Too often, precious lives are interrupted or cut short by cancer. Breast cancer, one of the most common cancers among American women, affects roughly 230,000 women as well as 2,300 men each year and is responsible for more than 40,000 deaths annually in the United States. Breast cancer does not discriminate -- it strikes people of all races, ages, and income levels -- and we must raise awareness of this disease and its symptoms so we can more easily identify it and more effectively treat it. This month, as we honor those whose lives were tragically cut short by breast cancer and as we stand with their families, let us arm ourselves with the best knowledge, tools, and resources available to fight this devastating disease.
Regular screenings and quality care are vital to improving outcomes for millions of people, and we are making strides in improving treatment options. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, most health insurers are now required to cover recommended preventive services -- including mammograms -- at no extra cost, and Americans cannot be denied health coverage due to a pre-existing condition, like breast cancer. Women and men can take precautionary action on their own by talking with their health care providers about what they can do to lower their individual risk factors and learning about what tests are right for them. For more information on breast cancer prevention, treatment of metastatic breast cancer, and the latest research, visit www.Cancer.gov/Breast.
My Administration is committed to advancing research to better prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer in all its forms. Earlier this year, I announced a new initiative to invest in research that will enable clinicians to better tailor treatments to individual patients. This Precision Medicine Initiative aims to accelerate biomedical discoveries and revolutionize how we improve health and treat disease. By continuing to make breakthroughs in technology and medicine, our Nation's brightest minds are working tirelessly to combat breast cancer.Together, we must ensure all people can enjoy the extraordinary gift that is a long, happy, and healthy life. During National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, let us remember those cancer took from us too soon -- and in tribute to them, their families, and our medical professionals, let us recommit to the promise of finding a cure.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2015 as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I encourage citizens, government agencies, private businesses, nonprofit organizations, and all other interested groups to join in activities that will increase awareness of what Americans can do to prevent breast cancer.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA
Presidential Proclamation -- National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, 2015
Domestic violence impacts women, men, and children of every age, background, and belief. Nearly 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men in the United States have suffered severe physical violence by an intimate partner. Victims are deprived of their autonomy, liberty, and security, and face tremendous threats to their health and safety. During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we reaffirm our dedication to forging an America where no one suffers the hurt and hardship that domestic violence causes -- and we recommit to doing everything in our power to uphold the basic human right to be free from violence and abuse.
While physical marks may often be the most obvious signs of the harm caused by domestic violence, the true extent of the pain goes much deeper. Victims not only face abuse, but often find themselves left with significant financial insecurity. And children who witness domestic violence often experience lifelong trauma. These heinous acts go against all we know to be humane and decent, and they insult our most fundamental ideals. We all have a responsibility to try to end this grave problem.
Prior to the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), many did not view domestic violence as a serious offense, and victims often had nowhere to turn for support. VAWA significantly transformed our Nation -- it enhanced the criminal justice response to violence against women and expanded survivors' access to immediate assistance and long-term resources to rebuild their lives. The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act is another important piece of legislation that improved our public health response to domestic violence and increased the availability of critical services for victims.
My Administration has worked hard to build on the progress of the past several decades and improve domestic violence prevention and response efforts. We have extended protections and prevention measures to more victims, including in Native American and immigrant communities, and worked to break down barriers for more people seeking help. And the reauthorization of VAWA I signed in 2013 prohibits -- for the first time -- discrimination based on sexual orientation and identity when providing services. Additionally, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, most health plans must now cover preventive services, including screening and counseling for domestic violence, at no additional cost. My Administration has also sought to secure greater workplace protections by requiring Federal agencies to develop policies that address the effects of domestic violence and to provide assistance to employees experiencing it. And I recently signed an Executive Order to establish paid sick leave for Federal contractors, which enables them to use it for absences resulting from domestic violence.
Though we have made great progress in bringing awareness to and providing protections against domestic violence, much work remains to be done. In that spirit, Vice President Joe Biden launched our 1is2many initiative, which aims to raise awareness of dating violence and reduce sexual assault among students, teens, and young adults. And earlier this year, we reaffirmed our Nation's commitment to addressing domestic violence at all stages of life by holding the White House Conference on Aging, which addressed elder abuse as a public health problem that affects millions of older Americans. These initiatives will help advance our efforts to ensure no person is robbed of the chance to live out their greatest aspirations.
Safeguarding and opening doors of opportunity for every American will remain a driving focus for our country -- and we know that crimes like domestic violence inhibit our Nation from reaching its fullest potential. This month, let us once again pledge our unwavering support to those in need and recognize the advocates, victim service providers, and organizations who work tirelessly to extend hope and healing to survivors and victims every day. I encourage all people in need of assistance to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or visit www.TheHotline.org.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2015 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I call on all Americans to speak out against domestic violence and support local efforts to assist victims of these crimes in finding the help and healing they need.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand thisthirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA
Presidential Proclamation -- National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, 2015
Every day, millions of American families, friends, teachers, and community organizations work to ensure children have access to the support and resources needed to help prevent substance abuse. As we mark National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, we come together to acknowledge the role every person can play in preventing substance abuse and recommit to fostering a culture where all our people can live up to their fullest potential.
Community partners in all corners of our country work to foster positive, safe environments in our towns and cities, and my Administration is committed to bolstering these efforts. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, health plans offered through the Health Insurance Marketplace must include mental health and substance use disorder services. My Administration has also taken action to ensure that coverage for these services is comparable to coverage for medical and surgical benefits. Preventing substance abuse is a fundamental element of our National Drug Control Strategy and can only be accomplished by supporting parents, mentors, schools, and community members as they work to prevent substance abuse before it begins. Together, by promoting evidence-based prevention programs, we can provide individuals with the tools and information they need to make smart choices, avoid needless tragedy, and lead healthy, fulfilling lives.
Alcohol and drug use can stand in the way of academic achievement, jeopardize school safety, and limit a young person's possibilities. Additionally, thousands of Americans die each year from prescription drug overdose -- and many can access these drugs in their own medicine cabinets at home. We must educate our children about the harms and risks associated with substance abuse. By talking with our sons and daughters early and often about the dangers of drug and alcohol use, we can help set them firmly on a path toward a brighter future.
In the United States, no child's dreams should be out of reach because the necessary encouragement and care were not accessible. As a Nation, as community members, and as American citizens, we have an obligation to help cultivate a society free from substance abuse. This month, let us resolve to model a healthy lifestyle for those around us, talk openly with our youth about the dangers of drug and alcohol use, and reach for a future where opportunity knows no bounds.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2015 as National Substance Abuse Prevention Month. I call upon all Americans to engage in appropriate programs and activities to promote comprehensive substance abuse prevention efforts within their communities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
The Federal Security Services (FSB) is reporting today that an American black-Islamist terror suspect, who yesterday committed an act of mass murder in the State of Oregon (United States), had been included on a list of 87,000 ''known/suspected'' Islamic terrorists that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) refused last month to accept from the Federation due to its not being ''politically viable in the present atmosphere''.
According to this report, the black-Islamist terrorist who committed this act of terror, Chris Harper Mercer, had previously been indentified by electronic intelligence specialists within the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) as being an Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) adherent after he had attempted to gain passage to Syria via Turkey during the first week of September, 2015.
By the Obama regime refusing to accept this terror list from the Federation, this report continues, Mercer was able to accomplish his terror act when yesterday he killed 9 people and wounded 7 others at the Umpqua Community College prior to his being shot and killed by local US police forces.
Most critical to note about this FSB report is that where it ends, the mysterious, and hugely read, Russian publication Reedus (Ridus.ru) continues'--and to fully understand this information one must note that Russian intelligence agencies (SVR/FSB) frequently use Reedus to put information into the public sphere that otherwise would have serious international consequences should the government be found to be behind it'--thus giving Reedus its current status known as ''a Kremlin resource'' and an ''agency of Orthodox journalism''. [Ð ÑÑÑкий]
And the information relating to the black-Islamist terrorist Mercer ''leaked'' into Reedus by the SVR/FSB is, to say the least, shocking and disturbing''including that immediately after the Oregon mass shooting, his Internet personal profile was changed from his true identity as an ISIS/ISIL terror supporter to one of his being a ''white conservative Republican''. [Ð ÑÑÑкий]
Also important to be noted was Mercer's association with the ISIS/ISIL terrorist Mahmoud Ali Ehsani, who is banned in Russia [Ð ÑÑÑкий], and was one of only two of Mercer's MySpace ''friends'' and who praises the Islamic State, calls for the killing of Jews and glorifies in pictures on his MySpace page his rapture of these terrorists.
With the true knowledge of Mercer being known as the black-Islamic terrorist he truly was, information which the Obama regime refused to accept from Russia, his mass terror act in identifying and killing Christians becomes immediately understandable.
As to why the Obama regime and their propaganda media lapdogs are disguising the truth from the American people about this horrific act of Islamic terror against them, especially to the families of the dead and wounded, it is not known'--but shouldn't really surprise anyone as that government has been nothing but a mountain of lies for years.
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Oregon Mass Shooter On Terror List Obama Refused To Take From Russia, 4.2 out of 5 based on 67 ratings Related PostsDid you like this information? Then please consider making a donation or subscribing to our Newsletter. Previous
Hi Adam. I came across this comment on Facebook about this drill a few minutes ago. Not only did the county fire department have almost all it's resources less then six miles from Umpqua Community College when the shooting happen, but they also had extra ambulances from a city an hour and a half away (Bay Cities is based in Coos Bay, OR) ready to go. I included a screen shot of the comment (I blacked out any reference to myself) or go to facebook.com/theoregonian and look for the story "Umpqua Community College shooter identified as 26-year-old man, reports say"
Oregon Killer Described as Man of Few Words, Except on Topic of Guns - NYTimes.com
ROSEBURG, Ore. '-- Christopher Harper-Mercer was withdrawn and quiet as he grew up in southern California, spending most of his time indoors at his mother's apartment and deflecting neighbors when they asked him how he was doing, or why he always wore the same outfit of combat boots and green Army pants. But there was one subject that got him to open up: guns.
Mr. Harper-Mercer collected handguns and rifles, and he regularly went to a shooting range with his mother, said neighbors in Torrance, Calif., where the two lived until moving to Oregon in 2013. At a barbecue shortly before they left, Mr. Harper-Mercer spent hours talking with a next-door neighbor about guns and how he and his mother were excited to leave Los Angeles and get a fresh start.
''When we talked about guns and hunting, he was real open about it,'' said the neighbor, Louie Flores, 32. ''But anything about what was going on in his life, he really didn't say too much at all.''
But two years after that fresh start, the authorities say, Mr. Harper-Mercer, 26, carried out the worst shooting rampage in this state's history at Umpqua Community College on Thursday morning, killing nine people in the writing class where he was enrolled and wounding others. He was armed with six guns, a flak jacket and spare ammunition magazines, suggesting he expected a long siege. He had seven more guns at his apartment, officials said.
For investigators searching for his path to mass murder, he left behind a typewritten manifesto at the scene and a string of online postings that showed he had become increasingly interested in other high-profile shootings, angry at not having a girlfriend and bitter at a world that he believed was working against him.
Mr. Harper-Mercer appeared to have a particular animus against organized religion, and some survivors' families have said he asked the victims whether they were Christians before shooting them.
Just this week, on Tuesday, using the handle lithium_love, he commented on a post titled ''How many girlfriends have you had?'' by saying ''0. Never had anyone.'' When pressed further by another user, he responded ''Well, it means I've never been with anyone, no woman nor man (nor dog or animal or any other).'' Then, on Wednesday, responding to a comment that he ''must be saving himself for someone special,'' he said, ''Involuntarily so.'' It was a day before the killings.
''He did not like his lot in life, and it seemed like nothing was going right for him,'' a law enforcement official said, describing the writings found at the crime scene. ''It's clear he was in a very bad state of mind.''
Graphic | What Happened in the Oregon Community College Shooting A gunman opened fire on a teacher and students on Thursday morning at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore.
He retreated to online message boards to express his thoughts about commercialism, other shootings and the infamy that accompanied the gunmen who carried them out. On a blog post linked to Mr. Harper-Mercer's email address, an Aug. 31 entry expresses sympathy for Vester Lee Flanagan II, a dismissed television reporter who killed two former colleagues during a live broadcast in Roanoke, Va.: ''I have noticed that people like him are all alone and unknown, yet when they spill a little blood, the whole world knows who they are.''
The entry continues, ''Seems the more people you kill, the more you're in the limelight.''
After his parents divorced when he was about 16, he lived with his mother, Laurel Harper, a nurse who fiercely protected him from, among other things, the neighborhood sounds of loud children and barking dogs. Once, neighbors said, she went door to door with a petition to get the landlord to exterminate cockroaches in her apartment, saying they bothered her son.
''She said, 'My son is dealing with some mental issues, and the roaches are really irritating him,' '' Julia Winstead, 55, said. ''She said they were going to go stay in a motel. Until that time, I didn't know she had a son.''
He was listed as a 2009 graduate of the Switzer Learning Center in Torrance, a private school for students with learning disabilities, emotional issues and other special-education needs. Officials from the school declined to comment on Friday. Mr. Harper-Mercer joined the Army for a month in 2008 but was discharged before finishing basic training.
Rosario Lucumi, 51, rode the same bus in Torrance as the young man when she went to work. She said he always wore earphones and listened to music on the rides. She said he and his mother lived for less than a year in a small one-bedroom apartment in Torrance. ''They were always together,'' she said.
His parents struggled financially over the years, filing for bankruptcy in 1992, and his father, Ian Mercer, filed again in 2002. California records show that Ms. Harper had been a licensed vocational nurse. She is now a licensed practical nurse in Oregon. She apparently contributed to online forums dealing with health issues. In one exchange, a writer who appeared to be Ms. Harper offered assistance to the mother of a child with Asperger's syndrome, saying, ''I'm a nurse and also have an Aspergers kid.''
Neither of his parents could be reached for comment, but his father told television reporters outside his California home on Thursday night that he was shocked by the events.
Interactive Feature | Mass Shootings in the U.S. This partial list dates to 2007, the year of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
Mr. Harper-Mercer appeared to have sought community on the Internet, leaving hints behind of his passions, his loneliness, his likes and dislikes. A picture of him holding a rifle appeared on a MySpace page with a post expressing a deep interest in the Irish Republican Army. It included footage from the conflict in Northern Ireland set to ''The Men Behind the Wire,'' an Irish Republican song, and several pictures of gunmen in black balaclavas.
A dating profile published more than three months ago with his email address on the website Spiritual Passions, and featuring photos of Mr. Harper-Mercer, appeared to broaden the portrait. ''Looking for someone who shares my beliefs, and is similar to me,'' it said. It said he enjoyed horror movies, and under hobbies, it listed ''killing zombies'' along with the ''Internet'' and other pursuits.
The profile described Mr. Harper-Mercer as ''Not Religious, Not Religious, but Spiritual,'' and it said he belonged to a group called ''Doesn't Like Organized Religion.''
On a file-sharing forum where illicit content is often shared, blog posts linked to his email address expressed sympathy for Mr. Flanagan, who killed two former co-workers in August.
''People like him have nothing left to live for, and the only thing left to do is lash out at a society that has abandoned them,'' the user wrote days after the Roanoke shooting. ''His family described him as alone, no partner/lover. A victim not only of his own perception but also of our social media soaked environment.''
In a post published in September, after the shooting death of Darren Goforth, a suburban Houston police officer, at a gas station, the user with Mr. Harper-Mercer's email address said it was the inevitable result of the Black Lives Matter movement. ''In case anyone's wondering, I'm not on the side of the suspect, I'm on the side of the officer, and generally don't agree with the black lives matter protests,'' the user said.
The user, who posted under the name lithium_love, shared pornography, as well as movies like ''Illuminati Secrets'' and ''UFO Secrets of the Third Reich.''
Bryan Clay, 18, a neighbor from Torrance, said he once asked Mr. Harper-Mercer why he wore ''a military get-up'' every day.
''He kind of just didn't want to talk about it'' and changed the subject, Mr. Clay said.
''He didn't say anything about himself,'' he added.
Derrick McClendon, 42, another former neighbor, said Mr. Harper-Mercer was so timid and ill at ease that on occasion Mr. McClendon would ask him if something was wrong.
''I would say, 'Hey, man, you all right?' '' Mr. McClendon said. ''He would say, 'Hi,' but that's it. He was really shy.''
Rosario Espinoza, 33, was once a neighbor and moved into the apartment that the mother and son shared when the two moved from Torrance a couple of years ago. She said that the two ''kept to themselves,'' but that from time to time Mr. Harper-Mercer's mother would complain that Ms. Espinoza's young children were playing too loudly and bothering her son.
''They're normal children that play, but she would get really upset,'' Ms. Espinoza said. ''It was during the daytime. But I guess the noise would really upset him, the son.''
One night, the Flores family, the next-door neighbors, were watching a movie when Mr. Harper-Mercer knocked on the door.
''He said: 'Can you turn that down? Your TV is really loud,'' Esther Flores said. ''And he just had that look. No smile, nothing. And he just turned and walked away. My husband didn't even have a chance to respond.''
Other neighbors said the mother would confront them about their barking dogs when they returned from work. ''She would wait till they got home and knock on their door,'' Kim Hermenegildo, 48, said.
Ms. Espinoza said that she heard Mr. Harper-Mercer's mother got a job in Oregon, prompting the family's move north.
In Winchester, Ore., Mr. Harper-Mercer and his mother shared an apartment in a dun-colored building that sat roped off behind police tape on Thursday evening, guarded by sheriff's deputies who shooed away reporters.
Bronte Hart, a neighbor who said she lived in an apartment below Mr. Harper-Mercer's, described a more assertive young man than his former neighbors in California did. Far from avoiding social interaction, she said, he frequently shouted at her for smoking on her balcony.
''He yelled at us, me and my husband,'' said Ms. Hart, who lives with her husband and father. ''He was not a friendly type of guy. He did not want anything to do with anyone.''
Investigators are still piecing together Mr. Mercer-Harper's conversations and actions in the days leading up to the shooting. But that path ended at Snyder Hall at 10:30 a.m., when he shot his way into his classroom and, according to some, interrogated his classmates about their faith as he killed them. When the police reached Mr. Harper-Mercer, they shot and wounded him, a law enforcement official said. He was able to run away and then shot himself. He died in the ambulance en route to the hospital. It was not clear which shot was the fatal one.
Correction: October 2, 2015
An earlier version of this article misstated the professional background of Laurel Harper, the mother of Christopher Harper-Mercer. She had not been licensed as a registered psychological assistant in California, and she is a licensed practical nurse in Oregon, not in California.
Jack Healy reported from Roseburg, and Ian Lovett from Torrance, Calif. Liam Stack and Michael S. Schmidt contributed reporting from New York, and Dirk VanderHart from Roseburg.
Presidential Proclamation: Honoring the Victims of the Tragedy in Roseburg, Oregon
As a mark of respect for the victims of gun violence perpetrated on October 1, 2015, in Roseburg, Oregon, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, October 6, 2015. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
second day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
Douglas County sheriff John Hanlin, who has responded to the Umpqua Community College shooting, previously shared a conspiracy theory video suggesting the Sandy Hook massacre was orchestrated by the U.S. government to disarm the public.
The New York Times reports that shortly after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which resulted in the deaths of 28 children and adults, Hanlin shared a link on his own Facebook page of a video that ''suggested that the shootings at Sandy Hook '-- and the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 '-- might have been staged by the federal government to provide a pretext for 'disarming the public' through gun control legislation.'' He posted the link with the comment, ''This makes me wonder who we can trust anymore.''
The conspiracy video post came three days before Hanlin posted a letter to Vice President Joe Biden on the Douglas County Sheriff's Office's Facebook page writing, ''Gun control is NOT the answer to preventing heinous crimes like school shootings.'' He argued that any changes to the second amendment would be ''irresponsible'' and an ''indisputable insult to the American people.''Hanlin added that should such changes come to pass, neither he nor his deputies would enforce them.
The Times reports that the video was removed on Friday amid criticism.
[NYT]
Oregon Sheriff Shared Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theory on Facebook - The New York Times
PhotoJohn Hanlin, the Douglas Country sheriff, right, at a news conference on Friday alongside Celinez Nunez, an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.Credit John Locher/Associated PressAs the national debate over gun control raged online after the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College on Thursday, comments on the subject posted on Facebook by Sheriff John Hanlin of Douglas County, whose force responded to the latest rampage, came under scrutiny.
The sheriff, who has made no secret of his strident opposition to tougher gun laws, made his views clear in a letter to Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. posted on his department's Facebook page on Jan. 16, 2013, after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Mr. Hanlin urged the vice president to treat his letter as ''a formal request that you NOT tamper with or attempt to amend'' the Second Amendment.
''Gun control is NOT the answer to preventing heinous crimes like school shootings,'' he wrote, adding that efforts to restrict gun ownership ''would be irresponsible and an indisputable insult to the American people.''
The sheriff also warned the vice president that ''any federal regulation enacted by Congress or by executive order of the president offending the constitutional rights of my citizens shall not be enforced by me or by my deputies, nor will I permit the enforcement of any unconstitutional regulations or orders by federal officers within the borders of Douglas County Oregon.''
Three days before that letter was released, Mr. Hanlin shared a link on his personal Facebook page to a YouTube video, which suggested that the shootings at Sandy Hook '-- and the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 '-- might have been staged by the federal government to provide a pretext for ''disarming the public'' through gun control legislation. In a comment imploring his Facebook friends to watch that video, whose producer claims that the parents of children ''allegedly shot'' at Sandy Hook were actors, the sheriff wrote, ''This makes me wonder who we can trust anymore.''
PhotoA screenshot from the Facebook page of Sheriff John Hanlin in Douglas County, Ore.Credit via FacebookAfter that update attracted criticism, it was removed from Mr. Hanlin's personal Facebook page on Friday, but not before numerous screenshots were made and shared online.
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Oregon Sheriff Handling School Massacre Shared a Sandy Hook Conspiracy Video | Mother Jones
The month after the December 2012 Sandy Hook massacre, Sheriff John Hanlin of Douglas County, Oregon, posted a video called "The Sandy Hook Shooting - Fully Exposed" to his personal Facebook page. The video makes a number of conspiratorial claims, including about there being more than one shooter and that the grieving parents who appeared on news reports were acting.
The sheriff, who has done an admirable job in not glorifying the perpetrator from yesterday's mass shooting at Umpqua Community College, is also an avid guns rights supporter and a possible member of the Oath Keepers, a group that claims to be upholding their oath to defend the Constitution from any perceived threats'--such as expanded gun control.
Paranoid 'Hatriot' Group Attempting Takeover of Local Sheriffs' Offices | ThinkProgress
Today, a rather credulous Associated Press article reports on a movement to replace local sheriffs with proponents of a particularly virulent form of ''tentherism'':
The retired police officer and investment adviser intends to make that a reality, joining at least a dozen candidates in other states running for office on an intepretation [sic] of the Constitution they say means the sheriff is the highest law enforcer in the land, even above federal agents.
''Frankly if he wants to, the sheriff can probably do more for the Constitution and protecting the people than anyone else,'' Nichols said.
The candidates are part of a loosely organized nationwide movement called the Oath Keepers, which is enlisting law enforcement and military personnel to vow to refuse 10 orders they say are unconstitutional, from confiscating guns to warrantless searches.
Inexplicably, the AP article focuses almost exclusively on three aspects of the Oath Keepers' philosophy: their opposition to gun control, their constitutionally appropriate opposition to warrantless searches, and their opposition to unconstitutional detention policies.
Absent from the article, however, is a discussion of the Oath Keepers' overactive fantasy life. The Oath Keepers' website is riddled with paranoid rhetoric about government officials ''disarm[ing] the American people,'' ''confiscat[ing] the property of the American people, including food and other essential supplies,'' and ''blockad[ing] American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps.'' In early 2008, the Oath Keepers' founder warned that a ''dominatrix-in-chief'' named ''Hitlery Clinton'' would impose a police state on America and shoot all resisters. After primary voters chose a different candidate, the Oath Keepers simply rewrote their paranoid fantasy to include a taller, African-American lead.
At a Center for American Progress Action Fund event remembering the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing, former President Clinton described the Oath Keepers as a ''hatriot'' group that embraces the same violent rhetoric that fueled Timothy McVeigh. If they get their way, this delusional group will soon be given a badge and a gun.
The Sheriff Investigating The Oregon Shooting Believes Some Seriously Fringe Things About Guns | ThinkProgress
Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin, who is overseeing much of the law enforcement response to Thursday's tragic shooting at Umpqua Community College, believes some highly unusual things about gun rights and the Constitution. Two years ago, when Vice President Joe Biden was spearheading the Obama administration's response to the Sandy Hook school shooting, Hanlin wrote Biden threatening open defiance of federal efforts to enforce gun laws. The letter is also riddled with language commonly used by the ''Oath Keepers,'' a right-wing veterans and law enforcement group that is closely associated with armed, anti-government militias.
Several aspects of this letter are worth noting, but the most revealing part of the letter may be the unusual way that Hanlin introduces his pledge to oppose federal officials. ''The United States Supreme Court has ruled that when a Sheriff chooses to enforce an unconstitutional directive, he is violating his Constitutional Oath. I will NOT violate my Constitutional Oath.''
This rhetoric, which focuses on an oath to follow the Constitution and a refusal to violate that oath, is peculiar to the Oath Keepers. The Oath Keepers describe themselves as an ''association of current and formerly serving military, police, and first responders, who pledge to fulfill the oath all military and police take to 'defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.''' Oath Keeepers played a major role in the armed standoff between federal agents and supporters of the racist Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy in 2014. Their website prominently touts their offer to provide a ''security detail'' to anti-gay Kentucky clerk Kim Davis in order to ''protect her against unlawful arrest'' (Davis's attorneys declined this offer).
Though the Oath Keepers align themselves with the Constitution, they are also partial to paranoid rhetoric about government officials ''disarm[ing] the American people,'' ''confiscat[ing] the property of the American people, including food and other essential supplies,'' and ''blockad[ing] American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps.'' Their founder once warned that America could be ruled by a ''dominatrix-in-chief'' named ''Hitlery'' who would impose a police state and shoot resisters.
Sheriff Hanlin, it should be noted, is far from alone in his willingness to stand against federal officials. The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, a group led by Oath Keeper board member Richard Mack, claims that 485 sheriffs have signed onto statements similar to Hanlin's.
Hanlin's letter also contains a number of statements suggesting that he holds views about the Constitution that place him well to the right of even the most conservative members of the Supreme Court. Hanlin's letter implies, for example, that the Obama administration was considering proposals that would violate the Second Amendment at the time of this letter, but this implication is not true.
The administration offered three proposals in the wake of Sandy Hook '-- universal background checks, an assault rifle ban and a ban on high capacity magazines. All of these are constitutional gun regulations. As Justice Antonin Scalia explained in the Supreme Court's DC v. Heller decision, ''nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill,'' and background checks are an essential element of such prohibitions. Similarly, assault rifle and high capacity magazine bans fit within Heller's statement that the government may still ban ''dangerous and unusual weapons.''
Hanlin's letter also blurs the line between a matter that is lawfully within state officials' discretion and something much more akin to insurrection. Under the Supreme Court's ''anti-commandeering doctrine,'' states may refuse to enforce federal laws that they do not wish to devote their resources to enforcing. For this reason, provided that state law gives him the discretion to do so, Hanlin is permitted to deny his department's resources to federal officials seeking to enforce federal gun laws.
What Hanlin may not do, however, is unilaterally assign himself the power to decide what is or is not constitutional and then refuse to ''permit the enforcement'' of federal laws by ''federal officers within the borders of Douglas County Oregon.'' This rule stretches back at least as far as the late nineteenth century, when California charged a United States Marshal with murder after the marshal shot and killed a man who threatened the life of a sitting supreme court justice. In ordering the charges dropped, the Supreme Court explained that a federal official who ''is held in custody in violation of the Constitution or a law of the United States, or for an act done or omitted in pursuance of a law of the United States. . . must be discharged.''
If Hanlin believes that the federal government is acting unconstitutionally, he can file a lawsuit challenging the federal government's action. But local sheriffs are not permitted to use the powers of their office to thwart federal officials trying to carry out their own duties.
The reason why local sheriffs do not have this power should be obvious. If local law enforcement did have the power to decide on their own what the Constitution says, and then to enforce their idiosyncratic notions about our founding document against federal officials, then this would be a recipe for armed conflicts between federal and local officials.
UPDATEOCT 2, 2015 2:59 PM
TPM's Catherine Thompson reports that Hanlin also posted a link on Facebook to a Sandy Hook truther video called "The Sandy Hook Shooting - Fully Exposed."
Almost a year after she called for an investigation to discover which members of Congress are "anti-American," Minnesota's nuttiest lawmaker is back. In a recent appearance with Fox's Sean Hannity, Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann accused her colleagues of "forg[etting] what the Constitution says" because they are poised to pass comprehensive health-care reform. Not to be outdone, Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina told right-wing activists on a conference call last Thursday that health reform violates the 10th Amendment; he also called on state legislators and governors to "champion individual freedom" by resisting the bill. Two Florida lawmakers beat DeMint to the punch, having already introduced legislation to block health reform from taking effect in their state.
These efforts are all part of a movement whose members are convinced that the 10th Amendment of the Constitution prohibits spending programs and regulations disfavored by conservatives. Indeed, while "birther" conspiracy theorists dominate the airwaves with tales of a mystical Kenyan baby smuggled into Hawaii just days after his birth, these "tenther" constitutionalists offer a theory that is no less radical but infinitely more dangerous.
Tentherism, in a nutshell, proclaims that New Deal-era reformers led an unlawful coup against the "True Constitution," exploiting Depression-born desperation to expand the federal government's powers beyond recognition. Under the tenther constitution, Barack Obama's health-care reform is forbidden, as is Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. The federal minimum wage is a crime against state sovereignty; the federal ban on workplace discrimination and whites-only lunch counters is an unlawful encroachment on local businesses.
Tenthers divine all this from the brief language of the 10th Amendment, which provides that "the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." In layman's terms, this simply means that the Constitution contains an itemized list of federal powers -- such as the power to regulate interstate commerce or establish post offices or make war on foreign nations -- and anything not contained in that list is beyond Congress' authority.
The tenther constitution, however, reads each of these powers very narrowly -- too narrowly, it turns out, to permit much of the progress of the last century. As the nation emerges from the worst economic downturn in three generations, the tenthers would strip away the very reforms and economic regulations that beat back the Great Depression, and they would hamstring any attempt to enact new progressive legislation.
Such retreat to fringe constitutional theories is one of the right's favorite tactics during times of historic upheaval. The right-wing South justified both secession and the Civil War on the theory that the Constitution is nothing more than a pact between sovereigns that each state is free to leave at will. In the immediate wake of Brown v. Board of Education, 19 senators and 77 representatives endorsed a "Southern Manifesto," proclaiming -- in words echoed by modern-day tenthers -- that Brown "encroach[es] on the rights reserved to the States" because the "Constitution does not mention education." President Franklin Delano Roosevelt spent much of his first term combating a tenther majority on the Supreme Court, which routinely struck down substantial portions of the New Deal.
But Roosevelt's black-robed adversaries are unlike modern-day tenthers in two respects. Although the Supreme Court was dominated by tenthers for much of the early part of this century, Roosevelt had a powerful populist movement on his side. He won his landside re-election victory in 1936 in no small part by campaigning against the tenthers on the Court, and he used his second Inaugural Address to chide these justices, warning them that "the Constitution of 1787 did not make our democracy impotent." With a powerful and popular president lined up against them, the Court's tenther coalition broke, and America's economic policy has rested almost exclusively in elected officials' hands ever since.
Today, however, the tenthers tap into the same populist outrage that inspired a generation of working-class religious conservatives to enthusiastically vote against their own interests. Fox News star Glenn Beck exhorts his audience to "be a constitutional watchdog for America" by lining up against health-care reform, cap-and-trade legislation, and the stimulus package. Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, who enthusiastically backed a tenther "state sovereignty resolution," told a right-wing radio host that he is "willing and ready for the fight if this administration continues to try to force their very expansive government philosophy down our collective throats." Tenther-inspired claims that federal spending violates the Constitution are so common at "tea party" protests that it is impossible to tell where the tenthers end and the tea baggers begin.
In other words, it is all but certain that tenthers will play a significant role in selecting the GOP's presidential nominee in 2012. And if that nominee wins, the tenthers could even come to dominate the administration in the same way that the religious right set its hooks into George W. Bush.
Additionally, while the Depression-era justices provided much of the movement's intellectual framework, today's tenthers are extreme even by 1930s standards. The Constitution gives Congress the power "to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States," thus empowering the federal government to levy taxes and leverage these revenues to benefit the American people. Tenthers, however, insist that these words don't actually mean what they say, claiming that spending on things like health care, education, and Social Security is simply not allowed.
Their basis for ignoring the plain language of the Constitution is a statement by James Madison that federal spending is only really permitted when it advances one of Congress' other enumerated powers, such as by building a post office or funding a war. Since the words "health care" do not appear in the Constitution, there can't be any federal power to pay for health care, and the uninsured can eat cake.
Although tenthers are correct that Madison did make such a statement, his views hardly reflect the founding generation's consensus. Alexander Hamilton, the nation's first Treasury secretary and a co-author of Madison's Federalist Papers, emphatically rejected Madison's claim that the words "provide for the '... general welfare of the United States" have any kind of secret meaning. Moreover, it is not even clear that Madison still believed that the Constitution requires a decoder ring when he was elected to the White House. Justice Joseph Story, whom President Madison appointed to the Supreme Court, was a Hamiltonian.
If anything, the tenthers' invocation of Madison reflects the danger inherent in any appeal to the founding generation. Early American politics were at least as contentious as our own, and the framers debated the Constitution's meaning with just as much zeal and uncertainty as we bring to such arguments today. Indeed, the framers' many conflicting statements offer such a rich menu of viewpoints that it is possible to find a quotation to support nearly any political agenda.
More important, there is something fundamentally authoritarian about the tenther constitution. Social Security, Medicare, and health-care reform are all wildly popular, yet the tenther constitution would shackle our democracy and forbid Congress from enacting the same policies that the American people elected them to advance. After years of raging against mythical judges who "legislate from the bench," tenther conservatives now demand a constitution that will not let anyone legislate at all.
AuthorThomas PaineCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishPublishedJanuary 10, 1776Pages48Common Sense[1] is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775''76 that inspired people in the Thirteen Colonies to declare and fight for independence from Great Britain in the summer of 1776. The pamphlet explained the advantages of and the need for immediate independence in clear, simple language. It was published anonymously on January 10, 1776, at the beginning of the American Revolution and became an immediate sensation. It was sold and distributed widely and read aloud at taverns and meeting places.
Washington had it read to all his troops, which at the time had surrounded the British army in Boston. In proportion to the population of the colonies at that time (2.5 million), it had the largest sale and circulation of any book published in American history.[2] As of 2006, it remains the all-time best selling American title.[3]
Common Sense presented the American colonists with an argument for freedom from British rule at a time when the question of whether or not to seek independence was the central issue of the day. Paine wrote and reasoned in a style that common people understood. Forgoing the philosophical and Latin references used by Enlightenment era writers, he structured Common Sense as if it were a sermon, and relied on Biblical references to make his case to the people.[4] He connected independence with common dissenting Protestant beliefs as a means to present a distinctly American political identity.[5] Historian Gordon S. Wood described Common Sense as "the most incendiary and popular pamphlet of the entire revolutionary era".[6]
Publication historyThomas Paine began writing Common Sense in late 1775 under the working title of Plain Truth. With Benjamin Rush, who helped him edit it, publish it, and suggested the final title, Paine developed his ideas into a forty-eight page pamphlet. He published Common Sense anonymously because of its treasonable content. Rush recommended the printer Robert Bell, promising Paine that, where other printers might say no because of the content of the pamphlet, Bell would not hesitate nor delay its printing. Paine and Bell had a falling out, but Bell still felt strongly about printing a second edition. Bell added the phrase "Written by an Englishman" to his second edition without Paine's permission.[7] Paine had stressed that it was "the Doctrine, not the man" that was important. Paine wanted to remain anonymous for as long as possible and felt that even such a general phrase as Bell's addition would take attention away from the ideas in his pamphlet.[7]
This did not seem to matter; printed by Bell, Common Sense sold almost 100,000 copies in 1776,[8] and according to Paine, 120,000 copies were sold in the first three months. One biographer estimates that 500,000 copies sold in the first year (in both America and Europe '' predominantly France and Britain), and another writes that Paine's pamphlet went through twenty-five published editions in the first year alone.[6][9]
Aside from the printed pamphlet itself, there were many handwritten summaries and whole copies circulated. At least one newspaper, the Connecticut Courant, printed the entire pamphlet in its February 19, 1776, issue and there may have been others that did the same.[10] While it is difficult to achieve a fixed figure for the number of circulated copies, what is certain is that Paine's words reached far and wide out to most of America's 2.5 million colonists. His pamphlet was read at countless town meetings and gatherings even to those who could not read.
Paine managed to carefully maintain his anonymity, even during potent newspaper polemics generated by Robert Bell, for nearly three months. His name did not become officially connected with the independence controversy until March 30, 1776.[11] He donated his royalties from Common Sense to George Washington's Continental Army, saying:
As my wish was to serve an oppressed people, and assist in a just and good cause, I conceived that the honor of it would be promoted by my declining to make even the usual profits of an author.[12]
'--'¯Thomas Paine
As the controversy with Bell, which only served to fuel the pamphlet's sale and distribution, wore on, Paine publicly repudiated his copyright to give all colonial printers the legal right to issue their own edition.[12]
SectionsFour sections are noted on the title page, which quotes James Thomson's poem, "Liberty" (1735''36):
Man knows no master save creating Heaven,Or those whom choice and common good ordain.
'--'¯James Thomson, "Liberty"
I. Of the Origin and Design of Government in general, with concise Remarks on the English ConstitutionPaine begins this section by making a distinction between society and government, and then goes on to consider the relationship between government and society in a state of "natural liberty". He next tells a story of a few isolated people living in nature without government, and explains that the people find it easier to live together rather than apart; thus, they create a society. As the society grows, problems arise, and the people meet to make regulations in order to mitigate the problems. As the society continues to grow, a government becomes necessary to enforce these regulations, which over time, turn into laws. Soon, there are so many people within the society that they cannot all gather in one place to make the laws, so they begin holding elections. This, Paine argues, is the best balance between government and society. Having created this model of what the balance should be, Paine goes on to consider the Constitution of the United Kingdom.
Paine finds two tyrannies in the English constitution; monarchical and aristocratic tyranny, in the king and peers, who rule by heredity and contribute nothing to the people. Paine goes on to criticize the English constitution by examining the relationship between the king, the peers, and the commons.
II. Of Monarchy and Hereditary SuccessionIn the second section Paine considers monarchy first from a biblical perspective, then from a historical perspective. He begins by arguing that all men are equal at creation and, therefore, the distinction between kings and subjects is a false one. Several Bible verses are posed to support this claim. Paine then examines some of the problems that kings and monarchies have caused in the past and concludes:
In England a king hath little more to do than to make war and give away places; which in plain terms, is to impoverish the nation and set it together by the ears. A pretty business indeed for a man to be allowed eight hundred thousand sterling a year for, and worshipped into the bargain! Of more worth is one honest man to society and in the sight of God, than all the crowned ruffians that ever lived.
In this section, Paine also attacks one type of "mixed state" '' the constitutional monarchy promoted by John Locke in which the powers of government are separated between a Parliament or Congress that makes the laws, and a monarch who executes them. The constitutional monarchy, according to Locke, would limit the powers of the king sufficiently to ensure that the realm would remain lawful rather than easily becoming tyrannical. According to Paine, however, such limits are insufficient. In the mixed state, power will tend to concentrate into the hands of the monarch, permitting him eventually to transcend any limitations placed upon him. Paine questions why the supporters of the mixed state, since they concede that the power of the monarch is dangerous, wish to include a monarch in their scheme of government in the first place.
III. Thoughts on the Present State of American AffairsIn the third section Paine examines the hostilities between England and the American colonies and argues that the best course of action is independence. Paine proposes a Continental Charter (or Charter of the United Colonies) that would be an American Magna Carta. Paine writes that a Continental Charter "should come from some intermediate body between the Congress and the people" and outlines a Continental Conference that could draft a Continental Charter.[14] Each colony would hold elections for five representatives. These five would be accompanied by two members of the assembly of colonies, for a total of seven representatives from each colony in the Continental Conference. The Continental Conference would then meet and draft a Continental Charter that would secure ''freedom and property to all men, and'... the free exercise of religion.''[14] The Continental Charter would also outline a new national government, which Paine thought would take the form of a Congress.
Thomas Paine suggested that a congress may be created in the following way: each colony should be divided in districts; each district would "send a proper number of delegates to Congress".[14] Paine thought that each colony should send at least 30 delegates to Congress, and that the total number of delegates in Congress should be at least 390. The Congress would meet annually, and elect a president. Each colony would be put into a lottery; the president would be elected, by the whole congress, from the delegation of the colony that was selected in the lottery. After a colony was selected, it would be removed from subsequent lotteries until all of the colonies had been selected, at which point the lottery would start anew. Electing a president or passing a law would require three-fifths of the congress.
IV. On the Present Ability of America, with some Miscellaneous ReflectionsThe fourth section of the pamphlet includes Paine's optimistic view of America's military potential at the time of the revolution. For example, he spends pages describing how colonial shipyards, by using the large amounts of lumber available in the country, could quickly create a navy that could rival the Royal Navy.
Paine's arguments against British ruleIt was absurd for an island to rule a continent.America was not a "British nation"; but was composed of influences and peoples from all of Europe.Even if Britain were the "mother country" of America, that made her actions all the more horrendous, for no mother would harm her children so brutally.Being a part of Britain would drag America into unnecessary European wars, and keep her from the international commerce at which America excelled.The distance between the two nations made governing the colonies from England unwieldy. If some wrong were to be petitioned to Parliament, it would take a year before the colonies received a response.The New World was discovered shortly before the Reformation. The Puritans believed that God wanted to give them a safe haven from the persecution of British rule.Britain ruled the colonies for her own benefit, and did not consider the best interests of the colonists in governing Britain.ImpactThere were at least two reasons why Paine's brief pamphlet is believed to be "the most incendiary and popular pamphlet of the entire revolutionary era".[6] First, while the average colonist was more educated than their European counterpart, European and colonial elites agreed that common people had no place in government or political debates. Common Sense targeted a popular audience and was written in a straightforward and simple way, so Paine's political ideas were made tangible and available to a common audience. This brought average colonists into political debate, which created a whole new political language.[15] Those colonists who had not been taught how to read could hear the words of Common Sense at public gatherings, so even they were brought into this new political world. Paine's fresh style of political writing avoided use of complex Latin phrases and instead opted for a more direct, concise style that helped make the information accessible to everyone who read or heard its ideas.
The second reason involves the way the vast majority of colonists felt about the idea of independence from British rule. Before Common Sense was published, except for a few radical thinkers, the people of the American colonies were "on the fence" about independence. Individuals were in conflict with themselves, and there were those who leaned toward reconciliation with the British crown. George Trevelyan in his History of the American Revolution had this to say about Paine's pamphlet:
It would be difficult to name any human composition which has had an effect at once so instant, so extended and so lasting [...] It was pirated, parodied and imitated, and translated into the language of every country where the new republic had well-wishers. It worked nothing short of miracles and turned Tories into Whigs.[8]
There were those in high places who, while in agreement with Paine's sentiments, voiced criticism of his method. John Adams, who would succeed George Washington to become the new nation's second president, in his Thoughts on Government wrote that Paine's ideal sketched in Common Sense was "so democratical, without any restraint or even an attempt at any equilibrium or counter poise, that it must produce confusion and every evil work".[16] In spite of Adams' formidable influence most people praised Paine's brief booklet. The editors of The Thomas Paine Reader, Michael Foot and Isaac Kramnick, in their introduction to Common Sense wrote:
Published anonymously, Common Sense appeared on Philadelphia streets in January 1776. It was an instant success, and copies of the pamphlet were soon available in all the thirteen colonies. Paine's was an unequivocal call for independence, and many Americans wavering between reconciliation with and independence from Britain were won over to separation by Paine's powerful polemic against monarchy, in general, and the British [monarchy], in particular.[17]
The impact of Common Sense was to influence American colonists, both educated and uneducated, to come down from their fences, to feel they were part of a greater whole, and to embrace independence from the British monarchy.[8]
See alsoNotes^Full title '' Common Sense; Addressed to the Inhabitants of America, on the Following Interesting Subjects.^Conway (1893).^Harvey J. Kaye, Thomas Paine And The Promise of America, (New York: Hill and Wang 2005). ISBN 0-8090-9344-8, 43.^Wood (2002), pp. 55-56.^Anthony J. Di Lorenzo, "Dissenting Protestantism as a Language of Revolution in Thomas Paine's Common Sense" in Eighteenth-Century Thought, Vol. 4, 2009. ISSN 1545-0449.^ abcWood (2002), p. 55.^ abAldridge (1984), p. 42.^ abcFoot, Kramnick (1987). p 10.^Isaac Kramnick, "Introduction," in Thomas Paine, Common Sense (New York: Penguin, 1986), 8^Aldridge (1984), p. 45.^Aldridge (1984), p. 43.^ abCraig Nelson, Thomas Paine: Enlightenment, Revolution, and the Birth of Modern Nations (New York: Penguin, 2007), 90.^Paine, Common Sense, excerpted from The Thomas Paine Reader, p. 79^ abcPaine, Common Sense, 96-97.^Eric Foner, Tom Paine and Revolutionary America (1976)^Foot, Kramnick (1987). p 11.^Foot, Kramnick (1987). p 65.ReferencesFerguson, Robert A. "The Commonalities of Common Sense." William & Mary Quarterly (2000) 57#3 pp 465-504 in JSTORFoner, Eric. Tom Paine and Revolutionary America (2004)Jordan, Winthrop D. "Familial Politics: Thomas Paine and the Killing of the King, 1776." Journal of American History (1973): 294-308. in JSTORNelson, Craig. Thomas Paine: Enlightenment, Revolution, and the Birth of Modern Nations. New York: Penguin Books, 2007.Conway, Moncure Daniel (1893), The Life of Thomas Paine, Ch. VI. Wood, Gordon S. (2002), The American Revolution: A History, New York: Modern Library, ISBN 0-679-64057-6 Aldridge, A. Owen (1984), Thomas Paine's American ideology, University of Delaware Press, ISBN 0-874-13260-6 Primary sourcesPaine, Thomas (1986) [1776], Kramnick, Isaac, ed., Common Sense, New York: Penguin Classics, ISBN 0-14-039016-2 Foot, Michael and Kramnick, Isaac, eds. (1987). The Thomas Paine Reader. Penguin Classics. ISBN 0-14-044496-3External links
Trump: Mental Illness, Not Guns, To Blame For America's Mass Shooting Problem - NBC News
In the wake of America's most recent mass shooting, Republican front-runner Donald Trump said, "It's not a gun problem, it's a mental illness problem."
In a one-on-one interview with Chuck Todd for "Meet the Press," Trump said he watched and understands President Obama's statement urging action to curb mass violence in the wake of the Oregon shooting. But he added, "Guns, no guns, doesn't matter. You have people that are mentally ill and they're going to come through the cracks and they're going to do things that people will not even believe are possible." Trump has previously iterated the message that mass shootings and gun violence are more the product of broken mental health systems than proof of the need for tighter gun control laws.
When asked why it seems these acts of mass violence are more prevalent in the United States than other countries, Trump responded, "I think what we have is we have copy cats. I think that they watch it and they see it here more than other places."
More from Chuck Todd's interview with Donald Trump will air Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Mental Illness is the wrong scapegoat after mass shootings | Research News @ Vanderbilt | Vanderbilt University
by Amy Wolf | Dec. 11, 2014, 10:57 AM | Want more research news? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter >>
In the shadow of the two-year anniversary of one of the worst mass shootings in American history, at Sandy Hook Elementary School, an extensive new study by two Vanderbilt University researchers challenges common assumptions about gun violence and mental illness that often emerge in the aftermath of mass shootings.
Jonathan Metzl (Vanderbilt University)
When a mass shooting occurs, there seems to be a familiar narrative that untreated mental illness is the primary cause for the terrifying act. But a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health by Dr. Jonathan Metzl and Kenneth T. MacLeish finds that an isolated focus on mental illness is misguided.
''Gun discourse after mass shootings often perpetuates the fear that 'some crazy person is going to come shoot me,''' said Metzl, the study's lead author. ''But if you look at the research, it's not the 'crazy' person you have to fear.''
Mentally ill not violentIn the article, ''Mental Illness, Mass Shootings and the Politics of American Firearms,'' Metzl and MacLeish analyze data and literature linking guns and mental illness over the past 40 years. They found that despite societal pre-conceived notions, most mentally ill people are not violent.
''Fewer than 5 percent of the 120,000 gun-related killings in the United States between 2001 and 2010 were perpetrated by people diagnosed with mental illness,'' they write.
Four myths arise after mass shootingsTheir research uncovered four central myths that arise in the aftermath of mass shootings:
Mental illness causes gun violence.Psychiatric diagnosis can predict gun crime before it happens.U.S. mass shootings ''prove'' that we should fear mentally ill loners.Because of the complex psychiatric histories of mass shooters, gun control ''won't prevent'' mass shootings.They stress that all four of these are incorrect, though understandable, assumptions.
''Our research finds that across the board, the mentally ill are 60 to 120 percent more likely than the average person to be the victims of violent crime rather than the perpetrators.''
Misdirected blameMetzl and MacLeish find that the focus on mental illness after horrific, yet statistically rare, mass shootings misdirects people from the bigger issues tied to preventing gun deaths in the United States.
''There are 32,000 gun deaths in the United States on average every year, and people are far more likely to be shot by relatives, friends or acquaintances than they are by lone violent psychopaths,'' Metzl said.
''We should set our attention and gun policies on the everyday shootings, not on the sensational shootings, because there we will get much more traction in preventing gun crime.''
Mental health screening can't prevent gun crimeThe presumed link between mental illness and gun violence has led to calls for mental health screening for gun owners. But the authors find that psychiatric diagnosis is in and of itself not predictive of violence.
''Even the overwhelming majority of psychiatric patients who fit the profile of recent U.S. mass shooters '' gun-owning, angry, paranoid white men '' do not commit crimes,'' Metzl and MacLeish write.
''Basing gun crime-prevention efforts on the mental health histories of mass shooters risks building 'common evidence' from 'uncommon things,' all while giving mental health providers the untenable responsibility of preventing the next massacre.''
Signs to predict gun violenceThe authors detail how focusing solely on mental illness ignores those factors that do predict gun violence more broadly:
Drug and alcohol useHistory of violenceAccess to firearmsPersonal relationship stress''People are far more likely to be shot by relatives, friends, enemies or acquaintances than they are by lone violent psychopaths,'' according to Metzl and MacLeish's research.
Kenneth MacLeish (Vanderbilt University)
Mental health systemsThe authors argue in the paper that lawmakers and voters should pay much more attention to mental health systems such as access to mental health care, medication and health insurance.
''In a way, it is a failure of the system often that becomes represented as a failure of the individual,'' Metzl said.
Race, gender and anxietyThe authors also delve into to the ways that responses to mass shootings reflect cultural anxieties about race and gender.
''The rhetoric in which people are accumulating guns in the present day has a lot to do with the fear of the unknown stranger. 'Somebody could come attack me or my family, so we need to protect ourselves.' And that rhetoric is most common among suburban white men,'' Metzl said.
The authors uncover how the political and racial strife in the 1960s led some African Americans to push for their constitutional right to own and carry guns, while some white Americans at the time, including the National Rifle Association, pushed for stricter gun control laws.
''The gun rights statements of the Black Panthers and other black power groups in the 1960s reads almost exactly the same as the pro-gun rhetoric of the Tea Party today,'' Metzl said. ''Both groups argued that they're protecting themselves from government tyranny and have a constitutional right as individuals to bear arms.''
Yet Metzl adds that in the '60s, American society rushed to pathologize ''black culture'' while restricting gun rights, while in the present day our narratives locate the problem on individual white brains while at the same time encouraging further gun ownership.
Metzl and MacLeish teach at the Center for Medicine, Health and Society at Vanderbilt, an innovative multidisciplinary center that studies the social and societal dimensions of health and illness. Its scholarship, teaching and wide-ranging collaborative projects explore medicine and science in an array of cultural contexts, while at the same time fostering productive dialogue across disciplinary boundaries.
The paper will be published in the February issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
Media Inquiries:Amy Wolf, (615) 322-NEWSamy.wolf@vanderbilt.edu
Skip Article Header. Skip to: Start of Article.Click to expand the infographic. WIREDPresident Obama, in a heartfelt response to the nation's latest mass shooting, called on journalists to compare the number of Americans killed by gun violence and the number of Americans killed by terrorism.
The results? It's not even close. In a recent 10-year period, guns killed more than 112 times as many American citizens as terrorists did.
But we thought we'd take a deeper look. Of course guns kill more people than terrorists. A lot of things kill more people than terrorists, and heart disease is far and away the biggest killer. But the government's priorities on funding preventative measures don't always correspond with the country's biggest threats.
Lets look at guns first. Firearms killed more than 346,681 people between 2003 and 2013, the last year for which numbers were available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the same period, terrorist attacks killed 312 US citizens, according to data from the US State Department and the Council on Foreign Affairs.
That's an average of 28 people a year. Compare that to the average of 31,516 gun deaths each year. In 2013, guns killed nearly twice as many people in the United States as terrorists did worldwide. And of those gun deaths, many'--more than half in 2013'--were suicides, not homicides.
Now, terrorists use guns. And that's where the data get complicated, because there isn't always a clean division between gun violence and terrorism. According to the State Department, terrorism is ''premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents'....'' But the CDC classifies all gun deaths together in one category. There's no separate ''gun deaths from terrorism'' column in their annual data report, and if there were, it wouldn't rank among other common causes of death.
But even with all those caveats in mind, the President made his point, and the data support it.
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#IAmAChristian: Dr. Ben Carson Lights Up Facebook in Response to Oregon School Shooting - Breitbart
In one of several consecutive Facebook posts, Carson urges his millions of followers to change their Facebook photograph to an image of a hashtag: #IAmAChristian. The other Facebook photograph shows Carson holding up a piece of paper with the words ''I am a Christian'' written on it.
Facebook / Dr. Ben Carson
''Please consider changing your profile picture to honor the victims and their families,'' Carson writes under the one with the hashtag photograph.
''Yes, #IAmAChristian,'' Carson writes under the one with the photograph of him.
A third post gives a more detailed message from Dr. Carson explaining his thought process behind the slogan:
Today, many of your questions were in regards to the sorrowful event that took so many precious lives in Oregon yesterday. We don't have all the details yet, but as time passes more are coming out. Millions of people are posting pictures of themselves declaring they are Christians in support of the victims and their families. I did so on Facebook this afternoon. If you have a moment, please consider doing it as well. Email me your pictures and I will put them on the website. Send them to pics@bencarson.com.
It is times like these when We the People must be United!
As I sit here, I must be honest with you '' I was planning to answer more questions, but now it seems inappropriate. I would like to spend this night together remembering how important each life is '' please join me in praying for the victims and their families. Please pray for the healing of our Great Nation.
An eyewitness of Thursday's shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon said that the killer, named by police as Chris Harper-Mercer, asked students about their faith and executed those who professed to be Christians.
''A gunman singled out Christians, telling them they would see God in 'one second,' during a rampage at an Oregon college Thursday that left at least nine innocent people dead and several more wounded, survivors and authorities said,'' the New York Post reported.
The Post quoted Stacy Boylen, a woman whose daughter was wounded in the shootings, to detail exactly how the gunman targeted Christians: ''[He started] asking people one by one what their religion was. 'Are you a Christian?' he would ask them, and if you're a Christian, stand up. And they would stand up and he said, 'Good, because you're a Christian, you are going to see God in just about one second.' And then he shot and killed them.''
Democrats, including President Barack Obama, have seized the shooting as an opportunity to push for more gun control. But Carson has instead put the focus on mental health issues in America''and now on the fact that the shooter reportedly targeted those of Christian faith.
''Well, obviously, there are going to be those who are going to be calling for gun control,'' Carson said in an interview with Hugh Hewitt on Thursday. ''But you know, that happens every time we have one of these incidents. Obviously, that's not the issue. The issue is the mentality of these people. And we need to be looking at the mentality of these individuals and seeing if there are any early warning clues that we can gather that will help us as a society to be able to identify these people ahead of time.''
Carson's Facebook page has more than 4 million followers, and both photographs are already going viral. The candidate's brilliant use of social media'--among many other things'--has helped propel him to the top tier of the 2016 GOP pack.
He's also used social media as a tool to become one of the field's most prolific fundraisers from grassroots donors, hauling in $20 million last quarter in mostly small dollar donations from all over America.
Along with billionaire businessman Donald Trump and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina'--who all together are polling at more than 50 percent in the GOP primary in most polls'--Carson has also never held political office before in his life.
Compared with Washington establishment contenders like Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, among others'--who have proven they can only coalesce a small portion of the electorate behind them'--Carson, Fiorina and Trump have continually expanded their reach as they climb in polls and reach more people than traditional establishment Republicans with tools like social media and by using non-traditional campaign tactics. Trump has touted his relationship with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, while Carson has talked with internationally acclaimed rap artist Kanye West.
Barack Obama's Outright Lie To The American People Following Shooting Tragedy
Speaking at the White House on Thursday evening, a visibly frustrated and emotional President Obama remarked on the deadly shooting at a community college in Oregon. (AP)
This story was originally posted on Aug. 27. In the wake of President Obama's comments comparing terror deaths to gun deaths following the shooting in Oregon, we've updated the figures and republished the article.
In an interview with a local television station in Philadelphia in August, President Obama drew a distinction between the effects of gun violence and terrorism.
"What we know," he told ABC in an interview, "is that the number of people who die from gun-related incidents around this country dwarfs any deaths that happen through terrorism."
Outside of the context of the interview, it's hard to know what point Obama was hoping to make. It's fairly safe to assume, though, that he was contrasting the amount of energy and resources focused on the threat of terrorism in the United States with the amount of attention paid to gun violence.
It's incontrovertibly true that more people in America die from gun violence each year than die from terrorism. How "terrorism" is defined can be tricky, as we've noted in the past, but we can look at data compiled by the Global Terrorism Database at the University of Maryland.
It estimates that 18 people died in terror attacks in the United States last year '-- of 3,521 total between 1970 and 2014. By comparison, the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive figures that 9,948 people have been killed by gun violence so far in 2015 alone.
The government releases annual metrics on firearm deaths. The most recently available are from 2013. Comparing annual firearm homicides to terror deaths in the United States offers a starker contrast.
Incidentally, if you consider firearm suicides as a form of gun violence, the red bars above would all more-than-double. In 2013, there were 11,208 firearm homicides and 21,175 firearm suicides.
The contrast between terror and gun deaths appears to hold true globally as well. International terrorism deaths have increased over the past few years, the result of the conflict in the Middle East. But comparing data from the Global Terrorism Database to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime '-- data that doesn't even include every country, looks only at gun homicides, and includes only a handful of countries for 2010 '-- the discrepancy is clear.
So: Obama's factual point is accurate. His political one '-- assuming we're understanding it correctly '-- is iffier.
The data above probably say more about the small effect of terrorism than it does about the large effect of gun violence. Gun violence is real and pervasive, of course, but you could make the same point about fatalities that result from car crashes or from heart disease. The number of people who die from those things dwarfs the number of deaths from terrorism, too.
Using data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (as of 2013) and estimates from the American Cancer Society for 2015, we can compare those factors to 2014 terrorism.
There are a lot of other factors that can be overlaid here to add some gray space: preventability, trends, definitions. Regardless, it's clear that terrorism holds an outsized role in political debate for the demonstrated threat it poses to American citizens. It's less clear, using solely the metric of annual deaths, that gun violence should then necessarily be the first priority.
Philip Bump writes about politics for The Fix. He is based in New York City.
Ideally, time will prove me crazy and incorrect, but approaching the Trump candidacy as a comedy sketch that will never come true could potentially be the most tragic mistake this country will ever make, and you don't need to look any further than the publicly documented words and actions of the man himself to see just how true that is. We talk about it on this week's Unpopular Opinion podcast ...
... where I'm joined by my Cracked co-worker Randol Maynard and comic/activist/word doctor Genevieve Mueller. Specifically, we talk about all of the terrifyingly real ways that, no matter how crazy it sounds, Donald Trump is the closest the United States has ever come to producing our very own version of Adolf Hitler. Here are a few reasons why.
#5. He Blames A Specific Group Of Immigrants For All Our Problems (And Promises To Eliminate Them From Our Society)Flickr/Gage Skidmore
Seriously, while you've been chuckling it up about Donald Trump's crazy hair and stupid facial expressions, have you taken a few minutes to read his nightmare scenario of an immigration policy? It's right there on his website for the world to see, and it is nothing short of terrifying. It kicks off with his three "core principals" of immigration reform:
donaldjtrump.comComforting!
If that first point doesn't make it clear enough that he's specifically referring to Mexican immigrants, his plan to pay for that wall certainly does. In short, he wants Mexico to pay for it. Why? Because they've been "taking advantage" of us by sending millions of illegal immigrants our way for decades now, to the absolute financial ruin of the average American. Covering all of the problems with that logic could be an article all its own, but what's particularly audacious and, in my opinion, just as revealing is his suggestion that Mexico has benefited from the "faulty trade deals" we've made with them. He's undoubtedly referring to the North American Free Trade Agreement, which is ironic as all get-out, because one of the most devastating side effects of that program was that it flooded the Mexican market with U.S. government subsidized corn, forcing millions of farmers in that country out of business.
Inevitably, this led to huge numbers of people migrating north to look for work, often in the agriculture industry. This influx of workers willing to do tedious, sometimes back-breaking manual labor in return for absurdly low wages undoubtedly played a huge role in keeping American farms afloat.
I say his reference to NAFTA is revealing because, at the end of the day, Donald Trump is a businessman. He knows all about who reaped the financial rewards of NAFTA, and it for damn sure wasn't Mexico. So, if you're the type who's numbing the terror of the coming Trump presidency by assuring yourself that all he cares about is money, you're probably right. It's just that now he's landed on a way to once again capitalize ...
commons.wikimedia.orgTrump International Border Wall-Casino-Hotel isn't just going to build itself.
... on one of the most lopsided trade agreements in history by recasting the victims of its most egregious ramifications into the villains who used it to "take America to the cleaners."
Even scarier is exactly how he plans to make "Mexico" pay for that wall. Among his chief complaints are "remittances" or, in layman's terms, money that illegal immigrants earn and send back to their families in their home country. According to his sources, that totaled $22 billion in 2013 alone. Think about that -- to pay for a wall to keep people from coming to this country looking for a better way to support their family, he's going to somehow take that money from millions of people who are here right now just because they wanted to make life a little better for their family. He doesn't say exactly how he'll accomplish that part, which makes the fact that this bit is so vague unspeakably uncomfortable.
donaldjtrump.comWhat are you??!??!!?
What's that all about? Whatever it is, I can't help but think it will be bad times for people working illegally in this country who might have money in transit to people at home when it takes effect. It could be something as simple as forcing businesses to register all their employees to prove they aren't working here illegally and forfeiting some of those businesses' assets in the name of cutting off those remittance payments if it's found that they are. So, while you hear "make Mexico pay" and laugh it off, what he could just as easily mean is "freeze the bank accounts of businesses that are found to be employing illegal immigrants." If there's anything our government has had plenty of practice at over the past decade or so, it's taking the money of groups we determine to somehow be a threat to our safety. What he's actually proposing is only crazy if you want it to be.
He also stretches the premise to include crime, going into detail about an incident where two illegal immigrants attacked and killed a woman with a hammer. He touched on that idea early in his campaign also, when a woman in San Francisco was tragically shot and killed by a man who was also here illegally. He referred to San Francisco as a "sanctuary city" for illegal immigrants at the time and promised to stop that kind of thing if he gets elected. If that sounds like some kind of empty threat, his immigration policy makes it clear that it's not.
donaldjtrump.comYou shouldn't worry about money in a sanctuary. Just enjoy yourself.
Right, but "sanctuary city" is just some kind of made-up talking-point phrase, right? Not really. There's something taking hold in this country right now that's spread to 57 cities so far called the "welcoming movement." Basically, it involves cities taking in mass amounts of refugees from various war-torn or otherwise devastated regions around the world. At some point, his immigration policy stops limiting itself to Mexicans crossing the border and starts referencing the 2 million or so people we allow in the country as guest workers, refugees, and dependents.
The "dependents" part is particularly chilling when you read that part of his policy involves eliminating "birthright citizenship," which is the idea that if you were born in this country, you're a citizen of this country. That's how it works now, but it wouldn't be quite that easy in Trump's version of America. If you're the child of parents who are here illegally, you might as well have been born in Mexico. Cities that refuse to see it that way will be "defunded." In other words, providing aid and shelter to immigrants will have severe consequences for those who depend on government assistance to survive. So, poor people, of course.
The plan concludes by promising that all of this is meant to help Americans struggling in poverty fight their way to the middle class ... and that's when the implications get even more terrifying.
#4. He'll Sell His Hate As Hope For The Poorest Citizens In This CountryFlickr/Michael Vadon
Do I even need to tell you why anything in the previous entry reeks of Nazism? If so, take a quick read through Hitler's 25-point plan for the Nazi party, which mostly just says Jews need to be expelled from the country because they're a drain on resources that should be going toward making life better for natural German citizens. Life was rough in Germany at the time, and at some point it got so rough that people were willing to go along with blaming it all on Jews if the plan offered some sort of hope that things would get better.
Mention the parallels between Trump and Hitler to most people today, and they'll point out that things aren't nearly as bad in this country as they were in Germany at the time. What these people will all inevitably have in common is that they're white.
By the end of the first paragraph of his immigration plan, it's clear that Trump's not just hoping to appeal to white racists, if at all.
donaldjtrump.comWhen you see it ...
At several points he goes to great lengths to suggest that black and Hispanic people in poor communities are among the biggest victims when it comes to losing jobs at the hands of illegal immigration (the link just points to a Breitbart article; also, foreshadowing alert), and that reform in that area should be largely aimed at helping them prosper and reach the middle class.
So, if you're among those who think the country is in too good of shape to elect Donald Trump, imagine you live in an inner-city neighborhood in a place like Baltimore or Chicago. You can't, because you don't, but you know it's pretty fucking terrible because you watch The Wire like a responsible adult should. Are you thinking about those communities when you say America is too well off for things to get out of hand? The ones you tweeted all the hashtags about, for example?
Even worse, it's not just minorities he mentions; it's teens. Someone wanting to draw some Nazi parallels might refer to them as youths. Wait, wait, wait ... "What the hell does Donald Trump have to offer young black voters?" you ask? I can't know for sure, but before I make a suggestion, have a look at this creepy shit.
donaldjtrump.comHe's really pitching those fringe white racists pretty hard, huh?
A refugee program for American kids? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Sure, we've had a natural disaster or two that sent people fleeing into the welcoming arms of a strange state, but since when do we need a running program that offers American kids a place to flee to? And what are they fleeing from?
Guns and poverty, dummy! See all those links in his pitch about kids needing a refugee program? It's my job to click them for you right now! They are:
- A statement from Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte called "Asylum Abuse: Is It Overwhelming Our Borders?"
- A Breitbart column with the headline, "3 In 4 Refugees On Food Stamps, Many Using Other Forms Of Public Assistance"
- A (say it with me) Breitbart column with the heading, "Black American From Gang-Besieged Baltimore: 'Where Can I Get Asylum?'"
Typical Trump rhetoric, yeah? But remember who he's saying it to. He's not even looking in the direction of the "vocal minority" we think he's catering to; this is tied to his reasoning for taking "American" kids without parents out of their current situation and placing them somewhere more stable. You know, maybe with a little more opportunity, even. I feel kind of weird putting "American" in quotes back there, but please know that I did it only to remind you that, if you click that link, you'll see he's speaking to one very specific community.
breitbart.comOrioles fans?
I don't think I need to remind you, since you did change your profile picture that one time so you already know, but it's a community that, for a long time, has felt like the people in power have not only ignored their problems but actively participated in making them worse.
So, what if, instead of selling deporting Mexican immigrants to fringe conspiracy theorists on the far right, he goes directly to the poorest inner-city neighborhoods and sells it as Mexicans taking opportunities that could just as easily be theirs? Remember, he's not just wanting to deport people here illegally currently; he wants no more birthright citizenship at all. Would that be retroactive to kids who already have it? I don't know, but he's devout in his claims that deporting illegal immigrants won't break up families, so you do the math.
And, make no mistake, filling the jobs left behind by immigrants being forced out of this country is absolutely a need he'll have to address. We learned that the hard way when Georgia imposed strict enforcement of bans on employing undocumented workers. Farmers quickly lost an astounding 40 percent of their workforce and, in turn, about $140 million in crops that were left untended due to labor shortages. When they tried to stop the bleeding by "allowing" prison inmates to do the work instead, the plan failed when most of them balked at being asked to perform such grueling tasks.
So ... he's going to sell teens on deporting immigrants by promising that they'll get sweet farming jobs that even criminals don't want?
commons.wikimedia.comPass.
Maybe a shot at washing a dish or two? Nope. Stripping away birthright citizenship wouldn't just drain the workforce; schools would feel it in a huge way as well, from grade school all the way through college. Maybe escaping the streets of Chicago to work on a farm isn't appealing enough to make any young voters vote yes on what definitely won't turn into a genocide situation of some sort, but going to college on the taxpayers dime somewhere in California might.
How's that for an uncomfortable situation for a liberal to be in? It's not like kids of illegal immigrants going to taxpayer-funded schools isn't a thing that comes up in the immigration debate. There's a Breitbart article about it and everything. What happens when Trump turns that around and asks his rivals to explain why children of illegal immigrants deserve that kind of thing more than children of parents who were born here? Parents who may not even be around anymore, because they live in a constant cycle of poverty and violence that consumes families on a daily basis. A cycle those kids are still forced to live in every day. What does the other side say to that? You can't exactly blame it on not wanting to send innocent kids back to a country that's overrun by guns and violence when you're addressing a demographic living under those exact conditions, you know? Who's speaking for them? Who can offer them some sort of hope or opportunity? I hate to say it, but at some point, the clearest answer to that question is going to be Donald Trump.
donaldjtrump.comOh, look, there's an eagle over his shoulder!
Remember, he wants to shut down immigration of all sorts, including those "welcoming" areas that let refugees from other countries seek refuge in their city and enjoy their taxpayer-funded social services. As I write this he's going on record to say he'd allow zero Syrian refugees in this country. So what becomes of those "sanctuary cities" that have programs in place that help immigrants and refugees assimilate to life in a new place with more opportunity? If I'm connecting the dots correctly, it sounds like they'll be expected to replace those refugees from foreign countries with refugees from poverty- and crime-ridden American cities, or risk having their government funding cut altogether.
Still, that is going to leave all those shitty farm jobs out there left to do. Who gets stuck with that work? Easy answer!
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Hillary Clinton: White House Dream Is Over - The National Enquirer
Failing health and a deadly thirst for power are driving Hillary Clinton to an early grave, The National ENQUIRER has learned in a bombshell investigation.
The desperate and deteriorating 67-year-old won't make it to the White House '-- because she'll be dead in six months, sources told The ENQUIRER.
Amazingly, her ultra-competitive husband is the one pressuring her to stay on the campaign trail despite her decline!
To read all about Hillary's debilitating health woes, buy the latest issue of The ENQUIRER '-- on newsstands now!
SnowJob!
APPLE SPIES-Kevin Lynch (computing) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kevin Lynch is an American software developer. He is currently vice president of technology at Apple Inc., after working as the chief technology officer of Adobe Systems.[1] At Apple, Lynch has been responsible for developing the software of Apple's smartwatch project, the Apple Watch, a device he demonstrated at a press conference in September 2014.
Before Adobe, Lynch worked for Macromedia, joining Adobe when it acquired Macromedia in 2005.[2] During his time at Adobe, Lynch was a staunch advocate of Flash, Adobe's multimedia software platform, and has been critical of Apple for hindering the use of Flash on its mobile devices, the iPhone and iPad.[2]
References[edit]External links[edit]
Former Boeing Executive James Bell Joins Apple's Board of Directors - Mac Rumors
Apple today announced that former Boeing chief financial officer and corporate president James Bell has joined Apple's board of directors. Calling himself an "avid user of Apple products" with "tremendous respect" for Apple's ability to innovate, Bell brings nearly four decades of experience at Boeing to Apple's board.''James brings a wealth of global, financial and industrial experience from his successful career at Boeing as corporate president and CFO,'' said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. ''I am thrilled to welcome him to Apple's board of directors and I look forward to working with him.''
''We look for outstanding individuals to strengthen our board's breadth of talent and depth of knowledge, and we are very happy to have identified a fantastic person in James Bell,'' said Art Levinson, Apple's chairman. ''I'm confident that he will make many important contributions to Apple.''
Bell becomes the eighth member of Apple's board of directors, joining CEO Tim Cook, board chairman and former Genentech executive Art Levinson, Al Gore, Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger, Grameen president and CEO Andrea Jung, former Northrop Grumman chairman and CEO Ron Sugar, and BlackRock co-founder Sue Wagner.(Photo courtesy of JPMorgan Chase)
Tags: Apple Board of Directors, James Bell
''Snowden'' Pops Back Up on Twitter'... CISA is Being Made Ready in the Senate'... Go Figure
I wrote about the ''Edward Snowden'' character rising from the ashes on Twitter yesterday (he now has close to a million followers). They He started up an influence peddling Twitter account for the first time and immediately he had 90k or so personas following him. I wrote (in part):
Of course, we all know by now that the Freedom Act (brought to you by the work of folks like Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras and ''Edward Snowden'') empowers companies like Verizon to harvest all your data and communications and use them as they see fit. All they need now is the new CISPA (CISA) and they will have their fascist control grid in place. Scott Creighton
So guess what's happening this week? That's right'... it's back.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is reportedly believed to be considering resurrecting the controversial bill (CISA), claims The Politico, a DC area political newspaper. Sputnik International
Senate sources are divided on how sure it is that the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act will return this week, but it looks like it's at least an option. One Senate source told MC that it was ''likely.'' Another said it was ''all very uncertain'' and ''technically possible, but nothing definitive.'' Politico
According to Politico, the House Armed Services Committee's Emerging Threats and Capabilities subcommittee is having a big cyber security push this week with testimony from all sorts of various alphabet agencies and neocon-looking NGOs (Center for a New American Security and Center for Strategic and International Studies)
Apparently, now is the time to finally crack down on the interwebs and silence as much dissent as possible. The best move they have for achieving that goal, is to empower Big Business to do it for them so they can make some money in the process.
I wonder if this has anything to do with it?
Russia's upper house of parliament on Wednesday approved the country's armed forces to be used abroad.
The decision includes only the use of the Air Force and does not foresee any ground troops operations, Kremlin Administration Aide Sergei Ivanov said Wednesday.
Syrian President Bashar Assad has turned to Russia with a request for military assistance, according to Ivanov. Sputnik International'--''
Trying to take this site to the next level via video production is taking a bit of time and effort and it's going to require some equipment I simply don't have the money to acquire at this time. If you can, please help with that process. Anything you can do will be appreciated. I'm putting off fixing my car in order to facilitate this process. I could certainly use your help. ThanksCLEARLY WE NEED INDEPENDENT MEDIANOW MORE THAT EVERPlease help keep us up and running if you can.Speaking truth ABOUT power since June 26, 2007(For my mailing address, please email me at RSCdesigns@tampabay.rr.com)
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Filed under: Aaron Swartz, CIA are the Real Terrorists, CISA, CISPA, NSA "Leak" Scandal, Scott Creighton
F- Germany
Happy Reunification day to Germany (25)
Dealer insider 10 years of scamming testing Industry wide known scam
Hoi Adam, een hele goede vriend van mij heeft een garage en is zijn hele leven al monteur, voornamelijk bedrijfswagens. Hij vertelde mij dat iedereen dit in de autowereld al minimaal 10 jaar weet. Het wordt zelfs op cursussen vertelt, de auto herkent een bepaald patroon en schakelt meteen naar de testsoftware, in de autobeanche is dit dus algemeen bekend en geaccepteerd en het is niet alleen bij vw maar bij alle merken. Ook bij motoren is het niet veel anders, op een nieuwe endurocrosser bijvoorbeeld zitten heel veel restricties zoals een gasklep die maar 25% open gaat anders zou hij nooit een typegoedkeuring krijgen. Bij elke nieuwe afgeleverde motor haalt de dealer deze restricties er meteen allemaal af anders gaat een crosser bv niet harder san 75 km/h. Iedereen weet hoe dit werkt, ook bij de rdw maar iedereen sluit zijn ogen ervoor, en terecht
Daimler email about diesel affair
Dear Colleagues,
The "diesel affair" has dominated the media for the past two weeks, and it has naturally been the subject of lively discussion also amongst the workforce. Let us therefore say plainly and simply: Our vehicles are not manipulated and have not been manipulated in the past!
We have never used a so-called "defeat device" – a function that improperly restricts the effectiveness of exhaust-gas aftertreatment. That applies to all of our diesel and gasoline engines worldwide. We comply with applicable laws and regulations and vigorously reject any accusations to the contrary.
We share the indignation about the use of unlawful means to manipulate emission tests, but we defend ourselves against any tendency to cast suspicions of deception on our company. That is exactly what happens when other issues (such as the difference due to the laws of physics between standard fuel consumption and real fuel consumption) are mixed up with unlawful conduct, leading to accusations of deception against the entire automobile industry.
Quite the contrary is true, that we support the preparation of new laws at the European level that should specify more realistic test procedures. We cooperate openly, trustfully and constructively with the responsible authorities, as we have done for many years now, by the way.
Please pass on this information actively. The message is crystal clear: We do not manipulate!
Thank you and best regards,
Dieter Zetsche Wolfgang Bernhard Christine Hohmann-Dennhardt Ola Källenius
Wilfried Porth Hubertus Troska Bodo Uebber Thomas Weber
Migrants!
Hamburg legt beslag voor migranten|Buitenland| Telegraaf.nl
HAMBURG - Hamburg wil beslag leggen op leegstaande gebouwen om vluchtelingen in onder te brengen. Het parlement van de Duitse Hanzestad keurde een wet goed die dat mogelijk maakt, aldus Duitse media vrijdag. Het gaat niet om particuliere huizen maar om hallen waar veel mensen in kunnen.
Hamburg kampt met een grote toevlucht van ontheemden en is naarstig op zoek naar plaatsen om de mensen onder te brengen. Per dag komen vier- tot vijfhonderd asielzoekers in de havenstad aan.
De wet is omstreden. Volgens deskundigen zijn er op dit moment geen argumenten om een zo zwaarwegend besluit te nemen.
(C) 1996-2015 TMG Landelijke Media B.V., Amsterdam.Alle rechten voorbehouden.e-mail: redactie-i@telegraaf.nlGebruiksvoorwaarden | Privacy | Cookies | Cookie-voorkeuren
Ministry of Truth
FBI '-- Owner of Polygraph.com Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Training Customers to Lie
WASHINGTON'--A former Oklahoma City law enforcement officer and the owner of Polygraph.com has been sentenced to two years in prison for training customers to lie and conceal crimes and other misconduct during polygraph examinations.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, Assistant Commissioner Matthew Klein of U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Internal Affairs and Special Agent in Charge Scott L. Cruse of the FBI's Oklahoma City Division made the announcement.
Douglas G. Williams, 69, of Norman, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty on May 13, 2015, to two counts of mail fraud and three counts of witness tampering. Chief U.S. District Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange of the Western District of Oklahoma imposed the sentence.
According to admissions made in connection with his plea, Williams owned and operated Polygraph.com, an Internet-based business through which he trained people how to conceal misconduct and other disqualifying information when submitting to polygraph examinations in connection with federal employment suitability assessments, background investigations, internal agency investigations and other proceedings. In particular, Williams admitted that he trained an individual posing as a federal law enforcement officer to lie and conceal involvement in criminal activity from an internal agency investigation. Williams also admitted to training a second individual, posing as an applicant seeking federal employment, to lie and conceal crimes in a pre-employment polygraph examination. Williams also admitted to instructing the individuals to deny receiving his polygraph training.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Internal Affairs and the FBI's Oklahoma City Division. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Heidi Boutros Gesch and Brian K. Kidd of the Criminal Division's Public Integrity Section.
Rage Against the Machine bassist thinks ISIS, moon landing are fake
Tim Commerford of Rage Against The Machine's performs at Coachella in Indio, Calif., on April 29, 2007.Image: AP Photo/Branimir Kvartuc/Associated Press
By Yohana Desta2015-10-02 22:10:57 UTC
Wake up, sheeple. Rage Against the Machine bassist Tim Commerford has some theories about ISIS and the moon landing.
The rocker and self-described "conspiracy theorist" doesn't believe the violent terrorist group ISIS or the 1969 moon landing are real. In a lengthy interview with Rolling Stone, Commerford shared his conspiratorial theories about why neither is to be believed.
Here are his views on ISIS:
"I don't believe that all the different factions in the Middle East have gotten together and said, 'OK, we all hate each other and we all hate America, so let's all put on the ISIS uniform and join forces and just become ISIS.' That's a bunch of shit. I don't believe the Jihadi John beheading video. Go look at those videos and study them, and see if you don't think they're fake."
He also has a theory about the (extremely gruesome) videos ISIS has released:
"They're not real. They're high-def. They have a soundtrack. The parts of those videos that you couldn't fake are edited out. At first, I thought it was edited out by our government so our kids wouldn't be seeing it on the Internet, but no. That's the way those videos came. The knife starts to cut the neck, and then it fades out. There's too much stuff that doesn't look real. They've edited out the parts that would be too hard to fake. We created Jihadi John and ISIS so we can go drop bombs."
He also believes the victims murdered by ISIS in the gruesome videos were "already dead." It's not just the fault of the government, he says, but something much worse, "a global conspiracy of people whose names we'll never know, but they're the ones who really run the show because they're the ones with the deepest pockets."
Then, there are his theories about the moon landing, which he says never actually happened:
"I can't help but look at the lunar landing and go, 'We didn't go to the moon.' We never went there. My dad worked for NASA on the Apollo missions, and I've always felt it's been fake since I was a kid. The one thing I always questioned: We put the flag on the moon. Why did we put a metal rod on the top of it? Why wouldn't we just plant it into the moon's surface and have the astronaut pull it out and let it go and we can watch it do its dance on the moon? It would've been an image we couldn't have faked and one that we would have never forgotten."
He's also shared this theory with others ... namely Buzz Aldrin, better known as the second human in history to walk on the moon.
"I got into it with Buzz Aldrin five years ago at a John Cusack movie premiere. There were a bunch of people gathered around, and I said, "I have a question: You have all these missions to the moon. How come there's no pictures of the flags on the moon?" He said, "Well, those are highly degraded by radiation by now." I said, "You left a lot of stuff on the moon. It seems that somebody with a telescope or satellite would snap a picture of that so we could see it. It'd be on the cover of every newspaper."
For some reason, this "frustrated" Aldrin, who ended up leaving the premiere.
Well, at least we know Commerford definitely believes Limp Bizkit is real.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Topics: Entertainment, Islamic State, Music, rage against the machine
Agenda 2030
Pestaurant - June 3rd, Rentokil Bites Back At Bugs!
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Miranda Devine: Perth electrical engineer's discovery will change climate change debate
Dr David Evans has unpacked the architecture of the basic climate model which underpins all climate science. Picture: Thinkstock
A MATHEMATICAL discovery by Perth-based electrical engineer Dr David Evans may change everything about the climate debate, on the eve of the UN climate change conference in Paris next month.
A former climate modeller for the Government's Australian Greenhouse Office, with six degrees in applied mathematics, Dr Evans has unpacked the architecture of the basic climate model which underpins all climate science.
He has found that, while the underlying physics of the model is correct, it had been applied incorrectly.
He has fixed two errors and the new corrected model finds the climate's sensitivity to carbon dioxide (CO2) is much lower than was thought.
Miranda Devine. Picture: Peter Brew-BevanSource:Supplied
It turns out the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has over-estimated future global warming by as much as 10 times, he says.
''Yes, CO2 has an effect, but it's about a fifth or tenth of what the IPCC says it is. CO2 is not driving the climate; it caused less than 20 per cent of the global warming in the last few decades''.
Dr Evans says his discovery ''ought to change the world''.
''But the political obstacles are massive,'' he said.
His discovery explains why none of the climate models used by the IPCC reflect the evidence of recorded temperatures. The models have failed to predict the pause in global warming which has been going on for 18 years and counting.
''The model architecture was wrong,'' he says. ''Carbon dioxide causes only minor warming. The climate is largely driven by factors outside our control.''
There is another problem with the original climate model, which has been around since 1896.
While climate scientists have been predicting since the 1990s that changes in temperature would follow changes in carbon dioxide, the records over the past half million years show that not to be the case.
So, the new improved climate model shows CO2 is not the culprit in recent global warming. But what is?
Dr Evans has a theory: solar activity. What he calls ''albedo modulation'', the waxing and waning of reflected radiation from the Sun, is the likely cause of global warming.
He predicts global temperatures, which have plateaued, will begin to cool significantly, beginning between 2017 and 2021. The cooling will be about 0.3C in the 2020s. Some scientists have even forecast a mini ice age in the 2030s.
If Dr Evans is correct, then he has proven the theory on carbon dioxide wrong and blown a hole in climate alarmism. He will have explained why the doomsday predictions of climate scientists aren't reflected in the actual temperatures.
Dr David Evans, who says climate model architecture is wrong, with wife Jo Nova, Picture: australianclimatemadness.comSource:Supplied
''It took me years to figure this out, but finally there is a potential resolution between the insistence of the climate scientists that CO2 is a big problem, and the empirical evidence that it doesn't have nearly as much effect as they say.''
Dr Evans is an expert in Fourier analysis and digital signal processing, with a PhD, and two Masters degrees from Stanford University in electrical engineering, a Bachelor of Engineering (for which he won the University medal), Bachelor of Science, and Masters in Applied Maths from the University of Sydney.
He has been summarising his results in a series of blog posts on his wife Jo Nova's blog for climate sceptics.
He is about half way through his series, with blog post 8, ''Applying the Stefan-Boltzmann Law to Earth'', published on Friday.
When it is completed his work will be published as two scientific papers. Both papers are undergoing peer review.
''It's a new paradigm,'' he says. ''It has several new ideas for people to get used to.''
You heard it here first!
'-- Liam Bartlett is on leave.
Society of Environmental Journalists: SEJournal excerpts
Magic Number: A sketchy "fact" about polar bears keeps going ... and going ... and goingBy PETER DYKSTRA
When Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced the listing of the polar bear as a threatened species in May, the political trench warfare over global warming flared up anew.
Environmental groups professed surprise that a reluctant Bush Administration acted at all. Global warming deniers said the decision was ludicrous. They cited a polar bear population '-- a five-fold increase since the 1970s, a doubling since the 1950s, a quadrupling since the 1960s.
After wading through about thirty such references from readers of our CNN blog and hearing them from multiple radio and TV pundits, I got to thinking: Are any of these numbers true? And where do they come from? I embarked on a global quest, traveling by phone, email and Google, to find the truth.
My first stop was Bjorn Lomborg's 2007 book, Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global Warming." Lomborg, the Danish economist whose work provides a torrent of talking points for Conservative pundits, says there were "probably 5,000" polar bears in the 1960's.
The book's footnotes cryptically attribute the Number to "Krauss, 2006."
Lomborg confirmed for me that the "Krauss" in question is Clifford Krauss, a reporter for The New York Times, who wrote on May 27, 2006, about the conflict between polar bear protectors and trophy hunters: "Other experts see a healthier population. They note that there are more than 20,000 polar bears roaming the Arctic, compared to as few as 5,000 40 years ago."
Krauss, now a Houston-based correspondent for The Times, told me he couldn't recall the source of the 5,000 number, but said that he understood the number to be "widely accepted." Lomborg also emailed me a reference for another, different figure he said he'd discovered after the book's publication: A report from the Soviet Ministry of Agriculture's S.M. Uspensky, who surveyed nesting sites on a portion of Russian turf and extrapolated an Arctic-wide population of 5,000 to 8,000 in 1965 (See page 11 of the Proceedings of the First International Scientific Meeting on the Polar Bear in Fairbanks, AK.)
(Let us pause for a moment of irony: Critics of the polar bear decision, predominantly political Conservatives, are apparently placing their chips on a fact that traces its lineage back to two info sources that rarely make the conservative bibliography: The New York Times and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.)
Female polar bear jumps on broken ice near Svalbard Island.Photo courtesy ERELEND KVALSVIK, iSTOCKPHOTO.
Here's a quick tour of a few other reports of polar bear prosperity:In a May 20 Los Angeles Times opinion piece, Jonah Goldberg took a whack at what he sees as quasi-religious overtones to conservation. Part of his backup? "Never mind that polar bears are in fact thriving '-- their numbers have quadrupled in the last 50 years."
James Taylor of the Heartland Institute cited a London Daily Telegraph article that "confirmed the ongoing polar bear population explosion" in a Sept 11, 2007, blog.
But the March 9, 2007, story that Taylor referenced actually makes no mention of global bear populations '-- quoting one scientist as observing strong growth in one local population, in Davis Strait; and another scientist reporting global warming-related declines in the local population in Hudson's Bay.
Taylor adds a new number into the mix from a March 26, 2008, posting at the Heartland site: "The global polar bear population has doubled since 1970, despite legal polar bear hunting."
A May 12 New York Post op-ed piece by S.T. Karnick introduces still another number '-- this time with a source:
"The world polar-bear population is at a modern high '-- and growing. Mitch Taylor, a polar-bear biologist with Canada's Federal Provincial Polar Bear Technical Committee, notes that the bears now number about 24,000 '-- up about 40 percent from 1974, when fears arose about the bear's ability to survive overhunting by Canadian Eskimos and aboriginals."
From James Delingpole, a Times of London blogger, similar numbers, but different dates. And no source. "In 1950, let us not forget, there were about 5,000 polar bears. Now there are 25,000."
When we get to the retail level, the Arctic Urban Myth turns truly funky. We blogged about the polar bear ruling on CNN's SciTechBlog, and about 30 of the 350 responses cited some variation of the number. Here are some examples:
"Common Sense: Who are we kidding. There were 5,000 bears in 1970 and now there are 26,000. Most populations are growing. This is obvious global warming politics."
"Jay Merr: The global population of polar bears is 22,000, about double what it was just four decades ago. The environmentalists have taken control of the government and global warming is the scam of the century."
"Gary: There are 5 times more polar bears now, than there was in 1960. Where is the problem?"
"PJ: Fact: the polar bear population is larger than in the 1970s up from 12,000 or less in 1960s to 25,000 today; might as well call white Americans 'threatened' their population is going down."
"PJ: They don't need protection at all, their population has increased more since the 1970s than the human population of any country on earth!"
Polar bears near Svalbard Island.Photo courtesy PAULINE MILLS, iSTOCKPHOTO.
But polar bear researchers say those old estimates were no better than guesses.Steven Amstrup, who led the USGS research on the current status of polar bears, emailed me from the field: "How many bears were around then, we don't really know because the only studies of bears at that time were in their very early stages '-- people were just beginning to figure out how we might study animals scattered over the whole Arctic in difficult logistical situations. Some estimated that world population might have been as small as 5000 bears, but this was nothing more than a WAG. The scientific ability to estimate the sizes of polar bear populations has increased dramatically in recent years."
(Editor's note: "WAG" is scientific jargon for "Wild-Ass Guess.")
Andrew Derocher of the University of Alberta added, "I have seen the figure of 5,000 in the 1960/70s but it is impossible to give it any scientific credibility. No estimation of any population was attempted until the early 1970s and even then, this was done very crudely for perhaps 10% of the global population and the estimates were highly questionable."
Thor Larsen of Norway's University of Life Sciences was actively involved in bear research back then. He recalls "Most data on numbers from the late 1960s and early 1970s were indeed anecdotal, simply because proper research was lacking. As far as I can remember, we did stick to a world-wide 'guestimate' of 20-25,000 bears in these years."
Another veteran bear researcher, Ian Stirling, emailed me, "Any number given as an estimate of the total population at that time would simply have been a guess and, in all likelihood, 5,000 was almost certainly much too low."
These and other scientists agree that polar bear populations have, in all likelihood, increased in the past several decades, but not five-fold, and for reasons that have nothing to do with global warming. The Soviets, despite their horrendous environmental legacy on many issues, banned most polar bear hunting in 1956. Canada and the U.S. followed suit in the early 1970s '-- with limited exceptions for some native hunting, and permitted, high-priced trophy hunts. And a curtailment of some commercial seal hunting has sparked a seal population explosion '-- angering fishermen, but providing populations in eastern Canada and Greenland with plenty of polar bear chow, leading in turn to localized polar bear population growth in spite of the ice decline.
The scientists also caution that we still don't have a firm count on these mobile, remote, supremely camouflaged beasts.
All this uncertainty over the numbers '-- past and present '-- even gave some conservative bloggers pause.
Human Events editor Terry Jeffrey acknowledged the absolute uncertainty of polar bear numbers in a May 21 blog. Even so, isn't that reason to do nothing? he asked. "Before anybody tries to change the world to save polar bears ... somebody should figure out how many polar bears there are."
I hope this thoroughly clears things up.
Peter Dykstra is executive producer for science, tech, weather at CNN.**Excerpt from the current issue of SEJournal, Summer 2008, available to members only here. For information on how to join SEJ, including the benefits of membership, click here.
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NEWS: A forthcoming app called ''Peeple'' will purportedly function as a ratings service of private individuals.
On 30 September 2015 social media users began buzzing about a purported new app called ''Peeple'' and proposed functionality (i.e., ''to assign reviews and one- to five-star ratings to everyone you know'') that was almost universally scorned by its potential user base.
Before Peeple's name was splashed across tech blogs and social networks on that day, the app was virtually unknown. So abrupt was its conceptual introduction that a Google search restricted to three days before the press brouhaha revealed virtually no mentions of Peeple. In fact, the only technology known by that name was linked to an entirely unrelated Kickstarter campaign to fund a ''smart peephole.''
But on 30 September 2015, the Washington Post published an article titled ''Everyone you know will be able to rate you on the terrifying 'Yelp for people' '-- whether you want them to or not.'' Its claims caused immediate concern among social media users for obvious reasons '-- the Peeple app as described seemed to appeal to almost no one (while threatening to attract unwanted attention to nearly everyone):
When the app does launch, probably in late November, you will be able to assign reviews and one- to five-star ratings to everyone you know: your exes, your co-workers, the old guy who lives next door. You can't opt out '-- once someone puts your name in the Peeple system, it's there unless you violate the site's terms of service. And you can't delete bad or biased reviews '-- that would defeat the whole purpose.
''People do so much research when they buy a car or make those kinds of decisions,'' said Julia Cordray, one of the app's founders. ''Why not do the same kind of research on other aspects of your life?''
One aspect of Peeple that commentary sharply focused on was the app's built-in feature of disabling the ability to opt out of it. The app's creators said anyone was welcome to submit a ''review'' of any private individual, armed only with a phone number. Moreover, the app's promoters exhibited a worrying lack of regard for questions about how Peeple's functions might affect folks who were either endangered by (e.g., stalking victims) or otherwise uncomfortable with being rated publicly:
It's inherently invasive, even when complimentary. And it's objectifying and reductive in the manner of all online reviews. One does not have to stretch far to imagine the distress and anxiety that such a system would cause even a slightly self-conscious person; it's not merely the anxiety of being harassed or maligned on the platform '-- but of being watched and judged, at all times, by an objectifying gaze to which you did not consent.
''That's feedback for you!'' Cordray enthuses. ''You can really use it to your advantage.''
Another near universal point of contention was what was perceived as a cavalier attitude on the part of Peeple's creators with respect to specifics about the app. The Washington Post appended the following update to their article, suggesting that Peeple was ambiguous or uncertain at best about how key functions would be administered:
Update: This story has been updated to remove a reference to Peeple users being unable to remove inaccurate reviews. While Peeple co-founder Julia Cordray told the Post in an interview that users would not be able to contest reviews after they went live, she later clarified by email that users can ''report anything they deem inaccurate'' to the site.
Predictably, Peeple's Facebook page was beset with users voicing their objection to a social media profile to which they did not consent and from which they would not be able opt out. One Facebook user pressed Peeple for details about what some called a ''harassment engine,'' primarily an unsettling assertion that those who received bad reviews would be directed to engage with their critic within a short window of time:
Further, what does this sentence mean: ''Assuming you can't turn a negative into a positive the comment goes live and the person can now publicly defend themselves.'' What does ''turning a negative into a positive'' refer to in this context? Is a user expected to lobby a reviewer for a better rating? Do the words ''you'' and ''the person'' refer to the same user?
Peeple's response appeared to confirm such a conversation would be required to prevent the content from appearing on the app:
[W]e have a dispute resolution that has all negative reviews go into the inbox of the person being reviewed. Then there is a 48 hour timeline where you can work it out with the person. If your profile is unclaimed only positive reviews go live. Please refer to our FAQ on our website.
Others alleged Peeple's creators were deleting unwanted comments from their page (confirmed by the page itself in a reply), thereby illustrating fundamental flaws in the app:
The fact that you're deleting comments on this post is EXACTLY the problem we have with your app. You don't like people coming online to publicly give you our opinions? Interesting.
The entire Peeple premise seemed to be (if anything) vague and confusing. That stands to reason, as the entire concept appeared to have been conceived as late as 12 August 2015. The @PeepleforPeople Twitter account seemed primarily geared to promoting video content involving Peeple co-founders Julia Cordray and Nicole McCullough, with virtually no independent verification of the app's actual existence amid a regular stream of YouTube videos:
A tidbit buried in the tail end of the Washington Post article similarly hinted at the entire process being oriented more to Cordray's ''publishing [of] a reality Web series about the app's process.'' While the site was crawled in late December 2014, the earliest content on it appeared on 1 August 2015 (and simply displayed a sparse landing page). Mentions of Peeple began appearing in late September 2015, on CBC and the Calgary Herald. Prior to that, Cordray appeared devoted to her recruiting business CareerFox (which was active until early 2015); her LinkedIn profile lists her as head of both companies.
A trademark application was filed for Peeple on behalf of Peep, Inc. in the United States in February 2015, and its status is suspended. Similar records filed with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office can be viewed here, here, and here.
McCullogh appeared to have no online footprint of which to speak before Peeple went viral. Cordray made her first mention of Peeple on Twitter just as the app was hitting Canadian media outlets in September 2015 (but not even tacitly prior to that point):
Similarly, Cordray was featured in a 19 May 2015 Calgary Heraldarticle on entrepreneurship in Alberta and neglected to mention (or even hint at) the development of Peeple:
Julia Cordray, chief executive of Career Fox Inc. and 96 Talents, works in the area of recruitment. She said the current economy can lead people to look for opportunities in entrepreneurship.
''I have seen an increase in people being able to reinvent themselves by starting up new companies from anything to apps to painting companies to yoga studios. I'm excited for them to follow more of their passions and buck the norms of 9 to 5,'' she said.
Cordray's web site presented an entirely different description of Peeple than the one she provided to media outlets (but a copy of her site crawled on 1 August 2015 again did not mention her purported development of Peeple):
My mission is to re-invent and innovate the recruitment industry as a whole. I began my recruitment career by building, Career Fox; aimed at finding dream jobs for employees. Career Fox developed a proprietary recruitment process that leads to a 96% successful placement rate. I evolved the business into providing employers with an incredibly effective solution for finding and securing talent for their business by creating Canada's first full service recruitment software; 96 Talents. Now we've innovated again and made Peeple, which is the next generation of recruitment in an app where you can find talent geographically through key word searches and see how talented they really are professionally as commented on and rated by their peers.
It seemed one thing about Peeple was clear: the premise of the purported app itself was so frightening that few who learned about it stopped to check McCullogh and Cordray's receipts. The diversion created by dumping news of a new, privacy-invading social media function sufficiently diffused any checking into whether Peeple was likely to get off the ground anytime soon. As it stands, the concept of Peeple was virtually non-existent until August 2015, and its founders didn't appear to take into account that another app of the same name existed previously.
Any and all ''work'' on the app was primarily documented via YouTube video before September 2015, and most attempts to discern whether or how the app worked were met with vague answers about ''beta testing'' in November 2015. No details were released about the app's technical specs, and again, its invasive nature sparked so much debate that the story reached viral mass almost instantly with no corroborating information provided. Which is not to say Peeple isn't going to hit the app store in November, but it hasn't been in production very long (if it's not a hoax), and its founders appear to have cobbled together a PR campaign in a matter of weeks with no detail backing it up.
Finally, neither McCullogh nor Cordray appeared to have any relevant background in app building. McCullogh maintained a low profile prior to Peeple's launch, and Cordray billed herself solely as recruiter up to and until August 2015. It's possible the pair hired a development team through their modest and recent purported venture funding, but an app of the scale they described seemed unlikely to materialize in the 90-day timeframe cited by their YouTube videos. If Peeple was in the works prior to August 2015, Cordray neglected to mention it (even in a late May 2015 article about her business ventures).
Everyone you know will be able to rate you on the terrifying 'Yelp for people' '-- whether you want them to or not - The Washington Post
You can already rate restaurants, hotels, movies, college classes, government agencies and bowel movements online.
So the most surprising thing about Peeple '-- basically Yelp, but for humans '-- may be the fact that no one has yet had the gall to launch something like it.
When the app does launch, probably in late November, you will be able to assign reviews and one- to five-star ratings to everyone you know: your exes, your co-workers, the old guy who lives next door. You can't opt out '-- once someone puts your name in the Peeple system, it's there unless you violate the site's terms of service. And you can't delete bad or biased reviews '-- that would defeat the whole purpose.
Imagine every interaction you've ever had suddenly open to the scrutiny of the Internet public.
''People do so much research when they buy a car or make those kinds of decisions,'' said Julia Cordray, one of the app's founders. ''Why not do the same kind of research on other aspects of your life?''
This is, in a nutshell, Cordray's pitch for the app '-- the one she has been making to development companies, private shareholders, and Silicon Valley venture capitalists. (As of Monday, the company's shares put its value at $7.6 million.)
A bubbly, no-holds-barred ''trendy lady'' with a marketing degree and two recruiting companies, Cordray sees no reason you wouldn't want to ''showcase your character'' online. Co-founder Nicole McCullough comes at the app from a different angle: As a mother of two in an era when people don't always know their neighbors, she wanted something to help her decide whom to trust with her kids.
Given the importance of those kinds of decisions, Peeple's ''integrity features'' are fairly rigorous '-- as Cordray will reassure you, in the most vehement terms, if you raise any concerns about shaming or bullying on the service. To review someone, you must be 21 and have an established Facebook account, and you must make reviews under your real name.
You must also affirm that you ''know'' the person in one of three categories: personal, professional or romantic. To add someone to the database who has not been reviewed before, you must have that person's cell phone number. (The app was originally supposed to scrape names automatically from Facebook, but the site's API wouldn't allow it '-- to Cordray's visible annoyance.)
Michael Hussey, the founder and former CEO of the Web site Rate My Professors, weighs in on the new Peeple app and where he thinks its founders went wrong. (The Washington Post)
Positive ratings post immediately; negative ratings are queued in a private inbox for 48 hours in case of disputes. If you haven't registered for the site, and thus can't contest those negative ratings, your profile only shows positive reviews.
On top of that, Peeple has outlawed a laundry list of bad behaviors, including profanity, sexism and mention of private health conditions.
''As two empathetic, female entrepreneurs in the tech space, we want to spread love and positivity,'' Cordray stressed. ''We want to operate with thoughtfulness.''
Unfortunately for the millions of people who could soon find themselves the unwilling subjects '-- make that objects '-- of Cordray's app, her thoughts do not appear to have shed light on certain very critical issues, such as consent and bias and accuracy and the fundamental wrongness of assigning a number value to a person.
To borrow from the technologist and philosopher Jaron Lanier, Peeple is indicative of a sort of technology that values ''the information content of the web over individuals;'' it's so obsessed with the perceived magic of crowd-sourced data that it fails to see the harms to ordinary people.
Where to even begin with those harms? There's no way such a rating could ever accurately reflect the person in question: Even putting issues of personality and subjectivity aside, all rating apps, from Yelp to Rate My Professor, have a demonstrated problem with self-selection. (The only people who leave reviews are the ones who love or hate the subject.) In fact, as repeat studies of Rate My Professor have shown, ratings typically reflect the biases of the reviewer more than they do the actual skills of the teacher: On RMP, professors whom students consider attractive are way more likely to be given high ratings, and men and women are evaluated on totally different traits.
''Summative student ratings do not look directly or cleanly at the work being done,'' the academic Edward Nuhfer wrote in 2010. ''They are mixtures of affective feelings and learning.''
But at least student ratings have some logical and economic basis: You paid thousands of dollars to take that class, so you're justified and qualified to evaluate the transaction. Peeple suggests a model in which everyone is justified in publicly evaluating everyone they encounter, regardless of their exact relationship.
It's inherently invasive, even when complimentary. And it's objectifying and reductive in the manner of all online reviews. One does not have to stretch far to imagine the distress and anxiety that such a system would cause even a slightly self-conscious person; it's not merely the anxiety of being harassed or maligned on the platform '-- but of being watched and judged, at all times, by an objectifying gaze to which you did not consent.
Where once you may have viewed a date or a teacher conference as a private encounter, Peeple transforms it into a radically public performance: Everything you do can be judged, publicized, recorded.
''That's feedback for you!'' Cordray enthuses. ''You can really use it to your advantage.''
That justification hasn't worked out so well, though, for the various edgy apps that have tried it before. In 2013, Lulu promised to empower women by letting them review their dates, and to empower men by letting them see their scores.
After a tsunami of criticism '-- ''creepy,'' ''toxic,'' ''gender hate in a prettier package'' '-- Lulu added an automated opt-out feature to let men pull their names off the site. A year later, Lulu further relented by letting users rate only those men who opt in. In its current iteration, 2013's most controversial start-up is basically a minor dating app.
That windy path is possible for Peeple too, Cordray says: True to her site's radical philosophy, she has promised to take any and all criticism as feedback. If beta testers demand an opt-out feature, she'll delay the launch date and add that in. If users feel uncomfortable rating friends and partners, maybe Peeple will professionalize: think Yelp meets LinkedIn. Right now, it's Yelp for all parts of your life; that's at least how Cordray hypes it on YouTube, where she's publishing a reality Web series about the app's process.
''It doesn't matter how far apart we are in likes or dislikes,'' she tells some bro at a bar in episode 10. ''All that matters is what people say about us.''
It's a weirdly dystopian vision to deliver to a stranger at a sports bar: In Peeple's future, Cordray's saying, the way some amorphous online ''crowd'' sees you will be definitively who you are.
Update: This story has been updated to remove a reference to Peeple users being unable to remove inaccurate reviews. While Peeple co-founder Julia Cordray told the Post in an interview that users would not be able to contest reviews after they went live, she later clarified by email that users can ''report anything they deem inaccurate'' to the site.
Liked that? Try these:
Caitlin Dewey is The Post's digital culture critic. Follow her on Twitter @caitlindewey or subscribe to her daily newsletter on all things Internet. (tinyletter.com/cdewey)
Sophomore admits to hanging Hitler posters '-- The Williams Record
Last night Julia Cordray '09 publicly acknowledged that she hung dozens of ''Happy Birthday Hitler'' posters on students' doors last Friday. The posters, which featured an image of a marijuana leaf, a picture of Adolf Hitler and the word ''REMEMBER,'' were intended as a satire of last week's similarly designed Holocaust Remembrance Day posters. Cordray expressed no remorse for her actions.
''These were meant to be a parody, and parody doesn't work unless it shocks someone,'' Cordray said.
Cordray made her identity public by posting an explanatory letter she submitted to assistant dean Charles Toomajin and a link to an essay written by a non-student friend on the Web site Ephblog.com. The letter detailed Cordray's motives in distributing the posters: ''The fliers were not intended to threaten anyone or take any position for or against marijuana or Hitler . . . but were a parody of fliers posted on every dorm door just a few days earlier.'' The essay, titled ''Students shocked, offended by ideas,'' addressed the campus's reaction to the posters. ''A few were so outraged that someone dared to express an idea they disliked that they demanded censorship as a response,'' wrote the friend. ''They'll serve the corporate world well one day as they crush anything they dislike.''
Half an hour before Cordray posted these items on Ephblog, President Schapiro sent an all-campus e-mail detailing the administration's response to the posters. ''It certainly does offend us and all those who value the well-being of our campus community and its members,'' Schapiro wrote, noting that the student had said she will address the community in the near future.
Cordray said she did not publicly identify herself earlier because she was concerned about the effect it might have on the College's disciplinary proceedings. ''They were very vague,'' she said. ''The administration didn't make it clear what my punishment was going to be, so I wasn't sure [if I should go public]. But when I saw the e-mail today, it seemed pretty clear that it was all right to do so.''
Earlier on Tuesday, Dean Roseman had declined to name Cordray but confirmed that the disciplinary process was ongoing. ''I haven't made a decision yet about this case,'' Roseman said. ''We have the whole range of punishments available; I won't know until I've spoken to her.''
A direct parody
Cordray had the idea to make mock remembrance fliers after encountering the Holocaust Remembrance Day posters that members of the Williams College Jewish Association (WCJA) posted on students' doors April 15. Cordray said she regarded the sign as an invasion of her personal space. ''I felt afraid to take it off,'' she said. ''Some friends and I were talking about it, wondering if we were allowed to recycle this dead Jewish person someone put on our door.''
In response, Cordray decided to create mock remembrance fliers, an act she thought would be amusing and would serve to comment on the invasiveness of the WCJA posters. ''I thought it'd be funny to post some other kind of remembrance posters,'' Cordray said. ''My first thought was the Alamo '¬'' remember the Alamo '¬'' because I'm from Texas. But 420 came first, before any kind of Alamo remembrance day.''
April 20th, last Friday's date, is both Adolf Hitler's birthday and an informal holiday recognized by marijuana smokers and known as ''420.'' This coincidence dictated Cordray's content choice for the posters. As she noted in her letter, ''These fliers included images of a marijuana leaf and historical images of Adolf Hitler, which both bizarrely intersect each year on April 20.''
The satirical posters, which were designed by Cordray's non-student friend, were modeled closely after the Holocaust Remembrance Day posters. The WCJA posters each featured a six-pointed star, a photo and a description of a person killed in the Holocaust, along with the word ''Remember.'' The newer posters had a similar layout, but replaced the face of the Holocaust victim with the face of Adolf Hitler and the Jewish star with a marijuana leaf. They had quotes from Hitler in place of descriptions of the peoples' deaths.
''They were so similar that your eyes could easily have overlooked them as being the same,'' said Walden Maurissaint '07, a student who encountered the posters last Friday.
Identifying the culprit
Cordray and her friend hung the posters on other students' doors as they walked to dinner on Friday, sometime between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Maurissaint and Rafael Frias '07 reported the posters to Campus Security around 6 p.m. The pair discovered the posters taped to bedroom doors throughout Morgan, after initially confusing them with the older Holocaust Remembrance fliers. Offended by the signs, they removed a number of them from the lower floors of the building and then called Security.
After examining the posters, Chuck Roberts, Security patrol adviser, led a campus-wide search for more of the signs. Security officers located posters in Morgan, East, Fayerweather, Prospect, Fitch, Lehman and Dodd House, removing them from doors in each dorm where they were hung. The Williamstown Police Department (WPD) was also called in to investigate.
Security officers and representatives from the Dean's office used data from card swipe machines of the targeted buildings to narrow down a list of potential culprits. ''We had narrowed it down to seven dorms, and simply put, there was only one individual who had swiped in to all seven dorms during that period,'' Roseman said.
A Security officer was dispatched to Cordray's room, something that she did not find surprising. ''I wasn't trying to hide or anything,'' she said. ''I mean, I swiped into every building [while putting up the posters].'' When questioned, Cordray admitted to the act immediately and was escorted to Hopkins Hall for questioning by Toomajin, the dean on-call that night, and Jean Thorndike, director of Security. Corday was released to her dorm late on Friday evening.
Before Security identified Cordray, Roseman and Jim Kolesar, director of public affairs, drafted a longer, more serious e-mail than the one they sent to the College community that night. ''We'd written a version we were about to send out,'' Roseman said. ''We know there are groups that go around college campuses and spread pro-Nazi propaganda; those are real and those are frightening.''
Just before Roseman sent the e-mail, however, Security pinpointed the student's identity. ''Once Security spoke to the girl, we realized we had to write a very different statement with a different tone,'' Roseman said. ''At that point, we just felt we had to let the community know we had the person, and that she had the reasoning she had explained to us. We didn't feel this was something that was going to continue.''
Roseman sent a brief all-campus e-mail describing the incident at 9:44 p.m. on Friday night, informing students about the nature of the posters and the fact that the person responsible had been identified.
Posters draw heated debate
The responses to Cordray's posters varied greatly, ranging from anger to amusement.
Many members of the College's Jewish community were saddened or frightened by the signs. According to WCJA president Lauren Bloch '09, a relatively small number of Jewish students saw the posters last Friday, as many were attending Shabbat services at the Jewish Religious Center (JRC). The students at the service learned about the posters when a Security guard came to the JRC to check if any posters had been placed there.
''There's been a major response,'' Bloch said. ''Some peoples' parents were offering to fly them home when they learned about the posters. People were crying on Friday. This is absolutely unacceptable, to have people feel scared, feel that there are people walking around campus who want to hurt them.''
Cordray said that she did not expect anyone to feel threatened or scared as a result of her signs. ''I realized that people would be offended by the posters, but I didn't realize that people would be threatened,'' she said. ''But then, people will be offended by what they want to be offensive.''
WCJA hosted a Town Hall meeting to discuss the posters on Sunday night. Seventeen students, College chaplain Rick Spalding and College cantor Bob Scherr attended the meeting, discussing the implications of the posters and the administration's response to them. Some students expressed concern at the limited scope of the response and the short length of Roseman's e-mail, while others criticized the posters as being insensitive and hurtful. Cordray said the deans encouraged her to attend this meeting, but that she was unable to because she had to attend rehearsal for a play that night.
Though Bloch said last night's e-mail from Schapiro was an improvement on last Friday's statement, ''I think it doesn't necessarily take a harsh enough tone . . . and the e-mail doesn't change the fact that their initial response was inadequate.''
Some non-Jewish students were also deeply offended by the posters. ''There are certain images that just get a response from people,'' Frias said. ''If there wasn't any context, and you just saw a picture of Hitler being brandished on the door . . . it makes some people feel scared and it's just unacceptable.''
Other students were less angry. Liz Campbell '09, who posted on the WSO blog discussion regarding the issue, was angered by what she perceived as a double standard for hanging posters. ''Either both [Cordray's and the WCJA's] posters are acceptable, or neither are,'' she said.
Cordray said she had not personally encountered strong reactions to her posters, but had been told of people who were upset. ''Since the [Friday] e-mail came out, all of my friends have come up to me and said 'Julia, we know it was you,''' she said. ''None of them were offended, but they did tell me that a lot of other people were.''
Navy establishes permanent cyber divisionBy Sean LyngaasOct 02, 2015The Navy is working to get a handle on its cyber threat exposure. Without a running tally of IT systems and the provenance of their parts, network operators don't know what's on or off; what's vulnerable or secure.
Navy officials are trying to build on the momentum of the yearlong Task Force Cyber Awakening to drive a lasting, more secure cyber posture at the service. And so the chief of naval operations last month established the Navy Cybersecurity Division, a 40-person office responsible for evaluating big cyber investments and ensuring policy requirements.
One of the chief tasks of the new division, according to Vice Adm. Ted Branch, deputy chief of naval operations for information dominance, will be to "make sure that they have the requirements right at the front end so we can bake in some of the cybersecurity, as opposed to having it bolted on like we have done up until now."
The task force was a deep dive into the cyber postures of the service's many components, from the Naval Sea Systems Command to the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command. It set priorities for boosting resiliency and led the Navy to reallocate approximately $300 million in fiscal 2016 budget to help treat the service's cyber vulnerabilities.
The task force came at "a time of need," Branch said at an Oct. 1 press briefing. "We had a lot going on without a lot of focus and pursuit of our 2013 incursion."
Branch was referring to a breach, attributed to Iranian hackers, of the Navy Marine Corps Intranet, the service's massive internal computer network. A months-long operation known as Operation Rolling Tide, which drove the hackers off of the unclassified portion of NMCI, has become a blueprint for Navy cyber operations.
The task force initially focused on the transport layer of Navy networks, where the 2013 breach had occurred, Branch said. Drawing on modeling done by experts at Johns Hopkins University, the task force ranked and prioritized vulnerabilities on Navy networks and then suggested remedies. Officials later broadened the scope of assessment to include weapon and facility systems.
Troy Johnson heads the new cyber division. Johnson spent 22 years as a cryptologist and information operations planner in the Navy, and played an integral role in the cyber task force.
The systems commands that contribute the building blocks that make up Navy networks will need to mature, according to Branch. "The expertise that needs to be resident in systems commands for design and engineering frankly isn't there yet, certainly not in the capacity that we need it to be," he said.
About the Author
Sean Lyngaas is an FCW staff writer covering defense, cybersecurity and intelligence issues. Follow him on Twitter: @snlyngaas
Every threat is an insider threatBy John SellersOct 02, 2015With the fallout of the data breach at the Office of Personnel Management still in the news cycle, now is a good time for federal organizations to reflect on the state of their own security and the sophistication of their enemies.
There are many security analysts out there who are more than willing to give their two cents on what the OPM did wrong, but we can all agree that the department was woefully ill prepared to address the tactics of their adversary.
The reality is that most attackers are not breaking into networks; they are just logging in. Defenders are waiting for threat actors to hack through the firewall, but it is easier and more effective for attackers to compromise the credentials and access privileges of organization insiders, then operate with all of the privileges of legitimate users. They are turning innocent users into insider threats.
OPM, which handles security clearances and houses sensitive information on millions of current, former and potential government employees, is no exception to this trend. The attackers gained access to the OPM network by compromising and stealing credentials from KeyPoint Government Solutions, a contractor used to conduct background checks. This gave the attackers the insider privileges needed to persist on the OPM network and steal critical information such as Social Security numbers and medical records of federal employees.
The moral of the story is that traditional perimeter security is no longer adequate. Organizations of all kinds need to be prepared to address insider threats, whether it is a malicious employee or their compromised credentials. The attackers will get past the gate eventually. The only way to stop them then is to monitor internal network activity '' leaving the threats with no place to hide '' and respond to security events before they become breaches.
OPM became a victim because they had minimal internal security. A report from the Inspector General in November 2014 outlined some of the security shortcomings of the office:
There was no comprehensive and maintained list of servers, databases and network devices.Not all OPM systems were adequately monitored.Multi-factor authentication was not required to access OPM systems.Furthermore, the critical data, including Social Security numbers, were not encrypted because it was not feasable on systems as old as OPM's, according to agency CIO Donna Seymour.
Today's advanced threats have adapted to traditional security measures by focusing on compromising legitimate access credentials. If OPM had been prepared to deal with a threat from inside the network, this breach may have been prevented.
What is behind this shift in tactics?Over the past few decades, organizations have been pumping billions of dollars into strengthening their perimeters and managing vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, the rise of remote access and personal mobile devices have broadened the threat surface and brought more sensitive data in contact with the internet.
Instead of focusing on breaching the perimeter, attackers have just shifted to compromising the human layer, which is more reachable now than ever before. In many organizations, employees have generous access privileges and the ability to log into the network remotely, which means attackers have ample opportunities to utilize compromised credentials. Additionally, personal information about employees is widely accessible via social media sites like Facebook or LinkedIn, which gives attackers better insight into how to fool them.
Here's a hypothetical scenario: An attacker has managed to track down an employee named Mark on social media. Mark likes to talk about his job and his favorite online poker site. The attacker sends Mark an email posing as a representative from the poker site with an attached brochure on new services, complete with malware. Mark opens the attachment without a second thought, and a few days later the malware sends keystroke information '' including his VPN login credentials '' back to the attacker.
Now Mark has effectively become an insider threat. Unfortunately, no matter how strong our castle walls are, users who appear legitimate are able to walk right through the front gate.
How to catch an insider threatSince it is nearly impossible to stop an insider threat at the gate, early detection is key. Fortunately for us, an attack requires more than the initial breach. The perpetrators still must execute a number of steps before their goal is complete, and we can stop them at any point in this process.
The first thing an organization needs to catch an insider threat is network visibility. If firewalls are armed guards at the gate, visibility is the security camera monitoring the inside of the building. Telemetry should be collected from every area of the network. Internal traffic data, access logs, policy violations and more must be watched continuously for suspicious activity. Leaving an area unmonitored gives your attacker a place to hide on your network.
Know what a regular day looks like on your network. Know how much traffic to expect, who is expected to access sensitive information and what applications are used in the day-to-day business operation. Anything that falls outside of those bounds should be investigated. Remember that compromised credentials will look legitimate until you isolate anomalous activity such as moving abnormally large amounts of data, repeated logins during nonbusiness hours or remote access from unusual and faraway locations.
Agencies should be able to identify the following activities:
Unauthorized accessViolation of organization policiesInternal reconnaissanceData hoardingData lossData analytics can make a huge difference here. If an organization is large, it can be impossible to monitor network activity manually. Anything important is quickly drowned out by the plethora of ordinary information. Using NetFlow and other network metadata, a good security analytics tool can help the relevant information rise to the top.
Agencies also should keep an audit trail of network transactions for as long as is feasible. When struck by an insider attack, the audit trail can be used to identify how the threat operated and what assets were compromised. It may also help the authorities pursue criminal charges against the attacker.
Lastly, don't forget that these attackers thrive on compromising the human layer. Train employees on best practices for using the internet, and on how to recognize social engineering tactics like phishing. Use network segmentation to limit the amount of sensitive data each user has access to, and monitor traffic from third-party contractors for possible compromised credentials.
As the number of access points and connected devices continue to grow, it has become easier for cybercriminals to appear as a legitimate insider. While this trend comes with a new set of challenges than other security concerns, organizations can protect themselves with the right tools and mindset. And early detection of these intruders can keep a security event from becoming the next big breach plastered across the evening news.
About the Author
John Sellers is vice president of federal sales at Lancope.
In 2012, the note-taking app Evernote became one of the first ''Unicorn'' startups, joining the exclusive club for private tech companies worth $1 billion or more.
That year, Evernote passed 30 million registered users, brought its total funding to $270 million, and seemed like a sure-fire candidate to hit the public market in the coming years.
Fast forward three years, and the tables have turned.
Despite reaching 150 million registered users this year, Evernote has been slow to develop the revenue side of its business and is grappling with departures and cost-cutting, according to interviews that Business Insider conducted with more than a half dozen current and former employees of the company.
Evernote has laid off roughly 18% of its workforce in the past nine months, and said it will shut down three of its 10 global offices last week. Earlier this year, it replaced its long-time CEO Phil Libin with former Google exec Chris O'Neill.
''It's going to be a tough road ahead,'' one source familiar with the matter told us. ''They want to go public, and, to do that, the focus on revenue now has to be a ruthless prioritization on things that make money.''
Depending on where you stand, Evernote is either a sinking ship or a maturing company going through a normal transition cycle. But most people we spoke to seem to agree that the company has failed to take advantage of its red-hot growth and make enough money from much of its huge user base '-- and is starting to show early signs of being an ailing unicorn.
It's a sobering reality check about the business challenges that can derail even the hottest tech sensations.
Wrong prioritiesSeveral former employees believe a lack of focus hampered Evernote's growth. Instead of focusing on its core note-taking product and on converting users to the paid service, Evernote spent more time releasing a bunch of new products and features that only helped it grab news headlines, they said.
For example, in early 2014, a former TechCrunch writer published a scathing blog post hammering Evernote's glitch-filled product. Libin quickly addressed the issue, even personally reaching out to the writer and vowing in an all-hands meeting to focus on improving ''quality'' that year.
But six months later, Evernote was back to pumping out new releases that often didn't live up to expectations.
''There was a feeling that we were working on the wrong priorities,'' a former employee said. ''It was clear the motive was to just continually drum up press. They had no idea how to optimize and improve growth.''
This person said Evernote didn't have a formal market-research or usability-testing team as robust as what companies of its scale have until earlier this year.
Another source said that until last year A/B testing was not always taken seriously, referring to a standard web-company technique in which two different versions of the same product are tested in the market.
Screenshot
That resulted in inferior products with lots of bugs, drawing bad reviews and heavy criticism from its users. PenUltimate, a handwriting app Evernote acquired in 2012, received a lot of complaints when it rolled out an updated version for the first time in 2014, causing the company to issue an apology and another update within a week.
Skitch, an app that lets you add captions or markups to photos, has a three-star rating (out of five) on the Apple App Store, while Work Chat, the new messaging feature it released last year, is seeing a lot of negative feedback on its own forum.
Evernote Food, a standalone app that lets users share recipes and food photos, entirely shut down last month, as did other experimental products like Evernote Hello and Peek.
''It was kind of like move on to the next shiny thing, let's just talk about the next thing we're going to do,'' another former employee said. ''There was no prioritization circled down. None of that structure existed at all.''
But another former employee notes that the seemingly scattershot approach was not as random as it appeared. "Everything was done with intent," he said. The messaging feature, which was criticized as being a naked attempt to mimic hot messaging-upstart Slack, was conceived as a way to draw more people into Evernote's "ecosystem" and ultimately to boost paying subscribers.
And elements of some shuttered products, such as the structured data technology used in Evernote Food, have since been incorporated into the core Evernote product.
Failure to convert 'free' usersEvernoteNew Evernote CEO Chris O'Neill, left, with former CEO Phil Libin.
Evernote originally grew users quickly by following the ''freemium'' model, in which the product is offered for free in the hopes of eventually turning those users into paying customers.
The problem is most of those users haven't converted to the paid service, taking a toll on Evernote's overall business '-- last year, TechCrunch pegged the company's revenue at around $36million, and while revenue has increased, we've heard the numbers are still short of internal expectations.
Evernote recently began adding new pricing tiers, designed to offer more options for nonpaying users to give the company money.
That move is long overdue, say some people close to the company, who say the company spent too much time experimenting with random products instead of refining its monetization efforts.
An Evernote spokesperson said the number of paying users is currently in the "millions," that 20,000 businesses use the company's business version of the product, and that the number of users paying Evernote for the first time is up 40% from the same time last year. But she declined to provide specific revenue figures, as the company is privately held and does not disclose its financials.
Tightening the beltWith the greater focus on revenue growth, Evernote is becoming more disciplined with its spending, according to multiple sources.
The layoffs were the first signs, but cost-saving is showing up in perks too.
Evernote used to provide house-cleaning services every two weeks to all employees, but that's gone now. Most people could easily request to work in overseas offices for three weeks, fully covered by the company, but that's more tightly controlled, a former employee said. Any new requests for the monthly electric-car-charging stipend have been suspended too. Some offices say their food has been downgraded from specialized delivery service to a mix of vendors catering food.
Amanda Edwards/GettyImagesThe hosts of "MythBusters" were invited to last year's EC4.
But perhaps the biggest savings will come from canceling its annual developers conference, called Evernote Conference, which has been held in San Francisco for the past four years. Last year's conference featured celebrities like the hosts of ''MythBusters'' and LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman.
''If someone cancels a developers conference, it's usually a sign that there's stress around cash management,'' said Jason Lemkin, a veteran tech entrepreneur and venture investor. ''It doesn't mean the company's going under, but it's usually one of the first things to go.''
Evernote appears to be downsizing the team in charge of the platform it provides for developers. Among the employees let go in the recent round of layoffs were its director of developer relations, Chris Traganos, as well as several members of his team.
But contrary to recent rumors of Evernote closing off its API, the company said it's still open, and we've heard its platform integrations could get even stronger in the coming weeks.
Evernote also told us it never intended to have its annual developers conference in the Bay Area this year, because 75% of its users come from outside of the US. Instead, it recently held a 1,500 person event in South Korea and large events in other cities as well.
All of the changes are causing some employees to leave the company, according to various insiders. One former employee said companies like Uber, Twitter, and Dropbox have been poaching a lot of its talent. One of the floors at its Redwood City headquarters is like a "ghost town," said one insider.
''There's been a fair number of people who left, not necessarily because they're disgruntled or unhappy. People are just making decisions to figure out if this new version of Evernote is for them or not.''
A respectable moveDespite all the troubling signs, the fact that Evernote is taking the initiative to try to fix its problems is encouraging, said Byron Deeter, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners.
"They could have probably BS'd around a little longer. But if you actually want to build a great company and try to make a run at the big vision, then you do need to take a step back when things aren't working optimally, and then try to take the two steps forward," said Deeter, whose firm has investments in Evernote competitors such as Box.
''I suspect what they're doing is cutting now so they can control their own destiny later,'' he added.
Lemkin also agreed, pointing out that new CEOs could often bring renewed energy to the company. ''Having a new CEO can often reinvigorate a company, especially if he or she can bring in good management team. [O'Neill's] got a huge customer base and a great brand,'' he said.
One former employee said the team at Evernote has been excited about O'Neill's arrival about two months ago. "I really think Chris O'Neill is making some smart decisions, and I would say most people in the office, even though it's pretty painful, thinks this guy has a good plan," the source said.
Evernote
Evernote isn't in dire straits yet.
It still has a large user base, and as most subscription-based software companies do, it could probably improve its cash flow by cutting back on some of its investments.
But being a billion-dollar ''unicorn'' and being truly worth its perceived value is another story '-- and Evernote may be quickly drifting away from the glorified "unicorn" status.
''It's not a fundamentally flawed business. It's just not working as well as people expected it to,'' Deeter said. ''They're still likely worth hundreds of millions of dollars. They're just probably not worth billions today.''
Some VCs we spoke to anticipated Evernote will have to show substantial improvement in the next 12 to 18 months, or, otherwise, it could even be sold off to others. But the real damage, perhaps, may not be in its business: It's that Evernote is losing its edge as a cool company in the Valley, making it harder to recruit talent and form partnerships for the future.
As one of the former employees told us, ''It's a shame because Evernote used to be the place you wanted to go. It was the top-tier company where you pretty much did cutting edge stuff. And little by little, that faded away.''
$50B federal telecom RFP coming in mid-OctoberBy Mark RockwellOct 02, 2015Mark your calendars: the General Services Administration plans to release the final request for proposals for its huge next-generation telecommunications contract on Oct. 16.
Mary Davie, GSA's assistant commissioner for the Office of Integrated Technology Services, named the new target release date for the Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions RFP in an Oct. 1 tweet. EIS is the cornerstone contract for the agency's NS 2020 telecommunications strategy, and will serve as the successor to Networx.
The mid-October release isn't surprising, as GSA officials have been telling vendors for weeks that they would likely miss the initial Sept. 30 deadline.
In mid-September, GSA officials told FCW that the release of the final RFP for the 15-year, $50 billion telecom contract was on track, but hedged a few days on the exact release date because of the complicated approval cycle for big federal contracts.
GSA also has been working with the Department of Homeland Security to fill out the RFP's cybersecurity sections. Those changes have been noted in GSA's EIS Interact online community. They include optional Colocation Hosting Center Service for all potential EIS customers, consolidating and expanding previous Managed Firewall, Intrusion Detection and Prevention, and Anti-Virus services into a new Managed Prevention Service.
According to GSA, the RFP also supports DHS' cybersecurity mission with an optional DHS Intrusion Prevention Security Service, which uses both classified and unclassified Government Furnished Information to monitor, identify and mitigate potential cybersecurity threats.
About the Author
Mark Rockwell is a staff writer covering acquisition, procurement and homeland security. Contact him at mrockwell@fcw.com or follow him on Twitter at @MRockwell4.
Earon
Argentine President: Obama Administration Tried To Convince Us To Give Iran Nuclear Fuel : News : Headlines & Global News
Kirchner said that two years into Obama's first term, his administration sent Gary Samore, former White House Coordinator for Arms Control and Weapons of Mass Destruction, to Argentina to persuade the nation to provide Iran with nuclear fuel, which is a key component of nuclear weapons.
By Taylor Tyler | Sep 30, 2015 02:31 PM EDT
Kirchner went on to say at the U.N. that when Samore was asked to provide the request in writing, all communications immediately ceased and Samore disappeared. (Photo : Twitter Photo Section)
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner claimed Monday afternoon at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City that in 2010, the Obama administration tried to convince the Argentinians "to provide the Islamic Republic of Iran with nuclear fuel," reported Mediaite.
Kirchner said that two years into Obama's first term, his administration sent Gary Samore, former White House Coordinator for Arms Control and Weapons of Mass Destruction, to Argentina to persuade the nation to provide Iran with nuclear fuel, which is a key component of nuclear weapons.
Kirchner's full remarks are as follows, per the Argentine president's official website:
"In 2010 we were visited in Argentina by Gary Samore, at that time the White House's top advisor in nuclear issues. He came to see us in Argentina with a mission, with an objective: under the control of IAEA, the international organization in the field of weapons control and nuclear regulation, Argentina had supplied in the year 1987, during the first democratic government, the nuclear fuel for the reactor known as "Teheran". Gary Samore had explained to our Minister of Foreign Affairs, H(C)ctor Timerman, that negotiations were underway for the Islamic Republic of Iran to cease with its uranium enrichment activities or to do it to a lesser extent but Iran claimed that it needed to enrich this Teheran nuclear reactor and this was hindering negotiations. They came to ask us, Argentines, to provide the Islamic Republic of Iran with nuclear fuel. Rohani was not in office yet. It was Ahmadinejad's administration and negotiations had already started."
The allegations are troubling in that they come after the Obama administration and five other world powers recently signed a nuclear deal with Iran that aims to limit Tehran's ability to develop nuclear weapons. At the core of the agreement are restrictions on the amount of nuclear fuel that Iran can keep for the next 15 years '' restrictions that would force Iran to reduce its stockpile of uranium by 98 percent, according to The New York Times. It's not clear why the U.S. would be attempting to secretly enable Iran to enrich nuclear fuel just five years ago.
Kirchner went on to say at the U.N. that when Samore was asked to provide the request in writing, all communications immediately ceased and Samore disappeared.
Kirchner continued: "...Argentina's contribution to this negotiation process...was impossible. [However] The Minister of Foreign Affairs came to see me in my office, and I remember this very clearly, and I said that if this request were made in writing and signed, we could, after all, cooperate."
Peace for our time - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The phrase "Peace for Our Time" was spoken on 30 September 1938 by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in his speech concerning the Munich Agreement and the Anglo-German Declaration.[1] The phrase echoed Benjamin Disraeli, who upon returning from the Congress of Berlin in 1878 stated "I have returned from Germany with peace for our time." It is primarily remembered for its ironic value: less than a year after the agreement, Hitler's continued aggression and his invasion of Poland was followed by declarations of war on Germany by France and the United Kingdom.
It is often misquoted as "peace in our time", which had appeared long before in The Book of Common Prayer as "Give peace in our time, O Lord", probably based on the 7th-century hymn "Da pacem Domine! in diebus nostris, Alleluja".[2] It is unknown how deliberate Chamberlain's use of such a similar term was, but anyone of his background would have been familiar with the original.
Speeches[edit]Chamberlain landed at Heston Aerodrome on 30 September 1938, and spoke to the crowds there:
The settlement of the Czechoslovakian problem, which has now been achieved is, in my view, only the prelude to a larger settlement in which all Europe may find peace. This morning I had another talk with the German Chancellor, Herr Hitler, and here is the paper which bears his name upon it as well as mine. Some of you, perhaps, have already heard what it contains but I would just like to read it to you: ' ... We regard the agreement signed last night and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again.'[3]
Later that day he stood outside 10 Downing Street and again read from the document and concluded:
My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Go home and get a nice quiet sleep.[3]
Cultural references[edit]Peace In Our Time is the title of a 1947 stage play by Nol Coward. Set in an alternative 1940, the Battle of Britain has been lost, the Germans have supremacy in the air and the British Isles are under Nazi occupation. Inspired to write this play in 1946 after seeing the effects of the occupation of France, the famously patriotic Coward wrote: "I began to suspect the physical effect of four years' intermittent bombing is far less damaging to the intrinsic character of a nation than the spiritual effect of four years of enemy occupation."
U.S. President John F Kennedy alluded to the speech in his 1963 American University Commencement Address, saying he sought "not merely peace in our time, but peace in all time."[4] Kennedy had written his college thesis on Chamberlain's appeasement policy,[5] which his father supported.[6] As president, Kennedy struggled to distance himself from his father's image as an appeaser[7]'--an image which, despite Kennedy's best efforts, would stick with him for the rest of his life.[citation needed]
U.S. President Barack Obama also used the phrase "peace in our time" in his 2013 inaugural address.[8]
References[edit]^"Neville Chamberlain". UK government. Retrieved 2008-09-23. ^"Morning Prayer. Versicles". The Book of Common Prayer. ^ abThe Oxford Dictionary of Quotations^Kennedy, John F. "A Strategy for Peace." American University Commencement Address. American University, Washington, D.C. 11 June 1963. Address.^Kennedy, John F. Why England Slept. London, Melbourne: Hutchinson, 1940. Print.^Davis, John H. (1993). The Kennedys: Dynasty and Disaster. S.P.I. Books. p. 94. ISBN 978-1-56171-060-7.^Timothy Naftali and Philip Zelikow, eds., The Presidential Recordings: John F. Kennedy, vol. 2 (New York: W.W. Norton, 2001) pp.583-84.^http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2013/01/22/Obama-Peace-in-Our-TimeExternal links[edit]
Munich Agreement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Radio broadcast of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's return to Great Britain after signing the Munich Agreement. Recording is 9 minutes, 23 seconds long.The Munich Agreement was a settlement permitting Nazi Germany's annexation of portions of Czechoslovakia along the country's borders mainly inhabited by German speakers, for which a new territorial designation "Sudetenland" was coined. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe, excluding the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. Today, it is widely regarded as a failed act of appeasement toward Germany. The agreement was signed in the early hours of 30 September 1938 (but dated 29 September). The purpose of the conference was to discuss the future of the Sudetenland in the face of ethnic demands made by Adolf Hitler. The agreement was signed by Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Sudetenland was of immense strategic importance to Czechoslovakia, as most of its border defenses were situated there, and many of its banks[citation needed] and heavy industries were located there as well.
Because the state of Czechoslovakia was not invited to the conference, it considered itself to have been betrayed by the United Kingdom and France, so Czechs and Slovaks call the Munich Agreement the Munich Diktat (Czech: Mnichovsk½ diktt; Slovak: Mnchovsk½ diktt). The phrase "Munich Betrayal" (Czech: Mnichovsk zrada; Slovak: Mnchovsk zrada) is also used because the military alliance Czechoslovakia had with France and Britain proved useless and also known because of the phrase "About us, without us!" This phrase is most hurtful for people of Czechoslovakia (Czech republic, Slovakia and Subcarpathian Ruthenia). Today the document is typically referred to simply as the Munich Pact (Mnichovsk dohoda).
In Germany the Sudeten crisis led to the so-called Oster Conspiracy. General Hans Oster, deputy head of the Abwehr, and prominent figures within the German military who opposed the regime for its behaviour that was threatening to bring Germany into a war that they believed it was not ready to fight, discussed overthrowing Hitler and the Nazi regime through a planned storming of the Reich Chancellery by forces loyal to the plot.
Background[edit]Demands for Sudeten autonomy[edit]From 1918 to 1938, after the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, more than 3 million ethnic Germans were living in the Czech part of the newly created state of Czechoslovakia.
Sudeten German pro-Nazi leader Konrad Henlein founded Sudeten German Party (SdP) that served as the branch of the Nazi Party for the Sudetenland.[2] By 1935, the SdP was the second largest political party in Czechoslovakia.[2] Shortly after the anschluss of Austria to Germany, Henlein met with Hitler in Berlin on 28 March 1938, where he was instructed to raise demands unacceptable to the Czechoslovak government led by president Edvard BeneÅ. On 24 April, the SdP issued a series of demands upon the government of Czechoslovakia, that were known as the Carlsbad Program. Among the demands, Henlein demanded autonomy for Germans living in Czechoslovakia.[2] The Czechoslovakian government responded by saying that it was willing to provide more minority rights to the German minority but it refused to grant them autonomy.[2]
Sudeten crisis[edit]As the previous appeasement of Hitler had shown, the governments of both France and Britain were intent on avoiding war. The French government did not wish to face Germany alone and took its lead from the British government of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. Chamberlain considered the Sudeten German grievances justified and believed Hitler's intentions were limited. Both Britain and France, therefore, advised Czechoslovakia to concede to Germany's demands. BeneÅ resisted and on 19 May initiated a partial mobilization in response to possible German invasion.
On 20 May, Hitler presented his generals with a draft plan of attack on Czechoslovakia codenamed Operation Green, insisting that he would not "smash Czechoslovakia" militarily without "provocation," "a particularly favourable opportunity" or "adequate political justification." On 28 May, Hitler called a meeting of his service chiefs where he ordered an acceleration of U-boat construction and brought forward the construction of his first two battleships, Bismarck and Tirpitz, to spring 1940, and demanded that the increase in the firepower of the battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau be accelerated . While recognizing that this would still be insufficient for a full-scale naval war with Britain, Hitler hoped it would be a sufficient deterrent. Ten days later, Hitler signed a secret directive for war against Czechoslovakia, to begin not later than 1 October.
On 22 May, Juliusz Åukasiewicz, the Polish ambassador to France, told the French Foreign Minister Georges Bonnet that if France moved against Germany in defense of Czechoslovakia: "We shall not move." Åukasiewicz also told Bonnet that Poland would oppose any attempt by Soviet forces to defend Czechoslovakia from Germany. Daladier told Jakob Surits, the Soviet ambassador to France: "Not only can we not count on Polish support but we have no faith that Poland will not strike us in the back."[8]
Hitler's adjutant, Fritz Wiedemann, recalled after the war that he was "very shocked" by Hitler's new plans to attack Britain and France 3''4 years after "deal[ing] with the situation" in Czechoslovakia. General Ludwig Beck, chief of the German general staff, noted that Hitler's change of heart in favour of quick action was due to Czechoslovak defences still being improvised, which would cease to be the case 2''3 years later, and British rearmament not coming into effect until 1941/42. General Alfred Jodl noted in his diary that the partial Czechoslovak mobilisation of 21 May had led Hitler to issue a new order for Operation Green on 30 May, and that this was accompanied by a covering letter from Keitel stating that the plan must be implemented by 1 October at the very latest.
In the meantime, the British government demanded that BeneÅ request a mediator. Not wishing to sever his government's ties with Western Europe, BeneÅ reluctantly accepted. The British appointed Lord Runciman, the former Liberal cabinet minister, who arrived in Prague on 3 August with instructions to persuade BeneÅ to agree to a plan acceptable to the Sudeten Germans. On 20 July, French Foreign Minister Georges Bonnet, told the Czechoslovak Ambassador in Paris that while France would declare her support in public to help the Czechoslovak negotiations, it was not prepared to go to war over the Sudetenland question. During August the German press was full of stories alleging Czechoslovak atrocities against Sudeten Germans, with the intention of forcing the Western Powers into putting pressure on the Czechoslovaks to make concessions. Hitler hoped the Czechoslovaks would refuse and that the Western Powers would then feel morally justified in leaving the Czechoslovaks to their fate. In August, Germany sent 750,000 soldiers along the border of Czechoslovakia officially as part of army maneuvers.[2] On 4 or 5 September, BeneÅ submitted the Fourth Plan, granting nearly all the demands of the Munich Agreement. The Sudeten Germans were under instruction from Hitler to avoid a compromise, and after the SdP held demonstrations that provoked police action in Ostrava on 7 September in which two of their parliamentary deputies were arrested, the Sudeten Germans used this incident and false allegations of other atrocities as an excuse to break off further negotiations.
On 12 September, Hitler made a speech at a Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg on the Sudeten crisis in which he condemned the actions of the government of Czechoslovakia.[2] Hitler denounced Czechoslovakia as being a fraudulent state that was in violation of international law's emphasis of national self-determination, claiming it was a Czech hegemony where neither the Germans, the Slovaks, the Hungarians, the Ukrainians, nor the Poles of the country actually wanted to be in a union with the Czechs.[13] Hitler accused Czechoslovakia's President Edvard BeneÅ of seeking to gradually exterminate the Sudeten Germans, claiming that since Czechoslovakia's creation over 600,000 Germans were allegedly intentionally forced out of their homes under the threat of starvation if they did not leave.[14] He claimed that BeneÅ' government was persecuting Germans along with Hungarians, Poles, and Slovaks, and accused BeneÅ of threatening these nationalities with being branded traitors if they were not loyal to the country.[13] He claimed that he, as the head of state of Germany, would support the right of the self-determination of fellow Germans in the Sudetenland.[13] He condemned BeneÅ for his government's recent execution of several German protesters.[13] He accused BeneÅ of being belligerent and threatening behaviour towards Germany which, if war broke out, would result in BeneÅ forcing Sudeten Germans to fight against their will against Germans from Germany.[13] Hitler accused the government of Czechoslovakia of being a client regime of France, claiming that the French Minister of Aviation Pierre Cot had said "We need this state as a base from which to drop bombs with greater ease to destroy Germany's economy and its industry".[14]
On 13 September, after internal violence and disruption in Czechoslovakia ensued, Chamberlain asked Hitler for a personal meeting to find a solution to avert a war. Chamberlain arrived by plane in Germany on 15 September and then arrived at Hitler's residence in Berchtesgaden for the meeting.[16] The Sudeten German leader Henlein flew to Germany on the same day. On that day, Hitler and Chamberlain held discussions in which Hitler insisted that the Sudeten Germans must be allowed to exercise the right of national self-determination and be able to join Sudetenland with Germany; Hitler also expressed concern to Chamberlain about what he perceived as British "threats".[16] Chamberlain responded that he had not issued "threats" and in frustration asked Hitler "Why did I come over here to waste my time?".[16] Hitler responded that if Chamberlain was willing to accept the self-determination of the Sudeten Germans, he would be willing to discuss the matter.[16] Chamberlain and Hitler held discussions for three hours, after which the meeting adjourned and Chamberlain flew back to the UK and met with his cabinet to discuss the issue.[16]
After the meeting, French Prime Minister douard Daladier flew to London on 16 September to meet British officials to discuss a course of action.[17] The situation in Czechoslovakia became more tense that day with the Czechoslovak government issuing an arrest warrant for the Sudeten German leader Henlein, who had arrived in Germany a day earlier to take part in the negotiations.[18] The French proposals ranged from waging war against Germany to supporting the Sudetenland being ceded to Germany.[18] The discussions ended with a firm British-French plan in place.[18] Britain and France demanded that Czechoslovakia cede to Germany all those territories where the German population represented over fifty percent of the Sudetenland's total population.[18] In exchange for this concession, Britain and France would guarantee the independence of Czechoslovakia.[18] The proposed solution was rejected by both Czechoslovakia and opponents of it in Britain and France.[18]
On 17 September 1938 Hitler ordered the establishment of Sudetendeutsches Freikorps, a paramilitary organization that took over the structure of Ordnersgruppe, an organization of ethnic-Germans in Czechoslovakia that had been dissolved by the Czechoslovak authorities the previous day due to its implication in large number of terrorist activities. The organization was sheltered, trained and equipped by German authorities and conducting cross border terrorist operations into Czechoslovak territory. Relying on the Convention for the Definition of Aggression, Czechoslovak president Edvard BeneÅ[19] and the government-in-exile[20] later regarded 17 September 1938 as the beginning of the undeclared German-Czechoslovak war. This understanding has been assumed also by the contemporary Czech Constitutional court.[21]
On 18 September, Italy's DuceBenito Mussolini made a speech in Trieste, Italy where he declared "If there are two camps, for and against Prague, let it be known that Italy has chosen its side," with the clear implication being that Mussolini supported Germany in the crisis.[16]
On 20 September, German opponents to the Nazi regime within the military meet to discuss the final plans of a plot they had developed to overthrow the Nazi regime. The meeting was led by General Hans Oster, the deputy head of the Abwehr (Germany's counter-espionage agency). Other members included Captain Friedrich Wilhelm Heinz, and other military officers leading the planned coup d'etat met at the meeting.[22]
On 22 September, Chamberlain, about to board his plane to go to Germany for further talks, told the press who met him there that "My objective is peace in Europe, I trust this trip is the way to that peace."[18] Chamberlain arrived in Cologne, where he received a lavish grand welcome with a German band playing "God Save the King" and Germans giving Chamberlain flowers and gifts.[18] Chamberlain had calculated that fully accepting German annexation of all of the Sudetenland with no reductions would force Hitler to accept the agreement.[18] Upon being told of this, Hitler responded "Does this mean that the Allies have agreed with Prague's approval to the transfer of the Sudetenland to Germany?", Chamberlain responded "Precisely", to which Hitler responded by shaking his head, saying that the Allied offer was insignificant. He told Chamberlain that he wanted Czechoslovakia to be completely dissolved and its territories redistributed to Germany, Poland, and Hungary, and told Chamberlain to take it or leave it.[18] Chamberlain was shaken by this statement.[18] Hitler went on to tell Chamberlain that since their last visit on the 15th, Czechoslovakia's actions, which Hitler claimed included killings of Germans, had made the situation unbearable for Germany.[18]
Later in the meeting, a prearranged deception was undertaken in order to influence and put pressure on Chamberlain: one of Hitler's aides entered the room to inform Hitler of more Germans being killed in Czechoslovakia, to which Hitler screamed in response "I will avenge every one of them. The Czechs must be destroyed."[18] The meeting ended with Hitler refusing to make any concessions to the Allies' demands.[18] Later that evening, Hitler grew worried that he had gone too far in pressuring Chamberlain, and telephoned Chamberlain's hotel suite, saying that he would accept annexing only the Sudetenland, with no designs on other territories, provided that Czechoslovakia begin the evacuation of the German majority territories by 26 September at 8:00am. After being pressed by Chamberlain, Hitler agreed to have the ultimatum set for 1 October (the same date that Operation Green was set to begin).[23] Hitler then said to Chamberlain that this was one concession that he was willing to make to the Prime Minister as a "gift" out of respect for the fact that Chamberlain had been willing to back down somewhat on his earlier position.[23] Hitler went on to say that upon annexing the Sudetenland, Germany would hold no further territorial claims upon Czechoslovakia and would enter into a collective agreement to guarantee the borders of Germany and Czechoslovakia.[23]
Meanwhile a new Czechoslovak cabinet, under General Jan Syrov½, was installed and on 23 September a decree of general mobilization was issued. The Czechoslovak army, modern and possessing an excellent system of frontier fortifications, was prepared to fight. The Soviet Union announced its willingness to come to Czechoslovakia's assistance. BeneÅ, however, refused to go to war without the support of the Western powers.
In the early hours of 24 September, Hitler issued the Godesberg Memorandum, which demanded that Czechoslovakia cede the Sudetenland to Germany no later than 28 September, with plebiscites to be held in unspecified areas under the supervision of German and Czechoslovak forces. The memorandum also stated that if Czechoslovakia did not agree to the German demands by 2 pm on 28 September, Germany would take the Sudetenland by force. On the same day, Chamberlain returned to Britain and announced that Hitler demanded the annexation of the Sudetenland without delay.[23] The announcement enraged those in Britain and France who wanted to confront Hitler once and for all, even if it meant war, and its supporters gained strength.[23] The Czechoslovakian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Jan Masaryk, was elated upon hearing of the support for Czechoslovakia from British and French opponents of Hitler's plans, saying "The nation of Saint Wenceslas will never be a nation of slaves."[23]
On 25 September, Czechoslovakia agreed to the conditions previously agreed upon by Britain, France, and Germany. The next day, however, Hitler added new demands, insisting that the claims of ethnic Germans in Poland and Hungary also be satisfied.
On 26 September, Chamberlain sent Sir Horace Wilson to carry a personal letter to Hitler declaring that the Allies wanted a peaceful resolution to the Sudeten crisis.[23] Later that evening, Hitler made his response in a speech at the Sportpalast in Berlin; he gave Czechoslovakia a deadline of 28 September at 2:00pm to cede the Sudetenland to Germany or face war.[23]
On 28 September at 10:00am, four hours before the deadline and with no agreement to Hitler's demand by Czechoslovakia, the British ambassador to Italy, Lord Perth, called Italy's Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano to request an urgent meeting.[23] Perth informed Ciano that Chamberlain had instructed him to request that Mussolini enter the negotiations and urge Hitler to delay the ultimatum.[23] At 11:00am, Ciano met Mussolini and informed him of Chamberlain's proposition; Mussolini agreed with it and responded by telephoning Italy's ambassador to Germany and told him "Go to the Fuhrer at once, and tell him that whatever happens, I will be at his side, but that I request a twenty-four hour delay before hostilities begin. In the meantime, I will study what can be done to solve the problem."[24] Hitler received Mussolini's message while in discussions with the French ambassador. Hitler told the ambassador "My good friend, Benito Mussolini, has asked me to delay for twenty-four hours the marching orders of the German army, and I agreed. Of course, this was no concession, as the invasion date was set for 1 October 1938. "[25] Upon speaking with Chamberlain, Lord Perth gave Chamberlain's thanks to Mussolini as well as Chamberlain's request that Mussolini attend a four-power conference of Britain, France, Germany, and Italy in Munich on 29 September to settle the Sudeten problem prior to the deadline of 2:00pm. Mussolini agreed.[25] Hitler's only request was to make sure that Mussolini be involved in the negotiations at the conference.[25] When United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt learned the conference had been scheduled, he telegraphed Chamberlain, "Good man".[26]
Resolution[edit]Sequence of events following the Munich Agreement:1. Germany occupies the Sudetenland (October 1938).2. Poland annexes Zaolzie, an area with a Polish plurality, over which the two countries had fought a war in 1919 (October 1938).3. Hungary occupies border areas (southern third of Slovakia and southern Carpathian Ruthenia) with Hungarian minorities in accordance with the First Vienna Award (November 1938).4. On March 15, 1939, during the German invasion of the remaining Czech territories, Hungary annexes Carpathian Ruthenia (which had been autonomous since October 1938).5. Germany establishes the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia with a puppet government, on March 16, 1939.6. Meanwhile, during the German invasion of Czech territories, a pro-Hitler Catholic-fascist government splits off the remaining territories of Czechoslovakia and declares the Slovak Republic, an Axisclient state.A deal was reached on 29 September, and at about 1:30 am on 30 September 1938,Adolf Hitler, Neville Chamberlain, Benito Mussolini and douard Daladier signed the Munich Agreement. The agreement was officially introduced by Mussolini although in fact the so-called Italian plan had been prepared in the German Foreign Office. It was nearly identical to the Godesberg proposal: the German army was to complete the occupation of the Sudetenland by 10 October, and an international commission would decide the future of other disputed areas.
Czechoslovakia was informed by Britain and France that it could either resist Nazi Germany alone or submit to the prescribed annexations. The Czechoslovak government, realizing the hopelessness of fighting the Nazis alone, reluctantly capitulated (30 September) and agreed to abide by the agreement. The settlement gave Germany the Sudetenland starting 10 October, and de facto control over the rest of Czechoslovakia as long as Hitler promised to go no further. On 30 September after some rest, Chamberlain went to Hitler and asked him to sign a peace treaty between the United Kingdom and Germany. After Hitler's interpreter translated it for him, he happily agreed.
On 30 September, upon his return to Britain, Chamberlain delivered his infamous "peace for our time" speech to crowds in London.[28]
Reactions[edit]Though the British and French were pleased, as were the Nazi military and German diplomatic leadership, a British diplomat in Berlin claimed he had been informed by reliable sources that soon after the meeting with Chamberlain Hitler had furiously said: "Gentlemen, this has been my first international conference and I can assure you that it will be my last". The British diplomat claimed his sources relayed that Hitler viewed Chamberlain as "an impertinent busybody who spoke the ridiculous jargon of an outmoded democracy." In his postwar memoirs, Winston Churchill, a staunch opponent of appeasement, compared Germany and Poland to vultures landing on the dying carcass of Czechoslovakia and lamented that "over a question so minor as Teschen, they [the Poles] sundered themselves from all those friends in France, Britain and the United States who had lifted them once again to a national, coherent life, and whom they were soon to need to sorely. ... It is a mystery and tragedy of European history that a people capable of every heroic virtue, gifted, valiant, charming, as individuals, should repeatedly show such inveterate faults in almost every aspect of their governmental life."[30]
Joseph Stalin was also upset by the results of the Munich conference. The Soviets, who had a mutual military assistance treaty with Czechoslovakia, felt betrayed by France, who also had a mutual military assistance treaty with Czechoslovakia. The British and French, however, mostly used the Soviets as a threat to dangle over the Germans. Stalin concluded that the West had actively colluded with Hitler to hand over a Central European country to the Nazis, causing concern that they might do the same to the Soviet Union in the future, allowing the partition of the USSR between the western powers and the fascist Axis. This belief led the Soviet Union to reorient its foreign policy towards a rapprochement with Germany, which eventually led to the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1939.[31]
Daladier, the French Prime Minister, told the US ambassador to France that "he hoped to live long enough to pay Poland for her cormorant attitude in the present crisis by proposing a new partition." The Soviet Union was so hostile to Poland over Munich that there was a real prospect that war between the two states might break out quite separate from the wider conflict over Czechoslovakia. The Soviet Prime Minister, Molotov, denounced the Poles as "Hitler's jackals".[32]
The Czechoslovaks were greatly dismayed with the Munich settlement. With Sudetenland gone to Germany, Czecho-Slovakia (as the state was now renamed) lost its defensible border with Germany and its fortifications. Without them its independence became more nominal than real. In fact, Edvard BeneÅ, the President of Czechoslovakia, had the military print the march orders for his army and put the press on standby for a declaration of war. Czechoslovakia also lost 70% of its iron/steel, 70% of its electrical power and 3.5 million citizens to Germany as a result of the settlement.
The Sudeten Germans celebrated what they saw as their liberation. The imminent war, it seemed, had been avoided.
Before the Munich Agreement Hitler's determination to invade Czechoslovakia on 1 October 1938 had provoked a major crisis in the German command structure. The Chief of the General Staff, General Ludwig Beck, protested in a lengthy series of memos that it would start a world war that Germany would lose, and urged Hitler to put off the projected war. Hitler called Beck's arguments against war "kindische Kr¤fteberechnungen" ("childish force calculations"). On 4 August 1938, a secret Army meeting was held. Beck read his lengthy report to the assembled officers. They all agreed something had to be done to prevent certain disaster. Beck hoped they would all resign together but no one resigned except Beck. However his replacement, General Franz Halder, sympathised with Beck and they both conspired with several top generals, Admiral Wilhelm Canaris (Chief of German Intelligence), and Graf von Helldorf (Berlin's Police Chief) to arrest Hitler the moment he gave the invasion order. However, the plan would only work if Britain issued a strong warning and a letter to the effect that they would fight to preserve Czechoslovakia. This would help to convince the German people that certain defeat awaited Germany. Agents were therefore sent to England to tell Chamberlain that an attack on Czechoslovakia was planned, and of their intention to overthrow Hitler if this occurred. However, the proposal was rejected by the British Cabinet and no such letter was issued. Accordingly, the proposed removal of Hitler did not go ahead. On this basis it has been argued that the Munich Agreement kept Hitler in power, although whether it would have been any more successful than the 1944 plot is doubtful.
Opinions about the agreement[edit]The British population had expected imminent war and the "statesman-like gesture" of Chamberlain was at first greeted with acclaim. This generally positive reaction, however, quickly soured despite royal patronage. Chamberlain was greeted as a hero by the royal family and invited on the balcony at Buckingham Palace before he had presented the agreement to Parliament. But there was opposition from the start; Clement Attlee and the Labour Party opposed the agreement, in alliance with two Conservative MPs, Duff Cooper and Vyvyan Adams who had been seen, up to then as a die hard and reactionary element in the Conservative Party.
In later years, Chamberlain was excoriated for his role as one of the "Men of Munich", in books such as the 1940 Guilty Men. A rare wartime defence of the Munich Agreement came in 1944 from Viscount Maugham, who had been Lord Chancellor at the time. Maugham viewed the decision to establish a Czechoslovak state including substantial German and Hungarian minorities as a "dangerous experiment" in the light of previous disputes and ascribed the Munich Agreement largely to France's need to extricate itself from its treaty obligations in the light of its unpreparedness for war.
douard Daladier believed he saw Hitler's ultimate goals as a threat. He told the British in a late April 1938 meeting that Hitler's real aim was to eventually secure "a domination of the Continent in comparison with which the ambitions of Napoleon were feeble." He went on to say: "Today it is the turn of Czechoslovakia. Tomorrow it will be the turn of Poland and Romania. When Germany has obtained the oil and wheat it needs, she will turn on the West. Certainly we must multiply our efforts to avoid war. But that will not be obtained unless Great Britain and France stick together, intervening in Prague for new concessions but declaring at the same time that they will safeguard the independence of Czechoslovakia. If, on the contrary, the Western Powers capitulate again they will only precipitate the war they wish to avoid." Perhaps discouraged by the arguments of the military and civilian members of the French government regarding their unprepared military and weak financial situation, as well as traumatised by France's bloodbath in the First World War that he was personally a witness to, Daladier ultimately let Chamberlain have his way. On his return to Paris, Daladier, who was expecting a hostile crowd, was acclaimed. According to French author Jean-Paul Sartre he would then have told his aide, Alexis L(C)ger: "Ah, les cons!" ("Ah, the fools!").[37]
American historian William Shirer, in his The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (1960), took the view that although Hitler was not bluffing about his intention to invade, Czechoslovakia would have been able to offer significant resistance. Shirer believed that Britain and France had sufficient air defences to avoid serious bombing of London and Paris and would have been able to pursue a rapid and successful war against Germany. He quotes Churchill as saying the Munich agreement meant that "Britain and France were in a much worse position compared to Hitler's Germany". After Adolf Hitler personally inspected the Czech fortifications, he privately said to Joseph Goebbels, "we would have shed a lot of blood" and that it was fortunate that there had been no fighting.[39]
Consequences of the Munich agreement[edit]On 5 October, BeneÅ resigned as President of Czechoslovakia, realising that the fall of Czechoslovakia was inevitable. Following the outbreak of World War II, he formed a Czechoslovak government-in-exile in London. On 6 December 1938, the French-German non-aggression pact was signed in Paris by the French Foreign Minister Georges Bonnet and the German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop.[40]
Pertaining to the territories of Czechoslovakia after the Munich Agreement[edit]The first Vienna Award to Hungary[edit]In early November 1938, under the first Vienna Award, which was a result of the Munich agreement, Czechoslovakia (and later Slovakia)'--after it had failed to reach a compromise with Hungary and Poland'--was forced by Germany and Italy to cede southern Slovakia (one third of Slovak territory) to Hungary, while Poland gained small territorial cessions shortly after (Zaolzie).
As a result, Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia lost about 38% of their combined area to Germany, with some 2.8 million German and 513,000-750,000[41][42]Czech inhabitants. Hungary, in turn, received 11,882 km2 (4,588 sq mi) in southern Slovakia and southern Ruthenia; according to a 1941 census, about 86.5% of the population in this territory was Hungarian. Slovakia lost 10,390 km2 (4,010 sq mi) and 854,218 inhabitants for Hungary (according to a Czechoslovak 1930 census about 59% were Hungarians and 31.9% were Slovaks and Czechs[43]). Meanwhile, Poland annexed the town of Äesk½ TÄÅn with the surrounding area (some 906 km2 (350 sq mi), with 250,000 inhabitants; Poles made up about 36% of the population) and two minor border areas in northern Slovakia, more precisely in the regions SpiÅ and Orava. (226 km2 (87 sq mi), 4,280 inhabitants, only 0.3% Poles).
Soon after Munich, 115,000 Czechs and 30,000 Germans fled to the remaining rump of Czechoslovakia. According to the Institute for Refugee Assistance, the actual count of refugees on 1 March 1939 stood at almost 150,000.[45]
On 4 December 1938, there were elections in Reichsgau Sudetenland, in which 97.32% of the adult population voted for NSDAP. About a half million Sudeten Germans joined the Nazi Party which was 17.34% of the German population in Sudetenland (the average NSDAP participation in Nazi Germany was 7.85%). This means the Sudetenland was the most "pro-Nazi" region in the Third Reich.
Because of their knowledge of the Czech language, many Sudeten Germans were employed in the administration of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia as well as in Nazi organizations (Gestapo, etc.). The most notable was Karl Hermann Frank: the SS and Police general and Secretary of State in the Protectorate.
German invasion of the remainder of Czechoslovakia[edit]In 1937, the Wehrmacht had formulated a plan called "Operation Green" (Fall Gr¼n) for the invasion of Czechoslovakia which was implemented as "Operation Southeast" on 15 March 1939.
On 14 March Slovakia seceded from Czechoslovakia and became a separate pro-Nazi state. On the following day, Carpathian Ruthenia proclaimed independence as well, but after three days was completely occupied by Hungary. Czechoslovak president Emil Hcha traveled to Berlin and was left waiting, while orders to invade were already given. During the meeting with Adolf Hitler, Hcha was threatened with the bombing of Prague if he refused to order Czech troops to lay down their arms. This induced a heart attack, from which he was revived by an injection from Hitler's doctor. He then agreed to sign the communique accepting the German occupation of the remainder of Bohemia and Moravia "which in its unctuous mendacity was remarkable even for the Nazis".[48] Churchill's prediction was fulfilled as German armies entered Prague and proceeded to occupy the rest of the country, which was transformed into a protectorate of the Reich.
By seizing Bohemia and Moravia the Third Reich gained all the skilled labour force and heavy industry placed there as well as all the weapons of the Czechoslovakian army. At the time of Hitler's later attack on France, roughly 25% of all German weapons came from the protectorate B¶hmen und M¤hren. The Third Reich also gained the whole Czechoslovakian gold treasure, including gold stored in the Bank of England. Of a total 227 tons of gold found after the war in salt mines, only 18.4 tons were returned to Czechoslovakia in 1982, although most of this gold came from Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia was also forced to "sell" to the Wehrmacht war material for 648 million of pre-war Czechoslovak crowns. This debt was never repaid.
Germans even took the precaution of sending their troops over borders as early as the afternoon of 14 March, causing an incident between 13th (Silesian) Czechoslovakian Battalion and the 8th Infantry Division of the Nazi army in Mstek. After a while the Germans decided to pull out as the escalation could endanger "peaceful" takeover.
Chamberlain[49] claimed the Prague annexation was a "completely different category", moving beyond the legitimate Versailles grievances.
Meanwhile, concerns arose in Great Britain that Poland (now substantially encircled by German possessions) would become the next target of Nazi expansionism, which was made apparent by the dispute over the Polish Corridor and the Free City of Danzig. This resulted in the signing of an Anglo-Polish military alliance, and the consequent refusal of the Polish government to accept German negotiation proposals over the Polish Corridor and the status of Danzig.
Prime Minister Chamberlain felt betrayed by the Nazi seizure of Czechoslovakia, realizing his policy of appeasement towards Hitler had failed, and began to take a much harder line against the Nazis. Amongst other things he immediately began to mobilize the British Empire's armed forces to a war footing. France did the same. Italy saw itself threatened by the British and French fleets and started its own invasion of Albania in April 1939. Although no immediate action followed, Hitler's invasion of Poland on 1 September officially began World War II.
Non-negligible industrial potential and military equipment of the former Czechoslovakia had been efficiently absorbed into the Third Reich.
Strengthening of Wehrmacht's armament[edit]Since most of the border defenses were located in the territory seceded as a consequence of the Munich Agreement, the remaining part of Czechoslovakia was entirely open to further invasion, despite having relatively large stockpiles of modern weaponry. In a speech delivered in Reichstag, Hitler expressed the importance of the occupation for strengthening of German military, noting that by occupying Czechoslovakia, Germany gained 2,175 field guns and cannons, 469 tanks, 500 anti-aircraft artillery pieces, 43,000 machine guns, 1,090,000 military rifles, 114,000 pistols, about a billion rounds of small-arms ammunition and three million rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition. This amount of weaponry would be sufficient to arm about half of the then Wehrmacht.[50] Czechoslovak weaponry later played major part in the German conquest of Poland and France, the countries that pressured the country's surrender to Germany in 1938.
Pertaining to international politics[edit]Italian colonial demands from France[edit]In October 1938 in the aftermath of the Munich Agreement, Italy demanded concessions from France to yield to Italy: a free port at Djibouti, control of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad, Italian participation in the management of Suez Canal Company, some form of French-Italian condominium over Tunisia, and the preservation of Italian culture in French-held Corsica with no French assimilation of the people.[51] Italy opposed the French monopoly over the Suez Canal because under the French-dominated Suez Canal Company all Italian merchant traffic to its colony of Italian East Africa was forced to pay tolls upon entering the canal.[51][52] Mussolini hoped that in light of Italy's role in settling the Munich Agreement that prevented the outbreak of war, that Britain would react by putting pressure on France to yield to Italy's demands to preserve the peace.[51] France refused to accept Italy's demands as it was widely suspected that Italy's true intentions were territorial acquisition of Nice, Corsica, Tunisia, and Djibouti and not the milder official demands put forth.[51] Relations between Italy and France deteriorated with France's refusal to accept Italy's demands.[51] France responded to Italy's demands with threatening naval maneuvers as a warning to Italy.[51] As tensions between Italy and France grew, Hitler made a major speech on 30 January 1939 in which he promised German military support in the case of an unprovoked war against Italy.[53]
Quotations from key participants[edit]'The Funeral of British Honour'
To the Editor of the Manchester Guardian
Sir,
The flowers piled before 10, Downing Street are very fitting for the funeral of British honour and, it may be, of the British Empire. For sheer degradation the frenzies of last Friday beat even the night of Mafeking.
I appreciate the Prime Minister's love of peace. I know the horrors of war '' a great deal better than he can. But when he returns from saving our skins from a blackmailer at the price of other people's flesh, and waves, laughing with glee, a piece of paper with Herr Hitler's name on it, if it were not ghastly, it would be grotesque. No doubt he has never read Mein Kampf in German. But to forget, so utterly, the Reichstag fire, and the occupation of the Rhineland, and 30 June 1934, and the fall of Austria! We have lost the courage to see things as they are. And yet Herr Hitler has kindly put down for us in black and white that programme he is so faithfully carrying out. (For he keeps his threats, though not his promises.) Alliance with Italy and England; the annihilation of France; the conquest for the German plough of the Ukraine; a Reich of 250,000,000. And then?
I may be wrong. No one can tell. There are no sure prophecies in politics, as even Bismarck owned. But just because all roads lead none knows whither, all the more reason to keep the straight path of honour. This is the really unpardonable thing in the conduct of Mr. Chamberlain. Even if what he did were the right thing to do, this was not the way to do it. Any really great man who had felt forced to sacrifice a small nation that trusted in him would at least have returned full of anguish and of shame. But Mr. Chamberlain, though he had good intentions, has no finer sense of honour. He lent himself with complacency to the shrieking adulation of a London that had lost all dignity, without one thought for the agony of Prague. Leaders should have some touch of finer mettle. Mr. Chamberlain, canting of "peace with honour," has debased the moral currency of England. And not for the first time; and not, I fear, for the last.
Meanwhile, the past is past, however shameful. What now? If we have any respect we shall remedy at once that outrageous omission by which all Sudetens in Czech prisons are to be liberated, while no word is said of the Czechs dragged across the frontier into German captivity or arrested in Germany. Secondly, we shall compensate Czechoslovakia for the property we have forced her to leave to the invader '' the machinery in Czech-owned factories, the fortifications, and their artillery, '' which belonged to the Czech State as a whole, not to the Sudetens, as indefeasibly as the very streets of Prague. Thirdly, unless we propose to barricade ourselves behind pieces of paper kindly autographed by Herr Hitler, we shall look a little better to our defences, even if it means conscription in the near future.
[From a letter by F. L. Lucas of King's College, Cambridge, British anti-appeasement campaigner, to the Manchester Guardian, 4 October 1938]Germany stated that the incorporation of Austria into the Reich resulted in borders with Czechoslovakia that were a great danger to German security, and that this allowed Germany to be encircled by the Western Powers.
Neville Chamberlain, announced the deal at Heston Aerodrome as follows:
... the settlement of the Czechoslovakian problem, which has now been achieved is, in my view, only the prelude to a larger settlement in which all Europe may find peace. This morning I had another talk with the German Chancellor, Herr Hitler, and here is the paper which bears his name upon it as well as mine. Some of you, perhaps, have already heard what it contains but I would just like to read it to you: ' ... We regard the agreement signed last night and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again.'[55]
Later that day he stood outside 10 Downing Street and again read from the document and concluded:
My good friends, for the second time in our history a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time." (Chamberlain's reference to Disraeli's return from the Congress of Berlin in 1878)[55][56]
Chamberlain in a letter to his sister Hilda, on 2 October 1938, wrote:
I asked Hitler about one in the morning while we were waiting for the draftsmen whether he would care to see me for another talk'....I had a very friendly and pleasant talk, on Spain, (where he too said he had never had any territorial ambitions) economic relations with S.E. Europe, and disarmament. I did not mention colonies, nor did he. At the end I pulled out the declaration which I had prepared beforehand and asked if he would sign it. As the interpreter translated the words into German, Hitler said Yes, I will certainly sign it. When shall we do it? I said "now", and we went at once to the writing table and put our signatures to the two copies which I had brought with me."[citation needed]
Winston Churchill, denouncing the Agreement in the House of Commons, declared:
We have suffered a total and unmitigated defeat ... you will find that in a period of time which may be measured by years, but may be measured by months, Czechoslovakia will be engulfed in the Nazi r(C)gime. We are in the presence of a disaster of the first magnitude ... we have sustained a defeat without a war, the consequences of which will travel far with us along our road ... we have passed an awful milestone in our history, when the whole equilibrium of Europe has been deranged, and that the terrible words have for the time being been pronounced against the Western democracies: "Thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting". And do not suppose that this is the end. This is only the beginning of the reckoning. This is only the first sip, the first foretaste of a bitter cup which will be proffered to us year by year unless by a supreme recovery of moral health and martial vigour, we arise again and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.
On 3 October 1938, Churchill added:
England has been offered a choice between war and shame. She has chosen shame, and will get war.
Legal nullification[edit]During the Second World War, British Prime Minister Churchill, who opposed the agreement when it was signed, became determined that the terms of the agreement would not be upheld after the war and that the Sudeten territories should be returned to postwar Czechoslovakia. On 5 August 1942, Foreign Minister Anthony Eden sent the following note to Jan Masaryk:
In the light of recent exchanges of view between our Governments, I think it may be useful for me to make the following statement about the attitude of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom as regards Czecho-Slovakia.
In my letter of the 18th July, 1941, I informed your Excellency that the King had decided to accredit an Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Dr. BeneÅ as President of the Czecho-Slovak Republic. I explained that this decision implied that His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom regarded the juridical position of the President and Government of the Czecho-Slovak Republic as identical with that of the other Allied heads of States and Governments established in this country. The status of His Majesty's representative has recently been raised to that of an Ambassador.
The Prime Minister had already stated in a message broadcast to the Czecho-Slovak people on the 30th September, 1940, the attitude of His Majesty's Government in regard to the arrangements reached at Munich in 1938. Mr. Churchill then said that the Munich Agreement had been destroyed by the Germans. This statement was formally communicated to Dr. BeneÅ on the 11th November, 1940.
The foregoing statement and formal act of recognition have guided the policy of His Majesty's Government in regard to Czecho-Slovakia, but in order to avoid any possible misunderstanding, I desire to declare on behalf of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom that as Germany has deliberately destroyed the arrangements concerning Czecho-Slovakia reached in 1938, in which His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom participated, His Majesty's Government regard themselves as free from any engagements in this respect. At the final settlement of the Czecho-Slovak frontiers to be reached at the end of the war they will not be influenced by any changes effected in and since 1938.
To which Masaryk replied as follows:
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 5th August, 1942, and I avail myself of this opportunity to convey to your Excellency, on behalf of the Czecho-Slovak Government and of myself, as well as in the name of the whole Czecho-Slovak people who are at present suffering so terribly under the Nazi yoke, the expression of our warmest thanks.
Your Excellency's note emphasises the fact that the formal act of recognition has guided the policy of His Majesty's Government in regard to Czecho-Slovakia, but, in order to avoid any possible misunderstanding, His Majesty's Government now desire to declare that, as Germany has deliberately destroyed the arrangements concerning Czecho-Slovakia reached in 1938, in which His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom participated, His Majesty's Government regard themselves as free from any engagements in this respect. At the final settlement of the Czecho-Slovak frontiers to be reached at the end of the war, they will not be influenced by any changes effected in and since 1938.
My Government accept your Excellency's note as a practical solution of the questions and difficulties of vital importance for Czecho-Slovakia which emerged between our two countries as the consequence of the Munich Agreement, maintaining, of course, our political and juridical position with regard to the Munich Agreement and the events which followed it as expressed in the note of the Czecho-Slovak Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the 16th December, 1941. We consider your important note of the 5th August, 1942, as a highly significant act of justice towards Czecho-Slovakia, and we assure you of our real satisfaction and of our profound gratitude to your great country and nation. Between our two countries the Munich Agreement can now be considered as dead.
Following Allied victory and the surrender of the Third Reich in 1945, the Sudetenland was returned to Czechoslovakia, while the German speaking majority was expelled.
During the Cold War, Chamberlain's agreement at Munich again resurfaced, with prominent anti-communists arguing that the United States could not reverse his perceived mistakes by "appeasing" the Soviet Union.[58]
The West German politics of staying neutral in the Arab''Israeli conflict following the Munich massacre and the subsequent hijacking of Lufthansa Flight 615 in 1972, rather than taking the decided pro-Israel position of earlier governments, led to Israeli comparisons with the Munich Agreement and the Appeasement.[59]
In the 2013 phase of the Syrian crisis, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on 7 September 2013 "this is our Munich moment" in which the West should not remain "silent spectators to slaughter", an invocation to other countries to support a U.S. led strike against the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Ironically, that strike never took place, despite Obama's invocation of the "red line", chemical attacks, which he asserted Assad had crossed.[60]
See also[edit]References[edit]Notes[edit]^Statistick½ lexikon obc v Republice Äeskoslovensk(C) I. ZemÄ Äesk. Prague. 1934. Statistick½ lexikon obc v Republice Äeskoslovensk(C) II. ZemÄ moravskoslezsk. Prague. 1935. ^ abcdefEleanor L. Turk. The History of Germany. Westport, Connecticut, USA: Greenwood Press, 1999. ISBN 9780313302749. Pp. 123.^Paul N. Hehn (2005). A Low, Dishonest Decade: The Great Powers, Eastern Europe and the Economic Origins of World War II, 1930-1941. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 89. ^ abcdeAdolf Hitler, Max Domarus. The Essential Hitler: Speeches and Commentary. Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, 2007. ISBN 9780865166271. Pp. 626.^ abAdolf Hitler, Max Domarus. The Essential Hitler: Speeches and Commentary. Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, 2007. ISBN 9780865166271. Pp. 627.^ abcdefSanti Corvaja, Robert L. Miller. Hitler & Mussolini: The Secret Meetings. New York, New York, USA: Enigma Books, 2008. ISBN 9781929631421. Pp. 71.^Santi Corvaja, Robert L. Miller. Hitler & Mussolini: The Secret Meetings. New York, New York, USA: Enigma Books, 2008. ISBN 9781929631421. Pp. 71''72.^ abcdefghijklmnSanti Corvaja, Robert L. Miller. Hitler & Mussolini: The Secret Meetings. New York, New York, USA: Enigma Books, 2008. ISBN 9781929631421. Pp. 72.^President BeneÅ' declaration made on 16 December 1941^Note of the Czechoslovak government-in-exile dated 22 February 1944^Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic (1997), Ruling No. II. S 307/97 (in Czech), Brno Stran interpretace "kdy zemÄ vede vlku", obsažen(C) v Äl. I mluvy o naturalizaci mezi Äeskoslovenskem a Spojen½mi stty, publikovan(C) pod Ä. 169/1929 Sb. za ºÄelem zjiÅtÄn, zda je splnÄna podmnka sttnho obÄanstv dle restituÄnch pÅedpisů, stavn soud vychz z již v roce 1933 vypracovan(C) definice agrese SpoleÄnosti nrodů, kter byla pÅevzata do lond½nsk(C) mluvy o agresi (CONVENITION DE DEFINITION DE L'AGRESSION), uzavÅen(C) dne 4. 7. 1933 Äeskoslovenskem, dle kter(C) nen tÅeba vlku vyhlaÅovat (Äl. II bod 2) a dle kter(C) je tÅeba za ºtoÄnka považovat ten stt, kter½ prvn poskytne podporu ozbrojen½m tlupm, jež se utvoÅ na jeho ºzem a jež vpadnou na ºzem druh(C)ho sttu (Äl. II bod 5). V souladu s n"tou lond½nsk(C) vldy ze dne 22. 2. 1944, navazujc na prohlÅen prezidenta republiky ze dne 16. 12. 1941 dle § 64 odst. 1 bod 3 tehdejÅ stavy, a v souladu s citovan½m Äl. II bod 5 m stavn soud za to, že dnem, kdy nastal stav vlky, a to s NÄmeckem, je den 17. 9. 1938, neboÅ¥ tento den na pokyn Hitlera doÅlo k utvoÅen "SudetonÄmeck(C)ho svobodn(C)ho sboru" (Freikorps) z uprchnuvÅch vůdců Henleinovy strany a nÄkolik mlo hodin pot(C) už tito vpadli na Äeskoslovensk(C) ºzem ozbrojeni nÄmeck½mi zbranÄmi.^Nigel Jones. Countdown to Valkyrie: The July Plot to Assassinate Hitler. Pp. 73-74.^ abcdefghijSanti Corvaja, Robert L. Miller. Hitler & Mussolini: The Secret Meetings. New York, New York, USA: Enigma Books, 2008. ISBN 9781929631421. Pp. 73.^Santi Corvaja, Robert L. Miller. Hitler & Mussolini: The Secret Meetings. New York, New York, USA: Enigma Books, 2008. ISBN 9781929631421. Pp. 73''74.^ abcSanti Corvaja, Robert L. Miller. Hitler & Mussolini: The Secret Meetings. New York, New York, USA: Enigma Books, 2008. ISBN 9781929631421. Pp. 74.^Dallek, Robert (1995). Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Foreign Policy, 1932-1945: With a New Afterword. Oxford University Press. p. 166. ISBN 9780199826667. ^http://www.britannia.com/history/docs/peacetime.html^Winston S. Churchill (2002). The Gathering Storm: The Second World War, Volume 1. RosettaBooks LCC. p. 290. ^Klaus Hildebrand 1991.^Richard Overy, Andrew Wheatcroft (2009). The Road to War: The Origins of World War II. Vintage. pp. 11''12. ^Jean-Paul Sartre, Le sursis^See Joseph Goebbels diary, 2 Oct 1938, p. 2.^France Signs "No-War" Pact with Germany, Chicago Tribune, December 7, 1938^http://www.bruntal.net/2007072602-k-otazce-vysidleni-obcanu-csr-ze-sudet-tesinska-podkarpatske-rusi-a-slovenske-republiky-v-letech-1938-1939^http://www.bohumildolezal.cz/texty/u074-08.htm^http://www.forumhistoriae.sk/documents/10180/70153/hetenyi.pdf^Forced displacement of Czech population under Nazis in 1938 and 1943, Radio Prague^Noakes, J. and Pridham, G. (eds) (2010) [2001] Nazism 1919-1945, Vol 3, Foreign Policy, War and Racial Extermination, University of Exeter Press, Exeter, p.119^McDonough, 2002, p.73^Motl, Stanislav (2007), Kam zmizel zlat½ poklad republiky (2nd ed.), Prague: Rybka publishers ^ abcdefH. James Burgwyn. Italian Foreign Policy in the Interwar Period, 1918-1940. Westport, Connecticut, USA: Praeger Publishers, 1997. p182-183.^"French Army breaks a one-day strike and stands on guard against a land-hungry Italy", LIFE, 19 Dec 1938. pp. 23.^H. James Burgwyn. Italian Foreign Policy in the Interwar Period, 1918-1940. Westport, Connecticut, USA: Praeger Publishers, 1997. p185.^ abThe Oxford Dictionary of Quotations^"Neville Chamberlain". UK government. Retrieved 2008-09-23. ^"Peace in Our Time: The Spirit of Munich Lives On", by Michael Johns, Policy Review magazine, Summer 1987^"Deutsche Feigheit"(PDF). Der Spiegel (in German). 11 November 1972. Retrieved 16 July 2013. ^http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2013/09/06/president-obama-and-the-red-line-on-syrias-chemical-weapons/Bibliography[edit]BooksNoakes, J.; Pridham, G. (2010) [2001]. Nazism 1919''1945: Foreign Policy War, and Racial Extermination2 (2nd ed.). Devon: University of Exeter Press. Noakes, J.; Pridham, G. (2010) [2001]. Nazism 1919''1945: Foreign Policy War, and Racial Extermination3 (2nd ed.). Devon: University of Exeter Press. Bell, P. M. H. (1986). The Second World War in Europe. Harlow, Essex: Longman. Gilbert, Martin; Gott, Richard (1967). The Appeasers. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick (1959). The Inner Circle. Macmillan. Shirer, William L. (1960). The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Pan. Shirer, William L. (1969). The Collapse of the Third Republic: An Inquiry into the Fall of France in 1940. De Capo Press. Klaus Hildebrand (1991). Das Dritte Reich. (in German). M¼nchen: Oldenbourg Grundriss der Geschichte. S.36 Viscoumt Maugham (1944). The Truth about the Munich Crisis. William Heinemann Ltd. Zimmerman, Volker (1999). Die Sudetendeutschen im NS-Staat. Politik und Stimmung der Bev¶lkerung im Reichsgau Sudetenland (1938''1945) (in German). Essen. ISBN 3-88474-770-3. Reinhard M¼ller (1943). Deutschland (in German). M¼nchen and Berlin:: Sechster Teil, R. Oldenbourg Verlag. Herzstein, Robert Edwin (1980). The Nazis. World War II series. New York: Time-Life Books. McDonough, F. (2002). Hitler, Chamberlain and Appeasement. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. WebOther sources[edit]Madeleine Albright with Bill Woodward, Prague Winter: A personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937''1948, Harper, 2012Peter Bugge, Czech Democracy 1918''1938. Paragon or Parody?, in Bohemia, Vol 47, no. 1 2006/2007Cole, Robert A. "Appeasing Hitler: The Munich Crisis of 1938: A Teaching and Learning Resource," New England Journal of History (2010) 66#2 pp 1''30.David Faber, Munich, 1938: Appeasement and World War II (2009) excerpt and text searchDaniel E Miller, Forging Political Compromise: Antonn Å vehla and the Czechoslovak Republican Party, 1918''1933, University or Pittsburgh Press, 1999Andrea Orzoff, Battle for the Castne: Myth of Czechoslovakia in Europe, 1914''1948, Oxford University Press, 2009External links[edit]
Eugenics
PP must start giving R's $$ who will then leave them alone
Big Pharma
Pfizer Raised Prices on 133 Drugs This Year, And It's Not Alone - Bloomberg Business
A single, 5,000 percent price hike on an anti-parasitic drug made by Turing Pharmaceuticals garnered national media attention. But it's just one of hundreds of smaller price increases drug companies make in the U.S. each year, a tactic the industry uses to generate more revenue from older medications.
Pfizer Inc., the nation's biggest drugmaker, has raised prices on 133 of its brand-name products in the U.S. this year, according to research from UBS, more than three-quarters of which added up to hikes of 10 percent or more. It's not alone. Rival Merck & Co. raised the price of 38 drugs, about a quarter of which resulted in increases of 10 percent or more. Pfizer sells more than 600 drugs globally while Merck has more than 200 worldwide, including almost 100 in the U.S.
Drugmakers have long said these increases aren't felt by most consumers because intermediaries like insurers negotiate what is ultimately paid -- meaning what they really charge for their drugs is far below the list price. Pfizer and its rivals say they can't make those negotiated prices public for competitive reasons.
Like its competitors, Pfizer has been raising prices on older drugs in its portfolio for years. The increases in the U.S. have added $1.07 billion of quarterly revenue from mid-2012 to the middle of this year, helping limit the company's total decline in quarterly revenue over that time period to $2 billion even as patents on blockbuster drugs expired, according to estimates from SSR, an investment research firm. In the case of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., increasing the price of existing drugs in the U.S. brought in $435 million of revenue over the past three years, leaving the contraction of the company's global sales at $280 million, SSR estimates show.
'Variety of Factors'Pfizer said it offers programs to help patients who can't afford its drugs. The company said it advocates that the prices patients pay be "as low as possible."
"There are a variety of factors that determine the timing and amount of a price change for a Pfizer product," Pfizer spokesman MacKay Jimeson said. "In some cases a price change may be due to competitor pricing, an increase in global demand as a result of a competitor exiting the market, or shifting disease patterns in a particular country or region."
Bristol-Myers spokesman Ken Dominski said the company can't confirm SSR's numbers and that its complete financial information, including the impact of prices on sales, is disclosed in regulatory filings.
Bristol-Myers takes into account a number of things when considering the prices of drugs, ''including the value they deliver to patients and society, the scientific innovation they represent and the investment required to research new uses for these and other compounds in our pipeline,'' Dominski said. The company increased prices on about six of its drugs this year, according to the UBS data.
Merck declined to comment.
"Some companies have made greater use of price increase than others, and those are typically companies that are trying to paper over financially an absence of innovation that they've not been able to generate internally," said John Schroer, sector head of health care at Allianz Global Investors. Schroer's firm has shares in Pfizer but he said its holding is underweight compared with benchmark indexes.
Pfizer has been busy developing new drugs, having gotten 15 new treatments approved by U.S. regulators since 2010, Jimeson said.
Clinton's MoveThe issue of drug price increases was thrust into the political spotlight last month after Turing raised the price of a decades old medicine to $750 a pill, from $13.50. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton weighed in, saying that she'd implement programs to force the industry to concede tens of billions of dollars a year in tax breaks, reduce prices and increase research spending. Turing's CEO Martin Shkreli has since said the company would lower the price of its controversial drug but it has yet to do so.
Pfizer has raised list prices on some of its biggest drugs this year, including two 9.4 percent increases on Lyrica, the pain medicine that's expected to be its second-biggest selling drug globally in 2015 with $4.8 billion in sales, according to a poll of Bloomberg analysts. That compares with $5.17 billion last year, when it was the company's top-selling product.
Pfizer is one of the leaders among the largest U.S. pharmaceutical companies in getting sales gains through price increases on its top products, even taking discounts into account, according to Morgan Stanley research. In a note Friday, analysts at Morgan Stanley said Pfizer's net prices grew 11 percent a year on average from 2012 to 2014. List prices on drugs from large pharmaceutical companies grew 12 percent a year in that span, leading to an 8 percent annual increase in net prices, after discounts, the analysts said.
Pfizer's Lyrica contributed $208 million in additional quarterly sales attributable solely to price hikes, over a three-year period in which the price rose by 51.7 percent, according to SSR's estimates. Viagra contributed $166 million in extra quarterly sales from price hikes during a period in which its price rose 72.1 percent, SSR said. Those figures indicate that the insurers only paid a portion of the price increases.
SSR reached its estimates after removing contributions from products that immediately face loss of market exclusivity and after adjusting estimates for products that appear to have had large inventory swings in the wholesale market.
Lyrica, ViagraAn added sales benefit from net price increases on older medicine could be enough to help a drugmaker make up for what it's losing with best-selling products facing patent expirations in coming years -- like Lyrica and Viagra, in Pfizer's case.
Lyrica is projected to deliver close to $5 billion in sales a year until 2019, when analysts expect revenue from the drug to fall to $2.85 billion and decline from there. Viagra, which is expected to be a $1.68 billion drug this year according to a Bloomberg poll of analysts, is likely to be a $670.6 million drug in 2019.
Mac & Cheese
How Thomas Jefferson Made Mac & Cheese Popular - The Daily Beast
Thomas Jefferson may be best known for some of his more refined tastes, but this Virginian was also behind the mainstreaming in America of one of its staple dishes.
If I could just find a man like Thomas Jefferson: a real Renaissance man, with sophisticated taste, a quick wit, and the ability to throw the best dinner parties'... swoon.
TJ believed, as I do, that the best discussions are had around the dinner table. He preferred small groups and was not a fan of formality, serving the guests himself (via dumbwaiter) in order to avoid gossip from his staff. He also preferred round tables, claiming they were ''more democratic'' and avoided seating charts, usually done by class. Unlike the Adams, his menus were extensive and over the top. His tastes in booze followed suit. Most of his favorite recipes were adopted from his time in Europe. He brought back a waffle iron from Holland, imported figs, and loved the anchovy. In order to honor his memory, I thought it would be appropriate to have two recipes this week.
FOR THE BROS: MACARONI AND CHEESE
Well, it is official. Thomas Jefferson can officially be blamed for my freshman year weight gain (thank goodness this mystery has been solved). The Monticello recipe of mac and cheese is basic, at best, and does not remotely compare to any of the modern versions we eat en masse. We should still, however, give TJ huge props for starting our national obsession with this staple. During his Italian travels, he acquired a macaroni making machine (pictured). More akin to a torture device (death by carbs is certainly my preference); it cranked out semolina pasta that was then baked with ample butter and cheese. The cheese isn't specified but we will stick with an Italian favorite, Parmesan. With the addition of two ingredients, an egg and some goat cheese, it becomes a palatable (not award-winning) homage to the original.
Boil as much macaroni as will fill your dish, in milk and water, till quite tender; drain it on a sieve. Sprinkle a little salt over it, put a layer in your dish then cheese and butter as in polenta and bake it in the same manner.
-The Virginia Housewife, Mrs. Mary Randolph, 1824.
The Virginia Housewife is often cited as the most influential American cookbook of the 19th century. Her brother, Thomas Randolph Mann Jr. was the son-in-law of Thomas Jefferson and the families spent significant time together.
My Notes:
-Preheat the oven to 400 F.
-Slowly simmer about 2 cups of macaroni in the milk (I used 2 percent). If you boil too vigorously, the milk will separate.
-Save 1 cup of milk before straining. Mix the milk with a beaten egg, lots of grated Parmesan, salt and pepper (to taste). Pour this mixture over the macaroni, mix in butter (about 1/4 cup, melted) and top with lots of goat cheese (for those who don't like it, cheddar also works) and another sprinkle of Parmesan.
-Put in the oven for a good 15 minutes, till cheese is melted and brown on top.
FOR THE PROS: SNOW EGGS
Jefferson brought James Hemings, slave and brother of his long-term love, Sally Hemings, with him to Paris to learn the staples from the culinary greats. TJ's love of desserts, especially ice cream, is well-documented but this recipe for snow eggs (translation: meringues in custard) will take your dessert offerings to a presidential level. It takes a bit of patience, but the result is well worth it. Here is Hemings's original recipe for snow eggs (written out by Jefferson's granddaughter Virginia):
Recipe: Take 10 eggs, separate the yolks from the whites and beat the whites as you do for the savoy cake, till you can turn the vessel bottom upward without their leaving it; when they are well beaten, put in 2 spoonfuls of powdered sugar and a little orange flower water or rose water if you prefer it. Put a pint of milk in a saucepan with 6 oz sugar and orange water or rose water; when your milk boils, take the whites, spoonful by spoonful and do them in the boiling milk; when sufficiently poached, take them out and lay them on a sieve. Take out a part of the milk, according to the thickness you wish to give the custard. Beat up the yolks and stir them in the remainder; as soon as it thickens, take the mixture from the fire; strain it through a sieve; dish up your whites and pour custard over them.
My Notes:
-I highly recommend rose water for the adventurous. Its gorgeous floral quality will make your dessert really stand out.
-When it says ''boiling milk,'' a slow and steady simmer will do the trick. A hardcore boil will likely split it.
-I prefer thicker custard (up to you) and would recommend only 2/3 of the milk to mix with the yolks. Make sure you remove the mixture as soon as it thickens.
Previous presidential recipes: George Washington & John Adams.
On the surface, most Twitter users look like they could fall into one of three main categories: business-minded marketers, fanbase-connected celebrities or tech-obsessed teens and millenials. Who else would really need to use Twitter anyway?But underneath all those Justin Bieber spam tweets and between every faceless corporate brand account lies a group of users that don't care about promoting their businesses or stalking celebrities on Twitter. Instead, they'd rather tell offbeat jokes about everyday events and situations that often don't make any sense at all.Welcome to 'Weird Twitter' '' a term used to describe a strange and non-existent place on the web where certain Twitter users tweet strange messages that make you laugh, make you confused, possibly offend you or do all of the above. Some people see it as a form of comedic genius, others see it as plain old Internet trolling. Whatever it is, it's definitely weird, and it's here to stay.
Weird Twitter is where proper spelling and grammar go to die.
To emphasize the non-seriousness of these very weird tweets, users often purposely incorporate improper punctuation, spelling, grammar and other awkward wording techniques that fit within the 140-character limit. It's become one of the most obvious trends you can use to spot a tweet or user part of Weird Twitter.Everyone has their own ideas and opinions about what Weird Twitter really is.
Unfortunately, 'Weird Twitter' can't exactly be explained by any universal definition. Some users may themselves to a part of Weird Twitter, but others might disagree.
The general rule of thumb is that if a tweet is humorous in a weird kind of way and doesn't user proper spelling or punctuation, it's probably safe to say that it can be classified as a Weird Twitter type of tweet. That's mostly all there really is to it.
Weird Twitter and @Horse_ebooks
People who know about Weird Twitter know all about @Horse_ebooks, the Twitter account that seemed to tweet out spammy, nonsensical and incomplete words or sentence fragments around the clock. For years, the entire Twitterverse was convinced that @Horse_ebooks was an automated spambot, but in September of 2013, the true identity was revealed to be a BuzzFeed employee who had actually been manually tweeting for the account as a type of performance art since 2011.Although the @Horse_ebooks account has now been retired from tweeting, it still represents an important and timeless component of what Weird Twitter means to us. Some of the account's weirdest tweets, like ''Everything happens so much,'' and ''Crying is great exercise,'' have been favorited and retweeted thousands of times.Weird Twitter and Favstar
A lot of people who actively engage in Weird Twitter tweets have a pretty strong connection to Favstar '' a social Twitter analytics tool that tracks your best performing tweets and allows you to give and receive rewards to other users.More often than not, there's usually nothing to say in response to the weirdest tweets. Instead, people favorite it to express their approval or agreement, or they retweet it if they think it's funny enough to share with their own followers.Well Known Weird Twitter Accounts
Besides @Horse_ebooks, there are a lot more users out there riding the Weird Twitter wave all the way to Internet fame and back. Check out some of the accounts below and see if you can get through any of their tweets without feeling at least a little weirded out. Chances are you won't be able to.
If you follow the trend closely and spend some time looking at the other users that these famous Weird Twitter users interact with and follow, you'll be well on your way to finding a lot more out there. A definite hilarious touch to a social platform that can seem overly promotional and noisy at times.
VIDEO-CLIPS-DOCS
VIDEO-Oregon school shooting: Umpqua Community College student says 'there were no sounds at all' | OregonLive.com
ROSEBURG '-- McCrae Kittelman was in math class Thursday morning at Umpqua Community College when he first heard about a shooting in the school's science building a short walk away.
He said his professor sprinted into the room.
"That was one of the most strange and disquieting parts," said Kittelman, 17, "is that there were no sounds at all."
The state attorney general released a statement shortly after 1:15 p.m. Thursday that 13 people died in the shooting, but Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin would not confirm the number of dead or wounded during a news conference at 1:30 p.m. PDT. At a second briefing late afternoon, Hanlin said 10 people were killed and seven wounded. He said the gunman fired on law enforcement before being killed.
Reports of the shooting were first called in at 10:38 a.m., police said, with Kittelman's mother, Marilyn, first learning of it six minutes later. She immediately began texting her son '-- who responded.
"All of a sudden everyone was freaking out about stuff happening over in Snyder Hall, which is right next door to where my math class was being held," said McCrae Kittelman, who gave interviews to Fox News and others while still in lockdown. Hanlin would not confirm whether the shootings occurred in Snyder Hall.
"One girl got a call saying a friend of was shot, which was really hard," McCrae Kittelman said. "One of the most surprising things about this was there were no sounds."
Kittelman and the rest of the college's campus, which is accessible by a single road and sits on a hill overlooking the Umpqua River, were evacuated by buses to the Douglas County Fairgrounds, where they remain. He described the campus as calm during the evacuation.
Law enforcement have blocked all access to the college via Umpqua College Road, with ambulances and buses leaving while local, state and federal law enforcement officers have continued to arrive.
His mother, a Douglas County Commissioner from 2004-08 and an editor of Roseburg's Beacon newspaper, stood at the closed-off intersection as the first buses left campus.
"I waved at him," Marilyn Kittelman said. "It's just a relief because I've been texting him for two hours while he's been hiding behind the desk."
-- Andrew Greif
@AndrewGreif
VIDEO-Experian data breach hits T-Mobile U.S. | Reuters.com
Experian, the world's biggest credit data firm, said a data breach exposed personal information of T-Mobile U.S. customers. Bobbi Rebell reports.
TRANSCRIPT +
Experian, the world's biggest consumer credit monitoring firm, says a massive data breach exposed personal data of about 15 million people. Those victims had their credit checked by Experian in the last two years when they applied for service with the carrier, T-Mobile U.S. T-Mobile CEO John Legere said the data included social security numbers and passport data. But he said no credit or banking information was taken. He wrote on Twitter "I am moving as fast as possible to get an alternative option in place by tomorrow' This kind of exposure through a vendor is a growing concern says Cybersecurity expert Paul Kurtz, CEO of TruStar. SOUNDBITE: PAUL KURTZ, CEO, TRUSTAR (ENGLISH) SAYING: "It does give you an idea of how we have companies playing with each other's supply chains are attacked. T-Mobile was doing its business. It was relying upon Experian and Experian had a problem. This is not the first time this type of thing has happened." Experian will notify people by mail. It's offering two years of credit monitoring. The Experian breach is the latest in a string of massive hacks in the U.S. that have each claimed millions of customer records. The victims include the government Office of Personnel Management this year, a 2014 breach on the bank, JPMorgan Chase, a 2012 hacking of an Experian subsidiary, and a 2013 attack on the retailer, Target.
VIDEO-Black Time Travel | This history book has literally erased slavery'....you won't believe it
A woman by the name of Rusty Styles has put McGraw-Hill on blast for their denial about African American history. Check out this video, it will blow your mind. Take a look.
Many of you asked about my son's textbook. Here it is. Erasure is real y'all!!! Teach your children the truth!!!#blacklivesmatter
Posted by Rusty Styles on Thursday, October 1, 2015
See more in the cross-post on the NewsBusters blog.
As part of CNN's live coverage Thursday night of the deadly community college shooting in Oregon, fill-in AC360 host Wolf Blitzer declared that President Barack Obama ''was embarrassed of the United States in front of the world'' when he commented on the tragedy and urged Americans to ''politicize'' mass shootings.
Speaking with chief political analyst Gloria Borger and senior Washington correspondent Jeff Zeleny, Blitzer proclaimed: ''Cause it was almost like, Gloria, he was embarrassed of the United States in front of the world saying every other industrialized country, every other Western country, they don't have these kinds of mass shootings every few weeks as we have here in the United States.''
VIDEO-Kerry Repeats: Russia Has Been Told it Must 'Not Be Engaged in Any Activities Against Anybody But ISIL' | MRCTV
Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday night the Pentagon has made it very clear in talks with the Russian military that ''Russia has to not be engaged in any activities [inside Syria] against anybody but ISIL.'' But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier Russia and the U.S.-led coalition were in agreement about the targets in Syria '' ''ISIL, al-Nusra and other terrorist groups.''
VIDEO-Charles Pierce: 'I'm Politicizing the Hell Out of' the Oregon Shooting 'and I Don't Care' | MRCTV
See more in the cross-post on the NewsBusters blog.
The always shameless uber-lefty blogger Charles Pierce was a guest on the Thursday edition of MSNBC's The Last Word and in the course of discussing the deadly community college shooting in Oregon earlier in the day, admitted that he's ''politicizing the hell out of this'' shooting and ''I don't care.''
Prior to the public recognition of his flagrant mindset, Pierce declared that the Republican Party ''is completely insane'' and doesn't apparently believe in regulations for mines, fixing roads, federal assistance after natural disasters and keeping people safe.
VIDEO-CBS Pushes Retrospective on Obama's 'Evolving Anger' on Gun Control; 'Finds Little' 'Hope & Change' | MRCTV
See more in the cross-post on the NewsBusters blog.
Friday's CBS This Morning offered extensive coverage of the deadly shooting on Thursday at a community college in Roseburg, Oregon, but one of the segments took a broader, sappy look at pushing gun control through the lens of President Obama's ''evolving anger'' on the inability to pass gun control measures through Congress where he's found ''little'' of any ''hope and change.''
With his third fawning retrospective on the President in less than a year, chief White House correspondent Major Garrett began by telling viewers that it's simply ''impossible to sum up all of President Obama's intellectual and emotion reactions to what he views as an epidemic of mass gun violence on his watch, but we can start with disbelief, compassion, frustration, and evolving anger.''
VIDEO-Oregon school shooting: Sheriff describes shootout between detectives, gunman | OregonLive.com
Two Roseburg police detectives heard the 10:38 a.m. call of shots fired at the Umpqua Community College and raced there Thursday morning. They were about five miles away on another case, and were the first law enforcement to arrive on campus six minutes after the initial 911 call.
As the detectives parked their car outside Snyder Hall and approached the southeast corner of the building, they found Christopher Harper-Mercer standing just at the outside door to the building.
Harper-Mercer, 26, immediately fired shots at the officers, Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin said.
"He initiated the gunfire, '' the sheriff said.
The two detectives, partly using their car and another building across a breezeway as cover, returned fire until Harper-Mercer suddenly retreated, according to the sheriff. The detectives were about 50 to 75 feet from the suspect, the sheriff estimated.
Harper-Mercer ducked around a breezeway.
"They found him laying in the hallway, outside the classroom,'' the sheriff said.
The detectives found Harper-Mercer still alive and handcuffed him, the sheriff said. The 26-year-old died at the scene. The state medical examiner had determined the cause of death was suicide from a self-inflicted wound.
By the time the detectives had arrived on campus, Harper-Mercer already had shot his classmates and a teacher with a handgun. Nine people were killed and nine wounded in Oregon's deadliest mass shooting.
The sheriff credited the quick actions of the detectives, who are not typically armed with long guns. Within two minutes of their arrival on campus, they radioed to dispatch of the exchange of gunfire. Two minutes later, they alerted, "suspect down.''
"They responded exactly the way we expect officers to respond in this type of incident,'' Hanlin said. "I'm fairly convinced had they not intervened as quickly as they did we would have lost dozens of more lives.''
Harper-Mercer was found with five handguns and one rifle. Police recovered a flak jacket lined with steel plates, lying beside his rifle, according to federal officials.
By the time the two detectives had the gunman handcuffed, dozens of officers, firefighters and paramedics had responded to help evacuate students and rush the wounded to waiting ambulances.
Law enforcement responses to active shooter incidents have evolved over the years. While years ago, officers would surround a location and wait until a tactical squad was available to move in, officers in recent years have been trained to move in as quickly as possible to stop a shooter.
"The idea is to put together a hasty team of two or more officers and you go in and look for the threat,'' Hanlin said.
The two detectives had no time to wait, and moments after they arrived on campus, got into the gunfight.
For the detectives to recognize the importance of not holding back, but going in and stopping the threat, Hanlin said, "in my mind makes them heroes.''
John Hanlin never has shied away from sharing his opinion. The Douglas County sheriff was big on the Second Amendment and down on legal marijuana. Conservative Roseburg -- "a red dot in a blue ocean," the local newspaper publisher called it last year -- liked that about Hanlin.
Hanlin's stances became world news Thursday after a 26-year-old man killed nine and injured nine others at Umpqua Community College before dying in a firefight with officers. In some circles, Hanlin was the hero sheriff who refused to speak the shooter's name. In others, he was the "insane" sheriff who had balked at gun control and shared a video on Facebook, suggesting the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.
As President Barack Obama and pundits debated gun control laws, Hanlin, for once, refused to chime in.
Hanlin, 53, has spent half his life as a deputy, mostly in Roseburg. He was born in the Western Oregon town, the youngest of three kids raised by a forester and a department store worker. He grew up on a small ranch and "had the same goofy flattop haircut that he has now," said Bud Smith, a retired Roseburg lawyer who has known Hanlin's family for 40 years.
"He was what every mother would want their son to be," Smith said. "Just a very honorable and decent person."
Hanlin graduated in 1980 from Glide High School then worked for a few years in the Douglas Forest Protective Association while taking classes, like so many of his friends, neighbors and now constituents, at Umpqua Community College.
He left, briefly, in 1983 for Bend, where he earned an associate's degree from Central Oregon Community College in computer information systems. He returned home in 1986, and in 1989 began his multi-decade career with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
When he first ran for sheriff in 2008, he did so, as Douglas County sheriffs have for 20 years, unopposed. Even without an opponent, he raised more than $24,000, mostly from residents and construction companies. More than 37,000 voted for him.
With broad shoulders and a blonde crew cut, Hanlin looked the part of tough officer. But, in interviews with the Roseburg press, he praised deputies who "talked to people like people." And he always smiled -- with teeth showing -- in his Facebook photos.
Hanlin was a typical Roseburg man, a Republican who spent his free time hunting, fishing and riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle to other rural communities.
On Facebook, he shared posts from Sarah Palin and The Tea Party, cartoons of the founding fathers befuddled at the idea of background checks for muskets.
In January 2013, a month after a 20-year-old shot 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary, Hanlin posted a conspiracy video that suggested the Newtown, Connecticut, tragedy might have been staged by the federal government to provide a pretext for "disarming the public" and that grieving parents were actually "crisis actors."
"This makes me wonder who we can trust anymore," Hanlin wrote. "Watch, listen, and keep an open mind."
Two days later, he posted a letter he said he had sent to Vice President Joe Biden.
"Gun control is NOT the answer to preventing heinous crimes like school shooting," he wrote.
Hanlin told the Roseburg News Review that his political views "don't have a lot to do with providing public safety" but that those beliefs, however controversial in Portland, have gotten him elected twice.
Dozens of Roseburg residents wrote to the Roseburg paper, supporting Hanlin.
"You go, Sheriff Hanlin," wrote Virginia Busch. "This disgusting, fear-mongering, gun-toting, ignorant country bumpkin is proud to stand with you!"
A few months later, Hanlin posted a photograph from the Columbine shooting accompanied by a legislative testimony from the father of one of the victims: "No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre."
'LET ME BE VERY CLEAR'
Though much of Hanlin's online activity centered on gun rights, Hanlin spent his in-person lobbying time fighting for his county.
As the federal government phased out timber payouts, Douglas County slashed the sheriff's budget, forcing Hanlin to choose between cutting his force and reducing the number of inmates lodged in the county jail.
Hanlin traveled to Salem in April 2013 to ask a legislative task force to extend the timber payouts. Already, property crime had "skyrocketed," under the smaller force, he told lawmakers.
Last year, as Oregon edged closer toward legalizing pot, Hanlin told the Roseburg News Review he believed marijuana was a gateway drug that had ruined one of his family member's life. On election night last November, the News Review reported Hanlin proudly showed a cell phone photo of his ballot: He had voted against an initiative to legalize marijuana sales.
This April, he again spoke out against gun control. When other law enforcement officials asked him to speak at a Salem hearing in just three hours, he immediately set off on the two-hour trip.
He sounded calm but convicted in what he said was an unprepared testimony: "To expect local law enforcement to run down and do an investigation into whether or not a private individual has conducted a background check is nearly impossible," he told Oregon lawmakers.
His office, he explained, was too cash-strapped to even respond to everyday calls of domestic violence and vehicle crashes.
"People come up to me and say that they are proud to have him as a sheriff," Smith said. "He's just somebody I'm really proud to watch grow up in our community."
When Hanlin filed Monday, Sept. 28, for a third term, he told the Roseburg paper that his biggest challenge would be the budget cuts.
Three days later, a gunman opened fire in an Introduction to Expository Writing class at Umpqua Community College.
Thursday evening, Hanlin took a firm stand.
"Let me be very clear," he said. "I will not name the shooter. I will not give him the credit he probably sought prior to this horrific and cowardly act."
By the next morning, it was Hanlin's name dominating Twitter. Thousands shared screen shots from his Facebook, calling him "treasonous" and "an ordinary redneck" who "dresses like a Nazi." Others called on Governor Kate Brown to remove Hanlin from his post.
Of particular offense, they said, was the Sandy Hook conspiracy theory, a theory Hanlin told reporters Friday he did not believe.
At a morning press conference, Hanlin carried himself with the same calm he had in testifying before legislators. But this time, he did not share his convictions quite so loudly.
"Sheriff, you've come under attack yourself for being a strong Second Amendment advocate," one reporter said. "How do you feel about the politicalization of this tragedy?"
"My focus right now is on getting this investigation completed and taking care of the victims and the victims' families," Hanlin said. "Now is not an appropriate time to have those conversations."
Two hours later, Hanlin walled up his Facebook, going as silent online as in person.
-- Casey Parks
503-221-8271
cparks@oregonian.com; @caseyparks
VIDEO-Cuomo Demands Oregon Sheriff Rethink His Second Amendment Support | MRCTV
[See NewsBusters for more.] CNN's Chris Cuomo on Friday repeatedly lectured an Oregon sheriff, demanding John Hanlin rethink his support for the Second Amendment in the wake of a shooting at a community college in that state. Citing the White House, the New Day anchor grilled, ''What do you think of what President Obama just said that we are fooling ourselves and we're not caring about each other if we continue to ignore the role of guns in these crimes?'' Repeatedly, the Douglas County sheriff tried to focus on the victims and the investigation. Cuomo kept reiterating, ''In your mind, do you believe that we're a law away from this not having happened?''
VIDEO-MSNBC's Hayes Compares Need for Gun Control to 'Scale of the Response' to the Ebola Outbreak | MRCTV
See more in the cross-post on the NewsBusters blog.
On the Thursday edition of MSNBC's All In, liberal host Chris Hayes trumpeted the need for gun control measures after the deadly community college shooting in Roseburg, Oregon by comparing the impediment to enact such policies to the ''scale of the response'' the world deployed during the 2014 outbreak of the Ebola virus.
Speaking with Hayes, Democratic Congressman Chris Van Hollen (Md.) hyped that the ''time for action is way overdue'' because: ''If this were a disease, if this were a virus that was killing tens of thousands of Americans, we would have the scientists at the National Institutes of Health, we would have the folks across the country at the CDC, we would have all hands on deck.''
VIDEO-Jon Karl Sets Up Obama to Slam Jeb Bush on Guns | MRCTV
[See NewsBusters for more.] In a White House press conference on Friday, ABC News journalist Jon Karl set up Barack Obama to attack Jeb Bush on guns. Karl offered, ''I have to get you to respond to something Jeb Bush just said.'' He continued, ''Asked about the drive to take action in light of what happened in Oregon, he said, 'Look, stuff happens. There's always a crisis and the impulse is always to do something, and it's not always the right thing to do.' How would you react to Governor Bush?''
VIDEO-Caught! America's Intel on Assad Regime ''Bush League Lies'' | Veterans Today
[ Editor's Note : How did America learn about al Qaeda in Iraq or Saddam's WMDs? They learned it from Rita Katz? Who found the bin Laden tapes and provided the proof for the 9/11 Commission? It was Rita Katz.
Who is Rita Katz? Rita Katz is a housewife from Brooklyn with absolutely no background in intelligence, no connections to anything other than the absolute luck of finding things on the internet that other people couldn't.
Then again, everything she found ended up to be made up and 2 million people are dead.
How do we know 240,000 people died in Syria? The Syrian Human Rights Observatory tells us. How do we know about all the atrocities of the Damascus government? You guessed it, all of it comes from the SHRO?
Veterans Today has its own file on this group and why Reuters and the Associated Press and hundreds of major news outlets use information fabricated by a guy who lives over a noodle shop in the British Midlands, someone with no credibility, no personal history and no source of income.
Russia Today has taken a shot at looking into the SHRO, sending comedian Nimrod Kamer into the fray. Their approach is totally correct with one sad exception, the SHRO, as with Rita Katz, may be wrong about the number of dead but one thing is for certain, their role in the killings is clear as a bell'...GD ]
Who is behind Syrian Observatory for Human Rights? Nimrod Kamer investigates for RT
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has been the prime source for MSM-aired news from the Syrian battlefield. But how much does one truly know about this UK-based organization and its director? Journalist and prankster Nimrod Kamer went to find out.
The organization has been one of the sources for the mainstream media to build their reports on Syria since the start of the civil war four years ago. The organization claims to have a wide network of contacts in the region who feed their information to the head office, where it is processed and later posted on the website, Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Since the start of the Moscow anti-ISIS campaign Russia has started featuring in its reports as well '' and it was quickly picked up by major Western media outlets. One of the latest wires from the Observatory that ''Russian warplanes [killed] 30 civilians in Homs including women and children'' quickly made it into major news sources.
''To the degree people choose to believe social media, they can be my guest. But quite contrary to what [US Secretary of State John Kerry] has said, it is a notoriously unreliable tool upon which to base judgments,'' former CIA officer, Ray McGovern told RT.
'I am not a media organization' '' Rami Abdel RahmanRT decided to investigate who the man behind the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is and why the media outlet is so popular with MSM. Well-known journalist and prankster Nimrod Kamer took up the job.
The two-bedroom Coventry home of Syrian immigrant Rami Abdel Rahman has been the organization's base and the source of information for major mainstream media on anything Syria-related from the past four years, including the death toll.
Nobody quite knows who Abdel Rahman has on the ground in Syria, but information just keeps flowing on and on, usually in a dramatic fashion and with little detail.
LISTEN MORE:
Kamer walked around the English city of Coventry, approaching people with questions on Abdel Rahman and how he could be located. No one seemed to have a clue they had the prime source of news from the Syrian frontline living right there in their quaint British neighborhood.
Kamer had no luck catching the director at home. Calling him on the phone, he found out Abdel Rahman went out to a shop. The journalist went about explaining that he had hoped to catch the organization's director to quiz him on his ''media organization'' '' but that term was met with hostility on the part of Abdel Rahman.
''I am not a media organization. I work from my home, my private home.''
The director of the Observatory seemed very distressed, talking about the dangers of meeting up for daytime interviews because ''they are trying to kill me.'' It was difficult to identify who ''they'' were, but Abdel Rahman clearly wasn't in the mood. He asked Kamer to send him his name and details, which Abdel Rahman would then send to the police.
''When you run a media organization you should expect journalists to come and ask questions, especially if it's such a shady and unsourced media organization'... I had a great time.''
LISTEN MORE:
VIDEO-Climate change: Does eating bugs help? - CNN.com
In response, Torben rvad Jensen, a reader in Denmark, asked why we don't substitute a fairly unconventional protein source -- grasshoppers -- for cattle.
Would that help reduce human contributions to global warming?
"How can we get the governments around the world to see, that one of the the answer to both famine and climate change, is breeding new kinds of livestock like grasshoppers?" he asked.
"Insects are not the answer to everything," he added, "but its one of the great changes that could be fundamental to fighting climate change in the long run."
I'm not sure about the "convincing world leaders" part, but there is some research to show Jensen may have a point about insects having smaller carbon footprints than other protein sources, especially beef, which has an outsize contribution to global warming.
Insects the protein of the future?
To try to understand why, and the limits of our knowledge about insect protein, I called up Dennis Oonincx, an entomologist at Wageningen University and Research Centre in The Netherlands. Insects are generally far more efficient at turning their food into protein than cattle, he said, which eat low-nutrient grass and burp out methane in the process.
But to date, Oonincx told me, researchers only have studied the total carbon footprint associated with one edible insect: the mealworm. According to a 2012 study Oonincx published in the journal PLOS ONE, mealworms have a smaller carbon footprint, per kilogram of edible protein, than milk, pork, chicken or beef. Beef, for example, has a carbon footprint about six to 13 times the size of mealworms, per kilogram of edible protein, the study says.
Oonincx told me the results likely would be similar for edible crickets, but that research has not quantified exactly how much crickets contribute to climate change. Crickets likely would have a slightly larger carbon footprint, similar to that of pork or milk.
"If you look at the attributes of these crickets and these mealworms, certain things are very similar," he told me. "They both need a warm environment, so they need a lot of energy. Both are efficient at using the feed. And they have a very high edible portion.
"If you have a cow, there's a lot of the cow you're not going to be eating. And if you have a cricket, you have 80% or 90% of the animal that you can consume."
To understand how mealworms could contribute to climate change, at all you kind of need to know how they're grown -- and what the heck a mealworm farm looks like.
Why beef is the new SUV
A mealworm farm is basically a building full of stacks of crates about 12 feet high, Oonincx said. "That's actually all you see," he said. "It's crates and crates and crates and crates."
Inside the crates are mealworms, which munch on a diet of well, meal.
What is meal? Partly wheat (also carrots, weirdly). And more than half of the mealworm's contribution to climate change comes from growing this worm food. The other sizable chunk -- 40% to 45%, he told me -- is associated with burning fuel to keep the mealworms at a comfortable temperature of about 25 Celsius (77 Fahrenheit).
Mealworms don't like to be too hot or cold.
Burning cleaner energy -- wind or solar, for example -- would further reduce the mealworm's already-small contribution to global warming.
"It's still a very young sector," Oonincx told me. "It still needs to grow up a little bit to become more efficient, and when it becomes more efficient you'll also see the environmental impact go down. You'll be using more precise rations to feed them. You can use genetic selection to make" the mealworms better users or resources.
Why world leaders ate 'landfill salad'
All of that's well and good, but how do you go about convincing everyday people -- much less world leaders -- to eat mealworms?
Aside from the gross factor, which CNN's Rachel Crane recently argued shouldn't be such a big deal ("They tasted a bit like the farm smelled -- nutty and grainy," she wrote of crickets), part of the problem is access. In the United States, it would be more or less impossible to find locally produced mealworms for human consumption, he said.
But that's not true everywhere.
"If you're living in Holland, you would be able to order these mealworms," Oonincx told me. "You would have access to that.
"And then I would advise you to buy 'The Insect Cookbook,' or one of the insect cookbooks."
Then there's the question of variety.
Because even though the carbon footprint of mealworms is the best-researched, these nutty-flavored insects aren't necessarily the most appetizing. Oonincx told me he ate a nice mealworm bon bon, made for him by a student, just this week. But "the mealworms would not be my favorite insects to eat," he said. "I'm more a fan of cicadas and termites."
Volkswagen warns it will take longer than expected to investigate the rigging of vehicle emissions tests, raising the prospect of months of uncertainty. As Tim Graham reports, it's proposed cancelling a shareholder meeting it called less than a week ago to discuss the crisis.
TRANSCRIPT +
Setting expectations for the long road ahead. Volkswagen confirming it will take several months at least to investigate its diesel emissions scandal. Raising the prospect of much more uncertainty to come for customers and staff. Not to mention shareholders. A hastily-arranged November meeting designed to update them may now be cancelled by the company. A bad move, says CMC analyst Michael Hewson. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CMC ANALYST, MICHAEL HEWSON, SAYING: "Suspending a shareholder meeting is not the answer. I still think they need to hold to that, simply because I think they need to give their shareholders clarity on what's being done to resolve the situation." Volkswagen's legal burden is mounting by the day. The Paris prosecutor is now looking into suspected "aggravated deception" by the company. They're also wanting answers on the other side of the Atlantic. Volkswagen's U.S. chief executive will testify next week before a congressional panel.
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
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VIDEO-Portugal vote a verdict on austerity? | Reuters.com
Following four years of austerity, Portugal faces a general election this weekend with a more stable economy, but one that many Portuguese say has come at a high social cost. David Pollard reports.
TRANSCRIPT +
Picture-postcard Portugal - a tourist favourite. But one many Portuguese couldn't wait to leave. Between 2011 and 2014, nearly half a million went elsewhere. Many aged 30 or under, like these students. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANAGEMENT STUDENT FILIPE FERNANDEZ, 20, SAYING: "I think I have to go abroad to have a better job. I have that in my mind since I entered university." Emigration's a top issue in this weekend's election. Incumbent prime minister Pedro Passos Coehlo made his name by steering Portugal through its debt crisis. A 78 billion euro bailout led to protest, three years of cuts, and a jobless rate that peaked at 18%. Portugal's successful bailout exit last year proves the medicine worked, says Passos Coehlo - but more's needed. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CANDIDATE OF CENTRE-RIGHT RULING COALITION AND CURRENT PRIME MINISTER, PEDRO PASSOS COELHO, SAYING: "We must regain our capacity, our ability to have a stronger recovery.'' His main opponent, the Socialist Antonio Costa warns voters what they'll get if they re-elect Passos Coelho. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) SOCIALIST LEADER AND CANDIDATE TO PRIME MINISTER, ANTONIO COSTA, SAYING: "If they win, you know what's to come: less wages, less dignified work, fewer jobs, more austerity." But the ex-Lisbon mayor was also a one-time interior minister under Jose Socrates - the former Socialist prime minister imprisoned last year on suspicion of corruption. Costa may suffer by association, says politics expert, Pedro Magalhaes. (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR AT LISBON UNIVERSITY PEDRO MAGALHAES, SPEAKING ABOUT COSTA, SAYING: "He is not seen as someone who is a clear cut with the previous socialist government. The previous socialist government ended with a bailout, this is something that left people very angry.'' A knife-edge vote's expected. But if Passos Coelho were to win, he'd be the EU's first bailout leader to get reelected - in an election seen as a vote on austerity itself.
VIDEO-Peeple Watching Ep11 - Viral & Global in 24 Hours - YouTube
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YYYY","default":"DD/MM/YYYY"},dates:{months:["janvier","f(C)vrier","mars","avril","mai","juin","juillet","ao>>t","septembre","octobre","novembre","d(C)cembre"],monthsShort:["janv.","f(C)vr.","mars","avr.","mai","juin","juil.","ao>>t","sept.","oct.","nov.","d(C)c."],weekdays:["dimanche","lundi","mardi","mercredi","jeudi","vendredi","samedi"],shortWeekdays:["dim.","lun.","mar.","mer.","jeu.","ven.","sam."],minWeekdays:["Di","Lu","Ma","Me","Je","Ve","Sa"]},d3:{grouping:[3],currency:["$",""],dateTime:"%A, le %e %B %Y, %X",date:"%d/%m/%Y",time:"%H:%M:%S",periods:["AM","PM"]},datePicker:{closeText:"Fermer",prevText:"Pr(C)c(C)dent",nextText:"Suivant",currentText:"Aujourd'hui",weekHeader:"Sem.",dateFormat:"dd/mm/yy",firstDay:1,isRTL:!1,showMonthAfterYear:!1,yearSuffix:""},pluralForm:function(e){return e>1?1:0}};n.exports=r}), define("vendor/i18n/locales/es",["require","exports","module"],function(e,t,n){function i(e,t){return function(t){return e[r.pluralForm(t)].replace(/%d/i,t)}}var r={delimiters:{thousands:".",decimal:","},relativeTime:{justNow:"Ahora mismo",rightNow:"Ahora mismo",future:"dans %s",past:"%s",sec:i(["1 segundo","%d segundos"]),min:i(["1 minuto","%d minutos"]),hour:i(["1 hora","%d horas"]),day:i(["1 da","%d das"]),month:i(["1 mes","%d meses"]),year:i(["1 a±o","%d a±os"])},dateFormats:{readable:"DD MMMM YYYY",readableTime:"DD MMMM YYYY HH:mm",readableAbbreviated:"DD MMM YYYY",readableWithWeekday:"DDDD, DD MMMM YYYY","default":"DD/MM/YYYY"},dates:{months:["Enero","Febrero","Marzo","Abril","Mayo","Junio","Julio","Agosto","Septiembre","Octubre","Noviembre","Diciembre"],monthsShort:["Ene","Feb","Mar","Abr","May","Jun","Jul","Ago","Sep","Oct","Nov","Dic"],weekdays:["Domingo","Lunes","Martes","Mi(C)rcoles","Jueves","Viernes","Sbado"],shortWeekdays:["Dom.","Lun.","Mar.","Mi(C).","Jue.","Vie.","Sb."],minWeekdays:["Do","Lu","Ma","Mi","Ju","Vi","S"]},d3:{grouping:[3],currency:["$",""],dateTime:"%A, %e de %B de %Y, %X",date:"%d/%m/%Y",time:"%H:%M:%S",periods:["AM","PM"]},datePicker:{closeText:"Cerrar",prevText:"Ant",nextText:"Sig",currentText:"Hoy",weekHeader:"Sm",dateFormat:"dd/mm/yy",firstDay:1,isRTL:!1,showMonthAfterYear:!1,yearSuffix:""},pluralForm:function(e){return e!==1?1:0}};n.exports=r}), define("shared/config/locales/locale-en-gb.json",[],{"Something went wrong":"Something went wrong","Take this track with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.":"Take this track with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.","[[soundTitle]] by [[authorName]]":"[[soundTitle]] by [[authorName]]",Messages:"Messages","Take this playlist with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.":"Take this playlist with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.","[[playlistTitle]] by [[authorName]]":"[[playlistTitle]] by [[authorName]]","Search tracks":"Search tracks","Search playlists":"Search playlists","Search people":"Search people","Search groups":"Search groups","Search [[category]]":"Search [[category]]","Unsubscribed successfully":"Unsubscribed successfully","Be the first to hear what [[username]] posts next with our free app.":"Be the first to hear what [[username]] posts next with our free app.","[[username]]'s stream":"[[username]]'s stream","1 hour":["1 hour","%d hours"],"1 minute":["1 minute","%d minutes"],"1 second":["1 second","%d seconds"],"Enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our app.":"Enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our app.","1 track":["1 track","%d tracks"],"1 play":["1 play","%d plays"],"1 follower":["1 follower","%d followers"],"Download on the App Store":"Download on the App Store","Get it on Google Play":"Get it on Google Play","Get it at BlackBerry World":"Get it at BlackBerry World","Available at Amazon":"Available at Amazon","Get it in the Firefox Marketplace":"Get it in the Firefox Marketplace","Listen on SoundCloud Android":"Listen on SoundCloud Android","Listen on SoundCloud iOS":"Listen on SoundCloud iOS","Download our free app":"Download our free app","Close banner":"Close banner",Retry:"Retry","Sorry, something went wrong.":"Sorry, something went wrong.",Legal:"Legal",Privacy:"Privacy",Cookies:"Cookies",Imprint:"Imprint","SoundCloud homepage":"SoundCloud homepage","Hear the world's sounds":"Hear the world's sounds","Trending tracks on SoundCloud":"Trending tracks on SoundCloud","Messages are onlysupported on desktop browsers.":"Messages are onlysupported on desktop browsers.","Pages may not display correctlyin mobile browsers.":"Pages may not display correctlyin mobile browsers.","Go to Messages":"Go to Messages","Find More. Play More.Hear More.":"Find More. Play More.Hear More.","Download our appfor iPhone and iPad.":"Download our appfor iPhone and iPad.","Not got our app forAndroid yet?":"Not got our app forAndroid yet?","What are you waiting for?":"What are you waiting for?","You have unsubscribed":"You have unsubscribed","We're sorry to see you go":"We're sorry to see you go","Review your email subscriptions at":"Review your email subscriptions at","Play or pause track":"Play or pause track",All:"All",Tracks:"Tracks",Playlists:"Playlists",People:"People","Sorry, nothing matches your search":"Sorry, nothing matches your search",Cancel:"Cancel","Search SoundCloud":"Search SoundCloud","Find people, tracks and playlists":"Find people, tracks and playlists","Reposted by [[username]]":"Reposted by [[username]]","Now Playing":"Now Playing","Previous track":"Previous track","Next track":"Next track","We're sorry, track not available on mobile":"We're sorry, track not available on mobile",Spotlight:"Spotlight",Track:["Track","Tracks"],"Show more tracks":"Show more tracks",Playlist:["Playlist","Playlists"],"Show more playlists":"Show more playlists",Like:["Like","Likes"],"Show more likes":"Show more likes","Listen on our free app":"Listen on our free app","Terms of use":"Terms of Use","Privacy policy":"Privacy Policy","Cookies policy":"Cookies Policy","Company information":"Company Information","We're sorry, there seems to be a problem here":"We're sorry, there seems to be a problem here","Please try refreshing the page":"Please try refreshing the page","We can't find this page":"We can't find this page","We can't find this sound":"We can't find this sound","We can't find this playlist":"We can't find this playlist","We can't find this user":"We can't find this user","Upload your music and audio and share it with the world.":"Upload your music and audio and share it with the world.","You have successfullychanged your password":"You have successfullychanged your password","Sign in to SoundCloud":"Sign in to SoundCloud","Upload is only supported on desktop browsers.":"Upload is only supported on desktop browsers.",'For more information, visit ourCreator Guide.':'For more information, visit our Creator Guide.',"Go Pro":"Go Pro","Become a SoundCloud Pro":"Become a SoundCloud Pro","175 million people listen on SoundCloud each month. Get the tools you need to share your music and grow your audience.":"175 million people listen on SoundCloud each month. Get the tools you need to share your music and grow your audience.","Pro plans can only be purchased from a computer.":"Pro plans can only be purchased from a computer.","Stats with more data.":"Stats with more data.","Pro stats provide the data you need to plan your releases, connect with your biggest fans, and build your career.":"Pro stats provide the data you need to plan your releases, connect with your biggest fans, and build your career.","More upload time.":"More upload time.","Double your upload time with a Pro subscription or get limitless storage for your tracks, albums, projects, and back catalogue with Pro Unlimited.":"Double your upload time with a Pro subscription or get limitless storage for your tracks, albums, projects, and back catalogue with Pro Unlimited.","More control.":"More control.","Pin tracks and playlists to the top of your profile with Spotlight, turn commenting and public stats on or off with Quiet Mode - by going Pro, you're in control of your tracks and playlists.":"Pin tracks and playlists to the top of your profile with Spotlight, turn commenting and public stats on or off with Quiet Mode - by going Pro, you're in control of your tracks and playlists.",'Become a SoundCloud Pro on your computer today at soundcloud.com/pro.':'Become a SoundCloud Pro on your computer today at soundcloud.com/pro.',"[[[first]]] | [[[last]]] | People Directory":"[[[first]]] | [[[last]]] | People Directory","People Directory":"People Directory","Browse public SoundCloud profiles alphabetically by profile URL.":"Browse public SoundCloud profiles alphabetically by profile URL.","Results for: [[generatedSummary]]":"Results for: [[generatedSummary]]",'Don\'t want to be included? Email directory-opt-out@soundcloud.com with your permalink.':'Don\'t want to be included? Email directory-opt-out@soundcloud.com with your profile URL.',Directory:"Directory","Don't want to be included? Visit the desktop version of this page to opt out.":"Don't want to be included? Visit the desktop version of this page to opt out.","Select your language":"",'Language: [[locale]]':"","dev_speak test string":"","Come back when you're at your computer to upload more tracks.":"","Trending music on SoundCloud.":"","Explore is only available on desktop browsers.":"","Alternatively, download our mobile app to discover trending music and audio on the go.":"","Your profile":"","Managing your account is only available on desktop browsers.":"",'For more information on optimizing your profile, visit our Creator Guide.':"","Your tracks.":"","Managing your tracks is only available on desktop browsers.":"","Come back when you're at your computer to edit, share and add tracks to playlists.":""}), define("shared/config/locales/locale-es.json",[],{"Something went wrong":"Algo ha ido mal","Take this track with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.":"Disfruta de esta pista en cualquier lugar y vive al mximo la experiencia SoundCloud con nuestra aplicaci"n gratuita.","[[soundTitle]] by [[authorName]]":"[[soundTitle]] de [[authorName]]",Messages:"Mensajes","Take this playlist with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.":"Disfruta de esta lista en cualquier lugar y vive al mximo la experiencia SoundCloud con nuestra aplicaci"n gratuita.","[[playlistTitle]] by [[authorName]]":"[[playlistTitle]] de [[authorName]]","Search tracks":"Buscar pistas","Search playlists":"Buscar listas","Search people":"Buscar gente","Search groups":"Buscar grupos","Search [[category]]":"Buscar [[category]]","Unsubscribed successfully":"Suscripci"n anulada correctamente","Be the first to hear what [[username]] posts next with our free app.":"S(C) el primero en escuchar las nuevas publicaciones de [[username]] con nuestra aplicaci"n gratuita.","[[username]]'s stream":"Stream de [[username]]","1 hour":["1 hora","%d horas"],"1 minute":["1 minuto","%d minutos"],"1 second":["1 segundo","%d segundos"],"Enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our app.":"Vive al mximo la experiencia SoundCloud con nuestra aplicaci"n.","1 track":["1 pista","%d pistas"],"1 play":["1 reproducci"n","%d reproducciones"],"1 follower":["1 seguidor","%d seguidores"],"Download on the App Store":"Descargar en el App Store","Get it on Google Play":"Obtener en Google Play","Get it at BlackBerry World":"Obtener en BlackBerry World","Available at Amazon":"Disponible en Amazon","Get it in the Firefox Marketplace":"Obtener en Firefox Marketplace","Listen on SoundCloud Android":"Escuchar en SoundCloud Android","Listen on SoundCloud iOS":"Escuchar en SoundCloud iOS","Download our free app":"Descarga nuestra aplicaci"n gratuita","Close banner":"Cerrar imagen de cabecera",Retry:"Int(C)ntalo de nuevo","Sorry, something went wrong.":"Algo ha ido mal.",Legal:"Legal",Privacy:"Privacidad",Cookies:"Cookies",Imprint:"SoundCloud Ltd.","SoundCloud homepage":"Pgina de inicio de SoundCloud","Hear the world's sounds":"Escucha las pistas del mundo","Trending tracks on SoundCloud":"Pistas del momento en SoundCloud","Messages are onlysupported on desktop browsers.":"Los mensajes soloson compatibles en navegadores de escritorio","Pages may not display correctlyin mobile browsers.":"Puede que las pginas no semuestren correctamente en navegadores para m"viles.","Go to Messages":"Ir a Mensajes","Find More. Play More.Hear More.":"Descubre ms. Reproduce ms.Escucha ms.","Download our appfor iPhone and iPad.":"Descarga nuestra aplicaci"npara iPhone y iPad.","Not got our app forAndroid yet?":"Todava no tienesla aplicaci"n de Android?","What are you waiting for?":"A qu(C) esperas?","You have unsubscribed":"Has anulado tu suscripci"n","We're sorry to see you go":"Lamentamos que te marches","Review your email subscriptions at":"Consulta tus suscripciones de correo en","Play or pause track":"Reproducir o pausar la pista",All:"Todo",Tracks:"Pistas",Playlists:"Listas",People:"Gente","Sorry, nothing matches your search":"La bºsqueda no da resultados",Cancel:"Cancelar","Search SoundCloud":"Buscar en SoundCloud","Find people, tracks and playlists":"Buscar gente, pistas y listas","Reposted by [[username]]":"Republicado por [[username]]","Now Playing":"Reproducci"n en curso","Previous track":"Pista anterior","Next track":"Pista siguiente","We're sorry, track not available on mobile":"Pista no disponible para dispositivos m"viles",Spotlight:"Spotlight",Track:["Pista","Pistas"],"Show more tracks":"Mostrar ms pistas",Playlist:["Lista","Lista"],"Show more playlists":"Mostrar ms listas",Like:["Me gusta","Me gusta"],"Show more likes":"Mostrar otros me gusta","Listen on our free app":"Escucha mºsica con la nueva aplicaci"n gratuita","Terms of use":"Condiciones de uso","Privacy policy":"Poltica de privacidad","Cookies policy":"Poltica de cookies","Company information":"Informaci"n de la empresa","We're sorry, there seems to be a problem here":"Parece que se ha producido un problema","Please try refreshing the page":"Intente actualizar la pgina","We can't find this page":"No se encuentra esta pgina","We can't find this sound":"No se encuentra esta pista","We can't find this playlist":"No se encuentra esta lista","We can't find this user":"No se encuentra este usuario","Upload your music and audio and share it with the world.":"Sube tu mºsica y audio para compartirlos con el mundo.","You have successfullychanged your password":"Has cambiado tu contrase±acorrectamente","Sign in to SoundCloud":"Iniciar sesi"n en SoundCloud","Upload is only supported on desktop browsers.":"Solo se pueden subir sonidos en navegadores de escritorio.",'For more information, visit our Creator Guide.':'Para obtener ms informaci"n, visita la Gua para creadores.',"Go Pro":"Hazte Pro","Become a SoundCloud Pro":"Psate a SoundCloud Pro","175 million people listen on SoundCloud each month. Get the tools you need to share your music and grow your audience.":"Ms de 175 millones de personas escuchan SoundCloud cada mes. Obt(C)n las herramientas que necesitas para compartir tu mºsica y ampliar tu pºblico.","Pro plans can only be purchased from a computer.":"Solo es posible comprar un plan Pro desde un ordenador.","Stats with more data.":"Estadsticas con ms datos.","Pro stats provide the data you need to plan your releases, connect with your biggest fans, and build your career.":"Las estadsticas de Pro presentan los datos que necesitas para planificar tus nuevos lanzamientos, conectar con tus seguidores ms fieles y desarrollar tu carrera.","More upload time.":"Ms tiempo de subida.","Double your upload time with a Pro subscription or get limitless storage for your tracks, albums, projects, and back catalogue with Pro Unlimited.":"Dobla tu tiempo de subida con una suscripci"n Pro o adquiere almacenamiento ilimitado para tus pistas, lbumes, proyectos y trabajos anteriores con Pro Unlimited.","More control.":"Ms control.","Pin tracks and playlists to the top of your profile with Spotlight, turn commenting and public stats on or off with Quiet Mode - by going Pro, you're in control of your tracks and playlists.":"Fija pistas y listas en la parte superior de tu perfil con Spotlight, y activa o desactiva los comentarios y las estadsticas pºblicas mediante el Modo silencioso. Con el nivel Pro, tendrs todo el control sobre tus pistas y tus listas.",'Become a SoundCloud Pro on your computer today at soundcloud.com/pro.':'Entra en soundcloud.com/pro desde tu ordenador para pasarte hoy mismo a SoundCloud Pro.',"[[[first]]] | [[[last]]] | People Directory":"[[[first]]] | [[[last]]] | Directorio de gente","People Directory":"Directorio de gente","Browse public SoundCloud profiles alphabetically by profile URL.":"Explora los perfiles pºblicos de SoundCloud alfab(C)ticamente segºn las URL de perfil.","Results for: [[generatedSummary]]":"Resultados de: [[generatedSummary]]",'Don\'t want to be included? Email directory-opt-out@soundcloud.com with your permalink.':'No quieres aparecer en los resultados? Enva el enlace de tu perfil a directory-opt-out@soundcloud.com.',Directory:"Directorio","Don't want to be included? Visit the desktop version of this page to opt out.":"No quieres aparecer en los resultados? Visita la versi"n de esta pgina para escritorio para que no te incluyamos.","Select your language":"Selecciona tu idioma",'Language: [[locale]]':'Idioma: [[locale]]',"dev_speak test string":"dev_speak test string","Come back when you're at your computer to upload more tracks.":"","Trending music on SoundCloud.":"","Explore is only available on desktop browsers.":"","Alternatively, download our mobile app to discover trending music and audio on the go.":"","Your profile":"","Managing your account is only available on desktop browsers.":"",'For more information on optimizing your profile, visit our Creator Guide.':"","Your tracks.":"","Managing your tracks is only available on desktop browsers.":"","Come back when you're at your computer to edit, share and add tracks to playlists.":""}), define("shared/config/locales/locale-fr.json",[],{"Something went wrong":"Un probl¨me est survenu.","Take this track with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.":"Emportez ce titre avec vous et vivez l'exp(C)rience SoundCloud pleinement avec notre application gratuite.","[[soundTitle]] by [[authorName]]":"[[soundTitle]] par [[authorname]]",Messages:"Messages","Take this playlist with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.":"Prenez cette playlist avec vous et vivez l'exp(C)rience SoundCloud pleinement avec notre application gratuite.","[[playlistTitle]] by [[authorName]]":"[[playlistTitle]] par [[authorName]]","Search tracks":"Rechercher des titres","Search playlists":"Rechercher des playlists","Search people":"Rechercher des personnes","Search groups":"Rechercher des groupes","Search [[category]]":"Rechercher dans [[category]]","Unsubscribed successfully":"D(C)sinscription r(C)ussie.","Be the first to hear what [[username]] posts next with our free app.":"Soyez le premier savoir ce que publie [[username]] avec notre application gratuite. ","[[username]]'s stream":"Stream de [[username]]","1 hour":["%d heure","%d heures"],"1 minute":["%d minute","%d minutes"],"1 second":["%d seconde","%d secondes"],"Enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our app.":"Vivez l'exp(C)rience SoundCloud pleinement avec notre application.","1 track":["%d titre","%d titres"],"1 play":["%d (C)coute","%d (C)coutes"],"1 follower":["%d abonn(C)","%d abonn(C)s"],"Download on the App Store":"T(C)l(C)charger dans l'App Store","Get it on Google Play":"Disponible sur Google Play","Get it at BlackBerry World":"Disponible sur BlackBerry World","Available at Amazon":"Disponible sur Amazon","Get it in the Firefox Marketplace":"Disponible sur le Firefox Marketplace ","Listen on SoundCloud Android":"couter sur SoundCloud Android","Listen on SoundCloud iOS":"couter sur SoundCloud iOS","Download our free app":"T(C)l(C)charger notre application gratuite","Close banner":"Fermer la banni¨re",Retry:"R(C)essayer","Sorry, something went wrong.":"Excusez-nous, un probl¨me est survenu.",Legal:"Informations l(C)gales",Privacy:"Confidentialit(C)",Cookies:"Cookies",Imprint:"A propos","SoundCloud homepage":"Page d'accueil de SoundCloud","Hear the world's sounds":"D(C)couvrez les sons du monde","Trending tracks on SoundCloud":"Titres en vogue sur SoundCloud","Messages are onlysupported on desktop browsers.":"Les messages sont uniquementpris en charge par les navigateurs d'ordinateurs de bureau.","Pages may not display correctlyin mobile browsers.":"Les pages peuvent ne pas s'afficher correctementdans les navigateurs mobiles.","Go to Messages":"Acc(C)der aux Messages","Find More. Play More.Hear More.":"Explorer plus.couter plus.","Download our appfor iPhone and iPad.":"T(C)l(C)chargez notre applicationpour iPhone et iPad.","Not got our app forAndroid yet?":"Vous ne disposez pas encore de notre application pourAndroid ?","What are you waiting for?":"Qu'attendez-vous ?","You have unsubscribed":"Votre d(C)sinscription a (C)t(C) effectu(C)e.","We're sorry to see you go":"Nous sommes d(C)sol(C)s de vous voir partir.","Review your email subscriptions at":"V(C)rifiez vos inscriptions par e-mail sur","Play or pause track":"Lire un titre ou le mettre en pause",All:"Tous",Tracks:"Titres",Playlists:"Playlists",People:"Personnes","Sorry, nothing matches your search":"Nous sommes d(C)sol(C)s, aucun r(C)sultat ne correspond votre recherche.",Cancel:"Annuler","Search SoundCloud":"Rechercher dans SoundCloud","Find people, tracks and playlists":"Trouver des personnes, des titres et des playlists","Reposted by [[username]]":"Repost(C) par [[username]]","Now Playing":"En cours de lecture","Previous track":"Titre pr(C)c(C)dent","Next track":"Titre suivant","We're sorry, track not available on mobile":"Nous sommes d(C)sol(C)s, ce titre n'est pas disponible sur la version mobile",Spotlight:"Titres (C)pingl(C)s",Track:["Titres","Titres"],"Show more tracks":"Afficher plus de titres",Playlist:["Playlist","Playlist"],"Show more playlists":"Afficher plus de playlists",Like:["Likes","Mes favoris"],"Show more likes":"Afficher plus de mentions J'aime","Listen on our free app":"Ecouter sur notre application gratuite","Terms of use":"Conditions d'utilisation","Privacy policy":"Politique de confidentialit(C)","Cookies policy":"Politique d'utilisation des cookies","Company information":"Informations sur l'entreprise","We're sorry, there seems to be a problem here":"Nous sommes d(C)sol(C)s, il semble qu'il y ait un probl¨me.","Please try refreshing the page":"Veuillez essayer d'actualiser la page.","We can't find this page":"Cette page est introuvable.","We can't find this sound":"Ce son est introuvable.","We can't find this playlist":"Cette playlist est introuvable.","We can't find this user":"Cet utilisateur est introuvable.","Upload your music and audio and share it with the world.":"T(C)l(C)chargez vos pistes audio et musicales et partagez-les avec le monde entier.","You have successfullychanged your password":"Vous avez bienmodifi(C) votre mot de passe.","Sign in to SoundCloud":"Se connecter SoundCloud","Upload is only supported on desktop browsers.":"Uploader est pris en charge sur les navigateurs d'ordinateur de bureau uniquement.",'For more information, visit our Creator Guide.':"Pour plus d'informations, consultez notre Guide de l'auteur.","Go Pro":"Passer la version Pro","Become a SoundCloud Pro":"Passez la version SoundCloud Pro","175 million people listen on SoundCloud each month. Get the tools you need to share your music and grow your audience.":"175 millions de personnes (C)coutent de la musique sur SoundCloud chaque mois. Profitez des outils n(C)cessaires pour partager votre musique et (C)largir votre public. ","Pro plans can only be purchased from a computer.":"L'achat d'un abonnement Pro ne peut s'effectuer que depuis un ordinateur.","Stats with more data.":"Statistiques comportant d'autres donn(C)es","Pro stats provide the data you need to plan your releases, connect with your biggest fans, and build your career.":"Les statistiques Pro vous fournissent les donn(C)es n(C)cessaires pour planifier vos sorties, entrer en contact avec vos plus grands fans et construire votre carri¨re.","More upload time.":"Davantage de temps de t(C)l(C)chargement.","Double your upload time with a Pro subscription or get limitless storage for your tracks, albums, projects, and back catalogue with Pro Unlimited.":"Multipliez votre temps de t(C)l(C)chargement par deux avec un abonnement Pro ou obtenez un espace de stockage illimit(C) pour vos titres, vos albums, vos projets et vos anciens enregistrements avec Pro Unlimited.","More control.":"Davantage de contr´le.","Pin tracks and playlists to the top of your profile with Spotlight, turn commenting and public stats on or off with Quiet Mode - by going Pro, you're in control of your tracks and playlists.":"Placez des titres et des playlists dans la partie sup(C)rieure de votre profil avec les Titres pingl(C)s, activez ou d(C)sactivez les commentaires et les statistiques avec le Mode silencieux : en passant la version Pro, vous avez le contr´le de vos titres et de vos playlists.",'Become a SoundCloud Pro on your computer today at soundcloud.com/pro.':'Passez la version Pro de SoundCloud sur votre ordinateur aujourd\'hui sur soundcloud.com/pro.',"[[[first]]] | [[[last]]] | People Directory":"[[[first]]] | [[[last]]] R(C)pertoire de personnes","People Directory":"R(C)pertoire de personnes","Browse public SoundCloud profiles alphabetically by profile URL.":"Parcourez alphab(C)tiquement les profils publics de SoundCloud en fonction de l'URL de profil.","Results for: [[generatedSummary]]":"R(C)sultats pour : [[generatedSummary]]",'Don\'t want to be included? Email directory-opt-out@soundcloud.com with your permalink.':'Vous ne souhaitez pas y figurer ? Envoyez un e-mail directory-opt-out@soundcloud.com avec votre lien permanent.',Directory:"R(C)pertoire","Don't want to be included? Visit the desktop version of this page to opt out.":"Vous ne voulez pas ªtre ajout(C)(e) ? Utilisez la version de bureau pour d(C)sactiver.","Select your language":"S(C)lectionnez votre langue",'Language: [[locale]]':'Langue : [[locale]]',"dev_speak test string":"","Come back when you're at your computer to upload more tracks.":"","Trending music on SoundCloud.":"","Explore is only available on desktop browsers.":"","Alternatively, download our mobile app to discover trending music and audio on the go.":"","Your profile":"","Managing your account is only available on desktop browsers.":"",'For more information on optimizing your profile, visit our Creator Guide.':"","Your tracks.":"","Managing your tracks is only available on desktop browsers.":"","Come back when you're at your computer to edit, share and add tracks to playlists.":""}), define("shared/config/locales/locale-pt-br.json",[],{"Something went wrong":"Ocorreu um erro.","Take this track with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.":"Ou§a esta faixa aonde quer que v e aproveite a experiªncia completa da SoundCloud com o nosso app gratuito.","[[soundTitle]] by [[authorName]]":"[[soundTitle]] de [[authorName]]",Messages:"Mensagens","Take this playlist with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.":"Escute esta playlist aonde quer que v e aproveite a experiªncia completa da SoundCloud com o nosso app gratuito.","[[playlistTitle]] by [[authorName]]":"[[playlistTitle]] de [[authorName]]","Search tracks":"Pesquisar faixas","Search playlists":"Pesquisar playlists","Search people":"Pesquisar pessoas","Search groups":"Pesquisar grupos","Search [[category]]":"Pesquisar [[category]]","Unsubscribed successfully":"Inscri§£o cancelada com sucesso","Be the first to hear what [[username]] posts next with our free app.":"Seja o primeiro a ouvir o que [[username]] publica com o nosso app gratuito.","[[username]]'s stream":"Stream de [[username]]","1 hour":["1 hora","%d horas"],"1 minute":["1 minuto","%d minutos"],"1 second":["1 segundo","%d segundos"],"Enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our app.":"Aproveite a experiªncia completa da SoundCloud com o nosso app.","1 track":["1 faixa","%d faixas"],"1 play":["1 reprodu§£o","%d reprodu§µes"],"1 follower":["1 seguidor","%d seguidores"],"Download on the App Store":"Baixar na AppStore","Get it on Google Play":"Baixar no Google Play","Get it at BlackBerry World":"Baixar no BlackBerry World","Available at Amazon":"Disponvel na Amazon","Get it in the Firefox Marketplace":"Baixar no Firefox Marketplace","Listen on SoundCloud Android":"Ou§a no app SoundCloud para Android","Listen on SoundCloud iOS":"Ou§a no app SoundCloud para iOS","Download our free app":"Baixe nosso app gratuito","Close banner":"Fechar banner",Retry:"Tentar novamente","Sorry, something went wrong.":"Ocorreu um erro.",Legal:"Aviso legal",Privacy:"Privacidade",Cookies:"Cookies",Imprint:"SoundCloud Ltd.","SoundCloud homepage":"Pgina inicial da SoundCloud","Hear the world's sounds":"Ou§a os sons do mundo","Trending tracks on SoundCloud":"Faixas mais tocadas na SoundCloud","Messages are onlysupported on desktop browsers.":"As mensagens s£o suportadas apenasem navegadores desktop.","Pages may not display correctlyin mobile browsers.":"As pginas podem n£o ser exibidas corretamenteem navegadores m"veis.","Go to Messages":"Ir para Mensagens","Find More. Play More.Hear More.":"Encontre mais. Reproduza mais.Ou§a mais.","Download our appfor iPhone and iPad.":"Baixe nosso apppara iPhone e iPad.","Not got our app forAndroid yet?":"Ainda n£o tem nosso apppara Android?","What are you waiting for?":"O que est esperando?","You have unsubscribed":"Vocª cancelou sua inscri§£o","We're sorry to see you go":"Lamentamos muito que vocª se v","Review your email subscriptions at":"Consulte suas assinaturas por email em","Play or pause track":"Reproduzir ou pausar faixa",All:"Tudo",Tracks:"Faixas",Playlists:"Playlists",People:"Pessoas","Sorry, nothing matches your search":"N£o encontramos resultados para sua pesquisa",Cancel:"Cancelar","Search SoundCloud":"Pesquisar na SoundCloud","Find people, tracks and playlists":"Encontre pessoas, faixas e playlists","Reposted by [[username]]":"Republicada por [[username]]","Now Playing":"Reproduzindo agora","Previous track":"Faixa anterior","Next track":"Pr"xima faixa","We're sorry, track not available on mobile":"Faixa n£o disponvel para dispositivo m"vel",Spotlight:"Spotlight",Track:["Faixa","Faixas"],"Show more tracks":"Mostrar mais faixas",Playlist:["Playlist","Playlist"],"Show more playlists":"Mostrar mais playlists",Like:["Curtida","Curtidas"],"Show more likes":"Mostrar mais curtidas","Listen on our free app":"Ou§a no nosso app gratuito","Terms of use":"Termos de Uso","Privacy policy":"Poltica de Privacidade","Cookies policy":"Poltica de Cookies","Company information":"Informa§µes sobre a empresa","We're sorry, there seems to be a problem here":"Parece haver um problema aqui","Please try refreshing the page":"Tente atualizar a pgina","We can't find this page":"N£o foi possvel encontrar esta pgina","We can't find this sound":"N£o foi possvel encontrar esta faixa","We can't find this playlist":"N£o foi possvel encontrar esta playlist","We can't find this user":"N£o foi possvel encontrar este usurio","Upload your music and audio and share it with the world.":"Fa§a upload das suas mºsicas e udios, e compartilhe-os com o mundo.","You have successfullychanged your password":"Vocª alterou sua senhacom sucesso","Sign in to SoundCloud":"Logar na SoundCloud","Upload is only supported on desktop browsers.":"O upload (C) suportado apenas em navegadores desktop.",'For more information, visit our Creator Guide.':'Para obter mais informa§µes, visite o nosso Guia do criador.',"Go Pro":"Assinar Pr"","Become a SoundCloud Pro":"Torne-se SoundCloud Pr"","175 million people listen on SoundCloud each month. Get the tools you need to share your music and grow your audience.":"175 milhµes de pessoas ouvem a SoundCloud todo mªs. Obtenha as ferramentas de que precisa para compartilhar sua mºsica e aumentar seu pºblico.","Pro plans can only be purchased from a computer.":"Os planos Pr" podem ser adquiridos somente em um computador.","Stats with more data.":"Estatsticas com mais dados.","Pro stats provide the data you need to plan your releases, connect with your biggest fans, and build your career.":"As estatsticas Pr" fornecem os dados que vocª precisa para planejar seus lan§amentos, conectar-se com seus maiores f£s e projetar sua carreira.","More upload time.":"Mais tempo de upload.","Double your upload time with a Pro subscription or get limitless storage for your tracks, albums, projects, and back catalogue with Pro Unlimited.":"Dobre seu tempo de upload com uma assinatura do plano Pr" ou obtenha armazenamento ilimitado para suas faixas, lbuns, projetos e catlogos com uma assinatura do plano Pr" Ilimitado.","More control.":"Mais controle.","Pin tracks and playlists to the top of your profile with Spotlight, turn commenting and public stats on or off with Quiet Mode - by going Pro, you're in control of your tracks and playlists.":"Fixe faixas e playlists no topo do seu perfil com o Spotlight, ative ou desative comentrios e estatsticas pºblicas com o Modo silencioso. Com a assinatura Pr", vocª assume o controle das suas faixas e playlists.",'Become a SoundCloud Pro on your computer today at soundcloud.com/pro.':'Torne-se SoundCloud Pr" em seu computador hoje em soundcloud.com/pro.',"[[[first]]] | [[[last]]] | People Directory":"[[[first]]] | [[[last]]] | Diret"rio de pessoas","People Directory":"Diret"rio de pessoas","Browse public SoundCloud profiles alphabetically by profile URL.":"Procure perfis pºblicos da SoundCloud em ordem alfab(C)tica pelo URL do perfil.","Results for: [[generatedSummary]]":"Resultados para: [[generatedSummary]]",'Don\'t want to be included? Email directory-opt-out@soundcloud.com with your permalink.':'N£o quer ser includo? Envie um email para directory-opt-out@soundcloud.com com o seu permalink.',Directory:"Diret"rio","Don't want to be included? Visit the desktop version of this page to opt out.":"N£o quer ser includo? 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this.controller,this.trigger(f.DESTROYED)},seek:function(e){if(!this.controller)return;if(e>=s.result(this.options.duration)){_.call(this);return}this.seekTimeEventHandler&&this.off(f.TIME,this.seekTimeEventHandler),this.seekTimeEventHandler=s.after(2,function(){I.call(this)}.bind(this)),this.on(f.TIME,this.seekTimeEventHandler),this.trigger(f.SEEK,{from:this.currentTime(),to:e});if(this.isPlaying()&&!j.call(this,e)){M.call(this),this.play({seek:e});return}this.controller.seek(e)},seekRelative:function(e){this.controller&&this.seek(this.currentTime()+e)},currentTime:function(){return this._storedPosition?this._storedPosition:this.controller?this.controller.getCurrentPosition():0},loadProgress:function(){var e=0;return this.controller&&(e=this.controller.getLoadedPosition()/this.controller.getDuration(),e=e>=.99?1:e),e},buffered:function(){return this.controller&&this.controller.getDuration()||0},isPaused:function(){return!this.isPlaying()},isBuffering:function(){return this._isBuffering},isPlaying:function(){return this._isPlayActionQueued||this._isPlaying},isLoading:function(){return!!this.controller&&this.controller.getState()===d.States.LOADING},toggleMute:function(e){r.toggleMute(e)},isMuted:function(){return r.isMuted()},setVolume:function(e){r.setVolume(e)},getVolume:function(){return r.getVolume()},logAudioPerformance:function(){},getAudioManagerStates:function(){return d.States},getId:function(){return this.options.resourceId||this.options.soundId}}),s.extend(r,{extend:s.inherits,getSettings:function(){return m},setSettings:function(e){s.extend(m,e)},setAudioManager:function(e){d=e,e&&(r.AudioManagerStates=e.States,this.toggleMute(m.muted),this.setVolume(m.volume))},toggleMute:function(e){m.muted=e===undefined?!m.muted:!!e,d&&d.setVolume(m.muted?0:1)},isMuted:function(){return m.muted},setVolume:function(e){m.volume=e===undefined?1:e,d&&d.setVolume(m.volume)},getVolume:function(){return m.volume},Extensions:l,Protocols:h,Events:f,BUFFER_DELAY:w,PLAY_REGISTRATION_TIMEOUT:E})}),t("scaudio")})}), define("vendor/i18n/lib/datetime",["require","exports","module"],function(e,t,n){function f(e,t){function f(t,n,r){if(t instanceof Date){r=r||Date.now();var i=r-t,s=i>0,o,a=null,f,l,c=e.relativeTime;n=n&&parseInt(n,10)||1e3,i=Math.abs(i);if(i0&&o.push(l.hour(u)),a>0&&o.push(l.min(a)),(f>0||a===0&&u===0)&&o.push(l.sec(f)),o.join(" ")):(u>0&&o.push(u),n&&n.minimal&&u===0&&a===0?o.push(""):o.push(a0?"0"+a:a),o.push(f23||r>59)return;if(i)if(i==="p"){if(n13)return}else if(i==="a")if(n===12)n=0;else if(n>12)return;return r||(r=0),[n,r]}function v(){var e=new Date(2009,0,1,6,0,0),t=new Date(2009,6,1,6,0,0),n;return n=e.getUTCHours()>t.getUTCHours()?e.getTimezoneOffset():t.getTimezoneOffset(),n}function m(e){if(e.offset==null)return{};var t=new Date,n,r;return g(t,e.resolution),n=+(new Date(+t+e.offset*a[e.resolution])),r=+(new Date(n+(e.duration-1)*a[e.resolution])),{from:n,to:r}}function g(e,t){switch(t){case"day":e.setUTCHours(0,0,0,0);break;case"hour":e.setUTCMinutes(0,0,0)}}function y(e){return("0"+e).substr(-2)}n.exports=f;var r=1e3,i=6e4,s=60*i,o=24*s,u={sec:1e3,min:60,hour:60,day:24,month:30,year:12},a={minute:i,hour:s,day:o}}), define("vendor/i18n/lib/number",["require","exports","module"],function(e,t,n){function r(e){return{round:i,format:function(t,n){if(t===""||t==null||isNaN(t)||Math.abs(t)===Infinity)return"";t=parseFloat(t);var r=n&&n.precision||0,s=e.delimiters;return r=Math.max(Math.min(r,20),0),t=i(t,r),(""+t).split(".").map(function(e,t){return t===0?e.replace(/(\d)(?=(\d{3})+(?!\d))/g,"$1"+s.thousands):e}).join(s.decimal)},zeroPad:function(e,t){if(e==null)return e;e+="";var n=t-e.length;return n>0&&(e=(new Array(n+1)).join("0")+e),e}}}function i(e,t){var n=Math.pow(10,t||0);return Math.round(e*n)/n}n.exports=r}), define("vendor/i18n/locales/en",["require","exports","module"],function(e,t,n){function i(e,t){return function(t){return e[r.pluralForm(t)].replace(/%d/i,t)}}var r={delimiters:{thousands:",",decimal:"."},relativeTime:{justNow:"Just now",rightNow:"Right now",future:"in %s",past:"%s",sec:i(["1 second","%d seconds"]),min:i(["1 minute","%d minutes"]),hour:i(["1 hour","%d hours"]),day:i(["1 day","%d days"]),month:i(["1 month","%d months"]),year:i(["1 year","%d years"])},dateFormats:{readable:"DD MMMM YYYY",readableTime:"DD MMMM YYYY HH:mm",readableAbbreviated:"MMM DD, YYYY",readableWithWeekday:"DDDD, DD MMMM YYYY","default":"DD/MM/YYYY"},dates:{months:["January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],monthsShort:["Jan","Feb","Mar","Apr","May","Jun","Jul","Aug","Sep","Oct","Nov","Dec"],weekdays:["Sunday","Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday","Friday","Saturday"],shortWeekdays:["Sun","Mon","Tue","Wed","Thu","Fri","Sat"],minWeekdays:["Su","Mo","Tu","We","Th","Fr","Sa"]},d3:{grouping:[3],currency:["$",""],dateTime:"%a %b %e %X %Y",date:"%m/%d/%Y",time:"%H:%M:%S",periods:["AM","PM"]},datePicker:{closeText:"Done",prevText:"Prev",nextText:"Next",currentText:"Today",weekHeader:"Wk",dateFormat:"dd/mm/yy",firstDay:1,isRTL:!1,showMonthAfterYear:!1,yearSuffix:""},pluralForm:function(e){return e!==1?1:0}};n.exports=r}), define("vendor/i18n/locales/pt_BR",["require","exports","module"],function(e,t,n){function i(e,t){return function(t){return e[r.pluralForm(t)].replace(/%d/i,t)}}var r={delimiters:{thousands:".",decimal:","},relativeTime:{justNow:"Agora a pouco",rightNow:"Agora a pouco",future:"em %s",past:"%s",sec:i(["1 segundo","%d segundos"]),min:i(["1 minuto","%d minutos"]),hour:i(["1 hora","%d horas"]),day:i(["1 dia","%d dias"]),month:i(["1 mªs","%d meses"]),year:i(["1 ano","%d anos"])},dateFormats:{readable:"DD MMMM YYYY",readableTime:"DD MMMM YYYY HH:mm",readableAbbreviated:"MMM DD, YYYY",readableWithWeekday:"DDDD, DD MMMM YYYY","default":"DD/MM/YYYY"},dates:{months:["Janeiro","Fevereiro","Mar§o","Abril","Maio","Junho","Julho","Agosto","Setembro","Outubro","Novembro","Dezembro"],monthsShort:["Jan","Fev","Mar","Abr","Mai","Jun","Jul","Ago","Set","Out","Nov","Dez"],weekdays:["Domingo","Segunda-Feira","Ter§a-Feira","Quarta-Feira","Quinta-Feira","Sexta-Feira","Sbado"],shortWeekdays:["Dom","Seg","Ter","Qua","Qui","Sex","Sb"],minWeekdays:["Dom","Seg","Ter","Qua","Qui","Sex","Sb"]},d3:{grouping:[3],currency:["$",""],dateTime:"%A, %e de %B de %Y. %X",date:"%d/%m/%Y",time:"%H:%M:%S",periods:["AM","PM"]},datePicker:{closeText:"Fechar",prevText:"Anterior",nextText:"Pr"ximo",currentText:"Hoje",weekHeader:"Sm",dateFormat:"dd/mm/yy",firstDay:0,isRTL:!1,showMonthAfterYear:!1,yearSuffix:""},pluralForm:function(e){return e!==1?1:0}};n.exports=r}), define("vendor/i18n/locales/fr",["require","exports","module"],function(e,t,n){function i(e,t){return function(t){return e[r.pluralForm(t)].replace(/%d/i,t)}}var r={delimiters:{thousands:".",decimal:","},relativeTime:{justNow:"R(C)cemment",rightNow:"Maintenant",future:"dans %s",past:"%s",sec:i(["1 seconde","%d secondes"]),min:i(["1 minute","%d minutes"]),hour:i(["1 heure","%d heures"]),day:i(["1 jour","%d jours"]),month:i(["1 mois","%d mois"]),year:i(["1 an","%d ans"])},dateFormats:{readable:"DD MMMM YYYY",readableTime:"DD MMMM YYYY HH:mm",readableAbbreviated:"DD MMM YYYY",readableWithWeekday:"DDDD DD MMMM YYYY","default":"DD/MM/YYYY"},dates:{months:["janvier","f(C)vrier","mars","avril","mai","juin","juillet","ao>>t","septembre","octobre","novembre","d(C)cembre"],monthsShort:["janv.","f(C)vr.","mars","avr.","mai","juin","juil.","ao>>t","sept.","oct.","nov.","d(C)c."],weekdays:["dimanche","lundi","mardi","mercredi","jeudi","vendredi","samedi"],shortWeekdays:["dim.","lun.","mar.","mer.","jeu.","ven.","sam."],minWeekdays:["Di","Lu","Ma","Me","Je","Ve","Sa"]},d3:{grouping:[3],currency:["$",""],dateTime:"%A, le %e %B %Y, %X",date:"%d/%m/%Y",time:"%H:%M:%S",periods:["AM","PM"]},datePicker:{closeText:"Fermer",prevText:"Pr(C)c(C)dent",nextText:"Suivant",currentText:"Aujourd'hui",weekHeader:"Sem.",dateFormat:"dd/mm/yy",firstDay:1,isRTL:!1,showMonthAfterYear:!1,yearSuffix:""},pluralForm:function(e){return e>1?1:0}};n.exports=r}), define("vendor/i18n/locales/es",["require","exports","module"],function(e,t,n){function i(e,t){return function(t){return e[r.pluralForm(t)].replace(/%d/i,t)}}var r={delimiters:{thousands:".",decimal:","},relativeTime:{justNow:"Ahora mismo",rightNow:"Ahora mismo",future:"dans %s",past:"%s",sec:i(["1 segundo","%d segundos"]),min:i(["1 minuto","%d minutos"]),hour:i(["1 hora","%d horas"]),day:i(["1 da","%d das"]),month:i(["1 mes","%d meses"]),year:i(["1 a±o","%d a±os"])},dateFormats:{readable:"DD MMMM YYYY",readableTime:"DD MMMM YYYY HH:mm",readableAbbreviated:"DD MMM YYYY",readableWithWeekday:"DDDD, DD MMMM YYYY","default":"DD/MM/YYYY"},dates:{months:["Enero","Febrero","Marzo","Abril","Mayo","Junio","Julio","Agosto","Septiembre","Octubre","Noviembre","Diciembre"],monthsShort:["Ene","Feb","Mar","Abr","May","Jun","Jul","Ago","Sep","Oct","Nov","Dic"],weekdays:["Domingo","Lunes","Martes","Mi(C)rcoles","Jueves","Viernes","Sbado"],shortWeekdays:["Dom.","Lun.","Mar.","Mi(C).","Jue.","Vie.","Sb."],minWeekdays:["Do","Lu","Ma","Mi","Ju","Vi","S"]},d3:{grouping:[3],currency:["$",""],dateTime:"%A, %e de %B de %Y, %X",date:"%d/%m/%Y",time:"%H:%M:%S",periods:["AM","PM"]},datePicker:{closeText:"Cerrar",prevText:"Ant",nextText:"Sig",currentText:"Hoy",weekHeader:"Sm",dateFormat:"dd/mm/yy",firstDay:1,isRTL:!1,showMonthAfterYear:!1,yearSuffix:""},pluralForm:function(e){return e!==1?1:0}};n.exports=r}), define("shared/config/locales/locale-en-gb.json",[],{"Something went wrong":"Something went wrong","Take this track with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.":"Take this track with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.","[[soundTitle]] by [[authorName]]":"[[soundTitle]] by [[authorName]]",Messages:"Messages","Take this playlist with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.":"Take this playlist with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.","[[playlistTitle]] by [[authorName]]":"[[playlistTitle]] by [[authorName]]","Search tracks":"Search tracks","Search playlists":"Search playlists","Search people":"Search people","Search groups":"Search groups","Search [[category]]":"Search [[category]]","Unsubscribed successfully":"Unsubscribed successfully","Be the first to hear what [[username]] posts next with our free app.":"Be the first to hear what [[username]] posts next with our free app.","[[username]]'s stream":"[[username]]'s stream","1 hour":["1 hour","%d hours"],"1 minute":["1 minute","%d minutes"],"1 second":["1 second","%d seconds"],"Enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our app.":"Enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our app.","1 track":["1 track","%d tracks"],"1 play":["1 play","%d plays"],"1 follower":["1 follower","%d followers"],"Download on the App Store":"Download on the App Store","Get it on Google Play":"Get it on Google Play","Get it at BlackBerry World":"Get it at BlackBerry World","Available at Amazon":"Available at Amazon","Get it in the Firefox Marketplace":"Get it in the Firefox Marketplace","Listen on SoundCloud Android":"Listen on SoundCloud Android","Listen on SoundCloud iOS":"Listen on SoundCloud iOS","Download our free app":"Download our free app","Close banner":"Close banner",Retry:"Retry","Sorry, something went wrong.":"Sorry, something went wrong.",Legal:"Legal",Privacy:"Privacy",Cookies:"Cookies",Imprint:"Imprint","SoundCloud homepage":"SoundCloud homepage","Hear the world's sounds":"Hear the world's sounds","Trending tracks on SoundCloud":"Trending tracks on SoundCloud","Messages are onlysupported on desktop browsers.":"Messages are onlysupported on desktop browsers.","Pages may not display correctlyin mobile browsers.":"Pages may not display correctlyin mobile browsers.","Go to Messages":"Go to Messages","Find More. Play More.Hear More.":"Find More. Play More.Hear More.","Download our appfor iPhone and iPad.":"Download our appfor iPhone and iPad.","Not got our app forAndroid yet?":"Not got our app forAndroid yet?","What are you waiting for?":"What are you waiting for?","You have unsubscribed":"You have unsubscribed","We're sorry to see you go":"We're sorry to see you go","Review your email subscriptions at":"Review your email subscriptions at","Play or pause track":"Play or pause track",All:"All",Tracks:"Tracks",Playlists:"Playlists",People:"People","Sorry, nothing matches your search":"Sorry, nothing matches your search",Cancel:"Cancel","Search SoundCloud":"Search SoundCloud","Find people, tracks and playlists":"Find people, tracks and playlists","Reposted by [[username]]":"Reposted by [[username]]","Now Playing":"Now Playing","Previous track":"Previous track","Next track":"Next track","We're sorry, track not available on mobile":"We're sorry, track not available on mobile",Spotlight:"Spotlight",Track:["Track","Tracks"],"Show more tracks":"Show more tracks",Playlist:["Playlist","Playlists"],"Show more playlists":"Show more playlists",Like:["Like","Likes"],"Show more likes":"Show more likes","Listen on our free app":"Listen on our free app","Terms of use":"Terms of Use","Privacy policy":"Privacy Policy","Cookies policy":"Cookies Policy","Company information":"Company Information","We're sorry, there seems to be a problem here":"We're sorry, there seems to be a problem here","Please try refreshing the page":"Please try refreshing the page","We can't find this page":"We can't find this page","We can't find this sound":"We can't find this sound","We can't find this playlist":"We can't find this playlist","We can't find this user":"We can't find this user","Upload your music and audio and share it with the world.":"Upload your music and audio and share it with the world.","You have successfullychanged your password":"You have successfullychanged your password","Sign in to SoundCloud":"Sign in to SoundCloud","Upload is only supported on desktop browsers.":"Upload is only supported on desktop browsers.",'For more information, visit ourCreator Guide.':'For more information, visit our Creator Guide.',"Go Pro":"Go Pro","Become a SoundCloud Pro":"Become a SoundCloud Pro","175 million people listen on SoundCloud each month. Get the tools you need to share your music and grow your audience.":"175 million people listen on SoundCloud each month. Get the tools you need to share your music and grow your audience.","Pro plans can only be purchased from a computer.":"Pro plans can only be purchased from a computer.","Stats with more data.":"Stats with more data.","Pro stats provide the data you need to plan your releases, connect with your biggest fans, and build your career.":"Pro stats provide the data you need to plan your releases, connect with your biggest fans, and build your career.","More upload time.":"More upload time.","Double your upload time with a Pro subscription or get limitless storage for your tracks, albums, projects, and back catalogue with Pro Unlimited.":"Double your upload time with a Pro subscription or get limitless storage for your tracks, albums, projects, and back catalogue with Pro Unlimited.","More control.":"More control.","Pin tracks and playlists to the top of your profile with Spotlight, turn commenting and public stats on or off with Quiet Mode - by going Pro, you're in control of your tracks and playlists.":"Pin tracks and playlists to the top of your profile with Spotlight, turn commenting and public stats on or off with Quiet Mode - by going Pro, you're in control of your tracks and playlists.",'Become a SoundCloud Pro on your computer today at soundcloud.com/pro.':'Become a SoundCloud Pro on your computer today at soundcloud.com/pro.',"[[[first]]] | [[[last]]] | People Directory":"[[[first]]] | [[[last]]] | People Directory","People Directory":"People Directory","Browse public SoundCloud profiles alphabetically by profile URL.":"Browse public SoundCloud profiles alphabetically by profile URL.","Results for: [[generatedSummary]]":"Results for: [[generatedSummary]]",'Don\'t want to be included? Email directory-opt-out@soundcloud.com with your permalink.':'Don\'t want to be included? Email directory-opt-out@soundcloud.com with your profile URL.',Directory:"Directory","Don't want to be included? Visit the desktop version of this page to opt out.":"Don't want to be included? Visit the desktop version of this page to opt out.","Select your language":"",'Language: [[locale]]':"","dev_speak test string":"","Come back when you're at your computer to upload more tracks.":"","Trending music on SoundCloud.":"","Explore is only available on desktop browsers.":"","Alternatively, download our mobile app to discover trending music and audio on the go.":"","Your profile":"","Managing your account is only available on desktop browsers.":"",'For more information on optimizing your profile, visit our Creator Guide.':"","Your tracks.":"","Managing your tracks is only available on desktop browsers.":"","Come back when you're at your computer to edit, share and add tracks to playlists.":""}), define("shared/config/locales/locale-es.json",[],{"Something went wrong":"Algo ha ido mal","Take this track with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.":"Disfruta de esta pista en cualquier lugar y vive al mximo la experiencia SoundCloud con nuestra aplicaci"n gratuita.","[[soundTitle]] by [[authorName]]":"[[soundTitle]] de [[authorName]]",Messages:"Mensajes","Take this playlist with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.":"Disfruta de esta lista en cualquier lugar y vive al mximo la experiencia SoundCloud con nuestra aplicaci"n gratuita.","[[playlistTitle]] by [[authorName]]":"[[playlistTitle]] de [[authorName]]","Search tracks":"Buscar pistas","Search playlists":"Buscar listas","Search people":"Buscar gente","Search groups":"Buscar grupos","Search [[category]]":"Buscar [[category]]","Unsubscribed successfully":"Suscripci"n anulada correctamente","Be the first to hear what [[username]] posts next with our free app.":"S(C) el primero en escuchar las nuevas publicaciones de [[username]] con nuestra aplicaci"n gratuita.","[[username]]'s stream":"Stream de [[username]]","1 hour":["1 hora","%d horas"],"1 minute":["1 minuto","%d minutos"],"1 second":["1 segundo","%d segundos"],"Enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our app.":"Vive al mximo la experiencia SoundCloud con nuestra aplicaci"n.","1 track":["1 pista","%d pistas"],"1 play":["1 reproducci"n","%d reproducciones"],"1 follower":["1 seguidor","%d seguidores"],"Download on the App Store":"Descargar en el App Store","Get it on Google Play":"Obtener en Google Play","Get it at BlackBerry World":"Obtener en BlackBerry World","Available at Amazon":"Disponible en Amazon","Get it in the Firefox Marketplace":"Obtener en Firefox Marketplace","Listen on SoundCloud Android":"Escuchar en SoundCloud Android","Listen on SoundCloud iOS":"Escuchar en SoundCloud iOS","Download our free app":"Descarga nuestra aplicaci"n gratuita","Close banner":"Cerrar imagen de cabecera",Retry:"Int(C)ntalo de nuevo","Sorry, something went wrong.":"Algo ha ido mal.",Legal:"Legal",Privacy:"Privacidad",Cookies:"Cookies",Imprint:"SoundCloud Ltd.","SoundCloud homepage":"Pgina de inicio de SoundCloud","Hear the world's sounds":"Escucha las pistas del mundo","Trending tracks on SoundCloud":"Pistas del momento en SoundCloud","Messages are onlysupported on desktop browsers.":"Los mensajes soloson compatibles en navegadores de escritorio","Pages may not display correctlyin mobile browsers.":"Puede que las pginas no semuestren correctamente en navegadores para m"viles.","Go to Messages":"Ir a Mensajes","Find More. Play More.Hear More.":"Descubre ms. Reproduce ms.Escucha ms.","Download our appfor iPhone and iPad.":"Descarga nuestra aplicaci"npara iPhone y iPad.","Not got our app forAndroid yet?":"Todava no tienesla aplicaci"n de Android?","What are you waiting for?":"A qu(C) esperas?","You have unsubscribed":"Has anulado tu suscripci"n","We're sorry to see you go":"Lamentamos que te marches","Review your email subscriptions at":"Consulta tus suscripciones de correo en","Play or pause track":"Reproducir o pausar la pista",All:"Todo",Tracks:"Pistas",Playlists:"Listas",People:"Gente","Sorry, nothing matches your search":"La bºsqueda no da resultados",Cancel:"Cancelar","Search SoundCloud":"Buscar en SoundCloud","Find people, tracks and playlists":"Buscar gente, pistas y listas","Reposted by [[username]]":"Republicado por [[username]]","Now Playing":"Reproducci"n en curso","Previous track":"Pista anterior","Next track":"Pista siguiente","We're sorry, track not available on mobile":"Pista no disponible para dispositivos m"viles",Spotlight:"Spotlight",Track:["Pista","Pistas"],"Show more tracks":"Mostrar ms pistas",Playlist:["Lista","Lista"],"Show more playlists":"Mostrar ms listas",Like:["Me gusta","Me gusta"],"Show more likes":"Mostrar otros me gusta","Listen on our free app":"Escucha mºsica con la nueva aplicaci"n gratuita","Terms of use":"Condiciones de uso","Privacy policy":"Poltica de privacidad","Cookies policy":"Poltica de cookies","Company information":"Informaci"n de la empresa","We're sorry, there seems to be a problem here":"Parece que se ha producido un problema","Please try refreshing the page":"Intente actualizar la pgina","We can't find this page":"No se encuentra esta pgina","We can't find this sound":"No se encuentra esta pista","We can't find this playlist":"No se encuentra esta lista","We can't find this user":"No se encuentra este usuario","Upload your music and audio and share it with the world.":"Sube tu mºsica y audio para compartirlos con el mundo.","You have successfullychanged your password":"Has cambiado tu contrase±acorrectamente","Sign in to SoundCloud":"Iniciar sesi"n en SoundCloud","Upload is only supported on desktop browsers.":"Solo se pueden subir sonidos en navegadores de escritorio.",'For more information, visit our Creator Guide.':'Para obtener ms informaci"n, visita la Gua para creadores.',"Go Pro":"Hazte Pro","Become a SoundCloud Pro":"Psate a SoundCloud Pro","175 million people listen on SoundCloud each month. Get the tools you need to share your music and grow your audience.":"Ms de 175 millones de personas escuchan SoundCloud cada mes. Obt(C)n las herramientas que necesitas para compartir tu mºsica y ampliar tu pºblico.","Pro plans can only be purchased from a computer.":"Solo es posible comprar un plan Pro desde un ordenador.","Stats with more data.":"Estadsticas con ms datos.","Pro stats provide the data you need to plan your releases, connect with your biggest fans, and build your career.":"Las estadsticas de Pro presentan los datos que necesitas para planificar tus nuevos lanzamientos, conectar con tus seguidores ms fieles y desarrollar tu carrera.","More upload time.":"Ms tiempo de subida.","Double your upload time with a Pro subscription or get limitless storage for your tracks, albums, projects, and back catalogue with Pro Unlimited.":"Dobla tu tiempo de subida con una suscripci"n Pro o adquiere almacenamiento ilimitado para tus pistas, lbumes, proyectos y trabajos anteriores con Pro Unlimited.","More control.":"Ms control.","Pin tracks and playlists to the top of your profile with Spotlight, turn commenting and public stats on or off with Quiet Mode - by going Pro, you're in control of your tracks and playlists.":"Fija pistas y listas en la parte superior de tu perfil con Spotlight, y activa o desactiva los comentarios y las estadsticas pºblicas mediante el Modo silencioso. Con el nivel Pro, tendrs todo el control sobre tus pistas y tus listas.",'Become a SoundCloud Pro on your computer today at soundcloud.com/pro.':'Entra en soundcloud.com/pro desde tu ordenador para pasarte hoy mismo a SoundCloud Pro.',"[[[first]]] | [[[last]]] | People Directory":"[[[first]]] | [[[last]]] | Directorio de gente","People Directory":"Directorio de gente","Browse public SoundCloud profiles alphabetically by profile URL.":"Explora los perfiles pºblicos de SoundCloud alfab(C)ticamente segºn las URL de perfil.","Results for: [[generatedSummary]]":"Resultados de: [[generatedSummary]]",'Don\'t want to be included? Email directory-opt-out@soundcloud.com with your permalink.':'No quieres aparecer en los resultados? Enva el enlace de tu perfil a directory-opt-out@soundcloud.com.',Directory:"Directorio","Don't want to be included? Visit the desktop version of this page to opt out.":"No quieres aparecer en los resultados? Visita la versi"n de esta pgina para escritorio para que no te incluyamos.","Select your language":"Selecciona tu idioma",'Language: [[locale]]':'Idioma: [[locale]]',"dev_speak test string":"dev_speak test string","Come back when you're at your computer to upload more tracks.":"","Trending music on SoundCloud.":"","Explore is only available on desktop browsers.":"","Alternatively, download our mobile app to discover trending music and audio on the go.":"","Your profile":"","Managing your account is only available on desktop browsers.":"",'For more information on optimizing your profile, visit our Creator Guide.':"","Your tracks.":"","Managing your tracks is only available on desktop browsers.":"","Come back when you're at your computer to edit, share and add tracks to playlists.":""}), define("shared/config/locales/locale-fr.json",[],{"Something went wrong":"Un probl¨me est survenu.","Take this track with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.":"Emportez ce titre avec vous et vivez l'exp(C)rience SoundCloud pleinement avec notre application gratuite.","[[soundTitle]] by [[authorName]]":"[[soundTitle]] par [[authorname]]",Messages:"Messages","Take this playlist with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.":"Prenez cette playlist avec vous et vivez l'exp(C)rience SoundCloud pleinement avec notre application gratuite.","[[playlistTitle]] by [[authorName]]":"[[playlistTitle]] par [[authorName]]","Search tracks":"Rechercher des titres","Search playlists":"Rechercher des playlists","Search people":"Rechercher des personnes","Search groups":"Rechercher des groupes","Search [[category]]":"Rechercher dans [[category]]","Unsubscribed successfully":"D(C)sinscription r(C)ussie.","Be the first to hear what [[username]] posts next with our free app.":"Soyez le premier savoir ce que publie [[username]] avec notre application gratuite. ","[[username]]'s stream":"Stream de [[username]]","1 hour":["%d heure","%d heures"],"1 minute":["%d minute","%d minutes"],"1 second":["%d seconde","%d secondes"],"Enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our app.":"Vivez l'exp(C)rience SoundCloud pleinement avec notre application.","1 track":["%d titre","%d titres"],"1 play":["%d (C)coute","%d (C)coutes"],"1 follower":["%d abonn(C)","%d abonn(C)s"],"Download on the App Store":"T(C)l(C)charger dans l'App Store","Get it on Google Play":"Disponible sur Google Play","Get it at BlackBerry World":"Disponible sur BlackBerry World","Available at Amazon":"Disponible sur Amazon","Get it in the Firefox Marketplace":"Disponible sur le Firefox Marketplace ","Listen on SoundCloud Android":"couter sur SoundCloud Android","Listen on SoundCloud iOS":"couter sur SoundCloud iOS","Download our free app":"T(C)l(C)charger notre application gratuite","Close banner":"Fermer la banni¨re",Retry:"R(C)essayer","Sorry, something went wrong.":"Excusez-nous, un probl¨me est survenu.",Legal:"Informations l(C)gales",Privacy:"Confidentialit(C)",Cookies:"Cookies",Imprint:"A propos","SoundCloud homepage":"Page d'accueil de SoundCloud","Hear the world's sounds":"D(C)couvrez les sons du monde","Trending tracks on SoundCloud":"Titres en vogue sur SoundCloud","Messages are onlysupported on desktop browsers.":"Les messages sont uniquementpris en charge par les navigateurs d'ordinateurs de bureau.","Pages may not display correctlyin mobile browsers.":"Les pages peuvent ne pas s'afficher correctementdans les navigateurs mobiles.","Go to Messages":"Acc(C)der aux Messages","Find More. Play More.Hear More.":"Explorer plus.couter plus.","Download our appfor iPhone and iPad.":"T(C)l(C)chargez notre applicationpour iPhone et iPad.","Not got our app forAndroid yet?":"Vous ne disposez pas encore de notre application pourAndroid ?","What are you waiting for?":"Qu'attendez-vous ?","You have unsubscribed":"Votre d(C)sinscription a (C)t(C) effectu(C)e.","We're sorry to see you go":"Nous sommes d(C)sol(C)s de vous voir partir.","Review your email subscriptions at":"V(C)rifiez vos inscriptions par e-mail sur","Play or pause track":"Lire un titre ou le mettre en pause",All:"Tous",Tracks:"Titres",Playlists:"Playlists",People:"Personnes","Sorry, nothing matches your search":"Nous sommes d(C)sol(C)s, aucun r(C)sultat ne correspond votre recherche.",Cancel:"Annuler","Search SoundCloud":"Rechercher dans SoundCloud","Find people, tracks and playlists":"Trouver des personnes, des titres et des playlists","Reposted by [[username]]":"Repost(C) par [[username]]","Now Playing":"En cours de lecture","Previous track":"Titre pr(C)c(C)dent","Next track":"Titre suivant","We're sorry, track not available on mobile":"Nous sommes d(C)sol(C)s, ce titre n'est pas disponible sur la version mobile",Spotlight:"Titres (C)pingl(C)s",Track:["Titres","Titres"],"Show more tracks":"Afficher plus de titres",Playlist:["Playlist","Playlist"],"Show more playlists":"Afficher plus de playlists",Like:["Likes","Mes favoris"],"Show more likes":"Afficher plus de mentions J'aime","Listen on our free app":"Ecouter sur notre application gratuite","Terms of use":"Conditions d'utilisation","Privacy policy":"Politique de confidentialit(C)","Cookies policy":"Politique d'utilisation des cookies","Company information":"Informations sur l'entreprise","We're sorry, there seems to be a problem here":"Nous sommes d(C)sol(C)s, il semble qu'il y ait un probl¨me.","Please try refreshing the page":"Veuillez essayer d'actualiser la page.","We can't find this page":"Cette page est introuvable.","We can't find this sound":"Ce son est introuvable.","We can't find this playlist":"Cette playlist est introuvable.","We can't find this user":"Cet utilisateur est introuvable.","Upload your music and audio and share it with the world.":"T(C)l(C)chargez vos pistes audio et musicales et partagez-les avec le monde entier.","You have successfullychanged your password":"Vous avez bienmodifi(C) votre mot de passe.","Sign in to SoundCloud":"Se connecter SoundCloud","Upload is only supported on desktop browsers.":"Uploader est pris en charge sur les navigateurs d'ordinateur de bureau uniquement.",'For more information, visit our Creator Guide.':"Pour plus d'informations, consultez notre Guide de l'auteur.","Go Pro":"Passer la version Pro","Become a SoundCloud Pro":"Passez la version SoundCloud Pro","175 million people listen on SoundCloud each month. Get the tools you need to share your music and grow your audience.":"175 millions de personnes (C)coutent de la musique sur SoundCloud chaque mois. Profitez des outils n(C)cessaires pour partager votre musique et (C)largir votre public. ","Pro plans can only be purchased from a computer.":"L'achat d'un abonnement Pro ne peut s'effectuer que depuis un ordinateur.","Stats with more data.":"Statistiques comportant d'autres donn(C)es","Pro stats provide the data you need to plan your releases, connect with your biggest fans, and build your career.":"Les statistiques Pro vous fournissent les donn(C)es n(C)cessaires pour planifier vos sorties, entrer en contact avec vos plus grands fans et construire votre carri¨re.","More upload time.":"Davantage de temps de t(C)l(C)chargement.","Double your upload time with a Pro subscription or get limitless storage for your tracks, albums, projects, and back catalogue with Pro Unlimited.":"Multipliez votre temps de t(C)l(C)chargement par deux avec un abonnement Pro ou obtenez un espace de stockage illimit(C) pour vos titres, vos albums, vos projets et vos anciens enregistrements avec Pro Unlimited.","More control.":"Davantage de contr´le.","Pin tracks and playlists to the top of your profile with Spotlight, turn commenting and public stats on or off with Quiet Mode - by going Pro, you're in control of your tracks and playlists.":"Placez des titres et des playlists dans la partie sup(C)rieure de votre profil avec les Titres pingl(C)s, activez ou d(C)sactivez les commentaires et les statistiques avec le Mode silencieux : en passant la version Pro, vous avez le contr´le de vos titres et de vos playlists.",'Become a SoundCloud Pro on your computer today at soundcloud.com/pro.':'Passez la version Pro de SoundCloud sur votre ordinateur aujourd\'hui sur soundcloud.com/pro.',"[[[first]]] | [[[last]]] | People Directory":"[[[first]]] | [[[last]]] R(C)pertoire de personnes","People Directory":"R(C)pertoire de personnes","Browse public SoundCloud profiles alphabetically by profile URL.":"Parcourez alphab(C)tiquement les profils publics de SoundCloud en fonction de l'URL de profil.","Results for: [[generatedSummary]]":"R(C)sultats pour : [[generatedSummary]]",'Don\'t want to be included? Email directory-opt-out@soundcloud.com with your permalink.':'Vous ne souhaitez pas y figurer ? Envoyez un e-mail directory-opt-out@soundcloud.com avec votre lien permanent.',Directory:"R(C)pertoire","Don't want to be included? Visit the desktop version of this page to opt out.":"Vous ne voulez pas ªtre ajout(C)(e) ? Utilisez la version de bureau pour d(C)sactiver.","Select your language":"S(C)lectionnez votre langue",'Language: [[locale]]':'Langue : [[locale]]',"dev_speak test string":"","Come back when you're at your computer to upload more tracks.":"","Trending music on SoundCloud.":"","Explore is only available on desktop browsers.":"","Alternatively, download our mobile app to discover trending music and audio on the go.":"","Your profile":"","Managing your account is only available on desktop browsers.":"",'For more information on optimizing your profile, visit our Creator Guide.':"","Your tracks.":"","Managing your tracks is only available on desktop browsers.":"","Come back when you're at your computer to edit, share and add tracks to playlists.":""}), define("shared/config/locales/locale-pt-br.json",[],{"Something went wrong":"Ocorreu um erro.","Take this track with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.":"Ou§a esta faixa aonde quer que v e aproveite a experiªncia completa da SoundCloud com o nosso app gratuito.","[[soundTitle]] by [[authorName]]":"[[soundTitle]] de [[authorName]]",Messages:"Mensagens","Take this playlist with you and enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our free app.":"Escute esta playlist aonde quer que v e aproveite a experiªncia completa da SoundCloud com o nosso app gratuito.","[[playlistTitle]] by [[authorName]]":"[[playlistTitle]] de [[authorName]]","Search tracks":"Pesquisar faixas","Search playlists":"Pesquisar playlists","Search people":"Pesquisar pessoas","Search groups":"Pesquisar grupos","Search [[category]]":"Pesquisar [[category]]","Unsubscribed successfully":"Inscri§£o cancelada com sucesso","Be the first to hear what [[username]] posts next with our free app.":"Seja o primeiro a ouvir o que [[username]] publica com o nosso app gratuito.","[[username]]'s stream":"Stream de [[username]]","1 hour":["1 hora","%d horas"],"1 minute":["1 minuto","%d minutos"],"1 second":["1 segundo","%d segundos"],"Enjoy the full SoundCloud experience with our app.":"Aproveite a experiªncia completa da SoundCloud com o nosso app.","1 track":["1 faixa","%d faixas"],"1 play":["1 reprodu§£o","%d reprodu§µes"],"1 follower":["1 seguidor","%d seguidores"],"Download on the App Store":"Baixar na AppStore","Get it on Google Play":"Baixar no Google Play","Get it at BlackBerry World":"Baixar no BlackBerry World","Available at Amazon":"Disponvel na Amazon","Get it in the Firefox Marketplace":"Baixar no Firefox Marketplace","Listen on SoundCloud Android":"Ou§a no app SoundCloud para Android","Listen on SoundCloud iOS":"Ou§a no app SoundCloud para iOS","Download our free app":"Baixe nosso app gratuito","Close banner":"Fechar banner",Retry:"Tentar novamente","Sorry, something went wrong.":"Ocorreu um erro.",Legal:"Aviso legal",Privacy:"Privacidade",Cookies:"Cookies",Imprint:"SoundCloud Ltd.","SoundCloud homepage":"Pgina inicial da SoundCloud","Hear the world's sounds":"Ou§a os sons do mundo","Trending tracks on SoundCloud":"Faixas mais tocadas na SoundCloud","Messages are onlysupported on desktop browsers.":"As mensagens s£o suportadas apenasem navegadores desktop.","Pages may not display correctlyin mobile browsers.":"As pginas podem n£o ser exibidas corretamenteem navegadores m"veis.","Go to Messages":"Ir para Mensagens","Find More. Play More.Hear More.":"Encontre mais. Reproduza mais.Ou§a mais.","Download our appfor iPhone and iPad.":"Baixe nosso apppara iPhone e iPad.","Not got our app forAndroid yet?":"Ainda n£o tem nosso apppara Android?","What are you waiting for?":"O que est esperando?","You have unsubscribed":"Vocª cancelou sua inscri§£o","We're sorry to see you go":"Lamentamos muito que vocª se v","Review your email subscriptions at":"Consulte suas assinaturas por email em","Play or pause track":"Reproduzir ou pausar faixa",All:"Tudo",Tracks:"Faixas",Playlists:"Playlists",People:"Pessoas","Sorry, nothing matches your search":"N£o encontramos resultados para sua pesquisa",Cancel:"Cancelar","Search SoundCloud":"Pesquisar na SoundCloud","Find people, tracks and playlists":"Encontre pessoas, faixas e playlists","Reposted by [[username]]":"Republicada por [[username]]","Now Playing":"Reproduzindo agora","Previous track":"Faixa anterior","Next track":"Pr"xima faixa","We're sorry, track not available on mobile":"Faixa n£o disponvel para dispositivo m"vel",Spotlight:"Spotlight",Track:["Faixa","Faixas"],"Show more tracks":"Mostrar mais faixas",Playlist:["Playlist","Playlist"],"Show more playlists":"Mostrar mais playlists",Like:["Curtida","Curtidas"],"Show more likes":"Mostrar mais curtidas","Listen on our free app":"Ou§a no nosso app gratuito","Terms of use":"Termos de Uso","Privacy policy":"Poltica de Privacidade","Cookies policy":"Poltica de Cookies","Company information":"Informa§µes sobre a empresa","We're sorry, there seems to be a problem here":"Parece haver um problema aqui","Please try refreshing the page":"Tente atualizar a pgina","We can't find this page":"N£o foi possvel encontrar esta pgina","We can't find this sound":"N£o foi possvel encontrar esta faixa","We can't find this playlist":"N£o foi possvel encontrar esta playlist","We can't find this user":"N£o foi possvel encontrar este usurio","Upload your music and audio and share it with the world.":"Fa§a upload das suas mºsicas e udios, e compartilhe-os com o mundo.","You have successfullychanged your password":"Vocª alterou sua senhacom sucesso","Sign in to SoundCloud":"Logar na SoundCloud","Upload is only supported on desktop browsers.":"O upload (C) suportado apenas em navegadores desktop.",'For more information, visit our Creator Guide.':'Para obter mais informa§µes, visite o nosso Guia do criador.',"Go Pro":"Assinar Pr"","Become a SoundCloud Pro":"Torne-se SoundCloud Pr"","175 million people listen on SoundCloud each month. Get the tools you need to share your music and grow your audience.":"175 milhµes de pessoas ouvem a SoundCloud todo mªs. Obtenha as ferramentas de que precisa para compartilhar sua mºsica e aumentar seu pºblico.","Pro plans can only be purchased from a computer.":"Os planos Pr" podem ser adquiridos somente em um computador.","Stats with more data.":"Estatsticas com mais dados.","Pro stats provide the data you need to plan your releases, connect with your biggest fans, and build your career.":"As estatsticas Pr" fornecem os dados que vocª precisa para planejar seus lan§amentos, conectar-se com seus maiores f£s e projetar sua carreira.","More upload time.":"Mais tempo de upload.","Double your upload time with a Pro subscription or get limitless storage for your tracks, albums, projects, and back catalogue with Pro Unlimited.":"Dobre seu tempo de upload com uma assinatura do plano Pr" ou obtenha armazenamento ilimitado para suas faixas, lbuns, projetos e catlogos com uma assinatura do plano Pr" Ilimitado.","More control.":"Mais controle.","Pin tracks and playlists to the top of your profile with Spotlight, turn commenting and public stats on or off with Quiet Mode - by going Pro, you're in control of your tracks and playlists.":"Fixe faixas e playlists no topo do seu perfil com o Spotlight, ative ou desative comentrios e estatsticas pºblicas com o Modo silencioso. Com a assinatura Pr", vocª assume o controle das suas faixas e playlists.",'Become a SoundCloud Pro on your computer today at soundcloud.com/pro.':'Torne-se SoundCloud Pr" em seu computador hoje em soundcloud.com/pro.',"[[[first]]] | [[[last]]] | People Directory":"[[[first]]] | [[[last]]] | Diret"rio de pessoas","People Directory":"Diret"rio de pessoas","Browse public SoundCloud profiles alphabetically by profile URL.":"Procure perfis pºblicos da SoundCloud em ordem alfab(C)tica pelo URL do perfil.","Results for: [[generatedSummary]]":"Resultados para: [[generatedSummary]]",'Don\'t want to be included? Email directory-opt-out@soundcloud.com with your permalink.':'N£o quer ser includo? Envie um email para directory-opt-out@soundcloud.com com o seu permalink.',Directory:"Diret"rio","Don't want to be included? Visit the desktop version of this page to opt out.":"N£o quer ser includo? Visite a vers£o para desktop desta pgina para cancelar.","Select your language":"Selecione o idioma",'Language: [[locale]]':'Idioma: [[locale]]',"dev_speak test string":"string de teste dev_speak","Come back when you're at your computer to upload more tracks.":"","Trending music on SoundCloud.":"","Explore is only available on desktop browsers.":"","Alternatively, download our mobile app to discover trending music and audio on the go.":"","Your profile":"","Managing your account is only available on desktop browsers.":"",'For more information on optimizing your profile, visit our Creator Guide.':"","Your tracks.":"","Managing your tracks is only available on desktop browsers.":"","Come back when you're at your computer to edit, share and add tracks to playlists.":""}), define("lib/helpers/dns-helper",["require","exports","module","lib/url"],function(e,t,n){var r=e("lib/url"),i=[],s=n.exports={lookup:function(e){var t=document.createDocumentFragment(),n;e=typeof e=="string"?[e]:e,e.length&&(e.forEach(function(e){n=r.parse(e).host;if(n&&i.indexOf(n)===-1){i.push(n);var s=document.createElement("link");s.rel="dns-prefetch",s.href="//"+n,t.appendChild(s)}}),t.childNodes.length&&document.head.appendChild(t))}}}), define("views/footer/footer.tmpl",["vendor/handlebars-runtime","views/app-buttons/app-buttons","views/locale-selector/locale-selector"],function(){return require("vendor/handlebars-runtime").template(function(e,t,n,r,i){function l(e,t){var r="",i;return r+='
ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION Australian police sealed off streets and warned the public to keep away from the police headquarters in the suburb of Parramatta, in Sydney's South West on Friday (October 2) after two people were shot dead, police and media said. The Daily Telegraph newspaper said a man had fired on the building, hitting a police employee before being shot dead by officers. Local media reported that Australian Federal Police were still investigating. Australia has been on heightened alert for attacks by home-grown Islamist radicals since last year. In December, two hostages were killed when policed stormed a central Sydney cafe to end a 17-hour siege.
VIDEO-Air France warns of job cuts ahead | Reuters.com
Air France-KLM CEO Alexandre de Juniac says the airline is gearing up for ''significant'' jobs cuts after productivity talks with pilots failed. As Kirsty Basset reports, Air France has already threatened to cut 10 percent of its long-haul network by 2017 unless pilots accepted significant cost cuts.
TRANSCRIPT +
An uncertain weekend ahead for Air France staff, after the head of the parent company warned significant job cuts will be announced on Monday. Alexandre de Juniac spoke to Europe 1 radio. (SOUNDBITE) (French) AIR FRANCE-KLM CEO, ALEXANDRE DE JUNIAC, SAYING: "Unfortunately it's a significant job reduction plan. What we'll do, and what we've committed to doing, is partly to favour voluntary redundancies, which incidentally we've been doing for several years, which is recognised as being a method our employees accept, but when it's necessary we'll resort to forced redundancies." The announcement came after hours of talks and negotiations with the pilots union failed to reach an agreement on cost cuts and changes to working conditions. (SOUNDBITE) (French) AIR FRANCE-KLM CEO, ALEXANDRE DE JUNIAC, SAYING: "For the moment the negotiations are finished. Now they are finished. But if in the coming weeks the unions come to us with a real plan, and a real desire to negotiate, the door is not closed." CMC analyst Michael Hewson says one of the problems is the company's industrial relations practices are stuck in the past. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CMC MARKETS ANALYST MICHAEL HEWSON SAYING: "The share price over the past quarters speaks volumes. At the end of the day the airline is inefficient, their airline pilots get paid well over and above what other airline pilots get paid, the airline is loss making, they need to move into the 21st century." The airline warned on Thursday it would be cutting back on its operations in order to safeguard its future.
VIDEO-Eleven dead in U.S. plane crash in Afghanistan | Reuters.com
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.
VIDEO-Oregon gunman lived near college | Reuters.com
ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION The man killed by police on Thursday (October 1) after he fatally shot nine people at a community college in southern Oregon was a nervy 26-year-old who lived close to the campus and described himself as shy, according to neighbours, media and online reports. A law enforcement source said multiple agencies had identified the shooter as Chris Harper-Mercer. Online directories list a man of that name as having lived in Torrance, California, before moving to Winchester, Oregon. Reuters was not able to independently verify the name of the shooter, but on Thursday night law enforcement officers were out in force at the Winchester apartment building identified in databases as Harper-Mercer's residence. Two neighbours said they recognised online photos of Harper-Mercer as a man from the apartment building. A phone number listed for the address was busy. By early evening on Thursday multiple law enforcement vehicles, personnel and dogs had gathered at the pink apartment complex, which is about a four-minute drive for Umpqua Community College. Police tape was drawn across one of the units and officers were stationed outside the door. Investigators from multiple agencies, including the Douglas County Sheriff's Department, Homeland Security Protective Services and the FBI were on site. Neighbours were shocked to learn the shooting suspect lived among them. "I don't know, it's just weird to think that anyone could and then especially, like, a neighbour, you know. You would never think that. Yeah, you hear about this stuff happening around the country, in different schools," said Sydney Clarke. "When it's you it changes it completely. Especially when you're in Roseburg, this community is like a family, like, I felt safe here and now I don't feel anything close to safe," added another neighbour, Katie Underwood. In an internet posting on the Spiritual Passions dating and social networking site a user posted a picture that appears to be Harper-Mercer under the user name IRONCROSS45, which Harper-Mercer used as his email handle. The user described himself as a 26-year-old mixed-race man looking for a woman. He said he was not religious but spiritual, a teetotaller living with his parents and a conservative Republican.
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.
VISEO-Police scanner: One female shot, shots through door | Reuters.com
ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) A gunman opened fire on Thursday (October 1) at a community college in Oregon, reportedly killing up to 15 people and wounding some 20 others, in the latest mass killing to rock a U.S. school, officials and local media said. The suspect was not identified but was reportedly a man in his late 20s. The Douglas County Sheriff's office said on Facebook that officers had responded to a shooting at the college following 911 calls at 10:38 a.m. local time (1738 GMT). In audio from a police scanner in the area provided by Broadcastify, a female dispatcher speaks about reports of one female who was shot and a shooter firing through a door.
VIDEO-Clinton responds to Oregon shooting | Reuters.com
ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) STORY: Hillary Clinton, on the campaign trail in Massachusetts, condemned the shooting that left 13 dead at an Oregon community college on Thursday, calling for stronger gun control measures. "It's beyond my comprehension that we are seeing these mass murders happen again, and again, and again. As I have said, we've got to get the political will to do everything we can to keep people safe. I know there is a way to have sensible gun control measures that help prevent violence, prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands, and save lives," Clinton said. A 20-year-old male gunman opened fire at Umpqua Community College in southwestern Oregon, killing 13 people and wounding some 20 others before he was shot to death by officers, in the latest mass killing to rock a U.S. school, state and county officials said.
VIDEO-Putin: No Syrian civilians hurt as result of Russian air strikes | Reuters.com
The civilian population was not hurt in Syria as a result of Russian air strikes, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday (October 1) at the meeting of the civil society and human rights council. Putin pointed out that Russia was not the first country to carry out air raids in the Middle Eastern country, struck by civil war. "Other countries have been carrying out strikes on the Syrian territory for more than a year, without the UN Security Council resolution and without the respective request to the Syria's official authorities. We have (made) such a request. And we have the intention of fighting specifically against terrorist organizations," president said. The Russian Defence Ministry said it had carried out about 20 flights over Syria on Wednesday (September 30), hitting eight Islamic State targets. Russian air strikes in Syria killed at least 36 civilians and targeted areas where Islamic State and al Qaeda-linked fighters are not present, the head of the Western-backed Syrian political opposition said. On the second day of their air campaign Russian jets struck targets near the cities of Hama and Homs in western Syria. Moscow said it had hit Islamic State positions, but the areas it struck are mostly held by a rival insurgent alliance, which unlike Islamic State is supported by U.S. allies including Arab states and Turkey. The Russian leader dismissed the allegations of victims among the civilians as informational attacks. "As to different information in the media, saying that there are victims among the civilians, we are ready for these informational attacks. I am drawing your attention to the fact that the first information about victims among the civilian population appeared before our planes were in the air," he said.
VIDEO-At midnight, marijuana is legal to buy in Oregon | OregonLive.com
At midnight, marijuana will not only be legal to possess but to buy, a lot like liquor in Oregon. For advocates and critics alike, this is a big day.
And right now in Oregon, pot is big news. Wrote Mark Katches, the editor of The Oregonian/OregonLive, "You may never want to buy it, sell it, grow it, or smoke it. But there's no escaping the fact that legal marijuana will impact all of us '' whether it's a proliferation of new shops sprouting up in our communities, the potential impact on neighborhood safety or the way drug testing is managed in the places we work."
Starting at midnight tonight, The Oregonian/OregonLive will have reporters and photographers reporting on the first day of legal marijuana sales. Find our coverage on OregonLive, on Twitter at #OregonPot, on Snapchat and on Periscope.
Before you head out to purchase marijuana, take a look at this Q&A for answers to many frequently asked questions, including who can buy marijuana, what can be bought and what can't, how to roll a joint and pack a pipe.
So, where can you buy it in Oregon? Statewide, more than 200 dispensaries have told the state they plan to sell recreational cannabis.
The Real Dope
Having trouble keeping up with all the developments as Oregon wades deeper into legal marijuana?
Here's a map of all the dispensaries, although not all of them will be selling marijuana on Thursday.
But it won't be for sale in many Oregon cities, and here's the list. In many towns, marijuana remains shunned by the majority and is seen as something that shouldn't be given any official stamp of approval.
If you do plan to go shopping, here are five things you should know. They include bring cash, the shops don't take debit or credit, and bring an ID, because you must be at least 21 years old to purchase pot.
On the health front:If you buy marijuana on Thursday, you'll be handed an information card with warnings to keep pot away from kids. It also contains a hotline number and warnings about using marijuana while pregnant
And about those kids, the Oregon Health & Science University is one of the 13 research institutions participating in a federal study looking into the effects of marijuana use on children.
On the job:
Will pot get me fired? (VIDEO)Watch a breakdown of typical workplace policy when it comes to marijuana and what would have to change in order to better detect impairment on the job.Thursday may be the day that pot is legal in Oregon, but that doesn't make it OK on the job. You can still lose your job if you test positive for pot, even if you're not under the influence at work.
The United Food & Commercial Workers Local 555 recently negotiated a contract on behalf of employees at a Portland dispensary. The contract sets out wages, pension contributions, health insurance and paid holidays and vacation.
And on the political front:In Portland, the city has moved to protect existing medical marijuana dispensaries from being crowded out by another pot retailer.
In Clackamas County, commissioners have launched the first countywide effort in the Portland area to write zoning rules for the marijuana industry."It's real and it's here to stay," Chairman John Ludlow. "Voters approved it and there are 8,000 growers in Clackamas County. Recreational sales start Oct. 1, so we might as well work on our land-use ordinances."
-- Sue Jepsen
VIDEO-Taxis fight back: Uber under siege in Europe | Reuters.com
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VIDEO-Bill Cosby accused of 3 more sexual assaults as deposition looms | Reuters.com
ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) Three more women came forward on Wednesday (September 30) to accuse veteran comedian Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting them decades ago, charges that come a week before Cosby is scheduled to give a sworn deposition in a separate sexual assault lawsuit. Pamela Abeyta, Lisa Christie and Sharon Van Ert appeared at a Los Angeles news conference and alleged that Cosby assaulted them. They were teary-eyed as they gave their accounts. Abeyta said that in 1975, when she was 25 and aspiring to appear in Playboy magazine, she arranged to meet Cosby and was taken to a Las Vegas hotel and given her own bedroom in his penthouse suite. She said she believes her drink was drugged when she attended a show with Cosby and his friends. She awoke later in the comedian's bed. The news conference with celebrity attorney Gloria Allred came a week ahead of a deposition that Cosby, 78, has been ordered to give in a lawsuit brought by another Allred client, a woman accusing the comedian of sexually abusing her at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles when she was 15 years old. Cosby's lawyers have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing by the 78 year-old entertainer. A representative on Wednesday said Cosby had no comment on the latest allegations.
VIDEO-Trump says would send Syrian refugees in U.S. back if elected | Reuters.com
ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Wednesday (September 30) that if elected president, he will send Syrian refugees in the U.S. back. "I'm putting the people on notice that are coming here from Syria as part of this mass migration, that if I win, if I win, they're going back," Trump told the cheering crowd. "We can't afford to be nice. We're taking care of the whole world. We're losing our shirts on everything we do." Trump made the comments at a town hall-style event in Keene, New Hampshire where he also said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad do not respect President Barack Obama.
Uber says proposed new regulations could all but put it out of business in London. It comes in the same week the taxi app faced a police raid in Amsterdam, and a court appearance in Paris. Tim Graham reports.
TRANSCRIPT +
Black cabs one, Uber nil. Maybe. London's transport authority is set to unveil new proposals to regulate the cab trade. Uber claims they're a direct attack on its way of business. The US firm says the proposals include a minimum five-minute wait time. And would make it impossible for users to see where the nearest taxis are. Stricter regulation could also raise costs, and fares. Black cab drivers say that's only right. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LONDON CAB DRIVER SAYING: "With these apps, you know, they can do the same now. They can pick up in the street the same as we can. Instead of someone doing that (hailing a cab) they're doing that (booking via cellphone). The satnav has now taken our job and it is unfair competition." But Uber is under attack around Europe. This week alone, the company appeared in court in Paris and suffered a raid on its Amsterdam headquarters. Uber says it conducts strict checks on drivers and vehicles. But it has allies too, including tens of thousands of regular users. It says all these cities should liberalise their cab trades, not restrict competition. The simple act of hailing a taxi has never been more controversial.
VIDEO-Lavrov: 'Don't listen to Pentagon about the Russian strikes' | Reuters.com
Responding to a reporter's question about Russia's air strikes in Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urges the media to disregard what the Pentagon is saying. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).
TRANSCRIPT +
ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) STORY: Russia and the United States faced off at the United Nations on Wednesday over parallel air campaigns against Islamic State in Syria, with both sides claiming legitimacy for their actions but differing over the role of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Hours after Russia launched its first air strikes, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a Security Council meeting that Moscow would liaise with the U.S.-led coalition of Western allies and regional states that has been flying missions for a year. During a photo op with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Lavrov responded to a reporter's question about the Russian air strikes in Syria saying, "Don't listen to the Pentagon about the Russian strikes." The United States, France and other allies questioned whether the Russian planes had hit Islamic State positions, as Moscow said, saying they were in fact aimed at Western-backed rebels who have fought both Islamic State and Assad's forces. U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said Russia had informed the United States of its intended strikes an hour in advance through a diplomat in Baghdad and asked that U.S. aircraft avoid Syrian airspace. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told the council the Russian warning was being ignored and that coalition flights and attacks had continued on Wednesday. "These strikes will continue," he said. The Russian attacks occurred before Moscow and Washington had begun agreed talks on "deconfliction": averting clashes between different militaries operating in the same theater. U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin, meeting at the United Nations on Monday, had agreed that such consultations would take place.
VIDEO-Ash Carter: Russian air strikes in Syria probably not in Islamic State areas | Reuters.com
ROUGH CUT (no reporter narration) STORY: U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter says it appears Russian air strikes in Syria were in areas where there probably are no Islamic State forces. Russia launched air strikes in Syria on Wednesday in the Kremlin's biggest Middle East intervention in decades, but Moscow's assertion that it had hit Islamic State was immediately disputed by the United States and rebels on the ground. Carter said there is a contradiction in the fact that Russia says it intends to fight the Islamic State, when its actions appear to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He also said he has directed his staff to open lines of communication with Russia's military as Washington and Moscow explore ways to ensure the safety of rival operations in Syria's limited airspace. The air strikes plunged the four-year-old civil war in Syria into a volatile new phase as President Vladimir Putin moved forcefully to assert Russian influence in the unstable region and Moscow and Washington offered conflicting accounts of which targets had been struck, underlining growing tensions between the two former Cold War foes over Russia's decision to intervene. Russia warned the United States ahead of the strikes to keep its aircraft out of Syrian airspace, but the United States pressed forward with its campaign of air strikes against Islamic State forces and said it had targeted Islamic State near the Syrian city of Aleppo.
VIDEO-Principal shot at South Dakota high school | Reuters.com
An assistant track coach at Harrisburg High School near Sioux Falls, South Dakota, describes the scene after the principal was shot and wounded by a student who was later taken into custody. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).
TRANSCRIPT +
ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) The principal of a South Dakota high school was wounded by a gunshot on Wednesday and a student was taken into custody, according to officials and media reports. The gunshot victim was in stable condition, Lincoln County State's Attorney Tom Wollman said. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm local media reports that the injured person was the principal of Harrisburg High School south of Sioux Falls. The shooter, a student, was subdued by staff and was taken into custody, Wollman said. The school was placed on lockdown and the students were safe, officials and media said. Authorities created a perimeter and searched the building after receiving a report of shots fired at the school at about 10 a.m., Lincoln County sheriff 911 director Todd Baldwin said.
VIDEO-Remarks at a Meeting on International Peace and Security and Countering Terrorism
SECRETARY KERRY: Mr. President, thank you very much and thank you for the chance to address this council, to all the colleagues on the Security Council. I appreciate the fact that Russia's presidency has chosen to focus on this issue, and I welcome the opportunity to talk about the urgent challenge of countering terrorism in the Middle East, North Africa, and elsewhere.
This is a topic that the council has explored many times. Going back to the 9/11 attacks and even before, we have come together fairly often to condemn terrorism and also to take concerted action to counter violent extremist organizations. So this is not a debate about goals, I don't think. We all oppose the aggressive ambitions of such organizations as ISIL, al-Qaida, and groups that initiate or that are imitating them or affiliated with them. We all oppose the atrocities that they commit, and we all want to end the suffering that they continue to inflict.
So there's no debate about that. The question that we face is: How do you best do it? There are basic principles that we believe should guide our strategy. First, in confronting terrorism, we have to take a comprehensive approach. That was quite eloquently talked about by our heads of state at the Countering Violent Extremism Summit that President Obama hosted. There was a great deal of discussion. I thought there were some very articulate statements about how one approaches the root causes. We have to deny safe haven, disrupt the flow of foreign fighters, block access to financing, and expose the lies that terrorist groups propagate '' and that is particularly challenging in this world of constant media, constant access, 24/7/365. We're living in a very different world, and terrorists have learned how to exploit that media in all kinds of ways.
We also need to exert pressure in support of peace, perhaps one of the most important components of our responsibility in places such as Libya, for instance, where instability feeds the kind of chaos and fear in which extremist organizations thrive '' and we see that now with the presence of ISIL in Libya.
So this is the fundamental strategy that we've laid out for countering violent extremism. We've adopted this strategy. We're strongly engaged in implementing it. We welcome the large number of nations that have joined as international actors in the counter-ISIL coalition and the Global Counterterrorism Forum and other regional organizations. But obviously, more needs to be done. We've been able to counter some foreign fighters and kept them from traveling, but still too many have been able to travel and still been able to reach the destination. We've been able to slow down and stop some elements of the financing, but still there's too much money that still is able to reach terrorist activities and actors.
So our goal is to take urgent actions against immediate threats while also facing up to longer-term measures that prevent the recruitment of future generations of terrorists and improve governance and enhance economic opportunities so that radicalization is less likely. This is an enormous challenge for all of us; we know it. There are countless countries where 60, 65 percent of the population in some cases are under the age of 30, under the age of 25, the vast majority, under the age of 18 in majority in many countries. And unless they find opportunity and options, their minds will be stolen; their opportunities will be robbed forever by bad actors who grab them in that vacuum.
We also need to improve governance and enhance economic opportunity so that radicalization is less likely. Too many places still see too much corruption, and corruption robs the populations of their due and of their possibilities.
In each of these areas, we intend to work hard with all of you and with others not here to improve our chance for success by working with the concerned elements of civil society, including NGOs, religious leaders, and the private sector. And meanwhile, we have to continue our efforts to alleviate the immediate hardships that terrorists are causing. While we've been pushing humanitarian relief into areas, the international community absolutely has to do more. We are staring at a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding not in one or two places, but in multiple places, simultaneously.
And the humanitarian disaster that we are witnessing in and of itself should be enough reason to take on ISIL. And this has been a major topic of our discussions here over these past days, but it has to remain a core concern for all of us in the weeks to come. Every nation can do more. Two UN Security Council resolutions '' 2139 and 2165 '' clearly require '' and everyone around this table voted for them '' clearly require humanitarian access to besieged areas, and they call for an end to barrel bombs, specifically, and the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
Now, I'd like to add a few thoughts about Syria, specifically, ISIL and Russia. The United States supports any genuine effort to fight ISIL and al-Qaida-affiliated groups, especially al-Nusrah. If Russia's recent actions and those now ongoing reflect a genuine commitment to defeat that organization, then we are prepared to welcome those efforts and to find a way to de-conflict our operations and thereby multiply the military pressure on ISIL and affiliated groups. But we must not and will not be confused in our fight against ISIL with support for Assad. Moreover, we have also made clear that we would have grave concerns should Russia strike areas where ISIL and al-Qaida-affiliated targets are not operating. Strikes of that kind would question Russia's real intentions fighting ISIL or protecting the Assad regime.
Now, we have informed Russia that we are prepared to hold these de-confliction talks as early as possible '' this week. But let me be clear: The United States and the coalition will continue our ongoing air operations as we have from the very beginning. We have conducted a number of strikes against ISIL targets in Syria over the past 24 hours, including just an hour ago, and these strikes will continue. Let me be clear: The coalition that we have built, more than 60 countries strong, has been taking on ISIL for more than a year '' by liberating Sinjar Mountain, liberating Kobani, liberating Tikrit, where now more than 100,000 residents have been able to return to their homes and resume their lives; defending Mosul Dam, defending Haditha; protecting Baghdad, rescuing endangered minorities; killing ISIL leaders and facilitators; and taking away the entire northern border of Syria for ISIL east of the Euphrates River.
At the same time, we have mounted a comprehensive campaign to cut terrorist financing, curb recruitment of foreign fighters, and expose the lies that ISIL is perpetrating. Today, as we speak, south of Kirkuk, Kurdish Peshmerga are heroically liberating villages from ISIL under the cover of coalition airstrikes. In addition, we continue to admire the courage and the resilience that has been demonstrated for four long years of struggle by the legitimate opposition to Assad.
Let me remind this council that coalition air operations are grounded in well-established military procedures, firmly based in international law, and the requests of neighboring states for collective self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. That foundation has not changed, and we will continue our mission with the full sanction of international law.
Pursuant to these procedures in Syria over the past year, the coalition has now conducted nearly 3,000 airstrikes against ISIL targets, and we are now in position with France, Australia, Canada, Turkey, and other coalition partners joining the campaign, to dramatically accelerate our efforts. This is what we will do. Over the coming weeks we will be continuing our flights out of Incirlik base in Turkey to apply constant pressure on strategic areas held by ISIL in northwest Syria.
We will also be sustaining our support to anti-ISIL fighters in northeast Syria. These efforts will put greater pressure on ISIL's operational areas, and we will ensure through precision airstrikes that ISIL leaders do not have any sanctuary anywhere on the ground in Syria.
So ISIL will soon face increasing pressure from multiple directions across the battlefield in Syria and Iraq. But as we have said from the start and as the Geneva communique codified, this fight cannot be won in the military sphere. It will require a political solution for the crisis of Syria. One thing is certain: The vast majority of states around this table know that the ISIL forces, ISIL itself, cannot be defeated as long as Bashar al-Assad remains president of Syria. It cannot happen by definition of the lines of this battle. It cannot happen because of who has lined up with whom and because of the nature of these protagonists.
And the reason for that is defined in the beginning by how this fight itself began. This fight began when young people, young Syrians looking for a future, wanting nothing more than opportunity and jobs and education, when they went out to demonstrate for the future and to claim the aspirations of young people, and Assad sent his thugs out to beat him '' beat them up. The parents were outraged by the fact that their children, demonstrating peacefully, were beaten up. And they went out with their kids and they were met with bullets.
That is how this whole thing began '' people in a country looking for a future who were instead met with repression, with torture, with gassing, with barrel bombs. Assad will never be accepted by those that he has harmed. Never possible to become a legitimate leader in the future. Never possible to lead a reconciliation nor a unification of a country. That could not happen until he makes clear his willingness to actually heal the nation, end the war, and decline to be part of the long-term future.
Today we must be focused on finding a solution that will stop the killing and lay the groundwork for a government that the Syrian people themselves can support. We know that the terrorists can neither unite the country nor govern it. We know that Assad can neither unite the country nor govern it. Neither extreme offers the solution that we need and want. What is more, our ability to develop a credible international political process would be a farce from the beginning '' incredible enough that it won't stop people from fighting '' if it were perceived as a way to extend or strengthen Assad's hold on power.
As President Obama said on Monday, ''The United States is prepared to work with any nation, including Russia and Iran, to resolve the conflict. But we must recognize that there cannot be, after so much bloodshed, so much carnage, a simple return to the pre-war status quo.''
My colleagues, the Government of Russia has argued that we must support Assad in order to defeat ISIL. But the reality is that Assad has rarely chosen himself to fight ISIL. As the terrorists made inroads throughout large swaths of Syria and Iraq, raping, enslaving, and murdering civilians along the way, the Syrian regime didn't try to stop them. Instead, it focused all of its military power on moderate opposition groups who were fighting for a voice in Syria.
Make no mistake, the answer to the Syrian civil war cannot be found in a military alliance with Assad. But I am convinced that it can be found. It can be found through a broadly supported diplomatic initiative aimed at a negotiated political transition '' a transition that has been accepted by the Security Council, accepted by participants of the Perm 5 '' consistent with the Geneva Communique, which would unite all Syrians who reject dictatorship and terrorism and want to build a stable and united society.
So in conclusion, I call on all concerned governments '' including Russia, including Syria '' to support a UN initiative to broker a political transition. Further delay is unconscionable. The opportunity is before us. And if we can succeed in marginalizing the terrorists in Syria and in bringing that country together, we can, all of us together, do exactly what this was set up to do, this Security Council and this institution. We can strike a huge blow against violent extremism not only in Syria '' also in Iraq, across the Middle East, and around the world. And nothing would be more in keeping with the high purpose for which this Council was created 70 years ago. And nothing would better serve the interests of the people that all of us represent.
I hope we can achieve that. Thank you.
VIDEO-Deflation puts more pressure on ECB | Reuters.com
Euro zone inflation turned negative again in September as oil prices tumbled. As David Pollard reports, it will raise the pressure on the European Central Bank to beef up its asset purchases to kick start anaemic price growth.
TRANSCRIPT +
Consumers have been making the most of lower fuel prices over recent months. They're one factor behind a euro zone dip into deflation in September. Could the ECB now be primed to reach for the pumps itself - to inject a bit more QE into the economy? Rabobank's Jane Foley wouldn't rule it out. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR FX STRATEGIST, RABOBANK, JANE FOLEY, SAYING: "If we were to go back to do a deflationary scenario in Europe, it would be perhaps very difficult to assume that it would be easy to shake off, so it is a significant risk and something that the ECB of course has been taking very seriously." The ECB's been buying 60 billion euros of assets each month to boost inflation upwards. Prices, though are still going down. September's year-on-year inflation gives a minus reading. Core inflation is more respectable - but still way off the bank's target rate of close to 2 per cent. More QE a possible then - if it works. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR FX STRATEGIST, RABOBANK, JANE FOLEY, SAYING: ''We are already seeing quite a lot QE ... and the big question is, is this environment that we now find ourselves in conducive to QE being particularly helpful in stirring demand?'' On the jobs front, Italy's unemployment rate fell marginally in August. German unemployment inched up - though, is still at record lows, and retail sales fell unexpectedly in August, though after a sharp rise the month before. Perhaps more worrying for Mario Draghi - the Bank of Spain expects Q3 growth to slow. And Greek retail sales fell 7.3 per cent year on year in July. A reminder were it needed of another ECB problem that is showing no signs of going away yet.
VIDEO-Kerry tells Colbert: 'memories of Vietnam made me seek Iran deal' '' video | US news | The Guardian
Speaking to Stephen Colbert on The Late Show, the US secretary of state says his time served in Vietnam helped motivate him to seek a deal with Iran over their nuclear program. '[Vietnam] was a war in which too many of my friends died, under circumstances that might have been averted had different choices been made by people in positions of responsibility,' Kerry said
VIDEO-Migrant crisis: Lebanon at breaking point | Reuters.com
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''Stump for Trump'' YouTube stars Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richards have launched a new website that makes it easy for Democrats to change their party registration to vote for Donald Trump in the primaries.
The duo has created DitchandSwitchNow.com, which points readers to a list of states that hold closed primaries, and links to the respective state elections officer with instructions on how to change party affiliation.
''We're ditching the media bias and the media trickery. We want you to ditch that Democrat plantation '-- and ditch all of the Democrats '-- and we want to you switch your party to Republican so that you can vote for Donald Trump in the primary,'' Hardaway says in their latest video.
Hardaway adds, ''We wouldn't be talking about none of this here but the media and all the pundits and the establishment want to start a movement against Trump, it looks like the silent majority is about to start a movement on them.''
Hardaway and Richards shot to YouTube stardom when the launched a series of videos promoting Donald Trump's candidacy for president. One of their first videos, in which they criticized Megyn Kelly for her treatment of Trump during the first Republican presidential debate, to date has been viewed over 1.4 million times.
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VIDEO-Obama Speaks on Umpqua Oregon Shooting FULL VIDEO | Mediaite
President Obama is expected to make a statement soon on the tragic shooting at Umpqua Community College that left 13 people dead and more injured.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnestspoke earlier in reaction to a question about the shooting, reaffirming Obama's commitment to getting gun control reform done.
UPDATE '-- 6:45 p.m. ET: An incredibly frustrated and fed up Obama spoke for several minutes from the White House Thursday afternoon.
''Anybody who does this has a sickness in their minds regardless of what they think their motivations may be. But we are not the only country on Earth that has people with mental illnesses or want to do harm to other people,'' the president said. ''We are the only advanced country on Earth that sees these kinds of mass shootings every few months.''
To those who would accuse him of ''politicizing'' the tragedy, Obama said, ''This is something we should politicize, it is relevant to our common life together, to the body politic.''
Watch Obama's full statement below, via PBS:
[Photo via screengrab]
'-- '--
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(C)AFPVW workers ar the carmarker's plant in Wolfsburg, central Germany
What have US regulators accused Volkswagen of doing?
The Environmental Protection Agency's complaint says Volkswagen has admitted that some of its diesel-powered vehicles in the US feature a ''defeat device''. Essentially the car detects when an emissions test is under way and changes the way it operates to improve its results.
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On this storyOn this topicIN AutomobilesHow does that work?
The EPA has given few details '-- but it says the software senses whether a test is under way based on ''various inputs''. These include the steering wheel's position, the vehicle speed, duration of the engine's operation and the air pressure.
What does it do the rest of the time?
According to the EPA, when the device senses a test is under way, it switches on a series of emissions controls. But under all other circumstances the controls are turned off.
Why does that matter?
The EPA says emissions of nitrogen dioxide and other harmful pollutants are 10 to 40 times permitted levels when the controls are turned off. Emission controls can affect a car's performance and in past cases involving defeat devices, carmakers have used them to enhance vehicles' fuel economy.
So this has happened before?
The EPA in 1998 fined various makers of diesel engines for including defeat devices in the software monitoring the emissions of heavy trucks. In those cases, emissions were found to be as much as three times permitted limits. Earlier in the 1990s, both Ford of the US and Japan's Hondapaid fines for installing software that caused their vehicles to emit more pollutants than they otherwise would have done. More recently, in 2014, two Korean carmakers '-- Hyundai and Kia '-- paid fines to the EPA for overstating their vehicles' fuel economy.
What can happen to VW because of this?
The EPA has the power to fine a company up to $37,500 for a non-compliant vehicle. That figure has led to speculation that the company could be penalised up to $18bn for the 482,000 vehicles involved. However, in past EPA rulings, fines per vehicle tended to get smaller after the first 10, in a complex formula. While the fines and other costs are likely to be substantial, it is hard to predict exactly what they will be.
Although diesel cars accounted for just 4 per cent of the US market sales last year, VW and Audi '-- its premium brand '-- sell far higher proportions of these vehicles in the US than most other manufacturers, branding them ''Clean Diesel''.
Is it only a US or VW problem?
The German government has announced plans to examine whether emissions data have been manipulated, and both the EPA and California Air Resources Board '-- which was key to raising concerns about the issue '-- have now begun procuring other manufacturers' vehicles to test for similar devices. The California body said on Friday it acted after ''some testing outfits in Europe'' conducted tests that got its attention.
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Kissinger Biography Is Great, Says Pal of Author and Kissinger in New York Times
A note to our readers:In the process of assigning this post, we were informed that its author, historian Greg Grandin, was having his own Kissinger biography reviewed by theNew York Times Book Review. While we were not informed of the date that the review would be appearing, it turns out to be in the same edition of theNew York Times Book Review in which Roberts' essay appears. In its review, theTimes described Grandin's work as a ''fresh argument that, although more provocative than convincing, amounts to one of the most innovative attacks on Kissinger's record and legacy.'' This was relevant information that should have been included in the post, especially in a discussion of the ethics around writers' conflicts of interest. We should have inquired with Grandin as to the timing of the review of his book and reported that fact in the post, and we apologize for failing to do so. This Sunday, the New York Times Book Review will publish a review of the first volume of Niall Ferguson's authorized biography of Henry Kissinger, Kissinger: The Idealist. The reviewer is Andrew Roberts.Roberts brings an unusual level of familiarity to the subject: It was Roberts whom Kissinger first asked, before turning to Ferguson, to write his authorized biography. In other words, the New York Times is having Kissinger's preferred authorized biographer review Kissinger's authorized biography.
He had previously, through his friendship with Henry Kissinger, been offered the job of writing his official biography, but faced with the 30 tons of material in the former secretary of state's archive and his reluctance to employ researchers '' preferring to sift himself '' he passed it by. Niall Ferguson has now taken the job. [Says Roberts:] ''Niall is a tenured professor and has a team of researchers '' he's also, and I'm the first to admit it, far, far cleverer than I am and will do a wonderful job.''
And now, in the New York Times, Roberts has confirmed his own forecast: If the second volume ends up being as good as he finds the first, Ferguson's biography will be, Roberts says, a ''masterpiece.''
Oh, and Roberts isn't just close to the subject of the book he is reviewing. He has also been, for a quarter-century, a friend of the book's author. In a 2006 profile of Ferguson, ''The Empire Rebuilder,''The Guardian pointed out that Roberts, who is quoted calling Ferguson ''the brightest historian of his generation,'' might be ''a little biased,'' because Roberts had been, at that point, Ferguson's ''friend of 15 years.''The Times, too, normally checks those things. When I'm approached about reviewing books there, I'm usually asked if I know the author or have a conflict of interest.
My friend Corey Robin had a relevant experience. When his book The Reactionary Mind was coming out in 2011, the Times contacted a widely respected intellectual historian to review it. The potential reviewer didn't know Corey personally or professionally. Although they had never met, Corey had begun blogging that year, and he and the would-be reviewer began exchanging occasional comments on sites like Facebook. Minimal as the relationship was, the Times nixed the reviewer because of their putative entanglement.
Last May, the Times' public editor, Margaret Sullivan, weighed in on the topic: How close a connection between reviewer and author (and in this case, between author, reviewer, and subject) is too close a connection? ''It's fine if readers disagree with our reviews,'' the Times Book Review editor Pamela Paul told Sullivan, ''but they should not distrust them.''Paul also explained that the Book Review sometimes picks reviewers with strong opinions on the book's subject, who might be able to write an engaging, provocative essay. Fair enough: writers with opinions are more interesting than those who hold to a ''on the one hand, on the other'' style. Still, it's a ''tricky challenge,'' Paul said, ''to get someone informed but not entrenched.''
A spokesperson for the New York Times offered the following statement to Gawker, on behalf of Pamela Paul:
''We always ask our reviewers about any potential conflict of interest, as we define it, and disclose any possible conflicts in the review if necessary. In this particular case, we asked Andrew Roberts and were satisfied with his assurances that no conflicts of interest existed that would sway his review one way or the other.''
The Times might as well have asked Kissinger to review his own biography. Or, better, Ferguson himself, since, along with Roberts, there's not a nano-difference between the three men, at least when it comes to controversies about war. Like Ferguson and Kissinger, Roberts was an early advocate for a military invasion of Iraq. Kissinger supported torturers in Latin America; Roberts ''approves,'' according to The Economist, ''of American support for some vile regimes and ghastly civil wars in Latin America.'' Roberts also advocates torturing the West's current enemies: ''the defense of liberty requires making some pretty unpalatable decisions, but it was ever thus.''So how is the review itself? Contrary to the bet that an opinionated yet informed expert might turn in an exciting piece, Roberts's essay is ponderous, and, if possible, even more hagiographic than the authorized biography itself.
''Kissinger's official biographer,'' writes the man Kissinger first asked to be his official biographer, ''certainly gives the reader enough evidence to conclude that Henry Kissinger is one of the greatest Americans in the history of the republic, someone who has been repulsively traduced over several decades and who deserved to have a defense of this comprehensiveness published years ago.''
Let me be clear: I think it would be totally legitimate if, say, Ferguson, with his well-known conservative politics, were to review my new, critical book on Kissinger. That might indeed make for an engaging, fun debate; readers would know where author and reviewer stand. However, asking Roberts to review Ferguson, without acknowledging their connections, not to mention Roberts' history with Kissinger, is a trench too far.Thus a new genre is born: the authorized review of the authorized biography.
Presidential Proclamation -- National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 2015
NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTH, 2015
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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION
A quarter century ago, our country took a major step toward fulfilling the fundamental American promises of equal access, equal opportunity, and equal respect for all when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was made the law of the land. While we have continued to make advancements that help uphold this basic belief, we must address the injustices that remain. During National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we celebrate the ways individuals with disabilities strengthen our workforce, our communities, and our country, and we recommit to cultivating an America where all people are able to build vibrant futures for themselves and for their families.
Americans with disabilities make up almost one-fifth of our population, but are unemployed at a rate that is twice that of people without disabilities; and for women and minorities with disabilities, the rates are even higher. Despite all they contribute to our society, people with disabilities still face discrimination by employers, limited access to skills training, and, too often, unfairly low expectations. As a Nation, we must continue to promote inclusion in the workplace and to tear down the barriers that remain -- in hearts, in minds, and in policies -- to the security and prosperity that stable jobs provide and that all our people deserve. And we must actively foster a culture in which individuals are supported and accepted for who they are and in which it is okay to disclose one's disability without fear of discrimination.
My Administration is working to make sure our country does not let the incredible talents of Americans with disabilities go to waste. We are working to strengthen protections against disability-based discrimination in the workplace and to expand employment possibilities for people with disabilities -- and the Federal Government is leading by example. I have taken action to require agencies and Federal contractors to hire more people with disabilities -- and thanks to these efforts, more Americans with disabilities are in Federal service than at any point in the last three decades.
I will continue fighting to widen pathways to opportunity for individuals with disabilities and supporting employers in their efforts to increase disability inclusion. The White House hosted a Summit on Disability and Employment earlier this year to provide businesses, philanthropies, and advocates with information on Federal resources for hiring disabled individuals. Last year, I was proud to sign the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which encourages greater coordination across Federal, State, and local programs to expand access to high-quality workforce, education, and rehabilitation services. WIOA also helps youth with disabilities to receive extensive pre-employment transition services so they can find positions alongside people without disabilities and get paid above minimum wage. Additionally, last year I signed the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, which allows eligible people with disabilities to establish tax-free savings accounts.
America is at its strongest when we harness the talents and celebrate the distinct gifts of all our people. This October, as we observe the 70th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, let us pay tribute to all who fought for better laws, demanded better treatment, and overcame ignorance and indifference to make our Nation more perfect. In their honor, and for the betterment of generations of Americans to come, let us continue the work of removing obstacles to employment so every American has the chance to develop their skills and make their unique mark on the world we share.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2015 as National Disability Employment Awareness Month. I urge all Americans to embrace the talents and skills that individuals with disabilities bring to our workplaces and communities and to promote the right to equal employment opportunity for all people.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA
Presidential Proclamation -- National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, 2015
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION
In our increasingly connected digital world, we have the power to innovate in unprecedented ways. With the advent of new and improved technologies, we must also keep pace with safeguarding our critical infrastructure networks that, although empowering, create previously unforeseen vulnerabilities. During National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we recognize the importance of remaining vigilant against any and all cyber threats, while recommitting to ensuring our people can use new digital tools and resources fearlessly, skillfully, and responsibly.
My Administration is working to keep our country's cyberspace safe and protected -- both in the public and private sectors -- and is dedicated to addressing this issue as a matter of not only public safety, but also economic and national security. Earlier this year, I signed an Executive Order to promote information sharing about cyber threats between Government and the private sector -- because this is a shared mission, and all of us must work together to do what none of us can achieve alone. Additionally, as part of our comprehensive strategy, we continue to work with industry leaders to implement the Cybersecurity Framework my Administration launched last year, which promotes best practices to identify, mitigate, detect, respond to, protect against, and recover from cybersecurity incidents. And we continue to support security researchers and educators who are developing the skills, tools, and workforce required for a safer technology future.
But these efforts will only go so far. It is the responsibility of every American to proactively defend our digital landscape. The Department of Homeland Security's "Stop.Think.Connect." campaign is designed to inform our citizenry of the dangers posed by cyber threats and to provide the tools needed to confront them. I urge all Americans to take measures to decrease their susceptibility to malicious cyber activity, including by choosing stronger passwords, updating software, and practicing responsible online behavior. I also encourage everyone to visit www.DHS.gov/StopThinkConnect to learn more about how you can help strengthen America's cybersecurity.
We now live in an era of the Internet -- our children will never know a world without it. Our financial systems, our power grid, and our health systems run on it, and though widely helpful, this reliance reminds us of our need to remain aware, alert, and attentive on this new frontier. By working together to prevent and disrupt threats to our digital infrastructure, America can continue pioneering new discoveries and expanding the boundaries of humanity's reach.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2015 as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. I call upon the people of the United States to recognize the importance of cybersecurity and to observe this month with activities, events, and training that will enhance our national security and resilience.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
DHS seeks smarter smart cardsWHAT: A Department of Homeland Security request for information about personal identity verification card technology and integration
WHY: The RFI follows a summer of cybersecurity concerns and PIV testing across the federal government.
In the wake of massive data thefts at the Office of Personnel Management, a "cyber sprint" ordered by U.S. CIO Tony Scott had agencies redoubling efforts to implement two-factor authentication for users of federal networks. Scott drove home the importance of that approach in a July 31 blog post.
"One of the most significant steps any organization can take to reduce the risk of adversaries penetrating networks and systems is requiring the use of a hardware-based personal identity verification (PIV) card or an alternative form of strong authentication," Scott wrote. "Over the course of the sprint, agencies made significant progress in this area."
Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12, issued in 2004, directed all agencies to develop and use a standard ID for federal employees and contractors to gain access to federal facilities and information systems. The identity badges used for physical access vary widely, which made cross-agency use problematic.
HSPD-12 sought to improve interoperability by requiring agencies to adopt stronger security standards and procedures for access control and use a consistent method for issuing identity badges. The National Institute of Standards and Technology later established a consistent process that all agencies can use to verify personnel and issue a badge that can be recognized and electronically processed within and between federal agencies.
On Sept. 28, DHS posted an RFI seeking for proposals from potential vendors for a workable architecture for PIV cards that would give Customs and Border Protection and DHS a way to speed authentication and verification of accredited PIV cards issued by all federal agencies and recognized commercial entities for nongovernmental personnel.
"The solution should provide minimal modifications to the current information technology operating environment and provide a highly available process supporting the CBP and DHS missions," the RFI states. "It also must have sufficient resources to eliminate any impact to current computer logon and authentication times."
Responses to the RFI should contain detailed architecture and integration points with existing CBP and DHS elements and any modifications necessary to established processes.
Click here to read the RFI.
Posted by Mark Rockwell on Oct 01, 2015 at 10:40 AM
US Allows Saudi Prince to Flee After He Beat and Raped 3 Women in Beverly Hills Mansion for Days
"Arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment, sexual assault and battery, a Saudi prince has also recently been accused of attacking at least three women and holding them captive for several days. Immediately upon posting bail, the prince reportedly emptied his $37 million mansion and fled the country on a private jet to avoid civil litigation and criminal charges.Police officers arrested Majed Abdulaziz Al-Saud at his Beverly Glen mansion on Wednesday after his neighbors reported seeing a woman covered in blood screaming for help while attempting to climb over the 8ft wall surrounding the prince's property. According to Officer Drake Madison, Al-Saud was booked on suspicion of forcing one of his employees to engage in oral sex. The prince was briefly held on suspicion of false imprisonment, sexual assault and battery before posting $300,000 bail on Thursday afternoon.Al-Saud's neighbors reportedly saw numerous cars on Thursday emptying out of the prince's mansion. One of his neighbors, Eric Stiskin speculated, ''I am sure he has taken off on his private jet by now. I don't think he even needs a passport to get out of here.''" (thanks Talal)
Among the stranger aspects of recent pop music history is how so many of the biggest hits of the past twenty years'--by the Backstreet Boys, 'NSync, and Britney Spears to Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and the Weeknd'--have been co-written by a forty-four-year-old Swede. His real name is Karl Martin Sandberg, but you would know him as Max Martin, if you know of him at all, which, if he can help it, you won't. He is music's magic melody man, the master hooksmith behind no fewer than twenty-one No. 1 Billboard hits'--five fewer than John Lennon, and eleven sternward of Paul McCartney, on the all-time list. But, while Lennon and McCartney are universally acknowledged as geniuses, few outside the music business have heard of Max Martin.
Presumably this is because Martin writes all of his songs for other people to sing. The fame that Lennon and McCartney achieved by performing their work will never be his, which no doubt is fine with Martin. (He still gets the publishing.) He is the Cyrano de Bergerac of today's pop landscape, the poet hiding under the balcony of popular song, whispering the tunes that have become career-making records, such as '''... Baby One More Time,'' for Britney Spears, ''Since U Been Gone,'' for Kelly Clarkson, and ''I Kissed a Girl,'' for Katy Perry. The songs he co-wrote or co-produced for Taylor Swift, which include her past eight hits (three from ''Red'' and five from ''1989''), transformed her from a popular singer-songwriter into a stadium-filling global pop star. (The ''1989'' tour recently passed the hundred-and-fifty-million-dollar mark.)
Martin has thrived in the ghostwriter's milieu, where the trick is to remain as anonymous as possible, because the public likes to believe that pop artists write their own songs. That the Swede happens to bring to the table an exceptionally large dollop of Jantelagen, the Scandinavian disdain for individual celebrity, makes him especially well-suited to his vocation.
Still, even for a Nordic, it is a powerful act of self-denial to forego the pleasure (and, yes, the fame and attendant adulation) of recording your own songs, and give all your beautiful tunes to other people, who become famous instead. This path is especially difficult when you possess a beautiful singing voice of your own, which Martin does. As one of his early collaborators, the Swedish artist E-Type, says in ''The Cheiron Saga,'' a 2008 Radio Sweden documentary about Martin and his former colleagues at Cheiron Studios, in Stockholm, ''With his own demos, Max Martin singing himself, those would have sold ten million or more, but he wasn't an artist; he didn't want to be an artist.''
And yet Martin is known to insist that the artists he works with sing his songs exactly the way he sings them on the demos. In a sense, Spears, Perry, and Swift are all singing covers of Max Martin recordings. They are also among the few people in the world who have actually heard the originals. Countless self-proclaimed performers on YouTube sing Max Martin songs, but there is not a single publicly available video or audio recording of Martin performing his own stuff. (In the course of researching my book ''The Song Machine,'' I got to hear an actual Max Martin demo, for '''... Baby One More Time,'' when a record man who had it on his phone played it for me. The Swede sounded exactly like Spears.) Martin's demos are the missing originals of our musical age'--the blank space at the center of the past two decades of pop music.
Sandberg was born in Stenhamra, a suburb of Stockholm, in 1971. His father was a policeman. He later recalled the handful of recordings his parents had in their collection: Elton John's ''Captain Fantastic,'' the best of Queen and Creedence Clearwater Revival, ''the Beatles one where they look down from the balcony,'' Vivaldi's ''Four Seasons,'' and Mozart's ''Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.'' Put them all altogether and you've got Max Martin.
Sandberg's older brother was a glam-rock fan, and ''he brought home old Kiss cassettes,'' Sandberg recalled, in a 2001 interview in Time magazine, which was the first and last time he took part in an English-language profile. Listening to those tapes made young Karl Martin Sandberg want to be a rock star. ''I was a hard rocker at that time, and listened to nothing but Kiss,'' he told the Swedish documentarian Fredrik Eliasson, in a follow-up to ''The Cheiron Saga'' that ran on Radio Sweden earlier this year. ''I mean, nothing but Kiss. It was like we belonged to a cult: if you listened to anything else, then in principle you were being unfaithful.''
Sandberg learned music through Sweden's excellent state-sponsored music-education programs, receiving free private lessons in the French horn. (Thirty per cent of Swedish schoolchildren go to publicly funded after-school music programs.) ''I first began with the recorder in our community music school,'' he remembered in a Radio Sweden interview. ''After that I played horn, and participated in the school orchestra. I remember that I started playing brass not so much because I had a calling but because I thought it looked cool.'' Eventually, he moved on to drums, then keyboard. He has credited Sweden's musical-education system with his success, telling Eliasson, ''I would not be standing in this place today if it weren't for the public music school.''
In the mid-eighties, Sandberg became the front man and main songwriter of a glam-metal band called It's Alive, adopting the stage name Martin White. In the video for the group's song ''Pretend I'm God,'' White plays Jesus and enacts a pseudo-crucifixion, doing his best Ozzy Osbourne imitation. While the song must be considered a work of juvenilia, it does at least explain why eighties metal seems to lurk beneath the surface of so many of today's pop hits.
But Sandberg had a terrible secret, one that he couldn't share with the rest of the band. He loved pop music. At home, he listened to Depeche Mode's ''Just Can't Get Enough'' and the Bangles's ''Eternal Flame,'' which he later told Time was an all-time favorite. ''I couldn't admit to my friends that I liked it,'' he said.
In 1994, he met his mentor, a Swedish d.j. who called himself Denniz PoP and co-founded Cheiron Studios. (His real name was Dag Krister Volle; friends called him Dagge.) Denniz realized that Sandberg's talents lay in songwriting, not performing, and showed him how to use the studio. Denniz was coming off the major hits he had produced for Ace of Base, ''All That She Wants'' and ''The Sign''; one of Sandberg's first production credits was on ''Beautiful Life,'' the group's final hit. By then his mentor had renamed him Max Martin, a drab, forgettable disco name that is almost as bad as Denniz PoP.
Unlike Denniz, who neither wrote nor played music, Martin knew music theory and musical notation. ''Martin was very schooled; he could read the notes, write partitions, and do musical arrangements,'' E-Type says in ''The Cheiron Saga.'' ''Dagge would say, 'We need a new influence, so Martin, make us something pretty while E-Type and I run out for some sushi.' We'd come back and find something so gorgeous that we both almost fell backwards.''
Martin worked by theory, Denniz by feel. ''Dagge was driven by his instincts,'' E-Type says in the documentary. ''If there was something that worked, well, then, that's what he'd do, always. Martin was the musician, and he got the principles around funk, and with those abilities was able to take it a step further.''
That next step was presented by a boy band that was unknown at the time, the Backstreet Boys. The songs Martin wrote for them, including ''We've Got It Goin' On,'' ''Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely,'' and the timeless ''I Want It That Way,'' made the group world-famous. They also created a template for the Max Martin sound, which combines ABBA's pop chords and textures, Denniz PoP's song structure and dynamics, eighties arena rock's big choruses, and early-nineties American R. & B. grooves. On top of all that is Sandberg's gift for melody, which owes as much to Edvard Grieg's dark Norwegian musical fable ''In the Hall of the Mountain King'' (a.k.a. the ''Inspector Gadget'' theme song) as to any contemporary influence. Like many of ABBA's tunes, these Backstreet Boys songs use major and minor chords in surprising combinations (going to a minor chord on the chorus, say, when you least expect it), producing happy songs that sound sad, and sad songs that make you happy'--tunes that serve a wide variety of moods.
Perhaps the greatest advantage that Sandberg and his Swedish colleagues enjoyed was their relative freedom from the racial underpinnings of the long-established American distinction between R. & B. and pop. Rhythm and blues, a term coined by the Atlantic Records co-founder Jerry Wexler, back when he was a writer for Billboard, in the fifties, replaced the frankly racist category of ''race records,'' but the underlying race-based distinction remained: R. & B. was music by and for black people, whereas white performers were ''pop,'' even if their music was heavily indebted to R. & B. A white American songwriter composing R. & B. tunes was not likely to get very far on the balkanized pop-music scene in the U.S., but a Swedish writer, free of the racist legacy of the R. & B./pop dichotomy, could create music that combined both, and that is just what Martin has done. The resulting hybrid, one could argue, has become the mainstream sound on Top Forty radio today. SiriusXM's recent rebranding of its pop channel, Venus, which now plays ''rhythmic pop'' (R. & P.?), is just one measure of this Swedish-led transformation.
The Backstreet Boys were on Jive Records, the label founded by the reclusive South African record man Clive Calder, who is, and for the foreseeable future will be, the richest man the record business has ever produced. (He cashed out of Jive and Zomba, his publishing company, for close to three billion dollars, in 2002.) So when, in 1997, Jive signed a young girl named Britney Spears and was looking for danceable pop songs, it naturally thought of Max Martin.
As it turned out, Martin had a song for Spears. He had composed it with Rami Yacoub, a Swedish-Moroccan beatmaker who was part of the Cheiron team. The song, initially called ''Hit Me Baby (One More Time),'' had been written for TLC, the three-woman R. & B. group. When Martin sent TLC a demo, which featured the Swede doing four-part harmonies all by himself, the trio had rejected it. Years later, T-Boz, the leader of the group, recalled the decision in a MTV interview: ''I was like, I like the song, but do I think it's a hit? Do I think it's TLC? '... Was I going to say, 'Hit me, baby, one more time'? Hell, no!''
''Max, at that point in his career, thought he was writing an R. & B. song,'' Steve Lunt, the Jive A. & R. man who was assigned to the Spears project, told me. ''Whereas, in reality, he was writing a Swedish pop song. It was ABBA with a groove, basically.'' There is a funky bass slap in the song that sounds urban, and on the demo Martin does that cowboy-sounding ''owww'' made famous by Cameo and beloved by Denniz PoP. ''But all those chords are so European, how could that possibly be an American R. & B. song?'' Lunt continued. ''No black artist was going to sing it.'' He added, ''But that was the genius of Max Martin. Without being fully aware of it, he'd forged a brilliant sound all his own, and within a few weeks every American producer was desperately scrambling to emulate it.''
When TLC rejected the song, Martin offered it to Robyn, the Swedish artist, but nothing came of that, either. After meeting Spears in New York, he went back to Stockholm, worked on the song a little more to tailor it for Spears, made a copy, and mailed it to Jive. (Although his career as a performer was over, Martin still looked like Martin White, the hirsute glam-metal front man, and his appearance initially alarmed Spears, who said, ''I thought he was from M¶tley Cr¼e or something.'') All the hooks in the song were worked up to their finished state, but most of the verses were unfinished, often mere vowel sounds. There was no bridge yet, because, as Lunt put it, ''Max would say, 'If you don't like the song by then, fuck you''--in his polite Swedish way, of course.'' When the demo reached Jive, everyone thought, ''Holy shit, this is perfect,'' according to Lunt.
''Hit Me Baby (One More Time)'' is a song about obsession, and it takes all of two seconds to hook you, not once but twice, first with the swung triplet ''Da nah nah'' and then with that alluring growl-purr that Spears emits with her first line (following Martin's trace vocal): ''Oh, baby, bay-bee.'' Then the funky Cheiron backbeat kicks in, with drums that sound like percussion grenades. Next comes Tomas Lindberg's wah-wah guitar lines, which signal to one's inner disco hater that it can relax: it's a rock song, after all.
And yet the vocal hook, irresistible as it was, sounded odd. You weren't sure it was O.K. to sing it out loud. It was hard to imagine that anyone forwhom English is a first language would write the phrase ''Hit me, baby'' without intending it as an allusion to domestic violence or S & M. That was the furthest thing from the minds of the gentle Swedes, who were only trying to use up-to-the-minute lingo. Jive, concerned that Americans might get the wrong idea, changed the title to '''... Baby One More Time.''
The song was Martin's first Billboard No. 1. ''I don't really think we understood what we had done,'' he says in ''The Cheiron Saga.'' ''I actually remember that specific moment; I remember sitting in the studio when they called me to let me know that my song had made No. 1 in the U.S.A. And that was incredible, but I also remember that I had so much going on with everything else right then, I didn't really grasp the meaning of it.''
Although Martin may be sui generis, he is by no means the only disciple of Denniz PoP to go on to chart-topping success. Others, including Andreas Carlsson, J¶rgen Elofsson, and Per Magnusson, also have long track records of hits; they've been especially successful with U.K. boy bands. According to Marie Ledin, the managing director of the Polar Music Prize, Sweden's musical Nobel, Swedish songwriters and producers were partly responsible for a quarter of all Billboard Top Ten hits in 2014, an astonishing accomplishment for a country of fewer than ten million people. Clearly, there is more at work here than individual genius. Apart from the country's musical-education system, what qualities and characteristics make Swedes so good at producing pop songs?
Generally speaking, there is a flowing melodic element in Swedish folk songs and hymns (the national anthem, ''Thou Ancient, Thou Free,'' even sounds a bit like a pop song) that has rooted itself in the sensibility of many a musical Swede. More specifically, the relative computer literacy of the population, combined with the country's excellent broadband infrastructure, has allowed Swedes to excel at making music on computers, and collaborating with other composers over the Internet, which has become the standard method of pop songwriting today. Added to that is Sweden's xenophilia'--its love of other cultures, in particular Anglo-American cultures. In Sweden, American TV isn't translated into the local language, as it is in France and Italy, say, and the music you hear on the radio is more likely to be sung in English than Swedish. More than ninety per cent of Swedes speak English.
But, while knowing English is clearly an advantage to songwriters and producers seeking success in the U.S. and the U.K., a lack of facility with the finer points of the language is equally important. Swedish writers are not partial to wit, metaphor, or double entendre, songwriting staples from Tin Pan Alley through the Brill Building era. They are more inclined to fit the syllables to the sounds'--a working method that Martin calls ''melodic math'''--and not worry too much about whether the resulting lines make sense. (The verses in ''I Want It That Way,'' for example, completely contradict the meaning of the chorus lines.) Fans of Cole Porter may see this development in roughly in the same spirit that ''Downton Abbey'' fans might view ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians'''--with horror'--but one can argue that this very freedom from having to make sense lyrically has allowed the Swedes to soar to such melodic heights.
Finally, while Sweden has a strong songwriting culture, it lacks an equally strong culture of performing. Klas hlund, a successful Swedish songwriter and producer in his forties, who is also a performer (in the rock band Teddybears), told me, ''Swedes are very musical, and they love to write songs. But it's a big country, and it has very few people in it. So you had these farmers out there who were good at writing songs but had no one to sing them. Songwriting was just a thing you did on your own when you were watching the cows, a kind of meditation. You didn't focus as much on your ability as a performer as you did on the structure and craft of the songs. Which is really not the case in the U.S., where your charm and your voice and your powers as a performer come immediately into play.''
A nation of songwriters endowed with melodic gifts, meticulous about craft but reluctant to perform their own songs, is a potential goldmine for a nation of wannabe pop stars who don't write their own material, which is often the case in the U.S. By hooking up the two countries, musically speaking, Martin and his peers changed pop songwriting.
Martin's legacy must be measured not only by the number of hits that he and his Swedish colleagues have created but also by the songwriting methods that they have instilled around the world. (Many K-pop songs are the result of collaborations between Korean and Swedish songwriting teams.) A strong part of Denniz PoP's vision for Cheiron was that songwriting should be a collaborative effort; no one was supposed to be proprietary about his work, and Martin has passed these principles on to two generations of songwriters. Songwriters are assigned different parts of a song to work on; choruses can be taken from one song and tried in another; a bridge might be swapped out, or a hook. Songs are written more like television shows, by teams of writers who willingly share credit. In a Swedish TV documentary called ''The Nineties,'' E-Type describes the working conditions at Denniz PoP's studio. ''I get this feeling of a big painter's studio in Italy, back in the fourteen-hundreds or fifteen-hundreds. One assistant does the hands, another does the feet, and another does something else, and then Michelangelo walks in and says, 'That's really great; just turn it slightly. Now it's good; put it in a golden frame, and out with it. Next!' '' The description might apply equally well to Martin's home studio, in Los Angeles (Frank Sinatra once lived there, and he sublet the pool house to Marilyn Monroe), where he is now the master.
Lennon and McCartney wrote almost all of their hits with each other, and while they had assistance from others in their solo careers, the level of collaboration was nothing like their former partnership. Martin, on the other hand, has consistently sought out new, fresh collaborators when the heat of a previous partnership begins to cool, which is why his magic touch has lasted longer than even Sir Paul's. These prot(C)g(C)s'--Dr. Luke is the best known, but by no means the only one'--often go on to be major hitmakers in their own right, and acquire and mentor their own prot(C)g(C)s, who become hitmakers, too, spreading Swedish methods further and further into the songwriting mainstream. Martin is their Obi Wan.
And yet, for all his success and influence, there is something missing in Martin's oeuvre, when compared to the Beatles's. It's not the quality of the songs'--history will judge whether they have what it takes to endure. It's the absence of a broader political and cultural framework in which to place the songs. The story of the Beatles, from ''I Want to Hold Your Hand'' to ''Let It Be,'' is a story of the sixties'--politics, war, protest, drugs, free love, and how the songwriters responded to those forces. The hits are embedded within albums that offer rich, complex musical statements, and insights into the artists' personal development and changes. What story does Martin's string of No. 1s tell, from '''... Baby One More Time'' to ''Can't Feel My Face,'' his most recent? What changes do they trace? The songs are all about the same thing, more or less, which is not the same thing at all.
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All our Nation's children deserve the chance to fulfill their greatest potential, and nothing should limit the scope of their futures. But all too often, our juvenile and criminal justice systems weigh our young people down so heavily that they cannot reach their piece of the American dream. When that happens, America is deprived of immeasurable possibility. This month, we rededicate ourselves to preventing youth from entering the juvenile and criminal justice systems and recommit to building a country where all our daughters and sons can grow, flourish, and take our Nation to new and greater heights.
Involvement in the justice system -- even as a minor, and even if it does not result in a finding of guilt, delinquency, or conviction -- can significantly impede a person's ability to pursue a higher education, obtain a loan, find employment, or secure quality housing. Many who become involved in the juvenile justice system have experienced foster care or grown up in environments where violence and drugs were pervasive and opportunities were absent. Some studies have found that many youth in juvenile justice facilities have had a mental or substance use disorder in their young lives. These children are our Nation's future -- yet most of them were afforded no margin of error after making a mistake.
Each year, there are more than 1 million arrests of young people under the age of 18, and the vast majority of those arrests are for non-violent crimes. Estimates show that half of black males, 44 percent of Hispanic males, and nearly 40 percent of white males are arrested by age 23. Nearly 55,000 individuals under age 21 are being held in juvenile justice facilities across the United States -- a disproportionate number of whom are young people of color, including tribal youth. The proportion of detained and incarcerated girls and young women, often victims of abuse, has also significantly increased over the past few decades.
In addition to those serving time in juvenile justice facilities, on any given day, more than 5,000 youth under age 18 are serving time in adult prisons or local jails. Nine States prosecute all 17-year-olds as adults regardless of the crime committed, including two States that do the same for 16-year-olds; and all States have transfer laws that allow or require criminal prosecution of certain youth. This continues despite studies showing that youth prosecuted in adult courts are more likely to commit future crimes than similarly situated youth who are prosecuted for the same offenses in the juvenile system.
To hold a young person in a State-operated facility can cost upwards of $100,000 per year per individual. That money could be better spent -- with improved youth and public safety outcomes -- by investing in our children in ways that help keep them out of the juvenile and criminal justice systems in the first place, or that prevent them from penetrating deeper into the system. As a Nation that draws on the talents and ambitions of all our people, we must remain focused on providing the institutional support necessary to stop our youth from being locked into a cycle from which they cannot recover or fully take their place as citizens.
My Administration is committed to working with States, as well as tribal and local jurisdictions, to implement reforms that reduce recidivism and improve youth outcomes. Last year, the Department of Justice launched the Smart on Juvenile Justice initiative to advance system-wide reforms that improve outcomes, eliminate disparities, and save money while holding youth appropriately accountable. These efforts include emphasizing prevention, promoting cost-effective and community-based alternatives to confinement, and sustaining programs that provide job training and substance use disorder treatment and counseling to youth in juvenile facilities. The Departments of Education and Justice are leading efforts to revamp school discipline policies and support underfunded schools so that our education system serves as a pathway to opportunity, rather than a pipeline to prison. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice are working to build better diversion policies to screen and treat youth for substance abuse, trauma, and unmet mental, emotional, and behavioral needs.
Last year, I launched My Brother's Keeper -- an initiative to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure all young people can reach their inherent potential. As part of this initiative, we are focused on reducing rates of violence while improving outcomes for all our youth. I also launched the Generation Indigenous initiative, which seeks to improve the lives of Native youth through new investments and increased engagement so they can achieve their highest aspirations.
America is a Nation of second chances, and justice means giving every young person a fair shot -- regardless of what they look like or what zip code they were born into. The system we created to safeguard this fundamental ideal must do exactly that. During National Youth Justice Month, let us recommit to ensuring our justice system acts not as a means for perpetuating a cycle of hopelessness, but as a framework for uplifting our young people with a sense of purpose so they can contribute to America's success.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2015 as National Youth Justice Awareness Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month by getting involved in community efforts to support our youth, and by participating in appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
BARACK OBAMA
France threatens to walk away from TTIP negotiations
France's junior trade minister Matthias Fekl has threatened ''outright termination'' of his country's involvement in the EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, saying a ''total lack of transparency'' in TTIP talks poses a ''democratic problem''.
In an interview with the French newspaper Sud-Ouest published on Monday, Fekl said he believes the negotiations favour American interests.
''Europe has offered many compromises, in all areas, and has received no serious offers from the Americans in return. Neither for access to their public markets, nor for access to their agricultural and food markets, which remain closed,'' Fekl said.
Access to negotiation texts is not guaranteed even for politicians, Fekl added. ''American members of parliament have access to a much higher number of documents than we do in Europe.''
If approved, TTIP would create the largest free-trade area in the world.
Facing pressure from the country's powerful agricultural lobby, French politicians are especially keen to get a deal that avoids upsetting farmers.
In Fekl's view, if the US is not willing to modify its position, the negotiations will be on shaky ground. ''If nothing changes, that will show that there is no willingness to ensure a mutually beneficial negotiation process,'' he said. ''France is examining all its options, including abandoning the negotiations all together.''
Meanwhile, a group of more than 55 UK members of parliament this week expressed major concerns in a motion on TTIP signed by the new leader of Britain's opposition Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn and every member of the Scottish National Party
[read more here]
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RFID chips in driver's licenses. What could go wrong? | Ars Technica
US authorities want to put RFID chips in driver's licenses for the stated goal of speeding up US border-crossing lines in Mexico and Canada. Privacy experts caution that these spy-friendly forms of ID likely will evolve into something more nefarious. Pictured above: Border crossing from Tijuana, Mexico, to San Ysidro, California.
Radio frequency identification chips are everywhere'--in passports, library and payment cards, school ID cards, and even in NFL players' uniforms.
So why not put RFID chips in driver's licenses? California Gov. Jerry Brown has a bill awaiting his veto or signature that would do just that. The states of Washington, New York, Michigan, and Vermont already have adopted the spy-friendly, voluntary program that links your license with the Department of Homeland Security. For the moment, the cards are designed to be used instead of passports at US land borders in a bid to speed up the entrance lines from Mexico and Canada.
But the more states that sign on, the more likely such cards could become mandatory across the country. That's why privacy advocates are urging the governor to veto the measure. The American Civil Liberties Union, for instance, is decrying the move to RFID chips in driver's licenses as a "civil liberties nightmare."
According to the ACLU:
Experts warned that this technology was insecure ten years ago, when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under President Bush first introduced these licenses. Back then, DHS admitted that the personal information stored in these chips could be read from a distance of up to 30 feet.
In fact, a security researcher built a reader with $250 in spare parts, drove around downtown San Francisco, and proved how easy it is to read and copy these documents'--without anyone ever knowing or even suspecting their information was being skimmed.
Sound creepy? That's because it is. This technology is a dream come true for identity thieves and stalkers, and a civil liberties nightmare for Californians concerned about government intrusion and tracking.
Jim Harper, of the Cato Institute, has been beating the drum against this program for years. He views it as an offspring of the 2009 Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, and Harper said it's "not difficult" to imagine a time when this so-called Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) program "ceases to be optional."
For its part, Homeland Security says the RFID chips do not store personal identifying information. The chip contains a unique number linked to a motorist and is stored in a DHS database.
Setting aside the Orwellian, slippery slope argument that the RFID tags one day could become mandatory nationwide, researchers say the chips are highly susceptible to forgery. University of Washington researchers have concluded that there is "no encryption of any kind and they can be read by anyone," and that "reading and cloning" of them "is possible." The American Electronics Association has warned that hackers could read the chips from a distance and "easily create a duplicate." Even the DHS Office of the Inspector Generalissued similar warnings.
History has shown that government-issued cards mutate for other purposes. For example, buying health insurance or even a mobile phone often requires providing a Social Security number. The Social Security card was designed to track Americans' federal retirement accounts.
Clinton aide wanted to go public about State's 'antiquated' tech
Clinton aide wanted to go public about State's 'antiquated' techBy Adam MazmanianSep 30, 2015A former senior State Department official pitched then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton directly on the idea of going public with the "woeful state of civilian technology" in June 2011.
The request came in the wake of disclosures that the Google accounts of political activists in China were being targeted by hackers. It was made public in the State Department's most recent release of emails from Clinton's private email server.
Anne-Marie Slaughter, a scholar and foreign policy analyst perhaps best known to the public for her essays on work-life balance in The Atlantic, e-mailed Clinton at her private e-mail address suggesting it would be "a great time" for a statement or op-ed "that points out that State's technology is so antiquated that NO ONE uses a State-issued laptop and even high officials routinely end up using their home email accounts to be able to get their work done quickly and effectively."
Slaughter argued that "[f]urther cuts to State's budget just [make] matters much, much worse. We actually need more funds to significantly upgrade our technology."
Clinton was open to the suggestion, replying, "I think this makes good sense. How should we follow up?"
Cheryl Mills, Clinton's chief of staff at the State Department, put the brakes on the idea.
"I think this is easier to do as a former employee rather than current," Mills wrote. "Second and more significantly, as someone who attempted to be hacked (yes I was one), I am not sure we want to telegraph how much folks do or don't do off state mail b/c it may encourage others who are out there."
It's not clear what hacking attempt Mills was referring to. Mills used her official .gov address in thousands of emails already released by State.
Slaughter took the hint, and noted that Clinton aide Jake Sullivan also "has concerns" about a public airing of the IT practices of senior State Department officials, although it's not stated in the exchange what those concerns were.
"Perhaps a better approach is to make the point more quietly to legislators through H," Slaughter wrote.
About the Author
Adam Mazmanian is FCW's executive editor. Connect with him on Twitter: @thisismaz.
Executive Order -- Continuance or Reestablishment of Certain Federal Advisory Committees
By the authority vested in me as President, by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and consistent with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Each advisory committee listed below is continued or, to the extent necessary, reestablished until September 30, 2017.
Committee for the Preservation of the White House; Executive Order 11145, as amended (Department of the Interior).President's Commission on White House Fellowships; Executive Order 11183, as amended (Office of Personnel Management).President's Committee on the National Medal of Science; Executive Order 11287, as amended (National Science Foundation).Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health; Executive Order 11612, as amended (Department of Labor).President's Export Council; Executive Order 12131, as amended (Department of Commerce).President's Committee on the International Labor Organization; Executive Order 12216, as amended (Department of Labor).President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities; Executive Order 12367, as amended (National Endowment for the Arts).President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee; Executive Order 12382, as amended (Department of Homeland Security).National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee; Executive Order 12829, as amended (National Archives and Records Administration).Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee; Executive Order 12905 (Office of the United States Trade Representative).Governmental Advisory Committee to the United States Representative to the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation; Executive Order 12915 (Environmental Protection Agency).National Advisory Committee to the United States Representative to the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation; Executive Order 12915 (Environmental Protection Agency).Good Neighbor Environmental Board; Executive Order 12916 (Environmental Protection Agency).Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS; Executive Order 12963, as amended (Department of Health and Human Services).President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities; Executive Order 12994, as amended (Department of Health and Human Services).Invasive Species Advisory Committee; Executive Order 13112, as amended (Department of the Interior).Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee; Executive Order 13158 (Department of Commerce).Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health; Executive Order 13179 (Department of Health and Human Services).National Infrastructure Advisory Council; Executive Order 13231, as amended (Department of Homeland Security). President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition; Executive Order 13265, as amended (Department of Health and Human Services).President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships; Executive Order 13498 (Department of Health and Human Services).President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; Executive Order 13515, as amended (Department of Education).Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues; Executive Order 13521 (Department of Health and Human Services).National Council on Federal Labor-Management Relations; Executive Order 13522 (Office of Personnel Management).U.S. General Services Administration Labor-Management Relations Council; Executive Order 13522 (General Services Administration).President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities; Executive Order 13532, as amended (Department of Education). (aa) President's Management Advisory Board; Executive Order 13538, as amended (General Services Administration).
(bb) President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology; Executive Order 13539, as amended (Department of Energy).
(cc) Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development; Executive Order 13540 (Small Business Administration).
(dd) Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health; Executive Order 13544 (Department of Health and Human Services).
(ee) State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector (SLTPS) Policy Advisory Committee; Executive Order 13549 (National Archives and Records Administration).
(ff) President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics; Executive Order 13555, re-established by Executive Order 13634 (Department of Education).
(gg) President's Global Development Council; Executive Order 13600, as amended (United States Agency for International Development).
(hh) President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans; Executive Order 13621 (Department of Education).
(ii) President's Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa; Executive Order 13675 (Department of Commerce).
(jj)Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria; Executive Order 13676 (Department of Health and Human Services).
(kk) Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking; Executive Order 13648 (Department of the Interior).
(ll) Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee; initially established pursuant to Presidential Memorandum on Improving Spectrum Management for the 21st Century (November 30,
2004) (Department of Commerce).
(mm) National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Advisory Board; National Security Policy Directive-39, "U.S. National Space-Based Position, Navigation, and Timing
Policy" (December 8, 2004) (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).
(nn) San Juan Islands National Monument Advisory Committee; Proclamation 8947 of March 25, 2013 (Department of the Interior).
Sec. 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other Executive Order, the functions of the President under the Federal Advisory Committee Act that are applicable to the committees listed in section 1 of this order shall be performed by the head of the department or agency designated after each committee, in accordance with the regulations, guidelines, and procedures established by the Administrator of General Services.
Sec. 3. Sections 1 and 2 of Executive Order 13652 of September 30, 2013, are superseded by sections 1 and 2 of this order.
Sec. 4. Executive Order 12829 of January 6, 1993, is amended in section 103(c)(2) by striking "Administrator of General Services" and inserting in lieu thereof "National Archives and Records Administration" and 103(d) by striking "Administrator of General Services" and inserting in lieu thereof "the Archivist of the United States".
Sec. 5. This order shall be effective September 30, 2015.
BARACK OBAMA
Russian Airstrikes Hit Our ''Moderate'' Terrorists in Syria so They Threaten More Terrorism
The Russian defense ministry has released some video of their first strikes against terrorist targets in Syria today. The strikes took place outside of Homs. These strikes came at the request of the country's President, Bashar al-Assad after US and French airstrikes in the country appear to have been targeting civilian infrastructure, not ''ISIS''
You will notice that there are no long parades of guys in fake beards riding in Helix trucks waving black ''ISIS'' flags. My guess is, we've seen the last of those ;)
The Russians warned the US and other Coalition of the Willing partners to back off of Syrian airspace right before this morning's attacks. They did. Russia then went in and hit targets which they claim are ''ISIS'', but everyone knows, they are really our moderate terrorists like the Free Syrian Army, al Nusra and other Wahhabist mercenaries.
Areas of the province of Homs struck by the Russians are controlled by an array of rebel groups including several operating under the banner of the ''Free Syrian Army,'' activists, locals and rebels said. None of the sources named Islamic State as one of the groups operating in the areas hit on Wednesday. Assad views all the forces opposing him in the civil war as terrorist groups (that's because they are all terrorist groups)'...
'... Iyad Shamse, leader of an FSA Syrian rebel group, the Asala and Tanmieh Front, told Reuters: ''There is no Islamic State in this area. The Russians are applying great pressure on the revolution. This will strengthen terrorism, everyone will head towards extremism. Any support for Assad in this way is strengthening terrorism.'' Reuters
As you can see, the terrorists themselves are threatening still more terrorism if the Russians continue to assist the people of Syria by defending them from the terrorists.
John Kerry said they would have ''grave concerns'' if Russia targeted our regime change unconventional warriors fighting their terrorist campaign in Syria. He went on to say ISIS, ''cannot be defeated as long as Bashar al-Assad remains president of Syria.''
That's right. Because, you can't target a hearts and minds fabrication with smart bombs. Apparently you CAN target our Wahhabist mercenaries though, and thus, Sec. Kerry's ''grave concerns'' are justified.
I can promise you this'... the days of US and British SAS forces putting on fake beards and driving around Helix trucks in long photo-op parades are LOOOOONG gone.
The complicit US media is in a frenzy. They can't really screech about Russia bombing targets in Syria because they know that's who WE are supposed to be targeting. And they can't scream about Russia ''invading'' a country, because they were invited to help out while President Peace Prize was not.
Plus, try as they might to present Russia's targeting of the ''peaceful moderate terrorists'' hired by Barack as a bad thing, ultimately, all they are left with as far as an argument goes is saying the Russians are deliberately defending the government of Assad.
Well, they think we forget but'... the United States never gave authorization to use military force in pursuit of forcing a regime change in Syria.
Obama got authorization to fight ''ISIS'''... or terrorists supposedly in Syria to remove Assad.
It's a sticky situation for the propagandists of the MSM.
I just watched some talking heads on MSNBC babbling back and forth about the Defense Secretary's recent statements on the subject. ''They're bombing the terrorists, the moderates, supposed to be ''ISIS'', and we bomb ''ISIS'', but we don't want them to bomb ''ISIS'', and Obama's moderates'... and Assad has to go, but there is no authorization'... but Russia evil'... bin Laden?''
Their heads are about to explode.
Meanwhile, as is evidenced by the statement from that Free Syrian Army terrorist, looks like our moderate ''rebels'' are about to hit the road and there doesn't seem to be much President Peace Prize can do about it.
Sure, they can threaten more terrorism targeting soft targets of Syrian civilian centers, but in the end, they know they were losing to Syrian forces alone before the US and the French started bombing Assad's forces. Now, with the Russians flying sorties in the areas, the French are probably already hiding under their mattresses back in Paris somewhere and the US are sitting on the sidelines safely on a carrier somewhere watching it all unfold.
They don't dare hit another commercial airliner with Russian satellites flying over head.
They don't dare pull off another chemical weapons attack knowing full well the Russians would be the ones investigating where that Sarin gas came from this time.
And they certainly aren't going to target Russian pilots.
Here's the irony and the brilliance of Putin's gambit:
Since we created the mythology of ''ISIS'' and now we can't uncreate it, Russia has the perfect opportunity to jump on our bandwagon and go after our ''moderate'' terrorists. Who is too say the terrorists they killed today weren't ''ISIS''? The terrorists? They might just as well be ''ISIS'' saying that and you can't take their word for it, after all, they're terrorists. And we aren't supposed to like terrorists, are we?
And as soon as the Russians and Syrians start picking through the debris and they start finding terrorist-type bombs and chemical weapons, what are the Mockingbirds going to do in the US press corps?
And God forbid they find that stuff and paychecks from the National Endowment for Democracy.
Yes, the masters of the universe have been hung by their own petards on this one.
They created the slippery evil-doers known as ''ISIS'' and now they can't unmake them as Russia uses ''ISIS'' as cover to go into Syria and bomb the crap out of our ''moderate'' terrorists.
It's kinda funny when you think about it.
No wonder Obama refused Russia's help in fighting the terrorists.
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Filed under: Scott Creighton, The ISIS Crisis
Presidential Proclamation -- To Modify Duty-Free Treatment Under the Generalized System of Preferences and for Other Purposes
GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Pursuant to sections 501 and 503(a)(1)(B) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the "1974 Act") (19 U.S.C. 2461 and 2463(a)(1)(B)), the President may designate certain articles as eligible for preferential tariff treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) when imported from a least-developed beneficiary developing country if, after receiving the advice of the United States International Trade Commission (the "Commission"), the President determines that such articles are not import-sensitive in the context of imports from least-developed beneficiary developing countries. Pursuant to sections 501, 503(a)(1)(B), and 503(b)(5) of the 1974 Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2461, 2463(a)(1)(B), and 2463(b)(5)), and after receiving advice from the Commission in accordance with section 503(e) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(e)), I have determined to designate certain articles as eligible articles when imported from a least-developed beneficiary developing country.Section 503(c)(2)(C) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(c)(2)(C)) provides that a country that is no longer treated as a beneficiary developing country with respect to an eligible article may be redesignated as a beneficiary developing country with respect to such article, subject to the considerations set forth in sections 501 and 502 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2461 and 2462), if imports of such article from such country did not exceed the competitive need limitations in section 503(c)(2)(A) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(c)(2)(A)) during the preceding calendar year.Pursuant to section 503(c)(2)(C) of the 1974 Act, and having taken into account the considerations set forth in sections 501 and 502 of the 1974 Act, I have determined to redesignate certain countries as beneficiary developing countries with respect to certain eligible articles that previously had been imported in quantities exceeding the competitive need limitations of section 503(c)(2)(A) of the 1974 Act.Section 503(d)(4)(B)(ii) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(d)(4)(B)(ii)) provides that the President should revoke any waiver of the application of the competitive need limitations that has been in effect with respect to an article for 5 years or more if the beneficiary developing country has exported to the United States during the preceding calendar year an amount that exceeds the quantity set forth in section 503(d)(4)(B)(ii)(I) or section 503(d)(4)(B)(ii)(II) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(d)(4)(B)(ii)(I) and 19 U.S.C. 2463(d)(4)(B)(ii)(II)).Pursuant to section 503(d)(4)(B)(ii) of the 1974 Act, I have determined that in 2014 certain beneficiary developing countries exported eligible articles for which a waiver has been in effect for 5 years or more in quantities exceeding the applicable limitation set forth in section 503(d)(4)(B)(ii)(I) or section 503(d)(4)(B)(ii)(II) of the 1974 Act, and I therefore revoke said waivers.Section 503(c)(2)(F)(i) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(c)(2)(F)(i)) provides that the President may disregard the competitive need limitation provided in section 503(c)(2)(A)(i)(II) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(c)(2)(A)(i)(II)) with respect to any eligible article from any beneficiary developing country, if the aggregate appraised value of the imports of such article into the United States during the preceding calendar year does not exceed an amount set forth in section 503(c)(2)(F)(ii) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(c)(2)(F)(ii)).Pursuant to section 503(c)(2)(F)(i) of the 1974 Act, I have determined that the competitive need limitation provided in section 503(c)(2)(A)(i)(II) of the 1974 Act should be disregarded with respect to certain eligible articles from certain beneficiary developing countries. Section 503(d)(1) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(d)(1)) provides that the President may waive the application of the competitive need limitations in section 503(c)(2) of the 1974 Act with respect to any eligible article from any beneficiary developing country if certain conditions are met.Pursuant to section 503(d)(1) of the 1974 Act, I have received the advice of the Commission on whether any industry in the United States is likely to be adversely affected by waivers of the competitive need limitations provided in section 503(c)(2) of the 1974 Act, and I have determined, based on that advice and on the considerations described in sections 501 and 502(c) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2461 and 2462(c)) and after giving great weight to the considerations in section 503(d)(2) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2463(d)(2)), that such waivers are in the national economic interest of the United States. Accordingly, I have determined that the competitive need limitations of section 503(c)(2) of the 1974 Act should be waived with respect to certain eligible articles from certain beneficiary developing countries.Section 502(e) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2462(e)) provides that the President shall terminate the designation of a country as a beneficiary developing country if the President determines that such country has become a "high income" country as defined by the official statistics of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Termination is effective on January 1 of the second year following the year in which such determination is made.Pursuant to section 502(e) of the 1974 Act, I have determined that Seychelles, Uruguay, and Venezuela have become "high income" countries. Accordingly, I am terminating the designation of these countries as beneficiary developing countries for purposes of the GSP, effective January 1, 2017, and I will so notify the Congress under section 502(f) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2462(f)).Section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(1)) authorizes the President to designate a country listed in section 107 of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) (19 U.S.C. 3706) as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country eligible for the benefits described in section 506A(b) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2466a(b)), if the President determines that the country meets the eligibility requirements set forth in section 104 of the AGOA (19 U.S.C. 3703) and the eligibility criteria set forth in section 502 of the 1974 Act, subject to the authority granted to the President under subsections (a), (d), and (e) of section 502 of the 1974 Act.Pursuant to section 502(e) of the 1974 Act, I have determined that Seychelles has become a "high income" country and its designation as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country is no longer within the authority granted to the President under section 502 of the 1974 Act. Accordingly, pursuant to section 506A(a)(1) of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(1)), I have determined that Seychelles is no longer eligible for benefits as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for the purpose of section 506A of the 1974 Act, effective January 1, 2017. Section 604 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2483) authorizes the President to embody in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) the substance of the relevant provisions of that Act, and of other Acts affecting import treatment, and actions thereunder, including removal, modification, continuance, or imposition of any rate of duty or other import restriction.The short form name of "Macedonia, Former Yugoslav Republic of" has been changed to "Macedonia," and I have determined that general note 4(a) to the HTS should be modified to reflect this change.NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including but not limited to title V and section 604 of the 1974 Act, do proclaim that:
In order to designate certain articles as eligible articles only when imported from a least-developed beneficiary developing country for purposes of the GSP, the Rates of Duty 1''Special subcolumn for the corresponding HTS subheadings is modified as set forth in section A of Annex I to this proclamation.In order to redesignate certain articles as eligible articles for purposes of the GSP, the Rates of Duty 1''Special subcolumn for the corresponding HTS subheadings and general note 4(d) to the HTS are modified as set forth in section B of Annex I to this proclamation.In order to provide that one or more countries should no longer be treated as beneficiary developing countries with respect to one or more eligible articles for purposes of the GSP, the Rates of Duty 1''Special subcolumn for the corresponding HTS subheadings and general note 4(d) to the HTS are modified as set forth in section C of Annex I to this proclamation.In order to reflect the change in the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, general note 4(a) to the HTS is modified as provided in section D of Annex I to this proclamation.The modifications to the HTS set forth in Annex I to this proclamation shall be effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the dates set forth in the relevant sections of Annex I.The competitive need limitation provided in section 503(c)(2)(A)(i)(II) of the 1974 Act is disregarded with respect to the eligible articles in the HTS subheadings and to the beneficiary developing countries listed in Annex II to this proclamation, effective October 1, 2015.A waiver of the application of section 503(c)(2) of the 1974 Act shall apply to the articles in the HTS subheadings and to the beneficiary developing countries set forth in Annex III to this proclamation, effective October 1, 2015.The designation of Seychelles as a beneficiary developing country for purposes of the GSP is terminated, effective on January 1, 2017.In order to reflect this termination in the HTS, general note 4(a) to the HTS is modified by deleting "Seychelles" from the list of independent countries, effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after January 1, 2017.The designation of Seychelles as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of the AGOA is terminated, effective on January 1, 2017.In order to reflect this termination in the HTS, general note 16(a) to the HTS is modified by deleting "Republic of Seychelles" from the list of beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries, effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after January 1, 2017.The designation of Uruguay as a beneficiary developing country for purposes of the GSP is terminated, effective on January 1, 2017. In order to reflect this termination in the HTS, general note 4(a) to the HTS is modified by deleting "Uruguay" from the list of independent countries, effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after January 1, 2017.The designation of Venezuela as a beneficiary developing country for purposes of the GSP is terminated, effective on January 1, 2017.In order to reflect this termination in the HTS, general note 4(a) to the HTS is modified by deleting "Venezuela" from the list of independent countries, effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after January 1, 2017. In addition, the Rates of Duty 1''Special subcolumn for the corresponding HTS subheadings and general note 4(d) to the HTS are modified as set forth in section E of Annex I to this proclamation, effective on such date.Any provisions of previous proclamations and Executive Orders that are inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation are superseded to the extent of such inconsistency. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
Russia is defending itself by attacking US forces (ISIS) in Syria.After Syria, the USA wants to use ISIS against Russia.
The USA's ISIS threatens several states in Europe.
The USA and its allies have used Islamists to topple secular (non-religious) governments in such countries as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.
Assad wants Syria to be a secular state where Christians, Alawites, Shiites and Sunnis live in peace.
ISIS is run by the USA and its allies as Prof Michel Chossudovsky explains:
"America is protecting the ISIS.
"The US air campaign is intent upon destroying Syria and Iraq rather than 'going after the terrorists'...
"Russia is (indirectly) fighting America by supporting the actions of the Syrian and Iraqi governments against the ISIS terrorists (which have) Western mercenaries and military advisers within their ranks..."
"ISIS is a creation of US intelligence with the support of Britain's MI6, Israel's Mossad, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Saudi Arabia's General Intelligence Presidency..."NATO in liaison with the Turkish High Command has been involved in the recruitment of jihadist mercenaries from the outset of the Syrian crisis in March 2011...
"ISIS together with the Al Qaeda affiliated jihadist forces of the Al Nusrah Front are the foot soldiers of the Western military alliance..."
"The most important source of ISIS financing to date has been support coming out of the Gulf states, primarily Saudi Arabia," according to Dr. G¼nter Meyer, of the University of Mainz, Germany (Deutsche Welle)
"The West has supported militant rebel groups which have since mutated into ISIS and other al'Qaeda connected militias." ( Daily Telegraph, June 12, 2014)
According to Robert Fisk, the IS caliphate project ''has been bankrolled by Saudi Arabia'':
"The broader US-NATO strategic objective is to destabilize the entire Middle East- North Africa -Central Asia -South Asia region, including Iran, Pakistan and India."
Obama wants Syria's Assad toppled because his forces have used bombs against the terrorists.The USA has massacred large numbers of civilians as the result of its bombing campaigns in:China 1945-46, Korea 1950-53, China 1950-53, Guatemala 1954, Indonesia 1958, Cuba 1959-60, Guatemala 1960, Belgian Congo 1964, Guatemala 1964, Dominican Republic 1965-66, Peru 1965, Laos 1964-73, Vietnam 1961-73, Cambodia 1969-70, Guatemala 1967-69, Lebanon 1982-84, Grenada 1983-84, Libya 1986, El Salvador 1981-92, Nicaragua 1981-90, Iran 1987-88, Libya 1989, Panama 1989-90, Iraq 1991, Kuwait 1991, Somalia 1992-94, Bosnia 1995, Iran 1998, Sudan 1998, Afghanistan 1998, Yugoslavia - Serbia 1999, Afghanistan 2001 and Libya 2011Robert Parry at Consortium News points out that the USA's bombs have killed large numbers of people in Iraq.
"In 2014, Israel used American warplanes and armaments to blast apart Gaza killing some 2,100 people - the vast majority civilians and many of them children, including four little boys playing on a beach.
"President Obama ... refrains from criticizing Israel's indiscriminate use of these devastating weapons..."Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is dropping U.S.-supplied ordnance, reportedly including cluster bombs, on the helpless population of Yemen with Obama's tacit approval and reportedly with U.S. intelligence assistance."
On 30 September 2015, Russia launched air strikes against terrorist forces in Syria.President Putin says Russia is practically the only country conducting operations "on a legitimate basis" and at the request of "the legitimate president of Syria".Meanwhile, the USA and NATO have been arming, training and leading ISIS.The Russian Defence Ministry says it has hit ISIS weapons depots, ammunition, communications infrastructure, and fuel.
According to a pro-Syrian government military source, there have been "five strikes against five areas in Syria's Homs". He said other areas may have been bombed too.
The Homs area is crucial to Assad's control of western Syria.
FAA looks to 2016 for drone rulesBy Mark RockwellSep 30, 2015A three-year-old legislative deadline for integrating unmanned aerial systems (UAS) into U.S. commercial airspace passed without being met Sept. 30. The Federal Aviation Administration is closer to its goal, but significant work remains.
The deadline to develop a framework to integrate drones and control systems into the National Airspace System (NAS) was set by Congress in a 2012 aviation funding bill.
However, the FAA has indicated that it would most likely push past the deadline. A June 2014 Department of Transportation Inspector General report stated the agency would miss the 2015 mark because of "significant technological barriers," including detection and standardized air traffic procedures and other issues.
"In the 2012 FAA reauthorization legislation, Congress told the FAA to come up with a plan for 'safe integration' of UAS by September 30, 2015," says the FAA's UAS website. "Safe integration will be incremental," the agency acknowledged, but noted that it has issued draft rules for commercial drones that weigh under 55 pounds and other measures to help move the process along.
"We are finalizing our final rule for small unmanned aircraft and will have that out next year," an agency spokesperson told FCW. "Meanwhile, we've granted more than 1,700 exemptions to commercial operators through the Section 333 process. These operations are approved and authorized by the FAA so we can ensure the safety of the public. The FAA has successfully integrated new technologies in our aviation system for decades, and we're confident we'll do the same with unmanned aircraft."
The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 grants the secretary of Transportation the authority to determine whether an airworthiness certificate is required for a UAS to operate safely in NAS. Certificates allow commercial operators and other organizations to get individual approval for a particular application.
The agency has also issued a roadmap for how it plans to integrate the systems and set up test sites for the technology around the country.
The agency recently filled two executive-level positions to lead the agency's UAS integration effort. Marke "Hoot" Gibson will become senior adviser on UAS integration, while Earl Lawrence will direct the agency's UAS Integration Office, after serving almost five years as director of the FAA's Small Airplane Directorate.
Despite the progress, congressional critics and industry organizations aren't happy about the missed deadline.
During a Sept. 10 hearing by the House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, concerning commercial UAS and the deadline, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said the Obama administration had "essentially punted" on the rules.
UAS operators are also impatient. "The FAA has had more than three years to put a small UAS rule in place," Brian Wynne, president of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, said at that hearing. "There's tremendous pent up demand for commercial UAS operations, yet the FAA isn't expected to meet this deadline."
"The current system of case-by-case approvals isn't a long-term solution for the many commercial operators wanting to fly," Wynn said. He noted that states are also moving to fill the regulatory gap, "at times with laws that they may not have the authority to enact."
About the Author
Mark Rockwell is a staff writer covering acquisition, procurement and homeland security. Contact him at mrockwell@fcw.com or follow him on Twitter at @MRockwell4.
Nobel peace laureate is the world's biggest arms dealer
"A newly released report reveals Obama is the greatest arms exporter since the Second World War." "The Congressional Research Service found that since October 2010 alone, President Obama has agreed to sell $90.4bn in arms to the Gulf kingdom. ''That President Obama would so enthusiastically endorse arming such a brutal authoritarian government is unsurprising, since the United States is by far the leading arms dealer (with 47 percent of the world total) to what an annual State Department report classifies as the world's ''least democratically governed states,'' notes Micah Zenko, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Obama has done little to promote democracy or bring an end to terror. When children in Gaza pick up unexploded ordinance, they see ''Made in Bethesda, Maryland, USA.'' "
Putin Wins: US Suspends Syrian Rebel Training Program
(Take this with a grain of salt for now but it looks like at least publicly, the Obama administration is scaling back their ''moderate'' terrorist training campaign in Syria. They had plans to train at least 5,000 destabilization terrorists by the end of the year but now that plan seems to be on hold. They say they are going to continue supporting the operatives we already have in country, but my guess is, they'll support them like Bush Sr. supported those anti-Saddam groups in Iraq back in '91 when we left. I'm sure the private meeting between Putin and Obama at the UN had something to do with this. They also knew Russia's parliament was about to vote to authorize the use of force in Syria.)
by Stuart Hooper, 21st Century Wire
Just hours after the incredible speech delivered by Russian President Putin at the United Nations General Assembly, the US has quietly announced that it will be suspending its program of training allegedly 'moderate' rebels in Syria to fight against the Assad regime.
Colonel Steve Warren told Foreign Policy that US forces were now looking to 're-evaluate' their efforts, which the news outlet calls a 'humiliating setback'.
While the US will continue to support those rebels it has already trained and deployed, it will no longer deploy new fighters.
Russia called the US move of arming and training rebels in Syria 'social engineering', with Putin being the only world leader to publicly take a stand against Western actions.
[read more here]
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Russian Parliament Votes to Allow Use of Military Force in Syria
When writing about a new development in Russia's parliament today, Reuters couldn't resist the opportunity to lie once again about Russian ''aggression'' in Ukraine. I'm so glad we have that ''free and open'' press.
The last time the Russian parliament granted Putin the right to deploy troops abroad, a technical requirement under Russian law, Moscow seized Crimea from Ukraine last year. Reuters
Note to the propagandists (Mockingbirds?) working over at Reuters: the people of Crimea held a referendum and decided they wanted to be part of Russia as opposed to part of the new neo-Nazi junta that seized control of Ukraine from the legally elected government that had been in charge. Held on March 16th, 2014, 83% of the people turned out to vote and 97% of them voted to become part of the Russian Federation. That's called ''democracy'' not ''invasion''
Today, the Russian parliament voted to allow the use of military forces in foreign countries. It's a big step for Russia. Looks like they are getting behind their popular leader's stance on Syria.
Russia's upper house of parliament on Wednesday approved the country's armed forces to be used abroad.
The decision includes only the use of the Air Force and does not foresee any ground troops operations, Kremlin Administration Aide Sergei Ivanov said Wednesday.
Syrian President Bashar Assad has turned to Russia with a request for military assistance, according to Ivanov. Sputnik InternationalAt this time, the move only allows for the use of the Air Force but that would be a devastating blow to the Obama terrorist moderate destabilization campaign taking place in Syria. When you consider the fact that Russia, Syria and Iran have intelligence assets flying around in the skies targeting our ''ISIS'' troops, Russian fighters and bombers could put an end to the regime change operation very quickly were they so inclined.
It hasn't been reported as of yet that Russian planes are flying missions over Syria. That will change very soon.
Putin has made it very clear that he thinks the only legitimate military presence in Syria is that of the Syrian people. The Russian position is a threatening one as they make it clear, US, French and other nations' airstrikes in the country are illegal.
''As you all know very well, the United States'... is launching airstrikes on the territory of Syria and Iraq, and maybe other Middle Eastern States. Recently France has joined the same analogous actions, Australia and a number of other coutnries are talking about the same thing.. I would like to note one principal moment '-- these actions are being carried out in circumvention of international law,'' Ivanov told the press. Sputnik
The US position on Russia joining the fight in Syria is predictable. Regime Change has and always WILL be the ultimate goal.
''I would simply reiterate that when President [Barack] Obama met with President [Vladimir] Putin, they agreed that the United States and Russia have a common interest in fighting ISIL in Syria. However, our position is clear that President Assad is not a suitable partner for the fight against terror and extremism in Syria. There is no sustainable path to stability within Syria that involves President Assad staying in power,'' US Embassy spokesman Will Stevens
Fox ''News'' is claiming the Russians have told the US to halt all of their airstrikes in Syria. As is the case with most of Fox's ''news'', this has yet to be confirmed.
''BREAKING: Senior US official tells @JenGriffinFNC Russian officials demand US warplanes exit Syria immediately'' Fox ''news''
The push to create Greater Kurdistan is ramping up and apparently the Russians have decided to put a halt to it. By bombing our occupying force out of northern and eastern Syria, seems like the Russians figure some of those refugees could return to their homes rather than be shipped to various neo-liberal countries for cheap labor.
Anyone thinking this is going to end up with dog-fights in the skies over Syria between US and Russian fighters, I have news for you'... ain't going to happen.
The masters of the universe want their private central bank system implemented world wide but they are smart enough to know that Russia will not back down and short of a nuclear holocaust, they probably wont lose. With allies like Iran, China and India, our coalition of the willing fascists would be outnumbered instantly. Plus, they have the economies and the public will to endure a protracted war fought with conventional weapons and we don't.
In the event of a nuclear war, what do they gain? A radioactive wasteland covering 95% of the planet? Where is the profit in that?
No. The Eurozone is tittering on the brink of collapse. The TPP and the TTIP are both faltering due to public outrage over their fascist implications. The great game on the Grand Chessboard is looking like our endgame wasn't as well planned out as they thought it was.
My guess is, they feel it might be time to recoup, regroup and cut their losses. Lock down the countries they can and squeeze them for every nickle of public/private cash they can get. Sit back, learn from their mistakes, and plot and plan some more for the next go-round.
Of course, some loose cannon (Israel? Neocons?) might try to stir the pot a little by taking pot-shots at Russian pilots. That wont be good. But with their slipping public opinion position right now, I doubt even they are that crazy.
So don't worry. This is not a bad thing. Don't run out and spend you rent money on survival nuts and berries and water tablets from Prison Planet. Take a breath. Relax. Sit back and enjoy the breathless screeching from the MSM and the so-called ''alternatives'' out there about how evil Russia is.
But just remember:
'--'--
Trying to take this site to the next level via video production is taking a bit of time and effort and it's going to require some equipment I simply don't have the money to acquire at this time. If you can, please help with that process. Anything you can do will be appreciated. I'm putting off fixing my car in order to facilitate this process. I could certainly use your help. ThanksCLEARLY WE NEED INDEPENDENT MEDIANOW MORE THAT EVERPlease help keep us up and running if you can.Speaking truth ABOUT power since June 26, 2007(For my mailing address, please email me at RSCdesigns@tampabay.rr.com)
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Filed under: Color Revolution Ukraine, destabilization Campaign Syria, Fake Syrian Revolution, Global Free Market Wars, Globalization, Neoliberalizing Syria, Neoliberalizing the Ukraine, Scott Creighton, The ISIS Crisis
Crisis actors reused. Mystery witness at Oregon College and Sandy Hook - YouTube
11 A.M., MAY 17, 2015TWIN PEAKS RESTAURANTWACO, TEXAS
The Twin Peaks chain is the most successful of America's post-Hooters wave of so-called breastaurants. (''Hooters,'' the co-founder of Twin Peaks has said, ''wasn't racy enough.'') Flirty waitresses wear skimpy mountaineering outfits: tiny khaki shorts, midriff-baring plaid shirts, climbing boots. A sign outside promises EATS ' DRINKS ' SCENIC VIEWS.
Though it had been open less than a year, the Twin Peaks in Waco was already a popular spot for Thursday Biker Nights. The Texas Confederation of Clubs and Independents'--a kind of United Nations General Assembly for local motorcycle clubs'--had never held its bimonthly meeting at Twin Peaks before, but the organization's state chairman was returning from a national convention, and he wanted to speak to as many Texas bikers as possible about various legislative initiatives. Waco is situated between Dallas and Austin, two of the most populous biker cities in Texas.
Afterward'--after nine bikers were shot dead, 20 were wounded, and an unprecedented 177 people from at least five different clubs wound up in police custody'--the Waco Police Department would claim that the bloodbath was triggered by the Bandidos and the Cossacks, a pair of rival ''outlaw motorcycle gangs'' (OMGs in law-enforcement vernacular), beefing over the things that OMGs tend to beef over: territory, respect. Months later, though, the Waco P.D. was still suppressing any video footage and ballistic analysis that could offer proof. Some of the 177 arrested (including four women) languished in jail for weeks, others for months, before they could afford to post bail. All of them, even guys who hid out in the bathroom while bullets flew, face up to 99 years in jail.
These bimonthly confederation meetings, known as COC meetings, are mostly arcane discussions of motorcycle-rights issues. They have zero history of violence. Then again, they have virtually zero history of Cossack participation. In fact, May 17 marked only the second time in memory any of the club's members had ever attended a COC meeting; for years, they'd refused to join the organization'--a direct rebuke to the Bandidos, Texas's most powerful motorcycle club and one of the nation's largest, with more than 2,000 members. But things had been ugly between the two rivals for a while'--fistfights, knife fights, roadside beatings. Infrequent, but growing in brutality.
As a general rule, bikers are not big talkers. It's an insular and suspicious world, especially in Texas, especially now, in the hazy aftermath of the bloodiest day in the often sensationalized history of American biker clubs. Nevertheless, all the Cossacks interviewed by GQ for this story insist they showed up that morning to make peace. And virtually every biker I spoke with last June and July'--Cossacks, Bandidos, members of multiple other clubs, 22 bikers in total'--believes that the real blame for all the dead bodies belongs with the Waco police.
Anonymous Cossack #1: (1) We had almost 70 men, and we showed up at the same time, because we don't like being left on the road in small groups, because of what's been happening. We went in and ordered drinks.
Vincent Glenn(officer, Waco P.D., from an affidavit dated June 15): The Cossacks and their support clubs took over the patio area, which is the exact area of the restaurant that was reserved for the [COC] meeting.
Anonymous motorcycle-club member: We noticed all the Cossacks sitting on the patio. We gave respect to them, them being a bigger group and having so many people there.
Anonymous Cossack #1: A group of seven Bandidos rolled up on bikes, furious that we were parking up front. They hit one of our prospects, an older guy'--ran over his foot.
Reginald Weathers(Bandidos, from court testimony at his bail hearing): My president and vice president tried to back in, and immediately the Cossacks on the porch came out and started pushing their bikes [away], saying they couldn't park there. [Cossacks] kept coming off the patio, over the fence'--60 to 100 guys. They were yelling at my president [and] my vice president.
Glenn(from his affidavit): Several of the Cossacks pulled their weapons, including handguns.
Anonymous Cossack #1: Of course, we're not gonna back down. We're men. One of our sergeants at arms'--our guys in charge of security'--said, ''We can take our cuts [vests with club patches] off right now, and you and I can fight.'' The guy says, ''No, we're not doin' that.'' Our sergeant at arms says, ''Then let's go in and have a beer and talk about it.''
Bodies of slain bikers lie where they fell in the Twin Peaks parking lot. Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune Herald/Polaris.
John Wilson(Cossacks Motorcycle Club, McLennan County chapter president): It looked like it was all going to calm down.
Anonymous Cossack #2: And then somebody, I think it was a Bandido, said, ''Don't talk to my president that way.''
Weathers(from court testimony): I said, ''I don't think you need to talk to my president like that.'' I didn't think it was very respectful. He hit me. My head got pulled down. There was a crowd of guys, and I couldn't see anything.
Anonymous Cossack #2: Fists flew, and it was game on. They went to the ground. Seconds later, I heard bang!
The Bandidos vs. The Cossacks
The Bandidos are terrorists. They execute people.'--Jon ''Hondo'' Moses, Cossacks, Hill County chapter
The Cossacks are a bunch of inbred corn-fed dumb fucking hillbillies. That's my personal fucking opinion on those stupid asses.'--anonymous Bandido
The Bandidos were baptized in blood. They were founded in 1966 by an ex-Marine and Vietnam vet named Don Chambers, whose road name was Mother and who led the club until 1972, when he and two other men were convicted of double murder. They abducted two drug dealers who'd cheated the Bandidos on a meth deal, forced the dealers to dig their own graves in the Texas desert, then shot them and set fire to their bodies. Chambers's three successors were all taken down by the feds for a variety of offenses. During the 1970s, '80s, and '90s, the Bandidos did everything the feds continue to accuse them of doing today, including trafficking in narcotics and prostitution. But there hasn't been a major Bandidos bust since 2011, when 39 club members and associates were arrested in Dallas, San Antonio, and Denver on gun and drug charges. Jeff Pike, the club's publicity-shy current president, has held office'--mostly quietly'--since 2005. ''The '60s are over,'' one Bandido insisted to me.
Most bikers today, in Texas and elsewhere, are community-minded law-and-order Republicans'--the less affluent, more racially diverse descendants of the Elks and the Knights of Columbus. This includes Bandidos. But as ''one-percenters,'' the Bandidos also exist in a category apart from most other clubs. More of a boast than an admission of criminal intent, ''one-percenter'' is a reference to a long-ago line attributed to the American Motorcyclist Association that 99 percent of motorcycle owners are decent, law-abiding citizens. It's unclear whether the Bandidos are, as the feds continue to insist, an organized-crime enterprise, but it is likely that they tolerate a minority of members who are criminals and who use their brothers' loyalty as cover. When I asked one Bandido whether his chapter would kick out a brother who was engaging in criminal activity, he replied cautiously: ''It would be the best thing to do.''
Roadblock (with mic) of the Zealots motorcycle club takes roll call at a COC meeting in Frankston, Texas.
Benjamin Rasmussen
Today, as the dominant club in Texas, the Bandidos enforce order among the state's thousands of bikers. ''I have personally been around the Bandidos for thousands of hours and have never known them to be violent,'' says Steve Cochran, founder and vice president of Sons of the South and a prominent spokesman for the Texas biker community. ''There are certain responsibilities as the dominant club that you have to attend to. And one of those things is to disallow knuckleheads, like what showed up at Twin Peaks, to destroy the motorcycle-riding community in the state and to disallow their ability to function.''
Much less is known about the Cossacks, except that they were founded in 1969 in East Texas, and they are growing rapidly. They claim a current membership of about 800 members, which would make them the second-biggest club in Texas after the Bandidos.
Over the past two years, the Bandidos and Cossacks appear to have been engaged in a simmering power struggle. In November 2013, two Cossacks were stabbed in a roadhouse parking lot in Abilene; the president of the local Bandidos chapter was arrested in connection with the assault. Earlier this year, on March 22, Cossacks allegedly forced a Bandido rider off I-35 in Lorena and beat him so brutally'--with chains and metal pipes'--that he nearly lost an eye. At a gas station in Mingus that same day, Bandidos confronted the Cossack son of a local politician and demanded that he remove the Texas ''rocker,'' or badge, from his cut. When he refused, they allegedly attacked him with a hammer. The FBI and members of both clubs believe several additional clashes were never reported.
Steve Cochran(co-founder and vice president, Sons of the South): There are no Bandidos in Waco. The Cossacks arrived on the scene three or four years ago. They started flexing on all the other clubs in the area. They would claim they own Waco. They would harass all the other motorcycle clubs: ''You can't ride here. This is our town.''
John Wilson(Cossacks): We never told anybody that Waco was a Cossack town, that nobody else was allowed to ride here. We were welcomed by all the different establishments. The only club that had a problem with us didn't have a chapter here. There was a Bandidos chapter in Waco, oh, probably 12 years ago, but those guys were involved in a murder in a local bar, and after that, they got shut down.
Anonymous Bandido #2: Some Cossacks might be Klan members. They wear the lightning bolts.
Wilson: I don't know if anybody actually ever said S.S. lightning bolts were outlawed, but there are no white-supremacist patches allowed. If some guy sewed one on, he might not have got called on it yet.
Anonymous Cossack #1: The Bandidos invited us to [the COC meeting at Twin Peaks]. That's why we were there earlier than any other club. We were told, ''This meeting is about us stopping all this crap.'' The agreement was made by a Bandido named Marshall Mitchell.
Marshall Mitchell(Bandidos): That's a lie. That is an absolute lie. They were never invited. Categorically absolute b.s. You can ask any motorcycle club in the world. You never bring 60 people to a meeting [as the Cossacks did; the Bandidos had about 20]. It's three people and three people, or two people and two people, and that's the way it is.
Glenn(from his affidavit): A Waco gang-intelligence officer learned that the Cossacks were upset that the Bandidos changed the location of the [May 17 COC] meeting to ''their territory.'' The Cossacks made the decision to take a stand and attend the meeting uninvited.
12:24 P.M., MAY 17, 2015TWIN PEAKS RESTAURANTWACO, TEXAS
The police were already there as the rest of the clubs arrived that morning. ''They're circling like buzzards on a dead deer,'' one biker told me. ''I look at the people I was riding with, and I said, 'This don't look right.' '' Afterward, said the Cossacks' John Wilson, ''a Waco spokesman was touting the quick 40-second response time of the police, when that was obviously false. They were here.''
The bikers believe this provides a clue to the Waco P.D.'s ongoing silence: The cops know their response was overzealous, possibly unlawful, and now they're covering it up. Some bikers believe there's an even more sinister explanation: that a firefight of some kind was supposed to happen'--that it was all part of a plan by the Waco P.D. to provoke bitter rivals into a public brawl that could be violently crushed and then used as a basis for sweeping RICO indictments.
Left to right: Elder; Switch (left) and Taz. The Desperados and Los Miradores are both ''support clubs,'' or allies, of the Bandidos.
''We basically walked into an ambush,'' says the Cossacks' Jon ''Hondo'' Moses. ''The die was cast as soon as we rode into that parking lot.''
Wilson: I didn't see who fired the first shot. I was told it was a Bandido firing into the ground, trying to break up a fistfight.
Anonymous Cossack #2: I thought it was just a warning shot from somebody. I was dazed. I stood in place. I thought they had fired a gun in the air to make everything stop.
Anonymous Cossack #1: I felt a concussion from the pistol. It was a black semiautomatic.
Anonymous motorcycle-club member: We heard a pop. Then a few more pops. Your feet start to act. There's pops from the rear, from the front, on the far side. It's like being in a war zone.
Anonymous Cossack #2: I heard projectiles zinging past me, but I didn't hear no gun going off. It was either a silenced weapon or a very suppressed weapon in the distance. I've never been so scared in my life.
Unidentified Waco P.D. officer #1(from radio traffic): Dispatch units soonest'--Twin Peaks! Shots fired, several people down!
Anonymous Cossack #1: One [shot] killed Richie, our regional sergeant at arms. Another went through the neck of our sergeant at arms. This Bandido jumped off his bike and attacked him. He was beatin' the crap out of my S.A., right? He had gloves with lead in 'em. But when my S.A. got on top of him'--he's a good ol' boy'--this other Bandido came up from behind with a pistol and shot him in the neck. Well, we assume he was a Bandido'--he wasn't with us. (2) My S.A. lived. He was very lucky. I pulled myself in underneath my motorcycle, making myself as small a target as possible. I was just breathing and hoping it would end soon. I just kept hearing shots. Long-distance.
Anonymous motorcycle-club member: Now, the first two or three pops'--me and half my crew being ex-military, we know what small-arms fire from pistols sounds like. We also know what squad automatic weapons [typically used by the military and law enforcement] sound like. After the third pop, it was nothing but squad automatic weapons.
Anonymous Cossack #1: I got shot, and I didn't know it until it started burning. I looked down and saw a hole. It was bleeding pretty bad. I wadded my shirt and held it and yelled out, ''I'm hit!'' Then I saw Diesel [a fellow Cossack] get shot in the forehead. He also took cover next to me. He wasn't shooting or nothing.
Anonymous Cossack #2: I watched the top of Diesel's head come off and land on another dude's jeans. I was probably ten yards away from where it happened. And his son was standing right there beside him and watched it happen. Watched his dad die. Another brother of mine had a gut-shot hole I could've stuck my thumb in. He had Diesel's brains on his pant leg.
Weathers(from court testimony): I was shot, I have no clue by who. It went through my right arm into my chest. I'm on a blood thinner, so it's a big deal to get hit. I ran for the other side of the vehicles parked near the Don Carlos Mexican restaurant to find some cover.
Anonymous Cossack #2: I'd guess the shooting lasted two to three minutes, but when you got bullets flying over your head, three minutes is a long time. I will never forget any of that. Nothing I'd seen in the Marines had really prepared you for that. I have a couple of friends in the Cossacks who've done three tours in Iraq. They're like, ''I've never seen no shit like this before.''
Unidentified Waco P.D. officer #2(from radio traffic): Do not send an ambulance! Have 'em stage [nearby]. This place is hot!
Wilson: The police rounded everybody up and marched us out and through the carnage in the parking lot. We were detained, but we weren't cuffed. We were just sitting there and trying to take care of our wounded. Bear was shot in the abdomen and the legs. Rattle Can was shot in his torso, and he was bleeding bad and had even started to convulse while he was there on the ground while officers stood around with rifles pointed at us. Rattle Can was laying there in a lot of pain, and my son and others were over there, trying to stick bandannas in bullet holes. He was able to talk for a while, but before they picked him up, he had slipped into unconsciousness. That's really all I want to say about that.
Anonymous Cossack #1: I was losing a lot of blood. I started to lose consciousness at that point. A member of the Boozefighters came up and helped me. He ignored the protocols of ''stay with your club''; he must have been an EMT or first responder. He told the guy to apply pressure, took shirts off and whatnot. He was saving lives.
Wilson: Not a single law-enforcement person lifted a finger to help any of the wounded. And they made it pretty clear that they were going to be violent if we tried to take our guys to the ambulance. Three men were bleeding out before our eyes. If those men were still alive 30, 40 minutes after being shot, they could have been saved. A prospect named Trainer from out of Tarrant County chapter was shot. They zip-tied him and laid him on the ground next to a Bandido they had handcuffed. I noticed him jerk a few times, laying there. We were sitting there, 30 feet from him, and weren't able to help him. About two hours later, somebody walked over, looked at him, and covered him with a yellow sheet.
Patches 101 : What Does ''ACAB'' Mean?
Bikers take their patches very seriously. And many patches mean different things to different clubs. Here's a taxonomy of the ones whose origins we could decode.'--Benjy Hansen-Bundy
1.The thirteenth letter of the alphabet, for motorcycle (or, say, meth) | 2. City chapter | 3. Nametag | 4. The Mark of the Beast | 5. ''Bandidos Forever, Forever Bandidos'' | 6. ''All Cops Are Bastards'' | 7. ''Fuck the World'' | 8. As distinct from the 99 percent of bikers who are law-abiding | 9. Rank or title | 10. Genesis 4:9, paraphrased | 11. Protesting the steep bail bonds and glacial processing of the Waco D.A. | 12. Minimum 15 pieces of personal flair. We want you to express yourself, okay?
Collectively the back patches are known as the ''colors.'' This is the ''top rocker.'' | 2. The ''bottom rocker'' claims the club's territory. According to some accounts, a dispute over the right to wear the Texas rocker might've helped provoke the shoot-out. | 3. It's rumored that Bandidos founder Don Chambers chose this ''fat Mexican'' insignia to be more racially inclusive than the then predominantly white Hells Angels. It's clumsy and racially tone-deaf, but the Bandidos do have many Hispanic members. | 4. ''Motorcycle Club''The Waco P.D.
Sergeant Patrick Swanton, the Waco Police Department's affably officious spokesman, gave seven press conferences in the first three days after the shootings. He became a minor media celebrity.
With so little evidence available to the public, Swanton had complete control of the narrative, and he took the opportunity to declare, repeatedly, that the COC meeting at Twin Peaks had been a criminal gathering and that every biker who attended was a gang member. When a reporter observed that many bikers had disputed these claims, Swanton was dismissive. ''They lied,'' he said. The dead men ranged in age from 27 to 65: seven Cossacks, one Bandido, and one unaffiliated biker'--the 65-year-old'--who was an ex-Marine recipient of the Purple Heart for service in Vietnam.
By his final press conference, Swanton seemed to be struggling to defend his early characterizations of the clubs. A reporter asked, ''Can you please respond to criticism'...that not all 170 [jailed bikers] are criminals, that a lot of [them] are totally innocent and had nothing to do with the shooting?'' ''No, I can't respond to that,'' Swanton shot back, then hastily moved on. For a while, Swanton continued posting press releases about the shootings on the Waco P.D.'s Facebook page, but all of them have since been deleted.
The Texas Department of Public Safety did its part to ramp up hysteria, leaking a ''confidential bulletin'' to CNN alleging that Bandidos in active military service were arming their chapters with grenades and C4 explosives so that they could retaliate against the police. One of the DPS's sources was a club called the Black Widows, which does not exist except in the 1978 movie Every Which Way But Loose. In response, one biker blog jeered: ''Waco Police Now Claim They Are Being Attacked by Clint Eastwood and An Orangutan Named Clyde.''
Any attempt to try to piece together exactly how the nine bikers died'--whose guns fired the fatal shots'--requires wading into JFK-assassination levels of paranoia and confusion. For instance, members of multiple clubs have claimed that when the shooting started, two Cossacks stood up inside the restaurant, took off their cuts, and put on badges. Were they undercover cops waiting for a fight to break out, and if so, did they play a part in instigating it? Other witnesses have said that a Waco cop wearing a Cossacks cut was firing shots, then helped make arrests afterward.
According to Waco police chief Brent Stroman, only three of his 16 officers discharged their weapons, firing a total of 12 rounds. But eyewitnesses dispute that figure, as does the owner of the adjacent Don Carlos restaurant, who has claimed that ''thousands of bullet rounds'' were fired. Could it be that the department's numbers don't include shots from its undercover officers? And if the bikers were firing at police, as alleged, why hasn't the Waco P.D. released any hard evidence to prove it?
''Harried handgun fights are usually a pretty inaccurate situation,'' says Cossacks chapter president John Wilson. ''Head shots happen by mistake, if at all. Someone got lucky. To have that many guys hit with torso shots and head shots'--in my experience, I would say that indicates you had trained people with long rifles and optical sights. That's accurate, aimed fire.'' (3)
A rival Bandido, who declined to be named, reached the same conclusion: ''Seven of the nine [dead] were head shots or chest shots. Who trains for that? Who?''
From left: Soldiers for Jesus president Woody Woodward; the Comanche Warriors of Athens, Texas.
The volume of arrests at Twin Peaks completely overwhelmed the city's criminal-processing system. Many of the Waco 177 waited days to be provided with a lawyer while the desperate court system sought help from neighboring cities. ''Like if you were in a fast-food restaurant and three buses pulled up,'' a local judge named Billy Ray Stubblefield told the Waco Tribune, ''and all the kids want their food just as fast as they normally do.''
It's still unclear why so many of the bikers were arrested in the first place, when it appears that so few of them were actually involved in the shoot-out. Three bikers were arrested despite arriving after the shooting stopped; Swanton later said it was because they were carrying guns'--legally, as it later appeared'--and because they were ''wearing the colors of criminal gang members.''
Swanton, meanwhile, is now trying to parlay his elevated profile into a run for county sheriff.
Wilson: We were lined up and zip-tied, had our shoes taken from us and our belts and anything in our pockets. We were taken to the Waco Convention Center, where we were set on the floor, and we spent the next 18 or so hours there.
Anonymous motorcycle-club member: They ask me to identify my belongings that are in a big old pile of shit. It's like 177 bags, no names on them.
Matt Clendennen (Scimitars Motorcycle Club): Chair, floor'--wherever we could find to sleep is where we slept, with our hands tied behind our backs. I didn't sleep much.
Anonymous motorcycle-club member: At two or three in the morning, I had my zip ties popped off for about four minutes so that I could pee. Then they put a new set on, just as tight, and brought us a piece of fried chicken and a little bitty cup of water. Have you ever tried to eat something with your hands behind your back?
Wilson: They took our clothes and put us in jail uniforms and stood us in front of a camera and told us we were on a $1 million bond and snapped our picture. I was in shock. The vast, vast majority of those people committed no crime. I kept thinking, There's some mistake.
Anonymous Cossack #2: To get out on a $1 million bond, it'll cost $100,000. How many people can just pull that out of their pocket?
Wilson: I was in jail 28 days. My son was in for 37. We're not wealthy people, so it took a lot longer for him to get his bond reduced.
Anonymous Cossack #2: I was in for 27 days. We had our bad moments, you know, when we'd get off the phone from talking to our wives or loved ones and be very down.
Wilson: Some of these guys were on PTSD medications that they were denied in jail. One of our guys was ten months out of Afghanistan, and it was very hard on him. I saw him break down several times.
Anonymous Cossack #2: They dropped my bond down to $250,000. My lawyer screamed and screamed; they dropped it down to $65,000. Here's my wife trying to raise up 10 percent to get me out of jail, and I only got to talk to her once a day for 15 minutes.
Clendennen: When I got out, I was in a hurry to pick my son up on his last day of school. My wife told him I was on a business trip, because he's 4 years old and his understanding of going to jail is you've done something wrong. We have a minivan, and my wife opened the door, and I was sitting in the backseat. He was surprised and overjoyed and confused all at the same time. The next morning, I had to get back to my job. When he woke up, he was real upset that I wasn't there. It hit him real heavy. He was thinking I was going to be gone again.
Anonymous Cossack #2: We have one guy that was a United Airlines pilot. For years. He lost his whole career.
Anonymous motorcycle-club member: When you get out of jail after being gone for 30 days, you don't have a job anymore. I got fired. Nobody wants to hire an electrician with a class 1 felony charge pending above his head.
The Waco Justice System
''The city of Waco is looking at paying out hundreds of millions of dollars,'' says Michael White, Wilson's attorney. ''I don't think we've ever seen something on the scale of 175-plus people being arrested for something they did not do.'' To survive the storm, the city's legal strategy seems to be to pressure the Waco 177 into pleading guilty to minor infractions for time served; this would preclude the bikers from being able to sue for wrongful imprisonment.
Justice of the peace Walter ''Pete'' Peterson's across-the-board imposition of $1 million bonds'--''to send a message,'' he said'--was almost certainly illegal. Waco P.D. officer Manuel Chavez later admitted in court that Peterson signed all 177 of the so-called cookie-cutter probable-cause affidavits in bulk, without specifying the evidence against each individual defendant. Peterson, it turns out, is a former state trooper with no legal training.
Nevertheless, the Waco 177 still have their work cut out for them. The judge in the case, Matt Johnson, is the former law partner of district attorney Abel Reyna. Incredibly, the foreman of the first grand jury to be convened, James Head, is a Waco P.D. detective. ''He was chosen totally at random, like the law says,'' Reyna insisted to local reporters. If this seems brazen, consider that the commission to appoint jurors was originally going to be led by Reyna's own father. Reyna only backed down under pressure, acquiescing to the process that led to Head's selection. Asked why he'd permit an active police officer to lead a grand jury investigating possible police misconduct, state district judge Ralph Strother said, ''I just thought, 'Well, he's qualified. He knows the criminal-justice system.' ''
On his first day as a grand juror, Head wore his badge and service pistol. Later, when a reporter asked him if he'd taken part in the Waco operation, Head responded: ''Not really.''
Nathaniel Penn is a GQ correspondent.
(1) At the request of some interviewees, certain names and/or identifying details have been changed or withheld.
(2) Bandido or not, this biker has yet to be identified.
(3) The DPS declined an interview request. Swanton cordially e-mailed to say he would ''touch base'' with me the following morning, then melted away.
Vatican Clarifies Pope's Meeting with Kim Davis: "Should Not Be Considered Support" | Mother Jones
On Friday, the Vatican sought to provide a few more details concerning Pope Francis' meeting last week with Kim Davis, the defiant Kentucky clerk who was jailed for her refusal to issue gay marriage licenses in Rowan County.
"The pope did not enter into the details of the situation of Mrs. Davis, and his meeting with her should not be considered a form of support of her position in all of its particular and complex aspects," official Vatican spokesman the Reverand Federico Lombardi said in a statement.
The clarification follows a wave of controversy this week after Kim Davis announced she had a private meeting with the pope during his historic visit to Washington, and claimed Francis gave her and her husband rosaries and told her to "stay strong."
"Just knowing that the pope is on track with what we're doing and agreeing, you know, it kind of validates everything," Davis said in an interview with ABC.
Days of speculation followed over whether the meeting in fact occurred and whether the pope was as progressive as some believed he was. Some on social media professed to be shocked that the leader of the Catholic Church might endorse the politics of Davis and not support same-sex marriage, despite the church's clear stance opposing the issue.
Eventually the Vatican confirmed the encounter, but with scant detail. Friday's statement appeared to downplay the importance of their meeting.
"Pope Francis met with several dozen persons who had been invited by the Nunciature to greet him as he prepared to leave Washington for New York City," Lombardi said.
Gun violence in America, in 17 maps and charts - Vox
In December 2012, a gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and killed 20 children, six adults, and himself. Since then, there have been at least 986 mass shootings, with shooters killing at least 1,234 people and wounding 3,565 more, as this map (click to view the interactive version) shows.
The counts come from the Mass Shooting Tracker, a crowdsourced database that tracks shootings since 2013. As with any crowdsourced database, it's likely missing some shootings, and some of the shootings are missing details.
The tracker uses a fairly broad definition of "mass shooting": It includes not just shootings in which four or more people were murdered, but shootings in which four or more people were shot at all. The database's organizers explained their reasoning on their website: "For instance, in 2012 Travis Steed and others shot 18 people total. Miraculously, he only killed one. Under the incorrect definition of mass shooting, that event would not be considered a mass shooting! Arguing that 18 people shot during one event is not a mass shooting is absurd."
Even under this broad definition, it's worth noting that mass shootings make up a tiny portion of America's firearm deaths, which totaled more than 32,000 in 2013.
Image credit: Soo Oh/Vox
House Investigates Scientists Pushing RICO Against Skeptics | The Daily Caller
''It was decided more than two years ago that [IGES] would be dissolved when the projects then undertaken by IGES would be completed,'' according to the group's website. ''All research projects by IGES were completed in July 2015, and the IGES website is in the process of being decommissioned.''
IGES' claim it had ''inadvertently posted'' the letter urging the president to prosecute those who don't agree with them on global warming comes after investigations revealed the group was getting millions from taxpayers, and that its founder was getting paid huge salaries for part-time work.
Soon after the letter was reported on by news outlets, independent investigations revealed that IGES had gotten $3.8 million in government grants in 2014 '-- virtually all of the group's funding came from NOAA, NASA and the National Science Foundation. But that was only the tip of the funding iceberg.
''In fact, IGES has reportedly received $63 million from taxpayers since 2001, comprising over 98 percent of its total revenue during that time,'' Smith noted in his letter, citing figures dug up by The Washington Free Beacon's Lachlan Markay.
It didn't stop there. It turns out IGES's founder and president Jagadish Shukla was making more than $333,000 in annual compensation for part-time work. This is on top of his $314,000 salary from George Mason University, according to Climate Audit's Steve McIntyre. IGES joined GMU's College of Science in 2013.
Furthermore, Shukla's receiving of funds from IGES and GMU may constitute double-dipping that's illegal under Virginia state law as well as federal law. McIntyre noted that ''as both the federal agencies (NSF, NOAA, NASA) and the university (George Mason) purport to have policies that prevent double-dipping.''
McIntyre also noted that ''IGES transferred $100,000 from its climate grants to a second corporation controlled by the Shukla family (the Institute for Global Education Equality of Opportunity and Prosperity, Inc.), which in turn transferred $100,000 to an educational charity in Shukla's hometown in India.''
And that's still not all. Members of Shulka's family were also employedby IGES. His wife, Anne Shukla, made $166,000 per year working at IGES, and the group also employed their daughter Sonia Shukla.
GMU's College of Science did not respond to The Daily Caller Caller News Foundation's request for comment, and Shukla has ignored TheDCNF's attempts to contact him in past stories.
As for IGES's claim it's in the process of being ''decommissioned,'' the science blog Watts Up With That found evidence to cast doubt on that claim. They found an active National Science Foundation grant for nearly $4.2 million that was updated in June 2015 '-- one month before IGES had allegedly completed all its projects.
''It seems this is an active grant, good for another two years,'' wrote meteorologist Anthony Watts, ''and so far, that four million dollar-plus NSF grant has produced only one paper.''
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Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
Tags: Anthony Watts, Climate Audit, George Mason University, IGES, Jagadish Shukla, NASA, National Science Foundation, NOAA, Steve McIntyre, The Institute of Global Environment and Society, Watts Up With That''It was decided more than two years ago that [IGES] would be dissolved when the projects then undertaken by IGES would be completed,'' according to the group's website. ''All research projects by IGES were completed in July 2015, and the IGES website is in the process of being decommissioned.''
IGES' claim it had ''inadvertently posted'' the letter urging the president to prosecute those who don't agree with them on global warming comes after investigations revealed the group was getting millions from taxpayers, and that its founder was getting paid huge salaries for part-time work.
Soon after the letter was reported on by news outlets, independent investigations revealed that IGES had gotten $3.8 million in government grants in 2014 '-- virtually all of the group's funding came from NOAA, NASA and the National Science Foundation. But that was only the tip of the funding iceberg.
''In fact, IGES has reportedly received $63 million from taxpayers since 2001, comprising over 98 percent of its total revenue during that time,'' Smith noted in his letter, citing figures dug up by The Washington Free Beacon's Lachlan Markay.
It didn't stop there. It turns out IGES's founder and president Jagadish Shukla was making more than $333,000 in annual compensation for part-time work. This is on top of his $314,000 salary from George Mason University, according to Climate Audit's Steve McIntyre. IGES joined GMU's College of Science in 2013.
Furthermore, Shukla's receiving of funds from IGES and GMU may constitute double-dipping that's illegal under Virginia state law as well as federal law. McIntyre noted that ''as both the federal agencies (NSF, NOAA, NASA) and the university (George Mason) purport to have policies that prevent double-dipping.''
McIntyre also noted that ''IGES transferred $100,000 from its climate grants to a second corporation controlled by the Shukla family (the Institute for Global Education Equality of Opportunity and Prosperity, Inc.), which in turn transferred $100,000 to an educational charity in Shukla's hometown in India.''
And that's still not all. Members of Shulka's family were also employedby IGES. His wife, Anne Shukla, made $166,000 per year working at IGES, and the group also employed their daughter Sonia Shukla.
GMU's College of Science did not respond to The Daily Caller Caller News Foundation's request for comment, and Shukla has ignored TheDCNF's attempts to contact him in past stories.
As for IGES's claim it's in the process of being ''decommissioned,'' the science blog Watts Up With That found evidence to cast doubt on that claim. They found an active National Science Foundation grant for nearly $4.2 million that was updated in June 2015 '-- one month before IGES had allegedly completed all its projects.
''It seems this is an active grant, good for another two years,'' wrote meteorologist Anthony Watts, ''and so far, that four million dollar-plus NSF grant has produced only one paper.''
Follow Michael on Facebook and Twitter
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
September means the beginning of sweater weather, the return of Pumpkin Spice Lattes and the launch of a new iPhone. Now that the highly anticipated iPhone 6s line has finally hit stores and is smashing sales records, the Pornhub statisticians have decided to dig through the data and found out what it is that separates iPhone-wielding Pornhub users from our Android-loyal visitors, in terms of how they interact with the site and what kinds of content they prefer. Currently, just over 60% of our traffic comes from mobile devices, so without any further ado, let's take a look at what makes each of these major subsets of Pornhub's viewership tick.
We'll start by taking a look at how traffic shares for iOS and Android have grown over the course of the last 5 years. As depicted in the chart below, back in 2010, traffic originating from devices operating on either iOS or Android accounted for a mere 12% of overall traffic collectively. Jump forward to today, and this figure has shot up to a whopping 63%.
To get even more specific, we've also tallied which types of mobile devices that our different OS-grouped users come to us from most. Interestingly, Android-based users take the lion's share of traffic shares when it comes to phone-based traffic but iOS really cleans up on the tablet front. That being said, you might want to make sure that you wash your hands after handling someone else's iPad'...
When choosing a mobile device, speed and and overall performance are generally taken into account. Here we're looking at how long iOS users tend to spend on site on average, per visit as well as how many different pages are visited per session, compared to Android fans. If we're going for efficiency here, iOS-based users get the job done faster. They tend to spend a mere 8 minutes and 40 seconds on site when they visit Pornhub and tend to reach satisfaction after just 9.8 page views. There is also an argument to be made for lasting power, which is where Android users shine. They spend a leisurely average 10:06 per visit and peak out at 10.9 page views.
Android and iOS-based users also have their own distinct tastes with regards to the types of content that they enjoy on their respective devices. To illustrate this best, our statisticians took a look at which categories earned proportionally more views from one OS group to the other. Check out our findings in the chart below.
iOS users '' let that freak flag fly. This group views videos in the Bondage and Fetish categories 105% and 66% more than Android users, who appear to prefer ebony and cartoon-themed content significantly more. Android users also enjoy more full-figured women in their porn, in that they view videos in Pornhubs's BBW category 138% more than iOS users, while iOS users like their ladies mature, as made evident by the fact that these viewers browse videos in our MILF and Mature categories 134% and 70% more than Android users. Let's move on with a look at which specific terms are searched for proportionally more within each group when compared to the other.
Within these proportional search differences, what really sets the two groups apart aside from content type is the way that they search. iOS users keep it simple with 1-2 keywords being used per search, whereas Android users get more specific, often using 3-4 descriptors to find the content that they want. Again here, we see Android users searching for a lot more ebony-themed content than iOS users, who are more interested in content featuring sex between step-relatives. We've also got the data representing the overall top searches on each operating system.
If you're a regular Pornhub Insights reader, you'll notice that the top searches here very closely resemble the top searches we often report for Pornhub overall. This is simply because mobile now accounts for so much of our overall traffic use, but there are a few notable differences between the two groups. Both search for lesbian-themed content the most overall, but iOS users have more mature-themed searches like 'step mom,' 'milf' and 'mom' charting higher on their list, indicating a stronger preference for older women in this group. Searches for ebony and cartoon-themed content rank higher with team Android. On to a look at leading ladies by operating system.
iOS seems to have been team MILF up until now, but Android wins out on this front with their crowning of MILF queen Lisa Ann (NSFW) as their most searched for porn star. Indian favorite Sunny Leone (NSFW) also ranks high here, undoubtedly because of the high proportion of Android-based traffic originating from India. iOS, on the other hand, leads with Kim Kardashian in 1st place, stoner babe Madison Ivy (NSFW) in 4th and anal queen Asa Akira (NSFW) in 5th.
We'll shift the focus over to geography now, to take a look at where each operating system is more popular in different parts of the world, as well as within the US. First off is a breakdown of traffic shares within the top 20 countries that bring the most overall traffic to Pornhub.
Within the high proportion of traffic that comes to Pornhub from mobile devices, 48% of the shares come from Android-based devices, accounting for the majority, with iOS-based devices coming in at a close second with 46% of shares. The United States, the UK, Canada and Australia are all much bigger iOS users, whereas countries like Brazil, Argentina and India all have many more Android users. With the exception of Australia, iOS use is more popular in the North, and Android in the South.
This is not unique to Pornhub, however. This interactive heatmap from statcounter illustrates where each operating system is more popular around the globe, and the findings there very closely resemble our own.The heat maps below further illustrate where iOS use is more prominent'...
'...as well as where Android users dominate.
For this next section we'll be honing in on the United States, starting with this simple map showing the states where iOS and Android are each respectively more popular. Overwhelmingly, it's a sea of blue. Though in many states the proportions are nearly neck to neck and only differ by a few percentage points, iOS does dominate in nearly every state with the exception of Texas and South Carolina.
This next chart indicates which states have the highest proportions of both Android and iOS traffic. iOS scores especially high in New England and the non-contiguous states, notably Vermont, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Alaska and New Jersey. Much like in the world at large, higher proportions of Android users are located in the southern states, namely South Carolina, Texas and Alabama.
These north-south trends are again further illustrated in these heatmaps, beginning with the distribution of iOS users throughout the country,
and wrapping up this section with this visualization of where Andoroid use is more prevalent.
To finish off, we've got some demographic-based data for you, starting with gender. As it stands, women currently account for about 24% of Pornhub's overall traffic. This number climbs slightly to 25.5% when we isolate and examine only mobile traffic, though there isn't much difference between the different operating systems in terms of gender distribution.
When it comes to age, mobile users fall on the younger end of the spectrum, when compared to Pornhub's overall age demographics. For instance, 31% of Pornhub viewers fall in the 18-24 cohort and another 30% in the 25-34 group, or 61% together. When we look at mobile traffic alone, millennials account for slightly higher traffic proportions, specifically 66.1%.
Here ends our latest Operating System battle. Were you surprised by anything that you read? Let us know in the comment section below. We'll be back before you know it with more Pornhub Insights, so be sure to check back soon!
The Screenwriter of The Martian Explains Why Being Stranded on Mars Is a "Spiritual" Experience
It's Drew Goddard's fault everyone is talking about The Martian. No, he didn't know NASA would announce there's liquid water on Mars just days before the film's release, but he was definitely there at the beginning.
Goddard, who adapted Andy Weir's book for the screen, was among the early fans of the story, when it was only on a blog, and pitched it to 20th Century Fox back in 2013 before most of us heard of it.
''I was explaining to Fox what I loved about it and why we should bet millions of dollars on an e-book,'' Goddard said. ''[I said] 'Listen: You got to think of this as a religious movie, it's just that the religion is science. It's all about how a man has faith in his beliefs, and he trusts his instincts will help him get through this.' So when you think of it like that, I think that it sort of transcends the nuts and bolts of 'How do you make water?' It becomes a much more spiritual movie.''
Goddard, who wrote Cloverfield, the early Netflix Daredevil episodes, co-wrote The Cabin in the Woods and directed that film along with a slew of TV shows, has long been a fan of science. He grew up with it and felt with The Martian, Andy Weir did something few films in the genre ever did.
''I grew up in Los Alamos, New Mexico, which is a town of rocket scientists and there was something that I never felt Hollywood ever captured about that scientist,'' Goddard said. ''I think they tend to get very... very pocket-protector. But Andy really captured this sort of casual humor and this sort of willingness to blow yourself up, if that makes sense. ''
It does, and that understanding of Weir's book is what made the author excited about working with Goddard. That and the fact the two were in constant communication during the process. In fact, in addition to lots of clarifications and small things, some of their actual conversations made it into the movie.
''There's a scene where Matt Damon is explaining what's going to happen in act three and he's talking about how physicists would never use the word 'fast' to describe space travel,'' Goddard said. ''That's actually a conversation Andy and I had. Because I needed to do that scene, and he made fun of me. 'A physicist would never use the word 'fast.'' And I liked that so much that I just put it right in the script.''
Goddard also had to take about 100 pages of Weir's book, Mark's journey at the end of act two, and condense it to a three-minute montage. But Weir was respectful to that and more, including additions to the ending.
''I didn't show him the script until I was done and happy with it because I wanted to protect Andy from this sort of second guessing that can happen on a movie, as best I could,'' Goddard said. ''And luckily I wrote up [the ending] and then I showed it to Andy and he was very happy which made me very relieved. If he hadn't liked it, I don't think we would have done it.''
If that intense passion for the project makes you wonder, ''Why didn't Drew Goddard direct The Martian?'' it's a fair question. He was originally going to before experiencing a true rarity in Hollywood.
''On one day, three projects I was working on got the greenlight all at the same time. And they all needed to go like *this*,'' Goddard said. Those three projects were The Martian, the Daredevil Netflix show (for which he was originally the showrunner) and a Spider-Man spinoff movie that eventually became Sinister Six.
''And I knew, especially with The Martian, we had a delicate time, because it was e-book,'' Goddard said. ''We needed a studio that was bold and brave to make this movie. I knew if we waited a year-and-a-half, who knows what the future would have dealt? And so I said to them, 'Listen guys: I want to make this movie, let's go. I have to go direct Spider-Man, but, let's not wait.'''
The studio went out to a wish list of directors and one said yes: Ridley Scott.
''This was just a dream come true. I don't think anyone has been more influential on my aesthetic,'' Goddard said. ''He couldn't have been more open and collaborative with me, and that's pretty much all you can ask. And all I did was watch him in awe at work. ''
Photo Credits: The Martian/20th Century Fox, Drew Goddard photo Kevin Winter/Getty Images, Ridley Scott photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP.
Contact the author at germain@io9.com.
Deaths from gun violence vs. deaths from terrorism, in one chart - Vox
In his impassioned address in the wake of Thursday's horrible shooting at an Oregon community college, President Obama issued a challenge to the media. "Have news organizations tally up the number of Americans who've been killed through terrorist attacks in the last decade and the number of Americans who've been killed by gun violence, and post those side by side on your news reports," he asked.
Okay.
Here's what that looks like (at least, for 2001-2011, the period for which we could find the most reliable data quickly courtesy of the State Department, the Justice Department, and the Council on Foreign Relations' Micah Zenko):
More than 10,000 Americans are killed every year by gun violence. By contrast, so few Americans have been killed by terrorist attacks since 9/11 that when you chart the two together, the terrorism death count approximates zero for every year except 2001. This comparison, if anything, understates the gap: Far more Americans die every year from (easily preventable) gun suicides than gun homicides.
The point Obama is making is clear: We spend huge amounts of money every year fighting terrorism, yet are unwilling, at the national level, to take even minor steps (like requiring background checks on all gun sales nationally) to stop gun violence.
"We spent over a trillion dollars, and passed countless laws, and devote entire agencies to preventing terrorist attacks on our soil, and rightfully so," Obama said. "And yet we have a Congress that explicitly blocks us from even collecting data on how we could potentially reduce gun deaths. How can that be?"
Watch: 7 mass shootings, 7 distraught Obama speeches
Anzac Day terror plot: Blackburn boy sentenced to life - BBC News
Image copyrightJulia QuenzlerA 15-year-old British boy who plotted to behead police officers at an Anzac Day parade in Australia has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Blackburn teenager will serve at least five years for inciting terrorism and will only be released once he is no longer considered to be dangerous.
He sent thousands of online messages to an alleged Australian jihadist and was planning "a massacre", the court heard.
He is believed to be the youngest Briton guilty of a terror offence.
Police said the plan hatched by the boy - who was aged 14 at the time and will remain anonymous due to his age - was "shocking in its brutality and scope".
The boy remains a "significant risk", the judge, Mr Justice Saunders, said.
Dominic Casciani, BBC home affairs correspondent, said the five-year minimum term was a "window of opportunity" to see if the boy can be deradicalised before he is then moved into the adult prison system.
But our correspondent said he may potentially never leave custody.
The race to stop the teenage terroristImage copyrightGreater Manchester PoliceImage caption Police found a wooden box labelled "Islamic State" in the boy's bedroom By BBC's Rachael Connors
The teenager - now Britain's youngest convicted terrorist - comes from a "normal" family in Blackburn, Lancashire; he had a "typical relationship" with his mother who would drive him to any appointments.
But the picture that emerged when police searched his bedroom was far from normal. On the windowsill they found a wooden box labelled Islamic State in the way a teenager might carve out the name of a pop idol.
But it was what detectives found within encrypted messages that revealed Australia was just days away from experiencing a violent terrorist attack orchestrated by the schoolboy.
Read more: How did a teenager from a "normal" family become Britain's youngest convicted terrorist?
The court heard how the boy adopted an older persona in his messages to alleged Australian jihadist Sevdet Besim, 18, in which he instructed him to carry out an Islamic State terror group inspired attack.
They had been put in touch by a well-known Islamic State recruiter, Abu Khaled al-Cambodi - also an Australian.
The plot, hatched from the bedroom of the Lancashire teenager's suburban home earlier this year, was for Mr Besim to run over at least one police officer and then behead them with a knife at the remembrance parade in Melbourne, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Anzac Day, held on 25 April each year, commemorates Australian and New Zealand personnel killed in conflicts - and this year marked the centenary of the World War One battle in Gallipoli.
In one exchange of messages, the teenager suggested Mr Besim get his "first taste of beheading" by attacking "a proper lonely person".
The pair would "in all probability" have succeeded had British police not accessed material on the boy's phone and alerted Australian police, the court had heard.
The boy later told his psychiatrist it would be a "massacre".
Mr Besim is awaiting trial in Australia next year.
Wearing glasses and grey trousers and shirt, the boy sat impassively as his sentence was read out, before hugging his tearful parents and family members in turn, and being led away.
Sentencing the teenager, judge Mr Justice Saunders said the youth would have "welcomed the notoriety" had the plot succeeded.
Image caption The boy sent thousands of messages to Sevdet Besim in Australia Image copyrightGreater Manchester PoliceImage caption When Australian police raided Mr Besim's house, they allegedly found a knife and a phone containing a martyrdom message He said it was "chilling" that someone who was only 14 years old at the time could have become "so radicalised that he was prepared to carry out this role intending and wishing that people should die".
He had been "immersed" in online extremist material and "groomed" by adult extremists who then started using him to carry out their wishes, the judge said.
Speaking outside court the boy's solicitor, Daniel King, said the family were "shocked and devastated" when he was arrested, as they had no idea about his intentions and were relieved that no one had been harmed.
'Jihadi celebrity'The court previously heard the teenager had been referred to the authorities by his school on several occasions for threatening behaviour, including telling one teacher he would "cut his throat and watch him bleed to death". He had also cited Osama Bin Laden as his hero.
The youth had found an online jihadist community through his first smartphone which "filled a void" caused by problems he was having at school and at home as well as a degenerative eye condition.
Image copyrightGreater Manchester PoliceImage caption The boy and his Australian conspirator exchanged thousands of messages Within two weeks of setting up a Twitter account he had 24,000 followers as he constructed a fantasy image of himself and "quickly became a celebrity" within the jihadi Twitter community.
He was referred to the government's de-radicalisation initiative Channel, but only paid "lip service" to attempts to reform him, Mr Justice Saunders said.
He said "no doubt lessons can and have been learnt" about how his case might have been handled.
But he stressed the blame lay entirely with "those extremists who were prepared to use the internet to encourage extreme views in a boy of 14 and then use him to carry out terrorist acts".
Image copyrightAPImage caption Parades, like this year's event in Sydney, take place across Australia on Anzac Day Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Mole, from the north west counter terrorism unit, said the boy had been known to police but had resisted intervention.
"That's a dangerous game to play because you can get people like us knocking on the door and investigating you, which is not the place we want to be dealing with 14-year-old people," he said.
MH17 '' WHY THE INVESTIGATION WILL NEVER END, THE EVIDENCE NEVER SEEN | Dances With Bears
The Australian Government is sure the Dutch Safety Board (DSB) investigation of the downing of Malaysian Airlines MH17 will fail to identify the precise cause of the crash, and will be inconclusive on who and what were responsible. A report, termed final by the DSB, is scheduled for release on October 13.
So certain of the outcome are Australian officials that since May they have been negotiating with the Dutch Government to extend for another year until August 2016 a treaty agreement for Australian police, intelligence agents and Defence Ministry officers to operate in The Netherlands. Without Australian bodies left to identify or repatriate, and only the debris of the MH17 aircraft in partial reconstruction in a hangar at the Hilversum Army Barracks, Dutch and Malaysian sources are questioning what purpose is served by the treaty extension.
In July the Australian and the Netherlands governments signed a protocol for the extension of the Australian military operation on Dutch territory. The original pact of August 1, 2014, and its protocol also provide that while they in The Netherlands, even inside the Hilversum base, the Australians will carry arms, and employ other weapons, including explosives; the pact also protects them from Dutch law if they hurt locals while using their arms. ''Are the Australians armed to guard the evidence in The Netherlands,'' asks a Dutch source, ''to prevent it from being disclosed publicly? Are the Australians arming themselves against the Dutch?''
Details of the published but unreported treaty papers, along with evidence gathered by Australian coroners and pathologists from the MH17 victims' bodies, reveal that suspicion a Russian-made ground-to-air missile did not cause, and could not have caused, the crash and the deaths had become a conviction among the investigators at Hilversum by November of 2014; that was just three months after the July 17 catastrophe.
It was this suspicion, growing certain, which was behind the exclusion of the Malaysian Government from the roster of the Joint Investigative Team (JIT), which was agreed by Ukraine, The Netherlands, Australia and Belgium on August 7, 2014. For background, read this.
Subsequent dissent among Dutch pathologists and prosecutors, surfacing guardedly but publicly in the Dutch media, was also causing problems for government ministers in The Hague. It triggered a flying visit by Prime Minister Mark Rutte to Malaysia and Australia between November 5 and 7, 2014. Rutte was then obliged to accept the Malaysian involvement in the JIT. But he was unable to conceal the underlying disagreement on what the evidence meant which the investigators had already gathered.
An Australian Government effort by then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott (below left) and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop (right) to keep the implications of the evidence from becoming public was frustrated by the release of a report by Victorian State Coroner Ian Gray in December. Click for the details.
Abbott with President Vladimir Putin, November 2014; Bishop with US Secretary of State John Kerry, November 2014; Abbott was dismissed by his party and replaced as prime minister on September 14, 2015
The CT scan, X-ray and tissue evidence presented in the Gray report, which was circulated to local victims' families, ruled out the possibility that a Buk missile attack had caused the deaths of the Australian passengers. Unwittingly and unknown publicly for several months Gray and his report are now the focus of the international effort to pinpoint blame for the MH17 crime, and prosecute the perpetrators.
From the start, on July 17, Malaysian PM Najib Razak acknowledged the possibility that the prime suspect in the affair might be the government in Kiev. For more, read this. The Malaysian Government refused to go along publicly with the US version presented by US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, on July 19. Listen to her presentation.
A US lawyer who is well-known as an expert in aircraft crash investigations says it is not unusual for the country where the crash has occurred '' Ukraine, in the MH17 case '-- to delegate to another country'--The Netherlands '-- the job of leading the technical and forensic investigation. It is ''exceptional'', he notes, for the country of registration of the aircraft and airline '' Malaysia '-- to be excluded from the investigation process.
Gabriele Gordon, a veteran German prosecutor who has analysed the MH17 records, says: ''Ukraine delegated the leading role in the criminal investigation to The Netherlands because Ukraine belongs to the suspects. The delegation was just for the investigation. It was left open which of the countries [in the JIT] would lead the prosecution or would bring the case before its national court.'' The US lawyer agrees: ''Delegation [to the Dutch] was not exactly unusual. Ukraine was a suspect, so [delegation] made sense.''
On August 7, 2014, when the treaty forming the JIT was formalized, Malaysia was not a signatory. No reason was reported at the time, neither in Kuala Lumpur nor at The Hague. Rutte (below, right) and Najib (left) had met in The Hague on July 31, but they had been unable to come to terms.
As the JIT investigation progressed, however, the Malaysian pathologists who attended the identification process at Hilversum reported their concerns to their government. The sister of Captain Wan Amran, the pilot of MH17, who went to Hilversum to identify his body, said she had seen a film of his body and had been told by investigators there were no shrapnel or bullet wounds.
The Malaysian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Fauziah Binti Nohd Taib (right), then issued a public complaint that Malaysian officials were ''not sufficiently involved'' in the Hilversum investigation. Press reports of what she said exactly have been removed from the internet. They were reported in Dutch several weeks later.
Rutte decided he should negotiate directly with Najib. On the way to their meeting, he passed to a Dutch reporter accompanying him, Xander van der Wulp, that the reason Malaysia had been excluded from the JIT was that in homicide cases Malaysia imposed the death penalty; The Netherlands did not. ''That makes it difficult to work together legally with this country, though no one speaks loudly that this is the reason, '' van der Wulp reported on November 5. This was a fabrication. The JIT agreement covered the investigation; it reserved to the signatory governments the right to prosecute under their own laws.
After Rutte and Najib had met on November 5, van der Wulp reported that the Malaysian Government's ''criticism is completely gone. [Najib] Razak called the conversation with Rutte very useful and productive.'' Van der Wulp wasn't told what the Malaysian criticism had been. Nor was he told that Rutte and Najib had agreed Malaysia would be permitted to join the JIT on the condition that it abided by the non-disclosure rule covering the evidence gathered. Rutte then flew on to Australia to meet Abbott.
The problem for Rutte, Najib, and Abbott was that they couldn't go public with the evidence the Australian pathologists and Victorian Coroner already had begun to circulate. This was that the autopsy records ruled out one cause of death of the victims '-- the allegation that a Russian Buk missile had struck MH17.
Abbott almost let the cat out of the bag before Rutte arrived in Sydney from Kuala Lumpur. ''I've become quite a good friend of Mark Rutte over the last few months,'' Abbott said. ''Obviously we have worked very closely together in responding effectively to the MH17 atrocity and the number one item in our discussions is the progress of the investigation, the progress of identification and repatriation and our shared determination to ensure this atrocity is full[y] investigated and if the perpetrators can reasonably be identified, they are brought to swift and exemplary justice.''
Abbott was reported in a Sydney newspaper as saying this on November 5. From the Australian police, intelligence services, and Defence Ministry experts, and from Coroner Gray in Victoria, briefings for Abbott had indicated, either that the Dutch investigation would identify the Ukrainian government as perpetrating an air-to-air missile attack on MH17; or else the investigation would be inconclusive, save for one point: there had been no Buk missile attack. The Australian prime minister's ''if'' and ''reasonably'' said everything.
After Abbott (below, right) and Rutte (left) met in Canberra on November 6, Rutte stuck closer to the truth, but Abbott tried to keep the Buk story alive.
Here is the Dutch transcription of what the two men said. Rutte: ''I can guarantee you that we will do everything we can to bring those responsible to justice'... I have no 100 per cent guarantee but I do have 100 per cent guarantee that we will do everything we can to bring them to justice.'' Abbott: ''We were given very strong security advice in the days following the atrocity as to the type of weapon, as to the place from where the weapon was fired and as to the likely prominence [Abbott meant provenance] of the weapon and there's been nothing since then to question that original security advice.'' In the Australian state media reporting, the difference in meaning was missed.
The Dutch-Australian problem on November 5 became clearer a few days later, on November 14 in Melbourne, when two of the Australian pathologists and coronial court officers revealed publicly at an Asian coroners convention that there were no shrapnel wounds in the bodies of the MH1 passengers. Their report can be read here. Noone noticed the importance of the admission.
By the next month the evidence of the bodies was clearer. A Buk missile explosion, with release of more than 7,800 metal fragments raking the port (left) side of the aircraft, starting at the pilot's cockpit and going back to Row 12, was impossible. An 8-page report commissioned by Coroner Gray and drafted for him by David Ranson, a pathologist who had been working at Hilversum and who was head of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, was sent to the Australian victims. Gray's purpose was to identify the cause of death and help the families understand how their loved ones had died, how swiftly, and if they had been conscious of what had befallen them.
That report was released to a reporter named Carolyn Ford. She read it, and then summarized for publication. She didn't understand the significance of what Ranson had revealed. Ranson himself was still unclear on this last month when he freely chatted. He said he had had regular debriefings and discussions with the Australian Federal Police on his findings. He denied that his use of the term ''missile'' in his reports meant a Buk. ''Don't confuse the meaning of the phrase, 'missile injuries'. It means flying objects that strike the body'.'' They were ''rare'', Ranson has reported.
Once international publication of the revelations was read, however, the problem Coroner Gray faced in revealing the December 2014 report was sharpened by communications from the Australian Federal Police and the Defence Department. Gray, constitutionally a member of the judiciary independent of the government, was requested not to release the report. So it was classified. A press request was stonewalled with a promise from Gray to respond; he didn't.
This week, on September 29, an Australian barrister, James O'Neill (below, left), launched a formal request for Gray (right) to release the December report. ''There is a compelling case,'' O'Neill wrote in his submission to the coroner, ''that the truth as to the actual causes of death of the MH17 passengers and crew, and the means by which these deaths were brought about, be known. The limited release of Dr Ranson's report thus far has not had that effect. More informed analysis and debate is contingent upon access to relevant data. Accordingly I seek the release of Professor Ranson's autopsy report to me.''
O'Neill's application is a proceeding under the Victorian Coroners Act of 2008. This requires confidentiality for autopsy data except in cases when an applicant for disclosure has a ''sufficient interest'' in the evidence; or when there is public and media interest. The local courts have ruled in favour of disclosure by the coroner for media. According to a judgement in a federal Australian court case of 2011, ''there is a need to balance the public interest in protecting living or deceased's persons personal or health information with the public interest in the legitimate use of that information.''
This means that if Gray continues refusing to disclose the MH17 report, he will face a judicial review by a higher court in open session. That would be a magnet for the international media seeking the MH17 evidence.
O'Neill has already published in the US an account of his attempts to open the MH17 investigation to public scrutiny. In this week's submission, O'Neill said: ''There has also been much public comment, much of it ill-informed and at the least premature, attributing the cause of the crash (a BUK missile is alleged) and responsibility, directly or indirectly, for that missile. Responsibility, again much of it ill informed and certainly premature, has been attributed to Russia in general and Mr Putin in particular'...There have been widespread geopolitical consequences of that event directly involving Australia, including for example singularly inept and inappropriate remarks directed at a foreign Head of State by the former Prime Minister.''
The legal problem for Gray is one of his own making. There can be no doubt that the public interest is pressing and global. However, Australian Government officials have been making claims about the cause of the deaths, which Gray's report and Ransom's evidence undermine. Under Annex 13 of the International Convention on Civil Aviation '-- the Australian Government has publicly testified this sets the rules for the JIT '' the disclosure of many kinds of evidence gathered in an air crash investigation can and must be withheld. There's an if. The evidence cannot lawfully be withheld and kept secret if the cause of crash and blame for deaths are made public by one of the investigating parties.
That is exactly what the US, Ukrainian, and Australian Governments, Abbott, and Bishop have done. They have publicly alleged that a Buk missile caused the crash and the deaths; and that when the incident occurred, the Novorussians, allegedly operating the Buk missile battery, were under Russian command, running all the way to the Kremlin. Annex 13 cannot legally be used to prevent disclosure in this circumstance. According to the US aviation accident litigator, ''the MH17 case is much harder to explain than precedent cases of military shoot-downs of civilian airliners, like the Korean KAL007 [shot down by a Soviet Airforce fighter in 1983] or Iran Air Flight 655 [shot down by the USS Vincennes in 1988]. The [International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO] rules allow a lot of discretion for disclosure and non-disclosure.There is much less [discretion] if there is relevance to findings or conclusions [of an Annex 13 report], when the evidence is directly, genuinely required [to substantiate] what is being made public.''
Rutte with President Petro Poroshenko (left); President Victor Yanukovich (right)
''The MH17 investigation,'' the US lawyer adds, ''is a very unique case. It is not as transparent as it should be.''
The ICAO took ten days after MH17 had been downed to agree on the terms of its resolution to investigate. The preamble of the July 29, 2014, text starts by ''welcoming the Netherlands initiative, as the lead investigator in accordance with Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, to send an international and independent team for the investigation of the loss of MH17, in coordination with the Ukrainian National Bureau of Incidents and Accidents Investigation of Civil Aircraft, following a request for assistance by Ukraine to ICAO and others.'' The text goes on to ''stress'... the need for a full, thorough and independent international investigation into the loss of MH17 in accordance with international civil aviation guidelines.'' It concludes by ''Urg[ing] the Netherlands, supported by concerned States and organizations, to continue and finalize the independent international investigation.''
For Annex 13 and other provisions of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, read this.
The ICAO had announced almost immediately that Ukraine was the principal in the case under Article 26 and Annex 13. The delegation of investigating authority from Ukraine to The Netherlands was also lawful and compliant with the Annex, the ICAO decided. ''The State of Occurrence shall institute an investigation into the circumstances of the accident and be responsible for the conduct of the investigation, but it may delegate the whole or any part of the conducting of such investigation to another State by mutual arrangement and consent. In any event the State of Occurrence shall use every means to facilitate the investigation'...Note 2.'-- When the whole investigation is delegated to another State, such a State is expected to be responsible for the conduct of the investigation, including the issuance of the Final Report and the ADREP reporting. When a part of the investigation is delegated, the State of Occurrence usually retains the responsibility for the conduct of the investigation.''
Annex 13 requires ''complete autopsy examination of fatally injured flight crew and, subject to the particular circumstances, of fatally injured passengers and cabin attendants, by a pathologist, preferably experienced in accident investigation. These examinations shall be expeditious and complete.''
Non-disclosure is provided in Sect. 5.12 of the Annex. ''The State conducting the investigation of an accident or incident shall not make the following records available for purposes other than accident or incident investigation, unless the appropriate authority for the administration of justice in that State determines that their disclosure outweighs the adverse domestic and international impact such action may have on that or any future investigations.'' Ukrainian officials have relied on this provision to withhold from public disclosure ''recordings and transcriptions of recordings from air traffic control units'' '' a provision added to the Annex in 2006. The Annex also requires that ''these records shall be included in the final report or its appendices only when pertinent to the analysis of the accident or incident. Parts of the records not relevant to the analysis shall not be disclosed.''
Read that last line again: press statements by Dutch officials participating in the DSB report, and in the JIT investigation, including remarks by chief Dutch investigator, Fred Westerbeke (below), are disallowed by the ICAO rules for being partial, fragmentary, prejudicial.
The Dutch magazine Elsevier, under Dutch Freedom of Information laws, has sought a copy of the JIT agreement of August 2014, its non-disclosure provisions, and 16 accompanying documents. Here they are:
On November 19, the Dutch Government refused, claiming disclosure to the press ''could endanger the relations with other countries involved.'' This wording appeared to refer, not to Australia and Belgium, but to Ukraine. Dutch media reporting the blackout interpreted this as a Ukrainian Government veto over whatever evidence and report conclusions the JIT investigation produces.
Ard van der Sleur (right), the Dutch Minister of Security and Justice, ruled: ''I believe that this interest [international relations] should prevail over the interest of transparency as this is a unique study of a very serious event'... it is foreseeable that the contacts between the relevant states and international organizations were going to run as smoothly and that they would be less inclined to share information.''
In parallel in Australia, O'Neill filed a Freedom of Information Act request for release of the Australian Government's copy of the JIT agreement. The request was passed from Bishop's ministry, which had signed the treaty with the Dutch covering the operations of Australian troops during the Hilversum investigation, until it reached the Australian Federal Police. On December 23, 2014, the police agency refused to release the agreement, citing, as had the Dutch Security Minister, the damage disclosure might have on ''the international relations of the [Australian] Commonwealth.'' This was several weeks after the Victorian Coroner had begun releasing the evidence the JIT had gathered from the MH17 autopsies, proving the absence of missile shrapnel.
Foreign Minister Bishop's public statements on the MH17 investigation started by claiming on September 30, 2014, that ''an investigation into the cause of the crash, as required by the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, is underway. The investigation has broad international participation, drawing on experts from France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Russia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as from the European Aviation Safety Agency and the International Civil Aviation Organisation.''
At the United Nations (UN) on July 15, this year, Bishop claimed the investigation by the Dutch-led group was neither as fast nor as transparent as a new, alternative tribunal might be. ''Our resolution also demands a full, thorough and independent international investigation into this act. We must have answers. We must have justice. We owe it to the victims and their families to determine what happened and who was responsible'... Justice delayed is justice denied. We owe it to the families and the loved ones of those who died on MH17 to pursue the criminal investigation as soon as possible'...Any further delay sends a very bad message to the increasing number of non-state actors who are capable of such an atrocity. The international community needs to be utterly united in condemning any attack on civilian airlines in commercial airspace.''
Bishop speaks to Russian Ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, September 2014
The Australian government radio broadcast that Bishop ''believed Russian-backed separatists were responsible for the disaster and may have mistook the commercial airliner for a Ukrainian jet.'' .
A letter to the UN signed on July 10 by the governments of Australia, Ukraine, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Malaysia claimed: ''We consider that a tribunal established by the Security Council would be the most effective mechanism to deliver justice for the families of all victims of the MH17 incident. It would also maximize international cooperation, which will be necessary for an effective prosecution.'' The official implication was that to be ''effective''; to ''maximize international cooperation'', and to produce the evidence ''for an effective prosecution'', the DSB should be superseded and the JIT replaced.
Why Bishop's foreign ministry had signed an extension of treaty with the Dutch to keep armed Australian troops at the MH17 investigation at Hilversum for another year, when the evidence falls short of ''effective prosecution'', has not been explained.
by Editor - Tuesday, September 29th, 2015
Verbazing om 'wanstaltige' foto Mark Rutte bij MH17-overleg - RTL Nieuws
Premier Mark Rutte is zich waarschijnlijk van geen kwaad bewust, maar een foto van een MH17-overleg met de politieke leiders van Maleisi, Australi, Oekra¯ne en Belgi zorgt voor veel ophef.
De foto wordt smakeloos, wanstaltig en obsceen genoemd. "Wat is het nut van deze foto. Als je zoiets doet nadat je bijvoorbeeld naar een wk voetbal bent geweest, dan kan ik dat begrijpen. Maar de MH17 ramp op zo'n jolige manier uitbuiten is respectloos", is een van de reacties op de Facebookpost.
Pieter Omtzigt van het CDA noemt het een ongepast vrolijke foto. "Deze groep mensen heeft meer dan een jaar na de ramp nog steeds geen gezamenlijk strategie om verdachten te vervolgen. Zij zouden beter hun aandacht kunnen besteden aan die lang beloofde stategie dan het maken van ongepast vrolijke foto's", zegt hij tegen RTL Nieuws.
'Gªnant' en 'ongepast triomfantelijk'Ook PVV-leider Geert Wilders heeft gereageerd. Hij noemt het op Twitter een gªnante foto. Harry van Bommel van de SP zegt dat de foto het beeld geeft alsof de dader al gepakt is. "Die foto was ongepast triomfantelijk."
Sjoerd Sjoerdsma van D66 zegt: "De foto straalt optimisme uit zoals we van de premier gewend zijn. Maar na het veto van Rusland is het stil gebleven over de vervolgingsstrategie van dit kabinet en het rapport van de OVV komt 13 oktober al. Hopelijk komt met dit optimisme ook de nodige daadkracht."
Daders MH17 berechtenBij de foto heeft Rutte geschreven dat het kabinet samen met de internationale partners hard blijft werken aan de uitvoering van de VN Veiligheidsresolutie 2166, om duidelijk te krijgen wat er gebeurd is met MH17 en de daders te berechten.
Rutte had gisteren overleg met de leiders van Maleisi, Australi, Oostenrijk, Oekra¯ne en Belgi. "Samen met deze landen werkt Nederland eensgezind verschillende alternatieven voor berechting uit." Rutte staat tussen de Maleisische premier Najib Razak en de Oekra¯ense president Petro Porochenko.
Meer op rtlnieuws.nl:
RTL Nieuws
Alek Skarlatos Responds to Shooting at His Oregon College - Us Weekly
Alek Skarlatos put his quest for the Mirrorball Trophy on hold when he heard that a shooter killed 10 people on Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Oregon community college where he was a student. According to TMZ, Skarlatos was rehearsing for Dancing With the Stars when he heard the tragic news. The site reports that he quickly left the studio and phoned friends in Oregon.
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The American Army National Guardsman, 22, became recognized as an international hero after averting a potential terrorist attack aboard a Paris-bound train in August. Skarlatos, who is competing on Season 21 of DWTS, tells Us Weekly in a statement that he wished he could have been at the school for his friends and fellow students.
"I was enrolled as a student at Umpqua Community College prior to my 2014 deployment to Afghanistan. While I was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time in August aboard a train bound for Paris, I only wish that the same could be said for today,'' the courageous 22-year-old tells Us. ''I wish that I could have been there today to assist. I praise the first responders who were on the ground today in Roseburg as they undoubtedly were integral in saving numerous lives and putting a stop to what could have been more than tragic than it is. My heart and prayers go out to this community, my community, right now."
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The young hero later tweeted that he was on his way back to Oregon.
Law enforcement officials have identified the gunman as 26-year-old Chris Harper Mercer, and have confirmed that the shooter is dead.
During an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Thursday, Skarlatos noted how small the town of Roseburg is and that he could've been on campus were he not competing on DWTS.
''I mean, it's a fairly small community college and just the town in general, everybody knows each other, so with that many deceased, I mean everybody's going to know at least one person,'' the war vet told the talk show host. ''I mean I would have been there today if I didn't agree to do this show. I had classes picked out and everything.''
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Last SlideNext SlideLincoln County Sergeant Sheriff Terry Anderson guards the entrance of Harrisburg High School after a shooting in Harrisburg, SD; Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015.(Photo: Emily Spartz Weerheim / Argus Leader, Emily Spartz Weerheim / Argus Leader)Buy Photo
At a glance
A Harrisburg High School student entered the school Wednesday morning and got into a struggle with principal Kevin Lein. The student pulled out a gun and Lein was shot in the arm, police say.Assistant principal Ryan Rollinger heard the gunshot and tackled the shooter, police say. Activities director Joey Struwe and Rollinger held the suspect down until police arrived.No students were injured. The school was placed on lockdown and students were bused to the Harrisburg middle school for pickup after 11 a.m.Lein was released from the hospital Wednesday afternoon, his wife said.School officials have stated that classes will resume tomorrow.Ryan Rollinger ran toward the sound of a gun.
A shooting Wednesday in Harrisburg High School wounded the school's top administrator, but authorities said it could have been worse if not for Rollinger, the school's assistant principal.
The Harrisburg native, an assistant football coach and former player, tackled the teenage shooter and held him down with help from another staff member until police arrived. Rollinger's actions probably saved others from danger, said Jim Holbeck, superintendent of the Harrisburg School District.
"You really never know what this student would have done if they hadn't confronted him," Holbeck said. "If he already shot once, who knows?"
Counselors will be available to the school's 710 students when they return to classes today, less than 24 hours after the violent scene unfolded.
ARGUS LEADER
Students shaken, secure after Harrisburg shooting
A student entered the school's main office and struggled with Principal Kevin Lein before taking out a handgun, police said. The student fired one shot, hitting Lein in the arm and leaving the principal with what Holbeck described as a "flesh wound."
No students were injured.
Police were called at about 10 a.m. and the school was placed on lockdown three minutes later.
"All the kids are safe, and that's really the main message here," Sioux Falls Police spokesman Sam Clemens said.
Students were evacuated and bused to Harrisburg's South Middle School at about 11 a.m. to be reunited with parents.
The shooting sparked a district-wide response. All other Harrisburg schools locked their doors when notified, going into a "shelter-in-place" response, Clemens said. At least one police officer responded to each school as a precaution.
Activities Director Joey Struwe helped Rollinger hold the student until police arrived.
Assistant Principal Ryan Rollinger (Photo: Submitted)
Rollinger was visibly shaken, Holbeck said.
"I have a principal who suffered a bullet wound," Holbeck said. "I have an assistant principal who got a little roughed up."
Despite the scare, Lein seemed to be recovering from his injuries. His wife, Amy, said he was released from a hospital Wednesday afternoon.
Lein, an impassioned educator who has spent recent years making major changes in the classroom, used the intercom after the shooting to express his love for students.
Lein later called Holbeck from the hospital.
"He is in very good spirits," Holbeck said. "His first question was how am I doing, so that tells you a little bit about him."
The school's quick response started when staff pushed "panic buttons" to alert police the school was going into lockdown, and then called 911, Holbeck said.
Buy PhotoKevin Lein, Harrisburg High School principal, on Sept. 3 (Photo: Joe Ahlquist / Argus Leader)
Harrisburg educators conduct yearly drills to prepare for the worst, Holbeck said.
"For years we've been '-- schools have been trying to figure out how to prepare for this," Holbeck said. "And you hope it never happens in your backyard."
He said he was happy with the response, not with the events that led to the shooting.
"We certainly would change that people think about other options than using guns," Holbeck said. "And that's just a shame."
School officials asked parents to keep a safe distance before the lockdown ended. Parents were updated about response plans through the district's emergency alert system.
Chane Patten, 41, couldn't help but drive to the high school before he knew what would happen with his 15-year-old son, a freshman. He stood on a gravel path, south of the entrance to the school's parking lot.
"They asked parents to stay away," Patten said. "Which is kind of difficult to do."
A state patrol car and other vehicles blocked access to the lot. Sirens flashed in the distance as responders helped evacuate students and sweep the school grounds.
Police were in the early stages of the investigation but believe the student acted alone, Clemens said.
Sioux Falls Police information officer Sam Clemens gives the latest updates on the shooting.
