and marine organisms that crews spread and level out along the shore using earth movers. After the seawater evaporates, it leaves behind a natural, platinum colored beach. Routine dredging is done every two to four years dating back to 1954, when the plant was built, Knox said. It was last done in 2010. This could be the last time NRG pays for the work; the company plans to replace its steam generators by 2017 with a dry-cooled plant. Poseidon Water, which is building a water desalination plant near the lagoon, will take over dredging responsibilities, Knox said. The dredging usually takes place during the winter months to minimize disruption on wildlife and visitors. NRG expects to start the work in December, though its still waiting on permits from the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board and U.S. Corps of Engineers. The work already received approvals from the California Department of Parks and Recreation and the California State Lands Commission. The project should be completed before the annual grunion run, which usually begins in mid-April. Keeping ocean water flowing into the lagoon also helps two other operations on the waterway: the Carlsbad Aquafarm, which raises and sells oysters and mussels, and the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, which operates a hatchery for white sea bass. Three times every day, now and for the foreseeable future, Brina Bujkovsky is placing calls to Washington D.C. one to her representative in Congress and one to each of her U.S. senators. So do thousands of other members of Together We Will, one of a number of activist groups that sprouted up in recent weeks to target President Donald Trump and representatives who support him. The phone calls, which have overwhelmed switchboard operators at the House of Representatives more than once, are one of the tools activists are using to try to regain a foothold in turbulent political times. Advertisement They are demanding town-hall meetings, they picket outside congressional offices and they write letters to editors. Their efforts bring to mind many of the same tactics used by the conservative tea party eight years ago. In recent days, they bought a full-page newspaper ad to try to dragoon Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, to a town hall in his district Tuesday night even though it was likely to be packed with critics. Instead, Issa made an impromptu appearance as protesters and supporters clashed outside his Vista office Tuesday morning, taking questions from both sides. The call for town halls has also arisen in East County, where the group circulated a mock wanted poster of Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, accusing him of going AWOL on constituents. Were trying to shed light on the fact that our Congress members are not making themselves available to speak with their constituents, said Bujkovsky, a San Marcos business owner who is coordinating Together We Wills activities in Hunters 50th Congressional District. A lot of people feel like its an emergency situation. Hunter has said he will host a community meeting next month. The wave of activism washing across San Diego County and elsewhere largely centers on the Trump campaign pledge to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the 2010 legislation known as Obamacare. The resistance movement also focuses on other initiatives pushed by the new president since he was sworn in last month, including immigration policy, climate change regulations and controversial Cabinet nominations. Many of their strategies come from Indivisible, a playbook for political activism developed by former congressional staffers who watched the tea party movement take root soon after Barack Obama moved into the White House. The current political landscape is similar to the atmosphere that ignited the tea party after the 2008 election. Eight years ago there was a Democrat in the White House and Democrats running the House and Senate. There is still one party rule, but Republicans are the ones in charge this time. Like us, you probably deeply disagree with the principles and positions of the tea party, Indivisibles handbook for grassroots activism says. But we can all learn from their success in influencing the national debate and the behavior of national policymakers. To their credit, they thought thoroughly about advocacy tactics. The handbook gives activists advice on where to sit at town hall meetings (spread out through the room to give the impression of broad support), how to hold a microphone when asking a hostile question (tightly, so that a staffer cant cut the interrogation short without appearing physically aggressive) and to how to get called on to ask a question (look neutral). Both movements developed their own vernacular, with tea party members labeling Obama a socialist and Trump supporters being called fascists. The Indivisible guide, which takes its name from a key word in the Pledge of Allegiance, has been downloaded more than 1.7 million times in recent weeks. Almost 5,000 community groups have been set up under its direction. We want to take something thats really dark right now, with a lot of looming threats all over the place, and turn it into some positive progress, said Kathy Stadler of Indivisible San Diego, one of the local chapters that emerged from the nationwide model. Iman Salehian is a graphic designer from San Diego who works with Swing Left, an organization focused on electing more progressive candidates to Congress in 2018 and beyond. She said she became involved with Indivisible after attending the Womens March in January. I did read an Indivisible guide, Salehian said. I think that has formed a lot of peoples strategies going forward. The various resistance efforts are generating a lot of attention locally and nationally, which may contribute to outcomes such as Issa coming out to hear the people outside his office Tuesday for more than an hour. No matter what side of the political spectrum youre on, people are worried about what the future holds for their health care, Issa told the crowd. The hubbub outside Issas office was part of a broader effort targeting members of Congress across the nation. So-called Resist Trump Tuesday protests have been staged in scores of communities every week since the inauguration. Some meetings hosted by Republican members of Congress have showcased angry voters and pushed some lawmakers to cancel or leave early. Longtime political strategist Bob Shrum said he has not seen the Democratic Party so energized since the Vietnam War. He said that if the momentum keeps up, turnout for the midterm election will soar. People really care, and they are reacting to events, said Shrum, who teaches political science at the University of Southern California. Republican members of Congress, especially in districts that are reasonably competitive, ignore this at their own peril. Shrum said the Trump resistance is similar to the tea party not only because participants employ many of the same strategies but because they each grew out of public concern over access to health care. But this latest movement, he said, is more organic. This is spontaneous, he said. Its like the womens march. This is coming from grass roots. Its coming from the bottom up. The tea party was a mix. It was somewhat from the bottom up but there was a lot corporate money spent too. Former tea party leader Mason Weaver does not see many similarities between the two efforts. He said the Trump resistance is fueled by an orchestrated drive to de-legitimize a change-agent president and noted the violence that has erupted at some recent protests. We didnt get paid to demonstrate. We didnt break windows. We didnt start fires, said Weaver, who is an author and keynote speaker. I dont see a groundswell. I see liberal-trained people who are generally dissatisfied. Weaver said the town-hall meetings his teams attended were always respectful. Disallowing people to talk was never part of the tea party, he said. Many of these folks are just organized as a mob. Hundreds of people are expected to attend upcoming events by Hunter and Rep. Susan Davis, D-San Diego. And Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, held a town hall at constituents urging on Monday night. He said it used to be difficult to get people interested in attending such gatherings. Unfortunately, it took the election of Donald Trump to remind people that we are fighting for democracy, Peters said. At the town hall without Issa Tuesday night, Vista resident Minna Riber, 75, said she has not been political since the civil rights movement in the 1960s but she is now. If I drop dead right now, I know I would have done something I had to do, she said standing outside the overflow event in Vista. We are a participatory democracy. This is what democracy looks like. Staff writers Teri Figueroa and J. Harry Jones contributed to this report jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald A two-day search for a boater in Mission Bay ended Wednesday night after a Hillcrest nurse saw news reports about the missing man and realized he was a patient. San Diego lifeguards and the Coast Guard began looking for Garrett Ferguson, 36, Tuesday morning after an unoccupied dinghy was found half a mile or so west of the Mission Bay channel jetty. The 9-foot inflatable boat held swim fins, a diving buoy, clothes and Fergusons ID card. Coast Guard crews were still searching for Ferguson, of Huntington Beach, when the Scripps Mercy Hospital nurse called San Diego police about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, said Petty Officer Robert Simpson, a spokesman for the Coast Guard. Police officers went to the hospital and helped the Coast Guard verify that the patient was Ferguson. Advertisement Soon after, the search was called off and Fergusons family was notified. Simpson did not have details about Fergusons health, except that he was not in critical condition. At this point dont know how he got there, or why, Simpson said. San Diego lifeguard service Lt. John Sandmeyer said people on board a sailboat spotted the dinghy about 11 a.m. Tuesday. Lifeguards found the small vessel, with an outboard motor and fuel. It had no anchor, which would commonly be in use if someone were using the boat as a diving base, Sandmeyer said. They spent hours trying to calculate the direction and distance it may have drifted, and enlisted a Coast Guard boat and helicopter and a San Diego Fire-Rescue Department helicopter to aid in a search. They scouted the coast from La Jollas Calumet Park south to Sunset Cliffs. Radio broadcasts were made on an emergency channel for boaters to be on the lookout for the man, Sandmeyer said. The search halted around sunset and resumed early Wednesday. Lifeguards were going door-to-door to some residences in Sunset Cliffs in the morning and searched the surf line on personal watercraft. Sandmeyer said those detailed searches had to be curtailed to open life guard stations and towers by 9 a.m. The Coast Guard later deployed a boat and helicopters. Officials said the mans mother, also of Huntington Beach, had expected to hear from him on Monday. Sandmeyer said lifeguard officials contacted Fergusons mother on Tuesday and she became more distraught over their discovery. She knew her son has free-diving experience but did not know where he would be earlier in the week. She then filed a missing persons report with Huntington Beach police and lifeguards notified San Diego police, Sandmeyer said. He said the man does not own a boat, and the dingy, which appeared to be fairly new, is not registered. It was not clear whether the dinghy belonged on some larger boat or had been acquired separately. UPDATES: 10:40 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the boater being found. This article was originally published at 9:30 a.m. A Las Vegas man has been arrested in the shooting of a 23-year-old San Marcos woman whose body was dumped in a ravine near Escondido last month. Paul Castro, 27, a documented gang member, is suspected of killing Antonia Herrera, sheriffs homicide unit Lt. Kenn Nelson said Wednesday. He said Castro, Herrera and another man were passengers in a car headed to San Marcos from Las Vegas on Jan. 11 when Castro turned in his front seat and shot Herrera several times. Advertisement The driver pulled off Interstate 15 at the next exit and the young womans body was dumped in a ravine off Champagne Boulevard sometime before sunrise. Her body was discovered the next day by a resident across the canyon who noticed something odd and went over to check on it, Nelson said. That person called 911 about 2 p.m. on Jan. 12. Nelson said it isnt clear what provoked the shooting. He said the other passenger and the driver didnt have time to try to stop it. Herrera was friends with all three men who were in the car, including Castro, Nelson said. He said she had lived in Las Vegas for a time and made several trips there. On her last trip, she rode to Las Vegas with friends, visited other people, then needed a ride home, Nelson said. The four men offered to take her. After the shooting, the witnesses did not call police right away, but eventually offered information that helped lead to Castro, Nelson said. The two do not face charges in connection with the killing. We have no evidence they aided or abetted, Nelson said of the two. All the evidence shows they are witnesses in this case. Detectives spent three days in Las Vegas last week, serving warrants on three homes and talking to a number of people, Nelson said. They let Las Vegas police know they were looking for Castro, and local officers saw him and made the traffic stop. He was booked on a local charge. Investigators in Las Vegas also found the car in which Herrera was shot, and had it towed to San Diego as evidence, Nelson said. The car does not belong to Castro. No gun has been recovered. Nelson said his detectives returned Tuesday and took the case against Castro to the District Attorneys office, which issued a warrant for his arrest on a murder charge. Las Vegas authorities then re-booked him on that charge. Castro is awaiting extradition to San Diego to face the murder charge here, Nelson said. Two men suspected in a string of cellphone store robberies were arrested in Pacific Beach Tuesday, moments after the 10th holdup of a Metro PCS store in the past month. Justin Wayne Caldwell, 30, was under surveillance by police and the FBI when a passenger in his vehicle got out and robbed the store on Grand Avenue near Bayard Street about 2:10 p.m., San Diego police Capt. Brian Ahearn said. Investigators believe Caldwell and the unidentified man were involved in at least one other robbery in the spree that began Jan. 25. Advertisement People can rest easy tonight knowing that we feel very confident that these two suspects are responsible for several of these cases, Ahearn said. The captain said there may be at least one other suspect, and investigators would continue to investigate. Police and the FBI spent the past few weeks staking out Metro PCS stores across San Diego, Ahearn said. Detectives and agents had a store under surveillance when the ninth holdup occurred at a different Metro PCS store, in Serra Mesa, a week ago. During the investigation, detectives got undisclosed information that led them to Caldwell, who had been considered a person of interest, Ahearn said. On Tuesday, authorities kept watch over Caldwell. They followed a Mercedes he was in as he picked up a man and drove to several Metro PCS stores. Ahearn said there was no indication the two men were casing the stores. Eventually, the Mercedes made its way to Pacific Beach. Ahearn said Caldwell parked on Thomas Avenue near Bayard Street, and his passenger got out and walked to the Metro PCS store a block away. The man came out of the store about 30 seconds later, Ahearn said. When officers tried to detain the man, he ran a few blocks south, dropping two bags outside a garage on Oliver Street. Inside the garage, he got rid of an airsoft handgun, a sweatshirt and sunglasses. He then climbed a nearby fence into a backyard before he was arrested. Caldwell was arrested while he was inside the Mercedes. Ahearn said police confiscated nine cellphones and several hundred dollars in cash. Investigators believe the gun that was recovered was used during the holdup Tuesday. Ahearn said detectives had not determined why Metro PCS stores were targeted during the robbery spree. Police previously said two armed men were behind the robberies. The thieves used a machete at least once, a stun gun at least twice and a handgun in all but one holdup. The robberies occurred: Feb. 14 on Mission Village Drive in Serra Mesa Feb. 10 on San Marcos Boulevard in San Marcos Feb. 8 on El Cajon Boulevard in the College Area Feb. 7 on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard in Clairemont Feb. 6 on Poway Road in Poway Feb. 1 on Coronado Avenue in Egger Highlands Jan. 30 on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights Jan. 27 on El Cajon Boulevard in Kensington Jan. 25 on Jamacha Road in Spring Valley Twitter: @LAWinkley (619) 293-1546 lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com An off-duty San Diego police officer was punched in the ear in a road rage incident that unfolded while he was on his way to work Tuesday night, police said. It was unknown what led to the violence or where it began. The officer, who was en route to the police station in City Heights, was driving his personally owned vehicle, police Officer John Buttle said. He said the suspect got out of his car on Fairmount Avenue near Interstate 8, walked over to the off-duty officer and punched him about 8:30 p.m. A brief scuffle broke out before the suspect got back into his car and drove away. Advertisement The off-duty officer suffered a cut to his ear and was not taken to a hospital, Buttle said. The officer was able to take down the license plate number of the suspects car. Police discovered its registered owner lives in El Cajon, but no arrests had been made. Breaking News Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com Phone: (619) 293-1876 Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez By Thomas Wilson and Emi Emoto TOKYO (Reuters) - Hard Rock Cafe International is looking to buy up to a 60 percent stake in a Japanese casino resort, its chairman said on Tuesday, seeking entry into what could become the world's second-biggest casino market. Hard Rock, famous for its music-themed restaurants, last month opened a Japan unit with a view to grabbing a slice of the action after the country's legalisation of casinos. Japan's regulation of the sector is expected to be laid out in law by December and Florida-based Hard Rock is among a crowded field -- including Las Vegas Sands , Wynn Resorts and MGM Resorts International -- vying for potentially lucrative operating rights. Hard Rock, which has 11 casinos in North America, is seeking to partner Japanese companies in a consortium, Chairman James Allen told Reuters. "We are looking at 40-60 percent equity participation," he said. "It's important to make sure our local partners are involved in the relationship, not just as blind investors." The company, privately owned by Seminole Tribe of Florida, has identified 20 to 30 potential partners, including financial firms, manufacturers and landholders, Allen said. Its Japan arm will be run by Edward Tracy, a 30-year casino industry veteran who until 2015 was chief executive of Las Vegas Sands' China arm. Tracy and Allen first worked together at Donald Trump's conglomerate in Atlantic City in the late 1980s. Two "integrated resorts" -- large-scale complexes featuring casinos, hotels and retail outlets -- could generate $10 billion in annual revenue, potentially growing to $25 billion with more locations, said brokerage CLSA. Other analysts have said that Japan's wealthy population and tourist appeal could lift the figure to $40 billion, making Japan the second-biggest casino market behind the United States. Sands' chief executive Sheldon Adelson said separately on Tuesday that a resort could cost up to $10 billion to build. Though political sources have said that Japan is unlikely to decide on casino locations and operators until 2019, with the first casinos opening by 2023, the race among potential investors is well and truly on. "At some point it will be all hands on deck," Tracy said. "When you get definition around the legislation, you are on the bullet train, and hopefully you're not trying to catch up." (Editing by David Goodman) Two men were arrested on suspicion of stabbing their sisters in two unrelated attacks in Normal Heights and City Heights Wednesday night, San Diego police said. One pair of siblings got into an argument in an apartment on 34th Street near Monroe Avenue about 6:45 p.m. During the fight, a 20-year-old man grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed his sister in the neck, police Officer John Buttle said. The suspect then ran away. Advertisement The victim, whose age was unknown, was taken to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening, Buttle said. Officers found her brother a block away from the home, near Madison Avenue and 34th Street, and arrested him. The second pair of siblings got into a fight over some cigarettes in a home on Oakcrest Drive, off Polk Avenue, about 9:10 p.m. At some point a man stabbed his sister in her thigh, Buttle said. The victim, 28, was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. Her brother, in his 20s, was arrested near Euclid and University avenues a short time later. Breaking News Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com Phone: (619) 293-1876 Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez Even before the White House announced stricter immigration policies Tuesday, there were signs of opposition. Addressing people of all faiths and no faith, San Diegos Roman Catholic bishop on Saturday urged Americans to be disruptors and rebuilders. Donald Trump, Bishop Robert McElroy noted, had campaigned for the presidency as the disruptor. Well now, McElroy told almost 700 community organizers and social justice advocates meeting in Modesto on the weekend that we must all become disruptors. Advertisement Originally reported by The National Catholic Reporter, the speech made waves. A Breitbart correspondent wrote that McElroy attacked Trump before an audience of social justice warriors. The editor of the Jesuit magazine America, on the other hand, tweeted a link to the powerful speech. Toward the end of his 20-minute talk, McElroy issued a call to action. We must disrupt those who would seek to send troops into our streets to deport the undocumented, to rip mothers and fathers from their families, he said. We must disrupt those who portray refugees as enemies rather than our brothers and sisters in terrible need. We must disrupt those who train us to see Muslim men, women and children as forces of fear rather than as children of God. We must disrupt those who seek to rob our medical care, especially from the poor. We must disrupt those who would take even food stamps and nutrition assistance from the mouths of children. A diocese spokeswoman said McElroy was not available on Tuesday to be interviewed about his comments. The diocese includes 99 parishes and serves more than 1 million Catholics in San Diego and Imperial counties. In his speech, the bishop argued that Americans cannot merely be disruptors, we also have to be rebuilders. We have to rebuild this nation so that we place at its heart the service to the dignity of the human person and assert what that flag behind us asserts is our heritage: Every man, woman and child is equal in this nation and called to be equal, he said. McElroy mentioned Trump by name only once, but his comments critiqued the new administration. Citing the need to see clearly the situation, the bishop decried alternate facts, echoing a phrase used by presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway. And while Trump has called climate change a hoax, McElroy compared skeptics to the tobacco companies that obscured for decades the medical science pertaining to smoking. The politics of the illegal immigration debate, for now, come down to two words: mass deportation. Whether thats accurate or hyperbole is what we may be talking about for some time, given Tuesdays actions by the administration of President Trump. Good morning from the state capital. Im Sacramento Bureau Chief John Myers, and from California to the East Coast and beyond, the biggest story right now is what kind of immigration crackdown is on the horizon and the effect on as many as 11 million people. Advertisement TRUMP WANTS TO TAKE THE SHACKLES OFF ENFORCEMENT The action taken certainly appeared to be bold. As Brian Bennett and Del Quentin Wilber report, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly issued two directives that are significant shifts in the approach to many of those living in the U.S. illegally. As they write, Though Kelly emphasized that immigration officers should focus first on deporting convicted criminals or those charged with crimes, his directives nonetheless unleashed deportation officers to conduct more raids in immigrant communities, detain people who dont have criminal convictions and remove people for minor infractions such as driving without a license. Sean Spicer, Trumps press secretary, disputed any notion that these policies would lead to mass deportations. The president wanted to take the shackles off individuals in these agencies, he told reporters on Tuesday. NO, SAYS CALIFORNIA LEADER, ITS MASS DEPORTATIONS But theres a much different take from state Senate President pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles). It has never been the custom and practice to go after mothers and fathers, hardworking, law-abiding, tax-paying residents, he said in a Tuesday night interview on CNN. And in Los Angeles, theres anger over what immigrants rights attorneys allege to be unethical or illegal actions by federal agents portraying themselves as local police officers. Critics say the accusations often are lodged in cities with large immigrant populations like L.A. and San Francisco. TRUMPS TALK ON IMMIGRATION IS PERSONAL IN LOS ANGELES CONGRESSIONAL RACE Out of the 23 candidates running to replace Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra in the open congressional seat in central Los Angeles, two are immigrants and 11 more are the children of immigrants. That makes Trumps immigration actions a personal matter for many of the hopefuls, as well as the district they hope to represent. A major push on deportations could be dramatic in the 34th Congressional District, which stretches from downtown Los Angeles to Boyle Heights and incorporates Highland Park, Eagle Rock and Koreatown. Two-thirds of residents there are Latino, and nearly half were born in other countries. AND SOUTH OF THE BORDER Those kinds of tensions may be felt this week when Kelly and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson head across the border to meet with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. Kate Linthicum has a look at five big topics the trip will likely cover, from economic issues to whether Tillerson can soothe frayed nerves over Trumps rhetoric. Immigration issues also found their way to the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, where the eight justices heard arguments in a case to determine whether the family of a Mexican shooting victim shot and killed on Mexican soil by a U.S. border agent can sue under the Constitution. The justices, it seemed, were evenly split on the issue. And without a ninth vote given the pending nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch a lower court ruling against the family may stand. PRAISE FOR THE NEW NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR A new chapter begins this week for the presidents beleaguered national security efforts. And theres been praise for Trumps choice his second choice, that is. The president named Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster as his new national security advisor Monday, replacing Michael Flynn, who was forced to resign last week. McMaster, a career Army officer and strategist, is known as one of the militarys most prominent intellectuals. He is highly respected by everyone in the military, and were very honored to have him, Trump said. NOT SUCH A WARM WELCOME FOR PRUITT? Nerves may not have been calmed, though, at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday as the new boss met his troops. During his first agency-wide address, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt focused on the need for predictability among regulated industries and the dangers of agency overreach. He tried to reassure the staff by telling them how much he values their work. Trouble was, he had suggested in a Wall Street Journal interview over the holiday weekend that the EPA, which has taken the lead in federal efforts to regulate greenhouse gases, may not even be equipped to play much of a role at all. TODAYS ESSENTIALS Ann Ravel, the Californian who has served for some four years on the Federal Election Commission, is headed back home with frustration. Sen. Kamala Harris met Tuesday with two men who were barred from entering the country shortly after Trumps travel ban was put in place. After listening to their stories, Harris reacted to news of expanded deportation efforts, calling them outrageous. The legalizing pot bandwagon continues to roll across the nation. And as we saw in California, its often as much about cash as it is an expression of lifestyle or freedom. A new law that bars the use of state funds for travel to anti-LGBT states is hitting UC and Cal State student researchers and athletes. Will Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders endorse in the crowded race for the 34th Congressional District, in which his former campaign aide is running? At an event Sunday, Sanders answer was, Well see. Its time for an independent commission on Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election, says Bay Area Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell. To the dismay of some California lawmakers, new state agency regulations will increase the number of jails that can prevent inmates from visiting with their families in person. Should all of Californias power come from renewable energy? A goal of 100%, much higher than current standards, is being put on the table by the leader of the state Senate. One state legislator says California should have its own estate tax if Republicans in Washington do away with the federal version. The state Senate offered memories and tributes on Tuesday to one of their own, the late Tom Hayden. The activist and former legislator died last October. LOGISTICS You may have noticed weve shifted to a Monday, Wednesday and Friday schedule. Its the same newsletter, just not every day. You can keep up with breaking news on our politics page throughout the day. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics? Miss Mondays newsletter? Here you go. Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox. Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com. john.myers@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter at @johnmyers and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast San Diego attorney Cory Briggs has turned his attention to a little-known business-improvement group downtown, filing a lawsuit earlier this month against the East Village Association for withholding documents he sought under the California Public Records Act. According to the 4-page complaint, officials at the East Village Association declined to release at least one record responsive to his request an email that may show the board hired a new employee outside a city-required process. On or about Jan. 24, 2017, a person whose initials are B.H. emailed members of EVAs board of directors to thank them for the opportunity to serve them and expressing excitement to begin working for them and appreciation for giving me a chance, the lawsuit states. Advertisement David Hazan, president of the East Village Association, declined to discuss the lawsuit in any detail on the advice of his lawyer. He did say the group is responding to the records request. We are trying to work with Cory, he said. At this point thats all I can say. We cant discuss ongoing litigation. The lawsuit states that the East Village Association board approved the employment of an interim executive director or interim board liaison during a closed-session meeting. Hazan countered, We have no executive director at this point. Briggs, who represents San Diegans for Open Government, said he filed the records request to find out if the association complied with hiring rules imposed by the city of San Diego. This could be an innocent mistake on their part, but given they are sitting on a half million dollars, their last executive director quit unexpectedly and theyre trying to get this new hire in under the radar, I suspect theres something more going on, Briggs said. I just dont know what it is. The association is a nonprofit group organized to promote businesses within the East Village neighborhood, funded by city parking revenue among other sources. According to its annual report for the year ending June 30, the association had assets of $525,000. Watchdog Videos On Now Sexual misconduct accusers worry deputy is being protected 6:16 On Now City funded $2-million waterfront bathroom 1:26 On Now Public water district charges customer for legal work, response to records request On Now Video: Tiny homes won't be reused amid housing, homeless crisis On Now Attorney General seeks documentation for Miss Middle East On Now Rep. Hunter probe covers possible fraud On Now Video: SDG&E delaying solar credit for some low-income housing tenants On Now Video: Former San Diego Junior Theatre teacher sentenced for sex with teen girl 0:24 On Now Video: Shelter volunteers believe they were fired for finding a dog a home 0:49 On Now McKamey Manor is leaving San Diego 3:35 jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald Deporting workers does not help U.S. economy Regarding Trump administration greatly expanding number of people targeted for deportation (Feb. 21): Why is the Trump administration deporting millions of workers, workers from the restaurant industry, the construction industry, the agriculture industry? In doing this, the administration is hurting not only these industries but the American public. Prices of food, of homes, at restaurants will go up. Who will fill these jobs? Advertisement Instead of deporting millions of workers, why not offer them an option to pay a fine and apply for a foreign workers permit? If they fail to comply in 90 days, then deport them. When you are caught speeding, your car is not confiscated, but instead you are fined. So why not fine these workers, in which case the government will generate revenue instead of spending money to deport people who are fulfilling a need for our economy? Michael Ross Carlsbad Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. E-mail letters@sduniontribune.com Mail: Andrew Kleske, Reader Outreach Editor San Diego Union-Tribune P.O. Box 120191 San Diego, CA 92112-0191. You can also leave a comment below President is right to increase use of E-Verify Your front-page story on the probability of President Trump finally enforcing E-Verify (Workplace immigration enforcement could come roaring back, Feb.20) to nab illegal immigrant employees missed the critical point it works. While the article never cited it, the adjoining chart from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows 1,279 inspections led to 239 criminal arrests. A shockingly high percentage of inspections led to the arrest of criminals. Lets hope increased inspections are high on the to do list of the Trump administration. Craig A. Nelson Solana Beach Protesters are just looking for handouts Regarding Thousands demonstrate (Feb. 19): Those who protest Trump are in fear of losing their gifts from us the U.S. citizens who pay taxes to support them. Its all so obvious. Beverley K. Hansen Oceanside Some of us are done giving Trump a chance Regarding Ruben Navarrettes column, Give Trump a chance (Feb. 20): To put it succinctly, Im with her! Our so-called president is the topic of conversation whenever I get together with friends. Were scared and think Trump is nuts. And, yes, I agree with Navarrettes wife that this is a bad man. Navarrette needs to give his wife a hug and a belated Valentines Day present. May I suggest a Nordstrom gift certificate? Marjorie Anderson Del Mar We need to reconsider political term limits Regarding Calexit vs. Calternative: Our state is devolving (Feb. 16): If there were no president term limits, Barack Obama would now be our president. Term limits at any level, in my opinion, are unconstitutional. The majority of the voters have the right to elect whomever they want. Michael Peariso Allied Gardens Thanks for shedding light on Pruitts past Your front-page article, Pruitt wins confirmation to lead EPA (Feb. 18) was extremely informative. Thank you for highlighting the contrast between the Environmental Protection Agencys mission to protect human health and the environment and Scott Pruitts history of challenging the EPA on its authority to regulate obvious health hazards like toxic mercury poisoning and smog. Please continue to keep us informed. Tracy Burstein San Diego Hunter has lost contact with his constituents Regarding Californias Democrats are trying to harness a new wave of progressive energy (Feb. 19): Its time for Rep. Duncan Hunter to go. Not only are his ethics suspect (using taxpayer dollars to buy plane tickets for rabbits, for example), he has refused to hold a town hall meeting despite facing growing pressure from constituents to answer questions and hear their concerns on the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and just where he stands on the presidents most extreme policies, including immigration, etc. According to his assistant, Mr. Hunter is required to pay for all expenses associated with hosting a town hall. We will let you know as soon as we schedule the next one. This is outrageous. He doesnt mind billing us for rabbit vacations, but he wont hold a town hall? It is high time the 50th District replace him with a representative who is passionate about serving all voters, not just those that vote for him blindly in each election. Lori Scribner Santee Want to see more letters that appear only online? Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. In this April 1942 photo made available by the Library of Congress, children at the Weill public school in San Francisco recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Some of them are evacuees of Japanese ancestry who will be housed in War Relocation Authority centers. (Dorothea Lange/U.S. War Relocation Authority via AP) Regarding Modern day echoes of Japanese internment (Feb. 19): While I doubt if we could find a handful of people today who would agree with President Roosevelts wartime order interning U.S. citizens of Japanese descent, I fail to see how anyone could believe it remotely rhymes with an order from President Trump to temporarily limit the admission to the United States of refugees and immigrants from failed states and those that actively sponsor terrorism. Perhaps this article was intended to be a sample of John Wilkens work to be included with his resume for a position with The New York Times and it was mistakenly submitted to the U-T. Advertisement Jim Mallen Lake San Marcos Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. E-mail letters@sduniontribune.com Mail: Andrew Kleske, Reader Outreach Editor San Diego Union-Tribune P.O. Box 120191 San Diego, CA 92112-0191. You can also leave a comment below Modern day echoes of Japanese internment. Really? Nothing is similar. One is internment of mostly American citizens, the other putting a temporary ban on incoming refugees and immigrants from predominately Muslim countries tied to terrorism as the article states. I fail to see anything familiar except for the concern of Americas safety. I agree that putting American citizens in internment camps was regrettable and unconstitutional. I understand the frustration and humiliation they must have felt. But to compare this with todays immigration policy is absurd. American citizens are not the issue. Rhonda Turvey El Cajon * * * In John Wilkens excellent article he draws a parallel to President Trumps ban on refuges. I feel it is not fair to compare the two as there are major differences. The radical Muslims are taught from an early age to hate those who do not accept the Koran and feel it is their religious obligation to destroy any who are unwilling to change. They believe in sharia law which means mutilation of young girls, fathers selecting their daughters older mates, killing children who have sex before marriage, killing homosexuals, etc. They must be properly vetted before entering U.S. European nations regret taking in refuges as they suck up generous welfare, molest and beat up the hosts women, steal and will not assimilate and are now taking steps to get them out of their country. The problems with the refuges are diametrically different from the Japanese internment. Mervyn Spahn La Mesa Want to see more letters that appear only online? Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. Electoral College did not reflect what voters wanted Regarding Calexit vs. Calternative: Our state is devolving (Feb. 16): Just look at what the Electoral College gave us for a president, just to keep a woman out of office. Although Barack Obama was a good president, he would have been better if he had had more cooperation from the mostly Republican Congress. The one we have now does not look too promising. Advertisement Karen Price Escondido One person, one vote must be fully embraced Regarding Lets be honest about what must be done by Robert Rosenblum (Jan. 25): Rosenblum is correct that we must follow the Supreme Courts decisions (Baker v. Carr and Reynolds v. Sims) that the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment requires one person, one vote. Just as that same equal protection clause overturned the infamous three-fifths clause without explicitly mentioning it, so also it should be applied to overturn, if not the Electoral College itself, at least the unequal distribution of electors disproportionate to the population of each state. African-Americans were not merely worth three fifths the value of European Americans, and voters in California are not worth merely one fourth the value of voters in Wyoming. Douglas Dunn Escondido Letters and commentary policy The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. E-mail letters@sduniontribune.com Mail: Andrew Kleske, Reader Outreach Editor San Diego Union-Tribune P.O. Box 120191 San Diego, CA 92112-0191. You can also leave a comment below People gather to protest the election of Donald Trump at Lake Merritt in Oakland in November. California is shaping up to be for Donald Trump what Texas was for Barack Obama - a sea of defiance and potential source of unending legal and legislative challenges. (Jim Wilson/The New York Times) Small states should not dictate who we elect The discussion continues regarding Trumps election. In my opinion Trump did not win the election. He became president legally as a result of the Electoral College, but the voters overwhelmingly voted for Hillary Clinton. I dont know if I understand the Electoral College system correctly, but I believe it was instituted in order to give the low-populated states an equal chance in the election decision instead of the few high-populated states having the upper hand. Now this appears fair but in reality it seems to be just as unfair to the majority voters because those voters in the less-populated states are now dictating who wins via the Electoral College. How is this a democracy when your majority vote is trumped (pun intended) by the minority? Maybe someone who really understands the Electoral College can explain it to me. Andy Pino Escondido Want to see more letters that appear only online? Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. Polarizing remarks on whether pineapple belongs on a pizza gave Icelands president a taste of global democracy as debates and feuds broke out on the internet over the weekend, putting the fruit-on-pizza question to the test. On Tuesday, Iceland President Gudni Johannesson responded to what he calls the pizza controversy in a Facebook post meant to clarify comments he made last week during a visit at a high school in North Iceland in which he said that, if he could, he would ban pineapple on pizzas, according to the Icelandic news site Visir. I like pineapples, just not on pizza. I do not have the power to make laws which forbid people to put pineapples on their pizza. I am glad that I do not hold such power. Presidents should not have unlimited power. I would not want to hold this position if I could pass laws forbidding that which I dont like. I would not want to live in such a country. For pizzas, I recommend seafood. Advertisement Over the weekend, the internet fumed over Johannessons suggestion to ban pineapple on pizza. Some found it too offensive to digest and others hailed him as the leader we need in these trying times. President Johannesson, your ideas on a pineapple pizza ban are wrong, short sighted and ill advised. #pineappleonPizza #letmypizzafree Chris Schalk (@the_schalk) February 21, 2017 Iceland's President is the hero we all need right now... #pineappleonpizza lalammar (@Layla_AlAmmar) February 21, 2017 The pineapple-on-a-pizza debate is hardly a new one. Over the years, the question has generated endless discussion between purists and adventurists. There are online forums that literally ask pineapple on pizza? and Reddit users have explored this question in their own forum as well. And the internet is full of references to the debate. Most recently, the heated pineapple-pizza debate of 2017 was encapsulated on Twitter with the hasthag #pineappleonPizza. There, some Twitter users parsed the merits of fruit on a pizza while others humorously compared it to Americas ban on refugees. Even pizza maker DiGiorno Pizza joined in to poke fun at the idea of a pineapple pizza ban. Finally an almost-ban I can support. Fruit has no business mixed in with tomato sauce. #pineappleonPizza #iceland https://t.co/NhqRf9OCtK lilaeidi (@Lila_Eidi) February 21, 2017 Would you put strawberries, oranges or banana on pizza? #NotMyPizzaTopping #PineappleOnPizza blanco (@bchrhlldy) February 21, 2017 Calling for a total... shutdown of #pineappleonPizza until our country's reps can figure out what is going on. https://t.co/10vWfDdmSB Dave Nolan #FBPE (@spaceforonemore) February 21, 2017 I'll welcome all the Icelandic pineapple pizza refugees into my home. #pineappleonPizza Marielle (@marielle922) February 21, 2017 To clarify, pineapple on a pizza is often referred to as a Hawaiian style pizza so long as Canadian bacon or ham is included. And despite its name, the pizza style did not originate in Hawaii. It originated in Canada. Lets settle this: Does pineapple belong in a pizza? Have some thoughts to share? Join me in a conversation: Shoot me a private email with your thoughts or ideas on a different approach to this story. As always, you can also send us a tweet. Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @RunGomez It took just three hours for an online fundraiser asking Muslim Americans to donate money to help rebuild a vandalized Jewish cemetery to exceed a $20,000 goal. The project was in response to news that at least 170 headstones at a Jewish cemetery in Missouri were knocked over and damaged over the weekend. Police said theres nothing to indicate it was any type of hate crime but that they were keeping options open to the possibility it could be one. Linda Sarsour, who describes herself on Twitter as a Palestinian-American-Muslim, racial justice and civil rights activist and media commentator, decided to respond by showing support on behalf Muslim Americans. The fundraiser on LaunchGood reached its goal but will continue collecting money. Muslim Americans stand in solidarity with the Jewish-American community to condemn this horrific act of desecration against the Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery, the page said. We also extend our deepest condolences to all those who have been affected and to the Jewish community at large. Sarsour wrote that the project was also in response to threats against Jewish community centers across the United States and that any additional funds beyond the $20,000 goal would go to assisting other centers. The Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in San Diego received a hoax bomb threat just Tuesday. The project quickly spread on social media with many messages of support. To see the fundraising page go here: Muslims Unite to Repair Jewish Cemetery Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @abbyhamblin A Hungarian manufacturer of medical radioactive substances was most probably the source of increased radiation levels measured in several European countries in the past weeks, the U.N. nuclear agency said Thursday. The Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement that it had received the information from Hungarian nuclear authorities, adding the measured levels of iodine-131 were extremely low. There is no health concern to the population, the IAEA said. Advertisement Jozsef Kornyei, director of the Budapest-based Institute of Isotopes Co., said that the firm first noticed the heightened release of iodine-131, used in the treatment of thyroid disorders, during the first half of 2011. Production restarted in September after new filters were installed, but the release of radioactive material stayed above normal levels, so the process was halted again this month. Kornyei told the AP in a phone interview that new ventilators were being added at the plant in an effort to limit the excessive release of the radioactive material and that production of iodine-131 would not be restarted until next year. Citing weather factors and the very low radioactivity of the iodine-131 released into the atmosphere, Kornyei said it was extremely unlikely that the leak at the Budapest plant was the cause of trace levels of iodine-131 measured in several European countries. The IAEA was initially notified about the higher iodine-131 levels by the Czech Republic on Nov. 11. Similar reports came later from Austria, Slovakia, Germany, Sweden, France and Poland. A letter sent Thursday to the IAEA by the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority said the cause of the higher radioactivity was under investigation, albeit hampered by administrative difficulties. Unfortunately, in Hungary the licensing and surveillance of the nuclear facilities and the laboratories using high amounts of radioisotopes are in the hands of different authorities, the Hungarian nuclear watchdog said. The communication problems we faced in the present situation call our governments attention for an improvement and simplification of our regulatory system, it said. ------ Correspondent George Jahn in Vienna contributed to this report. Junior Buddy is the most famous jaguar in Belize for many reasons. He is an ambassador for Belizes big cats showing us how majestic, special and beautiful jaguars are and how important it is to keep them in our country. He is the only jaguar that was born and raised in the zoo. Hes incredibly gorgeous. So yesterday, the zoo held a party for him to celebrate Junior Buddy turning 10 years old. I have attended more than one party for my favorite jaguar and I can tell you that physically, he has not aged a day. BUT he was a bit cranky yesterday! Usually he is lazing in the sun or lounging on his log But yesterday, in people years, he turned 40! (Jaguars live up to 20 years in the zoohumans live about 80I did my own math) So one can blame him for being scared. Little does he know that the 40s are his best years yet! But lets back up. I started my day in my bed on North Ambergris Caye. It was an EARLY wake-up. I left the house at 6:15am driving south (LOOKING FOR THE OCELOT!!!! ** more information on Ambergris Cayes ocelot at the bottom of this post) I picked up breakfast and was on the 7:30 San Pedro Belize Express boat to Belize City. 9am arrival Belize City short taxi to bus station. $7bzd and Local Bus to the Zoo, $4bzd. I arrived at about 10.15am. Just in time to walk around for a few minutes before the party started. The toucans were the big show offs coming in close to pose. Such a gorgeous and strange birdthe beak almost as long as their bodies. The much more reasonable looking mot-mot. And the STINKY peccaries rooting around in the dirt. Eye sight is bad so they use STINK to recognize each other. Oythe life of a peccary. Time to head out to the party area. The zoo is looking so lush and beautiful! There were kids from St. Agnes School in the neighboring villages of La Democracia and Mahogany Heights. There were balloons and snacks. There was singing andA BOUNCY CASTLE! Kids that live this close to the zoo find a bouncy castle more interesting than a JAGUAR! Some of the cuties. And thena surprise. The Belize Defense Force was doing a flyover. So super cute how the kids ran out and jumped up and down as the BDF swept low. Maybe for JBs 15th birthday we can get the US Navys Blue Angels down here they are a terrifyingly awesome, heart stoppingly amazingi have no words kind of sight. Though Im not sure that is the type of thing that zoo animals like. The jaguars came out to surprise the kids. (I begged out of it this year but will LOVE this picture forever. From JBs 8 year birthday) Me 2 years ago. Yesterday. Into the zoo, to sing to Junior Buddy and to present him with his gift. Juniors neighbor the croc was ready. What? How RUDE! Brutus isnt pregnant! Brutus the crocodile is a boy and a bachelor. Junior was pacing and not in the mood for tricks but he was more than happy to accept his gift. We let him eat and headed over to visit his mother. Springfield was sick and hungry and killing sheep just over 10 years ago. She was captured, brought to the zoo with over 50 botfly maggots in her skin and, they soon found outPREGNANT! She was very happy to get some chicken pieces. What GORGEOUS animals. And the Belize Zoo is set up so beautifullyits almost walking, safely, through the jungle. Happy Birthday Junior Buddy! I PROMISE 10 years old/40 in human years is not bad at all! ** Now back to the Ambergris Caye ocelot. We DO have cats on the caye but they want very little to do with humans. They are RARELY (and I mean rarely) seen and generally are thought to live only in the very far north. This week, a wounded ocelot was spotted in the very early morning at around 5-6 miles north Ambergris Caye. A call went out from the SAGA Humane Society that they were looking for him to hopefully trap him so that he could get medical attention ASAP. Here was the photo circulated on social media. He was found and brought into SAGA check their facebook page for more photos and updates. His back legs were not moving, perhaps paralyzed SAGA gave him a check up and he was transported, via Tropic Air, to the mainland and the Wildlife Clinic. WHAT A GORGEOUS ANIMAL! And I hope he gets better. And if that is not possible, that he does not suffer. GO SAGA HUMANE SOCIETY! 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe (Adds comment from ITC, background) WASHINGTON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. International Trade Commission said on Wednesday that subsidized bus and truck tires imported from China had not damaged the U.S. industry. As a result, the ITC said in a statement that it would not issue anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders on imports of these products. The ruling followed negative votes by three of the five members of the commission who voted, the ITC said in its statement. It said one of the six commissioners did not participate. The U.S. Commerce Department on Jan. 23 had determined final subsidy rates ranging from 38.61 percent to 65.46 percent and anti-dumping margins ranging from 9 percent to 22.57 percent on such imports. In 2015, U.S. imports of more than 8.9 million truck and bus tires from China were worth $1.07 billion. China's Ministry of Commerce said the January finding was extremely unfair and gravely harmed China's interests, according to an article on China's state radio website. The probe was launched last year after a petition by the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union. (Reporting by Tim Ahmann, Susan Heavey and Eric Walsh; Editing by David Alexander and Leslie Adler) New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/21/2017 -- 3D food printing is bringing 3 dimensional digital design into real world object which is edible. 3D food printing is healthy and good for environment as it converts proteins from algae, beet leaves or insects into tasty products. One of the most important benefit of 3D printing is that it provides door for food customization according to the preferences and needs of individual. 3D food printing gives rise to new flavors, textures and shapes to provide new and unique eating experiences. 3D food printing is done by machines called 3D printers. 3D printed foods have to please the eyes and mind both at the same time. Even NASA is now looking for ways to 3D print food in space. The market of global 3D food printing is anticipated to be driven by increasing market need for mass customization, ability of 3D printers to prepare food which is convenient and time saving, customization of nutrients required by an individual in their food products, getting the benefit of alternative ingredients and others. Now a days all the microwave made pancakes which are available in Netherlands are printed. As the world is getting more self-centered they are going for more customization and so their food. Market need for mass customization is increasing and is going for different shapes, colors, flavors, nutrition and textures. This customization is done mainly on food products like coffee, hamburgers, ice cream, cake, biscuits, confectionary and others. Technology is also one of the driving force behind 3D food printing market. With the enhancement in technology came up micro oven in every home and now 3D food printing machine is coming up. The market of global 3D food printing is anticipated to have restraints too. Many of the ingredients which are used for 3D printing are converted to paste. There are limited food which can be made into paste. 3D food printing is also a slow process which requires cooling many a times before the food can be consumed. Necessity of 3D food printing is that it can overcome the trend of prevailing food customization techniques which is less effective and at the same time its manufacturing cost is high. The global 3D food printing market is segmented on the basis of application, ingredients and region. 3D printed foods are applied and used to make modern food designs which gives pleasure to eyes before it can be consumed. Another application of 3D printed food is that it serves food for the elderly, for instance, 3D printed carrots are easy to chew and also easy to swallow. Few other applications are domestic cooking, catering services, personalized chocolates and homogeneous snacks. Product types where 3D printing is used are bakery products coffees, ice creams, confectionary and others. Among the product type confectionary segment is expected to grow at a faster CAGR over the forecast period. As chocolate, confectionary products are very popular among the children and it also attract elderly people. Edible ingredients can be segmented into dough, fruits & vegetable, proteins, sauce, dairy products, sugar, carbohydrates, yard, algae and others. A sample of this report is available upon request @ http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/11176 Geographically, the global 3D food printing market can be divided by major regions which include North America, Latin America, Western and Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific region, Japan, Middle East and Africa. Europe is the market leader in 3D food printing. In Netherlands all the microwave pancakes which are available in supermarkets are printed. In Spain, Natural Machines tried to bring the 3D food printing technology into the household. U.S. is also engaged in 3D food printing because there 3D printer maker 3D Systems along with Culinary Institute of America are setting many projects. Request to view table of content @ http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/11176 The major player identified across the value chain for global 3D food printing market are TNO (innovation for life), Philips, Electrolux, Barilla, Nestle, NASA, Hershey's, Modern Meadow, Choc Edge, 3D Systems, Natural Machines, ZMorph, Fab@Home. Atlanta, GA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/22/2017 -- Stephen Hopkins was from Hampshire, England. He married his first wife, Mary, and resided in the parish of Hursley, Hampshire. They had three (3) children: Elizabeth, Constance, and Giles; all baptized there. It has long been claimed that the Hopkins family was from Wortley, Gloucester, but this was disproven in 1998 with the discovery of his true origins in Hursley. http://mayflowerhistory.com/hopkins-stephen/ Stephen Hopkins went with the ship Sea Venture on a voyage to Jamestown, Virginia in 1609 as a minister's clerk, but the ship wrecked in the "Isle of Devils" (Bermuda). Stranded on an island for ten months, the passengers and crew survived on turtles, birds, and wild pigs. Six months into the castaway, Stephen Hopkins and several others organized a mutiny against the current governor. The mutiny was discovered and Stephen was sentenced to death. However, he pleaded with sorrow and tears. "So penitent he was, and made so much moan, alleging the ruin of his wife and children in this his trespass, as it wrought in the hearts of all the better sorts of the company." He managed to get his sentence commuted. Eventually the castaways built a small ship and sailed themselves to Jamestown. How long Stephen remained in Jamestown is not known. However, while he was gone, his wife Mary died. She was buried in Hursley on 9 May 1613, and left behind a probate estate which mentions her children Elizabeth, Constance and Giles. Stephen was back in England by 1617, when he married Elizabeth Fisher, but apparently had every intention of bringing his family back to Virginia. Their first child, Damaris, was born about 1618. In 1620, Stephen Hopkins brought his wife and children Constance, Giles, and Damaris on the Mayflower (child Elizabeth apparently had died). Stephen was a fairly active member of the Pilgrim group shortly after arrival, perhaps a result of his being one of the few individuals who had been to Virginia previously. He was a part of all the early exploring missions, and was used as an "expert" on Native Americans for the first few contacts. While out exploring, Stephen recognized and identified an Indian deer trap. And when Samoset walked into Plymouth and welcomed the English, he was housed in Stephen Hopkins' house for the night. Stephen was also sent on several of the ambassadorial missions to meet with the various Indian groups in the region. Stephen was an assistant to the governor through 1636, and volunteered for the Pequot War of 1637 but was never called to serve. By the late 1630s, however, Stephen began to occasionally run afoul of the Plymouth authorities, as he apparently opened up a shop and served alcohol. In 1636 he got into a fight with John Tisdale and seriously wounded him. In 1637, he was fined for allowing drinking and shuffleboard playing on Sunday. Early the next year he was fined for allowing people to drink excessively in his house: guest William Reynolds was fined, but the others were acquitted. In 1638 he was twice fined for selling beer at twice the actual value, and in 1639 he was fined for selling a looking glass for twice what it would cost if bought in the Bay Colony. Also in 1638, Stephen Hopkins' maidservant got pregnant from Arthur Peach, who was subsequently executed for murdering an Indian. The Plymouth Court ruled he was financially responsible for her and her child for the next two years (the amount remaining on her term of service). Stephen, in contempt of court, threw Dorothy out of his household and refused to provide for her, so the court committed him to custody. John Holmes stepped in and purchased Dorothy's remaining two years of service from him: agreeing to support her and child. Stephen died in 1644, and made out a will, asking to be buried near his wife, and naming his surviving children. BAPTISM: 30 April 1581 at Upper Clatford, Hampshire, England, son of John and Elizabeth (Williams) Hopkins. FIRST MARRIAGE: Mary, possibly the daughter of Robert and Joan (Machell) Kent of Hursley, co. Hampshire, prior to 1604. SECOND MARRIAGE: Elizabeth Fisher on 19 February 1617/8 at St. Mary Matfellon, Whitechapel, co. Middlesex, England. CHILDREN (by Mary): Elizabeth, Constance, and Giles. CHILDREN (by Elizabeth): Damaris, Oceanus, Caleb, Deborah, Damaris, Ruth, and Elizabeth. DNA HAPLOGROUP: R1b-M269 Contact Adam Green! c: 801-809-7766 e: g3president@comcast.net Atlanta Georgia General Society of Mayflower Descendant, Adam Paul Green (Ancestor Stephen Hopkins / Gen.No. 86,723) Declares New Geneology Support Website for Local Enthusiasts http://www.g3-development.co/ Women of Early Plymouth: Governor William Bradford reported that the Pilgrims were worried that the "weak bodies of women" would not be able to withstand the rigors of a trans-Atlantic voyage and the construction of a colony. Prior to the Mayflower, very few English women had made the voyage across the ocean. Sir Walter Raleigh's Roanoke colony arrived in Virginia in 1587, and amongst those 120 colonists there were 17 women: a baby girl, Virginia Dare, was born after arrival. When re-supply ships came from England, they could not relocate the people. The colony had mysteriously disappeared, and was never seen again. The Jamestown Colony was founded in 1607, but relatively few women had yet made the voyage and taken up residence there. The Pilgrim husband, as head of the household, had an important and difficult decision to make. Building a colony would be hard on a woman's "weaker body." It might be safer and healthier to leave her behind, and have her come later once the houses were built, and the general safety and successfulness of the colony were better established. But that could be several years. Could he live several years without his wife? How strong was his wife anyway, could she really handle it? Was it right to put your wife's life in danger in this manner? As the Mayflower left England for America, there were 18 adult women on-board. Three of them, Elizabeth Hopkins, Susanna White, and Mary Allerton, were actually in their last trimester of a pregnancy. All the adult women on the Mayflower were married; there were no single women--although there were a few teenage girls nearing marriageable age. While no women would die during the Mayflower's voyage, life after arrival proved extremely difficult. In fact, 78% of the women would die the first winter, a far higher percentage than for men or children. Dorothy Bradford was the first woman to die, and the only woman who died in the month of December. While many of the men, including her husband, were out exploring on Cape Cod, she accidentally fell off the Mayflower into the bitter cold waters of Provincetown Harbor. Most of the women's death dates were not recorded, but we do know that Rose Standish died on January 29, Mary Allerton died on February 25, and Elizabeth Winslow died on March 24. Most of the women died in February and March. The extremely high mortality rate among women is probably explainable by the fact the men were out in the fresh air, felling trees, building structures and drinking fresh New England water; while the women were confined to the damp, filthy and crowded quarters offered by the Mayflower, where disease would have spread much more quickly. The two-month voyage was long enough; the women, however, remained living on the ship for an additional four months while the men built storehouses and living quarters on shore. Many of the sick were no doubt cared for on-board the ship by the women, increasing their exposure to colds and pneumonias. William Mullins died on February 21, apparently on-board the Mayflower since his will was witnessed by the ship's captain and ship's surgeon. His wife Alice and son Joseph had not yet died, but it wasn't too long before they did, orphaning their teenage daughter Priscilla in the New World. Only five women survived the first winter. One of the five survivors, Mrs. Katherine Carver, died in May of a "broken heart," her husband John having died of sunstroke a month earlier. Weak bodies or not, by the time of the famous "Thanksgiving," there were only four women left to care for the Colony's fifty surviving men and children. The four women were Eleanor Billington, Elizabeth Hopkins, Mary Brewster, and Susanna (White) Winslow. http://mayflowerhistory.com/women Adam Paul Green was born to a multi-talented beauty queen Mother and a Father who, in addition to being a US Army Spy and a Counter-Intelligence Special Agent, was also a highly accomplished entrepreneur. Adam was taught at a young age that, in both life and business, loyalty is a requirement for success. He's had the honor of working directly with his father in several of the family businesses. In fact, this is where he learned crucial entrepreneurial skills and honed his talents with international business strategies and venture capitalism. http://www.AdamPaulGreen.com, http://www.ImAdamGreen.com Adam earned his Bachelors of Science Degree in International Business and Marketing from the University of Utah. He was hand-picked by the President of the University's renowned School of Business to compete with dozens of other ambitious nationwide-graduates for the opportunity to secure a lucrative job within a prestigious Fortune 100 company. http://www.Twitter.com/AdamPaulGreen http://www.ImAdamGreen.com Adam's hard work and creativity helped him land this job of a lifetime. He obtained incredible business experience there and spent years innovating, improving processes and setting sales records. Although this dream job in Traditional Corporate America was a fun challenge for him, and something he truly enjoyed mastering, Adam's natural entrepreneurial spirit kept nudging him to do something more significant with his time and talents. http://www.MyChocolatePod.com, http://www.Facebook.com/AdamPaulGreen Since 2001, Adam has been involved in the Health and Wellness Industry as a successful Entrepreneur, Broker, Product Developer and Manufacturer of Cosmeceutical products. During his career, he has worked with some of the most recognizable Fortune 500 businesses along with many top international Network Marketing companies. Adam has consistently proven his unique ability to help his clients achieve their goals through creative Distribution-Channel Placement, innovative Product Development and custom Manufacturing. Adam currently owns three profitable businesses. http://www.ImAdamGreen.com The Pilgrims did not leave behind any lists of the items they brought with them on the Mayflower, but historians have used a provision list put together by Captain John Smith (of Pocahontas fame) to take an educated guess. However, in 2012, Caleb Johnson, Simon Neal, and Jeremy Bangs started transcribing and studying a rare manuscript (a page of which is here illustrated) in the possession of the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, that was written by one of the investors in the Pilgrims' joint-stock company. This manuscript actually contains several lists of suggested provisions the colonists should bring with them. It is the closest thing we can get to a list of what the Pilgrims would have actually brought. A summary of some of the key items on the provision lists: http://mayflowerhistory.com/pilgrim-history/ -Food and Drink: Biscuit, beer, salt, (dried) beef, salt pork, oats, peas, wheat, butter, sweet oil, mustard seed, ling or cod fish, "good cheese", vinegar, aqua-vitae, rice, bacon, cider. -Clothing: Monmouth cap, falling bands, shirts, waistcoat, suit of canvas, suit of cloth, Irish stockings, 4 pairs of shoes, garters. Slippers, plain shoes, little shoes, French soles, sewing needles. -Bedding: Canvas sheets, bolster "filled with good straw", rug and blankets. -Arms: Light armor (complete), fowling piece, snaphance, sword, belt, bandoleer, powder horn, 20 pounds of powder, 60 pounds of shot. -Household: Iron pot, kettle, frying pan, gridiron, two skillets, spit, platters, dishes, spoons of wood, napkins, towels, soap, hand mill, mortar and pestle. -Tools: Broad hoes, narrow hoes, broad axe, felling axe, steel handsaw, whipsaw, hammers, shovels, spades, augers, chisels, gimlets, hatchets, grinding stone, nails, locks for doors. Admittedly, Adam was not initially a fan of Network Marketing. He did not understand the business model because it was new to him. However, once he learned that the REAL focus of Direct Sales is to help average people get a taste of entrepreneurialism --- with minimal risk and at a low cost --- Adam was absolutely convinced of the potential with Multi-Level Marketing. http://www.ImAdamGreen.com About MayflowerHistory.com MayflowerHistory.com, the Internet's most complete and accurate website dealing with the Mayflower passengers and the history of the Pilgrims and early Plymouth Colony. The website was first created back in 1994 (when the web was still mostly text!) as a simple, but complete, passenger list of the Mayflower. It has grown over the past twenty years as the author, historian Caleb Johnson, has researched and compiled material. http://mayflowerhistory.com Lewes, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/22/2017 -- Report forecast the global diesel engines market for non-automotive applications to grow at a CAGR of 5.82 % during the period 2017-2021. Diesel engines offer better operational performance, which makes them a preferred choice over petrol engines. The market is predicted to experience high growth due to the rising demand for diesel engines from APAC. China, India, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Japan are the key countries contributing to market growth in the region. These countries provide opportunities to global vendors to increase their market reach and establish their manufacturing plants to gain cost advantages. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global diesel engines market for non-automotive applications for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the demand for diesel engines from the non-automotive sector worldwide. The market is divided into the following segments based on geography: - Americas - APAC - EMEA According to the report, improved fuel economy continues to be the most significant progress in diesel engine technology. Though many end-users prefer gasoline-powered equipment, diesel engines possess a solid end-user base in terms of the industrial sector as it considers fuel economy as an important parameter in owning a power backup equipment. Further, the report states that the demand for alternative fuels such as natural gas whose combustion is comparatively cleaner and friendlier to the environment is increased due to stringent emission regulations. Thus, there has been a growing popularity of the use of natural gas as a substitute fuel for diesel, encouraging the engine manufacturers to incorporate their expertise and technology to develop engines that run on natural gas. Global Diesel Engines Market for Non-Automotive Applications 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market. key players in the global diesel engines market for non-automotive applications: Caterpillar, Cummins, MAN, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Wartsila Other Prominent Vendors in the market are: Detroit Diesel, DEUTZ, Deere & Company, Daihatsu, Doosan Infracore, Fairbanks Morse Engine, GE Transportation, HATZ Diesel, Henan Diesel Engine, Kubota, Kawasaki, Kirloskar Oil Engines, Kohler, Liebherr, Lombardini, MEGATECH Power, MTU, Isuzu, JCB, Power Solutions International, Rolls-Royce, Scania, Volvo Penta, Yanmar, and Weichai Power Market driver - Diesel engine technology gaining momentum on technological advances - For a full, detailed list, view our report Market challenge - Abundant supply of natural gas leading to growing popularity of gas engines - For a full, detailed list, view our report Market trend - Volatile maritime environment impacting demand - For a full, detailed list, view our report Key questions answered in this report - What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be? - What are the key market trends? - What is driving this market? - What are the challenges to market growth? - Who are the key vendors in this market space? - What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? - What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? Spanning over 86 pages and 29 Exhibits "Global Diesel Engines Market for Non-Automotive Applications 2017 - 2021" report covers Executive summary, Scope of the report, Market research methodology, Introduction, Market landscape, Market segmentation by end-user, Geographical segmentation, Market drivers, Impact of drivers, Market challenges, Impact of drivers and challenges, Market trends, Vendor landscape, Key vendor analysis, Appendix. For more information Visit at: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/technavio/global-diesel-engines-market-non-automotive-applications-2017-2021 Find all Machinery Reports at: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/machinery About Market Research Reports, Inc. Market Research Reports, Inc. is the world's leading source for market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest market research reports on global markets, key industries, leading companies, new products and latest industry analysis & trends. Yearly/Quarterly Report Subscription: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/subscriptions The mining industry in the Philippines is in a life-and-death struggle with environmentalists led by environment and natural resources minister, Gina Lopez. The fight presages what is likely to happen across the Asia-Pacific. At the moment, the Philippine mining sector is on the back foot, with Lopez ordering closure of 23 of the countrys 41 mines and suspending another five for destruction of watershed areas and indiscriminate mining. Of the mines facing closure, 17 are involved in nickel production. These firms represent about half of the countrys annual nickel output, Lopez said. The Philippines has been the worlds biggest supplier of nickel since 2012, following Indonesias ban on mineral exports. Lopez has also ordered the cancellation of 75 mineral production sharing contracts (MPSCs) in watershed zones, many of which are in the exploration stage and none in production yet. The latest action by Lopez suggests that she will not allow them to be developed further, though the mining companies plan to appeal in court. Lopezs decision, which followed a month-long audit of the mines, disregarded recommendations by a government team that suspensions and fines were enough. She explained that as environment minister she has the power to go beyond suspensions. You kill watersheds, you kill life. Gina Lopez, Philippines You kill watersheds, you kill life, Lopez told a televised news conference called to announce the closures and suspensions. She added that her announcement, made on 14 February, was her Valentines gift to the Filipino people. The writing on the wall Environmental awareness is a global phenomenon, snowballing in the West and in some of the regions stronger economies such as China, Indonesia, Mongolia, Myanmar and the Philippines. The green voice is louder and politicians have now introduced policies aimed at protecting the environment. John Miller, editor of The Miner, a trade journal for the mining industry in the Asia-Pacific, has warned that the industry as a whole will be in trouble if it does not read the writing on the wall. [1] Mining companies are facing increased compliance risks nowadays and other countries, including Indonesia, are taking keen interest in the Philippines move. The Philippine case is a microcosm of what is happening elsewhere in Asia Pacific and it comes at a time when the mining industry is at the crossroads. To quote The Miner: With the short-term outlook for commodities remaining negative there is little likelihood of any relief for the next 12 months, which means more belt tightening, more mine closures and job losses, more financial hardship and more pain. In China, the government plans to raise environmental standards in its highly-polluting mining sector, which is generally positive. The mining sector has been a crucial part of Chinas rapid economic expansion, but poor regulations and weak enforcement of standards have contaminated much of the countrys soil and left parts of its land and water supplies unfit for human use, not to mention the chronic air pollution, says Miller. [1] According to Thomson Reuters GFMS [precious metals survey], the worlds top 10 miners have lost around half their market value in 2015, wiping out an estimated US$280 billion. [The credit agency] Fitch Ratings outlook for the mining sector in 2016 is negative, reflecting its view that Chinese demand will weaken further and that commodities will remain unpopular with investors . . . the slowdown in Chinese demand has created substantial oversupply in some commodities. [2] Environmental costs However, the mining industry cannot be allowed to collapse since modern societies need minerals from aluminium to zirconium that are processed from the earth in various forms. The roads we drive on, the buildings we live and work in, the equipment we need and the products we use in our daily lives are made of or contain minerals. The problem is that extracting these minerals creates a lot of waste and pollution, and destruction of the environment. This is why environmentalists go ballistic against the mining industry. Disciplining the industry The mining industry claims that the business brings profit and prosperity to national economies. But, this is always at the cost of environment, and the health and well-being of the poor who work and live where the mines are located.To quote Sven Haertig-Tokarz, web editor of the financial monitoring network bankwatch.org: In Kyrgyzstan, the Kumtor gold mine has already generated toxic spills that have injured local people the Centerra Gold has been contaminating local waters and glaciers while hiding evidence of such negative impacts from public oversight. [3] Lopez has summed up the mining-environmentalist tug-of-war in the Philippines by doing a cost-benefit analysis as part of her audit of the Philippine mining industry. She found the cost outweighing benefits 3:1. The destruction of the environment is far greater than the taxes paid to the national government by the mining companies. In presenting her audit reports to the media at the Valentines Day press conference, Lopez showed watersheds barren and mangled by open-pit mining, and asked repeatedly, Is it worth it? To answer Lopez question, I say yes and no. I propose a compromise reduce the number of mines drastically and make sure that they follow mining and environmental rules to the letter. It starts with industry discipline and ends with political will to discipline the industry. Crispin C. Maslog, a former journalist with Agence France-Presse, is an environmental activist and former science professor at Silliman University and University of the Philippines Los Banos, PHILIPPINES. He is a founding member and currently Chair of the Board, Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) based in Manila. This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets Asia & Pacific desk. For the first time in history, scientists have identified a new species from water world that use to migrate towards the south during the winter. There are several species on earth used to migrate each year during the winter. Cetorhinus Maximus, commonly known as the basking shark swims to the south to get some sun in winter. Scientists from the University of Exeter have discovered the strange behavior of Basking shark by using the long-term cutting-edge satellite tracking data. Researchers found that the basking sharks spend their winter off the coast of Portugal and North Africa. Some of them migrate to the Bay of Biscay and others chose to head towards the UK and Ireland. Their reports were first published in the journal of Scientific Reports. Professor Philip Doherty from the Environment and Sustainability Institute on the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall and the lead researcher of this study, said in a statement,Knowing where these animals are all year round allows us to understand the threats they face. This is essential information if we want to protect them, especially as they swim far outside UK waters, meaning any conservation efforts must be international. Before this discovery, it was a hypothesis that the giant plankton-eating fish get hibernated at this time of the year. An adult basking shark can grow up to 12 meters. It is the largest fish in British waters and the second largest in the world. Once British fishermen used to hunt basking shark for its fins, liver oil and meat. Later in 1988, the species received full protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. According to ScienceDaily, Scientists tagged 70 sharks for their research and 28 of them continued to transmit data for five months. Most of the sharks were found either stayed near the UK or swam to the waters off Spain, North Africa, and Portugal and a very few numbers of shark spent the winter in the Bay of Biscay, west of France. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified the Basking sharks as vulnerable and the north-east Atlantic population is officially endangered. Scientists are planning to conduct more research on basking shark because scientists do not yet fully know why or how often they do this. SpaceX has been active as 2017 started. With the long list of plans up until next year, it seems that the Mars mission won't be part of 2018's agenda. On Feb. 17, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell released an official statement that the Mars mission would be pushed back to 2020, according to The Verge. In the same article, Shotwell further explained the reasons why they moved their Mars mission date. She said that they wanted to focus first on their Falcon projects such as the Falcon 9 which had stunning exposures earlier this year up until the very recent which is last Sunday. For those who are unaware of the SpaceX's Mars mission, here is some useful information. This mission is actually named the "Red Dragon", pertaining to the color of the planet Mars. The Red Dragon is targeted to study how can scientists from institutions like SpaceX and NASA land heavy equipment on the surface of Mars. Based on previous explorations, it was found out that Mars has a very thin atmosphere compared to Earth, which actually affects the impact of bringing down objects. NASA scientists have thought of utilizing the Red Dragon for studying Mars through getting soil and rock samples from the planet. However, this speculation wasn't confirmed by both institutions, according to Space. In another interview last year, Elon Musk, SpaceX founder, shared that although the Red Dragon has several promises, SpaceX doesn't recommend it to be used for human missions as further studies are needed before that can transpire. For space enthusiasts out there, a lot of Mars mission are up for grabs on 2020 aside from SpaceX's Red Dragon mission. Several government agencies such as the NASA and those from the United Arab Emirates and China have expressed their plans for the said target, the red planet. New reports just recently surfaced that the area of the western province of Lorestan will get a big notice from the Iranian oil ministry due to the discovery of the significant shale oil reserves and stocked in the region. Bahman Soleimani, the National Iranian Oil Company's Soleimani, said on Monday, "The oil is light." The shale oil found was totaled of two billion barrels and were found in the Ghali Koh Field. Soleimani said that their research and exploration on the study of the zone's shale gas reserves is expected to be complete by October 2017. The same discoveries also happened in other provinces such as the places of Khouzestan, Kerman, and Semnan as reported in Reuters. Nonetheless, there were no such significant developments to establish how much shale oil they were maintaining and holding or whether producing oil from those reserves would be economically practicable. It is still not clear on how the NIOC can produce oil from Lorestan shale reserves. According to the company, the exclusive technology that can do the work is in the hands of the US companies that is unfortunately banned from the Iran's oil projects. Apart from that, there are already speculations on whether creating and producing oil from shale reserves would be economically inexpensive for Iran assuming the high costs involved. According to the Oil Price, Iran has the fifth's lowest costs for manufacturing and producing each barrel of crude oil. Rystad Energy, a global energy consulting enterprise, showed that the cost estimates for producing every barrel of oil in Iran stand at $12.6 while the highest and the lowest worth of price belonged to Britain and Kuwait respectively at $52.5 and $8.5. Based on statistic quantity amount provided by the International Energy Agency (IEA), producing every barrel of shale oil ranges and costs from $95 to as low as $25. Iran's proven oil reserves at about 160 billion barrels are almost the amount to 10% of the world's total, was rank fourth among the petroleum-rich countries. Climate change is being considered as the primary reason for the shifting of vegetation on a worldwide basis. Scientists say that projected global warming is supposed to decrease the amount of temperate dry lands by a third and will induce dry deep soil conditions during the agricultural growing season over the rest of the 21st century. According to Phys, a computer model has been set up that will calculate the many components of the water cycle daily for 30 years at 20000 sites. This is all meant to keep an eye on the current climate change along with 16 possible future climatic conditions. As per the scientists, dry land habitats have increased by 4-8% in the 20th century and currently cover 40% of the global terrestrial surface, inducing global climatic change. This expansion is likely to continue as the climate keeps heating up. A continuous climatic change, especially in the amount of rain and soil moisture in tropical and subtropical regions is an evident form of the tremendous global warming that the planet is experiencing. This is having an adverse effect on the vegetation to a great extent. According to Berkeley News, the vegetation around the world is on the move due to the change in climate. In a paper published in the journal "Global Ecology and Biogeography", researchers present evidence that over the past century, vegetation has been gradually moving towards comparatively cooler regions, like the poles and the mountain slopes, and also towards the equator, where there is more rainfall. An estimated one-tenth to one-half of the land mass on Earth will be highly vulnerable to climate changes by the end of this century, owing to the vegetation shifts. It is also dependent to a great extent on how effectively human are able to fare with the greenhouse gas emissions. Some examples of the biome shifts that occurred include grasslands taking place of dense woodlands in the African Sahel and, and shrub-lands intervene into the tundra region in the arctic. Going by the scientists, around 1 billion people live in areas that are highly vulnerable to future vegetation shifts. Reduction in harmful gas emissions that cause climatic changes can help to stabilize the ecosystems that provide important services to people. Patrick Kilonzo Mwalau, a Kenyan man has been delivering water to animals in the dry regions of Tsavo, Kenya. Also known as the "Elephant Guardian", Mwalau has also created a fundraising page to support his efforts. According to People, Mwalau has stated in his "GoFundMe" page that water has become very precious and it is going to stay like that until November when there is some expectation of rain. Mwalau is worried about the situation as some years back also, a similar type of prolonged drought took away the lives of a number of elephants. Elephants are already becoming endangered due to poaching and to save the ones that are left, the provision of water is very important until the drought is over, he says. Mwalau and his team, the Tsavo volunteers, deliver 12,000 liters of water in rented water trucks at least four times a week, at a cost of $250 for each tank. They drive almost 27 miles to deliver the water to the animals at two different locations. The animals often wait for him to arrive with the delivery. The wild animals don't harm their trucks and have developed a sense of understanding that Mwalau and his team are helping them. According to The Dodo, Mwalau fills up the dry water holes as much as possible. He drives for hours every day to haul water to where it is most needed. At times, the impatient animals start crowding the truck fearlessly as they smell the water. Mwalau, who is a pea farmer in a local village, was hit with the idea as he saw the climate change taking a toll on his homeland. He says that the area has not been receiving rain as it used to since last year June. His passion for the local wildlife and the animals living in them drives him to take up the role of the "water man", he says. Mwalau's noble initiative has been supported by three women from the United States. Angie Brown, Tami Calliope and Cher Callaway have put in their efforts to make the initiative a success and create awareness about it via social media and fundraising programs. They also look forward to buying him his own truck very soon. A zoo in Japan was forced to kill 57 native snow monkeys through lethal injection. The officials have found that they are carrying a gene of an "invasive alien species." In the city of Futtsu in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo, the Takagoyama Nature Zoo houses 164 simians that they believed to be all pure Japanese macaques. However, the local officials and zoo operators have found that the species were crossbred, one third of them. They have discovered that these were crossbred with the rhesus species, which they called an "invasive alien species." The Japanese law bans the transport and possession of the invasive species, a city official said on Tuesday. It includes the crossbreeds, thus rejecting them is approved under their law. The city official also said that the snow monkeys were put down through lethal injection over about one month and ended in early February. The operators of the zoo even held a memorial service for the snow monkeys at the nearby Buddhist temple to have peace for their souls. The snow monkey-rhesus macaque crossbreeds were in line for culling when the environment law in Japan was revised in the year 2013. An official at the Chiba prefectural government said that, "They have to be killed to protect the indigenous environment," as quoted by Phys.org. Nonetheless, the Environment Ministry of Japan shared that there are some exceptions, of which is that when the zoo applies for the permission to keep them. An official from the ministry said that, "There are many zoos in the country, which rear animals that became classified as invasive species after the law was created." The killing of the animals might sound cruel to some, but the environmentalist said that it is crucial not to allow any contact between the native and the foreign species. It is a prevention for the natural balance to be upset. BBC reported that a representative from the conversation group, WWF Japan Junkichi Mima, said that the invasive species can cause problems. "Because they get mixed in with indigenous animals and threaten the natural environment and ecosystem," he added. Kenya has announced that the country is facing drought due to low rainfall since October. As animals suffer the effects of the natural disaster, a Kenyan man delivers water to wildlife species in the dry regions of Tsavo. People reported that Patrick Kilonzo Mwalau, also known as "the Elephant Guardian," has raised over $90,000 through his GoFundMe page to deliver water to animals in the wild. He started his fundraising project five months ago as an urgent call to save animals from "a prolonged drought." According to Mwalau, he and his team, the Tsavo volunteers, have become worried about losing wild animals. Since these species are now considered endangered due to poaching, his group took the responsibility of providing the water supply until drought is over. At least four times a week, the team travels 27 miles via rented water trucks to deliver 12,000 liters of water (for $250 each tank) and bring these to animals at two different areas. Mwalau said that elephants are fighting for few available water holes, preventing the smaller ones from drinking. These young ones end up extremely thirsty, walking far distances to look for something to drink. Mwalau posts his updates on his Facebook page, including one saying the animals are often waiting for his delivery. "I found no water at all and animals were right resting at the waterhole waiting for my truck and quench their thirst," he wrote on Feb. 18. According to The Week, there will be no heavy rains in the area until November. Thankfully, people are placing huge amounts of donations on the website. Furthermore, the media has given a lot of attention to the project, giving it enough publicity for further promotion. "This month we should do a lot for animals and have permanent solutions because we are getting more donations," Mwalau wrote. "Want to thank my team and every donor in making this happen. I will continue delivering water until it rains." Christopher Hayne Witherspoon surrendered to deputies and was charged with gambling, keeping a gaming house, unlawful possession of slot machines and unlawful games and betting, according to a release issued by the Darlington County Sheriff's Office. Darlington County deputies, with assistance from Hartsville Police officers and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division agents, Feb. 9 served a search warrant at 1826 S. Fifth Street just outside Hartsville and discovered "several poker style tables with poker chips and money tallies of illegal gambling events. Agents also located several illegal video poker gaming systems that were operable during the service of the search warrant," Lt. Robert Kilgo wrote in the sheriff's office release. FLORENCE, S.C. Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Rice will be in Florence on Thursday evening for a Coffee with your Congressman event, and some local activists are planning to make their voices heard. Rice will be at the Drs. Bruce & Lee Foundation Library in Florence at 6 p.m. Thursday. He regularly holds these types of events throughout the 7th District as a part of his constituent outreach. Some local Democrats and activists who fundamentally disagree with the actions taken by President Donald Trump, his administration and the majority Republican Congress have questions concerning Rices motives. We just want Congressman Rice to know that were his constituents and we want him to know that we deserve representation too, said Florence County Democratic Chairwoman LaShonda NeSmith. Whether Im a Democrat, a Republican, a liberal or conservative hes supposed to represent me. Nesmith said there will not be a protest-like atmosphere, but rather an attempt to hold a conversation with Rice and question him on some of his stances particularly his decision to vote against an amendment that would have required President Trump release his tax returns. There are a lot of things the Rep. Rice needs to explain to his constituents and I think this is a good time to do it, Nesmith said. Its going to be peaceful and cordial. We just want to know whats going on with our representation. NeSmith said several community activists groups are planning to attend this event, including local members of the National Action Network as well as members of the Action Together Organizations Pee Dee Branch. The Coffee with your Congressman event is free and open to the public. HARTSVILLE, S.C. Danny Johnson Jr. was presented the 2017 Coker College Alumni Associations Outstanding Young Alumni Award during Homecoming activities on Feb. 11. The award is given annually to a graduate of the past 20 years who has already made significant achievements in his or her chosen profession and who shows exceptional potential for future accomplishments. I was very surprised when I was told I would receive the award, he said. I dont do anything to get recognized, but it is neat to be recognized for what you do. Johnson, a 2004 graduate of Coker College with Bachelor of Science degrees in business and history, received a master of engineering degree from Clemson University. He is also a 2000 graduate of Hartsville High School. I feel like I owe a lot to Coker, he said. The thing I like about Coker is it gives you the foundation that gives you the means to give back. Johnson, son of Danny and Debbie Johnson, said his family has always worked in metal, but they didnt have the business experience. He said his business degree has helped. Johnson has been married to his high school sweetheart, Brandy Timmons Johnson, for 13 years. They have two daughters. He is vice president of and a board member of North Industrial Machine, Precision Components and Services and Sun Superior. He is also a partner at Chafin, Johnson and Associates. North Industrial Machine is family owned, he said. We started with one employee in 1995, he said. They now have 150-200 employees here. He said they just finished a project in Arkansas with 312 employees. They family purchased the old city hall building on Carolina Avenue and completed renovations for their central office. We wanted a centralized location for our four companies, he said. We hope to expand here. He likes having their businesses centrally located and likes having the building in downtown Hartsville, with lots of amenities located nearby, such as restaurants, shops, etc. Johnson said their niche is machine work, fabrication, industrial and plant maintenance and engineering. They are licensed in seven states. Johnson, who started working in the family business as a teenager, even before he could drive, said he likes what he does and enjoys a challenge. I like to do projects that no one else wants to do, Johnson said. One of the most interesting and challenging projects that Johnson said he has been associated with was the installation of miles and miles of safer barriers for International Speedway Corporation. We made and installed them he said. Johnson is an active member of the community, serving on many civic and professional organizations. He is a member of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina, the Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Hartsville, Darlington County Progress, Coker Society, and Darlington County School District Business Cabinet. He also gives of his time to the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Florence-Darlington Technical College Machine Tool advisory Board, and Darlington County School District Tool Advisory Board, the Architectural Review Board for the city of Hartsville, and the Leadership and Entrepreneurship Advisory Council at Coker College. Johnson said his business and community service leave him little free time. I like to stay busy, he said. Working is my hobby. I enjoy coming to work. LAKE CITY, S.C. Carolina Academy sophomore Landon Bradshaw spoke on Feb. 2 to a group of South Carolina senators at the South Carolina Statehouse about a Sole Hope service project he hosted at the school in September. The Sole Hope organization has a mission to offer hope, healthier lives and freedom from foot-related diseases through education, jobs and medical relief. Through the service project, Bradshaw and other students at The Carolina Academy collected and prepared items to make shoes for children in Uganda. Bradshaw heard about the Sole Hope project last sumemr at a leadership 4-H camp that was held in honor of the late Senator Clementa Pinckney. At the Statehouse, Bradshaw spoke about the project to 15 state senators and Pinckneys widow, Jennifer Pinckney. I spoke about Sole Hope and how Im trying to make a difference throughout my community and my aspirations to become a surgeon and then a U.S. senator, Bradshaw said. The experience was fun, Bradshaw said. I wrote my speech, and I practiced my speech so I had it down. So that was really good, he said. Everybody loved it, and I tried to make it a little funny so everybody laughed. I was happy about it. Bradshaw was the only student from Florence County to speak on Feb. 2 at the Statehouse. He was invited by the Clemson Extension 4-H office along with three other junior leaders. He does a great job here in his leadership role he takes at the school and doing things that benefit everybody, Carolina Academy headmaster Stevie Phillips said. Were just very proud of that and of him. Bradshaw will visit the S.C. Statehouse again on March 14 to meet senators and other state leaders. Seventh in a series FLORENCE, S.C. The School Foundations 2017 Dancing for Our Future Stars began with a pairings party on Jan. 5, and dancers are halfway into their preparation for the show. Voting is open to the public, and people can support their favorite couples for $10 per vote. At 7 p.m. on March 30, dancers will compete in the annual fundraiser at the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology Center on the Florence-Darlington Technical College campus. Celebrity dancer Chris Handley is the associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church. His professional dance partner is Brandi Williamson. Q. What was your first reaction when you were asked to be in Dancing for Our Future Stars? A. No way. What are you thinking? Theyre going to ask me to dance? That is what it is, but Im excited to serve and to help raise some funds for The School Foundation. Q. What convinced you to say yes? A. Will Malambri was going to be dancing from Central United Methodist, and so we had to show off the Presbyterians. Q. Do you have a background in dance? A. Not a bit, except for in junior high I did the bump. You would never know what that is anymore. Q. How long have you been in Florence, and what brought you here? A. Fifteen, 14 years. Ive been the associate pastor here. I grew up in Charlotte but then lived in Richmond, Virginia, for about 15 years. Q. How did you get into the ministry? A. In college, I was in a Christian ministry, and from there ended up in campus ministry. During those years, about 6, I decided a life of ministry was where I was headed, so I went to seminary in Boston and then ended up in Richmond in my first church. Q. What are some of your favorite ways to serve the community? A. Ive enjoyed working to bring the races together. Thats been one of my pieces of the puzzle. Ive enjoyed working to develop relationships among people who are wanting to help. Its been fun. The thing called Helping Florence Flourish has been one of my passions, and that has afforded us the opportunity to think about racial bridging, education, homelessness and the family, so all of those have a little piece of the puzzle of my heart. Q. Why is it important to help the School Foundation? A. Kids are the future, and trying to help them as much as we can to help them get the best education they can makes a lot of sense. Q. What are some of the ways that you hope your dancing will help education? A. It brings awareness. People that probably I know maybe have never thought about The School Foundation and will give money to The School Foundation for the first time. I know that this dance has been going on a long time, and so its had a big impact on the community, but theres still people that are just finding out through new dancers getting involved. Q. What was your congregations first reaction when you told them you would be dancing? A. They said Do you still want a job? No, they were excited, and I was encouraged a lot of them got tables. In fact, I have more personal types of relationship folk that are buying tables rather than corporations and things like that. Q. What is your biggest fear for competition night? A. That Brandi will mess up. Q. What are you most excited for? A. Im excited to see what its all about. Brandis done this so many times, and this is my first time to do it. Itll be fun. Im looking forward to it. Q. Whats been the best part of this experience so far? A. Its been meeting the people. Ive loved the little jabs between Will Malambri and me. Thats been fun. We havent done that a lot, but its fun to do. The Presbyterians just have to show up the Methodists, but its all in good love, though. LAKE CITY, S.C. Olivia McConnell and Braydon Smith represented Carolina Academy at the South Carolina Independent School Associations Literary Meet this month in Summerville. The competition was held on Feb. 1 at Faith Christian School in Summerville, and nearly 500 students participated, according to Carolina Academy Headmaster Stevie Phillips. McConnell, a sixth-grade student, won first place in the middle school divisions girls extemporaneous speaking competition. Ive competed before but not in this type of category," McConnell said. "I really like to speak. Its just a natural thing. I really like politics. My grandma and grandpa talk about it a lot, and I just started talking about it one day with them. McConnell said she was given topics to research a month before the competition. She used the facts she gathered to prepare her speech. During the competition, she said, she was given a 12-topic list. She drew three of the topics and was able to pick her favorite of the three to speak about. McConnell's chosen topic was "Does the American dream still exist?" I really enjoyed the experience, and I hope to go next year, McConnell said. Smith, an 11th-grader, won second place in the high school divisions oral interpretation competition. He read the book The Day the Crayons Quit and gave an oral interpretation to a group of judges and other people. And I had to animate it and be all the different characters in the book, Smith said. It was challenging, but it was a good experience. It was a learning experience. Both Smith and McConnell have competed in the South Carolina Independent School Associations Literary Meet every year since they were in second grade. Im just glad both of them had that opportunity to compete, Phillips said. They take a lot of pride in the academic work they do here, and it certainly shows with them being part of the literary meet. Im just glad SCISA gives them that opportunity to show off their talents, too. HARTSVILLE, S.C. Melanie Jackson of Stage Left History took fifth-grade students at North Hartsville Elementary School back in time on Feb. 10 to the year 1908 for the Ellis Island Experience, a simulation of the life of an immigrant being processed for entry into the United States. The primary objective of the simulation is for students to gain an understanding, perspective and respect for the overall immigrant experience, especially during the height of the Industrial Revolution. Jackson said in a media advisory. It also provides an opportunity for our community to be involved in the life of our school. Stage Left History is Jacksons own company. She goes into schools and creates historical education simulations. The Ellis Island Simulation is very large, Jackson said. I only do it once a year at one school, in conjunction with the classroom curriculum," she said. "I have done it at several schools, but the last three years it has been at North Hartsville Elementary." She said all the projects take from six to 10 weeks. She said she is like an artist-in-residence. All of the officials are volunteers from the community. Representatives from Coker College faculty and students, LighterSide Restaurant, Duke Energy, Burry Bookstore, Outback Steakhouse and the community at large accepted roles as immigration officials to create a memorable play about officials and immigrants. The simulation lasted from 90 minutes to two hours per class. Everyone had to stay in character until it was announced that the experience had come to a close, Jackson said. This year, 122 fifth-graders stepped into another place in history. The students, after completing a classroom study of the European immigration movement from this time period, began an intense one-month preparation for their project, Jackson said. Each student was assigned the task of creating and developing a character profile to represent during the simulation. The students put together costumes appropriate for the period, country of origin and character occupation they were portraying. The students also, through careful and directed research based on actual immigrant experiences and documents, kept journals throughout the month and during the simulation itself. Jackson said the students were briefed on what to expect: discomfort, nervousness and crowded conditions as they moved through a series of processing stations in order to reach their goal access to America! The students were warned that any number of things could disrupt their entry into America. Fewer than half of the students actually made it into the United States. The remaining students either ended up being detained for some reason or quarantined, she said. Their final outcome did not affect their grade. This was considered a closed simulation, in that no parents, other instructors, or students were permitted to view it, Jackson said. This way there are no distractions for the students as they move through the process, she said. This was Jacksons 10th year for creating, producing and directing this historical simulation. FLORENCE, S.C. Starting March 3, the YMCA will offer a lifeguard certification course. Participants must be at least 16 years old. A swim test is required to enter the course. The class includes all books and YMCA of the USA National Certification for YMCA Lifeguard as well as American Heart and Safety Institute CPR Pro including AED, Oxygen Administration and First Aid, required for certification. Pre-work is required, so register at least one week in advance. Classes will meet Friday, Saturday and Sunday for two weekends. For more information, visit florenceymca.org and look under programs/aquatics or call 843-665-1234. On Feb. 13, CNN reported that a boycott of Valentines Day was ordered by the Islamabad High Court of all of Pakistan. It was stated that it had no place in their Muslim culture. Then I remembered, Valentines Day is a Christian observance. When I was young, it was known as St. Valentines Day. It comes from the 3rd century in Rome. The Roman emperor Claudius II, while building his army, issued an edict banning marriage for his soldiers. He feared married men would have divided allegiances because of wives and families. Valentine was a Catholic priest who married young couples in secret, defying the edict. He believed that love and family were the basis of Christianity. He was caught, imprisoned and executed by beheading on Feb. 14, 278 A.D. Last week, we honored St. Valentine by expressing our love and peace to that special someone, our families and friends. I guess the Pakistani boycott is appropriate. You would have to believe in love and peace to celebrate Valentines Day. A far cry from war and violence. ARLIE P. COLE JR. Society Hill Trump Nieto Mexico This week, the Trump administration detailed new immigration plans that would expand the pool of immigrants eligible for deportation and offer more resources to agencies in charge of the crackdown. The new plans would also see the US deport immigrants to the country from which they arrived, regardless of their country of origin. This has drawn the ire of Mexican officials, who have worked closely with the US government in recent years to intercept migrants flowing through the country toward the US-Mexico border. Luis Videgaray, the Mexican foreign minister, said on Wednesday that his government "will not accept" the US's new, "unilateral" immigration proposals. Related Video: For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android. The statement came hours before Videgaray was scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and US Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly. Videgaray said the new proposals would be the main point of discussion during their meetings on Wednesday and Thursday. Tillerson and Kelly are in Mexico to meet with high-level Mexican officials, including President Enrique Pena Nieto. Videgaray also said the Mexican government wouldn't hesitate to go to the UN "to defend the rights of immigrants," Reuters reported. The Trump administration has sparred with the Mexican government over immigration since the US president took office in late January. Central America migrant Mexico The two countries have long cooperated on immigration issues, with Mexico acting with US assistance to pick up migrants from Central America and other countries who pass through southern Mexico on their way to the US's southern border, where many intend to claim asylum. Story continues This initiative has earned the Mexican government criticism for the amount of resources it requires as well as over apparent violations of its obligations as a signatory to an international convention on the rights of migrants and refugees. The Mexican government has said it could rescind its cooperation on immigration and other programs should relations with the US continue to deteriorate. "We have been a great ally to fight problems with migration, narcotics," Mexico's economy minister, Ildefonso Guajardo, told The Globe and Mail this month. "If at some point in time things become so badly managed in the relationship, the incentives for the Mexican people to keep on cooperating in things that are at the heart of [US] national-security issues will be diminished." NOW WATCH: 'Mexico does not believe in walls': Mexico's president rejects Trump's push for a border wall More From Business Insider The Best A/B Testing Tools For Mobile Apps How Monetizing Your Blog Could Lose You Business Dryships is splashing out $102.5m for a newbuild 113,205 dwt aframax being built in Korea and due for delivery in Q2 this year, and a 2011-built, 320,105 dwt VLCC, which it will also take delivery of in the second quarter. Both vessels are expected to be employed on the spot market. Economou, chairman and ceo of Dryships commented; We are very excited to have re-entered the tanker market by acquiring a modern aframax tanker of eco- design and one very large vrude varrier at historical low prices. We continue to look at opportunities to diversify and grow our fleet with high quality tonnage and significant operating leverage. Dryships quit the tanker sector in mid-2015 selling its six aframaxes to companies belonging to Economou. With both THE Alliance and the Ocean Alliance kicking off on 1 April, along with Hyundai Merchant Marine and Hamburg Sud cooperating with 2M the Asia Europe trade is set for a major shake-up. The big winner will be Singapore, with Rotterdam remaining the key port in Europe, while in Asia both Port Klang and Hong Kong will lose out. Following the start of the new alliance Singapore is set to attract 34 weekly calls on Asia Europe compared to 29 previously. This increase goes as the expense of Port Klang. This shift from Singapore to Port Klang is mostly the consequence of the purchase of Singapore-based APL by CMA CGM, Alphaliner said in its weekly newsletter. Following its acquisition of APL the French line has invested in a joint venture terminal CMA CGM-PSA Lion Terminal at PSA in Singapore boosting its, and with it the Ocean Alliance, presence in the city state. The big loser in this CMA CGMs longstanding Southeast Asian hub Port Klang in neighbouring Malaysia with weekly calls on Asia Europe reduced from 11 to just five. Meanwhile THE Alliance will only hub in Singapore for Southeast Asia. The Port of Tanjung Pelepas will remain the key regional hub for 2M with it adding a 12th weekly call, while the Ocean Alliance will also call the Malaysian port four times a week. Hong Kong is also set to loss out with only seven weekly calls of North European loops and three weekly calls of Mediterranean loops, replacing ten and five calls respectively. On the European side Rotterdam will remain the most important port and while losing two weekly Asia Europe calls due to the alliance reshuffle, however, it will also gain two calls from 2M. The facts today suggest this business area has the potential to be a sensible, profitable and indeed long-term business for Bank of Cyprus, Irishman Hourican told the Shipping Forecast Summit in Limassol 20 February. We aim to become a trusting banking partner. Until now the BoC has stayed out of shipping finance, but plans to enter with proper hires and embedding the required expertise, Indeed, Hourican admitted he was convinced to overturn his career long negative bias towards shipping finance from (his) own time at the Royal Bank of Scotland. Four years ago BoC, Cyprus largest bank, was forced to convert almost 50% of its depositors uninsured funds into equity as part of Cyprus bailout terms and still has a mountain of non-performing loans. Hourican said the bank wishes to serve the Cypriot and Greek shipping community through careful customer selection, careful asset selection and actually being there over the long term for this market. Hourican said shipping financing requires taking global trade trends into account which in turn is threatened by risks to worldwide macroeconomic, social and political stability stemming from increased global private, corporate and government debt levels and the rising nationalism. He said its essential as business leaders we understand and have a view on mega-trends that are impacting the world around us. The world we live in today, is changing and there are many difficult truths that we as business leaders must address as we plan our future prosperity and economic survival. he said. Nationalism, as manifested in the Brexit referendum in June and the election of Donald Trump who applied an anti-globalisation rhetoric and which is likely to impact the outcome of elections in the Netherlands, France and Germany, is as a result on the rise, and has to do with global trade and subsequently shipping, said Hourican. In the eyes of many OECD democracies, globalisation has not delivered the promised high levels of living standards. Nationalism is raising its head in taxation policy, sharing of information across borders, in demands for greater security contributions in NATO, rising trade disputes and cancellation of trade agreements. Already, the signs indicate the shipping industry may further have to cut back on its excess capacity, amid falling cargo rates, and follow the path of the ship construction industry, after the number of shipyards numbering almost 1,000 worldwide shrank to 40% in recent years, said Hourican. He said banks realised the trend and reduced financing to shipping. Since 2008, bank finance to your industry has contracted by about 15% in aggregate while the seaborne fleet has expanded by 30%, he said. This has clearly pressured the financial strength of all operators in one degree or another. There are real business challenges in this sector and whilst there appear glimpses of sunlight though the clouds, there are still difficult periods ahead. The partnership, which will operate under the name Bunge Bahri Dry Bulk Ltd., will provide exclusive freight transportation services to regional and other international customers. The company plans to ship over 5m metric tons in year one, ramping up volume over time to double-digit figures. BDB and Bunge will own 60/40% of the jv respectively, and it will be registered and based in Dubai. This jv is one of BDB's strategic initiatives to reduce complexity for our customers along the value chain, said Ibrahim Al-Omar, ceo, Bahri Working with a leading global player in commodity trading brings the necessary commercial and market intelligence to dry bulk supply and demand fundamentals, and Bunge brings crucial expertise and scale to the table. Their global presence in commodity flows and knowledge of the freight market, coupled with our maritime expertise and strategic position in the region, creates a powerful alliance to meet growing demand for freight services within the Middle East. Brian Thomsen, managing director, Bunge Global Agribusiness and ceo, Bunge Product Lines, said: We expect the jv to become a carrier of choice for customers importing grains and other agricultural commodities in the Middle East, as well as for dry bulk exports outside of the region. The jv will charter and commercially operate supramax and/or panamax, and possibly other suitably sized dry bulk vessels, initially from the fleet currently owned or managed by BDB and subsequently from third parties. BDB is itself a joint venture between Bahri and Arabian Agricultural Services Companyf founded in 2010, and has a fleet of five 81,555 dwt bulkers according to Bahri's website. Financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed. India-Microsoft-Satya-Nadella Satya Nadella has only good things to say about Indian startups and Bengaluru. On Feb. 20, the India-born Nadella was on his maiden visit to the city as Microsoft CEO. Among other things, he participated in a 30-minute fireside chat with Infosys co-founder and former CEO Nandan Nilekani. The event was attended by nearly 1,000 techies and academicians, including some of the countrys most prominent entrepreneurs like Flipkart co-founder and group CEO Binny Bansal and InMobi co-founder and CEO Naveen Tewari. On the sidelines, he met a bunch of young entrepreneurs and saw some products that Indian startups are building. An impressed Nadella made several observations. Here are some of his edited comments: Entrepreneurship in India Its fantastic to see the quality of the entrepreneurs in India. The ideas that these entrepreneurs are working on are not just for the Indian market, which itself is huge, but they also go beyond the country, which is amazing. The centre of the entrepreneurial energy for us (Microsoft) in India is all around the cloud. We are working with some big brands that are using Azure and are already well established, such as OYO Rooms. But even the startups, which I just saw (at the event venue in Bengaluru), were stunningbuilding on IndiaStack, transaction analytics, and the very idea of a payment infrastructure getting built on top of Aadhar, leveraging the cloud, is great. I think the entrepreneurial energy of the place is just tremendous to see. In fact, in the last 12 months, we have had 2,000 startups using our cloud in India. It is one of the few places in the world where the entrepreneurial energy is able to scale up, not just start. Flipkart Flipkarts founder got the second-wave of Indian startup started (the first wave included companies like Infosys). Story continues I have always been an admirer of what Flipkart has done in not only starting e-commerce but now with payments and logistics. They are really getting India on the world map of cloud-native entrepreneurs and applications. (At the event, Flipkart and Microsoft announced a partnership through which the e-commerce major will exclusively use Microsofts cloud computing platform, Azure.) Future of artificial intelligence If I could broadly talk about artificial intelligence, the impact that we are having even in India today is fantastic. Its a powerful great step towards harnessing the power of data. But I dont think we should go and claim that something like artificial general intelligence is just around the corner. If anything, I would say we are on the right ladder this time. Ultimately, the real challenge is human language understanding. That still does not exist, and we are not even close to solving it. We only have some parlour tricks but we dont have anything to say that we can write like Rabindranath Tagore anytime soon. Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news. More stories from Quartz: The surprising rise of Donald Trump has put a serious strain on the longstanding economic partnership between the United States and Mexico. During his presidential campaign, Trump cast Mexico as an economic leech, stealing American jobs by luring U.S. companies, particularly U.S. automakers, across the border. After his election, Trump scored a victory when Ford canceled its plans to build a $1.6 billion manufacturing plant in Mexico. But Trump isn't the world's only influential billionaire businessman. Carlos Slim, a Mexican magnate worth more than $50 billion, wants to prove that the Mexican auto industry can be as innovative as its northern neighbor. Slim recently announced a new collaboration with Grupo Bimbo - the world's largest bread company - to design and build a 100-percent Mexican electric vehicle. Alejandro Salas, a senior automotive industry analyst for Mexico Business Publishing, says that Slim's electric car is the product of a Mexican auto industry that's benefited from years of foreign investment. After decades building cars for GM, Toyota and Volkswagen, Mexico now has the homegrown engineering talent and skilled labor to stand on its own. "Part of [Slim's announcement] is to show the Mexican audience that we can participate in the automotive industry as creators and not just manufacturers," Salas told Seeker, adding that Slim's decision to focus on electric vehicles "shows a level of innovation that, internationally, Mexico isn't known for. It gives the new project a little edge." When Slim's new electric cars roll out of the factory in 2018, they will be the first Mexican-made cars sold exclusively for the domestic market. This comes at a time when the Trump administration has floated the idea of a 20-percent tariff on all goods imported from Mexico. Salas says that almost 80 percent of all Mexican-made vehicles are currently exported to the United States. Slim was a vocal critic of Trump during the presidential campaign. Forbes reported that Trump once accused the Mexican billionaire of pressuring The New York Times to skew its coverage toward Hillary Clinton, since Slim is a shareholder in the paper. Soon after the election, however, the two power brokers appeared to mend fences over a meal at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. RELATED: Americans Need Mexico, Here's Why Salas wouldn't speculate whether Slim's decision to build a 100-percent Mexican vehicle is a retort to Trump's tariff threat, but said that "it helps in the eyes of the Mexican public to realize that there's investment coming from both outside and within the market." The new electric car isn't Slim's first foray into electric vehicles. Slim and Bimbo, the global bread company that also owns Wonder, have already collaborated on an electric delivery truck. The electric bread trucks were designed and built by two of Slim's Mexican companies, Giant Motors and Moldex, and will soon be sold to other large food companies operating in Mexico, like Nestle. The push for electric delivery vehicles in Mexico is largely a response to Mexico City's Hoy No Circula ("No-Drive Days") program, an anti-pollution initiative that bars vehicles from driving one day a week according to the last digit of their license plate. For businesses that make daily deliveries, this can be a logistical nightmare. The only vehicles exempt from the Hoy No Circula rules are electric and hybrid cars and trucks. The consumer market for electric cars in Mexico is small, but growing, Salas said, partly because of the no-drive days in the Mexican capital and the rising price of gasoline. In January, the price for a liter of gasoline at Mexican pumps rose a whopping 20 percent. The massive price hike, known as the "gasolinazo," was part of the Mexican government's effort to cut back on expensive subsidies that have kept retail gas prices in check. The move was met with nationwide protests and a spike in interest in hybrid and electric vehicles. That said, it still might be a few years before electric cars, Mexican-made or otherwise, really find a foothold in the Mexican market. "The infrastructure in Mexico for electric vehicle charging stations isn't really developed," said Salas. "It's in the early stages. There are some consumers buying electric cars, but it's mainly been an effort toward taxis and large fleets." In fact, that's where most Mexican auto industry analysts like Salas believe Carlos Slim's electric cars will first be adopted, by taxi companies in Mexico City. The consumer market will open up later. In the meantime, the Mexican auto industry isn't sitting around waiting for Trump to figure out if he's going to withdraw from NAFTA. Mexico has free trade agreements with 44 other countries, and Salas said that industry leaders are actively courting relationships with other export markets, including China. WATCH VIDEO: What Life Is Really Like In Mexico As a society, we've been almost desperate in our need to recharge our phones and laptops and locate the cords and electrical outlets to make it happen. Now scientists at Disney Research have a found a way to turn an entire room in a wireless charging space. Their method, called quasistatic cavity resonance, has the potential to make wireless electrical power as ubiquitous as Wi-Fi. Just walk into a room and your device starts charging. To develop the proof of concept, principal research scientist Alanson Sample and his colleagues built a 16'x16' room framed with aluminum supports and sheathed in aluminum walls. At the center of the room, they erected a copper pole containing 15 capacitors, devices used to store an electric charge. Outside of the room, the scientists placed a generator and amplifier that produced a radio frequency signal and connected it by wire to a device called a drive coil placed inside the room. When they switched on the generator, the signal moved to the drive coil, which broadcast it to the capacitors in the pole. An electric current was produced that traveled through the pole, ceiling, walls and floor. It created a uniform magnetic field that filled the room. RELATED: Device Lets You Share Wireless Power A receiver coil that resonates at the same frequency as the magnetic field was able to pick up that magnetic field and turn it into power. "One of the remarkable things about this room is that with the appropriate receiver design, we can power many devices simultaneously," associate research scientist Mark Chabalko says in the video below. In the experiment, the scientists were able to power ten different objects at the same time, including a smartphone, a lamp, a fan, and an RC car, to name a few. Researchers from Japan's Kyoto University have documented just the second case in chimpanzees of a genetic disorder similar to Down syndrome in humans. The chimp, a captive-born 24-year-old female named Kanako, has a third copy of chromosome 22, in a condition called trisomy 22. (In humans, Down syndrome is known as trisomy 21, for a third copy of chromosome 21.) The only such prior case in the species was observed in 1969, in a chimp that did not live to be two years old. In humans, Down syndrome can be typified by slowed growth, intellectual challenges of varying degrees and features such as crossed eyes. Kanako, who lives at the university's Kumamoto Sanctuary, has been blind since the age of seven, following cataracts that first appeared when she was only one year old. She also has crossed eyes, thinning corneas, a congenital heart disease and underdeveloped teeth. Researchers only learned of Kanako's unusual condition when a routine exam three years ago showed she had a heart defect. When she was found to have a "hole" in the wall between the chambers of her heart, a chromosome analysis later revealed her trisomy 22. RELATED: 6 Shocking Things About Chimps While her blindness makes it tricky, and possibly unsafe, to socialize with other chimps, Kanako has made a female friend named Roman that she is allowed to see periodically. Thus far, the researchers say, the two animals get along great. Thanks to special underwater cameras, scientists are getting a rare glimpse of dolphin life as it occurs far from the tour boats and smartphone-snapping hordes from the animal's point of view. Researchers from the University of Sydney and the University of Alaska Southeast attached cameras atop eight dusky dolphins off the coast of New Zealand, giving the scientists a look at what each dolphin sees. The effort won the researchers more than eight hours of little-seen activities such as mother-calf interaction, play time in a kelp forest and intimate contacts the scientists described as fipper-rubbing. How do you get a camera onto a wild dolphin gliding past your research boat? Carefully, as you can see in the video below, using a long pole to gently stick the device onto the speedy cetacean's back with the help of suction cups. The cameras were good for six hours of battery life each. Along with video capture, the cameras also incorporated GPS tracking and depth logging. In a perfect world, we'd all live to see 100. We're not quite there yet, but a new study suggests that by 2030, life expectancy is set to increase globally - and that South Koreans may live the longest, up to age 90 on average. Scientists from Imperial College London in collaboration with the World Health Organization set out to study longevity, which reflects "one measure of the overall health of a population," Imperial researcher James Bennett told Seeker. The team developed a Bayesian model averaging (BMA) system, a method that's commonly used to crunch weather data and make predictions, to analyze age data for 35 industrialized countries. They used age-specific death rates, which reflects health during the entire life course, and then calculated life expectancy for people in various countries at birth, again at age 65, and then looked at the probability of dying before age 70. The countries in the study ranged from high-income nations, such as the United States, Canada, the U.K., Germany and Australia, to emerging economies like Poland, Mexico and the Czech Republic - and all countries had data dating back to 1985 and a population of 1 million or more during the entire period. Based on the team's calculations, a baby girl born in South Korea in 2030 will have an average life expectancy of 90.8 years. A baby boy born in the same place and time would be expected to live to age 84.1 years. In the past, an average life expectancy over age 90 was once considered impossible, Majid Ezzati, a lead researcher from the School of Public Health at Imperial, said in a press release. "Many people used to believe that 90 years is the upper limit for life expectancy, but this research suggests we will break the 90-year-barrier," he said. "I don't believe we're anywhere near the upper limit of life expectancy - if there even is one." "South Koreans projected gains may be the result of continued improvements in economic status, which has improved nutrition for children, access to healthcare and medical technology across the whole population," Bennett told Seeker. "This has resulted in fewer deaths from infections and better prevention and treatment for chronic diseases, in a way that is more equitable than some Western countries." RELATED: US Life Expectancy Drops for First Time Since AIDS Crisis Among high-income countries, the U.S., however, ranked lowest, at a life expectancy of 83.3 years for women and 79.5 years for men in 2030. In comparison, French women are expected to live until age 88.6 and Swiss and Australian men until age 84. "U.S. life expectancy is already lower than most other high-income countries, and is expected to fall further behind in 2030, potentially as a result of its large inequalities, absence of universal health insurance and of the country having the highest homicide rate, body mass index and death rates for children and mothers of all high-income countries," Bennett said. The research also suggest that the life expectancy gap between men and women is closing. "Men traditionally had unhealthier lifestyles, and so shorter life expectancies," Ezzati said, explaining that they smoked and drank more and had more road traffic accidents and homicides. "As lifestyles become more similar between men and women, so does their longevity." These findings could help to better set expectations for governments planning for health and social services and for pensions around the world. In the future, Imperial researchers plan to tackle two more areas: include cause specific mortality to gain new insight into some of the major diseases impacting humans and extend average life expectancy analysis for every country in the world. Bennett said this will be "a very challenging area, as data from many countries are not as clean or reliable as those in the study." The study shows potential for many people living longer around the world, though the U.S.'s ranking is a wake-up call that the country might have some catching up to do. WATCH VIDEO: Can Technology Stop Aging? (Corrects the Maple Leaf Foods story in the Stocks to Watch section to say total sales fell, and not rose, to C$828.2 million from C$873.1 million.) To access the newsletter, click on the link: http://share.thomsonreuters.com/assets/newsletters/morning_News_Call/MNCGeneric_CA_02222017.pdf You can read Morning News Call Canada via TOPNEWS Canada page. If you would like to receive this newsletter through your email, please register at: https://forms.thomsonreuters.com/MorningNewsCall/ ECONOMIC EVENTS 08:30 Retail sales mm for Dec: Expected 0.0 pct; Prior 0.2 pct 08:30 Retail sales ex-autos mm for Dec: Expected 0.6 pct; Prior 0.1 pct COMPANIES REPORTING RESULTS Feb 22: CRH Medical Corp (CRH). Expected Q4 earnings of 5 cents per share Exchange Income Corp (EIF). Expected Q4 earnings of 51 Canadian cents per share First Majestic Silver Corp (FR). Expected Q4 earnings of 1 cent per share High Liner Foods Inc (HLF). Expected Q4 earnings of 31 cents per share Hudbay Minerals Inc (HBM). Expected Q4 earnings of 10 cents per share IAMGOLD Corp (IMG). Expected Q4 earnings of break even per share Lundin Mining Corp (LUN). Expected Q4 earnings of 5 cents per share Maple Leaf Foods Inc (MFI). Expected Q4 earnings of 33 Canadian cents per share Pason Systems Inc (PSI). Expected Q4 loss of 4 Canadian cents per share Taseko Mines Ltd (TKO). Expected Q4 earnings of break even per share Trican Well Service Ltd (TCW). Expected Q4 loss of 8 Canadian cents per share Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd (WDO). Expected Q4 earnings of 5 Canadian cents per share Western Energy Services Corp (WRG). Expected Q4 loss of 17 Canadian cents per share Feb 23: Alamos Gold Inc (AGI). Expected Q4 earnings of break even per share Altagas Ltd (ALA). Expected Q4 earnings of 31 Canadian cents per share Altus Group Ltd (AIF). Expected Q4 earnings of 42 Canadian cents per share Blackpearl Resources Inc (PXX). Expected Q4 earnings of break even per share Calfrac Well Services Ltd (CFW). Expected Q4 loss of 32 Canadian cents per share Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM). Expected Q1 earnings of C$2.59 per share CCL Industries Inc (CCLb). Expected Q4 earnings of C$2.60 per share Chartwell Retirement Residences (CSHun). Expected Q4 loss of 3 Canadian cents per share Cott Corp (BCB). Expected Q4 loss of 5 cents per share Crescent Point Energy Corp (CPG). Expected Q4 loss of 6 Canadian cents per share Eldorado Gold Corp (ELD). Expected Q4 earnings of 2 cents per share Gildan Activewear Inc (GIL). Expected Q4 earnings of 29 cents per share Guyana Goldfields Inc (GUY). Expected Q4 earnings of 5 Canadian cents per share Halogen Software Inc (HGN). Expected Q4 earnings of 3 cents per share IMAX Corp (IMAX). Expected Q4 earnings of 21 cents per share Innergex Renewable Energy Inc (INE). Expected Q4 earnings of break even per share Leon's Furniture Ltd (LNF). Expected Q4 earnings of 47 Canadian cents per share Loblaw Companies Ltd (L). Expected Q4 earnings of 97 Canadian cents per share MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd (MDA). Expected Q4 earnings of C$1.42 per share Mitel Networks Corp (MITL). Expected Q4 earnings of 23 cents per share Nevsun Resources Ltd (NSU). Expected Q4 loss of 1 cent per share Newalta Corp (NAL). Expected Q4 loss of 12 Canadian cents per share Northland Power Inc (NPI). Expected Q4 earnings of 49 Canadian cents per share Pembina Pipeline Corp (PPL). Expected Q4 earnings of 35 Canadian cents per share Silver Standard Resources Inc (SSO). Expected Q4 earnings of 19 cents per share Stantec Inc (STN). Expected Q4 earnings of 42 Canadian cents per share Syncordia Technologies and Healthcare Solutions Corp (SYN). Expected Q3 loss of 6 cents per share TeraGo Inc (TGO). Expected Q4 earnings of 1 Canadian cent per share Tree Island Steel Ltd (TSL). Expected Q4 earnings of 2 Canadian cents per share Tricon Capital Group Inc (TCN). Expected Q4 earnings of 12 cents per share CORPORATE EVENTS 08:00 5N Plus Inc (VNP). Q4 earnings conference call 08:30 Waste Connections Inc (WCN). Q4 earnings conference call 10:00 Golden Star Resources Ltd (GSC). Q4 earnings conference call 10:00 SQI Diagnostics Inc (SQD). Q1 earnings conference call 11:30 Sandstorm Gold Ltd (SSL). Q4 earnings conference call 13:00 First Majestic Silver Corp (FR). Q4 earnings conference call 14:00 High Liner Foods Inc (HLF). Q4 earnings conference call 14:30 Maple Leaf Foods Inc (MFI). Q4 earnings conference call 16:30 Patient Home Monitoring Corp (PHM). Q1 earnings conference call EXDIVIDENDS Allbanc Split Corp II (ALB). Amount C$0.12 Corby Spirit and Wine Ltd (CSWa). Amount C$0.21 DHX Media Ltd (DHXb). Amount C$0.02 Industries Lassonde Inc (LASa). Amount C$0.51 Pembina Pipeline Corp (PPL). Amount C$0.16 For Morning News Call U.S. -- a preview of market-moving news for the trading day: - type US/MNC in a news browser if you are an Eikon user, or type RT/US/MNC in a news browser if you are a Thomson One user For The Day Ahead -- a recap of the day's events and preview of the next trading day: - type DAY/US in a news browser if you are an Eikon user or type RT/DAY/US in a news browser if you are a Thomson One user For an index of our newsletters click on President Donald Trump's newly-minted head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, cautioned the agency's staff to avoid "abuses" of their authority in an inaugural address to assembled employees, amid signs the White House plans to roll back key Obama-era climate and water initiatives. In a 15-minute address, Pruitt painted a broad picture of a more constrained EPA - saying stricter adherence to "the letter of the law" when writing environmental regulations will help avoid lawsuits from corporations or states who might contend that the environmental watchdog overreached its mandate. "Process matters," Pruitt told the EPA's staff in remarks broadcast to the agency's 15,000 employees. "We should respect that, and focus upon that, and try to avoid - not try to avoid, but do avoid - abuses that occur sometimes." Such abuses, Pruitt said, include "using the guidance process to do rule-making," and "engaging in... regulation through litigation." In his previous job as Attorney General of Oklahoma, Pruitt sued the federal agency he now leads at least 14 times, and his official web site described him as "a leading advocate against the EPA's activist agenda," in language that has since been removed. As a result he has faced broad skepticism from current and former EPA staff as he assumes leadership. RELATED: Senate Confirms Pruitt, Despite Questions Over His Fossil Fuel Ties Pruitt opened his remarks with a tacit acknowledgement of the controversy surrounding his own appointment, and concern among environmentalists over the Trump administration's policies, with a call for "civility" among those who disagree and a pledge to "seek to be a good listener." "This environment [in which] we live, in this country today, it is a very - forgive the reference - but it's a very toxic environment," he said. "We have jerseys that we put on, both politically and otherwise. And that's something that I think is damaging to the overall objective of finding results." He added: "I believe we can be both pro-energy and jobs, and pro-environment; that we don't have to choose between the two." Pruitt's address to EPA staff follows his first interview since being nominated in November, in which he told The Wall Street Journal that he expects the Trump administration to quickly withdraw from the Clean Power Plan - President Barack Obama's signature regulation limiting greenhouse gas emissions from power plants - as well as from the Waters of the United States rule, which grants the government expanded oversight over the nation's waterways. Asked by conservative columnist Kimberley Strassel whether the EPA will seek to regulate carbon dioxide, which scientists broadly agree is the key source of climate change, Pruitt said he wasn't sure the agency has the authority to do so. "There will be a rule-making process to withdraw those rules, and that will kick off a process," he told the Journal, which is owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who has personal ties to the Trump family. "And part of that process is a very careful review of a fundamental question: Does EPA even possess the tools, under the Clean Air Act, to address this? It's a fair question to ask if we do, or whether there in fact needs to be a congressional response to the climate issue." The Supreme Court ruled in 2007 in Massachusetts v. EPA that the Clean Air Act provides the agency with authorization to regulate the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing the planet to warm. RELATED: Trump's EPA Nominee Rejects Scientific Consensus on Climate Change The Trump administration is drafting a pair of executive orders aimed at rolling back both policies, The Washington Post reported on Monday, citing unidentified sources. The first will purportedly instruct Pruitt's EPA to start rewriting the Clean Power Plan, and instruct the Bureau of Land Management to lift a moratorium on federal coal leasing. The second order will instruct the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to revamp the Waters of the United States rule. "Scott Pruitt has made it clear he wants to destroy the Environmental Protection Agency, and he didn't say anything today to make anyone think he's changed his mind," said Travis Nichols, a spokesperson for the environmental activist group Greenpeace. "Every single one of Trump's nominees share the same neglect of facts and disregard for the most vulnerable communities in this country, but Scott Pruitt may be the worst of the bunch," Nichols said. "Scott Pruitt does not care about healthy communities, clean air and water, or a stable climate, so it is up to all of us to still demand those basic rights and fight for them." Cats notoriously turn their noses up to many foods, but this ability to sniff out particular odors holds tremendous potential, according to new research that makes a case for training domestic cats as search and rescue animals. Cats may even be superior than dogs in this role, since their genes indicate they have better olfactory discrimination power than dogs do, according to the new paper, published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science. "Given the importance of olfaction in cat sensory perception, cats could be trained to discriminate between a variety of odors, therefore serving in working roles for detecting specific humans, medical scent detection, bomb sniffing, or drug sniffing," said Kristyn Vitale Shreve, who co-authored the paper with Monique Udell. "Given the popularity of cats, with cats outnumbering dogs by almost 10 million in the U.S. alone, cats may be an untapped resource for this type of work," said Shreve, a researcher in Oregon State University's Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences. Shreve explained that there are three families of receptor proteins in the scent detection organ of mammals: V1Rs, V2Rs and FPRs. The number of V1R receptor gene variants is believed to predict the mammal's ability to discriminate different odors. Domestic cats have around 30 V1Rs compared to just nine in dogs, Shreve said. Humans have only two. Rats beat them all, with an incredible 120 V1Rs. As a result, rats are already being used to detect landmines, and research is underway to use them to detect tuberculosis. The rodents are also being trained now to be search and rescue animals, with five trained rats acing a test that called for them to locate a human in a simulated collapsed building. RELATED: 'Claws' on a Cat's Tongue Work Like Velcro to Clean Fur Cats may be the nemesis of rats, but like rodents, felines can squeeze into tight places, have the ability to climb, maintain good balance and more. All of these qualities could serve them well in search and rescue missions, according to the researchers. Cats have a reputation for being difficult to train, but Shreve said challenges could be overcome if care is taken to "socialize the cat to experiences outside of the home, find rewards or experiences the cat most wants to work for, and use positive reinforcement to reward those behaviors you are trying to train." In terms of socialization, Shreve has taught kitten training and held a monthly Cat Socialization Club, where felines in a safe space could "mingle," play with others and eat treats. Choosing the right food for rewards during training is critical. "Would you go to work every day to earn your living to be paid in corn?" she asked. Carnivorous cats may not work for carbohydrate-packed treats, but they may be motivated by cooked chicken or tuna, she said, adding that cats seem even to prefer more intangible rewards, such as play or social interaction. "I think the public perception of the 'un-trainable' cat stops many people from trying to train them for more complex tasks," she said. "In our kitten classes, adults and children have taught cats to sit, stay, go to mat and stay, stand, spin, high jump, ring a service bell and much more." RELATED: How Did Cats Spread Around the World? Often the training involves familiarizing a cat with a target (in the classes the target was everything from chopsticks to a food container lid) and then teaching the cat to approach and tap the item for a reward. Once a cat learns this first basic step, the feline can be taught more complex behaviors in order to reach the target. Shreve and Udell indicate that the "target" can also be a particular odor, such as the scent given off by a type of cancer. Dogs have already shown that they can do this in studies, by touching their muzzle against a test tube when it contains a sample from a person with lung cancer. Shreve said that the skill is likely underused in cats. One of her own cats, for example, repeatedly sniffed a certain side of another cat's face in the household. This second cat seemed fine, but then it was later discovered that she had a cancerous growth in the area that the other cat previously sniffed out. Not all cats are destined for search and rescue work, however. Shreve said, "Just like in dogs and humans, cats show variability in their social behavior and personalities. So, just like not all dogs or people may be equipped to go out on search and rescue missions, not all cats will either." WATCH: These Plants Could Kill Your Pet Bam eyes students' safety during field trips in probe Are there tight guidelines to ensure our children's safety? Sen. Bam Aquino said this will be the main focus of the impending Senate probe on the bus accident that killed 15 people, including 13 students from Bestlink College, during a field trip in Tanay, Rizal. Sen. Bam has filed Senate Resolution No. 297, calling for an investigation into the accident, which also claimed the lives of a teacher and the bus driver. "We need to check the guidelines. Are there tight guidelines to make sure that our children are safe?" said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Education. "Gusto nating malaman how we can avoid these type of accidents. This is not the first accident na nangyari in a field trip na may namatay. Mayroon nang nangyaring ganito in the past," he added. The probe, which will be conducted jointly by the Committees on Education and Public Services, would determine if the students were coerced by the school to join the field trip in exchange for a passing grade. "We need to make sure that walang napilit. Kailangan nating alamin ang katotohanan sa mga kuwento na na-threaten daw iyong mga bata na babagsak kung hindi sumama sa field trip," the senator said. Sen. Bam said representatives from the Department of Education (DepEd) will also be invited to the hearing to discuss regulations regarding field trips in elementary and high schools. According to initial investigation, the students were en-route to a medical and survival training for their National Service Training Program subject when the bus lost its brakes while traversing a curved highway before hitting an electrical post. Press Release February 22, 2017 Transcript of Interview of Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin M. Drilon SFMD: Senator Recto has taken the position that we should not amend the Constitution and therefore, it is a vote against adoption of the resolution calling either for a constitutional convention or constitutional assembly. Whether or not that will be a decisive vote, I do not know. You know by his withdrawal of the resolution, it only means that he is not in favor of amending the Constitution. So any resolution that will propose for the call of a con-con or con-ass, he will cast a negative vote. Whether or not that negative vote will affect the vote is something that is speculative at this point. Q: He said that it is because he is seeing political reasons na yung Cha-cha, do you share his observations? SFMD: I would not express an opinion, because I am the chair of the committee that will draft the report. Q: Yun lang bang kay Senator Recto yung hini-hear na resolution? It will not affect the hearing? SFMD: Marami. It will not affect the hearing. Not at all. We would know the effect once we put it to a vote. Q: Yung legal luminaries, some are in favor, some are not. SFMD: That is expected and I'm glad that views were freely expressed. It as a very substantial discussion and we will take this into account when we submit a report to the plenary. Q: Is there another hearing? SFMD: We are reviewing the necessity whether or not we should conduct out-of-town hearings. But we have not decided on that. Q: Nagbotohan daw po kagabi sa caucus? SFMD: We voted and as reported in media, 10 of us said we should see what the truth is by hearing the new witness, and that the Committee on Public Order to whom it was referred would hear it. There were 10 of us who voted in favor and Senator Poe said she would also endorse the ruling, so there are at least 11. By tradition, we honor our agreements in caucus. In other words, the mechanism for calling for a caucus in order to arrive at a consensus is a time-honored practice in the Senate which is not easily disregarded. That is a tradition that other senators can junk if... Legally we cannot do much. I'm talking about the tradition in the Senate, caucuses are called to arrive at a consensus and there was a consensus last night, although we had to go to a vote. But a majority clearly stated that we should hear Lascanas. Q: May botohan talaga, mainit ang discussion? SFMD: There was a discussion. That's natural. The voting was only a way by which we, at the caucus, could arrive at a consensus. We assume that the consensus arrived at as a result of the voting in caucus is that we should hear the new witness and find what the truth is. Press Release February 22, 2017 Transcript of Sen. Grace Poe's Manifestation ...Number one, he mentioned that we shouldn't allow this person to come over here and lie again to us because we should not give this person the benefit of doing so. I would just like to give my own opinion about this. Making him come here to speak is not for the benefit of this person. I believe that making him come here to speak is also for the benefit of those of us who would like to know what made him change his mind and why he is doing so. Mr. President I think if we were to judge based on the statements of the other resource persons that came here and we would reject them for having lied in the past, I think we will not have any resource persons left. There are certain self-preservations that obviously these individuals might have had when they first came over here to speak. On the other hand, I would also like to thank Senator Gordon for being upfront about it. Senator Lacson and I were discussing, at least he was truthful in what he's saying that he was not going to hear it, that he thought it was just a waste of time because what he could do as a chairman of the committee is just to say 'yes, it can be referred to my committee, I will sit on it and I will do nothing.' But then he said, 'if it's referred to my committee, I think it will be a waste of time and I will not hear it.' On the other hand, Senator Ping, I'm sorry to my seatmate but I think it is a laudable reason also for him. He's uncomfortable in breaking the collegiality between us and accepting the referral to his committee. Although I think he's a capable chairman of public order and I think he could hear this fairly. I could understand his predicament. So Mr. President, most of you are lawyers here but we have Sec. 14 Rule 10 of the Senate Rules which reads, 'Whenever necessary, special committees shall be organized, the membership and jurisdiction of which shall be determined by the Senate President.' Proceeding from this and considering that the justice committee chair has expressed his objection to reopen the hearing on the EJK, and if in case the public order committee is not likewise inclined to do so, may I then manifest that there may be a necessity that a special committee be organized for this purpose, given the following: 1. The allegations of Mr. Lascanas are serious and appear to corroborate the testimony of Mr. Matobato. The Senate should be given an opportunity to test his credibility. It doesn't mean that he is telling the truth already by his coming out in the open or the truthfulness of his allegations in the interest of the public. 2. Mr. Lascanas may have perjured himself by making allegations that are diametrically opposed to what he had previously given under oath before the justice committee. This opportunity that we will give ourselves to hear and scrutinize these allegations before a special committee (that may be organized) would definitely not absolve Mr. Lascanas from any criminal act that he may have already committed. Mr. President, you were with me in 2004 when no one would hear us about all of the fraud allegations at that time during the elections. You were also with us during the hearings on the fertilizer fund scam where the blue ribbon committee refused to hear it and it was the committee on agriculture that had to assume that responsibility. I feel that even if we have other venues like the Ombudsman and the courts, it is always the Senate that is the last bastion for the public to be able to hear all of the testimonies without limit. So I appeal to my colleagues, we may have our inclinations and political affiliations. But this is not for anyone, this is really to preserve also what the Senate has done in the past and that is a forum for the public to hear issues. Now with regard to Mamasapano, it was mentioned that it has not been approved. We have a committee report, it has not been voted on but Mr. President, what we have recommended that charges be filed against those individuals, were carried on by the Ombudsman, usurpation of power, etc. And so with that, Mr. President, I thank you for this opportunity. David Zalubowski/Associated Press MESA, Ariz. - The As are hopeful that new reliever Santiago Casilla, signed as a free agent this offseason, will be able to report to camp in the next day or two. Casilla, who started his career with Oakland but spent the past seven years with the Giants, was signed on Jan. 20, and the team anticipated that he would be late to camp because his visa process began much later than many other players coming from Latin American and Caribbean countries. Casilla was expecting to get his visa Wednesday in the Dominican Republic, making it possible for him to fly to Arizona sometime this week. For the past few months, Amara Tabor-Smith has added a few more warm-up exercises to her Saturday morning Rhythm & Motion classes in the Mission, where 80 dancers regularly gather in yoga pants and drapey tank tops to joyously sweat. Sometimes Tabor-Smith begins class by telling her students to shudder the stress out of their bodies. Sometimes she encourages them to set a positive intention for the energy theyll generate. Most often, these days, she asks the room to breathe together. We can come here together and acknowledge there is tension, she said. Thats one thing that were experiencing, regardless of what side were on. Since Novembers presidential election, a new tension has infected the collective psyche of the Bay Area, where three-quarters of voters in many counties voted Democrat. The Bay Area is not alone: An American Psychological Association survey found that half of respondents, regardless of party, reported that the results of the election caused them significant stress. Among Democrats, that figure was 79 percent. Paul Chinn/The Chronicle Representatives from religious groups, activists and nonprofit organizations in the area say that people are coming to them in heightened numbers, seeking solace for post-election anxiety sometimes in some very Northern California ways. Several members of the San Francisco-based Therapy Referral Network, for instance, reported that the majority of their clients are bringing up political worries. Id say over half of them talk about it in every session, if not spending a large chunk of the session, said Sherry Freeman, a psychotherapist who practices in San Francisco and Marin County. Clients of Islamic descent share their anxiety over family members or hostility theyve encountered. Couples seek intercession for differing political views, even between Democrats. Congregation Shaar Zahav, a synagogue in the Castro, says that an overwhelming number of people attended a service of healing on the Friday after the election. Since then, people have been calling with all kinds of fears and anxieties and excitement weve been a home for people on both sides, said director of engagement Adam Pollack. The congregation has decided to focus on refugee issues, sponsoring three LGBT refugees who recently arrived in the United States, and is offering classes and discussion groups on how members can respond to incidents of harassment or bias. According to Mike Brown, communications director for the San Francisco Archdiocese of the Catholic Church, the Trump administrations anti-immigrant pronouncements and policies have been a great source of stress for parishioners. At one recent meeting on immigration, 300 people showed up. The diocese is now holding workshops, in English and Spanish, on how to respond to immigration raids. The Rev. James Moore, director of the St. Jude shrine at St. Dominics Catholic Church, says that San Franciscans have long sought comfort from the shrine, devoted to the patron saint of desperate causes. So many candles burn in our church that we dont use heaters, Moore said. Its literally heated by the prayers of the faithful. In the 1930s, they prayed over the Depression. In the 1980s, AIDS brought many gay men to the shrine. Now, the priest says, many pilgrims ask him to pray for friends or relatives who face violence in Latin America or immigration woes here. Many Bay Area residents have turned to volunteering. San Francisco-based Volunteer Match, which connects volunteers with nonprofits across the United States, reported that more than half a million people have visited the site since Jan. 20, an increase of 76 percent; Bay Area searches have been up 33 to 47 percent since the inauguration. That number is reflected in anecdotal reports from nonprofits; the Sierra Club, for instance, reports 3,000 new Bay Area members since the election and an uptick in volunteers. Others find solace in action: protests, strikes such as the Feb. 16 Day Without Immigrants and writing appeals on social media. A year ago, three Alameda residents formed Solidarity Sundays, a feminist political action group that held monthly meetings to plan political actions. At the beginning of November, Solidarity Sundays consisted only of the original Alameda chapter, which drew 50 to 70 people for its events, and a Facebook group with 700 members. Now it has 100 chapters across the country close to 30 in the Bay Area alone and almost 15,000 Facebook followers. Each month, founders Kate Schatz, Leslie Dotson Van Every and Jennye Garibaldi, who are volunteering their time, come up with an agenda to share with the chapters. The actions include making phone calls and writing letters to members of Congress, and each group, said Schatz, is encouraged to add local actions. Were trying to cut through the noise, give people guidance about what to focus on and manage the shock and awe (tactics) of the administration, Schatz said. But sometimes the most immediate coping mechanism is to grind anxiety away to Mary J. Bliges Just Fine in a dance exercise class, or press deeper into that Warrior 1 pose on the yoga mat. San Francisco yoga teacher Stacey Rosenberg said that in her classes, she has been talking more about how yoga is a rehearsal for life. I talk about alchemizing the feelings, she said, or transforming them into the fuel you need to do the work in the world you need to do. Jonathan Kauffman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jkauffman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jonkauffman Business leaders at the Bay Area Council business group did their best at a recent fundraiser for House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to persuade the Bakersfield Republican to get behind Caltrain electrification but no dice. McCarthy and the rest of the California GOP congressional delegation urged the Trump administration to delay a $647 million federal grant for the Caltrain upgrade as a way of targeting Gov. Jerry Browns high-speed rail project, which would ride Caltrains rails from the South Bay to San Francisco. Last week, the administration went along with the delay. Caltrain says that could doom it to a future of slow, inefficient diesel trains. At the Feb. 9 fundraiser for McCarthy at San Franciscos Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Bay Area business heavyweights pointed out the economic pluses of converting Caltrains aging diesel fleet to faster electric trains. He said he supported electrification of Caltrain, but said the problem was that the $647 million was co-mingled with high-speed rail money and that the line would be used by high-speed rail, said Bay Area Council President Jim Wunderman. As for McCarthys argument against high-speed rail? Same as it has always been, Wunderman said. Too costly. Its not really high-speed rail. Wunderman said the business group is still holding out hope that President Trump will include the Caltrain money in his upcoming budget. Others, however, say the chances are slim. The president might put the money back in maybe, said Tom Nolan, a longtime member of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency board. But I wouldnt bet too much on that. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Dan Richard, chairman of the states High-Speed Rail Authority, said that if McCarthy and the other 13 California House Republicans were out to kill bullet trains, they picked the wrong target. The business plan allows us to stop at San Jose, Richard said. If McCarthy is trying to blow us up, Caltrain was collateral damage. San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross Two former Bay Area Air Quality Management District employees say district managers destroyed records showing that major polluters were given big breaks in the fines they should have received. In a claim to be filed Wednesday with the district and the state, a precursor to a potential lawsuit in Superior Court, Michael Bachmann, a longtime record-keeping manager in the district, and his former assistant, Sarah Steele, said they protested the destruction of documents and were fired. Eustace de St. Phalle, a lawyer for Bachmann, said their case was intended to make sure that those responsible for the destruction of records essential to protecting the air we breathe, keeping the public safe, and punishing major polluters are held accountable. The district, which oversees air quality in the nine Bay Area counties, denied the accusations. The allegations were first raised over a year ago and were thoroughly investigated by an outside law firm, the district said in a statement. The allegations were determined to be false and without merit. The Air District complies with all document-retention requirements in state and federal law. Gary Gwilliam, a lawyer for Bachmann and Steele, responded that the district had conducted a very biased investigation. Bachmann, a 16-year employee, said he was in charge of a team that began transferring the districts records to a new headquarters in 2015 and creating a new electronic file and software program. During that process, the former employees said, they saw the destruction of records on the districts settlement agreements with polluters. Many of those records, they said, showed that top officials in the districts legal and enforcement divisions had made significant reductions in fines assessed against major polluters, often lowering the amounts enough that the board would not need to be notified of the violations. Lawyers for Bachmann and Steele did not identify the companies involved. Bachmann said in a statement that he told executive management in November 2015 that this was a violation of internal policy and state law. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. He said the districts chief legal counsel, Brian Bunger, replied that it was better if staff destroyed records and that the district had no obligation to document what was destroyed. Mr. Bunger further told me that it could hurt us if we have a record of what was destroyed. Bunger and other senior managers prevented Bachmann and his team from digitizing the records and ordered them to return the documents they had tried to protect, said lawyers for the former employees. They said Steele was fired last February and Bachmann in August. The dismissals were based on trumped-up charges of minor policy violations, said attorney de St. Phalle. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko Incoming Oakland Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick wasnt the only winner in her $299,675-a-year deal with the city City Administrator Sabrina Landreth , who helped negotiate the contract, will see an immediate $8,000 bump to her $291,000-a-year pay. The agreement also paves the way for the city administrators pay to go up every time the chief gets a raise. That means Landreth could see a salary bump of about $33,000 over the 2-year life of Kirkpatricks contract. Chalk up the pay push to the citys compaction policy, which calls for managers to be paid more than the workers they manage. It is general practice in both the public and private sectors for a salary or classification system to require an increase in pay with each higher level of responsibility in a chain of command, said Oakland public information officer Harry Hamilton. And since Landreth along with the mayor and the citys new Police Commission oversees the police chief, she comes under the compaction rule, and her pay goes up with every raise the new chief earns. City Councilman Noel Gallo said some council members had serious reservations about both the chiefs pay and the city administrators connected salary increase. I was hoping to see some kind of (national) salary survey that compared the chiefs pay to what other similar-size cities are paying to justify the raises, Gallo said. Kirkpatricks pay was negotiated by Landreth, Mayor Libby Schaaf and the recruiter the city hired to find a new chief last year. The salary was based on what nearby cities pay their top cops including San Francisco, where newly hired Police Chief William Scott pulls down about $316,000 a year. The city also took education and experience into consideration. The new Oakland chiefs contract also includes $5,000 for moving expenses. Kirkpatrick was working in Chicago when Schaaf tapped her last month to run the Oakland Police Department. In the end, Gallo said he voted for the deal because, given that its been eight months since the city had a permanent chief to oversee a troubled Police Department, voting no would have sent the wrong message. Landreths first raise which will bring her salary to $1 more than the chiefs will kick in with Kirkpatricks expected arrival Monday. Even with the pay boost, Schaaf tells us Landreth still wont be even in the top 20 highest-paid city administrators in California who run smaller and far less complicated cities. Believe me, she earns every penny. Landreth did not return a phone call seeking comment. Kirkpatrick will be Oaklands sixth full-time chief since 2009. The rapid turnover rate has made it difficult for Schaaf and her predecessors to maintain stability in a department beset by layoffs, low morale and continued federal court oversight stemming from a case in the early 2000s in which a group of officers was accused of beating West Oakland residents and planting evidence. Last year, just when the previous police chief, Sean Whent, seemed to be making progress, the department was engulfed in a scandal in which several officers allegedly had sex with an underage girl and gave her money and information about upcoming vice raids. Whent resigned, and two acting chiefs lasted only a few days on the job. Collateral damage: Business leaders at the Bay Area Council business group did their best at a recent fundraiser for House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to persuade the Bakersfield Republican to get behind Caltrain electrification but no dice. McCarthy and the rest of the California GOP congressional delegation urged the Trump administration to delay a $647 million federal grant for the Caltrain upgrade as a way of targeting Gov. Jerry Browns high-speed rail project, which would ride Caltrains rails from the South Bay to San Francisco. Last week, the administration went along with the delay. Caltrain says that could doom it to a future of slow, inefficient diesel trains. At the Feb. 9 fundraiser for McCarthy at San Franciscos Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Bay Area business heavyweights pointed out the economic pluses of converting Caltrains aging diesel fleet to faster electric trains. He said he supported electrification of Caltrain, but said the problem was that the $647 million was commingled with high-speed rail money and that the line would be used by high-speed rail, said Bay Area Council President Jim Wunderman. As for McCarthys argument against high-speed rail? Same as it has always been, Wunderman said. Too costly. Its not really high-speed rail. Wunderman said the business group is still holding out hope that President Trump will include the Caltrain money in his upcoming budget. Others, however, say the chances are slim. The president might put the money back in maybe, said Tom Nolan, a longtime member of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency board. But I wouldnt bet too much on that. Dan Richard, chairman of the states High-Speed Rail Authority, said that if McCarthy and the other 13 California House Republicans were out to kill bullet trains, they picked the wrong target. The business plan allows us to stop at San Jose, Richard said. If McCarthy is trying to blow us up, Caltrain was collateral damage. San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross Bill Hutchinson / The Chronicle A female staff member of a school in Berkeley was taken to a local hospital after being stabbed on Tuesday afternoon by a suspect who was quickly captured by police, officials said. The stabbing, which allegedly took place at a school on the 2100 block of Sixth Street, was reported to the Berkeley Police Department about 1:46 p.m, police said. The only school on that block is the Via Center, a private school for special education students. In the month since President Trump took office, conversations between Ramon and his children have become increasingly serious: The two children, ages 5 and 11, are scared about what will happen to their father, a Mexican national who is living in the Bay Area without legal documentation. On Monday, the day before the Trump administration released a pair of memos spelling out how it will implement the presidents executive orders cracking down on illegal immigration, his children both U.S. citizens asked him whether the family would be able to stay together. Why is this happening? You are my only family. Why do we have to separate? his sixth-grade daughter said through tears. She started shaking she has never been to Mexico, which Ramon left years ago. I dont want to go away from you. Ramon, a home carpet installer who asked that his last name be withheld, tried to reassure her but knew that nothing was guaranteed. He is one of millions of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally who appear to be at increased risk of being deported under the new policies, which President Trump has said are needed to improve U.S. citizens job prospects and save on government social services costs. The implementation memos signed by Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly are a departure from policies enacted under the Obama administration, which in its last years focused on deporting people who had been convicted of serious crimes. Kellys memos say people who should be moved to the front of the deportation line include not just those criminals, but people who have engaged in fraud or willful misrepresentation in connection with any official matter before a governmental agency, which can include using a fake Social Security number for work a common practice among immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. Also eligible for deportation are people who have committed acts which constitute a chargeable criminal offense. That can include any immigration-related crime, such as illegal entry or re-entry to the U.S. The memos also give immigration officers the leeway to remove anyone they believe poses a safety risk. Advocates for immigrants who entered the U.S. without legal permission say people are right to conclude that families such as Ramons could very well be broken up. In essence, its a way of creating priorities without having any priorities I think something like this will sow significant fear and anxiety in people no matter where they are, said Pratheepan Gulasekaram, an associate professor at the Santa Clara University School of Law and an immigration expert. This will force people further into the shadows. The new marching orders for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, Gulasekaram said, amount to, Do as you feel and go after who you want to go after and it will fit into one of the priorities. They are so broad that they can include anybody. The agency noted on its website in a statement clarifying questions about the memos that all of those in violation of immigration law may be subject to immigration arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States. There are about 11 million unauthorized people in the country, more than 2 million of them in California, according to the Pew Research Center. A Homeland Security official speaking to reporters in Washington denied that the implementation strategy is intended to produce mass roundups, mass deportations. ICE does not have the time, personnel or resources to round up people and do all kinds of mass throwing folks on buses, the official said in a background briefing, according to the Washington Post. The big picture here is that were executing what the president directed, which is consistent with what Congress put into law, the official told reporters. We will do so professionally. We will treat everyone humanely and with dignity, but were going to execute the laws of the United States. Immigration advocates and their Democratic Party allies werent convinced that enforcement would be limited. The memos are breathtaking in scope and could result in anyone who is undocumented being swept up by ICE, said Priya Murthy, a policy and advocacy director at the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network in Santa Clara County. Her advice for immigrants living in the U.S. illegally is to seek legal consultations from trusted organizations and be informed of their rights. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., called the memos a plan for mass deportations that imply that all immigrants should be treated as criminals, regardless of their background or lack of criminal history. Kellys memos call for hiring 5,000 Border Patrol agents and 10,000 ICE agents, and for authorizing local police to help ICE round up immigrants who entered the country illegally. Harris said that provision will drain our local law enforcement resources because it makes them responsible for enforcing federal immigration law. Most law enforcement agencies in the Bay Area have said that they dont intend to get involved in raids, and will leave federal immigration enforcement actions to federal authorities. One group not affected by the Trump administrations new priorities are those covered by former President Barack Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Under it, 750,000 immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, including around 200,000 in California, are temporarily shielded from deportation. Ramon has no such shield. From his South Bay home, he said he was wondering what he should do next. Although he has no legal authority to be here, he says, he pays his taxes, he is married and has a home. The life and the people he knew in Mexico are long gone. Its like, I have my dreams I made it and now I have to go back? he said. I want to be free. Hamed Aleaziz is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: haleaziz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @haleaziz This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate By its nature, any large development project comes with false starts and crossed fingers. The unexpected twists that cast long shadows across the best-laid plans. Even when the development in question is San Franciscos Presidio a 1,491-acre national park that predates the city around it, yet still is being reimagined before our eyes. The newest attraction at the onetime Army post, the Presidio Visitor Center at the north end of the Main Posts grassy parade ground, has its official ribbon-cutting Thursday. Saturday, theres a full day of family activities open to the public. Opened in 1900 as a guardhouse complete with barred windows, the building at 210 Lincoln Blvd. has been renovated to be the X that marks the spot where first-time Presidio visitors can begin to make sense of the offerings around them. Natasha Dangond/The Chronicle Step through the restored front door, past brick walls with deep arched windows on either side. Before you on a raised table is a topographic model superimposed with a photograph showing trees and buildings and trails and roads. The wall beyond displays a multi-panel video screen that lists the days events or the next departure of the shuttles that loop through the park or head back downtown. The room in back, where military prisoners were kept under watch until 1951, dives deeper into Presidio lore. Four displays fill visitors in on the parks quartet of newly christened regions: the Main Post, Crissy Field, the Golden Gate (the bluffs along the coast) and Southern Wilds. Besides text there are items to touch, such as the shining brass musical instruments floating above the Main Post graphics, or the replica of a small green frog at toddler height in the Southern Wilds display. All this is eye candy, the user-friendly interface in a $5 million orientation point conceived by the National Park Service, the Presidio Trust and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. But if the displays by exhibition designer Macchiatto are of-the-moment, the architectural upgrade by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson is subdued. It restores a sense of order without trying to take you back to another time. There was very little historic fabric left in the building, said Michael Boland, the Presidios director of park operations. The effort was more about restoring the spatial integrity. Natasha Dangond/The Chronicle In other words, create a setting in which stories can be told. Yet the stories we dont see can be as fascinating as anything within the visitor center. The center suggests that the Presidio saga was an orderly procession. Native Americans preceded the Spanish military outpost established in 1776. Then Mexican rule and then the U.S. Army presence that extended from 1848 until 1994, when the post became a national park. The curated tale comes with blemishes, including the role of the posts Western Defense Command in the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As it should. What you dont get, though, are the messy dramas since 1994. Aspects of the park that now look preordained often were preceded by angry hearings and tense what-ifs. In the back room, for instance, theres a cool interactive table where bubbles float by with illustrations of people and places. Tap the bubble with a smiling Rep. Nancy Pelosi, and read how her innovative legislation, creating a partnership-based approach to managing the Presidio, was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996. All true but theres no mention that a more ambitious plan for the Presidio, imagining it as nothing less than a permanent installation serving a peaceful world, was scuttled when the Republican Party won control of Congress in 1994 and threatened to sell the former post to private developers. When the dust settled, Pelosi had crafted the format of todays Presidio Trust an autonomous body required to be financially self-sufficient. The Trust has done a remarkable job, as inviting trails and hundreds of restored buildings bear witness. But the bottom line is also why many of those buildings are leased to investment firms and the like. As for the Southern Wilds, some hillsides and nooks covered by native plants spent decades buried beneath military waste. They were were off-limits. Wilds of a different sort, which makes todays landscape even more of a revelation. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. And theres no bubble for Star Wars creator George Lucas. He was the developer whose Letterman Digital Arts Center replaced a military hospital, providing a revenue stream to the park when its financial prognosis was frail. His ill-fated and self-absorbed quest to build a personal museum near Crissy Field, meanwhile, prodded everyone who cares about the Presidio to focus on how the Main Post and Crissy Field will someday meet. At the back of the visitor center, a former loading dock offers a perch to look at bare dirt behind a rickety fence. That dirt is where the Presidios next major initiative will sprout a tunnel top park cloaking tunnels that commuters pass through on their way from Marin to the Financial District. Once there was a view-blocking elevated roadway. Now there are plans for a voluptuous landscape cascading down to Crissy Field, designed by James Corner Field Operations, best known for New Yorks High Line. Back in 2015 the budget was $51 million and the target opening date was next year. Today the budget is $80 million, with no groundbreaking date. Mark my words. The tunnel tops will be reclaimed. They likely will be embraced. And before too long, the delays that now loom large will be a footnote to the story that the visitor center tells. Place is a weekly column by John King, The San Francisco Chronicles urban design critic. Email: jking@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @johnkingsfchron Opening celebration The completion of the William Penn Mott Jr. Presidio Visitor Center will be marked by a day of tours, music and activities in the restored building at 210 Lincoln Blvd. For a full schedule, go to http://bit.ly/2kVUKvX By Henning Gloystein SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil traders from around the world, including the United States, Britain and Brazil, have tripled their sales to Asia as they take advantage of an emerging supply gap following OPEC-led production cuts announced late last year. Around 30 supertankers have this month made long-haul trips to ship crude oil from the Americas, the North Sea and the Mediterranean to refineries across Asia, the world's biggest and fastest growing consumer, data extracted from Thomson Reuters Oil Research and Forecasts shows. The unusual movements follow the decision late last year by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers including Russia to cut production by almost 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) during the first half of this year in a bid to rein in global oversupply and prop up prices. Companies most involved in the long-haul deals include major oil producers such as BP and Royal Dutch Shell , private commodity traders Trafigura, Vitol and Mercuria, and Chinese refiner Unipec <600028.SS>, trading sources say. Energy and mining giant Glencore , Azerbaijan's state-oil firm Socar and Brazil's Petrobras have also been involved. Taking advantage of relatively low freight costs and regional crude oil price differentials - known as arbitrage, or arb - traders can profit from supply shortages in one region and oversupply in another. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures , for example, currently trade at around $54.50 per barrel, while international benchmark Brent crude costs $56.90 - a Brent premium over WTI of $2.40 a barrel, compared with near parity in late November, just before OPEC announced its cuts. "The OPEC cuts have ... led to an open arb for long-haul cargoes, leading to a rise in long-haul crude imports (which) make up for the decline in OPEC (supplies)," said Tushar Bansal, director of Ivy Global Energy, a Singapore-based consultancy. The cuts are an OPEC policy reversal after two years of pumping out oil and keeping prices low as the cartel sought to squeeze rival exporters. "OPEC production cuts... created distortions in the Asian crude market, changing global trade patterns," BMI Research said in a note to clients. OPEC CEDES MARKET SHARE Helping fill the OPEC gap, crude shipments to Asia from the United States, Britain, Brazil, and even war-torn Libya jumped to over 35 million barrels in February, or 1.26 million bpd, from 10.4 million barrels in October, or 336,000 bpd, the data shows. For OPEC, which typically meets around 70 percent of Asia's oil demand, that means a 5 percent loss of market share since October. "Under current oil market conditions, OPEC risks losing market share with further production cuts," said Carole Nakhle, director of advisory firm Crystol Energy in London. Although OPEC's relationship with customers in Asia tends to be good, refiners in North Asia's consumer hubs of Japan, China, and South Korea say they will readily turn to other suppliers in order to meet their needs. Loading schedules show U.S. crude exports to Asia increased to more than 3.5 million barrels this month - including a first U.S. oil cargo delivery to India - from below 1 million in October. UK shipments have jumped to more than 10.5 million barrels from just 1.6 million. Shipments to Asia from Brazil have hit a record 16.7 million barrels in February, up from 6.9 million in October, and Libya, an OPEC-member exempted from the cuts, doubled its Asia shipments to 2 million barrels last month. Shipping schedules show the trend continuing into March. BMI said the OPEC cuts, especially of medium and sour crude grades, were "providing opportunities for (similar)... Mediterranean crudes to flow into the Asian market," which include Libyan oil. WILL THE ARB LAST? One of the first major long-haul shipments to Asia in this round of arbitrage trading was by BP, which late last year used more than half a dozen tankers to ship almost 3 million barrels of U.S. crude as far as 30,000 km (18,641 miles) to Australia, Thailand and Japan. In similar deals, Unipec and Trafigura have shipped U.S. oil from the Gulf of Mexico to China. Shippers of North Sea crude to Asia have included Vitol, Mercuria, Trafigura, Glencore, Shell, Unipec and Socar. The main exporter from Brazil has been state-owned Petrobras, shipping data shows, with traders saying its crude has replaced oil from OPEC-member Angola. Oystein Berentsen, managing director for crude oil trader Strong Petroleum in Singapore, said arbitrage for North Sea and U.S. oil to Asia has been possible due to the OPEC-led cuts, and these routes "may continue depending on freight and price spreads." Benchmark Middle-East to Japan freight rates for supertankers (VLCC) <.BAWC> are at 71 points on a so-called Worldscale rate based on 100, compared to a long-term average rate of around 76 over the last 10 years. "The whole reason arb opportunities are there is because of weak freight," said Matt Stanley, a fuel broker at Freight Investor Services in Dubai. It's not clear how long this arb window will remain open. Strong Petroleum's Berentsen said that despite the OPEC cuts "there is still oversupply, but the market will probably balance in the third quarter. Then we'll see if the arb still works." (Reporting by Henning Gloystein, with additional reporting by Jessica Jaganathan and Mark Tay in SINGAPORE and Roslan Khasawneh in DUBAI; Editing by Ian Geoghegan) This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Target recently reopened its showroom for Internet-connected devices in downtown San Francisco with an unusual twist: one item for sale is the retail giants own app-controlled smart lamp. Target is selling the $50 lamp under its Threshold home furnishings brand, possibly the first time a retailer has attempted to design and sell its own Internet-connected device. Depending on how well it sells, the lamp could be just the first private-label smart device for Target, which is placing a bet on a still unproven smart-home consumer electronics market. Were figuring out what it will take to actually create these products, not by doing that in a boardroom with Post-it Notes and a whiteboard, but by walking the talk and trying it out, said Gene Han, who heads Targets San Francisco innovation office. Amy Osborne/Special To The Chronicle Private-label consumer products, which have a higher profit margin than third-party goods, are hardly new for the retail industry. Sears, for example, had long been synonymous with its Craftsman tools lineup, although the struggling company recently agreed to sell the 90-year-old brand to rival Stanley Black & Decker for $900 million. But Target has placed an even greater emphasis on expanding its private brands in the past year to help set its stores apart from competitors, said Amy Koo, senior analyst with the industry research firm Kantar Retail. Those include food brands Archer Farms, Market Pantry and Simply Balanced, clothing labels Merona and Mossimo Supply Co. and its Up & Up household goods. Threshold is a premium furniture brand that has performed well, and Target recently introduced a high-end childrens clothing line called Cat and Jack to sell shoppers on the idea that store brands arent generic, Koo said. So creating a line of smart lamps makes sense for Target, she said. They really want to be seen as cutting edge, Koo said. Its not surprising to me theyve actually pushed it into a new category. They do see themselves as a convenient source of new and innovative products. Smart-home devices could be starting to take off. Parks Associates said last month that about 26 percent of U.S. homes that have high-speed Internet connection also had a smart-home device in 2016, compared with 19 percent the year before. It forecast that half of those homes would have at least one connected device by 2020. Target created its Open House section in San Franciscos Metreon in July 2015 as place for shoppers to get a hands-on feel for the connected devices, such as smart doorbells, thermostats and light bulbs. The retailer remodeled Open House to better showcase even more cutting-edge devices that are not yet for sale. Some of the devices are also sold in regular Target outlets. Tile, which keeps track of frequently misplaced items like keys and wallets, became such a hot item at Open House that Target now sells it at all its stores, said spokeswoman Jenna Reck. One of the biggest challenge for unknown smart-device makers is persuading retailers to give them prime space on their store shelves. But Target wont have that problem if it wants to push Threshold smart lamps in front of shoppers. For now, Target is selling its first smart lamp, under the Threshold brand, in the Open House section and in the regular Target store upstairs in the Metreon. But it also has a smart floor lamp, a ceiling lamp and a taller table lamp available online. The Open House store also displays a prototype childrens smart night light. The devices use mobile phone app controls similar to those found in smart light products sold by Best Buy, Lowes, B8ta and other stores. They let owners have online access to set variable on and off times, and they can control light dimming and colors to set a proper mood for the room. However, Target designed its lamps with a feature that solves a fundamental problem that early smart-light enthusiasts encountered it wasnt as easy to control the devices without a smartphone in their hands. Its got a standard on and off switch, so you dont need your phone, Han said as he demonstrated the Threshold lamp. Its making sure that tech doesnt drive the complete design. The smart lamps could open the way for other Target-branded connected devices. But Han, vice president of the companys consumer Internet of Things office, said the next step is a little bit of an open-ended question still. Benny Evangelista is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: bevangelista@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChronicleBenny This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Is Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed ready to stop climbing the firefighting ladder and leave her post? Deloach Reed has been incessantly criticized for the Fire Departments failure to inspect the Ghost Ship before a deadly Dec. 2 blaze ended 36 lives at the converted warehouse. While she didnt come out and say she was leaving during her keynote address at an NAACP event Monday at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland, it sure sounded like it. Ostensibly, it was a Black History Month worship service, but inside the citrus-filled chapel it felt like an end-of-career ceremony. A firefighter for three decades, Deloach Reed has led Oaklands department since 2012. Ive never met a woman who retired (as a firefighter) with 30 years of service, she said, drawing applause from the most welcoming crowd she has addressed in months. Mason Trinca/Special to The Chronicle Wearing her double-breasted dress fire chief uniform, Deloach Reed, who has been on leave from the department for several weeks, began by admitting to having second thoughts about attending. I am so glad that I did not miss this program today, because this is truly what I needed, she said. I hope when its all over, youll get a message. The events theme was exposing hidden figures in the community, and it was Deloach Reeds first public appearance in the two weeks since it was revealed shed gone on leave. But before you make a wisecrack, understand the theme was drawn from Hidden Figures, an Academy Award-nominated film that documents the long-ignored mathematical contributions black women made in the race to beat the Soviet Union to the moon. Deloach Reed is the first black woman to head a fire department in a major city, and Oaklands black community leaders have been steadfast in their support. She smiled for pictures with attendees, posing in front of a row of photo posters, including one of Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress. We need to come stand by her anytime we can, said George Holland, president of the NAACPs Oakland branch. She also needs firefighters to fight for her, but the firefighters union has been undermining her command by lobbying behind the scenes to get her fired for years. Union leaders want her gone, and Deloach Reed is a tailor-made, high-profile scapegoat to make people mad enough to surge forward and fix how broken the citys building inspection system is. Im kidding. Who really thinks the Fire Departments inspection bureau will be a fine-tuned machine as soon as shes out the door? Let the courts assign blame. Oakland should focus on how the Ghost Ship slipped through the cracks and how to prevent it from happening again. One suggestion: Get the leadership of Oaklands police and fire departments to work together more closely. According to hundreds of documents the city released, police were repeatedly called to the live-work warehouse in the two years before the fire. And there were complaints of garbage, blight and an illegal interior structure a month before the fire. The police couldve called and said something like, Guys, we know that in 2014 an Alameda County civil grand jury said your department wasnt checking thousands of commercial buildings for fire safety violations, but we really need you to get into this one. On Monday, Deloach Reed declined interviews. The city wont comment on her leave status and it seemed Tuesday things might be changing on that. A union representative declined to comment on the possibility of Deloach Reed leaving the department, but her office said she was back in the office last week without elaborating on what that meant. I watched as she clapped and swayed during a praise dance performance. And as a trio sang a stirring version of I Love You, Jesus, she fanned herself with paper before dabbing her watery eyes with a finger slipped underneath the bridge of her glasses. When she started he career in San Jose, her goal was reaching captain until she raised the ladder and became assistant chief before heading to Oakland. San Jose went through 10 fire chiefs in her first 20 years, she told the audience. I saw what an organization can do to a fire chief, she said. About two months after her 30th anniversary of firefighting, Deloach Reed had to answer for the deadliest structure fire in California history. The questions wont stop. And if Deloach Reed isnt going to be essential in creating solutions, a process that shouldve already begun, then, yes, its time for her to get off the ladder. As reporters stood outside after the program, an employee escorted Reed from the chapel through a back door to keep her hidden from the waiting cameras. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr Sarah Ravani/The Chronicle A 56-year-old man apparently attacked with a glass bottle on Market Street in San Francisco more than eight months ago died from his injuries Tuesday night, prompting police to open a homicide investigation, officials said Wednesday. The man was identified as William Evans, the San Francisco medical examiners office said Wednesday. As the waters receded from the swamped homes, schools and businesses in San Jose on Wednesday, thousands of residents in the nations 10th largest city remained pitched into a state of uncertainty and sadness in the wake of a 100-year event flood. A day after emergency responders rescued more than 400 by boat when Coyote Creek spilled over its banks, public officials and water resource managers admitted they were ill prepared for the sweeping natural disaster. If the first time that a resident is aware that they need to get out of a home is when they see a firefighter in a boat, then clearly something went wrong, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said at a news conference on Wednesday. We are assessing what it is that led to that failure. Officials said residents in an estimated 14,000 households were under mandatory evacuation orders and 36,000 homes in total have been affected by the flood. The devastation mirrored major flooding in January 1997 when the Guadalupe River swelled into San Joses neighborhoods amid widespread floods around the state. The hardest-hit areas this week were the Rocksprings and Brookwood Terrace neighborhoods on either side of Interstate 280, and three mobile home parks farther north on Oakland Road. Six schools including San Jose and Cristo Rey high schools, Rocketship Discovery Prep, and McKinley, Olinder and Empire Gardens elementary schools were all within the evacuation zone. I think its fair to say when we saw the Rocksprings occurrence that we were dealing with a storm event that was on the order of a 100-year event, said David Sykes, San Joses assistant city manager. The scope of the floods destruction became more apparent at sunrise Wednesday after a chaotic 24 hours that involved one of the citys largest-ever water rescue efforts. Members of San Joses Urban Search and Rescue Task Force went door-to-door by boat, pulling hundreds of stranded people from the waist-high filthy water. Overnight shelters were opened at James Lick and Evergreen Valley high schools in San Jose. No one was injured in the flood, but when people would be cleared to return home remained unknown due to hazardous pollutants that seeped into the floodwater. It is not safe for people to go into the water and into their homes, Liccardo said. Bluntly, the water is receding, but we are far from out of this. Many residents, though, went home anyway to begin sorting through their water-soaked belongings. In the evacuation area near San Antonio and 21st streets, residents wearing flip-flops or knee-high rubber boots were shoveling water out of their driveways. Lawn chairs, garbage cans and toppled outdoor kids toys were scattered throughout front yards. Cars were left abandoned in the middle of flooded streets. What can we do? 42-year-old Victor Chen said worriedly outside his home on 21st Street. What do we have to do to keep everyone safe? Chen, his two children, ages 8 and 10, and his wife evacuated around 7 p.m. Tuesday hours after the Fire Department drove by announcing the mandatory order. Its really tough to see. A home is all we worked for, and our family is all here, he said. And we had to leave it behind when the water was rising. The familys garage, dining room and one of the childrens bedrooms were flooded. Toys, extra mattresses, a TV, bikes and clothing were all ruined. The flood happened when a powerful rainstorm on Monday sent water surging out of Anderson Lake, 20 miles away in Morgan Hill. An especially wet winter pushed the reservoir to capacity for the first time in 11 years. On Saturday, water began surging out of its spillway and down the 30-mile stretch of Coyote Creek, running through San Jose, a city of more than 1 million people, to San Francisco Bay Even though it was forecast to flood, the amount of water that came rushing down Coyote Creek the day after Mondays storm caught many by surprise. Were going to be learning from this as we go forward and making adjustments for the future, said David Vossbrink, a spokesman for the city of San Jose. But some experts said flooding was almost a guarantee and should have been anticipated. Anderson was already full, said Jan Null, a meteorologist with Golden Gate Weather Services. And another 3-4 inches of water came into the watershed. I was not surprised by the flooding. I was surprised by the response to the flooding. The creek peaked Tuesday afternoon at 13.6 feet, according to a monitoring site in Edenvale. That was well over its 10-foot flood stage and was the highest it has ever been recorded. Water resource officials had anticipated the creek would reach about 12 feet Tuesday a level that would flood parts of San Jose, including the Rocksprings neighborhood, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations river forecast center. But San Jose officials took few steps to warn those in the threatened area. Santa Clara County Water District officials said they put out alerts on social media and through Nextdoor, a private social network for neighborhoods. San Jose city officials said there were some alerts that went out on the countys online emergency notification system that residents must sign up for. There were no door knocks before the river was forecast to flood. The fundamental cause of this is over spillage at Anderson Dam, Liccardo said. It is a unique event. Theres no question that there were elements of this that were very foreseeable. Any future storms on par with Mondays atmospheric river may bring about more flooding, forecasters said. Rain that was on track to hit the Bay Area over the weekend was not expected to flood Coyote Creek, according to the National Weather Service. The best we can do now is monitor the reservoir and warn people ahead of time, said Gina Adriano, a spokeswoman with the Santa Clara County Water District. For the next storms, I think its a matter of early messaging. But its really the power of Mother Nature that were up against, and I dont think thats a battle anyone can win. Adriano said the district has been releasing the maximum 420 cubic feet of water per second out of the base of Anderson Dam since Jan. 9. The 49-inch-diameter release pipe is the only way to get water out of the reservoir before it rises to the spillway and overflows. Once that happens, dam operators can only watch. During heavy rain storms, thousands of cubic feet of water per second rushed into the reservoir through the surrounding watershed. Knowing what caused the flood provided little consolation to the thousands of evacuees many resentful about the lack of warnings by the city. Nobody came by and gave us a warning, said Jason Loureiro, whose basement unit on 24th Street and Shortridge Avenue was underwater. They should have given us a heads-up. We wouldve gotten sandbags and prepared the whole area. Loureiro said he was more sad if anything, adding that he has to start all over pretty much." Hien Nguyen, 70, looked at her apartment on Welch Avenue on Wednesday morning with nothing but a fanny pack and the clothes on her back. l couldnt get anything. One (pair of) slacks. One blouse, she said, throwing up her hands in resignation. She said her grandson, who lives in the unit behind her, attends DeAnza College but his books, laptop and backpack were stuck inside. His BMW was parked in the garage, and is likely inundated with water. After this, we have to throw away everything, she said. San Jose city officials created a community relief fund for the victims that can be found through a link at sjmayor.org. Jenna Lyons, Sarah Ravani and Evan Sernoffsky are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com, sravani@sfchronicle.com, esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jennaJourno, @SarRavani, @EvanSernoffsky Randall Benton/Associated Press Homemade signs, strident questions and nonstop noise are back in fashion at normally stoic congressional town halls. Once a Tea Party playbook staple, the tactics are now aimed at Republicans who are squirming under the heat. The protests are the first opportunity for the progressive flank of the Democratic Party, all but shut out of Washington decision-making now run by the GOP. Even in safe and secure Republican-red districts, the volume is turned up loud. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued an extensive set of orders on Tuesday that lay out plans to implement President Trumps directive to increase immigration enforcement and deport more undocumented immigrants. Critics of former President Obama noted that he deported enormous numbers of immigrants. The charge is true. During his first five years in office, Obama deported nearly 2 million people the fastest rate of any U.S. president in history. Yet Trumps policies represent a dramatic expansion of the deportation process. The new memos depart from deportation policies of previous presidential administrations in several significant ways. The expedited removal process allows Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to deport people nearly as soon as they are apprehended. Under presidents Bush and Obama, the expedited removal process was used only within 100 miles of the border, for people who had been in the country for no more than 14 days. Because expedited removal allows agents to deport immigrants without a full hearing before an immigration judge, it was a process that was used only for a small group of people. Under Trump, expedited removal will be expanded to include immigrants who are found anywhere in the country and have been here for up to two years. The directives also instruct ICE and the Customs and Border protection agency to reinvigorate the 287(g) program, which deputizes local police officers and sheriffs deputies to assist with deportations. This program which was not a priority during the Obama administration is at the heart of Trumps fight with major cities across the country, who would rather have their police departments focus on fighting crime. Some immigration advocates, scrambling for silver linings, noted that the new directives dont mention any changes to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. But just because the memos dont mention the DACA program doesnt mean its safe. Trump has gone back and forth about whether to end the program, and the White House is reportedly still identifying different ways to end the young peoples protections without creating a firestorm of controversy. But these new memos should set off their own firestorm of controversy. They make it clear that nearly all undocumented immigrants are now at risk, no matter where they live or what their status is. This new approach isnt about public safety; its overreaching and cruel. If ever there were a love-hate relationship, it would be the one shared by the Bay Area and recent American presidencies. Barack Obama visited these parts 25 times during his eight years in the Oval Office. San Francisco was the most populous U.S. city not to merit a presidential visit by George W. Bush. Before that, Bill Clinton had Cabinet secretaries working the region on a near-weekly basis and was so kind as to enroll first daughter Chelsea at Stanford University. President Trump does have one big Bay Area connection, but its concrete and steel, not flesh and blood. He owns a share of 555 California St., an office high-rise in San Franciscos Financial District. To the extent that the Bay Area has drawn Trumps interest, its not in a good way through sanctuary policy, campus protests and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, not innovation and emerging technologies. So how to get Trump to engage in the Bay Area in a positive and productive way that benefits both the local economy and the nations well-being? Some wise Bay Area minds have a plan: create a domestic consulate at Moffett Field to bring Washington to Silicon Valley. White House West is a nonpartisan plan drawn up by Bradley Rotter, a Silicon Valley impact investor with a focus on homeland security, and futurist developer John Bechtol, formerly associated with an institute that seeks to create permanent communities at sea called seasteads. Under their plan, White House West would consist of a series of technology leads in robotics, 3-D printing, big data, artificial intelligence, hydrogen (including fuel cells) and blockchain, a distributed database with many uses including the public ledger that underlies bitcoin digital currencies. That latter technology, for example, could be used to combat voter fraud. Rotter envisions a venture SCIF (sensitive compartmentalized information facility) where a technology could demonstrate in a secured high-def conference area (think of the cone of silence in the 1960s TV comedy Get Smart). One immediate benefit of such a set-up: If White House West turned out to be a reliable source of technology assessment and acquisition for the federal government, then it would help remove the clutter between the two coasts travel time, contracting delays and lobbying middlemen, for starters. I know hundreds of companies with cutting-edge technologies that would not even consider selling into government, Rotter claims. They arent inclined to travel to D.C., hire lobbyists, rent expensive office space and figure out the byzantine nature of government. And a second benefit: Moffett Field just happens to be home to a long airstrip that could land a plane even larger than the Google 767, Googles corporate jet, should Trump want to visit this region without San Francisco or some other Bay Area city bearing the mother of all security costs. Could such a concept work? We wont know until its attempted. And it will take a financial commitment on the part of both the tech community and the powers-that-be back in D.C. But why not try? Just weeks into this new presidency, its clear that the Trump administration didnt leave its heart in San Francisco. There is no Trump Cabinet secretary from California, much less the Bay Area that hasnt happened since the Bush 41 administration. Add to that a bruised political ego: Mr. Trump received the lowest percentage of statewide votes in a two-person presidential race since Republican Alf Landon 80 years ago, and it lessens the incentive for Air Force One to come this way. However, Silicon Valley is too large for this administration to ignore. Even if the tech sector chooses to keep its distance from the new president, or to make principled objections to Trumps choices (127 tech firms signed an amicus brief opposing the immigration executive order), it has an obligation to help the government find ways to operate faster, smarter and more efficiently in this Information Age. Think of it as two parties agreeing to meet halfway deep in the heart of Silicon Valley. And for Trump: an outpost in a land where all relations dont necessarily have to be hostile. Bill Whalen is a research fellow at Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution. In 2014, 24 veterans representing U.S. military services gathered at the Concord Vet Center to record their stories of war and homecoming, and share how their tattoos reflect their experiences. Launched by the Contra Costa Library as an online exhibit supported by a grant from California Humanities, War Ink garnered national attention, and even helped promote modification of the Department of the Armys tattoo policy. Inspired and led by poet Donte Clark, local youth created an urban adaptation of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet, set in the streets of Richmond, as documented in the film Romeo Is Bleeding, supported by the California Documentary Project to open and expand the dialogue about violence and community. Heres the rub, and it hurts. According to recent reports, the Trump administrations proposed budget eliminates the federal agencies that are the bedrock of Americas cultural and artistic vision: the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. These are organizations that invest in the people who live in communities of all sizes, stimulating local economies through partnerships with libraries, schools, veterans hospitals, nonprofit arts and culture organizations, museums and more. Shutting down these critical agencies is not a financial decision to balance the federal balance sheet: Their budgets are very small, and together with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (also on the chopping block), they make up only 0.02 percent of the annual federal budget. However, their impact is exponentially large and has garnered bipartisan support across the country for their role in job creation and attracting businesses into communities. I have spent the majority of my professional life helping connect people to one another through the arts and the humanities. I was a child when President Lyndon B. Johnson created the two endowments in 1965, so there was never a time when they didnt help shape who I was and who I became from hands-on arts education throughout my school years to transformational cultural experiences as an adult. Ive been able to share what I learned with my own children as they find their creative and civic voices. I believe the opening of hearts and minds that happens when people have access to historical perspectives, other cultures and creative self-expression is core to a healthy and thriving democracy. State humanities councils leverage $5 for every federal grant dollar spent at the local level, according to the Federation of State Humanities Councils, with the National Endowment for the Humanities providing seed money that attracts additional foundation, corporate, state government and individual support. Americans for the Arts states that students have better academic outcomes when they participate in arts learning, and a large majority of business leaders say that creativity is of high importance when hiring. The arts and humanities are good for the success of young people and good for the economy, and we all benefit from that. As Johnson said back in 1965, this is about more than just the money: It is in the neighborhoods of each community that a nations art is born. The arts and the humanities belong to the people, for it is, after all, the people who create them. Our country is richer when the federal government supports and values the arts and humanities. This is not a luxury item. This is who we are as a people. Julie Fry is the president and CEO of California Humanities, a nonprofit supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities that makes grants and delivers programs across the state, as do 55 other sister councils across the country. When Donald Trump gave a speech this month at Boeings factory in North Charleston, S.C., unveiling Boeings new 787 Dreamliner, he congratulated Boeing for building the whole plane right here in South Carolina. Its pure fantasy. Ill let you know why in a moment. Trump also used the occasion to tout his America First economics, stating, Our goal as a nation must be to rely less on imports and more on products made here in the U.S.A., and, We want products made by our workers in our factories stamped by those four magnificent words, Made in the U.S.A. To achieve this goal Trump would impose a very substantial penalty on companies that fired their workers and moved to another country to make a product, and then tried to sell it back to America. The carrot would be lower taxes and fewer regulations that send our jobs to those other countries. Trump seems utterly ignorant about global competition and about whats really holding back American workers. Start with Boeings Dreamliner itself. Its not made in the U.S.A. Its assembled in the United States. But most of its parts come from overseas. Those foreign parts total almost a third of the cost of the entire plane. For example: The Italian firm Alenia Aeronautica makes the center fuselage and horizontal stabilizers. The French firm Messier-Dowty makes the aircrafts landing gear and doors. The German firm Diehl Luftfahrt Elektronik supplies the main cabin lighting. The Swedish firm Saab Aerostructures makes the cargo access doors. The Japanese company Jamco makes parts for the lavatories, flight deck interiors and galleys. The French firm Thales makes its electrical power conversion system. Thales selected GS Yuasa, a Japanese firm, in 2005 to supply it with the systems lithium-ion batteries. The British company Rolls Royce makes many of the engines. A Canadian firm makes the movable trailing edge of the wings. Notably, these companies dont pay their workers low wages. In fact, when you add in the value of health and pension benefits either directly from these companies to their workers, or in the form of public benefits to which the companies contribute most of these foreign workers get a better deal than do Boeings workers. (The average wage for Boeing production and maintenance workers in South Carolina is $20.59 per hour, or $42,827 a year.) They also get more paid vacation days. Not incidentally, these nations also provide most young people with excellent educations and technical training. They continuously upgrade the skills of their workers. And they offer universally available health care. To pay for all this, these countries also impose higher tax rates on their corporations and wealthy individuals than does the United States. Their health, safety, environmental and labor regulations are also stricter. And they have stronger unions. So why is so much of Boeings Dreamliner coming from these high-wage, high-tax, high-cost places? Because the parts made by workers in these countries are better, last longer and are more reliable than parts made anywhere else. Theres a lesson here. The way to make the American workforce more competitive isnt to put economic walls around America. Its to invest more and invest better in the education and skills of Americans, in on-the-job training, in a health care system that reaches more of us and makes sure we stay healthy, in worker safety and in a clean environment. And to give workers a say in their companies through strong unions. In other words, we get a first-class workforce by investing in the productive capacities of Americans and rewarding them with high wages. Its the exact opposite of what Trump is proposing. By the way, the first delivery of the Dreamliner is scheduled to take place next year to Singapore Airlines. Current orders also include Air France, British Airways and Mexicos flag carrier, Aeromexico. In addition, Boeing is looking to China to buy as much as $1 trillion worth of its commercial airplanes over the next two decades, including wide-body jets like the 787 Dreamliner. China already accounts for a fifth of Boeings sales. But if Trump succeeds in putting an economic wall around America, these other nations airlines may have second thoughts about buying from Boeing. They might choose an airplane from a country more open to their own exports say, Europes Airbus. Trumps America First economics is pure demagoguery. Xenophobic grandstanding doesnt boost the competitiveness of American workers. Nor does it boost American companies. At most, it boosts Trump. 2017 By Robert Reich MARIPOSA California Rep. Tom McClintock showed up Tuesday and faced his constituents at a town hall meeting something many of his fellow Republicans have declined to do during this weeks congressional break. About 900 people filled the Mariposa Fairgrounds and Exposition Center to toss pointed questions at the five-term congressman. Such a large crowd was a sign of how the resistance to President Trump has crept into the Californias Republican hinterlands even to Mariposa, population 2,173. McClintock, first elected to Congress in 2008, has done more than 100 town halls, and his Mariposa stops typically draw 60 to 80 people. On Tuesday, every metal chair was taken 45 minutes before the event started. While a few wore Make America Great Again caps, the majority didnt appear to be supporters of the president. Many of them carried signs that read, Answer the question!, Dump Tom McTrump!, Lies!, and perhaps most telling, Not usually a protester ... but geez. Ive never been to anything like this but Im frightened, said Penny Otwell, a painter who lives in Mariposa and held that sign. But we have gone over the edge. McClintock, of Elk Grove (Sacramento County), isnt alone in facing blowback at town halls across the country during what Congress is calling its district work week. Some of the loud activism of the past few weeks continuing rallies and protests, large letter-writing and phone-call campaigns that have overwhelmed congressional offices has been generated by organizing groups such as Indivisible and MoveOn and has kept many GOP members off the public stage. A list compiled by the Town Hall Project showed that of 24 political town halls, coffees and other events to be held in California this week, just five were being hosted by Republicans. While the minority who attended Tuesdays town hall supported McClintocks conservative positions opposing sanctuary cities and the Affordable Care Act, most were angry and fearful mainly about losing their health care, the lack of legislation to combat climate change or about how their schools might change under controversial new Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. And some, like Suzanne Eckes-Wahl, wanted to know if McClintock thought Trump is intellectually and emotionally capable of being president. Absolutely, McClintock said as the room erupted in a wall of boos and scattered cheers. He compared Trump with other disruptive presidents, like Andrew Jackson and Theodore Roosevelt. McClintock said the last four election cycles since former President Barack Obamas 2008 election when Republicans took control of Congress and made gains at the state level show that voters wanted to change the course of the nation. Throughout the evening, he returned to the theme of the accountability in government, saying that if voters felt that he wasnt representing the district, then there will be somebody else standing here. Tuesday was a bit of town hall deja vu for McClintock, who was one of a few sitting politicians at the vanguard of the Tea Party revolution that launched just a few weeks into Obamas term in early 2009. Then, conservative activists worried the new health care law being crafted at the time would become a government takeover of health care. Much like liberals are doing now, conservative activists flooded town halls around the country and delivered an earful to their representatives. Tea Party conservatives were able to translate that grassroots energy into flipping the Congress in the 2010 midterm elections. Achieving that same feat will be a daunting challenge for Democrats, who need to turn 24 seats to regain control of the House in 2018. This time the message was rooted in fear of how the Trump administration may reshape American life, from health care to immigration and climate change. Carolin Frank, a UC Merced professor of microbiology who lives in Catheys Valley (Mariposa County), carried a sign that read, Man made climate change is real. McClintock doesnt share that opinion, drawing some of his loudest jeers of the meeting when he dismissed a question by saying, Climate change has been going on for 4 billion years. The planet has been warming on and off since the last Ice Age. He vowed not to approve any environmental regulations that would wreck the economy. Its not the first time this year McClintock has faced an angry crowd. Earlier this month, police escorted him from a town hall in Roseville (Placer County) that was attended by about 500 people. Then, McClintock defended Trumps vow to roll back the Affordable Care Act, his executive order to restrict travel and immigration seven majority-Muslim countries and build the border wall. Protesters outside Rosevilles Tower Theatre chanted, Vote him out. Tuesday audience was boisterous, but tamer, welcoming McClintock with polite applause as he strode down the center aisle of Fairgrounds Building A, clad in a blue blazer, blue button-down shirt and striped tie. A few pointed out that they were not out-of-towners or radicals, alluding to President Trumps tweet earlier Tuesday: The so-called angry crowds in home districts of some Republicans are actually, in numerous cases, planned out by liberal activists. Sad! But many in the audience wore stickers stating their profession and their ZIP code, like Welder 94338, to show that they were indeed his constituents and not outside agitators. But the convivial feelings would last only a few minutes until the first question about the Affordable Care Act. Mary Wood, 49, wearing a sticker that read, Park employee 95318 said she pays $1 a month under the health care law and it would go up to $467 a month without it. This is the only way I could afford insurance, she said. McClintock replied that there are no doubt good stories associated with the law, But most people had a bad experience. He also pushed back on several speakers who tried to get him to split with Trump. He didnt have a problem with Trumps refusal to release his tax returns and didnt call for an investigation into allegations of Russian interference in the U.S. election. When asked if he thought, as Trump has tweeted, that the media is the enemy of the American people, McClintock disagreed but added, But I think its biased. He also agreed with Trumps proposal to pull federal funding from sanctuary cities, which limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities. San Francisco is a sanctuary city, and its leaders have said the city will remain one. Though he has long prided himself as a maverick conservative, McClintocks positions align with President Trumps stances 92 percent of the time, according to fivethirtyeight.com. But the congressman, whose district spans 10 inland counties from north of Sacramento to near Fresno, is not seen as vulnerable. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee doesnt even list him as one of the Republicans being targeted in the 2018 midterms. As the room cleared, McClintock was asked by reporters what advice he had for his Republican colleagues who were contemplating holding their own town hall meetings. If youre going to do it, he said, get the biggest room you can. Joe Garofoli is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli It looked like any normal Friday night at Hopwater Distribution. The Bush Street bar always has a smart selection of California craft beers, and if you hadnt been tipped off, you might not have noticed that one of the 31 tap handles featured a new beer: Big Chicken IPA. But if you asked for Big Chicken, the bartenders face would light up. Hed give you an affirmative nod: You were in the know. In fact, it was probably your only shot in 2017 to get a taste of Big Chicken, which Petalumas HenHouse Brewing Co. brews just once a year. And it was never going to taste any better than it did on Friday night because it had been kegged at the Petaluma brewery less than 12 hours earlier. Call it the instant-gratification IPA. Part publicity stunt, part quality control, Big Chicken like Russian River Brewing Co.s Pliny the Younger or Lagunitas Born Yesterday IPA is a limited- and controlled-release beer. But whereas Pliny is released over a two-week period (which ended Feb. 16) and Born Yesterday over two months, Big Chicken is released on a single day. It gets kegged at the brewery in Petaluma and delivered to Bay Area bars all in the same morning; bars are required to tap the keg immediately. There are more beers coming, too. Following up on the success of Born Yesterday, which is released in the fall, Lagunitas will release a new limited-release beer called Born Again Yesterday in March, made with a special trademarked process thats all theyll say, at this point. For the breweries, the bars and their customers, its a win-win. The fleeting window of time during which these beers are made available surely drives demand, but its not all a marketing ploy: Big Chicken, Pliny the Younger and Born Yesterday are extremely hoppy beers, and therefore the most susceptible to rapid degradation. Releasing them in this conspicuous way helps educate consumers about the importance of freshness in high-hop beers. This marked the fifth time HenHouse has released Big Chicken IPA and this years was its biggest and hoppiest yet. HenHouses normal IPAs register at about five pounds of hops per barrel; last years Big Chicken had nine. This years has 11. That may sound extreme, but as HenHouse brewer Collin McDonnell explains, extremity is part of the point. Its all about making a statement. People get excited about double IPAs, McDonnell said. Were just trying to use that excitement to teach them about beer freshness. At many of the 79 Bay Area bars pouring Big Chicken, the excitement was palpable. Its everything I could ever want in a double IPA, said Brian Gamble, a bartender at Mikkeller Bar. It smells and tastes happy. Clocking in at 10.7% alcohol by volume, Big Chicken is not an aperitif its a meal. Its full-bodied and plump, with a creamy richness that balances the extreme hoppy bitterness. Its citra, mosaic and amarillo hops create a roasted, sweetish character, finishing juicy. I wouldnt call it light, said Steven Wuerth, a customer at Liquid Gold. In fact, he observed, its filling and flavorful, kind of like chicken. Some beers can age; IPAs cannot. Feel free to throw your porter, barleywine, sour beer anything thats seen the inside of a barrel into the cellar, but your IPAs are only getting worse as you read this. The higher a beers hop content, the more vulnerable it is to oxidation and spoilage. At best, its bright flavors become muted. At worst, it can taste rancid. Beer oxidizes no matter what, but two main variables determine the rate of oxidation: the temperature at which its stored (the colder, the better), and the oxidative potential of its components. When hops oxidize, they can taste like cardboard and cooking Sherry. Beer freshness, so to speak, is in, with breweries all over the country improving their transparency around when a beer was packaged, and when it should be consumed by. The phenomenon is not unrelated to the ever-increasing demand for hoppy beers like double and triple IPAs. What counts as a hoppy beer now is not what counted as a hoppy beer five years ago, McDonnell said. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle Many breweries now stamp packaging dates, or enjoy-by dates, on bottles and cans of hoppy beers Sierra Nevada, Ballast Point, Stone, Firestone Walker, Oskar Blues and Sixpoint, to name a few. The general recommendation tends to be to consume a hoppy beer within about 30 days of its packaging. But even under ideal storage conditions, a 15-day-old bottle of beer pales in comparison to a keg that was filled at the brewery, delivered cold to the bar and poured for a drinker in a 24-hour period. We go through Big Chicken in two or three days, said Jon Guinea, owner of Hopwater Distribution. It helps that the release lends itself to hype. Both HenHouse and the bars it delivers to engage in social media promotions before the release date. The timing, McDonnell insists, had only to do with Beer Week and nothing to do with coming the day after the Pliny the Younger release ended. Freshness is a pillar on which HenHouse has built its brand, and its vigilance would not be possible if it werent for the fact that it self-distributes something that more Bay Area breweries are opting to do. A self-distributing brewery can control completely the storage, delivery and serving conditions of its beers. Alvin Jornada / The Chronicle Many breweries are doing this now, Guinea said. When I order beer from Half Moon Bay Brewing Co., they still have it in the bright tank. If I make an order on Tuesday and I would like it on Thursday, they are kegging that beer direct between my phone call and delivery. Other breweries that I enjoy so much, even if theyre delivering to a small local distributor every two weeks, they still cant keep up with that, Guinea continued. He believes his customers can tell the difference. I know that an experienced beer drinker can differentiate between a fresh keg and the last couple pints that come out of a keg. And those experienced drinkers appreciate the fact that you cant get Northern California beer this fresh anywhere but in the Bay Area. As Chad Tuckerman, sipping on Big Chicken at Liquid Gold, said, Every week is Beer Week when you live in San Francisco. Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine, beer and spirits writer. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley Instagram: @esthermob For shoppers seeking the ease of e-commerce, the feel of a designer showroom and the instant gratification of brick and mortar, the Mission Districts new Reformation boutique could be the answer. Founded as an e-commerce site in 2009 by Yael Aflalo, the ethical fast-fashion label, known for its It Girl following, is hoping San Francisco will be the ideal laboratory for its first tech-enabled store. All high-volume clothing stores have very low-end experiences, said Aflalo, 40, who manufactures most of the brands sustainable and notably fashionable womenswear out of the companys own factory in downtown Los Angeles. Here, youll have all the ease of online shopping, but with the added bonus of being able to try it on and take it home with you. A departure from its three other stores (one in Los Angeles and two in New York), Reformations tech-centric Mission locale aims to eliminate the frustrations of the physical shopping experience, from hovering salespeople and disorganized inventory to dirty dressing rooms with unflattering lighting. The sleek 2,000-square-foot space finds that sweet spot between high-end retail and fast fashion. Instead of cramming the sales floor with inventory, Aflalo applied the streamlined Apple retail approach: individual samples of the brands best-sellers hang on well-spaced white hangers made from recycled materials; all other stock remains hidden in the back. Other e-commerce turned brick-and-mortar businesses that were early adopters of the Apple model include menswear brand Bonobos, eyeglass purveyor Warby Parker and San Francisco-based Everlane, which sells mens and womens basics. Reformation prices range from $28 for an oversize white T shirt and $40 for a color-block basket handbag to $198 for a cropped, navy faux fur jacket. Because the brand manufactures limited-edition runs and doesnt follow the standard seasonal fashion cycle, new stock hits the sales floor every week, Aflalo said. Myles Pettengill The minimalist store design by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson features six touch-screen monitors mounted on white walls, polished cement floors, modern white furniture and a rammed earth feature wall sustainably made from compressed dirt, a design by Rammed Earth Works in Napa, that separates the front showroom from the back dressing area. A visit prior to the stores scheduled Feb. 27 opening revealed some technical glitches still being ironed out, but the process is supposed to happen something like this: While in the showroom, customers browse and select items to be sent to their dressing room from any of the touch-screen monitors, a concierge calls the customers name once the room is ready, and the selections magically appear in an armoire that is pre-loaded from the back. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Similar in concept to the dressing rooms rolled out in 2014 at the Rebecca Minkoff boutique on Fillmore Street, the smart dressing rooms feature a menu of dimmer buttons for customized lighting (basic; cool; golden and sexy time), wired speakers for listening to mobile playlists, and an in-room touch-screen monitor for ordering additional sizes or items, or for making a purchase, at which point an actual salesperson comes to the room with an iPhone to ring up the sale. Aflalo said shes hoping the features will bring a more personalized, high-end retail experience to mass market. Information collected from shoppers using the stores technology will also help the company cater to customer preferences and improve inventory and designs. If all goes well, she said, the Bay Area store will serve as a template for future Reformation boutiques. Coming from an e-commerce background, its all about the one-click checkout and making it super easy, said Aflalo, who targeted San Francisco for its latest store opening because it is the brands third-largest online market. In stores, youre left wondering Is anyone out there? Do you have another size? You poke your head out, see no one, get frustrated and say, Im out of here! It really shouldnt be that hard. Nerissa Pacio Itchon is a Peninsula freelance writer. Email: style@sfchronicle.com Shop 914 Valencia St., S.F. (415) 877-3720. www.thereformation.com. What is it with women and Champagne? The association goes way back. Several of the important houses in Champagne Veuve Clicquot, Bollinger, Laurent-Perrier, Pommery were shaped, centuries ago, by women. And not just any women: widows, bereft of their better (or, at least, better equipped to own property) halves! The very methode champenoise is indebted to a woman. Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, who rightly recognized the unsightliness of the dead-yeast-cell buildup inside her bottles, invented riddling, the now-standard practice of regularly turning bottles upside down in order to later remove the sediment that collects as they age. So we have Ponsardin, the widow (veuve) Clicquot, to thank for Champagnes crystalline sparkle. We also have her to thank for the Riddler, the new Champagne bar in Hayes Valley. The Riddler is not only San Franciscos most Champagne-centric bar, but also its most woman-centric. Within a month or two of planning it, it became clear that this was a womens project, says owner Jen Pelka. Though a first-time restaurateur, Pelka is a veteran restaurant publicist. Her Magnum PR company represents Rich Table, Mister Jius, the Daniel Patterson Group and others. The vision for a Champagne bar called the Riddler had been in Pelkas head for a long time, ever since Id learned what riddling was, she says. Its such a cool word, and its a process that was invented by a woman. Shed had her eye on the former Momi Tobys Revolution Cafe and Art Bar space, on the corner of Linden and Laguna; when it became available, she jumped. (Her fiance, Charles Bililies, owns Souvla, just around the block.) What began as a subtle nod to female innovation quickly evolved into a full-fledged girl-power project. As Pelka began to seek investors, she found herself soliciting mostly women. So why not go all the way? Ultimately, 33 women funded the bar, all but one of them first-time restaurant investors. They range from their 20s to their 70s, and include the food writer Ruth Reichl; owners of local businesses Spice Mama, SF Heimat and Spring Fertility (the Warby Parker of fertility clinics, Pelka says); and Pelkas mother. You wouldnt mistake it for a bar owned by a man. I dont think your average guy is going to gold-lace the ceilings, Pelka says. The focal point of the 500-square-foot room is a photo of Jacqueline Bisset as Giovanna Goodthighs in the 1967 film Casino Royale, clutching a coupe and a bottle (Laurent-Perrier, my best guess) as she leans languidly into a doorway. An oversize mens shirt grazes her thighs. So forceful is the images sex appeal that Pelka nearly broke her budget to purchase an original print. It was more expensive than all the marble in the whole bar, plus the gold on the ceiling, she admits. No, the staff is not entirely female (that would be illegal), but the clientele nearly is. I havent been in a room with so many women since I graduated from Smith College. Natasha Dangond/The Chronicle Ill admit I was suspicious. Such conspicuous gender marketing often strikes me as garish, as if adopting the women-only ethos precludes a project from seriousness. Call it the Skinnygirl Margarita syndrome. Im happy to report thats not the case with the Riddler. Pelka and beverage director Marissa Paynes sparkling-wine list, at just over 100 bottles long, is smart. Theyve got a modest selection of half bottles and large formats; of grande marque and grower-producer, vintage and nonvintage Champagne; of sparkling wines from around the world. Pleasant surprises come in the form of tropical, mellow sparkling Gruner Veltliner from Austria (from Sektkellerei Szigeti, $14/glass) and elegant sparkling Soave (Monte Tondo Brut NV, $60/bottle). I wish there were more traditional-method bubbly from beyond Champagne why is there so little Cava and cremant? especially since thats where some of the best bargains are. Champagne, no matter how you cut it, is expensive. The highlight of the list is undoubtedly its selection of Special Club bottles ($160-$350) an exclusive society of 28 grower Champagne producers whose vintage wines are perennially among Champagnes most exciting. Its by no means the best Champagne list in San Francisco, lacking the vintage and producer depth of the lists at Spruce, Quince and 1760 (all of which are run by men, incidentally). But thats not really the point of the Riddler. I wanted to create a neighborhood bar, Pelka says, with a sense of high and low. For example: You can order a $2,800 magnum of Moet & Chandon vintage brut, or you can order a $5 Miller High Life. (Get it?) Or get a Joan ($12), so named for a friend of Pelkas: a Riedel all-purpose glass filled to the brim with cheap wine (either Prosecco or La Vieille Ferme red or white) roughly half a bottle of wine. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Natasha Dangond/The Chronicle And dont forget the Chambong ($12), which is exactly what it sounds like: a beer bong for Champagne. (Actually, and thank goodness, Prosecco.) We do a slow pour, Pelka says reassuringly. The food options, too, play highbrow and low. A serving of golden osetra caviar ($150) comes with Lays potato chips. Smoked salmon, another duh Champagne pairing, comes loaded on a thick, starchy waffle made from tater tots. The bars decadent caviar-cum-Champagne presentation is called, mischievously, a bump and a shot ($35-$210). Self-serve popcorn comes with self-serve topping salts, in flavors like Mexican corn, cinnamon toast crunch and Heidi Swanson. I wished the popcorn were crunchier, and found the everything-bagel salt a little flavorless, but I approve of the sentiment salty finger food as Champagnes best companion. Liz Hafalia/The Chronicle Inside-joke popcorn salt flavors, playful references to partying too hard, the priciest Jacqueline Bisset print in town all of these are details as perhaps only a restaurant publicist could realize them. The one thing I always tell my clients is to pick one thing, and be the best at that, says Pelka. Were trying to be the best Champagne bar in the country. Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine, beer and spirits writer. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley Instagram: @esthermob To order: Sparkling wine by the glass ($12-$29); caviar ($25-$150); dark chocolate Grand Marnier pot de creme ($11); popcorn (free) Where: The Riddler, 528 Laguna St., S.F. www.theriddlersf.com When: 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday; until 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Closed Monday. 1. Wine of the Month Club Established: 1972 The original monthly wine club is still the deepest bargain. Owner Paul Kalemkiarian Jr., son of the founder, chooses every wine, promising to replace it if you dont like it. Five club options, including one of only California wines; each allows specification of red, white or mixed. A step above the discount bin at the liquor store, with some especially interesting, inexpensive finds from Europe. Price ranges from $23.95/month for 2 bottles to $143.76/quarter for 12 bottles 2. Gold Medal Wine Club Established: 1992 A slightly higher-end alternative to the early wave of budget-friendly clubs. Six club options include a Pinot Noir-only option and an international offering. Selection criteria is based on accolades from wine competitions or critics. Gold Medal buys only direct from wineries (not through wholesale), and imports some wines itself. Solid, Dad-friendly wines youll recognize from your local liquor shop. The Gold tier is hit-or-miss, but there are gems in the Platinum tier. Price ranges from $39/month for 2 bottles to $195/quarter for 2 bottles More for you Wine clubs new frontier 3. Plonk Established: 2010 Former wine marketer Etty Lewensztain focuses on organic and biodynamic wines from small producers. Customers can choose either the curated club, letting Lewensztain surprise them (though they can still specify red or white), or the grape variety club, which comes in Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc and may include some doppelganger grapes (e.g. Dolcetto in the Pinot Noir shipment; Tannat with Cabernet). With grapes like Scheurebe and Saperavi, the obscurity quotient is high, but these are esoteric wines wrapped in approachable packaging. From $49.99 per 2-bottle shipment for curated club or from $30 per 2-bottle shipment for grape variety club 4. Winc Established: 2012 Run by former sommelier Brian Smith, Winc (Club W until May) is likely the best-known digital wine club. This self-proclaimed tech company sells only private-label wines. Those wines, matched to customers by a palate quiz, are either sourced from the bulk market or commissioned from individual winemakers. (Winc has no plans to open its own winery.) Fruity wines with broad, obvious appeal, evidently branded by a marketing team with a strong sense of its target demographic. Label names include #TBT, So This Happened and Vinyasa. Minimum $39/month for 3 bottles 5. Wine Awesomeness Established: 2013 This New York startup explicitly targets Millennials, appealing to what CEO Logan Lee describes as their desire for authenticity. Wines are chosen by a tasting panel that includes guest wine experts. Themed shipments are accompanied by a magazine with tips, like how to transform your shipping box into a fort for your cat. Theres a strong focus on discovering new regions and varieties, but theyre not the best examples of their type: bitterly metallic orange wine from Georgia; not-quite-dry German rose. $45/month for 3 wines 6. Tasting Room Established: 2013 The subscription offshoot of discount-wine retailer Lot18 adds one extra step to the palate quiz: It sends you a sample pack of tiny bottles, which you are instructed to rate, before sending you your first shipment of regular-size bottles. Dont expect to recognize your favorite brand; its a lot of private labels. Bland, unremarkable wines catering to a customer not paying attention to what hes drinking. $10.67 for one-time sampler; $149/quarter for 12-bottle shipment 7. Bright Cellars Established: 2014 Co-founded by Richard Yau and Joe Laurendi after graduating from MIT, Bright Cellars is driven by Laurendis algorithm that selects wines for customers based on their palate quiz and their subsequent wine ratings. The startup purchases some wine at wholesale, but is moving increasingly toward private labels. Many wines offer helpful introductions to a wine region Australian Shiraz, Chilean Pinot. The wines arent exactly nuanced, but theyre not excessively jammy either. $68/month for 4 wines 8. Pour This Established: 2015 Each month, former sommelier Ashley Ragovin chooses three wines that excite her, based around a stylistic or regional theme. She hand-addresses the letters to her customers and includes a CD of music to pair with the wines. The specialty here is the avante-garde: orange wine from the Roussillon region in France; indigenous Sicilian grapes; natural wine from Canadas Niagara region. $98/month for 3 wines 9. Foot of the Bed Cellars Established: 2016 Based in San Francisco, Foot of the Bed Cellars buys finished wines directly from small West Coast wineries (mostly family-owned), then bottles the juice under its own label. Currently only available in California; customers can specify red or white wines. And dont forget the release parties. Wines Oregon Pinot Blanc, Mendocino County Merlot, Sonoma Valley Syrah and Santa Barbara Chardonnay are clean, stylistically accessible, far outperforming their price point. $45/month for 3 wines 10. The Panel Established: 2016 This brand-new wine club out of Sonoma is co-founded by Windee Smith, who opened S.F.s William Cross Wine Merchants. Each month, a different panel of experts (e.g. winemaker Mia Klein, critic Virginie Boone, chef Sondra Bernstein) convenes to select three wines for the entry-level shipment. Pricier tiers include three additional bottles chosen by Smith. Not simply for the country-club Cabernet guzzler. This is a sophisticated, diverse selection of fascinating wines (white Cote-Rotie; Loire Cabernet Franc), classic but not boring. Price ranges from $99/month for 3 bottles to $299/month for 6 bottles Don Ross/Courtesy SFMOMA A massive curl of bright copper, roughly the size of six people standing shoulder to shoulder, gleams in a corner of a gallery at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. It is a work in the museums permanent collection part of a new installation called A Slow Succession With Many Interruptions, but it is not the exhibition that we will consider here. Let us look closely, instead, at this single, deceptively simple work. The sculpture was made by Chinese craftsmen, who hammered it out at the direction of the artist Danh Vo. The quintessential immigrant, Vo was born in 1975 on an island in Vietnam reserved for refugees after the fall of Saigon. His family escaped from Vietnam on a handmade boat that was intercepted by a Danish ship. Brad Grey Mike Coppola Getty final Paramount Pictures CEO Brad Grey announced his resignation on Wednesday in a company-wide memo. Grey resigns following one of the worst years in the studio's history, with losses nearing $450 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter. There will likely be other major changes coming to the studio's parent company, Viacom, as Shari Redstone, daughter of titan Sumner Redstone, is now in full control of the conglomerate. Grey, who has run Paramount since 2005, wrote in his memo obtained by Business Insider, that "it has been my honor to work with a group of wildly talented storytellers. The core of our successes has always been their unique ability to entertain and inspire people around the world." While searching for a replacement, the studio will be run by an interim committee that will report to new Viacom CEO Bob Bakish. The complete Grey memo is below: I am writing to let you know that I am leaving Paramount. I will hand over most of my duties effective today, but will remain engaged in the coming weeks to support a smooth transition. It has been my privilege to be a part of Paramounts storied history, and I am grateful to Sumner Redstone for giving me this opportunity. I want to wish Shari, Bob and their entire team the best as they embark on Viacoms next chapter. From the moment I came to Paramount in 2005, I saw myself as a steward of an iconic institution. I never could have dreamed that privilege would last more than 12 years. In that time, it has been my honor to work with a group of wildly talented storytellers. The core of our successes has always been their unique ability to entertain and inspire people around the world. Above all, I am indebted to all of you, the wonderful people here at Paramount. Your creativity, professionalism and integrity are second to none. I am grateful to everyone who helped me along the way and I look forward to new adventures. Thank you. Best, Brad Story continues NOW WATCH: Shia LaBeouf got into a shouting match with a white nationalist on his anti-Trump live stream More From Business Insider San Franciscos corporate shuttles, maligned as sleek private buses full of tech-industry gentrifiers as often as theyre praised for taking cars off the streets, are here to stay. So is a citywide system designed to control the shuttles and let them share Muni stops. Municipal Transportation Agency directors voted unanimously Tuesday, after about an hour of public debate, to grant final approval to the shuttle plan currently in effect. It allows shuttles to use a maximum of 125 bus stops, some shared with Muni, some in white-painted curb zones, in exchange for a $7.31 fee charged every time they stop to pick up or drop off passengers. The policy also restricts large corporate buses to wider streets and requires operators to phase in newer, less-polluting vehicles, provide tracking data to the MTA and avoid labor disputes. If this sounds familiar, its because theyve been here before. In 2014, the MTA board approved an 18-month experimental program before adopting a stricter program in 2016. That version included a six-month evaluation of four alternative systems using commuter-shuttle hubs instead of stops around the city. In November, the board chose not to pursue the hub options, saying they would drive riders away from shuttles and into their cars, which would increase pollution and congestion on streets near the hubs. While the MTA could alter or eliminate the program in the future, Tuesdays approval was considered the final OK for the program. Dozens of speakers, most of them shuttle riders or people who live near shuttle stops, spoke to the board. The riders said corporate buses allowed them to avoid driving to the South Bay and, in many cases, owning a car. According to the MTA, about 10,000 riders a day board the shuttles. Several speakers said they use Muni and would take Caltrain to their jobs if the already-crowded commuter train had enough capacity. But echoing many of the shuttle riders, Todd Lappin, a 26-year resident of San Francisco, said he would be forced to drive to work if the shuttle program were eliminated. After dropping off his daughter at school in the morning, he said, it would be much easier for me to just hop on 280 and drive to work. Instead, he heads home to pick up a nearby shuttle. The shuttle is a valuable part of my life that allows me to get to work without putting another car on the streets, said Chris Hartley, another shuttle commuter. Neighbors were less enthusiastic. While the corporate shuttle program may keep cars off of city streets and Peninsula freeways, it sends hordes of buses into the citys residential districts, crowding streets and sometimes interfering with Muni buses. Contrary to what youve been hearing (from shuttle riders), people are not happy with a program that puts 400 commuter buses a day on their streets, said Phoebe Cutler, a longtime resident. Some critics charged that the shuttle program illegally allows private businesses to use public bus stops. Preston Brown, a Castro Street resident, called it a neoliberal, private takeover of our public infrastructure. In the end, MTA directors sided with shuttle supporters. With little debate, they agreed to continue the program. Director Joel Ramos noted that without it, the corporate buses would be stopping and driving everywhere. The program, he said, gives the city control in exchange for use of Muni stops and city curb space. Without the program, said Francesca Napolitan, its coordinator, you would have more illegal behavior and less enforcement to catch them. Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com @ctuan This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate For a few hours Monday, Martin Shkreli, the pharmaceutical executive most famous for raising the price of the drug Daraprim by 5,000 percent, was the center of social media focus in Berkeley. Around 10:30 p.m. Sunday, a moderator on the popular Facebook page "UC Berkeley Memes for Edgy Teens" realized Shkreli had joined as one of the page's 63,000 members. The page was created in August 2016 and is filled with jokes and stereotypes about the school and its students. At first the moderator who made the discovery, Berkeley student Kojin Glick, thought it was a copycat profile of the infamous executive, but he soon realized it was the real Martin Shkreli. "I remember telling the group chat of moderators and admins, 'Guys, do you know this happened?'" Glick said. The page's administrators and moderators seized the opportunity of having a celebrity in their midst and made Shkreli a page moderator as a sort of social experiment. Shkreli, not one to turn away from the spotlight, made a few posts to the page (see screenshots above) and then went live on his Facebook page, saying, "I hacked the Berkeley page and now I'm in control. I have full control of all Berkeley memes." Glick said Shkreli was surprisingly tame considering his public persona. "He was weirdly passive for an internet troll," Glick told SFGATE. As CEO of Turing pharmaceuticals, Shkreli raised the price of the drug Daraprim, used to treat people with HIV and AIDS, from $13.50 a pill to $700 a pill. The dramatic price hike combined with Shkreli's attitude earned him the titles "pharma bro" and "the most hated man in America." Things really escalated Monday afternoon when Shkreli gave out his phone number and began taking calls from Cal students, between interruptions of yelling at his cat and playing the guitar. The hour-and-a-half live stream was full of bizarre moments, all broadcast from the billionaire's home that despite his net worth, looks a lot like an average college student's apartment. The content of each call and Shkreli's demeanor varied greatly from minute to minute. He went from taunting Berkeley students ("None of you kids know anything about science or STEM. Berkeley is well-known to have one of the worst STEM programs.") to giving seemingly earnest career and investing advice. In one moment he threatened to attack a caller with his nunchucks and in the next he was telling the story of how he lost his virginity. RELATED VIDEO: Shkreli banned from Twitter for harassing female journalist Some callers had serious questions, like what Shkreli plans to do with the Wu Tang Clan's latest album (Shkreli owns the only copy). Others simply had crude comments, which Shkreli gleefully returned with his own vulgar words. UC Berkeley student Rachel Trujillo was able to get Shkreli on the line after several failed attempts to get through. "I was pretty surprised that he was nice to me because usually when people called he was pretty rude," Trujillo told SFGATE in an interview. "I was taken aback that he was nice and didn't say something mean to me." Trujillo wanted to ask him why he was talking to Berkeley students in the first place, but didn't get a satisfying answer. "I still don't really know what he wanted out of all of this," she said. Administrators of the Facebook page removed Shkreli as a moderator a few hours later after he deleted other users' posts and comments. Later, page administrators removed Shkreli's posts, putting the social experiment to an end as quickly as it started. Glick, a media studies major, explained that's part of the meme phenomenon: "The dynamics of memes are very never serious and are hardly ever taken seriously or meant to be taken seriously. They're very much a fake reality, a tongue in cheek construction of the world we think we see." Glick added, "At the end of the day it was just Martin Shkreli, the 'pharma bro,' the troll of the century." This live stream is Shkreli's most recent stunt designed to provoke a reaction. In January the billionaire tried to join conservative provocateur Milo Yiannopolous at a speaking event at UC Davis (before the event was canceled) and in September 2016 he auctioned off the chance to punch him in the face. Shkreli's two Facebook live streams from Monday have garnered more than 120,000 views combined. UPDATE: The Alameda County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday that Deputy Mike Foley died from his injuries. Original Story: An Alameda County sheriffs deputy was in touch and go condition Wednesday after an inmate transport bus struck him at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, officials said. Deputy Mike Foley, who is about 60, was struck by a bus driven by another sheriffs deputy in the jail parking lot at about 6 a.m., said Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern. The driver of the bus was going about 15 mph and didnt see Foley, who was wearing dark clothes, in the morning darkness until it was too late, Ahern said. This is just an accident, Ahern said, adding that the California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident. The deputy was in extremely serious condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, said Sgt. Ray Kelly, spokesman for the sheriffs office. Foley was initially taken to the closest hospital to the jail, Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, but was moved to John Muir because of the severity of his injuries. His son, who attends college in Southern California, was flying to the Bay Area on Wednesday afternoon to be at his fathers side, Ahern said. Foley underwent surgery Wednesday to relieve swelling on his brain caused by extensive head trauma, Ahern said. Foley joined the Alameda County Sheriffs Office in 2007, after serving for 30 years as an officer with the Concord Police Department. He was a member of the sheriffs office transportation unit, which handles inmate transit. No inmates were aboard the bus that hit Foley, Ahern said. The driver and another deputy were leaving the jail to pick up lunches for inmates when the incident occurred. As part of protocol, the driver, whose name was not released, was placed on paid administrative leave. Ahern said that while Foley is the oldest member of the transportation unit, he is the hardest working. As usual, Foley showed up an hour early Wednesday, intending to begin an overtime shift at 7 a.m. Dozens of officers from all over, including the Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office, the Concord Police Department, the Walnut Creek Police Department and the California Highway Patrol, converged at the hospital to show support for Foley. Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @michael_bodley Wells Fargos board of directors fired four senior managers as part of its investigation into the banks sales practices scandal. Tuesdays announcement is the first public firing of managers and executives since the San Francisco bank acknowledged in September that its employees opened up to 2 million bank and credit card accounts, without customer authorization, to meet lofty sales goals. When the scandal broke, Wells had said it had fired roughly 5,300 employees, the vast majority of them lower-level workers. The board said agreed unanimously to terminate Shelley Freeman, head of consumer credit; Pamela Conboy, Arizona lead regional president; Matthew Raphaelson, head of community bank strategy; and Claudia Russ Anderson, former community bank chief risk officer. None of the executives will receive a bonus for 2016, the bank said. Autonomous cars Uber tests start in Arizona Uber has expanded its self-driving car program to Tempe, Ariz., the second city where customers can test the ride-hailing companys automated technology. Riders who request an UberX in Tempe will be matched with a self-driving car if one is available, according to a company spokeswoman. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a proponent of self-driving cars, took the inaugural ride, the company said. Ducey wooed Uber to Arizona after its self-driving cars were banned from San Franciscos streets in December by the California Department of Motor Vehicles after failing to register the vehicles for testing. Uber also is operating its self-driving vehicles in Pittsburgh. Fast Food Popeyes joins Burger King The parent company of Burger King and Tim Hortons is buying Popeyes for $1.8 billion, with plans to accelerate the growth of the fried chicken chain. The move fits Restaurant Brands Internationals strategy of taking over fast-food chains that it believes have the potential for wider expansion. Popeyes has a presence in almost every state, with locations concentrated in the eastern half of the country. The company plans to speed up Popeyes expansion, as it has done with Burger King. Restaurant Brands was created after Burger King, controlled by Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital, bought Tim Hortons in 2014. The corporate name it took signaled the companys expansion goals. It has more than 20,000 locations worldwide, and Popeyes gives it about 2,600 more. The deal gives shareholders of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen $79 per share, a 19 percent premium from its closing price on Friday. Earnings Macys profit sees 13% drop Macys, the nations largest department store chain, says its earnings for the quarter that includes the holiday period dropped nearly 13 percent, dragged down by lower sales, store closures and other costs. The profit results beat Wall Street expectations, but Macys said it expects to post another year of sales declines. Like many department stores, the chain has faced sluggish sales as customers buy more online and less at the malls where Macys is often an anchor. The company has been shuttering stores as it tries to regroup. Macys has also been under pressure from shareholders to get more value out of its real estate holdings, which activist investor Starboard says are worth nearly $21 billion. The chain has reportedly been in preliminary talks with Hudsons Bay about a takeover or a real estate deal. However, Macys declined to talk about the topic Tuesday, saying it doesnt comment on rumors. For the three months that ended Jan. 28, Macys earned $475 million ($1.54 per share). That compares with $544 million ($1.73) in the year-ago period. Revenue fell 4 percent to $8.52 billion. Online sales boost Walmart Walmart drew more shoppers to its U.S. namesake stores and its e-commerce sales soared, signs that its efforts to lower prices and improve Web services are helping it compete with online leader Amazon. Still, the worlds largest retailer reported fourth-quarter earnings that fell 18 percent as its results have been squeezed by its investments in online upgrades and stores. The results did beat Wall Street expectations. And total sales were hurt by a stronger U.S. dollar, which is making its international business more challenging. Global e-commerce sales grew 29 percent in the quarter, up from 20.6 percent in the same period a year earlier. The company said Tuesday that it earned $3.76 billion ($1.22 per share) in the three months that ended Jan. 31. That compares with $4.57 billion ($1.43) a year ago. It spent more than $3 billion for Jet.com last year in a deal that it hopes will help it attract younger and more affluent customers. And it just announced that it had bought outdoor gear seller Moosejaw for $51 million as it expands its online product selections. Moving closer to the terms of Amazons powerhouse Prime program, Walmart is now offering free two-day shipping on online orders of its most popular items with a minimum purchase order of $35. Walmart has also said that it plans to slow its new store openings and pour money into its online efforts, technology and store remodels. Chronicle News Services A 19-year-old Flint, Mich., woman returning to her car after a late shift at the mall found that someone had tampered with the vehicle. A shirt was wrapped around the windshield. She sensed a potential trap. "I got to my car and locked the doors behind me immediately as I always do and noticed that there was a blue flannel shirt on my windshield," Ashley Hardacre wrote later that night on Facebook. "There were two cars near me and one was running so I immediately felt uneasy and knew I couldn't get out to get it off. Instead of leaving herself vulnerable to possible attack while peeling the shirt off the wiper, she drove to a safe area to clear the garment. Facebook screenshot "I had seen posts lately about people finding things under their windshield wipers in the burton/Flint area as an attempt to get girls out of their cars and distracted," Hardacre wrote in the Feb. 11 post. "I posted about the incident to inform others that it can happen to anyone and that they shouldn't fall for it. A lot of people think it is fake or it won't happen to them. But you can never be too safe." Hardacre's warning blew up on Facebook, with over 104,000 shares, but Flint Township Police Detective Sgt. Brad Wangler told CBS News, "Nothing like this has ever happened before." The incident remains under investigation, and police and Genesee Valley Mall security are examining surveillance footage in the hope of identifying the person who left the shirt. In July, Facebook poster Savannah Nguyen of Wisconsin wrote that someone had left a silver jeweled Kay Jewelers ring on the windshield of her mother's car. Her mother discovered the ring just after another car slowly drove by in an otherwise empty parking lot. "This is exactly how human trafficking and abductions take place," Nguyen said in the post, which has since been removed. "They probably watched her get out of her car and placed it on her window and waited for her to come back." The debunker site Snopes labeled the "gift ring" incident unproven. It noted over the last few years there have been numerous stories posted on social media sites about human traffickers preying on unsuspecting customers outside large stores including Walmart and Target. But evidence supporting such claims has been hard to come by. According to Snopes: "Law enforcement sources have told us over and over again in response to these types of warnings that human traffickers are far more likely to recruit victims by attempting to establish relationships (and even a degree of trust) with them; snatching random victims from store parking lots is not their modus operandi." LIMA, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Peru may bar Enagas SA from bidding on a new contract for a natural gas pipeline because the Spanish company had worked on the project as scandal-plagued Brazilian builder Odebrecht's junior partner, the energy and mines minister said on Tuesday. Odebrecht, at the center of a growing graft scandal, lost the $5 billion pipeline project last month after missing a financing deadline on worries about corruption. Odebrecht owned 55 percent of the project, Enagas 25 percent and Peruvian construction group Grana y Montero 20 percent. In an interview with local broadcaster RPP, Gonzalo Tamayo said the government was evaluating whether to exclude Enagas or Grana from a new tender for the pipeline project that would be held within nine months. "In the case of Enagas they have a limitation because they were the operators of the natural gas pipeline," Tamayo said when asked if Enagas or Grana would be able to submit bids. "We've commissioned legal briefs to tell us specifically if the companies you mentioned should have a limitation or not." Enagas said it was focused on terminating the pipeline concession and might later consider taking part in a new bid "as long as the government of Peru thinks it would be correct." Odebrecht and Enagas had won the right to build and operate the pipeline in 2014 during the previous government after their sole competitor was disqualified the day of the auction. Grana joined the consortium in 2015. Prosecutors in Peru have been investigating the pipeline bid and are in talks with Odebrecht on who took part in $29 million in bribes the company has acknowledged distributing to secure public work projects in Peru between about 2005 and 2014. Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has said that he wants the new pipeline contract to have a smaller pricetag. Odebrecht has been barred from bidding on any future contract in Peru. (Reporting By Mitra Taj; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli) This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate February 22nd is National Margarita Day. The drink, typically made with lime juice, triple sec and tequila, is the perfect pairing with your burrito from Taqueria Cancun or to sip on its own as a reward for successfully making it through the epic rush hour traffic on the 101 again. In San Francisco, there are tons of great options when it comes to places to grab a margarita. If you work near Caltrain, then it doesnt get any better than Tres, located on Townsend St., The restaurant has an excellent selection of tequila, and makes margaritas out of limes imported from Mexico. Downtown, Tropisueno has a delicious list of options to choose from and, if youre in the Mission on a sunny day in San Francisco, then El Techos rooftop bar is the perfect place to grab a pitcher for you and your friends. While the traditional margarita is certainly a winner, there are a ton of different riffs on the cocktail that take the standard version up a notch. Raul Ayala at SOMAs Dirty Habit created something he calls the Arandas Legacy that adds sherry and Aloe Vera Liqueur into the mix for a new, unique flavor. If you cant make it out tonight to grab a margarita, Ayala was nice enough to share his recipe for the Arandas Legacy so you can mix it up at home yourself. Arandas Legacy Crafted by Raul Ayala of Dirty Habit Bar, San Francisco Ingredients: 1 oz. Tequila Cazadores Reposado .75 oz. Lustau "Jarana" Fino Sherry .75 oz. Anatto, blood orange syrup** .5 oz. Fresh-squeezed lemon juice .25 oz. Chareau Aloe Vera Liqueur Chili powder/salt rim Mint for garnish How to make it: In a Boston shaker, mix all ingredients except for the mint. Hard shake. Double strain into a chili/salt rimmed double old fashioned glass and garnish with a mint sprig. By extending food stamp benefits on produce in grocery stores, a new Bay Area program aims to get more fresh vegetables and fruits into home kitchens and to send more money to California farms. A pilot program at three grocery stores in San Jose and Gilroy gives low-income Californians in the CalFresh program called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, nationally an extra dollar to spend on fresh produce for every CalFresh dollar they use to buy California-grown fruits and vegetables. Called Double Up Food Bucks, the benefit is up to $10 a day at the participating stores, with an eventual goal to expand statewide. Many people struggle to make ends meet and afford enough food. Given the cost of living in the Bay Area, (the CalFresh program) isnt enough, said Eli Zigas of SPUR, which is rolling out the program with $300,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, plus additional grants from other organizations. We know that one of the biggest barriers to healthy eating is the affordability of healthy food, and this program addresses that. Workers at Arteagas Food Center in San Jose, a participating grocery store, recently put up signs explaining how the benefits work, alongside labels for California-grown produce, which right now includes lettuce, broccoli, carrots, celery, yams and oranges. Shoppers who buy that produce with their Electronic Benefit Transfer cards from CalFresh receive a coupon for up to $10, to use on their next purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables, which dont have to be California-grown. The customers are excited for the program, said Alonzo Lopez, president and co-owner of Arteagas, which had to upgrade its cash-register system to incorporate it. They love the option that you buy something that youre already going to buy and theyre going to match it dollar for dollar. The pilot program is similar to one in place at 260 California farmers markets. Called Market Match, it started in 2009 and allows CalFresh recipients to double produce purchases up to $10 a day. Benefits depend on income, but the monthly average is around $200 per household. The new supermarket expansion comes just a week after the House Agriculture Committee discussed the idea of not allowing SNAP recipients to use their benefits to buy soda and other junk food. While that proved unpopular among both Democrats and Republicans, providing an incentive for healthy eating has more momentum. The state of California set aside $5 million to expand the Market Match program in farmers markets, for example, and is waiting to hear if the USDA will match the funds. People receiving public benefits should be treated with dignity and support rather than more rules and restrictions, said Martin Bourque, executive director of Ecology Center in Berkeley, which runs the Market Match program. Giving them an incentive to improve their health and the health of their families is a valuable and strategic approach. Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle 2017 In 2015, the USDA awarded Market Match a $3.7 million Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive grant. In 2016, 180,000 Californians participated, resulting in $3.9 million in sales at farmers markets, according to a report by the Ecology Center. Of those customers, 52 percent reported having difficulty affording produce without the Market Match dollars. Bourque prefers awarding the extra benefits at farmers markets because the purchases have a more direct impact on small- and medium-scale farmers than supermarkets do. However, Zigas of SPUR said that 90 percent of CalFresh dollars are spent at grocery stores. Its important to encourage people to go to the farmers market and to meet people where they are, Zigas said. Before SPUR launched the Double Up Food Bucks program, which is also being offered at Arteagas Food Center in Gilroy and Food Bowl 99 in San Jose, it looked at other efforts like it, such as one by Mandela Marketplace in Oakland, to find what they consider the most efficient process for stores that would also encourage customers to use the benefit. SPUR research showed that expanding the program across the state would cost $100 million to $400 million per year, but only about $2 million to administer. In terms of how you could improve access to healthy food, said Zigas, its a lot of money, but its a big bang for the buck. Tara Duggan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate This story originally appeared on Hoodline. Several eateries recently called it quits in the Westfield Shopping Centre, including Peets Coffee, Amoura Cafe, Mr. Hana, and Bistro Burger. Retailers bebe and Zara are also gone, one mall employee recently told a Hoodline editor. (Update, 12:20pm: A Westfield spokesperson has confirmed that Zara will return. Zara is expanding to two levels and undergoing a complete re-model. It will be a much larger and beautiful store. Additionally, bebe is still inside Westfield but has moved into a smaller space, a representative from the company told SFGATE.) Weve received no official word as to why the closures happened; phone numbers at Amoura and Bistro have been disconnected (Bistros website is also down), and Peets didnt reply to a request for comment. In a recent email to Hoodline, a Westfield spokeswoman said the mall is currently undergoing exciting changes. There have been some recent departures, but there is strong interest in locating here, said Rebecca Weill, marketing director for the mall. Its not unusual for a center of this size to experience turnoverfluctuations are a natural part of our business cycle as retailers open, close and reinvent themselves. We last checked in on Westfield when Bristol Farms closed in January. The popular theory behind the grocer's closer: a 25 percent lease hike. Weill declined to comment on the rumored hike, noting, While we dont discuss leasing details, we can tell you that San Francisco Centre is currently undergoing exciting changes, as several of our retailers expand, remodel, some retailers leave, and new retailers come into the Centre. Competition for Westfield is on its way down the street: The "6x6" mall on the 900 block of Market Street recently opened, although not with any retail tenants yet. The mall set developers back $150 million to build, and it boasts 250,000 square feet across six levels. Are departing Westfield tenants attempting to flock to the new space? No response yet from the new malls developers, but well let you know if we hear anything. CANNON BALL, N.D. Some of the last remnants of the Dakota Access pipeline protest camp went up in flames Wednesday as opponents of the project set fire to makeshift wooden housing as part of a leaving ceremony ahead of a government deadline to get off the federal land. The camp has been home to demonstrators for six months as they tried to thwart construction of the pipeline. Many of the protesters planned to go peacefully, but authorities were prepared to arrest others who said they would defy the deadline in a final show of dissent. About 150 people marched arm in arm out of the camp, singing and playing drums as they walked down a highway. It was not clear where they were headed. One man carried an American flag hung upside-down. Others departed the soggy camp earlier in the day. Authorities sent buses to take protesters to Bismarck, where they were offered fresh clothing, bus fare home and food and hotel vouchers. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers set a 2 p.m. Wednesday deadline for the camp to be cleared, citing the threat of spring flooding. At the height of the protests, the site known as Oceti Sakowin hosted thousands of people, though its population dwindled to just a couple of hundred as the pipeline battle moved into the courts. The camp is on federal land in North Dakota between the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation and the pipeline route that is being finished by Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners. When complete, the project will carry oil through the Dakotas and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois. Some of the remaining protesters were focused on moving off federal land and away from the flood plain into other camps, said Phyllis Young, one of the camp leaders. The camps will continue, she said. Freedom is in our DNA, and we have no choice but to continue the struggle. New camps are popping up on private land, including one the Cheyenne River Sioux set up about a mile from the main camp. A lot of our people want to be here and pray for our future, tribal Chairman Harold Frazier said. Others, including Dom Cross, an Oglala Sioux from Pine Ridge, S.D., said he planned to return home after living at the camp since September. Theres a lot of sadness right now. We have to leave our second home, he said. Blake Nicholson and James MacPherson are Associated Press writers. Andrew Harnik/Associated Press WASHINGTON The Trump administration is revoking U.S. transgender guidelines, stepping into an emotional national issue and stripping students of federal protections to use bathrooms and locker rooms matching gender identities that differ from their birth certificates. The administration is coming down on the side of states rights, revoking federal guidelines that had been issued by the Obama administration. Without the Obama directive, it will be up to states and school districts to interpret federal antidiscrimination law and determine whether students should have access to restrooms in accordance with their expressed gender identity and not just their biological sex. Evan Vucci/Associated Press WASHINGTON President Trump on Tuesday condemned recent threats against Jewish community centers in the U.S. as painful reminders of lingering prejudice and evil, his first full-throated comments on the rise of anti-Semitic venom after pressure for him to speak out forcefully. With his somewhat delayed denunciation, Trump sought to reset his relationship with American Jews, which has been strained by a recent White House statement on the Holocaust, comments by some of his supporters and his own fractious exchange with a reporter for an Orthodox Jewish publication. It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Procter & Gamble Company (The) PG. Shares have added about 7.5% in that time frame, outperforming the market. Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to the stocks next earnings release, or is it due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts. Procter & Gamble Q1 Earnings & Sales Top, View Intact The Procter & Gamble Companys first-quarter fiscal 2017 earnings and revenues exceeded expectations. P&Gs fiscal first-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.03 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.98 by 5.1%. The bottom line also increased 5% from the prior-year quarter. Currency-neutral core EPS per share improved 12% on higher volumes. Sales in Details P&Gs reported net sales of $16.52 billion that beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $16.46 billion by 0.4%. The top line, however, remained unchanged year over year. Foreign exchange had a negative impact of 3% on sales. Organically (excluding the impact of acquisitions, divestitures and foreign exchange), revenues grew 3% on the back of a 3% increase in organic shipment volumes. All the five business segments recorded organic sales growth. Health Care and Fabric & Home Care segments reported 7% and 4% growth, respectively, in the fiscal first quarter. Beauty and Grooming segments witnessed 3% organic sales growth, whereas Baby, Feminine & Family Care segment reported 2%. In developing markets, organic sales were up 6% on 3% volume growth, as the pricing osted the top line. On the other hand, in developed markets, organic sales were up 2% on 4% volume growth, reflecting heightened promotional activity in part to address price gaps in certain categories. Segment Discussion Beauty: This segment declined 1% year over year to $2.99 billion due to currency headwinds. Foreign exchange hurt revenues by 2%, while acquisitions/divestures/Venezuela deconsolidation had a 1% positive impact on sales. Organic sales grew 3% driven by positive pricing and higher volumes. Price was up 1%, while mix was up 1%. Organic volumes rose 2%. Skin and personal care gained with demand for the SK-II brand, and hair care was higher due to Pantene and Head & Shoulders (partly offset by declines for smaller brands). The segments net earnings declined 5% to $592 million. Grooming: Grooming was down 1% to $1.7 billion. Currency had a 3% negative impact on revenue growth, while acquisitions/divestures/Venezuela deconsolidation contributed 1% to sales. Organic sales rose 3% driven by higher pricing and volumes. Price increases added 1% to revenue growth. Organic volumes rose 3% while mix had a neutral impact. The segments net earnings rose 6% to $415 million. Health Care: Healthcare products rose 4% to $1.9 billion. Currency had a negative impact of 3% on sales, while acquisitions/divestures/Venezuela deconsolidation had a neutral impact. Organic sales rose 7% on the back of higher pricing and volumes. Price grew 1%, mix climbed 1% while organic volume rose 5%. Personal health care grew at a double-digit rate with innovation and pricing, and oral care benefited from development in Oral B brushes and paste. The segments net earnings inched up 1% to $320 million. Fabric Care and Home Care: The segment increased 1% to $5.3 billion. Currency had a negative impact of 2% on sales, while acquisitions/divestures/Venezuela deconsolidation had a 1% positive impact. Organic sales rose 4% on higher organic volumes. While price declined 1%, mix improved 1%. Organic volumes rose 4%. Fabric care was higher in developed markets with investments in innovation and marketing, and home care expanding at mid-single digits globally. The segments net earnings declined 3% to $728 million. Baby Care, Feminine and Family Care: The segment declined 1% to $4.6 billion due to currency headwinds of 3%. Acquisitions/divestures/Venezuela deconsolidation had a 1% positive impact on sales. Organic sales rose 2% as all three businesses experienced solid volume growth with innovation and some pricing adjustments to improve value gaps. While organic volumes rose 4%, price declined 1%. Mix had a 1% negative impact on sales. The segments net earnings declined 7% to $697 million. Rising Margins Core gross margin expanded 50 basis points (bps) to 51.6% as productivity cost savings and higher volume benefits were offset by currency headwinds, unfavorable mix, innovation and capacity investments, and higher commodity costs. Core selling, general and administrative expense (SG&A) margin increased 40 bps (as a percentage of sales) to 28.3% owing to benefits from overhead and marketing spending reductions due to productivity efforts. Core operating margin expanded 20 bps to 23.4% owing to productivity cost savings. P&G has undertaken an aggressive cost-cutting plan to reduce spending across all areas like supply chain, research & development, marketing and overheads. Financials As of Sep 30, 2016, the companys cash and cash equivalents were $7,456 million, up from $7,102 million at the end of fiscal 2016 (as of Jun 30, 2016). Long-term debt was $18,910 million as of Sep 30, 2016, slightly down from $18,945 million at fiscal 2016-end. Cash flow from operating activities were $3,025 million during the quarter, down from $3,538 million a year ago. Fiscal 2017 Guidance The Cincinnati-based company maintained its organic sales growth projection at approximately 2% for fiscal 2017. It expects the combined foreign exchange headwind and minor brand divestitures to reduce sales by about 1 percentage points. P&G estimates all-in sales growth of about 1% for fiscal 2017. Core earnings per share are expected to grow in mid-single digits as against the fiscal 2016 core earnings of $3.67 per share. Currency is expected to be only a small headwind in 2017. Management expects small improvement in profit margins. Capital expenditure is expected to be 5%-5.5% of sales. Core effective tax rate is expected to be in line with the fiscal 2016 rate. Free cash flow productivity is anticipated to be 90% or more of adjusted net earnings. In fiscal 2017, the company expects to repurchase shares worth $15 billion (including those exchanged in the Coty transaction) and pay more than $7 billion in dividends. Average share count is estimated to decline by approximately 4% in fiscal 2017. Story continues How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then? Following the release, investors have witnessed a downward trend in fresh estimates. There has been one revision higher for the current quarter compared to five lower. While looking back an additional 30 days, we can see even more downward momentum. There have been seven downward revisions in the last two months. Procter & Gamble Company (The) Price and Consensus Procter & Gamble Company (The) Price and Consensus | Procter & Gamble Company (The) Quote VGM Scores At this time, Procter & Gamble's stock has a subpar score of 'D' on both growth and momentum front Following the exact same course, the stock was allocated also a grade of 'D' on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for this investment strategy. Overall, the stock has an aggregte VGM Score of 'F'. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in. Our style scores indicate investors will probably be better served looking elsewhere. Outlook Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock. The magnitude of this revision also indicates a downward shift. Notably, the stock has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We are expecting an inline return from the stock in the next few months. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Procter & Gamble Company (The) (PG): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Hawaii State Senator Will Espero proposed a bill last month to ban the sale of "reef-unfriendly" sunscreens in the Aloha State. If passed, the legislation will take effect in July 2018 and those caught selling sunscreens containing oxybenzone or octinoxate could face misdemeanor charges. Sunscreens containing the aforementioned active ingredients would still be available under medical prescription, according to the proposed legislation. Espero argued that such a ban would help preserve Hawaii's tourism industry, which relies heavily upon visitors to its coral reefs. Fourteen thousand tons of sunscreen wind up in global coral reefs each year, according to a study published in the "Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology." The same study found that oxybenzone, an active ingredient in many commercial sunscreens, causes coral bleaching. When waters become too warm or the corals become stressed, they expel algae living in their tissues. Without algae, the coral loses its major source of food, turns white, and becomes more susceptible to disease. If coral bleaching is not severe, the organism can recover; however, if the "algae loss is prolonged and the stress continues," the coral will die, according to the National Ocean Ocean Service. Manufacturers have argued that more extensive research is necessary to justify such a ban. "We sympathize with the desire to preserve Hawaii's coral reef, but there is no scientific evidence that under naturally occurring conditions, sunscreen ingredients are contributing to coral-reef declines," a spokeswoman from the Consumer Healthcare Products Association told Nature. "Reef-friendly" sunscreens have been manufactured in response to these concerns. Additionally, physical or mineral sunscreens, containing ingredients such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, block UVA and UVB rays. The National Park Service says such blocks have not been found to harm reefs. "Since there are eco-friendly sunscreens on the market now, a total ban hurts no one," Espero told Nature. Read Michelle Robertsons latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com. Here are some of the key stories CNBC is following this hour: Libya says the bodies of 74 migrants washed ashore in a city on the Mediterranean Sea. The circumstances involving the drowning of the migrants are not yet clear. Migrant deaths have risen to record levels along the Libya-Italy smuggling route. Italy's taxi drivers staged a sixth day of protests in major cities Tuesday. Demonstrators blocked traffic in central Rome as they pushed the government to crack down on Uber and limousine drivers. Scuffles erupted outside Democratic party headquarters. Three national monuments in Washington were defaced with graffiti over President's Day weekend, the third major vandalism of memorials in the capital since 2013. The Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and World War II Memorial were hit sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning. A Mayo Clinic survey reveals that men and women have different motivations for exercising. It found that women exercise to lose weight while men exercise as a form of recreation. But fewer than half knew what their target heart rate should be. By Karen Pierog CHICAGO, Feb 22 (Reuters) - The Chicago Board of Education on Wednesday approved a revised budget that incorporates unpaid furlough days and other cost-cutting measures to save $104 million to help address a $215 million pension funding shortfall. The $5.41 billion budget still has a $111 million hole to fill before the fiscal year ends on June 30. The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) will continue to pursue money from the state of Illinois to fill the gap, including through its recently filed lawsuit against the state, according to a school spokeswoman. The nation's third-largest public school system sued Illinois last week, claiming the state's method of education funding discriminates against the district's largely black and Hispanic student body. CPS is struggling with pension payments that will jump to $733 million this fiscal year from $676 million in fiscal 2016, as well as drained reserves and debt dependency. The fiscal woes have pushed its general obligation credit ratings deep into the junk category and led investors to demand fat yields for its debt. As part of a deal to enact state-wide pension changes, Illinois lawmakers passed a bill last year to send CPS $215 million in one-time funding earmarked for its teachers' retirement system. In December, Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed the measure after comprehensive pension legislation failed to materialize. Frustration over the veto led CPS to file its lawsuit invoking Illinois' Civil Rights Act. The Illinois State Board of Education said on Wednesday it finalized a settlement in the only other pending lawsuit over state funding, which was filed by civil rights group the Chicago Urban League in 2008. Under the settlement, procedures will be put in place for when legislative appropriations fail to cover all general state aid claims submitted by school districts, the state board said in a statement. The state Senate has proposed a package of bills aimed at ending Illinois' record-breaking budget impasse. The measures, which must all be passed in order for the package to be enacted, include state funding for Chicago teacher pensions as well as a major tax hike, casino expansion and a school funding revamp. A bipartisan deal on the bills stumbled earlier this month when the Senate rejected a key measure to cut pension costs. Story continues A spokesman for Democratic Senate President John Cullerton said on Wednesday negotiations over the bills continue. CPS's fiscal 2017 budget, which was originally approved by the school board in August, was also revised in December to accommodate a new teachers' contract. (Editing by Matthew Lewis) SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) A San Francisco firefighter has been arrested on suspicion of domestic violence charges, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office. While few details are available at this time, it appears that Battalion Chief Samuel Romero was arrested by Daly City police last night, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said today. He was booked into San Mateo County jail and has been released on bond, with a court date set for March 23. The case is being forwarded to prosecutors by Daly City police this afternoon, and Wagstaffe said he did not yet have details of the incident. Calls to Daly City police and San Francisco fire officials were not immediately returned. 660-0545 Daly City police Sgt. Ron Harrison (650) 243-8287 San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe (650) 363-4752 FILE PHOTO: A Saudi Aramco employee sits near the Saudi Aramco stand at the Middle East Petrotech 2016 in Manama, Bahrain, September 27, 2016. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo By Mike Stone, Tom Arnold and Sumeet Chatterjee REUTERS - Oil giant Saudi Aramco has asked JPMorgan Chase & Co and Morgan Stanley to assist with its mammoth initial public share offer and could call on another bank with access to Chinese investors, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. The U.S. banks have joined boutique investment bank Moelis & Co in winning coveted roles in what is expected to be the world's biggest IPO, worth some $100 billion. HSBC Holdings Plc has emerged as the leading contender for a role among a list of five banks that could provide a pipeline to Chinese investors - an important part of the offering, the source said, adding that the other four are Chinese banks. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China International Holdings, a wholly-owned Hong Kong-based subsidiary of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China , and China International Capital Corporation (CICC) are among the Chinese banks pitching for the deal, two other sources familiar with the matter said. "This will give Chinese banks a bit of an opportunity to flex their muscles and show that they have the firepower to get involved in such a large, global deal, said Benjamin Quinlan, CEO of financial services consultancy Quinlan & Associates. "There will also be a strategic interest from the government side to have some China role in the IPO process given the role Saudi Aramco plays in the resources sector there. So, there is a political undertone to it as well." The growing Chinese interest in Aramco's IPO comes ahead of King Salman's visit to Asia next week. The final line-up for banks working on the IPO could still be adjusted, the first source said. The IPO is the centrepiece of the Saudi government's ambitious plan, known as Vision 2030, to diversify the economy away from oil. Up to 5 percent of the world's largest oil producer is likely to be listed on both the Saudi stock exchange in Riyadh and on one or more international markets. Story continues On Tuesday the Wall Street Journal said that JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley and HSBC have been selected as lead underwriters. Aramco, formally known as Saudi Arabian Oil Co, declined to comment, as did JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley and HSBC. ICBC did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment and CICC declined to comment. Citigroup Inc was also among those asked to pitch for an advisory position with Aramco, Saudi-based industry sources said last month. The IPO plan has been championed by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who oversees the country's energy and economic policies. Last year, he said he expected the IPO would value Aramco at a minimum of $2 trillion, and that the figure might end up being higher. Saudi Arabia is considering two options for the shape of Aramco when it sells shares next year: either to develop it as a global industrial conglomerate or make it a specialised international oil company, industry and banking sources have told Reuters. Saudi Aramco has also appointed international law firm White & Case, which has a long-established relationship with the state oil giant, as legal adviser for its IPO, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters this month. Saudi Arabia is favouring New York for listing Saudi Aramco, while also considering London and Toronto, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The oil giant also held discussions with the Singapore Exchange regarding a potential secondary listing, sources have said. (Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington, Tom Arnold in Dubai and Sumeet Chatterjee in Hong Kong; Additional reporting by Reem Shamseddin in Khobar, Julie Zhu and Michelle Price in Hong Kong and Ismail Shakil in Bengaluru; Writing by Saeed Azhar; Editing by Edwina Gibbs, Greg Mahlich) CATLETTSBURG, Ky. (AP) While the Affordable Care Act has brought health coverage to millions of Americans, the effects have been profound, even lifesaving, for some of those caught up in the nation's opioid-addiction crisis. In Kentucky, which has been ravaged worse than almost any other state by fentanyl, heroin and other drugs, Tyler Witten went into rehab at Medicaid's expense after the state expanded the program under a provision of the act. Until then, he had been addicted to painkillers for more than a decade. "It saved my life," he said. Addicts and mentally ill people who gained access to treatment programs for the first time are worried about how that might change as President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress try to make good on their promise to repeal and replace "Obamacare." Repeal could end coverage for 1.8 million people who have undergone addiction or mental health treatment and could cut $5.5 billion in spending on such services, said Richard Frank, a health economist at Harvard Medical School. Some GOP governors insist addicts have nothing to fear from repeal because, they say, Medicaid will continue to pay for treatment. But Democrats and others are dubious. Currently the federal government covers a certain percentage of each state's Medicaid costs, however high they might go. As part of the plan to junk Obamacare, the Trump administration has expressed support instead for giving states a fixed amount of money for Medicaid and letting them design their own programs. But Raymond Castro, senior policy analyst for New Jersey Policy Perspective, a left-leaning think tank, said these block grants are likely to come with less money. And that could force states to cut benefits. Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has made the opioid crisis his top priority in his final year in office, said he would support a shift to block grants because of the flexibility they give states. But he said the people receiving treatment through the Medicaid expansion now shouldn't be forgotten. Story continues "Whatever changes are made to the ACA should be made with those people in mind, because we don't help ourselves by kicking those people off coverage," Christie said. In areas overwhelmed by the opioid crisis, the uncertainty is worrisome to people receiving treatment. In Pennsylvania, nearly 63,000 newly eligible Medicaid enrollees received drug and alcohol treatment in 2015, the first year of the state's expansion. One of them was 44-year-old Pittsburgh restaurant hostess Erika Lindgren, who credits the health care law with quickly getting her into a 26-day rehab program in 2015 and covering the daily medications she takes to fight opioid cravings. When she was uninsured, getting into rehab involved waiting lists and daily phone calls to see if a publicly funded bed had opened up. With coverage under the Affordable Care Act, "I was able to pack my bag at that moment," she said. "I was in an in-patient rehab within an hour and a half of making that call." "I am scared to death to lose my coverage," she added. "It saves my life every day." In Wildwood, New Jersey, Ashley Grant, a 30-year-old recovering heroin addict who has been sober since June, is hoping to regain custody of her three children. She has signed up for Medicaid under the health law expansion and is waiting to be approved so she can afford weekly counseling. A county program helps pay for a monthly anti-relapse shot. "They should make it easier for people with addiction to get insurance," she said. Care for mental illness, too, expanded under the Affordable Care Act. Marquitta Nelson, a 60-year-old homeless Chicagoan with severe depression, is getting psychiatric care and treatment for asthma, arthritis and other conditions since she obtained Medicaid coverage under the health law expansion. She is waiting to be assigned to a shelter and staying with a friend. "Am I expected not to take my medications and wig out and be walking up and down the street, not coherent?" Nelson said. While the law expanded coverage, it did not always translate into more treatment. For those buying insurance in the marketplace, many plans still exclude or limit residential treatment and clinics that dispense methadone, which is used to treat addictions to heroin and painkillers. Deductibles for some plans are so high that people still cannot afford help. Despite those hurdles, the health care law was beginning to shift the system and giving hope to many, said Samuel Ball, chief executive of the nonprofit National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse in New York. "At a point where we feel we're turning a corner, to have the whole rug pulled out from under us is very concerning," he said. ___ Johnson reported from Chicago. Associated Press writer Josh Cornfield in Trenton, New Jersey, contributed to this story. Sebastian Gorka Donald Trump It was May 2016 and Sebastian Gorka, a former editor at Breitbart News who is now a senior official in President Donald Trump's White House, had been invited to speak at a Defense Intelligence Agency conference. Gorka was joined on a panel by two well-respected counterterrorism and national-security experts Georgia State University professor Mia Bloom and Foreign Policy Research Institute fellow Clint Watts. But he showed up unprepared, Bloom and Watts said, refusing to answer the questions that had been provided to the panelists weeks in advance. Bloom told Business Insider that before things got underway, the panel organizer started to discuss which panelists would answer which questions. Gorka, she said, refused to answer anything. "Gorka stood up after me and said, 'Well, I've been invited here under false pretenses. I couldn't possibly address this level of granularity,'" Bloom said. "He made it sound like he had no idea that they were going to ask us these questions." Watts, a former Army officer and FBI agent, confirmed this description of events, characterizing Gorka's performance as a "disaster." "Instead of participating in the panel the way he was supposed to, he was kind of grandstanding," Watts said. "He said, 'I'm going to stand up because I'm a lecturer and I want to see the crowd,' and I thought, this is bulls---. You don't act like that." Bloom and Watts also said he tried to use the panel as a platform to sell his book. "He actually carried around his book and was basically trying to sell his book to people in the crowd," Watts said. "It was low class." The episode encapsulates the concerns that several people in the national-security community have about Gorka. In conversations with Business Insider, several national-security experts questioned Gorka's credibility in their field, saying he is often dismissed as an outspoken conservative pundit who lacks the chops to serve in the highest levels of the White House advising on national-security policy. Story continues Gorka is a deputy assistant to the president for the Strategic Initiatives Group, a new White House organization that US officials have said is like a parallel National Security Council (NSC). The organization has the power to write executive orders, according to The Wall Street Journal. Gorka reports to Trump's chief strategist, Stephen Bannon, who first noticed Gorka through his appearances on Fox News and later offered him a job at Breitbart, according to The Washington Post. Gorka told The Journal that he also reports to Trump adviser Jared Kushner and White House chief of staff Reince Priebus. Gorka also advised the Trump campaign during the election. When Business Insider asked him for comment by email, Gorka called Bloom's and Watts' characterization of events at the 2016 panel "fallacious" but did not dispute any specific points. He did, however, advise Business Insider not to report on his participation in the conference because it was a closed event. Sebastian Gorka 'The Simon Cowell of counterterrorism' Terrorism and national-security experts have been going after Gorka on Twitter for weeks. "I call him the Simon Cowell of counterterrorism," Watts told Business Insider. Watts said he's met Gorka about a half-dozen times on panels and conferences over the past several years and added that he's "always very negative and very controversial." Michael S. Smith II, a terrorism analyst who has advised members of Congress and White House officials, said "no one has anything nice to say" about Gorka. Smith said he has the level of expertise "one would expect from a Congressional intern." "His work is of little interest because he has never not that I can think of contributed anything to the body of knowledge which informs understandings of threats posed by the Salafi-jihadist groups of interest to him," Smith told Business Insider. Smith said a top counterterrorism official at the National Security Council emailed Gorka on his first day at the White House to recommend that he talk to Smith. Smith said he responded politely to the introduction. Stephen Walt, a professor of international affairs at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, also said he has reservations about Gorka influencing policy in the White House. "Gorka does not have much of a reputation in serious academic or policymaking circles," Walt told Business Insider. "He has never published any scholarship of significance and his views on Islam and US national security are extreme even by Washington standards. His only real 'qualification' was his prior association with Breitbart News, which would be a demerit in any other administration." Other prominent terrorism analysts such as Will McCants of the Brookings Institution and Hassan Hassan of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, both of whom have authored widely read books on the terrorist group ISIS, have questioned Gorka's position in the White House on Twitter recently. "Disdaining complexity may endear you to a certain kind of warfighter but makes for terrible analysis & policymaking," McCants wrote on Twitter, linking to a recent Washington Post story on Gorka. Hassan replied, writing, "Gorka working with top minds like" Defense Secretary James Mattis and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster "is just weird." Some in the national-security community have defended Gorka. Alberto Fernandez, a former US ambassador who led the State Department's Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications under President Barack Obama, said he's known Gorka for several years. "He is a good choice because he has a more solid grasp of the ideological challenge than his NSC political appointee counterparts in the previous administration," Fernandez told Business Insider. He said much of the criticism of Gorka seems to be "politically motivated." Some of the criticism is "by people who would have been in a Hillary Clinton White House or who never questioned the Obama administration's own grasp of Salafi-jihadism," Fernandez said. But the criticism comes from both sides of the aisle, according to Bloom. Smith, for example, says he voted for Trump. "The issue for us is not the Trump part of it or the Fox News or conservative politics," said Bloom, who has appeared alongside Gorka on Fox News. "It's that this guy has absolutely no business speaking about terrorism. He needs to sit down and read a few books that he didn't write." Sebastian Gorka Mia Bloom Media clashes Bloom, the Georgia State University terrorism expert who was on the DIA panel, has clashed with Gorka. Bloom says it started with a segment on Fox News in December 2015 during which she appeared with Gorka. She rolled her eyes while he was being introduced, not knowing that the cameras were already showing her on-screen. She said she got several emails from Gorka the next day demanding an apology. "If you are so thin-skinned that someone questions your bona fides and you fold like a house of cards, I mean, grow up," Bloom said. Gorka confirmed that he "requested an apology for [Bloom's] markedly unprofessional behavior" on the Fox segment. He also accused her of using "ethnic slurs" in referring to him on social media. "Disappointing coming from someone teaching at a university," Gorka said in an email to Business Insider. For those who missed @MiaMBloom's priceless response to the puffery used to introduce a #FakeTerrorismExpert on Fox... Enjoy! pic.twitter.com/0Xh5iTkGf7 Michael S. Smith II (@MichaelSSmithII) February 17, 2017 Bloom forwarded part of her correspondence with Gorka to Business Insider, but was unable to recover all the emails from that incident. But Gorka did attack her in a tweet last year, calling her "disgusting." Sebastian Gorka tweet The tweet linked to a 2016 story about conservative commentator and former CIA intelligence officer Buck Sexton clashing with Bloom during a segment on CNN. Bloom has also ripped Gorka on Twitter more recently. Gorka has also fought with Smith, the terrorism analyst who has advised members of Congress and White House officials. In recent weeks, Smith has been going after Gorka on Twitter, questioning his qualifications and using the hashtag #FakeTerrorismExpert to refer to him. On Tuesday evening, Smith said, Gorka called him to express concern about Smith's "animus" toward him and threatened to bring his tweets to the attention of the White House legal counsel. "I'm mostly tweeting links to news stories about him," Smith told Business Insider on Tuesday night, adding: "He was planning on bringing to the attention of the White House legal counsel my 'obsessiveness' with him, as I suppose is evidenced by my tweets about him." In an email to Business Insider on Wednesday morning, Gorka disputed this characterization. "Mr. Smith has been sending disparaging emails to [US government] officials about me and my work and I indicated that I may have to consult with legal staff at the [White House] about what he is doing," Gorka said. "However I ended the discussion by inviting him to meet at the [Eisenhower Executive Office Building] for a coffee to discuss why exactly he feels the need to constantly be tweeting about me." Smith said Gorka was "berating him" and nearly yelling on the call. According to Smith, Gorka said he looks at Smith's Twitter feed once or twice a day and was bothered by Smith's "incessant berating" of his "professional acumen," to which Smith asked, "Are you defeating jihad by monitoring my Twitter feed?" Gorka later said he wanted to know why Smith was attacking him. "Put yourself in my shoes," Gorka said on the call, according to Smith, adding that the two had never met and that he had not attacked Smith. Later, Gorka said that it was strange for Smith to question his qualifications when the TV appearance Smith has pinned to his Twitter feed is two years old, according to Smith. Gorka also referenced a tweet Smith has since deleted, in which he posted a screenshot of the NSC official recommending that Gorka talk to Smith. Gorka asked on the call why Smith would publicly note his concerns about Gorka when an NSC official was recommending that Gorka talk to him. The day after Smith posted the tweet, an NSC official contacted him and asked him to delete it, Smith said. Smith said he has tentatively accepted Gorka's invitation to meet him in his office in the White House next month. Gorka seems to have a combative attitude toward the media in general. In an interview with the Independent Journal Review last week, Gorka said the media "doesn't listen" and that "80% of the reportage on the White House" is "fallacious." He also said the media has a "demonstrably biased" attitude and that they don't "really understand what happened on Nov. 8 when Donald Trump was elected to be president." "They haven't learned their lesson," he said. "The ball is in their court right now." Sebastian Gorka and Michael Flynn Ideology and 'the war of ideas' Experts have expressed hesitancy about Gorka's ideology. Gorka told The Washington Post recently that he "jettison[s]" the view of past administrations that the terrorism problem is "nuanced and complicated." He said terrorism is rooted in Islam and portions of the Quran. "Anybody who downplays the role of religious ideology ... they are deleting reality to fit their own world," he told The Post. The Council on American-Islamic Relations referred to Gorka's "Islamophobic views" in a statement about his wife Katharine, who worked with Trump's transition team for the Department of Homeland Security. A counterterrorism analyst in the special-operations community, who asked not to be identified by name over concerns of professional reprisal, told Business Insider that Gorka was seen as a "figure on the fringes" with an ideology "rooted more in fear-mongering than in sound strategy and policy." For instance, Gorka and others in Trump's circle including the president himself make a point to use the term "radical Islamic terrorism." Ousted National Security Adviser Michael Flynn had similar views. Some experts, however, have defended Gorka's views on terrorism. James Carafano, a national-security expert at the conservative Heritage Foundation who said he's known Gorka for about 15 years, spoke to The Wall Street Journal and said Gorka likes to focus on "the war of ideas." "I think the notion that we can fight the ideology without discussing and referencing the religion is kind of ridiculous," Carafano told The Journal. "It's like combating communism without discussing Karl Marx." Gorka, like Flynn, also seems to have bought into the idea of an ideological war between radical Islam and the West the same idea that ISIS itself promotes. "Al Qaeda, ISIS, all of these groups are totalitarians either you surrender to them or they will kill you," Gorka told The Washington Post. The Post described a scene from an event Gorka spoke at in Florida three days after the election. He told the crowd, which had paid to see him speak, that he wanted to show them an image he was "not meant to show usually." The photograph showed "a dead, bloodied brown-skinned man, lying on the ground next to an AK-47 assault rifle," according to The Post. The audience cheered. "We can win now," Gorka said. "We can win!" Sebastian Gorka Questions about credentials Gorka was born in England to Hungarian refugees, according to The Journal. He holds a doctorate in political science from a university in Budapest and has taught at the Joint Special Operations University, the National Defense University, and the Marine Corps University. Gorka was also a reserve intelligence soldier in the British Army Reserve for a few years and taught at the George C. Marshall Center in Germany, which educated NATO and allied military officers, and the Pentagon-funded College of International Security Affairs, according to The Washington Post. Gorka has also led lectures and seminars for FBI agents. The Post described his academic credentials as "thin," especially in the subject area of Islam. Unlike many scholars in his field, Gorka does not speak Arabic. He's also never lived in a majority-Muslim country, according to The Post. He said he's read the Quran, but only English translations of the texts, which could make nuances harder to detect. "You don't have to speak Arabic to do good work in this field, but the people who don't speak Arabic realize that there are limitations to what you can do," Bloom said. Bloom also pointed to Gorka's apparent lack of academic credentials. Several other sources within the community of terrorism and national-security experts and analysts also said Gorka's work is not widely cited among such professionals. Smith portrayed Gorka's work as not being taken seriously. "Terrorism researchers and analysts are largely unfamiliar with his work because he is neither a terrorism researcher engaged in novel research work, data collector, nor a formally trained intelligence analyst," Smith said. Gorka doesn't seem bothered by his unconventional background. He suggested to The Post that he writes more for people fighting terrorism in the field than for academics in the US. And of course the administration he's working for includes many people who aren't part of the Washington establishment. Trump's calls to "drain the swamp" were popular with his supporters during the election. "What I care about is if somebody in the field is reading my article," Gorka told The Post. "I see myself as somebody who supports the bravest of the brave the warfighter. Publish or be damned? I'll be damned, thank you very much." NOW WATCH: Public policy expert: Trump's claim that drugs are cheaper than candy bars isn't 'entirely untrue' Related: For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android. More From Business Insider This comes as budget pressures spike. According to Bloomberg, Singapores government is studying measures to boost revenue, including higher taxes, to help ease pressure on the budget as spending increases. Medium-term expenditures will continue to rise significantly, be it for infrastructure or for health care reasons, Lawrence Wong, second minister of finance, said in an interview on Tuesday with Bloomberg TVs Haslinda Amin. So we are studying revenue. Revenue means taxes. Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said in his budget speech on Monday the surplus will narrow to 0.4 percent of gross domestic product in the next fiscal year beginning April 1. Singapore takes a fiscally conservative approach as the government is mandated to run a balanced budget over its term in office. Read more here. More From Singapore Business Review This Lego-like toy uses sensors and actuators that bring kids creations to life. After children build shapes and models using the pieces, the sculptures can be wirelessly connected to a computer, where kids can use basic coding to make the blocks move around and light up. The toy is called Koov and was created by Sonys education arm, Sony Global Education. The blocks just started selling in Japan for 37,000 yen, which converts to $340 in the U.S. Koov is expected to come to the U.S., but there is no official date yet. Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/sony-joins-the-coding-for-kids-party-with-the-koov/ More: Robot teaches kids as young as 3 to code This food recycler will turn your food scraps into fertilizer Industrial robot technology may soon be in your home Wristband monitors your blood alcohol content while you drink Breast-pumping moms can now go wireless The worlds first 3-screen gaming laptop is mind-blowing Netflix has just helped improve your commute Apples plan to beat Google in the maps game Your next food delivery order could come from a robot You can now add cooking to the list of things Alexa can help you do This anti-drone gun looks like it can do some serious damage You could soon be using your smartphone to get cash from the ATM Instagram offers disappearing photos and live broadcasting You may soon be able to use a drone to catch fish Amazon offers special deals through Alexa WhatsApp video calling is finally here Sold-out Snapchat sunglasses already on eBay You can now cast Harry Potter spells from your phone Apple reveals new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar This smart crib will help your baby sleep safely through the night New hybrid console takes Nintendo on the go Self-driving cars have hit Great Britain Louisiana-Pacific Corporation LPX manufactures and sells building products that could be an interesting play for investors. That is because, not only does the stock have decent short-term momentum, but it is seeing solid activity on the earnings estimate revision front as well. These positive earnings estimate revisions suggest that analysts are becoming more optimistic on LPXs earnings for the coming quarter and year. In fact, consensus estimates have moved sharply higher for both of these time frames over the past four weeks, suggesting that Louisiana-Pacific could be a solid choice for investors. Current Quarter Estimates for LPX In the past 30 days, one estimate has gone higher for Louisiana-Pacific while none have gone lower in the same time period. The trend has been pretty favorable too, with estimates increasing from 24 cents a share 30 days ago, to 28 cents today, a move of 16.7%. Current Year Estimates for LPX Meanwhile, Louisiana-Pacifics current year figures are also looking quite promising, with three estimates moving higher in the past month, compared to none lower. The consensus estimate trend has also seen a boost for this time frame, increasing from $1.35 per share 30 days ago to $1.49 per share today, an increase of 10.4%. Louisiana-Pacific Corporation Price and Consensus Louisiana-Pacific Corporation Price and Consensus | Louisiana-Pacific Corporation Quote Bottom Line The stock has also started to move higher lately, adding 29.5% over the past four weeks, suggesting that investors are starting to take note of this impressive story. So investors may definitely want to consider this Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock to profit in the near future. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Zacks Best Private Investment Ideas While we are happy to share many articles like this on the website, our best recommendations and most in-depth research are not available to the public. Starting today, for the next month, you can follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time. Our experts cover all kinds of trades from value to momentum . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from stocks that corporate insiders are buying up to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises. You can even look inside exclusive portfolios that are normally closed to new investors. Click here for Zacks' private trades >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (LPX): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. PARIS Amnesty International says toxic fear-mongering by antiestablishment politicians, among them President Trump and the leaders of Turkey, Hungary and the Philippines, is contributing to a global pushback against human rights. Releasing its 408-page annual report on rights abuses around the world Wednesday, the watchdog group described 2016 as the year when the cynical use of us vs. them narratives of blame, hate and fear took on a global prominence to a level not seen since the 1930s, when Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany. Amnesty named Trump, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte among leaders it said are wielding a toxic agenda that hounds, scapegoats and dehumanizes entire groups of people. Poisonous rhetoric employed by Trump in his election campaign exemplified the global trend of angrier and more divisive politics, Amnesty said. The limits of what is acceptable have shifted. Politicians are shamelessly and actively legitimizing all sorts of hateful rhetoric and policies based on peoples identity: misogyny, racism and homophobia. The first target has been refugees and, if this continues in 2017, others will be in the crosshairs. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the report. In the Philippines, Dutertes spokesman, Ernesto Abella, said the president has recently toned down his rhetoric. Duterte previously said he would be happy to slaughter 3 million drug addicts and talked of fattening fish in Manila Bay with corpses. His crackdown on illegal drugs is feared to have killed more than 7,000 mostly poor drug users and petty drug pushers since he took office last June. The Hungarian government, which has come under fire from human rights groups for its treatment of refugees and migrants, also rejected the report. John Leicester is an Associated Press writer. A local politician in Sweden has an idea to improve workers' morale and the city's low birth rate an hour-long daily break from work for employees to be intimate with their partners. Erik Muskos is a 42-year-old councillor from Overtornea, a town of roughly 2,000 people in the northern part of Sweden. He put forward the motion Monday, arguing that Swedish couples don't spend enough time together, according to the International Business Times. "There are studies that show sex is healthy," Muskos told AFP. "It's about having better relationships." Muskos went on to tell the Swedish newspaper Kuriren that sex is a healthy form of exercise with documented positive effects on well-being. "The municipality should kill two birds with one stone and encourage employees to use their fitness hour to go home and have sex with their partner," he said. Muskos admits his proposal does have some weaknesses. For one, there's no way to tell whether employees are using their time off for its intended purpose. "You can't guarantee that a worker doesn't go out for a walk instead," Muskos said, according to the Business Times. As for single people, Kuriren reports that the councillor thinks they should also be given the hour-long break to improve their well-being in different ways. Kuriren writes that some of Muskos's fellow councillors were laughing while his proposal was being discussed, but the lawmaker believes his motion should be taken seriously and doesn't see a reason why it wouldn't pass when put to a vote. If this proposal becomes policy, it will add to the host of federal benefits Swedes already receive. Swedish workers are entitled to 25 paid vacation days plus nine paid holidays every year. Parents are also given up to 480 days of paid time off when they have children, according to Sweden's official website. In fact, Swedes already spend relatively few hours working compared to some of their European counterparts. On average, Swedes work about 1,600 hours per year (that's an average 30 hours per week), according to a study by the Economic Observation and Research Center. AMMAN, Jordan More U.S. troops may be needed in Syria to speed the campaign against the Islamic State group, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East said Wednesday. I am very concerned about maintaining momentum, Gen. Joseph Votel, the head of the U.S. Central Command, told reporters accompanying him on a trip to the region. It could be that we take on a larger burden ourselves, he added. Thats an option. The current U.S. strategy is to press the Islamic State group from multiple directions by moving ahead with the offensive to retake the Syrian city of Raqqa even as Iraqi forces carry on their operation to take western Mosul. Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters backed by the United States are to play the principal role in seizing Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State groups professed caliphate. But one option being considered is for U.S. troops to step up their support of the fighters by firing artillery, shooting mortars, helping with logistics and significantly expanding efforts to advise them, much as the United States is doing for Iraqi forces in the battle for Mosul. In late January, President Trump gave the defense secretary, Jim Mattis, 30 days to develop a preliminary plan to defeat the Islamic State group. That deadline is fast approaching. Trump has not said what steps he is prepared to take to make good on his campaign vow to hasten the defeat of the Islamic State group. But he has a high regard for U.S. generals and for Mattis, and he is likely to be receptive to their recommendations. Michael R. Gordon is a New York Times writer. Letters, February 8: Not So Fast No Moral Compass Victoria Erhart, I truly mean no disrespect for the local employees of Wells Fargo, and the good volunteer work you all do in our community. I thank you. But there are huge issues at stake here. Native Americans from many different tribes have been camped out in freezing weather in peaceful protest of this pipeline across their land, threatening the water supply of thousands. Though they have been peaceful, they have suffered serious harm at the hands of government authorities because they are standing in the way of oil industry profits. Wells Fargo corporation and our new authoritarian government are not moved by non-violent protest. They don't have a moral compass guiding their actions, the way their employees here in Northern New Mexico are guided to do good work. They will trample the people who get in their way in service to an industry that threatens the future of their own children and grandchildren. (70-degree temps in February?) The only thing they understand is a loss of income. I hope you do not lose your job because of their greed. But I would like to see the city and individuals take their banking elsewhere, to financial institutions that have the same desire to do good work that you and your coworkers share. David Camp Santa Fe Pointing Fingers I most certainly blame local Wells Fargo employees for the corruption at this bank. Every time I went to Wells Fargo, they would push me to open more accounts. I knew there was something criminal going on and I would tell them so, every time. Tired of my complaining, they made a false report to the police to retaliate for my perceptiveness, claiming that I threatened them. Lucky for me, the responding officer saw through their slander, but it was another clear case of Wells Fargo's dishonesty and abuse of power. Prevented from seeking justice in court, I have been waiting over eight months for the results of Wells Fargo's arbitration process. Even if some Wells Fargo employees did not directly participate in lying and stealing from millions of customers, I bet they were aware of it. Let's not forgive and forget corruption on such a grand scale. Wells Fargo should not be in business after proving it has no integrity. Kelita Smith Santa Fe Food, February 8: Trumptails One More for Ya Kompromat: Equal parts Russian vodka and prostitute urine. Served over a dirty mattress. Dylan Pommer Santa Fe Movies, February 8: Death of an Attention Span We Just Didn't Get It? We are fortunate Santa Fe devotes so many movie screens to the international scene. There is no better movie-watching town anywhere. The Salesman by Ashgar Fahradi has been nominated for over a dozen international awards, and is Iran's latest Oscar foreign film selection. I'd describe it as an enticingly layered drama that draws the viewer onward effortlessly. Your reviewer claims it's boring. In it, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman is presented by a Tehran theater company. Here's evidence of Iranians relating to our humanity; why don't more Americans relate to theirs? The Salesman deals with the universal subjects of temptation and revenge. We are invited to watch as a man indulges his righteous indignation past the point of good sense. That's an especially relevant topic these days. Last week, Iran's military conducted a ballistic missile test. Our leadership issued dire warnings. Your film writer skipped an opportunity to foster mutual understanding at a critical time, opting for lazy self-absorption instead. World cinema invites us to see that most everyone on earth, even our so-called "enemy," is at least as moral, intelligent, and culturally well-endowed as we. Stryder Simms Santa Fe Web Extra, February 8: Rallying Cry Non-Lethal Approach I am writing regarding the current status of wolves. Wolves have been trapped, poisoned, and shot into near-extinction at taxpayer expense to accommodate ranchers and other special interest groups. In 1998 there were only seven left. Last year alone they were reduced again by 20 percent. There are currently 97 left in two states. I hike in the White Mountains. I have found two wolves that have been shot even with the Endangered Species Act still in effect. We need to introduce new wolves in an effort to deal with inbreeding. The primary complaint is from ranchers. Ranchers pay approximately $14 a year to graze a cow and a calf on public land. Basically a free lunch. Keep the cows off public land. That is our land and it is where the wolves are released. There are numerous non-lethal ways to deal with this problem. Please consider them. Patrick Stocks Show Low, Arizona Ethically Deplorable "More Wolves!" was just one of many chants from about 200 people who gathered at the Roundhouse to convey their exasperation and outrage at Governor Martinez' obstinate refusal to allow wolves to be released. The lack of introducing unrelated wolves into the wild is a death knell for the struggling lobos. ... The debilitating effects on their population are smaller pup litters and lower survival rates, a direct result of wolves that are all interrelated. Captive-bred wolves have genes not represented in the wild, and are the lobos' only hope for recovery. Wolves deserve better. It is ethically deplorable that they be held hostage and used as political pawns by a governor who prefers to appease special interest groups. ... Gov. Martinez and her minions have continuously ignored science as well as the majority of New Mexicans who support wolf recovery. Without the genetic diversity that new, unrelated wolves would provide, our lobos remain on the precipice of a second extinction. Ultimately, the governor must reconcile her self-serving choices at the expense of what is moral and just. Barbara Strack Garcia Albuquerque Do Wolves Roost? Thank you Elizabeth Miller for accurate and balanced reporting, and for a realistic assessment of the attendance numbers. Wolves may be coming home to roost if public support is any indication, and as the move away from animal proteins continuesespecially beef. The frustration with politics and private interests, and the failure of a compromised business model to recognize consumer prowess with their purchasing options, will continue to favor wildlife interests. A healthier society on a number of levels will emerge. Factor in the struggling New Mexico economy and the need for revenues, the actual cash cow is tourism. Tourists will come to see, or hope to see, indigenous wildlife, especially a rare Mexican gray wolf. Like it or not, a paradigm shift is inevitable. The opposition against this progress will be unable to overcome the momentum. It's not just coexisting favorably with indigenous wildlife, but hoping that some coexistence is still possible with consumers, who have the real leverage. JE Newman SFReporter.com Balanced Forest I am writing to urge you and your readers to support the immediate introduction of the Mexican gray wolf to our national forests. I live in Tucson, Arizona, and have spent most of my life hiking and camping in our forest lands and I've passed this experience to my son and, now, my grandson. I'm proud to say, we all cherish the idea of wild animals, such as the Mexican gray wolf, living freely in our forests. We believe a healthy forest must include a balance of wildlife predators, such as wolves. Please help to maintain this balance by continuing the introduction of these wonderful animals to our forests! Patrick Volle Tucson, Arizona Correction The photo used in "Something Stylish is Happening in Santa Fe" (Feb. 25) is from photographer Jenn Carrillo. SFR regrets the omission of a credit. SFR will correct factual errors online and in print. Please let us know if we make a mistake, editor@sfreporter.com or 988-7530. Mail letters to PO Box 2306, Santa Fe, NM 87504, deliver to 132 E Marcy St., or email them to editor@sfreporter.com. Letters (no more than 200 words) should refer to specific articles in the Reporter. Letters will be edited for space and clarity. Santa Fe Reporter Santa Fe is home to a small Muslim community of about 450 people in the greater county area, according to estimates in a private survey called the 2010 US Religious Census. Despite those modest numbers, Muslims in the City Different tell SFR they received an outpouring of support when federal officials enacted an executive order last month suspending all refugee resettlement and temporarily banning travelersincluding visa holdersfrom seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States. As some people remained stranded at international airports thronged with protesters, more than 130 locals from Christian churches, Jewish synagogues and other groups packed the Mosque of Al Rahma in Santa Fe's South Capitol neighborhood to stand with their neighbors. Mayor Javier Gonzales and the Santa Fe Police Department phoned mosque officials, according to Joe Hamad, a volunteer and worshipper, and personal phone lines also rang to the tune of solidarity. "We keep getting calls from people we don't know just to say, 'If you guys need anything, let us know,'" says Azher, an Iraqi-American who works in a local school. "This kind of support is what gives us hope that, in the end, good will prevail." Yet, Azher and his wife May asked that SFR not publish their last names. All that support can't counteract their instinct toward self-preservation. A federal court in California recently held up a temporary restraining order on Trump's ban. That move followed a deluge of lawsuits and impromptu demonstrations at airports across the country, including the Albuquerque International Sunport. As of press time, the Trump administration was exptected to release a new version that targets the same seven countries, but exempts green card holders. While the executive order shocked many Americans, people from some of those nations who now live in Santa Fe tell SFR they weren't surprised. After all, Trump originally proposed a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" back in 2015. His chief strategist, Steve Bannon, ran Breitbart, a news site that often traffics in fear of Muslims. Trump brought the same rhetoric to New Mexico in May, falsely accusing Gov. Susana Martinez of allowing "large numbers" of Syrian refugees to relocate to New Mexico. "If I was governor, that wouldn't be happening," he said to cheers. At the time of Trump's speech, fewer than 10 Syrians had resettled in the Land of Enchantment. Martinez, meanwhile, opposed President Barack Obama's plan to accept a limited share of Syrian refugees fleeing ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) and the bloody civil war in their country, stating that there must be "a very clear plan in place to properly vet" them. Martinez didn't mention that such a federal policy already exists. Refugees seeking entry into the United States encounter a painstaking screening process that includes interviews, background checks and fingerprinting. Jumping through those hoops, installed by the United Nations and multiple federal agencies, takes up to two years. But contrary to the messages coming from the White House and the Fourth Floor of the Roundhouse, not to mention a recent rash of hate crimes directed towards mosques across the country, Muslims in Santa Fe say they have yet to encounter any Islamophobic sentiment in their hometown. During his annual State of the City speech last week, Mayor Gonzales reaffirmed his earlier stance that Santa Fe remains a place for refugees "fleeing the world's most oppressive and most violent places and looking to our country to honor the promise engraved on the Statue of Liberty." The city's demographics mean that most of the recent political discourse, however, is focused on thousands of immigrant residents from Latin American countries who lack permission from the federal government to be here. The concerns of our small Muslim population, most of whom aren't facing the same paperwork complications, may seem myopic in comparison to the threats that loom for undocumented people that make up a large swath of the local workforce. But Trump's policies dictating who comes in and out of this countrywhether it's a deportation plan or travel banfeed off fears in the same vein. Only the target changes. SFR spoke with Muslim locals from three of the seven countries listed in Trump's travel ban, all of whom are naturalized American citizens. Their experiences in this country differ widely, but each story holds unique significance in this moment. May pulls out her phone and loads up a video showing the University of Mosul, before and after ISIL invaded the city and transformed the historic research institution, her alma mater, into a battlefield. As the Iraqi-American woman peers at the screen from her perch in a Southside coffee shop, the sequence jarringly transitions from scenes of student life to black-clad militants shooting machine guns over rubble and piles of ashen books. May recounts how not just this place, but her entire country, transformed over decades of war and terror, most recently under the control of ISIL. When ISIL took over the city of Mosul in the fall of 2014, militants forced her family and all their possessions out of her childhood home. They fled to central Asia. Three of May's friends, one doctor and two lawyers, didn't get a chance to escape before they were killed. Some of Azher's relatives, her in-laws, also fled for refuge in Europe and East Asia. Others stayed in the city, living for months without electricity or running water. "Those people were running for their lives. They've lost everything: their homes, their livelihoods, their businesses," Azher says. "Can you imagine anyone who would want to abandon everything behind and go thousands of miles away to a place where they don't know the language or culture, unless they had a very powerful reason to do so?" When Azher left Iraq back in the '80s, he did so under relatively peaceful circumstances. He decided to study in the United States after reading about the country's strong education system. "As a young man, anybody would like to investigate the world and see what is going on," he explains. After studying at the University of Mosul, Azher arrived in Arizona on a student visa and chose to pursue a graduate degree at the state's flagship university in Tucson. The warm weather reminded him of Iraq and helped him acclimate to his new surroundings. So did the warm people. "I was very impressed with the way people dealt with me as an individual who doesn't speak very good English," he says. "They didn't even know where I came from. People were very friendly." After the Iraq-Iran war broke out, killing many of his friends, Azher did not feel compelled to return to his home country. "You don't want to kill or get killed," he says. "I just don't believe in violence or in war or killing. That's something I feel very strongly about." Azher instead completed his Master of Science degree. He then got to work teaching at a local community college before returning to the University of Arizona as a staff instructor. He says he never felt unwelcome or discriminated against during his time at the college. Not even in the immediate wake of 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, when early media reports had speculated that the perpetrator was Muslim. A student approached him and asked, "Why are you people so violent?" He chose to make the news a teachable moment. "When we found out it was committed by Timothy McVeigh, who was an American, I called her and said, 'See? Now you said to me something not very nice.' I told her not to rush to judgment in the future," he says. In the mid-'90s, Azher visited Jordan, where he met another University of Mosul grad, May. They moved back to the United States together and got married. In August 2001, the couple relocated to Santa Fe. Three weeks later, terrorists from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates flew two planes into the World Trade Center, sending America into two wars, creating a pretext for a surveillance state and ushering in an era of Islamophobia unseen in modern history. However, Azher says he didn't personally encounter any of the hate that pervaded post-9/11 America. "On the contrary, the support I got from people at work was overwhelmingeven from some of the students," he says. He felt the same support when Trump rose to power, pledging to ban Muslims from entering to the United States. The outpouring came again when the president carried out his promise on his 10th day in office. "We have received so many phone calls," he says. "The support from this community was overwhelming, and in my opinion, [that is] what makes America great." Still, Azher is keenly aware of the fear that swept other parts of the countrythe same fear Trump fed off of in his bid for the White House, claiming without evidence that the Syrian refugee resettlement programs could be the "ultimate Trojan horse" for ISIL and other terror groups. Azher chafes at the irony. "Muslims have suffered more from [ISIL] than anyone else," he says. "We're talking about my hometown. My university, which housed over 30,000 students, has been literally destroyed by these criminal individuals." When Gary Johnson, the former New Mexico governor, held a campaign rally on the Plaza in the fall, Mohamed Sassila walked a couple blocks from his rug shop to see the Libertarian presidential candidate speak. Johnson had recently flubbed when asked what he would do about the conditions in Sassila's hometown in Syria, Aleppo, a city considered by international observers as the site of the greatest humanitarian crisis of the decade. Mohamed Sassilas rug shop off the Santa Fe Plaza is a long way from his hometown of Aleppo, Syria. (Anson Stevens-Bollen) "I always excuse American ignorance of the Middle East, Syria or the Arab world in general. They don't have access to the right information," Sassila says. "Johnson shocked me, though, because Aleppo had been mentioned in the media so much." Still, Sassila attempted to shake hands with the candidate, but didn't manage to get his attention. "I have nothing personal against the guy," he says. For many Americans, Aleppo became a buzzword most associated with Johnson's failed campaign. But for Sassila, who has lived in Santa Fe for more than three decades, his living connection to the city's real human tragedy is deep. When the Syrian revolution broke out years ago, Sassila was optimistic about his country's future. But protest descended into war, sparked by a violent crackdown ordered by President Bashar al-Assad. Rebel groups rose against a government with little regard for civilian lives. The war came to Aleppo in 2012, when rebels took control of the city. Some of Sassila's family escaped through Greece and Turkey before eventually finding refuge in Germany, but two of his cousins died during air strikes. Late last year, the city capitulated to government forces, creating a vacuum for Assad's soldiers to commit atrocities. The United Nations warned of "a complete meltdown of humanity." When asked whether he worries for the safety of family members in Syria, Sassila tells SFR: "We Muslims have a very strong belief that we don't worry. We believe that Allah, the only God, decides when we exist and when to end our lives. This is out of our control. So we don't worry about death." When Sassila came over from Syria in 1984, it was two years after the ruling Ba'ath Party cracked down on a years-long rebellion against the government. Sassila obtained a student visa and flew to Miami, Florida. The culture shock immediately overwhelmed him. "You don't know what to expect. Coming here, the people are very liberal. What do you see? Topless beaches and night clubs," Sassila says, letting out a hearty laugh. "It was a huge difference. You have strip clubs on every corner. To them, that's normal. But for us, women cover themselves." Sassila attended the University of Miami for one semester. But tuition was too expensive, so he enrolled at Florida International University, where he pursued a degree in electrical engineering. There wasn't a mosque in town, so he and other Muslim students used a university classroom for prayers. Santa Fes Muslim worshipers gather at a mosque in South Capitol. (Steven Hsieh) After graduating, Sassila moved to Santa Fe to help another Syrian man run Desert Blossom, a jewelry store on the Plaza. Seven months later, in 1991, he opened his own shop. Sassila sold jewelry and run-of-the-mill gift shop products at first, but eventually swapped the turquoise earrings for oriental rugs. His hometown, after all, had produced generations of weavers tracing back centuries. "Rugs are a passion of mine," he says. "It's something I have knowledge of." Sassila traveled the worldAfghanistan, Turkey, Uzbekistanpicking hand-woven rugs for wealthy tourists. He named his store Silk Road Collections, after the ancient trade network that for centuries connected many of the civilizations from which Sassila buys his products. Sassila became an American citizen in 1999, after passing what he says was a "piece of cake" test and taking an oath of allegiance at the Albuquerque Convention Center. The first time Sassila cast a vote, he did so for for Barack Obama in 2008. But the president fell out of Sassila's favor for what he viewed as ineptness when confronting the crisis in Syria. The Obama administration provided arms to moderate rebel groups, but some analysts believe he could have done more to prevent catastrophe. "He is one of the worst presidents in American history for foreign affairs," Sassila says. That disenchantment led Sassila not to vote in the last presidential election. And he wasn't surprised when Donald Trump announced his travel ban last month. "American policy has always been hostile to Muslims and Arabs," Sassila says. "What he is saying is not new to me." When Syrian refugees started arriving in Albuquerque, Sassila drove down to help them get oriented. When asked for specifics, Sassila demurs, saying he does not want to insult the five families he's reached out to by bragging about his deeds. "When you do something good, you do it softly, quietly," he says. "I feel like that's my duty, without any question, to help as much as I can. It's a must. It's not leisure. It's not an option. I think most Syrians feel the same way." Sally Tavassoli's father, a shopkeeper, had high hopes for life after the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Those hopes quickly dissolved. Not long after the Ayatollah Khomeini took control of the country, Tavassoli's uncle was captured and struck with lashes. Agents burned down his record store for selling Western music. "That's when we realized that it would be totally different," says Tavassoli, who was 4 years old at the time. "We realized the new regime would be an Islamic Republic, so we left." Fearing persecution from the country's new, ultra-conservative rulers, millions of Iranians fled, forming large diasporas in Germany, Sweden and the United States. Sally Tavassolis father, a shopkeeper, brought his family to the US amid the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Sally, pictured here as a child, lives in Santa Fe today. (Courtesy of Sally Tavassoli) Tavassoli, along with her mother and father, wound up in Houston, Texas. They applied for and received asylum under President Jimmy Carter's State Department. (As opposed to refugees, who apply for residency before arriving in the United States, asylees are granted protective status after living in the country for some time.) Immediately, Tavassoli's father started thinking about business. His steakhouse failed after two years. A roller rink in the Houston suburbs proved more successful. Around that time, Islamic militants stormed the US embassy in Tehran and held Americans hostage for more than 400 days. Backlash against Iranian immigrants followed. "One time, a falling-out happened and someone got fired" at her father's business, Tavassoli recalls. "I remember coming into work with my dad the next morning, and spray-painted across the parking lot were the words 'Iranians eat shit.'" Suddenly, Tavassoli became conscious of her own national and ethnic identity in a way she hadn't before. "I think I was about 6 or 7 then, and I had a really good friend that was Hispanic. I even started to lie to her. I told her my family is Greek. I reconnected with her 10 years ago on Facebook, and she still thought I was Greek. I totally had forgotten about that. There's probably a whole group of people who still think I'm Greek." When Tavassoli turned 12, her parents divorced and she moved to Orange County, California, with her father, who opened a successful men's clothing store. "And that's when I saw other people were like me," Tavassoli says. "We spoke Farsi in school together, and then it just became okay. It was very liberating. We had a secret language." After graduating from high school, Tavassoli attended college on and off. She was living in Texas on Sept. 11, 2001, and was dating a white man at the time. "George Bush sent troops to Iraq. I was very scared because my whole distant family is in Iran. I remember saying to my boyfriend, 'Oh man. That's really close. I hope they don't unleash nuclear weapons.' His answer to me was, 'If it has to be done, it has to be done. In order to tell people not to mess with America.' And I was like, Okay. Same old story. That's when I became more politically aware." Tavassoli became even more engaged as she pursued an education degree at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. She worked on the side for an outreach program called the Center for Human Origin and Cultural Diversity, where she facilitated student field trips to a facility exploring the human race's common ancestry. "My mentor encouraged me to speak up about being Muslim. At that point, I had never really associated with being Muslim." In 2011, Tavassoli moved to Santa Fe with her husband, a Syrian physician. She immediately got to work at the Dragonfly School as an elementary teacher. Moving from the Midwest, she was happy with the city's diversity. "It's a very open-minded town," she says. When President Trump came along on the campaign trail, she didn't take him seriously. "I was, like everybody else, kind of entertained by it," Tavassoli says. Another part of her underestimated the people of her own country. "C'mon, this isn't America," she thought. "This isn't the people. This is just some loon." When Trump announced his travel ban last month, Tavassoli didn't worry too much about her father, who's a dual Iranian-American citizen currently living in his birth country, "chasing money." Her mother and sister, also dual citizens but living in the US, plan on visiting Iran for a wedding this summer. But when SFR spoke with Tavassoli before the federal courts acted on Trump's order, she feared disconnection from another close family member: "my grandmother, who has never been granted citizenship because she kept failing her test. I probably won't see her again unless I go over there," she says. "Recently people have been coming up to me to say, 'Oh, I'm sorry. Our hearts are with you. I've been thinking about you all weekend.' It takes me off guard a little bit, because I'm not directly affected. What I want to say is, I'm sorry for all of us. Don't be sorry just for me. This is a reflection on all of us in this country," Tavassoli says. "I say thank you. I try to be gracious. But, really, deep inside, we're all in this together." Santa Fe Reporter Homeland Security Immigration Memo Lands With a Thud A new memo from the federal Department of Homeland Security that would expand a program to enlist local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws is getting a mixed reception from New Mexico police. The measure would expand efforts to deport undocumented immigrants. Some local police agencies say their job is to worry about their own laws first. Senate to Vote on Open-Carry Ban in Capitol The state Senate will consider a bipartisan bill to ban in the New Mexico State Capitol. Several gun control debates in recent years have featured gun-rights advocates carrying semi-automatic rifles through the halls of the Roundhouse. The bill's Republican co-sponsor told a Senate panel that waving a rifle around in my face pisses me off. State Agency for Kids Opposes $320 Million Budget Boost Saying the influx of hundreds of millions of dollars for early childhood education could lead to waste and abuse of public dollars, the Children, Youth and Families Department testified yesterday to tax energy producers and electricity providers. CYFD sided with oil and gas producers as well as electric companies from around the state. The electricity tax would likely be passed on to consumers. CYFD warned that too much money for early childhood education could lead to pressure to spend it all right away. The bill in question died in committee. Senate Committee Clamps Down on Bill to Ban Trapping on Public Lands A panel of state senators has on a bill that would outlaw traps placed on public lands. Trappers represent a relatively small part of New Mexico's hunting community, generating $40,000 in licensing fees each year. The state Department of Game and Fish stood behind them, saying it's done so for 100 years. SFPD Officer Resigns A Santa Fe police officer has resigned after the department began investigating claims that he on a woman who passed out at a party attended by off-duty cops. The officer, Isaiah Anaya, turned in his resignation yesterday. The department continues to investigate the of Sgt. Troy Baker, whom officers elected as their union president. Women Out to Enforce The Navajo Nation's police force has better than one in five officersworking the beat on the country's largest reservation. The Farmington Daily Times takes a look at how the department became so successful at finding women to serve. Court Funding Bill Finally Heads to Governor The state court system would get $1.6 million to cover expenses for the rest of the year if the governor headed her way. Funding for the courtswhich said jury trials may have to be canceled without more moneyhas been a surprising political poker chip during the legislative session. Like We Said... So far, Shia LaBeouf's art installationwhich encourages people to say the words "He will not divide us" into a street-level camera mounted on the El Rey Theaterhas been spray painted and . The actor and two artist pals moved the installation after it caused too much of a stir in New York City. Give it time, we suppose. Thanks for reading! The Word wants to know what you're up to tonight. Just out of curiosity. Nothing weird. Oh, this is awkward now. Subscribe to the Morning Word at sfreporter.com/signup Santa Fe Reporter New Zealand shares dropped, dragged lower after Fletcher Building's first half earnings disappointed, with A2 Milk Co and Sky Network Television also falling. The S&P/NZX50 Index fell 53.22 points, or 0.7 percent, to 7,062.47. Within the index, 32 stocks fell, 16 rose and two were unchanged. Turnover was $148.7 million. Fletcher Building, the second biggest stock by market cap, led the index lower, down 5.2 percent to $9.68. The company posted a 2 percent gain in first-half profit to $176 million that included unexpectedly weak earnings from its construction division, especially given its $2.7 billion backlog of work. Earnings before interest and tax (ebit) was $294 million, from $288 million the previous year. The shares had soared 54 percent in the past 12 months on optimism it would benefit from a boom in Auckland residential construction. "Our market has been driven lower by what was a massive ebit miss from Fletcher, at one stage it did trade down to $9.45 so it's trading back up," said Peter McIntyre, investment adviser at Craigs Investment Partners. "It was well below what we were forecasting, the consensus was $333 million and the New Zealand construction division really drove that result. Fletcher is a company that tends to over-deliver, and we haven't seen that delivery today. Usually the surprise is to the upside not the downside, so we've seen a lot of selling today." A2 Milk Co dropped 4.5 percent to $2.33. The milk marketer's chief executive and chair have sold down their stakes, less than a week after reporting first-half profit more than tripled. "It's sent the market into a bit of a tailspin really, we've seen good volumes running through once news got out," McIntyre said. "They had a sound result, so whether the market has perceived this to be top of the market stuff - we've seen this historically with some companies as well when some CEOs or chairs sell their shares. They've completely forgotten about the result, the market has tended to overreact and we know A2's a very volatile stock, even more so since the Bellamy's issues towards the later part of last year." Sky Network Television fell 2.7 percent to $4.35 and Spark New Zealand rose 0.6 percent to $3.49. Spark and 2Degrees have been granted a stay on the proposed merger between rival Vodafone New Zealand and pay-TV operator Sky to consider their legal options. If the Commerce Commission clears the merger tomorrow, it won't come into effect immediately, giving the opposing parties time to read the reasoning behind the decision and decide whether they will pursue a legal challenge. Separately, Sky today posted a 32 percent drop in first-half profit to $59.3 million as content costs increased, and revenue and subscriber numbers fell. The pay-TV operator is looking to team up with telecommunications company Vodafone as it faces increased rivalry from online streaming video services such as Netflix and Spark's Lightbox. "I don't think anyone really knows where that's going to go, it will provide a lot of interest for the market tomorrow," McIntyre said. "You can see with Sky's result today the struggles it's having maintaining what was a very successful business model. Technology and competition is really catching up with it, we saw today churn and weaker subscriber numbers coming through in that result - Sky really needs Vodafone to continue what they see as their growth strategy." Mercury New Zealand was the best performer, up 1.3 percent to $3.09, and Metlifecare gained 0.9 percent to $5.49. Ebos Group advanced 0.5 percent to $18.20. The pharmaceutical and animal health products maker's recent acquisitions helped it lift first-half profit 7.2 percent to $68.8 million and fatten its dividend to shareholders, while also bolstering the outlook for annual earnings to be at the upper end of a previous projection for growth of 7-to-10 percent. Meridian Energy rose 0.2 percent to $2.67. A strengthening performance in its Australian business and less dry period insurance thanks to a wet spring and mild winter saw Meridian record a 6 percent lift in operating earnings for the six months to Dec. 1, allowing an increased interim dividend and a further special dividend payment. Outside the benchmark index, Tower jumped 16.7 percent to $1.325. ASX-listed insurer Suncorp Group has built an 11 percent stake in Tower and put forward a rival takeover offer for the NZX-listed general insurer. The offer, worth a total $219.3 million, trumps a $197 million deal already on the table and backed by Tower's board and major shareholders Salt Funds Management and Accident Compensation Corp to sell to Canada's Fairfax Financial Holdings at $1.17 apiece. "The volume that has gone through today has been quite significant, there's a bit of a bidding war developing here," McIntyre said. "I think a number of investors who held the stock below $1 were wondering what was going to happen next. The shares trading above the offer price would suggest there's more action to come." BusinessDesk.co.nz Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: SKC - ADDITIONAL US PRIVATE PLACEMENT FUNDING SECURED Spark New Zealand Limited's Annual Meeting Results 2022 Fonterra Australia settles class action proceedings PFI - Q3 Dividend, Development and Divestment Update November 4th Morning Report FPH to announce half year results on 29 November 2022 ATM - FDA approval to supply infant milk formula to United States Steel & Tube - Adopts ESG World Platform BGP - 3rd Quarter Sales to 30 October 2022 GEO - Quarterly Operating Update Transpower New Zealand reported a higher first-half profit as the state-owned company saw a rise in transmission revenue. The Wellington-based company, which owns and operates the national grid that carries electricity around the country, said its profit before net changes in the fair value of financial instruments was $101.6 million in the six months to Dec. 31, an increase of 2.6 percent on the prior period. The increase largely reflects higher transmission revenue, which was up 3 percent to $496.7 million, it said. "A continuing focus on tight cost control and an ongoing business transformation programme has seen the organisation perform well over the last six months," said chairman Tony Ryall. The board declared an interim dividend of $66 million, representing 40 percent of the full-year dividend forecast in the 2016/17 Statement of Corporate Intent. It paid an interim dividend of $64.8 million a year earlier. Capital expenditure was $109.7 million for the first half of the year, up 9 percent from the same time last year, it said. Transpower also said it is considering an offer of unsecured, unsubordinated fixed rate bonds to New Zealand retail investors and institutional investors. It is expected the bonds will have a maturity of five and a half years, and full details of the offer will be released early March. Transpower has appointed ANZ Bank New Zealand as lead manager and organising participant in relation to the bond offer. BusinessDesk.co.nz Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: SKC - ADDITIONAL US PRIVATE PLACEMENT FUNDING SECURED Spark New Zealand Limited's Annual Meeting Results 2022 Fonterra Australia settles class action proceedings PFI - Q3 Dividend, Development and Divestment Update November 4th Morning Report FPH to announce half year results on 29 November 2022 ATM - FDA approval to supply infant milk formula to United States Steel & Tube - Adopts ESG World Platform BGP - 3rd Quarter Sales to 30 October 2022 GEO - Quarterly Operating Update (Updates to add detail throughout, broker comment, corrects operating revenue figure in 3rd paragraph) Air New Zealand posted a 24 percent fall in first-half pretax profit in the face of increasing competition both at home and abroad but fared better than analysts expected. Pretax earnings fell to $349 million in the six months ended Dec. 31 from $457 million in the same period a year earlier, the Auckland-based company said in a statement. Net profit in the first half fell 24 percent to $256 million. Operating revenue was $2.6 billion versus $2.7 billion in the prior year. Basic earnings per share were 22.8 cents versus 30.1 cents in the prior period. New Zealand's national carrier was forecast to post a 45 percent decline in first-half earnings to $186.5 million on a 2.6 percent decline in revenue to $2.63 billion, according to Forsyth Barr analyst Andy Bowley. Last month Craigs Investment Partners downgraded their price target for Air NZ shares to $2.09 on the prospect of weaker-than-expected earnings given increased competition among carriers and rising fuel prices. Brad Gordon, investment adviser for Hobson Wealth Partners, said the stock may get a lift on the better-than-expected result. "Cost management was key," he said. Air NZ chief executive Christopher Luxon said "the last six months saw unprecedented levels of international carriers adding new services to New Zealand. As expected, the change in the competitive landscape in a relatively short period of time has impacted our airline's profitability when compared to the prior year". In recent years, for example, Qantas Airways and American Airlines gained approval for a tie-up operating between Auckland and Los Angeles, competing with Star Alliance members Air New Zealand and United Airlines in routes between New Zealand and North America and earlier this month Qatar Airways celebrated the arrival of its inaugural flight to Auckland. Jetstar's entry on domestic regional routes has pressured Air New Zealands domestic load factors and yields. Luxon said, however, the airline responded swiftly by adjusting its capacity plans and accelerating the exit of older aircraft and while net profit was sharply lower it was the second highest result for an interim period in the airline's history. According to Luxon, lower fuel prices benefited operating costs but were partially offset by the adverse impact of foreign exchange, he said. The board declared a fully-imputed interim dividend of 10 cents a share, which is consistent with the prior period. Looking ahead, chairman Tony Carter said he expects the revenue environment will improve from the first half on continued strong growth in inbound and outbound tourism, although higher jet fuel prices will be a headwind. Based on the current market environment and expectations for the average jet fuel price in the second half of the year of US$65 per barrel, Air New Zealand said it is targeting 2017 earnings before taxation in a range of $475 million to $525 million. The shares last traded at $2.15 and have fallen 6.7 percent over the past 12 months. BusinessDesk.co.nz Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: SKC - ADDITIONAL US PRIVATE PLACEMENT FUNDING SECURED Spark New Zealand Limited's Annual Meeting Results 2022 Fonterra Australia settles class action proceedings PFI - Q3 Dividend, Development and Divestment Update November 4th Morning Report FPH to announce half year results on 29 November 2022 ATM - FDA approval to supply infant milk formula to United States Steel & Tube - Adopts ESG World Platform BGP - 3rd Quarter Sales to 30 October 2022 GEO - Quarterly Operating Update Spark New Zealand and 2Degrees have been granted a stay on the proposed merger between rival Vodafone New Zealand and pay-TV operator Sky Network Television to consider their legal options. If the Commerce Commission clears the merger tomorrow, it won't come into effect immediately, giving the opposing parties time to read the reasoning behind the decision and decide whether they will pursue a legal challenge. "I have concluded it is appropriate in the present case to make an order staying the effect of any clearance decision for a short period in order to enable the applicants to consider their options," High Court Justice Graham Lang said. "The transactions have the potential to directly affect consumers in the markets affected by the commissions decision. There is, therefore, a significant degree of public interest in the outcome of the clearance decision. As a result, there is also public interest in ensuring that the decision-making process has not miscarried in any material way." The parties have until midnight on the third day after the regulator delivers its decision to file for judicial review, and if they do Sky and Vodafone will be unable to merge until further court orders are made. Spark, Internet New Zealand, and Trustpower last week asked Sky and Vodafone to voluntarily put off finalising the merger if they got regulatory approval, a request that was rejected. Sky and Vodafone want to create the country's largest telecommunications and media group, with Sky TV buying Vodafone NZ for $3.44 billion, funded by a payment of $1.25 billion in cash and the issue of new Sky TV shares at a price of $5.40 per share. Vodafone becomes a 51 percent majority shareholder in Sky TV, in what amounts to a reverse takeover. The pay-TV operator will borrow $1.8 billion from Vodafone to fund the purchase, repay existing debt and use for working capital. BusinessDesk.co.nz Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: SKC - ADDITIONAL US PRIVATE PLACEMENT FUNDING SECURED Spark New Zealand Limited's Annual Meeting Results 2022 Fonterra Australia settles class action proceedings PFI - Q3 Dividend, Development and Divestment Update November 4th Morning Report FPH to announce half year results on 29 November 2022 ATM - FDA approval to supply infant milk formula to United States Steel & Tube - Adopts ESG World Platform BGP - 3rd Quarter Sales to 30 October 2022 GEO - Quarterly Operating Update By Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump, who has vowed to stop U.S. manufacturing from disappearing overseas, is seeking job-creation advice from at least six companies that are laying off thousands of workers as they shift production abroad. Caterpillar Inc. , United Technologies Corp. , Dana Inc. , 3M Co. , Timken Co. and General Electric Co. , are offshoring work to Mexico, China, India and other countries, according to a Reuters review of U.S. Labor Department records. (Graphic: http://tmsnrt.rs/2lk9N5W) The six firms are part of the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative, a White House advisory council created to help Trump deliver on his promise to increase factory employment. Trump is expected to meet with several manufacturing executives on Thursday, but it is not clear whether they are part of the group. About 2,400 U.S. workers at these six companies stand to lose their jobs within the next two years as a result of the offshoring, according to the Labor Department's Trade Adjustment Assistance Program, which provides retraining benefits to workers displaced by global trade. Reuters obtained the information through a Freedom of Information Act request. The six companies confirmed the planned job cuts to Reuters. It is not clear whether the other 19 companies on the council are currently offshoring work, as the TAA program does not cover all workers who lose their jobs due to global trade. The lost jobs amount to a small fraction of the hundreds of thousands of U.S. workers employed by the council's 25 corporate members. General Electric, for example, employs 125,000 U.S. workers, financial filings show. On the campaign trail and in the White House, Trump has painted globalisation as a zero-sum game that has enriched low-wage countries while leaving the United States littered with abandoned factories and underemployed workers, and he has threatened to tax companies that offshore U.S. jobs. The experience of companies on Trump's jobs council, however, shows the reality is more complex in a world where they are serving customers across the globe. Several said they were creating many new U.S. factory jobs even as they move work to other countries. It's not clear whether Trump will opt for the carrot or the stick when he meets with the manufacturing executives on Thursday. Trump plans to meet business leaders to hear their reasons for "why they're going offshore," said a White House aide who spoke on condition of anonymity. Blue-collar workers who share Trump's scepticism of global trade say they will be watching closely to see if he will try to save their jobs. "I don't think he's a typical politician, so there is hope alive for middle-class families that he will do something," said Scott Schmidt, one of 222 workers at a GE engine plant in Waukesha, Wisconsin who are due to lose their jobs later this year when the company shifts production to Canada. General Electric says it is closing its Waukesha plant because Congress has hobbled the U.S. Export-Import Bank's ability to finance large export orders while most other industrialized nations still offer such financial support. The company says it laid off 225 workers last year at a Houston factory for the same reason, shifting production to France, the United Kingdom and Hungary. GE says it is also closing an Ohio factory and laying off 180 workers because consumers are buying fewer of the florescent and incandescent light bulbs they make there. What production remains will be handled by a factory in Hungary. OFFSHORING AND ONSHORING The U.S. economy lost 6 million manufacturing jobs from 2000 to 2010, roughly one-third of its total, in part due to offshoring, but the sector has added 900,000 jobs since then, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Multinational companies say labour costs now are only one factor they consider when deciding where to manufacture. An auto maker, for example, may decide to build a particular model in the country where sales are strongest, prompting parts suppliers to set up there as well so they can turn around orders quickly. The offshoring picture is also more complex than official statistics indicate as a shuttered factory in the United States does not always mean a new factory abroad. When auto-parts maker Dana Corp. closes a factory later this year in Glasgow, Kentucky that is operating at 20 percent of capacity, one of its plants in Ohio will pick up the work, along with other factories in Mexico, India and China. The company plans to hire nearly 700 U.S. workers over the next three years as the company expands factories in four U.S. states, spokesman Jeff Cole said. That is little comfort to the 223 people in Kentucky who will lose their jobs. "It seems like all these CEOs and companies have turned their backs on the American worker," said Dana employee Tim Wells, one of those who will be laid off. GIVING TRUMP A CHANCE Assembled with the help of Dow Chemical Co. Chief Executive Andrew Liveris, Trump's council is tasked with "identifying new and creative policies that can spur U.S. manufacturing and create factory jobs," a Dow spokeswoman said. Dow has also offshored jobs. It laid off 178 technology workers in Michigan last year and moved their work to India, according to the Labor Department records. Dow confirmed the figure. The jobs council includes labour groups like the AFL-CIO. "People are giving president Trump a chance to demonstrate that he means what he said on the campaign trail and that he can deliver. We'll see," said AFL-CIO deputy chief of staff Thea Lee, who is on the council. The council also includes United Technologies Corp., which Trump criticized for planning to close an Indianapolis plant and move the work to Mexico. The company struck a deal with the incoming president in November to preserve roughly 700 jobs in exchange for $7 million in tax breaks. United Technologies says it still plans to lay off 786 workers at a separate Indiana plant and move production to Mexico this year. The company is also moving work from a facility in Arden Hills, Minnesota, resulting in a loss of 72 jobs. Most of that work is staying in the United States but some is moving to Poland, spokeswoman Bethany Sherman said, and some of the affected workers will be offered positions elsewhere. The company is adding more than 1,000 new jobs in the United States, Sherman said. Other panel participants engaged in offshoring include: - Caterpillar, which is laying off 712 workers in the American South and Midwest and moving the work to China, Mexico, Italy, France and Germany as it weathers the largest sales slump in its history; - 3M, which is eliminating 130 jobs in suburban Cincinnati and moving production to Mexico; - Timken Co., which is laying off 120 people at a ball-bearing plant in Tennessee due to declining demand and moving the work to other plants in the United States and abroad. "To stay strong and grow jobs in the United States, we must be able to compete and win where our customers need us today and in the future," Timken spokeswoman Nicole DiSalvo said. A Caterpillar spokesman said it was simultaneously creating 1,300 new manufacturing jobs elsewhere in the United States. 3M said it had added more than 2,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs over the last five years. (Reporting by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Ross Colvin) The alternative-fact alerts are blaring. President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing forecasts for economic growth that considerably exceed those published by most mainstream economists. So what, you may say. Its just a forecast. Theres no harm in being more optimistic than the rest. But fudging the numbers can cause plenty of harm. Trump, as becomes more apparent every day, creates his own data when the facts dont suit him. (See: greatest electoral victory since Reagan, widespread voter fraud, highest murder rate in 45 years, unreported terrorist attacks, etc.) And economic policy is highly dependent on the best possible understanding of whats going on. Bogus economic data can be used to justify new policies that might appeal to Trump personallyand appease his populist supporterswhile failing to address real economic problems and even damaging the economy. Trump is preparing a budget that predicts the economy will grow by around 3.5% per year for the next several years, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Mainstream forecasters like the Congressional Budget Office, the Federal Reserve and private research outfits think thats way too high, and expect growth closer to 2% per year. A point-and-a-half difference in the economic growth rate might not sound like a lot, but its actually huge. If the US economy were growing by 3.5% now, wed probably have several million additional jobs, higher incomes and a lot less dissatisfaction. The Trump administration hasnt yet published its forecasts, which will be part of the 2018 federal budget Trump must submit to Congress in a few weeks. So we dont know exactly how Trumps team is arriving at rosier forecasts. And the Trump forecasts could change. Politicizing economic data But Trumps economic proposals so far rely heavily on supply-side assumptions about tax cuts and infrastructure spending producing a big boost in growth. Such assumptions could justify a big increase in annual deficits and the national debt, since faster growth in the future would produce more income and therefore more tax revenue for the government. Thats not what happened during the last supply-side experiment, however. The big tax cuts signed by President George W. Bush in 2001 and 2003 failed to produce a notable boost in growth, and simply added to the national debt. Story continues The danger is using selective or bogus forecasts to justify bad policy choices. If it didnt affect policy, there would be no harm, says conservative economist Donald Boudreaux of George Mason University. The harm comes through its potential affect on policy. It can make policy worse. Trumps team is already looking into ways to restate trade deficits that would make them sound worse than they are, by counting foreign products that transit the United States on their way to some other country as imports but not exports. Economists say such products must be treated the sameeither counted as imports and exports both, or not counted at allto give an accurate picture of whats happening. Counting them as imports but not exports would make the trade deficit larger, fueling calls for protective tariffs and other trade restrictions Trump favors. Many economists and business leaders say such protectionism would raise prices and hurt the economy. Researchers are beginning to explore whether Trump could politicize economic data the federal government collects and disseminates, which is largely viewed as rigorous and untainted by political manipulation. The Trump administrations alarming tendency to dismiss objective facts as fake news has led to claims that the president and his team could seek to politicize US statistics, British research firm Capital Economics wrote in a recent note to clients. Such worries, the firm said, are a little far-fetched, but no longer completely implausible. Its obviously still early in Trumps administration, and it may be premature to charge him with the intent to manipulate economic numbers. But Trump is not like other presidents. His contempt for data and science is unprecedented. He dismisses facts that are irrefutable. And he has made promises, such as 3.5% economic growth, that reality may not abide. To that end, we may be seeing the outlines of a strategy for Trump to declare victory on the economy, regardless of what really happens. Trump could use forecasts in this years presidential budget to change the way growth is measured, setting a new baseline that could make it easier to hit the 3.5% number in subsequent years. When experts protest, hell call it fake news, and blame the media for lying about the real rate of growth. One big catch is that ordinary people who support Trump now may not buy it if Trump says the economy is suddenly doing greatbut they dont see it reflected in their own lives. You can fool people into thinking theyre worse off than they really are, says Boudreaux. Its harder to fool people into thinking theyre better off than they really are. Alternative facts cant enlarge your paycheck, after all. Confidential tip line: rickjnewman@yahoo.com Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman More from Rick: Trump wants to block immigrant workers companies need Why Trump deserves extreme vettingfrom the press A better way to spend Trumps border wall money NEW YORK: Yahoo slashed the price of the sale of its core Internet business to Verizon by $350 million following a pair of major data breaches at Yahoo, the two companies announced Tuesday. Under the revised terms of the deal, Verizon's purchase the Yahoo assets will now total USD 4.48 billion. Yahoo still faces probes and lawsuits related to the breaches, which affected more than 1.5 billion accounts. The transaction had been delayed due to the hacks. Yahoo announced in September that hackers in 2014 stole personal data from more than 500 million of its user accounts. It admitted another cyber attack in December, this one dating from 2013, affecting more than a billion users. Under the terms of the revised agreement, Yahoo will continue to cover the cost of a Securities and Exchange Commission probe into the breaches and shareholder lawsuits. However, other government investigations and third-party litigation related to the breaches will be shared by Verizon and Yahoo. "We have always believed this acquisition makes strategic sense," said Verizon executive vice president Marni Walden. "We look forward to moving ahead expeditiously so that we can quickly welcome Yahoo's tremendous talent and assets into our expanding portfolio in the digital advertising space." Prices of Yahoo shares rose 0.3 pct to USD 45.24, while Verizon gained 0.4 pct to USD 49.39. Read Also: Ramco Systems Bags $2.5 Mn Cloud Deal From Allegis Group Jio, Uber Forge A Strategic Partnership LONDON: Mobility of Indian professionals would be key to boost India-UK ties in a post-Brexit scenario, according to the country's top envoy here. "For us, mobility is key for our services sector. There has to be a system where our professionals can come to the UK and return. They contribute immensely to both the Indian and British economies," Indian High Commissioner Yashvardhan K Sinha said while speaking at the launch of the India@70 programme at India House in London yesterday. The programme has been organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the University of East Anglia to explore a "new diplomacy" between India and the UK in the 70th year of India's independence. "We have come a long way since 1947. It is time for us to re-craft our relationships with the wider world and the UK will be a good place to start," said Sinha. The envoy also expressed hope that a free trade agreement (FTA) with Britain might be easier to achieve than an FTA with the EU, which has not made much headway. "We have been in discussions with the EU since 1997 but a trade deal has not made much headway. The EU is a large grouping with various national interests involved and there is a view that bilateral negotiations may be easier. India and the UK have set up a joint working group, which could become the fulcrum around which an FTA can be discussed after Brexit," he said. Laura Clarke, Head of South Asia at the UK Foreign Office, said the "sheer breadth" of the India-UK relationship would be the defining feature in the post-Brexit world. "In an era of disruption, this relationship becomes all the more important. The relationship is robust and resilient enough that we can talk frankly and openlyabout issues of concern, including visas," she said. The India@70 programme, which will involve various events in the UK and India over the course of this year, seeks to explore ways in which the India-UK relationship can be readdressed. "Global politics is changing and it is time to recalibrate, given the unfolding scenario. These are very interesting timesand whileuncertainty will cause a blip, the realities of business mean the focus will be on where the best deals can be found," said FICCI Secretary-General Dr Didar A Singh. Read Also: Indian Electronics' Market To Be $228 Bn In 2020: ESDM India Launches 'Cyber Swachhta Kendra' To Protect Citizens DailyFX.com - Talking Points: US Dollar corrects lower versus yield-geared currencies Euro and British Pound drop alongside local bond yields Canadian Dollar falls as crude oil prices turn downward Currency markets have put in a mixed performance heading into Wednesday morning in European trade. The US Dollar is trading lower against particularly rates-sensitive alternatives at both ends of the policy spectrum, with the perennially low-yielding Yen as well as the high-beta Australian and New Zealand Dollars scoring outsized gains. This is perhaps reflective of pre-positioning ahead of the upcoming release of minutes from Februarys FOMC meeting. Steady hawkish comments from central bank officials including Chair Yellen seems to have primed investors for more of the same. Still, cautious profit-taking on near-term USD exposure appears to have taken hold after the greenback managed the highest close in a month yesterday. Meanwhile, European currencies looked decidedly downbeat. The Euro and the British Pound plunged alongside benchmark German Bund and UK Gilt yields, respectively. This points to eroding ECB and BOE policy supportexpectations, although a discrete catalyst for the pickup in momentum is not readily apparent. The moves began long before the days offering of regional economic data began to cross the wires. The Canadian Dollar likewise declined, tracking crude oil prices. The latters turn downward may be corrective after yesterdays gains on the back of supportive comments from OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo. Markets may have turned leery ahead of API inventory data that may show swing supply continued to swell last week and may undermine the cartels production cut scheme. Where is the US Dollar going this week? Join a Q&A webinar and ask a DailyFX analyst! Asia Session US Dollar Pulls Back vs. Yield-Sensitive FX as FOMC Minutes Loom European Session US Dollar Pulls Back vs. Yield-Sensitive FX as FOMC Minutes Loom ** All times listed in GMT. See the full DailyFX economic calendar here. --- Written by Ilya Spivak, Currency Strategist for DailyFX.com Story continues To receive Ilya's analysis directly via email, please SIGN UP HERE Contact and follow Ilya on Twitter: @IlyaSpivak original source DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets. Learn forex trading with a free practice account and trading charts from IG. NEW DELHI: Welcoming a 26-member bipartisan delegation from the U.S. Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged the United States to develop a balanced outlook towards the movement of skilled professionals, said an official here. Underlining the contribution of the Indian talent to the US economy and society, the Prime Minister asked the United States to develop a reflective, balanced and farsighted perspective on movement of skilled professionals, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said. "The Prime Minister shared his perspective on areas where both countries can work even more closely, including in facilitating greater people-to-people linkages that have over the years helped in contributing to each other's prosperity," it said. India, in January, had expressed its concern over a bill to change rules on H-1B visas that will impact the IT industry and Indian techies working in America. The High-Skilled Integrity and Fairness Act of 2017, introduced in the House of Representatives by California Congressman Zoe Lofgren, calls for doubling the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders to $130,000 from the current minimum of $60,000 -- a move that could impact Indian techies. Calling the visit as a good start to bilateral exchanges following a new US administration, Modi recalled his "positive conversation with President Donald Trump and the shared commitment to further strengthening of ties that have grown deeper in the last two-and-a-half years". "In this regard, he recognised Congress's strong bipartisan support for the India-US partnership," the statement added. Read Also: Indian Civilisation Stands Tall Overcoming Obstacles: Modi India Discusses Visa, IPR Issues With U.S. Lawmakers Editor's Note: Charista's Corner is a weekly feature from our teen correspondent. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Grasmere resident Summer Moran has come full circle. An alumna of St Joseph Hill Academy, Summer is currently a 20-year-old student at Marymount Manhattan College, pursuing a communication arts major with a creative media concentration. Now she's back at Hill for her senior thesis. This intrigued me because I've often imagined what it'd be like to write and direct your own film or the amount of time and number of people it takes to shoot. So, I interviewed Summer, a native Staten Islander and daughter of Cathy O'Hare and Kevin Moran, and she told me all about the whys and the hows of her film experience. Summer's major requires every student to complete a project by taking all the production skills they've learned over the last few years and make a film, an installation, or an interactive piece. "I chose film. Film is the most powerful medium there is," shared Moran. "Popular Vote" is about a high school underdog named Josh who impulsively decides to run for Student Council President, and quickly learns that looks and charm are necessary to win -- neither of which he has. With help from fellow classmates, and of course, social media, Josh reinvents the person everyone thinks he is, and actually stands a chance in the election. Moran's inspiration for the film derived from a class she took last spring called Communicating Image: Fame, Popularity, and Identity in American Culture, taught by professor Dawn Werner. "I learned that our culture is saturated with image; thanks to social media, we get glimpses into lives that seem a thousand times more exciting than our own. So Popular Vote is kind of a companion to that class. I want it to make people really look at the images they construct for themselves and others," explained Moran. The film was mainly shot at my school and Moran's alma mater, Saint Joseph Hill Academy High School on Staten Island! It surprisingly only took four days to film, three of the four days being at Hill. The fourth day was spent filming at Brows by Sebastian and Central Park in Manhattan. "Hill was always so good to me during my time there, and as I wrote the script I just couldn't see it playing out anywhere else. It's got a very homey feel to it that I think others will also experience, even those who've never been there," said Moran. Although it mere days to film, "Popular Vote" took much longer to write and produce. "I've got the best crew anyone could ask for. This is my second semester studying under the guidance of Professor Sarah Nelson Wright. The first semester was entirely pre-production. So we've been developing our ideas since September -- writing, casting, rewriting, storyboarding, rewriting, fundraising, rewriting, rehearsing and of course, rewriting. My crew knows exactly what they're doing and we all work really well together. There's a lot of care and effort there," shared Moran. Assembling everyone and everything was a difficult task for Summer in itself, and she was careful to select people whom she could trust and rely upon. "Once we had everyone, we could all sit down and read the script and lay things out, and basically get everyone's thoughts," Summer said. "And I remember during that initial meeting, everyone was really eager to make something special. And then we did." Moran draws inspiration from the people around her. She doesn't base her inspiration on anyone in particular. If she finds someone she wants to turn into a character, she completely exaggerates them. Those are the most fun for her to write. Her two favorite movies are "Pleasantville" (1998) and "The Stepford Wives" (1975/2004). She accredits her success with this film, and in college in general, to Saint Joseph Hill Academy. "Academically, I've been very greatly influenced by Hill as I'm graduating a semester early thanks to the classes I took in high school. On a personal level, it's even better. At Hill I was instilled with very important values, and for me it all comes back to faith," explained Moran. "When I am facing difficulties at school, I remind myself of the skills I learned at Hill to cope. I try my best to exemplify summum bonum, the highest good, and I think that's the reason I've been blessed with so much success in college." After college, she wants to continue doing independent projects, writing for television and film, and have a successful acting career. According to Summer, the goal of "Popular Vote" is mainly to entertain. She loved to write and perform things on a larger scale and hopes her film displays it. "It's meant to make people think about the way we view popularity and glorify celebrities in American culture, and how we're influenced by these so-called 'stars' that we make for ourselves," shared Moran. "This project wouldn't be possible without the efforts and kindness of so many people: Mrs. Brodeur and Mrs. Sullivan at Hill; Anthony Lee, John Hasbrouck and Joe Ralko; and my parents. It truly does take a village to make a film!" STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Last month, "Fresh Start" gave over 200 local artists, filmmakers, musicians, actors, writers, photographers and entrepreneurs the opportunity to meet, network and bond over a love for their crafts. Now, it's time to "Connect Differently." On Thursday evening, beginning at 7 p.m, home-grown organizations Staten Island Talent, Fifth Borough Media and Assembyl 3D Printing will host their second creative community networking mixer of the year. This Way On Bay and Dock St Studios co-sponsor the event that already has 60 people planning to attend. "I hope that [this event] connects people, not just on one side of the Island," said Jonathan Joseph, creative director of Fifth Borough Media. "There's a lot of talent that I haven't met before -- whether it be the age gap or distance -- so, this is a great way to get everyone together." Those attending the mixer are given a color coded sticker once they walk in, that represents their area of expertise. Organizers believe this will help Staten Island talent spot out those in their respective fields right away. NOT JUST THE 'FORGOTTEN' BOROUGH Fifth Borough Media and Staten Island Talent have been creating monthly meet-ups since late last year in an effort to bring talent from all over the Island under one roof to meet, chat and make long-lasting business connections. "This is an opportunity to put the cream of the crop of Staten Island in one room," said Joseph. "It's sort of our obligation to show other people who we are." Michael Perina, owner of Assembyl 3D Printing and another creative force behind these monthly mixers said the goal of these events is to highlight the "incredible art community we have" and "help reshape Staten Island's image, as well as facilitating great minds coming together and collaborate." "Staten Island isn't really seen as the forgotten borough these days but our image is still tainted with negative stereotypes," said Perina. "There is tremendous talent on Staten Island that most people don't realize is here." Jahtiek Long, director of creative outreach at Staten Island Talent, says Staten Island is a blank canvas and local artists hold the brush. "We have the opportunity to define the Staten Island culture," said Long. "There are so many different types of artists on the Island and the fact that the community is coming together is beautiful." "We all want the same thing for Staten Island-- for it to come together and flourish," Long added. AX224_7B13_9.JPG The city's Health Department says cat adoptions have resumed at city animal shelters after an outbreak of bird flu was contained. (Staten Island Advance) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The city Health Department and Animal Care Centers (ACC) of NYC have good news for people looking to adopt a cat from a city shelter. Cat adoption services have resumed at all shelters and at various mobile adoption events across the five boroughs, the agencies announced Wednesday. Shelter operations were partially suspended in response to an outbreak of the H7N2 virus, a rare strain of bird flu. Testing began in mid-November, first with 45 cats in an ACC shelter in Manhattan testing positive for the flu. Most experienced a mild illness and are expected to recover. Only a handful of cats in the Staten Island ACC shelter in Charleston tested positive for the disease during the period. Signs of the virus include sneezing, coughing, runny nose, and runny or red eyes. It can spread if a cat has contact with another infected cat or with objects used by sick animals (such as kitty litter or food bowls). Working with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Maddie's Fund and the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, the Health Department and ACC was able to provide a temporary quarantine shelter as cats recovered from the mild illness. Over half of the quarantined cats have been placed with rescue groups and shelters, including the ASPCA's Adoption Center, which received more than 100 cats that were completely cleared of the virus based on multiple negative test results prior to adoption. The quarantine shelter will remain open as cats are cleared and released for adoption. "I thank our partners at ACC and the ASPCA for their support as we resume normal operations at our shelters and once again offer cats to New Yorkers looking for furry friends," said city Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. "Our swift response to the H7N2 outbreak stands as a model for the nation and we will continue to do everything we can to ensure the cats in our care remain healthy and find loving homes." STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A lifetime parolee, his brother, a married couple and an ex-convict are among eight borough residents accused of helping fuel Staten Island's drug crisis by conspiring to distribute heroin and oxycodone, authorities said Wednesday. The ring operated over a five-month period from September of last year to January of this year, officials said. Charged in Brooklyn federal court were lifetime parolee Michael Calabria, 49; his brother, Joseph Calabria, 52; Glenn DePaolo, 59; Maria DePaolo, 55, and ex-convict Ugo Gallo, 46, authorities said. Also accused in the scheme were borough residents Stephen DelPriore, 55; Devida Lombardo, 46, and Carol Monforte, 57, along with Vincent Maniscalco, 55 of Brooklyn. Authorities did not provide street addresses for the suspects. Their lawyers' names were not immediately available. An additional defendant, whom authorities did not identify, was arrested Wednesday in Arizona. "These defendants allegedly pushed heroin and oxycodone for months, contributing to the opioid plague that has caused great suffering on Staten Island," said Robert L. Capers, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, in a statement. Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill said the defendants, as alleged, "endangered the lives of those who live and work around them by contributing to the supply of highly addictive narcotics that have led to numerous overdoses and deaths." Capers and O'Neill announced the arrests along with James J. Hunt, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's New York Division and Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in Charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations. According to a criminal complaint, the DePaolos, Maniscalco and Monforte supplied oxycodone to Joseph Calabria, who distributed the drug to others. Joseph Calabria was heard a number of times on wiretaps discussing oxycodone purchases with those four defendants, said the complaint. The foursome typically refilled oxycodone prescriptions containing 120 to 180 pills and sold most of the drugs to Calabria, the complaint alleges. A second criminal complaint accuses Michael Calabria of supplying heroin to Gallo, who then distributed the narcotics. Michael Calabria transacted tens of thousands of dollars with Gallo, and Calabria generally sold heroin to customers in $10 bags, that complaint said. Delpriore is accused, along with Michael Calabria and unnamed others, of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin. The Calabria brothers, Lombardo and others allegedly conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute oxycodone. Each defendant could face up to 20 years behind bars if convicted, said prosecutors. Advance records show Michael Calabria and Ugo Gallo have criminal records. Calabria is on lifetime parole after serving a sentence of three years to life for a 1990 drug-dealing conviction in Brooklyn. Gallo, then living in Great Kills, pleaded guilty in February 2014 to a felony drug-sale charge for peddling heroin to an undercover cop and was later sentenced to two years in prison, said the Advance. He was paroled in May 2015, according to online records of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police were investigating a reported pellet gun shooting of a 28-year-old male in St. George Tuesday night. Police were alerted to the incident after a victim with a gunshot wound walked into Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton around 5 p.m., police said. The victim was being uncooperative with authorities, but several police cars could be seen parked outside of 165 St. Mark's Place, where police believe the shooting occurred. Officers could be seen walking in and out of the building. The victim was expected to recover from his injuries. tareck el aissimi Tareck El Aissami, the recently appointed vice president in Venezuela, took out a full-page in The New York Times on Wednesday to rebuke sanctions against him and other Venezuelan officials leveled by the US government over drug trafficking charges. El Aissami, who was named alongside an alleged associate, was declared by the US Treasury Department to be a specially designated narcotics trafficker for allegedly "playing a significant role in international narcotics trafficking." He is accused of being a part of a network of military and government officials who, with others, have facilitated the transshipment of narcotics through Venezuela to destinations in the US, Europe, and elsewhere. El Aissami's letter, addressed to Steven Mnuchin, the recently appointed US Treasury secretary, rebuts these drug-trafficking accusations, chalking them up to partisan political motives: "First, in your capacity as [Office of Foreign Asset Control] Authority you have been deceived by political sectors, lobbyists and stakeholders in the u.S. whose essential interest is to prevent that the United States and Venezuela restore their political and diplomatic relations on the basis of mutual recognition and respect." "These stakeholders not only lack any evidence to demonstrate the extremely serious accusations against me, but they have also built a false positive case in order to criminalize through me the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, a country that is decidedly waging a war on transnational drug trafficking business." El Aissami cites as evidence of this fight against drugs the apprehensions of drug traffickers made by Venezuelan authorities during his time as interior minister under late President Hugo Chavez from 2008 to 2012, a number of whom were extradited to the US and Colombia. Tareck El Aissami Hugo Chavez Venezuela president Story continues He also cites the increase in the average annual amount of cocaine seized by Venezuelan authorities between 2005 and 2013 over the average yearly amount of the previous six years, when the US Drug Enforcement Administration was operating in the country. "This figure by itself shows the lack of commitment of DEA to fighting drugs trafficking, and upholds the very well documented assertion of the connections between that U.S. Agency with the criminal drug organizations," the letter states. Aissami also refers to Venezuela's policy of shooting down suspected drug planes detected over its territory. The country has brought down over a 100 aircraft under this policy, the letter says. Drug-plane shoot-down policies are risky and have led to international incidents in the past. Planes shot down over Venezuela have been found to be carrying cocaine, but in other cases, the evidence justifying the shoot down and source of the authorization for it have been murky. "But beyond any political and geopolitical considerations, OFAC's decision constitutes a serious violation against my human rights and seriously damages my dignity and honor," El Aissami states in the letter. "I have led my personal, professional and political life in my country, which I love deeply and to which I devote my life through a political project whose supreme objective is the happiness of our people, equality and social justice." "I have no assets or accounts in the United States or in any country of the world, and it is both absurd and pathetic that an American administrative body without presenting any evidence adopts a measure to freeze goods and assets that I do not own at all." Tareck El Aissami Nicolas Maduro Venezuela president El Aissami also cites what he calls the failure of the US-led war on drugs at home and abroad, calling on the US government to "rethink" and "rectify" policies he says have violated international law and human rights and abetted or empowered criminal actors. El Aissami has been called the "narco of Aragua," referring to the state he was governor of from 2012 to 2017, because of suspicions he has used his official connections to facilitate the trafficking of drugs from Colombia through Venezuela's air and seaports. Drug traffickers arrested in the region have said they had links or made payments to Venezuelan officials and others with ties to El Aissami. Other Venezuelan official sanctioned or indicted by the US over drug-related offenses have been placed into higher-ranking positions within the Venezuelan government, in a move some see as an effort by embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to bring on officials with interests in defending his administration. Responding to the sanctions leveled against El Aissami, Maduro said, "They are not attacking Tareck, they are attacking a country, a revolution and I am the final objective." Full letter by Tareck El Aissami published today in New York Times pic.twitter.com/HGhdXydhOa Nathan Crooks (@nmcrooks) February 22, 2017 NOW WATCH: Trump says he shaved $600M off Americas most expensive weapons system More From Business Insider By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent. Agree Best Canadian Blog 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 About Kate Why this blog? Until this moment I have been forced to listen while media and politicians alike have told me "what Canadians think". In all that time they never once asked. This is just the voice of an ordinary Canadian yelling back at the radio - "You don't speak for me." 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Kathy Shaidle "Thank you for your link. A wave of your Canadian readers came to my blog! Really impressive." Juan Giner - INNOVATION International Media Consulting Group I got links from the Weekly Standard, Hot Air and Instapundit yesterday - but SDA was running at least equal to those in visitors clicking through to my blog. Jeff Dobbs "You may be a nasty right winger, but you're not nasty all the time!" Warren Kinsella "Go back to collecting your welfare livelihood."Michael E. Zilkowsky Intelliweather Seismic Map Comments Policy Read this Best Of SDA Hide The Decline The Bottle Genie (ClimateGate links) You Might Be A Liberal Uncrossing The Line Bob Fife: Knuckledragger A Modest Proposal (NP) Settled Science Series Y2Kyoto Series SDA: Reader Occupation Survey Brett Lamb Sheltered Workshop Flakes On A Plane All Your Weather Are Belong To Us Song Of The Sled The Raise A Flag Debacle (Now on Youtube!) (.mwv Video) Abuse Ruins Life Of Girl Trudeaupiate Kleptocrat Jeans Child Labour I Concede Small Dead Feminist Protein Hoser: THK Interview The Werewolf Extinction Dear Laura (VRWC) We Wait Blogging The Oscars Jackson Converts To Islam Just Shut The HELL Up Manipulating Condi Gay Equality Rights System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28: 29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948 /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. 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But he will never feel as much at home as swimming in the water that divides Canberra's north and south. Canberran Kane Orr did all of his English Channel training in Lake Burley Griffin, including many three-to-six-hour swims and a few eight-to-11-hour ones Mr Orr trained tirelessly in a lake that many Canberrans have never stepped foot in, in preparation to take on the famous English Channel. He completed the tough swim in 14 hours and 41 minutes. While his fond memories of jumping in LBG may not be widely shared among the Canberra public, he hopes that will soon change. The hearing for a Canberra father accused of negligent driving over a crash that killed his seven-year-old daughter has been delayed after a court was told authorities had failed to hand over road signs critical to the defence case. Christopher James Ward, 73, pleaded not guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court to negligent driving causing death and failure to give way stemming from the two-car collision at a Florey intersection in which his daughter, Acacia Ward, died in July 2015. Acacia Ward, then 5, busks at the National Folk Festival in 2013. Credit:Melissa Adams Ward's defence team this week launched a bid for those charges to be stayed, at least temporarily, arguing repeated attempts to get the ACT government and a private contractor to produce signs at the intersection at the time of the crash had been unsuccessful. Magistrate Peter Morrison refused to grant the stay, prompting Ward's lawyers to make an application for that decision to be reviewed in the ACT Supreme Court. Bega Cheese has flagged the possibility that dairy processors could start paying farmers more for their milk later this year. Bega said on Wednesday that prices for global dairy commodities have been improving because of lower production from many exporting regions and stronger demand, particularly from China. "We would expect that if that commodity position prevails and indeed stabilises, you'll see farmgate price improvement later in the year, indeed more likely in the beginning of next financial year," Bega Cheese executive chairman Barry Irvin said on Wednesday. He said the current farmgate milk price is $5.13 per kilogram of milk solids, down from the opening price of $5.60 in the 2016 financial year. Melbourne industrial property deals surged to a record $1.92 billion in transactions in 2016, a 15 per cent increase on the previous year. Melbourne was the strongest performer nationally, in a year where the national total spend fell to $4.83 billion, down from a record $5.26 billion in 2015, according to research from agents CBRE. Melbourne was the nation's strongest performer for industrial property sales in 2016. While a lack of stock held down the national total, the number of deals in Melbourne increased to 70 in 2016 up from 60 in 2015. Yields compressed a further 10 basis points to 6 per cent. The appetite for industrial come as investors, local and offshore, look for high-quality buildings to stuff into their portfolios or other assets that have scope for development and improvement. LuLaRoe leggings Some LuLaRoe customers are saying that the company's leggings are tearing and starting to "disintegrate" after as little as a few hours of wear. The clothing brand has grown rapidly over the last two years by building a cultlike following among millennial moms. Most of its success has been built with a single product: soft leggings, which cost about $25. The company releases a limited number of leggings in unique patterns it distributes them through a network of "consultants" who sell to their friends at parties held in homes and customers seem to go nuts trying to get their hands on the latest styles. But in recent months, complaints about the quality of the leggings have started piling up. Women are sharing photos on social media of LuLaRoe leggings with large holes in the fabric or, in some cases, dozens of tiny holes and many say the damage appeared after the leggings were worn once or twice. There's a Facebook group with more than 1,400 members devoted to sharing stories about the damage, a guide for how to put the leggings on without tearing them being passed around, and even a theory about which leggings are more likely to wind up damaged. "These pants rip like wet toilet paper," said Valerie Williams, 35, of Syracuse, New York. Williams has bought five pairs of LuLaRoe leggings. She says two of them tore as soon as she put them on. "This must be a widespread issue," she told Business Insider. Maintaining quality is a challenge for any fast-growing brand, but for a company like LuLaRoe, the backlash is particularly serious because it is taking place in the same forums that helped create buzz for the leggings in the first place. LuLaRoe's customers say they're having a hard time returning the damaged goods because the company's sales consultants, who buy directly from the company at wholesale prices, are barriers. Story continues Some consultants, meanwhile, say they're saddled with the damaged merchandise. A LuLaRoe spokeswoman, Shana Frahm, said an internal audit showed that damages were 0.061% of shipped merchandise per month. She said this is well below the industry average. "As you know, we are a new brand, and we have been working diligently to ensure that our customer experience is highly satisfactory," she said. Frahm declined to answer questions about whether the company was aware of problems with holes in the leggings. But one LuLaRoe consultant said on Facebook in early February that the company was aware of the issue. "LuLaRoe is working super hard to reinvent the process a bit, to stop holes from happening yay!" Nichole Ramirez wrote on February 2. Advice for buyers LuLaRoe sellers are also widely sharing a diagram with tips on how to avoid holes, including advice like "Pull just a tad or you'll be sad!" Still, customers have complained through social media and the Better Business Bureau's website. "Second pair of LuLaRoe leggings to get a hole. ... Safe to say, I'm done wasting my money," one person wrote on Twitter on January 31. Another customer wrote on Facebook: "What am I doing wrong with LuLaRoe leggings? I hand wash them, basically treat them like newborn infants without a fully formed skull, and still only have 1 pair left without holes all over." On January 30, someone wrote in a review on the Better Business Bureau's website that three pairs of their leggings developed large holes within hours of putting them on. "In November I put on a brand new pair of leggings," they wrote. "By lunch the whole rear end had just disintegrated. "That ends my years long relationship with your consultants," they wrote. "No more Lula for me. Sick of paying twice what I should for clothes that disappear. THREE pairs in two months is three too many." The bureau's website has 170 reviews of LuLaRoe and 210 customer complaints, mostly about quality issues primarily holes in the leggings. On Facebook, more than 50 complaints in the last two weeks have cited holes in the leggings. On Twitter, more than 100 complaints since September refer specifically to holes. Vietnam connection? LuLaRoe leggings One theory among LuLaRoe customers is that the holes are more common with leggings that are manufactured in Vietnam as opposed to in China or other countries. In Facebook groups where LuLaRoe is sold, customers are inquiring about where the leggings are made before purchasing them, according to Williams, who is a member of many of these groups. There's no place to review LuLaRoe's products on its website because it doesn't sell any clothes on it. LuLaRoe sells products only through the consultants, which the company refers to as "independent retailers." The consultants many of whom are millennial moms buy the clothes at wholesale prices and then sell them at marked-up prices to friends in their living rooms and in online forums. The consultants can earn money not only from their direct sales, but also from the sales of a team of recruits. This strategy is called multilevel marketing, and it's also used by companies like Mary Kay, Beachbody, and The Pampered Chef. For some LuLaRoe customers, this setup has made it difficult to get refunds or credit for damaged goods. Customers have said in reviews that when they tried to get in touch with the company about damaged goods, either they couldn't get through to anyone or were told to contact their consultant. "The quality of the clothing is extremely poor!" one customer wrote on the Better Business Bureau website on January 13. "I have had several leggings arrive with holes OR disintegrate upon first wear. Wrote customer service who basically blew me off and told me to find a consultant to replace them." LuLaRoe leggings Some customers say their consultants won't do anything to replace the damage goods. Others say they can get only a credit or exchange, not a refund. "In regard to returns, our direction to our independent retailers is that we stand behind our product," Frahm said. "The retailers can take those damages back and replace or issue refunds, and in turn, we credit their accounts as well." She also highlighted LuLaRoe's limited control over how consultants conduct business. "With the independent nature of our retail structure, complaints to the BBB are sometimes regarding customer interactions with our independent retailers," she said. "We try not to interfere with how they run their businesses, aside from providing guidelines and internal policies to help shape great customer service and cultural transference." Sellers complain People who say they are current and former consultants have also complained that they can't get in touch with anyone at the company to resolve issues. "I'm a former [LuLaRoe] representative and am still waiting to be refunded for the damaged items I submitted on May 19," one person wrote on the Better Business Bureau website in late October. "It's been over five months since these damages were submitted and I'm still waiting for money. Very frustrating. ... Also very happy I stopped selling it." Another person who said they were a consultant said they also had trouble getting a response from the company. "I am still waiting on five backordered shirts they will not refund or send me," the person wrote in a review. "Then, when the products arrived, they would have holes, look worn, etc." One person who said they stopped selling LuLaRoe said in December that the company delayed refunding them for unsold products. "After some product would not sell we were given the option to send it back and pay a restocking fee," the reviewer wrote. "After following the process word for word on filling out the forms, paying money to UPS to send the product back, we have not received our refund or credit for that matter. You cannot talk to anyone on the phone and we have also sent numerous emails inquiring. Three weeks ago we were sent one email saying it would be process but that was it. ... As of right now we are out $1100 with no way of speaking to someone to try and resolve." Despite these seller complaints, some women say they are getting rich by selling LuLaRoe. LuLaRoe leggings As Business Insider reported last year, LuLaRoe's top sellers say they make six-figure salaries by selling the brand's clothes and managing teams of other sellers. Some have posted rave reviews on Glassdoor, a website where employees can anonymously review the companies they work for although the company has an overall rating of 2.5 stars out of five. "I have been a consultant for seven months and it has been life changing," one review says. "I didn't have two dimes to rub together and I am making more money in a month than I used to make in a year." As with most multilevel-marketing companies, employees' experiences appear to be wide-ranging, based on the success they have had in selling products. But achieving that success could be increasingly challenging if the company's quality issues erode brand loyalty. Williams says she isn't ready to give up LuLaRoe just yet, even after purchasing two pairs of leggings that ripped open on the first wear. "I will buy more LuLaRoe, but I'm disappointed that I have to ask now where the leggings are made before claiming so as to avoid more Vietnam pairs," she told Business Insider. NOW WATCH: Watch the new Nike ad celebrating Arab women in sports that is causing controversy More From Business Insider The surging east coast property market means Stockland, one of the country's largest home developers, is holding more deposits for its developments than ever before. The group, which owns offices, shopping centres, logisitic centres and retirement living dwellings, on Wednesday reported a statutory profit of $702 million and generated funds from operations (FFO) of $369 million, an increase of 7.8 per cent on the previous corresponding period. With Sydney, Melbourne and now Brisbane, markets all heading upwards the group enjoyed a 3 per cent rise in sales volumes in the first half, with 2853 lots settled, compared to the corresponding period. Contracts on hand at the start of January 2017 totalled 5807, a new record for Stockland and an increase of 1698 on the prior corresponding period. One of the city's well-know watering holes, the Verandah Bar's leasehold is on the market with price expectations of about $9 million as the owners take advantage of the strong pub sector. Current owner, Dean Haritos, who sold the Light Brigade Hotel in Sydney's eastern suburbs to the Bayfield family in 2015, said he had received a number of unsolicited inquiries for the hotel, at 60 Castlereagh Street, which prompted him to test the market. The leasehold of the Verandah hotel at Martin Place is being offered for sale While most pub sector sales are freehold, a lack of city sites has led investors to turn their attention to long-term leasehold concerns. "In much the same way we were when we brought The Light Brigade Hotel to market, the unsolicited inquiry we've fielded for Verandah Hotel has been such that we felt it was appropriate to engage the industry specialists and put some process around the constant inquiry," Mr Haritos said. Ramsay Health Care has announced that Chris Rex plans to retire this year after nine years as managing director and chief executive as it delivered a 13.8 per cent rise in interim net profit to $255.9 million. The company said it had a "comprehensive" CEO succession process under way. Mr Rex would continue to lead the company in the meantime. Ramsay CEO Chris Rex has flagged his retirement. Credit:Daniel Munoz Ramsay chairman Michael Siddle paid tribute to Mr Rex, saying he had been instrumental to the company's success. "During his time as CEO, Ramsay has become one of the largest health care companies in the world, operating 220 hospitals and facilities across six countries, and is a market leader in France as well as Australia," he said in a statement to the ASX on Thursday morning. Crown Resorts insists its $1.2 billion casino and apartment development at Barangaroo will not be affected by the ongoing detention of 14 of its staff in a Chinese jail. At its interim results announcement on Wednesday the James Packer-controlled operation also insisted its decision to "pause" its pursuit of Chinese high-rollers was not a retreat from the region and that it would return to China. Unveiling a 9 per cent slump in net profit Crown confirmed it would pursue an "efficiency drive" that would likely lead to hundreds of job losses at its Perth and Melbourne resorts along with the potential axing of sponsorship contracts. Crown has pulled its sales force out of China until it can clarify the exact nature of the allegations made against its staff but its Chinese workforce is already chasing new VIP customers in other parts of the South-East Asian region. Australia must tackle the highly-centralised structures of public education if we are to stem the long-term decline of Australian students' performance compared to the rest of the world. When it comes to public education, Australia has much to learn from the United States. Last week, the US Senate voted to confirm President Donald Trump's controversial pick for Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos. Vice-President Mike Pence was called in to break a tie vote for the first time in history for a cabinet appointment. DeVos was a provocative nomination principally because she has spent decades campaigning for school choice promoting charter schools and voucher programs. While this has pitted her against the teaching unions, it is hardly a fringe position: 43 US states have adopted charter school laws, and more than 2.5 million students are enrolled in 6465 charter schools. However, Australia has consistently maintained that we must rely on US nuclear weapons to "protect" us ("extended deterrence"), and therefore will not rule out their use on our behalf. Exactly how or under what circumstances that protection would manifest, or against which populations a nuclear bomb might be launched on our behalf, has never been explained. The UN resolution and the forthcoming negotiations are the result of intense government and civil society action in recent years that has highlighted the catastrophic humanitarian impacts of these most terrifying and destructive of all weapons, and the imperative to prevent any further use. We are about to boycott major UN multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations. On March 27 in New York, negotiations will commence on a treaty to ban nuclear weapons, following a strongly supported resolution passed in the General Assembly last December with 123 nations in favour, 38 against and 16 abstentions for "a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination". Australia's boycott of the disarmament talks, a decision that was made public just last week, will have grave implications, quite apart from the unconscionable act of snubbing the most promising disarmament initiative in decades. It calls into question our commitment not only to the UN but also to the 1968 nuclear non-proliferation treaty, article 6 of which obliges all member states not just those with the weapons to "pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to ... nuclear disarmament". The key to a ban treaty's effectiveness lies in its power to delegitimise and stigmatise weapons that kill and maim whole populations indiscriminately. Which nation would boast of a "smallpox deterrent" or a "nerve gas deterrent"? Yet despite the existence of treaties to ban these other weapons of mass destruction, there is still no equivalent treaty to ban the only weapons that can destroy a city in an instant and leave human suffering and environmental devastation on a scale we can't imagine. The US, which has been the strongest opponent of the ban treaty process, with Australia as our ally's most active and vocal supporter, has conceded behind closed doors that a ban treaty will have exactly its intended purpose. A letter from the US mission to NATO to its NATO allies on October 17 last year, expressed alarm that a nuclear weapons prohibition could, among other things, "make it impossible to undertake nuclear planning or training". Indeed; that's the whole point of the thing. Australia's boycott will also render our advocacy in other areas less credible. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop's frequent pronouncements on the need for a rules-based international system will ring hollow if Australia actively undermines this historic effort to strengthen international law and give effect to the disarmament obligation written into the non-proliferation treaty. How will Australia be able to condemn nuclear missile tests by, say, North Korea, or other possible future proliferators, when we support a nuclear apartheid and oppose efforts to place all nuclear-armed nations on the same legal footing? Perhaps lesser-known than his founding of scouting (C8, birthday) is Sir Robert Baden-Powell's illustrated 1889 volume, Pig-sticking or hog-hunting: A complete account for sportsmen and others, reports Ralph Davis (C8PhD) of Wahroonga. His copy is the 1924 "revised and enlarged edition", which at 312 pages certainly is "complete". "Chapters include 'Healthy for body and mind'; 'Its value as a school for soldiers'; and 'The boar himself as an ally'." The book is "dedicated by permission to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales who in the pig-sticking field proved himself in the fuller sense of the word, a Prince among sportsmen". There is a memorial to Baden-Powell in the park in Deloraine, Tasmania, advises Judy Ford. "I often wondered if there was a link there." [C8: Perhaps a pig-sticking excursion?] "In reply to Gail Conder (C8, PM hand on heart), when I was a child in primary school in Victoria we stood with our hands on our hearts and said an oath of allegiance. This was in the 30s and 40s, so I don't know when it ceased," says Joy Wood, West Gosford. More from Joe Kensell of Five Dock. "This practice was allegedly started by the British military survivors of the Battle for Rorke's Drift during the Zulu War. Eleven VCs were awarded (the most ever awarded in one action) and during a ceremony on the troops return to the UK, they covered their medals with their right hand on the basis that they were no braver than those who had died during the battle. This simple action was carried on by British troops during the various ceremonies and marches after the armistice that ended WWI." The winner of the C8 (YOUR) Olympics is based on the number of contributions chosen by C8 (YOU), a conflict of interest even Donald Trump would understand. Shouldn't the winner be decided by a poll of C8 readers? John Christie, Oatley. As a lesbian Jew I share Michael Danby's approval of Israel's gay pride march and its thriving democracy ("Jewish leaders hit back," February 22). I saved my pocket money as a child to donate to Israel's survival in the attacks from Syria and Jordan, which resulted in the occupied territories. I understood self-defence then, and I still do. Benjamin Netanyahu's endorsement of the retroactive theft of private Palestinian land and his support for expansion of the settlements is not self-defence, it is violence. It is hard to hold the line between self-defence and violence, and for that reason most gay Jews I know would welcome Mr Netanyahu to Australia. But they would also tell him that we Australians are not enemies with anyone. We don't like the expansion of the settlements, or the theft of Palestinian land. Australian forces are playing a key role in the escalating battle for the Iraqi city of Mosul, bombing 130 Islamic State targets and deploying special forces medics close to the frontline to treat wounded Iraqi soldiers. RAAF pilots have hit IS fighters, car bomb factories, artillery positions, weapons caches, tunnel entrances and water supplies across the city since October, when Iraq and its coalition supporters launched their offensive. With the fighting now set to enter a deadly new phase as the Iraqi forces start pushing into the perilous IS stronghold of West Mosul, Australian medics near the battlefield are preparing for a sharp increase in casualties. Mosul fell to IS militants in 2014, the largest city to come under extremist control. Iraq hopes to reclaim it in the coming months, but the fight will require intense, street-to-street fighting in heavily populated areas. George Christensen's regular squabbles with the Turnbull government are well-known. He has threatened to quit over the backpacker tax, same-sex marriage and the direction of the Coalition. But the issue which has brought the maverick MP closest to cutting the cord - and blowing up the Parliament - is one that has received scant attention outside of Queensland. For three years, sugarcane growers in that state's Burdekin region, south of Townsville, have been sucked into a looming crisis over their contracts to supply sugarcane. The Singapore-owned conglomerate Wilmar, which bought CSR Sugar's mills six years ago, is seeking control over marketing as well as milling. But growers want the choice to use their old single-desk collective, Queensland Sugar Limited, which has been able to garner a better price for farmers than Wilmar in recent years. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrives for a meeting of foreign ministers at the World Conference Centre in Bonn on Friday. Credit:Getty Images Yes but who is the guy in the background with small fingers and orange hair? Bishop went on: "It's a new administration. Of course people are very interested to hear whether there's going to be a change in policy and I found the statements very reassuring, as I'm sure other NATO allies did as well, that the US is committed to a leadership role. The United States is asking other countries to share the burden of ending conflicts and resolving challenges around the world." And at that point she made a very neat segue, away from Trump to a declaration that Australia was of a like mind, and that Canberra had a role to play, working with its allies to end conflict and build peace. Then there was what sounded to the rest of the world like Tillerson declaring war on China - he caused jaws to drop in think tanks across the globe when he was asked if he would support a more aggressive US posture in the South China Sea. "We're going to have to send China a clear signal that, first, the island-building stops and, second, your access to those islands also is not going to be allowed," he told his Senate confirmation hearing. You might have responded: "Wow." But Bishop wouldn't even acknowledge that Tillerson had spoken as the record shows he did, or that the vast information-gathering capacity of the Australian government surely delivered her several briefing papers on the Tillerson outburst. To the amazement of the master class, Bishop's response was borderline Trumpian: "They are not the words that Secretary Tillerson has used in any conversation with me nor have I heard him say it at the G20 foreign ministers' meeting." Then, another of those segues away from the cuckoo's nest that is today's Washington, to sober, sensible Canberra: "I think Australia has a role to play in putting our perspective and we have been consistent on the South China Sea. "It's a matter we say publicly and privately to the US and to China and to other claimant states and it's a matter that we will continue to urge, that there be a de-escalation of tensions and that the parties resolve their differences peacefully. "After all, Australia has a very deep national interest in peace and stability in the South China Sea. The majority of our exports go through the South China Sea. That's why we continue to exercise our rights to freedom of over-flight and freedom of navigation to ensure that international trade can continue unimpeded." Asked about the phone call in which Trump lashed out at Malcolm Turnbull before throwing the Australian prime minister off the line earlier that expected, Bishop barely acknowledged that phone call. Instead of talking about the Trump-Trumbull phone call, Bishop was away with her ears pinned back, eulogising the Pence-Bishop phone calls. "I've had two previous telephone conversations with the vice-president. This was my opportunity to meet him face to face. It was very warm. It was very friendly. We spoke about many things. The meeting went longer than scheduled, which is always a good sign, because we had so many issues to discuss a positive, constructive, discussion between partners, allies and friends. "That matter [the Turnbull-Trump phone call] didn't come up " It all sounded a bit like speed-dating. Bishop's reference to the meeting going over time prompted a query on how long the meeting actually was. "I think it was almost an hour", she answered. Maybe 50 minutes and take a few minutes at each end for welcome and farewell pleasantries, and you might conclude that she and Pence talked turkey for about 45 minutes - during which, by Bishop's count, half-a-dozen or more global issues were discussed. Here's how it went: Q: Did you discuss a greater commitment from Australia in the fight against [Islamic State] in Iraq and Syria? A: We discussed the fight in general terms Q: What about the potential realignment between the US and Russia? A: We certainly discussed many global and regional, as well as bilateral issues and we certainly spent some time discussing the situation in Iraq and Syria. Q: Did Pence tell you what might be in Trump's revised executive order on migrants and refugees? A: We discussed that, but not in the sort of detail that I can share with you. Q: Did you discuss the two-state solution for the Palestinian crisis? A: Not in detail Q: Did Afghanistan come up? A: Yes it did Q: Did Pence indicate what is happening with the Paris agreement on climate change? A: We discussed a range of issues Q: Did China and the South China Sea come up? A: Yes it did. Uncertain in all of this is who Bishop is seeking to reassure regarding the hunky-doryness of the trans-Pacific relationship. Certainly, Pence and Tillerson are aware of the madness of the house in which they live; and anyone with half an ear or an eye on media coverage of Trump's Washington would be aware that we live in uncertain times. The Christian Brothers underpaid almost 170 sexual abuse claimants millions of dollars because they believed they were "going to be taken to the cleaners", a royal commission has heard. An inquiry into Catholic church authorities heard the order was asked to re-examine 201 compensation settlements to victims of child sexual abuse in 2014 and found 165 were too low. An additional $14 million was paid to the claimants, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard. Province leader of the Christian Brothers Peter Clinch told the inquiry the inadequate initial settlements were due to defensiveness. Gary Sheppard is a highly successful commercial photographer with 30 years in the industry. Sheppard's latest personal work, however, takes a vastly different tack. The series, Mephisto, plays with the psychology of the viewer by inviting them to put their own interpretations on complex, liquid patterns much like a Rorschach test. Mephisto, Gary Sheppard. Credit:Gary Sheppard Fairfax Media spoke with photographer Gary Sheppard about his series Mephisto: Tell me about your series Mephisto. How did you go about taking these striking images? These images are based on the interaction of dyes, paints, inks and varnishes in water. There's something innately fascinating about liquids. The way they ebb and flow. Combine two liquids and their differing densities, colours and molecular structures will interact and produce the most amazing patterns. As they loop, swirl and disperse, they bring chaos theory to life before our eyes. The intricate structures and details that manifest as the liquids mix and flow into, through and over each other are almost infinite in their complexity. I think most photographers like to create shots that are unique and working with liquids in the way I have with this exhibition means you know that each time you capture an image, the particular combination of patterns, colours and swirls which occurs at that instant has never existed before and will never exist again. That image will only appear once in the history of the universe and I kind of like that idea. A group of former members of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, who staged an extraordinary coup last week, have opened a new bank account and are collecting and spending halal certification fees. The revelation emerged in the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday as the national Islamic organisation tried to force out the group of "usurpers" who entered AFIC's Zetland offices late at night last week and changed the locks. Agim Garana, who has been installed as the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils' general manager following a coup, leaves the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Credit:Daniel Munoz Hafez Kassem, who voluntarily resigned last year, now claims he was only on temporary leave and has "rightfully" returned to his role as president. His group of former members, some of whom were banned or sacked for maladministration, convened a meeting on February 11 and installed themselves as the executive committee and passed no-confidence motions in all others, including Keysar Trad, who was elected unopposed to replace Mr Kassem in August. An elderly man has been extradited from Britain to NSW accused of hundreds of child sex offences stretching back decades. The man, 72, will appear in court on Thursday after NSW Police detectives escorted him on a flight from London which landed in Sydney early on Thursday. The man was taken to Mascot police station, where police said he was charged with "multiple child sex offences". Police could not immediately say how many charges were laid, but the figure is understood to be more than 300. All of the charges relate to one alleged victim, police say, and the offences are alleged to have occurred in Sydney in the 1970s and 1980s. Once home to Redfern's Aboriginal community, The Block is set to become a university student hub, under revised plans lodged by the Aboriginal Housing Company for the area's redevelopment. More than 500 students will live in new student accommodation which, in a marked departure from the original plans, will increase in size from six to 16 storeys at the building's highest point. The revised concept plans for the Pemulwuy Project, the name of the $70 million dollar development of The Block, almost quadruples the provision of student accommodation from the original 152 student places initially proposed. AHC chairperson Alisi Tutuila said the changes were necessary to ensure the other aspects of the development - namely the provision of 62 affordable homes for indigenous people - could be built without having to rely on further government funding or grants. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has again insisted the next state election will be in 2018. Speaking from the Gold Coast on Wednesday, Ms Palaszczuk said it was her "intention" that the election would be "just over a year away". Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says it is her "intention" that the election will be in 2018. Credit:Robert Shakespeare Saturday, May 5, 2018 is the last possible date for the next state election, but it is widely tipped to be held in the second half of 2017. However, Ms Palaszczuk has repeatedly said the election was not due until around "this time next year". An Australia-first study has kicked off in Brisbane to see if robots can help those with a sweet tooth to kick their cravings. QUT Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation PhD student Nicole Robinson has 12 willing participants enlisted so far for her study seeking to encourage healthy eating habits in those who snack on high-fat, high-sugar food and drinks. Nicole Robinson with one of the NAO robots. Credit:QUT As part of the study, participants will have a conversation with two knee-high NAO robots named Andy and Rob who will ask questions, listen to what goals the participant would like to set and then discuss with the participant how they can achieve those goals. It was hoped the robots, who speak in a "non-judgemental" and child-like voice, would reduce the inhibitions in those who normally feel uncomfortable about speaking with a person. Justin Dry from VinoMofo who recently made it on the BRW Young Rich list in the Sensis marquee. Credit:Jesse Marlow I agree. As The Venture has previously argued, more people will need to create, rather than apply for, their job in the digital economy. There will not be enough full-time jobs to go around and workforce casualisation will, sadly, reach new heights. Having a portfolio of micro-jobs and ventures, and moving between them as circumstance dictates, will be the norm for many. As will starting a venture for necessity-entrepreneurs who believe it is their best and, perhaps only chance of reasonable income. Canva co-founder Melanie Perkins is one of the few women on the Young Rich List. Credit:Louise Kennerley An agile Australian economy will need creators, innovators, start-ups and entrepreneurs. And a community that backs them to the hilt and is there for them when they fail (ethically). Not one that shuns or derides entrepreneurial success, or is indifferent to it. Australia's attitude towards entrepreneurship is hard to reconcile with the country's rising global standing in new-venture activity. More support is needed for entrepreneurship such as the Hatchery program, which runs entrepreneur boot camps. Credit:Anna Zhu More people will need to create, rather than apply for, their job in the digital economy. We rank third for total early-stage entrepreneurial activity among innovation-driven economies, says GEM, and first for employee entrepreneurial activity, where staff are involved in launch products or establishing new businesses for their employer. Imagine what Australia could do if we got behind entrepreneurs. Not only with government programs or the start-up community's good work, but with a community that genuinely encourages entrepreneurs and celebrates their success. Now in its 18th year, GEM tracks entrepreneurship rates and attitudes across multiple phases of new venture creation and growth. By surveying households and experts in 66 countries, GEM is a snapshot of global entrepreneurship attitudes and intention. Like all surveys, GEM has limitations. Its definition of total early-stage entrepreneurial activity is those aged 18 to 64 who are in the process of starting or running a new business that is less than 42 months old. That counts many small businesses that are not fast-growth ventures, and thus may inflate Australia's rate of early-stage entrepreneurial activity. GEM suggests Australian entrepreneurship continues to grow, despite lacklustre community attitudes towards it. To my thinking, these attitudes are more to do with low awareness about entrepreneurship and its benefits to individuals and the community, than the "stigma" that came from failed entrepreneurs of the 1980s. We are asking the wrong questions. Instead of "is entrepreneurship a good career choice?", we should ask "can entrepreneurship be a career?" A definitive "yes" means thinking about entrepreneurship in the same way we think about other professions, trades and occupations: Specialist entrepreneurship teaching at school, TAFEs and universities, or more of it, for example. Career counsellors at schools and universities who can help students understand if entrepreneurship suits them and how to build a career in it. Incubators and accelerator programs that develop entrepreneurs for the next five to 10 years of their career, not only for their next venture. A professional association for entrepreneurs that provides accreditation and ongoing career support and networking. Getting the community to see entrepreneurship as a viable career choice means professionalising this skill. That is, having more structure around what an entrepreneurship career looks like and how to pursue it. Those who view entrepreneurship only through the lens of start-up ventures, or believe its greatest strength is a lack of structure or conformity, miss the point. Entrepreneurs exist in large companies, not-for-profits, government enterprise and the small business community. A more professional approach to entrepreneurship would help them. Gifted start-up entrepreneurs the 1 per cent or less who are born with this skill might find their best source of support is their peers. They might have little time or need for professional associations or believe entrepreneurship cannot be taught and is learned only by doing. That's their choice. But tens of thousands of people who start ventures for the first time will benefit from a more professional approach to entrepreneurship. When they view entrepreneurship as a sustainable, transportable career across sectors not only something that happens around new ventures community attitudes will change. Police consider the husband of slain Melbourne mother Karen Ristevski to be the "number one suspect" for her murder, his lawyer has declared, only hours after detectives confirmed her body had been found. Leading criminal lawyer Rob Stary said Borce Ristevski visited his office on Wednesday morning, seeking guidance on what the discovery of Ms Ristevski's remains could mean to the investigation. On Tuesday night Mr Ristevski and family members hatched a plan for him to leave the family home and avoid scrutiny from the large media scrum outside, as family members delivered McDonald's. The Age has been told that Mr Ristevski and several other family members wept after hearing the news that the body found on Monday was that of his wife. FINEST KIND CLINIC AND FISHMARKET.... Discussing medicine, culture, and the joys of cooking Pansit. Investigators searching through the wreckage of Tuesday's fatal plane crash at Essendon Airport say they have already discovered several "interesting facets" to the incident. A Beechcraft B200 Super King Air carrying a pilot and four passengers may have suffered "catastrophic engine failure" soon after takeoff from Essendon Airport about 9am. The plane appeared to veer left, before crashing into the roof of the Essendon DFO shopping centre and bursting into flames, killing all five people on board. Within 24 hours, crash investigators had already identified "several factors" of interest, Australian Transport Safety Bureau's chief commissioner Greg Hood said. Failures in both the engine and 'feathering' system, that pilots are not trained to deal with, may be behind Tuesday's fatal plane crash, experts say. Investigators remain at Essendon Airport, sifting through pieces of wreckage from Tuesday's light plane crash that killed five, as they try to determine what went so fatally wrong. But experts say several crucial clues may point to a failure of the feathering system on the Beechcraft King Air. A remarkably similar fatal crash in 2001, referenced by air crash investigators at a press conference on Wednesday, involved another King Air whose engine failed. Its propeller did not feather, and it drifted to the left before crashing. Victorian Speaker Telmo Languiller charged taxpayers almost $40,000 to live in Queenscliff at least 80 kilometres from the western suburbs electorate he represents. Fairfax Media can reveal Mr Languiller used the posh seaside town as his primary place of residence, while maintaining a second residence in Footscray, also outside his Tarneit electorate. Victorian speaker Telmo Languiller Credit:Jason South The arrangement allowed him to last year claim the generous but little-known "second residence" perk, currently worth $37,678 a year for ministers and senior office holders. Under the rules of Parliament, MPs are entitled to the allowance if they live at least 80 kilometres from the Melbourne Post Office and maintain a second residence in Melbourne. A Sydney woman visiting Melbourne for the weekend tried to run for her life moments before a drunk driver in a stolen car hit her at more than 150km/h, throwing her into the next intersection and killing her instantly, a court has heard. Tanami Nayler, 24, was on her way to a friend's house on a pedestrian crossing on the corner of King Street and Hawke Street when she was struck about 2.15am on July 30 last year. New Zealand national Nicholas Davison was driving about 152km/h in a 60km/h zone and ran a red light when he hit her. Davison, 23, had an estimated blood alcohol level of up to 0.22, more than four times over the legal limit, the County Court heard on Wednesday. Greens leader Richard Di Natale has called for the decriminalisation of drug possession for personal use while campaigning in Perth for the WA election. He says illicit drug use should be treated as a health issue rather than a criminal one in WA, where use of the drug ice is believed to be the highest in the country. Greens leader Richard Di Natale has called for the decriminalisation of drug possession. Credit:Andrew Meares The Greens say their policy aims for harm reduction with people caught with drugs, such as methamphetamine, ecstasy and cocaine, for personal use directed towards health care rather than the justice system. Dr Di Natale was in Perth on Tuesday and said he had seen how the current approach to drugs was causing more harm than good during his work as a drug and alcohol doctor. London: Laws which require low-income Britons to earn a set minimum income before they can obtain visas for some foreign spouses, including Australians, have been upheld in the country's highest court, despite judges ruling they cause "hardship" to separated families. But the court has declared unlawful rules which can lead to foreign-born children being separated from their British parent, leading the government to issue an immediate temporary hold on applications while it digests the ruling. Theresa May introduced the laws when she was Home Secretary. Credit:Bloomberg In 2012, Prime Minister Theresa May, who was the then Home Secretary, made it more difficult for Britons to obtain visas for their spouses born overseas and outside of the European Economic Area (EEA), requiring they earn a minimum wage of 18,600 ($30,150) for at least six months. The financial threshold is higher if there are children involved. The law does not recognise if the foreign spouse earns above this wage and only looks at the income of the Briton. Previously, couples only had to demonstrate to the Home Office that they could afford to look after themselves. A Florida pastor who took his 11-year-old daughter to campaign-style rally for President Donald Trump said he hoped the event would serve as a civics lesson - but that it turned instead into a spectacle where "demonic activity was palpable." Joel Tooley, lead pastor at Melbourne First Church of the Nazarene in eastern Florida, said that when he heard that the president and first lady would be passing through town, he decided to go see them in person. "I am enough of a sentimentalist that when I found out THEEEE President was coming to town, I got online quickly and reserved two tickets," he wrote on Facebook. But the rally last weekend was not what the pastor had in mind. Ottawa: Canada will continue to accept asylum seekers crossing illegally from the United States but will ensure security measures are taken to keep Canadians safe, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday. The number of would-be refugees crossing into Canada at isolated and unguarded border crossings has increased in recent weeks amid fears that US President Donald Trump will crack down on illegal immigrants, and photos of smiling Canadian police greeting the migrants have gone viral. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, left, welcomes the Jamkossian family from Syria, at Pearson International airport,Toronto, in December. Canada has resettled 40,000 Syrian refugees since Trudeau came to power. Credit:AP Opposition Conservatives want Trudeau's centre-left Liberal government to stem the flow of asylum seekers from the United States because of security fears and a lack of resources to deal with them. "One of the reasons why Canada remains an open country is Canadians trust our immigration system and the integrity of our borders and the help we provide people who are looking for safety," Trudeau told Parliament. Bangkok: Malaysian police want to question a diplomat at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur over the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Police chief Khalid Abu Bakar identified the diplomat as a second secretary, 44-year-old Hyon Kwang-song, who holds diplomatic immunity. Mr Khalid said police also want to question an official of North Korea's airline Air Koryo, named as Kim Uk-il, 37. He gave no further details. He said the men, who were still in Malaysia, "are not in custody, they've being called in for assistance". Asked if they were suspects, he said "we would call them in first". He said if the men did not comply with requests to be interviewed, warrants would be issued for their arrest. Five other North Koreans have been identified as suspects in Mr Kim's suspected poisoning at Kuala Lumpur International Airport's low-cost terminal on February 13. The case has sparked international intrigue, rumours and a diplomatic spat. Seoul: North Korea said on Thursday Malaysia was to blame for the death of its citizen there last week and accused the Malaysian government of demonstrating "unfriendly attitude" under a scenario drawn up by South Korea. Malaysia had initially informed the North that the person bearing a diplomatic passport had died of a heart attack at Kuala Lumpur airport on February 13, the North's KCNA news agency said. Kim Jong-nam, left, and his half-brother, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Credit:AP North Korea denies the person who died of apparent poisoning by two women was Kim Jong-nam, estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Mr Kim, 46, who was about to fly to Macau, became unwell after two women appeared to wipe a cloth on his face. He died on the way to hospital. Cannon Ball: Demonstrators opposed to the Dakota Access pipeline braced for a showdown with authorities on Wednesday, as protest leaders said at least some would defy a deadline to abandon the camp they have occupied for months to stop the project. President Donald Trump has pushed for the completion of the multibillion-dollar pipeline since he took office last month, despite objections from Native Americans and environmental activists who say it threatens the water resources and sacred land of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. File image from the Standing Rock camp in December. Credit:AP Republican Governor Doug Burgum and the US Army Corps of Engineers set a deadline of Wednesday afternoon for protesters to leave the Oceti Sakowin camp, located on Army Corps land in Cannon Ball, North Dakota. As freezing rain fell on Wednesday morning, demonstrators burned some structures at the camp. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser Willemstad/ Aruba:--- Civil Aviation Inspectors from the Netherlands (ILT) who traveled to Aruba and Curacao to conduct an investigation into the air-worthiness of Insel fleet, and the competence of the Aviation Authorities of Aruba and Curacao has released a very disturbing and damning report that travelers should take keen note of since airworthiness and flight safety of Insel fleet of Insel Aruba and Insel Curacao have great risks. The Secretary of State Dijksma informed the second chamber on February 21st advising them on the safety situation of Insel Air all of which was based on the findings of the Aviation Inspectorate of the Netherlands (ILT). The letter was sent to inform the second chamber on the findings and the follow-up actions taken by ILT. During the week of February 5th, a team of inspectors conducted and indebt investigation in conjunction with the local civil aviation authorities of Aruba and Curacao who requested their assistance. The Secretary of State stated in her letter that the Curacao Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA) does not have the required legal framework in place to guarantee compliance and other legal requirements. Certain part of the legislation does not meet international norms and standards. The CCAA does not have sufficient competent staff, an insufficient structure while proper management is lacking. ILT also concludes that there were insufficient independence and objectivity towards Insel Air. Insel Air International seems not to be in compliance with essential parts of Aviation Legislation, creating a huge safety risk for travelers. The Supervisory system of CCAA was unable to prevent the high safety risk caused by Insel Air. The report further states that ILT was not able to get sufficient insight into the agreements that were made for the wet-lease with other airlines for the lease of aircraft's that are currently transporting passengers internationally for Insel Air. As per Aruba, the department Civil Aviation (DCA) has sufficient staff with broader and more diverse experience, a good management structure where internal procedures have been established. The supervision remarkably focuses on the inspections of the daily operations --- the so-called product inspections, while in a limited amount of time on system levels. Insel Aruba is not in compliance with essential parts of Aviation legislations that has elevated a very high safety risk, while the supervisory level of DCA was also not able to prevent these risks for travelers. The high safety risks involved demanded actions, as such in consultation with the Minister of Economic Affairs of Curacao, the Curacao has agreed with the assistance from ILT and the transfer of authority to supervise Insel Air International and also to evaluate the current wet-lease agreements. Besides, that ILT will work closely with CCAA to provide reinforcement for them and to ensure that proper legal basis is established along with supervision. As per Aruba, the department of Civil Aviation (DCA) has sufficient staff with broader and more diverse experience, a good management structure where internal procedures have been established. However, supervision remarkably focuses on the inspections of the daily operations --- the so-called product inspections, while a limited amount of time was placed on system levels. Insel Aruba is not in compliance with essential parts of Aviation legislation which has created a very high safety risk, while the supervisory level of DCA was also not able to prevent these risks for travelers. The high safety risks involved, demanded actions, as such in consultation with the Minister of Economic Affairs and Transportation of Curacao, Curacao government has agreed with the assistance from ILT and the transfer of authority to supervise Insel Air International and also to evaluate the current wet-lease agreements. Besides, that ILT will work closely with CCAA to provide reinforcement for them and to ensure that proper legal basis is established along with supervision. While in Aruba discussions were held with Minister of Tourism and Transport of Aruba, who also agreed that ILT will be formerly involved in the re-certification of and the future the decision to release the grounded aircraft of Insel Air Aruba. ILT and DCA will work closely to improve the quality of DCA in Aruba, ILT will be granted formal authority to conduct the work they have decided to do. Clearly, both CCAA and DCA have been proven to be incompetent bodies that could not flight safety for travelers. Both countries within the Kingdom, Curacao, and Aruba will sign a collaboration agreement with ILT and make separate legal agreements to grant ILT the necessary authority to execute the tasks. The outcome of the joint inspections with Curacao, Aruba and ILT are necessary to guarantee the flight safety of Insel Air. The Secretary of State made clear that unless she receives clearance from ILT that flight safety has been guaranteed, the Minister of Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk will join her in maintaining the travel prohibition for Dutch Civil Servants and the Marine Korps. The report which was found on the ILT website along with the letter can be viewed beneath this article. Now that the ILT and the Dutch Secretary of State have made their report public, it behooves the people of St. Maarten of the steps to monitor the that will be taken by St. Maarten Civil Aviation and Government, namely the acting Minister of TEATT Rafael Boasman. It must be noted that St. Maarten Civil Aviation formerly falls under the CCAA and if they are incompetent and are not able to guarantee air transportation safety then St. Maarten has to now look in other directions for proper guidance or join the ILT to build St. Maartens Aviation Authority. It is clear that the ILT and the Secretary of State of the Netherlands chose to properly inform the general public of their findings in order to guarantee public safety and proper awareness, something St. Maarten should consider especially the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) and USZV that are scheduled to be audited in the near future. Click here to read the report from ILT and the letter sent to the second chamber. PHILIPSBURG:--- Prison Officer Wilfred Williams who began working at the Pointe Blanche House of Detention has been reassigned to the Prison by Minister of Justice Rafael Boasman. Williams began working at the Pointe Blanche Prison since 1994 but had to leave when the former Prison Director Edward Rohan chose not to work with him to properly manage the House of Detention. Williams worked under the management of the former director Russel Ricardo and for years was the adjunct director of the Pointe Blanche House of Detention. Williams then requested a transfer and has been working at the Police Academy as an instructor. On Wednesday, Minister of Justice Rafael Boasman released the names of the two persons whom he said would manage the prison since the director of the prison Edward Rohan was sent on mandatory leave. Also appointed to work on restructuring the prison is Inspector of Police and known CPO Steven Carty. Carty also serves as spokesman for KPSM. Last week the Minister of Justice stated that he chose two persons within the justice chain to restructure the prison and bringing it under control. At the time the Minister did not release the names of the two civil servants whose main tasks are to work on the human resource problems at the Pointe Blanche house of detention since a number of prison guards are out on sick leave, while the other person will work on the technical aspect of the prison, one being the repairs that need to be done immediately and to work towards constructing a new prison. Police and French Authorities never stopped looking for Escaped Prisoner Asked by SMN News what other measures law enforcement officers intend to take to recapture escaped prisoner Katron Kutchi Fortune since the prisoner escaped one year and eight days and ago and to date, the cannot be recaptured. Minister of Justice Rafael Boasman said he could not release the plans police have in place because then he would be telling the escapee what they intend to do. He did assure that members of KPSM and their counterpart on the French side never stopped looking for the escaped prisoner. During the earlier part of last year when Kuchi escaped from Pointe Blanche Prison the Gendarmes conducted several controls, house searches and even used their helicopter to look for the wanted man each time they were tipped off. Police on the Dutch side also made a few house searches and arrested an elderly couple but the real door to door manhunt by KPSM was not so visible. Minister Boasman also announced on Wednesday that KPSM intends to "train" or give tips to business owners in order for them to assist with curbing the violent crimes committed against business owners. PHILIPSBURG:---- Minister of VSA met with WICLU to discuss a number of issues related to the field of Labor, including Labor day celebrations, representation on SZV, International Labor Conference, changes to the civil code, improved compliance and concerns with a couple of businesses that are encountering financial difficulties. Based on the outcomes of the meeting, the Ministry of VSA and WICLU have agreed upon key areas of labor that will require collaboration or attention in 2017; beginning with the Labor Day celebrations. In the past the Department of Labor has been the lead organization in coordination Labor Day, however, last year Minister Lee empowered WICLU to take on the role of coordinating the Labor Day celebrations in order for the event/activities to resonate with the working population. In 2016, due to budget constraints, it was decided not to attend the International Labor Conference, however, WICLU has expressed interest in a delegation attending in 2017. It was agreed that while the Ministry would prefer to host an event locally with support from ILO Caribbean, the Ministry would see if the budget was available to support a delegation in 2017. In addition, one of the critical legislative changes that the Ministry is committed to finalizing is the changes to the civil code, addressing the abuse of the 6 months contracts. The amendments which have been fully supported by the labor tripartite has been submitted to Parliament. However, due to elections and changes in government, it has not yet returned on the agenda of Parliament. Furthermore, two staff members from the Labor Department left to take up positions in different Ministers Cabinets leaving the department short staffed. Minister expects to be in Parliament in March 2017 to renew discussions with Parliament regarding proposed changes to the Civil code and the consensus document on labor reform. The union representatives also expressed interest in strengthening union representation on the board of SZV. Minister Lee commented, based on the impact that SZV has on the health and wellbeing of the groups that they represent, I could certainly understand their desire and will incorporate their desires in the selection of replacement board members for SZV. Final discussion point was the concerns about a couple of businesses that were experiencing financial difficulties and possible impact to the employees. Minister Lee assured the representatives that based on their concerns, the Department of Labor would check on the mentioned concerns. Claim: Archaeologists have discovered Pharaoh's chariot and the bones of horses and men under the Red Sea. Rating: About this rating False Advertisment: On 24 October 2014, the web site World News Daily Report (WNDR) published an article reporting that chariot wheels and the bones of horses and men had been discovered at the bottom of the Red Sea, thereby supposedly proving archaeological proof of the Biblical narrative about the escape of the Israelites from the Egyptians. According to the Book of Exodus, God parted the Red Sea long enough for the Moses-led Israelites to walk across it on dry ground, but closed the waters up again upon the pursuing Egyptian army and drowned them all: Egypt's Antiquities Ministry announced this morning that a team of underwater archaeologists had discovered that remains of a large Egyptian army from the 14th century BC, at the bottom of the Gulf of Suez, 1.5 kilometers offshore from the modern city of Ras Gharib. The team was searching for the remains of ancient ships and artefacts related to Stone Age and Bronze Age trade in the Red Sea area, when they stumbled upon a gigantic mass of human bones darkened by age. The scientists lead by Professor Abdel Muhammad Gader and associated with Cairo Universitys Faculty of Archaeology, have already recovered a total of more than 400 different skeletons, as well as hundreds of weapons and pieces of armor, also the remains of two war chariots, scattered over an area of approximately 200 square meters. They estimate that more than 5000 other bodies could be dispersed over a wider area, suggesting that an army of large size who have perished on the site. However, if one is looking for news of an important scientific or historical discovery, World News Daily Report is not the place to look. WNDR is fake news site whose disclaimer notes that the site's articles are satirical in nature: World News Daily Report is a news and political satire web publication, which may or may not use real names, often in semi-real or mostly fictitious ways. All news articles contained within worldnewsdailyreport.com are fiction, and presumably fake news. Any resemblance to the truth is purely coincidental, except for all references to politicians and/or celebrities, in which case they are based on real people, but still based almost entirely in fiction. Despite WNDR's framing of the alleged "discovery" as recent and newly announced, reports of divers finding chariot wheels and the like under the Red Sea are a hoax that has been promulgated for many years now. The WNDR article's use of language such as "this morning" and its claims that a team of "underwater archeologists" in Egypt responsible for the discovery were planning to recover more artifacts from the site reinvigorated interest in the long-discredited rumor, but those details were not only fabricated, they had simply been recycled from past claims and infused with more recent dates. In October 2015, the equally dubious web site Disclose.TV once again jump-started the phony rumors by republishing the year-old fake WNDR article. INTERPOLs Michael Moran Receives 2017 M3AAWG Litynski Award; Urges Industry to Improve Defenses Against Child Abuse Materials SAN FRANCISCO, CA (Marketwired) 02/21/17 Michael Mick Moran, who has helped rescue thousands of child abuse material victims since he started working in the field in 1997, challenged the internet industry to do more to protect innocent children as he received the 2017 M3AAWG Mary Litynski Award today. Moran, assistant director of INTERPOLs Vulnerable Communities Unit, was honored at the 39th general meeting of the Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group for his personal commitment to this challenging work and for fostering international cooperation to fight online exploitation. The M3AAWG Mary Litynski Award recognizes the life-time achievements of a person whose work has significantly contributed to the safety of the online community. In his acceptance presentation and , Moran outlined some of the changing strategies in battling child abuse materials and offered suggestions on how the industry can better safeguard its networks. Until a few years ago, dealing in child abuse materials (CAM) was basically a commercial enterprise and its photos or movies were widely circulated online. But industry efforts, such as controlling the flow of spam used to circulate links to these materials, has largely driven it off the open Web and into private emails, cloud storage and live streaming events, Moran explained. Up to 95 percent of abuse materials today are exchanged like-for-like, without any money changing hands, with the real currency being the pain of the children. But every picture, every movie, involves a real child and we have become very victim-centric at INTERPOL. We are moving away from the whack-a-mole work of catching someone for possessing or distribution and are now thinking about what we can do as law enforcement to identify that child and thereby stop the abuse, he said. Growing out of this child-centric strategy, the International Child Sexual Exploitation database is used to identify and locate victims. INTERPOL maintains ICSE, which connects fifty countries and provides them with current information on vulnerable children. The ICSE data helps identify an average of six victims a day around the world, ranging in age from infants to pre-teens, according to Moran. Addressing how the industry can better protect this vulnerable population, Moran said, In my opinion, anyone who has a network has the responsibility to ensure that it is not being used by bad actors. I would argue that youre being negligent if you, as a system administrator, are allowing child abusers to use your system. Why would you scan your systems for malware and not scan for child abuse materials? Why would you ensure you arent leaving any relays open on your mail servers but not make sure those servers arent being used to transmit or store child abuse material? While there are some large companies that are managing this issue in a mature manner, for every one that is, there are ten, fifteen or twenty that are not, he said. Moran also urged the industry to build safety into new platforms and apps from the initial design phase. We should acknowledge that bad people will abuse new services as these go online. If some thought is given to this at the coding stage, then it is possible to actually stop the exploitation early on, he said. Moran started his law enforcement career and is affiliated with the Garda Siochana, the police force of Ireland. He has been seconded to INTERPOL for 10 years and is stationed in Lyon, France, where its Vulnerable Communities Unit is headquartered. Moran began working against CAM in the early IRC chat rooms then followed as abusers moved to the Web and other technologies to distribute materials. Over the years, he has provided support and expertise to private organizations in the field and other law enforcement agencies globally, forging an international community that cooperates in rescuing exploited children, and he often speaks on the subject to both professional and public audiences. In announcing the award, M3AAWG Chairman Michael Adkins said, Were recognizing Michaels tireless efforts over the last twenty years to protect these victims while working in a very demanding field, his commitment to protecting their dignity and his drive to protect as many children as possible. But this award is also a wake-up call for the industry. We all need to follow Micks lead and take responsibility for this social issue. We all need to do more to keep it off our systems and networks. The 2017 award was presented during the M3AAWG 39th General Meeting that opened February 20 in San Francisco. Over 500 security experts, ISPs, researchers, public policy representatives and vendors are participating in the four-day meeting that features more than 50 cybersecurity and information sharing sessions. M3AAWG holds three meetings each year, including one in Europe, to develop best practices and other work that will protect online users. The next M3AAWG meeting will be June 12-15 in Lisbon, Portugal. The Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group (M3AAWG) is where the industry comes together to work against bots, malware, spam, viruses, denial-of-service attacks and other online exploitation. M3AAWG () members represent more than one billion mailboxes from some of the largest network operators worldwide. It leverages the depth and experience of its global membership to tackle abuse on existing networks and new emerging services through technology, collaboration and public policy. It also works to educate global policy makers on the technical and operational issues related to online abuse and messaging. Headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., M3AAWG is driven by market needs and supported by major network operators and messaging providers. AT&T; CenturyLink; Cloudmark, Inc.; Comcast; Endurance International Group; Facebook; Google; LinkedIn; Mailchimp; Microsoft Corp.; Orange; Return Path; SendGrid, Inc.; Charter Communications; Vade Secure; and Yahoo! Inc. 1&1 Internet AG; Adobe Systems Inc.; Agora, Inc.; AOL; Campaign Monitor Pty.; Cisco Systems, Inc.; CloudFlare; Dyn; Exact Target, Inc.; IBM, iContact; Internet Initiative Japan; Liberty Global; Listrak; Litmus; MAPP Digital; Sparkpost; Mimecast; Nominum, Inc.; Oracle Marketing Cloud; OVH; PayPal; Proofpoint; Rackspace; Spamhaus; Sprint; Symantec; and USAA. A complete member list is available at . Linda Marcus, APR +1-714-974-6356 (U.S. Pacific) Astra Communications Securonix Wins Record-Setting 20 Info Security Products Guide Global Excellence Awards, Including CEO of The Year SAN FRANCISCO, CA (Marketwired) 02/22/17 Securonix, the industry leading innovator of security analytics platforms that predict, prevent, detect and respond to cyber attacks, insider threats and fraud, was honored with an unprecedented 20 awards at the 2017 Info Security Products Guide Global Excellence Awards. The awards are held in conjunction with the RSA Conference, the cybersecurity industrys premier annual event. Securonix CEO Sachin Nayyar was honored as a CEO of The Year. Securonix CTO Tanuj Gulati was named a CTO of The Year, and the company won the Grand Trophy in recognition of its leading security analytics platforms that deliver complete, end-to-end security using cutting-edge behavior analytics and machine learning. We are honored that the ISPG awards organization and its panel of respected judges recognize our groundbreaking technologies and the solutions were delivering to Fortune 1000 companies, top government agencies and organizations across a range of industries, said Sachin Nayyar, CEO of Securonix. Were proud to lead the industry and we are dedicated to developing advanced technology solutions that solve the security problems that are most crucial to our customers. Securonix executive and company awards also included: Management, Executive, and Professional of the Year in Security Industry: Sachin Nayyar, CEO Security Product Management/ Development Executive of the Year: Tanuj Gulati, CTO Outstanding Management Team of the Year in Security Industry Best Overall Security Company of the Year Fastest Growing Security Company of the Year Innovative Company of the Year Companies with Tomorrows Technology Today Securonixs SNYPR Big Data Security Analytics Platform earned awards for: New Products & Services Best Security Software Innovation in Enterprise Security Innovation in Next Generation Security Most Innovative Security (Software) of the Year Products and Solutions for U.S.A. Security Products and Solutions for Enterprise User Behavior Analytics Securonix-produced video content also earned accolades. Its video series featuring insights from security thought leaders, , won gold for Best Thought Leadership and its expose of the Edward Snowden breach, , featuring Chris Inglis, former NSA deputy directory and Securonix advisory board chair, won silver in the same category. An international panel of judges representing a broad spectrum of industry voices determined the 2017 Global Excellence Awards finalists and winners. Winners were announced during the February 13 awards dinner and presentation in San Francisco attended by the finalists, judges and industry peers. Securonix is working to radically transform all areas of data security with actionable security intelligence. Our purpose-built advanced security analytics technology mines, enriches, analyzes, scores and visualizes customer data into actionable intelligence on the highest risk threats from within and outside their environment. Using signature-less anomaly detection techniques that track users, account and system behavior, Securonix is able to detect the most advanced data security, insider threats and fraud attacks automatically and accurately. Globally customers are using Securonix to address the most basic and complex needs around advanced persistent threat detection and monitoring, high privileged activity monitoring, enterprise and web fraud detection, application risk monitoring and access risk management. For more information visit . Info Security Products Guide plays a vital role in keeping end-users informed of the choices they can make when it comes to protecting their digital resources. It is written expressly for those who are adamant on staying informed of security threats and the preventive measure they can take. You will discover a wealth of information in this guide including tomorrows technology today, best deployment scenarios, people and technologies shaping info security and market research reports that facilitate in making the most pertinent security decisions. The Info Security Products Guide Global Excellence Awards recognize and honor excellence in all areas of information security. To learn more, visit and stay secured. Webair Enhances Disaster Recovery Capabilities for x86 and IBM Power Systems Infrastructure NEW YORK, NY (Marketwired) 02/22/17 , a high-touch, agile and fully infrastructure service provider, today announces a partnership with (OTCQB: DTST) to enhance its High Availability (HA) and overall support capabilities for IBM Power Systems (iSeries, AS/400, AIX) environments. The demand for Webairs Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS) solution has grown exponentially over recent years, and the addition of IBM Power Systems support positions it for even further expansion. Many companies require both x86 and IBM Power Systems platforms to run mission-critical applications, making Disaster Recovery critical to these environments. The partnership between Webair and Data Storage Corporation provides x86 and IBM Power Systems users with: Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) and Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) of one hour, including continuous replication, network automation and orchestration; 72 hours of monthly recovery site usage before incurring additional fees; fully managed quarterly recovery site testing with attestation report; per-IP failover, public BGP failover, DNS failover, L2 stretch, and VPN(s); one week of checkpoints; recovery site network architecture customization to enable customer infrastructure integration; and the ability to replicate data to any Webair DR location, including U.S. East and West Coasts, Canada, Europe, and Asia. Through this new partnership, Webair now also offers customers fully managed IBM Power Systems solutions and services backed by a premier IBM Managed Services Provider. Webairs strategic partnership with Data Storage Corporation broadens our Disaster Recovery support capabilities, explains Michael Christopher Orza, CEO of Webair. While most providers only offer a limited range of services encompassing specific operating systems and workloads, this partnership delivers a true DRaaS solution that is customized to mirror customers specific production environments and supports both state-of-the-art and legacy platforms. Webair customers can also take advantage of ancillary services available at its data centers as part of their larger DRaaS solutions, including Public and Private Cloud infrastructure, snapshot-based Storage Replication, Colocation, Authoritative DNS, third-party Cloud connectivity, Backups-as-a-Service, network connectivity, and Seeding. These services are fully managed and can be tied directly into DRaaS infrastructure via private and secure cross-connects. I am excited about the Data Storage Corporation / Webair partnership and the opportunities it will provide to both companies as our services are in high demand across all markets and industries with tremendous growth forecasted, says Hal Schwartz, President DSC. Because of this partnership, the combined teams can now provide first-class management and technical support, allowing them to deliver and fully manage cloud, hybrid cloud and cloud backup solutions with the highest confidence and service levels. To learn more about Webairs Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service, visit . Founded in 1996 and headquartered in New York, Webair is an innovative, agile and unique Managed Hosting company focused on providing the right solutions to customer needs as quickly and efficiently as possible. It does this by fully owning and controlling the entire technology stack from the physical data center to the end-user application. Webairs technology solutions portfolio encompasses Public, Private and Hybrid Cloud, Cloud Storage, Bare Metal Servers, Colocation, CDN, Security and Disaster Recovery. Combining industry-leading innovation, expert support and high-touch customer service, Webair serves as a true technology partner to enterprises and SMBs, healthcare organizations, IT firms, eCommerce companies and VoIP providers. Webair also operates an international network of data centers located in New York, Los Angeles, Montreal, Amsterdam, and Asia. Follow Webair on Twitter: , Facebook: and LinkedIn: . About Data Storage Corporation is a 15-year veteran in cloud storage and cloud computing, providing data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity and compliance solutions that assist organizations in protecting their data, minimizing downtime and ensuring regulatory compliance. Serving the business continuity market, DSCs clients save time and money, gain more control and better access to data and enable a high level of security. Solutions include: Infrastructure-as-a-Service for IBM Power i and Intel, data backup, recovery and restore, high availability data replication services; email archival and data analytics for the compliance officer with Message Logic; continuous data protection; data de-duplication and virtualized system recovery. Data Storage Corporation logos are trademarks of Data Storage Corporation. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are properties of their respective owners. Solar Novus Today Has Been Integrated With Novus Light Technologies Today Visit Novus Light Technologies Today to see all the cutting-edge stories and products that you have come to enjoy on Solar Novus Today. In addition, you will find more information on related light-based technologies. Get the latest solar and renewable energy news delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for the Green Technologies newsletter CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR GREEN TECHNOLOGIES NEWSLETTER When photography was invented in France in the 1820s, some artists predicted even feared that it would in time take the place of painting. That didnt happen, but photographers around the world consistently have recorded images that reveal... For Anuj Ranjan, the globetrotting India head of Brookfield, the fundamental investment thesis behind buying a large telecom towers portfolio from Reliance Communications was not all that different from taking over Hiranandani's 4.5 million square foot of swish office and shopping space in the financial capital. The world's largest democracy with a billion plus population needs to communicate, share information as well as work and play to sustain its trillion-dollar economy, said a report in the Economic Times. More importantly, both are scaled-up, income generating, operational assets which can be leveraged further using their global expertise to build out larger platforms. Similarly, they have high margins with low capital expenditure going forward and built-in escalators. Toronto based Brookfield is the world's 2nd biggest manager of alternative assets like real estate and private equity with $250 billion of assets and have already overshadowed traditional Wall Street heavyweights Carlyle, KKR or even Apollo Global Managament. So capital has never been a handicap for Ranjan and his 1000 odd team on the ground. From airports to e-commerce, Canadian institutional money pouring into India like never before Fresh from raising $14 billion to invest in infrastructure -- believed to be the largest single commitment to the sector of its kind -- the Canadian firm has been scouting around for compelling stories across emerging markets like Vietnams. So when both the Hiranandani and the Reliance towers came up for grabs last summer, Brookfield jumped head long. By the end of the year, they wrote a $2.6 billion to stitch up both -- arguably among the largest FDI commitments in India in the year. The Brookfield Reliance Infratel transaction worth $1.6 billion alone is also the second-biggest private equity transaction ever in the country, behind Temaseks $2 billion investment in Bharti Telecom in 2007. Call it Canada calling. The bulge bracket Canadian asset managers from pension or PE funds have been the biggest India Bulls in the last one year, whipping up a storm with their investment frenzy. Between marque names like CPPIB, Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ), Ontario Teachers or Brookfield and Fairfax, they have jointly committed around $7-8 billion across companies and funds so far, according to industry estimates. This would be among the single-largest country-wide commitment towards India in recent times. Such Canadian transactions mirror the excitement of PE opportunities in India, which reached fever pitch in the peak vintage of 2007-2008, reported ET. This becomes even more striking once compared to FDI or trade data. Canada has never been a top investment source for us with bilateral trade touching a mere $6.5 billion in March 2016. That's only a tenth of neighbour US, the 5th largest FDI partner, as per the latest government figures. Our long investment horizon aligns to the financing and capital needs of Indias economy, growing entrepreneur culture and the strength of business in the country, says Suyi Kim, Managing Director, Head of Asia Pacific at CPPIB. From the building blocks -- airports, roads, power plants to warehouses, logistics parks and commercial real estate to financial services and even financial services firms and even ecommerce companies, their bets are becoming bolder and complex, cheque sizes bigger. Even "regulated sectors" like banking, airports or distress debt is fair game as are risky emerging bets like ecommerce. Last February, instead of safe havens like government securities, Ontario Teachers decided to put its pension capital to back a $200 million capital raise by Snapdeal. The board of the sleepy community lender from Kerala and also one of the oldest private player in the country -- Catholic Syrian Bank -- will give Prem Watsa-- Canada's Warren Buffet and among the earliest champions of the India story -- their approval to acquire a controlling 51% slice of their bank through his flagship Fairfax Financial Holdings. Late last November Watsa and his close confidante Deepak Parekh managed to swing RBI to allow the first takeover of an Indian bank by a foreign investor. This was Watsa's 2nd bold bet within 1 year -- having bought into GVK's Bangalore airport earlier in 2016. Compared to their US counterparts, the Canadians have been far more conservative in scoping out high growth emerging market opportunities. Its only in the last 3-4 years that they have looked beyond the usual happy hunting grounds of Canadian bonds, global equities (read US and other OECD countries) and hedge funds to adapt a far global and diversified portfolios. For a country that is 40% reliant on its banks and financial institutions and another 40% on energy, volatile oil prices forced looking beyond the usual safe havens. "The global economic balance has been changing fast so a lot of the fund managers felt they too needed to allocate assets accordingly and build global capabilities. Moreover with some of the emerging markets like China and Brazil have slowed down in recent years making India that much more attractive," said Vikram Gandhi, founder VSG Capital, a long time advisor to CPPIB. Commentary By Jooneed Jeeroburkhan New Canadian Media The cold-blooded shooting of six Muslims following evening prayers on Jan 29 at a Quebec City mosque has, predictably, amplified the acrimonious debate over racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia in Quebec as the suspect, who also injured a dozen others, is a 27-year-old white Quebecois university student. Calls for an Inquiry Commission on Systemic Racism in Quebec quickly redoubled and political leaders, responding only piecemeal, did not hesitate to label the mass killing an act of terrorism although terrorism is not among the six counts of murder the Quebec City police have charged Alexandre Bissonnette with. Never to miss an opportunity, militant secularists, including Muslim ones, chimed in, accusing political leaders, from Quebecs Philippe Couillard to Canadas Justin Trudeau, of Islamizing Canadian Democracy while progressive secularists, Quebecois mainly, complained some people were heaping collective guilt on all Quebecois for the crime of one individual a role reversal since all Muslims are usually held responsible for each and every terrorist act committed by Takfiris/Salafis, ISIL/Daesh, Al Qaeda And, as usual, familiar noises came from the English North American media about Quebec being more racist than the rest of Canada and the Quebec National Assembly unanimously condemned a Washington Post article, penned by Vancouver-based J.J. McCullough, saying exactly that, adding Quebecs history of anti-Semitism and religious bigotry leads to more massacres like this one. The motion was moved by the opposition Parti Quebecois, the party whose ethno-centrist Charter of Values bill died on the order paper as the PQ was resoundingly defeated by the Liberals (41% to 25%) in the 2014 elections. The Bloc Quebecois proposed a similar motion in Ottawa denouncing the newspaper article as hateful, but the House of Commons refused to debate it. As everywhere else throughout the hegemonic, and increasingly isolationist, West, the playing field, and the rules, remain heavily skewed against immigrants, refugees and all minority communities, yet the ruling communities paint themselves more and more as victims. And this trend has become noticeable in Quebec too in the wake of the Jan 29 shooting. To be fair, a huge mass of Quebecois remains committed to an open and plural society, welcoming of diversity and militant in solidarity, as tens of thousands made it clear by attending a public meeting next to a mosque, and in snow and deep sub-zero temperature on Jan 31, in the heavily immigrant neighbourhood of Park Extension in Montreal, home of our very own Little South Asia. Heart-warming as this demonstration was, it is highly unlikely that the discourse resulting from the Quebec City shooting will help in putting to rest the old debate over reasonable accommodation in Quebec. If anything, it has re-ignited it. And police and media secrecy and selective leaks have only fed suspicion and distrust. In the early hours following the massacre, media reports quoting informed sources, even witnesses, suggested there were two masked gunmen, and they shouted the Muslim cry of Allah o Akbar. The first-named suspect was a Muslim from Morocco, and stories suggested it may have been a settling of accounts between two neighbouring mosques of rival denominations. The police then announced the Muslim man was only a witness and that the prime suspect was Alexandre Bissonnette who apparently called police himself and gave himself up on the bridge linking Quebec City to Orleans Island. The media then posted the photo of a suited and clean-cut boyish looking Bissonnette who we were told was known in local social media circles as a pro-Fascist, anti-Feminist, anti-Immigrant, Islamophobic admirer of US President Donald Trump. But the police remains silent and the media has stopped digging. Appearing Feb 6 before the Senate committee on national security, RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson refused to give details of the inquiry into the Quebec City shooting. He instead voiced concern that the caustic tone of political discourse in Canada may contribute to radicalize criminal extremists. For its part, CSIS has warned of the recent development of a Canadian online anti-Islam movement, similar to ones in Europe. As in the US and Europe, Quebec and Canada are in the throes of a major global re-balancing of power, marked by a decline of century-old global Western hegemony. The rise of xenophobia, particularly Islamophobia, and of right-wing populism and fascism, is a by-product of this momentous crisis and the Quebec City shooting, like the election of Donald Trump to the White House and the rise of Marine Le Pen in France, are its symptoms. The trials and traumas are bound to get worse before they get better. Jooneed Jeeroburkhan, 70, is a journalist, writer, human rights activist, feminist and grandfather living in Montreal. See http://www.newcanadianmedia.ca/component/k2/40458-shooting-in-quebec-city-symptom-of-a-wider-crisis Noie: That's what it all should look like in Notre Dame Stadium First-year head coach Marcus Freeman kept insisting it was going to happen if Notre Dame kept working. On Saturday, it finally happened for the Irish Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Georgetown, SC (29440) Today Clouds and some sun this morning with more clouds for this afternoon. High around 80F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. Welcome to SwanseaOnline - your home for the best news, sports and what's on coverage of the city. Never miss a Swansea story with our daily newsletter Sign up to comment on our stories here Follow us on Facebook and Twitter | Swansea City news | Ospreys news | InYourArea A Russian Soyuz rocket launches the automated Progress 66 cargo ship toward the International Space Station from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on Feb. 22, 2017. The spacecraft is carrying 3 tons of supplies for the space station crew. The Russian space agency Roscosmos launched a robotic cargo ship early Wednesday (Feb. 22) on a mission to deliver fresh supplies to the International Space Station. The autonomous Progress 66 resupply ship launched into orbit atop a Soyuz rocket at 12:58 a.m. EST (0558 GMT), lifting off from a pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The cargo ship will arrive at the space station early Friday (Feb. 24). See more "Liftoff of the 66th Progress resupply vehicle outbound to the International Space Station," NASA spokesman Rob Navias said during live commentary. The new spacecraft is due to dock itself at the station on Friday at 3:34 a.m. EST (0834 GMT). You can watch the Progress 66 docking live online, courtesy of NASA TV, beginning at 2:45 a.m. EST (0745 GMT). A Russian Soyuz rocket launches the automated Progress 66 cargo ship toward the International Space Station from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on Feb. 22, 2017 in this still from a NASA TV broadcast. (Image credit: NASA TV) Progress 66 is Russia's first resupply mission to the space station since the loss of the Progress 65 cargo ship shortly after its launch on Dec. 1, 2016. Wednesday's launch occurred just hours before another cargo ship, a SpaceX Dragon capsule, was due to arrive at the International Space Station. But the Dragon aborted its approach at a range of seven-tenths of a mile due to an incorrect value in the global positioning system software used to pinpoint the spacecraft's position relative to the space station, NASA officials said. The Dragon capsule will attempt another rendezvous on Thursday (Feb. 23), NASA officials added. The International Space Station is currently stocked with supplies using a fleet of robotic spacecraft. In addition to Russia's Progress vehicles and SpaceX's Dragon capsules, the station is also resupplied by Orbital ATK's Cygnus spacecraft and Japan's H-2 Transfer Vehicles. SpaceX's Dragon and Orbital ATK's Cygnus are privately built spacecraft that resupply the space station under contracts with NASA. Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. Astronomers have never seen anything like this before: Seven Earth-size alien worlds orbit the same tiny, dim star, and all of them may be capable of supporting life as we know it, a new study reports. "Looking for life elsewhere, this system is probably our best bet as of today," study co-author Brice-Olivier Demory, a professor at the Center for Space and Habitability at the University of Bern in Switzerland, said in a statement. The exoplanets circle the star TRAPPIST-1, which lies just 39 light-years from Earth a mere stone's throw in the cosmic scheme of things. So speculation about the alien worlds' life-hosting potential should soon be informed by hard data, study team members said. [Images: The 7 Earth-Size Worlds of TRAPPIST-1] "We can expect that, within a few years, we will know a lot more about these planets, and with hope, if there is life there, [we will know] within a decade," co-author Amaury Triaud, of the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge in England, told reporters on Tuesday (Feb. 21). Artist's illustration of the surface of a planet in the TRAPPIST-1 system, which hosts seven roughly Earth-size worlds. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) A bizarre alien system TRAPPIST-1 is an ultracool dwarf star that's only slightly larger than the planet Jupiter and about 2,000 times dimmer than the sun. The research team, led by Michael Gillon of the University of Liege in Belgium, originally studied the star using the TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope (TRAPPIST), an instrument at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. (This explains the star's common name; the object is also known as 2MASS J23062928-0502285.) TRAPPIST spotted regular dimming events, which the team interpreted as evidence of three different planets crossing the face of, or transiting, the star. In May 2016, Gillon and his colleagues announced the existence of these three alien worlds, called TRAPPIST-1b, TRAPPIST-1c and TRAPPIST-1d. All three, the team reported, are roughly the size of Earth and may be capable of supporting life. Diagram of the orbits of the TRAPPIST-1 worlds, compared to those of Jupiter's Galilean moons, Mercury, Venus and Earth. (Image credit: ESO/O. Furtak) The astronomers kept studying the system, using TRAPPIST and a number of other telescopes on the ground. This follow-up work suggested that the supposed TRAPPIST-1d transits were actually caused by more than one planet, and also revealed evidence of additional possible worlds in the system. A three-week observation campaign by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope in September and October 2016 helped clear all of this up. Spitzer's transit data confirmed the existence of planets b and c, but revealed that three worlds are responsible for the originally detected "TRAPPIST-1d" signal. And Spitzer also spotted two more exoplanets in the system, for a total of seven. These seven worlds which Gillon and his colleagues announced in the new study, published online today (Feb. 22) in the journal Nature (opens in new tab) are all roughly Earth-size. The smallest is about 75 percent as massive as Earth, while the largest is just 10 percent heftier than our planet, the researchers said. "This is the first time that so many planets of this kind are found around the same star," Gillon said in Tuesday's news conference. [Gallery: The Strangest Alien Planets] All seven alien worlds occupy tight orbits, lying closer to TRAPPIST-1 than Mercury does to the sun. The orbital periods of the innermost six worlds range from 1.5 days to 12.4 days; the outermost planet, known as TRAPPIST-1h, is thought to complete one lap in about 20 days. (Spitzer spotted just one transit by TRAPPIST-1h, so its orbital path is not well-known.) The six inner planets are in near-resonance, meaning their orbital periods are related to each other by a ratio of two small integers. This arrangement suggests that the worlds formed farther out in the system, where water was likely plentiful, and then migrated in to their current positions, study team members said. Data gathered by the various telescopes suggest that all six inner planets are rocky, like the Earth; not enough is known about planet h to determine its composition. Habitable worlds? Because the seven alien worlds orbit so tightly, they're probably all tidally locked, Gillon said. That is, they likely always show the same face to their host star, just as Earth's moon only shows the "near side" to us. And powerful gravitational tugs, both from TRAPPIST-1 and neighboring planets, could heat up the worlds' insides considerably, leading to lots of volcanism, especially on the innermost two worlds, the researchers added. Despite these characteristics extreme closeness to their star and tidal locking the TRAPPIST-1 system is a promising place to search for E.T., study team members said. TRAPPIST-1 is so dim and cool that its "habitable zone" that just-right range of distances where liquid water could exist is quite close to the star. And even tidally locked planets are thought to be potentially habitable, as long as they have atmospheres that can transport heat from the day side to the night side, Gillon said. "You'd have just a [temperature] gradient, but it's not catastrophic for life," he said. Indeed, modeling work performed by the team suggests that three of the seven TRAPPIST-1 planets (e, f and g) are in the habitable zone. And it's possible that, given the right atmospheric conditions, water and, by extension, life as we know it could exist on all seven, Gillon said. Such speculation is preliminary, he and other team members stressed; more data will be needed before the TRAPPIST-1 planets' habitability can be gauged with confidence. Such work is already underway. The team has been studying the worlds' atmospheres with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, for example. Detailed characterization and the search for signs of possible life, such as oxygen and methane will have to wait until more powerful instruments come online, Triaud said. But that wait shouldn't be long: NASA's $8.8 billion James Webb Space Telescope is slated to launch in late 2018, and huge, capable ground-based scopes such as the European Extremely Large Telescope and the Giant Magellan Telescope are scheduled to come online in the early to mid-2020s. "I think that we've made a crucial step toward finding [out] if there is life out there," Triaud said. "Here, if life managed to thrive, and releases gases similar to that that we have on Earth, then we will know." The TRAPPIST-1 system is at least 500 million years old, but its age cannot be constrained more precisely than that, Gillon said. Ultracool dwarfs such as TRAPPIST-1 generally live for 4 to 5 trillion years about 1,000 times longer than sun-like stars. Characteristics of the seven TRAPPIST-1 worlds, compared to the rocky planets in our solar system. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) Alien skywatching If there were life-forms on one or more of the TRAPPIST-1 worlds, what would they see? Because of the star's dimness, even daytime skies would never get brighter than Earth's are just after sunset, Triaud said. (Still, the air would be warm, because most of TRAPPIST-1's light is radiated in infrared, not visible, wavelengths.) And everything would be suffused in a sort of salmon-colored glow. "The spectacle would be beautiful, because every now and then you would see another planet, maybe about as big as twice [Earth's] moon in the sky, depending on which planet you were on," Triaud said. Future work may help determine just how common such seemingly exotic vistas are in the sun's neck of the cosmic woods. "About 15 percent of the stars in our neighborhood are very cool stars like TRAPPIST-1," Demory said in the same statement. "We have a list of about 600 targets that we will observe in the future." Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com . This view of a SpaceX Dragon cargo ship as seen from the International Space Station is a NASA file photo from a July 2016 mission. On Feb. 22, 2017, a Dragon capsule aborted its approach to the station due a navigation software issue. A SpaceX Dragon cargo ship packed with nearly three tons of supplies aborted its rendezvous to the International Space Station early Wednesday (Feb. 22) due to a navigation software glitch, NASA officials said. The supply ship will now aim for a Thursday arrival at the station. The unpiloted Dragon capsule aborted its approach to the space station at 3:25 a.m. EST (0825 GMT) when it detected an incorrect value in the relative global positioning system software used to pinpoint its place in the sky with the orbiting lab, NASA spokesman Rob Navias said during live commentary. The spacecraft was about 1,200 meters just over seven-tenths of a mile from the station when the glitch occurred, he added. At no point were the astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station in any danger, Navias said. "Dragon itself is in excellent shape," Navias said. "It did exactly what it was designed to do, breaking out of a rendezvous approach when it saw an incorrect value." [In Photos: SpaceX's Dragon Launch to Space Station] Navias said the navigation software issue can be corrected by SpaceX engineers, allowing Dragon to deliver its 5,500 lbs. (2,500 kilograms) of supplies to the space station's crew early Thursday. Dragon launched toward the space station Sunday (Feb. 19) atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that lifted off from NASA's historic Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, a first for the Hawthorne, Calif.-based spaceflight company. The mission is SpaceX's tenth cargo delivery flight for NASA. See more "Dragon is in good health and will make another rendezvous attempt with the @Space_Station Thursday morning," SpaceX representatives wrote in a Twitter post. The cargo ship is following a preplanned "race track" path that will bring it back in range for a docking tomorrow, NASA officials said. The 24-hour delay will not adversely impact any of the science or supplies aboard Dragon, Navias said. The science gear on the spacecraft includes several biological experiments. Dragon is now scheduled to arrive at the space station and be captured by a robotic arm at 6 a.m. EST (1100 GMT) on Thursday. NASA will broadcast the rendezvous on NASA TV beginning at 4 a.m. EST (0900 GMT), and you can watch that Dragon arrival webcast here, courtesy of NASA. A follow-up broadcast at 8 a.m. EST (1300 GMT) will cover Dragon's attachment to the station's Earth-facing Harmony module. Meanwhile, another cargo ship this one from Russia is making its way to the International Space Station. The automated Progress 66 resupply ship launched toward the station early Wednesday at 12:58 a.m. EST (0558 GMT), just hours ahead of SpaceX's planned Dragon arrival. A Russian Soyuz rocket launched the cargo ship from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Progress 66 is packed with 3 more tons of supplies for the space station's six-person crew. It is Russia's first Progress supply ship to fly since the loss of the Progress 65 cargo ship shortly after its launch on Dec. 1, 2016. Progress 66 will arrive at the space station on Friday (Feb. 24) at 3:34 a.m. EST (2034 GMT). NASA's live coverage of that event will begin at 2:45 a.m. EST (0745 GMT). Editor's note: This story was updated at 6:35 a.m. ET to correct the docking date for Russia's Progress 66. It is Friday, Feb. 24, not Feb. 23. Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. Mystery surrounds return of Pentagon's secretive X-37B spaceplane Moscow (Sputnik) Feb 21, 2017 After nearly two years in space, one of the US Air Force's biggest mysteries may be returning to Earth. The Air Force has denied that rumors that its X-37B spaceplane, whose mission is classified, will be landing at Florida's Kennedy Space Center in the near future. The experimental X-37B spaceplane was scheduled to return to Earth, according to space news outlet NASA Spaceflight. Despite its name, NASA Spaceflight is not affiliated with the US space agency but they are seen as a reputable source ... read more The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement Optimization Are you frustrated with a slow pc or a hard disk not performing as it should? Try SLOW-PCfighter to speed up boot time on a slow PC, or try a free scan of FULL-DISKfighter to recover space on a full disk. The latest offering is DRIVERfighter to update your driver updater. Get complete PC optimization and extend the life of your PC with these must-have software tools. Yanukovych Seeks To Justify Himself Yanukovych says that he could have defended his position of power by deploying the military at the time and that he even considered establishing a government-in-exile in another Ukrainian city, but he says that would have resulted in a civil war. In the letter to Trump, Putin, Merkel and Hollande, he describes every possible facet of the events on the Maidan and his subsequent flight: the drive to Kharkiv, the helicopter flight to Donetsk and finally his escape to Crimea that almost failed near Melitopol because "a heavily armed group of mercenaries had been waiting for our convoy with orders to shoot everyone in it, including me." It becomes clear that this is a man who is seeking to retroactively exculpate himself. Even the Russian president himself suggested publicly that he never would have left his country behind in a situation like that. Yanukovych says he knows the exact identity of the snipers on Maidan Square, who it was who let them through and from which buildings they shot at police officers and at the men belonging to his special force. But he says he has to protect the identities of his informants and he also has to mount a legal defense. He constantly repeats, "I can't tell you everything right now." And this includes the names of the oligarchs or the politicians currently in leadership roles in Kiev with whom he has recently met. Six Points for Resolving the Conflict During his interview, Yanukovych says he would like to contribute to a peacekeeping mission in Donbas, where the war is currently waging near his hometown. He says the contested region should remain part of Ukraine but be given greater autonomy. In his letter to the leaders, he lists six points he believes could lead to the resolution of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Four relate to the "investigation into the crimes committed on the Maidan in February 2014," for which he proposes a special commission to be established by the Council for Europe. Yanukovych also calls for the separatist leaders in Donetsk and Luhansk to be included in the negotiations in the Normandy format, the group that monitors adherence to the Minsk agreement. Finally, the sixth point comes with a threat: If the Minsk deal isn't fulfilled by those "currently in power in Kiev," then a referendum should be held over the status of Donbas. The letter doesn't devote a single word to what will happen if Russia doesn't adhere to the deal, which leads one to conclude that the missive was closely coordinated with the leadership in Moscow or that the idea was perhaps even initiated by the Russians. The letter to Putin, incidentally, is three pages shorter than the one to Western leaders because Yanukovych spared Putin of all the details that the Russian leader likely knows intimately already. The evening with Viktor Yanukovych ends shortly before 10 p.m. The final impression is of a deeply unsettled man fighting for his reputation. His account of the past three years was repetitive and long-winded, constantly searching for understanding and at times almost pleading for it. One insight, though, is that he apparently had very little control over the events on Maidan Square, constantly controlled by those in his own circle and by his distant allies in Moscow. He's a man who shies away from making decisions. Ultimately, it is one of his advisers who suggests bringing the interview to a close because his people want to go home for the night. "Ukraine has become a wild country," Yanukovych says before reluctantly standing up. He likely would have gone on talking all night. Maputo (Mozambique), February 22, 2017 (SPS) -The President of the Republic , Secretary General of the Frente POLISARIO, Mr. Brahim Gali, arrived on Tuesday to the State of Mozambique in a three-day State Visit, officially invited by the President his country, Mr. Filipe Nyusi. The President of the Republic was received at the Maputo military airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique, Mr. Oldemiro Baloi and several other ministers besides the Mayor of Maputo and other political figures and media. The visit comes within the framework of strengthening the excellent relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries and sister countries and will be an opportunity for the exchange of views on different issues of common interest. The President is accompanied on the State visit by an important delegation composed of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mohamed Salem Uld Salek, the Minister of Cooperation, Mr. Bulahi Sid, the Secretary of State for Documentation and Security, Mr. Brahim Mohamed Mohamud and the General Secretary of the National Union of Saharawi Women, Ms. Fatima Mehdi. SPS 125/090/TRA Charlotte, a freelance journalist who presents BBC Radio 4s Farming Today programme and is also a regular presenter on BBC1s Countryfile, has been confirmed as the Federations President Elect. She will be officially elected as President at the Federations Annual General Meeting on 23 April in Torquay at the International Riviera Centre, during NFYFCs Annual Convention weekend. Charlotte was born and brought up in the Leicestershire village of Quorn and is keen to raise awareness of the issues surrounding rural isolation and the impact this can have on young people. After working in local radio, regional TV and as a news journalist for BBC TV and radio, a conversation in a lift led her into rural affairs. Charlotte Smith said: NFYFC is an organisation I have always been really impressed with especially as it teaches young people how to talk! Pretty much the youth service in rural Britain is YFCs. It is the local youth club for lots of people and its really important especially for combating isolation issues. Im not young and Im not a farmer but I am someone who is involved in agriculture on a day-to-day basis. As President, I hope to bring a fresh pair of eyes, my experience and a bit of a sense of humour to the organisation. I think its going to be a lot of fun! NEWTOWN - Clues left at the scene of a fire and purported robbery last month at a liquor store on South Main Street quickly led detectives to the owner of the business, who had faked the crimes and then tried to shift blame to anti-Semitic attackers, police said. Scott Young, the owner of The Rooster Wine and Liquor Store, told police that two men had robbed him at gunpoint before setting fire to the building. Investigators found a swastika painted on the building, as well as the words Burn The Jew. Young told police that the suspects probably knew he was Jewish because he has a Star of David tattooed on his arm. But investigators found spent matches throughout the store and a can of black spray paint under the counter, police said. They also found that the alarm system had been disabled and the battery removed from the smoke detector, court documents state. Searching Youngs car, detectives found a number of bottles of expensive products, including Dom Perignon, several spent matches and an empty can of spray paint in the trunk. Young faces a number of charges including arson and insurance fraud. He is being held on $100,000 bond. Court documents note that Young took over the business about a year ago, after the original owner fell behind on his rent. Young had previously operated a liquor store in Meriden that closed in 2008 after he declared bankruptcy, according to court documents, which also show that he changed his name after the ordeal. The Jan. 21 incident came at a time of heightened alarm in the Jewish community about anti-Semitic incidents, which have been on the rise since the presidential election. Andy Friedland, the assistant director of the ADLs Connecticut chapter, said the number of faked hate crimes is minuscule, but they distract from real incidents of hate speech and conduct. Its very sad and troubling, if you view this in the context of all the hate crimes that are happening today, he said. Hate crimes have a unique impact on their victims and society as a whole, and we have to take them seriously. Recent incidents in the area include the painting of swastikas on a home and several parked cars in Danbury in November. The ADL called on President Donald Trump to condemn the rise of anti-Semitism nationally after he failed to directly address the issue during a recent news conference. On Tuesday, Trump said attacks on the Jewish community are painful and horrible after a tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This tour was a meaningful reminder of why we have to fight bigotry, intolerance and hatred in all of its very ugly forms, Trump said. The anti-Semitic threats targeting our Jewish community and community centers are horrible and are painful and a very sad reminder of the work that still must be done to root out hate and prejudice and evil." dperrefort@newstimes.com / file photo U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy and colleagues in the Senate asked Wednesday for a review of sober homes used by recovering addicts, to determine whether more federal oversight is necessary. Unfortunately, there have been several recent overdoses that have occurred in Connecticut sober houses, Murphy said in a prepared statement. These deaths have raised questions about these facilities and the (Government Accountability Office) review will be helpful in determining whether state and federal policymakers should consider additional oversight. The current issue of Time features the topic of longevity. It offers readers the latest information about the concepts of human aging. In a prior issue published in 1958, it was predicted that the number of persons age 80 and older would reach 2.3 million by the early 1960s. In 2017, that number exceeds 7.7 million. During the past month, the Trump Administration has identified nominees for key administrative posts, including the Cabinet. As one reads about each of the nominees, the chronological age of each person is included in their bios. The age range of these nominees is from the mid 40s to late 70s, that includes the presidents age of 70. The qualifications of each nominee to serve the nation are vetted by Congressional committees and other federal officials. And, of course, there is always the external comments by media and the general public about the competency to serve. In the process of appointing his cabinet and other key posts, President Donald Trump has gathered together a group of individuals who may have been called old geezers in years past. However, there has been scarce commentary about the chronological age of the presidents nominees. Why is that so? If you look further at the bios of both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, the chronological age of these elected officials, particularly the persons who are in leadership positions, extend into the 80s. Also, the Constitution provides that Supreme Court justices are eligible to serve during good behavior. The term good behavior is understood to mean that the Supreme Court justices may serve for the remainder of their lives, unless they are impeached and convicted by Congress, resign or retire. The word gerontocracy is defined as a society where leadership is reserved for elders. The ancient Greeks were among the first to believe in this idea of gerontocracies. However, these beliefs are not unique to ancient Greece, as many cultures continue to believe in this way of thinking. Often these political structures are such that political power within the ruling class accumulates with age, making the oldest the holders of the most power. Those holding the most power may not be in formal leadership positions, but often dominate those who are. Age discrimination, as it pertains to employment in the United States, forbids employment discrimination against anyone at least 40 years of age. President Lyndon Johnson signed the Age Discrimination Act of 1967 into law. The law also applies to standards for pensions and benefits provided by employers and require that information about the needs of older workers be provided to the general public. Yet, there are perceptions by the general public about when a person should stop working, based upon their chronological age. The benchmark has been linked to the eligibility age for Social Security and Medicare benefits. Back in 1994, the median age of U.S. employees was 37.7 years old, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BSL), 40.3 years old by 2004 and to 41.9 years by 2014. By 2024, the median age of U.S. workers is expected to be 42.4 years old. So why is it that Americas workforce isnt getting younger as millennials reach working age? Part of the reason is that a greater share of older Americans are bucking traditional retirement and staying in the labor force longer than has historically been the case. Between 2004 and 2014, the number of Americans at least 55 years old who were active in the civilian labor force ballooned by 47.1 percent, according to the BLS. And that number is expected to grow nearly 20 percent over the next 10 years. This age groups share of the labor force is anticipated to increase from 21.7 percent in 2014 to nearly 25 percent in 2024. As we analyze the current workforce data and observe the composition of the political leadership, the assessment is that the concept of ageism may not be present that is, the prejudice and discrimination toward older persons in the workforce is minimized. The United States is not a gerontocracy because there is a balance of ages that govern our society. Finally, I am pleased to conclude that Americans are looking beyond age, as a variable, in determining competency to serve not only our nation in political leadership, but also that older workers are perceived as making a valuable contribution to the future well-being of our country. Michael M. Ego is a professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Connecticut Stamford. He teaches the course, Adulthood and Aging. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD A California man whose radical beliefs led him on a spiritual journey last summer to a local synagogue where the annual JCC Maccabi Games were being held plans to represent himself at trial. Yoon Chul Shin, 53, of Berkeley, Calif., rejected a plea offer earlier this month and began jury selection Wednesday in the Stamford courthouse. Shin has been held on $15,000 cash bond since his August arrest. He faces up to four and a half years in jail if found guilty of four charges of interfering with police and a single count of breach of peace. In October, Shin was sent to the states most secure psychiatric hospital after it was determined that he was not competent to stand trial. Two months later it was decided that he could both understand the charges against him and assist in his own defense. He chose to represent himself on the case. Shin declined to plead guilty this month to interfering with police, which would have released him for time served. Articulate and polite on Wednesday in Stamford court, wearing a gray suit and tie with his shackled ankles and sneakers hidden behind the defense table, Shin appeared interested to determine if potential jurors were concerned with corruption and racism. Shin asked one young black man his views about civil rights and whether he experienced problems with police officers. He asked the potential juror whether he had heard about targeted individuals, words that were emblazoned across the Toyota Celica he had been driving when he was arrested outside Temple Beth El on Aug 11. Assistant States Attorney Daniel Cummings halted the questioning when Shin asked the man how he felt about 9/11. Cummings insisted the question was not relevant to the case. 9-11: The Great Deception was written in gold letters and red accents across the hood of Shins car. Shin said during jury selection that he was on a spiritual journey to expose corruption. It is ironic that I got locked up for the very corruption I was trying to expose, he told Judge John Blawie, who presided over the jury selection. Blawie sided with Cummings, and did not allow Shin to continue the 9/11 questioning. Stamford police were alerted the day before Shins arrest that he could be coming to the city, where thousands of Jewish youth and their families were gathering from all over the country for the weeklong games and arts festival. Police said Shin posted a video online a month earlier, saying he planned to desecrate Jewish temples during his cross-country trip. Stamford police saw Shin near the temple and stopped the car, where they found religious documents, aluminum foil and pyramid sculptures. I nvestors rode away from Serco on Wednesday after the troubled outsourcing giant admitted that exiting a number of contracts had pushed down profits. The government contractor said a 250 million sale of its Indian call-centres business in 2015, as well as ending a job with Suffolk Community Healthcare, had contributed to underlying profit dropping 14% to 82.1 million last year. Revenues fell 13% at the firm, which runs the Boris Bikes scheme. Analysts at Liberum said the results were weaker than expected, and the broker cut its recommendation from Hold to Sell. Serco was one of the biggest fallers on the FTSE 250 index, with the shares down 14%, or 21.7p, to 126p. But boss Rupert Soames was upbeat and said trading was better than expected at the company, which is looking to recover from a string of scandals such as charging the Government for tagging some criminals who were dead, imprisoned or non-existent. He noted new contract wins, and added that Serco was bidding for six major deals this year, including running Saudi Arabias biggest-ever transport project, the 18.3 billion Riyadh Metro. This shows we have some big opportunities at our feet, said Soames. The road back to prosperity was always going to be long and winding... but we are making good progress, he added. H igh-end jeweller Thomas Sabo swung into the black last year but on Wednesday warned a steep rise in business rates has hindered London expansion plans. The German brand reported a 437,949 profit in the UK compared with a 27,349 loss a year earlier after slashing costs and posting a 3% rise in revenues to 26 million in the year to June 30. But the firm, founded in 1984, revealed it will see rates surge by between 45% and 100% at its five London and South-East standalone shops, because of the Governments revaluation of the rateable value of commercial property. UK managing director Jon Crossick told the Standard that the company wants to grow here but the process will take longer than expected. He said: Our options for new London stores are narrowed following the rates revaluation. The UK arm, which counts celebrities Frankie Bridge and Amanda Holden as fans, was helped by demand for its Together Forever romance range, which includes a 360 silver necklace. L ondon land prices are still too high to address the crisis in student accommodation, the boss of property developer Unite has warned. Chief executive Richard Smith said values dipped ahead of the EU referendum in central London, but since then we have not seen it spread to Zones 2 and 3, where we want to invest. Prices are still around 10% above what the firm wants to pay. The developer, which has 49,000 beds across Britain, warned that London freshers will face a scramble for accommodation this year because demand exceeds supply. Unite, which has 27 properties in the capital, including in Tottenham Hale and Stratford, saw rental income rise 3.8% in 2016. It lifted its full-year dividend by 20%. The firm has benefited from students shunning crumbling digs seen in shows like Fresh Meat, in favour of more upmarket accommodation with gyms and en-suite bedrooms. Pre-tax profits at the company dropped to 201.4 million from 388.4 million, owing to much smaller rises in property values than in previous years. T he Brit Awards are the biggest night of the year for British music and the fans. Tonights event will be a star-studded show with performances from Skepta, Little Mix, The 1975, Emeli Sande, Ed Sheeran, Robbie Williams, Bruno Mars and Katy Perry. The worlds eyes and ears will be on the Brits a dazzling sign that London is open for business. The Brits celebrate commercial success, and British artists are riding high in major markets across the world. One in every six albums bought globally is by a British performer, and seven out of the UKs top 10 albums last year came from home-grown talent. Since last years Brits there were discussions across the industry about diversity. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI), organiser of the awards, took this seriously and were proud of this work, which will continue. We refreshed the voting academy its now 48 per cent female and 21 per cent BAME, and 45 per cent of this years nominations are BAME artists or feature a BAME artist in the line-up. As well as celebrating great pop, this years show will reflect grime, which is fast becoming a commercial force to match its cultural influence. Its been a fresh, exciting year for the UK record industry, which is now a leading digital business. Consumption is up recently, hitting a billion audio streams a week, and the vinyl revival continues. British music is a powerful global calling card, especially in the light of Brexit. All our business sectors need to focus on overseas trade, and music is a powerful way to showcase the UKs creativity. We are skilled at producing culture the world loves and wants to buy. The Brit Awards: Most Memorable Moments - In pictures 1 /40 The Brit Awards: Most Memorable Moments - In pictures Old-school Oasis Liam and Noel Gallagher got rowdy about their rivals in 1996 Rex Features Jack Whitehall interviews Little Mix Rex Features Show crasher Jarvis Cocker mounted the stage in protest to Michael Jackson's Earth Song performance Jackson vs Cocker In 1996 Michael Jackson was given a special Artist of a Generation award. At the ceremony he accompanied his single Earth Song with a stage show, culminating with Jackson as a Christ-like figure surrounded by children. Fiona Hanson/PA That dress Ginger Spice Geri wore that infamous Union Jack T-shirt as a dress in 1997 Rex Features Smashing it up on stage Kendrick Lamar performs at the Brit Awards 2018 Hannah McKay/Reuters The safe word Cheryl and Liam Payne and put on the spot in an on-air impromptu interview with host Jack Whitehall in 2018 ITV Perry's Puppet Show Puppets as Katy Perry performs on stage at the Brit Awards at the O2 Arena, London in 2017 Dominic Lipinski/PA Getting emotional Adele accepts the Global Success award at the BRIT Awards 2016 at The O2 Arena Dave Benett Falling for it Singer Madonna falls during her performance at the BRIT music awards at the O2 Arena in 2015 Reuters Not impressed Adele was interrupted making her speech as she collected her award for Album of the Year in 2012 - so she gestured to producers where to go PA Ungrateful Liam Gallagher threw his trophy and microphone into crowd in 2010 Rex Features Divas Kelly and Sharon Osbourne, who told Vic Reeves to get off stage as he was too drunk in 2008 Rex Features Big Mouth Russell Brand's off the cuff comments got him in trouble in 2007 Rex Features What went wrong? Joss Stone strutted on stage in 2007 wearing a psychedelic mini-dress and bright purple perm, then said "How's it goin'?" in an American accent Rex Features Comedy duo Matt Lucas and David Walliams in 2005 take the mick out of Take That (in front of Robbie Williams) Rex Features Pop! Cat Deeley opened the awards on a giant champagne bottle in 2004 Rex Features Up close and personal Justin Timberlake and Kylie Minogue set tongues wagging in 2003 with their raunchy performance Reuters Raunchy Ali G and Shaggy's performance of Me Julie in 2002 caused quite a stir Rex Features Turning up the heat Kylie Minogue performing at The Brit Awards 2002 PA Sir Elton John presenting the award for Best International Male Solo Artist to American rap star Eminem in 2001 PA On fire Destiny's Child, from left to right, Michelle Williams, Beyonce Knowles and Kelly Rowland performing during The Brit Awards 2001, hosted by SMTV presenters Ant And Dec, at Earls Court PA Showered DJ Brandon Block poured water over Ronnie Wood's head in 2000 Rex Fighting talk Robin Williams challenged Liam Gallagher to a televised boxing match for money in 2000 Rex Features Wet, wet, wet John Prescott had water thrown over him by Chumbawamba in 1998 Reuters Hold the 9 O'Clock news Producers hurried the Who into starting their live performance before Rick Astley had chance to collect his award in 1998 but this didn't prevent the delay of the news for over a minute Rex Features Let me entertain you Robbie Williams and Tom Jones performing at the Brit Awards ceremony at London Docklands Arena in 1998 PA What a speech Prince said he wanted people to think he was 'insane' in 1995 Rex Features Look out Arty dance duo The KLF sabotaged the Brits in 1992 Rex Features Terrible hosts Samantha Fox and Mick Fleetwood failed to read autocues, got their lines mixed up and guests arrived on stage late or too early in 1989 Rex Features We are the second-biggest exporter of music after America. The BPI runs important trade missions to emerging markets such as China, South Korea and India and supports new talent touring overseas through the Governments Music Export Growth Scheme. We are optimistic about our future. The Brit awards also raise money for the Brit School of Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon, which turns 25 this year and has received more than 10 million from the record industry through the Brit Trust. The school provides a top-class, free education to 14- to 19-year-olds who want to pursue a career in the creative industries either as performers or technical experts. Former students account for around 125 million global music sales. It also gives students who want to work behind the scenes excellent technical training almost all Brit students go on to higher education or get jobs in the industry. The school also opens up opportunities beyond family background half the students are from BAME backgrounds and nearly a fifth qualify for free school meals. Arts and culture in schools help every child become the best person they can be. Its also vital for our countrys future: the creative industries generate almost 10 million an hour. All our children must have access to a quality arts education and musical instruments if we are to make the most of our talent from all communities and walks of life. Tonights Brit Awards will be a stunning reminder that talent is everywhere. Lets make sure the opportunities are too, so we can continue to see British music rock the planet and make us proud. Ayesha Hazarika is an adviser to the BPI. I ndustrial action on the Tube and rail networks has once again caused chaos for commuters today. On the Central line, staff began a 24-hour stoppage last night, with no trains running east of Leytonstone today and significant delays on the rest of the line. Meanwhile, long-suffering Southern passengers have experienced cancellations, delays and overcrowding thanks to yet another walkout by RMT members. The details of the Southern dispute are all too familiar, with guards unhappy over the move to a driver-only operation and the impact this will have on their roles. It is appalling that this year-long wrangle remains unresolved. No regular user of Southern has remained unaffected; and for some commuters the regular strike action has cost them their health, contact with their families and even their jobs. The RMTs intransigence beggars belief. On the Tube, the cause of todays industrial unrest is arguably even more incomprehensible, the strike having been called by the unions in response to a proposal to move just eight drivers from the Central line to other parts of the Underground. The RMT and Aslef say bosses are forcing staff to travel longer distances to get to work; London Underground says it is entitled to request that employees work beyond their home depot as part of existing contractual arrangements. A full-on strike is a wholly disproportionate reaction by union chiefs. Plainly, strikes have a disastrous effect on the economy. With every day lost to them the need for ministers and the Mayor to take a tougher line becomes clearer. Sadiq Khan promised there would be zero strikes on public transport if he were elected; that may sound hollow but is all the more reason for him to show mettle now. Business rate panacea The Chancellor has, it seems, expressed keen interest in the idea of dealing with the uproar over the rise in business rates by taxing superstores and airports more in order to cushion small high-street shops from the worst of the increase. For instance, abandoning a 10 million rates cut for Heathrow Airport and large cuts for superstores operated by big retailers would release 200 million to help small firms facing huge increases. It would be a fiscally neutral solution that is to say it would cost the Treasury nothing which adds to the attraction. This is an excellent idea for now. The increase in business rates in London, amounting to some 30 per cent in some boroughs, would drive firms out of business. It would penalise small independent retailers and lessen the diversity of our high streets while leaving online retailers with far less to pay proportionately. It creates a disproportion between business and residential tax which is quite unsustainable. But as Anthony Hilton points out on this page, a stop-gap solution such as this is not a long-term solution. Business rates are an out-of-date way of raising tax, which do not recognise contemporary ways of life. They must be fundamentally reformed. France in London The rally for the French presidential candidate, Emmanuel Macron, in Westminster last night was not only the best-dressed political gathering of recent times but an acknowledgement of London as Frances sixth city, as the candidate observed. His pitch to persuade French expats to return home was based on promises to reform sclerotic French labour laws and its punitive tax system. But Londons French community already have favourable conditions for entrepreneurship to succeed: here. Brexit or no Brexit, that will still hold true. Please stay. L ord Strathclydes warning to the House of Lords not to create a public v Lords battle should be roundly ignored [Dont pit peers against the people, Lords warned as it begins Brexit Bill debate, February 20]. I say Strathclydes sole interest is to avoid a row while the ship of state sails blithely on. Unfortunately, the ship is heading for the rocks. If the good Lord was really interested in democracy, he would be reminding us, as former Prime Minister Tony Blair did last week, that minds and plans can and should change if the outcome looks unfavourable. Democracy also requires acceptance that the opposition has a right to a legitimate viewpoint something that the crowing David Davis, Liam Fox and Boris Johnson do not get. A halfway democratic Brexit would respect the position of the 48 per cent who did not vote Leave and pay particular attention to areas such as London or Scotland, which voted overwhelmingly in favour of Remain. Instead, we have hard Brexit and, if negotiations fail, a threat to jump into the arms of President Trump. If row avoidance is what Lord Strathclyde wishes to achieve, he should watch this space if the views of Remain voters continue to be so contemptuously treated. Simon Diggins Alexander McLaren may have changed his mind about Brexit [Letters, February 20] but more fool him for not understanding the issues in the first place. Everyone I know who voted Leave feels exactly the same way as they did last June. We voted to leave a bureaucratic organisation which has become the United States of Europe; we voted to ensure that Britain can negotiate its own trade arrangements, make its own laws, and decide what is best for its economy and its residents, wherever they originally came from. It is not possible for 28 countries with different economies, industries, histories and cultures to want or need the same things. The result is every nation has to compromise and I dont think that is fair for any country. Marcia MacLeod I wish it had been someone other than Tony Blair who said we should rise up against Brexit, but he voiced what at least 48 per cent of us feel. It is too simplistic for Brexiteers to suggest that those of us who voted Remain should just shut up and concede the democratic vote. If the result had gone the other way, I very much doubt that they would have meekly accepted the result. Democracy means those of us who fear the dire consequences of leaving Europe have the right to continue to campaign, to try and persuade our fellow citizens to support us and push to reverse a decision we feel is potentially disastrous. Craig Alexander The dumps: Donald Trump has been as inept and unsuitable as the world predicted Donald Trump is a global disaster After only a month under the rule of President Trump, America is as divided as it has ever been. It seems that Americans are more angry and political views are far more polarised. This is a consequence of Trump introducing a number of controversial policies, notably the Muslim ban, which resulted in massive protests sprouting across the country. Trump said he wanted to Make America great again before the election, but ever since he took office there has been nothing but chaos and dysfunction. When will this period of turbulence end? Baldev Sharma The people who are opposed to allowing Donald Trump to address Parliament forget that, in reality, the United States does not need Britain. As we leave the EU, surely the last thing we want is to upset a volatile president who could easily terminate the so-called special relationship? Dominic Shelmerdine Is Cressida Dick right for the Met job? It beggars belief that Cressida Dick could even be in the frame for such a critical policing post as Met Commissioner [Mayor gives extra 27m to the Met to keep the officers London needs, February 20]. Ms Dick was Operational Commander on the day of the fatal shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell Underground station in 2005. Subsequent investigations called her competency into question. While the deceaseds family still long for accountability, wouldnt it be inappropriate to promote her further? Dr Shahrar Ali, former Green Party deputy leader Investors' needs should be prioritised The warning from Sean Hagerty, head of Vanguards European business for investors, about the impact of high management fees charged by some funds on long-term investments is welcome [Vanguard calls on funds to issue cost warning, February 20]. That such fees are often deducted from investors own capital rather than from returns generated by the management should be given equal prominence in any invitation to invest. If fund managers livelihoods depended on a level of performance from which their fees might be paid, this would be a clear sign of intent that investors needs are being prioritised. John Payne Parents can't fight knife crime alone It is disturbing to hear the seemingly never-ending news of Londons teenagers being stabbed to death [Met plea: Parents must act to stop stabbings, February 20]. We cannot allow children to die on our streets. While I think parents have a better chance of getting through to their children, they cannot do it on their own. It will take a joined-up effort from the Mayor, politicians, the public and the Met in order to reduce the number of knives and therefore stabbings in the capital. Handsen Chikowore Join the conversation: #esnewsviews The Mayor needs bolder air solutions Congestion is at a critical point and the fact that idling engines contribute to Londons air pollution is simply unacceptable. We need a revolution in how we travel and healthier streets where people can walk and cycle. I suggested the Mayor commissions a road-charging study that prices by distance travelled and emissions, a fairer system than the current one-size-fits-all charge schemes. The Mayor must look into bold options if he wants to make a positive difference to Londons air pollution and the health of Londoners. Caroline Russell, London Assembly Green Party Group What about the 21,000 diesel taxis? Can anyone explain how the Mayor can express concerns about diesel-vehicle pollution in London without mentioning the 21,000 London diesel taxis polluting the city? What plans or proposals have been made to replace or convert these serial polluters? Anthony John Join the conversation: #escleancityviews T he capital has proven its cocktail might by winning every award going at last nights prestigious Class Bar Awards 2017. Run by the team behind Worlds 50 Best Bars, the awards celebrate the best of the UK bar scene and are judged by industry experts from across the country. The biggest winner of the night was Ryan Chetiyawardanas Bankside bar Dandelyan, which scooped four top awards including bar of the year and hotel bar of the year. Among others it saw off competition from Satans Whiskers in Bethnal Green and Bramble in Edinburgh as well as London stalwarts The Connaught Bar and The American Bar at The Savoy to claim these honours. The best bars in London 1 /64 The best bars in London Scarfes Bar at Rosewood London 252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN, rosewoodhotels.com/london The Rosewood is doubly wonderful for drinkers, as theyve two fine spots. In the modern Dining Room, sit at the gin bar, which outstocks anywhere else in London, with more than 400 gins and 27 tonics. Trying to choose is impossible, but what a lovely impossibility to have. The bar staff clearly had one hell of a tasting session as they know the list perfectly. Across the way is Scarfes Bar, a brilliant, brilliant bar gladly shaken free from all the stuffiness usually found in hotel bars. The drinks are stunning, theyve often live music, it gets wonderfully busy and crackles with laughter. Go a little later and its busier, people drink more, everything is better. Bar Americain 20 Sherwood St, W1F 7ED, brasseriezedel.com As the name suggests, this is a classic American bar, and done near perfectly. One can become very fond of Bar Americain and very quickly: passing through Piccadilly Circus, it acts as a magnet a quick negroni becomes a temptation impossible to resist. Its a very beautiful place, calling to mind grand Parisian hotels of the 20s and 30s, bottles winking from the bar, staff floating through with their finery and litres of charm. Youre here to drink the classics: theyve a killer Clover Club and a straight-down-the-line Manhattan. But ask: the bartenders know their stuff and bring their A-game to any challenge tell them what you like, and theyll bring you something new. They often have specials on, as well. Top marks for the attentive staff, bringing plenty of water and bowl after bowl of popcorn both essential after a few here. Oriole Smithfield Markets, E Poultry Ave, EC1A 9LH, oriolebar.com The team behind Nightjar took their winning formula, gave it a bit of a shake up and created Oriole. Theyve live music throughout the week from Wednesday to Saturday, theres a charge per person, so watch out for that which gives any night here a bit of zip. This is a strictly seated spot, so be sure to book: once inside, its a whirlwind tour of the world, with fine details from across the globe, both in the styling and the drinks and so much cheaper than booking a holiday. Drinks are excellent, whether youre into New Orleans style classics or something from the depths of Asia: explore the menu (split into Old World, New World and The Orient) and expect something unusual and faintly brilliant, with a touch of the Tiki. Put it this way: Oriole is ideal whether you prefer drinking from a crystal tumbler, a teacup or, er, a silver crocodile. Piano Works 113-117 Farringdon Road, Farringdon EC1R 3BX, pianoworks.bar Full credit to this fun Farringdon spot: theyve worked hard to make the place better and better since opening, which is pretty good going for what was already a decent spot to begin with. The Piano Works sounds like a quiet jazz bar but instead is a hell-raising house of sound, splendidly raucous, where a house band take requests and belt out your favourite songs. The more you get involved, the more fun it is, and the place heats up the later it gets. Wine starts at 16, house cocktails are 8, but they've tons of terrific deals during the week including cocktails for a fiver (!!) Drink lots, dance lots and leave in the early hours with someone you shouldnt do. Thats what we did. Hawksmoor, Spitalfields 157A Commercial St, E1 6BJ, thehawksmoor.com Its hardly surprising the bar snacks are a highlight here have the oxcheek nuggets with a side of chips, then call the waiter over to order them over again given how good the steak upstairs is. The drinks and setting, though, match them pound for pound. The old tube tiles on the walls, the beautiful parquet floor, the copper tops and silvery black ceiling make the large space a place to settle in for the night no matter your seat, while the cocktails come with oodles of thought in each one: the new menu has homemade bitters, shrubs and syrups, and its bloody obvious everyone behind the bar is more than a little nerdy about building drinks. Shaky Petes Ginger Brew is the classic, so have it, but follow up with the Shadow Boxer, a mix of scotch, sherry and Fernet-Branca. Odd, oddly delicious. Its also a cracking place to sit for a bottle of wine. Andrew Edmunds 46 Lexington St, W1F 0LP, andrewedmunds.com Perhaps better than its ever been, Andrew Edmunds recently won The Good Drinking prize in our Restaurant Awards, and for good reason. Its a small spot, cramped to the point that coming here on a first date feels like youre being very forward indeed , with the best tables upstairs and not much to look at just settle for being distracted by someone beautiful. The food, French-ish/English-ish, is fine, but its the wine that's extraordinary. And youre here for wine: forget cocktails, they have. What a list, and so quietly marked up that youre getting a steal with almost every bottle indeed, the more expensive the better the deal. Having been going 30 years, those who knew old Soho say its one of the last bastion of such things. Drink too much gorgeous wine and come back often. The Connaught Bar Connaught, Carlos Place, W1K 2AL, the-connaught.co.uk A bar for the impossibly beautiful, a bar of high heels and glimmering lights, of perfume and leather. Aside from oddly thumping music, the Connaught is wonderfully detached from the world a place of its own, cosy and winter warm when it needs to be, light and summer when desired. The drinks, naturally pricey, are well put together and while classic in tone, come with crackles of theatre: washes in perfume bottles, branches as garnishes, smoke, the lot. Still, the martini trolley is what theyre famed for, so its only right to indulge. Afterward, head to the Champagne Room: sadly the law stops it being the cigar haven it once was, but it's still gorgeous: romantic and charming with its fireplace, dramatic with its glass ceiling and sculpture swan diving. Treat yourself to the Ruinart blanc de blanc. Damned good olives, too. Milk & Honey 61 Poland St, W1F 7NU, mlkhny.com You know a bar is good when local bartenders love it, and Milk & Honey has long been a Soho favourite for those in the know. Hidden in plain sight this terrific bar has been doing its thing for just shy of 15 years. The talent hasnt diminished, and neither has the care put into the drinks. Cocktails are strong and proper and happily, they're updating the list soon to freshen things up. At around 10 a drink, M&H is also a bargain for central London, and the quality outstrips the price. It functions as a members bar, but non-members can book up until 11pm though going earlier in the week means youre more likely to score a table. Milk & Honey is civilised, without the crushing formality. Next door is the Blind Pig, another top 'hidden' spot. Mark's Bar HIX Soho, 66- 70 Brewer St, W1F 9UP, hixrestaurants.co.uk The bad: you might not get in. If its busy, they dont squeeze people into this basement, so either be there early, or bamboozle them with charm, or dazzle them with your brilliant wit. Were kidding: just take someone hot. The good: pretty much everything else. Naturally, the bar snacks are distractingly tasty, but the drinks list is excellent, and unusual too, with a few historical recipes brought back to life. Attention to detail is everything here, so if youre not sharing one of the big old Chesterfields, head to the bar and sit and watch theres something about it thats like seeing a cardmaster turn tricks. And have a Hix Fix, just to say you have. The Beaufort bar and the American Bar at The Savoy The Savoy, Strand, WC2R 0EU, fairmont.com Glitz, glamour and lots of gold: both Savoy bars are wonderfully opulent. The world-famous American bar, recently revamped, is still up there as one of the best bars on our humble planet. The bartenders bible, Harry Craddocks The Savoy Cocktail Book, was written here, and the cocktails served today remain as finely tuned as they ever were. Whereas as other bars try to recreate the glamour of such places, The Savoy neednt pretend: everything is genuine. The palatial Beaufort is absurdly romantic, and drinks are extravagantly presented: it works for the most special of special occasions, and theres something undeniably grand about sipping away in the same place Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel and Ernest Hemingway all did. If youre planning a few drinks, either be rich or take someone rich seriously. Artesian 1C Portland Pl, W1B 1JA, artesian-bar.co.uk Artesian won its accolades for its team, Alex Kratena and Simone Caporale, who ran the place for eight years and earned its reputation as the best bar in the world. Theyve sadly departed, but have left the place in capable hands, and the feel is much the same as it ever was, which is chic, glamorous, and not taking itself too seriously. While the beautiful and the rich rub shoulders, the bartenders are mixing up excellent but often slightly silly drinks but its their mischievousness that makes them so winning. Seriously impressive. Les Compagnie Des Vins Surnaturels 8-10 Neal's Yard, WC2H 9DP, cvssevendials.com Call it CVS and your night becomes considerably easier to pronounce. Sat in Neils Yard, it is one of Londons finest wine bars. Thoroughly French, of course: New World wines barely get a sideways glance, while even Italys finest is only begrudgingly given a little space on the considerable menu. This doesn't mean there is a lack of choice to the contrary, it is almost overwhelming, though they have a short by-the-glass list, and the charming staff are both well informed and passionate about what to have. In the summer, sit outdoors, in the winter, cosy up by the bar. Wherever you are, try the mystery wine; if you guess it, youll win a bottle. Have food small plates made to share, and terrifically good and drink plenty, so the bill doesnt hit as hard. The Shrub & Shutter 336 Coldharbour Ln, SW9 8QH, theshrubandshutter.com This Brixton bar felt new in the area, taking a little of east London and bringing it down south. Theyve a pleasingly patchwork approach to decor: there are jars and bottles and shakers everywhere, which gives the place a kitchen feel. The cocktails, lovely to drink on their own, are made better with the food, which is designed to match what youre drinking. The pairings initially sound a little gimmicky crayfish with vodka, venison on the side of The Deerhunter (an old fashioned, basically) but they work, so drop that sceptical streak for a moment. It gets busy, so book up, get in early, and stay late. Theyve a license until 3am, so itd be rude not to. Sky Pod at the Sky Garden 1 Sky Garden Walk, EC3M 8AF, skygarden.london The truth of it is, you come for the view, but good God it's a great view, and 360-degrees at that. Up 35 floors, if you can think of a London icon, you can probably see it. When the weather's good, get outside for some fresh air. With completely free entry and minimal security fuss, its worth making a reservation, though if youre ok to queue, theyll have you in. Cocktails arent torturously expensive, at around 11.50, and are very enjoyable the cognac-chocolate-caramel-port mix that is Black and Gold is particularly good so it doesn't feel like they're relying on the sights. Theres a sense of special occasion, and all the more so with live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays. Theyre hoping for jazz on Wednesdays, too. If youre tempted to eat, Fenchurch and the Darwin Brasserie are well worth trying Fenchurch is particularly good for veggies. The Gilbert Scott St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Rd, NW1 2AR, thegilbertscott.co.uk Given the golden hue here, where luxury hangs in the air like perfume, its remarkable that wine starts at as little as 5 a glass. Wine is its strong point, and likeable head sommelier Joris Beijn is a man worth knowing: he is passionate about his list, knowledgeable and accommodating. The bar is flexible, in that it is by turns ideal for a date, or a catch up with old friends, or a pre/post dinner drinks. The room is a stunner: high painted ceilings, dramatic red walls, great big bells as art, marble bar top and crystal glasses catching the light. Cocktails come in at around 14, and err on the light side: lots of gin and floral concoctions. The restaurant, next door, isnt to be missed, either, just be prepared to get an Uber home: invariably, youll stretch and tease out the evening to stay just a little longer. Gerry's Club 52 Dean Street, W1D 5BJ, gerrysclub.com A word of warning: this is technically a member's club, but you'll probably be fine if you flirt enough and don't ask for Gerry, he's long since passed. Michael looks after this place now. We've only been once very late, very drunk and with very good friends. Most old-school Soho drinking dens are dead, but this hub of actors and writers is what remains of 'Old Soho'. If you're boring, steer clear: it is a place to drink wine and beer and tell stories, to laugh uproariously and to give yourself a monumental hangover in a faintly discreet way. 68 and Boston 4-5 Greek St, Soho, W1D 4DD, 68andboston.com Boston, the bar upstairs, looks like glamorous train carriage from the golden age of cocktails but plays it a little bit safe. Wine bar 68, downstairs, is the real gem, with a wonderful way of pricing: every bottle on the list is 20, so choose what you like, not what you can afford. Better yet, if you don't fancy a bottle, they're served by the carafe (14) or glass (5.50). Wines are well picked and Denise Medrano, wine blogger and lover found behind the bar, is always working to update the list so go back to try something new. Youll probably end up getting drunk here: the pull of another bottle at just 20 is monumentally hard to resist, but hey, thats what Soho is for. If you fancy drinking something more upscale, ask theyve a few hidden wines kept hidden away for those in the know. Thats you, now. The Pink Chihuahua at El Camion 25-27 Brewer St, W1F 0RR, elcamion.co.uk Forget house infusions and drinks that take half an hour to make: sometimes a good night needs tequila and dancing. The Pink Chihuahua is built for it: theyre providing the tequila more than 300 different types of it, in fact youre there to drink it down and dance it up. Theyve all sorts of twists on Margaritas and Daiquiris, and, given youre downstairs from Mexican restaurant El Camion, plenty of bar food to indulge in too. Lots of fun, and if youre feeling more in the mood just to sit back and sip something slowly, ask about their choice of Mezcal. There's real talent here, but fun too. The Gibson 44 Old St, EC1V 9AQ, thegibsonbar.london Given the dearth of decent cocktails in Farringdon, the tiny Gibson is a God-send. Its a parlour pitched somewhere between Edwardian and Art Deco, and drinks arent simply poured here, theyre tended to, built, thought about, adored. All unsurprising, really, given the team learnt their trade at the likes of Nightjar and The Connaught. This place is doing more creatively to push bartending forward than any bar that's opened up in a while, so ask the team for recommendations and youll be presented with something magic. Youll need to ask, actually, as the menu is a novel and theres the risk of wasting the evening reading instead of drinking, and that simply wouldnt do at all. Peg+Patriot Patriot Square, E2 9NF, talentedmrfox.com The Talented Mr Fox, Matt Whiley, offers is a nice blend of things here: while the menu takes a sophisticated trip around London, with each cocktail a column of flavour, some managing chameleonic taste all within the space of a sip, the actual bar is surprisingly spare and understated. The effect is such that while drinks are upmarket, one doesnt feel obliged to sit demurely to enjoy them. Relax, have a few you might want to, as the serves arent huge. It should be said that these cocktails are among Londons most interesting, rather than Londons best: they are talking points, oddities, they put flavours together in a way that isnt available elsewhere. If youre big on trying new things, different experiences, seeing what a cocktail can do, come, its a must. If its just something reliably delicious you fancy, elsewhere may be better. Worship Street Whistling Shop 63 Worship St, EC2A 2DU, whistlingshop.com One presumes the staff here have night vision, otherwise its a complete and utter mystery how they see customers, let alone their ingredients. Still, they must do, for the output is pretty much excellent through and through at this dark spot. Its Victorian-inspired, which sounds tired and not a little tacky, but the gang from Purl have done it properly. Drinks are busy lots of fusions, blends, gasses and pressure and all sorts so its appropriate they come out of a lab. Still, all this engineering seems to be worth it, as the drinks slip down easily, the alcohol often hidden away. Make sure to take a seat in the Dram Shop, and pop in to the Gin Closet too, which operates as an honesty bar. Kansas Smitty's 63-65 Broadway Market, E8 4PH, kansassmittys.com Below bar Off Broadway a long way off, its Mexican sits this glorious den of jazz and juleps. It is a speakeasy for 2016: that is to say, it has none of the contrived mannerisms of bars which proclaim to be speakeasies, it just happens to actually be one: youll need to knock to get in, the music raves loud and hot, and the place is so crowded strangers become family after a drink or two. The house band, for which the place is named, have envy-inducing talent, and the bar has fairly recently overhauled its drinks list, and the results are good. Youll be absorbed by the music, and stay afterwards to ride the buzz of the crowd. GONG 52, Shangri-La Hotel, the Shard, SE1 9QU, .gong-shangri-la.com Gong is in the Shard, so youre there for the view alone. View it certainly does: at 52 floors up, its by far Londons highest spot to drink: consequently, sipping on a martini, one feels a little like a Bond villain pondering all thats below. Its not a huge bar, but that somewhat adds to the sense of exclusivity. Prices are, naturally, sky high: expect to pay at least 18. The drinks have plenty about them to compete with the view: presentation is everything. Theyve not skipped on the spirits making the mix, either: expect the likes of Zacapa 23 rum (heavenly stuff), Talisker scotch and Tanqueray 10 for the gin. All top drawer stuff. If this all sounds a bit intimidating, bear in mind they operate a no reservations policy, so youve as good a chance of getting in as anyone else. Mr Fogg's Salon 58 St Martin's Lane, Theatreland, WC2N 4EA, mr-foggs.com Downstairs is a pretty decent pub, busy from theatreland. Upstairs, the salon is quieter, but only a little. The walls are a glittering ballgown of 19th century curiosities, unsubtle nonsense winking away. Head to a chaise longues with a couple of friends or a date and take in something from each one of the five acts which split the menu. Drinks seem to smell especially good here, rich, relying heavily on the likes of rum, cognac and sherry. Gin lovers need not despair: theyve a room with 300 different types next door. Come elegantly dressed. Bar Termini 7 Old Compton St, W1D 5JE, bar-termini.com Do Bar Termini right and youll love it: do it wrong, and you may be underwhelmed. Tony Conigliaro, cocktail chap par excellence, and coffee maestro Marco Arrigo have built a revolving-door of a place: dont come here to linger. Expect a night of cocktails and youll leave disappointed: instead, love it in the day for the 1 espressos, and swing by in the evening for a negroni (6). Theyre small, but some of the best in the capital. One swishes in and out here, and that way, it adds a touch of Italian glamour to any evening. Trisha's (New Evaristo Club) 57 Greek St, Soho, W1D 3DX Drinks dont make a bar, and thank goodness, as the stuff served at Trishas named for its owner is uniformly pretty awful: red and white wine youd consider an insult if a friend served it at supper, prosecco wildly overpriced, terrible spirits ecetera ecetera. At more than 70, the club is Sohos oldest, and while nobody who goes there can ever remember anything changing its often quite hard to recall much about Trishas in crystal detail, as it happens nothing needs to. The bad wine and expensive mixers and paint stripper spirits are all part of the point: its a glorious drinking den, and marvellous, marvellous fun. There are characters here: the last time we were in, we sat being scared witless by an old East End gangster who said hes known the Krays. Tremendous. Long may this place live. The Fumoir Claridge's, 49 Brook St, W1K 4HR, claridges.co.uk The Fumoir will confuse you, as youll be torn between shouting about it and keeping it all to yourself. This plush purple and leather spot, deco decadence with a touch of welcome pomp, is hidden away behind a secret door at Claridges. Tiny and glitzy enough to feel like a Hollywood dressing room from the Golden Age, its little surprise the likes of Christina Hendricks adore it. For such a small place, they squeeze an awful lot in: plenty of wines, classic cocktails given a stern shake up, buckets of gin, a lovely choice of armagnac and a magnificent scotch list, gleaming with rarities. 69 Colebrooke Row 69 Colebrooke Row, N1 8AA, 69colebrookerow.com Once known as the bar with no name, henceforth they shall be called the bar with Bernards watch, as there is no other explanation for the speed with which their finely mixed cocktails arrive. Another bar from Tony Conigliaro, its earned its reputation for turning out hit after hit: the drinks list is endlessly tempting. The piano is a nice touch; that is gets played a much nicer one, and make sure to order the Prairie Oyster fun to drink, and one even for those who cant eat seafood. Bear in mind its a small spot, so youre close to your neighbours, and if you dont like strong drinks where the booze kicks, this wont be for you. Happiness Forgets 8-9 Hoxton Square, N1 6NU, happinessforgets.com Dont expect frills and fuss or the rest of it here: Happiness Forgets is cocktail bar distilled down to its very essence, and done very well their tag High End Cocktails/Low End Rent sums it up best. The bartenders are all top drawer, and their creations impeccable. Unsurprisingly, this Hoxton space has its regulars, so the crowd is always good. Tables can be booked, but half are always kept for walk-ins: try your luck, its worth it. Dry Martini by Javier de las Muelas Melia White House Hotel, Albany Street, NW1 3UP, melia.com Come to this one to brag: Dry Martini is known as Barcelonas best cocktail bar, and has been rated the fifth best bar in the world by the Worlds 50 Best Bars panel. Renowned bartender Javier de las Muelas has bought over his concept to us lucky Londoners, and with it, finely mixed and classic cocktails. No prizes for guessing that the Dry Martini is the house special if you dont think you like them, heres a place to change your mind. With more than 80 gins on the list, you could easily lose a week here. Gordon's 47 Villiers St, WC2N 6NE, gordonswinebar.com Gordons seems to get more and more crowded with each passing day, but perhaps rightly so: the beloved Embankment institution is made for knocking back bottles of wine in. Eat a few cold bites and chat into a long, unwinding evening. The wine list is good enough, but youre really here for the atmosphere: in summer, the terrace, buzzing, in winter, the caves indoors, crammed with noise, spilt wine, and joy. Social bar at City Social 25 Old Broad St, EC2N 1HQ, citysociallondon.com Youd think youre at City Social, up 24 stories of Tower 42, to eat, but if you stop in the bar, theres a good chance you wont make it to your table. The drinks come as something of a surprise: theyre so much better than one expects from a restaurant bar, inventive, put together carefully but not staidly, retaining a sense of fun. And, crucially, damned tasty. Its a dark room, and full of city types, but perfect for a few late night cocktails soaking up the view, which is really quite wonderful. Bloody pricey, but thats part of it. Ladies and Gentlemen 2 Highgate Rd, NW5 1NR, twitter.com William Borrells bolthole transcends its gimmick (which, if you hadnt guessed, is that its a converted public loo), with the help of some very handy bartenders, and its house-brewed gin, Highwayman, of which twelve bottles a day get distilled. Ladies & Gents manages well as a place for a quiet drink, or better yet, a place to quietly get roaringly drunk. Convenient indeed. The drinks are strong, very interesting, and theres plenty of odd sods on the wall to keep your conversation up. It maintains a veneer of being somewhere faintly upmarket, but youll probably end up reading from one of the books scattered around or trying to dance to the live music. Perfect for a date that gets out of hand. Bull In A China Shop 196 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6LG, bullinachinashop.london Truth it, youll need to catch this place on a good night, as weve been in often enough to know it has its good nights and its meh nights. But when the place is on, its really cooking, and easily one of the best bars in town. The cocktail list is short, but thought through, and care is taken in even the small things: they even make sure the water glasses are chilled. The chamomile and charcoal Old-Fashioned is a must, and any whisky lovers should get chatting to the bar staff, as theyve bottles which arent available anywhere else in the capital. Sager + Wilde Arch, 250 Paradise Row, E2 9LE, sagerandwilde.com Wine lovers rejoice, wine bores look elsewhere. Sager + Wilde admirably keep things unpretentious: the exposed brickwork sets the tone: theyre keeping things low key. The specials list changes regularly, and always with interesting choices introduced. Some of the wines are exclusive to this place, so youre all but guaranteed to try something new. Have a SHE + T (sherry with tonic, delicious), and absolutely do not leave without having the grilled cheese sandwich. 7 Tales at Sosharu 64 Turnmill St, EC1M 5RR, sosharulondon.com Underneath Jason Athertons Sosharu is this sexy, seedy Japanese drinking den, where youll find the hazy, debauched glamour of Tokyo after dark. Unlike so many bars underneath restaurants, 7 Tales doesnt feel like a holding pen, and drinks are precision made, with flavours leaning beyond the usual think rice-washed gin, sake, infusions of sesame, snacks like tempura. Bar snacks are an irresistible must. Callooh Callay 65 Rivington St, EC2A 3AY, calloohcallaybar.com Eccentric doesnt seem to quite cover it: enter the surreal world of Callooh Callay through an old Victorian wardrobe, catch sight of a throne and order punch out of a gramophone from a menu thats more of a sticker book. It sounds a bit ridiculous, but the bartenders really know their stuff, so for all the quirks, drinks are fundamentally pretty excellent. On the weekends, its a party bar, and DJs spin music to match: youre here for a good time. Any detectives in your gang will find there are two extra rooms in Callooh Callay to explore theyre hidden away, too, naturally. If youre good, you might even get an invite upstairs to the Jub Jub Room, where the 10-long cocktail list changes every three weeks. Fans should also head to their new offering in Angel, Little Bat. Dukes Bar Dukes Hotel, 35 St James's Pl, SW1A 1NY, dukeshotel.com Dukes is known for one reason: martinis. The St Jamess hotel was a favourite haunt of James Bond author and (very) keen drinker, Ian Fleming, who supposedly came up with the shaken, not stirred line here. Their martinis are exceptionally strong, and very large: theres a reason they wont serve you more than two. But look, break the mould: theyre a classic hotel bar, they serve a fine range of classic cocktails. Theres also a cognac and cigar garden, if youre so inclined. NOLA 1st Floor, 68 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY, nola-london.com It would be too easy to miss this place, so do your homework and saunter in: its must more attractive than sweatily asking anyone if theyve seen the place. Drawing inspiration from the home of proper cocktails, New Orleans, the bar loves traditional drinks, builds them properly and serves them in a den of music and laughter. Unlike some places specialising in old school serves, NOLA is a place for fun: sure, it seems to say, you could have a quiet drink but why would you want to? Theres a cracking cigar terrace too, small enough that everyone talks before heading back in for one hell of a Vieux Carre. Call Me Mr Lucky 11 Southwark St, SE1 1RQ, twitter.com All the hidden bars at the Breakfast Clubs around the capital are popular, with perhaps The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town being the best known. Call Me Mr Lucky, on Southwark Street, happens to be our favourite. Once youve flirted with the staff ask to get lucky youre taken through the restaurants kitchens to a lively bar decorated like some twisted take on a kids party. Have a go on the wheel of fortune, where youll really want to get lucky, and win a free shot, and then work your way through the cocktail list. Like any good-time bar worth its salt, this place is big on tequila, and the drinks are light-hearted fun, but here we go getting lucky again along with the quirks comes quality. By the of the evening, before youre porured back onto the street, youll swear tequila is your new favourite drink, and youll be singing the party hits they play all the way home. K Bar at The Kensington 109 - 113 Queen's Gate, SW7 5LP, townhousekensington.com K bar feels majestic and there is no other word for it because drinking here is a little like being in the captains quarters of the Titanic, albeit without the sinking feeling. There is glamour here: a kind of place to be seduced in. Cocktails wise, bar manager Ben Manchester is the man to ask for, but theres a fine list to choose from. It avoids stuffiness, and just needs to be packed out to really get cooking. Nightjar 129 City Rd, EC1V 1JB, barnightjar.com Nightjar has fame which means writing about it is redundant: people think it marvellously good, and theyve live music most of the week. Its seating only and worth booking: just be sure not to cancel, or theyll charge a steep 10 per person. They do the speakeasy theme, but well enough that it isnt too tired yet, and have plenty of old school style on the list. Pick up a pack of cards from the bar on your way out. Reverend J W Simpson 32 Goodge St, W1T 2QJ, revjwsimpson.com Bourne and Hollingsworth run this rather lovely little bar, downstairs from a small doorway on Goodge St. Service is friendly and speedy, it's comfortable, and drinks more than hold their own there's both obscure traditional mixes and modern serves made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Luckily, with good drinks come good people, and it's a loud, happy place. Albertine 1 Wood Ln, W12 7DP, albertinewinebar.co.uk Albertine hasnt changed much since the day East Enders was commissioned there. A wine bar through and through, youll struggle to get anything else (though there are a couple of ales on the menu.) Its a place with spirit, which draws a regular, devoted crowd. They sell everything they serve, and its well worth splashing out: the mark-up gets less and less as the bottles get more expensive, meaning you can get an absolute bargain at the top end of the list. Its also the kind of wine bar you go to to overindulge. First Aid Box 119 Dulwich Rd, SE24 0NG, firstaidbox2015.com This place really is worth travelling to Herne Hill to, which must be saying something. The team behind Shrub & Shutter have thickly laid on the pharmacy theme here, with cure-all drinks. Its not an idea which sounds like it should work, and yet, how much better life would be if they were one of the emergency services. Expect saline drips, syringes, and the likes of plastic lungs their take on thirst aid but rest assured, flavours arent medicinal in the slightest. At 8 - 10 a drink, its reasonable for London, and wonderful to see a bar really trying something new. Bravo. Media Wisdom Photography - Giles Christopher Nam Long Le Shaker 159 Old Brompton Rd, SW5 0LJ, namlong.co.uk It gained fame for its celebrity fans, which include Mick Jagger and Prince Harry, but Nam Long has held on longer than most A-list haunts: its been going 30 years, and recently was given an overhaul. Its quite possibly the most Chelsea place imaginable there are literally MIC cast members floating about and its a go-to spot to drink far too much and party. The upstairs area is bright, airy, and well looked after by the excellent bartenders, while downstairs "the Opium Den" is as it sounds (though there was no opium available when we asked... ) The drinks upstairs were made with more care, but downstairs is more intimate, opulent, and better for a small groups. Some of those Chelsea types who go really are the very worst, and the drinks are outrageously expensive, but hey, its a laugh. The Vault at Milroy's 3 Greek St, Soho, W1D 4NX, shop.milroys.co.uk A bar through a bookcase: were sold. Better yet, its underneath one of Sohos finest whisky shops with stiff competition from The Vintage House so if youre taken with something downstairs, buy it on your way out. Its a simple little bar and the service is decidedly so-so, but its usually pretty busy, they play good music and have an excellent range of spirits. The menu is changed regularly, but its a good place to cram into with friends or on a date. You mightnt spend the entire night here, but for a couple of drinks on the way somewhere, or on the way back, it fits the bill perfectly. Bounce 241 Old St, EC1V 9EY, bouncepingpong.com There are two Bounce bars, one on Old Street and one on Holborn. The Old Street spot is a little more fun, graffiti adorning the walls,the Holborn spot somewhat more upmarket. Still, they both deserve a mention, and for the simple reason theyre damned good fun. Drinks here are good, with a decent spirit selection at both (and a huge number of gins in Farringdon) and a respectable selection of beers. Food is fine, simple. Still, you come to play ping pong. Theyve tables everywhere. Theres little to fault with Bounce: its a laugh, and sometimes thats all somewhere needs to be. It also won drinks menu of the year for its Modern Botany 3rd Edition list, and Dandelyans Aidan Bowie was named bartender of the year. The award for new bar of the year went to Swift in Soho, from London bartending favourites Bobby and Mia Hiddlestone and the team behind Nightjar. Also in Soho, the Negroni Robusto from Tony Conigliaros Bar Termini was named cocktail of the year. Black Rock in Spitalfields, which focuses on whisky, won specialist bar of the year, while restaurant bar of the year went to Hawksmoor Spitalfields, beating The Blind Pig at Social Eating House. Bar food menu of the year was won by Oriole in Smithfield, also from the Nightjar stable. Read all the latest restaurant and bar news and reviews The nights lifetime achievement award went to Jake Burger, who is behind Portobello Road Gin and the Portobello Star. The so-called class collective' who voted for the winners featured 85 bar experts from 20 cities across the UK, 70% of whom are based outside of London. T he cheese glistens. As I take a bite of toastie heaven, melted fat runs down my fingers. Oh, cheese toastie! Enclosed Welsh rarebit! What a joyful piece of plate-fill you are! A cheese toastie is no culinary moonshot but a comfort blanket, akin to stroking a dog or having a newborn rest on your chest. It is both a soother and a boost to the spirits. And these ones are good. Deserving-of-love-poems-and-panegyrics good. Sell-your-grandma-and-buy-toasties good. And soon, theyll have their own restaurant in Camden Stables, The Cheese Bar. Its the third baby of Mathew Carver, who started with the Cheese Truck then launched Archies in Deptford, where Ive tried the toastie. On launch day, March 2, Carver is holding a sandwich amnesty, where you can switch your supermarket sarnie for a toastie (the donated sandwiches go to FareShare). The menu is both a Hobsons choice and the lactose intolerants ninth circle of hell. These are, in the best way, cheese toasties with pretensions of grandeur. The classic toastie uses Keens cheddar and rich Ogleshield, with red onion to give a potent tang and bread from the Bread Bread Bakery. Even the humble gherkin is hifalutin, pickled not in vinegar but in pale ale from Villages Brewery across the road from Archies. Recipe Series - Baked Camembert cheese with pancetta bread twists All outlets use British cheeses, including a queso Chihuahua from Gringa dairy in Peckham and burrata from Actions La Latteria, where it is made fresh every morning. Carver, who admits he likes to refer to himself as the big cheese a revelation he is no doubt now regretting studied furniture design at university. However, he hated being stuck in front of a screen so he started working at music festivals selling food. When someone he worked for went bankrupt, owing him money, he was offered an old ice-cream van to settle the debt. Settled debt: The Cheese Truck started life as an old ice cream van It was when street food was kicking off, so I thought I should do something, Carver recalls. Its one of those cliched stories: I quit my job, went to the US and looked at street food there. He was particularly inspired by Mission Cheese in San Francisco, so he returned to the UK, painted the ice-cream van yellow, put in toastie makers and got a place at Maltby Street Market. He also started selling at festivals since his original dream was to be a DJ: I have an obsessively large music collection that is the bane of my girlfriends life. Toasties are perfect festival food people love them in the morning when hungover, they love them at 2am when theyre drunk and Carver did 28 last summer: It almost killed me. His cardiologist certainly may worry: during festival season, he eats four toasties a day. The most popular toastie varies at Wilderness, the goats cheese, honey and walnut was the top seller, while the cheddar and bacon was a Glasto favourite. At the latter, Carver accidentally ended up on a 24-hour stall last year: When the lull came at 1am I sent everyone home bar one person and me. Then at 2am we had a massive queue. It got out of control. Carver has competition, though. Borough Markets Kappacasein is regularly described as the best thing you can eat in London. The stall is run by William Oglethorpe, who uses Montgomery cheddar, adding onions and leeks to enhance the flavour. Oglethorpe says: Its like anything: if you use the best ingredients and put care into making it, it can be brilliant. Then theres the Scottish stall Deeneys like a highland breeze wafting up your kilt whose haggis toasties are a big hit. After touring Londons many markets, it found a permanent home in Leyton in 2015. Not your student fare: Mathew Carver's creations are a long way from dodgy university snacks At the Melt Room in Noel Street in Soho, flavours include pulled pork. Grill My Cheese, which made the famous rainbow cheese toastie, is at Leather Lane Market. And at The Wolseley, the star of the cafe menu has long been the London rarebit. So what makes the cheese toastie so desirable? In 2015, newspapers reported that cheese was as addictive as crack, as it contained casein. This was, of course, scientific bunk. Its the combo of carbs, salt and fat that prove so compelling. Carver puts it simply: People who like cheese, love cheese. Cheese toasties are also a blast from your student years. I, like many, was packed off to uni with a Breville. But those made sad, soggy things the new toastie is fetishised. I think Instagram has made it a bit crazy, Carver agrees. Those gooey cheese shots look so good. Oh, they do. Be still, my deeply congested heart. A ctor Eddie Marsan is backing a crowdfunding scheme to uncover one of the East Ends lost Victorian gems. The Ray Donovan star, 48, is supporting attempts to raise 25,000 to restore the chapel in Bethnal Greens Grade II listed Oxford House, where he took some of his first steps on the stage. Built in 1884 as part of the Settlement movement, which encouraged Victorian volunteers to work in areas of great poverty, the building is now home to about 30 charities and community organisations. Its third-floor chapel has been largely unused for more than a century and was recently badly damaged by flooding. This led Historic England to put the building on its at-risk register but campaigners want to repair the damage and turn it into an intimate venue for gigs and plays. The campaigners hope to raise 25,000 for conservation and restoration work at the Victorian chapel in Bethnal Greens Oxford House, which is Grade II listed / PR HANDOUT Matt Railton