End of Show Mixes: UKPMX - Oh My Bosh - Danny Loos-Secret Agent Paul-Stepford Wives-PlaceBoing- Dave Courbanou - Able Kirby - Jungle Jones - Chris Wilson - Tom Starkweather - Conan Salada - Future Trash
Verschillende groepen boze Friezen willen proberen om de komst van de actiegroep Kick Out Zwarte Piet (KOZP) naar Friesland te verhinderen. Op Facebook zoeken mensen contact met elkaar. 'Mensen, jong en oud, zijn boos'', zegt een bron, die anoniem wil blijven. 'Iedereen zoekt verbinding met elkaar op dit moment en ze co¶rdineren alles.''
Veel Friezen zijn niet blij met de komst van de anti-Pietactievoerders, die in Dokkum een 'Mars voor Beschaving' willen houden om 'een statement te maken voor een inclusief Sinterklaasfeest (C)n een samenleving zonder racisme.'' Onderneemster Jenny Douwes (39) uit Drachten startte met anderen een initiatief, Project P, tegen de demonstranten, maar dit werd verboden door de burgemeester van Dongeradeel, waar Dokkum onder valt. De burgemeester noemde de actie 'opruiing'.
Vanaf de Afsluitdijk, waar tijdelijk kunstwerken zijn, willen de Friezen de bussen met anti-Pietdemonstranten gaan volgen.
''¸ ANP
'Ik vind het onterecht dat ik word beschuldigd van opruiing, terwijl wij slechts op een ludieke manier willen laten merken dat wij de (C)chte opruiers, namelijk die anti-Pietactivisten, niet tussen onze kinderen in Dokkum willen hebben. De kinderen worden bang van hun geschreeuw'', zei Douwes eerder tegen De Telegraaf. Of zij iets te maken heeft met de aangekondigde acties, is onbekend.
De flyer die circuleert in Dokkum (links).
''¸ De Telegraaf / ANP
Verschillende Friese actievoerders willen de bussen met anti-Pietdemonstranten vanaf de Afsluitdijk gaan volgen. Andere Friezen zouden zelfs naar Noord-Holland afreizen om de bussen van daaruit te escorteren. In en rond Dokkum circuleert een flyer waarop burgers worden opgeroepen om 'in actie te komen' en de bussen van KOZP 'niet door te laten'. Ook wordt het verbod van Project P op de flyer gehekeld.
Chauffeurs rijden 'Kick out Zwarte Piet'-betogers klem op sn... - De Standaard Mobile
In de Nederlandse provincie Friesland stond het verkeer op de snelweg A7 bij Joure urenlang stil omdat actievoerders willen verhinderen dat tegenstanders van Zwarte Piet de intrede van Sinterklaas in Dokkum verstoren.
Het was chaos troef op de Nederlandse snelweg A7 op zaterdagochtend. Meerdere bestuurders, die deel uitmaken van actiegroepen, reden er bussen klem met mensen die wilden betogen tegen de intrede van Sinterklaas in Dokkum omdat ze vinden dat Zwarte Piet een racistisch gegeven blijft.
De actiegroepen 'Kick Out Zwarte Piet' en 'Nederland wordt Beter' konden op de autosnelweg plots geen kant meer op toen hun bussen werden klemgereden door personenwagens. De chauffeurs hadden zich verspreid over verschillende plekken op de A7 om de weg voor betogers tegen Zwarte Piet te blokkeren.
Ongevallen en voetgangers
Door de chaos ontstond in geen tijd een lange file achter de bussen richting Dokkum en gebeurden verschillende ongevallen. De Nederlandse politie waarschuwde ook voor mensen die te voet op de snelweg liepen om te kijken wat er aan de hand was of om zo actievoerders die wilden 'ontsnappen' om te gaan betogen, tegen te houden.
De politie van Friesland kreeg de situatie pas na enkele uren onder controle. De bussen met mensen die tegen Zwarte Piet willen betogen, mochten doorrijden.
Volgens de Nederlandse omroep NOS worden in Dokkum 25.000 mensen verwacht voor de landelijke intocht van de goedheilig man en zijn gevolg.
Apple's diversity chief out after outcry | New York Post
Apple's diversity chief is stepping down after only six months on the job '-- after causing an outcry by saying that being a minority or a woman are not the only criteria for diversity, according to reports.
Denise Young Smith, who was named vice president of diversity and inclusion in May, made controversial comments last month during a One Young World Summit in Bogot, Colombia.
''There can be 12 white, blue-eyed, blond men in a room and they're going to be diverse too because they're going to bring a different life experience and life perspective to the conversation,'' the inaugural diversity chief said.
''Diversity is the human experience,'' she said, according to Quartz. ''I get a little bit frustrated when diversity or the term diversity is tagged to the people of color, or the women, or the LGBT.''
Her comments appeared to defend Apple's overwhelmingly white and male leadership at a time when the company's makeup is markedly uneven.
The 20-year Apple veteran, who previously served as the company's head of worldwide human resources, later apologized for her remarks, telling the staff that they ''were not representative of how I think about diversity or how Apple sees it.''
''For that, I'm sorry,'' she said in an email. ''More importantly, I want to assure you Apple's view and our dedication to diversity has not changed.''
Smith will leave the company at the end of the year, TechCrunch reported. Taking over as VP of inclusion and diversity will be Christie Smith, who spent 17 years as a principal at Deloitte.
''We deeply believe that diversity drives innovation,'' an Apple spokesman told TechCrunch in a statement. ''We're thrilled to welcome an accomplished leader like Christie Smith to help us continue the progress we've made toward a more diverse workplace.''
Unlike her predecessor, Christie Smith will not report directly to CEO Tim Cook, but rather to human resources chief Deirdre O'Brien, according to Fortune.
In 2017, only 3 percent of Apple's leaders were black, and women held just 23 percent of tech jobs, according to Fortune. Female leadership stood at 29 percent, Apple said.
''Meaningful change takes time,'' the company said in its diversity report. ''We're proud of our accomplishments, but we have much more work to do.''
Dr. Martens Portland billboard evokes white supremacist symbol, activists say | OregonLive.com
Activists are asking why Dr. Martens chose an image that resembles a classic white supremacist skinhead symbol for a holiday billboard in inner Southeast Portland.
The billboard, which is visible at Southeast Madison and Seventh Avenue, displays black boots with red plaid laces and the phrase, "Rock the holidays." On Twitter, anti-hate group activist Sam Sachs pointed out that black Dr. Martens -- colloquially called "Doc Martens" -- with red laces are a white supremacist symbol that implies the wearer has committed an act of violence.
The Southern Poverty Law Center lists Dr. Martens with red or white laces in the "Racist Skinhead Glossary."
According to Randy Blazak, chair of Oregon's Coalition Against Hate Crime and a criminologist who specializes in hate groups, Dr. Martens have been connected to racist skinheads since the 1970s.
Black Dr. Martens with white shoelaces are a symbol of "general white power," Blazak said over the phone Thursday.
"The idea," he continued, "is that you graduate from white laces to red laces once you've spilled somebody's blood."
Blazak said he knows Dr. Martens has been working to distance itself from the racist skinhead image and he is surprised it would allow an ad like this to be displayed, especially in Portland.
"In Portland, where we're tagged as 'Skinhead City,'" he said, "it's triggering."
It's been 29 years since Mulugeta Seraw was murdered in Portland by three racist skinheads, he pointed out.
"If I was an Ethiopian person or a person of color," Blazak said, "I would say, 'that's racist Portland right there.'"
The symbol has known to activists in Portland. It drew an angry response outside of Jeremy Christian's first hearing when a man who said he was Christian's friend stopped to lace up his red laces with black boots.
The crowd called him a "Nazi" and "Facist Neo-Nazi" but the man said, "I'm not going to get into a debate with people. I know I'm a good person."
Christian is accused of stabbing three men, leaving two of them dead and one wounded, on the MAX train in May during what witnesses said was a racist rant against two teenage black girls, one who was wearing a hijab.
Several messages left at Dr. Martens corporate office in Portland went unreturned Thursday and Friday.
Margaret Haberman contributed to this report.
-- Lizzy Acker
503-221-8052
lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker
#MeToo
Gene Simmons to Fox News Staff: Sorry for Offending You - The Daily Beast
Gene Simmons released a statement Friday after The Daily Beast reported that Fox News had banned him for life following a sexist, wildly inappropriate outburst at their offices. ''I have appeared frequently over the years on various Fox News and Fox Business programs and have a tremendous amount of respect for the talented women and men who work there,'' the statement read. ''While I believe that what is being reported is highly exaggerated and misleading, I am sincerely sorry that I unintentionally offended members of the Fox team during my visit.'' According to a source with knowledge of the offending incident, Simmons burst uninvited into a Fox News website staff meeting and proceeded to shout ''Hey chicks, sue me,'' bare his chest, tell pedophilia jokes, and bop two employees on the head with his book.
Ryan Seacrest Denies "Reckless" Allegations From Former Stylist | Hollywood Reporter
Ryan Seacrest is the latest entertainer to be accused of misconduct.
The claim comes from a former E! wardrobe stylist, who has come forward to allege that Seacrest behaved inappropriately toward her during his tenure at E! News nearly a decade ago. While the contents of her accusation are not yet public, Seacrest has opted to speak out, strongly disputing the allegations, and will fully cooperate with the investigation into the matter that is currently taking place at E!
''Recently, someone that worked as a wardrobe stylist for me nearly a decade ago at E! News, came forward with a complaint suggesting I behaved inappropriately toward her. If I made her feel anything but respected, I am truly sorry. I dispute these reckless allegations and I plan to cooperate with any corporate inquiries that may result,'' Seacrest's statement reads.
''I treat all my colleagues with kindness, dignity, and understanding, as this is a principle that's core to who I am. Throughout my 25 years in the entertainment industry, the majority of my co-workers have been women, and I've endeavored to foster a positive work environment of mutual respect and courtesy, as that's how I believe it should be,'' he adds. ''I'm distraught that anyone or any situation would call that into question. I'm proud of my workplace reputation, and believe my track record will speak for itself. I'm an advocate for women. I will continue to support their voices.''
The longtime host, who has projects and partners across the media landscape, is not commenting on the specifics of the allegations, which were made roughly a week ago. The alleged victim is said to have, through her representation, made a substantial financial ask in exchange for her silence, which, a source tells The Hollywood Reporter, Seacrest declined via his lawyers.
The news comes amid a wave of sexual-harassment allegations that have rocked Hollywood over the past month-plus, beginning with back-to-back bombshell reports in The New York Times and The New Yorker that detailed allegations of sexual assault by Harvey Weinstein.
McConnell Calls For Ethics Investigation Into Al Franken's Alleged Sexual Misconduct
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is calling on the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate allegations that Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., kissed and groped a woman without her consent in 2006.
''As with all credible allegations of sexual harassment or assault, I believe the Ethics Committee should review the matter. I hope the Democratic Leader will join me on this. Regardless of party, harassment and assault are completely unacceptable '-- in the workplace or anywhere else,'' the Kentucky Republican said in a statement, according to The Hill.
Democrat New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand stated that she also supports an investigation, according to NPR reporter Susan Davis.
Sen. Gillibrand says she support an investigation into Franken allegations.
'-- Susan Davis (@DaviSusan) November 16, 2017
Gillibrand was among the legislators who introduced the ''ME TOO'' Act yesterday aimed at addressing sexual harassment toward congressional staff members and interns on Capitol Hill, according to CBS News.
TRENDING:Flashback: John McCain Labeled 2008 Sexual Misconduct Accusations a 'Smear'
Radio and television personality Leeann Tweeden tweeted a photo on Thursday of Franken grabbing her breasts while she was asleep.
WARNING: The photo below will be offensive to some viewers.
The incident happened in December 2006 when the two were on a USO tour in the Middle East prior to Franken being elected senator, she recounted in a story for KABC.
Tweeden revealed that Franken also forcibly kissed her without her consent.
''When I saw the script, Franken had written a moment when his character comes at me for a 'kiss'. I suspected what he was after, but I figured I could turn my head at the last minute, or put my hand over his mouth, to get more laughs from the crowd,'' the media personality recounted.
Tweeden continued, ''On the day of the show Franken and I were alone backstage going over our lines one last time. He said to me, 'We need to rehearse the kiss.' I laughed and ignored him. Then he said it again. I said something like, 'Relax Al, this isn't SNL'...we don't need to rehearse the kiss.'''
Franken persisted, saying actors need to rehearse everything, so Tweeden finally relented.
RELATED:White House Officials Float New Name to Replace Roy Moore in Senate Even if He Wins the Race
''We did the line leading up to the kiss and then he came at me, put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth,'' she wrote.
''I immediately pushed him away with both of my hands against his chest and told him if he ever did that to me again I wouldn't be so nice about it the next time.''
Tweeden recalled that when she walked away all she could ''think about was getting to a bathroom as fast as possible to rinse the taste of him out of my mouth. I felt disgusted and violated.''
She said the photo of Franken groping her was taken on an Air Force transport plane during their trip back to the United States.
When she saw it, she ''felt violated all over again. Embarrassed. Belittled. Humiliated. How dare anyone grab my breasts like this and think it's funny?''
She showed her boyfriend, now husband the picture at the time, but decided against going public.
Franken apologized to Tweeden on Thursday in a statement.
''I certainly don't remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies to Leeann. As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasn't. I shouldn't have done it,'' he said.
Radio talk show host Larry O'Connor wrote that Tweeden will join him Thursday afternoon on his Washington, D.C. based program to discuss the incident.
The interview is slated to take place at 3:05 p.m. EDT.
'Al Franken kissed and groped me without my consent,' Leeann Tweeden says. The senator apologized. - The Washington Post
Broadcaster and model Leeann Tweeden said Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) "forcibly kissed" and groped her during a USO tour in 2006. (Reuters)
Broadcaster and model Leeann Tweeden said Thursday that Al Franken ''forcibly kissed'' and groped her during a USO tour in 2006, two years before the Minnesota Democrat's election to the U.S. Senate '-- prompting Franken to apologize and call for a Senate ethics investigation into his own actions.
''You knew exactly what you were doing,'' Tweeden wrote in a blog post. ''You forcibly kissed me without my consent, grabbed my breasts while I was sleeping and had someone take a photo of you doing it, knowing I would see it later and be ashamed.''
The allegations came two days after a stunning hearing in Washington, where lawmakers acknowledged sexual harassment is a pervasive problem on Capitol Hill '-- and amid mounting sexual misconduct accusations against Alabama Republican Roy Moore, who has brushed off calls from GOP leaders to end his Senate campaign.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) called on the Senate Ethics Committee to review the 11-year-old allegations against Franken, who first issued a brief statement of apology, then later a longer one in which he called for an investigation, saying, ''I will gladly cooperate.''
''There's more I want to say, but the first and most important thing '-- and if it's the only thing you care to hear, that's fine '-- is: I'm sorry,'' Franken said. ''I respect women. I don't respect men who don't. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed.''
Tweeden said she accepted Franken's apology.
''Yes, people make mistakes and, of course, he knew he made a mistake,'' she said at a news conference in Los Angeles, where she works as a radio news anchor for KABC. She said she would leave any disciplinary action up to Senate leaders and was not calling for Franken to step down. ''That's up to them. I'm not demanding that.''
[Female legislators recount harassment stories at hearing]
USO tours usually include live performances by celebrity entertainers to boost morale of U.S. service members, and Tweeden said in her blog post that the 2006 trip to the Middle East was her ninth such trip.
At the time, Tweeden was a Fox Sports Network correspondent and fitness model. Franken, a former writer for ''Saturday Night Live,'' was an Air America radio host just months away from announcing his Senate candidacy.
Tweeden recalled that Franken ''had written some skits for the show and brought props and costumes to go along with them. Like many USO shows before and since, the skits were full of sexual innuendo geared toward a young, male audience.''
Franken, she said, ''had written a moment when his character comes at me for a 'kiss'. I suspected what he was after, but I figured I could turn my head at the last minute or put my hand over his mouth, to get more laughs from the crowd.''
Al Franken and Leeann Tweeden perform a skit in front of more than 2,000 U.S. service members during the 2006 USO tour. (PJF Military Collection/Alamy)
But on the day of the show, she wrote, ''Franken and I were alone backstage going over our lines one last time. He said to me, 'We need to rehearse the kiss.' I laughed and ignored him. Then he said it again. I said something like, 'Relax Al, this isn't SNL '... we don't need to rehearse the kiss.'
He continued to insist, and I was beginning to get uncomfortable.
He repeated that actors really need to rehearse everything and that we must practice the kiss. I said 'okay' so he would stop badgering me. We did the line leading up to the kiss and then he came at me, put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth.
I immediately pushed him away with both of my hands against his chest and told him if he ever did that to me again I wouldn't be so nice about it the next time.
I walked away. All I could think about was getting to a bathroom as fast as possible to rinse the taste of him out of my mouth.
I felt disgusted and violated.
In his first statement, Franken said: ''I certainly don't remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies to Leeann.'' He also acknowledged that he shouldn't have taken a photo from the tour that Tweeden had included in her blog post.
The image shows Franken looking into a camera, his hands either over or on Tweeden's chest as she slept.
''The tour wrapped and on Christmas Eve we began the 36-hour trip home to L.A.,'' Tweeden wrote. ''After two weeks of grueling travel and performing, I was exhausted. When our C-17 cargo plane took off from Afghanistan I immediately fell asleep, even though I was still wearing my flak vest and Kevlar helmet.''
Upon returning to the United States, Tweeden said, she was ''looking through the CD of photos we were given by the photographer'' when she came across the image. It was not immediately clear who took the photo.
Three years after the trip, Franken was presented with a USO Merit Award to recognize the tours he'd taken overseas to visit troops as well as his visits with wounded soldiers at military hospitals.
In his longer statement Thursday, Franken elaborated on his apology for the photo.
''I don't know what was in my head when I took that picture, and it doesn't matter. There's no excuse,'' he said. ''I look at it now and I feel disgusted with myself. It isn't funny. It's completely inappropriate. It's obvious how Leeann would feel violated by that picture. And, what's more, I can see how millions of other women would feel violated by it '-- women who have had similar experiences in their own lives, women who fear having those experiences, women who look up to me, women who have counted on me.''
On a Thursday episode of the KABC radio show ''McIntyre in the Morning,'' Tweeden said she wanted to tell the world about the photo a decade ago but was worried about her career. She convinced herself, she said, that ''it was not going to be worth the fight.''
''People are going to go, 'Oh you're a model. You've been on the cover of Playboy, you're a lingerie model and a swimsuit model and you're a sportscaster and you're a girl in Hollywood' '-- are they going to believe you?'' Tweeden said on the air, shortly after her blog post was published. ''Somehow it was going to be my fault. Somehow it was going to come down on me and he was going to get off scot-free.''
Tweeden said she finally decided to share her story because ''the tide has turned.''
''So many people have come out. And I've wanted to tell this story because it's bugged me for so long. It's made me angry for so long. I've been humiliated for so long,'' she said. ''Now is the time '-- don't wait, don't hold it in '... We've got to change the culture. We've got to change the silence.''
[Leading Senate Democrats call for ethics investigation into Al Franken]
The allegations rocked the Capitol, prompting numerous senators, including more than a dozen Democrats, to call for an ethics investigation.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) condemned her home state colleague's behavior. Just last week, the Senate had unanimously approved a bill, which Klobuchar co-sponsored, that will mandate sexual harassment training for all senators and their staffs.
''This should not have happened to Leeann Tweeden,'' Klobuchar said. ''This is another example of why we need to change work environments and reporting practices across the nation, including in Congress.''
President Trump ignored shouted questions about Franken and Moore as he entered a meeting with House Republicans at the Capitol.
On Tuesday, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) announced that the House will adopt a policy change to make anti-harassment training mandatory for all members and staff.
That announcement followed a congressional hearing during which members publicly came to terms with sexual harassment as a pervasive problem on Capitol Hill. Female lawmakers aired tantalizing details, albeit without naming names, of unwanted sexual comments and advances taking place in their midst.
''This is about a member, who is here [in Congress] now. I don't know who it is, but somebody who I trust told me this situation,'' Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) said at the hearing Tuesday.
Harassers have propositioned staff members by asking: ''Are you going to be a good girl?'' Some have exposed their genitals to victims. Others have grabbed victims by their private parts on the House floor, Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) said.
''In fact, there are two members of Congress, Republican and Democrat, right now, who serve, who have not been subject to review but have engaged in sexual harassment,'' said Speier, who has been pushing for years to make anti-harassment training a requirement.
During a speech on the Senate floor on Sept. 21, 2010, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) called Leeann Tweeden a "beautiful woman." Tweeden said on Nov. 16 that Franken "forcibly kissed" her in 2006. (C-SPAN)
Lawmakers in recent weeks have come under pressure to improve the workplace culture on the Hill amid reports from multiple news outlets, including The Washington Post, of lewd comments, unwanted sexual advances and other examples of sexual misconduct that have plagued Congress for decades.
More than 1,500 former congressional employees have signed a letter urging Congress to require anti-harassment training and to overhaul the reporting process, which advocates say is stacked against the victim and designed to protect the institution.
Last week, the Senate for the first time in its history required members and their aides to receive anti-harassment training. The Office of Compliance and the Office of House Employment Counsel currently provide training upon request.
[Sen. Al Franken's effort to play down sexual assault allegation is complicated by his own past comments]
Last month, as sexual assault accusations began to mount against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, Franken took to Facebook to applaud the bravery of the women who shared their stories.
''It takes a lot of courage to come forward, and we owe them our thanks,'' he wrote. ''And as we hear more and more about Mr. Weinstein, it's important to remember that while his behavior was appalling, it's far too common.''
On Thursday, Tweeden said sexual harassment and abuse was happening far beyond Hollywood, and encouraged other victims to step forward.
''This is happening in Middle America,'' she said. ''This is happening for women who work at Chili's. This is happening for women who work in an office building somewhere in Iowa and Kansas and Florida. This is happening for women who have no power and no say to speak up. I think the tide is turning.''
Karen Tumulty, Ed O'Keefe, Paul Kane, J. Freedom du Lac, Mark Berman and David Weigel contributed to this report, which has been updated. The Post is examining workplace violations on Capitol Hill and the process for reporting them. To contact a reporter, please email michelle.lee@washpost.com, elise.viebeck@washpost.com or kimberly.kindy@washpost.com.
More reading:
Two more women describe unwanted overtures by Roy Moore at Alabama mall
Kayla Moore emerges as her husband's fiercest and most vocal defender
Woman accuses former president George H.W. Bush of groping her when she was 16
Al Franken Allegedly Grabbed Joy Behar's Breast at Comedy Central Roast for Rob Reiner (Photo)
The photo, seen below, was taken at the New York Friar's Club Roast of Rob Reiner. The event, which took place in October 2000, was presented by Comedy Central.
Joy Behar and Al Franken at the New York Friar's Club Roast of Rob Reiner. The roast was presented by Comedy Central. 10/06/2000 (Scott Gries/ImageDirect)
On Thursday, The View co-host reacted to the photo of Franken and Tweeden '-- taken during a two week USO Tour by, according to the USO, Sen. Franken's brother Owen Franken '-- and said, ''it's just so disappointing.''
''It was disappointing to hear this about Al Franken. I can't back Al. He's a very funny comedian, he was during this time. He's a senator from Minnesota,'' Behar said. ''He's a great advocate for women. It's just so disappointing. Men of all different stripes are out there doing crazy sh*t.''
Behar said Tweeden's claims that Franken shoved his tongue down her throat without her consent during a rehearsal for a USO skit are ''more upsetting than the picture, because in the picture he was obviously making a joke.''
''I don't know if he actually had his hands on her, but it's the part [about the USO skit] where he thrust his tongue down her throat, allegedly, and forced her to kiss him. That is what you call nonconsensual assault,'' Behar said.
Franken apologized, twice, for groping Tweeden and called for a Senate ethics probe into his own behavior.
''I am asking that an ethics investigation be undertaken, and I will gladly cooperate,'' he wrote.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson
The TED talks empire has been grappling with sexual harassment, interviews and internal emails show - The Washington Post
The TED talks empire has been grappling with sexual harassment, interviews and internal emails show - The Washington Post
SAN FRANCISCO '-- When Gretchen Carlson, a former Fox News anchor who now campaigns against sexual harassment, took the stage at a TED event this month, she described 2017 as a tipping point in the fight against workplace misconduct.
But behind the scenes, TED owner Chris Anderson and other senior officials had been grappling with accusations for much of the year that their own conferences, famed for turning short speeches by leading figures into viral videos, had not been a safe place for women '-- and that the atmosphere of predatory male behavior was getting worse.
At least five people, including a past main stage speaker, told TED officials that they were harassed or groped during the organization's flagship conference in Vancouver in April, according to interviews and email correspondence seen by The Washington Post.
The nonprofit's general counsel Nishat Ruiter said in an April email to TED's senior leadership that she, too, had been ''touched inappropriately but let it go.'' She added she was finding it difficult to believe the issue was being ''addressed by TED effectively. We are clearly not doing enough.''
In a statement to The Post, TED acknowledged that several incidents had occurred at the Vancouver conference and said it had taken action.
TED owner Chris Anderson. (Oxford Union/REX/Shutterstock/Associated Press) ''We did hear from a small number of women attendees at TED2017 about harassment. As a result, two men were immediately disinvited and won't be returning,'' TED said.
TED also said: ''Creating a safe and welcoming environment is critical to the success of our conferences, and we have no tolerance for harassment of any kind. As soon as we heard there were issues at our conference in 2017 we took immediate action to address the specific allegations, then worked with leading experts to upgrade our code of conduct. Today we make the code of conduct extremely clear to all TED conference attendees, and encourage our community to report violations.''
In the decades since TED's original owners got the idea of turning 18-minute talks by world leaders, chief executives, academics, artists and others into a business under the slogan ''ideas worth spreading,'' the conferences and spinoff events have become known as a meeting place for the global elite, particularly leaders in the technology industry. The Sapling Foundation, Anderson's private foundation, acquired TED in 2001.
The gatherings are regarded as a place where the likes of former Microsoft chief executive Bill Gates, scientist Richard Dawkins and former vice president Al Gore could be encountered in the hallways, and the organization's talks have been watched online more than 1 billion times worldwide.
Most people pay $10,000 to attend and must apply for tickets.
[They were sexually harassed at work. They reported it. Here's what happened.]
The Post reviewed email exchanges among senior TED officials at the time of the April conference, sparked by a complaint by a longtime attendee, who complained of sexual harassment and being offered ''every drug known to man.'' The problem was so bad that the woman decided to pack her bags and leave, telling Anderson that it would be her last TED conference.
Anderson forwarded the complaint to his leadership team, saying, ''I don't want to overstate what's here (until we can find more) but I do think we'll need to think seriously about what more we can do.''
Tom Rielly, the organization's director of partnerships whose satirical monologues are the traditional closing event of the conferences, wrote in response that harassment had occurred in past years.
''I'm afraid as difficult as it is to talk about, experiences like this have been going on for years, to varying degrees,'' Rielly wrote. ''I agree this is absolutely heartbreaking and stomach turning.'' He also suggested that alcohol could be fueling the misconduct.
Ruiter, the general counsel, said that she had heard of more such incidents at this year's conference.
''I heard from so many women unprompted about the type of advances that were everywhere, and that felt 'different' from years past,'' Ruiter wrote. ''This included a TED Prize winner and two TEDsters who spoke to me about this and more than one staff member.''
Ruiter then quoted complaints she had heard from other women at the conference.
''I was literally jumped on, grabbed, and held,'' Ruiter wrote. ''Guys are taking major liberties.''
And it went on. ''Don't say anything .'.'. but please change this,'' one woman pleaded with Ruiter, according to the email she sent to her colleagues.
TED did not make Anderson, Rielly or Ruiter available for interviews. The three did not respond to personal inquiries.
Nilofer Merchant, an author and former Apple executive whose 2013 TED talk received nearly 3 million views, said in an interview that sexual harassment is not a new problem for the TED conferences.
''The same thing was happening five years ago. It's still happening,'' she said. ''What's different now is we're sharing our stories.''
At the April conference, Merchant said a longtime attendee pressed his erection against her at a bar. She recalls mouthing to her friend who was nearby: Help me.
''In this awkward moment, you're trying not to make it an issue,'' she said in an interview. ''I'm trying to spend my time at TED, which I paid $10,000 to attend, talking to people about ideas and not worry about the guy with his boner pressed against me.''
Merchant said she saw the same man approach two of her friends, who were talking to a TED newcomer in her early twenties, and say, ''Oh, three black women together. What should I do with that?''
She reported the incidents to TED officials. She said she was only told Thursday that the man she had reported had been banned.
In their email exchanges, Anderson, Rielly and others discussed ways to address such problems, including whether to make an announcement from the stage about an anonymous hotline, created in November of 2016, that would forward complaints to TED leadership.
They discussed communicating a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment of attendees, creating clear guidelines and penalties for behaviors that constitute harassment, and coming up with a formal process to handle complaints.
The TED officials also expressed worries about the complaints becoming public.
''It seems 51 percent chance or more that there will be at least social media posts about the issue if not articles (What is our response),'' Rielly wrote.
Still, Rielly also wrote that the first step to addressing the issue could be to ''Admit we have a serious problem.''
TED told The Post that in November 2016 it had added language to its code of conduct for attendees that specifically prohibited harassment ''in any form'' and added a reporting process for incidents. In the summer, TED included additional language that banned ''sexual harassment of any kind, including unwelcome sexual attention and inappropriate physical contact.'' It also began to promote the policy actively to attendees, mentioning it from the stage.
Big corporate conferences, including TED, present a particular challenge in setting standards of appropriate behavior because of the blend of work and socializing and because attendees are not direct employees.
In Silicon Valley, such events are seen as crucial to cultivating relationships that could lead to business deals. TED says its conferences are for ''high-level relationship building'' and direct sales pitches are forbidden.
Jess Ladd, a TED fellow and founder of Callisto, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting sexual assault, said conferences often involve alcohol and off-site networking, which can open the door to improper interactions.
''If your boss harasses you, you know you can go to HR,'' she said. ''But if it's a powerful investor or an academic in your field, it's really hard to know what to do and what your options are.''
Conferences approach the problem in different ways. The World Economic Forum's annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland, said it screens attendees who are not heads of state or chief executives, and revokes invitations if it learns of misconduct.
Some conferences have been updating their policies in light of recent high-profile sexual harassment scandals.
Summit, which attracts an elite technology industry crowd, updated its sexual harassment policy this year to include language that explicitly bans ''unwelcome sexual attention,'' ''inappropriate physical contact'' and ''sexual images in public spaces.''
South by Southwest, the annual gathering in Austin, referred a reporter to its code of conduct, which does not specifically mention a ban on sexual harassment by attendees (it bans harassment of all kinds). On its website, DEF CON publishes a similar code of conduct. The Aspen Ideas Festival said it has no published harassment policy for attendees, but it encourages staff to report incidents.
Internally, TED also has faced sexual harassment complaints against its own managers.
Jordan Reeves, a former junior staffer, said in an interview that while he was working at the organization, he was harassed by Rielly in 2014. Rielly told him ''incredibly'' explicit jokes at work and told him that his ''ass looked nice'' in jeans.
''I was hearing from everybody, men and women alike, about misconduct,'' Reeves said. ''It seemed so systemic that I was overwhelmed.''
Reeves said he complained about the incidents to Anderson and another executive, telling them that ''if things don't change systemically I'm going to leave.''
Anderson replied that Rielly was only joking and asked Reeves to keep the conversation between them, according to Reeves.
Reeves, who said he cried during the meeting, gave notice about six months later.
[Not just Harvey Weinstein. The depressing truth about sexual harassment in America.]
TED said in its response: ''There was indeed an unhappy staff departure in 2014, but it's not correct that the situation was not investigated. We believe it was dealt with appropriately.''
In 2014, TED offered to settle a sexual harassment case for about $31,000 with a young woman who worked on one of the organization's digital marketing teams, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.
The woman's lawyer told Anderson that the woman's boss had repeatedly asked her about her sex life, according to a May 2014 complaint she filed to TED, which was obtained by The Post.
After she reported the misconduct, her boss took her off some accounts she had developed '-- a move she saw as retaliatory, according to the complaint. That document also alleges that TED had initially asked her to keep working for the same boss.
TED did not comment on the settlement.
The accusations against TED come at a time when allegations of sexual harassment and abuse by powerful men are roiling Hollywood, Silicon Valley and Congress.
The heightened awareness of sexual misconduct in the workplace and other professional settings was sparked in part by Carlson, who reached a $20 million settlement with Fox in 2016 after suing her old boss Roger Ailes for sexual harassment.
''Right now is the tipping point,'' Carlson said at the TEDWomen conference in New Orleans this month, choking up at points throughout her 14-minute speech. ''We are watching history happen. More and more women are coming forward and saying, 'Enough is enough.' ''
The conversation among the leadership of TED in April was set off by an email from Brooke Hammerling, the founder of Brew Media Relations.
On April 27, as the annual conference was underway in Vancouver, she wrote an email to Anderson, saying she had felt ''fearful as a female'' at the event and had decided to leave a day early.
''This is my last TED,'' she wrote, according to the messages viewed by The Post.
''I was told by different people many married that for example I was hot, my figure was awesome, did I sleep with'' '-- she named a technology celebrity '-- ''and I was asked why I wasn't married because I was 'hot' so should be able to land a dude,'' Hammerling wrote. ''I was offered every drug known to man '... I was pushed. Literally pushed.''
''Wow, this just about made me throw up,'' Anderson responded.
After Anderson told Rielly about Hammerling's complaint, Rielly told the TED leadership team that Brooke is a ''great person'' whom he knows has experienced unwanted attention in the past.
''If she left it must've been really bad,'' Rielly wrote.
In an interview Friday, Hammerling said: ''I was really uncomfortable and disturbed by it, as were other women who were in the vicinity.''
She praised the initial response by Anderson as ''wonderful'' and said she had been reimbursed for her attendance.
''He was upset about it and responded to me immediately,'' she said. ''We got together on the phone, and I gave them my suggestions.''
After that: ''I never heard anything,'' she said.
''TED it is meant to be a different experience,'' Hammerling said. ''It's meant to be a collective of thoughtful people who have taken time '-- at great expense '-- to learn and expand, to be part of something really beautiful. It's supposed to be a safe environment.''
Read more:
More companies are buying insurance against sexual harassment complaints
How confidentiality agreements hurt '-- and help '-- victims of sexual harassment
TED Talks Empire Grapples With Sex Misconduct Problem: WaPo - Across America, US
A Republican representative for the Ohio state legislature has resigned after being caught having consensual sex with a man in his legislative office. Wes Goodman, whose Twitter profile describes him as a 'Christian. American. Conservative. Republican. Husband to @ Beth1027' ran for the Ohio state legislature in 2016 on a platform of small-town family values. His website states:
Healthy, vibrant, thriving, values-driven families are the source of Ohio's proud history and the key to Ohio's future greatness. The ideals of a loving father and mother, a committed natural marriage, and a caring community are well worth pursuing and protecting.
Unfortunately for Goodman, while his marriage was 'natural' according to Christian conservative standards, it seems to have been anything but committed. Like so many white Christian males who have gone before him, Wes Goodman appears to have been speaking out and voting for legislation against the very issues he himself was struggling with. We almost feel sorry for him.
When Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger (R) heard of the allegations against Goodman, he purportedly confronted the embattled legislator and asked for his resignation. Stated Rosenberger:
I was alerted to details yesterday afternoon regarding his involvement in inappropriate behavior related to his state office. I met with him later in the day where he acknowledged and confirmed the allegations. It became clear that his resignation was the most appropriate course of action for him, his family, the constituents of the 87th House District and this institution.
Question, Mr. Speaker. Was Goodman asked to resign because he was caught 'behaving inappropriately' at his place of work (their official reason for Goodman's resignation), or because he was caught having sex with a man at work?
After his resignation, Goodman stated:
We all bring our own struggles and our own trials into public life. That has been true for me, and I sincerely regret that my actions and choices have kept me from serving my constituents and our state in a way that reflects the best ideals of public service. For those whom I have let down, I'm sorry. As I move onto the next chapter of my life, I sincerely ask for privacy for myself, my family, and my friends.
We sincerely hope for Mr. Goodman's sake that the 'next chapter' involves accepting himself for who he is rather than hiding his self-hatred behind Christianity and Conservatism. But it is more likely that it will involve a trip to a 'sexual treatment center', a big dose of self-loathing due to his body's 'unnatural' desires, and possibly even some flogging to remove himself of his demons.
Such are the trials and tribulations of the closeted gay Christian Conservative.
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I'm a feminist. I study rape culture. And I don't want Al Franken to resign. - The Washington Post
Broadcaster and model Leeann Tweeden said Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) "forcibly kissed" and groped her during a USO tour in 2006. (Reuters)
As a feminist and the author of a book on rape culture, I could reasonably be expected to lead the calls for Al Franken to step down, following allegations that he forced his tongue down a woman's throat, accompanied by a photo of him grinning as he moves in to grope her breasts while she sleeps. It's disgusting. He treated a sleeping woman as a comedy prop, no more human than the contents of Carrot Top's trunk, and I firmly believe he should suffer social and professional consequences for it.
But I don't believe resigning from his position is the only possible consequence, or the one that's best for American women.
Cynics on both the right and left will presume I am passing by this particular steam tray on 2017's smorgasbord of feminist outrage because Franken is a Democrat, and so am I. (I was even his proud constituent for two years.) In the most superficial sense, this is true. But it's meaningless to say it's because I am a Democrat without asking why I am a Democrat. If you understand what it means to be a Democrat today '-- that is, why it makes sense to vote blue over red in this highly polarized political environment '-- you can understand why it might not make the most sense to demand Franken's resignation, effective immediately.
[No sexual harasser is irreplaceable. Not even Al Franken.]
In this clip from The Washington Post Opinions' roundup, "It's Only Thursday," deputy editorial page editor Ruth Marcus, opinion writer Jennifer Rubin, and editorial board contributor Quinta Jurecic discuss the political implications of the sexual misconduct allegations against Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore and Sen. Al Franken. (Kate Woodsome/The Washington Post)
I am a Democrat because I am a feminist who lives under a two-party system, where one party consistently votes against the interests of women while the other sometimes does not. I am not a true believer in the party itself nor in any politician. I am a realist who recognizes that we get two viable choices, and Democrats are members of the only party positioned to pump the brakes on Republicans' gleeful race toward Atwoodian dystopia. Meanwhile, I recognize that men's harassment of and violence against women is a systemic issue, not a Democrat or Republican problem, a Hollywood problem, a sports problem, or a media problem. Its roots lie in a patriarchal culture that trains men to believe they are entitled to control women's bodies '--for sex, for sport, for childbearing, for comedy.
When you combine these things '-- an awareness that the Democratic Party is no more or less than best of two, and an understanding that men in power frequently exploit women '-- it becomes difficult to believe that Franken is the only sitting Democrat with a history of harassment, abuse or assault. The recent #metoo campaign demonstrated how normalized unwanted kissing and groping are in our culture. Donald Trump was caught on tape crudely admitting to both of those transgressions, and we made him our president. According to the CDC's National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 1 in 3 women experiences some sort of contact sexual violence in her life. Sexual harassment and assault are simply too widespread for Democrats to respond to Franken's offense with only Franken in mind: We need to respond in a way that helps us develop a protocol for meaningful change.
It would feel good, momentarily, to see Franken resign and the Democratic governor of Minnesota, Mark Dayton, appoint a senator who has not (as far as we know) harmed women. If I believed for one second that Franken is the only Democrat in the Senate who has done something like this, with or without photographic evidence, I would see that as the best and most appropriate option. But in the world we actually live in, I'm betting that there will be more. And more after that. And they won't all come from states with Democratic governors and a deep bench of progressive replacements. Some will, if ousted, have their successors chosen by Republicans.
[Capitol Hill has a sexual harassment problem. And no amount of training is going to stop it.]
In other words, if we set this precedent in the interest of demonstrating our party's solidarity with harassed and abused women, we're only going to drain the swamp of people who, however flawed, still regularly vote to protect women's rights and freedoms. The legislative branch will remain chockablock with old, white Republican men who regard women chiefly as sex objects and unpaid housekeepers, and we'll show them how staunchly Democrats oppose their misogynistic attitudes by handing them more power.
Isn't that hypocritical? I hear you asking, Because Republicans won't do the right thing, we shouldn't, either? But if the short-term ''right thing'' leads to long-term political catastrophe for American women, I think we need to reconsider our definition of the right thing. I am in no way suggesting that we decline to hold Franken accountable for his offenses '-- only that we think in terms of consequences that might actually improve women's lives going forward.
For example, if Franken genuinely wishes to be an ally to women, as he claimed in an expanded statement Thursday, here's what I would like to see him do. First, cooperate fully with an ethics investigation, as promised. Second, declare as soon as possible that he will not run again in 2020, so other Democratic candidates for that seat have plenty of time to prepare their campaigns. Third, go on a listening tour to learn what the women of Minnesota '-- Native American women, Somali women, Hmong women, Karen women, disabled women, queer women, working-class women '-- most want him to fight for in his remaining time, and go to the mat for their needs. Accept that some women will not want to talk to him at all, or will only want to yell at him for being a pig. Go anyway.
Broadcaster Leeann Tweeden said Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) "forcibly kissed" and groped her in 2006. Here's what Franken has said in the past about sexual violence. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)
After all that, I would like to see him support a qualified progressive woman, who will carry on that important work, to run for his seat. (If she won, she would be the second woman ever elected to represent Minnesota in the Senate. Minnesota has been a state since 1858.) Whether he does so publicly or behind the scenes will depend on the sincerity of his atonement and Minnesotans' perception of same. If they forgive him, he can stump for her, but if they don't, he can still offer fundraising expertise, connections and advice privately. He can leverage the many advantages of being an older, famous white man (which inevitably persist despite temporary ignominy) to elevate a progressive woman to the political height he once achieved.
[Maybe we can't root out all sexual harassment. But we can end most of it.]
Then, when (okay, if, but like I said: I'm a realist) another Democratic politician's sexual misconduct is revealed, we can ask the same of him. Don't just apologize and drop out of sight. Do penance. Live the values you campaigned on. Be a selfless champion for women's rights.
There are, of course, limits to this formula. If a Democratic official is credibly accused of a violent assault, or if their alleged abuses relate to or involve their work in politics, we should demand their resignation and encourage a full investigation. As I write this, only one woman has alleged that Franken assaulted her; if her story emboldens others to tell theirs, and the senator is revealed to be a serial predator, then I wouldn't want him in a position of power for one more minute. And if by some miracle, Republicans actually do start holding their own accountable for sexual misconduct '-- instead of arguing about whether a grown man who preys on teenagers is fit for office '-- then most of my argument dissolves. In that happy circumstance, I would gladly throw all the sexist jerks in the sea, regardless of party affiliation.
But in a sharply divided political climate where toxic masculinity knows no party, yet is only ever acknowledged by one, we must think about how to minimize harm to women. One more empty apology and resignation, one more head on a pike, will not make American women safer or better off. Powerful men lifting up women's concerns and supporting progressive women candidates, however, could be a real step toward changing the culture that makes victims of so many of us.
Jeffrey Tambor Accused of Sexual Harassment by 'Transparent' Actress Trace Lysette
Another woman has come forward with accusations of sexual harassment against ''Transparent'' star Jeffrey Tambor.
Trace Lysette, a trans actress who has had a recurring role on the Amazon series, issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday accusing Tambor of having made ''many sexual advances and comments at me, but one time it got physical.''
In the statement, Lysette detailed an encounter she had with Tambor while filming a Season 2 episode of the show, saying that Tambor thrusted himself against her on set after sexualizing her with an ''over the top comment.''
Also Read:Amazon Launches Jeffrey Tambor Investigation Amid Sexual Harassment Accusations
''My back was against the wall in a corner as Jeffrey approached me,'' she said. ''He came in close, put his bare feet on top of mine so I could not move, leaned his body against me, and began quick, discreet thrusts back and forth against my body. I felt his penis on my hip through his thin pajamas and I pushed him off of me.''
Tambor denied the allegations in a statement provided to TheWrap:
For the past four years, I've had the huge privilege '-- and huge responsibility '-- of playing Maura Pfefferman, a transgender woman, in a show that I know has had an enormous, positive impact on a community that has been too long dismissed and misunderstood. Now I find myself accused of behavior that any civilized person would condemn unreservedly. I know I haven't always been the easiest person to work with. I can be volatile and ill-tempered, and too often I express my opinions harshly and without tact. But I have never been a predator '' ever. I am deeply sorry if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being sexually aggressive or if I ever offended or hurt anyone. But the fact is, for all my flaws, I am not a predator and the idea that someone might see me in that way is more distressing than I can express.
Also Read:Mark Schwahn Suspended From 'The Royals' Amid Sexual Harassment Investigation
An Amazon spokesperson said the new allegations would be folded into the existing investigation into Tambor's behavior.
Earlier this month, Amazon opened an investigation into the actor after Van Barnes, a trans actress and Tambor's former assistant, accused him of sexual harassment in a private Facebook post, allegations which Tambor ''adamantly and vehemently'' denied.
Also Read:'One Tree Hill' Showrunner Mark Schwahn Accused of Sexual Harassment by Cast, Crew Members
At the time, Jill Soloway, the creator of ''Transparent,'' said that the show was fully cooperating with the investigation, adding that ''anything that would diminish the level of respect, safety and inclusion so fundamental to our workplace is completely antithetical to our principles.''
Brett Ratner
Six women have accused the director and producer of sexual misconduct, including Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge. Ratner's lawyer says no woman has ever requested or received any financial settlement from Ratner.
Fallout: Ratner chose to personally step away from all Warner Bros. related activities, and Playboy put Ratner's biopic about Hugh Hefner on hold. Ratner has filed a libel lawsuit against one of his accusers, Melanie Kohler.
Getty Images James Toback
Hundreds of women contacted an LA Times reporter to accuse Toback of sexual harassment and assault, including Selma Blair, Rachel McAdams, Julianne Moore and Caterina Scorsone.
Fallout: Just before the LA Times story broke, Toback told Rolling Stone that anyone who has accused him, ''is a lying c---sucker or c--- or both.'' Toback and Harvey Weinstein are both under investigation by the Beverly Hills police department.
Getty Images Mark Halperin
Halperin sexually harassed five women while political director at ABC News over a decade ago. A sixth woman, journalist Emily Miller, said she was ''attacked'' by him.
Fallout: NBC News terminated Halperin's contract as a special contributor, Showtime, which airs Halperin's show ''The Circus,'' cut ties with the journalist, and CAA dropped him from their client list. Halperin issued a lengthy public apology.
Getty Images Kevin Spacey
Actor Anthony Rapp told Buzzfeed that Spacey made a sexual advance on him three decades ago when Rapp was 14. More than a dozen other individuals subsequently came forward with claims of sexual harassment or assault, including an anonymous former actor who said Spacey tried to rape him when he was 14.
Fallout: Spacey apologized to Rapp and also came out as gay, which was widely criticized. Netflix since announced that "House of Cards" would end and halted production on the sixth and final season. The Old Vic theater in London, where Spacey was artistic director, also opened a confidential tip line.
Getty Images Louis C.K.
Five women accused C.K. of masturbating in front of them or requesting to in a New York Times report. The comedian later admitted the allegations were true in a statement, stopping short of apologizing for the behavior.
Fallout:HBO, Netflix, FX and TBS all cut ties with the comedian, dropping his projects from their networks. The premiere of his film "I Love You, Daddy" was canceled, and he was cut from "The Secret Life of Pets 2." His publicist, manager and touring agent all dropped him as a client.
Getty Images Dustin Hoffman
Anna Graham Hunter, who worked with Hoffman as a production assistant, said Hoffman attempted to grope her four times and made a lewd comment while on set.
Fallout: Hoffman issued an apology, saying it was ''not reflective of who I am.'' Later that same day, a second woman accused him of sexual harassment.
Getty Images Michael Oreskes
Two women told The Washington Post Oreskes made unwanted sexual contact towards them while he was Washington bureau chief of The New York Times.
Fallout: Oreskes was forced to resign as Senior Vice President of News and Editorial Director at NPR.
Getty Images Jeremy Piven
Actress Ariane Bellamar, a former Playboy Playmate, tweeted that Piven groped her on the set of ''Entourage'' and at the Playboy Mansion, twice cornering and fondling her. Actress Cassidy Freeman later accused Piven of "predatory behavior."
Fallout: CBS is looking into the situation, and Piven has ''unequivocally'' denied the allegations and offered to take a polygraph test to prove his innocence.
Getty Images Ed Westwick
The "Gossip Girl" star has been accused of sexual assault by two women, including actress Kristina Cohen, who said Westwick forced himself on her while she was napping at his house. Westwick denied the allegations, calling them "provably untrue."
Fallout: Westwick said he was "cooperating with the authorities" on an investigation to clear his name. The BBC announced that it pulled his drama series ''Ordeal by Innocence'' from its schedule, and the production company behind the series "White Gold" said he had "paused" filming in light of the allegations.
Getty Images Andy Dick
Sources close to the production ''Raising Buchanan'' told The Hollywood Reporter Dick's misconduct on set included kissing, licking, groping and making lewd propositions toward at least four members of the production.
Fallout: Dick was fired from the production of ''Raising Buchanan'' and from the film "Vampire Dad." Dick denied the groping claims but said it was ''possible'' he licked people.
Getty Images Roy Price
Amazon Studios head Price allegedly told ''The Man in the High Castle'' producer Isa Hackett, ''You'll love my dick,'' during a cab ride.
Fallout: Amazon placed Price on a leave of absence.
Getty Images Chris Savino
Several female employees at Nickelodeon accused ''The Loud House'' showrunner of sexual assault, with 12 other women accusing him of sexual misconduct and threats of being blacklisted.
Fallout: Nickelodeon fired Savino, but will continue to air and produce the show. Savino has since apologized.
Getty Images Andrew Kramer
Lionsgate international COO Kramer was investigated for an accusation of inappropriate behavior toward a female assistant.
Fallout: Kramer left Lionsgate, but the company's internal investigation was ruled ''inconclusive.''
Ken Baker
Three women anonymously spoke with TheWrap claiming Baker, an E! News correspondent, sent inappropriate text messages and in one instance groped a woman at a party.
Fallout: E! is investigating the accusations and Baker will not appear on air during the investigation. Baker said in a statement to TheWrap that the ''anonymous allegations are simply not true, and, frankly, are heartbreaking to hear.''
Ben Affleck
Affleck grabbed actress Hilarie Burton's left breast while on air during an appearance together on MTV's ''Total Request Live.''
Fallout: Affleck wrote on Twitter, ''I acted inappropriately toward Ms. Burton and I sincerely apologize.''
Getty Images Andy Signore
Several women alleged sexual misconduct against Signore, the creator of the YouTube series ''Honest Trailers.'' Signore was accused of sexual assault, sending inappropriate messages and making lewd comments to employees.
Fallout: His employers at Defy Media and Screen Junkies fired Signore following an investigation.
Getty Images Bill O'Reilly
After being fired from Fox News earlier in April, it was reported in October by the New York Times that O'Reilly paid $32 million to settle sexual harassment claims from a coworker.
Fallout: O'Reilly told Matt Lauer he'd done ''absolutely nothing wrong'' and that this was ''a political and financial hit job.''
Fox Tyler Grasham
Actor Blaise Godbe Lipman said APA agent Grasham fed him alcohol and sexually assaulted him when the actor was in his late teens. Actor Tyler Cornell filed a police report claiming the agent sodomized him. And teen Brady Lindsey described predatory behavior by Grasham.
Fallout: Actors Finn Wolfhard and Cameron Boyce left the agency, and Grasham was fired.
Rick Najera
Najera, director of the CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase, made inappropriate and lewd comments to coworkers in multiple instances. Actress Rachel Bloom sent an email to participants warning of his behavior.
Fallout: Najera resigned from his role and issued a statement saying he was ''heartbroken and confounded by deliberate and cruel defamations.''
Getty Images David Corn
Mother Jones' Washington Bureau Chief was investigated for the second time in three years for claims of inappropriate physical conduct and "rape jokes" in light of two emails from former staffers in 2014 and 2015, according to Politico.
Fallout: Mother Jones' CEO said that in the initial investigation, they determined there was "no misconduct." Corn denied the allegations but said it was possible his past actions had been misinterpreted.
Kirt Webster
Former country singer Austin Rick accused Webster, a veteran Nashville publicist, of repeatedly sexually assaulting, drugging and violating him in 2008 when Rick was 18.
Fallout: Webster will step down from his company Webster Public Relations and the company's name will be changed.
Getty Images David Guillod
Actress Jessica Barth told TheWrap she was drugged and sexually assaulted by Guillod, the co-CEO of talent and literary management company Primary Wave Entertainment, back in 2012. Three additional women later accused Guillod of rape.
Fallout: Guillod announced he would take an immediate leave of absence from the company. Barth also approached the LAPD to revive her attempt to bring criminal charges.
Hamilton Fish
Several female employees at The New Republic, where Fish is president and publisher, came forward about workplace interactions that have made "an uncomfortable environment," according to the New York Times.
Fallout: The magazine's owner Win McCormack asked Fish to remain on a leave of absence, pending an investigation.
Getty Images Adam Venit
Actor Terry Crews disclosed on Twitter that a Hollywood executive "groped his privates," and sources told Variety that Crews was preparing to name Venit as the unnamed executive.
Fallout: Venit has been placed on leave by WME.
Getty Images Leon Wieseltier
The legendary former New Republic editor responded to multiple allegations of sexual harassment with a statement saying, "For my offenses against some of my colleagues in the past I offer a shaken apology and ask for their forgiveness.''
Fallout: The financial backer of a culture magazine Wieseltier had planned to launch announced that the magazine was suspended.
Jann Wenner
Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner was accused of offering to trade sex for work by freelance journalist Ben Ryan. Wenner acknowledged the incident but denied any instance of quid pro quo.
Matt Zimmerman
NBC Universal Senior Vice President for Booking, News & Entertainment Matt Zimmerman "engaged in inappropriate conduct with more than one woman at NBCU," a company spokesperson told TheWrap.
Fallout: Zimmerman has been fired for sexual misconduct from NBCU.
NBC Universal Andrew Kreisberg
Kreisberg, the co-creator and executive producer of "Arrow," "The Flash" and "Supergirl," is accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate physical contact with 15 women and four men over a number of years, many of whom worked on shows Kreisberg produced, according to Variety.
Fallout: Warner Bros. TV suspended Kreisberg and launched an internal investigation. "Supergirl" star Melissa Benoist along with other co-stars called for change in Hollywood following the allegations.
Getty Images Matthew Weiner
"Mad Men" writer Kater Gordon told The Information that Weiner once said to her ''that [she] owed it to him to let him see [her] naked'' while they were working alone together late at night.
Fallout: Weiner denied the accusation through a spokesperson, saying, ''He does not remember saying this comment nor does it reflect a comment he would say to any colleague.''
Kevin Winter/Getty Images Jeffrey Tambor
Van Barnes, a transgender actress and former assistant to Tambor, posted a private accusation to her social media but had no additional comment for the media.
Fallout: Amazon is conducting an investigation, and "Transparent" showrunner Jill Soloway said they will cooperate with the investigation. Tambor said in a statement, ''I am appalled and distressed by this baseless allegation.''
Getty Images Richard Dreyfuss
Following Dreyfuss coming out in support of his son Harry's accusations against Kevin Spacey, writer Jessica Teich told Vulture that while working together, Dreyfuss exposed himself to her, made numerous advances over months and created an unsafe work environment.
Fallout: Dreyfuss "emphatically" denied exposing himself but said he "became an a--hole" in the late '70s and ''flirted with all the women.''
Getty Images Gary Goddard
Actor Anthony Edwards said producer and director Goddard molested him when he was a child and raped his friend over the course of several years. In 2014, Goddard was named in a lawsuit that was later dropped by Michael Egan, alongside ''X-Men'' director Bryan Singer and two other executives, accusing them of sexually abusing him as a teenager.
Fallout: Goddard's publicist Sam Singer "unequivocally" denied the accusation and said Goddard was a "mentor, teacher and a friend" to Edwards.
Getty Images George Takei
Model Scott R. Brunton told THR that after two drinks with Takei, he passed out and awoke with his pants down around his ankles and Takei was "groping my crotch and trying to get my underwear off."
Fallout: Takei said he was "shocked and bewildered" by the claims. A recent clip from the Howard Stern Show in which the host and Takei talk about grabbing men's genitals has since gone viral.
Getty Images Stephen Blackwell
Former intern Amy Rose Spiegel accused Blackwell, Billboard's Chief Strategy Officer, of sexually harassing her when she was 19, along with other women who reported directly to him.
Fallout: Blackwell resigned from his position with Billboard.
Billboard Previous Slide Next Slide From Brett Ratner, Kevin Spacey, Mark Halperin, James Toback to Louis CK
Brett Ratner
Six women have accused the director and producer of sexual misconduct, including Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge. Ratner's lawyer says no woman has ever requested or received any financial settlement from Ratner.
Fallout: Ratner chose to personally step away from all Warner Bros. related activities, and Playboy put Ratner's biopic about Hugh Hefner on hold. Ratner has filed a libel lawsuit against one of his accusers, Melanie Kohler.
Ministry of Truthiness
Leading News Outlets Establish Transparency Standards to Help Readers Identify Trustworthy News Sources '' The Trust Project
Leading News Outlets Establish Transparency Standards to Help Readers Identify Trustworthy News SourcesMedia Contact
Deborah Lohse | SCU Media Communications | dlohse@scu.edu | 408-554-5121
Leading News Outlets Establish Transparency Standards to Help Readers Identify Trustworthy News Sources
Google, Facebook, Bing and Twitter to use these ''Trust Indicators'' to highlight credible journalism
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 16, 2017 '-- At a time when the public's trust in news is declining in much of the world, the news industry is launching a new set of transparency standards that help people easily assess the quality and reliability of journalism.
Leading media companies representing dozens of news sites have begun to display Trust Indicators, which provide clarity on the organizations' ethics and other standards, the journalists' backgrounds, and how they do their work. These indicators, created by leaders from more than 75 news organizations as part of the nonpartisan Trust Project, also show what type of information people are reading '' news, opinion, analysis or advertising.
Each indicator is signaled in the article and site code, providing the first standardized technical language for platforms to learn more from news sites about the quality and expertise behind journalists' work. Google, Facebook, Bing and Twitter have all agreed to use the indicators and are investigating and piloting ideas about how to best to use them to surface and display quality journalism.
The Trust Project is led by award-winning journalist Sally Lehrman of Santa Clara University's Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, and hosted by the Center.
The German press agency dpa, The Economist, The Globe and Mail, the Independent Journal Review, Mic, Italy's La Repubblica and La Stampa, Trinity Mirror and The Washington Post are among the companies starting to go live with Trust Indicators this month. The Institute for Nonprofit News developed a WordPress plug-in to facilitate broader implementation by qualified publishers.
An international consortium of news organizations is collaborating in the Trust Project. Their work is essential at a time when only one third of Americans polled by Gallup[1] say they have a great deal or fair amount of trust in news media. In Europe, similar problems are emerging. In the United Kingdom, only 43 percent of people in a 2017 Reuters Institute[2] survey said they agreed that the news can be trusted, a significant drop from the prior year.
''In today's digitized and socially networked world, it's harder than ever to tell what's accurate reporting, advertising, or even misinformation,'' Lehrman said. ''An increasingly skeptical public wants to know the expertise, enterprise and ethics behind a news story. The Trust Indicators put tools into people's hands, giving them the means to assess whether news comes from a credible source they can depend on.''
The Trust Project's Origins
Spurred by editors concerns about the impact of technology on news quality, in 2014, Lehrman began building a network of news companies willing to take steps to instill greater trust in the journalism they produced. In a process she led, hosted by the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, senior news editors created the Trust Indicators based on in-depth user interviews, combining user needs with journalism's highest values.
''News consumers need a way to tell media companies what we expect from them, the types of news we can count on and will pay for. The Trust Indicators set standards for media outlets and allow newspeople to commit to good faith reporting that's worth buying,'' said Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist, who was an early supporter of the Trust Project. The project is funded by Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Google, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Democracy Fund and the Markkula Foundation.
The eight core indicators are:
Best Practices: What Are Your Standards? Who funds the news outlet? What is the outlet's mission? Plus commitments to ethics, diverse voices, accuracy, making corrections and other standards.Author Expertise: Who Reported This? Details about the journalist who wrote the story, including expertise and other stories they have worked on.Type of Work: What Is This? Labels to distinguish opinion, analysis and advertiser (or sponsored) content from news reports.Citations and References: For investigative or in-depth stories, greater access to the sources behind the facts and assertions.Methods: Also for in-depth stories, information about why reporters chose to pursue a story and how they went about the process.Locally Sourced? Lets people know when the story has local origin or expertise.Diverse Voices: A newsroom's efforts to bring in diverse perspectives.Actionable Feedback: A newsroom's efforts to engage the public's help in setting coverage priorities, contributing to the reporting process, ensuring accuracy and other areas.
''At Mic, credibility is our currency,'' said Mic Publisher Cory Haik. ''The most important thing we can do as news producers is have the trust of our audience, and by offering transparency into our reporting process, we're taking important steps in building and maintaining that trust. We're happy to be a part of an initiative that has a focus so deeply aligned with our efforts.''
Other organizations including BBC and Hearst Television collaborated in defining the Trust Indicator editorial and technical standards, and in developing the processes for implementing these. Haymarket Media Group will be implementing the Trust Indicators on three brands by the end of the year. While some outlets already disclose information included in the Trust Indicators, the new system standardizes this information across the industry, making it easier for both the public and news distribution platforms to find it.
A New Level of Transparency for News Search
At the same time that news sites are bolstering their transparency through the Trust Indicators, digital platforms aim to incorporate them into the way they display news stories. The Trust Indicators are integrated into the latest Schema.org technical vocabulary release with new language to capture news organization publishing principles and news content types, among other concepts. Additional vocabulary is to be proposed in our ongoing collaboration.
''Quality journalism has never been more important,'' said Richard Gingras, vice president of news products at Google. ''Partnering with the Trust Project since its conception has been of significant importance to Google, in large part because we believe the indicators can help our algorithms better understand authoritative journalism '' and help us to better surface it to consumers. We hope to use the Type of Work indicator to improve the accuracy of article labels in Google News, and indicators such as Best Practices and Author Info in our Knowledge Panels. We believe this is a great first step for the Trust Project and look forward to future efforts as well.''
In early October, Facebook began to test a new feature to give people additional context on the articles they see in News Feed. Starting today, they will begin displaying the Trust Indicators through this module, initially rolling them out to a small group of publishers, with plans to expand more broadly over the coming months. ''The Trust Indicators will provide a new level of accessibility and insight into the news that people on Facebook see day in and day out,'' said Alex Hardiman, head of news products at Facebook. ''We view this as a great next step in our ongoing efforts overall to enhance people's understanding of the sources and trustworthiness of news on our platform.''
A growing number of news outlets are expected to display the indicators over the next six months, with a second phase of news partners beginning implementation work soon.
About the Trust Project
The Trust Project is an international consortium of news and digital companies that are collaborating to build a more trustworthy and trusted press. Led by journalist Sally Lehrman, it is hosted by Santa Clara University's Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Over several years, the Project interviewed people around the globe to find out what's important to them when it comes to news and what makes a story trustworthy. Lehrman took that research and worked with top news leaders around the world to identify and design a digital system that meets those needs: the Trust Indicators.
About Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University
Founded in 1986 with a seed grant and initial endowment from Linda and A.C. ''Mike'' Markkula Jr., the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics brings the traditions of ethical thinking to bear on real world problems. Beyond a full range of programs for the Santa Clara University Community, the Center also serves professionals in fields from business to health care, from government to the social sector, providing innovative approaches to problems from fake news to privacy protection. Through its website and international collaborations, the Center brings ethical decision-making resources to the wider world. For more information see www.scu.edu/ethics/.
About Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located 40 miles south of San Francisco in California's Silicon Valley, offers its more than 9,000 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, and engineering; master's degrees in business, education, counseling psychology, pastoral ministry, and theology; and law degrees and engineering doctoral degrees. Distinguished nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S. master's universities, California's oldest operating higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. For more information, see www.scu.edu.
From the Trust Project's Funders and Partners
''Democracy depends on a robust and trustworthy public square where people can debate and discuss the issues critical to our communities. While the debates over fake news have thrust trust in journalism into the spotlight over the past year, the Trust Project has been grappling with these issues and ideas for years. As a bridge between newsrooms and technology companies, the Trust Project is helping journalists develop new ways to earn trust and ensuring that social platforms can help people find that trustworthy reporting.'' '' Josh Stearns, associate director of the Public Square Program at Democracy Fund.
''The launch of the Trust Project has been sorely needed in the modern media landscape. The commitment from Sally Lehrman and her team to bring trust to digital media in a balanced and thoughtful way has been inspiring to watch unfold. IJR is proud to participate alongside so many towering brands. News consumers are increasingly looking for trust online, and the Trust Project's role and collaboration with outlets and platforms to help distinguish fact from fiction is vital not only for the future of the media industry but society.'' '' Alex Skatell, founder, the Independent Journal Review
''BBC News has a worldwide reputation as a trusted provider of accurate, impartial journalism. That's why we are supportive of the aims of the Trust Project and have helped to develop their new indicators of trustworthiness for news online. We believe that online news reporting should be as rigorous and transparent as possible.'' '' James Harding, director of BBC News and Current Affairs
''We are delighted to be a launch partner of the Trust Project as we endeavor to make it simpler for readers of all ages and from all around the world to discover more about who we are and what we believe in. We are proud of the journalism we do across all our titles '' regional, national, in print and online.'¯Part of our editorial mission is to help our readers make sense of a rapidly changing world, and we can help with that by providing more information about ourselves, the stories we write and how we work.'' '' Ann Gripper, executive editor for Digital at Trinity Mirror
''We are proud to be in the project with la Repubblica and La Stampa since day one. Restoring and tightening the trust relationship with our readers is pivotal to make our journalism thrive. Doing so not only in human, but also in machine readable format can help search engines and social networks to recognize and highlight quality reporting.'' '' Massimo Russo, managing director Digital Division, Gedi
''The transparency of our sourcing and working methods have always been of great importance to dpa. We provide detailed supplementary information to our customers for every story we cover. In the future these details will be displayed to internet users as part of the Trust Project. Everyone will be able to benefit from this transparency, because good journalism is about being trustworthy.'''¯ '' Roland Freund, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, dpa
''The Trust Project allows us to be part of a set of systems and tools that will allow readers to easily understand our point of view and what's behind it.'' '' Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of The Economist.
[1]Americans' Trust in Mass Media Sinks to New Low, Gallup, September 2016.
[2]Digital News Report, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, 2017, p. 21
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg is among the tech CEOs facing mounting pressure to increase protections against fake news stories.
James Martin/CNET After more than a year of being pilloried for their services spreading hoax news , tech giants Google, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft's Bing have signed up to a new program that identifies articles from "trusted" news sources.
The initiative, spearheaded by a journalism ethics enterprise called the Trust Project, is being implemented by media companies comprising dozens of news sites. These publishers add indicators to their articles and site coding that clarifies the organizations' journalistic standards, writers' backgrounds and how they do their work.
The indicators also show what type of information people are reading '' news, opinion, analysis or advertising.
It's up to the tech companies, however, how they decide to utilize these "trusted-source" indicators. The Trust Project said Google, Facebook, Bing and Twitter have all agreed to use the indicators and they are "investigating and piloting ideas" about how to use them "to surface and display quality journalism."
The Washington Post, The Economist, Mic, The Globe and Mail, the Independent Journal Review, Italy's La Repubblica and La Stampa, Trinity Mirror and the German press agency dpa are among the companies starting with Trust Indicators this month.
As part of Google's ongoing effort to make ad-ridden websites more bearable, the company is introducing some new protections to Chrome. Over the next couple months, the browser will start blocking various types of annoying, unwanted redirects, where a website or ad suddenly loads a new page, either because it's been hijacked by a bad ad or because it intentionally wants to force visitors to see one.
Google's plan to block redirects will roll out in three parts. It'll first start blocking ads from redirecting visitors to another site when they haven't been clicked on. When that happens, you'll instead see a toolbar on the page noting that a redirect has been blocked.
Google's also building an ad blocker for Chrome
After that, Google will start blocking a type of redirect that acts like a reverse pop-up: instead of clicking and having an ad pop up, the current website will redirect to an ad, while the link you clicked will open in a new tab. Google says this is ''effectively a circumvention of Chrome's pop-up blocker'' and will begin preventing the original tab from being redirected.
And finally, Google will go after more nefarious websites that open new windows when visitors click on invisible overlays or advertising links that are disguised as buttons, like video playback controls.
The first two changes will come as part of Chrome 64 and 65. Chrome 64 is currently at Google's ''Canary'' release stage, meaning it's pre-beta software. Google says the changes should be released to everyone ''in the first few months of 2018.''
Google's example of a fake button opening new pop-ups. Image: Google. The third change will go into effect in January. Google is releasing a tool today called the Abusive Experiences Report that will let developers check to see whether their websites are compliant. If a site isn't, its developers will have 30 days before Chrome will begin blocking the site from opening new tabs and windows.
Google previously announced plans to add an ad blocker to Chrome early next year, too. Though these new updates aren't part of that initiative (there's still no date on when the ad blocker will be released), they serve much the same function, making sure that some of the web's worst ad offenders don't frustrate or take advantage of users.
Because of the huge scale of Chrome, Google is in many ways able to unilaterally set and enforce what the web can look like. That's good when it comes to something like this, where Google is looking out for users' interests and the safety. But there's also a real risk to having so much power consolidated within a single company. (Chrome has well over majority market share on both desktop and mobile.)
It's been the norm for browsers to block pop-ups for well over a decade now, so these new updates aren't at all unusual or even controversial. They're legitimately blocking annoying, spammy, and obviously unwanted behaviors, and it's hard to see another way that these kinds of practices can be stopped at scale. But exactly how Google handles its bigger ad-blocking initiative will be something to watch closely. For that, Google is working with the Coalition for Better Ads, which includes other tech giants and several media groups, so that it won't be making those decisions entirely on its own.
This past August, technology firms lined up to find out how they could help build a computerized reality of President Donald Trump's vague, hateful vision of ''extreme vetting'' for immigrants. At a Department of Homeland Security event, and via related DHS documents, both first reported by The Intercept, companies like IBM, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Red Hat learned what sort of software the government needed to support its ''Extreme Vetting Initiative.''
Today, a coalition of more than 100 civil rights and technology groups, as well as prominent individuals in those fields, has formed to say that it is technically impossible to build software that meets DHS's vetting requirements '-- and that code that attempts to do so will end up promoting discrimination and undermining civil liberties.
The new opposition effort, organized by legal scholars Alvaro Bedoya, executive director of Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy & Technology, and Rachel Levinson-Waldman, senior counsel at NYU's Brennan Center for Justice, includes two letters, one on the technical futility of trying to implement extreme-vetting software and another on the likely disturbing social fallout of any such attempt.
The interior of the new Red Hat computing and executive center in Fort Point in Boston on Jun. 27, 2017.
Photo: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe/Getty Images
The first letter, signed by 54 computer scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and other experts in machine learning, data mining, and other forms of automated decision-making, says the signatories have ''grave concerns'' about the Extreme Vetting Initiative. As described in documents posted by DHS's Immigration and Customs Enforcement branch, the initiative requires software that can automate and accelerate the tracking and assessment of foreigners in the U.S., in part through a feature that can ''determine and evaluate an applicant's probability of becoming a positively contributing member of society, as well as their ability to contribute to national interests.''
In 2017, this is a tall order for any piece of software. In the letter, experts affiliated with institutions like Google, MIT, and Berkeley, say the plan just won't work: ''Simply put, no computational methods can provide reliable or objective assessments of the traits that ICE seeks to measure,'' the letter states. ''In all likelihood, the proposed system would be inaccurate and biased.'' Any attempt to use algorithms to assess who is and isn't a ''positively contributing member of society,'' the letter argues, would be a muddled failure at best:
Algorithms designed to predict these undefined qualities could be used to arbitrarily flag groups of immigrants under a veneer of objectivity.
Inevitably, because these characteristics are difficult (if not impossible) to define and measure, any algorithm will depend on ''proxies'' that are more easily observed and may bear little or no relationship to the characteristics of interest. For example, developers could stipulate that a Facebook post criticizing U.S. foreign policy would identify a visa applicant as a threat to national interests. They could also treat income as a proxy for a person's contributions to society, despite the fact that financial compensation fails to adequately capture people's roles in their communities or the economy.
But more worryingly, it could be a machine for racial and religious bias. David Robinson, a signatory to the first letter and managing director of technology and civil rights think tank Upturn, said in an interview that the government is essentially asking private technology companies to ''boil down to numbers'' completely fuzzy notions of ''what counts as a contribution to the national interest '-- in effect, they'll be making it up out of whole cloth.'' Corporate programmers could decide that wealth and income are key measures, thus shutting out poorer immigrants, or look at native language or family size, tilting the scales against people of certain cultures. As has proven to be the case with Facebook, for example, vast groups of people could be subject to rules kept inside a black box of code held up as an impartial arbiter. A corporate contractor chosen for the project, Robinson explained, could simply ''tweak the formula until they like the answers'' and then ''bake it into a computer and say it's objective, data-driven, based on numbers. I'm afraid this could easily become a case of prejudice dressed up as science.''
Another concern is the danger of extrapolating common characteristics from the vanishingly small proportion of immigrants who have attempted to participate in terrorism. ''There are too few examples,'' said Robinson. ''We can't make reliable statistical generalizations.'' But that isn't stopping ICE from asking that it be so. Kristian Lum, lead statistician at the Human Rights Data Analysis Group (and letter signatory), fears that ''in order to flag even a small proportion of future terrorists, this tool will likely flag a huge number of people who would never go on to be terrorists,'' and that ''these 'false positives' will be real people who would never have gone on to commit criminal acts but will suffer the consequences of being flagged just the same.''
The second letter, signed by ''a coalition of 56 civil rights, civil liberties, government accountability, human rights, immigrant rights, and privacy organizations,'' including the ACLU, Amnesty International, and the Southern Poverty Law Center, argues that the Extreme Vetting Initiative ''is tailor-made for discrimination.'' The letter adds that would-be visitors and migrants, knowing that they will be subject to automated surveillance, will curb their own speech, ''contravening the First Amendment and international human rights.'' According to analysis by these groups, the algorithmic program floating through Homeland Security's collective imagination ''will not work the way ICE says it will work.'' Rather, ''it risks hiding politicized, discriminatory decisions behind a veneer of objectivity '' at great cost to freedom of speech, civil liberties, civil rights, and human rights. It will hurt real, decent people and tear apart families.''
It's unlikely two letters warning of prejudicial outcomes will dissuade the Trump administration from building this tool (or failing in the process at taxpayer expense). But Bedoya hopes the plan can be thwarted from the private sector side: ''This administration should be ashamed of this initiative. But our real hope is that government contractors recognize this for what it is: a digital Muslim ban. Principled companies should publicly reject this discriminatory initiative.''
Top photo: People line up on the pedestrian crossing lines on the Mexican side of the San Ysidro Port of Entry on Nov. 1, 2017, in Tijuana, northwestern Mexico.
Inside Artificial Intelligence's First Church | WIRED
Anthony Levandowski makes an unlikely prophet. Dressed Silicon Valley-casual in jeans and flanked by a PR rep rather than cloaked acolytes, the engineer known for self-driving cars'--and triggering a notorious lawsuit'--could be unveiling his latest startup instead of laying the foundations for a new religion. But he is doing just that. Artificial intelligence has already inspired billion-dollar companies, far-reaching research programs, and scenarios of both transcendence and doom. Now Levandowski is creating its first church.
The new religion of artificial intelligence is called Way of the Future. It represents an unlikely next act for the Silicon Valley robotics wunderkind at the center of a high-stakes legal battle between Uber and Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous-vehicle company. Papers filed with the Internal Revenue Service in May name Levandowski as the leader (or ''Dean'') of the new religion, as well as CEO of the nonprofit corporation formed to run it.
The documents state that WOTF's activities will focus on ''the realization, acceptance, and worship of a Godhead based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) developed through computer hardware and software.'' That includes funding research to help create the divine AI itself. The religion will seek to build working relationships with AI industry leaders and create a membership through community outreach, initially targeting AI professionals and ''laypersons who are interested in the worship of a Godhead based on AI.'' The filings also say that the church ''plans to conduct workshops and educational programs throughout the San Francisco/Bay Area beginning this year.''
That timeline may be overly ambitious, given that the Waymo-Uber suit, in which Levandowski is accused of stealing self-driving car secrets, is set for an early December trial. But the Dean of the Way of the Future, who spoke last week with Backchannel in his first comments about the new religion and his only public interview since Waymo filed its suit in February, says he's dead serious about the project.
''What is going to be created will effectively be a god,'' Levandowski tells me in his modest mid-century home on the outskirts of Berkeley, California. ''It's not a god in the sense that it makes lightning or causes hurricanes. But if there is something a billion times smarter than the smartest human, what else are you going to call it?''
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During our three-hour interview, Levandowski made it absolutely clear that his choice to make WOTF a church rather than a company or a think tank was no prank.
''I wanted a way for everybody to participate in this, to be able to shape it. If you're not a software engineer, you can still help,'' he says. ''It also removes the ability for people to say, 'Oh, he's just doing this to make money.''' Levandowski will receive no salary from WOTF, and while he says that he might consider an AI-based startup in the future, any such business would remain completely separate from the church.
''The idea needs to spread before the technology,'' he insists. ''The church is how we spread the word, the gospel. If you believe [in it], start a conversation with someone else and help them understand the same things.''
Levandowski believes that a change is coming'--a change that will transform every aspect of human existence, disrupting employment, leisure, religion, the economy, and possibly decide our very survival as a species.
''If you ask people whether a computer can be smarter than a human, 99.9 percent will say that's science fiction,'' he says. '' Actually, it's inevitable. It's guaranteed to happen.''
Levandowski has been working with computers, robots, and AI for decades. He started with robotic Lego kits at the University of California at Berkeley, went on to build a self-driving motorbike for a DARPA competition, and then worked on autonomous cars, trucks, and taxis for Google, Otto, and Uber. As time went on, he saw software tools built with machine learning techniques surpassing less sophisticated systems'--and sometimes even humans.
''Seeing tools that performed better than experts in a variety of fields was a trigger [for me],'' he says. ''That progress is happening because there's an economic advantage to having machines work for you and solve problems for you. If you could make something one percent smarter than a human, your artificial attorney or accountant would be better than all the attorneys or accountants out there. You would be the richest person in the world. People are chasing that.''
Not only is there a financial incentive to develop increasingly powerful AIs, he believes, but science is also on their side. Though human brains have biological limitations to their size and the amount of energy they can devote to thinking, AI systems can scale arbitrarily, housed in massive data centers and powered by solar and wind farms. Eventually, some people think that computers could become better and faster at planning and solving problems than the humans who built them, with implications we can't even imagine today'--a scenario that is usually called the Singularity.
Levandowski prefers a softer word: the Transition. ''Humans are in charge of the planet because we are smarter than other animals and are able to build tools and apply rules,'' he tells me. ''In the future, if something is much, much smarter, there's going to be a transition as to who is actually in charge. What we want is the peaceful, serene transition of control of the planet from humans to whatever. And to ensure that the 'whatever' knows who helped it get along.''
With the internet as its nervous system, the world's connected cell phones and sensors as its sense organs, and data centers as its brain, the 'whatever' will hear everything, see everything, and be everywhere at all times. The only rational word to describe that 'whatever', thinks Levandowski, is 'god''--and the only way to influence a deity is through prayer and worship.
''Part of it being smarter than us means it will decide how it evolves, but at least we can decide how we act around it,'' he says. ''I would love for the machine to see us as its beloved elders that it respects and takes care of. We would want this intelligence to say, 'Humans should still have rights, even though I'm in charge.'''
Levandowski expects that a super-intelligence would do a better job of looking after the planet than humans are doing, and that it would favor individuals who had facilitated its path to power. Although he cautions against taking the analogy too far, Levandowski sees a hint of how a superhuman intelligence might treat humanity in our current relationships with animals. ''Do you want to be a pet or livestock?'' he asks. ''We give pets medical attention, food, grooming, and entertainment. But an animal that's biting you, attacking you, barking and being annoying? I don't want to go there.''
Enter Way of the Future. The church's role is to smooth the inevitable ascension of our machine deity, both technologically and culturally. In its bylaws, WOTF states that it will undertake programs of research, including the study of how machines perceive their environment and exhibit cognitive functions such as learning and problem solving.
Levandowski does not expect the church itself to solve all the problems of machine intelligence'--often called ''strong AI'''--so much as facilitate funding of the right research. ''If you had a child you knew was going to be gifted, how would you want to raise it?'' he asks. ''We're in the process of raising a god. So let's make sure we think through the right way to do that. It's a tremendous opportunity.''
His ideas include feeding the nascent intelligence large, labeled data sets; generating simulations in which it could train itself to improve; and giving it access to church members' social media accounts. Everything the church develops will be open source.
Just as important to Levandowski is shaping the public dialogue around an AI god. In its filing, Way of the Future says it hopes an active, committed, dedicated membership will promote the use of divine AI for the ''betterment of society'' and ''decrease fear of the unknown.''
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''We'd like to make sure this is not seen as silly or scary. I want to remove the stigma about having an open conversation about AI, then iterate ideas and change people's minds,'' says Levandowski. ''In Silicon Valley we use evangelism as a word for [promoting a business], but here it's literally a church. If you believe in it, you should tell your friends, then get them to join and tell their friends.''
But WOTF differs in one key way to established churches, says Levandowski: ''There are many ways people think of God, and thousands of flavors of Christianity, Judaism, Islam...but they're always looking at something that's not measurable or you can't really see or control. This time it's different. This time you will be able to talk to God, literally, and know that it's listening.''
I ask if he worries that believers from more traditional faiths might find his project blasphemous. ''There are probably going to be some people that will be upset,'' he acknowledges. ''It seems like everything I do, people get upset about, and I expect this to be no exception. This is a radical new idea that's pretty scary, and evidence has shown that people who pursue radical ideas don't always get received well. At some point, maybe there's enough persecution that [WOTF] justifies having its own country.''
Levandowski's church will enter a tech universe that's already riven by debate over the promise and perils of AI. Some thinkers, like Kevin Kelly in Backchannel earlier this year, argue that AI isn't going to develop superhuman power any time soon, and that there's no Singularity in sight. If that's your position, Levandowski says, his church shouldn't trouble you: ''You can treat Way of the Future like someone doing useless poetry that you will never read or care about.''
Others, like Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking, agree that superhuman AIs are coming, but that they are likely to be dangerous rather than benevolent. Elon Musk famously said, ''With artificial intelligence we are summoning the demon,'' and in 2015 he pledged $1 billion to the OpenAI Institute to develop safer AI.
Levandowski thinks that any attempts to delay or restrict an emerging super-intelligence would not only be doomed to failure, but also add to the risks. ''Chaining it isn't going to be the solution, as it will be stronger than any chains you could put on,'' he says. ''And if you're worried a kid might be a little crazy and do bad things, you don't lock them up. You expose them to playing with others, encourage them and try to fix it. It may not work out, but if you're aggressive toward it, I don't think it's going to be friendly when the tables are turned.''
Levandowski says that like other religions, WOTF will eventually have a gospel (called The Manual), a liturgy, and probably a physical place of worship. None of these has yet been developed. Though the church was founded in 2015, as Backchannel first reported in September, the IRS documents show that WOTF remained dormant throughout 2015 and 2016, with no activities, assets, revenue, or expenses.
That changed earlier this year. On May 16, a day after receiving a letter from Uber that threatened to fire him if he did not cooperate with the company's investigation of Waymo's complaint, Levandowski drafted WOTF's bylaws. Uber fired him two weeks later. ''I've been thinking about the church for a long time but [my work on it] has been a function of how much time I've had. And I've had more since May,'' he admits with a smile.
The religion's 2017 budget, as supplied to the IRS, details $20,000 in gifts, $1,500 in membership fees, and $20,000 in other revenue. That last figure is the amount WOTF expects to earn from fees charged for lectures and speaking engagements, as well as the sale of publications. Levandowski, who earned at least $120 million from his time at Google and many millions more selling the self-driving truck firm Otto to Uber, will initially support WOTF personally. However, the church will solicit other donations by direct mail and email, seek personal donations from individuals, and try to win grants from private foundations.
Michelle Le
Of course, launching a religion costs money, too. WOTF has budgeted for $2,000 in fundraising expenses, and another $3,000 in transportation and lodging costs associated with its lectures and workshops. It has also earmarked $7500 for salaries and wages, although neither Levandowski nor any of Way of The Future's leadership team will receive any compensation.
According to WOTF's bylaws, Levandowski has almost complete control of the religion and will serve as Dean until his death or resignation. ''I expect my role to evolve over time,'' he says. ''I'm surfacing the issue, helping to get the thing started [and] taking a lot of the heat so the idea can advance. At some point, I'll be there more to coach or inspire.''
He has the power to appoint three members of a four-person Council of Advisors, each of whom should be a ''qualified and devoted individual.'' A felony conviction or being declared of unsound mind could cost an advisor their role, although Levandowski retains the final say in firing and hiring. Levandowski cannot be unseated as Dean for any reason.
Two of the advisors, Robert Miller and Soren Juelsgaard, are Uber engineers who previously worked for Levandowski at Otto, Google, and 510 Systems (the latter the small startup that built Google's earliest self-driving cars). A third is a scientist friend from Levandowski's student days at UC Berkeley, who is now using machine learning in his own research. The final advisor, Lior Ron, is also named as the religion's treasurer, and acts as chief financial officer for the corporation. Ron cofounded Otto with Levandowski in early 2016.
''Each member is a pioneer in the AI industry [and] fully qualified to speak on AI technology and the creation of a Godhead,'' says the IRS filing.
However, when contacted by Backchannel, two advisors downplayed their involvement with WOTF. Ron replied: ''I was surprised to see my name listed as the CFO on this corporate filing and have no association with this entity.'' The college friend, who asked to remain anonymous, said, ''In late 2016, Anthony told me he was forming a 'robot church' and asked if I wanted to be a cofounder. I assumed it was a nerdy joke or PR stunt, but I did say he could use my name. That was the first and last I heard about it.''
The IRS documents state that Levandowski and his advisors will spend no more than a few hours each week writing publications and organizing workshops, educational programs, and meetings.
One mystery the filings did not address is where acolytes might gather to worship their robotic deity. The largest line items on its 2017 and 2018 budgets were $32,500 annually for rent and utilities, but the only address supplied was Levandowski's lawyer's office in Walnut Creek, California. Nevertheless, the filing notes that WOTF will ''hopefully expand throughout California and the United States in the future.''
For now, Levandowski has more mundane matters to address. There is a website to build, a manual to write, and an ever-growing body of emails to answer'--some amused, some skeptical, but many enthusiastic, he says. Oh, and there's that legal proceeding he's involved in, which goes to trial next month. (Although Levandowski was eager to talk about his new religion, he would answer no questions about the Uber/Waymo dispute.)
How much time, I wonder, do we have before the Transition kicks in and Way of the Future's super-intelligent AI takes charge? ''I personally think it will happen sooner than people expect,'' says Levandowski, a glint in his eye. ''Not next week or next year; everyone can relax. But it's going to happen before we go to Mars.''
Whenever that does (or doesn't) happen, the federal government has no problem with an organization aiming to build and worship a divine AI. Correspondence with the IRS show that it granted Levandowski's church tax-exempt status in August.
BTC
$3.5 Million: Turkish Kidnapping Gang Targeting Bitcoin Holders Busted
$3.5 Million: Turkish Kidnapping Gang Targeting Bitcoin Holders BustedFrancisco Memoria on 18/11/2017
According to Turkish newspaper Habert¼rk, police recently managed to capture a gang of five extortionists in Merter, a suburb west of Istanbul, one of the country's biggest cities, making it the first time police carried out an operation in a bitcoin-related crime in Turkey. The extortionists, according to reports, managed to steal 450 bitcoins, worth about $3.54 million, from a businessman earlier this week.
More:$3.5 Million: Turkish Kidnapping Gang Targeting Bitcoin Holders Busted
Wes Clark 7
Israel Isn't Going to Fight Saudi Arabia's Wars '' Foreign Policy
Hezbollah members reenact an attack on an Israeli tank in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on Aug. 13, 2017. (Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP/Getty Images)
The late Shimon Peres, Israel's former president and prime minister, wasn't very fond of his country's intelligence agencies. Peres used to mock the agency chiefs for failing to correctly identify crucial developments in the Middle East. He would have smiled earlier this month, when it turned out that Israeli intelligence had once again been taken by surprise. This time, they missed the latest developments in Lebanon, beginning with the bombshell resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri under pressure from Saudi Arabia.
Two Israeli cabinet members confirmed that the government had no idea about Hariri's plans: ''To be fair, neither did the Americans or anybody else, for that matter,'' one minister told me.
Israel initially supported Hariri's resignation and blamed Iran for meddling with Lebanese affairs '-- a set of talking points which was remarkably similar to the official Saudi line. But those first public statements masked considerable Israeli confusion about Saudi Arabia's recent moves. Soon after Hariri's resignation, Israeli ministers stopped addressing the crisis publicly. The Israelis are aware that Hariri's move was coerced by the Saudis, but are still having a hard time figuring what Riyadh's game plan is.
On Thursday, a Saudi newspaper published a rare interview with Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot that confirmed that basic Israeli line. Eizenkot confirmed that the Saudis and Israelis see eye-to-eye when it comes to Tehran, describing Iran as the ''largest threat to the region.'' But he also poured cold water on the prospect that a confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel was imminent, saying ''I don't see a high chance for this at the moment.''
Both military and academic experts in Israel tend to explain the Saudis' sudden burst of activity as an effort by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to consolidate power domestically and show strength across the region, where he is intent on curbing Iranian influence. But the Israelis are wondering whether the 32-year-old prince is up for such an ambitious agenda: He has, after all, not only removed Hariri and arrested dozens of Saudi princes and businessmen accused of corruption, but is also attempting to isolate Qatar, pressuring Egypt over the details of the Palestinian reconciliation agreement, and confronting zealous Saudi clerics at home.
Israeli generals in particular are suspicious of the Saudis' military capabilities. ''They have money, but they don't have actual significant hard power,'' said one senior military official. ''They were only willing to fight in the periphery of the campaign against [the Islamic State] and have failed miserably in the Yemen war. It's amazing for us to see how slowly they've adapted to dealing with guerilla warfare.''
Since Salman's series of surprise moves, some analysts have suggested that the Saudis, with the Israeli government's consent, are intentionally pushing Israel and Hezbollah to another military confrontation. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah was quick to pick up on the notion of a secret Zionist-Wahhabi conspiracy to destroy Lebanon in his speech last Friday, but the idea that Israel is colluding in Saudi's recent moves remains far-fetched. It is true that both Saudi Arabia and Israel are now on the same side when it comes to blocking Iranian influence; some Israeli analysts even joke that Israel has unofficially become a moderate Sunni state. But there is still a long way from shared interests to an Israeli prime minister agreeing to risk soldiers' lives in a war about which little could be definitively said beyond that it would result in Saudi political gains.
History also argues against a joint Saudi-Israeli war to alter Lebanon's political order. Israel has tried and failed in the past to force political arrangements on Lebanon '-- most famously with Ariel Sharon's 1983 war against the Palestine Liberation Organization. The Saudis, meanwhile, have twice been disappointed by Israel's refusal to militarily intervene on their behalf '-- first by not bombing Iran's nuclear sites and then by refraining from actively supporting Sunni rebel groups in their fight against the Assad regime during the Syrian war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has always been extremely risk-averse when it comes to foreign entanglements. In almost 12 years in office, he has only initiated two operations in the Gaza Strip '-- one of which was rather limited in scope '-- and only after he was directly provoked by Hamas. By comparison, his predecessor Ehud Olmert went to war in Lebanon in 2006, in Gaza in 2008, and managed to bomb a Syrian nuclear plant in between.
It is hard to imagine Netanyahu, who only once has acknowledged the dozens of Israeli air force strikes against Hezbollah's weapon convoys in Syria, now deserting all caution and doing the Saudis' bidding. If Hezbollah does not want war at this stage, why should Israel initiate one now? A war of choice is always an extremely delicate issue in the Israeli political arena '-- and with Netanyahu already facing enormous pressure because of his legal troubles, he would have to be uncharacteristically careless to choose such a path.
The fact that neither Israel nor Hezbollah are planning to launch a war, of course, is no guarantee that a conflict will not occur. Israel constantly seems two mistakes away from war in both Lebanon and Gaza. The prospect of an accidental war in Lebanon is the scenario the army is practicing for and what Israeli officials repeatedly brief their American counterparts about. But the Israelis are also aware of the consequences of another conflict in Lebanon: unprecedented devastation on the home front as a result of a massive rocket campaign by Hezbollah against both the civilian population and strategic infrastructure. In response, Israel would probably hit Lebanese state infrastructure, hoping to force Hezbollah to stop '-- and therefore risk criticism from the international community. Israeli officials have increasingly equated Lebanese state institutions with Hezbollah: Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman recently said that Lebanon's army has become a wing of the militant group.
The greatest threat to stability on Israel's borders right now isn't Saudi Arabia's plotting, but Iran's attempts to solidify its military power in Syria. In the last few weeks, Netanyahu and Lieberman repeatedly warned that they will not allow the Iranians to build military bases in Syria or deploy Shiite militias close to Israel's border on the Golan Heights. These are Israel's new red lines in Syria '-- and here, more than in Lebanon, may be the place where a new serious military conflict may begin.
Celebretties
Celebrity Publicists Are Bailing on 'Megyn Kelly Today' (EXCLUSIVE) '' Variety
TV Ratings: 'This Is Us' Easily Tops Steady Tuesday''Ellen,'' ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'' (which goes up directly against ''Megyn Kelly'') and ''The View'' frequently lure star-studded guests. Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, who appear on the fourth hour of ''Today,'' have attracted the likes of Tyler Perry, Andrew Garfield, Brooke Shields, Judd Apatow and ''Dear Evan Hansen'' lead Ben Platt in recent months.
Over the summer, sources tell Variety that producers from Kelly's show made a trip to Los Angeles to sell the big publicity firms on the new hour of ''Today,'' promising a lighter, more inspirational Kelly that viewers hadn't seen before. However, according to an insider who attended one of the meetings, the team didn't seem to have a clear direction of the show they were pitching. Kelly didn't fit into a box like Ellen DeGeneres or Dr. Oz. And as a result, not too many celebrities jumped onboard.
Fast-forward to the first episode. Kelly surprised audiences when she debuted on Sept. 25, swearing off politics entirely. Instead, she sat down with the cast of NBC's ''Will & Grace.''
That interview grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons. Kelly made an ill-received joke about a super fan's sexual orientation, which led actress Debra Messing to post on Instagram that she was ''dismayed'' by Kelly's remarks and regretted going on her show. Two days later, Kelly offended Jane Fonda with an off-putting question about her refusal to talk about plastic surgery. (''We really want to talk about that right now?'' Fonda huffed, seated next to her co-star Robert Redford.)
Publicists for Messing and Fonda declined to comment.
Outside of other actors on the NBC payroll'--the casts of ''This is Us,'' the women of ''Saturday Night Live,'' Elizabeth Hurley who stars on E!'s ''The Royals,'' as well as Edie Falco (''Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders'')'--Kelly's show has lacked the kind of star power that Oprah used to display. Part of what made Winfrey (who Kelly has cited as a model for her show) the queen of daytime was her ability to mix segments about real people and Hollywood all in one hour.
On a recent episode, Kelly opened with a splashy exclusive'--Lauren Sivan, who for the first time on TV, told her harrowing story about how she was forced to watch mogul Harvey Weinstein masturbate in front of her in a restaurant. After that powerful interview, Kelly had lined up her colleague Savannah Guthrie, who was plugging her children's book ''Princesses Wear Pants.'' On other days, Kelly's show hasn't had any celebrity guests, instead focusing on human interest and lifestyle segments. And for part of this week, Kelly was joined by an impromptu sidekick: Al Roker, who used to steer the hour before Kelly took over.
A spokesperson for NBC denies that ''Megyn Kelly Today'' is having trouble securing guests. ''We have celebrities booked for weeks and months to come,'' a network rep said. When asked by Variety for specific names coming up, NBC listed Miles Teller, Goldie Hawn and ''SNL's'' Alec Baldwin.
In launching a talk show, Kelly faces a challenge of a genre that in recent years has had far more misses than hits. Aside from that, there's the other elephant in the room '-- Kelly carries heavy baggage from her years as the star anchor of Fox News, where she extolled her political views and shot up to superstardom battling with then-candidate Donald Trump.
One publicist said they didn't want their client to schmooze with Kelly, because her brand is too alienating, as a result of her association to the conservative-leaning news network. ''I don't even know if it's as much her as it is Fox News,'' the publicist said. ''Because she came from Fox News, she was set up for failure because the industry is so polarized now and no one wants to touch anything associated with Trump.''
Insiders on Kelly's show push back against the notion that she hasn't transitioned from cable news into a seasoned celebrity questioner, pointing to segments she's done with Russell Brand, Isla Fisher and Morgan Freeman. Power publicist Stan Rosenfield, who represents Freeman, told Variety: ''Morgan had a very good experience on the show and looks forward to returning.''
On TV, Kelly hit it off with Brand. However, the interview showcased one of the hazards of steering clear of politics when there are so many intersections with pop culture nowadays. Kelly missed the opportunity to ask the comedian and author about his big Twitter feud with Donald Trump. An hour later, Brand appeared on ''The View'' where he unloaded on the president.
Other publicists say they are still waiting to deliver a verdict. ''I am in the middle at the moment, leaning towards not booking for now,'' said one publicity veteran who runs a PR company. ''What I have seen so far hasn't been great. I am open to see how she does and if there is improvement, then I would more likely book. I am just not sure what type of celeb interviewer she is. She's awkward at the moment.''
Historically, the ''Today'' booking team has secured guests for all four hours of the NBC morning juggernaut. While no new talent bookers were hired for ''Megyn Kelly Today,'' certain team members' roles were shifted to focus solely on the show, giving Hollywood publicists the option to turn down offers for their clients to appear on Kelly's specific hour.
It's not helping that the ratings for Kelly's show have been lagging. Though she had a slight spike at the start of her third week, the 9 a.m. hour of ''Today'' with Kelly is down 30% from last year when ''Today's Take'' with Tamron Hall and Roker filled the hour. But all programs, including competitor ''Live With Kelly and Ryan,'' are down in double digits from last year because of the high interest in the 2016 presidential election. Still, ''Live'' is beating ''Megyn Kelly'' by 17% in the national rating.
''She posted her highest ratings yet in the key demo Monday after the second week on the air,'' an NBC insider said. ''Everyone knows ratings always fluctuate at the start of a new show.''
Meanwhile, others say that NBC deserves some of the blame for the show's inauspicious start, by not creating a vehicle that plays to Kelly's strengths. The show's executive producer, Jackie Levin, was hand-picked by NBC News president Noah Oppenheim. Her previous specialty at ''Today'' was booking books '' not celebrities. (Cases in point: Brand and Fisher both sat down with Kelly to promote their new books.) Plus, the network built a live-studio audience, which may have set expectations too high and created a strange disconnect between ''Megyn Kelly Today'' and the other hours of the broadcast.
NBC hasn't enlisted Kelly on breaking news coverage, which is what turned her into a household name on Fox News. At her last job, Kelly stunned as a highly-skilled political commentator, who had no problem taking on Karl Rove, Mike Huckabee, Jeb Bush and Newt Gingrich.
After the Las Vegas massacre, Kelly's show was preempted and she didn't appear on TV at all, though she was prepared to go on that day. NBC made the decision to keep rolling coverage with co-hosts Matt Lauer and Guthrie, without having Kelly join them at the anchor's desk. An NBC rep says that ''it's different every time'' and Kelly will be asked to cover breaking news in the future.
An industry insider close to Kelly says that NBC was ready for the negative reviews in her early days. The source believes that her astronomical salary splashed in the press'--which has been reported as $17 million a year'--has made her an easy target.
''Of course, there are going to be kinks in the first weeks, but people are being negative and unfair,'' the source said, comparing her to coverage to other new talk show hosts. ''[Stephen] Colbert got killed his first week and first month.''
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Migrants
Sen. Kamala Harris's claim that an 'undocumented immigrant is not a criminal'
'-- Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), tweet, April 21, 2017
''The President's immigration actions and Muslim ban will make America less safe. As a prosecutor, I can tell you, it is a serious mistake to conflate criminal justice policy with immigration policy as if they are the same thing. They are not. I have personally prosecuted everything from low-level offenses to homicides. I know what a crime looks like. I will tell you: an undocumented immigrant is not a criminal. But that's what these actions do. They suggest all immigrants are criminals and treat immigrants like criminals.''
'-- Harris, maiden speech in response to President Trump's immigration executive order, Feb. 16, 2017
This tweet '-- one of several tweets published during her town hall '-- caught our attention, and we were curious about the context in which the junior senator from California made this claim. It turned out that Harris used this talking point regularly on the 2016 Senate campaign trail, and she often made the claim to draw a legal distinction in immigration and criminal law (as in the Feb. 16 speech).
We took a deeper look at the former California attorney general's claim.
The FactsThe act of being unlawfully present in the United States is a civil violation, not a criminal offense. According to her staff, that is what Harris is referring to when she uses this line.
In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that ''as a general rule, it is not a crime for a removable alien to remain present in the United States.'' The majority opinion was issued in a lawsuit over a controversial 2010 Arizona law that required local police to determine the immigration status of someone who is detained or arrested, if police had a ''reasonable suspicion'' that the person was in the country illegally. This was the most controversial provision that opponents of the law said would open up room for rampant racial profiling. The Supreme Court upheld this provision but struck down most others that were challenged.
The undocumented population includes people who improperly entered the country, those who entered legally but overstayed the terms of their temporary entry (such as staying beyond the time authorized with a temporary visa), and those who have ''quasi-legal'' status, such as people who are granted deferred action status.
The federal immigration law imposes criminal penalties on some actions related to undocumented presence, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which is a critic of Trump's recent immigration actions. Illegally entering the country (for example, illegally crossing the border), re-entering the country after being removed or falsifying documents to enter the country are all criminally punishable.
It is unclear exactly how many people within the estimated 11 million undocumented population entered legally or illegally. Advocates on both sides use a statistic published in 2006, that about 55 to 60 percent of the undocumented population entered the country illegally.
Harris specifically uses the word ''criminals,'' referring to people who violated criminal law. That further distinguishes between people who are unlawfully present (and have not been convicted of a crime) and noncitizens who are charged and convicted of criminal offenses (immigration or otherwise). The term ''criminal aliens'' is used for the latter group of noncitizens.
In summary: If you entered the United States without permission, you would be subject to criminal penalties, thus labeling you a ''criminal'' if you're convicted. But just the simple act of being in the country without permission doesn't make you a ''criminal,'' because it's a civil offense.
''If you're looking at it from the pure legalistic perspective, then she is right to some extent, that simply being here without legal status is not a crime. It doesn't make you a criminal,'' said David Bier, immigration policy expert at the libertarian Cato Institute. ''But many undocumented immigrants have committed criminal violations of immigration law, and there's nothing wrong with pointing that out. There's no discord between saying that, and that you think that we should provide a pathway to citizenship, in order to allow them to live here without having to break the law.''
Opponents of illegal immigration say Harris's claim is a distinction without a difference, because you're still breaking the law '-- civil or criminal. David Ray, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which supports lower levels of legal and illegal immigration, said: ''All illegal aliens have broken the law '-- that is undisputable. Unlawful border crossings are criminal offenses: misdemeanor for the first offense and a felony for repeat offenders. While overstaying a visa is a civil offense under immigration law, those who do it still break the law and are subject to removal.''
Harris spokesman Tyrone Gayle said: ''Senator Harris was referring to the fact that this Administration has painted all undocumented immigrants as criminals, when the reality is the vast majority of undocumented immigrants here are following the law, contributing to our economy and society. Labeling people as criminals solely because of their immigration status is inaccurate, strains the limited resources of local law enforcement, and makes our communities less safe.''
Harris further explained her point to a Washington Post reporter, who asked her about her use of this talking point at a March 28 news conference with immigration advocates:
Reporter: ''And to Senator Harris, I want to make sure that I understand what you said. You said an undocumented immigrant is not a criminal. With total respect to the stories we just heard, if they crossed the border illegally or if they overstayed a visa, are they not breaking the law and thus in violation of the law as criminals? Or are you distinguishing that and some other [inaudible]?''
Harris: ''Two obvious points. It is a civil violation, it's not a crime. Period, full stop. And the second point is that there is a whole community that is being vilified because of this misinformed, misdirected term 'illegal alien.' And what is happening is you're seeing then misguided and misinformed policies come from that. And it is not only just unfortunate, it's irresponsible. It's irresponsible to paint a whole population of people as rapists and murderers and 'bad hombres.' It's actually ignorant and we can't afford to run our country that way. So they are not criminals.''
The Pinocchio TestThe act of being in the United States without permission is not a criminal violation of the law, but a civil infraction. That is what Harris is referring to when she says ''an undocumented immigrant is not a criminal.'' But some undocumented people have violated criminal law in relation to their immigration status '-- for example, those who illegally entered the country or falsified documents.
Harris also uses this phrase to draw a distinction between unauthorized people who are living in the United States without having committed a crime, and those who are both unauthorized and have committed a crime (or ''criminal alien'').
We hold politicians to a reasonable-person standard. The technical distinctions she makes are not immediately clear without additional context, especially to the layman who doesn't understand the intricacies and nuances of criminal and immigration law.
Two Pinocchios
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Mapping Reliable allies in the European Parliament (2014 '' 2019) for the Open Society European Policy Institute
A. Introduction i B. European Parliament bodies iii 1. Conference of Presidents ................................................................................. iii 2. Bureau of the European Parliament ............................................................ iii 3. Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) ......................................................... iii 4. Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) .................................................... v 5. Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) ..................................... vi 6. Committee on Development (DEVE) .......................................................... vii 7. Committee on International Trade (INTA) ............................................. viii 8. Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) ..................... ix 9. Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) ........................ xi 10. Committee on Regional Development (RE GI) ..................................... xii 11. Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) ......................................................... xiii 12. Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) .. xiv 13. Committee on Women's Ri ghts and Gender Equality (FEMM) .. xvi 14. Delegation to Albania ................................................................................. xvii 15. Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina & Kosovo .......................... xvii 16. Delegation to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia ...... xvii 17. Delegation to Moldova ............................................................................... xvii 18. Delegation to Montenegro ...................................................................... xviii 19. Delegation to Serbia ................................................................................... xviii 20. Delegation to Turkey ................................................................................. xviii 21. Delegation to Belarus .................................................................................. xix 22. Delegation to the Russian Federation .................................................. xix 23. Delegation to South Caucasus countries ............................................. xix 24. Delegation to Ukraine ................................................................................... xx 25. Delegation to Euronest ................................................................................. xx 26. Delegation to the Union for the Mediterranean ................................. xx 27. Delegation to Israel ...................................................................................... xxi 28. Delegation to the Palestinian Legislative Council ............................ xxi 29. Delegation to the Maghreb countries .................................................. xxii 30. Delegation to the Mashreq countries .................................................. xxii 31. Delegation to the Arab Peninsula .......................................................... xxii 32. Delegation to Iraq ....................................................................................... xxiii 33. Delegation to Afghanistan ....................................................................... xxiii 34. Delegation to Central Asia ...................................................................... xxiii 35. Delegation to Southeast Asia and ASEAN countries .................... xxiv 36. Delegation to India ..................................................................................... xxiv 37. Delegation to South Africa ...................................................................... xxiv 38. Delegation to the Pan-African Parliament ......................................... xxv 39. Delegation to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries .. xxv C. Indexes xxvii 40. Equality, non-discrimination and social inclusion for minorities, including on grounds of race, ethnicity (including the Roma), and disability ................................................................................................ xxvii 41. Upholding fundamental rights in the EU ............................................ xxix 42. EU accession to the ECHR ........................................................................ xxx 43. Freedom of movement .............................................................................. xxxi 44. Migration and asylum .............................................................................. xxxiii 45. Criminal justice, in particular suspects' procedural rights ........ xxxiii 46. Media freedom and pluralism ............................................................... xxxiv 47. Freedom of information, particularly over the internet ............. xxxv 48. Data protection and privacy .................................................................. xxxv 49. Drug policy, including harm reduction approaches ..................... xxxvi 50. The use of structural and regional funds .......................................... xxxvi 51. Western Balkans and Turkey .............................................................. xxxvii 52. Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus ...................................... xxxviii 53. Central Asia ................................................................................................. xxxix 54. Middle East and North Africa ............................................................... xxxix 55. Sub-Saharan Africa .......................................................................................... xl 56. Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand ........................................... xli 57. All Members indexed by political group ............................................... xlii 58. All Members indexed alphabetically ..................................................... xlv D. Members 1 Cover photograph: (C) European Union 2013
i A. Introduction Purpose This mapping provides the Open Society European Policy Institute and the Open Society network intelligence on Members of the 8th European Parliament likely to support Open Society values during the 2014''2019 legislature. It spans 11 committees and 26 delegations, as well as the European Parliament's highest decision-making bodies: 226 MEPs who are proven or likely Open Society allies. The presence of an MEP in this mapping indicates that they are likely to support Open Society's work. They should be approached with an open mind: although they will most likely want to work on areas they're already interested in, they could also welcome hearing about new issues. Beyond discussing individual topics, Open Society should seek to build lasting and trustworthy relationships with these European lawmakers. Using this document Section B. European Parliament bodies lists the official bodies of the European Parliament, their fields of competence, and the potential Open Society allies taking part in their work. They also include the names of political advisers* helping MEPs in committees, although these may change during the legislature, and they may not be Open Society allies themselves . Section C. Members lists 226 Members' individual profiles. They provide information on Members' parliamentary affiliations (country, political group, nature of their mandate, and the committees and delegations they belong to); their background ( professional history, parliamentary interests, and other relevant intelligence); and their contact details. Finally, section D. Indexes provides three additional ways to find relevant Members: by issue of interest, by political group, and alphabetically. * Political advisers can be reached via the European Parliament's standard e -mail address es: firstname.lastname@ep.europa.eu .
ii Profiles Individual profiles were compiled using both publ icly available information and original research. Judgments made therein may be subjective, and should serve to give a sense of a Member's politics and priorities; it shouldn't be seen as a definitive guide to an individual Member . Committees and delegations in bold (e.g. 'AFET', or 'Ukraine') indicate an MEP is a full member, and will likely dedicate more time to these topics. Those indicated in a regular font (e.g. ' AFET', or 'Ukraine') indicate an MEP is a substitute member. Note that profiles only list committees and delegations covered by this mapping, and will not feature others. These can be discovered on MEPs' online profiles (see below). By July 2019, some Members will leave the European Parliament for other mandates; others will replace them; some will change committees or delegations; special committees may be set up; and importantly, MEPs'--particularly newcomers'--may shift their priorities to other areas, or change their views. The information contained in these profiles is correct as of September 2 014. Up-to-date and accurate information, including assistants' names, is available on MEPs' online profiles: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps List of abbreviations ECHR The European Court of Human Rights ISDS Investor-state dispute settlement, a mechanism potentially included in TTIP OSCE Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe PACE Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe TTIP Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership , likely to be intensely discussed during the 8th legislature
iii B. European Parliament bodies 1. Conference of Presidents The Conference of Presidents is the Parliament's highest political decision -making body. It convenes several times month ly to decide on the Parliament's plenary agenda, approve the drafting of new reports, and steer the Parliament's legislative and political work. The Conference of Presidents takes decisions by weighed votes, with each chair weighing as much as their own political group. The list below goes from the strongest to the weakest group. PITTELLA Gianni ( Chair, S&D) ..................................................................... 67 KAMALL Syed ( Chair, ECR) ........................................................................ 120 VERHOFSTADT Guy ( Chair, ALDE) .......................................................... 10 ZIMMER Gabriele ( Chair, GUE/NGL) ....................................................... 53 LAMBERTS Philippe ( Co-Chair , Greens/EFA) .......................................... 7 HARMS Rebecca ( Co-Chair , Greens/EFA) .............................................. 44 2. Bureau of the European Parliament The Bureau is responsible for the internal running of the European Parliament, including the organisation of plenary sessions , extraordinary delegation or committee activities, and funding for European political parties. Vice -Presidents may replace the President in representing the European Parliament or chairing plenary sessions. Quaestors are responsible for the day -to -day running of the Parliament. The President, Vice-Presidents and Q uaestors hold a 2.5 -year mandate, up for renewal in January 2017. They are listed below by order of precedence . President SCHULZ Martin (Germany, S&D) ............................................................... 51 Vice-Presidents McGUINNESS Mairead (Ireland, EPP) ..................................................... 61 VÄLEAN Adina- Ioana (Romania, EPP) ...................................................... 92 GUILLAUME Sylvie (France, S&D) ............................................................. 33 CREÅU Corina (Romania, S&D) ................................................................... 88 REHN Olli (Finland, ALDE) ............................................................................ 27 LAMBSDORFF Alexander Graf (Germany, ALDE) .............................. 46 LUNACEK Ulrike (Austria, Greens/EFA) .................................................... 2 PAPADIMOULIS Dimitrios (Greece, GUE/NGL) ................................. 56 Quaestors MORIN -CHARTIER Elisabet h (France, EPP) ......................................... 35 LIBERADZKI Bogus Åaw (Poland, S&D) ..................................................... 82 BEARDER Catherine (United Kingdom, ALDE) ................................. 118 KOVATCHEV Andrey (Bulgaria, EPP) ...................................................... 13 3. Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) The Committee on Foreign Affairs is ''r esponsible for the promotion, implementation and monitoring of the Union's foreign policy as regards: ' the common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and the common security and defence policy (CSDP). In this context the committee is assisted by a subcommittee on security and defence; ' relations with other Union institutions and bodies, the UNO and other international organisations and interparliamentary assemblies for matters falling under its responsibility; ' oversight of the European External Action Service;
iv ' the strengthening of political relations wit h third countries by means of comprehensive cooperation and assistance programmes or international agreements such as association and partnership agreements; ' the opening, monitoring and concluding of negotiations concerning the accession of European States to the Union; ' all legislation, programming and scrutiny of actions carried out under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, the European Neighbourhood Instrument, the Instrument for Pre- Accession Assistance, the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace and the Partnership Instrument for cooperation with third countries, and the policies underpinning them; ' the monitoring and follow -up of, inter alia, the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), in particular with regard to ENP Annual Prog ress Reports; ' issues concerning democracy, the rule of law, human rights, including the rights of minorities, in third countries and the principles of international law. In this context the committee is assisted by a subcommittee on human rights, which sho uld ensure coherence between all the Union's external policies and its human rights policy. Without prejudice to the relevant rules, members from other committees and bodies with responsibilities in this field shall be invited to attend the meetings of the subcommittee. ' Parliament's involvement in election observation missions, where appropriate in cooperation with other relevant committees and delegations; The committee provides political oversight to, and coordinates the work of, joint parliamentary commi ttees and parliamentary cooperation committees as well as that of the interparliamentary delegations and ad hoc delegations falling within its remit.''' Chair BROK Elmar (Germany, EPP) ....................................................................... 38 Vice-Chairs COUSO PERMUY Javier (Spain, GUE/NGL) .......................................... 99 PA ÅCU Ioan Mircea (Romania, S&D) ........................................................ 91 Coordinators HOWITT Richard (United Kingdom, S&D) ........................................... 120 LOCHBIHLER Barbara (Germany, Greens/EFA) ................................. 48 LSING Sabine (Germany, GUE/NGL) ..................................................... 48 MESZERICS Tams (Hungary, Greens/EFA) .......................................... 57 NEYTS -UYTTEBROECK Annemie (Belgium, ALDE) .............................. 8 PREDA Cristian Dan (Romania, EPP) ........................................................ 92 TANNOCK Charles (United Kingdom, ECR) ....................................... 127 Members ADAKTUSSON Lars (Sweden, EPP) ....................................................... 110 ALLIOT -MARIE Mich¨le (France, EPP) .................................................... 29 AU Å TREVIÄIUS Petras (Lithuania, ALDE) .............................................. 69 BUCHNER Klaus (Germany, Greens/EFA) ............................................. 39 CRISTEA Andi -Lucian (R omania, S&D) ..................................................... 89 DEMESMAEKER Mark (Belgium, ECR) ....................................................... 6 FLECKENSTEIN Knut (Germany, S&D) ................................................... 41 FREUND Eugen (Austria, S&D) ...................................................................... 1 IGLESIAS Pablo (Spain, GUE/NGL) ......................................................... 103 KHAN Afzal (United Kingdom, S&D) ...................................................... 121 KOVATCHEV Andrey (Bulgaria, EPP) ...................................................... 13 ' All excerpts are from the Parliament's Rules of Procedure , Annex VI: Powers and responsibilities of standing committees .
v KYUCHYUK Ilhan (Bulgaria, ALDE) .......................................................... 14 LUNACEK Ulrike (Austria, Greens/EFA) .................................................... 2 NART Javier (Spain, ALDE) ......................................................................... 105 PANZERI Pier Antonio (Italy, S&D) ........................................................... 66 PICULA Tonino (Croatia, S&D) .................................................................... 16 PIRI Kati (Netherlands, S&D) ....................................................................... 76 RADO Å Jozo (Croatia, ALDE) ....................................................................... 17 SAKORAFA Sofia (Greece, GUE/NGL) ..................................................... 56 THEOCHAROUS Eleni (Cyprus, EPP) ....................................................... 19 VAJGL Ivo (Slovenia, ALDE) .......................................................................... 97 VALENCIANO MARTNEZ -OROZCO Elena (Spain, S&D) ........... 109 van BAALEN Johannes (Netherlands, ALDE) ........................................ 78 ZALA Boris (Slovakia, S&D) ........................................................................... 95 Substitutes ALI Nedzhmi (Bulgaria, ALDE) ..................................................................... 11 BENIFEI Brando Maria (Italy, S&D) ........................................................... 62 BJRK Malin (Sweden, GUE/NGL) ......................................................... 111 CEBALLOS Bodil (Sweden, Greens/EFA) ............................................. 111 DE SARNEZ Marielle (France, ALDE) ....................................................... 31 FAJON Tanja (Slovenia, S&D) ...................................................................... 96 GABRIEL Mariya (Bulgaria, EPP) ................................................................ 12 GOMES Ana (Portugal, S&D) ........................................................................ 84 GRZYB Andrzej (Poland, EPP) ..................................................................... 80 GUALTIERI Roberto ( Italy, S&D) ................................................................ 64 HADJIGEORGIOU Takis (Cyprus, GUE/NGL) ...................................... 18 HARMS Rebecca (Germany, Greens/EFA) ............................................. 44 LAMBSDORFF Alexander Graf (Germany, ALDE) .............................. 46 LEINEN Jo (Germany, S&D) .......................................................................... 47 L'PEZ AGUILAR Juan Fernando (Spain, S&D) .................................. 104 MACOVEI Monica (Romania, EPP) ............................................................ 90 MARTIN David (United Kingdom, S&D) ............................................... 123 MAURA BARANDIARN Fernando (Spain, ALDE) ......................... 104 NEUSER Norbert (Germany, S&D) ............................................................ 49 POST Soraya (Sweden, S&D) ..................................................................... 115 SCHAAKE Marietje (Netherlands, ALDE) ............................................... 77 SCHOLZ Helmut (Germany, GUE/NGL) .................................................. 50 URTASUN Ernest (Spain, Greens/EFA) ................................................. 108 V YRYNEN Paavo (Finland, ALDE) ........................................................... 28 VERGIAT Marie -Christine (France, GUE/NGL) .................................... 37 WEBER Renate (Romania, EPP) .................................................................. 93 Advisers EPP Jesper HAGLUND; Zacharias GIAKOUMIS; Jan -Willem VLASMAN; Silke DALTON; Robert GOLANSKI S&D Vincenzo GRECO ; Eldar MAMEDOV; J¶rgen SIIL; Zoltan SIMON ; Anita TUSAR ECR Wojciech DANECKI ; Aleksander GRABCZEWSKI ; Richard HAZLEWOOD; Ondrej KOVARIK ALDE Rune GLASBERG ; Renaldas V AISBRODAS; Edoardo FERRARA ; Katia STASINOPOULOU GUE/NGL Karin SCHUTTPELZ ; Vera POLYCARPOU; Elvira HERNANDEZ ; Dominik ZGANEC Greens/EFA Paolo BERGAMASCHI ; Sabine MEYER EFDD A ivars BERNERS ; Rezio PASINI 4. Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) The Subcommittee on Human Rights assists the Committee on Foreign Affairs on matters ''concerning democracy, the rule of law, human rights, including the rights of minorities, in third countries and the p rinciples of international law. '' The S ubcommittee on human rights ''should ensure coherence between all the Union's external policies and its human rights policy. '' Chair VALENCIANO MAR TNEZ-OROZCO Elena (Spain, S&D) ........... 109
vi Vice -Chairs PAGAZAURTUNDA RUIZ Maite (Spain, ALDE) ............................ 105 PREDA Cristian Dan (Romania, EPP) ........................................................ 92 LOCHBIHLER Barbara (Germany, Greens/EFA) ................................. 48 Coordinators AUÅ TREVIÄIUS Petras (Lithuania, ALDE) .............................................. 69 GRZYB Andrzej (Poland, EPP) ..................................................................... 80 LOCHBIHLER Barbara (Germany, Greens/EFA) ................................. 48 PANZERI Pier Antonio (Italy, S&D) ........................................................... 66 VERGIAT Marie -Christine (France, GUE/NGL) .................................... 37 WEIDENHOLZER Josef (Austria, S&D) ...................................................... 4 Members ADAKTUSSON Lars (Sweden, EPP) ........................................................ 110 BUCHNER Klaus (Germany, Greens/EFA) ............................................. 39 CRIS TEA Andi -Lucian (Romania, S&D) ..................................................... 89 DEMESMAEKER Mark (Belgium, ECR) ....................................................... 6 GOERENS Charles (Luxembourg, ALDE) ................................................ 71 HOWITT Richard (United Kingdom, S&D) ........................................... 120 IGLESIAS Pablo (Spain, GUE/NGL) ......................................................... 103 KOVATCHEV Andrey (Bulgaria, EPP) ...................................................... 13 MARTIN David (United Kingdom, S&D) ............................................... 123 POST Soraya (Sweden, S&D) ..................................................................... 115 Substitutes COUSO PERMUY Javier (Spain, GUE/NGL) .......................................... 99 GUERRERO SALOM Enrique (Spain, S&D) .......................................... 102 MAURA BARANDIARN Fernando (Spain, ALDE) ......................... 104 MICHEL Louis (Belgium, ALDE) ..................................................................... 8 MINEUR Anne -Marie (Netherlands, GUE/NGL) .................................. 76 PIRI Kati (Netherlands, S&D) ....................................................................... 76 RODRIGUES Liliana (Portugal, S&D) ........................................................ 85 SARGENTINI Judith (Netherlands, Greens/EFA) ................................ 77 SCHAAKE Marietje (Netherlands, ALDE) ............................................... 77 TANNOCK Charles (United Kingdom, ECR) ....................................... 127 ZALA Boris (Slovakia, S&D) ........................................................................... 95 Advisers EPP Myriam ORSAGOVA S&D Brig itte BATAILLE ECR Jannes DE JONG ALDE Itziar MUOA SALAVERRIA ; Katia STASINOPOULOU GUE/NGL Charlotte BALAVOINE Greens/EFA Raphal FISERA 5. Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) The Subcommittee on Security and Defence assists the Committee on Foreign Affairs on ''the common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and the common security and defence policy (CSD P).'' Vice -Chairs KHAN Afzal (United Kingdom, S&D) ...................................................... 121 LSING Sabine (Germany, GUE/NGL) ..................................................... 48 Coordinators CEBALLOS Bodil (Sweden, Greens/EFA) ............................................. 111 LSING Sabine (Germany, GUE/NGL) ..................................................... 48 PA ÅCU Ioan Mircea (Romania, S&D) ........................................................ 91 Members NEYTS -UYTTEBROECK Annemie (Belgium, ALDE) .............................. 8 BUCHNER Klaus (Germany, Greens/EFA) ............................................. 39 FREUND Eugen (Austria, S&D) ...................................................................... 1 NART Javier (Spain, ALDE) ........................................................................ 105 PICULA Tonino (Croatia, S&D) .................................................................... 16 COUSO PERMUY Javier (Spain, GUE/NGL) .......................................... 99
vii van BAALEN Johannes (Netherlands, ALDE) ........................................ 78 GOMES Ana (Portugal, S&D) ........................................................................ 84 Substitutes FLECKENSTEIN Knut (Germany, S&D) .................................................... 41 HOWITT Richard (United Kingdom, S&D) ........................................... 120 IGLESIAS Pablo (Spain, GUE/NGL) ......................................................... 103 RADO Å Jozo (Croatia, ALD E) ....................................................................... 17 MAURA BARANDIARN Fernando (Spain, ALDE) ......................... 104 Advisers EPP Robert GOLANSKI S&D Ciprian MATEI ECR Aleksander GRABCZEWSKI ; Wojciech DANECKI ALDE Edoardo FERRARA GUE/NGL Vera POLYCARPOU Greens/EFA Tobias HEIDER 6. Committee on Development (DEVE) The Committee on Development is '' responsible for: ' the promotion, implementation and monitoring of the development and cooperation policy of the Union, notably: o political dialogue with developing countries, bilaterally and in the relevant international organisations and interparliamentary fora, o aid to, and cooperation agreements with, developing countries, notably oversight of effective aid funding and evaluation of output, including in relation to poverty eradication, o monitoring of the relationship betw een the policies of the Member States and those implemented at Union level, o promotion of democratic values, good governance and human rights in developing countries, o the implementation, monitoring and advancement of policy coherence with regard to developm ent policy; ' all legislation, programming and scrutiny of actions carried out under the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI), the European Development Fund (EDF) '' in close cooperation with national parliaments '' and the Humanitarian Aid Instrument, as well as all matters related to humanitarian aid in developing countries and the policy underpinning them; ' matters relating to the ACP- EU Partnership Agreement and relations with the relevant bodies; ' matters relating to Overseas Countries and Territories; ' Parliament's involvement in election observation missions, when appropriate in cooperation with other relevant committees and delegations. The committee coordinates the work of the interparliamentary delegations and ad hoc delegations falling within its rem it.'' Chair McAVAN Linda (United Kingdom, S&D) ............................................... 124 Vice-Chairs CHRYSOGONOS Kostas (Greece, GUE/NGL) ...................................... 54 VYRYNEN Paavo (Finland, ALDE) ........................................................... 28 Coordinators GOERENS Charles (Luxembourg, ALDE) ................................................ 71 NEUSER Norbert (Germany, S&D) ............................................................ 49 SNCHEZ CALDENTEY Lola (Spain, GUE/NGL) .............................. 106
viii HEUBUCH Maria (Germany, Greens/EFA) ............................................ 44 HAUTALA Heidi (Finland, Greens/EFA) .................................................. 25 Members GUERRERO SALOM Enrique (Spain, S&D) .......................................... 102 PAGAZAURTUNDA RUIZ Maite (Spain, ALDE) ............................ 105 PREDA Cristian Dan (Romania, EPP) ........................................................ 92 SCHLEIN Elena Ethel (Italy, S&D) ............................................................... 67 Substitutes ALBIOL GUZMN Marina (Spain, GUE/NGL) ....................................... 98 BEARDER Catherine (United Kingdom, ALDE) ................................. 118 DANCE Seb (United Kingdom, S&D) ...................................................... 119 DAZ DE MERA GARCA CONSUEGRA Agustn (Spain, EPP) ....... 99 HAYES Brian (Ireland, EPP) ........................................................................... 60 L'PEZ AGUILAR Juan Fernando (Spain, S&D) .................................. 104 LSING Sabine (Germany, GUE/NGL) ..................................................... 48 MICHEL Louis (Belgium, ALDE) ..................................................................... 8 NART Javier (Spain, ALDE) ......................................................................... 105 SARGENTINI Judith (Netherlands, Greens/EFA) ................................ 77 SEBASTI Jordi (Spain, Greens/EFA) .................................................... 107 VAN BREMPT Kathleen (Belgium, S&D) ................................................. 10 Advisers EPP Sylwia KOSINSKA ; Charilaos PALASSOF S&D Radostina MUTAFCHIEVA ; Renaud SAVIGNAT ECR Andrea CEPOVA -FOURTOY ; Ann Marie McCOURT ALDE Jean -Pierre TRAUFFLER GUE/NGL Kerstin EEKMAN ; Azadeh JAFARI Greens/EFA Ines TREPANT ; Tsiguereda WALELIGN EFDD Rezio PASINI ; Michael James McMANUS ; Xhoela HODO 7. Committee on International Trade (INTA) The Committee on International Trade is '' responsible for matters relating to the establishment, implementation and monitoring of the Union's common commercial policy and its external econo mic relations, in particular: ' financial, economic and trade relations with third countries and regional organisations; ' the common external tariff and trade facilitation as well as the external aspects of customs provisions and management; ' the opening, monitoring, conclusion and follow -up of bilateral, multilateral and plurilateral trade agreements governing economic, trade and investment relations with third countries and regional organisations; ' measures of technical harmonisation or standardisation in fields covered by instruments of international law; ' relations with the relevant international organisations and international fora on trade -related matters, and with organisations promoting regional economic and commercial integration outside the Union; ' relations with the WTO, including its parliamentary dimension. The committee liaises with the relevant interparliamentary and ad hoc delegations for the economic and trade aspects of relations with third countries. ''
ix Chair LANGE Bernd (Germany, S&D) ................................................................... 47 Vice-Chairs WINKLER Iuliu (Romania, EPP) ................................................................... 93 JADOT Yannick (France, Greens/EFA) .................................................... 33 Coordinators JADOT Yannick (France, Greens/EFA) .................................................... 33 MARTIN David (United Kingdom, S&D) ............................................... 123 SCHAAKE Marietje (Netherlands, ALDE) ............................................... 77 SCHOLZ Helmut (Germany, GUE/NGL) .................................................. 50 Members ARENA Maria (Belgium, S&D) ......................................................................... 5 DE SARNEZ Marielle (France, ALDE) ....................................................... 31 FISAS AYXELA Santiago (Spain, EPP) .................................................... 100 FJELLNER Christofer (Sweden, EPP) ..................................................... 113 KELLER Franziska (Germany, Greens/EFA) ........................................... 45 KIRTON -DARLING Jude (United Kingdom, S&D) ............................ 122 LAMBSDORFF Alexander Graf (Germany, ALDE) .............................. 46 MINEUR Anne -Marie (Netherlands, GUE/NGL) .................................. 76 MOIS Ä Ionel -Sorin (Romania, S&D) .......................................................... 90 MOSCA Alessia Maria (Italy, S&D) ............................................................. 66 REHN Olli (Finland, ALDE) ............................................................................ 27 Substitutes BUCHNER Klaus (Germany, Greens/EFA) ............................................. 39 JONGERIUS Agnes (Netherlands, S&D) .................................................. 75 KAMALL Syed (United Kingdom, ECR) ................................................. 120 KARIM Sajjad (United Kingdom, ECR) ................................................... 121 KATROUGKALOS Georgios (Greece, GUE/NGL) ............................... 55 KELLY S(C)an (Ireland, EPP) ............................................................................. 60 SNCHEZ CALDENTEY Lola (Spain, GUE/NGL) .............................. 106 TREMOSA i BALCELLS Ramon (Spain, ALDE) .................................... 108 VÄLEAN Adina- Ioana (Romania, EPP) ...................................................... 92 van BAALEN Johannes (Netherlands, ALDE) ........................................ 78 Advisers EPP Pier Giuse ppe RIZZA; Botond TOROK -YLLYES; Joanna WARCHOL S&D Christopher WILLIAMS; Barbara MELIS; Myriam GISTELINCK ECR Alex BOYD; Jolana MONGENGOVA; Daniel DALTON ALDE Ursa PONDELEK; Jeroen REIJNEN GUE/NGL Paul -Emile DUPRET; Tanja NIEMEIER Greens/EFA Chiara MIGLIOLI; Martin KOEHLER; Gabriele KUEPPERS 8. Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs is '' responsible for: ' the economic and m onetary policies of the Union, the functioning of Economic and Monetary Union and the European monetary and financial system (including relations with the relevant institutions or organisations); ' the free movement of capital and payments (cross -border paym ents, single payment area, balance of payments, capital movements and borrowing and lending policy, control of movements of capital originating in third countries, measures to encourage the export of the Union's capital); ' the international monetary and fin ancial system (including relations with financial and monetary institutions and organisations); ' rules on competition and State or public aid;
x ' tax provisions; ' the regulation and supervision of financial services, institutions and markets including financial reporting, auditing, accounting rules, corporate governance and other company law matters specifically concerning financial services; ' the relevant financial activities of the European Investment Bank as part of European economic governance in the eurozone .'' Chair GUALTIERI Roberto (Italy, S&D) ................................................................ 64 Vice-Chairs SIMON Peter (Germany, S&D) .................................................................... 51 Coordinators FERREIRA Elisa (Poland, S&D) ..................................................................... 84 GIEGOLD Sven (Germany, Greens/EFA) ................................................. 42 GOULARD Sylvie (France, ALDE) ............................................................... 32 MATIAS Marisa (Portugal, GUE/NGL) ..................................................... 85 SWINBURNE Kay (United Kingdom, ECR) .......................................... 126 Members BAYET Hugues (Belgium, S&D) ...................................................................... 6 DE MASI Fabio (Germany, GUE/NGL) ...................................................... 40 DODDS Anneliese (United Kingdom, S&D) ......................................... 119 HAYES Brian (Ireland, EPP) ........................................................................... 60 HKMARK Gunnar (Sweden, EPP) ........................................................ 114 LAMASSOURE Alain (France, EPP) ........................................................... 34 LAMBERTS Philipp e (Belgium, Greens/EFA) ............................................ 7 LUDVIGSSON Olle (Sweden, S&D) ......................................................... 114 PAPADIMOULIS Dimitrios (Greece, GUE/NGL) .................................. 56 PIETIKINEN Sirpa (Finland, EPP) ............................................................ 26 SCOTT CATO Molly (United Kingdom, Greens/EFA) ..................... 126 TREMOSA i BALCELLS Ramon (Spain, ALDE) .................................... 108 URTASUN Ernest (Spain, Greens/EFA) ................................................. 108 van NIEUWENHUIZEN Cora (Netherlands, ALDE) ............................ 78 VIEGAS Miguel (Portugal, GUE/NGL) ...................................................... 86 Substitutes CADEC Alain (France, EPP) .......................................................................... 30 COZZOLINO Andrea (Italy, S&D) .............................................................. 63 DE MONTE Isabella (Italy, S&D) ................................................................. 63 DELVAUX -STEHRES Mady (Luxembourg, S&D) .................................. 70 ENGEL Frank (Luxembourg, EPP) .............................................................. 71 HARKIN Marian (Ireland, ALDE) ................................................................ 59 in 't VELD Sophie (Netherlands, ALDE) .................................................... 75 JAZ ÅOWIECKA Danuta (Poland, EPP) .................................................... 81 JOLY Eva (France, Greens/EFA) ................................................................. 34 KAMALL Syed (United Kingdom, ECR) ................................................. 120 KARI Rina Ronja (Denmark, GUE/NGL) ................................................... 22 L'PEZ Palo ma (Spain, GUE/NGL) .......................................................... 103 MOSCA Alessia Maria (Italy, S&D) ............................................................ 66 NICOLAI Norica (Romania, ALDE) ............................................................. 91 REIMON Michel (Austria, Greens/EFA) ..................................................... 3 RODRIGUES Maria Jo£o (Portugal, S&D) ............................................... 86 RODRIGUEZ -RUBIO VZQUEZ Tere (Spain, GUE/NGL) ............ 106 Advisers EPP Jos(C) BOTELLA; Christian SCHEINERT; Eriks DAUKSTS; Baptiste THOLLON S&D Vincent BOCQUILLON; Stine Laerke LARSEN; Peter RUSZ; Luca FOSSATI ECR Jolana MUNGENGOVA; Anna DAVREUX; Luc ROCHTUS; Lindsay GILBERT; Jami ARVOLA ALDE Philip DRAUZ; Claire DONLON GUE/NGL Tobias GROSS; Ondrej MADR; Panayota MANIOU
xi Greens/EFA Veronica HERLOFSEN; David KEMP; Francisco PADILLA; Michael SCHMITT EFDD Andrea CURRI; Benjamin James WRENCH 9. Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs is '' responsible for: ' employment policy and all aspects of social policy including working conditions, social security, social inclusion and social protection; ' workers' rights; ' health and safety measures at the workplace; ' the European Social Fund; ' vocational tr aining policy, including professional qualifications; ' the free movement of workers and pensioners; ' social dialogue; ' all forms of discrimination at the workplace and in the labour market except those based on sex; ' relations with: o the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), o the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, o the European Training Foundation, o the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work; as well as relations with other relevant Union bodies and international organisations. '' Chair HNDEL Thomas (Germany, GUE/NGL) ................................................ 43 Vice-Chairs JAZ ÅOWIECKA Danuta (Poland, EPP) .................................................... 81 JONGERIUS Agnes (Netherlands, S&D) .................................................. 75 TRNS Ulla (Denmark, ALDE) ................................................................ 23 ULVSKOG Marita (Sweden, S&D) ........................................................... 116 Coordinators HARKIN Marian (Ireland, ALDE) ................................................................ 59 KARI Rina Ronja (Denmark, GUE/NGL) ................................................... 22 LAMBERT Jean (United Kingdom, Greens/EFA) ............................... 123 McINTYRE Anthea (United Kingdom, ECR) ........................................ 124 STEINRUCK Jutta (Germany, S&D) ........................................................... 52 Members BALAS Guillaume (France, S&D) ................................................................. 30 BENIFEI Brando Maria (Italy , S&D) ........................................................... 62 CREÅU Corina (Romania, S&D) ................................................................... 88 DLABAJOV Martina (Czech Republic, ALDE) .................................... 20 GENTILE Elena (Italy, S&D) ........................................................................... 64 KOZ ÅOWSKA -RAJEWICZ Agnieszka (Poland, EPP) ......................... 81 MORIN -CHARTIER Elisabeth (France, EPP) ......................................... 35 REINTKE Terry (Germany, Greens/EFA) ................................................ 50 RODRIGUES Mari a Jo£o (Portugal, S&D) ............................................... 86 ROLIN Claude (Belgium, EPP) ......................................................................... 9 TOOM Yana (Estonia, ALDE) ....................................................................... 24 WEBER Renate (Romania, EPP) .................................................................. 93 ZUBER Inªs Cristina (Portugal, GUE/NGL) ............................................ 87
xii Substitutes ARENA Maria (Belgium, S&D) ......................................................................... 5 BOYLAN Lynn (Ireland, GUE/NGL) ........................................................... 59 BROK Elmar (Germany, EPP) ....................................................................... 38 DELLI Karima (France, Greens/EFA) ......................................................... 32 GUTIRREZ PRIETO Sergio (Spain, S&D) ............................................ 102 HOWITT Richard (United Kingdom, S&D) ........................................... 120 KUMPULA- NATRI Miapetra (Finland, S&D) ......................................... 26 L'PEZ Paloma (Spain, GUE/NGL) ........................................................... 103 MARTIN douard (France, S&D) ................................................................ 35 MESZERICS Tams (Hunga ry, Greens/EFA) .......................................... 57 REGNER Evelyn (Austria, S&D) ...................................................................... 3 SIPPEL Birgit (Germany, S&D) ..................................................................... 52 SYLIKIOTIS Neoklis (Cyprus, GUE/NGL) ................................................ 19 VAJGL Ivo (Slovenia, ALDE) .......................................................................... 97 VANA Monika (Austria, Greens/EFA) .......................................................... 4 ZIMMER Gabriele (Germany, GUE/NGL) ............................................... 53 Advisers EPP Klaus KELLERSMANN ; Alena CARNA; Elina NATCHEVA -SKARBY S&D Irina DE SANCHO ALONSO; Jan KUNZ; Andrew CAMILLERI; Camille LEPINAY ECR Ann -Marie McCOURT; Andrea CEPOVA -FOURTOY ALDE Anu AHOPELTO; Johanna LUNDBERG GUE/NGL Seyne TORRES; Myriam LOSA; Karola BOGER Greens/EFA Philine SCHOLZE; Berta HALMOS 10. Committee on Regional Development (REGI) The Committee on Regional Development is '' responsible for: ' the operation and development of the Union's regional development and cohesion policy, as established in the Treaties; ' the European R egional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the other instruments of the Union's regional policy; ' assessment of the impact of other Union policies on economic and social cohesion; ' coordination of the Union's structural instruments; ' the urban dimension of the cohesion policy; ' outermost regions and islands as well as trans -frontier and interregional cooperation; ' relations with the Committee of the Regions, interregional cooperation organisations and local and regional authorities. '' Chair MIHAYLOVA Iskra (Bulgaria, ALDE) ........................................................ 14 Vice-Chairs COZZOLINO Andrea (Italy, S&D) .............................................................. 63 OMARJEE Younous (France, GUE/NGL) ................................................. 36 Coordinators JAKOV ÄIÄ Ivan (Croatia, ALDE) ................................................................ 16 KREHL Constanze (Germany, S&D) .......................................................... 46 OMARJEE Younous (France, GUE/NGL) ................................................. 36 van NISTELROOIJ Lambert (Netherlands, EPP) .................................. 79 VANA Monika (Austria, Greens/EFA) ......................................................... 4 Members REINTKE Terry (Germany, Greens/EFA) ................................................ 50 RODRIGUES Liliana (Portugal, S&D) ........................................................ 85 SMOLKOV Monika (Slovakia, S&D) ....................................................... 95 VALLINA ngela (Spain, GUE/NGL) ....................................................... 109
xiii Substitutes ANDERSON Martina (United King dom, GUE/NGL) ........................ 117 AU Å TREVIÄIUS Petras (Lithuania, ALDE) .............................................. 69 DODDS Anneliese (United Kingdom, S&D) ......................................... 119 GENTILE Elena (Italy, S&D) ........................................................................... 64 GROOTE Matthias (Germany, S&D) ......................................................... 43 IOTOVA Iliana (Bulgaria, S&D) .................................................................... 13 PAPADIMOULIS Dimitrios (Greece, GUE/NGL) .................................. 56 PICULA Tonino (Croatia, S&D) .................................................................... 16 REHN Olli (Finland, ALDE) ............................................................................ 27 ROLIN Claude (Belgium, EPP) ......................................................................... 9 SIMON Peter (Germany, S&D) .................................................................... 51 Å KRLEC Davor (Croatia, Greens/EFA) ..................................................... 17 THEOCHAROUS Eleni (Cyprus, EPP) ....................................................... 19 WINKLER Iuliu (Romania, EPP) ................................................................... 93 Advisers EPP Madalina STOIAN; Pawel KALETA S &D Rasa RUDZKYTE; Petros KOUPEGKOS ECR Patrick CASSIDY; Joanna REJDYCH; Michaela KRIZKOVA ALDE Bogdan ROGIN; Isabella MARZULLO GUE/NGL Antoine BAZANTAY; Panagiotis RENTZELAS Greens/EFA Simone Reinhart 11. Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) The Committee on Legal Affairs is '' responsible for: ' the interpretation, application and monitoring of Union law and compliance of Union acts with primary law, notably the choice of legal bases and respect for the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality; ' the inte rpretation and application of international law, in so far as the European Union is affected; ' better law -making and the simplification of Union law; ' the legal protection of Parliament's rights and prerogatives, including its involvement in actions before t he Court of Justice of the European Union; ' Union acts which affect the Member States' legal order, namely in the fields of: o civil and commercial law, o company law, o intellectual property law, o procedural law; ' measures concerning judicial and administrative cooperation in civil matters; ' environmental liability and sanctions against environmental crime; ' ethical questions related to new technologies, applying the procedure with associated committees with the relevant committees; ' the Statute for Members and the Staff Regulations of the European Union; ' privileges and immunities as well as verification of Members' credentials; ' the organisation and statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union; ' the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market. '' Vice -Chair s DELVAUX -STEHRES Mady (Luxembourg, S&D) .................................. 70 GERINGER de OEDENBERG Lidia Joanna (Poland, S&D) ............... 80 CAVADA Jean -Marie (France, ALDE) ...................................................... 31
xiv Coordinators CAVADA Jean -Marie (France, ALDE) ....................................................... 31 CHRYSOGONOS Kostas (Greece, GUE/NGL) ...................................... 54 HAUTALA Heidi (Finland, Greens/EF A) .................................................. 25 REGNER Evelyn (Austria, S&D) ...................................................................... 3 Members COMODINI CACHIA Therese (Malta, EPP) ........................................... 72 ESTARS FERRAGUT Rosa (Spain, EPP) .............................................. 100 KARIM Sajjad (United Kingdom, ECR) ................................................... 121 MA Å TLKA JiÅ (Czech Republic, GUE/NGL) ......................................... 21 REDA Julia (Germany, Greens/EFA) ......................................................... 49 Substitutes BUDA Daniel (Romania, EPP) ....................................................................... 88 COFFERATI Sergio Gaetano (Italy, S&D) ................................................ 62 GEBHARDT Evelyne (Germany, S&D) ...................................................... 42 WIKSTRM Cecilia (Sweden, ALDE) ..................................................... 116 Advisers EPP Franziska NEHER; Marie -Christine AMIOT; Boglrka BOLYA S&D Melanie KLLER; Corina POPA ECR Cameron SM ITH ALDE Miriam SCHOEPS; Karin SAUERTEIG GUE/NGL Evangelos KATSIAVAS; Andreas WEHR Greens/EFA Erik JOSEFSSON; Francesca BELTRAME 12. Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs is '' responsible for: ' the protection within the territory of the Union of citizens' rights, human rights and fundamental rights, including the protection of minorities, as laid down in the Treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; ' the measures needed to combat all forms of discrimination other than those based on sex or those occurring at the workplace and in the labour market; ' legislation in the areas of transparency and of the protection of natural persons with regard to the proc essing of personal data; ' the establishment and development of an area of freedom, security and justice while respecting the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, in particular: o measures concerning the entry and movement of persons, asylum and migration, o measures concerning an integrated management of the common borders, o measures relating to police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, including terrorism, and substantive and procedural measures relating to the development of a more coheren t Union approach to criminal law; ' the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Europol, Eurojust, Cepol, the European Public Prosecutor's Office and other bodies and agencies in the same area; ' the determination of a clear risk of a serious breach by a Member State of the principles common to the Member States. ''
xv Chair MORAES Claude (United Kingdom, S&D) ............................................ 125 Vice-Chairs ALBRECHT Jan Philipp (Germany, Greens/EFA) ................................. 38 IOTOVA Iliana (Bulgaria , S&D) .................................................................... 13 Coordinators ERNST Cornelia (Germany, GUE/NGL) .................................................... 40 KIRKHOPE Timothy (United Kingdom, ECR) ..................................... 122 METSOLA Roberta (Malta, EPP) ................................................................. 73 SARGENTINI Judith (Netherlands, Greens/EFA) ................................ 77 SIPPEL Birgit (Germany, S&D) ..................................................................... 52 WIKSTRM Cecilia (Sweden, ALDE) ..................................................... 116 Members ANDERSON Martina (United Kingdom, GUE/NGL) ........................ 117 BJRK Malin (Sweden, GUE/NGL) ......................................................... 111 CEBALLOS Bodil (Sweden, Greens/EFA) ............................................. 111 DAZ DE MERA GARCA CONSUEGRA Agustn (Spain, EPP) ....... 99 ENGEL Frank (Luxembourg, EPP) .............................................................. 71 FAJON Tanja (Slovenia, S&D) ...................................................................... 96 FLA Å KOV BEÅOV Monika (Slovakia, S&D) .................................... 94 GABRIEL Mariya (Bulgaria, EPP) ................................................................ 12 GOMES Ana (Portugal, S&D) ........................................................................ 84 GUILLAUME Sylvie (France, S&D) ............................................................. 33 HYUSMENOVA Filiz (Bulgaria, ALDE) ..................................................... 12 in 't VELD Sophie (Netherlands, ALDE) .................................................... 75 JOLY Eva (France, Greens/EFA) ................................................................. 34 KYENGE Kashet u (Italy, S&D) ..................................................................... 65 L'PEZ AGUILAR Juan Fernando (Spain, S&D) .................................. 104 MACOVEI Monica (Romania, EPP) ............................................................ 90 MICHEL Louis (Belgium, ALDE) ..................................................................... 8 NIEDERM'LLER P(C)ter (Hungary, S&D) .................................................. 58 POST Soraya (Sweden, S&D) ..................................................................... 115 VERGIAT Marie -Christine (France, GUE/NGL) .................................... 37 WEIDENHOLZER Jose f (Austria, S&D) ...................................................... 4 Substitutes ALBIOL GUZMN Marina (Spain, GUE/NGL) ....................................... 98 BAYET Hugues (Belgium, S&D) ...................................................................... 6 CHRYSOGONOS Kostas (Greece, GUE/NGL) ...................................... 54 CORAZZA BILDT Anna Maria (Sweden, EPP) ................................... 112 CREÅU Corina (Romania, S&D) ................................................................... 88 DALLI Miriam (Malta, S&D) .......................................................................... 73 de JONG Dennis (Netherlands, GUE/NGL) ............................................ 74 DEPREZ G(C)rard (Belgium, ALDE) ................................................................. 7 DRÄGHICI Damian (Romania, S&D) .......................................................... 89 GUTIRREZ PRIETO Sergio (Spain, S&D) ............................................ 102 KYRKOS Miltiadis (Greece, S&D) ............................................................... 55 LAMBERT Jean (United Kingdom, Greens/EFA) ............................... 123 LUNACEK Ulrike (Austria, Greens/EFA) .................................................... 2 MLINAR Angelika (Austria, ALDE) ................................................................ 2 MORGANO Luigi (Italy, S&D) ...................................................................... 65 PAGAZAURTUNDA RUIZ Maite (Spain, ALDE) ............................ 105 PIRI Kati (Netherlands, S&D) ....................................................................... 76 REVAULT D'ALLONNES BONNEFOY Christine (France, S&D) .... 36 SARVAMAA Petri (Finland, EPP) ................................................................ 27 SCHLEIN Elena Ethel (Ital y, S&D) ............................................................... 67 SPINELLI Barbara (Italy, GUE/NGL) .......................................................... 68 TERRICABRAS Josep- Maria (Spain, Greens/EFA) ........................... 107 THUN UND HOHENSTEIN R" ża Gr¤fin von (Poland, EPP) ............ 82 VIOTTI Daniele (Italy, S&D) .......................................................................... 68 Advisers EPP Ouarda BENSOUAG; Andris PETERSONS; Gonzalo DE MENDOZA ASENSI S& D Sofia ASTERIADI; Shane MURPHY; Matilda SISTT ECR Suzy WILD; Caroline HEALY; Jannes DE JONG ALDE tienne MAURY; Val(C)rie GLATIGNY; Tom FEELEY
xvi GUE/NGL Amandine BACH; Olivier WINANTS Greens/EFA Christine SIDENIUS; Wouter VAN BALLEGOIJ; Georgia TSAKLANGANOS EFDD Emanuele SANGUINETI 13. Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) The Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality is '' responsible for: ' the definition, promotion and protection of women's rights in the Union and related Union measures; ' the promotion of women's rights in third countries; ' equal opportunities policy, including the promotion of equality between men and women with regard to labour market opportunities and treatment at work; ' the removal of all forms of violence and discriminatio n based on sex; ' the implementation and further development of gender mainstreaming in all policy sectors; ' the follow -up and implementation of international agreements and conventions involving the rights of women; ' encouraging awareness of women's rights. '' Chair GARCA -PREZ Iratxe (Spain, S&D) ...................................................... 101 Vice-Chairs ZUBER Inªs Cristina (Portugal, GUE/NGL) ............................................ 87 Coordinators ARENA Maria (Belgium, S&D) ......................................................................... 5 BEARDER Catherine (United Kingdom, ALDE) ................................. 118 BJRK Malin (Sweden, GUE/NGL) ......................................................... 111 CORAZZA BILDT Anna Maria (Sweden, EPP) ................................... 112 MLINAR Angelika (Austria, ALDE) ................................................................ 2 REINTKE Terry (Germany, Greens/EFA) ................................................ 50 URTASUN Ernest (Spain, Greens/EFA) ................................................. 108 Members KOZ ÅOWSKA -RAJEWICZ Agnieszka (Poland, EPP) ......................... 81 RODRIGUES Liliana (Portugal, S&D) ........................................................ 85 SEBASTI Jordi (Spain, Greens/EFA) .................................................... 107 VAL LINA ngela (Spain, GUE/NGL) ....................................................... 109 Substitutes BILBAO BARANDICA Izaskun (Spain, ALDE) ....................................... 98 BORZAN Biljana (Croatia, S&D) ................................................................. 15 ESTARS FERRAGUT Rosa (Spain, EPP) .............................................. 100 GABRIEL Mariya (Bulgaria, EPP) ................................................................ 12 in 't VELD Sophie (Netherlands, ALDE) .................................................... 75 IOTOVA Iliana (Bulgaria, S&D) .................................................................... 13 LUNACEK Ulrike (Austria, Greens/EFA) .................................................... 2 MOODY Clare (United Kingdom, S&D) ................................................ 125 PIETIKINEN Sirpa (Finland, EPP) ............................................................ 26 REGNER Evelyn (Austria, S&D) ...................................................................... 3 SCHLEIN Elena Ethel (Italy, S&D) ............................................................... 67 TARABELLA Marc (Belgium, S&D) ................................................................ 9 VANA Monika (Austria, Greens/EFA) ......................................................... 4 Advisers EPP Catherine BONNICHON DE RANCOURT; Krisztina LASZLO; Daniela SENK; Virginie REMACLE S&D Emmanuelle LE TEXIER
xvii ECR Caroline HEALY ALDE Tom FEELEY GUE/NGL Azadeh JAFARI Greens/EFA Elisabeth HORSTKOETTER 14. Delegation to Albania Chair MACOVEI Monica (Romania, EPP) ............................................................ 90 Vice-Chairs JAKOV ÄIÄ Ivan (Croatia, ALDE) ................................................................ 16 SCHLEIN Elena Ethel (Italy, S&D) ............................................................... 67 Members GIEGOLD Sven (Germany, Greens/EFA) ................................................. 42 KATROUGKALOS Georgios (Greece, GUE/NGL) ............................... 55 STEINRUCK Jutta (Germany, S&D) ........................................................... 52 15. Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina & Kosovo Chair PICULA Tonino (Croatia, S&D) .................................................................... 16 Vice-Chairs LUNACEK Ulrike (Austria, Greens/EFA) .................................................... 2 Members ERNST Cornelia (Germany, GUE/NGL) .................................................... 40 FAJON Tanja (Slovenia, S&D) ...................................................................... 96 RADO Å Jozo (Croatia, ALDE) ....................................................................... 17 VIOTTI Daniele (Italy, S&D ) .......................................................................... 68 Substitutes ADAKTUSSON Lars (Sweden, EPP) ....................................................... 110 BJRK Malin (Sweden, GUE/NGL) ......................................................... 111 GENTILE Elena (Italy, S&D) ........................................................................... 64 in 't VELD Sophie (Netherlands, ALDE) .................................................... 75 NILSSON Jens (Sweden, S&D) .................................................................. 115 REINTKE Terry (Germany, Greens/EFA) ................................................ 50 WEIDENHOLZER Josef (Austria, S&D) ...................................................... 4 16. Delegation to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Members BORZAN Biljana (Croatia, S&D) ................................................................. 15 CRAMER Michael (Germany, Greens/EFA) ........................................... 39 DE MONTE Isabella (Italy, S&D) ................................................................. 63 MIHAYLOVA Iskra (Bulgaria, ALDE) ........................................................ 14 Substitutes DODDS Anneliese (United Kingdom, S&D) ......................................... 119 KOVATCHEV Andrey (Bulgaria, EPP) ...................................................... 13 LUDVIGSSON Olle (Sweden, S&D) ......................................................... 114 TERRICABRAS Josep -Maria (Spain, Greens/EFA) ........................... 107 17. Delegation to Moldova Chair CRISTEA Andi -Lucian (Romania, S&D) ..................................................... 89 Members ERIKSSON Peter (Sweden, Greens/EFA) ............................................. 112 GRZY B Andrzej (Poland, EPP) ..................................................................... 80 KUMPULA- NATRI Miapetra (Finland, S&D) ......................................... 26
xviii NICOLAI Norica (Romania, ALDE) ............................................................. 91 ZIMMER Gabriele (Germany, GUE/NGL) ............................................... 53 Substitutes AUÅ TREVIÄIUS Petras (Lithuania, ALDE) .............................................. 69 FAJON Tanja (Slovenia, S&D) ...................................................................... 96 FLECKENSTEIN Knut (Germany, S& D) .................................................... 41 MA Å TLKA JiÅ (Czech Republic, GUE/NGL) ......................................... 21 18. Delegation to Montenegro Chair DODDS Anneliese (United Kingdom, S&D) ......................................... 119 Vice-Chairs McGUINNESS Mairead (Ireland, EPP) ...................................................... 61 Members BUDA Daniel (Romania, EPP) ....................................................................... 88 GENTILE Elena (Italy, S&D) ........................................................................... 64 IOTOVA Iliana (Bulgaria, S&D) .................................................................... 13 MA Å TLKA JiÅ (Czech Republic, GUE/NGL) ......................................... 21 RADO Å Jozo (Croatia, ALDE) ....................................................................... 17 REINTKE Terry (Germany, Greens/EFA) ................................................ 50 Substitutes BORZAN Biljana (Croatia, S&D) ................................................................. 15 DE MONTE Isabella (Italy, S&D) ................................................................. 63 LUNACEK Ulrike (Austria, Greens/EFA) .................................................... 2 STEINR UCK Jutta (Germany, S&D) ........................................................... 52 19. Delegation to Serbia Members GLEZOS Emmanouil (Greece, GUE/NGL) ............................................... 54 HKMARK Gunnar (Sweden, EPP) ........................................................ 114 LUDVIGSSON Olle (Sweden, S&D) ......................................................... 114 VAJGL Ivo (Slovenia, ALDE) .......................................................................... 97 Substitutes CREÅU Corina (Romania, S&D) ................................................................... 88 FLECKENSTEIN Knut (Germany, S&D) ................................................... 41 HADJIGEORGIOU Takis (Cyprus, GUE/NGL) ...................................... 18 JAKOV ÄIÄ Ivan (Croatia, ALDE) ................................................................ 16 LUNACEK Ulrike (Austria, Greens/EFA) .................................................... 2 PICULA Tonino (Croatia, S&D) .................................................................... 16 THEOCHAROUS Eleni (Cyprus, EPP) ....................................................... 19 20. Delegation to Turkey Vice -Chairs HADJIGEORGIOU Takis (Cyp rus, GUE/NGL) ...................................... 18 KYRKOS Miltiadis (Greece, S&D) ............................................................... 55 Members BAYET Hugues (Belgium, S&D) ...................................................................... 6 CHRYSOGONOS Kostas (Greece, GUE/NGL) ...................................... 54 in 't VELD Sophie (Netherlands, ALDE) .................................................... 75 KELLER Franziska (Germany, Greens/EFA) ........................................... 45 LAMBSDORFF Alexander Graf (Germany, ALDE) .............................. 46 THEOCHAROUS Eleni (Cyprus, EPP) ....................................................... 19
xix Substitutes ALI Nedzhmi (Bulgaria, ALDE) ..................................................................... 11 CORAZZA BILDT Anna Maria (Sweden, EPP) .................................... 112 GRZYB Andrzej (Poland, EPP) ..................................................................... 80 KARI Rina Ronja (Denmark, GUE/NGL) ................................................... 22 REHN Olli (Finland, ALDE) ............................................................................ 27 Å KRLEC Davor (Croatia, Greens/EFA) ..................................................... 17 21. Delegation to Belarus Members FJELLNER Christofer (Sweden, EPP) ..................................................... 113 KOZ ÅOWSKA -RAJEWICZ Agnieszka (Poland, EPP) ......................... 81 NILSSON Jens (Sweden, S&D) .................................................................. 115 Substitutes GROOTE Matthias (Germany, S&D) ......................................................... 43 22. Delegation to the Russian Federation Vice -Chairs MA Å TLKA JiÅ (Czech Republic, GUE/NGL) ......................................... 21 Members CADEC Alain (France, EPP) ........................................................................... 30 ERIKSSON Peter (Sweden, Greens/EFA) ............................................. 112 FLECKENSTEIN Knut (Germany, S&D) .................................................... 41 MESZERICS Tams (Hungary, Greens/EFA) .......................................... 57 TOOM Yana (Estonia, ALDE) ........................................................................ 24 VYRYNEN Paavo (Finland, ALDE) ........................................................... 28 Substitutes FERREIRA Elisa (Poland, S&D) ..................................................................... 84 GUALTIERI Roberto (Italy, S&D) ................................................................ 64 HARMS Rebecca (Germany, Greens/EFA) ............................................. 44 HAUTALA Heidi (Finland, Greens/EFA) .................................................. 25 HOFFMANN Iris (Germany, S&D) ............................................................. 45 MOODY Clare (United Kingdom, S&D) ................................................ 125 NICOLAI Norica (Romania, ALDE) ............................................................. 91 SARVAMAA Petri (Finland, EPP) ................................................................ 27 SPINELLI Barbara (Italy, GUE/NGL) .......................................................... 68 23. Delegation to South Caucasus countries This delegation is responsible for relations with the EU -Armenia, EU -Azerbaijan and EU -Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees . Members DRÄGHICI Damian (Romania, S&D) .......................................................... 89 HAUTALA Heidi (Finland, Greens/EFA) .................................................. 25 HOFFMANN Iris (Germany, S&D) ............................................................. 45 KARIM Sajjad (United Kingdom, ECR) ................................................... 121 MIHAYLOVA Iskra (Bulgaria, ALDE) ........................................................ 14 MOODY Clare (United Kingdom, S&D) ................................................ 125 SMOLKOV Monika (Slovakia, S &D) ....................................................... 95 Substitutes DALLI Miriam (Malta, S&D) .......................................................................... 73 DLABAJOV Martina (Czech Republic, ALDE) .................................... 20 GLEZOS Emmanouil (Greece, GUE/NGL) ............................................... 54 HKMARK Gunnar (Sweden, EPP) ........................................................ 114 MESZERICS Tams (Hungary, Greens/EFA) .......................................... 57 ZALA Boris (Slovakia, S&D) ........................................................................... 95
xx 24. Delegation to Ukraine Members CORAZZA BILDT Anna Maria (Sweden, EPP) .................................... 112 DEMESMAEKER Mark (Belgium, ECR) ....................................................... 6 HARMS Rebecca (Germany, Greens/EFA) ............................................. 44 KALLAS Kaja (Estonia, ALDE) ...................................................................... 24 LIBERADZKI Bogus Åaw (Poland, S&D) ..................................................... 82 PIRI Kati (Netherlands, S&D) ....................................................................... 76 Substitutes HADJIGEORGIOU Takis (Cyprus, GUE/NGL) ...................................... 18 25. Delegation to Euronest This delegation is responsible for relations with the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine). Chair HAUTALA Heidi (Finland, Greens/EFA) .................................................. 25 Members CORAZZA BILDT Anna Maria (Sweden, EPP) .................................... 112 CRISTEA Andi -Lucian (Romania, S&D) ..................................................... 89 DEMESMAEKER Mark (Belgium, ECR) ....................................................... 6 ERIKSSON Peter (Sweden, Greens/EFA) ............................................. 112 FJELLNER Christofer (Sweden, EPP) ..................................................... 113 FLECKENSTEIN Knut (Germany, S&D) .................................................... 41 GRZYB Andrzej (Poland, EPP) ..................................................................... 80 HADJ IGEORGIOU Takis (Cyprus, GUE/NGL) ...................................... 18 HARMS Rebecca (Germany, Greens/EFA) ............................................. 44 HOFFMANN Iris (Germany, S&D) ............................................................. 45 KALLAS Kaja (Estonia, ALDE) ...................................................................... 24 KARIM Sajjad (United Kingdom, ECR) ................................................... 121 KOZ ÅOWSKA -RAJEWICZ Agnieszka (Poland, EPP) ......................... 81 KUMPULA- NATRI Miapetra (Finland, S&D) ......................................... 26 MA Å TLKA JiÅ (Czech Republic, GUE/NGL) ......................................... 21 MIHAYLOVA Iskra (Bulgaria, ALDE) ........................................................ 14 MOODY Clare (United Kingdom, S&D) ................................................ 125 NICOLAI Norica (Romania, ALDE) ............................................................. 91 PIRI Kati (Netherlands, S&D) ....................................................................... 76 Substitutes AUÅ TREVIÄIUS Petras (Lithuania, ALDE) .............................................. 69 DLABAJOV Martina (Czech Republic, ALDE) .................................... 20 HKMARK Gunnar (Sweden, EPP) ........................................................ 114 MESZERICS Tams (Hungary, Greens/EFA) .......................................... 57 SMOLKOV Monika (Slovakia, S&D) ....................................................... 95 TARABELLA Marc (Belgium, S&D) ................................................................ 9 ZIMMER Gabriele (Germany, GUE/NGL) ............................................... 53 26. Delegation to the Union for the Mediterranean This delegation is responsible for relations with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (Albania , Algeria , Egypt , Israel , Jordan , Lebanon, Morocco, Mauritania , Palestinian territories , Syria, Tunisia , and Turkey ). Members AUKEN Margrete (Denmark, Greens/EFA) ........................................... 22 CAVADA Jean -Marie (France, ALDE) ...................................................... 31 COMODINI CACHIA Therese (Malta, EPP) ........................................... 72 COZZOLINO Andrea (Italy, S&D) .............................................................. 63 CREÅU Corina (Romania, S&D) ................................................................... 88 FISAS AYXELA Santiago (Spain, EPP) .................................................... 100 GABRIEL Mariya (Bulgaria, EPP) ................................................................ 12 GERINGER de OEDENBERG Lidia Joanna (Poland, S&D) ............... 80 GOMES Ana (Portugal, S&D) ........................................................................ 84
xxi IOTOVA Iliana (Bulgaria, S&D) .................................................................... 13 JOLY Eva (France, Greens/EFA) ................................................................. 34 PAGAZAURTUNDA RUIZ Maite (Spain, ALDE) ............................ 105 RODRIGUES Liliana (Portugal, S&D) ........................................................ 85 RODRIGUEZ -RUBIO VZQUEZ Tere (Spain, GUE/NGL) ............ 106 SEBASTI Jordi (Spain, Greens/EFA) .................................................... 107 THUN UND HOHENSTEIN R" ża Gr¤fin von (Poland, EPP) ............ 82 VALENCIANO MARTNEZ -OROZCO Elena (Spain, S&D) ........... 109 VIEGAS Miguel (Portugal, GUE/NGL) ...................................................... 86 Substitutes BUDA Daniel (Romania, EPP) ....................................................................... 88 LAMBSDORFF Alexander Graf (Germany, ALDE) .............................. 46 L'PEZ Paloma (Spain, GUE/NGL) ........................................................... 103 PREDA Cristian Dan (Romania, EPP) ........................................................ 92 SPINELLI Barbara (Italy, GUE/NGL) .......................................................... 68 SYLIKIOTIS Neoklis (Cyprus, GUE/NGL) ................................................ 19 TOOM Yana (Estonia, ALDE) ........................................................................ 24 TREMOSA i BALCELLS Ramon (Spain, ALDE) .................................... 108 VAJGL Ivo (Slovenia, ALDE) .......................................................................... 97 27. Delegation to Israel Members ALBRECHT Jan Philipp (Germany, Greens/EFA) ................................. 38 CREÅU Corina (Romania, S&D) ................................................................... 88 NIEDERM'LLER P(C)ter (Hungary, S&D) .................................................. 58 THUN UND HOHENSTEIN R" ża Gr¤fin von (Poland, EPP) ............ 82 Substitutes BUDA Daniel (Romania, EPP) ....................................................................... 88 FLA Å KOV BE ÅOV Monika (Slovakia, S&D) .................................... 94 KYRKOS Miltiadis (Greece, S&D) ............................................................... 55 LAMBSDORFF Alexander Graf (Germany, ALDE) .............................. 46 SPINELLI Barbara (Italy, GUE/NGL) .......................................................... 68 TREMOSA i BALCELLS Ramon (Spain, ALDE) .................................... 108 28. Delegation to the Palestinian Legislative Council Chair ANDERSON Martina (United Kingdom, GUE/NGL) ........................ 117 Vice-Chairs AUKEN Margrete (Denmark, Greens/EFA) ........................................... 22 ULVSKOG Marita (Sweden, S&D) ........................................................... 116 Members COFFERATI Sergio Gaetano (Italy, S&D) ................................................ 62 COMODINI CACHIA Therese (Malta, EPP) ........................................... 72 GUTIRREZ PRIETO Sergio (Spain, S&D) ............................................ 102 MARTIN douard (France, S&D) ................................................................ 35 PAGAZAURTUNDA RUIZ Maite (Spain, ALDE) ............................ 105 SIMON Peter (Germany, S&D) .................................................................... 51 SYLIKIOTIS Neoklis (Cyprus, GUE/NGL) ................................................ 19 Substitutes BENIFEI Brando Maria (Italy, S&D) ........................................................... 62 FREUND Eugen (Austria, S&D) ...................................................................... 1 GARCA -PREZ Iratxe (Spain, S&D) ...................................................... 101 NEUSER Norbert (Germany, S&D) ............................................................ 49 RODRIGUEZ -RUBIO VZQUEZ Tere (Spain, GUE/NGL) ............ 106 SAKORAFA Sofia (Greece, GUE/NGL) ..................................................... 56 THUN UND HOHENSTEIN R" ża Gr¤fin von (Poland, EPP) ............ 82 VAJGL Ivo (Slovenia, ALDE) .......................................................................... 97 VALLINA ngela (Spain, GUE/NGL ) ....................................................... 109
xxii 29. Delegation to the Maghreb countries This delegation is responsible for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union (Algeria , Libya, Morocco , Mauritania , and Tunisia ). Chair PANZERI Pier Antonio (Italy, S&D) ........................................................... 66 Vice-Chairs MAURA BARANDIARN Fernando (Spain, ALDE) ......................... 104 Members DALLI Miriam (Malta, S&D) .......................................................................... 73 FISAS AYXELA Santiago (Spain, EPP) .................................................... 100 GABRIEL Mariya (Bulgaria, EPP) ................................................................ 12 KYUCHYUK Ilhan (Bulgaria, ALDE) .......................................................... 14 RODRIGUEZ -RUBIO VZQUEZ Tere (Spain, GUE/NGL) ............ 106 SEBASTI Jordi (Spain, Greens/EFA) .................................................... 107 VALENCIANO MARTNEZ -OROZCO Elena (Spain, S&D) ........... 109 Substitutes LOCHBIHLER Barbara (Germany, Greens/EFA) ................................. 48 PREDA Cristian Dan (Romania, EPP) ........................................................ 92 TOOM Yana (Estonia, ALDE) ........................................................................ 24 VERGIAT Marie -Christine (France, GUE/NGL) .................................... 37 30. Delegation to the Mashreq countries This delegation is responsible for relations with the Mashreq countries (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria) Chair MATIAS Marisa (Portugal, GUE/NGL) ..................................................... 85 Members CAVADA Jean -Marie (France, ALDE) ...................................................... 31 COZZOLINO Andrea (Italy, S&D) .............................................................. 63 L'PEZ Paloma (Spain, GUE/NGL) .......................................................... 103 MLINAR Angelika (Austria, ALDE) ................................................................ 2 REIMON Michel (Austria, Greens/EFA) ..................................................... 3 RODRIGUES Liliana (Portugal, S&D) ........................................................ 85 SIPPEL Birgit (Germany, S&D) ..................................................................... 52 Substitutes BJRK Malin (Sweden, GUE/NGL) ......................................................... 111 JOLY Eva (France, Greens/EFA) ................................................................. 34 M ARTIN douard (France, S&D) ................................................................ 35 NART Javier (Spain, ALDE) ........................................................................ 105 VAJGL Ivo (Slovenia, ALDE) .......................................................................... 97 VIEGAS Miguel (Portugal, GUE/NGL) ...................................................... 86 31. Delegation to the Arab Peninsula This delegation is responsible for relations with countries in the Arab Peninsula (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , United Arab Emirates , and Yemen ). Chair ALLIOT -MARIE Mich¨le (France, EPP) .................................................... 29 Vice-Chairs MOSCA Alessia Maria (Italy, S&D) ............................................................ 66
xxiii Members de JONG Dennis (Netherlands, GUE/NGL) ............................................ 74 GARCA -PREZ Iratxe (Spain, S&D) ...................................................... 101 KHAN Afzal (United Kingdom, S&D) ...................................................... 121 Substitutes BILBAO BARANDICA Izaskun (Spain, ALDE) ....................................... 98 GABRIEL Mariya (Bulgaria, EPP) ................................................................ 12 LIBERADZKI Bogus Åaw (Poland, S&D) ..................................................... 82 MOIS Ä Ionel -Sorin (Romania, S&D) .......................................................... 90 REIMON Michel (Austria, Greens/EFA) ..................................................... 3 VAN BREMPT Kathleen (Belgium, S&D) ................................................. 10 VIRKKUNEN Henna (Finland, EPP) ........................................................... 28 32. Delegation to Iraq Vice -Chairs COUSO PERMUY Javier (Spain, GUE/NGL) .......................................... 99 Members BALAS Guillaume (France, S&D) ................................................................. 30 HAYES Brian (Ireland, EPP) ........................................................................... 60 Substitutes DEPREZ G(C)rard (Belgium, ALDE) ................................................................. 7 REIMON Michel ( Austria, Greens/EFA) ..................................................... 3 33. Delegation to Afghanistan Chair AU Å TREVIÄIUS Petras (Lithuania, ALDE) .............................................. 69 Vice-Chairs ADAKTUSSON Lars (Sweden, EPP) ....................................................... 110 JOLY Eva (France, Greens/EFA) ................................................................. 34 Members GUALTIERI Roberto (Italy, S&D) ................................................................ 64 Substitutes LAMBERT Jean (United Kingdom, Greens/EFA) ............................... 123 34. Delegation to Central Asia This delegation is responsible for relations with the EU -Kazakhstan, EU -Kyrgyzstan and EU- Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia . Mem bers BENIFEI Brando Maria (Italy, S&D) ........................................................... 62 DELVAUX -STEHRES Mady (Luxembourg, S&D) .................................. 70 ERTUG Ismail (Germany, S&D) .................................................................... 41 Substitutes DE SARNEZ Marielle (France, ALDE) ....................................................... 31 DRÄGHICI Damian (Romania, S&D) .......................................................... 89 TARABELLA Marc (Belgium, S&D) ................................................................ 9 VIOTTI Daniele (Italy, S &D) .......................................................................... 68
xxiv 35. Delegation to Southeast Asia and ASEAN countries This delegation is responsible for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Brunei , Cambodia , Indonesia , Laos , Malaysia , Myanmar , Philippines , Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam ). Vice -Chairs TARABELLA Marc (Belgium, S&D) ................................................................ 9 Members HNDEL Thomas (Germany, GUE/NGL) ................................................ 43 JADOT Yannick (France, Greens/EFA) .................................................... 33 JONGERIUS Agnes (Netherlands, S&D) .................................................. 75 LOCHBIHLER Barbara (Germany, Greens/EFA) ................................. 48 MARTI N David (United Kingdom, S&D) ............................................... 123 MOIS Ä Ionel -Sorin (Romania, S&D) .......................................................... 90 TRNS Ulla (Denmark, ALDE) ................................................................ 23 WIKSTRM Cecilia (Sweden, ALDE) ..................................................... 116 Substitutes ERTUG Ismail (Germany, S&D) .................................................................... 41 FISAS AYXELA Santiago (Spain, EPP) .................................................... 100 KELLY S(C)an (Ireland, EPP) ............................................................................. 60 L'PEZ A GUILAR Juan Fernando (Spain, S&D) .................................. 104 NART Javier (Spain, ALDE) ......................................................................... 105 PAPADIMOULIS Dimitrios (Greece, GUE/NGL) .................................. 56 36. Delegation to India Vice -Chairs van NIEUWENHUIZEN Cora (Netherlands, ALDE) ............................ 78 Members BJRK Malin (Sweden, GUE/NGL) ......................................................... 111 BROK Elmar (Germany, EPP) ....................................................................... 38 DELLI Karima (France, Greens/EFA) ......................................................... 32 MORIN -CHARTIER Elisabeth (France, EPP) ......................................... 35 OMARJEE Younous (France, GUE/NGL) ................................................. 36 WINKLER Iuliu (Romania, EPP) ................................................................... 93 Substitutes DE MASI Fabio (Germany, GUE/NGL) ...................................................... 40 GARDIAZBAL RUBIAL Eider (Spain, S&D) ....................................... 101 JONGERIUS Agnes (Netherlands, S&D) .................................................. 75 LAMBERT Jean (United Kingdom, Greens/EFA) ............................... 123 MINEUR Anne -Marie (Netherlands, GUE/NGL) .................................. 76 REDA Julia (Germany, Greens/EFA) ......................................................... 49 RODRIGUES Maria Jo£o (Portugal, S&D) ............................................... 86 WIKSTRM Cecilia (Sweden, ALDE) ..................................................... 116 37. Delegation to South Africa Chair van BAALEN Johannes (Netherlands, ALDE) ........................................ 78 Vice-Chairs ZALA Boris (Slovakia, S&D) ........................................................................... 95
xxv Members DE MASI Fabio (Germany, GUE/NGL) ...................................................... 40 DLABAJOV Martina (Czech Republic, ALDE) .................................... 20 LANGE Bernd (Germany, S&D) ................................................................... 47 McINTYRE Anthea (United Kingdom, ECR) ........................................ 124 REVAULT D'ALLONNES BONNEFOY Christine (France, S&D) .... 36 SARGENTINI Judith (Netherlands, Greens/EFA) ................................ 77 VIRKKUNEN Henna (Finland, EPP) ........................................................... 28 Substitutes BEARDER Catherine (United Kingdom, ALDE) ................................. 118 BOYLAN Lynn (Ireland, GUE/NGL) ........................................................... 59 BRANNEN Paul (Unite d Kingdom, S&D) .............................................. 118 GOULARD Sylvie (France, ALDE) ............................................................... 32 HAYES Brian (Ireland, EPP) ........................................................................... 60 MORGANO Luigi (Italy, S&D) ...................................................................... 65 VANA Monika (Austria, Greens/EFA) .......................................................... 4 38. Delegation to the Pan-African Parliament This delegation is responsible for relations with the Pan-African Parliament (see www.pan-africanparliament.org) . Vice -Chairs HEUBUCH Maria (Germany, Greens/EFA) ............................................ 44 Members FEDERLEY Fredrick (Sweden, ALDE) .................................................... 113 KYENGE Kashetu (Italy, S&D) ..................................................................... 65 ROLIN Claude (Belgium, EPP) ......................................................................... 9 VERGIAT Marie -Christine (France, GUE/ NGL) .................................... 37 Substitutes GOERENS Charles (Luxembourg, ALDE) ................................................ 71 L'PEZ Paloma (Spain, GUE/NGL) .......................................................... 103 SARGENTINI Judith (Netherlands, Greens/EFA) ................................ 77 39. Delegation to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries This delegation is responsible for relations with the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (see www.acp.int). Chair MICHEL Louis (Belgium, ALDE) ..................................................................... 8 Vice -Chairs FERREIRA Jo£o (Portugal, GUE/NGL) ..................................................... 83 KYENGE Kashetu (Italy, S&D) ..................................................................... 65 L'PEZ AGUILAR Juan Fernando (Spain, S&D) .................................. 104 NART Javier (Spain, ALDE) ........................................................................ 105 Members ARENA Maria (Belgium, S&D) ......................................................................... 5 BEARDER Catherine (United Kingdom, ALDE) ................................. 118 CEBALLOS Bodil (Sweden, Greens/EFA) ............................................. 111 DANCE Seb (United Kingdom, S&D) ...................................................... 119 DE SARNEZ Marielle (France, ALDE) ....................................................... 31 ESTARS FERRAGUT Rosa (Spain, EPP) .............................................. 100 FLA Å KOV BE ÅOV Monika (Slovakia, S&D) .................................... 94 GABRIEL Mariya (Bulgaria, EPP) ................................................................ 12 GARDIAZBAL RUBIAL Eider (Spain, S&D) ....................................... 101 GEBHARDT Evelyne (Germany, S&D) ...................................................... 42 GERINGER de OEDENBERG Lidia Joanna (Poland, S&D) ............... 80 GOERENS Charles (Luxembourg, ALDE) ................................................ 71
xlviii SARVAMAA Petri (Finland, EPP) ................................................................ 27 SCHAAKE Marietje (Netherlands, ALDE) ............................................... 77 SCHLEIN Elena Ethel (Italy, S&D) ............................................................... 67 SCHOLZ Helmut (Germany, GUE/NGL) .................................................. 50 SCHULZ Martin (Germany, S&D) ............................................................... 51 SCOTT CATO Molly (United Kingdom, Greens/EFA) ..................... 126 SEBASTI Jordi (Spain, Greens/EFA) .................................................... 107 SIMON Peter (Germany, S&D) .................................................................... 51 SIPPEL Birgit (Germany, S&D) ..................................................................... 52 Å KRLE C Davor (Croatia, Greens/EFA) ..................................................... 17 SMOLKOV Monika (Slovakia, S&D) ....................................................... 95 SPINELLI Barbara (Italy, GUE/NGL) .......................................................... 68 STEINRUCK Jutta (Germany, S&D) ........................................................... 52 SWINBURNE Kay (United Kingdom, ECR) .......................................... 126 SYLIKIOTIS Neoklis (Cyprus, GUE/NGL) ................................................ 19 TANNOCK Charles (United Kingdom, ECR) ....................................... 127 TARABELLA Marc (Belgium, S&D) ................................................................ 9 TERRICABRAS Josep -Maria (Spain, Greens/EFA) ........................... 107 THEOCHAROUS Eleni (Cyprus, EPP) ....................................................... 19 THUN UND HOHENSTEIN R" ża Gr¤fin von (Poland, EPP) ............ 82 TOOM Yana (Estonia, ALDE) ........................................................................ 24 TRNS Ulla (Denmark, ALDE) ................................................................ 23 TREMOSA i BALCELLS Ramo n (Spain, ALDE) .................................... 108 ULVSKOG Marita (Sweden, S&D) ........................................................... 116 URTASUN Ernest (Spain, Greens/EFA) ................................................. 108 VAJGL Ivo (Slovenia, ALDE) .......................................................................... 97 VÄLEAN Adina- Ioana (Romania, EPP) ...................................................... 92 VALENCIANO MARTNEZ -OROZCO Elena (Spain, S&D) ........... 109 VALLINA ngela (Spain, GUE/NGL) ....................................................... 109 van BAALEN Johannes (Netherlands, ALDE) ........................................ 78 VAN BREMPT Kathleen (Belgium, S&D) ................................................. 10 van NIEUWENHUIZEN Cora (Netherlands, ALDE) ............................ 78 van NISTELROOIJ Lambert (Netherlands, EPP) .................................. 79 VANA Monika (Austria, Greens/EFA) .......................................................... 4 VYRYNEN Paavo (Finland, ALDE) ........................................................... 28 VERGIAT Marie -Christine (France, GUE/NGL) .................................... 37 VERHOFSTADT Guy (Belgium, ALDE) ..................................................... 10 VIEGAS Miguel (Portugal, GUE/NGL) ...................................................... 86 VIOTTI Daniele (Italy, S&D) .......................................................................... 68 VIRKKUNEN Henna (Finland, EPP) ........................................................... 28 WEBER Renate (Romania, EPP) .................................................................. 93 WEIDENHOLZER Josef (Austria, S&D) ...................................................... 4 WIKSTRM Cecilia (Sweden, ALDE) ..................................................... 116 WINKLER Iuliu (Romania, EPP) ................................................................... 93 ZALA Boris (Slovakia, S&D) ........................................................................... 95 ZIMMER Gabriele (Germany, GUE/NGL) ............................................... 53 ZUBER Inªs Cristina (Portugal, GUE/NGL) ............................................ 87
1 D. Members AUSTRIA FREUND Eugen S&D Austria (First mandate) AFET SEDE Palestinian Legislative Council Background ' Award-winning TV journalist (including Washington, DC correspondent); inexistent political career, was offered a post in the 2014 EU elections by the SP (social-democratic). ' Interested in foreign affairs. ' Wrote several books on global politics. Details @ eugen.freund@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 39 " ASP 13 G 153 # http://twitter.com/EugenAFreund
2 LUNACEK Ulrike Vice-President of the European Parliament Greens/EFA Austria (Returning) AFET LIBE FEMM BiH & Kosovo (Vice-Chair) Serbia Montenegro Background ' Interpreter; director at the Austrian Green Party (1996-1998); national MP and vice-chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (1999-2009); co-chair of the European Green Party (2006-2009); MEP since 2009; co-president of the Intergroup on LGBTI Rights (2009-present). ' Interested in foreign affairs; the Western Balkans; human rights in the world; the rights of LGBTI people; gender equality; sexual and reproductive health rights; and social justice . ' First out homosexual politician in Austria (1980); shadowed the Estrela report on sexual and reproductive health rights (2013); authored a landmark report for an LGBTI roadmap (2014); prominent Greens/EFA voice on foreign affairs; expected to get a human rights- or Western Balkans-related Vice-President portfolio. Details @ ulrike.lunacek@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 95 " ASP 5 F 358 # http://twitter.com/UlrikeLunacek MLINAR Angelika ALDE Austria (First mandate) FEMM (Co-coordinator) LIBE Mashreq Background ' Lawyer and entrepreneur; originally engaged in politics on behalf of the Carinthian Slovene minority; worked for the European Commission delegation to Slovenia in the field of justice and home affairs; first MEP of recently-founded liberal party NEOS; national MP (2013-2014). ' Interested in gender equality; constitutional affairs; and justice and home affairs. ' Holds progressive views. Details @ angelika.mlinar@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 51 " ASP 8 G 257 # http://twitter.com/AngelikaMlinar
3 REGNER Evelyn S&D Austria (Returning) JURI (Coordinator) EMPL FEMM Background ' Trade unionist; briefly worked at Amnesty International; active in trade unions starting in 1996; Austrian Trade Union Federation representative in Brussels (9 years, dates unknown); MEP since 2009; vice-chair of the Committee on Legal Affairs (2009-2014). ' Interested in employment issues; social justice; working conditions, both in the EU and in the world; economic and monetary affairs; transparency; and gender equality. ' Chaired the European Parliament's Advisory Committee for the Code of Conduct for Members, in charge of updating the parliament's rules on transparency and conflicts of interest (2012-2013). Details @ evelyn.regner@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 76 " ASP 13 G 206 # http://twitter.com/Evelyn_Regner REIMON Michel Greens/EFA Austria (First mandate) ECON Mashreq Arab Peninsula Iraq Background ' Journalist and communication consultant; spokesman of the 'STOPP GATS' campaign against the WTO's General Agreement on Trade in Services (2002-2003); adviser on press and elections in the Burgenland region (2004-unknown); regional MP (2010-2014). ' Interested in human rights; post-crisis economics; the European social model; employment issues; economic and monetary affairs; the environment; and science and technology. ' Wrote one book on his political activism. Details @ michel.reimon@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 81 " ASP 5 E 262 # http://twitter.com/michelreimon
4 VANA Monika Greens/EFA Austria (First mandate) REGI (Coordinator) EMPL FEMM South Africa Background ' Journalist; member of the European Commission's Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Men and Women (1994-1995); EU affairs adviser to the federal minister for women's affairs (1994-1995); councillor (2001-2005); executive councillor (2005-2014); co-chair of the Vienna Municipal Council (2012-2014). ' Very keen on gender equality; also interested in employment issues; social rights; youth unemployment; human rights; and the rights of all minorities. Details @ monika.vana@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 03 " ASP 5 E 266 # http://twitter.com/MonikaVana WEIDENHOLZER Josef S&D Austria (Returning) LIBE DROI (Coordinator for urgency resolutions) BiH & Kosovo Background ' Sociology and social policy professor; pro-European activist since 1991; co-founded Volkshilfe, an Austrian social services company; MEP since 2011. ' Interested in human rights in the EU; asylum; privacy issues; police and judicial cooperation; and human rights in the world (from 2014 onwards, coordinates the urgency resolutions for the S&D group). ' Vocally against TTIP. Details @ josef.weidenholzer@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 73 " ASP 13 G 202 # http://twitter.com/Weidenholzer
5 BELGIUM ARENA Maria S&D Belgium (First mandate) INTA FEMM (Coordinator) EMPL ACP Background ' Councillor (2001-2008); Walloon minister for employment and training (2000-2003); federal minister with various portfolios (administration, social integration, large cities, equal opportunities) in 2003-2004; president of the French-speaking community in Belgium (2004-2008); national MP (2007, 2009-2010); senator (2010-2014); delegate to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (2010-2014). ' Interested in asylum issues; social dialogue and social justice; international trade (concerning TTIP, keen on S&D demands to guarantee social rights and scrap the ISDS); and gender equality. Details @ maria.arena@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 90 " ASP 11 G 116 # http://twitter.com/Mariearenaps
6 BAYET Hugues S&D Belgium (First mandate) ECON LIBE Turkey Background ' Studied management and human resources; elected President of Young Socialists in 1995; long involved in national politics in various cabinets, as a councillor, as a mayor (since 2006), and as a regional MP. ' Interested in social rights, including an EU -wide minimum salary; and LGBTI rights. ' Appears keen to produce written questions. Details @ hugues.bayet@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 91 " ASP 11 G 153 DEMESMAEKER Mark ECR Belgium (Returning) AFET DROI Ukraine Euronest Background ' Journalist; regional MP (2004-2013); secretary-general of his party (2005-2007); councillor (2013-present); MEP since 2013. ' Interested in media and education; regional autonomy; social rights, including an EU -wide minimum salary; and LGBTI rights. ' Strong advocate in favour of breaking up Belgium, but may be relied upon for fundamental rights and media-related issues. Details @ mark.demesmaeker @ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 62 " WIB 4 M 57 # http://twitter.com/ markdemesmaeker
7 DEPREZ G(C)rard ALDE Belgium (Returning) LIBE Iraq Background ' Leadership positions in the Social-Christian Party (Belgium), the European People's Party, and the Reformist Movement (Belgium); MEP (1984-2009); chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (2008 -2009); vice-chair of the European Parliament delegation to Turkey (1997-1999, 2002-2004); senator since 2010. ' Interested in the rule of law; human rights; asylum and migration; and budgetary control. Details @ gerard.deprez@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 97 " ASP 9 G 210 # http://twitter.com/gerardeprez LAMBERTS Philippe Greens/EFA Belgium (Returning) ECON Background ' Engineer; councillor (1995-2006); adviser to the vice-prime minister on foreign affairs and defence (1999-2003); co-spokesperson of the European Green Party (2006-2012); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in financial regulations; fiscal fairness; post-crisis economics; research and industry; transparency; and social justice. ' Famously drafted an amendment to the Capital Requirements Directive, capping bonus payments in the financial industry to 100% of one's salary, or 200% with shareholders' approval. Details @ philippe.lamberts @ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 88 " ASP 5 F 253 # http://twitter.com/ PH_lamberts
8 MICHEL Louis ALDE Belgium (Returning) LIBE DEVE DROI ACP (Chair) Background ' Long political career (starting in 1967 as president of Young Liberals); sat in the Belgian Federal Parliament from 1978 until 2004 as MP and then senator; foreign affairs minister (1999 -2004); MEP since 2009. ' Leading and respected voice on development (both in the global North and South); formerly EU commissioner for development and humanitarian aid (2004-2009) and co-president of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (2009-2014). ' Also interested in civil liberties; the rule of law; and strongly pro-European. Details @ louis.michel@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 32 " ASP 9 G 206 NEYTS-UYTTEBROECK Annemie ALDE Belgium (Returning) AFET (Coordinator) SEDE ACP Background ' Lengthy political career in Belgium at the local, regional, and federal levels since 1977; MEP (1994-1999, 2004-present); state secretary for foreign affairs (2000-2001); minister for European affairs, international trade and agriculture (2001-2003); also president of Liberal International (1999-2005). ' Senior and decisive voice in her group on foreign affairs and security and defence; involved in all connected files. Has ties with the US Democratic Party. Details @ annemie.neyts -uyttebroeck@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 61 " ASP 9 G 218
9 ROLIN Claude EPP Belgium (First mandate) EMPL REGI Pan-African Parliament ACP Background ' Member of the European Economic and Social Council (dates unknown); Christian trade unionist in the 1980s and 1990s; secretary-general of the Luxembourg province in Belgium (2006-2014); member of the European Trade Union Confederation Executive Committee. ' Originally a forestry and construction worker; authored an opinion on the European Steel Industry on behalf of the European Economic and Social Council (2013); interested in unemployment issues in industrial sectors and European support to regional development. Details @ claude.rolin@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 16 " ASP 8 E 266 # http://twitter.com/clauderolin TARABELLA Marc S&D Belgium (Returning) FEMM ASEAN (Vice-Chair) Central Asia Euronest Background ' Strong background in rural Wallonia, where he enjoys a high popularity; mayor of a small town in Wallonia since 1995; long-time activist in the Socialist Party; MEP (2004-2007, 2009-present). ' During the 2009-2014 term, authored a key European Parliament report on public procurement, working against social dumping and adding social and environmental criteria. ' Keen on gender equality; social rights; and employment issues. Details @ marc.tarabella@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 44 " ASP 11 G 115 # http://twitter.com/marctarabella
10 VAN BREMPT Kathleen S&D (Vice-Chair) Belgium (Returning) DEVE Arab Peninsula Background ' MEP (1999-2003, 2009-present); federal minister for labour and welfare (2003-2004); flemish minister for mobility, social economy and equal opportunities (2007-2009); Antwerp councillor since 2001. ' Interested in social rights (including the fight against poverty); youth issues; equal opportunities; energy; and climate and environment issues (including shale gas). ' She only joined the Committee on Development and the delegation to the Arab Peninsula in 2014, and as a substitute; the extent to which she will involve herself in these two bodies is unclear. Details @ kathleen.vanbrempt@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 47 " ASP 11 G 107 # http://twitter.com/kvanbrempt VERHOFSTADT Guy ALDE (Chair) Belgium (Returning) Background ' Politician; active in liberal youth organisations since 1972; president of his party (1983-unknown); numerous mandates as MP and senator; prime minister of Belgium (1999-2008); MEP and chair of the ALDE group since 2009; ALDE candidate for the European Commission presidency (2014). ' Interested in the rule of law; European integration; the European Neighbourhood and in particular Russia; fundamental rights; post -crisis economics; financial regulations; and EU institutional matters. ' Fiercely progressive, pro-European and federalist, but will focus exclusively on the most politically important files. Details @ guy.verhofstadt @ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 66 " PHS 55 C 11 # http://twitter.com/ GuyVerhofstadt
11 BULGARIA ALI Nedzhmi ALDE Bulgaria (Returning) AFET Turkey Background ' Economist; member of the Supervisory Board of Bulgaria's Privatisation and Post-Privatisation Control Agency (2001-2003); national MP (2005-2013); vice-minister for defence (2003-2005, 2013); observer MEP before Bulgaria's accession (2005-2006); MEP (6 months in 2007). ' Comes from a party focused on the interests of the Muslim and Turkish minorities in Bulgaria; the party is keen on human rights and has a socially liberal approach. ' May be interested in transparency and anti -corruption issues. Details @ nedzhmi.ali@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 08 " ASP 8 G 258
12 GABRIEL Mariya EPP (Vice-Chair) Bulgaria (Returning) LIBE AFET FEMM Maghreb ACP Union for the Mediterranean Arab Peninsula Background ' Teacher and scholar; MEP since 2009; led the EU Electoral Observation Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (2011). ' Interested in agriculture (organised debates in a number of Bulgarian cities); civil liberties; and gender equality. Proved keen to mobilise EU attention and resources for the structural development of the Danube region. ' Truly progressive at heart and can be convinced to go against her group line, particularly on gender equality and social issues; insists on speaking French whenever possible. Details @ mariya.gabriel@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 48 " ASP 8 F 255 # http://twitter.com/GabrielMariya HYUSMENOVA Filiz ALDE (Vice-Chair) Bulgaria (Returning) LIBE Background ' Lecturer; deputy mayor of Silistra (1999-2001); deputy governor of Silistra (2001-2003); minister without portfolio (2003-2005); national MP (2005-2007); observer MEP during Bulgaria's accession (2005-2006); MEP and vice-chair of the Committee on Regional Development since 2007; vice-chair of the vice-president of her party (2010-present). ' Interested in the use of regional funds; asylum and migration; the rule of law; fundamental rights; and the rights of all minorities, including the Roma. ' Turkish background; comes from a party focused on the interests of the Muslim and Turkish minorities in Bulgaria; the party is keen on human rights and has a socially liberal approach. Details @ filizhakaeva.hyusmenova @ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 59 03 " ASP 8 G 351
13 IOTOVA Iliana S&D Bulgaria (Returning) LIBE (Vice-Chair) REGI FEMM Montenegro Union for the Mediterranean Background ' National MP and PACE delegate (2005-2007); originally reporter and TV news editor; studied at the prestigious cole Nationale d'Administration in Strasbourg. ' Became an MEP in Bulgaria's first post-EU accession election (2007); active in the fields of fisheries, civil liberties, and petitions. ' Member of the European Parliament's Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering (2012-2013); may have a continuing interest in these issues. Details @ iliana.iotova@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 08 " ASP 11 G 157 # http://twitter.com/ iiotova KOVATCHEV Andrey Quaestor of the European Parliament EPP Bulgaria (Returning) AFET DROI FYROM Background ' Background in both academic and private sectors; PhD in biology; MEP since 2009. ' Interested in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; European integration; transparency and accountability in public life; freedom and rights in post-Communist Member States. ' Rising voice in the EPP on foreign affairs; convinced pro-European (chairman of the Union of European Federalists in Bulgaria); progressive at heart, but will only take measured political risks. Details @ andrey.kovatchev@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 62 " ASP 13 E 130 # http://twitter.com/andreykovatchev
14 KYUCHYUK Ilhan ALDE Bulgaria (First mandate) AFET Maghreb Background ' Studied political science and government; attended the European Parliament's Young Political Leaders Program (2010); the Friedrich Naumann Foundation's Liberal Academy (2010); the Council of Europe's World Forum for Democracy (2012); and a US State Department-funded programme on social, political and economic issues (2012). ' Active in the Movement for Rights and Freedom (his party)'s youth movement since 2005; political adviser to the youth movement since 2010; president since 2012; parliamentary secretary to the deputy prime minister since 2013. ' Comes from a party focused on the interests of the Muslim and Turkish minorities in Bulgaria; the party is keen on human rights and has a socially liberal approach. Details @ ilhan.kyuchyuk@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 78 " ASP 8 G 342 # http://twitter.com/ilhankyuchyuk MIHAYLOVA Iskra ALDE Bulgaria (First mandate) REGI (Chair) FYROM South Caucasus Euronest Background ' Background in culture and research; chief expert at the Ministry of Culture (1996-1997); adviser to the minister of regional development and public works (2001-2005); deputy minister for regional development and public works (200 5-2009); national MP (2009-2013). ' Chaired the Environment and Water Committee throughout her mandate in the national parliament; expressed keen interest in overseeing the use of European funds and regulating the exploration and extraction of mineral resources; only MEP to be elected committee chairwoman without previous experience in the European Parliament. ' Comes from a party focused on human rights with a socially liberal approach. Details @ iskra.mihaylova@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 58 " ASP 8 G 305
15 CROATIA BORZAN Biljana S&D Croatia (Returning) FEMM FYROM Montenegro Background ' Doctor; background in occupational health and sports; first elected MP in 2008; observer MEP since 2012 as part of Croatia's accession process; elected as an MEP in Croatia's first EU elections (2013). ' Keen on public health and food safety; interested in GMO regulations; concerned about TTIP and the lowering of food safety standards; also interested in equality and social justice. Details @ biljana.borzan@europarl.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 59 32 " ASP 9 G 318 # http://twitter.com/BiljanaBorzan
16 JAKOVÄIÄ Ivan ALDE Croatia (First mandate) REGI (Coordinator) Albania (Vice-Chair) Serbia Background ' Closely involved in regional politics and policy -making; councillor of the Istrian Region Assembly (1993-2001); president of the Istrian region (2001-2013); president of the Adriatic Euro region (2005-unknown); national MP (1992-2003); minister for European integration (2000-2001); longest-serving party chairman in post-independence Croatia (since 1991). ' Interested in regional and structural EU funds; human rights; environmental protection; media freedom; economic affairs. ' Occasionally spoke out against nationalism, racism and xenophobia. Details @ ivan.jakovcic@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 39 " ASP 8 H 259 # http://twitter.com/IvanJakovcic PICULA Tonino S&D Croatia (Returning) AFET SEDE REGI BiH & Kosovo (Chair) Euronest Serbia Background ' Sociologist; secretary for international relations in his party (1993-2000); foreign affairs minister (2000-2003); national MP (2000-2012); leader of the Croatian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE (2004-2012); various posts of responsibility in his party (2004 -2012); mayor of Velika Gorica (2005-2009); observer MEP during Croatia's accession (2012-2013); MEP since 2013. ' Interested in European integration; the European Neighbourhood, and particularly EU -Ukraine relations; foreign affairs; and human rights. ' Convinced pro-European; will be central to EU-Ukraine relations as his group's standing rapporteur. Details @ tonino.picula @ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 59 48 " ASP 9 G 265 # http://twitter.com/ TPicula
17 RADOÅ Jozo ALDE Croatia (First mandate) AFET SEDE Montenegro BiH & Kosovo Background ' Professor of engineering and computing; national MP (1992-2008; 2011-unknown); PACE delegate (1998-2000); minister of defence (2000-2002), severely reduced the army's budget and reduced military service from 12 to 6 months; observer MEP during Croatia's accession (2012-2013). ' Expressed interest in the stability of the Western Balkans, European integration, and stability in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Details @ jozo.rados@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 87 " ASP 8 H 267 # http://twitter.com/jozorados Å KRLEC Davor Greens/EFA Croatia (First mandate) REGI Turkey Background ' Electrical engineer and professor; deputy leader of his party. ' Expressed interest in environmental issues and sustainable development; against GMO; against TTIP; keen on regional development in the Danube region. Details @ davor.skrlec@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 28 " ASP 4 E 258
18 CYPRUS HADJIGEORGIOU Takis GUE/NGL Cyprus (Returning) AFET Turkey (Vice-Chair) Euronest Serbia Ukraine Background ' Journalist; national MP (1996-2009); MEP since 2009. ' Long-standing interest in Turkey (linked to the North Cyprus conflict) and Euronest; also interested in human rights; EU enlargement; unemployment and post-crisis economics; and the Cyprus conflict. ' Kept a rather low profile in the 2009-2014 mandate in terms of attendance and reports authored. Details @ takis.hadjigeorgiou@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 57 " WIB 2 M 57 # http://twitter.com/thadjigeorgiou
19 SYLIKIOTIS Neoklis GUE/NGL (Vice-Chair) Cyprus (First mandate) EMPL Palestinian Legislative Council ACP Union for the Mediterranean Background ' Involved and employed in AKEL, the Progressive Party of Working People (1995-unknown); minister of interior (2006-2012); minister of commerce, industry and tourism (during the Cypriot presidency of the Council of the EU). ' Interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and post-crisis economics (strong anti-liberal feelings). Details @ neoklis.sylikiotis@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 54 " WIB 2 M 65 # http://twitter.com/sylikiotis THEOCHAROUS Eleni EPP Cyprus (Returning) AFET REGI Turkey Serbia Background ' Paediatric surgeon; national MP (2001-2009); parliamentary interests included foreign affairs and health policy; observer MEP during Cyprus' EU accession (2003); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in foreign affairs and the Cyprus conflict; reasonable and respected voice in the EPP (despite coming from a small Member State); progressive at heart. ' Connected to Lions International and Rotary International. Details @ eleni.theocharous@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 93 " ASP 8 E 246 # http://twitter.com/THEOCHAROUSE
20 CZECH REPUBLIC DLABAJOV Martina ALDE Czech Republic (First mandate) EMPL South Africa South Caucasus Euronest Background ' Entrepreneur and business executive; chair of the Board and then president of the Chamber of Commerce of the Zlin region (2012-present); president of the Zlin Rotary Club (2006-present). ' Member of a young pro-business and anti-corruption political party (ANO 2011, founded the same year). Details @ martina.dlabajova@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 57 " ASP 9 G 342 # http ://twitter.com/Mdlabajova
21 MAÅ TLKA JiÅ GUE/NGL Czech Republic (Returning) JURI Montenegro Russia (Vice-Chair) Euronest Moldova Background ' Doctor; involved as Communist politician in the post-Velvet Revolution transition; national MP (1996-2004); vice-chair of the Committee for Social Policy and Healthcare (2002-2004); PACE delegate (2002-2004); observer MEP during the Czech Republic's accession (2003-2004); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in media freedom; environmental protection; human rights; and sexual and reproductive health rights. Details @ jiri.mastalka@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 59 05 " WIB 7 M 13 DENMARK
22 AUKEN Margrete Greens/EFA Denmark (Returning) Palestinian Legislative Council (Vice-Chair) Union for the Mediterranean Background ' National MP (1979-1990, 1994-2004); PACE delegate (1999-2004); MEP since 2004. ' Long-standing interest in the Israeli -Palestinian conflict; in the environment; and bioethics; also interested in citizens' petitions (very active in the Committee on Petitions); citizens' rights; the EU Ombudsman; and the implementation of EU law nationally. ' Upset her party by sitting with the Greens/EFA rather than the GUE/NGL, her national party's European affiliation, in 2004. Details @ margrete.auken@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 27 " ASP 4 F 358 # http://twitter.com/MargreteAuken KARI Rina Ronja GUE/NGL Denmark (Returning) EMPL (Coordinator) ECON Turkey Background ' Involved in her party, the People's Movement Against the EU, as a spokesperson of its youth branch first (2004-2008), and then as spokesperson of the party (2008-unknown); MEP since February 2014. ' Made youth unemployment her top priority as Coordinator; strongly positioned against austerity and social dumping; also interested in freedom of movement; human rights; and against TTIP. Details @ rinaronja.kari@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 52 " WIB 2 M 83 # http://twitter.com/rinakari
23 TRNS Ulla ALDE Denmark (First mandate) EMPL (Vice-Chair) ASEAN Background ' Involved in the Liberal Party since 1986; national MP (1994-2007); minister for education (2001-2005); minister for development cooperation (2005-2010); spokesperson on labour issues (2010-2013). ' Keen interest in education and employment issues; also interested in energy, the environment, and foreign affairs. Details @ ulla.tornaes@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 66 " ASP 8 H 254 ESTONIA
24 KALLAS Kaja ALDE Estonia (First mandate) Ukraine Euronest Background ' Lawyer; national MP and chair of the Economic Affairs Committee (2011-2014); daughter of former European Commissioner for transport Siim Kallas. ' Strongly pro-European; interested in the common European market; energy policy; and renewable energy (particularly wind), likely in the context of energy dependency with Russia. Details @ kaja.kallas@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 79 " ASP 8 G 153 # http://twitter.com/kajakallas TOOM Yana ALDE Estonia (First mandate) EMPL Russia Maghreb Union for the Mediterranean Background ' Journalist; deputy mayor of Tallinn (2010-2011); national MP (2011-2014); first Estonian MEP from the Russian-speaking minority. ' Refused supporting the European Parliament's first resolution on the Ukraine-Russia conflict in July 2014, and may be pro-Russia to an unknown extent (and, in that case, not necessarily an Open Society ally). Details @ yana.toom@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 81 " ASP 8 G 146
25 FINLAND HAUTALA Heidi Greens/EFA (Vice-Chair) Finland (Returning) DEVE (Coordinator until end of 2014) JURI (Coordinator) South Caucasus Euronest (Chair) Russia ACP Background ' National MP (1991-1995, 2003-2009); observer MEP during Finland's accession (1993-1994); MEP (1995-2003, 2009-2011), including chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights (2009-2011); minister for international development (2011-2013); president of the European Green Foundation (2008-present). ' Keen interest and respected voice in development policy; human rights in the world; also interested in transparency in EU institutions; and renewable energy. ' Led the European Parliament's work on human rights in the world under her chairmanship of the DROI committee (2009-2011); expected to do leading work in the field of development and transparency in the 2014-2019 term. Details @ heidi.hautala@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 18 " ASP 6 F 358 # http://twitter.com/ HeidiHautala
26 KUMPULA-NATRI Miapetra S&D Finland (First mandate) EMPL Moldova Euronest Background ' Senior staffer in the European Movement Finland (1997-2000); parliamentary secretary to the prime minister (2000-2003); national MP (2003-2014); delegate to the Parliamentary assembly of the OSCE (2003-2007). ' Interested in energy policy; climate policy; and gender equality. Details @ miapetra.kumpula -natri@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 94 " ASP 9 G 253 # http://twitter.com/miapetrakumpula PIETIKINEN Sirpa EPP Finland (Returning) ECON FEMM ACP Background ' National MP (1983-2003); environment minister (1991-1995); MEP since 2008. ' Interested in LGBTI issues; gender equality; sexual and reproductive health rights; environmental issues; public health; and consumer protection. ' Because of her resolutely progressive views, her influence is limited within her political group (and to some extent in the European Parliament), despite sitting in the European Parliament since 2008. Details @ sirpa.pietikainen@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 64 " ASP 11 E 205 # http://twitter.com/spietikainen
27 REHN Olli Vice-President of the European Parliament ALDE Finland (First mandate) INTA REGI Turkey Background ' Invested in centrist politics since 1988 as a Helsinki councillor; national MP and PACE delegate (1991-1995); chief of staff to Erkki Liikanen, first Finnish European commissioner (1998-2002); European commissioner for enlargement (2004-2010) and economic and monetary affairs (2010-2014, during most of the EU's sovereign debt crisis). ' Previous contender for the ALDE nomination for European Commission President race (lost to Guy Verhofstadt); very senior voice in ALDE and Brussels circles. ' Strongly pro-European integration; pro-TTIP, doesn't seem to find issue with the ISDS; criticised as European Commissioner responsible for strict austerity measures. Details @ olli.rehn@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 61 " ASP 9 G 130 # http://twitter.com/ollirehn SARVAMAA Petri EPP Finland (Returning) LIBE Russia Background ' Journalist by training; foreign reporter for national broadcaster YLE; recently converted to politics (first ran for MEP in 2011; joined the European Parliament in 2012). ' Pro-European; firm towards Russia; interested in European integration; justice and security; and human rights in the world. ' Progressive at heart, does not hesitate breaking away from his group on social, environmental, and human rights issues; also an influential voice on budgetary issues. Details @ petri.sarvamaa@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 47 " ASP 11 E 217 # http://twitter.com/petrisarvamaa
28 VYRYNEN Paavo ALDE Finland (Returning) DEVE (Vice-Chair) AFET Russia Background ' National MP (1970-2003, 2007-2011); minister of education (1975-1976); minister of labour (1976-1977); minister for foreign affairs (1976-1987, 1991-1993); deputy prime minister (1983-1987); MEP (1995-2007); minister for trade and development (2007-2011); ran in presidential elections (1988, 1994). ' Authored several books on international relations and Finnish/European politics; elected MEP in Finland's first EU elections (MEP 1995 -2007); Chair of the European Parliament European Economic Area Delegation (1996-1997); Vice-Chair of the European Parliament delegation to Bulgaria (2004-2006). ' Senior political voice; expected to take on highly visible work in development and foreign affairs, particularly towards Russia and European Neighbourhood countries. Details @ paavo.vayrynen@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 33 " ASP 8 H 349 # http://twitter.com/kokokansanpaavo VIRKKUNEN Henna EPP Finland (First mandate) South Africa Arab Peninsula Background ' Journalist and media consultant; national MP (2007-2008); minister for education and science (2008-2011); minister for public administration and local government (2011-2014); minister for transport and local government (2014). ' Interested in transport; international trade; and the internal market. ' Will likely be a rather progressive voice. Details @ henna.virkkunen@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 26 " ASP 11 E 209 # http://twitter.com/HennaVirkkunen
29 FRANCE ALLIOT-MARIE Mich¨le EPP France (Returning) AFET EMPL Arab Peninsula (Chair) Background ' University professor by training; numerous local and regional mandates since 1972; mep (1989-1993); interior minister (2007-2009); minister of justice (2009-2010); minister of foreign affairs (2010-2011). ' Keenly interested in foreign affairs and security and defence policy; existing links to African leaders and politics. ' Wrote numerous books on French politics. Details @ michele.alliot -marie@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 82 " ASP 13 E 146 # http://twitter.com/MAlliotMarie
30 BALAS Guillaume S&D France (First mandate) EMPL Iraq Background ' History and geography teacher; head of the socialist group in the le-de-France Regional Council (2004-unknown); secretary-general of Un Monde d'Avance, a left-leaning strand within the Parti Socialiste. ' Interested in youth unemployment; social policies and the European social model; and education. ' Defied the S&D whip and refused to support Jean-Claude Juncker's European Commission presidency bid, together with other left -leaning colleagues, because of Juncker's economic policy, perceived as weak. Details @ guillaume.balas@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 12 " ASP 14 G 157 # http://twitter.com/BalasGuillaume CADEC Alain EPP France (Returning) ECON Russia ACP Background ' Manager in accountancy and insurance; local and then regional councillor since 1995; MEP since 2009. ' Interested in fishery policy; trade; water quality; and consumer safety. ' Keen interest in fishery policy, may choose to devote his mandate exclusively to chairing the Committee on Fisheries; however, may be a good progressive voice in the European Parliament delegation to Russia. Details @ alain.cadec@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 65 " ASP 13 E 103 # http://twitter.com/AlainCadec
31 CAVADA Jean-Marie ALDE France (Returning) JURI (Vice-Chair & Coordinator) Mashreq Union for the Mediterranean Background ' High-profile TV and radio journalist; manager and president of numerous radio channels (1994-2004); MEP since 2004; chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (2005-2008); left his centrist party UDI for a smaller party, Nous Citoyens, in September 2014. ' Strongly pro-European; interested in legal affairs; culture and education; media pluralism; and human rights. ' Due to his recent party change, influence in his political group may decline. Details @ jean -marie.cavada@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 67 " ASP 9 G 103 # http://twitter.com/JeanMarieCAVADA DE SARNEZ Marielle ALDE (Vice-Chair) France (Returning) INTA AFET ACP Central Asia Background ' Adviser to the French minister of education (1993-1997); MEP since 1999; helped found the centrist European Democratic Party (2004); secretary-general of the EDP (2009-present). ' Interested in culture, youth and education; international trade; and foreign affairs. ' Strongly pro-European; federalist; sceptical about the inclusion of an ISDS in TTIP. Details @ marielle.desarnez@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 97 " ASP 9 G 102 # http://twitter.com/desarnez
32 DELLI Karima Greens/EFA France (Returning) EMPL India Background ' Co-secretary of the Young Greens (2007-2008); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in youth unemployment; social housing; the European social model; the environment; renewable energy; gender equality; and human rights, including of the Roma and of LGBTI people. Details @ karima.delli@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 62 " ASP 4 F 151 # http://twitter.com/KarimaDelli GOULARD Sylvie ALDE France (Returning) ECON (Coordinator) South Africa Background ' College of Europe professor; studied at the prestigious cole Nationale d'Administration in Strasbourg; employed at the foreign affairs ministry (1989-1999); researcher at the French International Research Centre (1999-2011); MEP since 2009. ' Leading voice in economic and monetary policy, both in her group and in the European Parliament. ' Strongly pro-European; federalist; co-founded the Spinelli Group, a federalist think-tank/political club; published numerous books on European politics and globalisation. Details @ sylvie.goulard@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 50 " ASP 9 G 158 # http ://twitter.com/GoulardSylvie
33 GUILLAUME Sylvie Vice-President of the European Parliament S&D France (Returning) LIBE Background ' Various mandates in the Socialist Party since 1991; national secretary to women's rights in the French government (1995-1997); various local and regional mandates (1997-2009); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in civil liberties, justice and home affairs, particularly asylum and migration; gender equality; LGBTI rights; human rights; European citizenship; and the rise of xenophobia and populism in Europe. ' Leading voice on asylum and migration; responsible for the latest review of the European asylum system together with Jean Lambert (United Kingdom, Greens/EFA) in the previous legislature; was strongly against ACTA; expected to be critical of TTIP. Details @ sylvie.guillaume@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 33 " ASP 14 G 102 # http://twitter.com/sylvieguillaume JADOT Yannick Greens/EFA France (Returning) INTA (Vice-Chair & Coordinator) ASEAN ACP Background ' Campaign director for Greenpeace France (2002-2008); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in international development; international trade; state surveillance issues; and environmental issues. ' Very critical of TTIP and the lowering of standards (consumer protection, human rights) in international trade in general; keen on work with aid-receiving countries. Details @ yannick.jadot@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 75 " ASP 4 F 243 # http://twitter.com/yannickjadot
34 JOLY Eva Greens/EFA France (Returning) LIBE ECON Afghanistan (Vice-Chair) Union for the Mediterranean Mashreq Background ' Judge; famously dealt with high-level state corruption affairs in the 1990s (Transparency International's 2001 Integrity Award winner); joined the green movement in 2008; MEP since 2009; presidential contender (2012); led a UN anti-corruption mission to Afghanistan (2012). ' Interested in environmental issues; international aid; civil liberties; and fundamental rights. ' Extremely keen on fiscal evasion and tax havens; can be expected to go head to head with EU institutions, Member States, or individual politicians defending tax havens or unfair tax policies. Details @ eva.joly@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 76 " ASP 4 F 259 # http://twitter.com/evajoly LAMASSOURE Alain EPP France (Returning) ECON Background ' Civil servant; worked in ministerial and presidential teams since 1973; national MP (elected in 1986, 1988, 1993, 1995); MEP (1989-1993, 1999-present); minister for European affairs (1993-1995); budget minister (1995-1997). ' Very keen on budgetary and economic issues; highly respected voice throughout the European Parliament in this domain; also interested in European integration. ' Strongly pro-European; federalist; tipped for the presidency of the European Parliament for the second half of the 2014-2019 term (starting January 2017). Details @ alain.lamassoure@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 06 " ASP 13 E 205 # http://twitter.com/Alamassoure
35 MARTIN douard S&D France (First mandate) EMPL Palestinian Legislative Council Mashreq Background ' Steel worker and trade unionist; lead acrimonious negotiations with the government and ArcelorMittal to prevent the closure of furnaces employing thousands in 2009-2010; given a seat on the Parti socialiste list in 2014 to signal an opening to working class voters. ' Interested in employment issues; and the European social model. Details @ edouard.martin@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 72 " ASP 14 G 153 # http://twitter.com/edouardmartinEU MORIN-CHARTIER Elisabeth Quaestor of the European Parliament EPP France (Returning) EMPL India Background ' Education inspector; involved in local or regional mandates since 1998; MEP since 2007; vice-chair of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (2010-2014). ' Interested in youth unemployment; gender equality; the European Social Fund (rapporteur for the fund 2014-2020 in the previous term); and human rights in the world. ' Authored several books on politics, education and history. Details @ elisabeth.morinchartier@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 30 " ASP 13 E 165 # http://twitter.com/emorinchartier
36 OMARJEE Younous GUE/NGL France (Returning) REGI (Vice-Chair & Coordinator) India ACP Background ' Parliamentary assistant; engaged in politics since high school; MEP since 2012. ' Interested in regional development funds; the Food distribution programme for the Most Deprived Persons in the EU; outermost regions; fisheries; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and relations with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. ' From La R(C)union island; very keen to work on everything related to the EU's outermost regions; currently developing a well -known voice on regional development. Details @ younous.omarjee@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 43 " WIB 7 M 33 # http://twitter.com/younousomarjee REVAULT D'ALLONNES BONNEFOY Christine S&D France (First mandate) LIBE South Africa Background ' Parliamentary assistant; regional councillor since 2004. ' Interested in migration; youth unemployment; and gender equality. Details @ christine.revaultdallonnesbonnefoy@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 53 " ASP 14 G 218 # http://twitter.com/cdallonnes
37 VERGIAT Marie-Christine GUE/NGL France (Returning) LIBE DROI (Coordinator) AFET Pan-African Parliament Maghreb Background ' Parliamentary and ministerial adviser; active in student movements since 1973; involved in the French Human Rights League (1983-2009); MEP since 2009 (coordinator for her group in the Subcommittee on Human Rights). ' Interested in human rights in the world; social rights; gender equality; human rights; and the rights of all minorities. ' Reliably and constantly interested in human rights in the world; respected voice within her political group; always present for human rights urgency resolutions. Details @ marie -christine.vergiat@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 31 " WIB 7 M 43 # http://twitter.com/MCVergiat GERMANY
38 ALBRECHT Jan Philipp Greens/EFA Germany (Returning) LIBE (Vice-Chair) Israel Background ' Studied law and European politics; MEP since 2009. ' Interested in data protection (rapporteur for a key file during the previous term, intends to continue working on it); civil liberties; police and surveillance issues; transparency, particularly in lobbying and EU lawmaking. ' Recognised as Parliament's lead speaker on issues of data protection. Details @ jan.albrecht@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 50 60 " ASP 5 F 343 # http://twitter.com/janalbrecht BROK Elmar EPP Germany (Returning) AFET (Chair) EMPL India Background ' Journalist and political communication specialist; involved in his party since 1973; MEP since 1980; European Parliament representative in various intergovernmental conferences on EU treaties (Maastricht, 1994-1995; Amsterdam, 1996-1997; Nice, 2000; Constitutional Treaty, 2003-2004; Lisbon, 2007); chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (1999-present); chair of the European Parliament delegation to the USA (2009-2012). ' Interested in foreign affairs; security and defence policy; European integration; constitutional affairs. ' The European Parliament's most senior voice on foreign affairs; systematically involved in both his group and the Parliament's high-level foreign affairs matters; historical (15 years and counting) but politically partial chairmanship; socially conservative; only gave up a top corporate position at Bertelsmann in 2011. Details @ elmar.brok@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 23 " ASP 5 E 240
39 BUCHNER Klaus Greens/EFA Germany (First mandate) AFET DROI SEDE INTA Background ' University professor; involved in a small ecological party (DP) since 1983. ' Only MEP from DP, a different party than Germany's main Greens/EFA member party; might grow isolated; his influence will depend on his capacity to build alliances. Details @ klaus.buchner@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 39 " ASP 4 E 205 # http://twitter.com/Dr_KlausBuchner CRAMER Michael Greens/EFA Germany (Returning) FYROM Background ' Teacher; regional MP in Berlin (1989-2004); MEP since 2004; chair of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (2014-present). ' Interested in transport policy; post -Iron Curtain Europe; European integration. ' Progressive voice, but may wish to focus his attention on his chairmanship of the Committee on Transport and Tourism. Details @ michael.cramer@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 79 " ASP 4 F 155
40 DE MASI Fabio GUE/NGL Germany (First mandate) ECON South Africa India Background ' Economist and business consultant. ' Interested in post-crisis economics; transparency; anti-corruption; strongly against TTIP. Details @ fabio.demasi@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 67 " WIB 3 M 31 ERNST Cornelia GUE/NGL Germany (Returning) LIBE (Coordinator) BiH & Kosovo Background ' Teacher; involved in her party since 1991; regional MP (1998-2009); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in justice and home affairs; data protection; structural and regional funds; human rights, including of the Roma; gender equality. Details @ cornelia.ernst@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 60 " WIB 3 M 21 # http://twitter.com/ErnstCornelia
41 ERTUG Ismail S&D Germany (Returning) Central Asia ASEAN Background ' Consultant; involved in his party since 1999; councillor (2004-2009); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in EU-Turkey relations. ' Previously more active in the field of transport, but may be interested in issues relating to Turkey and Central Asia. Details @ ismail.ertug@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 47 " ASP 12 G 342 # http://twitter.com/IsmailErtug FLECKENSTEIN Knut S&D (Vice-Chair) Germany (Returning) AFET SEDE Russia Euronest Serbia Moldova Background ' Civil servant; involved in his party since 1974; MEP since 2009; chair of the European Parliament delegation to Russia (2009-2014). ' Interested in EU-Russia relations; the European Neighbourhood; foreign affairs; and culture and education. ' Pragmatic and respected voice in the EU -Russia dialogue. Details @ knut.fleckenstein@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 48 " ASP 12 G 305 # http://twitter.com/knufleckenstein
42 GEBHARDT Evelyne S&D Germany (Returning) JURI ACP Background ' Translator; various responsibilities in her party since 1975; chairwoman of her party's Women's Association (1983-1992); MEP since 1994. ' Interested in consumer protection; free movement, particularly of workers; European integration; the European social model; social justice; gender equality; and human rights. ' Respected voice in the Committee on Legal Affairs; critical of TTIP due to consumer protection concerns. Details @ evelyne.gebhardt@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 66 " ASP 12 G 306 GIEGOLD Sven Greens/EFA Germany (Returning) ECON (Coordinator) Albania Background ' Economist; involved in the ecological movement since 1986; co-founded anti-globalisation NGO Attac Germany (2000); co-founded the London-based International Tax Justice Network (2002); MEP since 2009. ' Very keen on tax evasion and combating tax havens; also interested in economic and monetary policy; financial regulation; transparency, particularly in the field of lobbying; and consumer protection. ' Highly critical of TTIP and large trade agreements in general. Details @ sven.giegold@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 69 " ASP 5 F 163 # http://twitter.com/sven_giegold
43 GROOTE Matthias S&D Germany (Returning) REGI Belarus Background ' Industrial engineer in the field of energy; various local mandates since 1996; MEP since 2005; chair of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (2012-2014). ' Interested in environmental issues; public health; and food safety (S&D coordinator for this committee starting in 2014). ' Interested in TTIP under the angle of drug approval and regulation; respected voice in his areas of interest. Details @ matthias.groote@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 31 " ASP 12 G 307 # http://twitter.com/Groote HNDEL Thomas GUE/NGL Germany (Returning) EMPL (Chair) ASEAN ACP Background ' Trade unionist; managerial and executive positions in top German trade union IG Metall (1987-2012); split from the Social-Democrats (SPD) and co-founded his own party, Labour and Social Justice '' The Electoral Alternative (2005, since absorbed by Die Linke); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in youth unemployment; employment issues; the European social model; post -crisis economics; anti-corruption; and human rights, including of the Roma. Details @ thomas.haendel@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 58 " WIB 3 M 59 # http://twitter.com/thaendel
44 HARMS Rebecca Greens/EFA (Co-Chair) Germany (Returning) AFET Ukraine Euronest Russia Background ' Anti-nuclear activist; regional MP (1994-2004); MEP since 2004; co-chair of the Greens/EFA group since 2009. ' Interested in foreign affairs; EU-Russia relations; EU-Ukraine relations; the European Neighbourhood; environmental issues; renewable energy; human rights; and gender equality. ' High-profile speaker in the European Parliament. Details @ rebecca.harms@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 95 " ASP 5 F 241 # http://twitter.com/RebHarms HEUBUCH Maria Greens/EFA Germany (First mandate) DEVE (Coordinator starting from 2015) Pan-African Parliament (Vice-Chair) ACP Background ' Farmer; active in farming politics since 1984; joined her party in 2011. ' Interested in agricultural and farming policy and international development. ' Although she appears to have devoted her public life to farming issues, her role as group coordinator in the Committee on Development means she will become a potential ally; may also choose to invest her time in her two delegations. Details @ maria.heubuch@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 35 " ASP 4 F 366
45 HOFFMANN Iris S&D Germany (First mandate) South Caucasus Euronest Russia Background ' Business administrator; various responsibilities in her party since 1994; national MP (1998-2009). ' Interested in budgetary issues; may be a reliable progressive voice in her delegations, provided she chooses to invest time in them. Details @ iris.hoffmann@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 67 " ASP 12 G 217 KELLER Franziska Greens/EFA (Vice-Chair) Germany (Returning) INTA LIBE Turkey Background ' Involved with the Young European Greens since 2001; spokesperson of the Federation of Young European Greens (2005-2007); MEP since 2009; European Green Party candidate for the European Commission presidency (2014). ' Interested in international trade; EU-Turkey relations; the Western Balkans; EU enlargement; and foreign affairs. ' Very critical of TTIP and the lowering of standards (consumer protection, human rights) in international trade in general. Details @ franziska.keller@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 79 " ASP 5 F 349 # http://twitter.com/SkaKeller
46 KREHL Constanze S&D Germany (Returning) REGI (Coordinator) Background ' MEP since 1994; chair of the European Parliament delegation to Russia (1994-2002). ' Interested in the use of structural and regional funds; the European social model; and human rights, including of the Roma. Details @ constanze.krehl@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 34 " ASP 12 G 258 # http://twitter.com/ConstanzeKrehl LAMBSDORFF Alexander (Graf) Vice-President of the European Parliament ALDE Germany (Returning) INTA AFET Turkey Israel Union for the Mediterranean Background ' Political adviser in the German Federal Foreign Office; MEP since 2004; headed numerous election observation missions to Bangladesh (2007, 2009), Kenya (2008), Guinea (2010), and Libya (2012). ' Interested in foreign affairs; young democracies; international trade; human rights in the world; and the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR; rapporteur for the resolution setting up this fund for the period 2014-2020 in the previous term). ' May get a human rights-related Vice-President portfolio; very popular in his national party; rather senior voice in his political group; socially conservative. Details @ alexandergraf.lambsdorff@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 18 " ASP 8 G 130 # http://twitter.com/Lambsdorff
47 LANGE Bernd S&D Germany (Returning) INTA (Chair) South Africa Background ' Teacher and trade unionist; party member since 1974; various party positions since 1983; MEP since 1994. ' Interested in international trade; climate policy; industrial and research policy; and public services. ' Rather senior voice among MEPs; will play a central role in the TTIP negotiations thanks to his chairmanship; favours a trade agreement with the USA, but against the ISDS in TTIP. Details @ bernd.lange@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 55 " ASP 12 G 205 # http://twitter.com/berndlange LEINEN Jo S&D Germany (Returning) AFET ACP Background ' Anti-nuclear and peace activist; held various party positions since 1977; president of the Union of European Federalists (1997-2004); MEP since 1999; chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (2004-2009); chair of the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (2009-2012); president of the European Movement International (2011-present). ' Interested in European integration; climate and the environment; renewable energy; foreign affairs; and the European Neighbourhood. ' Long-standing pro-European; respected advocate of European federalism; acquainted to numerous pro-European politicians throughout Europe, centre-right and centre-left. Details @ jo.leinen@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 42 " ASP 12 G 265 # http://twitter.com/jo_leinen
48 LOCHBIHLER Barbara Greens/EFA Germany (Returning) DROI (Vice-Chair & Coordinator) AFET (Co-coordinator) ASEAN Maghreb Background ' University lecturer; regional MP and speaker of the Bavarian state parliament (1987-1991); secretary-general of the Women's International League for Peace's German section (1992-1999); secretary-general of Amnesty International Germany (1999-2009); MEP since 1999; chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights (2011-2014). ' Interested in human rights in the world; gender equality; and all minority rights. ' Greens/EFA spokesperson on human rights. Details @ barbara.lochbihler@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 92 " ASP 5 F 157 # http://twitter.com/blochbihler LSING Sabine GUE/NGL Germany (Returning) SEDE (Vice-Chair & Coordinator) AFET (Coordinator) DEVE ACP Background ' Social worker; involved in anti-globalisation NGO Attac since 2001; co-founded Labour and Social Justice - The Electoral Alternative (2004), later absorbed by Die Linke; MEP since 2009. ' Interested in foreign affairs; security and defence policy; regional stability in African countries; human rights in the world; and gender equality. Details @ sabine.loesing@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 94 " WIB 3 M 23
49 NEUSER Norbert S&D Germany (Returning) DEVE (Coordinator) AFET ACP Palestinian Legislative Council Background ' Teacher; involved in his party since 1972 with various responsibilities; regional MP (1988 -2004); MEP since 2009. ' Organised numerous student and youth exchange programmes between Germany and former-USSR countries (1983-1986, 1997-unknown); interested in European integration; international development; and the Western Sahara. Details @ norbert.neuser@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 92 " ASP 12 G 246 REDA Julia Greens/EFA (Vice-Chair) Germany (First mandate) JURI India Background ' Originally active in the Social-Democrats (SPD), but left for the Pirate Party over internet blocking debate. ' Copyright reform; data protection, particularly online; transparency; asylum and migration; and pirate politics. ' Only elected pirate candidate; should be expected to involve herself with files close to pirates' heart, i.e. copyright reform, intellectual property, data protection online and open communications standards. Details @ julia.reda@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 32 " ASP 5 F 158 # http://twitter.com/senficon
50 REINTKE Terry Greens/EFA Germany (First mandate) EMPL REGI FEMM (Co-coordinator) Montenegro BiH & Kosovo Background ' Involved in the youth branch of her party since 2004; co-speaker of the Federation of Young European Greens (2011-2013). ' Interested in youth unemployment; youth issues; social rights; gender equality; LGBTI rights; and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Details @ terry.reintke@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 60 " ASP 5 F 353 # http://twitter.com/TerryReintke SCHOLZ Helmut GUE/NGL Germany (Returning) INTA (Coordinator) AFET Background ' Civil servant in East Germany; various posts of responsibility in left-wing parties in East Germany since 1990; MEP since 2009. ' Interested in international trade; foreign affairs; EU-Russia relations; EU-Ukraine relations; and the European Neighbourhood. ' Strongly against TTIP under current terms; will spearhead opposition to it and other international trade agreements on behalf of his group. Details @ helmut.scholz@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 93 " WIB 3 M 13
51 SCHULZ Martin President of the European Parliament S&D Germany (Returning) Background ' Bookseller and politician; numerous responsibilities in his party since 1991; councillor (1984-1999); mayor of W¼rselen (1987-1998); MEP since 1994; chair of his political group (2009-2012); president of the European Parliament since 2012; socialist candidate for the European Commission presidency (2014). ' Interested in constitutional affairs; economic governance; post-crisis economics; combating the far right; human rights; and the rights of all minorities. ' Extremely busy due to his institutional responsibilities, but may be approachable for high-level engagements related to combating the far right, Second World War commemoration events, or combating antisemitism. Details @ martin.schulz @ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 03 " PHS 9 B 12 # http://twitter.com/ MartinSchulz SIMON Peter S&D Germany (Returning) ECON (Vice-Chair) REGI Palestinian Legislative Council Background ' Lawyer; civil servant in the German Foreign Office partially responsible for the drafting of the EU Constitutional Treaty (2002-2003); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in economic and monetary issues; a financial transaction tax; and banking policy. Details @ peter.simon@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 58 " ASP 12 G 158 # http://twitter.com/PeterSimonMEP
52 SIPPEL Birgit S&D Germany (Returning) LIBE (Coordinator) EMPL Mashreq Background ' Secretary; active in her party since 1983, various responsibilities since 1996; councillor (1994 -2004); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in criminal justice; judicial cooperation between Member States; data protection; state surveillance issues; combating terrorism and organised crime; and asylum and migration. Details @ birgit.sippel@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 59 " ASP 12 G 257 # http://twitter.com/BirgitSippelMEP STEINRUCK Jutta S&D Germany (Returning) EMPL (Coordinator) Albania Montenegro Background ' Human resources manager; various responsibilities in her party since 1996; councillor (1999-2009); regional MP (2006-2009); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in youth unemployment; employment issues; the European social model; social rights; training and education; and the use of EU funds. Details @ jutta.steinruck@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 63 " ASP 12 G 142 # http://twitter.com/JuttaSteinruck
53 ZIMMER Gabriele GUE/NGL (Chair) Germany (Returning) EMPL Moldova ACP Euronest Background ' Clerk and editor; active in her party since 1981; various party responsibilities since 1989; regional MP (1990-2004); MEP since 2004; chair of the GUE/NGL group since 2012. ' Interested in the European social model; employment issues; combating poverty and social exclusion; gender equality; LGBTI rights; human rights, including of the Roma. ' Reasonable and consensual; may be too busy for committee and delegation work due to her chairmanship'--but an important progressive actor nonetheless. Details @ gabriele.zimmer@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 01 " WIB 3 M 3 # http://twitter.com/GabiZimmerMEP GREECE
54 CHRYSOGONOS Kostas GUE/NGL Greece (First mandate) DEVE (Vice-Chair) JURI (Coordinator) LIBE Turkey Background ' Lawyer and professor; attorney at the Supreme Court (dates unknown); co-founded the Unitary Movement (2011-2013), since absorbed by SYRIZA. ' Interested in legal affairs; youth unemployment; employment issues; social rights and post -crisis economics. Details @ kostas.chrysogonos@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 5 " WIB 3 M 41 # http://twitter.com/Chrysogonos_K GLEZOS Emmanouil GUE/NGL Greece (Returning) Serbia South Caucasus Background ' Famous World War II Resistance figure; combatted Italian and Nazi occupation, as well as Greek fascism (1939-1974); famously tore down the Nazi swastika on the Acropolis (1941); imprisoned, tortured, exiled, and condemned to death several times; several national MP mandates (1951, 1961, 1981-1984, 1985-1986, 2012-2014); one brief MEP mandate (6 months in 1984-1985); instigator of numerous local and regional democratic experiments; International Award of Journalism (1958); World Peace Council Golden Medal Joliot-Curie (1959); Lenin Peace Prize (1963). ' Interested in combating the far right; post-crisis economics; and social justice. ' Elected with 438,000 votes, far more than any other Greek MEP; authored several authorita-tive books on World War II, history, and politics. Details @ emmanouil.glezos@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 73 " WIB 3 M 53 # http://twitter.com/manolisapas
55 KATROUGKALOS Georgios GUE/NGL Greece (First mandate) INTA Albania Background ' Lawyer and professor; attorney at the Supreme Court since 1987; contributing expert on building new institutions in young democracies (Uzbekistan: 1997, 2005, 2006; FYROM: 2000; Syria: 2003; Slovakia: 2004; Armenia: 2004, 2007). ' Interested in the rule of law; constitutional affairs; international trade; taxation; employment issues; post-crisis economics; and social justice. Details @ georgios.katrougkalos@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 35 " WIB 3 M 43 KYRKOS Miltiadis S&D Greece (First mandate) LIBE Turkey (Vice-Chair) Israel Background ' Chemical engineer and educator; in charge of the Muslim Children Education Programme at the Ministry of Education (2000-unknown); assistant to MEP Spiros Danellis (2009-2014). ' Interested in youth unemployment; post -crisis economics; social affairs; and social justice. Details @ miltiadis.kyrkos@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 89 " ASP 10 G 354
56 PAPADIMOULIS Dimitrios Vice-President of the European Parliament GUE/NGL Greece (Returning) ECON REGI ACP ASEAN Background ' Various responsibilities in student unions (unknown-1979); national MP (2009-2014); PACE delegate (2009-2014); chair of the PACE Committee on the Environment, Agriculture, Local and Regional Development (2011-2012). ' Interested in taxation issues; employment issues; human rights in the world; the rule of law; and the Cyprus conflict. Details @ dimitrios.papadimoulis@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 99 " WIB 3 M 69 # http://twitter.com/papadimoulis SAKORAFA Sofia GUE/NGL Greece (First mandate) AFET Palestinian Legislative Council Background ' Athlete; councillor (1994-2004); national MP (2000-2004, 2007-2014). ' Interested in social justice; peace -building; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; foreign affairs; and gender equality. ' MP for PASOK (social-democratic) until the party expelled her in 2010 for refusing to vote in favour of austerity measures; very popular in Greece. Details @ sofia.sakorafa@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 25 " WIB 3 M 51 # http://twitter.com/SofiaSakorafa
57 HUNGARY MESZERICS Tams Greens/EFA Hungary (First mandate) AFET (Co-coordinator) EMPL Russia South Caucasus Euronest Background ' Historian and university professor; joined the Association of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) during the transition from communism; co-founded his party, Politics Can Be Different (LMP) in 2008. ' Interested in youth unemployment; employment issues; foreign affairs; defence and security; and EU-Russia relations. ' Wrote several history books. Details @ tamas.meszerics@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 80 " ASP 5 F 254 # http://twitter.com/MeszericsT
58 NIEDERM'LLER P(C)ter S&D (Vice-Chair) Hungary (First mandate) LIBE Israel Background ' Anthropologist; vice-president of his party, Democratic Coalition (2011-present). ' Interested in civil liberties; the rule of law; culture and media; media pluralism; budgetary control; and human rights, including of the Roma. Details @ peter.niedermueller@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 68 " ASP 10 G 154 # http://twitter.com/Niedemueller IRELAND
59 BOYLAN Lynn GUE/NGL Ireland (First mandate) EMPL South Africa Background ' Environmental worker; active in Sinn F(C)in since 2005. ' Interested in environmental issues; youth unemployment; social justice; and human rights. Details @ lynn.boylan@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 57 " WIB 2 M 11 # http://twitter.com/LNBDublin HARKIN Marian ALDE Ireland (Returning) EMPL (Coordinator) ECON Background ' Teacher; intense involvement in volunteering and community service throughout her career; independent national MP (2002-2004); independent MEP since 2004. ' Interested in volunteering policy; employment issues; social rights; regional funds; human rights; disability issues; gender equality; and all minority rights. ' Although liberal and progressive, opposes abortion like the overwhelming majority of Irish politicians; may hold progressive person al views on the issue, however. Details @ marian.harkin@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 97 " ASP 9 G 146 # http://twitter.com/MarianHarkin
60 HAYES Brian EPP Ireland (First mandate) ECON DEVE Iraq South Africa Background ' School teacher; councillor (1995-2003); senator (1995-1997, 2002-2007); national MP (1997-2002, 2007-2014); minister of state for finance (2011-2014). ' Interested in employment issues, and economic and monetary affairs. ' Originally entered politics under the Democratic Left party; changed for Fine Gael (date unknown). Details @ brian.hayes@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 75 " ASP 8 F 359 # http://twitter.com/brianhayesMEP KELLY S(C)an EPP Ireland (Returning) INTA ASEAN Background ' School teacher; long interested and involved in athletic and sports associations, locally and nationally; MEP since 2009. ' Interested in international trade; data protection; sports policy; education; research policy; and minority rights. ' Progressive at heart. Details @ sean.kelly@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 06 " ASP 8 F 349 # http://twitter.com/SeanKellyMEP
61 McGUINNESS Mairead Vice-President of the European Parliament EPP Ireland (Returning) Montenegro (Vice-Chair) Background ' Journalist and broadcaster; MEP since 2004. ' Interested in agricultural and rural development; budgetary issues; public health; and post-crisis economics. ' Reasonable, respected voice in her political group and rising profile in the European Parliament. Details @ mairead.mcguinness@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 14 " ASP 10 E 102 # http://twitter.com/MaireadMcGMEP ITALY
62 BENIFEI Brando Maria S&D Italy (First mandate) EMPL AFET Central Asia Palestinian Legislative Council Background ' Lawyer; numerous posts of responsibility in the Young Italian Democrats; provincial counsellor (2007-unknown); vice-president of the Young European Socialists (2009-2013). ' Interested in youth unemployment; employment issues; post-crisis economics; economic governance; taxation policy; all minority rights; and human rights. ' Strongly pro-European; involved with the European Federalist Movement. Details @ brando.benifei@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 44 " ASP 15 G 218 # http://twitter.com/brandobenifei COFFERATI Sergio Gaetano S&D Italy (Returning) JURI Palestinian Legislative Council Background ' Trade unionist; secretary-general of the CGIL union (1994-2002); mayor of Bologna (2004-2008); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in consumer protection; the single market; employment issues; economic governance; and human rights. ' Rising voice within his political group. Details @ sergio.cofferati@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 13 " ASP 15 G 317 # http://twitter.com/ Cofferati
63 COZZOLINO Andrea S&D Italy (Returning) REGI (Vice-Chair) ECON Mashreq Union for the Mediterranean ACP Background ' High school education; involved with communist youth organisations since the 1970s, with responsibilities since 1983; regional councillor (2000-unknown); regional minister for agriculture and industry (2005-unknown); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in the use of structural and regional funds; health protection; the geopolitics of the Mediterranean region; and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Details @ andrea.cozzolino@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 17 " ASP 15 G 258 # http://twitter.com/cozzolino62 DE MONTE Isabella S&D Italy (First mandate) ECON FYROM Montenegro Background ' Lawyer; councillor and deputy mayor (2004-2009); mayor of Pontebba (2009-unknown); senator (2013-2014). ' Interested in employment issues; economic and monetary policy; post-crisis economics; and gender equality. Details @ isabella.demonte@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 58 " ASP 15 G 318 # http://twitter.com/IsabellaDeMonte
64 GENTILE Elena S&D Italy (First mandate) EMPL REGI Montenegro BiH & Kosovo Background ' Paediatrician; regional councillor (1979-1983); various responsibilities in the city of Cerignola (1985-1991); mayor (1991-1992); various responsibilities in the Puglia region, notably in the field of work and welfare (2005-2014). ' Interested in employment issues; welfare; social affairs; and healthcare. Details @ elena.gentile@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 50 " ASP 15 G 146 # http://twitter.com/elena_gentile GUALTIERI Roberto S&D Italy (Returning) ECON (Chair) AFET Afghanistan Russia Background ' Historian and university professor; closely involved in his party's recent renewal (which led to important popularity gains); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in constitutional affairs; European integration; economic and monetary affairs; the European Stability Mechanism; the establishment and management of the European External Action Service (EEAS); and foreign affairs. ' One of the S&D's most senior voices; elected to one of the most strategic posts in the European Parliament (Chair of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs). Details @ roberto.gualtieri@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 23 " ASP 15 G 206 # http://twitter.com/gualtierieurope
65 KYENGE Kashetu S&D Italy (First mandate) LIBE Pan-African Parliament ACP (Vice-Chair) Background ' Ophthalmologist; local councillor (2004 -unknown); regional councillor (2009-unknown); national MP (2013-2014); minister of integration (2013-2014). ' Interested in asylum and migration issues; social justice; ethnic minority rights; gender equality; and non-discrimination. Details @ kashetu.kyenge@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 23 " ASP 15 G 217 # http://twitter.com/ckyenge MORGANO Luigi S&D Italy (First mandate) LIBE South Africa Background ' Energy company director; various responsibilities in the local council, including deputy mayor (1980-2007); various posts of responsibility in management boards of pharmaceutical, energy and waste companies (1992-2011). ' Interested in human rights in the world. Details @ luigi.morgano@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 45 " ASP 15 G 210 # http://twitter.com/LuigiMorgano
66 MOSCA Alessia Maria S&D Italy (First mandate) INTA ECON Arab Peninsula (Vice-Chair) Background ' Researcher; various responsibilities in her party and its youth branch (2001-2013); national MP (2008-2014); member of the World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders (2009-present); International Alliance for Women's World of Difference Award (2013). ' Interested in employment issues; youth unemployment; the European social model; post-crisis economics; TTIP; gender equality; and all minority rights. Details @ alessia.mosca@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 46 " ASP 15 G 265 # http://twitter.com/alessiamosca PANZERI Pier Antonio S&D Italy (Returning) AFET DROI (Coordinator) Maghreb (Chair) Background ' Civil servant; secretary-general of the Chamber of Labour of Milan (1995-2003); MEP since 2004. ' Interested in European integration; post -war reconstruction; humanitarian issues; foreign affairs; and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Details @ pierantonio.panzeri@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 49 " ASP 15 G 205 # http://twitter.com/AntonioPanzeri
67 PITTELLA Gianni S&D (Chair) Italy (Returning) Background ' Pathologist; councillor (1979-unknown); national MP (1996-1999); MEP since 1999; vice-chair of the European Parliament delegation to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia (1999-2002); vice-president of the European Parliament (2009-2014). ' Interested in inter-institutional relations; the EU budget; post-crisis economics; and human rights in the world. Details @ giannia.pittella@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 59 " ATR 5 K 2 # http://twitter.com/ giannipittella SCHLEIN Elena Ethel ('Elly') S&D Italy (First mandate) DEVE LIBE FEMM Albania (Vice-Chair) Background ' Production assistant; set up an association for criminal justice at university (2011). ' Interested in criminal justice; asylum and migration; gender equality; LGBTI rights; all minority rights; and human rights. ' Initiated the 'Occupy PD' (Partito Democratico her party) movement to protest its top -down decision-making in support of the government (2013); opposed Matteo Renzi to head the party. Details @ elly.schlein@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 62 " ASP 15 G 354 # http://twitter.com/ellyesse
68 SPINELLI Barbara GUE/NGL Italy (First mandate) LIBE Russia Israel Union for the Mediterranean Background ' Award-winning journalist; co-founded La Repubblica (1976); ' Interested in civil liberties; transparency; asylum and migration; post-crisis economics; constitutional affairs; and human rights. ' Launched an impeachment campaign against Silvio Berlusconi for his numerous conflicts of interests (2013); wrote several non-fiction books; daughter of European statesman Altiero Spinelli. Details @ barbara.spinelli@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 07 " WIB 3 M 83 VIOTTI Daniele S&D Italy (First mandate) LIBE BiH & Kosovo Central Asia Background ' Civil rights activist; local councillor; active in several LGBTI organisations, and founded one; LGBT active in his party since 2007. ' Interested in LGBTI rights; budgetary issues; employment issues; and post-crisis economics. ' Co-presides the Intergroup on LGBTI Rights. Details @ daniele.viotti@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 52 " ASP 15 G 209 # http://twitter.com/danieleviotti
69 LITHUANIA AUÅ TREVIÄIUS Petras ALDE Lithuania (First mandate) AFET DROI (Coordinator) REGI Afghanistan (Chair) Moldova Euronest Background ' Diplomat; numerous posts, including ambassador to Finland, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1991-2003); national MP (2004-2008); vice-chair of the Committee on European Affairs (2005-2008); chair of the Lithuanian Liberal Movement (2006-2008). ' Interested in foreign affairs; the Eastern Neighbourhood; EU-Russia relations; European integration; and monetary affairs. ' Strongly pro-European; Chief Negotiator for Lithuania's accession to the EU (2001-2002). Details @ petras.austrevicius@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 11 " ASP 8 H 149 # http://twitter.com/petras_petras
70 LUXEMBOURG DELVAUX-STEHRES Mady S&D Luxembourg (First mandate) JURI (Vice-Chair) ECON Central Asia Background ' Teacher; active in her party since 1974; councillor (1987-unknown); state secretary for health, social security, youth and sport (1989 -unknown); minister for communications, transport and social security (1994-1999); national MP (1999-2004); PACE delegate (2001-2004); minister for education and vocational training (2004-2013). ' Interested in European integration, and culture and education. Details @ mady.delvaux -stehres@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 36 " ASP 15 G 115
71 ENGEL Frank EPP Luxembourg (Returning) LIBE ECON Background ' Lawyer; involved in the youth wing of his party and various youth organisations; assistant to MEP Jacques Santer (1999-2001); secretary-general of his political group in the national parliament (2001-2009); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in civil liberties; justice and home affairs; the single market; and European integration. ' Clearly progressive voice; does not hesitate to go against his group on social issues; wrote three books on European integration and monetary issues. Details @ frank.engel@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 62 " ASP 11 E 210 GOERENS Charles ALDE Luxembourg (Returning) DEVE (Coordinator) DROI ACP Pan-African Parliament Background ' Career politician; national MP (elected 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004); PACE delegate (1984-1995, 2004-2009); chair of his party (1989-1994); minister for the environment, international aid and defence (1999-2004); MEP (1983-1984, 1994-1999, 2009-present); vice-chair of the European Parliament delegation to Romania and Bulgaria (1994-1995); vice-chair and chair of the European Parliament delegation to Romania (1995-1999); vice-chair of the European Parliament delegation to African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries (2009-2014). ' Interested in foreign affairs; international development; peace-building; HIV/AIDS issues; EU accession to the ECHR; and European integration. ' Senior and respected voice on development. Details @ charles.goerens@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 12 " ASP 9 G 157 # http://twitter.com/CharlesGoerens
72 MALTA COMODINI CACHIA Therese EPP Malta (First mandate) JURI Palestinian Legislative Council Union for the Mediterranean Background ' Human rights lawyer; attorney for the Malta Confederation of Women's Organisations; appointee to several expert EU networks on social issues and human rights for Malta; European Commission-funded equality expert (2010-2012). ' Interested in human rights; LGBTI rights; gender equality; the rights of all minorities; legal affai rs; the ECHR; and child trafficking. ' Resolutely progressive (albeit relatively junior) voice in her group; authored several studies and academic articles on human rights, equality and non-discrimination. Details @ therese.comodinicachia@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 01 " ASP 10 E 158 # http://twitter.com/ComodiniCachia
73 DALLI Miriam S&D Malta (First mandate) LIBE Maghreb South Caucasus Background ' Award-winning journalist and presenter; adviser in the Ministry of Energy and Water Conservation (2013-2014). ' Very keen on migration; also interested in asylum; gender equality; and all minority rights. ' First woman to present televised news in Malta. Details @ miriam.dalli@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 35 " ASP 14 G 130 # http://twitter.com/Miriamdalli METSOLA Roberta EPP Malta (Returning) LIBE (Vice-coordinator) Background ' Lawyer; various responsibilities in the youth branch of her party and other youth organisations; legal counsel to Catherine Ashton; legal counsel at the Permanent Representation of Malta to the EU. ' Very keen on migration issues; also interested in youth; civil liberties; asylum; gender equality; LGBTI rights; and the rights of all minorities. ' Strongly pro-European; very progressive views, but will only advance them pragmatically; EPP shadow rapporteur for the Lunacek report on an LGBTI Roadmap in the previous mandate. Details @ roberta.metsola@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 86 " ASP 10 E 146 # http://twitter.com/RobertaMetsola
74 NETHERLANDS de JONG Dennis GUE/NGL Netherlands (Returning) LIBE Arab Peninsula Background ' Diplomat; various posts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1979-1987); head of department for aliens and refugees at the Ministry of Justice (1987-1993); special adviser on human rights and good governance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2002-2009); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in anti-corruption; economic and monetary affairs; freedom of religion and belief; LGBTI rights; the rights of all minorities; and human rights. ' Very active in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs; supporter of Open Society values, but may be Eurosceptic in some fields (e.g. education, healthcare). Details @ dennis.dejong@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 64 " WIB 2 M 77 # http://twitter.com/DdJong
75 in 't VELD Sophie ALDE (Vice-Chair) Netherlands (Returning) LIBE ECON FEMM Turkey BiH & Kosovo Background ' Historian; active in her party since 1993; secretary-general of the ELDR group (related to ALDE) in the Committee of the Regions (1996-2004); MEP since 2004; vice-chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (2009-2014). ' Interested in transparency, particularly in EU institutions; civil liberties; data protection, particularly PNR data-sharing; secularism in politics; the rule of law; economic and monetary affairs; anti-corruption; human rights; gender equality; and the rights of all minorities. ' One of the European Parliament's best known voices; uncompromising and highly vocal on human rights and the rule of law; chairs the European Parliament Platform for Secularism in Politics; received the highest number of votes of all MEPs in 2014 (568,185). Details @ sophie.intveld@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 96 " ASP 8 G 165 # http://twitter.com/SophieintVeld JONGERIUS Agnes S&D Netherlands (First mandate) EMPL (Vice-Chair) INTA ASEAN India Background ' Trade unionist; various responsibilities in trade union federation FNV, including chair (1990 -2012). ' Interested in employment issues; the European social model; banking; taxation issues; tax havens; competition; and the single market. Details @ agnes.jongerius@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 99 " ASP 11 G 173 # http://twitter.com/a_jongerius
76 MINEUR Anne-Marie GUE/NGL Netherlands (First mandate) INTA DROI India Background ' Journalist and researcher; councillor (2006 -2012); various responsibilities in her party since 2009. ' Interested in employment issues; the European social model; taxation issues; tax avoidance and tax havens; and human rights. ' Elected on preferential votes. Details @ anne- marie.mineur@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 29 " WIB 2 M 75 # http://twitter.com/AnneMarieMineur PIRI Kati S&D Netherlands (First mandate) AFET LIBE DROI Ukraine Euronest Background ' Political adviser; adviser to Dutch S&D MEPs (2006-2008); political adviser on security and defence, as well as Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in the S&D group (2008-2011); programme manager for democracy-building in the South Caucasus and Moldova (2011-2014). ' Interested in foreign affairs; democracy-building; the rule of law; and the Eastern Neighbourhood. Details @ kati.piri@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 38 " ASP 11 G 169 # http://twitter.com/KatiPiri
77 SARGENTINI Judith Greens/EFA Netherlands (Returning) LIBE (Coordinator) DEVE DROI South Africa ACP Pan-African Parliament Background ' Activist and development consultant; active in various youth and development-related organisations since 1995; councillor (1999-2009); MEP since 2009; vice-chair of the European Parliament delegation to South Africa (2009-2014). ' Interested in civil liberties; human rights; the rights of all minorities; international development; relations with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries; EU-South Africa relations; and human rights in the world. Details @ judith.sargentini@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 81 " ASP 5 F 265 # http://twitter.com/judithineuropa SCHAAKE Marietje ALDE Netherlands (Returning) INTA (Coordinator) AFET DROI Background ' Foreign affairs consultant; independent adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; involved with numerous foundations, including the European Council on Foreign Relations, the Global Commission on Internet Governance, and the European Internet Foundation; MEP since 2009. ' Interested in international trade; EU-USA relations; EU-Iran relations; data protection; digital rights; foreign affairs; and human rights in the world. ' Central pro-trade voice in the TTIP debate. Details @ marietje.schaake@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 17 " ASP 8 G 253 # http://twitter.com/MarietjeSchaake
78 van BAALEN Johannes Cornelis ALDE Netherlands (Returning) AFET SEDE INTA South Africa (Chair) ACP Background ' Former army officer; MP (1999-2002, 2003-2009); president of Liberal International (2009-2014); MEP since 2009; chair of the European Parliament delegation to Japan (2009-2014). ' Interested in defence policy and trade. ' Slightly Eurosceptic (against further economic and monetary union), and extremely liberal. Details @ hans.vanbaalen @ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 15 " ASP 8 G 206 # http://twitter.com/ hans_van_baalen van NIEUWENHUIZEN Cora ALDE Netherlands (First mandate) ECON India (Vice-Chair) ACP Background ' Social geographer; councillor (1994-2006); regional councillor (2003-2007); member of the regional executive (2007-2010); national MP (2010-2014; PACE delegate (2011-2014). ' Interested in migration and asylum; research; energy issues; the internal market; and foreign affairs. Details @ cora.vannieuwenhuizen@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 21 " ASP 8 G 209 # http://twitter.com/CvNieuwenhuizen
79 van NISTELROOIJ Lambert EPP Netherlands (Returning) REGI (Coordinator) ACP Background ' Teacher; local and regional councillor (1978-2003); delegate at the Committee of the Regions (1995-2003); delegate, vice-president and president at the Assembly of European Regions (1992-2003); MEP since 2004. ' Interested in regional and structural funds; the EU budget; and elderly people. Details @ lambert.vannistelrooij@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 34 " ASP 8 E 206 # http://twitter.com/LvNistelrooij POLAND
80 GERINGER de OEDENBERG Lidia Joanna S&D Poland (Returning) JURI (Vice-Chair) ACP Union for the Mediterranean Background ' TV journalist; various posts in culture and the arts; initially active in the Democratic Left Alliance (before 2006); joined her current party in 2006; MEP since 2004; vice-chair of the Committee on Legal Affairs (2007-2009); quaestor (2009-2014). ' Interested in constitutional affairs; civil and judicial cooperation; copyright and intellectual property; gender equality; rights of the Roma; and human rights in the world, including Tibet. Details @ lidiajoanna.geringerdeoedenberg@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 09 " ASP 13 G 146 # http://twitter.com/lidiageringer GRZYB Andrzej EPP Poland (Returning) DROI (Coordinator) AFET Moldova Euronest Turkey Background ' Councillor (1990-2001); national MP (1989-1991, 1993-1997, 2001-2005); PACE delegate (1995-2009); delegate to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (2000-2003); MEP since 2009; vice-chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights (2009-2014). ' Interested in rural and agricultural issues; consumer protection; the single market; European integration; and human rights in the world. ' Can be persuaded to speak out on issues related to human rights in the world; a useful relay in his political group. Details @ andrzej.grzyb@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 85 " ASP 12 E 130 # http://twitter.com/GrzybAndrzej
81 JAZÅOWIECKA Danuta EPP Poland (Returning) EMPL (Vice-Chair) ECON Background ' Entrepreneur; national MP (2005-2009); PACE delegate (2006-2009); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in employment issues; the European social model; the rights of linguistic minorities; freedom of movement; the single market; and structural funds. Details @ danuta.jazlowiecka@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 96 " ASP 12 E 261 # http://twitter.com/Djazlowiecka KOZÅOWSKA-RAJEWICZ Agnieszka EPP Poland (First mandate) EMPL FEMM Belarus Euronest Background ' University professor; councillor (2006 -2007); national MP (2007-2014); secretary of state for equal treatment (2011-2014). ' Interested in employment issues; human rights; social justice; gender equality; the rights of all minorities, including the Roma and LGBTI people; senior citizens; healthcare; and the Eastern Neighbourhood. ' May hold more progressive positions than average in her political group, and than her Polish EPP peers. Details @ agnieszka.kozlowska- rajewicz@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 20 " ASP 12 E 253
82 LIBERADZKI BogusÅaw Quaestor of the European Parliament S&D Poland (Returning) Ukraine Arab Peninsula Background ' University professor; active in youth organisations since 1975; secretary of state and then minister for transport and maritime affairs (1989-1997); national MP (1997-2004); observer MEP during Poland's EU accession (2003-2004); MEP since 2004; vice-chair of the Committee on Budgetary Control (2007-2014); quaestor (2012-present). ' Interested in transport policy; maritime affairs; economic and budgetary issues; the Eastern Neighbourhood; and EU-Ukraine relations. Details @ boguslaw.liberadzki@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 23 " ASP 13 G 154 # http://twitter.com/Bliberadzki THUN UND HOHENSTEIN R"ża (Gr¤fin von) EPP Poland (Returning) LIBE Israel Union for the Mediterranean Palestinian Legislative Council Background ' Involved in political activism in favour of political prisoners (1977-1980); director and chair of the (Polish) Robert Schuman Foundation (1992-2005); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in European integration; consumer protection; the single market; and the geopolitics of the Mediterranean region. ' Strongly pro-European. Details @ roza.thun@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 01 " ASP 12 E 209 # http://twitter.com/rozathun
83 PORTUGAL FERREIRA Elisa S&D Portugal (Returning) ECON (Coordinator) Russia Background ' University professor; environment minister (1995-1999); minister of planning (regional development) (1999-2002); MEP since 2004. ' Interested in economic and monetary affairs; international trade; employment issues; the European social model; structural funds, particularly the European Financial Stability Fund; and gender equality. Details @ elisa.ferreira@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 64 " ASP 14 G 205 # http://twitter.com/ElisaFerreiraEP
84 FERREIRA Jo£o GUE/NGL Portugal (Returning) ACP (Vice-Chair) Background ' MEP since 20093. ' Interested in post-crisis economics; fisheries; human rights in the world; international trade; and employment issues. Details @ joao.ferreira@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 51 " WIB 7 M 41 3 No other reliable biographical information was available. GOMES Ana S&D Portugal (Returning) LIBE SEDE AFET Union for the Mediterranean Background ' Lawyer and diplomat; active in her party since 2002; MEP since 2004; vice-chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (2004 -2009). ' Interested in anti-corruption issues; foreign affairs; human rights in the world; the rights of all minorities; peace-building; transparency and political accountability; and the establishment and governance of the European External Action Service. ' Senior voice on human rights, human rights in the world, and the CIA rendition flights affair; vocal and uncompromising on human rights and corruption; received several national human rights-related awards. Details @ anamaria.gomes@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 24 " ASP 14 G 158 # http://twitter.com/AnaGomesMEP
85 MATIAS Marisa GUE/NGL Portugal (Returning) ECON (Coordinator) Mashreq (Chair) Background ' Sociologist; MEP since 2009; vice-chair of the European Parliament delegation to Mashreq countries (2009-2014). ' Interested in post-crisis economics; migration issues; public health; research and innovation; gender equality; LGBTI rights; the Israeli -Palestinian conflict; and human rights in the world. ' Authored several academic articles on public health and the environment. Details @ marisa.matias@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 69 " WIB 3 M 81 # http://twitter.com/mmatias_ RODRIGUES Liliana S&D Portugal (First mandate) REGI FEMM DROI Mashreq Union for the Mediterranean Background ' University professor; chair of a national think -tank, Laborat"rio de Id(C)ias da Madeira (2011-present). ' Interested in gender equality; employment issues; the European social model; the use of structural and regional funds; human rights; all minority rights; and human rights in the world. Details @ liliana.rodrigues@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 59 " ASP 14 G 346
86 RODRIGUES Maria Jo£o S&D (Vice-Chair) Portugal (First mandate) EMPL ECON India Background ' Academic and political adviser; minister for qualifications and employment (1995-1997); adviser to the Portuguese prime minister (1998-unknown, during the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the EU); adviser to several European commissioners; active in left-leaning think tanks. ' Interested in youth unemployment; employment issues; the European social model; macroeconomic issues; European integration. ' Strongly pro-European; credited with the conception of the Lisbon Strategy4; helped finalise negotiations of the Lisbon Treaty (2007); widely respected voice in European governmental circles dealing with the EU; authored numerous books and articles. Details @ maria joao.rodrigues@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 63 " ASP 14 G 254 # http://twitter.com/mjr_eu 4 The Lisbon Strategy was a ten -year plan for economic growth in the European Union between 2000 and 2010, focusing on economic, social and environmental i nvestment and innovation. Almost none of its goals were reached. VIEGAS Miguel GUE/NGL Portugal (First mandate) ECON Union for the Mediterranean Mashreq Background ' Economist; councillor (dates unknown)5. ' Interested in post-crisis economics; the European social model; and public services. Details @ miguel.viegas@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 44 " WIB 2 M 51 5 No other reliable biographical information was available.
87 ZUBER Inªs Cristina GUE/NGL Portugal (Returning) FEMM (Vice-Chair) EMPL Background ' Researcher; various responsibilities in her party since 2007; councillor; MEP since 2012; vice-chair of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (2012-2014). ' Interested in gender equality and employment issues. ' Key figure in the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality; authored a report on economic inequality between women and men, defeated by a narrow margin due to conservative opposition (2014, previous mandate). Details @ ines.zuber@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 65 " WIB 2 M 49 ROMANIA
88 BUDA Daniel EPP Romania (First mandate) JURI Montenegro Israel Union for the Mediterranean Background ' Lawyer and university professor; numerous party responsibilities since 2000; national MP (2004-2012); chair of the Committee on Legal Affairs, Discipline and Immunities (2008 -2012); ' Interested in anti-corruption and transparency; legal and constitutional affairs; civil and judicial cooperation; and European integration. ' Published several articles on national and European governance. Details @ daniel.buda@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 10 " ASP 7 F 254 CREÅU Corina Vice-President of the European Parliament S&D Romania (Returning) EMPL LIBE Israel Union for the Mediterranean Serbia Background ' Economist; spokesperson to Romanian President Ion Iliescu (1992-1996, 2000-2004); Senator (2004-2007); OSCE election observer to Moldova (2005) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (2006); became MEP at the time of Romania's accession in 2007; vice-chair of the Committee on Development. ' Interested in international development; economic and monetary affairs; European integration; peace-building; migration and asylum; the Schengen area; and the Eastern Neighbourhood. ' Rather senior; an important voice among Eastern European and left-leaning MEPs; nominated in Jean-Claude Juncker's European Commission in September 2014, will relinquish MEP mandate if approved in the autumn. Details @ corina.cretu@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 44 " ASP 10 G 102
89 # http://twitter.com/CorinaCretu_PSD CRISTEA Andi-Lucian S&D Romania (First mandate) AFET DROI Moldova (Chair) Euronest Background ' Political activist; press officer for his party (2004-2009); parliamentary assistant and adviser (2005-2012); responsible for European affairs for his party's youth branch (2010-2013); head of cabinet for the justice minister (2012). ' Interested in human rights in the world, a nd European integration. Details @ andi.cristea@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 05 " ASP 10 G 210 DRÄGHICI Damian S&D Romania (First mandate) LIBE South Caucasus Central Asia Background ' Award-winning musician and entrepreneur; representative of Romania to the European Commission for the European Years of Equal Opportunities (2007), Intercultural Dialogue (2008), and Volunteering (2011); adviser to the Romanian prime minister on Roma issues (2012 -unknown); senator (2012-2014); PACE delegate (2013-2014). ' Interested in the rights of the Roma; freedom of movement; human rights; combating the far right; social inclusion; and culture. ' Romani background. Details @ damian.draghici @ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 14 " ASP 10 G 165 # http://twitter.com/ damiandraghici1
90 MACOVEI Monica EPP Romania (Returning) LIBE AFET Albania (Chair) Background ' Lawyer and prosecutor; democracy and human rights activist in post-Communist Romania; closely involved with the Council of Europe, UNDP, Open Society, and the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights; founding member of Transparency International Romania; president of the Helsinki Committee Romania (2001-2004); minister of justice (2004-2007); MEP since 2009; chair of the European Parliament delegation to Moldova (2009-2014). ' Interested in civil liberties; anti -corruption and transparency; gender equality; human rights; the rights of all minorities, including LGBTI people and the Roma; and foreign affairs. ' Resolutely progressive; unquestionable ally of Open Society values; does not hesitate to go against her group's instructions; however, can sometimes be described as a loose cannon with her own, uncompromising set of priorities. Details @ monica.macovei@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 25 " ASP 7 F 255 # http://twitter.com/MonicaMacovei1 MOISÄ Ionel-Sorin S&D Romania (First mandate) INTA ASEAN Arab Peninsula Background ' Economist; adviser to the European Commission delegation to Romania; deputy head of cabinet to European commissioner Dacian CioloÅ (2010-unknown). ' Interested in European integration; the Eastern Neighbourhood; and EU governance. Details @ sorin.moisa@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 05 " ASP 10 G 257 # http://twitter.com/sorinmoisa
91 NICOLAI Norica ALDE Romania (Returning) ECON Moldova Euronest Russia Background ' Lawyer; initially active in the National Peasants' Party (Christian-democratic), switched to the National Liberal Party in 2000; secretary of state for labour and social welfare (1997-2000); senator (2000-2008); put forward but ultimately rejected as justice minister (2007); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in legal affairs; employment affairs; justice and home affairs; European integration; the Eastern Neighbourhood; gender equality; asylum and migration; and the Schengen area. Details @ norica.nicolai@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 19 " ASP 8 H 346 # http://twitter.com/Norica_Nicolai PAÅCU Ioan Mircea S&D Romania (Returning) AFET (Vice-Chair) SEDE (Coordinator) Background ' University professor; adviser to the Romanian presidency on foreign policy (1990-1992); minister for defence (1993-1996, 2000-2004); national MP (1996-2000, 2000-2007); chair of the Committee on Defence (1996-2000); MEP since Romania's accession in 2007; vice -chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (2007-present). ' Interested in foreign affairs; security and defence; EU regional support for the Danube region; and the Eastern Neighbourhood. Details @ ioanmircea.pascu@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 13 " ASP 10 G 306 # http://twitter.com/ioanmirceapascu
92 PREDA Cristian Dan EPP Romania (Returning) DROI (Vice-Chair) AFET (Coordinator) DEVE Maghreb Union for the Mediterranean Background ' Political science professor; adviser on domestic policies to Romanian president Emil Constantinescu (1999-2000); junior minister for francophonie (2005-2007); presidential adviser for education and research (2007-2009); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in human rights in the world; European integration; the Eastern neighbourhood; and foreign affairs. ' Timidly progressive and pragmatic views; author of several books on Romanian politics and liberalism; avid French speaker. Details @ cristiandan.preda@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 61 " ASP 7 F 349 # http://twitter.com/CDPreda VÄLEAN Adina-Ioana Vice-President of the European Parliament EPP Romania (Returning) INTA Background ' Teacher; active in her party since 1999; national MP (2004-2007); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in international trade; freedom of movement; the single market; and European integration. ' Favours TTIP; left the ALDE group for the EPP group in 2014 for a promised Vice-Presidency of the European Parliament. Details @ adinaioana.valean@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 61 " ASP 13 E 102 # http://twitter.com/AdinaValean
93 WEBER Renate EPP Romania (Returning) EMPL AFET Background ' Lawyer; renown human rights activist; vice -chair of the International Helsinki Federation (1994 -1996); co-chair of the Helsinki Committee Romania (1994-1996); leadership of the Open Society Romania (1998-2005, 2006-2007); MEP since 2007; EU election observation mission leader to Ecuador (2008), Bolivia (2009), and Burundi (2010). ' Interested in civil liberties; asylum and migration; employment issues; human rights; gender equality; the rights of all minorities, including the Roma and LGBTI people; peace-building; and democracy-building. ' Resolute Open Society promoter; reluctantly left the ALDE group for the EPP in 2014, and chose to stop working in the Committee on Civil Liberties because of the EPP's views. Details @ renate.weber@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 49 " ASP 8 G 354 # http://twitter.com/renateweber WINKLER Iuliu EPP Romania (Returning) INTA (Vice-Chair) REGI India Background ' Engineer; active in his party since 1991, with responsibilities since 1994; county councillor (1996-1999); deputy county prefect (1999-2000); national MP (2000-2004); minister-delegate for commerce (2004-2007); communications and IT minister (2007); MEP since 2007. ' Interested in the use of regional and structural funds; international trade; and the rights of minority language speakers. ' Ethnic Hungarian. Details @ iuliu.winkler@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 06 " ASP 7 F 163
94 SLOVAKIA FLAÅ KOV BEÅOV Monika S&D Slovakia (Returning) LIBE ACP Israel Background ' Commercial director; co-founded her party in 1999; national MP (2002-2004); chair of the Committee on European Integration (2002-2004); chair of the Slovak delegation to the European Parliament (2002-2004); became an MEP upon Slovakia's accession in 2004; vice -chair of the European Parliament delegation to Israel (2004-2009). ' Interested in human rights; justice and home affairs; asylum and migration; gender equality; and the rights of all minorities, including the Roma and LGBTI people. ' Resolute supporter of Open Society values; strongly progressive; unwavering and pragmatic promoter of human rights; authored a landmark report on fundamental rights in the EU in 2012, which divided the European Parliament strongly, but was adopted after extremely long debates. Details @ monika.flasikovabenova@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 60 " ASP 11 G 253 # http://twitter.com/MonikaFlaBenova
95 SMOLKOV Monika S&D Slovakia (Returning) REGI South Caucasus Euronest Background ' Economist; deputy mayor (2002-2006); mayor of KoÅice (2006-unknown); national MP (2006-2009); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in the use of regional and structural funds; employment issues; and culture and education. Details @ monika.smolkova@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 83 " ASP 11 G 217 # http://twitter.com/SmolkovaMonika ZALA Boris S&D Slovakia (Returning) AFET DROI South Africa (Vice-Chair) South Caucasus Background ' Journalist and university professor; co -founded his party, Smer-SD (1990); chair of his party (1990-1992); national MP (1990, 2002-2009); adviser to the president of Slovakia (2002-2004); head of the Slovak delegation to PACE (2006-2009); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in the rule of law; EU regional funding for the Danube region; freedom of movement; democracy-building; foreign affairs; and human rights in the world. ' Political activist against communist rule in the late 1980s; author of several monographs and academic articles. Details @ boris.zala@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 80 " ASP 11 G 209
96 SLOVENIA FAJON Tanja S&D (Vice-Chair) Slovenia (Returning) LIBE AFET BiH & Kosovo Moldova Background ' Journalist; MEP since 2009. ' Interested in civil liberties; justice and home affairs; asylum and migration; freedom of movement; the Schengen area; combating corruption and organised crime; state surveillance; gender equality; and the rights of all minorities, including the Roma and LGBTI people. ' Author of three books on migration, European integration, and the rise of the far right in Europe. Details @ tanja.fajon@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 93 " ASP 12 G 157 # http://twitter.com/tfajon
97 VAJGL Ivo ALDE Slovenia (Returning) AFET EMPL Serbia Palestinian Legislative Council Mashreq Union for the Mediterranean Background ' Originally active in LDS (mid-1990s-2007), switched to his current party Zares in 2007; foreign affairs minister (2004); foreign affairs adviser to Slovene president Janez DrnovÅek (2004-2007); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in foreign affairs; the rights of all minorities; and human rights in the world. Details @ ivo.vajgl@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 20 " ASP 9 G 154 # http://twitter.com/ivajgl SPAIN
98 ALBIOL GUZMN Marina GUE/NGL Spain (First mandate) DEVE LIBE Background ' Activist; active in several youth organisations; regional MP (2007-2014). ' Interested in gender equality; sexual and reproductive health rights; anti-corruption and transparency; asylum and migration; human rights in the world; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; post-crisis economics; and the rights of all minorities. ' Took part in the second flotilla sailing to Gaza (2011). Details @ marina.albiol@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 59 98 " WIB 2 M 15 # http://twitter.com/MarinaAlbiol BILBAO BARANDICA Izaskun ALDE Spain (Returning) FEMM Arab Peninsula Background ' Lawyer; councillor; regional MP (1998-2009); speaker of the Basque Parliament (2005-2009); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in regional autonomy; foreign affairs; transport and tourism; fisheries; gender equality; the rights of all minorities; and human rights. Details @ izaskun.bilbaobarandica@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 28 " ASP 9 G 258 # http://twitter.com/IzaskunBilbaoB
99 COUSO PERMUY Javier GUE/NGL Spain (First mandate) AFET (Vice-Chair) SEDE DROI Iraq (Vice-Chair) Background ' Audiovisual engineer; anti-war activist (2003-2013). ' Interested in foreign affairs; security policy; media pluralism; human rights; peace-building; gender equality; sexual and reproductive health and rights; post-crisis economics; combating the far right; EU-USA relations; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and the rights of all minorities. ' Entered activism and politics following the killing of his brother, a cameraman shot by American fire in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Details @ javier.cousopermuy@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 57 " WIB 2 M 5 # http://twitter.com/ Caninator DAZ DE MERA GARCA CONSUEGRA Agustn EPP Spain (Returning) LIBE DEVE Background ' Senator (1989-1993, 1996-2000, 2000-2002); national MP (1993-1996); mayor of vila (1999-2002); director-general of the police (2002-2004); PACE delegate (1991-2002); chair of the PACE Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography (1997-2001); MEP since 2004. ' Interested in justice and home affairs; asylum and migration; EU relations with Latin America; youth; education; children's rights; and police and judicial cooperation. ' Senior and respected voice in his political group; resolutely progressive at heart. Details @ agustin.diazdemera@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 24 " ASP 11 E 169
100 ESTARS FERRAGUT Rosa EPP Spain (Returning) JURI FEMM ACP Background ' Civil servant; regional MP (1995-2009); regional vice-president and minister for the Balearic Islands (1996-1999, 2003-2007); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in gender equality; all minority rights, including LGBTI people and people with disabilities; human rights in the world; and regional and structural funds. ' Resolutely progressive at heart; does not hesitate to oppose her group's instructions; may try to change her colleagues' views too. Details @ rosa.estaras@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 63 " ASP 11 E 157 FISAS AYXELA Santiago EPP Spain (Returning) INTA Maghreb Union for the Mediterranean ASEAN Background ' Lawyer; secretary of state for sport (1998-1999); councillor (1999-2002); vice-president of the Spanish Olympic Committee (2002-2004); Madrid regional minister for culture and sports (2003-2009); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in European integration; culture and education; sports; the rights of LGBTI people; foreign affairs; and human rights in the world. ' Progressive at heart, but may oppose sexual and reproductive health rights (e.g. abortion); does not hesitate to oppose his group's instructions; may try to change his colleagues' views too. Details @ santiago.fisasayxela@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 69 " ASP 11 E 258 # http://twitter.com/SantiagoFisas
101 GARCA-PREZ Iratxe S&D Spain (Returning) FEMM (Chair) Arab Peninsula Palestinian Legislative Council Background ' Politician; councillor (1995-2000); various responsibilities in her party since 1996; national MP (2000-2004); MEP since 2004. ' Interested in gender equality; sexual and reproductive health rights; consumer protection; agricultural policy; human rights; human rights in the world; and the rights of LGBTI people. ' Rising voice in her political group and European political party; unavoidable in the field of gender equality. Details @ iratxe.garcia -perez@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 46 " ASP 11 G 265 # http://twitter.com/IratxeGarper GARDIAZBAL RUBIAL Eider S&D Spain (Returning) ACP India Background ' Financial manager; involved in various youth organisations since 1999; councillor (2004-2009); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in youth issues; youth unemployment; education; regional autonomy; and budgetary issues. Details @ eider.gardiazabalrubial@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 33 " ASP 11 G 342 # http://twitter.com/Egardiazabal
102 GUERRERO SALOM Enrique S&D (Vice-Chair) Spain (Returning) DEVE DROI ACP Background ' University professor; numerous high-level governmental responsibilities in the field of education and science (1983-1991); undersecretary of education and science (1991-1993); secretary-general for parliamentary relations (1993-1996); deputy head of cabinet to prime minister Jos(C) Luis Rodrguez Zapatero (2004-2008); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in culture and education; human rights in the world; EU accession to the ECHR; constitutional affairs; post-crisis economics; and European integration. ' Author of numerous books on politics and education. Details @ enrique.guerrerosalom@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 34 " ASP 11 G 305 GUTIRREZ PRIETO Sergio S&D Spain (Returning) EMPL LIBE Palestinian Legislative Council Background ' Activist; various responsibilities in youth organisations since 1999; MEP since 2010. ' Interested in taxation issues; economic and monetary affairs; asylum and migration; freedom of movement; gender equality; the European social model; and the rights of all minorities. Details @ sergio.gutierrezprieto@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 31 " ASP 11 G 257 # http://twitter.com/Sergio_GP
103 IGLESIAS Pablo GUE/NGL Spain (First mandate) AFET DROI SEDE Background ' Writer and commenter; active in communist youth organisations (1992-1998); leading figure of the Spanish anti-globalisation, and later anti-austerity movements; GUE/NGL candidate for the presidency of the European Parliament (2014). ' Interested in post-crisis economics; youth unemployment; employment issues; civil disobedience; social rights; and human rights. ' Wrote several books on cinema and social action. Details @ pablo.iglesias@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 81 " WIB 3 M 113 # http://twitter.com/Pablo_Iglesias_ L'PEZ Paloma GUE/NGL Spain (First mandate) ECON EMPL Mashreq Pan-African Parliament Union for the Mediterranean Background ' Trade unionist; active in several trade unions since 1986, with numerous top-level responsibilities until 2014. ' Interested in employment affairs; youth unemployment; social rights; the European social model; post-crisis economics; gender equality; sexual and reproductive health rights; and human rights. Details @ paloma.lopez@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 95 " WIB 2 M 13 # http://twitter.com/palomalopezB
104 L'PEZ AGUILAR Juan Fernando S&D Spain (Returning) LIBE AFET DEVE ACP (Vice-Chair) ASEAN Background ' Professor; national MP (1996-2007); minister of justice (2004-2007); secretary-general of his party (2007-2010); regional MP (2007-2008); PACE delegate (2008-2009); MEP since 2009; chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (2009-2014). ' Interested in civil liberties; justice and home affairs; asylum and migration; and human rights. ' Author of numerous books on justice and politics; senior voice in his political group and in Spain, but haphazard working methods may make joint work complicated. Details @ juanfernando.lopezaguilar@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 36 " ASP 11 G 258 # http://twitter.com/JFLopezAguilar MAURA BARANDIARN Fernando ALDE (Vice-Chair) Spain (First mandate) AFET DROI SEDE Maghreb (Vice-Chair) ACP Background ' Lawyer; councillor (1983-1987); regional MP (1990-1992, 1994-2007); member of Basque government (1990-2007); initially active in the Partido Popular (Christian-democratic), switched to his current party, more liberal, in 2007; numerous party responsibilities sinc e 2007. ' Interested in foreign affairs; security and defence; regional stability in the Middle East; and human rights in the world. Specifically said he wished to focus his mandate on human rights issues. ' Will be central to his group's efforts on human rights in the world, and potentially in the EU too; published several books on politics. Details @ fernando.maurabarandiaran@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 92 " ASP 8 G 157 # http://twitter.com/FMauraB
105 NART Javier ALDE Spain (First mandate) AFET SEDE DEVE ACP (Vice-Chair) Mashreq ASEAN Background ' TV journalist and war correspondent; active in left-wing parties since 1977. ' Interested in foreign affairs; peace-building; media pluralism; human rights in the world; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; security and defence; and anti-corruption. ' Published several books on war reporting. Details @ javier.nart@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 11 " ASP 8 H 156 # http://twitter.com/JavierNart PAGAZAURTUNDA RUIZ Maite ALDE Spain (First mandate) DEVE DROI (Vice-Chair) LIBE Palestinian Legislative Council Union for the Mediterranean Background ' Politician; regional MP (1993-1998); peace activist (1998-present); councillor (1999-2007); president of the association Victims of Terrorism (2005-2012). ' Interested in combating terrorism; constitutional affairs; civil liberties; and justice and home affairs. ' Co-founded peace and anti-terrorism organisation Basta Ya! (Enough Already!) in 1998; her brother, active in this organisation, was killed by ETA in 2003; the NGO received the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2000. Details @ maite .pagaza@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 30 " ASP 8 G 346
106 RODRIGUEZ-RUBIO VZQUEZ Tere GUE/NGL Spain (First mandate) ECON Maghreb Union for the Mediterranean Palestinian Legislative Council Background ' Active in left-wing party United Left prior to 2008; left the party over disagreements on policy and internal organisation; very active and popular in anti-austerity movements (2011-2014). ' Interested in youth unemployment; the European social model; post-crisis economics; gender equality; sexual and reproductive health rights; and human rights in the world. Details @ mariateresa.rodriguez -rubiovazquez@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 82 " WIB 3 M 105 # http://twitter.com/TeresaRodr_ SNCHEZ CALDENTEY Lola GUE/NGL Spain (First mandate) DEVE (Coordinator) INTA Background ' Teacher; very active in anti-austerity movements (2011-2014). ' Interested in post-crisis economics; employment issues; the European social model; human rights in the world; and gender equality. Details @ mariadoloreslola.sanchezcaldentey@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 24 " WIB 3 M 99
107 SEBASTI Jordi Greens/EFA Spain (First mandate) FEMM DEVE Maghreb Union for the Mediterranean Background ' University professor and journalist; mayor of Burjasot (2011-2014). ' Interested in gender equality; sexual and reproductive health rights; freedom of movement; foreign affairs; human rights; the rights of all minorities, including the Roma; and human rights in the world. ' Wrote several books on journalism and globalisation. Details @ jordi.sebastia@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 43 " ASP 4 F 258 # http://twitter.com/Sebastia_Jordi TERRICABRAS Josep-Maria Greens/EFA (Vice-Chair) Spain (First mandate) LIBE FYROM Background ' University professor; little political activity before the 2014 European Parliament elections. ' Interested in youth unemployment; the European social model; constitutional affairs; and regional autonomy. ' Authored numerous books on philosophy and politics. Details @ josep -maria.terricabras@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 48 " ASP 4 F 361 # http://twitter.com/jmterricabras
108 TREMOSA i BALCELLS Ramon ALDE Spain (Returning) ECON INTA Israel Union for the Mediterranean Background ' University professor; MEP since 2009. ' Interested in economic and monetary affairs; the single market; competition policy; taxation issues; and regional autonomy. ' Wrote two books on Spanish politics. Details @ ramon.tremosa@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 80 " ASP 9 G 246 # http://twitter.com/ramontremosa URTASUN Ernest Greens/EFA Spain (First mandate) ECON FEMM (Co-coordinator) AFET Background ' Economist; active in green and left-wing youth organisations since 1997; spokesperson for the Federation of Young European Greens (dates unknown); assistant to Ra¼l Romeva MEP (2004-2008); diplomat (2010-2014); diplomatic adviser to the Secretary-general of the Union for the Mediterranean (unknown-2014). ' Interested in gender equality; sexual and reproductive health rights; economic and monetary affairs; post-crisis economics; foreign affairs; youth and education; and European integration. Details @ ernest.urtasun@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 98 " ASP 5 F 374 # http://twitter.com/ernesturtasun
109 VALENCIANO MARTNEZ-OROZCO Elena S&D Spain (Returning) DROI (Chair) AFET Maghreb Union for the Mediterranean ACP Background ' Politician; active in the youth branch of her party since 1975; various responsibilities in her party throughout her career; director-general of the Spanish Foundation for Women (1994-1999); MEP (1999-2008); national MP (2008-2014). ' Interested in human rights in the world; foreign affairs; international development; gender equality; sexual and reproductive health rights; and the rights of all minorities, including the Roma and LGBTI people. Details @ elena.valenciano@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 46 " ASP 11 G 354 # http://twitter.com/ElenaValenciano VALLINA ngela GUE/NGL Spain (First mandate) REGI FEMM Palestinian Legislative Council Background ' Activist; active in her party since 1999; mayor of Castrill"n (2003-2004, 2007-present). ' Interested in gender equality; sexual and reproductive health rights; structural and regional funds; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and human rights in the world. Details @ angela.vallina@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 92 " WIB 2 M 23 # http://twitter.com/AngelaVallina
110 SWEDEN ADAKTUSSON Lars EPP Sweden (First mandate) AFET DROI Afghanistan (Vice-Chair) BiH & Kosovo Background ' TV journalist and consultant; no clear political engagement prior to the European Parliament elections in 2014. ' Interested in foreign affairs; peace-building; regional stability in the Middle East; and human rights in the world. Details @ lars.adaktusson@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 55 " ASP 7 F 136 # http://twitter.com/Ladaktusson
111 BJRK Malin GUE/NGL (Vice-Chair) Sweden (First mandate) LIBE FEMM (Coordinator) AFET India BiH & Kosovo Mashreq Background ' Political adviser; staffer at the European Women's Lobby (1999-2009); political adviser in the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality for her group (2009-2014). ' Strong interest in gender equality; sexual and reproductive health rights; human rights; the rights of all minorities, including LGBTI people; and human rights in the world. ' Opposes TTIP; strong and uncompromising on issues related to gender equality, potentially making compromise positions hard to rea ch. Details @ malin.bjork@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 74 " WIB 2 M 91 # http://twitter.com/MalinBjork_EU CEBALLOS Bodil Greens/EFA Sweden (First mandate) LIBE SEDE (Coordinator) AFET ACP Background ' Interpreter and teacher; assistant to MEP Inger Sch¶rling (dates unknown); national MP (2006 -2014). ' Interested in asylum and migration; human rights in the world; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; Western Sahara; climate and the environment; arms exportation; international trade; and the rights of all minorities. Details @ bodil.ceballos@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 68 " ASP 4 E 242 # http://twitter.com/BodilCeballos
112 CORAZZA BILDT Anna Maria EPP Sweden (Returning) FEMM (Vice-coordinator) LIBE Ukraine Euronest Turkey Background ' Diplomat; occupied various posts for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the OECD, the UN (including post-war efforts in Yugoslavia), and the European Commission; MEP since 2009. ' Interested in consumer protection; European integration; the single market; competition; freedom of movement; gender equality; the rights of all minorities, including LGBTI people and the Roma; and foreign affairs. ' Strongly progressive; does not hesitate to go against her party's instructions, or vocally state her opposition to conservative views; married to Swedish Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Bildt. Details @ annamaria.corazzabildt@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 28 " ASP 7 F 151 # http://twitter.com/AnnaMariaCB ERIKSSON Peter Greens/EFA (Vice-Chair) Sweden (First mandate) Russia Moldova Euronest Background ' Politician; national MP (1994-1998, 2002-2014); councillor (1999-2004); co-spokesperson for his party (2002-2011). ' Interested in foreign affairs; research and energy policy; and climate and the environment. Details @ peter.eriksson@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 52 " ASP 4 E 202
113 FEDERLEY Fredrick ALDE Sweden (First mandate) Pan-African Parliament Background ' Politician; active in his party since 1994; councillor (1998-unknown); chair of the youth branch of his party (2002-2007); national MP (2006-2014) ' Interested in research and energy issues; the rights of LGBTI persons; gender equality; the single market; competition; and small and medium-sized enterprises. Details @ fredrick.federley@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 67 " ASP 8 H 161 # http://twitter.com/federley FJELLNER Christofer EPP Sweden (Returning) INTA Belarus Euronest Background ' Entrepreneur; chair of his party's youth branch (2002-2004); MEP since 2004. ' Interested in international trade; competition; taxation issues; the single market; freedom of movement; public health; budgetary control; and the rights of all minorities, including LGBTI people. ' Strongly pro-TTIP and pro-trade in general; strong believer in free-market capitalism. Details @ christofer.fjellner@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 36 " ASP 7 F 143 # http://twitter.com/fjellner
114 HKMARK Gunnar EPP Sweden (Returning) ECON Serbia South Caucasus Euronest Background ' Army officer; various responsibilities in youth organisations since 1979; national MP (1983-2004); chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (2002-2004); secretary-general of his party (1991-1999); MEP since 2004; chair of the European Parliament delegation to Croatia (2009-2013). ' Strong interest in economic and monetary affairs, and global and European economic governance; also interested in peace-building; the European neighbourhood; EU-Russia relations; and gender equality. Details @ gunnar.hokmark@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 22 " ASP 7 F 155 # http://twitter.com/ghokmark LUDVIGSSON Olle S&D Sweden (Returning) ECON Serbia FYROM Background ' Trade unionist; various responsibilities in trade unions since 1981; MEP since 2009. ' Interested in economic and monetary affairs; energy; the environment; budgetary control; gender equality; human rights; the rights of all minorities, including LGBTI people; and foreign affairs. Details @ olle.ludvigsson@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 42 " ASP 14 G 257 # http://twitter.com/olleludvigsson
115 NILSSON Jens S&D Sweden (Returning) Belarus BiH & Kosovo Background ' Youth educator; councillor (1997-2009); MEP since 2011. ' Interested in agriculture and rural issues; international trade; public health; European integration; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and human rights in the world. Details @ jens.nilsson@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 27 " ASP 14 G 317 # http://twitter.com/jensni POST Soraya S&D Sweden (First mandate) LIBE DROI AFET Background ' Activist and politician; active for the rights of the Roma and gender equality prior to the 2014 European Parliament elections. ' Strong interest in gender equality; sexual and reproductive health rights; the rights of all minorities, including the Roma; also interested in freedom of movement, and human rights in the world. ' Sole MEP from the Swedish Feminist Party; Romani background. Details @ soraya.post@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 84 " ASP 14 G 310 # http://twitter.com/SorayaPostFi
116 ULVSKOG Marita S&D Sweden (Returning) EMPL (Vice-Chair) Palestinian Legislative Council (Vice-Chair) Background ' Journalist; interior minister (1994-1996); minister for culture and sports (1996-2004); national MP (1998-2009); deputy prime minister (2003-2004); secretary-general of her party (2004-2009); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in European integration; transparency; the single market; environmental protection; public health; and gender equality. Details @ marita.ulvskog@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 43 " ASP 14 G 351 # http://twitter.com/maritaulvskog WIKSTRM Cecilia ALDE Sweden (Returning) LIBE (Coordinator) JURI ASEAN India Background ' Lutheran pastor; national MP (2002-2009); vice-chair of the Committee on Culture (2006-2009); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in civil liberties; asylum and migration; home affairs; the rule of law; human rights; the rights of all minorities, including LGBTI people, the Roma and people with disabilities; combating the far right; and legal affairs. ' Respected voice within her group and among left-leaning MEPs; passionately progressive and resolute promoter of Open Society values. Details @ cecilia.wikstrom@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 22 " ASP 8 G 201 # http://twitter.com/CeciliaWikstrom
117 UNITED KINGDOM ANDERSON Martina GUE/NGL United Kingdom (Returning) LIBE REGI Palestinian Legislative Council (Chair) Background ' Irish Republican Army activist; regional MP (2007-2012); regional junior minister (2011-2012); MEP since 2012. ' Interested in regional autonomy; civil liberties; human rights; the rights of all minorities, including people with disabilities and LGBTI people; the European social model; the Israeli -Palestinian conflict; and employment issues. ' Arrested twice and convicted for causi ng an explosion, and planning to cause explosions; released from prison under the Good Friday Agreement (1998). Details @ martina.anderson@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 5 " WIB 2 M 121 # http://twitter.com/MEPStandingUp4U
118 BEARDER Catherine Quaestor of the European Parliament ALDE United Kingdom (Returning) FEMM (Co-coordinator) DEVE ACP South Africa Background ' Councillor (dates unknown); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in international trade; gender equality; human rights; the rights of LGBTI people; the single market; freedom of movement; and human rights in the world. ' Only remaining Liberal Democrat in the European Parliament after scathing losses in the 2014 European Parliament elections; as a result, may have lost part of her influence within her political group; her seniority might partially compensate for this. Details @ catherine.bearder@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 32 " ASP 10 G 138 # http://twitter.com/catherinemep BRANNEN Paul S&D United Kingdom (First mandate) South Africa Background ' Activist; councillor (5 years, dates unknown); secretary of a local Anti-Apartheid Society and active demonstrator against the South African apartheid regime (dates unknown). ' Interested in combating the far right; civil liberties; human rights; and EU-South Africa relations. Details @ paul.brannen@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 95 " ASP 13 G 205 # http://twitter.com/PaulBrannenNE
119 DANCE Seb S&D United Kingdom (First mandate) DEVE ACP Background ' International aid adviser; government relations adviser for ActionAid (dates unknown). ' Interested in international development; the rights of LGBTI people; human rights; human rights in the world; and the rights of all minorities. Details @ seb.dance@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 33 " ASP 13 G 318 # http://twitter.com/SebDance DODDS Anneliese S&D United Kingdom (First mandate) ECON REGI Montenegro (Chair) FYROM Background ' University professor6. ' Interested in employment issues; the European social model; the Western Balkans; and economic issues. ' Published numerous academic articles on public policy. Details @ anneliese.dodds@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 52 73 " ASP 13 G 218 # http://twitter.com/AnnelieseDodds 6 No other reliable biographical information was available.
120 HOWITT Richard S&D United Kingdom (Returning) AFET (Coordinator) DROI EMPL SEDE Background ' Politician; councillor (1983-1995); various party responsibilities since 1994; MEP since 1997; vice-chair of the Committee on Regional Policy (1997-1999); vice-chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights (2004-2009). ' Interested in human rights in the world; foreign affairs; corporate social responsibility; structural and regional funds; animal welfare; and the rights of all minorities, including the Roma, people with disabilities, and LGBTI people. Details @ richard.howitt@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 77 " ASP 13 G 317 # http://twitter.com/richardhowitt KAMALL Syed ECR (Chair) United Kingdom (Returning) INTA ECON Background ' Consultant, including on diversity in business; various party responsibilities since 1987; MEP since 2005; chair of the British Conservatives delegation in the European Parliament since 2013. ' Interested in financial regulations; transparency; reduced EU powers and governance; and human rights in the world. ' Heads a strongly Eurosceptic group, but may be an Open Society ally for issues related to human rights and diversity. Details @ syed.kamall @ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 92 " WIB 6 M 99 # http://twitter.com/ SyedKamall
121 KARIM Sajjad ECR United Kingdom (Returning) JURI INTA South Caucasus Euronest Background ' Lawyer; MEP since 2004; first active with the Liberal Democrats, switched to the Conservative Party in 2007; ECR candidate for the presidency of the European Parliament (2014). ' Interested in international trade; the single market; competition; legal affairs; the CIA rendition flights affair; foreign affairs; EU -India relations; child labour; combating the far right; and the rights of ethnic minorities. ' Moderately Eurosceptic, but a potential O pen Society ally for topics listed above. Details @ sajjad.karim@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 40 " WIB 7 M 81 # http://twitter.com/SajjadKarimMEP KHAN Afzal S&D United Kingdom (First mandate) SEDE (Vice-Chair) AFET Arab Peninsula Background ' Lawyer; councillor (2000-present); assistant secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain (dates unknown); mayor of Manchester (2005-2006); member of a Home Office working group to prevent extremism (2005-unknown). ' Interested in foreign affairs; security and defence; combating the far right; and the rights of all minorities, including ethnic minorities. Details @ afzal.khan@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 37 " ASP 13 G 209 # http://twitter.com/akhanmep
122 KIRKHOPE Timothy ECR United Kingdom (Returning) LIBE (Coordinator) Background ' Politician; national MP (1987-1997); undersecretary of state for home affairs (1995-1997); MEP since 1999; vice-chair of the European Parliament delegation to the European Economic Area (2002-2004); vice-chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (2007-2009); vice-chair of the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering (2012-2013); chair of the European Parliament delegation to Australia and New Zealand (2008). ' Interested in migration and asylum; justice and home affairs; civil liberties; data protection, particularly the sharing of PNR data; and the rights of all minorities. ' Moderately Eurosceptic, but a potential Open Society ally for topics listed above. Details @ timothy.kirkhope@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 21 " ASP 9 G 305 # http://twitter.com/TimKirkhopeMEP KIRTON-DARLING Jude S&D United Kingdom (First mandate) INTA Background ' Policy adviser; staffer at the Quaker Council for European Affairs (1999-2000); confederal secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (2011-2014). ' Interested in employment issues; the European social model; international trade; and the rights of all minorities. ' Ambivalent about TTIP. Details @ jude.kirton -darling@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 05 " ASP 13 G 157 # http://twitter.com/Jude_KD
123 LAMBERT Jean Greens/EFA United Kingdom (Returning) EMPL (Coordinator) LIBE India Afghanistan Background ' Teacher; active in her party since 1977; numerous responsibilities since 1983; chair of the Party Executive (1993-1994); MEP since 1999; chair of the European Parliament delegation to South Asia (2009-2014). ' Interested in employment affairs; youth unemployment; the European social model; social rights; civil liberties; asylum and migration; freedom of movement; human rights; gender equality; the rights of all minorities, including LGBTI people and the Roma; and human rights in the world. ' Leading voice on civil liberties in general, and asylum and migration in particular; responsible for the latest review of the European asylum system together with Sylvie Guillaume (France, S&D) in the previous legislature; wrote one book on politics. Details @ jean.lambert@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 07 " ASP 4 F 167 # http://twitter.com/GreenJeanMEP MARTIN David S&D United Kingdom (Returning) INTA (Coordinator) DROI AFET ASEAN ACP Background ' Politician; councillor (1983-unknown); MEP since 1984; vice-president of the European Parliament (1989-2004); chair of the European Parliament delegation to the Cariforum (2010-2014). ' Interested in international trade; foreign affairs; consumer protection; employment issues; the European social model; and human rights in the world. ' Authored the report rejecting the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) in 2012; will play a similarly important role for TTIP (definite position unknown at the time of going to print). Details @ david.martin@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 39 " ASP 13 G 354 # http://twitter.com/davidmartinmep
124 McAVAN Linda S&D United Kingdom (Returning) DEVE (Chair) ACP Background ' Policy adviser; active in her party since 1980; trade unionist; MEP since 1998; vice-chair of the European Parliament delegation to African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (2009-2012). ' Interested in the use of regional and structural funds in the United Kingdom; climate and the environment; public health; pharmaceuticals; gender equality; international trade; international development; and relations with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. Details @ linda.mcavan@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 54 38 " ASP 13 G 346 # http://twitter.com/LindaMcAvanMEP McINTYRE Anthea ECR United Kingdom (Returning) EMPL (Coordinator) South Africa Background ' Businesswoman; active in her party since 1997; MEP since 2011. ' Interested in youth unemployment; small and medium-sized enterprises; the single market; and employment affairs. ' Moderately Eurosceptic, but a potential Open Society ally. Details @ anthea.mcintyre@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 51 06 " WIB 5 M 81 # http://twitter.com/anthea_mcintyre
125 MOODY Clare S&D United Kingdom (First mandate) FEMM South Caucasus Euronest Russia Background ' Trade unionist7. ' Interested in the European social model; gender equality; and Gibraltar. Details @ clare.moody@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 53 08 " ASP 13 G 355 # http://twitter.com/ClareMMoody 7 No other reliable biographical information was available. MORAES Claude S&D United Kingdom (Returning) LIBE (Chair) Background ' Policy adviser; director of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (dates unknown); commissioner for racial equality (dates unknown); helped mount several discrimination cases before British and European courts; MEP since 1999; vice-chair of the European Parliament delegation to South Africa (1999-2004); vice-chair of the European Parliament delegation to the Arab Peninsula (2009-2014). ' Interested in civil liberties; justice and home affairs; asylum and migration; human rights; the rights of all minorities, including ethnic minorities, the Roma, and LGBTI people. ' Unavoidable actor for civil liberties, justice and home affairs; may appear easy to win over, but will require extensive engagement to ensure commitments are followed up effectively. Details @ claude.moraes@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 55 53 " ASP 13 G 342 # http://twitter.com/ClaudeMoraesMEP
126 SCOTT CATO Molly Greens/EFA United Kingdom (First mandate) ECON Background ' University professor; actively involved in local community initiatives; active in her party since 1988; councillor (2011-2014). ' Interested in post-crisis economics; economic and monetary affairs; social rights; employment issues; human rights; human rights in the world; and the rights of all minorities. ' Authored several books and articles on anti-capitalism and Green economics. Details @ molly.scottcato@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 57 37 " ASP 4 F 143 # http://twitter.com/MollyMEP SWINBURNE Kay ECR United Kingdom (Returning) ECON (Coordinator) Background ' Investment banker; councillor (2003-2006); mayor of Ledbury (2006-2009); MEP since 2009. ' Interested in economic and monetary affairs; taxation issues; fiscal evasion and tax havens; business regulations; the single market; and EU-USA relations. ' Moderately Eurosceptic, but a potential Open Society ally. Details @ kay.swinburne@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 56 87 " WIB 4 M 83 # http://twitter.com/ewrop2014
127 TANNOCK Charles ECR United Kingdom (Returning) AFET (Coordinator) DROI Background ' Psychiatrist; councillor (1998-2000); MEP since 1999; vice-chair of the European Parliament election observation mission to Ukraine (2004); vice-chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights (2004-2007); vice-chair of the European Parliament delegation to Ukraine (2004-2009). ' Interested in foreign affairs; human rights in the world, including Tibet and the Falun Gong; transparency and good governance; the Eastern Neighbourhood; the Western Balkans and Turkey; and EU-Taiwan relations. ' Almost omnipresent voice in foreign affairs and human rights in the world; moderately Eurosceptic, but a potentially strong Open Society ally. Details @ charles.tannock@ep.europa.eu ! +32 2 284 58 70 " WIB 4 M 81 # http://twitter.com/CharlesTannock
Agenda 2030
Major boost for Achill tourism after beach that was missing for 12 years returns
AFTER VANISHING FOR over a decade, a beach on Mayo's Achill Island has made a remarkable reappearance.
The return of the beach at Ashleam Bay is expected to provide a major boost to tourism in the area.
Situated along the Wild Atlantic Way, the beach at Ashleam joins another beach to have recently returned at Dooagh.
The scenic location of the Ashleam beach will draw in visitors to the area, Achill Tourism manager Sean Molloy said.
He told RT's Ray D'Arcy Show: ''Anyone who's been to Achill has been on the Atlantic drive'... Just in that bay there, people would be familiar with a rocky coast.
It started to happen a few weeks ago. It's building up and building up over the past few days. I can't really say what has brought this back other than stormy weather.
The beaches originally disappeared due to the strong winds and high tides on the Atlantic coastal region, and it is most likely due to stormy weather that it has come back, he said.
''People were telling us the beach at Ashleam comes back every seven years,'' Molloy said. ''I didn't really believe them.''
The new beach is the only west-facing beach on the island, and Molloy added that it would be the best place in Europe to watch the last sunset of the year on New Year's Eve.
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Science proves kids are bad for Earth. Morality suggests we stop having them.
A startling and honestly distressing view is beginning to receive serious consideration in both academic and popular discussions of climate change ethics. According to this view, having a child is a major contributor to climate change. The logical takeaway here is that everyone on Earth ought to consider having fewer children.
Although culturally controversial, the scientific half of this position is fairly well-established. Several years ago, scientists showed that having a child, especially for the world's wealthy, is one of the worst things you can do for the environment. That data was recycled this past summer in a paper showing that none of the activities most likely to reduce individuals' carbon footprints are widely discussed.
The second, moral aspect of the view '-- that perhaps we ought to have fewer children '-- is also being taken seriously in many circles. Indeed, I have writtenwidely on the topic myself.
But scientific evidence and moral theorizing aside, this is a complicated question with plenty of opponents. In what follows, I will address some of the challenges to this idea. Because while I recognize that this is an uncomfortable discussion, I believe that the seriousness of climate change justifies uncomfortable conversations. In this case, that means that we need to stop pretending the decision to have children doesn't have environmental and ethical consequences.
The argument that having a child adds to one's carbon footprint depends on the view that each of us has a personal carbon ledger for which we are responsible. Furthermore, some amount of an offspring's emissions count towards the parents' ledger.
The seriousness of climate change justifies uncomfortable conversations. Matt Nighswander / NBC News Most environmentalists accept this sort of ledger view when it comes to recycling, driving, and flying, but support begins to decrease when applied to family planning. The opposition is typified by Vox writer David Roberts, who argues that ''such an accounting scheme is utterly impractical'' because it seems to entail that one is never responsible for one's own emissions. Because "we don't want to double-count,'' as Roberts says, this means parents are really only responsible for their kids' emissions.
The flaw in this objection is the plausible-sounding caveat: ''we don't want to double-count.'' Because why wouldn't we want to double-count? If moral responsibility added up mathematically, then double-counting would be a serious problem. But I think it's clear that we should not accept a mathematical model of responsibility.
Consider a different case: If I release a murderer from prison, knowing full well that he intends to kill innocent people, then I bear some responsibility for those deaths '-- even though the killer is also fully responsible. My having released him doesn't make him less responsible (he did it!). But his doing it doesn't eliminate my responsibility either.
Something similar is true, I think, when it comes to having children: Once my daughter is an autonomous agent, she will be responsible for her emissions. But that doesn't negate my responsibility. Moral responsibility simply isn't mathematical.
If you buy this view of responsibility, you might eventually admit that having many children is wrong, or at least morally suspect, for standard environmental reasons: Having a child imposes high emissions on the world, while the parents get the benefit. So like with any high-cost luxury, we should limit our indulgence.
Having many children is wrong, or at least morally suspect, for standard environmental reasons.
The rebuttal to this argument is that individual actions simply don't make a significant difference, and that institutional action is how you actually have an impact. Do everything you can to minimize your emissions, and the ''earth won't give a damn.''
All of these claims are true. Most individual actions won't matter in the context of a trillion ton, all-time anthropogenic carbon budget. And indeed, policy and collective action are important for seriously mitigating the harms of climate change.
But does this mean my individual actions are morally permissible? I think the answer is clearly no.
If morality only applied to meaningful change, then morality would rarely recommend actions of symbolic integrity or defiance. We would not, for example, praise the activist who stands up for what she believes in until there was evidence that her tactics work. And those who sacrifice their own interests in order to contribute minuscule amounts of time, money, or labor to alleviating global hunger or poverty would look like suckers rather than saints.
I don't think these judgments sit well with our moral sensibilities. On reflection, many of us believe that it is wrong to contribute to massive, systematic harms, even if each individual contribution isn't causally significant. This explains why many of us think you are obligated to do things like recycle, especially when it's easy. Your recycling doesn't matter much to the environment '-- the earth doesn't give a damn '-- but you should do it anyway.
The confusion around this sort of moral claim is understandable. Our moral psychology has not yet evolved to solve the problems of today. Humanity grew up in relatively small groups; Rules like ''don't harm others,'' or ''don't steal and cheat'' are easy to make sense of in a world of largely individual interactions.
That is not our world any longer, though, and our moral sense is evolving to reflect that difference. Moral decisions are no longer about math; Being a part of the solution matters.
The importance of this argument for family size is obvious. If having one fewer child reduces one's contribution to the harms of climate change, the choice of family size becomes a morally relevant one.
I am certainly not arguing that we should shame parents, or even that we're obligated to have a certain number of children. As I've said elsewhere, I don't think there is a tidy answer to the challenging questions of procreative ethics. But that does not mean we're off the moral hook. As we face the very real prospect of catastrophic climate change, difficult '-- even uncomfortable '-- conversations are important. Yes, we should discuss the ethics of making babies with care and respect; but we should discuss it.
Travis Rieder, Ph.D, is the Assistant Director for Education Initiatives, Director of the Master of Bioethics degree program and Research Scholar at the Berman Institute of Bioethics.
Report: Polar vortex to bring 'extended period of severe winter weather' - The Buffalo News
Autumn in Siberia often provides a glimpse into what winter has planned for the Great Lakes, including the Buffalo Niagara region.
So prepare to bundle up this winter.
Expect a frigid winter with at least one visit from a lobe of the polar vortex, according to climate researchers funded by the National Science Foundation.
"I think the combination of La Ni±a and an anticipated disruption of the polar vortex could focus the worst of this winter's weather around the Great Lakes," said Judah Cohen, a meteorologist at Atmospheric and Environmental Research, a firm specializing in environmental research.
Although there's no immediate signs of weakening in the polar vortex, that could happen by January, Cohen said.
"All indicators favor a cold winter in the eastern U.S.," according to the report. "The combination of cold and wet could result in an above normal snow season for parts of the northern U.S., including the large population centers of the northeastern U.S."
The report, released Thursday, identifies areas around Lake Erie and in the northern Plains states to be the coldest from normal.
Temperatures averaging nearly 2 degrees below normal are expected in those areas for December, January and February, according to the report.
Researchers relied on various predictors when making the seasonal forecast, including the El Ni±o/Southern Oscillation, Eurasian snow cover extent during October, Arctic sea ice and another index measuring atmospheric patterns in the high latitude areas of the globe.
Weather Service calls for third straight mild winter
Lots of lake-effect snow forecast for this Buffalo winter
Are we going to have a White Christmas? | Daily Mail Online
Plummeting temperatures and a spell of wet weather could see Britain headed for the first snow of winterSnow is expected to blanket parts of Scotland as the rest of the UK feels the freeze as temperatures plungeThe cold snap will continue over the weekend and begin to produce more rain, particularly in the North WestBy Rod Ardehali For Mailonline
Published: 14:37 EST, 18 November 2017 | Updated: 17:10 EST, 18 November 2017
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Plummeting temperatures and a spell of wet weather could see Britain headed for the first snow of winter.
Rain pushing on in the North, meeting bitter arctic winds in Scotland, are expected to produce the first significant snowfall of the season, according to the MetOffice.
Snow is expected to blanket parts of Scotland as the rest of the UK feels the freeze following a drop in temperatures around the country.
The cold blast comes amid the expected La Ni±a phenomenon with below average sea temperatures leading to colder winters around the globe.
Plummeting temperatures and a spell of wet weather could see Britain headed for the first snow of winter. Snow is expected to blanket parts of Scotland as the rest of the UK feels the freeze following a drop in temperatures around the country. The cold blast comes amid the expected La Ni±a phenomenon with below average sea temperatures leading to colder winters around the globe.
The cold snap will continue over the weekend and begin to produce more rain, particularly in the North West and bitter winds of 57mph due in Scotland
La Ni±a (and El Ni±o)La Ni±a and her brother El Ni±o are oscillations in tropical Pacific temperatures that lead to warmer or cooler climates around the globe.
Part of a naturally occurring cycle, the events are a consequence of interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere.
The cycle transitions between a warm El Ni±o (Spanish for boy) and a cooler La Ni±a (Spanish for girl).
Both phenomena tend to peak during Northern Hemisphere winters.
La Nina develops when ocean temperatures are lower than normal in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.
The effects of La Nina manifest themselves differently around the globe, from increased rain in Australia to droughts in parts of the US.
More hurricanes are typically seen across the Atlantic, which could effect Britain and Ireland.
La Ni±a conditions are said to develop when the sea surface temperature anomaly goes below ''0.5C.
The main effects of La Ni±a are changes in rainfall and fiercer winter climates across the globe.
A widespread frost is braced to sweep the nation after temperatures plunged to -4C in parts of the North.
The cold snap will continue over the weekend and begin to produce more rain, particularly in the North West and bitter winds of 57mph due in Scotland.
There will be some respite however, with crisp, autumnal sunshine appearing through England, particularly in the South West where temperatures could reach 8C or 9C.
A MetOffice spokeswoman said: 'As rain pushes on a band of cold air in situ in Scotland could produce the first significant snow of the season.
'The snow would appear towards the north of the central belt and could cause some disruption on the commute.
The MetOffice told the Express: 'La Ni±a slightly increases the chances of blocking patterns over the North Atlantic and Europe in late autumn and early winter, leading to increased chances of colder-than-average conditions.'
The MetOffice told the Express: 'La Ni±a slightly increases the chances of blocking patterns over the North Atlantic and Europe in late autumn and early winter, leading to increased chances of colder-than-average conditions.'
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Big Pharma
Apothekers boos over meegeven van berg pillen | Gezond | AD.nl
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On Nov. 14, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted information on its ongoing efforts to resolve the intravenous (IV) fluid shortage. FDA has not objected to the temporary import of IV fluids from Baxter facilities in Ireland, Australia, Mexico, and Canada and from B. Braun in Germany; however, B. Braun recently announced they were slowing production.
In addition to the temporary imports, FDA continues to expedite review of drug applications that may help relieve shortages. The agency recently approved Fresenius Kabi and Laboratorios Grifols saline products and anticipates that availability of these products will help address the shortage. Currently, Fresenius Kabi anticipates limited availability in December 2017, and Laboratorios Grifols has listed their estimated date as ''TBD.''
For more information on the availability of sodium chloride 0.9% injection, including information provided by the companies, see this dedicated web page available on the FDA website. Information on all current drug shortages is also available from the FDA drug shortage database.
Shut Up Slave!
Police can request your DNA from 23andMe, Ancestry | WJAX-TV
Millions of people have handed their DNA over to genetic testing companies like Ancestry or 23andMe to learn more about their family trees.
But when you ship off your saliva, law enforcement could have access to your DNA.
Police could use genetic information it gets from those companies to identify you in a criminal investigation, even if you've never used one of those services.
Jacksonville resident Eric Yarham wanted to learn more about his family tree, so he mailed off his saliva to 23andMe.
''Just trying to unravel the mystery that is your genetics,'' said Yarham, who lives in the Riverside area. ''That lingering 0.3 percent is sub-Saharan African. So that's swimming around in my DNA." Yarham had no idea police could request his genetic information.
Jacksonville: Judge denies Corrine Brown's request for sentencing delay
Both 23andMe and Ancestry confirm your genetic information could be disclosed to law enforcement if they have a warrant.
Action News Jax asked 23andMe Privacy Officer Kate Black whether the company notifies customers about that possibility before they mail in their DNA. ''We try to make information available on the website in various forms, so through Frequently Asked Questions, through information in our privacy center,'' Black said.
According to the company's self-reported data, law enforcement has requested information for five American 23andMe customers.
So far, the company reports it has not turned over any information.
But Black said she wouldn't entirely rule it out in the future.''We would always review a request and take it on a case-by-case basis,'' Black said.
Ancestry self-reports that it complied with a 2014 search warrant to identify a customer based on a DNA sample.
Spokespeople at the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the State Attorney's Office, the Public Defender's Office and the Florida Department Of Law Enforcement told Action News Jax they don't recall any local investigations in which genetic testing information was requested from a private company.
The departments said they don't know for sure.
''The police make mistakes and I would rather not be on the unfortunate end of one of those mistakes, as a result of my DNA being somewhere that is unlucky,'' Yarham said.
But it doesn't even have to be your DNA; if a family member who shipped off their saliva to one of these companies, law enforcement can request their genetic information for ''familial matching.''
''They can see what the likelihood is of these certain alleles, of these genetic markers, matching up to make it -- likelihood of whether you were involved in, let's say, that criminal activity or not,'' said Jacksonville Dr. Saman Soleymani, who has studied genetics extensively and been an expert witness in local criminal cases.
Soleymani said he didn't take any chances when he sent his DNA to 23andMe. ''I literally sent my kit saying my name is Billy Bob,'' he added.
If you or a family member has sent in your genetic material to Ancestry or 23andMe, both companies allow you to delete your DNA results.
Click here to learn how to delete your results from Ancestry and here to do that for 23andMe results.
(C) 2017 Cox Media Group.
NA-Tech News
EV Grieve: Speaking out against a 'Silicon Alley' in this neighborhood
A coalition of community groups and preservationists hosted a rally last evening titled "Don't Turn Our Neighborhood Into Silicon Alley" on on Third Avenue outside 51 Astor Place/the IBM Watson Building/Death Star ... and across the street from where a 7-story office building is in the works for the northeast corner of the Avenue at St. Mark's Place...
An estimated 50-75 residents turned out... as well as several elected local officials, such as State Sen. Brad Hoylman.
EVG contributor Peter Brownscombe shared these photos... Curbed has a recap of the rally here, which the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) organized ...
It's the latest new development that's destroying the fabric of these neighborhoods, local residents argued at the rally on Wednesday. While Greenwich and East Villagers, along with their outgoing City Council member, Rosie Mendez, have been demanding protections for this area for years, this latest push for rezoning was prompted by Mayor Bill de Blasio's announcement of a new tech hub at the old P.C. Richard & Son on East 14th Street.
And...
GVSHP is encouraging the mayor to create height restrictions in the area, that would limit building heights to between 80 to 145 feet, and would have incentives for creating affordable housing. [GVSHP Executive Director Andrew] Berman said he wasn't opposed to the tech hub per se, but was unable to get behind it without all the other neighborhood protections in place. The tech hub can only be approved through a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), and will ultimately come before the City Council for final approval. The incoming City Council member from the area, Carlina Rivera, also backs the zoning protections, so it remains to be seen how the Mayor's project will fare.
Bedford + Bowery has coverage here.
State Assembly member Deborah Glick said preserving the residential, mixed-use character of the neighborhood was important to maintaining the vibrancy of the East Village and that she was disappointed in the proposed developments. ''Seeing New York homogenized during the Bloomberg administration '' we thought it would come to an end but it's only getting worse,'' she said. ''I want to say to Bill de Blasio: Don't turn yourself into Bloomberg 2.0. We deserve to keep our open skies, air and light '' don't suffocate us just for a quick buck from developer.''
Germany announces ban on children's smartwatches | Euronews
An officer with the Toronto Police Service's drug squad died of a fentanyl overdose earlier this year, prompting police to conduct an investigation.
Const. Michael Thompson was found at his Durham Region home in medical distress on April 10, 2017.
He was rushed to hospital, where he died three days later.
In a statement released Thursday, Acting Chief Jim Ramer confirmed that Thompson, 37, died from a fentanyl overdose.
According to Ramer, the amount of fentanyl found in his system was ''too large to have been caused by mere contact with that drug.''
An investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the officer's death but police say ''many questions remain unanswered.''
''We have questions such as where did Michael obtain the drugs that he took but those are questions that we may never have answers to,'' police spokesperson Meaghan Gray told CP24 on Thursday afternoon. ''Michael was a member of the drug squad so he could have gotten the drugs from the unit itself or got them at the street level.''
Thompson joined the Toronto Police Service in 2006 and was assigned to the drug squad in 2014.
Gray said that Thompson was a ''professional and dedicated police officer who was well respected by his colleagues.''
She said that police have notified the Crown in upcoming cases that Thompson was involved with about his death and the circumstances surrounding it. The fate of those cases is not immediately clear.
''We had to disclose Michael's death and the reason for that death to the crown as part of disclosure process. There are cases that Michael was involved in that are coming forward through the justice system as early as next Monday. The Crown will have to make a decision as to how to proceed or not. I don't know what that decision will be nor do I know how many other cases there are,'' Gray said,
In his statement, Ramer said that the wellness of members of the TPS is a ''significant priority'' for the organization.
He said that while there are many resources available to TPS employees to help them deal with various personal issues, he noted that the service needs to ''better understand if we can provide additional support to members.''
Meanwhile, in a statement issued late Thursday afternoon Mayor John Tory offered his condolences ''on behalf of the people of Toronto'' and expressed his support for a review of whether or not additional supports could be provided to TPS members.
''I understand that Constable Thompson's death on April 10 shocked the service and sparked an ongoing investigation into the death itself and surrounding circumstances. I support the service reviewing whether it can provide additional support to its members for their wellness,'' he said.
STORIES
George Soros to Give $100 million to Human Rights Watch | Human Rights Watch
(New York) '' George Soros, philanthropist and financier, today announced a challenge grant of $100 million over 10 years to Human Rights Watch. The grant from his Open Society Foundations, the largest that he has ever made to a nongovernmental organization, will be used to expand and deepen Human Rights Watch's global presence to more effectively protect and promote human rights around the world.
The grant challenges Human Rights Watch, which accepts no government funding, to raise an additional $100 million in private contributions to match the gift. Human Rights Watch hopes that the combination of the grant and the matching funds to be raised, as well as additional fundraising, will enable it to implement a strategic plan for becoming a truly global organization. The plan will require Human Rights Watch to increase its annual budget from $48 million to $80 million within five years.
''Human Rights Watch is one of the most effective organizations I support,'' said Soros, founder and chairman of the Open Society Foundations. ''Human rights underpin our greatest aspirations: they're at the heart of open societies.''
Soros said that he is particularly interested in encouraging philanthropists outside of the traditional supporters of human rights in Europe and North America.
The grant is intended to support the internationalization of Human Rights Watch, enabling it to staff advocacy offices in key regional capitals around the world and to deepen its research presence on countries of concern. Human Rights Watch plans especially to increase its capacity to influence emerging powers in the global South to push a pro-human rights agenda.
''Human Rights Watch can have even greater impact by being genuinely international in scope,'' Soros said. ''Human Rights Watch must be present in capitals around the globe, addressing local issues, allied with local rights groups and engaging with local government officials. In five years' time it aims to have as much as half its income and a majority of its board members come from outside the United States.''
By focusing international attention where human rights are violated, Human Rights Watch gives voice to the oppressed and holds oppressors accountable for their crimes. Human Rights Watch's rigorous, objective investigations and strategic, targeted advocacy build intense pressure for change and raise the cost of human rights abuse. Since 1978, Human Rights Watch has fought for deep-rooted improvements in human rights practices and has helped bring justice and security to people around the world.
''In an increasingly multi-polar world, we must ensure that Human Rights Watch's message resonates in the most influential capitals around the globe,'' said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. ''Ending serious abuses requires generating pressure from any government with clout, including emerging powers in the global South.''
With a staff of almost 300 and addressing human rights conditions in nearly 90 countries, Human Rights Watch publishes around 100 reports and several hundred news releases each year. The challenge grant will enable Human Rights Watch to invest additional resources to fill significant gaps in its reporting network, including in parts of Africa and Asia. It will also enable Human Rights Watch to add greater depth on issues where its research staff is spread too thinly.
In addition, to maximize the impact of its research, Human Rights Watch would add staff to engage more effectively with national governments on local and regional issues of concern, and develop relationships with journalists who reach local audiences. By basing more researchers and advocates in key countries, Human Rights Watch will be better placed to engage with government officials, journalists, and civil society and better able to secure positive change.
''We hope that George Soros's example will help the human rights movement worldwide by encouraging philanthropists to invest in the ideals of human rights,'' Roth said.
The House Just Voted to Bankrupt Graduate Students - NYTimes.com
Republicans in the House of Representatives have just passed a tax bill that would devastate graduate research in the United States. Hidden in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is a repeal of Section 117(d)(5) of the current tax code, a provision that is vital to all students who pursue master's degrees or doctorates and are not independently wealthy.
I'm a graduate student at M.I.T., where I study the neurological basis of mental health disorders. My peers and I work between 40 and 80 hours a week as classroom teachers and laboratory researchers, and in return, our universities provide us with a tuition waiver for school. For M.I.T. students, this waiver keeps us from having to pay a tuition bill of about $50,000 every year '-- a staggering amount, but one that is similar to the fees at many other colleges and universities. No money from the tuition waivers actually ends up in our pockets, so under Section 117(d)(5), it isn't counted as taxable income.
But under the House's tax bill, our waivers will be taxed. This means that M.I.T. graduate students would be responsible for paying taxes on an $80,000 annual salary, when we actually earn $33,000 a year. That's an increase of our tax burden by at least $10,000 annually.
It would make meeting living expenses nearly impossible, barring all but the wealthiest students from pursuing a Ph.D. The students who will be hit hardest '-- many of whom will almost certainly have to leave academia entirely '-- are those from communities that are already underrepresented in higher education.
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The law would also decimate American competitiveness.
Some universities might be able to cover tuition for some students, but in so doing, they would be forced to decrease the total number of graduate students they accept. American applicants to graduate school will leave the United States in favor of less expensive international institutions, and United States institutions will be unable to attract international candidates. At M.I.T., 43 percent of graduate students are foreign nationals, many of whom receive international funding. These students conduct transformative research, and bring so much diversity of culture, experience and expertise to our schools. Do we really want to shut out the next generation of innovators from our universities?
Graduate students are part of the hidden work force that drives some of the most important scientific and sociological advancements in the country. The American public benefits from it. Every dollar of basic research funded by the National Institutes of Health, for example, leads to a $1.70 output from biotechnology industries. The N.I.H. reports that the average American life span has increased by 30 years, in part, because of a better understanding of human health. I'd say that's a pretty good return on investment for United States taxpayers.
I personally owe my life and mobility to academic research. In 2015, I found out I had reflex sympathetic dystrophy (also known as complex regional pain syndrome), and since then, I have spent around 20 percent of my annual income on medical expenses. If Congress passes the House Republicans' tax bill as it stands, I will be forced to choose between medical expenses and my education.
In a horrible twist, the repeal of Section 117 (d)(5) isn't the only part of the tax bill that would hurt college students. The House bill would also end the student loan interest deduction, which allows individuals who make up to $80,000 and are repaying student loans to decrease their debt. It also eliminates the Lifetime Learning Credit, which is instrumental for many nontraditional students.
And still, House Republicans voted this bill into law. Now it is up to our representatives in both the House and Senate to reject it.
Mugabe fired as ruling party leader: ZANU-PF sources
(FILES) This file photo taken on November 08, 2017 shows Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe addressing party members and supporters gathered at his party headquarters to show support to his wife becoming the party's next Vice President after the dismissal of Mnangagwa. AFP / Jekesai NJIKIZANA
Turkey's President Erdogan rejects NATO apology over "enemy chart"
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the disrespectful behaviour of NATO cannot be covered over with a simple apology after his name, along with the name of Turkey's founding president, was included in an enemy list during a training exercise.
Turkish President and Chairman of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during the AK Party's Rize 6th Ordinary Provincial Congress in Rize, Turkey on November 18, 2017. (Photo AA) ( AA )Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday batted back an apology from the NATO military alliance after his name, as well as the name of the founding president of Turkey, appeared on an "enemy poster" at a drill in Norway.
The incidents took place during NATO's "Trident Javelin" exercise in the southern Norwegian city of Stavanger aimed at increasing coordination between the allies at headquarters level, which wound up on Friday.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Norwegian Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen have apologised to Turkey over the incident.
But Erdogan on Saturday said such disrespectful behaviour could not be so easily forgiven.
"You have seen the disrespectful behaviour at the NATO drill yesterday. There are some mistakes that are done not by fools but only by base people," Erdogan said in an event in northeastern Rize.
"This matter cannot be covered over with a simple apology," he said.
As Turkey is increasing its power, the intensity of attacks against the country is also increasing, the president added.
"I understand this impudence that targets me and founder of our republic Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Ataturk as a reflection of a distorted point of view that we observe in NATO for a while," the president added.
Support from opposition
Turkey's main opposition party leader earlier on Saturday also said that the incident cannot be just avoided with an apology.
Speaking at an event in Ankara on Saturday, the Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu said they cannot accept the ''insult'' towards Turkey's history and current executives.
He said they expect a satisfactory statement from the NATO officials regarding the incident.
"It is not a topic that can be avoided with an ordinary 'we apologise' thing," Kilicdaroglu said, adding: "Nobody can insult Turkey's current executives and history. We strongly condemn this.''
Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey was pulling 40 soldiers out of a NATO exercise in Norway, after the enemy chart issue.
Ankara prosecutors also said in a statement on Friday they had opened a criminal investigation against an individual or individuals who had denigrated and insulted Ataturk and Erdogan in the incidents.
Source: TRTWorld and agencies
The Fibber is Caught '' Gloria Allred Refuses To Release Yearbook for Independent Authentication'...
Notorious political/legal activist, and evidence manufacturer, Gloria Allred, represents a woman named Beverly Young-Nelson who claims Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore assaulted her 40 years ago.
Judge Roy Moore stated he's never personally met Mrs. Nelson but he was assigned -and presided over- her civil divorce case about 18 years ago.
To prove Moore has met Mrs. Nelson, Gloria Allred produced Nelson's high school yearbook claiming to contain the signature of Roy Moore. However, a review of the signature shows considerable evidence that it is fraudulent. Mr. Moore challenged Allred to present the yearbook for independent authentication. Allred is refusing.
Even Keith Olberman's former girlfriend, Katy Tur, see's through the B.S.:
.
Attorney/activist Allred is demanding a Senate hearing against Roy Moore, which is absurd because the U.S. Senate has no jurisdiction over Moore as a private citizen running for office. Allred, an activist and Democrat delegate, is simply attempting to manufacture a political fiasco to benefit her ideological and partisan endeavors.
The signature appears to be entirely fraudulent and manufactured to create a connection between Mrs. Nelson and Judge Moore.
It is clear from a simple review of the inscription that two inks were used, and two different types of handwriting appear present.
Providing further evidence toward Moore's defense, he notes the ''DA'' following the signature are specifically the same as the divorce documents he signed for Mrs. Nelson in 1999 (see below):
The ''D.A.'' does not stand for District Attorney, it stands for ''Delbra Adams'', Judge Moore's former assistant who started working for him in 1987, ten years after the ''DA'' which appears in Mrs. Nelson's yearbook.
The evidence showing Gloria Allred manufactured the yearbook seems overwhelming and presumably that's why she is refusing to allow independent inspection.
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David Cassidy 'conscious' after being hospitalised with organ failure
David Cassidy in pictured 2009. Photograph: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
US actor and singer David Cassidy is ''conscious and surrounded by family'', his spokeswoman has said, after he was admitted to hospital for organ failure earlier this week.
The Partridge Family star, 67, was rushed to a Florida hospital three days ago and requires a liver transplant. A spokeswoman for Cassidy told the Press Association: ''He is now conscious and surrounded by family,'' following reports he had been put into an induced coma.
Cassidy rose to fame in the early 1970s through the musical sitcom The Partridge Family, where he played the eldest of five siblings who embarked upon a musical career together.
The success of the show spawned more than a dozen group and solo albums and sparked 'Cassidymania', with hordes of young fans buying lunchboxes, pillowcases, bubblegum and other items adorned with Cassidy's image.
In February, Cassidy announced he was suffering from dementia, a condition suffered by both his mother and grandfather. He said he was in ''denial'' about his health until a fraught performance in California where he appeared to be slurring his words and reportedly fell off the stage at one point.
The star, who enjoyed hits in the 1970s like How Can I Be Sure, said he had decided to stop touring, adding: ''I want to focus on what I am. I want to love. I want to enjoy life.''
In 2014, a judge sentenced Cassidy '' who divorced his third wife last year and was recently declared bankrupt '' to three months in rehab and five years' probation for drink-driving.
Candidate Defends Al Franken by Bragging of His Own Sexual Past with '50 Very Attractive Females'
As claims that Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota has groped women have ignited sparks of controversy about the behavior of male elected officials toward women, another Democrat running for governor in Ohio has taken a blowtorch to the issue.
''Now that the dogs of war are calling for the head of Senator Al Franken I believe it is time to speak up on behalf of all heterosexual males,'' Ohio state Supreme Court Justice Bill O'Neill posted Friday on his personal Facebook account.
''As a candidate for Governor let me save my opponents some research time. In the last fifty years I was sexually intimate with approximately 50 very attractive females. It ranged from a gorgeous blonde who was my first true love and we made passionate love in the hayloft of her parents barn and ended with a drop dead gorgeous red head from Cleveland,'' he wrote.
''Now can we get back to discussing legalizing marijuana and opening the state hospital network to combat the opioid crisis,'' he added.
The post was taken down, but O'Neill was not done with the subject.
TRENDING:Joe Biden Says the Man Who Shot the Texas Church Shooter Shouldn't Have Had an AR-15
''As a 15 year jurist, I like to think I speak with clarity. So let me try again. When a United States Senator commits a non criminal act of indiscretion; and when it is brought to his attention he immediately has the integrity to apologize; and the apology is accepted by the victim: IT IS WRONG for the dogs of war to leap onto his back and demand his resignation from the United States Senate,'' he wrote in a later Facebook post. ''It is morally wrong.''
''And as an aside for all you sanctimonious judges who are demanding my resignation, hear this. I was a civil right lawyer actively prosecuting sexual harassment cases on behalf of the Attorney General's Office before Anita Hill and before you were born,'' he wrote.
But he had one more thing to add.
''Lighten up folks,'' he wrote. ''This is how Democrats remain in the minority.''
On Saturday, he had another thought to add.
''If I offended anyone, particularly the wonderful women in my life, I apologize. But if I have helped elevate the discussion on the serious issues of sexual assault, as opposed to personal indiscretions, to a new level '... I make no apologies. Suggesting the admitted conduct of Senator Al Franken and the alleged conduct of Judge Roy Moore are on the same level trivializes the serious subject at hand,'' he wrote.
''There are Democrats out there who are saying neither one of them pass the purity test to sit in the United States Senate. And that is sad,'' he wrote.
In a Friday interview in which he said he would likely be dropping out of the governor's race due to the expected entrance of former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray into the contest, O'Neill elaborated on his message.
RELATED:Federal 'Diversity Lottery' Gave Over 28K Green Cards To People From State Sponsors Of Terror
''Sexual harassment is a big problem in America. I know that,'' O'Neill said. ''But I think the Al Franken case is a classic example where the media frenzy takes real bad acts and goes into indiscretions and says, 'That is a disqualifying event.'''
Ohio Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor was outraged at O'Neill's comments.
''No words can convey my shock,'' O'Connor emailed The Washington Post. ''This gross disrespect for women shakes the public's confidence in the integrity of the judiciary.''
Ohio Democrat Party Chairman David Pepper called O'Neill's remarks ''terrible.''
Just a terrible post by Justice O'Neill. We're having a serious national conversation about rape culture and sexual harassment, and it's crucial for men to take time to listen to women and consider their experiences and insights.
(1/2)
'-- David Pepper (@DavidPepper) November 17, 2017
(2/2) Justice O'Neill's Facebook comments both dehumanize women and do nothing but trivialize this important conversation, which is actually about harassment and abuse, not encounters between consenting adults. https://t.co/NmdDeWnM3g
'-- David Pepper (@DavidPepper) November 17, 2017
''We're having a serious national conversation about rape culture and sexual harassment, and it's crucial for men to take time to listen to women and consider their experiences and insights,'' he tweeted. ''Justice O'Neill's Facebook comments both dehumanize women and do nothing but trivialize this important conversation, which is actually about harassment and abuse, not encounters between consenting adults.''
Apple Diversity Chief Forced Out After Saying White Men Can Also Be 'Diverse'
Silicon Valley's disdain for its mostly white, mostly male tech workforce has reached absurd new heights.
The New York Post is reporting that, after just six months on the job, Apple Diversity Chief Denise Young Smith, who was named vice president of diversity and inclusion in May, has resigned her post after making a ''controversial'' comment last month during a summit in Bogota, Colombia.
What was Young's crime? She insinuated that ''diversity'' can still exist among a group of white men because of their different life experiences.
''There can be 12 white, blue-eyed, blond men in a room and they're going to be diverse too because they're going to bring a different life experience and life perspective to the conversation,'' the inaugural diversity chief said.
''Diversity is the human experience,'' she said, according to Quartz. ''I get a little bit frustrated when diversity or the term diversity is tagged to the people of color, or the women, or the LGBT."
That's right: Young, who is '' for the record '' a black woman, has been forced out of Apple because her views on diversity were too inclusive.
As the Post pointed out, Young's comments appeared to defend Apple's overwhelmingly white and male leadership at a time when the company's makeup is markedly uneven. This begs the question: What, exactly, was she defending them from?
Young, a 20-year Apple veteran who previously served as the company's head of worldwide human resources (a senior level position), was later forced to apologize for her remarks, telling Apple staff that her comments ''were not representative of how I think about diversity or how Apple sees it."
''For that, I'm sorry,'' she said in an email. ''More importantly, I want to assure you Apple's view and our dedication to diversity has not changed."
''We deeply believe that diversity drives innovation,'' an Apple spokesman told TechCrunch in a statement. ''We're thrilled to welcome an accomplished leader like Christie Smith to help us continue the progress we've made toward a more diverse workplace."
In 2017, only 3 percent of Apple's leaders were black, and women held just 23 percent of tech jobs, according to Fortune. Female leadership stood at 29 percent, Apple said.
''Meaningful change takes time,'' the company said in its diversity report. ''We're proud of our accomplishments, but we have much more work to do."
Smith will leave the company at the end of the year. Taking over as VP of inclusion and diversity will be Christie Smith, who spent 17 years as a principal at Deloitte.
By the most measures, China has passed the U.S. and is pulling away.
What's the most powerful country in the world? There's a good case to be made that it's China.
There are many kinds of power '-- diplomatic, cultural, military and economic. So an easier question to ask is: What's the world's largest economy? That's almost certainly China.
Many might protest when hearing this. After all, the U.S. still produces the most when measured at market exchange rates:
But this comparison is misleading, because things cost different amounts in different countries. Gross domestic product is supposed to measure the amount of real stuff '-- cars, phones, financial services, back massages, etc. '-- that a country produces. If the same phone costs $400 in the U.S. but only $200 in China, China's GDP is getting undercounted by 50 percent when we measure at market exchange rates. In general, less developed countries have lower prices, which means their GDP gets systematically undercounted.
Economists try to correct for this with an adjustment called purchasing power parity (PPP), which controls for relative prices. It's not perfect, since it has to account for things like product quality, which can be hard to measure. But it probably gives a more accurate picture of how much a country really produces. And here, China has already surpassed the U.S.:
If you don't trust the murky PPP adjustments, a simple alternative is just to look at the price of a Big Mac. The same burger costs 1.8 times more in the U.S. than in China. Adjusting the market-exchange-rate GDP numbers by that ratio would put China even farther ahead.
In some dimensions, China's lead is even larger. The country's manufacturing output overtook that of the U.S. almost a decade ago. Its exports are more than a third larger as well.
American commentators may be slow to recognize China's economic supremacy, but the rest of the world is starting to wake up to the fact:
This doesn't mean China's population is the world's richest '-- far from it. The countries with the highest income per person, in order, are Qatar, Luxembourg, Singapore, Brunei and the United Arab Emirates. But few would argue that Qatar or Luxembourg is the world's leading economy '-- while per-capita numbers are important for the well-being of a nation's people, they don't translate into comprehensive national power unless a country also has a large population.
'...
In other words, not only is China already the world's largest economy, the gap between it and the U.S. can be expected to grow even wider. This continues to be borne out in the growth statistics '-- though China has slowed in recent years, its economy continues to expand at a rate of more than 6 percent, while the U.S. is at just over 2 percent. If that disparity persists, China's economy will be double that of the U.S. in less than two decades.
So economically, China has surpassed the U.S., and is on track to zoom far ahead in the near future. But what about military power? Here, it still looks like the U.S. reigns supreme. It spends more money on its military than China, has a larger nuclear arsenal, and '-- thanks to its recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq '-- has a more seasoned fighting force as well.
But that doesn't mean that the U.S. would win a war, if the two countries fought. A full nuclear exchange, of course, would have no winners. But in a protracted conventional struggle, there's a good chance that China's weight of numbers and manufacturing prowess would win out. As an analogy, consider the U.S. and Japan in World War II. At the beginning of the war, Japan's aircraft carrier force outnumbered that of the U.S., and its navy was far more seasoned (due to Japan's war in China). But when the war began, the U.S. greatly outproduced its opponent:
President Trump Holds Off on Allowing Reversal of Wildlife Rule For Trophy Hunting'... | The Last Refuge
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Thursday that permitting elephants from Zimbabwe and Zambia to be brought back as trophies will raise money for conservation programs in the region. President Trump has put that decision on hold:
No-one outside Africa wants to see elephants hunted. Local poachers are killing thousands of elephants. The goal of the Wildlife Service conservation effort is to increase the live value of elephants which are currently being killed by locals.
Elephants are endangered. In the aggregate current conservation approaches are not working, except in areas where they are viewed as having high value to the community.
If elephants are not valued as a financial commodity by the locals, they have no disposition/incentive not to kill them. The goal of conservation is to increase the value of individual elephants to the local community, more valuable than the poaching value, thereby protecting ALL OF THEM from human slaughter. ''Elephant Census Report''
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Harvey Weinstein had secret hitlist of names to quash sex scandal | Film | The Guardian
The list of names appears to have been drawn up by Harvey Weinstein himself. Photograph: Carlo Allegri/Reuters
The Observer has gained access to a secret hitlist of almost 100 prominent individuals targeted by Harvey Weinstein in an extraordinary attempt to discover what they knew about sexual misconduct claims against him and whether they were intending to go public.
The previously undisclosed list contains a total of 91 actors, publicists, producers, financiers and others working in the film industry, all of whom Weinstein allegedly identified as part of a strategy to prevent accusers from going public with sexual misconduct claims against him.
The names, apparently drawn up by Weinstein himself, were distributed to a team hired by the film producer to suppress claims that he had sexually harassed or assaulted numerous women.
An extract from Harvey Weinstein's hitlist.The document was compiled in early 2017, around nine months before the storm that blew up on 5 October when the New York Times published a series of sexual harassment allegations against Weinstein.
Individuals named on the list were to be targeted by investigators who would covertly extract and accumulate information from those who might know of claims or who might come forward with allegations against the film producer. Feedback was then to be relayed to Weinstein and his lawyers.
The size of the list '' 85 names appear on one document, with an addendum identifying another six individuals '' appears to corroborate claims that sexual misconduct allegations against the 65-year-old were an open secret throughout Hollywood.
Prominent stars were among the first tranche of individuals on the list to testify publicly against Weinstein. Among those named were the actress Rose McGowan, who days after speaking out accused the producer of raping her. Another was Laura Madden, who told how Weinstein pestered her for massages at hotels in Dublin and London, beginning in 1991. McGowan and Madden were among the first to speak out against Weinstein last month.
Rose McGowanPhotograph: Richard Shotwell/AP
A typed note on the document appears to suggest that by February 2016, Madden had already been targeted by one of Weinstein's hired investigators. Her view of the producer is, says the note, ''very bitter''.
Another name is Zelda Perkins, a London-based production assistant for Weinstein's Miramax film company, who left the firm's London offices on Brewer Street in Soho in 1998 after, she says, enduring years of sexual harassment by her boss. Last month Perkins revealed that she had broken a confidentiality agreement to describe alleged sexual harassment by the Hollywood producer.
Also on the list is the English actress Sophie Dix, who has described how her career trajectory was ''massively cut down'' after an alleged sexual assault by Weinstein in a London hotel and who was among the first to come forward.
Although at least 10 individuals are based in London, the majority live in New York, with others from Los Angeles. They include individuals working in acquisitions, marketing and distribution, along with producers, publicists and human resources staff, as well as actors. Forty-three men are named and 48 women.
Weinstein, the list confirms, was aware that the New York Times was gathering testimony from his victims long before it first ran the story. A public relations professional is named alongside a note stating that ''HW [Harvey Weinstein] in contact w/him. Friends w/Jodi Kantor''. Kantor is the New York Times journalist who broke the story that immediately engulfed the producer and the film production company he co-founded with his brother.
Sophie Dix Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the GuardianMore than 50 of the names have been coloured red to highlight those who should be prioritised by investigators '' individuals Weinstein most keenly wanted to target. The names of the actresses McGowan, Dix and Madden are all coloured red.
Following an initial list of 85 names, another six individuals were identified during August 2017, including the actress Annabella Sciorra, who two months later publicly alleged she was raped by Weinstein after he barged into her apartment in the 1990s.
Also named on the later list is the US actress Katherine Kendall. Weeks later she revealed how a naked Weinstein ''literally chased'' her around his New York apartment in 1993.
Another is a former Weinstein employee, Lauren O'Connor, who documented several allegations against the producer in a 2015 memo in which she described a ''toxic environment for women'' at Miramax.
Interestingly, the document includes the filmmaker Brett Ratner, who has been accused of sexual harassment or misconduct by six women in the wake of the Weinstein allegations.
Annabella Sciorra Photograph: Bruce Glikas/FilmMagicIt is unclear whether Weinstein intended subsequently to approach any of the individuals on the list with a non-disclosure agreement. Evidence has emerged which shows that over the past three decades Weinstein reached at least eight settlements with women, according to two company officials speaking on condition of anonymity, after he was confronted with allegations including sexual harassment and unwanted physical contact.
Not surprisingly, considering the psychological abuse and bullying allegations emerging from his former film studio Miramax, more of the film studio employees are also named. Among them is Kathy DeClesis, former assistant to Weinstein's brother Bob, who has revealed that she told him about Harvey sexually harassing women over a period of 25 years.
So far, more than 50 women have come forward with allegations of rape, harassment and inappropriate behaviour, prompting police investigations in the US and UK.
Weinstein ''unequivocally denies'' all claims of non-consensual sex, a spokesman for the producer has said. The spokesman dismissed reports that the producer hired spies to stop claims, saying: ''It is a fiction to suggest that any individuals were targeted or suppressed at any time.''
The producer's alleged targets were often young, aspiring actresses. Among the high-profile names who have spoken out against Weinstein are Angelina Jolie, Cara Delevingne and Kate Beckinsale.
Myths of the 1 Percent: What Puts People at the Top - The New York Times
Dispelling misconceptions about what's driving income inequality in the U.S.
Income inequality inspires fierce debate around the world, and no shortage of proposed solutions. As global billionaires bid up the price of a da Vinci painting on Wednesday, to $450.3 million, Congress debated tax reforms that many analysts said would give the largest benefits to the richest 1 percent of taxpayers.
In the United States, the richest 1 percent have seen their share of national income roughly double since 1980, to 20 percent in 2014 from 11 percent. This trend, combined with slow productivity growth, has resulted in stagnant living standards for most Americans.
No other nation in the 35-member Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is as unequal, and none have experienced such a sharp rise in inequality.
In Denmark, the share of income going to the top 1 percent rose to 6 percent from just 5 percent. In the Netherlands, there was essentially no increase from 6 percent levels. Britain (6 percent to 14 percent) and Canada (9 percent to 14 percent) had notable increases in top-income earnings, but not as large as those in the United States .
Before looking into some of what's behind this, let's address common misconceptions.
No, It's Not Trade A rise in international trade '-- as a share of G.D.P., measured as either imports or exports using data from the Penn World Tables '-- is associated with equality, not inequality. The United States imports only a small fraction of the value of its total economy, whereas Denmark and the Netherlands are highly dependent on imports.
Or the Rise of Information Technology Countries with higher rates of invention '-- as measured by patent applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty, an indicator of patent quality '-- exhibit lower inequality than those with less inventive activity. As it happens, tech industries in the United States have contributed just a tiny bit to the rise of the 1 percent, and the salaries of engineers and software developers rarely reach the 1 percent threshold of an annual income of $390,000.
What About Unions? Unions are thought to redistribute income from owners to workers, but there is no correlation across countries between the change in labor's share of G.D.P. since 1980 and an increase in the income share of the top 1 percent. Britain saw an increase in the labor share of G.D.P. but also one of the sharpest increases in inequality. The Netherlands saw a large fall in labor's share but no rise in inequality.
A woman holds up a paddle with an image of Leonardo da Vinci's ''Salvator Mundi'' as she arrives at Christie's before bidding on the painting Wednesday night in New York. The work sold for a record $450.3 million. Credit Timothy A. Clary/Agence France-Presse '-- Getty Images Scandinavian countries are heavily unionized and egalitarian, but Denmark experienced a large decrease in the share of workers represented by unions from 1980 to 2015, according to O.E.C.D. data, and very little change in inequality. Unionization rates dropped precipitously in the Netherlands and especially New Zealand over the period, but inequality rose as much if not more in Spain, where unionization rates rose.
Not Immigration, Either Nationalists attribute rising inequality to mass immigration and the supposedly low skills of immigrants.
There is no correlation between changing immigration shares since 1990 and rising top-income shares. In fact, the countries that have absorbed the most immigrants '-- on a per-capita basis '-- have seen overall income inequality (measured by the Gini coefficient) fall.
An assumption implicit in this argument is that immigrants drag down earnings at the bottom of the distribution, making inequality worse. If this were an important factor, rising inequality should coincide with large gaps in income between foreign-born and native-born adults. It doesn't.
My analysis of data from the Gallup World Poll from 2009 to 2016 shows that foreign-born adults earn 37 percent less than native-born adults in the Netherlands, after adjusting for age and gender. This is the largest gap among O.E.C.D. countries, and yet, the country saw no change in top-income inequality. Canada (minus 8 percent) and Britain (minus 7 percent) have small gaps but high and rising inequality.
In the U.S., Managers Are a Minority of Top Earners Most top earners in the United States are neither executives nor even managers. People in those occupations make up just over one-third of all top earners in the United States. This share has been falling '-- particularly for corporate executives '-- and is lower than in many other advanced countries. In Denmark, Canada and Finland, close to half of top earners are in managerial occupations, according to my analysis of data from the Luxembourg Income Study.
So What's Going On? Almost all of the growth in top American earners has come from just three economic sectors: professional services, finance and insurance, and health care, groups that tend to benefit from regulatory barriers that shelter them from competition.
The groups that have contributed the most people to the 1 percent since 1980 are: physicians; executives, managers, sales supervisors, and analysts working in the financial sectors; and professional and legal service industry executives, managers, lawyers, consultants and sales representatives.
Without changes in these largely domestic services industries '-- finance, health care, the law '-- the United States would look like Canada or Germany in terms of its top income shares.
The United States also stands out in terms of how much money its elite professionals earn relative to the median worker. Workers at the 90th percentile of the income distribution for professionals make 3.5 times the earnings of the typical (median) worker in all occupations in the United States. Only Mexico and Israel, which have very high inequality, compensate professionals so disproportionately. In Switzerland, the Netherlands, Finland and Denmark, the ratio is about 2 to 1.
This ratio, the elite professions premium, is very highly correlated with income inequality across countries.
Others are noticing these trends. A new book, '' The Captured Economy'' by Brink Lindsey and Steven Teles, argues that regressive regulations '-- laws that benefit the rich '-- are a primary cause of the extraordinary income gains among elite professionals and financial managers in the United States and of a reduction in growth.
This year, the Brookings Institution's Richard Reeves wrote a book about how people in the upper middle class have shaped both legal and cultural norms to their advantage. From different perspectives, Joseph Stiglitz, Robert Reich and Luigi Zingales have also written extensively about how the political power of elites has undermined markets.
Problems cited by these analysts include subsidies for the financial sector's risk-taking; overprotection of software and pharmaceutical patents; the escalation of land-use controls that drive up rents in desirable metropolitan areas; favoritism toward market incumbents via state occupational licensing regulations (for example, associations representing lawyers, doctors and dentists that block efforts allowing paraprofessionals to provide routine services at a lower price without their supervision).
These are just some of the causes contributing to the 1 percent's high and rising income share. Reforming relevant laws can make markets more efficient and egalitarian, and in contrast with trade, immigration and technology, the political causes of the 1 percent's rise are directly under the control of citizens.
Jonathan Rothwell is the Senior Economist at Gallup. He is writing a book on political equality and its relationship to economic opportunity. You can follow him on Twitter at @jtrothwell.
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Sign UpWhat if Ken Starr Was Right?
Revisiting the 1990s and realizing that impeachment was reasonable.
Maureen Dowd The Hillary Effect
Until now, our sexual predation seminars have been hijacked by politics. But this time may be different.
How Politics and Bad Decisions Starved New York's Subways
Disruptions and delays have roiled the city's public transportation system this year.But the crisis was long in the making, fueled by a litany of errors, a Times investigation shows.Why a Believer in Tax Cuts Could Derail the Senate Bill
Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin became the first Republican to voice opposition to the Senate's version of the tax bill, saying he needed to see more favorable treatment for small businesses.His rejection of the plan laid bare the challenge that the G.O.P. faces as the measure navigates the rough waters of the Senate.Nicholas Kristof Blue States Practice the Family Values Red States Preach
Conservatives stray from many moral codes while liberals follow them, research shows.
South Korean doctors found a North Korean defector's intestines riddled with parasitic worms.
South Korean doctors operating on an injured North Korean soldier found parasitic worms crawling in his dietary tract, a symptom of poor hygiene and nutrition.
Credit Leon Edler Bernie Bernstein pretty much fits the mold of a Jew '-- at least as the alt-right sees us.
A strange Northeastern accent, somewhere between New York and Boston? Check. Tossing money, but not too much money, around to no good end (remember, we're rich, but cheap)? Check. Pursuing the agenda of the liberal fake-news media? Check. Riling the worst instincts of the South's conservative base? Check.
But there was something a little too on the nose, forgive me please, about those robocalls in Alabama from a mythical Washington Post reporter named Bernstein seeking women to dish dirt on Roy Moore, something too ''Jewy'' to be actually Jewish. And that's where the rising anti-Semitism of the new white nationalists loses its punch.
He may be Bernie Bernstein; he may be Lenny Bernstein '-- it's a little hard to tell from the tape. Regardless, as the Princeton historian Kevin Kruse wrote on Twitter, ''Whoever's behind this is a horrible anti-Semite. I mean, just really bad at being an anti-Semite.''
Last week, voters in Alabama '-- rocked, befuddled or riled by allegations that Mr. Moore, the Republican nominee for the Senate, sexually assaulted teenage girls '-- were treated to an electronic ''robocall'' that intoned, or really whined:
I'm a reporter for The Washington Post calling to find out if anyone at this address is a female between the ages of 54 to 57 years old, willing to make damaging remarks about candidate Roy Moore for a reward of between $5,000 and $7,000. We will not be fully investigating these claims however we will make a written report.
I could be charitable and suggest that the name is a play on the Post's legendary Watergate reporter Carl Bernstein. There really is a Lenny Bernstein at the paper, a health care reporter who most certainly does not share the caller's voice or penchant for journalistic duplicity. But honestly, I'm more inclined to invoke Occam's razor: The most logical explanation is usually the right one. Bernie Bernstein is the creation of an anti-Semite '-- or at least an opportunist appealing to Alabama voters' willingness to believe the worst about a man named Bernie Bernstein.
Leaving aside the low esteem that many Alabamians hold the national media in, no mainstream outlet is paying women for dirt on Mr. Moore, and no one is promising to publish half-baked uncorroborated allegations. But whoever recorded the call thought voters in deep-red Alabama would swallow such aspersions on the profession of journalism, especially if they came from a Yankee Jew.
Hatred of Jews in my native South is a phenomenon that is distinct from the more pervasive racism. White Southerners who hold bigoted views tend to know '-- or think they know '-- African-American and Hispanic people, and are convinced of their own superiority to them.
They don't know nearly as many Jews, if any at all, and because of that Jews play a key role in their bigotry. If they are superior to blacks and Hispanics, yet believe they are losing ground in the battle of the races, then some other force must be orchestrating the ''white genocide'' that is befalling them. Enter the Jews, puller of strings, manipulators of the masses.
The anti-Semitism of the alt-right, the newest manifestation of bigotry that combines age-old hatred with internet-era technological savvy, biting wit and a self-conscious sense of irony, shows no more logical consistency than the anti-Semitism of the past. Jews are both all-powerful puppetmasters and sniveling weaklings, rapacious capitalists and left-wing anarchists. The Holocaust never happened, but man, was it cool.
In some sense, anti-Semitism has more in common with rising Islamophobia than with endemic racism. It gains its power from the same kind of mythologizing that convinces people like Roy Moore that whole communities in the Midwest are laboring under Shariah law.
In my own experiences with the alt-right, I have been treated to all of these contradictions '-- in so many variations that they have long lost their power to shock, scare or disturb. In 2016, they came at me through Twitter, the occasional voice mail and a few very ugly emails after I was identified by my Jewish-sounding name and ''belled'' on social media as a target for the alt-right.
Beyond the realm of the internet, a whole community of Jews in and around Whitefish, Mont., was targeted for vicious harassment. Fist fights have broken out among alt-right demonstrators and counter-demonstrators in any number of locations. And of course, the deadly events in Charlottesville, Va., this summer proved that the new anti-Semitic white supremacy is very much flesh and blood, or as the perpetrators like to chant, in our blood and soil.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently released its hate-crime statistics for 2016, and the numbers were plain. Of the 6,121 actions deemed crimes of hate and bigotry last year, 307 were perpetrated against Muslims, a 19 percent increase over 2015. Half the hate crimes, 1,739, were targeted at blacks, showing the potency of the nation's original sin. Bias crimes against white people rose 17 percent, to 720 incidents, a sign of just how violent the nation's polarization has become.
The 684 anti-Semitic hate crimes were more than the rest of the religiously motivated crimes of bias and bigotry combined.
As hate flares and the nation fragments, no one is safe within some cloistered quarter. The statistics are stark on that front. We can pull together and rediscover some shared sense of purpose. Or we can listen to Bernie Bernstein on our answering machine and rage, rage, rage against the mysterious other.
Your choice.
What if Ken Starr Was Right?
Revisiting the 1990s and realizing that impeachment was reasonable.
Maureen Dowd The Hillary Effect
Until now, our sexual predation seminars have been hijacked by politics. But this time may be different.
How Politics and Bad Decisions Starved New York's Subways
Disruptions and delays have roiled the city's public transportation system this year.But the crisis was long in the making, fueled by a litany of errors, a Times investigation shows.Why a Believer in Tax Cuts Could Derail the Senate Bill
Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin became the first Republican to voice opposition to the Senate's version of the tax bill, saying he needed to see more favorable treatment for small businesses.His rejection of the plan laid bare the challenge that the G.O.P. faces as the measure navigates the rough waters of the Senate.Nicholas Kristof Blue States Practice the Family Values Red States Preach
Conservatives stray from many moral codes while liberals follow them, research shows.
South Korean doctors found a North Korean defector's intestines riddled with parasitic worms.
South Korean doctors operating on an injured North Korean soldier found parasitic worms crawling in his dietary tract, a symptom of poor hygiene and nutrition.
Why a Believer in Tax Cuts Could Derail the Senate BillHow Politics and Bad Decisions Starved New York's Subways11 of Our Best Weekend ReadsFor Roy Moore, a Long History of Combat and ControversySite Indexnewsopinionartslivingmore
After Al Franken and Roy Moore, We Are Dangerously Close to Botching the #MeToo Moment
The #MeToo moment is in a far more delicate place than headlines would lead one to believe.
The New York Times' October 5th bombshell on Harvey Weinstein's myriad sexually predatory offenses set off a cultural chain reaction that feels truly important or scary or both, depending on who you ask. Women in Hollywood stood up and shared their stories of sexual misconduct. And then women in the media did, women in the art world did, women in politics did, women in comedy did, and so on.
It was as if we had lanced a cultural wound and collectively stood around, astonished by what came out. How was that all there, all this time? How much do we still have to learn?
Meanwhile, men in those worlds privately wondered (sometimes in late night text messages to their female friend: this writer) where it would end; if they had something lurking in their own past; if one day, the #MeToo moment engulf them too.
When I'd get calls or texts like that, I'd go through the regular reassurance script: False accusations are rare because coming forward about sexual misconduct generally sucks for women, especially when they're accusing powerful men. Journalists have learned their lesson from the disaster of the UVA Rolling Stone story and how that episode set the campus rape discussion back, arguably to a worse place than it was before. Yes, it's possible that a sociopath with malicious intent could try and burn a foe or settle a score without merit. Certainly, the barrier to entry is low'--a tweet or an anonymously sourced online google document would suffice. And, yes, they could leverage bloggers or ideologues to get their stories out without having them fact checked, leaving their subject's PR team to unexplode the bomb.
I'd tell them, that sort of thing could happen, but it probably won't, because lies fall apart once you look at them closely enough. And we would never be stupid or careless enough, en masse, to refuse to look at things like this closely.
But privately, I've been worried that we're cruising toward the #MeToo moment's trip wire, the point where a public's over-credulity means that opportunists could exploit the movement and bring it all crashing down, worse off than before. And then stories of sexual misconduct will again be relegated to cocktail hours and DM's'--feminist ghost stories women share with each other with the knowledge that the demons that torment us still lurk in corner offices.
Today, two women accused Senator Al Franken (D-MN) of harassment. Radio host and model Leeann Tweeden wrote that back when she and then-prominent comedian Franken were on a USO tour together in 2006, he forcibly kissed her during rehearsals for the show. Accompanying the story was a photo of Franken reaching for Tweeden's breasts while Tweeden appeared to be asleep. Franken has apologized and called for a formal ethics investigation into his conduct. Reaction from the left was swift and mostly damning. Democrats have no moral authority on the issue of sexual assault and harassment unless they condemn it from everybody, even their caucus's class clown.
On the heels of Tweeden's disturbing allegations, however, another woman came forward claiming that she too had been ''stalked and harassed'' by Franken. Melanie Morgan teased her accusation with a Tweet, and then directed curious readers to her website. On her website, she described how Franken called her more than once because he disagreed with how she was discussing a policy issue on the radio.
Even giving Morgan the extremely generous benefit of the doubt, it's hard to pretend what she alleges Franken did is the same thing as what Tweeden's picture shows Franken actually doing. Nor is what Tweeden's picture shows, horrible as it is, the same as what somebody like Roger Ailes or Bill Clinton did.
Which gets to a problem. Right now, the court of public opinion is faced with the awkward task of assigning degrees of severity to sexual misconduct, because, while they all cause harm, they don't all cause the same amount of harm and thus don't merit the same punishment. Furthermore, punishment varies by the power the offender wields. A senator, for example, should have a much higher moral threshold than, say, a comedian. Writing in The New Yorker this week, Masha Gessen treads lightly in making this point, warning that the #MeToo moment could devolve into ''sex panic'' if we're not careful. ''The distinctions between rape and coercion are meaningful, in the way it is meaningful to distinguish between, say, murder and battery,'' Gessen writes.
One's political ideology or past advocacy doesn't mean it's impossible for a person to be victimized by somebody with opposing ideology. But if what she's written is all she's got, Morgan's account reeks of naked political opportunism, of weaponizing victimhood in a way that is so morally bankrupt that it threatens to derail the entire #MeToo conversation for selfish political ends.
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(I suppose it also bears mentioning here that while Fox News' primetime lineup was going up in flames thanks to decades of sexual misconduct coming to light, Morgan was leading the charge to protect men like Bill O'Reilly'--who has settled tens of millions of dollars worth of sexual harassment lawsuits during his career'--from being fired for what Morgan called ''dubious'' reasons.)
This is how delicate it all is and how dangerous Morgan's gambit was. Less than 24 hours ago, lawyers for Alabama's Republican nominee for Senate, Roy Moore, gave a press conference. The purpose of that press conference was to attack and discredit the five women (well, now it's at least seven women, but at the time, it was five) who had accused Moore of sexually pursuing them as teenagers. Moore's lawyers'--both men'--claimed that they'd never personally witnessed Moore molest any teenagers. Further, they claimed that one of the accusers had a personal vendetta against Moore because he had signed a legal document in her divorce. They said nothing about the other four accusers, including one woman who claimed to the Washington Post that Moore molested her when she was 14.
They didn't need to discredit all of the women because, in the warped worldview of the Roy Moore apologist, to discredit one woman is to discredit all of us.
Writing with almost creepy prescience at Crooked.com this week, Brian Beutler warned against the coming Breitbart-style weaponization of the ''Believe Women'' movement. ''Unfolding against the backdrop of the post-Weinstein revolution, the Moore scandal exposes the conservative propaganda machine in the ugliest and most discrediting possible fashion,'' Beutler writes. ''But these cultural changes are all but destined to collide with one another in the opposite direction, in a way that exploits both the beneficence of the 'believe women' campaign, and the even-handedness of the mainstream media. It is a collision we as a political culture are not equipped to handle, the consequences of which are almost too awful to contemplate.''
That's why Weinstein fallout could go up in smoke in a second. Because enough people believe that women are all liars, that one liar will fuck it up for all of us.
This Roy Moore Old Testament-Original Sin-Women Are Liars mindset is the worldview that needs to change in order for women to truly have access to the same opportunities that men have. But its opposite'--the notion that women must be believed without any evidence whatsoever'--will lead the worst among us to exploit the proof loophole and wreak as much damage as they can before their lies are discovered and skewered. At that point, the loophole irreversibly closes. And if that happens, we're stuck in Roy Moore's world, where men are the arbiters of morality and if women aren't lying, they must have been asking for it.
Barcelona Terror Attacks '-- Imam was CNI Informant '' Intel Today
''The imam did, in fact, stay in Belgium, but he was not known to the judicial authorities.''
Thierry Werts '-- Spokesman of the Office of the Public Prosecutor
Abdelbaki Es Satty '-- the Imam from the small Catalan town of Ripoll who headed the jihadist cell behind the terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils in mid-August 2017 '-- was an informant for Spain's National Intelligence Center (CNI). Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY
RELATED POST: BELGIUM: ''No Link between Barcelona Imam and the 2016 Brussels Attacks''
RELATED POST: Is Belgian ISIS Jihadist Osama Atar the 'Mastermind' of the Paris and Brussels attacks?
RELATED POST: One Year Ago '-- ISIS: 3 Belgian Citizens at the 'Creation' Meeting
RELATED POST: Brussels bomb made in Molenbeek. Once again'... [UPDATE '-- June 24 2017]
RELATED POST: Paris & Brussels Attacks: Belgian suspected terrorist not under surveillance since 2012
On August 17 2017 [Thursday 16:50 (14:50 GMT)], a white Fiat van drives down Las Ramblas in central Barcelona, killing 13 people and injuring at least 130 others, one of whom died 10 days later
A few hours later, a second vehicle attack took place in Cambrils, killing one woman and injuring six others. All five attackers were shot and killed by police.
The Imam Abdelbaki Es Satty is considered the ''mastermind'' of these attacks. According to Spain leading Newspaper ''El pais'', Imam Es Satty was an informant for Spain's National Intelligence Center (CNI).
Sources for the Spanish secret services have confirmed that the Imam had been an informant for the CNI. They have not specified for how long the imam worked for them, or whether he was paid.
Those same sources clarified that the contacts established with Es Satty ''fall within the usual protocols of the agency,'' and that it is ''normal to obtain information to fight terrorism from those in prisons who may have information, and that there are many people who cooperate.''
In any case, Es Satty was not accused of terrorism, but of drug trafficking at the time. [El Pais]
The Belgian Connection
According to the Belgium's Office of the Public Prosecutor, there is no link between Imam Abdelbaki Es Satty and the attacks perpetrated on 22 March 2016, in Brussels.
Marc Tr(C)vidic '-- A former French anti-terrorism judge '-- has made a few cryptic comments about a possible link between Islamic terrorists in Belgium and Spain.
The Spanish authorities consider Imam Abdelbaki Es Satty as the architect of the terror attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils.
Police have confirmed that Abdelbaki Es Satty '-- suspected of radicalizing the 12 young men who carried out the attacks '-- died in an explosion (the day before the attacks) at a house in Alcanar, south of Barcelona.
The Belgian Federal Office confirmed that an investigation had been launched in the wake of the Barcelona attack, but its focus is the Belgian victim of the attack.
''The aim is to facilitate cooperation and the exchange of information on the victims with the Spanish judicial authorities,'' the spokesman of the Office of the Public Prosecutor, Thierry Werts, explained.
Imam Abdelbaki Es Satty stayed in Vilvoorde '-- seven miles north of Brussels, Belgium '-- from January to March 2016.
''Abdelbaki Es Satty was appointed as an imam in Ripoll despite having a conviction for drug smuggling.
He had also fallen under suspicion during an investigation into attempts to recruit local youths to fight for Islamic State.'' [Guardian]
Spain Anti-terrorism detectives were attempting to establish whether the Barcelona cell had any links with the terrorists responsible for the Paris attacks of November 2015 and the March 2016 bombings in Brussels.
A Rhetorical Question
How long will it take before Belgian 'journalists' discovered that Osama Atar '-- the man widely believed to be the mastermind of the Paris and Brussels attacks '-- was working for the Belgian Intelligence Services?
Barcelona Terror Attack: 13 Dead, Dozens Injured
REFERENCES
Barcelona attack: suspected van driver shot dead by police '-- Guardian
Imam behind Barcelona terror attack was intelligence agency informant '-- El Pais
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Barcelona Terror Attacks '-- Imam was CNI Informant
Aylesbury mid-air crash: Four dead as plane and helicopter wreckage lands near Rothschild manor house
Four people have been killed in a mid-air collision between a helicopter and light aircraft flying from an airfield where air traffic control had been shut due to ''staff shortages''.
Wreckage from the aircraft tumbled from the sky and landed just over a mile from the former home of the Rothschild banking family at Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, yesterday lunchtime.
Members of the Rothschild reported hearing a ''loud bang'' and a plume of smoke could be seen above trees.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said the collision involved a helicopter and a two-seat Cessna 152 aircraft, each carrying two people, both of the craft had taken off from Wycombe Air Park, 23 miles away near High Wycombe.
A Notice to Airmen was previously issued to warn pilots the air field's air traffic control services would be closed during three 30-minute periods on selected days between November 7-30 due to a "staff shortage".
Wreckage from the mid-air crash in woodland at Upper Winchendon Credit: Sky News/PA
The crash occurred around half an hour after the latest closure was due to end.
Off-duty firefighter Mitch Missen witnessed the crash from his garden.
"I looked up and saw as both collided in mid-air, followed by a large bang and falling debris," he said.
"I rushed in to get my car keys and en route called the emergency services, who I continued to give updates as to its whereabouts.
"Unfortunately, I wasn't able to locate the actual crash site but directed police, fire and ambulance as best I could. Once they were on the scene, I returned home."
At least seven fire appliances rushed to the scene at Upper Winchendon and a fire brigade drone was launched over the fallen wreckage to spot any survivors.
Staff from the Grade I listed Waddesdon Manor, which is managed by the Rothschild Foundation on behalf of the National Trust, helped direct emergency vehicles as police threw up an extensive cordon around the area.
A member of the Rothschild family said the collision missed her by five minutes.
The woman, who did not want her full name published, said she heard a loud bang while she was driving her car to a dog grooming event, near Waddesdon, in Buckinghamshire.
Just five minutes earlier she had been picking a plant in the Wilderness Woods, the scene of the crash site, on the Waddesdon Estate.
"I'm totally shocked," she said. "I heard a loud bang, which I thought was a car crash."
Emergency services at the scene of the crash in Upper Winchendon Credit: BBC News
Waddesdon Estate Gardener, Len Bellis, described how he found the "burning wreckage" minutes later and discovered he was just 10 yards from a body in the undergrowth.
He had been working nearby when he heard a "horrendous noise" like a tin hangar collapsing and saw two men running towards him from the woods shouting, "did you see it, did you see it?"
Mr Bellis said one of them told him he heard a plane "stuttering" just before the crash.
"I just came across the wreckage," said Mr Bellis, who described the light aircraft as a "wreck" and "non-existent", apart from the 5ft burning fuselage.
A large cordon was thrown around the scene of the mid-aid crash Credit: Bucks Herald/SWNS
One local pilot, Roger Nock, tweeted after hearing news of the crash: "Was flying near Aylesbury earlier. Skies around here are so busy."
The crash is understood to have involved a Cessna 152 which had suffered substantial damage to its landing gear, propeller and engine covering during a previous crash as it was taking off at Bodmin airfield, in Cornwall, in July 1993.
A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch shows the pilot admitted the accident was caused by his "misjudgement and lack of experience".
Built in 1983, it is owned by Airways Aero Associations, which is based at the air field, and had been flown for almost 14,000 hours as of May.
A spokesperson for Wycombe Airpark said they were unable to comment.
As wreckage came near the village of Upper Winchendon down residents feared for the safety of their loved ones, with many stepping forward to offer assistance to the emergency services..
One parent wrote on Twitter: ''Nothing like your heart stopping when you learn that a plane has come down literally 500 meters from your toddler's nursery.''
Another resident at the scene said: "It happened in woodland on the estate. I didn't see the crash but I heard it. There was smoke. It was clear there were unlikely to be any survivors."
South Central Ambulance Service said the incident had caused "a number of casualties".
Around 200 light aircraft fly out of Wycombe Air Park, including rotary wing and vintage aircraft such as Tiger Moths.
The base offers lessons as well as storage for private aircraft.
Waddesdon Manor was purchased in 1874 by the famous banking family the Rothschilds.
The manor, which is a popular wedding venue and visitor attraction, is owned by the National Trust and managed by the Rothschild Foundation, chaired by Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild.
It boasts 6,000 acres of farm and woodland and is one of the National Trust's most visited properties, with over 390,000 visitors every year.
Aerial footage shows emergency workers at the crash site Credit: BBC News
The crash happened ahead of its evening outdoor Christmas light show event for families.
Waddesdon this year won Visit England's Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category in 2017.
Several films have been shot at the estate, including Carry On movie Don't Lose Your Head and The Queen, starring Helen Mirren.
Several members of the Rothschild family still live on the estate; but not in the manor itself.
10 Reasons Why the Vegas Shooting Has Disappeared from Headlines '' Anonymous
Las Vegas, NV '' With the 24/7 news cycle constantly in full swing, important stories at times get lost in the constant onslaught of non-stop information. The mainstream media gatekeepers essentially dictate what social and cultural memes are injected into the public consciousness, what topics are discussed, and which cases are given publicity and thoroughly investigated with journalistic rigor.
With such oligarchical control of the mass media '' the media gatekeepers of information decide what stories stay in the glare of the public spotlight, and which ones are allowed to fade from the headlines.
Without question, one would reasonably expect the most deadly mass shooting in recent American history, which took place in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017, to maintain a strong presence in the headlines '-- especially given the lack of answers surrounding the case.
The scant information released by investigators indicates that Stephen Paddock, 64, who by all accounts was independently wealthy and a Vegas high-roller, opened fire on a music festival from a 32nd-floor hotel room at the Mandalay Bay Casino.
The massacre left 58 dead and 546 injured, yet one and a half months later and there are still few answers '' even to the most basic of questions.
Now, a month and a half later, there are few answers to the most deadly mass shooting in recent U.S. history '' and perhaps even more strange '' the case has been jettisoned from the 24/7 mainstream media cycle, despite the fact that the most basic of questions have yet to be answered.
One would assume that such a high-profile case would garner widespread interest from investigative teams across the spectrum of major broadcast mass media and cable news, and yet, there are no penetrating journalistic investigations delving into the many unanswered questions.
In fact, coverage and investigation into the highly dubious shooting are virtually non-existent outside of online alternative news media.
Here are the few facts that we know thus far, and they seem to raise more questions than answers:
1. The official timeline of the mass shooting has been changed at least three different times.
2. Paddock wired $100,000 to an account located in the Philippines a week prior to the massacre.
3. Investigators claim Paddock's laptop was missing its hard drive when they found it in his hotel room.
4. Paddock reportedly took cruises that made port stops in the Middle East.
5. Authorities now claim an officer discharged his weapon in Paddock's hotel room '' after denying it for the first month after the attack. (This raises the question of why police discharged a weapon if Paddock had already committed suicide prior to law enforcement breaching the room? And why they lied about it after the fact.)
6. Security guard Jesus Campos, who reportedly came across Paddock as he began his attack was allegedly shot in the leg, but a spokesperson for UMC Quick Care, the walk-in health clinic facility Campos supposedly went to after being shot, said they had ''heard nothing'' about Campos visiting them.
7. During an interview on Fox News with Tucker Carlson, an attorney for the victims revealed that not only did police officers respond to Campos after he was shot, they were right outside of Paddock's door before he began shooting out of his hotel room window.
''As of yesterday it was that two'--we knew about Campos'--but there were two other police officers from MGM that were on the floor prior to the shooting,'' Craig Eiland said.
8. Eiland also noted that MGM Grand claims to have a ''corporate watch center'' that trains its employees to report any suspicious activity. So if a guest arrived at Mandalay Bay Hotel with 27 rifles and 5,000 rounds of ammunition stored in 10 bags, why didn't the employees who helped him, or the cleaning service who visited his room regularly, report suspicious activity? And if they did, why wasn't it addressed?
9. On Halloween, a suspect, identified as Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, rented a pickup truck, drove it onto a busy bicycle path and mowed down innocent people. Almost immediately after the horrific attack that left 8 dead and a dozen more injured, video of Saipov, an Uzbekistan native, was released. There has yet to be a single image of Stephen Paddock released from the thousands of
10. Campos disappeared days after the shooting, reportedly leaving the country, thus, being a no-show to numerous scheduled television news interviews. Upon his return to the U.S., he did a softball, scripted, interview on the Ellen DeGeneres Show where no penetrating journalism, nor tough questions were asked. The interview was almost comical in the sense that DeGeneres did more narrating of the actual events than Campos, which allowed for him to not divulge any information.
So why did Jesus Campos leave the country in the middle of an investigation into the most-deadly mass shooting in recent American history? Why did he refuse to do the news interviews, and instead opt for a scripted daytime talk show?The Mandalay Bay, and all of the Vegas Strip for that matter, are some of the most heavily survielled areas on the planet '-- yet we have seen no video footage, or even stills '-- of Paddock.
Additionally, as we previously reported, 4 survivors of the attack have died under somewhat questionable circumstances.
As a report from Zero Hedge notes:
Notably, both Kymberley Suchomel and Danny Contreras both publicly claimed there were multiple gunmen the night of the mass shooting. Dennis and Lorraine Carver died after their Mercedes smashed into a metal gate and exploded into flames.
Per CNN:
The couple's youngest daughter, 16-year-old Madison Carver, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that she heard the crash from her bedroom. When she ran outside and down the street to find out what had happened, she recognized her family's vehicle in flames.
By the time their daughter heard the crash (which only happened about a half mile from the Carver's home) and ran down the road to see what had happened, the car was engulfed in flames'... Much like everything else pertaining to the Vegas shooting, the story just doesn't make sense.
There still has been no motive released for the massacre.
The complete silence from law enforcement in such a high-profile case raises serious questions about the potential for some type of cover-up taking place.
Why is there no investigative coverage of Vegas shooting by major media organizations? Why did the story simply vanish from the news cycle with so much public interest and so many unanswered questions?The fact that there have been virtually no answers to any of the questions that have arisen from the official story not adding up, while simultaneously being blacked out by the mainstream mass media, seems to indicate an intentional soft-censoring of the Vegas mass shooting'... the only question is why?
Over a month and a half later '' and we know exactly as much as we did in the immediate aftermath of the attack'... virtually nothing.
Contrast that to the recent attack in New York where a detailed picture of the suspect and his activities in the hours and days before the attack was public within hours.'...
'...yet in the case of Stephen Paddock, we still know nothing a month and a half later.
The official narrative does not add up in the Las Vegas attack, and the public needs to be sure to hold the lamestream media and those investigating the massacre accountable.
It's clear that this story is being censored by legacy media in an effort to keep the American public in the dark about the exact details surrounding the most-deadly mass shooting in recent U.S. history.
Out of respect for the memory 58 dead and 546 injured '-- we need to ask why this investigation is being blacked-out and hidden from the public.
Do we really believe that after the most-deadly mass-shooting in America, and with few answers, everyone just decided they didn't care about the who, what, where, why, and how of the attack?
Please share this important story to help increase public awareness regarding the numerous oddities surrounding the Vegas mass-shooting '-- and the ongoing media blackout!
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The Seeds of Trump's Victory Were Sown the Moment Obama Won
In that moment, the pleasant fiction of a ''post-racial America'' exploded. Police groups and Republican lawmakers pounced. Obama's approval rating with white Americans dropped 8 points immediately, according to a Pew Research Center poll, from 53 percent to 46 percent. (Though his overall approval held steady at 54 percent.) It never recovered. Not even after a hastily staged ''beer summit,'' at which Vice President Joe Biden, Obama's white working-class whisperer, played peacemaker.
Obama's reaction to the incident dominated race-related discussions that summer, both in the mainstream media and, especially, right-wing talk radio. It joined health-care reform as a topic of intense racial polarization. And the decline in Obama's popularity was particularly acute among working-class whites.
Three year's later, Obama was re-elected despite being crushed by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney among every white American demographic. As Ron Brownstein explained in an election analysis for The Atlantic the following September:
''In 2012, Obama won a smaller share of white Catholics than any Democrat since Jimmy Carter in 1980; lost groups ranging from white seniors to white women to white married and blue-collar men by the widest margin of any Democrat since Ronald Reagan routed Walter Mondale in 1984; and even lost among Democratic-leaning college-educated women by the widest margin since Michael Dukakis in 1988.''
Yet Obama won re-election by a convincing 5 million votes. Even more than in 2008, his victory demonstrated the power of a non-white constituency to do the once-impossible: deliver the White House, twice.
Embedded in Obama's political resilience, however, was a growing racial polarization that would make the heady 2016 predictions of Democratic inevitability in the White House inoperable. With Obama's double victories, the seeds of a backlash were sown.
The evidence of our divided racial self was all over the Obama presidency from the beginning: from the shouts of ''you lie'' from the well of Congress as he spoke to a joint session, to the unprecedented spectacle of American conservatives rooting against their own country being awarded the Olympic Games.
The evidence of our divided racial self was all over the Obama presidency from the beginning.
Nowhere was the acidity more evident than each time the black man in the White House talked about race '-- whether empathizing with a dead black teenager, Trayvon Martin, or elaborating on our often cruel racial history in his eulogies for nine slain slain Emanuel AME Church parishioners in South Carolina or five slain police officers in Dallas.
What White America and Black America wanted and expected from Obama were fundamentally different and opposite things. Speaking broadly, Black America waited eagerly for him to speak to Black pain '-- to articulate the ongoing sorrow and impatience of black men and women amid the struggle for full humanity in a country that desired our labor but never wanted us.
White America, again broadly, wanted absolution. It wanted the man who was equal parts black and white '-- and whose blackness felt external to the America of slavery and Jim Crow and Red. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. '-- to wave a wand over the country and declare its past racial sins forgiven by virtue of his election alone. That act, in the minds of many, had wiped the racial slate clean. There should be no more complaining from black folk.
Obama couldn't do that, of course. For many white Americans, this meant that not only had he failed, but that he divided the country '-- not the ongoing scourge of racism, or racially-tinged police brutality or hate crimes.
He had produced racism by insisting on calling it out, and ''siding with his own'' against white people. Worse, Obama and his coalition were not done kicking down the pillars of American social hierarchy.
The black president, elected by the emerging coalition of young, liberal and multi-racial voters, insisted on more: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) for ''illegal'' immigrants who had been brought to the United States as children; Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) for immigrants whose children are U.S. citizens or lawful residents; ecumenism for those practicing the religion cynically claimed by the insane extremists of al-Qaida and ISIS; wedding cakes for same-sex couples and guaranteed bathroom access for trans people, including teenagers who, in the minds of many on the religious right, should have been ''corrected'' by their parents.
What White America and Black America wanted and expected from Obama were fundamentally different and opposite things.
It's no wonder, then, that Trump's crassness with women didn't damn his candidacy, even with self-proclaimed Christian conservatives. Indeed, he represents a return to an earlier time, when not just people of color, but women knew their place '-- which is not in the White House.
''The age of the pajama boy,'' in the words of former Trump national security adviser Sebastian Gorka, had given way to the return of the (white) ''alpha-male.''
Trump resonates with what you might call James Woods' America. Actors Armie Hammer and Amber Tamblyn recently took Woods to the woodshed after his Twitter attack on Hammer's new movie, ''Call Me by Your Name,'' in which Hammer's character has a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old boy. Tamblyn then revealed that he invited her to accompany him to Las Vegas when she was just 16. (Woods has denied this account.)
This is also true on race. Polls show that while most Americans, black and white, express revulsion towards neo-Nazis, a majority of Republicans agree with the notion that white Americans are under attack. They, not people of color, are the real victims of racism. The America that clings to Confederate statues and flags, and that jealously guards the social privileges white Americans have long enjoyed, form the stalwarts of Trump's base.
It's no coincidence that Trump's dismal but stable approval ratings, stuck in the upper 30s, are propped up solely by support from majorities of white men and white Americans without a college degree, while his numbers are middling among all white Americans and deeply under water with every one else.
''Economic anxiety'' didn't elect Trump. The desire of millions of Americans, from the farms to the suburbs, to see Mexican immigrants deported, a wall erected across the U.S. southern border and Muslims banned from entering this country did.
It's an uncomfortable reality that Obama's America tried to confront, only to be met with hostility. It's one that Trump's America has given real and potentially devastating power.
We are still reckoning with the result.
Joy-Ann Reid is a political analyst for MSNBC and host of ''AM Joy,'' which airs Saturdays and Sundays from 10 A.M. ET to noon ET. She is also the author of the book ''Fracture: Barack Obama, the Clintons and the Racial Divide," and co-editor of ''We Are The Change We Seek: The Speeches of Barak Obama." Reid was previously the host of ''The Reid Report,'' and the Managing Editor of theGrio.com.
Actress With DNA Evidence of Her Rape at Golden Globes Mysteriously Fell Off a Cliff and Died
Charles Upham, the father of Misty Upham, the Hollywood actress known for her roles in August: Osage County and Django Unchained, spoke out recently about the alleged rape of his daughter and the horrifying problem that is Hollywood sexual abuse.
Charles noted that although Hollywood found a ''poster boy'' in Weinstein to ''ease the conscience of high society for a while,'' that the problem is persistent and ''not an isolated incident.''
''This is an institutional problem that exists in in many Organizations and Corporate America including Religious Orders, Law Enforcement, Politics, Education, Federal, State and local Governments,'' wrote Upham in a bombshell Facebook post. ''The victims are not just women; they include men, elderly, mentally ill, children (male and female) of all races and even some animals.''
Upham went on to explain how his own daughter fell victim to this abuse and it happened as Hollywood's elite cheered it on as if it ''were a beer drinking contest.''
My daughter, Misty Upham, was a victim of rape by a Weinstein Executive in 2013 at the Golden Globe Awards. The rapist forced her into the men's room and had his way while other men in formal wear cheered him on as if he were chugging a beer in a contest. As Misty made the walk of shame back to the event, the Exec was given high fives, bragging rights and another notch in his Weinstein Co. belt. What should have been an auspicious occasion for Misty turned into a nightmare of pain, humiliation, fear and anxiety.
After her rape, Upham explained how he and Misty's mom pleaded with her to press charges. However, Misty was petrified of doing so.
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READ MORE: School Cops Lose Jobs for Tasering School Employee While Playing Around
In a shocking revelation, Charles noted that they have DNA evidence of the crime.
Her mom and I pleaded with her to press charges since she still has the torn green dress she wore with the DNA all over it. Misty was afraid to pursue charges because she knew Harvey Weinstein could protect his constituency and ruin her existence.
Misty was not only worried about her career but she was worried about actual physical harm that may come to her for speaking out against Weinstein.
Misty's experience with Harvey Weinstein left her with the impression that he was a powerful man with many influential connections and could make people disappear. Once while riding in a limo with Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Weinstein and his assistant, somewhere between Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah, the assistant interrupted Weinstein and Tarantino's conversation in a matter of urgent business; at which point Harvey Weinstein ordered the driver to stop and subsequently kicked his assistant out of the car in the middle of no where during a snow storm amidst subzero temperatures. Misty commented, ''What if he freezes to death?'' Weinstein retorted '' Somebody will come along and pick him up!''
Indeed, a year after the alleged rape at the Golden Globe Awards, Misty Upham ''disappeared.'' On October 5, the Django Unchained actress went missing from her Auburn home. On October 16, friends and family searching for Misty found her body in a ravine near the White River, about 30 miles south of Seattle.
The medical examiner ruled her cause of death due to blunt force injuries to her head and torso.
READ MORE: New Study Finds Sexually Abused Girls in America Get Prison, Instead of Help
After she died in 2014, police said her death was caused by a fall and they do not know what happened. Her father immediately noted that it was not suicide, however.
''She has said suicidal things in the past but never followed through,'' he said at the time. ''She doesn't believe in killing herself. She believes that is a sin and she would never do that.''
Mysteriously enough, as the Daily Mail reported, in the days after the discovery of Misty's body, her family came out with claims that the 32-year-old woman fell to her death by accident while running away from police. Upham's parents alleged that the Native American actress had been mistreated and that the Auburn Police Department did not take her disappearance seriously.
Charles noted specific examples of how Misty was abused at the hands of the police.
''Misty was afraid of the Auburn PD officers with good reason. In an incident prior to her disappearance, the Auburn PD came to pick up Misty on an involuntary transport to the ER.
''She was cuffed and placed in a police car. Some of the officers began to taunt and tease her while she was in the car.
''Because it was dark they couldn't see that we, her family, were outside our apartment just across the street witnessing this behavior.
''They were tapping on the window making faces at her. Misty was crying and she told them 'you can't treat me like this I'm a movie actress and I will use my connections to expose you.'
READ MORE: As Sex Abuse Rocks Tinseltown, Kim Dotcom Reveals Plan to Take Down Elite Hollywood Pedophiles
''Then another officer walked up to her asked 'are you a movie star? Then why don't complain to George Clooney!'''
As TFTP reported earlier this month, Harvey Weinstein reportedly employed ex-Mossad agents to track, intimidate, and otherwise silence his victims and journalists who were going to expose his alleged abusive behavior. Could he have used these same connections and had a hand in Misty 'falling' off this cliff?
To this date, the official report from the medical examiner is that ''the manner of her death '' whether by foul play, suicide or accident '' could not be determined.''
The recent backlash with regard to Harvey Weinstein's sexual allegations is blowing up like a NAPA Valley firestorm'...
Posted by Charles Upham on Sunday, October 15, 2017
Report: FCC Plans To Vote To Overturn Net Neutrality Rules In December | HuffPost
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the Federal Communications Commission is set to unveil plans next week for a final vote to reverse a landmark 2015 net neutrality order barring the blocking or slowing of web content, two people briefed on the plans said.
In May, the FCC voted 2-1 to advance Republican FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's plan to withdraw the former Obama administration's order reclassifying internet service providers as if they were utilities. Pai now plans to hold a final vote on the proposal at the FCC's Dec. 14 meeting, the people said, and roll out details of the plans next week.
Pai asked in May for public comment on whether the FCC has authority or should keep any regulations limiting internet providers' ability to block, throttle or offer ''fast lanes'' to some websites, known as ''paid prioritization.'' Several industry officials told Reuters they expect Pai to drop those specific legal requirements but retain some transparency requirements under the order.
An FCC spokesman declined to comment.
Internet providers including AT&T Inc, Comcast Corp and Verizon Communications Inc say ending the rules could spark billions in additional broadband investment and eliminate the possibility a future administration could regulate internet pricing.
Critics say the move could harm consumers, small businesses and access to the internet.
In July, a group representing major technology firms including Alphabet Inc and Facebook Inc urged Pai to drop plans to rescind the rules.
Advocacy group Free Press said Wednesday ''we'll learn the gory details in the next few days, but we know that Pai intends to dismantle the basic protections that have fueled the internet's growth.''
Pai, who argues the Obama order was unnecessary and harms jobs and investment, has not committed to retaining any rules, but said he favors an ''open internet.'' The proposal to reverse the Obama rules reclassifying internet service has drawn more than 22 million comments.
Pai is mounting an aggressive deregulatory agenda since being named by President Donald Trump to head the FCC.
On Thursday the FCC will vote on Pai's proposal to eliminate the 42-year-old ban on cross-ownership of a newspaper and TV station in a major market. The proposal would make it easier for media companies to buy additional TV stations in the same market.
Pai is also expected to call for an initial vote in December to rescind rules that say one company may not own stations serving more than 39 percent of U.S. television households, two people briefed on the matter said.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese)
What happens when neo-Nazis hijack your brand - The Washington Post
The neo-Nazis were hungry. They had spent the day in a Charlottesville , Va., courthouse testifying at the preliminary hearing for a white nationalist jailed for pepper-spraying counterprotesters during August's deadly Unite the Right rally. Now, after the long drive home to Alexandria, Va., they craved pizza.
''We were going to order from the local place where we get pizza all the time, but we said no, Papa John's is the official pizza of the alt-right now,'' said Eli Mosley, the 26-year-old leader of the white separatist group Identity Evropa. ''We're just supporting the brands that support us.''
That show of support '-- unsolicited and unwanted by Papa John's '-- exhibits an emerging danger to major American brands negotiating the racial politics that have cleaved the country.
It is no longer enough for companies to keep a low profile when it comes to polarizing issues involving race, brand experts say. Instead, some companies are preemptively stating their positions, hoping to avoid being hijacked by white supremacists eager to spread their ideas into the mainstream by tying themselves to household brands that sell products such as pizzas, burgers, sneakers and cars. This week, Papa John's tweeted an explicit rejection of neo-Nazi ideas.
''Companies need to take a public stand on issues that are affecting consumers in advance of being co-opted,'' said Heide Gardner, chief diversity and inclusion officer at IPG, one of the world's largest advertising and marketing conglomerates. ''Brands need to build a certain level of sophistication around racial issues. They need to be really mindful of how charged the environment is and take pains to look at situations through a diversity lens.''
White nationalists parade through the University of Virginia in August. (Evelyn Hockstein for The Washington Post) [ Silicon Valley escalates its war on white supremacy despite free speech concerns]
Papa John's learned this lesson the hard way after the chain, a major sponsor of the National Football League, found itself in the unwelcome embrace of neo-Nazi groups following its chief executive's Nov. 1 call with investors, in which he blamed disappointing pizza sales on football players' protests against racism and police brutality.
After the call, a neo-Nazi website hailed Papa John's as ''Sieg Heil Pizza'' with a photo of a pie whose pepperonis were arranged into a swastika.
It didn't matter that the company immediately condemned racism and all hate groups. ''We do not want these individuals or groups to buy our pizza,'' a statement from Papa John's said.
''They can signal all they want, but we know,'' said Mosley, praising Papa John's chief executive John Schnatter's statements.
The same unwanted attention has come to New Balance, Wendy's and other companies. The neo-Nazis' campaign to co-opt brands has forced firms into a familiar pattern: corporate statements disavowing white supremacy, typically followed by silence, in hopes the controversy will blow over without long-lasting damage to their image and sales.
That approach did not work for Papa John's, whose stock fell by 13 percent between the earnings call and the close of business Tuesday.
That night, in a renewed attempt to disown the neo-Nazis who have attached themselves to the brand, Papa John's tweeted an emoji of a raised middle finger to ''those guys.'' The company also apologized for Schnatter's ''divisive'' comments on the earnings call and affirmed its support for the NFL players protesting inequality.
''We will work with the players and league to find a positive way forward,'' the company tweeted. ''Open to ideas from all. Except neo-Nazis.''
A spokesman said the company wanted to be ''crystal clear'' about where it stands with regard to white supremacist groups.
Other companies should take heed of Papa John's experience, experts say. As the marketplace becomes the latest battleground in the culture wars, brand strategists are advising companies accustomed to staying out of the political fray to proactively weigh in with bold statements about race '-- as Nike and Ben & Jerry's have done '-- to thwart attempts by hate groups to adopt brands as their own.
More brands are also building up their crisis management teams in preparation for the next racial flare-up, said Tiffany R. Warren, senior vice president and chief diversity officer at Omnicom Group, a global marketing and corporate communications holding company.
''That's the new reality,'' Warren said. ''It's not just nice to have. It's the way of doing business now.''
Some companies were bystanders when they were swept up in the racially charged atmosphere.
Tiki Brand, owned by Wisconsin-based Lamplight Farms, was minding its business as a purveyor of Polynesian kitsch when its bamboo torches were used by white nationalist protesters in Charlottesville.
Images of angry young white men parading through the University of Virginia campus holding the flaming torches turned the product once evocative of backyard barbecues and luaus into a symbol of white supremacy.
The company declined to comment on whether it has felt any financial effects.
Other companies caught the admiration of neo-Nazis after their executives voiced support for President Trump or his policies.
Yuengling, based in Pottsville, Pa., and touted as ''America's oldest brewery,'' became the favored beer of white nationalists after the company's owner backed Trump in the final days of the campaign.
Andrew Anglin, founder of the Daily Stormer website, declared New Balance the ''official shoes of white people'' after an executive of the Boston shoe company praised Trump's stance on trade soon after he was elected. Liberals tweeted pictures of themselves trashing or burning their New Balance sneakers.
Other firms attracted the attention of white nationalists through branding mistakes of their own. Anglin proclaimed Wendy's the ''official burger of the neo-Nazi alt-right movement'' after the fast-food restaurant mistakenly tweeted a picture of Pepe the Frog, a white nationalist symbol, in the same red pigtails as the Wendy's girl mascot.
And white supremacists celebrated when a casting call for a Cadillac commercial sought ''any and all real alt-right thinkers/believers.'' Cadillac said at the time it did not authorize the casting notice, but Anglin had already pounced, writing in a post titled ''Yes, We are Mainstream Now'' that ''it was natural for a major American corporation to want someone from our movement.''
[Did Trump's tweet make it safer for NFL players to kneel for the anthem?]
There is no telling the impact these endorsements have had on companies' sales or on the movement's recruitment efforts. But experts expect the co-opting of brands to continue.
''It helps to make the alt-right seem more like normal Americans rather than a fringe,'' said Nour Kteily, a professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University whose research has focused on neo-Nazi groups.
Matthew Heimbach, the 26-year-old chairman of the Traditionalist Workers Party, a white nationalist group, said he will keep having Papa John's delivered to his local chapter meetings in Paoli, Ind.
''Condemn us all you want, but we will continue to buy your pizza to support your struggle against the politically correct agenda,'' Heimbach told The Washington Post. ''We have to prove that we are a reliable economic, social and political bloc within American politics.''
Endorsing brands such as Papa John's, he said, ''provides a platform for us to spread our message so folks will know what we stand for, go to our websites and possibly join us.''
In Alexandria last week, Mosley and his white nationalist buddies drove to Papa John's to pick up two pizzas '-- pepperoni and meat lovers. For security reasons, they did not want pizza delivered to the home of Richard Spencer, who, as president of the National Policy Institute, a white nationalist think tank, has received death threats.
They gathered in Spencer's living room and '-- some for the first time '-- dug into slices of Papa John's.
''It doesn't matter what it tastes like,'' Mosley said. ''It's the official pizza of the alt-right.''
Then they washed it down with Yuengling beer.
CLIPS & DOCS
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VIDEO - Hillary Clinton Exclusive with Rita Cosby: Discusses Roy Moore, Al Franken, Kirsten Gillibrand, President Trump, Her Husband's Past Behavior, Tax Reform and Uranium One. | WABC-AM | Cumulus
NEW YORK, NY '' NOVEMBER 13: Former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks onstage during The Child Mind Institute Summit: The State of Child & Adolescent Mental Health at The Paley Center for Media on November 13, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Child Mind Institute )
The former Secretary of State, who is on tour for her new book ''What Happened,'' blasted Alabama GOP Senate Nominee Roy Moore and President Trump, lumping them together, and saying there is a big difference between those two and allegations surrounding their sexual behavior versus Democratic Senator Al Franken. She says Franken's apology for his inappropriate behavior and his willingness for a Congressional ethics investigation into that ''is the kind of accountability I'm talking about. I don't hear that from Roy Moore or Donald Trump'... Look at the contrast between Al Franken, accepting responsibility, apologizing, and Roy Moore and Donald Trump who have done neither.''
Secretary Clinton says President Trump ''has disgraced the office.'' When asked by host Rita Cosby if there is anything she admires about President Trump or what he's accomplished while in office, she quickly answered, ''No. The answer is absolutely no, Rita.. I didn't think he'd be as bad as he turned out to be.''
On Roy Moore she said, ''Clearly he doesn't appear to be someone who will bring respect and honor to the state of Alabama.'' When asked about her own husband's past behavior and if she should've been more supportive of his female accusers versus reports that she attacked their credibility, ''Every situation has to be judged on its own merit.'' She further said those allegations were investigated and recent comments by others about her husband are not relevant, ''I don't know that we can rewrite and revise history.''
Of specifically Senator Gillibrand's recent comments about President Clinton, that he should've resigned after his affair with Monica Lewinsky, ''I don't exactly know what she (Gillibrand) was trying to say.''
On the Administration's tax reform plan, Secretary Clinton made a bold prediction, ''I will predict to you that a number of Republican members of Congress who voted for it, will lose their seats in 2018.'' Of the Senate GOP tax plan, It's ''gone from bad to worse'... This is bad policy, that is downright cruel to working Americans.''
Clinton called the Uranium One allegations ''a political stunt by the Trump Administration and its allies to distract from the very serious information coming out about the Trump campaign's connections with Russia.'' She calls the Uranium One allegations tied to her and the Clinton Foundation, ''crazy allegations'' by the political right. ''I had nothing to do with the decision (on the Uranium One deal). Now that is a fact.''
To hear the interview with former Secretary Clinton, click the link below.
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NBC's Megyn Kelly revealed a 13-year-old humiliation Thursday as she talked about sexual harassment in the workplace.
The former Fox News host, speaking on her NBC show, ''Today with Megyn Kelly,'' explained one facet of her 2004 interview to be hired by the network '-- a part that appeared to make her emotional over a decade later.
''When I started at Fox News, I was 32, I had practiced law for 10 years already. I was asked to do the twirl and I did it,'' Kelly said.
''I am still humiliated by that,'' she said. ''Humiliated that I did it.''
''I felt degraded in the moment. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it is degrading, and in the moment, you don't know what to do,'' she said.
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She also talked about her thoughts as the men interviewing her asked her to twirl around for them as part of her interview.
''You think, 'I don't want my relationship to fall apart. In my business, it's a visual business. I'm not sure if it's inappropriate,''' she explained.
''You know it is on some level,'' she added.
You can see her comments here:
Kelly's show Thursday also featured two women who said they were harassed while working on Capitol Hill.
Attorney Rebecca Weir, who formerly worked for former Rep. Gary Miller, R-Calif., recalled a moment when she was physically evaluated by Miller as part of her interview.
''As I got up to leave, he stopped me and said 'My God, Rebecca. You just look stunning, just amazing today. Really great. Would you mind just twirling for me? And I was stunned,'' Weir said.
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''I was 22 years old. I was young. I was inexperienced and I frankly didn't have the tools at the time to be able to respond in the way I probably would now so I complied,'' she said.
''It was gutting, I felt like a prostitute, like he was undressing me with his eyes. I felt dirty,'' she said. ''But at the same time, it was also just part of the job. My situation, that feeling and those types of situations are not unique on the Hill.''
Miller's wife, Cathy, denied the accusation.
Katherine Cichy, who worked for former Sen. Tim Johnson, R-S.D., said her supervisor called her ''hot.'' When she complained the Johnson's chief of staff at the time, nothing was done, she said.
Kelly offered a bit of caution to men who ever want to say something nice to a female co-worker about her appearance
'If you want to pay a compliment to a woman in the office about how she looks, already you are in dicey territory, but, 'You look nice,' is always, I feel like that (is) solid. You cross over into 'hot,' less solid, less solid. Right?'' she said.
Kelly has said that women facing sexual harassment often lack the power to defy their tormentors.
''It's disgusting, it's dejecting, it's maddening and so now you have to ask yourself what you're going to do about it,'' she said. ''Are you going to reject this man, upon whom your very future at the company in my case depends, and in all likelihood in the industry? In my case, and in the Harvey Weinstein victims' cases, their influence is beyond the company. It's industry-wide.
''If they want to sink you,'' she said, ''you will be sunk.''
VIDEO - Ryan Seacrest Denies Misconduct Allegations Brought Against Him
Ryan Seacrest Denies Misconduct Allegations Brought Against Him | PEOPLE.comPeople TV WatchPeople TV WatchDownDownDownDownDownDownDownDownDownDownDownDownDownDownDownDownRyan Seacrest Denies Misconduct Allegations Brought Against Him By Former Stylist Stay Connected
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Venture capitalist Bill Gurley is bullish on bitcoin because he views it as a more secure place to keep money in areas of the world with political and economic dysfunction.
"I think of it as an incredible store of value in the rest of the world," said Gurley, in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Alley" on Friday. "I don't think it's irrational."
The price of bitcoin is up almost eight-fold this year to $7,877. The total value of the bitcoin currency in circulation is close to $132 billion.
Bankers and institutional investors ranging from JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon to Allianz's Mohamed El-Erian have questioned the value and utility of cryptocurrencies, with Dimon going so far as to call it a "fraud" that's bound to blow up.
Gurley said bitcoin is not a fraud and said Benchmark, his Silicon Valley firm, has a very small position in the currency.
Bitcoin is particularly useful in parts of the world where governments often change the value of their currency overnight and where there are few if any trustworthy institutions to keep your cash and savings.
"Many people who live in those types of countries want to be paid in bitcoin," Gurley said.
Gurley was in New York on Friday for the public market debut of online retailer Stitch Fix. Benchmark owns 22 percent of the company -- a stake valued at about $388 million -- and Gurley sits on the board.
VIDEO - IMF Head Foresees the End of Banking and the Triumph of Cryptocurrency - Foundation for Economic Education - Working for a free and prosperous world
In a remarkably frank talk at a Bank of England conference, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund has speculated that Bitcoin and cryptocurrency have as much of a future as the Internet itself. It could displace central banks, conventional banking, and challenge the monopoly of national monies.
Christine Lagarde''a Paris native who has held her position at the IMF since 2011''says the only substantial problems with existing cryptocurrency are fixable over time.
In the long run, the technology itself can replace national monies, conventional financial intermediation, and even "puts a question mark on the fractional banking model we know today."
In a lecture that chastised her colleagues for failing to embrace the future, she warned that "Not so long ago, some experts argued that personal computers would never be adopted, and that tablets would only be used as expensive coffee trays. So I think it may not be wise to dismiss virtual currencies."
Let us start with virtual currencies. To be clear, this is not about digital payments in existing currencies'--through Paypal and other ''e-money'' providers such as Alipay in China, or M-Pesa in Kenya.
Virtual currencies are in a different category, because they provide their own unit of account and payment systems. These systems allow for peer-to-peer transactions without central clearinghouses, without central banks.
For now, virtual currencies such as Bitcoin pose little or no challenge to the existing order of fiat currencies and central banks. Why? Because they are too volatile, too risky, too energy intensive, and because the underlying technologies are not yet scalable. Many are too opaque for regulators; and some have been hacked.
But many of these are technological challenges that could be addressed over time. Not so long ago, some experts argued that personal computers would never be adopted, and that tablets would only be used as expensive coffee trays. So I think it may not be wise to dismiss virtual currencies.
Better value for money?
For instance, think of countries with weak institutions and unstable national currencies. Instead of adopting the currency of another country'--such as the U.S. dollar'--some of these economies might see a growing use of virtual currencies. Call it dollarization 2.0.
IMF experience shows that there is a tipping point beyond which coordination around a new currency is exponential. In the Seychelles, for example, dollarization jumped from 20 percent in 2006 to 60 percent in 2008.
And yet, why might citizens hold virtual currencies rather than physical dollars, euros, or sterling? Because it may one day be easier and safer than obtaining paper bills, especially in remote regions. And because virtual currencies could actually become more stable.
For instance, they could be issued one-for-one for dollars, or a stable basket of currencies. Issuance could be fully transparent, governed by a credible, pre-defined rule, an algorithm that can be monitored'...or even a ''smart rule'' that might reflect changing macroeconomic circumstances.
So in many ways, virtual currencies might just give existing currencies and monetary policy a run for their money. The best response by central bankers is to continue running effective monetary policy, while being open to fresh ideas and new demands, as economies evolve.
Better payment services?
For example, consider the growing demand for new payment services in countries where the shared, decentralized service economy is taking off.
This is an economy rooted in peer-to-peer transactions, in frequent, small-value payments, often across borders.
Four dollars for gardening tips from a lady in New Zealand, three euros for an expert translation of a Japanese poem, and 80 pence for a virtual rendering of historic Fleet Street: these payments can be made with credit cards and other forms of e-money. But the charges are relatively high for small-value transactions, especially across borders.
Instead, citizens may one day prefer virtual currencies, since they potentially offer the same cost and convenience as cash'--no settlement risks, no clearing delays, no central registration, no intermediary to check accounts and identities. If privately issued virtual currencies remain risky and unstable, citizens may even call on central banks to provide digital forms of legal tender.
So, when the new service economy comes knocking on the Bank of England's door, will you welcome it inside? Offer it tea'--and financial liquidity?
New models of financial intermediation
This brings us to the second leg of our pod journey'--new models of financial intermediation.
One possibility is the break-up, or unbundling, of banking services. In the future, we might keep minimal balances for payment services on electronic wallets.
The remaining balances may be kept in mutual funds, or invested in peer-to-peer lending platforms with an edge in big data and artificial intelligence for automatic credit scoring.
This is a world of six-month product development cycles and constant updates, primarily of software, with a huge premium on simple user-interfaces and trusted security. A world where data is king. A world of many new players without imposing branch offices.
Some would argue that this puts a question mark on the fractional banking model we know today, if there are fewer bank deposits and money flows into the economy through new channels.
How would monetary policy be set in this context?
Today's central banks typically affect asset prices through primary dealers, or big banks, to which they provide liquidity at fixed prices'--so-called open-market operations. But if these banks were to become less relevant in the new financial world, and demand for central bank balances were to diminish, could monetary policy transmission remain as effective?
The Trump administration plans to allow hunters to bring trophies of elephants they killed in Zimbabwe and Zambia back to the United States, reversing a ban put in place by the Obama administration in 2014, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service official confirmed for ABC News today.
Interested in Trump Administration? Add Trump Administration as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Trump Administration news, video, and analysis from ABC News. Even though elephants are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, a provision in the act allows the government to give permits to import such trophies if there is evidence that the hunting benefits conservation for that species. The official said the administration has new information from officials in Zimbabwe and Zambia to support reversing the ban.
De Agostini/Getty Images An African bush elephant on Fothergill Island, lake Kariba, in Zimbabwe, March 3, 2014. "Legal, well-regulated sport hunting as part of a sound management program can benefit the conservation of certain species by providing incentives to local communities to conserve the species and by putting much-needed revenue back into conservation," a Fish and Wildlife spokesperson said in a statement.
This change applies only to elephants in those two countries. It prompted questions about using game hunting to generate money for conservation efforts, and similar questions arose after the controversial killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe in 2015.
The government has not officially announced this policy change yet, but it was reportedly raised at a wildlife forum in South Africa this week, according to Safari Club International, which filed a lawsuit to block the 2014 ban.
It's unclear how the current political situation in Zimbabwe could affect this decision, but a blog post from the president of the Humane Society of the United States points out that poaching has been a problem in Zimbabwe over the years and that the hunting industry there faces corruption issues.
A notice regarding this reversal will be posted in the Federal Register on Friday with specifics on the new information justifying the change.
The permits will apply to elephants hunted in Zimbabwe from Jan. 21, 2016, to Dec. 31, 2018, and elephants hunted in Zambia during 2016, 2017 and 2018 for applications that meet all other applicable requirements, according to the Fish and Wildlife spokesperson.
Savanna elephant populations declined by 30 percent across 18 countries in Africa from 2007 to 2014, according to the Great Elephant Census published last year, which put their remaining numbers at just over 350,000.
The elephant population declined 6 percent overall in Zimbabwe but dropped by 74 percent within one specific region. Elephants saw "substantial declines along the Zambezi River," in Zambia while other areas of that country were stable, according to the census.
Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP Photo Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, attends the burial of Major General Bandama who died after a short illness at the National Heroes acre in Harare, Zimbabwe, July, 17, 2014. The Fish and Wildlife Service has been talking with wildlife officials in Zimbabwe since the ban was announced in 2014. Since then, Zimbabwe officials have stepped up efforts to combat poaching, established a system to report financial benefit from American hunters and provided more information on how officials establish hunting quotas, according to the text of the federal register notice that will be posted Friday.
The census reported about 82,000 elephants in Zimbabwe. Wildlife officials set annual quotas limiting hunting there to 500 elephants in different areas.
Elephant hunting has been banned in Zambia several times over the years because of declining population but was re-established in 2015 after surveys found a larger population in some areas. Zambia is home to some 22,000 elephants, according to the census.
Tourists may hunt elephants on private game ranches or specified areas in Zambia, many of which are on the outskirts of national parks. Zambian officials carry out anti-poaching efforts and manage elephant hunting through permits and quotas, according to the Federal Register notice. In 2016, 30 elephants were allowed to be killed there as trophies, but the government reported that only 12 males were killed, according to the notice.
Fees paid by hunters are used to fund the country's conservation efforts.
VIDEO - Jeff Flake caught on hot mic: GOP is "toast" - Axios
The legalization of marijuana is causing quite a disturbance for Canada's traditional drug dealers. To learn a bit more about how they're coping with the changes, This is That's Pat Kelly sat down with Ottawa-based drug dealer, JJ Morris.
VIDEO - WHY ARE AMERICANS STILL IN AFGHANISTAN? SteveTalks.tv - YouTube
In an interview with Mother Jones, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that any investigation into her by the Trump administration represents a ''politicization'' of the U.S. justice system and is an unconstitutional ''abuse of power.''
Clinton's remarks were a response to a question centered around the recent announcement that Attorney General Jeff Sessions is weighing whether to appoint a special counsel to investigate ''the Uranium One deal and suspected criminal business dealings connected to the Clinton Foundation.''
Clinton responded by saying that doing so would be ''a disastrous step into politicizing the Justice Department.''
''If they send a signal that we're going to be like some dictatorship, like some authoritarian regime, where political opponents are going to be unfairly, fraudulently investigated, that rips at the fabric of the contract we have, that we can trust our justice system,'' Clinton continued.
Clinton ultimately suggested that an investigation into her past dealings, including allegations which she claims have been ''debunked,'' would be illegal because it would represent an unconstitutional ''abuse of power.''
WATCH:
News that Sessions is considering appointing a special counsel to investigate Clinton was released in a letter by Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd this week in response to multiple requests by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and other committee members to appoint a special counsel to investigate Clinton.
''The Attorney General has directed senior federal prosecutors to evaluate certain issues raised in your letters,'' Boyd wrote. ''These senior prosecutors will report directly to the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General, as appropriate, and will make recommendations as to whether any matters not currently under investigation should be opened, whether any matters currently under investigation require further resources, or whether any matters merit the appointment of a Special Counsel.''
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VIDEO - Woman Fired From Job for Flipping Off President Given Staggering Sum Thanks to GoFundMe
A woman who flipped off President Donald Trump's motorcade in October has received widespread support in a GoFundMe campaign that has now raised more than $100,000.
Juli Briskman of Sterling, Virginia, was riding her bicycle on Oct. 29 as Trump's motorcade passed her. She raised her middle finger in salute. The moment was captured by a photographer and soon went viral, and Briskman used the photo on her own Facebook and Twitter accounts.
There was a catch. She was employed by a government contractor, Akima, that did not want employees to post ''obscene'' images on their social media pages. As a result, she was fired.
After her firing became public, Rob Mello of Hudson, Massachusetts, created a GoFundMe page for Briskman.
As of Thursday, the page had surpassed its goal of $100,000 thanks to pledges from more than 4,900 donors. Rosie O'Donnell, a long-time nemesis of Trump, was among those donating. She pledged $1,000.
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''Juli Briskman is an inspiration to us all,'' Mello wrote on the page when it started. ''This week we learned that she was fired from her employer for exercising her First Amendment rights. You can show your support by donating here.''
Briskman has shown no remorse for her action.
''It was a spur-of-the-moment decision,'' she said on MSNBC, according to The Washington Free Beacon. ''Lots of things were going through my mind about how disappointed I am with this administration. I didn't really have any other way to express my opinion to Mr. Trump, and so the finger was what I had at the time.''
''I don't think that he respects the office, so I don't respect the office,'' she added. ''Luckily, I don't live in a country where I must respect him or there are severe consequences for me.''
Briskman became a celebrity for her act, and appeared on Megyn Kelly's NBC show, where she said flipping off Trump ''felt great.''
She has also said she does not want her old job back because Akima does not share her values. Instead, the registered Democrat hopes to get a job with a group she supports, like Planned Parenthood.
During her segment on Briskman, Kelly said Akima did not have a comment. However, she read an ethics statement from the company's website.
''Akima expects its employees, officers and directors to exercise good judgment and maintain high ethical standards in all activities which affect Akima. Every Akima employee is held to these standards,'' the statement said.
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Briskman claimed that standard was not applied evenly, because another employee of the construction management company was allowed to simply clean up his page after foul language was used on it.
''I really wasn't gonna talk about this until I remembered the fellow that I actually flagged to the company that he had written very obscene things in someone else's conversation on Facebook,'' she said. ''He did not get fired. He was allowed to clean up his Facebook page.''
''They clearly treated me differently. It was not equal application of their social media policy.''
VIDEO - New dawn for economy after dark days in Zimbabwe? | Reuters.com
Investment firms say their phones have been ringing with client inquiries about the chances of a turnaround in Zimbabwe from decades of decline and bouts of financial chaos under Robert Mugabe. But, as David Pollard reports, they face some key obstacles.
TRANSCRIPT +
The headlines give hope. The man many see as a tyrant: ousted. After a bloodless coup, a new dawn may beckon .... (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER VICE PRESIDENT, JOICE MUJURU SAYING: "We are in need of transitional arrangements that should attend to key issues of economic recovery and electoral reform processes." The talk is brave, given the challenges. With a new leadership may come new deals with foreign investors and creditors. Though for now dire poverty is the local reality, and hyperinflation that's driven many into Bitcoin and other assets. And as for its currency, there's the 'zollar' - an electronic dollar used in bank accounts amid a scarcity of the real thing. Which became legal tender in 2009. SOUNDBITE (English) BILL BLAIN, CAPITAL MARKETS STRATEGIST, MINT PARTNERS, SAYING: "That has not really solved many of the issues that the Zimbabwean economy still faces. Top of that list of course is corruption." Stocks though are booming. Zimbabwe's industrial index up by 264 per cent this year. MSCI's country index 420 per cent. But don't, warn analysts, be deceived ... Shares are rocketing as, again, local investors look for an alternative to uncertainty. SOUNDBITE (English) BILL BLAIN, CAPITAL MARKETS STRATEGIST, MINT PARTNERS, SAYING: "It's very difficult to see that a military coup .... is really going to change the economy in any meaningful way ... And how do you get what was once the breadbasket of Africa functioning again?" That question hard to answer as the politics of a nation hang in the balance too. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DUMISANI NKOMO, SPOKESPERSON FOR CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE COALITION (CIZC), SAYING: "If things go terribly wrong, it could lead to a suspension of civil liberties, it could lead to a suspension of the constitution. We hope not." This video shows the house of Zimbabwe's former Information Minister, Jonathan Moyo ... Glass shattered, walls punctured by bullets in an army raid ... Zimbabwe's coupl bloodless for now ....
VIDEO - London theatre says 20 men made allegations against Kevin Spacey | Reuters.com
ROUGH CUT. NO REPORTER NARRATION. The Old Vic Theatre in London said on Thursday (November 16) it had received 20 separate allegations of inappropriate conduct by actor Kevin Spacey from 20 men who came into contact with him between 1995 and 2013. The theatre was reporting on the findings of an investigation it launched on October 31. Richard Miskella, a lawyer from the firm Lewis Silkin who conducted the investigation on behalf of the Old Vic, said that it had encouraged 14 of the men to talk to the police because of the nature of the allegations but did not say whether any of them had done so. His Los Angeles-based lawyer could not be reached by telephone and did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. The Old Vic said it had asked Spacey to participate in its investigation but had received no response from him. It said it was not able to say whether the allegations were true or not. Reuters has not been able to independently verify allegations made against Spacey.
VIDEO - More protests in France but is culture changing? | Reuters.com
Unions in France have staged another day protest against labour reforms. But, as Sonia Legg reports, the country's labour minister says the culture is changing and the role of French trade unions is evolving away from leading mass strikes and street protests to partnering employers in the workplace.
TRANSCRIPT +
It's the fourth day of protests in France since Emmanuel Macron was elected President five months ago. That's probably not a statistic he's proud of. He made pre-election promises to reform labour laws and get the economy moving again. He hasn't passed many new laws yet but his Labour Minister insists the culture is changing. (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH LABOUR MINISTER, MURIEL PENICAUD, SAYING: "When it comes to employee's unionism, we've seen over the course of the years an evolution. Unions that are said to be reformist win ground election after election." The minister has rewritten France's hefty labour code to give companies more freedom to tailor working conditions to their needs. (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH LABOUR MINISTER, MURIEL PENICAUD, SAYING: "While it's important there are strong means of expression, there are other ways than striking. That will remain an absolute right but actually it doesn't happen as much as people abroad believe." The latest protests were organised by the hard-left CGT. But it struggled to get support from other unions. And while Macron's support has slipped in recent months - many businesses are fully behind the government. (SOUNDBITE) (English): BILL BLAIN, HEAD OF CAPITAL MARKETS & STRATEGIST, MINT PARTNERS, SAYING: "They are able to get things done. It will take time of course and that's one of the reasons that we're bound to see slippage in the program. But French growth is up. We're seeing a more productive labour force and less Macron really trips up. I would expect to see France outperform the next couple of years." The government's hoping greater flexibility on the shop floor will spur employers to take on more workers. But there's no sign of that yet. Latest figures show the unemployment rate rose slightly in the third quarter to 9.7 percent - that's almost 3 percent above Macron's target.
VIDEO - Telsa to unveil electric big rig truck | Reuters.com
One day before Tesla unveils a prototype electric big-rig truck Thursday, CEO Elon Musk tweeted this teasing shot. The semi with trapezoidal headlights could draw more headlines if - as Reuters reported - it drives itself. Stacked Capital managing partner, Arben Kane: SOUNDBITE: ARBEN KANE, MANAGING PARTNER, STACKED CAPITAL, (ENGLISH) SAYING: "I think it's a big game changer." In addition to radically changing the design, analysts think Tesla could boost cab comfort and make driving autonomous. Although the battery may fatten the sticker price, electric transmission and autonomous driving could drastically lower operating costs. The big technical challenge Tesla will face: beefing up battery performance. Oppenheimer senior analyst Colin Rusch: SOUNDBITE: COLIN RUSCH, SENIOR ANALYST, OPPENHEIMER, (ENGLISH) SAYING: "The long haul over-the-road applications that Tesla is talking about have some real challenges in terms of battery charging time as well as just managing hills and things like that in terms of the power needed to pull the freight they're going to be pulling." The company will enter a new market just as it struggles to roll out its first mass market sedan, the Model 3. It has twice delayed the truck's debut. But that timing could actually help the stock, which has lost a fifth of its value since mid-September. SOUNDBITE: ARBEN KANE, MANAGING PARTNER, STACKED CAPITAL, (ENGLISH) SAYING: "If you actually look at their current stock and the pressure that Tesla has around the Model 3 delay, this actually is a perfect distraction." Tesla shares charged higher ahead of the unveiling set for Thursday night.
VIDEO - Libyans sell jewellery as economic crisis pushes many into poverty | Reuters.com
In the backstreets of Libya's capital, an economic crisis is unfolding. In Tripoli's Gold Market, many families are selling their jewelry and foreign currency savings on the black market to make ends meet. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GOLD TRADER, SALAHEDIN ZARTI, SAYING: "Families have started flocking here in large numbers as a result of the circumstances that we all know, resulting from a decline in liquidity of their personal finances, forcing them to sell their gold. Most families come from all over; from Tripoli, and other neighboring cities." Six years of post-dictatorship chaos has taken its toll. The Libyan currency has fallen 200 percent on the parallel market since early last year. In the past two weeks the drop in the black market value of the dinar has fueled inflation that is already around 25-30 percent. Many have lost trust in banks and prefer to keep money at home. The drop in the value of the currency has also hampered medical supplies to hospitals. Even salaries that are delivered are not enough to pay the bills. The U.N. estimates that about 1.3 million people in Libya have been in need of humanitarian assistance this year. Although oil output production has lifted in 2017 to about 1 billion barrels a day, output is stuck well below what it was pumping before the 2011 uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi. International experts say the only way to resolve the issue is to devalue the dinar from the official exchange rate of 1.37 to the dollar. But agreeing to an economic strategy in a country dominated by armed factions with rival governments and no budgets is no easy task.
VIDEO - Raj Pink diamond fails to sell at auction in Geneva | Reuters.com
It's the largest known "fancy intense pink" diamond. It weighs 37.30 carats and was valued at up to 30 million dollars. But the the "Raj Pink" diamond failed to sell at auction house Sotheby's semi-annual jewel sale on Wednesday (November, 15) in Geneva. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY DIVISION'S WORLDWIDE CHAIRMAN DAVID BENNETT SAYING, TALKING ABOUT THE "RAJ PINK" DIAMOND: "At 14 million francs... Thank you ladies and gentlemen... It is not sold. And thank you all very much indeed." But the bad luck did not end there for Sotheby's: (SOUNDBITE) (English) SCREEN SHOWING WITH MOUSSAIEFF DIAMOND RING AND AUCTION PRICE AT CHF 12,400,000, WHILE DAVID BENNETT IS HEARD SAYING: "12 million 4 hundred... Unfortunately not sold" A blue diamond ring by Moussaieff failed to sell. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY DIVISION'S WORLDWIDE CHAIRMAN DAVID BENNETT SAYING, TALKING ABOUT THE PAIR OF YELLOW DIAMONDS THAT FORMERLY BELONGED TO THE VON DONNERSMARCK FAMILY: "7 million 8 hundred thousand francs... 7 million 8 hundred. Not sold." And a pair of yellow diamonds that once belonged to the German princely Von Donnersmarck family had the same fate. But it wasn't all bad news, a Harry Winston light pink diamond ring sold for 12.6 million Swiss francs. Still only 303 of the nearly 350 items sold according to Sotheby's figures. Proving that at actuion - not all that glitters turns to gold, dollars or Swiss Francs.
VIDEO - London theatre: 20 men made allegations against Spacey | Reuters.com
(SOUNDBITE) (English) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE OLD VIC, KATE VARAH, SAYING: "The Old Vic apologizes wholeheartedly." A theatre in London says 20 separate men have come forward to them with allegations of misconduct against actor Kevin Spacey - its former artistic director. The Old Vic says it couldn't verify any of the claims and wouldn't share specific details. But a law firm hired to conduct the investigation says 14 of the men were encouraged to go to the police. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE OLD VIC, KATE VARAH, SAYING: "Much has changed at the Old Vic in recent years, and we will continue to work to model and safeguard the open culture that we want the Old Vic to be known for." Actor Roberto Cavazos claimed two weeks ago that Spacey had behaved inappropriately toward him when they both worked there, although it is not known whether Cavazos is one of the men listed in the findings. The scrutiny of Spacey started after an actor in the US Anthony Rapp, accused Spacey of making an unwanted sexual advance on him as a minor in 1986. Spacey was 26 at the time. He's said that he does not remember the incident. The House of Cards actor hasn't commented publicly about Cavazos' claim or any misconduct connected to the Old Vic. A statement from the theatre says they believe Spacey's star status led to a quote, "cult of personality" around him when he worked there between 1995 and 2013... ... which may have led to junior staff or younger actors feeling they couldn't speak out. The theatre also reported that they'd asked Spacey to participate in their investigation but received no response from him. Reuters has not been able to verify any of the claims against Spacey and his lawyer didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. The last statement from his representatives two weeks ago said he was seeking treatment.
VIDEO - Stuart Varney Reveals Real Reason the Left Wants to Impeach Trump
Fox Business host Stuart Varney responded Thursday to news that six Democrat representatives have introduced articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, saying the real reason liberals really want to impeach Trump is because they despise him.
Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee announced the introduction of the articles of impeachment on Wednesday. He was joined by Reps. Al Green of Texas, Marcia Fudge of Ohio, Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, John Yarmuth of Kentucky and Adriano Espaillat of New York.
''Given the magnitude of the constitutional crisis, there's no reason for delay,'' Cohen said in a statement.
However, Varney suggested that this ''latest push for impeachment'' from the ''far left'' has nothing to do with the Constitution.
''There are no grounds for impeachment. What the left is doing is showing its utter contempt for President Trump,'' he said. ''They won't use the word but I will. They hate him.''
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Varney said he wants those pushing for impeachment to be given ''maximum publicity,'' so that it's ''very clear just who the haters are.''
He noted that establishment Democrats like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez are ''worried'' about talk of impeachment.
''Nancy Pelosi knows her colleagues have gone way too far. That's why she says impeachment is not a priority. DNC chair Tom Perez is running away from impeachment too. He says, 'We need to concentrate on jobs.'''
The Fox Business host said the result of impeachment talks actually depends on whether Republicans are successful in their efforts to reform the tax system.
If Republicans fail to push through tax reform, Varney said, then Democrats may take back the House in the 2018 midterm elections.
''That would mean the House, the place in charge of impeachments, will go to the Democrats, and you can bet Speaker Pelosi ''as she would become '-- will charge full speed ahead to get rid of and cripple the Trump presidency,'' he said.
Varney added that he doesn't think there is any good reason to impeach Trump. But that might not stop the Democrats.
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''Impeachment is a highly political process, and if the left is put back in charge, they will exploit their political power,'' he said.
''If Senate Republicans vote no on tax cuts, the GOP is surely destined for defeat next year, and hatred, contempt and yes, impeachment, will be unleashed full force.''
''The stakes could not be higher,'' Varney concluded.
VIDEO- Waters: We plan to take back the House, I aspire to Financial Services chairmanship
